As we finish our summer of studying The Connected Educator I hope that each of you have learned things that will be useful as you build your personal learning networks. I debated what question to post for this last chapter because there are so many areas that we could address in this chapter. Ultimately, I decided to just throw it out to the group. You decide what to post for the last chapter.
You can summarize what you have learned - what you will use - what you will choose to NOT use,
OR you can address the changes you will make in relation to the section titled Learning 2.0: Four Core Components
OR you can answer the Questions for the Change Agent in You (pg 143 print)
OR you can on page 144 (print) after the last change agent question - it starts with "Although we have done this work, we are continuing to learn."
OR you can choose your own unique topic. Just let the group know what you are choosing to do.
Since we are so close to the end of summer, let's try to finish all posts before August 1st. Some folks are behind in posting, so if you need more time, just let me know.
I have learned how completely behind I am in technology, and seeing that I am not that far out of college, I know I need to start catching up right now.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many valuable tools out there that I hadn't even thought to use. I want to allow students to use their creativity and share with the class, and many of the sites/tools in this book will allow me to do so. I'm very excited to try some of these in class this year, and I would love to keep posting in this blog with what works and what doesn't (shout out to chapter 8!).
Maybe trying some new approaches and tools will give some reluctant learners the boost they need to become engaged in the learning process.
Posted by Jenny Laws
This book has shown be the need to be more connected to fellow educators. Technology has made it possible to have valuable connections that are not centered at your local school. There is a lot to be gained from sharing ideas and talking about various issues. I often feel isolated in my classroom and doing my own thing. This does not need to be the case. My only concern is finding time to make these connections. My goal is find some valuable online resources. I have started following a few people on Twitter and I will continue to look for connection there. I also like Pinterest. It has many ideas related to education. I had used it in the past for recipes, decorating ideas, etc., but it is a helpful resource for teachers.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is changing so fast that it is hard to keep up with everything. I agree with Jenny that I feel behind in technology. It can be overwhelming to try to keep up. My goal is to find a few tools and resources that I really like and learn to use them well instead of trying to do everything at once. I'm not quite sure what those tools will be, but I am willing to keep searching until I find a good match for my students and me.
When I read the comments, I smiled. It has been so long since I was "out of college". Technology and communication has changed so much since I got my Master's degree in 97. I am so thankful that I said yes to joining this blog and reading this book this summer. The resources have been outstanding and what I think is wonderful is there are so many tools to use that everyone should be able to find something with which they are comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI have used Facebook for years. I have become crazy about Twitter this summer. I love love love Flipboard. I cannot believe how much time I spend just researching. I have found so many resources for the classroom. I have found educlip.net which is like Pintrest but just for education. It is brand new so not many clips but it is growing.
I am following blogs. I set up a blog which is something Ive always wanted to do. It may not be the best out there but I am learning and having fun doing it. I agree that we should continue with our blog here. Maybe Angy could post her own questions or suggestions (or ones we've suggested) every month and then we could respond. I like the idea of staying connected, I mean isnt this what the book was all about.
I know on Twitter Ive been following people and their weekly chats groups. Just found out that some are from Canada and other countries. To me, that is cool.
I'm going to really work at applying what I've learned this summer to my classroom and get my students more involved in using some of the resources.
Thanks everyoen for enriching my life! :)
MR
Hi all. I found this article. It is about librarians, but I think it applies to us all. http://www.librarygirl.net/2013/07/how-to-survive-zombie-librarian.html
ReplyDeleteHi all. Just a reminder to not forget your final posts. Hopefully, I will make my final posts this weekend. I get my stitches out tomorrow, so I'm hoping that I will be able to type with both hands again:).
ReplyDeleteThe skill sets that students will need for future challenges are not being addressed in many classrooms, and like many teachers, I see this as the result of the overemphasis on state-mandated testing. In many cases, we are preparing students for yesterday and today rather than for the future. Students need to be able to explore problems, learn how to apply skills to new situations, and to become lifelong learners. The pace of change in technology alone demands that people know how to adapt. The emphasis on testing forces teaching to a lower-level understanding of material in many cases. We need to find ways to address the lower-level understanding in order to satisfy the requirements of the constant testing while encouraging students to approach information with a mindset that allows them to sort through the “fluff” and find the important information, to discern what information is the most reliable from all that is available, and to adapt to changing technology. The most important part of preparing students for the future is going to be intelligent adaptation to change. Just because something is new and interesting will not make it the best way to approach a problem. We will all need to find ways of assessing the usefulness of new technologies.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that some classrooms are preparing students to become future scientists and imagineers who will solve social ills in the future, but that is not the emphasis I see from the state and federal education “initiatives.” The focus on STEM programs to the detriment of humanities is producing a set of students who may know how to think in science and math, but who will not be able to make connections or express their ideas effectively. They may have the math and science intelligence, but tying those skills to social ills requires recognizing the problems that exist in society and finding ways to solve the problems, then communicate that solution to others.
I have no answer for how to advocate for needed policy changes that will enable connected learning, since I do not see a trend in our society toward acknowledging the point of view of educators. With the dismantling of union responsibilities, the elected officials of the state (not just Indiana, but also our neighbors in the Midwest) have begun to shut educators out of education. If individual teachers can make changes in their own classrooms and demonstrate to administrators the effectiveness of authentic learning, perhaps the trickle-up theory will lead to policy changes on a larger scale. I do not see large-scale policy changes without a large sample of test scores showing improvement in lower-level skills.
On the other hand, we can help our students become adaptable learners by trying out new tools in our classrooms and letting our students know that we are trying new things. We must model an openness to change, to new ideas, and show students that new tools are not scary. If we are consistent in trying new tools with the students and assessing their usefulness, we can be agents of change for the future as we produce students who are willing to try and assess the usefulness of new tools.
Hi all. I will close out the summer discussion this weekend and get the PGP papers together next week. Please make sure to have your final posts in before Monday.
ReplyDeleteMaryRose mentioned continuing the discussion. I'm not opposed to this. Let me know if you are interested in continuing the discussion and staying connected. (You can post here or send me an email).
Hi all....so I guess I'm not great with follow through since I am just getting to the PGP papers. I went through all the posts and "took attendance" so that I can give credit for all posts made. My plan is to have the PGP papers in the Principal's hands this week.
ReplyDeleteAre any of you interested in continuing the discussion?? Just let me know.