Wow, I really wish I knew how to embed the above video without just adding a link. I suppose it is something I have to work on. Maybe if I was in a Kindergarten class I would know how to do that. Or would I?
In the podcast, educator Sharon Betts walks the viewer through the process of natigating VoiceThreads and Dipity. It was a nice little presentation that I'm sure is helpful to a number of teachers at this grade level. As I was watching, I had some thoughts, not on the technology Ms. Betts was presenting but about the setup of the educational system for this grade level and where and what role technology factors into. It wasn't until after the video was done that I read the first sentance of the Description:
Teachers of our youngest students are often left behind when trying to implement new technologies into their curriculum.
Even though I suspected this I wasn't sure why. But thinking about it, teachers of this age level do have less access to technology because of their students. Ten, even maybe five years ago, there was not much thought that these four or five year-olds needed to be exposed to Web 2.0. But now, because of all the availability of technology in the classroom and the integration of it in the later class levels, there seems to be a need and push for incorporating it to these youngsters...kids I am sure have much more exposure at home to the Web or TV interactive games.
I think it is important that these classes do have the access to technology and, with Ms. Betts post, proper educational websites can be found. But like the quote above, teachers are getting old technology, the "hand-me-downs" from up above. That may be ok, and I'm sure budgets are stretched thin enough, but shouldn't there at least be school funding for signing up for some of these websites? Like VoiceThreads where it is $10 a year, but that only allows 3 exports, or $50 a year for unlimited exports. There has been a lot of comments in class, in articles I've read and in podcasts I've watched, where $10 here, $5 there, $50 for a year is tossed out there. That is all well and good, but it starts to add up after a while. I think it is important for schools to make sure that the bill for technology, whether new or old, isn't the sole responsiblity of the educator.
Now excuse me while my 4 year-old niece shows me how to embed video from a link and not from my computer.
Very interesting. I definitely agree. It seems all I hear is that technology in school systems seems to flow downward. That said, it would be nice to see soemthing in place to allow a more equal share funding-wise. Afterall, if these are the students of the future, then why not introduce some cool technologies early? I'm saying that we have to overload them with high tech gadgets. I'm just suggsting that we start incorporating some into their everyday lives. It's going to happen sooner or later, why wait? A little funding could go a long way!
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