interchangeable. That other programs cannot built an architectural construct
is not the fault of an iPad (see SketchBook Pro) in Google Earth is not the
issue of the tool but compatibilities of programs. i.e. the instruments. The
soft technologies (software) remain an issue. Still the abilities of these
instruments are remarkable and will integrate more and more efficiently over
time. I have Kindergarten students learning handwriting and writing
acquisition using app tools with a great deal of success. Learning is not
just for students. It is a life long process for all of us in education.
Education is a messy disease with stops and starts, jumps forward and falls
back, trials and errors and a successes and failures.
Circumstances have changed, we are in a different era of instruments; and
the adults better starting trying to adapt or we as educators are going to
fall out of the loop. That will not be good as we understand that the
foundation of education is the transference of wisdom, and that has been our
job for a long time. And it will be a disaster for our culture if we will
allow the neophytes to take charge of the education of the next generation*s
*.
Wake up and get into the action. Identify the goals, try whatever can work,
don't be afraid to fail and get up to try again. Use the tools that work,
use the instruments that work, connect with your students, don't forget to
learn along the way.
On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 2:31 PM, Christian Rogers <
crogers@episcopalcollegiate.org> wrote:
> In response to Peter's query, "What is your definition of a learning tool?"
> I would replace the concept of "tool" with "instrument". A "tool" implies
> something external that a person reaches for when they have need, whereas an
> "instrument" is a device that a person practices with every day to master a
> new form of communication. True technology integration happens when
> students practice with instruments of learning until they become
> aficionados. When a student has mastered many instruments they will be able
> to respond to any challenge with a creativity and fluency that "tool" users
> can never achieve. As an example I've seen many teachers who occasionally
> use Google Earth as a "tool" to where they have students type in a few
> locations and fly around to view parts of our world. I've also seen
> teachers using Google Earth as a geographic "instrument" where, on a daily
> basis, students are researching global events and plotting them using
> bookmarks and creating a Geojournal KMZ. As bookmarks students are
> responsible for sorting and creating tour paths for a quarterly visual tour
> of what they've experienced as they've collected and globally catalogued
> their materials. Students are responsible for including hyperlinks, images
> and video clips on each of their journal entries so any persons' visit is
> rich with digital media. As a final part of this geojournal students
> investigate a significant architectural construction, build it in Google
> Sketchup and insert in on their Google Earth Journal. There are integrators
> and there are posers. True integration takes an in-depth look into any
> media and transforms it from "tool" to "instrument". Just imagine how well
> these students would do on a geography test, and they only spent about 10
> minutes a day putting in their entries. You can't do that on an iPad. :-)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: A forum for independent school educators [mailto:
> ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Peter Gow
> Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2010 11:02 AM
> To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: Re: Staff/Faculty Use of iPads...
>
> I don't have an iPad, but I'd like one strictly for when I'm on the move,
> and at my ripe old age I am learning delayed gratification by waiting for
> one with a front camera and a bit more inputting capability.
>
> That said, Christian just got me to wondering with a term used in that last
> post: "learning tool."
>
> So, ISED folks, I'm wondering, what is your definition of a learning tool?
> As a corollary, I would ask, Are learning tools of necessity creatures of
> their own time period?
>
> I'm too focused on editing recommendations to essay an answer right now,
> but
> I'd love to hear what people think about this.
>
> Cheers--Peter Gow
>
>
> Peter Gow
> Director of College Counseling and Special Programs
> Beaver Country Day School
> 791 Hammond Street
> Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
> www.bcdschool.org
> 617-738-2755 (O)
> 617-738-2747 (F)
> petergow3 (Skype)
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see https://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=128874]
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>
> [ For info on ISED-L see https://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=128874]
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>
--
David F. Withrow
Director of Technology
Harford Day School
Bel Air, Maryland 21014
voice: 410 809 2406
fax: 410 836 5918
cell: 443 876 3422
skype: dfwithrow
http://www.harfordday.org
"What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not
knowledge in pursuit of the child."- George Bernard Shaw
The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice,
there is.
- Yogi Berra
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