As I may have mentioned a few times and in a few places (okay, I mention it to anyone who will listen and am sure to mention it everywhere I can), All Saints Catholic Academy has a new computer lab. Not just any old lab, but a brand-new, state-of-the-art lab with 18 iMac computers. And a really nice laser printer. Having access to such wonderful technology is great – but as I have joked with a few folks, we can’t treat the lab as we would our grandparents’ couch with the clear, plastic covering still on it. We need to utilize it! And if we are to utilize it, we must embrace it. This means we, as the teachers and administrators, must get comfortable with it.
A technology native is a person who has grown up with and is completely at ease with technology. A technology immigrant is someone who is new to the world of technology, and at times, a little overwhelmed by it. At All Saints Catholic Academy, we have both technology natives and technology immigrants. But one thing is true for all of our teachers – they are all eager to learn and are approaching this opportunity for both student and personal growth. We’re lucky we have such an amazing bunch.
Part of getting everyone comfortable with technology is a new initiative we’re trying out this year. In years’ past, we have always reserved a portion of our faculty meetings for our professional development reading. Unfortunately, this is usually left for the last item in our often lengthy meetings. This results in less-than-optimal participation. Another challenge is that sometimes, the assigned chapter is read too far in advance, leaving some scrambling to remember what they’ve read (that’s what they tell me anyway – right after Mr. Close complains that his dog ate his professional development book…). Thanks to the great idea and organization of Mrs. Shinners, we are now blogging about our professional development book. I just completed my first blog entry and was delighted to note that I was not the first to share my thoughts about chapter one. I was fifth!
A significant part of getting comfortable is fully engaging oneself. Here at All Saints Catholic Academy, I am proud to say that our teachers are grabbing this technology bull by the horns and getting pretty comfortable with the technology that will lead our students further into the 21st century!
Posted by Carrie Wilson
