Slam dunk
In my computer classroom, I have my new computers, which are in the middle of their fifth school year. There are my new old computers, which were donated after a local business upgraded their office. Then I have the old computers, which replaced a portion of the original old old computers. Each day, I juggle my students around trying to give them each time on the newest computers in hopes that simple media projects can be completed without crashing or loss of work. For my classroom, this is what the text might call our familiar “world of measurement.”
Within this perception, it’s easy to focus on just surviving, getting through the steps, giving a grade, and moving on the next assignment. The amazing thing is that despite the limitations and complications, my students often surprise me with their ingenuity and creativity. In a recent video project, a student showed me a clip of his slam-dunk. After we watched it a few times and discussed the different camera angles, he told me, “I always wanted to dunk” and his expression showed that through the video he had accomplished that task. His accomplishment was outside his 5’5” measurement because he was able to change the situation and let his dream unfold. As other students came up to see his work, his satisfaction and their support greatly overshadowed the A I placed in the gradebook.
Great observations. It's good to have a meaningful assessment of one's situation, in your case a mixed lot of computers varying in antiquity, but then the important step is to decide what to do next and the attitude behind the decision. In your case, while the temptation is just push ahead, you've allowed yourself to stay open to the possibilities and your students have surprised you. Wonderful.
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