Five Bullet Friday
Quick tips to charge you up for the next week
September 25th
1. Music!
2. Article of the week... I apologize for the rant
"Schools and education systems are, on average, not ready to leverage the potential of technology. Gaps in the digital skills of both teachers and students, difficulties in locating high- quality digital learning resources from among a plethora of poor-quality ones, a lack of clarity on the learning goals and insufficient pedagogical preparation for blending technology meaningfully into lessons and curricula create a wedge between expectations and reality. If these challenges are not addressed as part of the technology plans of schools and education ministries, technology may do more harm than good to the teacher-student interactions that underpin deep conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking."
That's not really a revelation. Nobody I know ever said that by handing a kid a computer, they will magically become a great student. Teachers have always been the most important component to getting a great education and, if anything, they are even more important in this digital age. Somebody, somewhere read a version of this article last week and wants to get rid of all computers in schools. From my short time working with all of you this year I have seen everybody working and struggling (in a good way) to adapt your practice to this new age. That's what good teachers do. And it's what needs to happen to adapt to our new environment - because that's not changing whether we like it or not. End rant.
4. Talking about gender
5. Quote/App of the week
Hope you are enjoying these!
Instructional Coach
Email: dwhalen@collsk12.org
Website: www.danwhalen.org
Location: Collingswood, NJ, United States
Twitter: @whalen