A few short weeks ago concluded my 18th year in the classroom and my first year going paperless (or as paperless as I was able to get). I learned quite a few things over the course of this year. I learned what worked pretty well and what I need to work on for the future. But before I get into that, here is some background:
I began my teaching career with the 1998-1999 school year. I was hired to teach math, computer applications, and web page design in a middle school. I really didn't know much about any of the topics I was hired to teach. I spent a lot of time that first year teaching myself how to do everything. With the computer classes in particular, I was literally one week ahead of the concepts I was teaching to my students. Of course, it got easier as I went along and I developed a love of all things technology.
When I transferred to another school district, I was hired to teach math only. I really missed the technology, but I loved my new district and thought that the trade off was pretty good. Fast forward to about a year ago. Over time, I have learned to listen very carefully to that little voice inside that guides me and prompts me to do certain things. Call it the Holy Ghost, intuition, or whatever. I have learned that when it talks, I had better listen. So this voice told me to shake things up. I was fortunate enough to receive a class set of 25 small laptops to use in my classroom the following year. I feel extremely lucky that I asked the right person, in the right place, at the right time for this.
So all that summer, I researched. I had a vague plan with an idea for implimentation, but no clear set plans. So I got to work....
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