I’ve been spending a great deal of time thinking about our school laptop program. Though for years I’ve said, "Don’t think of this as an add-on, don’t teach technology separately, the title of my blog, Tech for Teachers, certainly didn’t support that concept. So now, I want to focus on broader concepts of learning– how do we engage learners? what are ways we will all be learning in the future? My tagline remains: It’s more than the laptops. Because technology won’t make bad teaching good.

This article certainly speaks to that.

Professor Gardner Campbell (UMW) writes how he is a better teacher when his students are, well, better students.
He says:

As a teacher, as a leader, I look constantly for readiness. My
preparations are also meta-preparations, as I ready myself to find my
engaged students and, on the good days, when I’m at my best, to bring
those students into a fuller, more challenging awareness of
possibilities for learning, for making, for doing.

And when my students inspire me, I hope I will always be ready to clap my hands and say, “again!”

We all wish for this…

I’ve been reading about Voice Thread, an application which allows uploading of photographs and inserting of text or voice. Here, an art teacher looking for ways to use the application in her classroom, explains what she does. Here is a tutorial using Voice Thread. (Be sure to have your sound on!)
Try it, you’ll like it!

A professor at UMW has decided to have deadlines for his students’ drafts, but no deadlines for final papers. He wants them to take as much time as necessary…

"You may revise as many times as you like until they are satisfied with
the paper (or the semester ends). Each draft you submit, I will read
carefully and provide detailed suggestions for improvement."

I wonder what the paper grading load will be like at the end of the semester. Is this a possibility for Upper School teachers? Should it be?

I share many sites with you, and I always say, "You need to check this out!" Well, Tom Daccord, history teacher at Noble and Greenough School  gets right to the point with help and specific ideas for integrating tech.
Start here

Once section on using chats in the classroom gives a transcript as an example. Really helpful!!

Using Chatting and Instant Messaging in the Classroom

• Why Chat?
• Sample Assignment for a First In-Class Chat
• Sample Chatting Exercise
• Basic Guidelines for chat groups
• Staring Chat Rooms with Chatzy