Journal 10: Extra Credit

(NETS-T 3)

Heldman, B. (2011). Not an expert? then go out and find one!. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(1), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-august-2011.aspx

I found this article interesting because the opening quote in the article goes as follows; "I'm truthful with my students. I tell them I'm learning new stuff just like you are." That attracted me because I have been concerned about how to stay up to date all of this emerging technology. It is overwhelming and can be exhausting. The truth is there is no way, unless you are specialized in the technology that you can know everything about emerging technology. Bill Heldman reassures us, saying that's okay. We do not have to be experts in these areas but we can utilize experts to our advantage when we are learning how to use a new tool. He suggests learning these tools along with your students in class. Experts post how-to videos online all the time. It would be beneficial to go through these videos with your class. You can pause and go as you like, until you get the hang of the new program. There are many resources provided by SME's that teachers can tap into SME stands for subject matter expert. There are so many tools available to us out there that we do not need to be know-ed experts in everything. We have access to such great tools that we can learn and grow as professionals as we go, and be willing to learn along with our students. 


Bill Heldman had some cool suggestions for tutorial website. For example, he suggests using lynda.com as a tool for SME tutorials. The website provides a lot of help in areas such as Flash, HTML, and XHTML. Heldman not only uses this resource in the classroom but personally as a professional development tool. Oracle Academy is another site online that provides digital tutorials for students as well as design competitions. Other useful resources include Digital-Tutors and 3DBuzz. 

 

Question 1: After reading this article do you think you will use online resources to continue to learn about technologies available to you and to pass them on to your students?


Knowing now that SME's have provided such great videos and tutorials online I think I will be less intimidated to try out new programs on my computer, and as a result I will be more likely to explore new technologies and share it with my students should I have great technology access in my classroom. I am open for new ways to make lessons fun and engaging.


Question 2: Do you think you will be honest with your students when you are knowledgeable in technology as Bill Heldman was, or will you try to hide it from your students and try to act as proficient as possible?


I like that Bill Heldman was honest with his students and was able to learn how to use these technologies alongside them. But I think it is important to try to learn these programs on your own first. If you go into a class cold without having basic knowledge of a program you could potentially end up wasting a lot of time trying to figure out a program that may not be well worth your class time.