Tim Hillman's wonderful compendium entitled O, What A Web We Weave looks at computer technology in secondary schools, how it has been integrated, and what faculty reactions have been to the process.

A recent report suggested that the nation's teachers are woefully incompetent in the use of technology in the classroom. Having been in faculty rooms at one time or another, I am well aware of the resistance to change. But the Internet is changing the way we find information, the way we absorb information, and the way we regurgitate information. So, dear colleagues, get with the program or you will become a pedagogical dinosaur!

How do you update your skills? Here's how:

Step 1
Buy a state of the art computer! No, don't accept someone's 486 hand me down! Buy a new Pentium 400, with 128 mb RAM, a 56K modem, a 13 gb hard drive, a 17" monitor, and a deskjet printer. Software? Microsoft Office 2000. Please don't quibble about the exact specs. Get as close as you can to what I suggest! This is the best investment you can make in your craft. Amortize the cost over three years, which is the usable life of the equipment. What brand? Doesn't much matter. Get the best deal you can for the specs referred to above.

Step 2
Get on the Internet and go to Computers in the Classroom. No need to reinvent the wheel! See what your colleagues are doing.

Step 3
Subscribe to a mailing list like EDTECH where 3,500 subscribers just like you ask questions and learn about using technology in the classroom. (You can find this and dozens of other mailing lists on my Mailing Lists page.)

Remember: you are a teacher! You are in the business of igniting the fires of curiosity. Take your own medicine as you probe, inquire and learn about these exciting technologies!

I hope these suggestions help. Please feel free to email me for assistance with any specific issues or questions. 

--Rob Kennedy, Private Schools Guide