{"id":1602,"date":"2010-11-15T09:00:01","date_gmt":"2010-11-15T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=1602"},"modified":"2020-07-25T18:59:43","modified_gmt":"2020-07-25T23:59:43","slug":"tis-the-season-for-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=1602","title":{"rendered":"‘Tis The Season for Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your school could benefit from a bit of holiday retail therapy<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"I often tell education audiences that there was a week, maybe ten days, in 1987 when your school had better technology than kids have in their bedrooms or backpacks. That was a historical accident that will never happen again. Wise educators not only leverage the talent, knowledge and expertise of their students, but their stuff too. It is incumbent upon us to not only build upon what kids know and expect when they come to school, but kids also own technology that they may enhance the learning process.<\/p>\n

The holiday season offers a chance for some educational stimulus if you\u2019re a savvy shopper. Here\u2019s how\u2026<\/p>\n

Let Santa bring the iPod<\/strong>
\nSome schools are building iPod Labs. iPod Labs! I have no problem with the iPod, I own at least eight of them and am on my fourth iPhone. However, I have serious problems with the notion of iPod labs. 1) Didn\u2019t we litigate the issues of efficacy regarding computer labs twenty-five years ago? 2) iPod Labs? Really? Does this mean that kids lineup from shortest to tallest once a fortnight to go visit the school iPods because they would never see one otherwise?<\/p>\n

Are they then taught how to use an iPod? Are there iPod tests? Do some kids get a \u201cD\u201d in iPod?<\/p>\n

When did iPods become worthy of study?<\/p>\n

If your school believes that iPods hold educational value, especially the those capable of shooting video and monitoring physical activity, quietly suggest to parents that they get their children one as a gift that will be welcomed by the curriculum. There is no reason for schools to fetishize the iPod or spend limited funds on what kids might already own. Besides, the iPod is the ultimate personal technology. Sharing one stinks.<\/p>\n

Great 21st Century educators spend 30 minutes per month at Toys \u2018R Us<\/strong>
\nThis has two benefits. 1) You find great toys that may enhance learning; and 2) Educators gain a greater respect for the world in which their students live. Hit the toy store, read the weekend sale circulars and you may find all sorts of cool teaching aids available for a song. Past holiday seasons have led to sub-$50 digital microscopes like the Eyeclops, low-cost video projectors, programmable robots, inexpensive drawing tablet, Hot Wheels cars capable of measuring velocity and more.<\/p>\n

Sales!<\/strong>
\nHoliday sales are an opportunity to stock up on batteries and extra LEGO. Robotics brings S.T.E.M. to life, but who wants to build an elevator without a building around it? Stores often offer buckets of LEGO bricks as a loss-leader. Batteries are often discounted too. Stock up!<\/p>\n

Hit the red tag table<\/strong>
\nLast year\u2019s sales duds may be just the thing you need to bring your classroom to life. That slightly sad puppet or Teddy bear may be just the actor you need for video productions. That $14 Blue Man Group Percussion Tubes set can help score a podcast or be played by a robot your kids invent. Art supplies and creepy failed action figures may be just what you\u2019ve been looking for and at \u201csuch a price!\u201d<\/p>\n

Become an Amazon.com Associate<\/strong>
\nWhy should kids write book reports when they can review books on Amazon.com and have their reviews actually help others? Alternatively, ask students to write reviews of their favorite books, place those recommendations on your class web site, blog or Wiki and if you become an Amazon.com Associate, up to 6% of all purchases may be earned to purchase books for your classroom library. This may motivate student reading and provides an authentic audience for their writing.<\/p>\n

Treat Yourself or a Colleague to a Book or Two<\/strong>
\nI have assembled a large collection of books that should interest creative educators and parents for The Constructivist Consortium. Peruse the virtual bookstore and Amazon will deliver the books to you in just a few days.<\/p>\n

I also created a list of required reading for those interested in \u201cschool reform\u201d for The Huffington Post. This article includes fifteen or so classics on school improvement.<\/p>\n

Use your imagination and start shopping!<\/p>\n

\n

Please share your email address<\/a> <\/strong>so we may alert you when similar resources become available online.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your school could benefit from a bit of holiday retail therapy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[446,435,428,526,434,429,431,438],"tags":[735,844,548,432,845,1396,843],"class_list":["post-1602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classic-stager","category-featured","category-general","category-leadership","category-learning","category-project-based-learning","category-teaching","category-technology","tag-amazoncom","tag-christmas","tag-edtech","tag-gary-stager","tag-ipod","tag-technology","tag-toys"],"yoast_head":"\n'Tis The Season for Technology - Stager-to-Go<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=1602\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'Tis The Season for Technology - 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