The days of students reading only books, writing only on paper and becoming literate in an isolated classroom have past, says primary teacher Kathy Cassidy. Even in Grade One, students need to learn new vocabulary, new mediums of communication, and new ways to connect with the world.
Taking the posture of a learner first, educator second requires us to understand that we will never arrive at the place of “super educator.†The truth is that even if we solve the problems facing us as a profession, the solutions will only give way to new problems. Now more than ever we need to become the learners we have always wanted our students to be. We do not need information about teaching and learning. We need revelation.
The beauty of blog-based digital portfolios, says teacher-author Kathy Cassidy, “is that as the children and I are constantly assessing their learning in a formative and summative way, the students are also demonstrating their growing knowledge for a wide audience and learning about digital citizenship and appropriate online behavior. What great by-products of the assessment process!”
Summer is a great time for educators to hone their classroom skills, deepen their content knowledge, and grow as professionals, says history teacher and connected educator Jennifer Carey. With computer access and an Internet connection, you can bring professional development to your own living room at little or no cost. Jen shares four ideas she’s pursued herself.
If we can teach kids to solve messy problems before they graduate, they might have better luck solving messy problems when they start running the world, says teacher and instructional technology leader Tim Holt. Problem-Based Learning could be the final education reform.
Many educators feel overwhelmed by new technology and may feel apprehensive when it comes to adopting it in the classroom. But I’m here to make the case that learning to use technology and employing it as part of your curriculum is actually easier than ever. Way easier.
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