bullet Introduction
bullet City-Wide Wireless Access 24-7
bullet FUTURE TRENDS
bullet From Now to When?
bullet What Technology should not Do
bullet References
bullet BEAM ME UP! Scottie

Future Technology Uses

The past is history; The future is a mystery; This moment is a gift; That is why this moment is called the present; Enjoy it
--Allan Johnson (http://home.att.net/~quotations/technology.html )

THE "DOS & DON'Ts" of TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

madhack.gif (7546 bytes)There are many wonderful learning environments that technology tools can assist us in generating.....There are also some things technology can magnify which are not desirable.

Consider the following:

Lee Steinberg, Troy Aikman's agent, was  quoted in the Dallas Morning News (Sunday, Dec 10, 2000) as having stated...

"I am increasingly disturbed by what I see in young people today.... specifically because of their:

bullet incessant demands for instant gratification
bullet appalling lack of impulse control
bullet pervasive coarseness characterized by MTV-driven life styles
bullet short attention spans
bullet need to be super-charged by high sensory stimulation & addictions
bullet self-absorption which makes it impossible for so many in this generation to contemplate in silence
bullet inability to place themselves into another person's realities
bullet lack of patience to live with the natural ebb-and-flow processes in life."

DON'T ....

bullet use technology tools designed for very BASIC skills levels which are "super-charged" with REFLEX-based stimuli rather than REFLECTION-based productivity. 

 
bullet stick a computer screen in each child's face for one-on-one computer time that isolates students with meaningless reflex-based tasks over large portions of the day.  (Ex: blasting, hammering, smashing, clobbering)

FACT: There are enough intense reflex-based, impulsive, hyper-active reactions in the world today.

bullet No one wants to live next door to someone who has little or no impulse control or patience with others.  
bullet Schools should not foster instructional methods that develop, nurture, and even reward these characteristics.  

DO move your students TOWARD -->

bullet more REFLECTION-based, project-based, collaborative use of technology

 
bullet more collaborative use of technology by placing several students at one computer to negotiate, collaborate, investigate, communicate, and deliberate creatively through the following research-based process
bullet Research, Collect, & Verify Information
bullet Organize, Eliminate, & Prioritize Information
bullet Categorize and Summarize major issues
bullet Delineate & Develop a Reporting Agenda
bullet Collaborate & Negotiate through a Presentation Process
bullet Design & Deliver Meaningful Information
bullet Explain & Defend Product.
bullet becoming Quality Producers vs. Thoughtless Consumers. 

Key to using Technology to Build Character and SCANS skills

Think of computers as being little campfires (centers) around which students

bullet Collaborate
bullet Deliberate
bullet Question
bullet Research
bullet Expound / Present
bullet Communicate
bullet Negotiate
bullet Elaborate
bullet Evaluate
bullet Problem-solve
bullet Synergize Group Effort
bullet Reflect/ Brain Storm
bullet Imagine
bullet Hypothesize
bullet Simulate
bullet And Synthesize Quality Products

In other words -- develop the Six Life-Long Learning (SCANS) skills with rich and valuable human interaction.

REMEMBER 

bullet Students can gain all types of information from the Internet, but they cannot gain WISDOM
bullet Through mentorships with experienced responsible adults students learn to use the online resources ethically and productively.

Administrators must Monitor Classroom Behavior and hidden messages

bullet Too often technologies are used as a "reward" when class work is "finished".  The very nature of this philosophy defeats the purpose of using technology as a significant tool for student progress.
bullet Technology is not a "baby sitter".
bullet Remember:   Wisdom is not inherently attained by youth. Wisdom is something that must be gained through experience.  The teacher / facilitator is responsible for nurturing wisdom with experience and wise, ethical, and productive use of technology must be held as a standard.

Administrators must Monitor Classrooms by know only two questions.

bulletWhat are you doing?
bulletWhy are you doing it?

The SCANS & Character Counts! curricula are wonderful resources for building excellent student character and enhancing student progress while utilizing technology tools.

You are either training tomorrows caring global citizens or tomorrows impatient, malfunctioning misfits.

Have you seen Technology Used:

(1) as a Transparent Tool for REFLECTION and DEVELOPMENT of ETHICAL CREATIVITY and PRODUCTIVITY?

OR

(2) to Trained Students to be Impulsive, Intolerant, Impatient,  and Reactive?

What happens with technology in your schools is up to you.

WORKSHOP on TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION & LEVELS OF MASTERY & ACCOUNTABILITY