Professional Development for the 21st Century Educator
By Vivian Vitullo – Supervisor, Special Education
Learning to Use Technology… Using Technology to Learn
A Brave New World-Wide Web video
Twenty-first century learners have access to new and emerging technologies with the potential of connecting them to others in ways never before thought possible. Blogs, social networking sites, multimedia and other “Web 2.0″ tools are creating networked and engaging environments for learning and collaborating that look little like the 20th century classrooms that are familiar to many teachers.
Balancing the importance of using time, energy, and resources on quality programs to teach with and about best practices with the importance of building capacity in teachers, becomes increasingly more challenging. The explosion in networked communication has created an ongoing need to work and interact in new ways and to develop the skills to use an ever-growing list of new tools. This explosion, however, also provides us tools that are uniquely suited to meeting the diverse needs of 21st Century learners and educators. There is no doubt that our students – millennium natives – are ready. Are you ready?
Professional Development – 21st Century Style
1. Online Conference Presentations
2. Webinars
3. Online Video Resources
4. Self-directed Professional Development Resources
5. Online Learning Communities (Social Networking)
- Classroom 2.0
- Gateway.org
- Second Life
- Rez Ed Global Kids – Second Life Curriculum
- Atlantis Rising Campus
6. Free resources for Teachers
June 13th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I am only beginning to discover the uses technology in the classroom, but I love the idea of using wikis to collaborate and share students work. Sharing work with others can be a great motivating factor! I wrote myself too many papers just to “feed” my teachers with paper…
June 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I never knew of the end possibilities of the “Web 2.0″. When I first heard of “Technology Integration” in the classroom, I only pictured using basic computer programs like Excel and PowerPoint. Now I’m getting a grasp on what Technology Integration in the classroom really is. I’m very excited to be able to use blogs, wikis, youtube, and all of the other available web 2.0 tools! Teachers must use all of the available resources to help students learn better. I am a committed life long learner, and I hope I can inspire my students to be the same someday.
June 13th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
The video you found was an EXCELLENT example of how Web 2.0 tools can help us work smarter, not harder. It’s disappointing that your post came up during testing, when I think many teachers are so bogged down in the mundane that they didn’t get a chance to observe the possible.
The impact of Web 2.0 tools on our learning as teachers, the ability to learn when and how we want, the fact that we now take for granted “Video Professor” type tutorials on just about every subject you can think of available online- boggles the mind, especially when one considers that all of this was not even conceived of 20 years ago.
You ask a great question- our students are MORE than ready. They are silently begging us to use these tools. How many of us take the time and effort to step out of our comfort zone, to do a little background work, to leave the “traditional teacher” role behind and try some of these new Professional Development models? The effect can be amazing!
I know that I, techno-nerd that I am, was a bit intimidated by the thought of my first webinar. Aftwerward I thought, “That’s it? That’s all there is to it? Piece of cake!!” And I had been able to learn a new skill set online with teachers from across Canada and the United States in under an hour, and still sleep at home that night.
We just have to be willing to take the first step to try something new.
June 13th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
This is an excellent video for web 2.0 It shows a lot of flexibility with digital text. I love the music in the background because it makes it more fun to watch and listen to. This is a great way to find sources and use text in all different ways. This video shares many things and links people. This video was very creative and that’s what Web 2.0 is all about. Web 2.0 is a great way to make things easier. These new ideas are great for traditional teachers to use in their classrooms.
June 20th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I enjoyed the video for web 2.0. The idea of flexible text was interesting but true. I’m an older person and know first hand how using typewriters and pencils were definitely not nearly as flexible. I’m still amazed about all of the different search engines, podcasts, and webinars. I hope to be able to incorporate as many of these technological tools in my classroom when I get one. I am hesitant I guess because I’m not very computer savvy, but I think I can try and I hope that some of my students will be willing to help me which is a win-win situation for all of us.
June 21st, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I love the saying “Don’t go quietly into your classroom”. I hope that is something I practice everyday as a teacher. This is not my mother’s classroom. Classrooms today need to be dynamic and engaging. They need to use all available resource including the ones a teacher might be uncomfortable with. Part of being a teacher should by trying new things. We expect our students to learn new things, we should be able to do the same.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:39 am
I really enjoyed the video about Web 2.0. At one point, it asks the question, “Can you teach without technology?” Then the answer is given, “Yes, but why would you want to?” I think this is so true. As a future teacher of English as a Second Language, I can see how technology will truly be beneficial for my students. They will be able to learn and practice language 24/7. Writing can be more interactive with blogs. I can even adapt a wiki to help the student proceed to their next task when they are ready, or continue to practice their current task until they have mastered it. Doing the same thing without technology would be extremely tedious. I am glad to begin teaching in this technology world.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
This video did a great job of showing the endless possibilities of the Web 2.0 world. With Web 2.0, students will be able to access much more information in much less time than in the past. Social bookmarking websites seem wonderful to me because if they are used correctly, students will have instant access to reliable websites. Wiki’s and blogs are another great way to engage students. Blogs, especially, help to make students feel like their work matters for more than just a grade. Websites students use are also becoming much more engaging, interactive, and fun. When I begin teaching, I am hoping to teach younger students in First through Third grade. With their short attention spans at this age level, if an activity over the internet is not engaging, interactive, and fun, there is no point in attempting to use it. Another thing I liked about this video was that it gave the opinions of children who have learned using Web 2.0. The fact that the comments are so positive goes to show that Web 2.0 tools really do work when used correctly.
While Web 2.0 can be an extremely useful tool in the classroom, teachers must stay up to date on all the latest technologies. If a teacher is not informed on the technology, he/she will not be able to pass the knowledge on to his/her students. If the students do not learn how to use all of these new tools, they will be hurt in the long run when they are required to use them in upper grade levels, in college, or in their careers.