SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE POST
My husband weighs in
This morning at breakfast, my husband asked me what I blogged about this week. This is not our usual breakfast banter. So, I was eager for an opportunity to catch him up.
I told him about my recent survey of use and filtering of 2.0 tools. I told him about how, when I travel to conferences to talk about the new tools that my students are using, so many of the folks in the audience tell me their districts or schools have blocked them.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Here is his response as an educational outsider:
It seems that instead of seeing evolving technology as new tools for use in the classroom, some decision-makers see these tools as evils to avoid.
But . . .
Are we supposed to look at the world through blinders or shutters, or are are we going to open the windows and look straight out?
Sure, the world’s a scary place, but what are we going to do about it?
Did sticking our heads in the ground prevent or encourage 9/11?
Granted, intellectual curiosity is coupled with responsibility. But few seem willing to shoulder the responsible. "It was the booze; it was the bartender; it was the cell phone . . ."
Teaching responsibility is a big part of the job. We can teach them about all the new tools they might now use to research, write, communicate, but we also have to teach them how to use these tools ethically, conscientiously, safely, creatively.
If we don’t teach this as an explicit part of our new curriculum, how can we ever expect our students to navigate their new landscapes as responsible citizens?
Filed under: Uncategorized
About Joyce Valenza
Joyce is an Assistant Professor of Teaching at Rutgers University School of Information and Communication, a technology writer, speaker, blogger and learner. Follow her on Twitter: @joycevalenza
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers: A Fall 2024 Preview
Archie Goes to Outer Space | Preview
Take Five: Middle Grade Nonfiction
The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT