At the beginning of my learning career (aka elementary school), I remember using the computer lab to play Oregon Trail, to use drawing to make cards for my mom and dad, and to learn how to type. These computer labs changed drastically during my time in elementary school. In the beginning, the labs were outdated with cream colored, chunky desktop computers.
Slowly, the computers became sleeker and more colorful.
As the computer evolved, so did the content of computer use. No longer was I playing Oregon Trail or learning to type, but I began writing papers. This process was not easy though. Since computer labs were shared by many teachers and classes, the process began in the classroom, without a computer, on a piece of paper and with a pencil. Rough drafts were written in the classroom and peer edited before we could move to the computer lab to create our final copy. This process was slow and tedious.
As a student, I did not mind this. As a teacher now, I look at this schedule with disdain and hatred. The process of having students make so many movements through their paper is too time consuming and would require more planning than I am prepared for. The fact that my students can bring their charged laptop into my classroom, begin their rough draft on a Google Doc, and share that same Google Doc with their peers the following day in my classroom is a dream.
One of the aspects of technology I do not utilize enough is its capabilities for communication and sharing. My students do share their work with each other, but any kind of sharing and/or communication does not happen outside of the class roster. I would love to find more ways to incorporate communication and sharing across my classes (or even further, if possible!).
Along those same lines, finding a simple way for my students to publish their work online would also be helpful. I work with some at-risk academic students who need to see clear outcomes from their work, and a way to make their work for more than themselves would be one way I could engage them more.
Finally, I really want to learn about any new technologies to help my students create outside of the paper realm. I like to incorporate projects that involve writing but focus on another element of text. Anything from video to comics is game for me! I need to find new ways to entice my students and keep them on their feet.
Overall, the fact that I am talking about my students using their one-to-one computers to create and publish online has taken such a turn from my original beginning in the cream-colored computer lab. I am so thankful for this movement; I look forward to how I can enhance it this semester.