Assignment #2

My philosophy for using gaming in the classroom focuses on using research based gaming practices to enhance and advance the ELA curriculm as well as the emerging "new literacies."  As the technology coordinator, my focus would be on finding the research based games and teaching my ELA teachers how to use them effectively.

One issue that I am having with the ELA teachers in my school is that they are not very open to incorporating new technology into their curriculum.   And it is not just ELA teachers.  I feel like we are not educating our educators in technology and there is a reaction against technology.  I will admit when I first started this program I was not really sure if technology was the answer.  However, since I have become much more familiar and proficient with the technology and its applications I am much more likely to use it.  I keep myself from becoming overwhelmed with it, by making at least one solid addition per year in the technology department to my curriculum.  Last year it was Vokis', this year I want to try geo tagging... I had the discussion today with an ELA teacher in my school about her thoughts on using computers, and more specifically gaming in the classroom.  She told me quite frankly, "What's the point if the kids can't even read and write without the computers".  I tried to argue that their [the kids] brains are hard wired differently and asking them to complete assignments the old way is like trying to teach them in a foreign language.  At this point, another teacher came to her defense and said "What are we just going to let our kids stop writing and let them type everything?"  I did point out that for thousands of years people didn't write anything down, that learning was an oral tradition and perhaps we are on the cusp of a new era.  Neither teacher would have anything to do with it.  Their loss??? No, not really the kids loss.  We need to find a way to teach our teachers to embrace technology.  I remember life before the internet, cell phones, personal computers and ..... I too was a reluctant learner.  However,my ability to use technology now instead of asking my daughter to do sometihng is very satisfying.  I am definitely for its use in the classroom and anywhere else it can be useful.