Reflection #7 - Do you Google?

This week you had a chance to think about delivering instruction through a technological lens. Why did you develop the learning objective you developed and what was your rationale for selecting the technologies you selected for integration? What are your expectations for the learning outcome?

Education has always been about empowerment. Learning to read means you can read things that will stretch your mind and teach you. Learning how to use online tools is yet another way to stretch your mind. I learned how to use Jing, and I’m going to use that to teach the students how to independently use iBistro, the online library catalog. Using iBistro is a skill that will empower the students.

I selected Jing because it can record what I’m doing on the screen without recording images of me. If I had to be on camera myself, I would be deterred from using technology. This way it’s a win-win-win: I’m freed up to check in books, the students get a lesson showing exactly how to independently use our library system, and the lesson is reusable for students enrolling mid-year.

How are you viewing your instruction differently now?

We have a fairly transient population, and I keep thinking of more ways to archive lessons for students who come to Pillow late in the year and miss critical skills. I also keep thinking of tech tutorials I need to record for teachers. I think empowering students and teachers to access lessons independently will free me up from having to do a bunch of independent tutorials, and also better serve those I help by providing knowledge when the students and teachers want and need it without them being dependent on my schedule.

Keep in mind when I say learning, I don't just mean k12 - we ALL learn. So if you developed an objective to show your mother how to send an email, it's still teaching and it's still learning!

AMEN! I think I’m going to do a tutorial of iGoogle for the teachers. It was very cool. I’m a bit of a gadget junkie, and it’s a cool tech gadget that I’m sure I will use. Now I just need a computer I can keep strapped to my left arm – or I could just buy an iPhone 4. Dr. W, is it okay if I show them your video?

Speaking of us all learning, check out: http://www.ted.com/. TED is Technology, Entertainment, Design – ideas worth spreading. I’m going to show some of the ones that have appropriate content for an elementary level audience to my library kiddos. The content is all pretty clean, but some mention more mature subjects like war crimes in more detail than I can go into with 3rd graders.