Grades 6-8 Technology Standards

I am currently working on my CAS in middle level education.  This is a great group to really immerse yourself in technology.  These kids have by far passed their parents and many of their teachers with their technology knowledge.  As a middle level teacher we have a certain responsibility to harness this knowledge and make the most of it.

Fortunately, thanks to the laptop initiative in Maine, many schools are already exploring some of the great things we can be doing with Technology.  I've seen some amazing Imovie/ garage band projects where the students have become more proficient in the subject matter as a result of it.  When the medium is something they enjoy using, they are going to invest more time in it.  One thing that we do need to be especially aware of is evaluating digital resources.  Because of the availability, students are using digital resources more than actual books.  Just like they believed everything they read in books is true, they now believe everything they read online is true.  We have millions more sources to investigate than ever before.  It is much easier to post false information than to publish false information in a book.  I can go online tonight and create lie after lie and no one could stop me.  Unless your James Frey or friends with a powerful politician, it is a bit more difficult to publish lies in books.  I do not condone censorship.  I believe we need to teach responsibility when using the Internet.  It's like the parent that believes if they keep their child away from the class bully, their child will grow up perfectly.  You can't prevent them from witnessing bad behaviors, you can give them the tools to make better choices.  We must give them the tools to decide whether the information they are reading is quality or not.