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Showing posts from November, 2012

Unfiltered

About ten days ago we switched web filters at school. If you have ever been involved in taking on such a task you know there are many hurdles involved in the process. Trying to work through the setup process with an active system causes many "hiccups" for all involved. When the filter is functioning as desired you will hardly notice it is there. Until the filter is fine tuned many of the sites people are used to going to throughout the day are blocked.   Some people are very patient and wait for the situation improve. Some people go into panic mode immediately because the plan they had for their lesson suddenly is not possible. A seasoned teacher would have a few alternatives on the back burner knowing that at any given moment things could go awry and you need to move to plan B or C (in some cases you get to plan Z). Why do we need this intrusion of big brother telling us what we can and cannot view on the Internet? This is a free country, so we should be able to see what we ...

The good, the bad, and technology

Our school is well on the way to having one device for every student from fifth grade on up and one for every two in the lower grades. The device of choice is the iPad for us.  This rapid onslaught of equipment has been met with mixed emotions all around. I thought I might jot down a few ideas as a reminder for us and a warning to others considering the same path. 1.   Good teaching is always going to be good teaching . When students are actively engaged in the learning process, good teaching is taking place. It doesn't matter to a good teacher what equipment they have available to them, they are going to teach successfully. Good teaching always keeps the individual in mind. Good teaching always falls back the question "What is best for students?"  It doesn't matter what the standards are, what equipment is available, or what the socio-economic status is of the student, good teaching can occur. A good teacher will teach despite the circumstances. 2.   Bad teaching is...