FALL2012CSM

If you liked his TED talk, you may enjoy his discussion of READING in the world of Kindle Fire and other tablets. I wrote a long (18 page) research paper for UNO about e-readers, so this article speaks to me. :-) Shirky explores SOCIAL READING and discusses its merits (or lack thereof).

This article takes an in depth look at some of the challenges of technology. It points out that one of the main problems with technology is facultys inability to use it. The article points out this issue stems from the lack of training faculty recieve on the technology.

Great article, Deauna. This ties so perfectly with the theme of our class.

This article is about using blogs in science and math class. David R. Wetzel offer some ideas for teachers on how to use the bogs correctly and how using blogs benefit the students. I liked the idea of posting " how to" videos on the classroom for math problems.

Great article, Jennifer. So many of our math and science teachers post short videos on their websites to show students/remind students of the steps. You'll learn how to do this, also, this month.

This article brings up the very valid point of who will be paying for our classrooms with all the new technology available to us now. The article also addresses the subjects of what our classrooms will look like with this influx of new technology and if we will ever see them in our lifetimes. This really reminds me of one of the pitfalls we discussed in class: you know, the Veruca Salt problem--gotta have it all RIGHT NOW.

I love this article! After a lot of dead-end searches on technology in a science classroom, this one gives great examples of how technology is really enhancing the learning experience in a lab-based class. She tries to take advantage of everything from Livescribe to Google Jockey to Glogsters. Her examples are relevant and I look forward to shamelessly stealing her ideas.

I really like this article because it gave examples of how teachers can incorporate all different kinds of technology into the classroom. It gave hope to teachers that might be afraid of changing traditional methods of teaching an English class. The article also detailed how students can help teachers understand new forms of technology and the teacher can incorporate those things while still reaching the teaching standards of each district.

This article examines how to use twitter in a college classroom, but it was very insightful for high school classes as well. The article lists five uses of twitter that benefit the classroom: Bringing clients to class, learning to be concise, creating character, teaching about social media, and creating a brand. The article said technology for the sake of technology, in this case twitter, isn't the goal; rather we should focus on how to select the right technology for the right occasion.

Keeping the "TED Talk" in mind, this article gives a quick informative look on how classroom technology has changed over time. The Horn Book, a paddle with the alphabet and Bible verses written on it for students to copy, was one of the first things listed. The list also includes pencils, the radio, and of course iPads. One thing I found interesting was the authors included their Twitter address for people to tweet things they think should be added to the list.

Great article, Arianna. I enjoyed the pictures. You can tweet back to the authors on Saturday after our Twitter session and add a few more to the list.

This is a great article that describes using technology to extend the learning of our students in a social studies classroom. Emphasis is placed on the importance of using technology to make our teaching better and that teachers must be involved in a constant and consistent training program. The article highlights some great web-based sources for social studies teachers such as the Virginia Center for Digital History.

Stephanie: I like how this article doesn't leave the content behind. It was a wonderful "reinforcement" of the idea that technology needs to help and support the learning in a new way. Great find.

This blog post gives some suggestions for useful iPhone/iPad apps for the classroom. This teacher, Kate Petty, is also blogging about "flipping" her English classroom this year and trying a 20 percent project. Her writing is clean and simple, easy-to-read.

This blog post explains two opposing viewpoints on uses of classroom technology. On one hand, technology enables student learning by often times being more engaging, while on the other hand, technology can be a distraction that inhibits student learning. Although both viewpoints have merit, it comes down to the course purposefulness, class appropriateness, and individual conduct of the technology user that reflects whether technology is a benefit or hindrance to particular classes.

Great resource listing many tricks to use with Google. You'll find everything from how to split the screen to "blinging out your icon." I definitely want to re-visit this site on my own personal computer.

Richard Byrne is an AMAZING educator with great resources. He highlights an extension for Chrome that automatically highlights vocabulary words for standardized tests (high school/college) and then defines with the hover of a mouse. The video is pretty impressive. This would be a wonderful tool for my students in my English classroom.

This article explores the use of mobile phones for education purposes. The author says that instead of banning the use of cell phones and smart phones in school, teachers should embrace this technology and teach students how to utilize mobile capabilities in constructive and educationally appropriate ways. This gives a fresh perspective on the outlook of cell phones in schools and would be a great article for a teacher who might be reluctant to let students use mobile devices in class.

Lots of opposing viewpoints on the use of cell phones in the classroom! Will you let your students use them?

In this interview, Bill Gates discusses why he thinks "a low-cost PC" may be a more effective learning aid than a tablet. We're all aware of the obvious business biases here, but as a clearly defined leader in the world of technology, I think Gates presents a valid argument. What good is a tech device of any sort if the curriculum fails to effectively incorporate it as a learning aid?

Lots of talk out there about the technology tools without paying much attention to how it will be used. Good find!

This article raises the issue that teachers are constantly being thrown new technologies in their classrooms. It's the job of school districts to make sure that teachers using new technology are aware of how to fully utilize these items. I completely agree that districts have to step up and make better efforts to educate teachers on the inevitable growth of technology in the classroom.

Great article, Tyler!

In this article, it addresses the technology that is locked away in classrooms because it takes too much time to successfully implement them in the classroom. Technology has been proven successful in the classroom by individualizing learning for students. Technology can help the teacher track the progress of students and free up time to work on other skills (problem solving, critical thinking and social development). This article has additional resources about technology in the classroom. Janice Rose

Good find Janice! :)