I know majority of us thought our high school was pretty lame when we were growing up- I sure did. The coolest thing my high school had was the new computer lab with the latest Dell desktops and this was in 2004! Recently Warren County High School was featured on a local news series called "Cool Schools." When I first heard about the feature I laughed. My old high school cool???? Never in a million years! But I decided to watch the special online and boy was I blown away with the changes the school has made.
The students now at Warren Co. can take a class where they design, construct, and test underwater ROV's, or remove operated vehicles. They also have a distance learning lab where students can take virtual field trips, learn more about career options, or take classes with others across the country! The school has also added a forensic science class where the students get to experiment with facial reconstruction technology and other forensic science tools.
For myself, being a preschool teacher and all, I loved seeing the interactive board in the Pioneer Preschool. That class is the reason I decided to major in Early Childhood Education and seeing the technological advances they have made in these past few years is amazing. I would have never imagined my preschoolers could talk to Mrs. Claus about the weather at the North Pole!
After watching the special I realized how rapidly technology is changing education today. I'm glad to know that my hometown high school is striving to bring some of the latest technology to its students, even the future students in the preschool lab! Too bad they had to go "cool" after I left!
http://www.wsmv.com/video/21816443/index.html
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Wow! That is so neat. It really makes me realize how far technology has come and also how fast it is moving. My high school has also advanced a great deal. I think it shows the importance of really staying on top of the changes that are taking place. By the time we become teachers in a year, things will have already changed and progressed. It is good to take note of the fact that we, as teachers, need to be constantly researching these advances.
ReplyDeleteThat is great! I know what you mean about feeling like your school was lame, I know I felt that way especially once I went to college and heard other students talk about the schools they went to. It is great to see that more and more schools are able to get new technology to use and keep the students engaged. It makes me wonder how much will change before I even get into a classroom as a teacher and how much it will change in just the first few years. I feel like teachers today have to keep learning at a faster pace than past teachers. We have our work cut out for us!
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I am going to investigate the use of virtual field trips.
ReplyDeleteCool High school huh? Well def. public schools in general have come a long way. However, I still think that government funds, lack of political support and parental contributions still hinder technological progress in many areas. I think it is interesting that many schools are seeing all the new advantages that technology can bring, and yet others are still struggling to get computer labs put into the schools. There is a bigger issue out there than just being able to see new things in schools. We have to work in the politcal arena and really try to work within each of our communities if we really want to see change....but love your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really great that you're taking your own high school experience, comparing it to what that school is like now, and then adding your own spin to incorporate it into a preschool classroom. I had never thought about using technology to teach children that young, but your ideas sound like wonderful ways to teach them using something that is going to be an integral part of their lives as they are growing up. Way to go!
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