Our latest blog posts…

DuVall Students Visit Antarctica (Virtually, Of Course!)

DuVall Students Visit Antarctica (Virtually, Of Course!)

This Monday, I was fortunate enough to be invited to Kelly Cibasek’s third grade classroom at DuVall Elementary, where her class and Liz Morrison’s class took part in an internet Skype interview with a real, live field biologist.  Jean Pennycook is currently stationed in Cape Royds, Antarctica, where she studies Adelie penguins.  She follows them through their daily lives in the frozen tundra, observing and recording their behaviors such as feeding, breeding and child-rearing.

Reminder: Free May Not Always Be Free

Reminder: Free May Not Always Be Free

We need to invest our time and energy, and that of our students in what is sustainable: in the tools that we can build over time and that will not be swept out from under our feet too easily. But we also need to help students develop habits that can withstand change in online tools, to establish ways of doing things that acknowledge that tomorrow could be entirely different, and to be able to do things in a variety of ways.

Goals

Goals

There’s a difference between students writing goals and students actually having goals. And what does technology have to do with setting goals anyway?

The first installment in unpacking the ISTE Standards for Students with practical ideas for teachers. Standard 1, Indicator 1a, Part 1.

The Devil is Not in the Technology

The Devil is Not in the Technology

Technology is not inherently harmful. But it does have a way of amplifying our character traits. Think about how many emails you’ve sent that you wish you hadn’t. It’s also not inherently beneficial, either. One battle we have fought in education and continue to fight is the battle of “we’re using technology, so everything must be all good.” This is far from the truth. The goal with educational technology should not simply be to use more technology.

The “Find 3” Lesson Model

The “Find 3” Lesson Model

I’d like to propose a model for a technology-infused lesson that could be modified to fit any curriculum, any topic, almost any level. Over the past several years, among other things, I’ve tried to develop a tangible, realistic way for students to engage in inquiry, harness the power of technology and learn to do the things they will need to be able to do in the real world — and for teachers to spend their time being facilitators, guides, and coaches of their students. This is where I’m at so far…

Tech Tip Tuesday:  An Alternative to Tri-folds

Tech Tip Tuesday: An Alternative to Tri-folds

Students love to unleash their creativity by creating elaborate tri-fold boards or brochures.  Can we give students another option?  How about using Google Drawings to create interactive poster boards? By using Google Drawings, students can create colorful multi-media...

Tech Tip Tuesday:  The Onscreen Keyboard

Tech Tip Tuesday: The Onscreen Keyboard

Chromebooks have many accessibility options, but the one most frequently seen is the onscreen keyboard.  The onscreen keyboard may take the place of the physical keyboard, if necessary.  To turn the onscreen keyboard on or off, click on the settings in the bottom...

girl logs into Chromebook with student number written on card

Technology for Lifelong Learning

As technology increases exponentially, learners in the 21st century have the opportunity to go far beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom.  The available technology provided by the Dearborn Schools allows students to interact in the digital community, collaborate with peers, and engage with the world from their seats in our classrooms.  The possibilities for learning know no boundaries online.  Learn how to help students become lifelong learners in the digital community.

Our Goal

The goal of instructional technology coaches is to help teachers become effective at using technology to provide the most technology-rich, positive learning environments possible.  To this end, we believe effective teachers…

  1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity.
  2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments.
  3. Model digital age work and learning.
  4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility.
  5. Engage in professional growth and leadership.

from Standards for Teachers.

collage of students working on Moodle