It’s summer break, and I’ve been counting down to this since October 2023. It's the first official Monday of the holiday, and as is tradition in my home, I’m "watching" Wimbledon. I say "watching," but in truth, I find the commentary so soothing that it lulls me into a delightful afternoon nap.
So, while the umpire makes calls I don’t understand and the BBC commentary team discusses rankings I’m utterly ignorant of, what am I doing? Well, you know that thing I’ve been dreaming about escaping from? Yeah, that! I’m prepping for August. Not the courses—I’ve got those ready to go. It’s the ed tech I’m excited about. I’ve got some new and exciting tools to try out.
(Side note - this is only the 2nd summer since I started teaching in 2005 that I have done any school work and it is only because I want to not that I feel I have to. Do not let anyone guilt you if you do nothing. It is what you need and you lean into that!)
What was I talking about? Playing! Well, that is what I am going to talk about so let's start there. I love my garden and have been a regular viewer of Gardener’s World on the BBC for years. I remember Monty Don describing gardening as "playing for grown-ups," and he’s right. You get to be creative, try new things, and learn from your wins and losses. No one can say you’re doing it wrong because it’s your garden. You can always say it’s part of your plan, much like when a lesson accidentally goes brilliantly.
Ed tech is becoming that for me. I love experimenting with platforms to see what I can do with them. I might search social media for tips or pop into a Facebook group to ask a question. Many platforms now offer preview options so you can test them out before using them in class. Curipod lets you run a deck side by side as the teacher and student, Quizizz lets you preview quizzes, and SchoolAI allows you to preview your Space to see if it meets your expectations. This lets you play around and take risks without the pressure of performing in front of a class, which is very reassuring. Of course, you still need to know your lesson and your students—Wi-Fi could go down or the tech might fail—but it’s all part of the adventure.
Where was I going with all this? Oh yes! Ed tech is really starting to stretch its legs in UK schools, and I hope to be a small part of that. I’m in a CPD group at school that, as part of its remit, will be looking at how ed tech and AI can enhance our pedagogy. Still can’t get over dropping that word into conversation. Need to look it up most of the time to remember what it means.
To expand the reach of our CPD group, I’m looking to create a Facebook group to help my colleagues and myself on this journey. It will be open to any teacher who would like to join us in exploring and discussing educational technology. Interested? I’ll post further information once I have worked out how to make it happen.
(Full Disclosure - I did get SchoolAI Assistant to help tidy this up as my writing was awful this week)
Aileen Wallace
Bình luận