Opening the Doorway to Advancing My Classroom By Utilizing Professional Learning Communities

Using Technology To Expand My Teaching and Classroom

          There have been many technology innovations and evolutions that have had a life altering or changing effect on the way I do things.  Back in the Fall of 1986, I attended Jefferson CC and it was required that each Engineering student purchase a PC.  (I remember that at the time this was the 1^st time a college required you to purchase a computer, for one because they didn’t exist)  I spent around $1600 on an Apple IIc, with its exotic green screen, somewhere around 256K of memory, and absolutely no Networking ability. I also remember writing 167 lines of code in Fortran to solve a Math problem with the Pythagorean Theory.  Most of us have experienced some or all of the 25 years of the logarithmic Technology explosion, and now my Apple IIc really appears as a ludicrous machine and purchase.  Since 1986, I have gone from a “digital immigrant” to a multi-certified IT Professional and Engineer, who worked for 10+ years in IT before finding that my true calling was in the classroom.   

            The most significant Technology device that totally changed my world and I look back at in a disparaging way, was my first Motorola Pager.  The company that I worked for at the time presented me with a pager, and told me that I had earned it for all my hard work.  I soon found out that “new” expectations accompanied my shiny new pager.  When my pager went off, I had 30 minutes or less to call in, I was now available 24/7 for any pager summonses, and I should travel to resolve the technical issue that caused my pager to vibrate within 1 hour.  Previous to this, I could ignore my ringing phone or cell phone, sleep 10 hours a night, and choose to let my answering machine stand in for me, if I so chose.  My happy existence had now ceased to exist, much like today when a camera records almost every move we make and our car and cell phone can pinpoint your location to about 1.5 feet.  Wow, do I miss my landline and my answering machine, life was good then.

          I use many technologies in my classroom to increase student involvement, improve my students’ understanding and retention, and diversify my presentations and in-class activities.  I am a Computer Technology Teacher, and it is only natural that my classroom is set up to utilize various technologies and to investigate new technology innovations.  I use everything from a student-created intranet portal for each class to having every student “teach” their peers how to send a text on their specific phone – including the ultimate list of texting acronyms.  The best part of my classroom is that we have the opportunity to explore various technologies, and I am constantly learning, both as a Student and a Teacher.