Yesterday I confessed my love for Pinterest.
Today, I'll share a reason why. Have you all heard of Edutopia? It is an amazing resource! They "share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education". You can follow them on Pinterest here. The pin all sorts of educational and informational goodies.
Like this one! Nearly every educator understands how disheartening it is to have the passion and drive to show their students the world only to be stopped by financial restrictions. Technology is truly closing this gap. We are able to discover and experience worlds we never knew existed, without leaving the classroom. Sounds exciting, right? I don't know many students who would turn down any of the twenty-five virtual learning experiences listed.
As educators (aspiring or current) we must take advantage of these resources. Without our guidance, students may very well never experience life outside the state they live in. Some will never leave their hometown. Gone are the days where we can rely on basic textbooks. Sure, textbooks have a time and place but they are no longer the primary education tool of educators utilizing the vast world of learning brought directly to our classrooms via the internet.
Oh, what's that you say? Your classroom has zero sources of technology and you're lucky if your students see the inside of a computer lab once in any given month? The digital divide is still very real in homes and schools across our nation. It's unfortunate. I do have hope that as electronics continue to lower in cost, this divide will lessen. We live in a digital age and I am a firm believer that children and young adults need to be exposed (with close supervision) to technology in school and at home. The need for technological skills is increasingly important for educational and career opportunities.
What do you say? Shall we show our students the world? One virtual learning experience at a time.
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