Programs for Educators Tips for Teachers Development for Educators. February 27, 2014 We are thrilled to announce the release of our entire Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum as a set of eight interactive, multimedia iBooks Textbooks, available for free in the iBooks Store... read more March 31, 2014 Imagine … a school district that is teaching Digital Literacy and Citizenship lessons to 28,000 K-12 students, with 1,800 trained teachers.
Is it possible? Last week, I hosted an inspiring webinar... read more Categories: M-learning for everyone. Progress or Regress at Los Montanas, Part 2. Judgments about the use of technologies in schools, past and present, are never value-free. So let me deal with the ideological underpinnings of technological “progress” and “regress.” By ideological I mean ideas that are political and value-driven. For example, as Judi Harris, an expert on technology integration, pointed out (see post August 27, 2010) most advocates for more technology in schools (e.g. educators, vendors, academics) are “techno-centrists” (think Seymour Papert, Nicholas Negroponte, and the latest champion of online instruction to replace teachers and schools).
Techno-centrists, she says, seek “educational uses for particular technologies,” i.e., technical fixes for school problems. The second ideological blinder technological-driven educators wear is “pedagogical dogmatism.” Harris points to Christopher Moersch, author of LoTi (Levels of Technology Implementation), whose popular tool is used to measure classroom use of technology. So was there progress or regress? 1-to-1 Learning | 21 Steps to iPad Success. Preparing Your School for an iPad Implementation. Planning is imperative for any technology initiative - iPad or otherwise. You need to ensure that you clearly understand and communicate how the technology integrates with your overall pedagogical objectives. Too many institutions purchase technology and then search for ways to utilize it ... or leave it collecting dust on the shelf.
Planning needs to consider both infrastructure needs and the educational applications of the new technology. Without the proper preparation, technology initiatives are liable to become expensive failures. Campus Infrastructure Considerations Signal Strength: If you’re using wifi iPads then you’ll need a strong and reliable connection to the web. Pedagogical Considerations: Pedagogical Models:Have you discussed how the use of iPads will be integrated into your educational processes? Your iPad implementation plan requires careful thought and preparation.