My technology tool is not digital. I think the combined brain-power of a group of students and the teacher is the best “tool” of all. It brings in different points of view and experiences, it builds community. Students can build off each other’s idea. It’s a proven technology!
Current Author Module: Technology & Tools
Mind Mapping Chaos
One of my first experiences as a tech-loving returning student back in 2010 comes to mind, yet before I even begin I realize this isn’t about the technology failing me. It’s about the lack of thoughtful consideration that went into everything else around it! The activity asked us to use Mind Tools to collaborate and […]
A Tech Lover’s Luddite Leanings Explored
Being able to join this opportunity has been rewarding and rekindled my passion about and orientation around the mindful partnership between technology and tools any teaching practices. I started my college journey via an ITV course in 1992 as a non-traditional, first-generation student and it was one of my best classes. For me, “learning online” […]
There is an app for that!
I have been reflecting on this activity all week. Other the teletransporter from Stark Trek (so I can beam my students to a specific Spanish-speaking area), I could not imagine the perfect teaching technology because it already exists in the cyberuniverse. For example, I thought about a tool to help my students interact with native […]
Unexpected Toilet Talk
When I taught a small class about a year ago, we had lengthy discussions on the subject of building healthy habits. I spoke to my class about the forming of tiny habits and decided on using a video where gentleman spoke about the formation of tiny habits by pairing it with an existing, every day […]
Touched the Surface
I feel like this is just touching the surface! I have been considering the importance of fluency with tech, allowing it to be a part of teaching instead of a separate thing that demands my attention. This has helped me focus on what skills I want to hone and why. Thank you so much for […]
Oopsy, should have tried it out myself first
Probably my most memorable time having a technology fail during class was using someone else’s lesson plan without a trial run beforehand. There was an amazing documentary series from PBS that had a teaching resources website full of class activities. One activity was designed to get students to understand more about global health challenges related […]
Functionality and Ethics in Tech used in classes
I’ve been glad to be able to read several pieces that take up questions in the readings for this DF experience about the ethical use, history of, and pedagogical rationales for using technolgoy in the classroom. I have grown increasingly skeptical of higher educational institutions’ exhortation to use “certain technologies” (often costly ones requiring pricey […]
Beyond my Control…
My dad was an electronic engineer, testing out new technological innovations and often seeing failure before seeing any successes. As a kid, I got to see prototypes of tech that we now think of as obsolete–CD players, Laserdiscs for movies, early HD TV beginnings (those TVs were huge). While it was exciting to see tech […]
Reflecting Forward
I meant to complete this reflection yesterday but got distracted by an unplanned social event. Now awake since pre-dawn on a mellow Saturday morning, I think this situation represents a constructive and positive mindset of appreciating unexpected possibilities. For me, learning always happens in this context, and the best classroom teaching experiences seem to embody […]
