Following our Tech Savvy Teachers Class, I left with a new respect for the many considerations that educators must keep in mind as they introduce and implement learning through the use of collaborative, Web 2.0 tools. There were many great ideas gleaned from our discussions, and plenty of exploration and evaluation of the online, collaborative learning tools available to us.
Most importantly, I believe we all came away knowing that we can join and count on a community of learners to share, support, and co-publish information and resources. More lively discussions were heard around the use of Twitter in education, along with Blogs and Wikis. So much to learn!
I agree....there is so much to learn and technology is moving SO fast. I think it will be important for teachers to help students figure out how to deal with all the changes (or maybe the students will need to help the teachers???) in their learning experience. My hope is that we will be able to help students understand we are forever learning.....
ReplyDeleteLeaving the class last week I was struck by the large number of resources that are available to educators. As first glance it appears overwhelming. However, as you work with a sample of the resources you realize that you can become more comfortable about how they work.
ReplyDeleteA little more reflection and you realize that having a large number of choices is advantageous because it allows you to experiment and discover what works best for you. In fact, it may turn out that the bigger challenge is not learning the technology, but figuring out how that technology integrates with your learning and teaching styles. Over the long run I think a person has to be comfortable with and believe in their approach to education.
This is where a community of learners can be helpful. Being able to see and discuss what others are doing and have done allows you to shorten your own learning curve. There is always a risk when you try something new and that sometimes causes us to shy away from risk. Being able to communicate with others about their experiences allowsyou to manage risk and build confidence that what you are doing is going to have positive outcomes for your students and you.
I agree that it is overwhelming. I believe that the most difficult resource needed to integrate technology into your classroom is the time needed to research the tools available and decide which are best suited for what you are teaching in your classroom. That is why communication and collaboration with fellow educators can be so useful. None of us needs to "reinvent the wheel" and we can learn much from each other.
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