As the Technology Coach at St. Francis of Assisi Middle School, it is my role to help our teachers with the implementation of different technologies in their daily lessons. Certainly, one of the reasons that I was chosen for this role is my knowledge of and love for advancing technologies; however, in addition to this, I believe that my enthusiasm and willingness to try new things in my classroom is my major strength.
Beginning early in 2012, I will have my students begin their journey towards digital fluency by creating their own blogs to share their learning with others in and outside of the class. We have to see past the vision that education is limited to the classroom.
You can follow my progress through the transformation of my lessons with this blog. I will also be using this space as a means of communicating with and interacting with my students on the world wide web.
Parents, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this initiative.
Students, your first task is to watch the video that I posted above and reply in my comments section about how you would like to explore this concept of 21st Century Learning. What are the skills that you think will be most useful when you begin your career? In what ways can I transform my lessons to meet your digital needs?
uh i don't know
ReplyDeleteWell Aaron, at least you visited the blog.
DeleteCheck out this Youtube video and see if you have an idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEls3tq5wIY
Mr. B
i think it is important for kids to learn technology because the world is changing and becoming more dependant on computers. if we dont learn how to keep up on technology we wont be able to get a very succesful job. technology is what is going to change the world and make it more effiecent. if we dont learn how to improve and advance technology we will be in a dead end and future generations will have to work harder to discover how to advance technology and we will be behind on what we know about the world. technology is what will change the world and we have to keep up with it to become succesful.
ReplyDeleteWe can't forget that technologies are being developed to meet our wants and needs, not necessarily the other way around. We live in a consumer driven economy and ultimately we are responsible for the products we buy and thus, what developers are producing. We need to be fluent in technology to ensure that we understand why it is progressing in the direction that it is, and so we can make informed decisions on which products to pursue. Change for the sake of change is not always the answer.
DeleteI believe that kids should learn how to apply technology into daily learning because the world is developing better ways of learning. i dont think we should abandon our current ways of learning but work both technology and formal learning together. as the world progress' we are becoming more reliant on computers and technology and these things are mandetory in order to get a successful carrer because in the future we the human race will be way more developed and we will have to keep up. not only for the sake of one person alone but for everyone, including future generations. using technology will help increase our knowledge of the world.
ReplyDeletePlaying catch-up always difficult and it is even more challenging to stay ahead of the curve; learning how to adapt to change is the key to success. Finding a balance between traditional and modern skills is the key for success if you ask me.
Deleteto get rid of the use of paper, text books, and binders by the use of technology would be a great advantage in the classroom and make our lives easier altogether.
ReplyDeleteI think that we should make use of the technology around us. By doing this, I think children will be more involved in learning, and it will make it more interesting for them. It will keep children more engaged, and I think they will be more incline to do better, as it will make learning a little bit less boring. Technology will also save our natural resources that are needed elsewhere around the world. It will save trees, thus making our world one step closer to becoming completely green. It will be easier to communicate with, and get opinions from others around the world we normally not be able to interact with.
Delete@Jared: Technology can certainly be a powerful organizational tool, I use my iPad and smartphone to keep my world straight everyday; but are you necessarily going to learn better because you read text from a screen rather than from a book? We need to learn how to use these devices to their full potential, then we will see the real strides in student learning occur.
Delete@Michael: Like "21st Century Learning", "Student Engagement" is another one of those big ideas that teacher are hearing about all the time. I agree that the two ideas are intertwined and the novelty of using different technologies and applications will help to keep students interested in what they are learning. The environmental benefits to using digital textbooks and assignments cannot be ignored, but the jury is still out on whether using an iPad for example is better for the environment than print. Check out this article: http://portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=131343716079514100
In my opinion 21st century learning centers around students being able to motivate themselves and work independantly with guidance and detailed instruction, review, marking, feedback from a qualified instructor.Continued use of computers, smartboards,vidoe conference equipment, as well as similar devices will be important in secondary schools learning and so we should have fully functioning computer labs and laptops that are accessable to all students. It is difficult to pursue digital learning when valuble websites are blocked and research is difficult. Certianly our world is technologicaly based, however I would like the basis of my learning to center around opportunities for me to learn from teacher expertise.
ReplyDeleteAll very good points. Equitable access to mobile equipment is a priority for the schools in our division that with to pursue a "bring your own device" initiative, and it is difficult. We are very fortunate in our classroom to have access to over 30 computers whenever we want. I agree that teacher expertise is essential for quality learning to occur, however, it is impossible for me (or any individual for that matter) to be an expert on everything. If a student asks me a question that I can't answer, I Google it. What I would like to teach you is to take out the middleman and learn how to find that information on your own.
