Cristina, meet technology -- nice to meet you, at last!

Hi everybody,

it looks like I can't help being the first post on our brand-new blog, in fact it makes sense, given my first contribution is going to be about the "Technology in class" session(s) -- I hope my laptop doesn't explode ;)

My expectations about those sessions (and the upcoming ones) were very high, given my previous approach to the use of technology in my classes and the current situation in Italy. Indeed classroom equipment there ranges from no-tech (in a tragic number of cases) to low-tech, and the teachers who eventually do get to have a permanent job are very often quite mature and not willing to upgrade their technological skills at all, or at least not anymore. So what normally happens is that (provided there is at least a computer and a projector...the Internet is generally out of question) those teachers like me who do try and use technological devices end up showing videos, TED talks, projecting exercises and that's all, folks. Quite frustrating, isn't it? Not to mention mobile phones, any teacher's worst enemy and considered no more than annoying, distracting gizmos. I could sense there was more than this to the matter, and was looking forward to opening up my mind.

This week's sessions have given me a deeper insight and many more inputs on the diverse possibilities that that computer & projector can offer, ESPECIALLY if joined by a wise and productive use of mobile phones or tablets, omnipresents in my classrooms (and in my pocket!), which can now become allies and effectively fill the gap caused by the lack of wi-fi connection in many Italian classrooms.

Last but not least, as a young teacher, I feel that technology should and can be my ace in the hole, my special effects brought to the classroom: I want to embody the change, show my students that the beauty of learning English is that you can do it everywhere, any way you want, reading/speaking/listening about anything you like -- it is connected to life itself and there is no excuse, neither for teachers nor students, not to see it as dynamic, fascinating and useful.