Life in the fast lane: Technology in the middle school
By Dianna L. Italia
Life in the fast lane: Technology in the middle school A learning technology teacher talks about the realm of middle school and the need for a focus and dedication to integrating technology into instruction. By Dianna L. Italia
am proud to state that I teach in a middle school. In fact I am the learning technology teacher at New Brighton Middle School located in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. We are a grade six, seven, eight middle school with approximately 500 students. I am responsible for the computer lab and all instructional technology in our middle school. In addition to the lab, there is a minimum of two networked computers in each instructional area and 18 networked computers in the library. If it's an exceptionally good day, all computers might be working properly with no user errors! I am labeled the "learning technology teacher" and not the "computer teacher" because I instruct and work with students; I don't "teach computers." Personally I picture myself as a long, lean, rather British-sounding female version of C3PO, but in reality for those of you old enough to remember, I'm more like the rotund Robbie the Robot. In addition to being a member of the district technology team, I am a department head in my building. In fact I am the only member of my department! But then I am also a member of every instructional team and department in our middle school.
Dianna Italia's students.
've learned that it takes real guts and stamina to be a learning technology teacher in a middle school. Everyone assumes that I know in great detail the specifics of every piece of hardware and software known to man. Open house night is like the tech support line at computer central. Parents, who thought all you had to do to get a computer to work was to provide it with electricity, send me detailed notes. And middle school students, who thought no one could ever teach them anything, now find that on their home computer things that go haywire aren't always fixed by someone else and up and running by morning! Speaking of running, I do a lot of that too. Only the middle school mentality could evade classroom teachers long enough to rearrange keys on the keyboard, try to remove mouse balls, and insert foreign matter into disk drives. Tweezers are not only for getting out splinters! Imagine the teacher who one morning came to me saying her password to the teacher menu just wouldn't work. Since she was a "chicken plucker" at the keyboard instead of a touch typist, she didn't really know where the keys were supposed to be. So, when she saw only asterisks on the screen for her password, she didn't realize a student had removed and rearranged the keys to configure a new keyboard setup! Oh, the inventiveness of middle schoolers
Life in the fast lane: Technology in the middle school A learning technology teacher talks about the realm of middle school and the need for a focus and dedication to integrating technology into instruction. By Dianna L. Italia
am proud to state that I teach in a middle school. In fact I am the learning technology teacher at New Brighton Middle School located in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. We are a grade six, seven, eight middle school with approximately 500 students. I am responsible for the computer lab and all instructional technology in our middle school. In addition to the lab, there is a minimum of two networked computers in each instructional area and 18 networked computers in the library. If it's an exceptionally good day, all computers might be working properly with no user errors! I am labeled the "learning technology teacher" and not the "computer teacher" because I instruct and work with students; I don't "teach computers." Personally I picture myself as a long, lean, rather British-sounding female version of C3PO, but in reality for those of you old enough to remember, I'm more like the rotund Robbie the Robot. In addition to being a member of the district technology team, I am a department head in my building. In fact I am the only member of my department! But then I am also a member of every instructional team and department in our middle school.
Dianna Italia's students.
've learned that it takes real guts and stamina to be a learning technology teacher in a middle school. Everyone assumes that I know in great detail the specifics of every piece of hardware and software known to man. Open house night is like the tech support line at computer central. Parents, who thought all you had to do to get a computer to work was to provide it with electricity, send me detailed notes. And middle school students, who thought no one could ever teach them anything, now find that on their home computer things that go haywire aren't always fixed by someone else and up and running by morning! Speaking of running, I do a lot of that too. Only the middle school mentality could evade classroom teachers long enough to rearrange keys on the keyboard, try to remove mouse balls, and insert foreign matter into disk drives. Tweezers are not only for getting out splinters! Imagine the teacher who one morning came to me saying her password to the teacher menu just wouldn't work. Since she was a "chicken plucker" at the keyboard instead of a touch typist, she didn't really know where the keys were supposed to be. So, when she saw only asterisks on the screen for her password, she didn't realize a student had removed and rearranged the keys to configure a new keyboard setup! Oh, the inventiveness of middle schoolers
1 comment:
I am taking a course currently on blogging. As I was researching different blogs, I cam across yours. You sound like you are in the same situation I am going to be taking in the fall. After years of teaching math in grades from 4 - 8, I am going to be the technology instructor in our district. We are establishing 2 new technology classes in our new middle school. We were a junior high before, but with declining enrollment will now house grades 6 to 8. I will be the charter member and only member of my new department. As I am generating curriculum and getting ready to pursue my latest eduactional path, any support, resources and wisdom that can be passed on would be great.
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