Taking a Breath

“A whirlwind affair" is as cliche as it gets but it’s an apt description of this infusion of technology that I’ve been experiencing.The thought that I had at least some awareness of how technology can work in the classroom has been obliterated and replaced with the understanding that the world is really at our doorstep. The key is, we have to open that door and let it in through an authentic use of technology in the classroom. The days of ‘hands off the technology’ to students and ‘demonstrations of its use by teachers only’ are being aggressively met with tools,applications and resources that can facilitate learning more effectively through a hands-on approach. In the Handbook of Literacy and Technology. Transformations in the Post-Typographic World 1998,Kuhn and Labbo state “Rapid changes in the computer-based technology have provided classrooms and schools with the potential to transform student’s literacy learning.”
The lament that our schools are not as ready for such a transformation is real and unfortunately the added resistance to change mainly out of fear is also just as real. The affair continues though and is well on its way to becoming a serious relationship. The ‘WikiEducator Gives Back’ workshop is a testament to this growing commitment, as difficult as it is to balance between the workshop and assignments,it is proving to be a rewarding experience. I can come very close to understanding what students may feel when they are exposed to such a working environment. These experiences will be both motivating and edifying as students become fully engaged in the learning experiences.