PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TEACHERS AID
TECHNOLOGY = PASTA? By Anthony Carabache
Have you ever thought about pasta? Have you ever thought about how many types of pasta there are in the world? Have you thought about how pasta, in all its forms, is made, marketed, and sold?
First, take a look at how Google (G-Suite) is suggesting that teachers use their services in the classroom:
If you have considered any of these ideas at length, this last question is the real kicker: Have you ever wondered if, how, or why all pasta tastes the same? So what’s with all the variations? I am not Italian, but I did grow up in a house that had pasta for dinner more often than not, and my friends of Italian descent always took the time to explain how the different shapes of pasta all had different functions: some shapes keep the sauce on, some are used for stuffing, some are flat for layering, and so on. I’ve always enjoyed pasta immensely, but standing in the grocery store aisle for 15 minutes trying to figure out which shape is going to end up on my plate is far too taxing, so I usually give up, close my eyes, pick one, and live with it. It is nothing less than amazing that flour, egg, salt, and water could produce so much mind-numbing choice. This is why pasta provides the absolute perfect comparison to technology in the classroom. The applications and software that are being relentlessly marketed to teachers around the world have ultimately been designed to attract and distract. They attract you with flawless graphics and countless frills (“Did you know you could do this?!”), then distract you from what you were born to do – teach!
https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6020260?hl=en
Second, let’s look at Microsoft’s suggested workflow in the classroom:
If you do a little research (and not to worry, I’ve done it for you), you will find that when it comes down to it, all technology in the classroom falls under four basic categories. 1. Workflow Tools – Short Pasta 2. Creation Tools – Flat Pasta 3. Documentation Tools – Stuffed Pasta 4. Interactive Tools – Long Pasta
See? Pasta. I can easily prove my point using a few of the biggest brands, which are begging educators to use their services. Let’s look at classroom workflow tools using Google, Microsoft and Desire2Learn. Three different companies with three different services… or are they? 20
@ OECTA
| FEBRUARY 2017
https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2015/01/20/new-office-365-andmoodle-integration/#sm.00000q8t0nzkb3d8qx5zjz0m05jjs