Blog Assignment #14

What Was Left Out?

This post asks for ideas on assignments that should have been included as blog post assignments over the semester; the assignment states that the suggestions should be within my area of speciality. As a Secondary Education/English major, the assignments this semester have all been interrelated with my field of study; each assignment required appropriate writing and appropriate use of grammar. In addition, most assignments used online tools or the use of Apple products to develop a lesson, make a video, interact with others, etc... While these assignments proved to be enriching, my thought was, "What about school districts within poverty areas? What do you do when there is not an iPad in every class? What happens when there is only one computer to utilize in your classroom?" These questions have been with me since our first video assignment requiring the use of iMovie. It was the first time I was without the tools needed to complete an assignment; fortunately, the university had the needed tools, but it did not stop me from thinking about my future students and the tools they would have access to. While many graduates may very well work in a school district with all the latest technology, some will be faced with challenges of low funding and families in poverty. With the aforementioned in mind, I have outlined a suggested blog assignment below.

For this assignment, students will need to imagine a world without immediate gratification. A world where Google will not give you the answer in .1 second. After achieving this mindset, students will create a project based learning plan without the use of the internet. This assignment can be presented with visual aids in the form of a poster, a written essay, or a picture collage.

Why would a class with an intention of teaching technology have an assignment where the internet is not used? The reason is to promote original and creative ideas. It is difficult to be original when the world around you makes it so easy to access another's ideas, another's thoughts, or another's complete resources. Would technology have advanced to this point without someone first having an original thought? This assignment will challenge students to use their imagination; furthermore, it will give students an opportunity to realize the vast advancements that have been made in the last several years regarding technology. An appreciation of technology promotes further learning.

After students have created this project, students will be given the same assignment a month later with the instruction to research using the internet and present the project in their chosen tool (Prezi, iMovie, Google Presentation, etc...). This will provide an opportunity for all to see the differences in a world where technology is not easily accessible and the world many of us have the advantage of living in.