We’re getting ready to ask our institution here to support the creation of a professional development institute. This morning we’re going to the dean in the next step of gathering support. I made this video over the weekend to support that bid:
Find more videos like this on Fireside Learning: Conversations about Education
It started life as a presentation which served as storyboard, then I saved the slides as images and imported them into MovieMaker and added music and transitions.
Comments? From a cultural perspective? Technical?
February 19th, 2009 at 12:07 PM
I agree with the presentation. We all must learn how to become 21st century teachers in order to help our children learn in this technology world of today. Of course we TEACH in the way that we LEARNED, but that is why technology as professional development is so important. We must be lifelong learners and willing to go that extra mile to incorporate technology into our classroom because it is obviously the way our world is turning. Personally, I think that it would add more interest from our students. How cool would they think it would be to be able to have a homework assignment downloaded to their ipod, etc.
The presentation was interesting. I think the music added to the interest. It helped you to follow along better than simply watching a powerpoint. The transitions were kind of like you were watching a movie with words.
February 19th, 2009 at 1:22 PM
I really never thought of it that way. As teachers we need to know how you learn from incorporating technology before actually teaching it. That is a unique and understandable idea. It just makes sense! I noticed in the video it stated that teachers tend to teach the way they were taught. When I first started teaching, I saw that I did that. I hated it. I learned real quick that I needed to find new and better ways to teach my students. Children are different learners today and need different approaches to learning the content.
February 19th, 2009 at 6:26 PM
Very nice presentation. There is lots of cited information that showed the need for more education of educators in the technology area. I do have one question. Was this used as an intro to a presentation that described WHICH courses you believe should be taught or was it an overview of the problem itself? It seems to me it could lead to some very good discussions with your school. How receptive was the dean?
February 19th, 2009 at 6:29 PM
This presentation is so true! Teachers do need to be taught how to learn using technology before they can be expected to teach using technology. If you use a tool to learn a skill or complete a task you can then conceptualize other ways to use said tool for yourself or to teach others. It is illogical to expect teacher who can barely use their e-mail and cell phones to teach students using a SmartBoard, Mac, I-Pod touch, laptop….. First if the teacher is not comfortable with the technology then he/she is not going to want, feel comfortable, or see the benefits of integrating it into lessons.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:15 PM
I think teachers need to be more willing to explore with technology. I know that I have been to several trainings but only really learned how to use something through trial and error. So a teacher really does need to be motivated and convinced that technology is a necessity in making lessons more relevant to their students.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:08 PM
“So a teacher really does need to be motivated and convinced that technology is a necessity in making lessons more relevant to their students.”
Ok.. THIS is what I’m talking about.
How do we make teachers — that would be you guys — understand that technology is more relevant to YOU! This is not something you do to make your students’ lives better. It’s something you do to make YOUR lives better.
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:07 PM
I PD institute would be wonderful. Teachers need to be a little updated in the technology field. I’m 25 and grew up with technology, I’m not afraid of it, and I don’t care how to figure things out for myself. Many teachers are scared of it and if they are not shown step by step of to use something new then they won’t use it. My experience with the limited PD we have had in technology is that it has been thrown together, not covered thoroughly, and when the two hours is up it is not mentioned again. It’s kind of like we had a PD just so they could say we had one covering something with technology. I think that attitudes about using technology in classrooms would improve if teachers were really shown how to use it, why to use it, and when to use, etc. I had to show a teacher that I work with how to turn off an alarm her grandson set on her cell phone. If she does not learn how to use technology herself her students will never actively use it in her classroom.
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:35 PM
I too agree with the presentation. While I was a little more recent than 1993, I still lack skills in technology. Technology changes so fast and even if we tried I am not sure we can keep up, but as teachers we must try. I know when I first graduated and started teaching, I was so excited about using technology in the classroom. Sadly my school offered little in the way of technology, so I reverted back to teaching just like I was taught. Just this past year, I have realized how important technology is to teaching. I want to know more, I want to use technology in all my lessons, I want to know how, but can an old dog learn new tricks? I will try.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 AM
[...] eerily similar to what *I* said just the other day about teachers and learning. An idea that’s been brewing here for a few weeks surfaced in a completely different form [...]
April 5th, 2009 at 8:43 AM
This is so true. Even the teachers that know about the new technology still find it difficult to include it in their classroom in new and inventive ways. We all need to learn about technology the same way we are planning on teaching it in the classroom. Kids know the technology, we need to show them how to learn with it.