I attended the Region X/XI Texas Computer Educators Association conference this weekend and came back with a new attitude. Actually, I went there with a bit of a spring in my step due to some small (but not minor) changes in our district as of late. For some time now I have been up to my knees in Web 2.0 and many of the highways and bi-ways of the internet. But I have been unable to use many (most) of these apps in the cloud with my elementary students due to filters. However, in the past few weeks our district is giving new filters a try and letting us open up areas of the world previously hidden to us on campus. Teachers can use YouTube now! Ring the bells!
Don't get me wrong. I am very much a proponent of internet safety for my students. But there is a difference in teaching the proper use of technology and playing ostrich. We are not doing our students any service by saying, "Sorry, don't go there...no, not while at school...I know you go there at home, but not here." Some of my peers and I were quite shocked recently when we asked our 5th graders how many had personal e-mail accounts of their own. We expected maybe 40-50 percent. Easily 85-90 percent raised their hands with no hesitation. The students are already there. We are only playing catch up right now. But we can catch up. First and foremost: more in-depth lessons on appropriate use of the web. I'd rather work with the children and guide them instead of having them learn about tech on a street corner the way I did.
At the conference I shadowed Randy Rodgers, a teacher from Birdville ISD who I had met in previous years. I went to all of the sessions he led and was not disappointed. He has a huge amount of ideas, connections, and experience. Even better- he's willing to share. His blog, The Moss-Free Stone, will give me many hours of reading pleasure as I mine it for quirky uses of tech.
I also attended a session on ipads. I have a second generation pad on order and can't wait until it comes. In the session I learned about a number of apps I can use not only for myself but also in the classroom with my students. The instructor was using it under a document camera and I had wondered if that would work should I need to demonstrate something. I am pleased to say it did, although video/movement still has that doc cam drag.
I am a baby with apple products (in spite of my iphone) so I was happy to get a heads up on the device. I had heard about the issues with apple and flash products but didn't know there were work-arounds such as Skyfire and Cloud Browse (app store) to let you see flash sites on the pads and phones. Maybe I need a vacation day when the new pad arrives so I can become proficient? Shhhhh, don't tell my boss.
I also learned about LiveBinders, yet another take on the cloud work/storage genre. It was very interesting and may have fewer limitations than Skydrive, which I just started using with my students. I love the concept in general ("Seeing Sense in the Clouds" February, 2011) and this is one of the main reasons I wanted e-mail for my class. I will be doing more research on LiveBinders over the summer and may move the kiddos into the format this fall.
We wrapped up the day with prizes and I snagged an itunes gift card and USB hand massager. Score! As usual, a good time was had by all.
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