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| A news blog I write/edit for the IAAE as part of my duties as a board member. Other duties include presenting at the annual conference. |
I finished comprehensive exams and moved on to the next professional challenge: preparing to present at the Iowa Association of Alternative Education's next state conference. This will be the third year I've presented, and each time I do it gets a little easier to stand up in front of my peers; but it gets a little more intense to prepare.
I fully intended to write my usual post for today...but ran out of time because I've been working on two Google Presentations to use this week. I will be presenting two separate break-out sessions: one about Social Media in Education, and one about Blogging. If you have time to look through my presentations and offer feedback, it would be much appreciated! My conference presentation skills are a work in progress...I can use all the help I can get.
To see my presentations, visit the Google Site I created for the conference and click on either of the Subpages, "Beginner's Guide to Social Media for Educators" or "Blogging 101."
Why these topics? Many of my colleagues in Alternative Education are very creative thinkers when it comes to differentiating instruction and finding new ways to motivate kids. They are passionate and caring people who spend a lot of time helping kids. As a result, many of them don't have much time to learn about new technology. I'm hoping that my presentations will make it easier for them to sign up for Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites so that they can connect with each other and find new ways to reach out to their students.
I'll let you know how it goes next week....
There are a lot of teachers out there that are still scared to death of technology. Both in regular ed and alternative ed I think many are overwhelmed by the thought of learning while others just do not want to try. I am finding that there are things that I can do with student learning that I could not do before. My school moving to a 1:1 computing environment is allowing me to move to inquiry based learning and leaving many of the textbooks behind. I am working on my presentation as well, I am finding that it is taking some time just to get all of my bookmarks organized. See you later this week.
ReplyDeleteTechnology really can be a game-changer! I'm excited to hear about your transition to 1:1, Brett! See you soon :)
ReplyDeleteThese are great resources, Jen. Did you already do the presentation? I'm a bit surprised to learn that there's more privacy protection on Google+ than Facebook, I would've thought the opposite. This is one of the reasons I haven't really used it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, responsible use of social media starts with getting educated. With this new medium, the educational possibilities and reach are endless.
Can't wait to explore all these links! : D
Hi Ezzy! I presented this last week while you were at Hispanicize '12! I had some technical difficulties with my projector and the wifi speed at the hotel, but I think it went okay. It's kind of ironic--last year I did a totally hands-on session with no slide presentation and the teachers who attended complained. This year I did a slide presentation and teachers complained that it wasn't hands-on enough! Educators are a tough crowd to please sometimes ;-P Thanks for stopping by! Hope you had fun in Miami, amiga <3
ReplyDeleteWhat's that saying? You can't make all the people happy all of the time. *lol* Honestly, you are an encyclopedia of information. Loved both decks and still scratching my head over the whole Google+ privacy thing. Hispanicize was amazing. It's so satisfying to meet bloggers in person that you've connected with online. I hope we have that chance someday soon.<3
ReplyDeleteHey, you retweeted my #BanningHistory video. Thank you! If not for my seeing in your sidebar, I wouldn't have known. It didn't show up in my mentions. I sat on it for weeks before posting it. *lol*
ReplyDeleteYou can make happy some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time--definite words to live by, my friend! Very true :D
ReplyDeleteGlad you had fun in Miami! I miss that city. And you are welcome for the RT!
Maybe we can Skype again soon?
I would love that, Jen. Hey, I have a question for you. Was watching The Today Show this a.m. and Matt Lauer asked the Star Jones, Donny Deutch panel if it was ever okay for a teacher to text a student outside of class? Communicate with them, period? My first instinct says, "No." What would you say?
ReplyDeleteI would do anything to connect with a student or parent who is at-risk of dropping out. I text students and parents at least once a week! Sometimes it is the best way to communicate with them. Obviously, it is only about school and the conversation is strictly professional on my end. We don't chit chat--it's all about something related to attendance or schoolwork. I text a whole list of people whenever we have a snow day or a late start. And I get texts from kids when they are too shy/anxious to talk to me about something in front of their peers. It is a very useful way to communicate with some students.
ReplyDeleteI think these topics are essential for educators. My tween's school uses technology in their studies and it has helped them reach the children on a different level. I also believe it gives educators another medium with which to connect. Since each has a different learning form (i.e., seeing, hearing, doing), adding blogging and social media into the mix will ensure a broader group of students is reached. Great job on the presentations, btw!
ReplyDeleteAs a parent, I love the fact that teacher's go the extra mile. Both of my sons, 17 and 11, respectively, have close relationships with their teachers. They are very hand-on, spend time with families after hours and text, email, and call as needed. I appreciate this immensely. However, I would like to note that they are very professional, cc me on all communications and always ask permission before outside outings, etc. I think this is extremely important. Nowadays, there is so much going on that you have to be wary, even with boys.
ReplyDeleteI think that's the kay, Migdalia--what you say is just as important as the mode of communication you use to say it. As long as teachers are being professional, there is no problem.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear that your sons teachers are connecting through 21st century tech!
Thanks for taking the time to look at them! I hope to move many of my colleagues toward trying out blogging/tweeting, but it's hard to get people in general to try new things sometimes. I personally think that if there is a way to reach a student available, teachers should try it to see if it works! Tech can be an awesome way to get kids involved. Thanks for stopping by Migdalia!
ReplyDelete