| We have spent the morning exploring web sites that are filled with
examples of students using technology in very concrete ways. Global projects and
online activities are plentiful. The garden of opportunities which bring
real world meaning to our classroom tasks is overwhelming. Perhaps we look
around at the one computer we have in our classroom and say,
"...but all I have is a window box." The process of wiring our schools for technology, purchasing hardware and software and training teachers is taking longer than anyone expected and is costing more than we budgeted. With a bit of patience and a clear vision teachers will find a way to make the best of what is available. Our window boxes will grow blossoms just as bright and beautiful as any garden at Hampton Court Palace. We are growing learners not knowers. The secret is in the soil. If our lessons are rich with inquiry and problem solving our learners will blossom. Our goal is not to saturate our students with more and more information. Information isn't learning. As Jamie McKenzie says, we must guide the students to move from gathering data to organizing it into information and then reaching new insights. With our best foot forward we look at the challenges that face us in our classrooms as we bring the Internet into our lessons. |
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