DeleteI think that it is important to integrate "21st century" learning into tohe school systems so that we can be prepared for the jobs of the future that we are going to know how to do. Also this could help with more personal and hands on work. Starting to use more technology in schools would also eliminate the use and waste of paper which would result in a healthier enviroment.
ReplyDeleteVery true, the less wasted paper, the better. Once students are permitted to bring in their own devices, there will be less need for paper notes and assignments. With that said, I have been posing notes and assignments in digital format on mrbaskerville.com all year. Feel free to download them and load them onto your own device. Save pdf files directly into iBooks on your iPod/iPad/iPhone for easy access whenever you want it.
DeleteUnblock more websites so that we are able to explore more and find information that we are missing with those sites blocked.
ReplyDeleteShort and to the point. There is a place for our web filtering program and it would be irresponsible for schools to just open up the world wide web for everything. With that said, there are certainly many sites that students could access safely that are currently censored by our filters, this one included (which my become unblocked by the time anyone even reads this post).
DeleteI think that kids should learn how to use technology to prepare use for the future. If we learn how to do it now than we can discover how to do more things with the technology. By this than we will have a more advanced community when it comes time for the next generation. It will prepare use for the future jobs so that we can now how to do or use the technology that is required for the job. To do this i thing we should use the computers as much as we can.
ReplyDeleteIt's tough because by the time that you enter the workforce, technologies are going to completely different that what we have today. Some of you will be working full time in less than four years, and iPhones were only first revealed five years ago; who knows what you will have to know in 10 years?
DeleteIt is my belief that as the technology and level of understanding in our modernized world increases, so should our education. To succeed in our future careers, and everyday lives, we will require a skillset that was not ingrained in the previous generation. With this view on 21st century learning, I think our schools need to find ways to incoporate newer types of media into our learning style; such as etextbooks, portable laptops for notetaking and more freedom in web based research. That being said, nothing can truly replace hands on, pencil to paper learning for some people, myself included. While our education can be greatly enhanced using technology, and should be, it needs to be provided that traditional learning styles should not be entirely overcome.
ReplyDeleteCompletely non-plagarized.
You're right, it is important to find a balance between modern and traditional teaching/learning styles. Sometimes we can use modern technologies in old ways, as long as we are not limiting our creativity along the way.
DeleteMr. B
technology is imporastant becuase with out it there would be no spel chek. also i believe that learning with technology as well as the original method is a way to keep tradition alive, as well as begin anew. there are many aspects of school that i would prefer doing on a computer. but there are also other things that i couldnt learn using just a computer. a combined method is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteHilarious, Kane, "spel chek," classic. I certainly appreciate traditional learning styles and agree that there is a time and place for these techniques. I certainly have no plans on completely abandoning paper and pencil/teacher directed learning. With that said, there are always new and exciting opportunities to approach learning and I think it would be a shame to pass them up.
DeleteI personally think that it’s important that us kids learn the technology now so it can help us in the future. As the years go by the technology keeps advancing more and more so if we don’t start learning now, when we get older it’s going to be really hard for us with even newer technology, but if we if start now it can be easier for us in to learn the other future technologies there will be. By using the technology we can develop different ways of learning, can help our society if there’s problems, and it’s also very friendly to the environment because we aren’t using much paper as we are today because with laptops there’s no need for textbooks, paper, etc.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Maria, if you are not exposed to new technologies when you are young, it will be more difficult for you to embrace them when you are older. You also bring up an excellent point about problem-solving skills, while computers are not the answer to everything, with the Internet we now have access to some of the most brilliant minds in the world instantly. We can learn from other people's mistakes and make adjustments in our own lives because of them.
DeleteI think that we should start using the technology around us. If we do it the children will want to learn more and it will make learning way less boring. Also 21 Century Learning will help prepare us for the jobs in the future. If we use technology in most things at school then we can help eliminate Textbooks, Worksheets, and Paper. This would be great for the environment.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input, Lane, I see you're an early riser!
Deletetechnology is important because itis all around sowe should learn to use it to the best of our ability
ReplyDeletealso unblock websites
Thanks, Joel. Don't forget, Websense is there to protect our students, not to hold them back. I understand that it can be frustrating when you are trying to research a topic and websites are unavailable, but it's not like their blocked for no reason. If a site is useful and safe, just ask your teacher to have the site cleared for use. It is my hope that with all of the work we are doing to teach students about digital citizenship, the filter will be opened up somewhat.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Websense is actually holding students back instead of protecting them. I'm pretty sure children my age know what is and isn't appropriate to be viewed on school grounds, or anywhere for that matter, and do not require much protection. Digital citizenship should be common sense to young minds nowadays due to the excessive use of electronics of children.
