Moving ahead with education

Just having finished a second masters degree in the spring, my thinking is moving on to a Ph.D. But oh, the cost. Why does it cost so much to get a degree? Starting as late as I did to go back to school, now the question is how reasonable is it to start on another degree and spend all that money when I am pushing 64 in January? But it is so delightful to go to school and continue learning!

Social Media Class

I am excited with the prospect of auditing a class on social media. How our world is changing and we either get on the whirlwind or be left in the dust. Is this good or bad? Are we losing the personal touch or adding a different version? How do we use it in schools--that is the overall question.

Social Media

Social media is taking over the world literally. No longer is new confined to newspapers and the nightly anchor person on the news. Media can be created and shared by anyone in the world with anyone in the world. What does this mean for you and your students? How can it be frustrating for you as an educator? Why do we have to be aware of this media phenenomon?

Online Learning

What is really going on here with the rise in online learning for the K-12 environment? Students seem to really enjoy the new environment and some do very well. Does that mean it is the best thing for them? As I prepare to teach the teachers to teach online, I am both excited and apprehensive. There is so much out there to make the experience really cool for them. If we look at the revised Bloom's Taxonomy below, we need to change the way we teach to fit the way the students learn. Maybe this is the answer!

Reflections on my Masters Degree

As I sit here and work on the final step of finishing a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Educational Technology, I look at all I have accomplished. I have been exposed to many new trends and tools and have tried to pass them on to the teachers in my district. I have looked into the future of education with an emphasis on technology and am excited about what is ahead. I say, "Bring on the change!"

Virtual Worlds

Rather than being afraid of virtual worlds, why don't we as educators embrace them and try to use them for whatever eduational value they might have in the classroom. I stand on the brink of really investigating them and trying to learn enough to be dangerous. I am reading about educators jumping on board and I want to jump with them.

Almost at the end

I am drawing very close to the end of my masters degree in educational technology. It has been quite a ride and along the way I have learned a lot. The biggest thing I have learned is that there is so much more out there to learn. What am I going to do with all the wonderful knowledge I now have? Interesting question. Of course, it will help me be better at my job of Technology Integration Specialist for the La Crescent-Hokah School District in Minnesota. But more than that it has opened my eyes and ears to all sort of new oppportunities present to me here and in other locations to share what I have learned and am going to learn with others.

Interesting discussion I had with a friend last evening. As we talked about the digital natives having their brains wired differently, she posed a question. Will the newly wired digital natives who have been raised on technology and spend their days with it be able to communicate with those around the world who were not raised with the same opportunities. Will there be a communication divide between the haves and the have nots? Will communication break down in the future because of this rewiring? My thought is no because people still have the desire to be around people without always having to reach them through their technological devices. What do you think?

Here we are experiencing new and exciting for classroom educators. What, you aren't a blogger? You don't like to go online and write books? Well, guess what? Your students enjoy this method of writing and creating their own content. Remember, this is the age of the Read/Write Web. Students want to participate. How do you think you could use this type of experience in your classroom?

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