whatinfusion

=What is Infusion?=

media type="custom" key="6161987" align="right"Education is always changing. New topics, new methods, new technologies come and go rapidly in our society, and as educators, we need to be willing and able to change with the times. Our students use technology as a natural extension of their daily activities, yet are often being taught in ways that are incongruous with both their personal lives and the technologically fueled future that the will be expected to work and live in.

Teaching with technology is essential to give students a properly well rounded education. Teaching **with technology**, though, not **teaching technology**.

**// “Technology should not be viewed as anything different than pencils, paper and other learning objects!” //** ** Kathy Cassidy, ** ** Moose Jaw Public, 2003 **

We believe that technology should be infused. Educational technology should be woven seamlessly into our students' educational experiences, providing them with the best opportunity to learn in a wide range of subjects. The general principle guiding technology infusion is to use technology within the classroom setting to enhance both teaching and learning. It is project-based, centered around current curriculum, and has 3 goals in mind: think, create, share!

On these pages, you will find more ways to infuse technology into your teaching. You'll also see many examples of how other teachers have used information technology, new media, and Web 2.0 to take their students' learning experiences to new heights.

The goal of this wiki is not to tell you what you, as a teacher, should be doing. We want to tell you what you can add to your teaching to enrich your students' experiences. We would encourage you to keep your ideas simple and realistic. For many of you this would be your first time through an infusion project and some of the time would need to be spent on learning new media literacy skills prior to working on the actual curriculum content. Here are some basic project ideas that teachers could consider:
 * Book Making (UberAuthor Program)
 * Graphic Novel Production
 * Poster Making (Digital Image Manipulation)
 * Web Site Creation
 * Presentations (PowerPoint, Prezi, or similar)
 * Video Production
 * Macrotheatre or Photostory Creation
 * Flash or Stop Motion Animation
 * Digital Storytelling
 * Concept Mapping (Inspiration/Kidspiration)
 * Game Making
 * Digital Citizenship Lessons (Blogging, Wiki, Social Networking)
 * Digital Voices (Podcastiing, Myvoice, Mystory, Voicethread)
 * Connected Classroom Projects (Skype, Electronic Pen Pals).
 * Screen Casting and Concept Demonstration

We understand that there are challenges. Computer and technology access is limited in some schools. Space and cost may be a consideration. Simply having enough time is an ever-present struggle for teachers. There are many project ideas that involve minimal planning time, computer access, and can get you started on the path of technology infusion.

If you take enough baby steps, soon you'll be able to run. And you'll be amazed what you can do if you can run.