ReplyDeleteSome websites could be quite useful for research on certain subjects, but are blocked by the school's Websense. And those useful websites might not be able to be viewed by other students who don't have access to a computer at home.
My suggestion would be, after teaching the students about digital citizenship, the school should unblock websites, however, keep track of what the kids are looking up or what websites they go on to.
I agree that children you age "should" know what is and isn't appropriate; however, children your age still have a lot to learn about digital citizenship and you are more likely to stumble along the way. It is my understanding that the Websense filter will be lightened as classes complete their digital citizenship courses. What that will look like, I don't know. We'll have to see.
DeleteI believe that bringing more technology into school with be very helpful with many things, like typing notes. It would get them written faster and more proper.
ReplyDeleteYou can also unblock websense so we have more options on where we can look, and what we can do for research and such.
I think that we should become more advanced with technology because we are using it more and more every day.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very important for us to learn how to use more advanced technologies as we will be using them in the future. I also think that is is important for us to continue using different types of technology to help each individual learn in a way that suits them best. I personally enjoy using more computers in class because it is different than the classic paper and pencil I also feel that it is more efficient. Also, it helps use less paper, therefore being better for the environment.
ReplyDeletei think we should invole more technology around us! We should learn more about it and how to use it to our advantage in learning. i think we should find ways to not have to carry any books to class. if we are able to do this it will make us more organized and it will also make us prepared for all our classes. Another idea that i think we should be able to do is if we have a question we should be able to ask someone that can explain the answer in many different ways that help everyone learn, because not everyone learns the same way. :)
ReplyDeletei think we should learn through more activites in class
ReplyDeleteas we get more technology we will advance with it. like the laptops
ReplyDeletewhen we advance our society in technology we learn better. being able to acess the laptops and computers is useful. the laptops and computers have information on things.not all the in formation we need is available in our texts books so we need alternative ways to find it. this is my opinion on 21st century learning.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to learn with technology because it is all around us. We should use technology more and more because in the future that is all we will use.
ReplyDeleteI like to use technology in class because it makes learning more efficient. Its easier, because in our generation we are more focused and interested on Video games(technology). Technology is also better for the enviroment because it doesnt use as much paper. Most technology will help you in the future if you become a doctor etc.
ReplyDeleteI think its very important to learn all the diferent technology. Although it is very important to learn everything that is new because it will be a big part of our life in the future, i think we still need to understand the way of teaching with just pencil to paper, teacher to student
ReplyDeleteit is great that we are usin g technology to learn. the textbooks are getting old and are harmfull to the enviroment and if lost it can be quite expensive to replace.
ReplyDeleteI think that the 21st century learning thing was telling us to use our resources better. We have all this technology surrounding us in the class room and we should put it to good use. Being able to explore the web, finding things for ourselves, seeing powerpoints, lessons, and songs. This technology will be our future and we should know how to use it well. As well, lowering the amount of textbooks and paper copies of things will help us become a more eco-friendly society. At the same time, we shouldn't be completely reliable on these machines.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important to use different types of technology in the classroom because it is different everyday and keeps us engaged. textbooks and paper are also using many of our resources.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important becausee technology is all around us and we use it everyday. It will be eaiser to learn, and finding out answers to questions will be quicker. As long as everybody stays responsible navigation online should be safe and easy. Learning skills will be improved if this tchnology is brought in.
ReplyDeleteI think that bringing techonology into the school is an awsome idea. It is going to be a good way for all of us to advance learning in the tecnology world. Computers are going to be big in our future. Not using texts book is good for the enviroment and future.
ReplyDeleteI think by using technology in our learning we can achieve more and better things. Technology can help us explore new ways of learning and keep us more interested into the lesson. Also by using more technology and less paper we can be more enviromentally friendly. So we should strive to use more and better technology in our learning.
ReplyDeleteI think more technology in the school will help us learn better because we have grown up with it and understand how it all works
ReplyDeleteI think that if we bring more technology into our school, it would better prepare us for future jobs because the way our technology is advancing this is what will be required in later time. Also if we use more etextbooks and typing assignments, it will also be better for the environment, we could have a copy on every computer we go on, and we can eaisly send and hand in assigments elsewhere in the world.
ReplyDeleteI feel that bringing in more technology into St.Francis would be a excellent Idea because our technology world is greatly expanding and by the time we are older we will pretty much be relying on technology. It is important for us to start learning proper computer etiquette and to start learning more skills that could help us in our life.
ReplyDeleteI think that we should be learing in technology because the world is starting to revolve around it so we need to learn how to use it more because alot of jobs in the future are going to rely on technology so we are going to need how to use it more to get the job done
ReplyDelete