Recently, I was in a discussion with someone and we were discussing /teacher resistance to adding technology to their classrooms. The person I spoke with, commented that many people feel that technology will save them time. He suggested that technology is just a tool, and that it doesn't always save time.
So there it is folks...the truth is out....whoever told you that technology saves time...they lied. What are you saving time for anyway.? What? Do you want to have a life!!! By the way, technology doesn't always save paper either....
My hope is that this blog, will be a tool to help faculty, teachers, librarians or anyone who has to integrate technology into their academic life, mainly for pedagogical reasons, but even for organizational reasons. WAIT! Stop the presses! How is that different than the other sites that are out their reviewing software! Well, instead of reviewing software after software, I would like to choose a tool and come up with discussions on the best methods of using that tool in the classroom. I am hoping that other people will see this blog and comment ...either requesting information on a technology or telling me their story! Remember, when we use the term pedagogical in education, we are referring to instructional strategies, or the best use of instructional strategies. Combine that with technology and you have a information literacy pedagogical method...huh? Information literacy has to do with understand information sources. But it is not just understanding information and its sources, but knowing or understanding which sources are the best to use - and knowing which information resources we still need to find. Mash that with pedagogy and technology and we are looking at which technology can enhance our teaching strategies and how do we find new strategies and technologies. OR if we think of this in a student centered mind frame, what technology can we use to appeal to all of our student learners. Which will enhance our instructive methodologies so that our students strongest learning abilities are enhanced beyond their wildest dreams!
So how do we start?
The first step to learning anything new is to figure out what we don't know, recognize that we don't know everything, and to figure out what we do know! Some of you feel inadequate, some feel frustrated and some are just looking for something new!! That's ok!! If you realize that you don't know everything, then that takes the burden off your shoulders that many of us carry...it's ok not to know everything, really!!! Even if you are an educator! In fact one reason I like to teach, is because I like to learn more, nothing helps facilitate that more than teaching does! One reason I like to work with people about technology is the more I teach technology, the more I learn about technology.
So what do we know?
Well many of us know how to use word or a word like product (any mac users? Do you use Pages?). What do we know how to do in word processing programs? We know how to do page numbers, how to bold, italicize and underline. We also know how to do tables and other complex functions!
What other software do we know?
We also know presentation software. We use powerpoint, or keynote and we can bold, italicize and underline in that as well. We can look around the screen, many of us know how to do animation and more.
What does this really mean?
That means, we know how to investigate software, and get functions going. Don't worry, if you have to play around with a software to figure it out, you most likely cannot break it!! Have you ever really broken your computer? But how do we investigate anything...by reading! Of course! I will try to give you resources that will help you keep track of the latest and greatest....this way you can help me find new technologies.
If you don't know how to use powerpoint, don't worry, soon I will talk about presentation software...and I will post it on the web...This is the first article of many.
What's next?
I have just finished my general introduction to this blog. My next topic is going to be how to use course management system to enhance your online course content as well as traditional in class experiences. If anything, course management systems can help store files for you for the semester. We will discuss what things all course management systems have in common. I will use two or three examples Blackboard, Moodle and perhaps Sakai. If you have a request...let me know. My next blog posting may be interactive....so look for the words, pics and videos...The lesson from today's blog, is don't stress...you do know stuff!! And...keep reading. (For some reason, people think technology means less reading...I don't think it means less anything!)
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