This week, every 6th grader in our district will receive an i-Pad for use in the classroom and at home. Needless to say, excitement is high for students and staff alike at the possibilities this new tool will provide. However, like all tools that have joined schools in the past (electric typewriters, erasable pens, calculators, desktop computers, Smart boards, etc.), good instruction still depends on good teachers. Our charge in the new Common Core curriculum is to guide our students past mere memorization of facts and formulas to critical thinking and creative applications of concepts.
Some people resist change, and question the wisdom of spending so much money on technology. Why not just buy new text books? The reality is that our world is an interconnected, rapidly changing place. Most text books are out-dated by the time they are printed. Our students need to be proficient at using today's tools and be able to work cooperatively in order to be prepared for the modern work force. Creating functioning groups out of a collection of individuals is a teacher's specialty! Just visit any Kindergarten!
Resources for teachers:
http://commoncoreiss.pbworks.com/w/page/37056590/CommonCoreISS
This website has a variety of resources for all areas of the curriculum, K-12. There are also links to wikis where you can add your lesson ideas to share with other teachers around the state.
http://thedgepeth.blogspot.com/
This blog is managed by Halifax County Teacher of the Year, Tammy Hedgepeth. It contains lesson examples and items of interest for teachers.
