Smart and Stupid Things Teachers Do

"I'm not one to freely use the word "stupid", but I have to agree with Doug Johnson when he created his list of 7 Stupid Mistakes Teachers Make With Technology. Some people, not just teachers, do some stupid things when it comes to technology. My two favorite mistakes he lists are #4 and #7. Number 4 states: "Thinking online communication is ever private". I'm amazed at the number of people who send cruel, rude e-mails and junk from work. Not to mention the ones that are of poor taste. E-mails are easily traced, and even when erased, they can still be retrieved. Number 7 talks about the staying power of technology. It reads: "Thinking technology in schools will go away". Technology will continue to grow and evolve, and the more we embrace it, the better teacher we will be.
Mr. Johnson did not just talk about the stupid. He also compiled a list of smart things teachers do. Seven Brilliant Things Teachers do with Technology lists great ways teachers have embraced and used technology. His #3 point, "Make conferencing real time", talks about the importance of keeping parents informed through e-mail, blogs, wikis , and telephone calls. As a parent, I constantly lose my son's weekly newsletter. If I could access it online, I would have one less thing to worry about.
Along with Mr. Johnson's lists, I reviewed 15 New Classroom Rules that Dr. Strange had posted. My favorite two rules were numbers 12 and 13. Number 12 states "Keep you hands to yourself, but share all your ideas and knowledge with others in your Personal Learning Network". I like this rule because it acknowledges the importance of learning from each other. Someone may have a truly fantastic idea, but may not realize the importance of it until they share it with someone else. Rule number 13 says students should "Be quiet in lines, hallways, and restrooms, unless you are at home and logged into your on line classroom, in which case you can dance and play music". (I would also add sing to that last bit.) Some people are more productive in a more relaxed, less structured atmosphere. I've taken more than 40 credit hours of classes on line, and absolutely love it. I'm so glad that online classes are not a thing of the future, they are here now, and won't go away.