Technology in Education

Moving this site to : http://twentyfirstlearning.blogspot.com/ 

Could we do this everywhere?  I would have loved this in high school.  I would love it even more as a teacher.

At our school some students leave at 12:00 to attend the Arts magnet, and there are other similar programs like that.  Its basically the same idea. 

I wonder if it would be better to:

1. Have it selective–you need to earn your way in.

2. Select a community project (senior housing, environment, AIDS, etc..) and have the group of 30 kids tackle it.

I have jumped in to Twitter lately and have been liking it better.  I really need to get a network that goes both ways, I seem to just post, and get little replies.  Kind of like this blog.  I keep pushing these networks as a way to learn the tools and reflect, but its kind of embaressing to feel like you are talking to an empty room.  

It kind of reminds me of my time in college radio.  Is anybody listening?

But, I love following Lance Arsmtrong who is a faithful twitterer.  Poor guy.

Will Google Voice work?  I would think just having the phone numbers link up into one voice box would have to be cool.  Free is always nice as well.

When I buy fuel I buy a certain number of gallons.  When I buy groceries I pay for what I gather.  But with telephone and cable I pay WAY MORE than what I use.  Perhaps this will be a big shift.

Cellphone/smartphone use in the classroom is inevitable. Todays NYTimes has an article that outlines some of the recent data.

But the comments scare me.  A lot.  They seem incredibly ignorant of basic learning theory, current technology, and honestly–proper class management.  

Are grades about to disappear?  Check it out.  It seems correct: let kids progress when they are ready.  How should we create groups if not by age?  How do we maintain diversity of ability in the classroom?

Apparently wordpress added a function that makes links out of keywords (like “Job” below).  I am not doing this.  An attempt to make money (which I applaud) but it certainly changes the function of a post.  Those are not MY links.

What to do?  It might be time to switch services.

This week is an exercise in positive thinking.  Our superintendent has forwarded a 0% increase budget to the Board of Education which has resulted in 18 job losses.  Yours truly included.  

A new job was desired.  I spent the previous two years earning a new degree and administrative certificate.  Now a new job is inevitable.  I am trying to leverage all that I have learned in the past three years teaching and leading technology change into a new path for a career.

Needless to say, not where I thought I would be, but I do think new doors will be opened.  Forced open.

Barack Obama is using Creative Commons license.  I have been teaching this, but it is not common knowledge that it exists (10% of teachers use it??).  This will help.

Cool sites:

Museum Box

Time Rime

Wordle