Educating the Dragon

Effective literacy practise is my second podcast.

This wonderful book took 10 years in the making.

There isn’t a ‘text book’ for technology is the point I want to make. And  there isn’t a ‘core text’ to build a school-wide approach around.

What is the reason for this? Is it because technology is not worth focusing on and should remain the ’second-class’ subject it is or is it because technology is developing too rapidly for educational practice to keep pace.

 If I had researched and written a book about the integration of technology into the classroom context over the same period and released it for school to adopt and adapt on the self same day we would be reading about how to Drill and and kill our kids in word and maths games, developing those core skills.

Instead todays technology is about using the computer, internet and associated applications as Mindtools and harnessing the power of social networking to further learning. There are debates ranging from the use of gaming as an educational platform to advotes for use of PDA’s in the classroom. Connection to high speed broadband is becoming increasingly accessed wirelessly.

Just because there is not a book out there does not excuse us from infusing technology into our classrooms, not harnessing the power of the internet to broaden students experiences and deepen their understanding of the world and widen their horizons and aspirations.