Today, WCCO News dropped in on the BestPrep Tech Integration Workshop. I spoke of the workshop with the camera man. I talked about the different keynote and breakout sessions and the business partner visit. As media is apt to do, they focused the 1:20 piece on the iPad. They did have a few shots showcasing Nearpod, a great app that I need to spend an entire blog post or ten on to give it justice.
I am honored to have been chosen to represent BestPrep and Tech Integrationists as a field in this coverage.
Teachers Become Students To Learn Technology Integration
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/07/31/teachers-become-students-to-learn-technology-integration/
“One big change in education is teachers need to let students lead them and teach them, because a lot of time kids know the tricks of the trade that can change the classroom,” she said.
Legatt emphasized lessons become more meaningful to students when they can figure it out themselves, and not just listen to a teacher dictate from the front of the classroom.
“When technology is in student’s hands, they can become the creator and finder of information. Now the teacher’s not the core place where they get knowledge,” she said.
Discovering how to use the tools to learn more is exactly why the teachers got to hold, play and use iPads, cameras and computers. Once they’ve gotten their hands on the technology, they can see how it’ll best fit into their curriculum. And show other teachers in their district how to integrate them too.
Now I know more how politicians feel about the words specifically chosen to represent them. At some point, I will need to clarify a few portions of this coverage to explain what I was trying to say. I didn’t mean we should abandon standards. But, project based and inquiry learning can build student engagement and foster higher order thinking skills.
Couldn’t I have written a script for this? On 15 minutes warning, though, I think it came out okay.
To learn more about BestPrep and what has kept me busy this week for the past eight years, visit http://www.bestprep.org/programs/technology_integration_workshop/