The most recent School 2.0/21st Century Skills lessons were really a stretch that started me thinking differently, a little broader and a little more open-minded to the possibilities of applying technologies that our students are already using. To help refresh and challenge my thinking, I’m subscribing to some of the blogs/podcasts we’ve been introduced to during this course. I’d also like to continue connecting with this summer’s classmates using our blogs along with some study group/support group face-to-face contact.
As a result of this course, I’m changing the role of my classroom website so that it is more of a program overview and archive with links out to specific blogs and wikis. I’ve set up a blog for my Reach students’ parents and I to network. I’m wondering if it is also a place for students to join in on the conversations.
I plan to set up wikis or blogs for student-specific projects or units. I'm especially interested in a collaborative, Model T-style tech project with another class within or outside Hilton. I’ll need to work on setting up and using a wiki regularly to really get a handle on whether a wiki or blog is best for the materials, podcasts, links, student work, and newsletters/announcements that have been available on my classroom website.
Bill Rich quoted a teacher this morning, during the DI Institute keynote session, regarding change & learning. I thought of our journey in this online course. To paraphrase:
By not beginning we avoid progress.
By biting off too much we invite discouragement.
Begin where you can and chart a timeline of your progress.
The requirement to write in our blogs and post comments to each other created a timeline of our learning/change progress.
Overall, this online course has been an amazing eye-opener with practical applications, progressive thinking, and practice. Major kudos to Lori for creating a comprehensive course with the flexibility of web-based learning and the intensity of a graduate-level course. What a great value! Thanks!!
2 comments:
Ed, I view you as a Mr. Techno. I am hoping that as you share students with Lisa and I that you will not only create your REACH web site but will join us as we begin our classroom blogs. I know that you will be able to help us with podcasts...I like the quote from your DI meeting. Let us do what we are capable of and support each other in our journey.
Excellent comments, Ed, although you make me blush a bit! Thanks for the kind words.
I think it would be a great collaboration with your students and Cheryl's and Lisa's class blogs, both to support kids you work with from their classes, and to connect students from other classrooms.
Unfortunately in schools over the past century, we've focused so much on "do your own work" that I think we've lost site of the power of collaboration, of socratic interactions. I'd really love to see us get back to that in a meaningful way that engages and excites students!
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