Mission Statement

My Leadership Mission Statement

Today’s children are growing up in the midst of a constantly evolving technological environment, in which they are afforded the opportunity to communicate through digital forms and mediums on an almost daily basis.

For some there is a worry that this is encouraging too much reliance on technology, and an under stimulation of children’s natural creative instincts and abilities. On the other hand, others argue the importance of teaching children how to engage productively and creatively with their technologies so that, as with any artistic medium, technology can become an invaluable tool through which they can express themselves in new and exciting ways.

As a future educator & Ed tech leader, I am committed to continuing to develop meaningful opportunities for students to interact with technology in their classroom.  These interactions will encourage students to think critically and creatively about the way in which they engage with technology in their everyday lives.  It is my personal mission statement to encourage students- and fellow teachers, towards active participation and dialogue with various forms of technology.  I will strive to ensure that students are challenged through their interactions with technology, and that they are faced with the chance to discover ways in which to use technology to enhance their own interests, creativity and curiosities, so that they grow up with an awareness of interactions that are possible within a digital realm. 

The Impact of Technology on Teaching

One of the biggest arguments I hear, from advocates against the use of technology in the classroom is: Students are already over exposed to technology, and so we need to teach them other ways of engaging with material

Are kids today really that overexposed to technology? I would probably have to agree.  I definitely see a lot of downsides to certain interactions and overuses of technology (one of my biggest pet peeves is when you are engaged in a 'real life' conversation with someone and they take out their phone and procede to text someone else while chatting with you!) ...
BUT.

I think we are doing a disservice if we do not provide opportunities for students to learn how to interact with technology in creative and constructive ways.

As teachers we are already well aware that if you can capture the magic that is your student's interests, you stand a much better chance of engaging them and teaching them something that's going to stick.
Technology is an easy one to make work for us in the classroom, because it has already won over the interests of most of our students.  The best way to compete with this force, is to work with it!

When we teach with technology we are showing students that their devices can make a difference to their lives and their learning.  We are reminding them to look for teachable moments in their everyday interactions, and exposing them to opportunities to show us that they can make connections between something they enjoy, and something they can teach themselves through that enjoyment.

What does a 21st Century Teacher Look Like?

What Does a 21st Century Teacher Look Like?


If you were to ask me this question back in August, when I was fresh into the Ed Tech cohort at Brock University, I would have thrown some general terms out at you:
Technology.  Real world learning. Differentiated Instruction.     These were some of the buzzwords I knew, and thought gave me an 'in' into the new century of teaching.

But 21st century teaching is none of these things.
And it is all of these things, at the same time.

To be a 21st century teacher you require a 21st century classroom, but this doesn't mean that your classroom  has to be hardwired with all of the latest gadgets and technological innovations.

It is possible to have the most stripped down, basic classroom in the world- and still engage your students by teaching as a 21st century teacher, because the 21st century teacher is one who elevates the learning experiences in their classroom, so that students are exposed to real, meaningful opportunities for creative risk taking and engagement with what they are learning. 

It is not about just using the buzzwords, but about making them work for our students and our classrooms.
I think one of the biggest things that 21st century teaching is- is learning.  If we are committed to joining our students on this crazy ride that is the changing face of our technological world over the past few years- then we will go far toward helping them to navigate this changing climate in healthy, creative ways that will serve them.

I am so happy to see that 21st century teaching is about celebrating creativity, and encouraging students to find their interests- and learn from and through them.

Certainly, the 21st century teacher has a lot to learn- but we teachers are at our best when we are situated as learners, alongside our students!

21st Century teaching isn't just about technology useage (although technology being such an integral component of our century, it goes without saying that it will certainly serve its place)- it is about using our world's growing knowledge base to help us, and our students, become better and more comfortable learners and explorers. 

Podcasting in the Classroom

I had the incredible experience of presenting a workshop (alongside my 'Cohort D' peers) on 'Podcasting in the Classroom' at today's Teaching with Technologies professional development showcase at Brock University (Hamilton campus).

Kirk and I were very excited to be presenting this technology, as it is something that we feel is up and coming in the classroom and poses some very exciting and interesting opportunities for students.

