Organizing My Online Life

Last week, I discovered a teaching tool called Blendspace.  I got to play around with this integrative online lesson-planning application as part of a class assignment in which I got together with two of my classmates to share and explore the possibilities of three different technologies in the classroom.  So, I came to my group having researched and explored the possibilities of Blendspace.  My classmates had done the same with Google Drive and Evernote, respectively - two technologies I was already familiar with on a basic level, though had never used in the context of classroom learning.  As a technology skeptic, I was hesitant about being told how I could implement certain technologies into my classroom, let alone convincing others that they should consider implementing Blendspace into theirs.  But the experience was a positive one, and I would say I came away from our meeting with a mind more open and aware to the use of technology in the classroom.

Let me just say: this does not mean I am no longer a technology skeptic.  I am still wary of technology and the way it is transforming our world, and I still believe that its presence and role in the classroom should be limited, rather than overwhelming.  However, I am beginning to see the use of technology as a tool for teacher lesson planning and organization.  Google Drive, Evernote, and Blendspace all offer platforms for teachers to compile and organize lesson resources and classroom "paperwork."  I especially like how Blendspace does this: allowing users to login with a Google account (rather than having to create yet another new username and password) and to upload materials from their Google Drive and computers.  These features make it possible to keep nearly everything in one place, which I find especially useful because one of my frustrations with technology is that even though it is supposed to provide a platform for better organization, I tend to find it difficult to manage so many different folders, projects, accounts, tools, etc.

Something all three tools have in common, that I found to be incredibly interesting and indicative of how our education system may be changing, is a focus on collaboration.  Quite possibly the most useful aspect of each of these teaching technologies, certainly the most beneficial aspect of Google Drive, is how easy they make it to share documents, presentations, and resources with other teachers and students.  I hadn't even really thought about it until I started writing this post, but I think this emphasis on collaboration is really saying something about the direction education is heading in.  And despite my suspicions about technology, I do like that it provides the opportunity, especially in our competition-driven society that values out-doing others, for teachers and students alike to share ideas and engage in conversation.