Getting Technology RIGHT

What a great learning day at SAI with Scott McLeod and Angela Maiers. I was so disappointed that not more of my colleagues and supervisors could have been there, but was grateful to have our building administrator there.

Today's blog is really just a reflection on what I picked up from today's session. The overarching theme was getting technology RIGHT:
R.eal
I.ntegrated
G.lobalized
H.onoring
T.ime and Talent

Sadly, most of the learning that occurs in school is in a static setting. Real life is integrated, not static. One thing Angela Maiers pointed out is that the Iowa Common Core is set up for educators to look at as a list of what we want students "to be", not what we want students "to do". Therefore, we must think about the skill sets students need, set a purpose for work and problem solving, and allow students to do the heavy lifting. Teachers can no longer be the "sage on the stage". We must learn from each other.

There is no way to encapsulate all of the big ideas here, but another take away was a process Scott McLeod walked us through in incorporating the many pieces from the Iowa Core and integrating technology into a single lesson plan (not necessarily a one-day and done plan, but a series). Going through this process helped me to think through how I might structure a collaborative process with staff. Getting feedback and input from others is such a powerful way to improve on your work!

Finally, (and I know this is not what the conference was about, but these parts are fun, too) the amazing tools we were able to walk away with. Just for fun, I really enjoyed the Visible Tweets. This can be used to display learning of staff and students alike. Also, a big thanks to Mark Moran for sharing Dulcinea and Sweet Search (a search engine for students with quality sources that have been looked at by staff). Mark suggests having students cite at least 2-5 resources when completing a project or paper. Sweet Search is just one place to start.