You've been there and you've done that... does technology really make a difference? Why bother? Because information fluency and effective technology integration help young people develop a passion for thinking and learning!
It’s time to skip the fads and get FIT (Fired Up about Information and Technology)!
Like living a healthy lifestyle, make information and technology a seamless part of your teaching and learning environment. Explore ways that technology makes a difference in teaching and learning. Find out what's new and on the technology horizon.
Get FIT
Just like a fitness program, it needs to become part of your lifestyle rather than an "extra." Instead of adding a separate "technology" heading in a lesson that says you're "using the Internet" or "using a digital camera," work toward a focus on timely, authentic learning environments with the philosophy that the Internet is a great source of current events information and the digital camera is a wonderful tool for recording real-world experiences.
Learn to select and integrate the best web-based content and technology tools into your classroom. There's way too much "googling" going on and not enough emphasis on quality, challenging, standards-aligned information and instruction. Like cooking a healthy meal, learn to identify and use the best, current web-based resources in your content area. Help students make good choices regarding the use of wikis, blogs, and other social and collaborative technologies. Learn about productive ways to integrate Google tools in the classroom. Design engaging learning experiences that include e-scrapbooking, e-photography, and e-comics. Apply practical strategies for enriching your technology resources through the use of open source software, free online tools and resources such as free images, audio, and video.
Go to Get FIT: Fired-up through Information and Technology for the presentation materials.
Go to A Farmer's Market of Healthy & Productive K-12 Internet Applications for the Classroom for additional resources and ideas.
WebQuests to Web 2.0: Decades of Technology Ideas
Learn to connect the best technology approaches of the past with the potential of new technology to build effective, efficient, and appealing learning environments for today's young people.
Go to WebQuests to Web 2.0: More than a Decade of Technology Ideas for the presentation materials.
The Wonderful World of Wikis
Promote reading, writing, and high level thinking across content areas and grade levels. Wikis are a quick and easy way to energize reluctant learners, promote classroom synergy, and encourage authentic learning. From technology-enhanced literature circles to collaborative writing experiences, young people can become creators and contributors along with consumers of the Web.
Go to the following page for the presentation materials.
- Reading, Writing, and Wikis: Nurturing a Sense of Wonder Across the Curriculum
- Wiki World: Collaborative Learning through Technology
Beyond Googling: Applying Google Tools to Teaching and Learning
Google is much more than a search tool. From identifying quality text, audio, video, and images resources to exploring our world with Google Earth, learn practical applications of Google Tools in teaching and learning.
Go to Beyond Googling: Applying Google Tools to Teaching and Learning for the presentation materials.
3Es: e-scrapbooking, e-photography, and e-comics
Address standards, challenge students, and instill a love of learning in young people through engaging, innovative technology-rich processes and products that don't take much time, but have high impact across content areas.
Go to the following page for the presentation materials.
- E-scrapbooking Synergy: Where Natural and Virtual Worlds Meet
- Digital Photo Safaris and Authentic Learning Across the Curriculum
- Digital Comics, Graphic Novels, Sequential Art, and Technology-Enhanced Learning
Free Resources and Easy Starters
From free software like Audacity and TuxPaint to public domain images and sounds, learn about free resources available on the Internet. Also learn to use software you already have such as PowerPoint in new and creative ways through building engaging project starters.
Go to the following page for the presentation materials.
- Freedom or Nightmare? Implications of Open Source Software
- PowerPoint Sidekicks and Desktop Learning Spaces: Practical Engaging Project Starters