Instructional Technologist

The end of August was an incredibly relaxing time after a very busy 2008-2009 school year followed by 6 weeks at Summer School for the Performing Arts. We spent a few weeks on Lake Ossipee in Freedom, New Hampshire resting, reading and enjoying our lazy summer days. A few days home to check in at the school and catch up on a some home details and then we were off to the Atlantic coast in Seabrook, NH.

It is hard to vacation so close to the opening of school. More than once I’d pull out my iPhone to make a note on my Toodledo list. So much in my head. Had all of technology arrived and was it in place? Would everything go smoothly on day one and how much running around the building would I have to do? How will I work with staff to learn all of the new and exciting tools?

And then I’d shift right back into vacation mode… chasing shadows on the beach, jumping waves with my daughters ages 3 and 16, relaxing, reading and checking my school email (just had to keep in touch…).

On a walk the third day we came across a piece of driftwood. It was rather small and shapes like a chunky pencil. Thus it became the “magic sand pencil” and a very unusual learning tool. WIth the magic sand pencil practiced the ABC’s, identified shapes, traced hands and feet, and created mazes around the beach. I decided to take a break.

In the distance I observed my 3 year old busying herself with the “magic sand pencil”. She was working diligently; very focused and very involved in her project. She called me down to show me her product – a hopscotch. My 3 year old used her tool to draw several squares (yes they all had 4 sides), organized in somewhat of a pattern with her very best numbers in them. I was amazed!

It was the realization the a simple piece of driftwood, now a “magic sand pencil”, became a wonderful teaching and learning tool. It was how we/she used the tool, not the tool itself that created memorable learning experiences. This is exactly how I wish teachers would view educational technology. It’s not the tool, it’s what you do with it!

You can show students how to manipulate formulas in Excel but they will learn more with meaningful data that they can be interpreted into significant new learning. An iMovie for the sake of iMovie is meaningless; but a 3 minute documentary on a a recent protect and its relevance in history is a powerful learning experience.

Technology is a tool for teaching and learning. How will you use it?