Practice and Reflection...

I’ve learned more about technology in this one course than I have in many years.  Professionally, it has pushed and prodded, while inspiring and enlightening.  It has helped me to develop technological skills through the use of web 2.0 applications that I can in turn apply directly to my curriculum.  Becoming aware of the pervasive use of these applications and actually participating in a both local and global community of educators and broader learning community has rejuvenated my sense of involvement in the conversation of what students need in the context of a 21^st century education.  For many years I felt comfortably isolated as I externally taught to the test while railing against it internally.  The voice and response that these communicative and collaborative vehicles provide connect those of us who are now just waking up to them to a vast spectrum of resources and outlets to learn and participate in the formation of new standards and curriculum that address new technologies and the application and integration of them in the classroom.

My knowledge on the teaching and learning process as well as the student-centered perspective has deepened due to this course.  Throughout the last few years I have been focusing on project-based learning.  Due to the tidal wave of information that is instantly available through various sources and the need to disseminate it all, educators must see student acquisition of information literacy skills as not only necessary, but as a right.   To be able to find information, and determine its accuracy and relevancy through cross-referencing and distinguishing fact from fiction are skills that are essential in the 21^st century.  As Dr. Leu suggests, the workplace is changing from a vertical to horizontal decision-making structure that requires collaboration, creativity, and a technological skill set from each member (2003). Strategies that assist students to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively to create a knowledge base from which to make important decisions will allow them to continue learning independently throughout their lives.  The addition and use of wikis and blogs in the classroom will help students do this. 

Ways that I can persist in expanding my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement will include the continuation of courses, seminars and valuable professional development that advance, challenge, and update my technological knowledge and skills.  The result of this is the transformation of my classroom environment regardless of institutional or systemic obstacles.  Through advocacy and innovative ingenuity I will strive to institute more student-centered projects (wikis/ blogs) and provide facilitation of technological knowledge and skills to enable my students to acquire them.  I will create the content that is necessary to provide these skills and opportunities, while collaborating with other educators to add to the community of learners and contributors.

Through practice and reflection, the skills I have learned through this course have provided me with knowledge that will enable me to expand and expound upon the necessary changes that must occur in my classroom to meet and exceed the expectations that our 21^st century students are demanding.

Leu, D. J. (2003, January 18). New literacies (Interview with Dr. Donald Leu). Baltimore:             Laureate Education, Inc.

"Profiling the Students of Today" Podcast

Here's my attempt at podcasting...
Press play regardless of what kind of cursor you have.

Advocates for 21st Century Skills in Education...

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills http://p21.org/ organization brings business, learning, and political communities together to emphasize the importance and need for these skills to be promoted, taught, and supported by policy throughout our educational system. 

In familiarizing myself with their website, I was immediately impressed with the focused and succinct mission and framework presented.  The resources provided to the various communities for practical application of the vision were detailed yet allowed room for flexibility and creativity according to each state's or community's needs.  In addition to the comprehensive framework and elements of success, I found a real life purpose and work force relevance that is sorely needed in today's content standards.

The published articles by Timothy Magner (Executive Director) gave me hope that policymakers in their action (or purposeful inaction) might see the light.  But the logistics of putting the brakes on the runaway train we have been on might take longer than our students have and deserve.  Teachers have been and continue to incorporate these skills into their current content.  Organizations such as this are great to have as a collaborative catalyst (the member organizations are impressive) to support the individual efforts of those of us in the trenches.

 

How I might use a blog in my high school social studies classroom...

and the purpose it would serve could end up broad and diverse.  It would definitely be a place where students interact about the content and showcase their work.  I would invite students as they graduate to check back in and interact with current students, giving them support and suggestions along with relating stories and experiences.  This would tie our local community together while still being open to the global community as well.

A blog would be an especially good instructional tool in the classroom because it promotes literacy, learner based communities,  and technology in the classroom, while providing interactive engagement, distance learning for those who need it, not to mention covering multi-learning types.

Teaching government, economics, and history, there are a plethora of ways using a blog could facilitate learning.  Reaching out to other students around the world to compare and contrast historical and political events, economic systems, and personal and cultural experiences would enrich the lives of all and broaden perspectives beyond the individual.

Hanging in there...

So I've dipped my pinky toe in the blogging pool and am still not as comfortable as I'd like to be with the logistics and navigation, but have read some great blogs on various topics. 

One that particularly piqued my interest had to do with digital textbooks.  My textbooks are old and out of date and I don't use them much at all.  Think of all the possibilities if they were available digitally.  Time and money would be saved for sure, not to mention the convenience and practicality of updating.  Students who normally forgot, lost, or damaged their paper texts would be saved from inventing excuses, back surgery and hip replacements.  I've heard whispers that a few states are looking at using a portion of textbook funding to do this.  I hope one of those states is California.

Jumping in with both feet!

Greetings to those of you who share my tech course and any others who have happened to stumble upon this...

This is my first blog and post so I welcome any advice that you may have.  I feel that over the last fifteen years of teaching I have kept up with technology fairly well.  Never on the cutting edge mind you, especially considering district budgets, but always current personally.  Lately, however, the pace has increased dramatically and I find myself reaching out more and more for knowledge and support.  I recently received a Smartboard in my classroom and look forward to exploring all the vast possibilities I've heard so much about.

So I am on this new adventure, hoping we can all help each other along.