oct27wds



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Agenda

 * 1) Looking Back: What Have We Done?
 * 2) Looking Forward: Where Do We Want to Go?
 * 3) Looking for Direction: How Can I Help You Do What You Want To Do?
 * 4) Links

Looking Back: What Have We Done?


In June, Jim Swan and I were in your school working with your students on technology projects. This is the site we constructed that showcases the activities we did with your students.

Other teachers in your school have gone further with @http://www.youtube.com/user/favuyartteacher

media type="youtube" key="qyH2EIrEYI0" height="390" width="480" align="center"

Looking Forward: Where Do We Want To Go?
I think being aware of technology is important. Learning how to use it in the classroom is even better. We can get bogged down, though, in the details of the technology, but what we want to focus on is helping students be better learners in the main areas: literacy, numeracy, social awareness, scientific thinking and understanding, and physical and mental well-being. These things don't change. The question is how can we use technology to support learning in these areas.

Read the article entitled "Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?". We are going to do a little reading activity. Everyone please read the article and break into groups of four or so.


 * 1) Read the article individually. Highlight 2-3 items that stand out to you in some way.
 * 2) In turn, read one of your highlights. Do not comment on the highlight; only read it.
 * 3) One by one, group members will make a comment on the highlight.
 * 4) Do not comment or discuss each person's thoughts on the highlight.
 * 5) Once everyone has had the chance to comment, the reader will share his or her thoughts on the highlight and why it stood out.
 * 6) The next person will read the article. And so on around the table.


 * // Questions, concerns, and comments??? //**

The personal computer and the Internet have changed teaching. It is important to get onboard with it.

How to start:
 * Look at what others have done.
 * Follow other educators on blogs and in other forms of social media.
 * **Don't be afraid**
 * Start small, but start somewhere.

Looking For Direction: How Can I Help You Do What You Want To Do?
There are many websites with resources and tools that you can use for a variety of purposes. There are more and more popping up all the time. Some examples:
 * Kidblog
 * Popplets
 * Storybird
 * Voicethread
 * Prezi
 * Gapminder
 * Scribblemaps
 * Glogster

You can also learn how to work with video as evidence of learning using flip cameras as well as other media.
 * Photo Stories
 * Context Words
 * eBooks
 * Skype Conversations

Another source for ideas is in the work of other educators. For example, //The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators// has many sites and ideas for all levels of teacher.

The key is not so much giving students information, but to train them to use their minds to gather information, evaluate it, and produce evidence of their ability to do so.

I will be at William Derby School for the next week, possibly longer to work with you on infusing technology into your practice. We can approach this in two ways:
 * Co-teaching - I can teach with you, helping incorporate technology as you teach in the classroom.
 * Projects - I can do projects with you that relate to the concepts the students are learning, giving you the opportunity to try the projects while I guide you and the students through.

I will be available for the rest of the afternoon to discuss and help plan whatever type of infusion you want to do with me.

Wikis

 * wdsinfusion.wikispaces.com
 * imperialinfusion.wikispaces.com
 * baronsinfusion.wikispaces.com
 * vcsinfusion.wikispaces.com
 * cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com

Blogs

 * Free Technology for Teachers
 * Langwitches Blog
 * iLearn Technology