There are a few new term out there that refer to "Digital Natives" and "Digital Immigrants". Digital Natives are those that have grown up with technology as an integral part of their lives, whereas, Digital Immigrants come to technology later in the game, are a little unsure, and are more reluctant to embrace the opportunities. Our children are so accustomed to technology that it seems strange when it is not a part of what they are doing, in fact, our current students have not known a world without the internet.
The challenge for our school is not, how do we keep up to the pace of change, instead it is how do we ensure that students understand how technology can be used to stimulate creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, and the ethical use of technology.We are currently working with a committee of staff members to examine a variety of directions that we are interested in exploring. These directions include, wireless access, laptops to have computers as part of the classroom, handheld devices such as iPods to enhance learning. Then we have the instructional side that includes document cameras, SMART boards, and digital projectors.
We are excited to be moving forward with some technology directions in our school to ensure that our students have the opportunity to embrace technology as part of their learning. Over the coming months we are hopeful to have some instructional technologies added to our classrooms as well as developing a plan to have more seamless integration within the classroom for student use. Stay tuned for some exciting developments over the next while.
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