Week 2 - Blogging

So, I've had a blog since 2006. It was pretty much unattended until I started graduate school and then guess what? We were required to post reflections on a blog. So that gave me a purpose to blog. I know that today's kids live out loud. They Tweet and Facebook to let everyone know their current status. I haven't ever really felt that there was an audience for me to blog or in social media. For that matter, I never was one to spend extended periods of time on the phone. Therefore, I haven't really found a personal need for blogging. However, I have seen the impact it can have in the classroom. It is a great place for teachers to engage students in conversations while teaching them how to use Web 2.0 tools. Students that may not feel comfortable sharing their thoughts in a classroom often find that they can contribute online.

Here's my Voki!

Week 1 - Charting the Course

Today's students have never known a world without digital media. Even many of our youngest students have some type of portable technology to listen to music or play games even if they don't have a smart phone. Their brains are wired differently because the world in which they have grown up is so different than the one in which we experienced. So, how, as educators, do we ensure that our students can not only survive but thrive in a technology rich environments? The first step is becoming technology literate and improving our own technology skills. By becoming part of a group in workshops like this, we create a support group that can help us as we try new technology tools. Right now I sometimes feel like I am playing catch-up with the kids because they are so adept with the tools. Web 2.0 tools provide a way for us to harness the technology kids use in their daily lives to enhance our curriculum and engage our students.

Book Study - First Meeting

So, all book study participants have their books and are ready to get started. I know some of the group may be feeling overwhelmed. The first challenge was to set up a blog. Now that you have overcome that hurdle, it is ready to start exploring lots of resources and learning ways to integrate technology into instruction. Your first assignment is to watch the introductory video and reflect on it . Can't wait for you to get started!  Here is the video.

Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works

I learned about this book during a graduate class on teaching with technology. Although I usually don't put much stock in books filled with Internet resources and URLs, I found that this book is much more than that. This book takes instructional strategies that work and shows how technology can be used to help enhance instruction. Many classroom teachers believe that technology integration means using technology to do a project. This book shows what integration is all about - using technology as a tool to support instruction much like a reference book or a pencil. I know that anyone who reads this book can take away practical ideas that can be incorporated into their current curriculum.