Being a teacher means embracing constant change. Yet all too often, teachers are told when, how and why to change. In this monthly column, Mrs. Mimi takes on creating change for herself by rethinking old practices and redefining teaching on her own terms. 

Happy Digital Learning Day!!! Whee! Cupcakes for everyone! Even better than that—You get an iPad! You get an iPad! You get an iPad!

Sorry.

Someday I will realize I am not the Oprah of education. Not yet anyway. (But when I am? iPads all around!)

Wait, say what? Digital Learning Day? If you are wondering what Digital Learning Day commemorates, let me fill you in. Digital Learning Day promotes giving every child the opportunity to learn and grow in a dynamic digital environment every day. Every. Day. Translation? Asking kids to “type up” one piece of writing a year is no longer enough.

p: flickingerbrad via photopin

Technology is certainly nothing new in the classroom. (Perhaps working computers are a revelation in your particular school but that is another story for another day.) As the technology conversation has evolved, educators have discussed ways in which technology can be integrated in meaningful ways rather than as an afterthought. To me, that means technology can no longer be isolated to the product alone. You know, when we ask kids to type up what they wrote with pencil and paper, or when we ask kids to make an iMovie to represent what they have learned in a particular social studies unit.

Don’t get me wrong, those things can be H.O.T. hot, but they are no longer enough. (And if we’ve learned anything about being educators it’s that somehow most things are never enough. Never.) If we are to integrate technology in meaningful ways into our classroom instruction on a daily basis, it means that technology must be a part of the process, not just the product.

Maybe you’re nodding along with me right now and thinking, “That Mrs. Mimi has it going on.” Or maybe you’re rolling your eyes and thinking, “That sounds good but what can I do in my classroom today, hot shot?” I hear you.

When I think about integrating anything new into my reading instruction, I always ask myself, “What do I do as a reader with (insert new idea here)?” So, what do you do as a reader with technology? Or as a reader of technology? Personally, as a reader, I read books, blogs, recipes, articles, magazines and emails on my iPad, laptop and phone. I watch videos, both with and without text. (Yes, those count too.) I do this to research a new area of interest, to learn more as I complete a project, to find out how to do something and to relax. Take a minute and think about yourself—how do you use technology as a reader?

Now comes the key question. (Drumroll please.) How can you mirror that in your classroom?

Still shaking your head and thinking to yourself that it all sounds nice but that you don’t have any technology in your classroom? Well, that excuse isn’t working any more is it? Teachers are still expected to integrate technology despite the fact that some schools are dragging their heels when it comes to re-tooling classrooms. 

Clearly, doing nothing is not motivating said schools to prioritize purchasing technology for you to use. So, sign out the computer lab. Sign out the rolling laptop or iPad cart. Every day. Every day. Every. Day. Maybe if the labs are full and the carts are scarce, the Powers That Be will get the hint. All we can do is try. Now, do a quick Google search for ideas or apps. There are literally a ho-jillion resources out there. Give it a shot today—after all, it’s Digital Learning Day!!

Now, where’s my cupcake?

Mrs. Mimi is a pseudonymous teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES: MY ADVENTURES IN SECOND GRADE, which sprung from her popular blog of the same name. Mimi also has her doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.