Using New Technologies

I recently spoke with David Volpe, a Special Education teacher who works at an alternative high school in West Hartford, CT.  David’s areas of expertise include science and math, and as such he often uses new technologies to help enhance his students’ learning.  Like our school, his physical building does not house a library so many research projects have to be done via the web.  However, he faces many challenges with their internet connection, so using Web 2.0 tools can be extremely helpful, as well as very frustrating at the same time.

When asked how he decides which tools to use with his students, David said it comes from necessity. “Depending on our lesson, I look for online resources that will complement my instruction,” he said.  Sometimes he gets recommendations from his colleagues, other times he relies on Google to search for his needs.  “If we are studying the solar system, I will plug some keys words into a search engine and see what comes up,” he explained.  From there, he spends a lot of time previewing each resource to make sure they are appropriate, will be useful for the students and ultimately deliver what he originally had in mind from an outside source.  Some of his typical resources include: Fossil Fuel Jeopardy, Science World, the USGS website and edhelper.  For the vocational and career component of his teaching, he relies on Naviance and Career Explorers.

Some of his greatest obstacles come from lack of and inadequate technology, as well as funding for improvement.  He also says that the filtering system put into place by his district restricts many of the more common web tools from being used.  None of the social networks are allowed, YouTube access is sporadic, and he uses his personal iPad if he wants to show documentaries on Netflix.  Even using something as commonly acceptable as Prezi can be tough as it often takes a while to develop a complete presentation, both due to the restrictions of the internet and the students’ skill levels, so often times he is adapting someone else’s creation for use.  As far as gaining permissions for his initiatives, it sounds as if David goes to great lengths to be successful within the confines of his school’s limitations.

For advice, he would tell others to keep searching for what they need online; something can always be found on the web.  However, he reiterated how important it is to know what you are using with your students.  He also refuses to let the school’s poor technology hinder his students’ online experience.  I believe David and his educational endeavors are a great example of why teachers should share with one another.  Many of us are so fortunate to have the technological resources that we do, and for someone like David and his students, our simple online classroom projects could serve as great resources of learning for others.