Journal 8

Curtis, Diane (2002, October, 1). A '"fantastic super" use of technology: Closing the digital divide. Edutopia, Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://www.edutopia.org/fantastic-super-use-technology

The article is all about the uses of technology in Scroggs Elementary School. They use the internet to help the staff stay connected as well as keeping the parents connected and informed on what is going on. The idea of the school is designed around collaboration, they have teachers sharing offices and meeting spots all around the school so teachers can have a place to meet and share their ideas. The school is meant to lessen the divide between students and bring them together to give them all an education that is based on technology. The school seems to have a less stressful and competitive feel for the teachers and students, with less focus being on testing, which helps the teachers feel more relaxed when they are teaching and the students feel comfortable to learn the material being presented to them.

1. What technology would be best to use in my classroom?

I think having a classroom blog is a great idea. That way the students are always aware of what happened during the day, in case they missed a class for some reason. Also you could post the homework on the blog and have class discussions. Also having a blog or email circuit for the parents would be very helpful. They would always be aware of what their students were doing as well as be able to contact the teacher if they had any questions.

2. What kinds of technology can be used in the Elementary setting?

I liked the idea of creating a class wiki for the students. That way their parents would be able to be involved as well with the project. Also using digital photography in presentations and possibly blogging would be a good way to get the students interested in the use of technology and help them learn.