#ABCsofedtech

Posted on October 27, 2015 by

Z is for Generation Z

Who are Generation Z?

who are Generation ZThe term Generation Z refers to teens and pre-teens born after 1995 and was officially launched in 2014 as part of a marketing presentation. The salient characteristic of their generation is its apparent fondness love of and comfort with new technology.

So, in order to find out more about Generation Z, we asked middle school students about theirs and their families’ relationship with technology. And found no easy generalizations.

And what does this all have to do with that pesky “digital natives” conversation?

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Posted on October 16, 2015 by

Y is for Young Writers Project

Using the Young Writers Project to teach writing

using the Young Writers Project to teach writingThere are so many reasons to appreciate how we teach adolescents to write in Vermont. One of these gifts is the resource of the Young Writer’s Project.

Let’s look at what makes this online resource so powerful for educators to present as an option for students looking to explore their writers’ identities.

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Posted on October 14, 2015 by

X is for eXtra credit

How does edtech affect extra credit?

how does edtech affect extra creditIs extra credit still a valid notion as we move towards ubiquitous learning, and grapple with questions of equity in education?

If the goal is anytime, anywhere learning, how can we quantify certain activities as eXtraneous to that learning space?

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Posted on October 13, 2015 by

W is for Weekly Geek Podcast

Creative ways to share learning opportunities

creative ways to share learning opportunitiesTeachers at Lamoille Union Middle/High School learn about the latest tools and resources available to them in a unique and engaging way.  Marc Gilbertson, the Integration Specialist and Meagan Towle, the librarian, carve out 20 minutes in their busy schedules to get together and crank out a short video podcast series called the Weekly Geek to share available resources.

Check out this week’s entry demonstrating three tools to encourage visual and audio engagement in learning.

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Posted on October 12, 2015 by

V is for Voice Recordings

Why voice recordings work for young adolescents

why voice recordings work for young adolescentsAs students use technology to explore and capture projects that show both their emerging proficiency with skills and snapshots of who they have been, are and may become, tools that allow students to add their own human voice to multimedia can be invaluable in the discovery and showcasing process.

Here’s why voice recordings work for young adolescents and 3 tools we like for creating them.

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Posted on October 1, 2015 by

U is for Ubiquity

Ubiquitous learning is not the same as ubiquitous computing

ubiquitous learningWe hear a lot of hype about e-learning, blended learning, MOOCS, and mobile learning. But even a quick investigation of these trends reveals that effective teaching and learning are as elusive as ever.

Yet ubiquitous computing — that is, anytime, anywhere access — is only a stepping stone to ubiquitous learning.

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Posted on September 29, 2015 by

T is for Timelines

Timeline tools for transformative learning

timeline tools for transformative learningTimeline tools can serve two important purposes: concrete help with project planning (for PLPs, 1:1 rollouts, PBL) and for displaying evidence of learning in an easily digestible format.

But the online, anytime/anywhere, collaborative nature of such tools can unlock meta-learning for students, providing them with a platform for bolstering collaboration and project-planning skills.

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Posted on September 26, 2015 by

S is for Student-Led Conferences

Steps to a student-led conference

steps to a student-led conferenceSome of my most poignant moments as a teacher occurred around the table of a Student Led Conference. Truly. My eyes have welled with tears at the sheer emotion shared. I’m a believer in giving students the voice and the power to be at this table.

It requires a strong level of planning and structuring by the teacher, though.

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Posted on September 25, 2015 by

R is for REAL Reflection

Getting real about student reflection

getting real about student reflectionAh, reflection. It may bring to mind an introspective moment, perhaps gazing into the still waters of a mountain lake and seeing a slightly puzzled person staring back. That’s not the kind of reflection we are talking about here.

Reflection in a 21st Century learning sense is a key component of personalized learning.

Reflection allows students to construct knowledge, make personal connections, and ultimately become self-driven learners. More like a trailside break on a wilderness trek than a lazy lakeside afternoon. Continue reading →

Posted on September 24, 2015 by

Q is for QR codes

QR codes unlock learning anywhere

QR codes unlock learning anywhereThese simple workhorses of technology — ink and blank spaces on a screen or page — can be incredibly powerful in making learning an anytime, anywhere endeavor, and turning the world into a classroom.

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