Integrating Technology: Don't Over-Plan?
Have you ever been to an over-planned party? One where the host or hostess has planned every minute of the party so carefully that the guests felt like marionettes? Where the host or hostess, in effect, says "Stop having that un-managed fun, and come over here to do my structured fun instead?" This party planner knows that preparation is vital to a great party, but has not yet learned that the guests need to be able to participate naturally. Some fun can be planned in advance, but some fun must happen spontaneously, based on who attends. No, don't start socializing! We haven't played the icebreaker game yet! Now go back to that last paragraph and change the party to a classroom, the hostess and guests to teacher and students, and the fun to learning. Go ahead, I'll wait here. We can't help it. We plan. Teachers are planners. It's what we do. To keep our students as productive as possible, we plan our classroom management procedures care...