Wednesday+Symposium

Comments from Wednesday:

I attended a session on using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. It was intersting as we were exposed to several new tools, however it is not about the technology and more about how the tools assist our students in collecting, collaborating, disseminating the information that is foudn or gathered. Too often educators use technology to do the same things the same ways. . . just faster. Students need to use the technology to communicate, collaborate, problem solve, and innovate. Teachers need to meet their students in their world where they learn today rather than force them to learn in ours. Student engagement can be improved with the use of technology. As teachers we need to be willing to learn as we teach, too often we are afraid of trying something new because we are not the "expert" on a particular technology. As educators who want students to be life-long learners, we need to model it everyday. Overcome the excuses of time, money, training, frustration, ect.

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Another session I attended talked about transforming teaching and learning in the classroom with the use of technology. A major emphasis in this session was to have a goal before you begin. Pay attention to what you want the students to do rather than to focus on the technology pieces that you want to put in place. Again students need to be able to create and collaborate on project based assignments rather than isolated irrelevant assignments that don't prepare them for the world they will work in.