Lessons Learned

Again, the title wasn't my choosing. I would have selected something more catchy like "101 Ways to Pass Out" or "Belching: The Questions You've Always Wanted to Ask But Were Afraid To"--oh well.


The lessons learned is again in reference to the unit I'm taking about technology in the classroom. I've come up with some good ones. Here are Top 10 Basic Lessons I've learned about Implementing Technology in the Classroom.

1. Students will always want to use the latest piece of technology they've heard of, even if they have no clue on how it works or how to use it.
2. Students like to be lazy (just like adults, their predecessors). If there is an easier way, they'll want to do it.
3. Most students know way more than I do about the latest cell phone and multimedia gadgets out there. I'm not going to bother learning how to use all of them since they'll be more than willing to show me how and do it for me anyways.
4. Despite all they can do, you can survive without that cell phone.
5. If Students continue to text at the current rate, within a million years the basic human's thumb will have evolved to the size of a banana.
6. The Best way to meet several students' learning needs/preferences is to integrate several different tools, methods, and technologies as possible. Keep them on their toes and engage their 5 senses as much as possible. Do that until Osmosis kicks in.
7. Before I die the book as I know it, the physical object with actual pages, may cease to exist. In fact I won't be surprised if I hear that a printed copy of Tolstoy's War and Peace is bad for the environment.
8. Online Social Networking will never compare to the real thing. A real friend in the flesh beats the heck out of all the IMs you might get.
9. Despite all the technological upgrades, reading and writing will still be necessary to move up in the world.
10. For every positive thing you can possibly do with new technology, some jerk will find a negative thing using the same breakthrough.

My students better prepare themselves for someone who knows how to use the technology out there but isn't afraid to go Old School on them.