Intro+and+Chapter+1+Reflections

How do the problems on pp. 8 & 9 reflect conditions in your school district?
We, currently, still see an eclectic mix of teachers. Some are quite tech-saavy, while others are very driven by what has worked in the past. We have a fairly even split between "old" and "new" teachers. What is surprising, however, is that the tech-saaviness here doesn't appear to be age-dependent as the book suggests. Thankfully, we are fully equipped with Smartboards, laptop computers and other digital equipment (with the rare overhead projector that can be found if you look REALLY hard) that force our teachers to function more in the "here and now". We are learning that we have to adapt to the way our children learn...which is significantly different than how we learned.

Is your school district reforming the way it presents education? How?
We are moving to a 1:1 environment next year with students, so we are equipping our teachers with their new Mac laptops in March. With this, comes tech PD that will focus on using a Mac, Moodle and Google Apps (we are a Google Apps school) to prepare digital curriculum to support our courses. We are shifting gears in the use of Facebook and Twitter as learning tools and are opening doors to cell-phone use in the classroom fourth quarter of this year, in preparation for the big switch next year. We have weekly webpage requirements of all of our teachers and have hired a Technology Integrationist (me) to support this transition and assist teachers in implementing technology use.

**Chapter 1 pp. 15-32**
== -Under"The Big Shift" pp. 15-18, the authors have listed six significant shifts in education. Choose two and discuss how you are making or would like to make this shift in your teaching. ==

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Well, the first one I would pick is "Generic to personal". This is something I have been working on for a long time, in the fact that I always try to make homework and classwork meaningful and real-life applicable. I am continuing to do this further, by allowing more student choice and "menus" for accomplishing desired classroom goals. For instance, students could select their own biography character under the parameters of "a new face on Mt. Rushmore" In addition, I am doing so much more with student collaboration. It was a difficult switch for me, originally, because I almost felt it a requirement to be the leader in the classroom. With personal learning, students have to take ownership, which meant I had to let go. My desks are no longer in rows, but pods of 4. They have an "ask 3 before me" rule, to better help them utilize their resources and the people around them. This and other changes have really helped me adapt to making my teaching a much more personal learning experience for my students. =====

Secondly, I would select "Consumption to creation". One of the fundamental building blocks of a 1:1 learning environment is the use of a computer and other technologies to create things, not just view or use as an expensive notebook. I loved the part that talked about when a person purchases a TV, the consumer number went up by one, but the producer number remained unchanged. However, when a computer or phone is purchased, consumers AND producers increase and distribution possibilities increase! I have always been one to have students create, but with the new tools I am constantly adding to my "bag of tricks", I am finding even better ways to tie my curriculum to 21st Century learning. Not only is it important, however, to create material. I am a firm believer in sharing those created things with others. A student needs to see that things he/she creates even as a sixth grader can impact people across the world. They also need to realize that they have a digital footprint in their creation...a long-lasting reminder of what has been done...good or bad. It is my job to empower my "creators" to have a positive impact in their world. == -In reading Chapter 1 on "Understanding the Power of PLNs" (Personal Learning Networks), discuss two reasons why you believe PLNs are important in schools today. ==

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1. Sifting through the gargantuan amount of information on the web is time-consuming, daunting, and down-right scary! I feel quite tech-equipped and even I feel overwhelmed many days. I can't imagine being someone who is remotely "gun-shy" in the technology arena! PLNs can take some of the exhaustive effort out of it. By linking yourself with colleagues you trust, world-wide leaders in your field, and content-specific sites and blogs, you basically bring the world to you. You make the unmanageable manageable again. Teachers don't have time to play on the web as we may like. Developing a network of people and pooling/sharing your resources is not only nice, it is a must in today's fast-paced society. ======

2. Personalized learning is not just for kids. We have been taught for a long time to differentiate for the needs of our students. Why not do ourselves the same favor? The US Dept. of Ed. called for "a revolutionary transformation rather than an evolutionary tinkering" in this regard. We don't let our kids have a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Thus, we needed to delve into these personal learning networks as a way to focus our efforts on what we need to learn, what we can improve upon, as well as get a pat on the back, albeit unnecessary, when we find we're doing something right.