How are you using technology in your classroom?

[Lyn]

I attended a conference and they mentioned "twitter". What exactly is this? What is the benefit of using this tool?

[Frank]

Can't believe that no one has responded to this question is a forum about technology ... There is a complete answer to this at Twitter and Educational Applications .... another Ning site

[John Bennett]

Just got here today, but I found this "visual" explanation of Twitter that I like to push to new users.

http://www.commoncraft.com/Twitter

enjoy

[Sylvia Martinez]

Twitter is sort of like IM chatting - you can build a group of "followers" who you can chat with in real time. Mostly people use it to extend their professional network.

[Frank]

Sylvia ... read the articles in the post above. I think you'll find that Twitter can be used in a lot of creative ways with a group of students. I don't see wide use of Twitter as a professional network tool yet. However that is how I am trying to use it on my site .. but more to alert site users of updates on the site that might be of interest.

Twitter can be used for out of class brainstorming ... or how about send a group of teens onto the streets to look for safety and health problems in the city ... they can report their findings via twitter ... and the next day the teacher opens the site and there is a chronological timeline of findings ready for group discussion. Great for increasing exposure to and use of the language, especially for students learning English, etc.

The educational potential of Twitter is only being tapped into by those teachers on the edge of technology .. many teachers only use the Internet for email still, or even not at all.

[Frank]

P.S. I went to a Cambridge seminar recently, and the presenter said this:

"Technology won't replace teachers. But, those teachers that use technology in their classrooms will replace those teachers that don't."

[Vicki Mizner]

that's really true! -probably not just because they are retireing either - that is NOT to say that Sr teachers are not useing tech!

[Darlene Marquardt]

I believe our use of technology is critical. Our students are becoming more and more technologically savvy and we will loose them if we don't learn how to present our content in a way that engages their interest.

In my classroom I use several technological things to present lessons. I have a document camera that is connected to my computer so I can take any paper, book, object or anything and portray it on the screen with the projector, or I can toggle to the computer and show my computers screen.
I also have management software that allows me to take over the student's computers and show them all how to do something all at the same time right on their own monitors.
We use Jostens online technology to create our yearbook.
I use MOODLE for several of my classes. They log in to the moodle and read their assignments, and upload their assignment back to moodle so I never have to actually handle a piece of paper. I can create podcasts for the moodle as well as teach them how to properly navigate and participate in a forum or blog.
Those are just a few of the ways that I use technology in my classroom.

[Mr. David M. Beyer]

My district has been slow to adopt emerging technologies, but I was fortunate to start at the district during a time when they are trying to change that. Next year, due to a bold district plan, every teacher from 3rd grade up will have 9 laptops in his/her room and a smartboard/interactive whiteboard of some sort. This year, five other teachers and I are piloting the "smart classroom" for the district as guinea pigs. We have found that, though it's not easy to do and we're not always successful, internet-enabled computers with software like audacity, Notebook (proprietary software which enables all smartboard functionality), and productivity software, students can create things that the other students can use to learn. They can use more sources than their books. Some of the best days were the ones in which their book contradicted a well-documented website, which resulted in discussion and more hunting for information.
In all, the goal for our district is to move from teaching-centered to student-centered classrooms, using modern technological tools to facilitate the students' studies. So far, I'm not very good at it...but I'm trying.

[mwnm]

I'm quite lucky to have an IWB with (limited) internet connection so I try and pull stuff up off the web when its relevant and try and show the kids how to find information (good for when they ask that tricky question!)
We use dataloggers to record some bits and pieces, but as we're in a performing arts specialist school rather than a technology college there isn't the access to computers that I'd like.

If I did have it i'd get them doing much more online research and get them modelling data in excel

We also have a moodle at the school, which we've been getting the pupils into using, especially as we can put targetted course correct information there for them to use.

The most important thing to remember when using technology in the classroom is - what value does it add to teh learning experience - if they're going to spend more time fossicking around with the technology trying to make it work than learning something then ditch it.

[Melissa Blanco]

I'm glad you brought this up. I too was wondering about twitter, as the main page is hard to understand. From an outside perspective, it seems like a meaningless updating tool. However, I can definitely see its benefits from a collaborating standpoint. Whether you need to update followers on new posts to your website/blog or have your students keep each other updated with a certain project via cell phone--hmmm seems that I might have to look into twitter more!

[Darlene Marquardt]

I just found another resource. I haven't USED it in the classroom yet but it looks like it might be a useful resource. Time will tell.

it is http://www.wiziq.com

If any of you have used it, please comment about it.

Darlene

[Vicki Mizner]

this looks very cool! It seems to be like Slideshare at a glance but I expect it is more --- I'll look around too