Right now I have one follower, and the truth is half of how all of this works is a total mystery to me, so I'm not sure what will make this blog more active, but for now I'll just start writing at least every other day. And we'll see.
The reason this Tech Coordinator is not up on the tech of blogs has to do with how I came to the combination of technology teacher and elementary school teacher. I certified as a elementary / early ed teacher first at a school that didn't know the word pc, (Beloit College 1977 to 1981) and then with a Masters at a school that prides itself on being hands on, and in their eyes computers were not (Bank Street 1998 to 2004). In fact the only tech technical training before becoming the computer teacher / tech coordinator for an important NYC public school was the classes I took in college: Computer programming (I failed, C-) and two classes at the University of Oregon (one using AppleWorks (A-), and the other in pascal programming on first generation Macs (B- I think), 1985). I could have continued the program at U of O, but in those classes I realized that was not going to make me a better tech coordinator or a better computer teacher. I am not always in complete agreement (though the conversations she starts are spot on) with the postings of Lisa Nielson (theinnovativeeducator) but 30+ years of making my own choices in the world of how I get an education has certainly made me believe that institutions Do Not hold the only keys to learning and becoming proficient in a field. We really need to tear a lot of this down if we want to bring education institutions out of the 20th, or even the 19th century. And I really believe in the importance in changing schools! Institutions are just a small subset of people with a little bit of power who are afraid of giving that power up. Hard to do, but essential!
And here's an interesting fact, it's now 2012 and in order to be a computer teacher in an NYC DoE school I still don't need to have any certification in the area. And there is not even a title of Tech Coordinator, or Tech Liaison, or TOS (Tech on Site), or Technology Coach, in the list of DoE teacher categories for elementary schools (there is gym teacher, music teacher, math coach, literacy coach, science teacher, librarian media specialist, but there is no title for computers or technology (I'm a CB -Common Branch teacher). We are really going to teach technology in the same way, treat it in the same way, use it in the same way? Here's a tool that can change Everything, every area of learning and adapt itself to every style of learning, and there's not even a designated professional in every school there to help that tool get into the hands of every learner?
efn (enough for now)