We created a blog in order to keep ourselves, and others interested in podcasting, informed and up to date on developments and activities in the world of podcasting in the classroom.

If you are at all interested in learning more about using this high yield strategy in your classroom (the elements of creativity and the story telling narrative make me particularly happy about this kind of learning), then please take a moment to direct yourself to our blog.

And bookmark it! Because we're going to be updating it as regularly we can during this busy time of the 'teachers college year'!

Check out our blog here
http://podclassting.blogspot.ca/

Got a Question about podcasting? Need an answer?? Then Send an email: edtechclassroompodcasting@gmail.com

'Would You Eat That?'

I just spent the last half hour playing this game, so I felt it worthy of putting up on the ole' blog!


The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry's
Would You Eat That game is a great way to get students considering what vitamins, minerals and chemicals are in some of the foods they may be eating.

Seems like the website, in general, has some pretty great teacher resources.
Definitely worth a look!

iPads- In the Hands of Today's Digital Natives

photo: one of the children I tutor (gr.6) showing me a world
that she created herself on Minecraft 

IPads- In the Hands of Today's Digital Natives 

I remember when the first ipad came out a couple of years ago.  It seems to me that it was marketed more so toward business men and women, and the most I could invision it doing was allowing you to read ebooks and check your email on the fly.  It's size and weight seeming to be the biggest selling features.

Now, less then three years later, I'm seeing ipads in the hands of students- and I'm not just talking about as a note taking device in a University lecture.  The majority of the ipad users I seem to  be encountering are learning how to handle an ipad before they learn how
to drive a car!

Turns out those ipads are not a fad - seems they're going to be sticking around; getting more and more powerful, capable and manageable.  With such user friendly interfaces (I mean, kindergarteners are using these things.. they have to be manageable, right?) they seem to be in a position to bring technology to the 'dinosaurs'; those individuals who have somehow escaped the pull of the laptop/desktop computer, but who are going to find it increasingly difficult to avoid the pull of the ipad- if only for the simple fact that it is now everywhere! And it's so easy to learn, and customize according to your needs, right??
(We just bought my 72 year old granny a tablet for Christmas this past year- we'll see how that fares!)

As an educator I am both intrigued and overwhelmed by the potential uses the ipad has in the classroom.
Just search "ipad in the classroom" on Pinterest alone and it returns hundreds of hits and links to instant resources.
You can't escape the conversation at today's teacher colleges... at least not at Brock.
Even now, as I'm typing this I'm sitting in the library at Brock listening to the people next to me talk about the power of the ipads in today's 21st Century clasrooms.  ( "Apple is taking over the classroom")

I'm curious, of the potential for using the ipad as a creative tool in the classroom.  Certainly their are a number of apps that appeal to the visual artist, movie makers, story tellers, etc. And programs like Minecraft afford children with the opportunity to work their brain in so many creative and interesting ways.

I'm going to be attending (and delivering a workshop!) at Brock's Tech Showcase this Friday.
I am hoping to have a chance to check out some of the ipad workshops, and report back on some of my learning.

Hopefully this edublog will contain more links to resources and fun technology enhanced lesson ideas in the near future!

First SMART Board Tutorial

I had some fun making a short tutorial video on 'How to Build a Reveal Effect' in SMART notebook.
I chose this topic, because
 a) it is simple and easy to implement if you have a basic working knowledge of SMART notebook, and
 b) it makes you look pretty pro :) (Even if it is super simple to achieve)
... I've been asked, on three separate occasions, by other aspiring educators- how I achieved this effect in my SMART lessons, and so I thought it would be a great one to share online!

Hope you check it out and find it useful.
I'd love to come up with a few more of these types of tutorials as I find them very useful, myself.
If you've got time and you want to brush up on your Educational Technologies skills a bit more you should check out the youtube channel for the Ed Tech Cohort that I am proud to be a part of, here at Brock.

There are some very useful tutorials up on this channel, done by my fellow classmates.
We are all learners in this world of Educational Technologies; on our journey toward becoming 21st Century Educators- and one of the most exciting parts of this journey, as far as I am concerned, is this stage of sharing and discovering together!

Check us out here