Post #6 Bridging the Digital Divide-Ribble

Reflecting upon my teaching: Guided lesson #6 in Ribble's chapter seven directly impacts me because there isn’t equitable access to technology at my school. Most teachers can say they have Smart Boards this year, but daily access for students isn't truly available. There are just a couple of carts with laptops that are already designated to particular staff. My team of students can use the computer lab, but it has to be signed out far in advance, and competition is pretty fierce. The tight security on the computers can sometimes inhibit the technology we’re able to use/ access. In learning more about technology from this class, I have been increasingly aware of how to integrate technology on a daily basis. I have begun to use bubbl.us as a brainstorming/exit ticket activity where students can communicate their ideas and give responses to peers on the Smart Board. I’ve used tagxedo as a way for students to think critically about the characters in a story, make comparisons to themselves and others, and then create word symbols that reflect the theme.  Students collaborate when they share their ideas with others and modify their responses based on peer input. My first thought for my lesson planning now is How can I use technology? Being a bit ‘old school’, this is a big shift for me. I have also investigated what other teachers are using to gain more technology knowledge. Recently, professional development on blogging and other technology was provided by a teacher from Wamogo. All of her student writing is in blog form. She uses a variety of forums, including Wiki, Prezi, Wordpress, and Google docs. One idea that I am incorporating into my classes is a collaborative essay using Google docs. Each student will type in a different color and respond to the prompt. I plan to use this when teaching Romeo and Juliet. The example I plan to model based on To Kill a Mockingbird can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v7ITD9tmnwPxSBjwa7bXVFjYrk2FeKlCZ9wejESsOK8/edit