This past week I introduced a podcasting project to my students. In groups of three, they were asked to answer the question, 'Should unlimited Power be given to one individual?' in the form of a radio show. Many of the kids seemed to respond well to this project, but it has caused a few problems. First, it takes a long time to do. I planned to get it done in 2 days, but it's going to spill onto 3. Also, the computers the students use have not been properly maintained. Many are non-functional (constantly freezing up) or are in need of an update. Because of this, we ended up using my computer to record the podcasts. This seems like it will be okay, but it is a bit of a hassle.
I had to adapt this lesson multiple times, which seems to be the name of the game when it comes to lessons with technology. What perhaps is most frustrating to me, however, is that the technology purchased by the school district has been so poorly maintained. I know it must be a hard job, but it seems like the investment has not been taken care of. Sure, a computer cart with 30 laptops seems like a great thing to have. But, if fewer than half of them are functional at any given time, it can throw your lesson for a loop. I was fortunate in that for this project the students were working in groups, so they did not each need a computer. I'm certainly not complaining - I'm aware that plenty of school districts don't have computers for their students to use. However, it is perhaps more saddening to see that those who are fortunate enough to have this technology are not doing what they need to take care of it. I'm not sure I have an answer about how to take care of these issues, but it seems like when such a large investment is purchased, the schools should make a commitment to maintain and protect the investment.
3 comments:
Stephanie, my sense is that one of the first positions to go in times of tight budgets is that of the tech coordinator. You're right that the ongoing upkeep of equipment is a much bigger job than is budgeted for, either in terms of resources or people-power. It will be VERY interesting to see whether such cases as the State of MI's mandate for a required "online experience" will affect this.
When time permits, I'd love to hear more about what you think the students responded well to in the assignment, and what appealed to them about doing a project using this learning modality.
Stephanie
What tool(s) did you use for the podcasting? I wonder if there are some easier alternatives that you could use next time???
I used GarageBand. I had wanted to use cell phones, but they aren't allowed in class. Also, because it was a group project, I was uncomfortable asking students to get together and do it outside of class. If I were to do something like this again, I would probably use the phones, and maybe just have them go outside to record. That way I could circumvent the rules and it would be way less stress.
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