Which Technology Tool to Use?

Trying to find technology tools to try in a classroom can be incredibly overwhelming. Our life as educators are incredibly busy and time is one thing we never seem to have enough of.  Therefore investing the energy and time in finding tools and then developing new projects seems to be something we can put off.  This seems contrary to our hope for students in that we want them to be life long learners, and yet we ourselves can be reluctant to keep up with the latest research and tools in our field.  As I reflect about this, I think that it might be part of why many kids fail to become lifelong learners. The kids watch us and follow what we do way more often than what we say.  If we demonstrate that WE are lifelong learners by staying up-to-date by learning and incorporating the new tools in our practice I wonder if the kids will be more receptive and more apt to follow our example.

So where to start?  First off, why should we take some of the fun in planning lessons and experiences away from the kids?  The internet and the many applications make it easier than ever before to give kids control over their own learning.  We could develop a question, topic, or problem and challenge the kids to collaborate and use a new technology tool in their answer, lesson, or solution.  Giving control to the kids seems really scary though.  In my education I was taught to have clear learning goals for the kids, and the learning outcomes from this method seem a little messy and more difficult to measure. Therefore we need to redefine what we want the kids to know, and it has to start by being more than content knowledge. David Dunbar from the Masters School in New York asked me "why do we love planning and not grading?"  I have been mulling over this question and I believe giving kids the opportunity to take ownership in using the technology and designing experiences and projects will have them create things I can't wait to read and watch and offer feedback about.

I recently watched a video produced by RSA about what motivates us.  I was shocked to find out that offering incentives such as money actually hinders people from doing good work.  Studies have repeatedly shown that when money is offered to try to get people to do better and more thoughtful work that the exact opposite occurs - they do worse with the incentive.  Scientists have found that people are motivated by three things:

             1. Autonomy
             2. A desire to improve
             3. Work that has a purpose



This could be why "paying" kids with high grades doesn't stimulate better, more creative, or more thoughtful work.  Instead we as educators need to make the work meaningful, give them opportunities and feedback in how they can improve, and the autonomy to create and have ownership over their learning. If this happens we no long have students in our classrooms but rather a collective formed by learners. Technology makes this dream more of a reality than ever before.

With this in mind I have created a Prezi to highlight some of the tools available and how they can be used by teachers and learners. Everything about our society is changing because of technology.  Learning both in and out of our classrooms can not only be improved but rather transformed by utilizing the tools available. Conversations can be extended beyond the class period, and the kids have the opportunity to present their work to their peers and the world.  Their words, videos, virtual posters, and stories matter more now because their work is valuable and they are accountable to more people than only their teacher their self. The teacher and learners more so than ever before can harness the power of technology and be able to form a collective and contribute in meaningful ways. 

Tech Resources for the Teacher and Learner on Prezi

I recently ran across a blog written by Sylvia Tolisano.  She has created a chart of resources that are organized by various roles in the classroom based on Alan November's Digital Farm model.

This is not an inclusive list, and in a few months to next year it will be out of date.  Subscribe to professional education blogs and have new feeds sent directly to an RSS Google Reader feed. Some examples of some professional blogs:
                             
                                         www.langwitches.org/blog/                          
                                    www.thefischbowl.blogspot.com
                                              www.pernilleripp.com
                                       www.davidwarlick.com/2cents

Joining a Professional Learning Network can help us as educators keep up with the latest tools and research available in our field.  Being a part of one can also help filter through the new tools and information on the internet.

                                                       The Educators PLN
                                                Edutopia's advice on PLNs
                           A Slideshare about Professional Learning Networks
                                           A blog about creating a PLN

Resources:

Pink, Dan., (2010) Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc.  RSA Animate.

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning, cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. CreateSpace.