On the eve of EduCon 2.0 it is time to shift the conversation of the impact of technology in the classroom from those who don’t use the technology to those who are and what tools are they using.
What should we be putting into our classrooms technology wise to achieve School 2.0 goals?
I understand that if we don’t have the person in front of the classroom who can use these tools it doesn’t matter what we put in there but let’s move the argument forward. We have a lot teachers who can and we need to promote what they do to help move others along to meet 21st Century Skills.
Tonight I asked the question in Twitter “If you had a $1000 to spend on technology for your classroom what would you get?” The results didn’t surprise me (more computers, cameras, ipods, mimios, webcams, microphones, etc.). I’ll bet if I asked the follow up how would these tools impact student learning/achievement others would be inspired to at least learn more of how they could use these tools in their classroom. The Return on that $1000 Investment is too great when it is used appropriately to ignore.
We need to be telling these success stories and helping to inspire others especially those new to the classroom.
The PBS program Frontline will be dedicating their January 22nd episode to teens “Growing Up Online“. Here is the description from their website…
MySpace. YouTube. Facebook. Nearly every teen in America is on the Internet every day, socializing with friends and strangers alike, “trying on” identities, and building a virtual profile of themselves–one that many kids insist is a more honest depiction of who they really are than the person they portray at home or in school.
In “Growing Up Online,” FRONTLINE peers inside the world of this cyber-savvy generation through the eyes of teens and their parents, who often find themselves on opposite sides of a new digital divide. From cyber bullying to instant “Internet fame,” to the specter of online sexual predators, FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin investigates the risks, realities and misconceptions of teenage self-expression on the World Wide Web.
This episode I believe is very timely in opening people’s eyes to what teens are going through online. Unfortunately I don’t believe too many parents are going to see it as PBS is not on the “heavy rotation” of viewing prime time television. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to encourage parents to view this episode. Educators can tape this program and be able to show it for a year based on their copyright agreement. This might make for a good Internet Safety launchpad.
Here is a preview of their episode for you to check out.
This is a neat site to help with spelling instruction/testing. The basic premise of the site is to plug in your spelling words and then you can be tested, taught, or play a game. The site has 25,000 words in its’ database to draw on and uses a real human voice when the word is used as well as when the word is put into context. Students, teachers, and/or parents can register to get your own personal experience, did I mention it was free! Teachers can put a link for students and parents to access their words. Teachers can also save their spelling lists and edit them at any time.
I tried it out with my daughter’s spelling list and found the games to be entertaining. I like the fact that you can redo the misspelled words and print a certificate of completion. I can even save and share lists. This could be a useful tool in the classroom to help parents work with their children on their spelling instead of repeating spelling outloud or through the repetition of writing.
About Me: I am the technology teacher/integrator at the Mildred L. Day School in Arundel, ME. Technology is a passion of mine since I was in junior high in the 80's taking a fortran course through my math teacher's account at USM. Outside of work I am a husband, father of 2 girls, and rabid Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. When I have free time I would like to golfing (despite the short season).
