November C4T

First C4T for November

Two weeks ago I committed on a blog written by Henrietta Miller from Sydney, Australia. She recently traveled to New Zealand to explore technology in the primary school system. Ms. Miller wanted to find out if the technology was helping the students with language and literacy. She found that the students take their test online, giving the teachers instant results. She found all the schools in New Zealand were using Ipads, laptops, chrome books, and using a BYOD model. The students and teachers are expected to already know how to use technology in the classroom. Almost all the teachers are using blogs weekly to communicate with the parents. According to Ms. Miller technology in the right hands is a great learning tool. I feel like this is a great idea to use technology in the classroom. By using technology students become engulfed in learning, by hearing, seeing, and interacting through technology.

Second C4T for November

For my second C4T I choose Edna Sackson, who teaches at an International Baccalaureate PYP school in Melbourne, Australia. One question that Ms. Sackson brought up was, "Why don't we abandon report cards altogether?" Since we are using technology in the classroom, why do we still need to send report cards out twice a year. By using facebook, twitter, and blogger teachers are already communicating with the parents on their child's progress. Ms. Edna calls people who communicate through technology "Cloud Grannies", who are people of all ages. I think using blogs, twitter, and facebook would encourage more communication between the teachers and parents. With my ten year old I have to contact the teacher to find out her progress or wait until the report cards.  It would be nice to see how she is doing daily or weekly.