Thing 13: 21st Century Conference

July 2, 2009 pinkesmerelda

I viewed a presentation titled “Traveling Through the Dark” by Steven Kimmi.  The title of the session was based on a poem of the same name written by William Stafford.  The poem is about a man traveling along a dark road as he encounters a heap in his path.  The heap turns out to be a pregnant doe.  The driver must decide if he will push the deer out of the way or help the fawn enter the world.  He compares this driver’s experience to that of educators who are overwhelmed by or choosing to ignore technology.  All too often, educators are content to teach the same lessons in the same way.  While this is certainly the easy choice, it is often the wrong one for students who find themselves wondering what the relevance of the lesson is to their lives.

Mr. Kimmi began a journey of professional development when he realized that, even though his students did fine on standardized tests, they seemed to be disengaged.   He instinctively knew that the problem wasn’t the kids, it was the teacher.  His journey prompted him to reach out to his peers and ask the question: How do we integrate technology into the classroom and still cover standards?  Much advise was given but the main thing that stuck with me was to take the time to truly learn a piece of technology before integrating it into your lessons.  You can always build on your confidence in mastering one thing (such as podcasting) to move on to something else.  The learning journey never ends but we must not be intimidated by the heap in the road.

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2 Comments Add your own

1. 1. Steven Kimmi&hellip  |  July 3, 2009 at 2:26 pm

   Thanks for viewing! I hope that I have helped in some way…

2. 2. brookscandace&hellip  |  August 3, 2009 at 5:25 am

   I know the teachers Mr. Kimme is referring to. I’ve been there myself. With the technology available a teacher can enhance a lesson easily. I thought your reflection was insightful.

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