Exciting new technology!

Ashburn, E. A., & Floden, R. E. (2006). Meaningful learning using
       technology: What educators need to know and do. New York:
       Teachers College Press.

Schultz-Jones, B. (2009). COLLABORATION IN THE SCHOOL SOCIAL
       NETWORK. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 20-25.
       http://search.ebscohost.com

Recently I was introduced to a new technology that I think will change my teaching career permanently! My district decided to purchase a new program called "Edline", and I can't wait to get started. Edline is an online program that enables teachers to communicate freely with parents. One section of Edline provides a central class webpage, with separate pages for each subject area. This site allows me to upload documents, post calendars, and share updates. For example, I was able to upload all of the study guides to my math page, so that if a child loses their guide, their parents can go online and print out another. The site also allows me to share pictures, add folders, and even attaches a link for parents to e-mail me directly through the site. My favorite part of Edline is that it also comes with an online gradebook. I can record my students grades, hit "post", and the parents can sign in and see their child's grades on a weekly basis. No more e-mails such as "what do you mean my child failed the math test" or "I didn't know they were missing their spelling homework." I rarely get this excited about a new technology, but I really think that this will alleviate many headaches and hold the students more accountable for their learning. I can't wait to see how this new technology will be implemented!

I think part of the reason I am so excited to use Edline is due to the way it was presented. In our chapters this week, we read that teacher perception plays a big role in how technology is implemented. Specifically, our text mentioned that teachers are more likely to effectively learn a technology when they are given time to "play" with it and experiment with different ways to use it (Ashburn and Floden, 2006). When I initially found out that we would be getting Edline this year, my first thought was "great- something else we have to do". I went into the training apprehensive, and I expected that I would spend the day listening to the instructors talk from the front of the room, while I frantically tried to keep up with their online models. Instead, we were immediately connected to our own sites, and instructed to try clicking around and see what we found. The instructors then showed us step by step how to create our site, with pauses in between in which we could explore and move at our own pace. Overall, we received about 3 hours of exploration time, and this helped me wrap my head around the site and all that it had to offer. Not only were we given time to explore, but we were also given one-on-one answers to questions. The instructors spent most of their time circulating, and this allowed for individualized attention. Our chapters this week addressed the importance of collaboration when learning a new technology, and I was able to see firsthand how helpful this collaboration can be (Ashburn and Floden, 2006). Finally, teachers are more likely to embrace a new technology when they can see the immediate benefits the technology will have to their instruction and/or their students (Schultz- Jones, 2009). All of the teachers on my team were excited about this new program, and I think their excitement came from the fact that they could clearly see how this program would bring positive changes for their students. I am excited about this new opportunity to implement technology, and part of my enthusiasm stems from the way the program was presented.