The thing about IT is that, as a teacher, you’ve always got to have a bucket load of adaptability standing by, just in case of emergencies. Even the best laid Plan A’s have a tendency to go up in iFlames if you turn your back for a second, then you’ll find yourself emptying your bucket in an attempt to put out the volcano of stress rising inside your chest. The trick to success in integrating IT into the classroom is (and this is my all time top techie teaching trade secret) to assume that life with your trusty bucket is the norm. There are no perfect Plan A’s, just good, well thought out intentions. And that’s where we find ourselves right now!

The students have begun blogging, but the laptops have all been sent back to the leasing company for renewal. The problem is, that was weeks ago and the new ones still haven’t arrived. No tantrums or dramas here, though, just a healthy dose of “Crack On!” and a nose dive into the bucket. So far the majority of posts have been done at home (no, not ideal) so this week I’ll be rolling out rotations between iPads and desktops in between other activities. To be honest, this is actually how I like it. Three or Four groups all rotating at hour intervals (two, two hour sessions over two days) with blogging being just one of the activities. The timetable has to be adapted, too, but that’s okay. The result should be that we see even more positive blogging work from the students this week. Even so, the bucket will be ready and waiting – just in case…

In the meantime, have a look at Abbey’s blog to see a great example of the variety of writing that goes into a good blog.