Changing for Kids; Changing for Change

I'm excited about the ideas presented in Marc Prensky's article Adopt and Adapt, because he challenges educators to push their uses of technology to a truly contructivist model. As a teacher who believes fully in the ideals of modern day educational best practice, and the constructivist model as the most effective and most democratic, I am willing to push myself to find "new ways of doing new things."

Last year I was definitely a "dappler" in technology, hardly even using technology other than to have my students type their portfolio pieces. This year I've tried to implement technology into my classroom in a number of ways: modeling on the projector, an online gradebook, and a classroom website. All of these are essentially "old things in new ways." Next year will be my year to push myself further to implement "new things in new ways," and push my students to the highest levels of Blooms taxonomy with technology as our guide.

Prensky's idea of incorporating the students into decsion making roles in schools and classrooms is a wonderful notion. Josh McHugh, too, is right in arguing that it is the teachers' duty to speak the students' language (in this case a digital one.) It is true that they are the technological natives, and just as I have often consulted them for constructive criticism of my lessons and class procedures, I will happily consult them for technological advice. If it empowers them, it's worth extra planning and flexibility. Personally, I am more than happy to change for them. I went into education to bring about change, and if technology is a vehicle for that change, I look forward to it. If it brings opportunity to my students, empowers them, connects them to the far-reaching corners of the globe, exposes them to new ideas and information, or gives them a forum on which to the voice their own ideas, I more than welcome it. I demand it.