Ever since I heard David Warlick speak at SC EdTech, my brain has been in an evolution revolution! I’ve used technology for teaching and learning for at least 5 years, but most of that has been contained within my classroom. I have known that because of the internet our class extended beyond the walls of our school out into the world, but I’m just beginning to understand how we can actively participate in that world through conversations and connections using Web 2.0 tools. Even though my students are only in the 5th grade, I believe that most of them are capable of understanding the ways the world is changing. Just the other night I received a phone call that was a survey about radio stations in the Columbia area.The man had a heavy accent, so I asked him where he was calling from, and his answer was, “Manilla in the Phillipines.” That phone call came after I had just finished participating in the live fireside chat of the K12 Online Conference, in which educators from around the world had an hour of live conversation. EdTech, K12 Online, phone call from the Phillipines…these events are swirling in my head and radically changing my philosophy of education. As I am beginning to grasp the power of the tools of Web 2.0 and their impact on the world, I need to let that understanding transform what I do with my students. I began yesterday by telling them about the online conference and about the phone call. I’m going to teach them today about the flat world, which is their world. I found some cool resources, including presentation slides, on David Warlick’s page. My students need to know and understand the world around them, the world in which they will work, and I believe that they are not to young to learn these things. I can’t wait to see how this rebirthing of my educational philosophy will filter down to them. In spite of all the bureaucratic stresses of the educational world, it’s an exciting time to be a teacher!
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4 responses so far ↓
An Aaahah moment!!!:) …much like I experienced at the Building Learning Communities conference this summer. I look forward to riding along with you!!!
John
Hello there! I enjoyed reading your blog where you tell how you work with your pupils. I am also very excited about how web 2.0 gives us immensly great possibilities in education. How old are your students? I teach at a junior college (age 16-19) in the southwest of Norway. I teach 3 classes. In one class all students are equipped with laptops (their own - they bought them in order to be in this class). We also recently worked with Photostory. Maybe our pupils could exchange something?
Friendly greetings from,
Leif Harboe
Bryne - Norway
I got this idea - my wife works at primary school next to my school - maybe my students could help her kids to a Photostory project - I see you teach in the 5th form…. and then exchange with you? Maybe??
Friendly greetings from
Leif Harboe
Frieda, your thoughts are inspiring to me. You have obviously spent much time in reflection - pondering, wondering, thinking of possibilities.
The students in your classroom - and in the global classroom are enlightened by you.
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