Beware the Transformation Trap

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to watch Jennie Magiera's Keynote Speech from CUE 15 online.  I love sharing videos, but this one is about 45 minutes and I struggle to get people to find the time to click a link much less sit down and watch a 45 minute video, but as I watched this video, I wished that my local teaching friends could all hear Jennies speak.  Jennie is a 4th and 5th grade teacher who works with students in an impoverished area of Chicago.  She has built such an amazing relationship with her students and with her teaching style and passion, she has empowered her students to use technology in truly transformational ways.  The activities she does with her students truly show a redefinition of learning.  Not only is she using tools such as Skype and Twitter to help her students have a voice that reaches beyond the classroom, but she has empowered her students with the ubiquitous use of technology in her classroom.  The tools and resources are very much in the background.  The tools are not the important piece, just as we don't think much about a pencil when we pick it up to write, these students don't think much about the tools they are using, they think about the actions they are making by using the technology.  As I said, the video is long, but it is very entertaining and inspiring.  The use of tech doesn't have to be elaborate or hard to be effective.  Students just need to know about and have permission to use the tools available in empowering ways.

How can you expand your students world beyond their classroom? Pin It Now!