Technology is NOT a Solution

 "Technology is NOT a Solution." 
As a technology teacher reading this chapter title in the TOC the first time in Kasey Bell's new book Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic I will admit she had me not scared but hooked. Where was she going with this topic since I know she is not only a Google Trainer but also a Google Innovator? She has to train yearly on Google products just like I do to keep her trainer status. Google products are technology. Heck! Her whole blog shakeuplearning.com is practically about how teachers can become Google Certified Educators and Trainers just like her. Why was she doing a 180 in her book and saying technology is not a solution? Finding out the WHY is the main reason that I jumped at the chance to read her book before it got published. I just had to know the answer to my WHY. 

Kasey has built a website around her new book at shakeuplearningbook.com. I encourage everyone to go grab the FREE Quick-Start Guide to Shake Up Learning first. Read through the guide. Mark it up! If you stay hooked, like I did, then definitely get her book now during pre-sales to take advantage of the free online workshop that she is offering alongside the book. 

Like the poster says...Technology is NOT a solution. It is an opportunity to move learning from static to dynamic! In my classroom, technology is not allowing the children to play games in class so I can grade papers. It is allowing children to build games in groups or solo then create a Google Docs evaluating both the finished product and the learning experience. Using technology to create a digital version of your worksheet that grades itself is not the solution either (even I have been guilty of doing this one!). Rather technology should be the stop motion Google Slides explaining a hot topic; the collaborative flyer that will be hung throughout school for a fundraiser-Docs, Slides or Drawings for this one; the coding to learn a digital language; the e-book that will be given to a foster child-Slides; or the interactive Google Drawings to give your interpretation of the story you are reading. 

If you aren't comfortable even attempting one of the aforementioned lesson ideas, then you need this book as part of your PD library shelf (It won't be collecting dust though!) Kasey breaks her first book into three parts: the WHY, the WHAT, and the HOW.
I like that she begins with the why, probably my analytical mind wanting to solve the problem.

We need to shake up learning and this is not just by integrating technology into the classrooms.(Click to tweet)

As she says in the book if all the tech is going to do is collect dust in your classroom sometimes not even out of the box, has it met the needs of the students. The

job world that our students are entering changes every day, but unfortunately education has not kept up due to lots of reasons. Read why we have to do something in the book. 
In the what, Kasey explains to the reader what dynamic learning vs. static learning is all about. I like how she gives the reader a quote at the beginning of each chapter to ponder as they read through the chapter. I found myself highlighting when I found the answer to support the quote. Then at the end of every chapter the reader gets access to online resources very beneficial to me because these will be updated staying dynamic. There are discussion questions, action steps, and even a reflection space lined page because after all we are teachers and we need a plan to carry out. She is not simply telling you the what but showing you how to implement the what.
Which brings me to the final part in the book...the how. Kasey realizes that not all school teachers are equal. Some of you have every bell and whistle technology you can imagine in your classroom. Be blessed if you are one of these teachers. Get the training every chance you can and utilize the tech but utilize it in a way that it is dynamic with the students and not static. For those of us that don't have all the technology we still benefit because Kasey doesn't ever mention a specific named technology but shows us how we can become dynamic in our classrooms with or without technology.

I recently lost access to technology in my classroom and I'm the technology teacher. Rather than "freak out" I took it as an opportunity to teach offline paired coding. The students were still learning coding but they were also seeing that the computer literally does exactly what the programmer tells it to do. It taught them to give clearer instructions and that you can't ever assume the machine knows what you are talking about. 

I encourage you to take the time to not just buy but read Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic. As the title says, the ideas are indeed practical, they are able to be accomplished by even the novice teacher, but the experienced teacher will benefit learning new things too. I know I did. Mark this book up with highlighting and post it notes. Get the e-book when it's available, like I will, to have ready access to it at any time.

Kasey, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be among the first to read the book. If I wasn't doing active reading I would say your first book is a quick read. I can see your ELA background and your love of technology integration in the classroom to help the students stay ahead of the game. ~Paula