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The Connected Classroom: Supporting Reluctant Swimmers-or letting them drown? - The Diigo Meta page

khokanson.blogspot.com/...rt-for-reluctant-swimmers.html - Cached - Annotated View

Dave Truss's personal annotations on this page

datruss
Datruss bookmarked on 2009-07-26 learningconversations techintegrator metaphor mycomments

There has been talk in the edtech community for a long time that we need to stop talking about the tools, but I disagree.

  • I have to wonder how many folks would jump in at all if they were afraid of the water. As David Truss points out, "too many people fear drowning and never get into the pool” and that in most Teacher Ed programs the amount of technology skill they leave the program with seems to be optional... to me that's like throwing a non-swimmer into the deep end.
  • I spend a day or two, sometimes a week “teaching folks to swim.” I give them the skills and we go SLOW.

  • There has been talk in the edtech community for a long time that we need to stop talking about the tools, but I disagree. You are always going to have those non-swimmers who finally find their way to the edge of the pool. Teach them what the water feels like and support them as they develop confidence in using the tool. When I share a tool like voicethread with a teacher, they can see so many ways it can be used in the classroom. They get excited about the potentials but they don’t understand the many concepts that go into it, embedding, and sharing, and privacy, and moderating comments, are so new to them…They are excited about being at the pool's edge, but it is like being thrown into that deep end for the first time.
    • datruss
      Datruss on 2009-07-26
      So True! We do need to continue talking about the tools, but that can't be our focus, that is our line of support.
  • There was also some talk in the comments on Durff’s post that administrators must make technology a priority if we are to get teachers to "take the time" to explore new things- it is one of the things that is driving me to complete my administrative certification. Provide opportunities for teachers to see what is possible (take them to the pool), Give them the skills they need (the swim lessons). Provide support for them and swim along side the teachers. Only then will you have competent swimmers.

This link has been bookmarked by 3 people . It was first bookmarked on 26 Jul 2009, by Dave Truss.

  • 27 Jul 09
    yuanhui
    Patricia Chin

    edtech

  • tnschatz
    Amy Kelly-Graham
    • deep
  • 26 Jul 09
    datruss
    Dave Truss

    There has been talk in the edtech community for a long time that we need to stop talking about the tools, but I disagree.

    learningconversations techintegrator metaphor mycomments

    • I have to wonder how many folks would jump in at all if they were afraid of the water. As David Truss points out, "too many people fear drowning and never get into the pool” and that in most Teacher Ed programs the amount of technology skill they leave the program with seems to be optional... to me that's like throwing a non-swimmer into the deep end.
    • I spend a day or two, sometimes a week “teaching folks to swim.” I give them the skills and we go SLOW.
    • 2 more annotations...