Three key areas are addressed in the findings: technology can help teachers address individual needs and steer students toward proper resources; technology can help prepare kids for life and work in the 21st century global economy while enhancing knowledge and skills valued by employers, but not usually noticed by standardized testing; technology can help shift responsibility for learning back to the student, allowing them to personally organize their own learning process.
"But we did find that technology can be used effectively to personalize the learning experience when it is part of a larger student-centered learning plan and when teachers are involved in helping them make the most of it."
TeachersFirst offers this model for elementary (or middle) schools to build skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening systematically in a schoolwide model including students, teachers, and parents. The free web 2.0 tools suggested here are by no means the only tools that might work. These exemplary tools were chosen by the TeachersFirst Editors for ease of use and versatility in classroom and home use, and could easily be implemented at grade levels other than those suggested here. As students and teachers master a new tool at each grade level, they develop rich literacy skills and vital technology skills, all in the context of reading, writing, speaking and listening across the curriculum.
As part of our Summer Professional Development Series, we're excited to offer a free workshop on Web 2.0 tools for new teachers. Over the five-week workshop, participants will learn about one new tool a week, then they'll do some practice lessons before developing their own. As a group, participants will also be able to brainstorm ways to integrate these tools into the classroom in creative and engaging ways.