Group items tagged

TB Today is Digital Learning Day, a national promotional effort by the Alliance for Excellence in Education to call attention to using technology in schools. More than 10,000 teachers and 1.5 million students have signed up in support to "celebrate innovative teachers and highlight instructional practices that strengthen teaching and personalize learning for all students," according to the AEE.

This is exactly what we have been discussing in class! It lists five excellent tips for teachers to be able to manage the students' use of technology. The Tech Doesn't Always Have To Be "ON" tip is right on target!

Awesome find. It's totally right on about technology being a tool and not always being needed.

This article discusses the use of free web 2.0 tools that can be used in the classroom to help promote 21st century skills. They highlight four web tools, Jing, Wix, Google Sites, and Blogger, that can be integrated in school environments. The article provides specific classroom examples from four teachers, on how they were able to use these tools with their students.

This was a great article for class. We will talk about about some of the tools listed.

This article looks at how the Richmond school district is implementing technology in an effort to meet the standards for Technological Literacy. They send teachers every year to the College of New Jersey for "Project Update" where they can learn new technology and then come back and share it with the rest of the school.

Although written in 2002, there were some good concepts in the article about having teachers train one another and some simple projects to start kids with projects involving technology.

This article suggests 19 ways to integrate technology in your daily and weekly classroom routine. Even if you have a slight fear of technology, this gives seemingly painless ways to integrate it into your classroom that is useful and engaging for both the student and teacher.

These are simple ideas with practical purposes. This is a great article for teachers just starting to incorporate technology into the classroom. Baby steps!

Teachers can use technology to facilitate real, engaged teaching and learning, whether it's through social media, cell phones, or tapping into the expertise of other teachers. No matter what tool is being used, it's important to see how the technology helps the goal be reached and what learning experience is being promoted.

This was a timely article as we talk continue to talk about integrating technology. I really liked your comment about how the technology helps the goal to be reached.

Philip Cotton was one of the first teacher in the UK to use 3D printing in the classroom. He talks about its uses in the classroom and the necessity for students to learn the technology now so that they are prepared for future careers that haven't even been invented yet. This article gives real life examples of 3D printings classroom applications, as well as highlighting safety concerns and software needs.

Awesome. I've already started sharing this article. Keeping up with new trends like 3D printing is great, I needed to see some of these applications.

In this article, Bill Tolley describes what blended learning is and what it might look like in a classroom. It discusses how teachers can combine face-to-face learning with online learning and why it is necessary in the 21st century to do so. It talks about the shift from teacher as gatekeeper to coach/tutor for students as we move toward a more democratic learning style that incorporates technology.

Nice find on blended learning. The state of Nebraska is investing a lot in the idea of blended learning and supporting blended classrooms.

This article shows the possible technology that can be introduced to physical education classrooms. Motion sensors are explained to be a productive tool inside the classroom. They help students know how active they are and it shows the teachers a better idea of how much physical activity the students are actually getting.

This website has a lot of information for teachers with students with learning disabilities (LD). The site covers students with ADHA, ADD, and LD. The site has videos on students with LD and how to help them. The resource is endless for example,Processing deficits, the two most difficult areas are visual and auditory perception. This area of resource gives articles, multimedia, questions and answers, recommended books, in our Learning Store, recommended links, and forums to talk to other educators and parents. I will use this by referring to the information when I need more information to help with a student with LD, ADHD, or ADD.

This article discussed the importance of parental involvement in special education. Several ways to support families were discussed. In the conclusion the author indicates that teachers should work with parents to build positive relationships and leave behind assumptions about parents.

Teachers are at the forefront of kids' educational experiences, and it's now incumbent on them, as well as parents and school administrators, to provide children with the guidance and technical skills they need to succeed in their connected future. This article explains how to incorporate some great sites in your classroom to include technology to learning.

In this article, the author describes why technology is extremely important when used in the classroom, because it enhances learning. Using interviews, questionnaires, and observations, the author shows the problems of teachers and students, regarding accessibility, and how we should use technology as a tool.

Edudemic is a website that posts research, news, and reviews for teachers and students. "How Technology is Being Used in Special Ed" gives statistics regarding funding, services, types of disabilities, tools, and resources available to Special Education programs in schools. A very detailed and colorful Infographic is given.

Learning about how technology is being used and what tools are used the most in special education was fascinating!

Experience has taught Colleen Ruggieri to hand over some control of the classroom and the schedule along with the iPod Touches she distributes to her students. She doesn't mind if students use work time for more than English lessons; the technology-rich environment encourages it. "Monitor student behavior, but don't continuously worry about multitasking," Ruggieri advised.

This article talks about using Ipods or Ipads in an English setting. She uses the apps to access her student's knowledge of literary terms or reading comprehension and allows her students a different way to learn. Often, students that are knowledgeable of applications or devices become the authority in teaching the class and the teacher.

I think iPods and iPads provide a wide variety of options for English classrooms. I'm amazed that the students didn't have issues with reading on such small devices.

The use of cell phones are, often times, banned in the classrooms. This article discusses how smart phones in the classroom may be beneficial to students and their learning. Smart phones allows students to learn in a way that is comfortable to them, gives them access to find answers quickly, utilize audio and video on the devices to enhance the learning process, and allows for social learning. Schools shouldn't be thinking of ways to keep students from using their smart phone devices, but instead, think of how to allow use of smart phones in the classroom. Teachers can be a positive influence in helping students use their smart phones appropriately in the classroom to assist in learning.

This is also an inexpensive source of technology for the schools since most students have a Smartphone and the school doesn't have to provide the device.

Technology is considered a necessary tool for use in higher education and the economy. As future employees of companies, our students will be required to adapt quickly, gain knowledge and apply it in a variety of ways. As a teacher integrating technology, one must design and instruct in the manner to which they are the most comfortable but think always about their student's futures not their own in relation to technology.

I appreciate that the author focused on the underlying learning objectives first. He also mentioned that technology could be a time-saver, but didn't feel the need to use every free website offered to him.

Studies are finding that when teachers and parents agree with kids that STEM subjects are not their best, students do not pursue those subjects. IT also says we should focus our praise on the process and not necessarily what comes natural. This encourages our children to embrace the process of learning instead of only the things that come natural. What are some other reasons you think kids quit STEM subjects? Do you think we validate our students/children too often? Why or why not? How else can we engage or encourage our students without the typical element of praise?

This article is TOTALLY speaking to me :) Wish I could re-do science in high school and believe more in myself. (Got good grades, but never "got" it.)

This article provides 10 suggested guidelines to follow for schools seeking to implement a student centered learning environment. This begins with the definition of student centered learning to mean learning which is student driven. The suggestions range in content from changing the teacher role to be one of coach / facilitator to redefining student success so as to not be overly reliant on grades and test scores. Discussion Questions: 1. The article uses student centered learning and student driven learning to be synonymous. Is this truly the case, or is student driven learning merely one iteration of student centered learning? 2. The article is careful to clarify that student centered learning is not a one size fits all nor equally applicable to all subjects. Which subjects are less amenable to the student centered / driven learning as portrayed in the article? 3. How realistic is it for a school to transition away from grades as a measurement of student learning given that grades and class rank are two of the main criteria colleges look at in making admission determinations?

Love the concept of student centered learning :)