Technology in the Classroom
We had three guest speakers/presenters for our ECMP 355 on-line class on Wed, November 18th.
1st Darren Kuropatwa, a math teacher shares my preferred teaching style of watch it, do it, and then teach it. My favorite assignments in my adult education classes are our presentations. We pick groups, pick a subject, research it, and then present it to our fellow learners. I will also be using the idea of one person a day summarizing what was taught from the lesson and then compiling all summaries together for a textbook for each participant. I am going to be starting a non-profit organization which will be a healing community. This concept will enable the participants to reflect on the teachings of the day and add personal refection. The finished product will be beautiful. I will forever give thanks for this great idea!
2nd Kathy Cassidy, a grade one teacher centered her time with us around unmasking 5 myths about teaching primary students. The myths were as follows: Its easier to teach primary students then older students, Grade one’s are too young to use technology, primary students should only use paper and pencil, children plus the internet equal unsafe, and children learn best from their teacher. What I will take away from Kathy’s time with us is her diligence in keeping the parents of her students involved in their on-line process. I will transfer her idea to keeping the families of the participants involved and up to date via blogging. The participants will blog and I will comment and add to their personal reflections.
3rd Clarence Fisher, a middle school teacher was the last presenter. I really appreciated his sense of community. Clarence uses social networking in the form of blogs and a classroom wiki. He does not delete the wiki, which I am definitely going to do either. I feel that the collected knowledge that resonates in each wiki is a gift that takes a whole year to make! To delete it would be to me, madness.
I enjoyed hearing the passion and also hearing how the technology that we are learning to utilize in our class is being used in a real life setting. It is nice to have different perspectives from different types of teachers, even if they are for children and teenagers!
