Back to School and ready for Action!

Welcome Back T-hawk teachers.  I am really looking forward to assisting you with your educational technology adventures this year.
How exciting that you have whole year ahead of you to try new ways to teach a lesson or concept.  I encourage you to try during the first month. Here at Algonquin you have the support  and resources to make adjustments and changes that will advance and transform student learning by integrating technology.

On tech integration. “The integration of technology and pedagogy to maximize learning must meet four criteria. It must be irresistibly engaging; elegantly efficient (challenging but easy to use); technologically ubiquitous; and steeped in real-life problem solving.” “Learning, surely the most important human resource in the world, is not benefiting from the greatest technical resource on the planet. It is time that gadget goes to school and schools go to gadget 24/7.”(http://gettingsmart.com/2012/09/the-skys-limit-16-must-read-quotes-michael-fullans-stratosphere/ )

  The first thing to obviously consider is what you want your students to learn and then figure out how best to use technology to help.  There are ways to integrate technology that may allow you to do things with your students that were previously inconceivable.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57-mMfCTtKgCBWs4pDNKMxqgCorQGczosHkIg58jdp4GDB77GcIIrsLzBsRdqNUTLj2asaIft7pmZ-YZ_NYjr46114wMrNQSTZFZ3Ul3yoSsLJJ18zWOOFEkO6QVaG5pXJwGZNL_AtjeO/s1600/educational-quotes-1+.jpg

Here is a short list of things to try:
1. Push your students to extend their learning by explaining concepts using the ipad app Explain Everything
2. Have your students collaborate on an assignment using google docs or google slides
3. Find a guest speaker to Skype with your class
4. Instead of assigning a paper or giving a test to assess let the students make a video using the green screen
5. Find a class somewhere in the world to collaborate with so we can make our school more global rather than "snow global"

http://mmeduckworth.blogspot.com/2014/12/sketchnoting-or-visual-note-taking.html

6. Learn techniques and ideas form teachers all over the world by developing your personal learning network (PLN)  on twitter and/or using social bookmarking sites like Diigo.

I am sure you are feeling overwhelmed with the start of school but if you put off trying something new it might not happen.  Just dive in and go for it and let me help!  We also have so many teachers here at Algonquin who are doing amazing things with technology who are willing to share their ideas and help. Please email me so we can meet and discuss your plans.  I will help you come up with integration ideas as well as support you when you go live in the classroom.  I will be offering after school technology how-to sessions as well as some during the school day. Thanks to some of our new faculty who attended my first how-to session. 

From left to right Sean McGrath, Maria De Vuono-Homberg (science),Gwen Temte(math), Amanda Thomas(school adjustment counselor), Jennifer Bardier(spanish), Susan Muise (family and consumer science), and Peggy Papazia(instructional support)

To get started right away I highly suggest that you visit our new district technology webpage https://sites.google.com/a/nsboroschools.net/nsborotech/ where you will find great resources, student examples, and video tutorials.  I would love suggestions of topics you want to learn about so I can cater my help sessions to your needs.  Please comment below or shoot me an email.

The sky is the limit ARHS so tech it out!!