"Why?"

“Why?” is the question that keeps coming up.  As we move into our 1:1 iPad pilot with Digital Promise, we are prompted to really understand WHY we are undertaking this endeavor.  On the surface it seems rather an easy question: Why not?  As teachers we are always trying to push our students and the answer why not, offers the student an opportunity to try.  

For example if they ask: There are tryouts for the school play (or sports team), should I tryout? Why not offers them that freedom to give it a go and expand their comfort level.  The child's inevitable answer is: What if I fail?  But what if you don’t?  Either way there’s growth. Isn’t that what every teacher wants from their students?  So simply put, why not?  It will offer us as teachers a chance to grow and look at how we teach and different ways to get our students motivated to learn.

In the past, we used terms like digital natives and digital immigrants but I don’t think those terms apply anymore.  It only applies to the teachers.  For our students, they have never been alive without technology.  They were born digital!  We “old folks” are the only ones that remember a time before technology.  They have grown up with technology as a part of their lives and we need to learn and be apart of their world or we will be left behind.

During our student’s lifetime: (Brief Milestones)

So getting back to the why question we can look to our school’s policies and mission statements which will help guide us through this iPad pilot.  But when we really boil it all down it comes down to creating a culture of learning.  Whether we learn in or out of the classroom we want to give all of our students an opportunity to have access to knowledge when they need and want it.  The students will have an opportunity to dream. We can help students to see their future / see that they have a promising future.  This program provides all students with the same opportunities, regardless of their background or history.