How can we reach them all? A typical middle schooler's class period ranges between 45 to 60 minutes long. To engage students in interesting and attention-getting projects is like fishing. You have to know the right bait to use for a certain group of kids. Some like games to teach a lesson, while others like participatory group projects that end with a really cool product. But how can you reach them when half the computers won't work.
Frustrations will always arise when either the student is unsure of the procedure, or the system keeps breaking down. "The system is down, again?!" is an oft heard expression of disgust with an overloaded system. The worst thing, I feel, is that it creates a negative image of technology in the kids' minds. For some struggling school systems with only one IT staff member for a number of schools, the frustration and negative image is compounded by limited resources and budgets.
Down pc's and ineffective technology equals wasted time. And as Ben Franklin once wrote, "Time is money." And, it's the parents and community members who pay taxes for inefficient tech systems that get the most frustrated. Dang bust IT! Whoa, there Sam.
So, how can we reach middle schoolers that have the attention span of a Red Squirrel with ADHD on Red 
Bull? [Hammy] Well, you just keep trying different things. I had a group of Social Study 7th graders that hated reading their text books out loud. I found the text on CD and played it while they read along. Presto! No groans, no hedging, no, "Aw, man!" They all participated. I quizzed them the next day, and most got good grades. Some will respond to different things with technology. You just got to find it.
How can this be assessed properly? Well, last winter I completed a multimedia project rubric for "Making Multimedia Meaningful."
Dang bust it.
Yosemite
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The dilemma you describe is a difficult problem. Visually, it may appear that the students have enough computers and they all have access to technology enabled learning when in reality the computers are not reliable, are out of date and tech support is inadequate. A technology committee may help. Their goal is to clearly describe the currently inadequate technology situation and define concisely what is needed in a way that is financially responsible and provides the principal and school committee with a clear roadmap of where you need to be and how to get there. It has worked at some of the community colleges.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Paul