I think I was supposed to put my posting from digital age teaching professionals here so here it is:
Hi Folks,
Here’s my thoughts on my technological shortcomings:
Currently, I actually don’t use a lot of technology within my class simply because of a lack of resources available to us here. It is nearly impossible to book any time in our computer lab and even when you do there is no guarantee that the system or computers will be working properly. Most of the technology that I do use is at the teacher level through things such as PowerPoint and streaming videos. Unfortunately, our school district has blocked all access to Youtube so we no longer have access to video that is educationally relevant to our teaching.
Another issue I encounter is the lack of universal access to high speed internet at home for my students. Being in a rural area, not everyone has this access and in some cases, I have students who do not even have computers. This can create inequity if the expectation is that assignments be completed outside of classtime.
Now, that being said, I definitely see the potential for more technology use in my classroom. What I’m hoping to get from this course is a better sense of how to use WebCT and Moodle. I can envision setting up an online companion to my courses so that students can access assignments and resources for the course online, particularly for those students who are absent for an extended period of time. In order to do this I’m going to have to learn more about both of these platforms. I’m hoping that this course will provide me with a solid foundation in this area.
Cheers,
Ken
