As a teacher, I have always looked up to those that use technology with ease and have such creative assignments. Now that I am trying to use more technology, I am continually frustrated by the school's limitations and wonder how other teachers worked with them.
A colleague of mine created a cool blogging assignment to go with Macbeth. However, the computers at our school only allow so many people to create google log-ons on each computer. (Something like that!) With a couple classes already using google accounts, and many more students creating them individually, the computers are already maxed out. So, if I want to use the assignment, students will have to do it at home. I know all my students do not have computers, and I also think the product would be of more quality and more students would actually do it if it was a class activity.
It is just frustrating that some of us are trying to be innovative and improve student learning, but we do not have the resources to allow us to do so. However, we are encouraged to use technology and criticized when we do not. I just wish people would give me what I need then.
No more gripes, I promise!!
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Hi Brie!
I feel your pain...especially when took my students into the computer lab on the 3rd day of school this year to set up blogs and google accounts and ran into your same issue.
I got around it by having students use other emails that they currently had or emails that they created at the time on yahoo. Then they just have to go to blogger and create an account using a current email. I had my honors students follow those "creating a google account" directions that I gave to Maureen at home (that also worked out okay.)
Whenever I try to bring this issue up with the technology folks, their hackles go up. They want us to use existing district tools like Moodle. Kelly Johnson and I got around this issue by creating a generic google student account that all kids used and told them to sign their names to their posts. Less than ideal, but at least we got them using our wiki.
I did the same thing that Jeanne and Kelly did. I created one email account for all students. Then they just need to make sure to sign their name. I think it actually works pretty well. Then I have more control over both the blog and the email address.
What drives me nuts is that I keep hearing about "moodle" but no one shows us how to use it.
I completely agree!! If people want me to use moodle, I need to know how!
Great suggestion for resolving this issue ... we will have to remember to share that idea up front next year.
As for Moodle, what I keep hearing is that it is a good place for a teacher to store information so that students have 24/7 access, but it doesn't seem that students have the "creator" role in it ... I could be wrong.
There is a Moodle training session on Atomic learning, so you may want to check that out.
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