Technology - How to succeed as a teacher

5. Technology - not a factor.
Years and years ago in private industry I would attend meetings and people would have laptops. In 2007, at a school of 65 teachers I was the only one with a laptop. What gives? Sitting at meetings I would use the laptop to take notes. Other teachers would (not to my face of course) tell others I was playing games or watching movies.

What other sort of information rich job does NOT give their employees at least a computer on their desk. I know some schools do, but for the most part, this is an exception.

At one board I was at I managed to get 15 computers donated to my class - that I would maintain myself - so as not to ‘burden’ the incredibly overworked IT people - (yes, they kept this perception alive). The board told me to return them to the donors!

My next board would not allow me to use my laptop at the school. Having owned a laptop since 1992, I did it nonetheless. The board’s rationale was that my Mac Laptop would give their Windows machines viruses. My class was 100% paperless.

Solution - pull out the hammer and chisel.