A Week of New Information

The weeks are flying by and there is so much information to be learned about all the different bits of technology that we, as future teachers, will be able to incorporate in our classrooms.
Working on the infographic was a brand new experience for me.  I found the ease.ly website fairly easy to manipulate and add my content to, however, as the website is still in its BETA period there weren't a lot of options for graphics or fonts or backgrounds.  For a novice like me it was perfect for my first project.  I enjoyed creating the infographic and once it was completed I saw the usefulness of the tool and how it could be a resource for communicating with parents as well as a tool for students to present and share information they have learned on a topic; something a bit more jazzy than a traditional report.
The more I use these tools the more comfortable I am becoming with using them and creating different projects with them.  I am looking forward to becoming more tech savvy and more and more comfortable with not only creating but also editing and refining so my presentations look more professional.
Here's to another fast week filled with lots of new information.

A Week of Learning in Review

It is hard to believe we are already a quarter of the way through our first summer session.  There has been so much great information coming in from every direction.

The first tid-bit of information that has really opened my eyes and blown me away is the information from Curt Bonk's book about the vast assortment of online learning available to anyone and everyone absolutely free - you just need to look for it!

I was completely unaware of just how much information was available to "joe public" in terms of higher educational materials.  I think that MIT's open courseware model is one that universities all over the world should consider getting on board with.  What an amazing opportunity this presents to learners who desire more information about a specific topic not to mention those individuals who may not have been able to attend college in the traditional brick and mortar sense.  I see e-learning as the vehicle that can assist those who are trying to learn a new skill, continue their education or supplement the course materials they are currently receiving so as to understand the topic more clearly.  One drawback that was discussed in our small group was the sense that the courses offered online would seem to be best suited for a highly motivated individual rather than one that needs constant feedback and interaction in order to learn.  As these courses are offered at no cost and a traditionally lecture notes, that may or may not be credited, one would need to be highly motivate to stay the course.

One resource that Bonk mentions in his book is the OER Commons site.  Although I am a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information the site has to offer, navigating it is fairly easy.  There is such an enormous selection of material and information for teachers to use to supplement lessons and learning within the classroom.  I highly recommend checking it out at http://www.oercommons.org/ 

Moving Classrooms into the 21st Century

In both 21st century, http://www.p21.org/ , and NETS for students and teachers, http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007 , there is a large focus on today's classrooms becoming more engaging and connected to a variety of informational resources in order to enhance education and learning.  

In order to continue to compete with an ever evolving world students need to be well poised in areas of creativity and innovation along with being able to think critically, problem solve and make decisions.  Students also need to be able to communicate effectively and collaborate with their peers in all areas of education as well as understand how to navigate through a wide variety of technology in order to enhance their learning.  

By aligning the common core state standards, that most states are currently implementing, with the framework of 21st century learning students are engaging with the curriculum more deeply and developing a stronger understanding of the content being taught therefore allowing them to be successful in both school and in life. 

While it is important for students to develop these skills in order to be successful it is imperative that teachers also grow in their knowledge and understanding of the tools and resources available to them to enhance learning withing their classroom.  In order to be effective in the ever changing classroom environment teachers need to inspire students through the use of technology to solve real world situations, develop activities to meet the needs of all levels of learners that incorporate technology rich tools, embrace the use of technology within the classroom and continue to educate themselves in new digital resources as well as serve as a role model to their students in how to act responsibly when communicating and researching using digital tools.    

Incorporating technology into the classroom curriculum will allow teachers to ensure they are meeting the needs of all students by providing a wider range of information, activities and experiences geared toward each level of learner.  This will ensure that each student is becoming more knowledgeable about the curriculum in a way that is appropriate for their learning ability and style.   

The Journey Begins

This is my first attempt at creating a blog and I am curious to see how it goes. 

Technology is an amazing tool and I am excited to learn more about how to incorporate it into my future classroom and curriculum through my MAT course "Power Tools" at Meredith College.  

As our culture moves forward in the hopes of saving some trees I can see the benefits of using technology to stay connected to friends and family as well as future parents that I will have.  Today more and more people are able to receive a vast amount of information on a variety of hand-held devices 24 hours a day and keeping parents "in the know" about their child's assignments, activities etc.  can be very handy; nothing can mysteriously get lost from school to home.  

I am looking forward to expanding my exposure to and interaction with technology these next 6 weeks and coming through this course with some very helpful tools to take me into the 21st century classroom.

Thanks for reading!