There are a lot of differences between education and businesses. There are also a lot of similarities. Too often educators don’t think about schools using cost-benefit analysis. If they did, especially when it came to technology purchases, schools would be in much better shape. For example, should a school purchase a computer lab for teachers to use with their classes during the day? It’s easier to gauge the cost–most educational leaders usually just look at the dollar amount. They don’t take into consideration installation, maintenance, upgrade and replacement costs. This doesn’t include software costs either. These factors all need to be taken into account when making hardware purchases. What’s the benefit of the lab? What about the benefit of installing two labs? It’s difficult to quantify benefits often in education but experienced educators can make some fairly accurate predictions. Some educators just buy technology hoping teachers and students will use it. The reality is that technology needs to fit the vision and purpose of the school. Technology for technology’s sake is a waste.
Archive for November, 2009
Technology Should Be Fun
Nov 21
Technology is a lot of things to a lot of people. One of the main things it is to me is fun. My students at school and I have spent many laughs from doing goofy things with technology. One day we put my little wall aquarium on the big screen with the help of a document camera. For a few brief minutes, we had enormous plastic fish in the school’s largest aquarium. There are always crazy mishaps when technology goes awry. The power went out at my school the other day and one student said, “With budget cutbacks, the school probably didn’t pay the electric bill.” You have to have a sense of humor in education and in teaching. It makes each day a bit more interesting and enjoyable. Plus, having a playful attitude is good for the creative process. Humor opens the mind to see the world in different ways. In an after school club, the students have been creating “Stick Art Jokes.” I’ve been sharing them with my classes and they’ve gotten to be pretty popular. My kids at home have been in convulsions using technology in the most ridiculously funny ways on YouTube.com or with a digital camera. Is there any serious value to being able to do this? Probably not. Not unless you want to have some serious fun.
Check out what can happen when people have fun: http://thefuntheory.com/. Having fun with technology is a good reminder–smile and enjoy life.
