Integrating Technology for Active Lifelong Learning

Friday, December 25, 2009

Moodle for Teachers (M4T) on IT4ALL

Greetings,

The next Moodle for Teachers (M4T-3) free 4-week online workshop will begin on January 4, 2010 and will end on January 31st. Please register at http://www.integrating-technology.com/pd/course/view.php?id=62 and use the following key: Learningly2

The aim of M4T-3 online workshop is to help you learn how to create and manage Moodle courses. The workshop will take place on the IT4ALL Moodle so there will be no need to move to other learning environments. M4T-3 will include asynchronous (via the Moodle) and synchronous (via WiZiQ) components. M4T will provide participants with theoretical and practical skills. The workshop demands at least 2-3 hours of course work a week.

Thank you.
The Facilitators

Saturday, July 18, 2009

High schools not ready for technololgy

My current high school has asked me to stop using the computer lab and only work in the traditional classroom. I am not going to stop using technology. Starting September 1st, my students and I will only be connecting from home. I may be able to get a few computer classes to get the students started but that's all. I guess I am lucky that I am very experienced so I can manage such a program, but some schools are just not ready to accept technology. Am I alone in believing that technology can facilitate and improve the quality of instruction and learning in the K-12 setting?

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

PMELT Presentations

This performance task was designed for pre-service Mexican English language teachers - PMELTs - (Freshmen in college) and integrated the following technologies: Ted Videos, PowerPoint, video, BlipTV, and Wetpaint. Additionally, one group demonstrated a software application with their own computer as part of their presentation. PMELTs were given the choice of selecting their TED video (approximately 20 minutes in length) and determining how they would present it to the class (e.g., everyone choice to use PowerPoint as opposed to it being a requirement). The criteria for doing this performance task was as follows:

Everyone must speak about the same amount of time, using cue cards but in their own words. (pronunciation, fluency, accuracy, vocabulary, grammar, non-verbal communication, etc.)
The group should articulate the "moral of the presentation". That is, what was the "lesson" learned by watching the TED video.
The group was to explain the most interesting details of the TED video.
The group was to provide supporting information that was relevant to the video but was not included in the video itself. (This requires them to research the topic.)
The group was to include some personal experience related to the TED video. They were also encouraged to create a dialog with their audience, having their audience discuss an experience related to the TED video as well.

To see the TED video with the corresponding presentation, click here.

Comments/suggestions are appreciated, either here or in Wetpaint!