My question today is, why can't I do this? Have you ever left your house to go somewhere, thinking you've left plenty of time to reach your destination, only to run into road detours? What you thought would be an easy drive has now turned into a series of obstacles that lead to frustration and aggravation. This is a little like how I feel when using technology in education.
What got me going on this? This morning, I was testing out using my iPad with my MacBook Pro to use in a presentation later today. I didn't want to keep switching cables to move from my iPad to my MacBook. I use Reflector 2 to accomplish this and make the process easier. I can display my iPad on my MacBook using the wireless network. It just makes it simple and easy to move between the two. Problem? AirDisplay is blocked on the wireless network. There is that roadblock!
I run into the same thing problem at school. Want to do something with technology in the classroom….blocked. At times, I've taken that detour and have been able to do what I wanted to do in the classroom. But the big question is, why do we need to do that? Sometimes, it feels as though we tend to block what we don't know. We block what we don't understand. We block so we don't look like we aren't aware of what's out there.
I know this has been an ongoing discussion for years. However, we must continue this discussion until we know what is out there. Lend your voice to the call to action. Let's not put up so many obstacles that lead to a minimalist approach to technology in education.