VCU ADMS 647

The Future Amazingly Precise Predictions from AT&T in 1993 Super-Low-Tech iPhone Speaker Touch Screen Technology in 2014

Technology has evolved into a vast field of capabilities. This site has comparisons of the past and the present. The slide show really gives you that concept of evolution.

Since the early 1980s, advances in computer technology have transformed how we communicate, entertain ourselves, work and even learn.

This is a video of how education continues to change in the United States of America.

This is a great video that describes the needs of students as learners. It allows viewers to understand that the way students once learned may not work for students in the present moment.

However, after reflecting on the session and speaking with some of the attendees, it is apparent that the embracement of social media in schools and by educators will continue to be an uphill battle.  For those educators and schools that are either resistant to or unsure about using social media I pose these questions to you:

The Web offers a trove of just-in-time resources that administrators may find helpful, such as podcasts, online classes, and social networks that can match up administrators across the country, he said. Read the whole series on Virtual PD!

Some good pros and cons raised in the article and I agree that face-face and online courses have a place for both teachers and administrators. Attitudes towards webinars need to be addressed too - numerous times the webinar is on in the background whilst the teacher works... how much is being absorbed during this? Yes it can cut down travel times etc. but participants need to focus without distraction - is that always possible in school?

In reading this article I thought about the same Viv... I have the feeling that on trying to be more effective and save time, the school districts are actually making PD sessions unreachable for many teachers... There can be wonderful opportunities out there but if enough time is not provided to take advantage of them or to have enriching discussions afterwards, teachers are not going to internalize and process how to apply the new knowledge to the classroom.

In the words of Aristotle: He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.

It was interesting to note the idea of differentiating the PD - I have sat in so many courses where the participants' skills varied, causing reactions of boredom through to confusion!!

Aristotle's quote struck me to the core... Maybe that's the simplest yet most comprehensive answer to the question we teachers ask so often: "Why do I have to learn to do things differently if what I have always done has always worked for me?"... Love it!

Our NC folks will be particularly interested in this....

I just posted a comment in our blog about us not being certain of the real impact in the students' learning process as a result of the use of technological resources... This article has started to answer this question...

This learning journey is just beginning for me.  I encourage you to tap into the resources at your fingertips.  Use social media to become a connected learner.  Thank you to ALL those who have helped me on my learning journey.

It is incredible how social media can connect otherwise unconnectable professionals. I have experienced numerous school decisions that parents did not support and which could have benefitted from examples carried out in other schools.

Online social networking is spawning a new type of professional development that brings educators together to share face-to-face lessons, but in a more freewheeling-and, some argue, more targeted-way than traditional conferences intended to boost teaching skills.

All @WestVanSchools launching new websites today with Principal blogs and Twitter feeds built in - like this one