As Albert Einstein said “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Technology is changing so fast that our students will most likely be going into jobs that will use technology that doesn’t even exist yet!

As teachers of our future generations we must ensure that we provide a learning environment that allows the most creative, productive, thought inspiring, innovative and dynamic learning to take place.

This ‘Did you know 2.0‘ video has some very interesting and thought provoking ideas about what students of today will be facing in the near future.

This video from Allanah King in New Zealand is an inspiring short video about what teachers can do using social software in their classroom. At the start of the video she states that her school was able to fund Apple laptops that sit in a trolley that can be wheeled around to various classrooms. This idea is fantastic! This would be perfect for schools that do not have the capability to create a computer lab – the computer lab would be able to come to the classroom! I feel this is something Australian schools should investigate. Her enthusiasm for using social software in her class is evident as she explains all the various activities that she does with her students. It is obvious that she has taken the new technology on board and has been able to create new learning activities that can be easily integrated into her classroom curriculum.

I look forward to taking some of her ideas and implementing them into my own classroom!

* here is the link to “Appleby Airwaves” podcasting webpage

* here is the link to Allanah’s edublog

In response to Erin’s comments in regards to ICT in the classroom…

ICT in the classroom

reference:

Shelly, G. (2002). Integrating technology in the classroom: teachers discovering computers. Boston: USA.

The video posted by Matthew on his ‘learning conversations’ blog is interesting.  It raises some valid points that even I have had float past me now and again since starting this course.  Things like ‘what if I make a mistake in front of my students?’; by opening up the web to students it may encourage plagiarism (deliberately or not) – how do I deal with that? I enjoy technology and learning new ways but it is advancing so quickly that I feel myself floundering sometimes.

As Jo McLeay (2006, p.39) states “it is up to us as teachers to educate our students to be digitally literate citizens and fulfilled and decent human beings.” 

How does one incorporate all the good and wonderful things technology offers in the classroom but ensure that any negative effects stay out?  I am hoping that the answers to these will come as I continue my journey.

REFERENCES:

McLeay, J. (2006) Beautiful blogging. Teacher Learning Network; v.13 n.3 p.38-39; Spring 2006.  Retrieved from: http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/fullText;res=AEIPT;dn=156002

One thing I’m noticing in my researching of current articles about blogging in the education arena is that quite a few articles are out-of-date.  To me, out-of-date means written before the year 2000.  Any older than that I believe the material is starting to be rather dated – I know this is rather harsh of me but with the way technology advances so quickly that what you write today may not really matter tomorrow.

What do you think?

I found Erin’s post interesting.  Teachers 10 years ago would have had an incredibly different experience with technology.  We, today, can talk online with teachers not only throughout Australia but also overseas instantly and communicate about a variety of subjects and have blogs or websites to help motivate other teachers.  The possibilities for guidance, motivation and ideas etc are endless.