Concept Mapping via Webspiration is an important graphical tool which students can use to visualize, think, organize and learn various topics in different subject areas. It is an exciting learning tool for those students who have internet access at home and especially school.
I, however have some concerns, according to one my colleagues in our Concept Mapping Session, the Ministry of Education limits the use of internet access to those schools who are fortunate to have computers. This means that our students will not be privy to use Webspiration. What can we do? I believe that we (Reading Specialist) will have to lobby the government to change their policy about internet access. What do you think? Also it is no use showing teachers the technological tools that are available for their students and they are unable to access them.
Another suggestion for accessing the internet is for principals to permit their schools to have Routers which will enable teachers to use their laptops to teach their students. However, if you have a principal like mine who is skeptical about having such a device in our school since she is afraid that teachers will use the internet for their personal use since about forty percent of the staff is pursuing their degrees. Sorry to say her reservations are not unjustified.
Fellow Reading Specialist, any suggestions to persuade my principal to have a router in our school so I will be able to use the technology in the teaching of Reading. Suggestions anyone!
Hi Esther
ReplyDeletegovernment policy or principal policy will always present challenges--I firmly believe in a strong offense no matter what:
1)can you get like-minded teachers to support your lobbying of the principal (those who are not going to use it for personal gain only)
2)you can download some of these technological tools on your flash drive or laptop to use with your class and just use a multimedia projector so that the whole class can follow and participate.
For every tool they show us on this course there is another type out there besides webspiration there is bubblus.com,gliffy.com which may allow you to use it offline
and finally
3)you can use the same microsoft programs on your computer to do the some of the very same things these tools do on the internet. For instance Word and Paint can allow you to do concept mapping with your classes and then you can e-mail them to your students to work on outside of class and then they can return it to you via email
once you can show the tangible gains of using these tools with your students I am sure you can win over your principal but don't let the limitations deter you from trying or put a damper on your enthusiasm
where there is a will there is a way
Hi iluv2read,
ReplyDeleteSorry for not commenting earlier. I really appreciate your useful suggestions. I will definitely try to become acquainted with technological tools you have suggested. I am so happy when one of my reading specialist colleagues is not afraid to share her knowledge. It is so enlightening. I have read your comments in other blogs and I realized that you have a passion for technology in the classroom but most importantly you are willing to share. Keep up the good work and continue to share your ideas. I am willing to learn more from you because I want to use technology in my classroom. Collaboration is important in Education.