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Follow the Golden Rules of Technology in School
posted by: Jill | July 13, 2011, 08:01 PM   

Engaging an audience with humor and anecdotes, eduteacher founder, Adam S. Bellow, shared his The 7 Golden Rules of Using Technology in Schools while at the ISTE Conference this past June in Philadelphia.

These seven guides provide teachers and administrators the ability to assess their attitudes and policies regarding technology in education. Take a moment and see what you think.

  1. Don't trap technology in a room.
  2. Technology is worthless without professional development.
  3. Mobile technology stretches a long way.
  4. The new 'F word' is fear.
  5. Tech tools are not just a passing fad.
  6. Money is not the problem.
  7. Invite every stakeholder to the conversation.
Contrary to his own rule, Bellow recounted his childhood exposure to technology while a student. "When I went to school, computers were put in a room called The Lab. 'What are they experimenting with in there, I thought.' Technology wasn't built into what we were doing. It was farmed off in a room, like it was special. Like we were learning how to code, and in case the Russians came, we'd know what to do."

Certainly, it is understandable that technology is more readily available today than in Bellows' school years. But his story does leave one to ponder just how appropriate it is to isolate students from the innovation which, though it revolutionized our lives, but that is native and common place to theirs. Bellow argues for allowing students the ability to use their technology to their advantage. It is the leaders that must overcome the fear of online opportunities.

But a "letting go" is not to be seen as a free-for-all for students. It means that along with the freedom to navigate the web, adults help students deem what is appropriate or inappropriate; true or false; trustworthy or questionable. While "the world is not a sterile place," says Bellow, "kids need to learn how to deal with it...We're doing them a major disservice if we don't teach them good digital citizenship."

So take a moment to look over the seven rules. Each of us can decide if we are helping or hindering our students (and ourselves) in reaching our highest potential in the classroom, which Bellows would argue can only be done by harnessing the tools which technology provides us.

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