“Today is Digital Learning Day, a national promotional effort by the Alliance for Excellence in Education to call attention to using technology in schools.  More than 10,000 teachers and 1.5 million students have signed up in support to “celebrate innovative teachers and highlight instructional practices that strengthen teaching and personalize learning for all students,” according to the AEE.  To that end, a repost of Adam S. Bellow’s Golden Rules of Technology in Schools, as he stated them at the ISTE 2011 conference.

Read the original story, CLICK HERE”

Mind|Shift is always a thoughtful blog, but today’s post is exception.

First, don’t trap technology in a room.  Yup, I Agree! I am in schools all over the nation and that is the case way to many places!!  Let’s change that!!  Technology needs to be seamless and a part of our curriculum, not something that is only scheduled or  added on or  “special” down the hall locked up.

Second is that technology is worthless without professional development. So true, there is even research to support the fact that Professional development makes a difference.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN THE LEARNING PROFESSION: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad© February 2009 National Staff Development Council. (NSDC) ndsc report Feb 2009.

Third, mobile technology like the iPad is really anywhere, anytime learning. Should learning stop when a kid walks out of the school building?  I think not!  I was in Texas recently doing professional development in a school district that is purchasing 24,000 iPads, yes, I really said 24,000 iPads. They will be using iPads K-12 and kids, all kids, get to have the iPads 24/7 and 365 days a year.  They even get to take them home over the summer.  The philosophy is that learning doesn’t stop when the school year ends. Wow, what a concept!!    I believe more and more that the 3 month break in the summer is not a good thing.  I always find fall semester much more difficult that spring semester. Hmmm…..

Fourth, the new F word is fear.  Boy you can say that again.  Brad Flickinger has a post on his blog, actually it is a series of posts and I agree with his thoughts today……..

“Some times when I am speaking at a conference about iPads in education teachers will share a concern that they have about every student getting an iPad. They are worried than the students will just work in isolation and our society will become even more fractured and self-centered with students never learning to work together.

They imagine a room full of kids with headphones on just plugged into their iPads like a room full of zombies. I had this same concern when I started to design my lessons that used iPads. I made sure that most of the lessons involved team work and collaboration (a 21st century skill).”

Fifth, tech tools are a FAD. Are ya’ kidding me, just try taking my iPad away from me or anyone for that matter!! Every school board member, school administrator, teacher, parent, etc, etc, really needs to get on board.  Technology is not going away, just moving faster and many educators are being left in the dust.  What a dis-service this is to our youth!!  We all know the standardized test is not going to solve anything with our schools.  In fact I think we need to take those politician and make them teach in a real classroom for about a week and then let’s talk about education!!

Sixth, money, schools constantly use the EXCUSE that money is the problem for lack of or limited technology.  That is just BS!!  There is a ton of free stuff  on the Web that any teacher can take advantage of every day.  I realize there must be hardware purchases, but today this hardware can replace expensive textbooks, and if you take it a step further and go nearly paperless, think of the savings there.  With creative thinking and budgeting, it can be accomplished.  Just a little thinking outside the box can do the trick!!

Seventh, stakeholders, everybody has to be part of the conversations. A school nearby, Inman, KS has an extremely successful iPad 1:1 going.  It is successful because all the stakeholders were involved in the planning and implementation.  That is rare.  Usually, the Administration makes a decision, mandates teachers do it and then it fails.  Not the case in Inman, everyone was involved and the administration actually has set the example for usage.  In other words, practice what you preach!! http://www.usd448.com/groups/ipadsinman/ and check out thier NING site http://iteachwithipads.ning.com/.

Right now I have great access to carts of MacBook Pros, and I am not complaining, and over 50% of my students have their own Macs, so all is good.  But I do worry that I am not exposing these future teachers to the technology of their futures, iPads.  A small percentage of students have iPads, but at this point not enough.  Really need to find a solution!!