Necessary for some, good for all.

I have been put in many different situations this year, because of this new job.  Today I taught at Queen's.  Just a small presentation in a classroom about integrating ICT into the Science curriculum for Primary and Junior divisions.

One of the students asked me my opinion about the idea that technology is taking away from the craft that is hand made goods, like book binding for example.  Growing up we all had them, hand bound books about what we were learning.  Books that our parents either cherished and put in the cedar chest, or read and discreetly discarded when we forgot about them.  What about those books?  What has happened to the pride of that craft?  

My answer?  Do it!  If that is something that you are passionate about doing with your class, do it!  Students will always feel that passion and pick up on it.  But what about the kids that don't?  What about the kid that can't hold a pencil to write or is too afraid of his incorrect spelling to write on paper?  What can we do for that kid?  We can provide them with options.

I love technology.  But don't get me wrong, I LOVE hands-on activities too.  I think there is a place for all of it in our curriculum.  I have always been a strong believer in teaching to all of the modalities the students in my classes learn in.  One lesson hands-on, one lesson oral, one lesson written, etc.  This technological modality is one I have been thinking about a lot this year.  So many of our students are so much more engaged in technology that we need to provide them with lessons through technology too.  

I feel like we need to teach to all of the modalities throughout our lessons, but when it comes to time for assessments we NEED to let our students select their assessment piece based on their strengths.  If technology is their strength, why can't they show me their learning that way?  If they need technology so that their presentation can be recorded and presented to me instead of being hand written, who am I to complain when a student is excited to show me their learning?  Last year I had a student create a structure out of Popsicle and teach us about the different components of structures and another make a Minecraft video about how he built homes, what their components were and the forces that would act against them if they were in real life.  I would be crazy to tell either one of them that they didn't do something amazing, and imagine what I would have had as a result if I had have said "No technology allowed".  

Technology has such amazing potential for our students, for some it's their creative outlet and a place where they can open up about what they know.  There are always going to be some who need devices for their dictation tools or their text-speech functions, but we need to remember that tools can elevate all of our learners to a higher level.  They may not need it, but it will enable them to try new things and learn in new ways.  It will allow them to show us their learning in ways that are meaningful to them.  That makes it good for everyone.