In some ways public school education hasn’t changed a bit since I graduated from high school nearly 16 years ago.
And in many ways it has changed significantly particularly when it comes to how technology is used in the classroom.
Overhead projectors have been replaced with interactive white boards, document cameras and lessons presented via Power Point presentations.
In the fall I was walking around at Kentlake High and noticed teachers using iPads to take attendance.
It hit me then that must not be the only way teachers are adopting the latest technology tools in their classrooms.
But, at the time I was really busy with a zillion other things.
I had done a series on teens and technology at the start of the school year so I put the idea in the back of my brain.
In early February TJ Martinell mentioned to me a story idea someone from the Tahoma School District had pitched him.
Again the use of iPads — the tablet computer Apple unveiled just two years ago which clearly capitalizes on the success of the iPhone and iPod Touch — in the classroom came up.
So, I mentioned to TJ some things I had observed in Kent schools such as the use of iPads, as well as the fact the Kent School District deployed laptops to all ninth graders at the start of the school year.
It occurred to me that this could be the foundation of a series about how teachers and students are using the latest technology in classrooms in Kent and Tahoma schools.
We talked it over.
TJ started doing interviews.
He enlisted Sarah Kehoe, a staff writer from the Kent Reporter, to help him with the Kent schools.
Hopefully this series will answer questions like:
What is it exactly that technology levy money is used for?
How do teachers use the latest technology to impart lessons?
Which teachers are using technology?
What kind of gadgets are they using and how?
How does technology help teachers teach better?
How does it help students learn better?
How will the increased use of technology help students out in the real world?
I’m sure some of the answers to these questions will surprise you.
From what TJ has told me thus far after he’s done interviews, there are things going on in classrooms that I’ve found surprising, things that I’ve thought, ‘Wow, that is so cool!’
The first part of the series, which will run March 9, will talk about how teachers are using technology.
The second part, which will run a week later, will look at how students use technology.
We have, OK I admit it was my brilliant idea, come up with the name “Cutting Edge Clasroom” for the series.
One of our fabulous creative department staff members has designed a cool banner that will run across the top of page 3 above the story.
From here TJ and Sarah will do the rest.
I think we will all be pleased with the results.
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