Discovery Education Speakers Bureau
Supporting the most effective use of technology in classrooms and schools
Supporting the most effective use of technology in classrooms and schools
The rapidly changing needs of the business world demand rapid changes in the way we teach students. Restructuring of teacher workdays and budget cuts reduce professional development time to a minimum. The answer: Enhanced use of forums, blogs, wikis, podcasts, twits, and educational communities for teachers to learn new skills with support from peer experts throughout the world. The model for professional development has changed without many of us realizing it or taking advantage of it. The advancement of Web 2.0 makes the opportunities for professional development easily accessible to even the most basic computer users.
In a time when there has never been a greater discord about instructional methods, student learning processes, and the needs of the business world, it is imperative for administrators to provide an educational environment that is conducive to change and adaptation while addressing the concerns of standardized testing and parents perception of what education should be. Administrators are responsible for providing effective staff development and must provide leadership that is directive, facilitative, and nurturing. Learn how administrators can provide systems of communication that are clear, consistent, easily maintained, and limit the impact on classroom instructional time.
If students could be taught using the skills and tools they have today, and teachers provided instruction that worked to meet the needs of the world tomorrow, what would it look like? This session will give a glimpse of what is taking place in far too few classrooms across the world today. Pulling examples from lessons using digital stories, Google Earth, podcasts, blogs, wikis, and many Web 2.0 resources, educators will get a glimpse of what education can look like. Integrating current technologies with instruction will provide increased student motivation, development and use of higher-order thinking skills, and better connectivity with the needs of the world today.
If students could be taught using the skills and tools they have today, and teachers provided instruction that worked to meet the needs of the world tomorrow, what would it look like? This session will give a glimpse of what is taking place in far too few classrooms across the world today. Pulling examples from lessons using digital stories, Google Earth, podcasts, blogs, wikis, and many Web 2.0 resources, educators will get a glimpse of what education can look like. Integrating current technologies with instruction will provide increased student motivation, development and use of higher-order thinking skills, and better connectivity with the needs of the world today.
You’ve heard the term in the media, trade publications, at staff developments. Even Congress is talking about it. But what is a “21st Century Student” and what makes him different from the student of a decade ago? Their brains are developing in a different way. They are processing information differently than any students before them. They learn new skills in entirely new manners. They have skills that many adults cannot conceptualize or are not comfortable with, so we limit their use in the classroom. By understanding the students we are teaching, as well as what preparations they need to be successful in the future, educational institutions can adjust their methods of instruction to better meet the needs of these students.
Every classroom can go digital! New (and often free) software has flattened the learning curve--and even older hardware can make magic. Scaffold teachers and students with successful digital project building. Make a digital video in under five minutes with a simple program that uses still images and creates music. Progress next to a free video editor that encourages student content creation in the curriculum. Finally, a program that lets students insert themselves into videos! Media creation leverages engagement and takes learning to a new level.
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Audience participation is key in this interactive session which examines the growing diversity in America’s classrooms and ways in which media, online and otherwise, can assist teachers in supporting their students. Utilizing statistics, practical examples and student samples, attendees will visit a typical classroom and explore ways to support each student through the integration of technology.
What's the one thing our classrooms have in common today? They are all very different. Students with many different learning styles. Different interests. Different backgrounds. And, different gadgets. How do we address the needs of today's learners? This session will draw upon real-life examples (including a legendary school duck) as we explore ways that we can use media and other technologies to get students interested in the content and engaged in meaningful learning experiences.
Audience participation is key in this interactive session which examines the growing diversity in America’s classrooms and ways in which media, online and otherwise, can assist teachers in supporting their students. Utilizing statistics, practical examples and student samples, attendees will visit a typical classroom and explore ways to support each student through the integration of technology.
Teachers used to threaten that if students didn't behave, it would go down on their permanent record. While there was no such record in the past, there is now. Students are leaving a trail of their online activities behind them that will last far longer than they ever might expect. This presentation delves into specific actions that students are engaging in now that have long term consequences for them and how we, as educators, can guide them to the right path..