It is amazing to me with how fast technology is growing everyday that many students do not see a computer till the third grade or have a weekly computer class in their schools. Many times teachers have to integrate technology education into their curriculum on their own and with everything else they must accomplish (preparation for standardized testing) they cannot fit it into their already crammed lesson plans. That is no way to prepare students for a future filled with fast-paced growing technology.
Here is a great YouTube video about a school in Grass Valley, California that has invested money and created a technology lab in their school called “The Rattler Pit.” A former teacher and technology specialist named Jeff Peach had the idea to create a Mac lab in Magnolia Intermediate School that would not only encourage students to interact with technology but also help teachers to integrate technology and multi-media into their curriculum. Peach helps teachers to collaborate, share ideas, and figure out how to make technology work with their curriculum. He believes that “a computer lab that’s based around the way teachers think when they work” is most successful and beneficial for both students and teachers.
Peach created a working model of teaching with technology that teachers are excited about and comfortable working with where they do things they wouldn’t normally be able to do. Teachers with no knowledge of the Apple System are able to easily work in “The Rattler Pit” and adapt to a curriculum filled with technology education. Peach was able to take things that teachers already do in their curriculum and add technology to make the lessons better and more engaging. Teachers believe that the workplace of tomorrow requires more than just skills but also the ability to use technology and create team relationships. They believe they are helping their students to achieve just that.
IMac laboratory similar to "The Rattler Pit"
The most crucial part of this working model is hiring a technology specialist/teacher, which requires extra funding. The teachers at Magnolia agree that the lab is worth the money and greatly benefits students and teachers. They are currently trying to integrate a “Rattler Pit” into every school in their district. Teachers with years of experience are seeing the biggest improvement in their student’s education in years. Computers can be used to enrich the curriculum and engage students rather than sit in the corner of classrooms gathering dust.
Just think about it…Technology is the future.
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