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Recommended by Roberta A.

Teacher Education and 21st Century Skills

The end is just the beginning

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This past Saturday marked the final offering of training by the University of Guam for the Gateway to Technology program.  The end is just the beginning though as the new school year is getting under way.  My understanding is that over 1,000 public school teachers participated in the training over the past 5 months.  Although there are obstacles yet to be faced, I hope that this is a productive year with many advances made.
 
For my part, I'd like to thank all of the teachers I've met during training.  It isn't easy switching roles and becoming the student, but you all did a great job.  I am energized by your enthusiasm and willingness to learn new things.  This blog has accumulated over 150 posts which is remarkable in that short period of time.  Please take the time to read through the past posts and leave comments for the authors.  I will add new posts to this blog from time to time.  I hope many of you are starting your own blogs, but if you would like to pick up the digital pen again, I can always add you on as an author of this blog.
 
I've received a lot of positive feedback on the Gateway to Technology resource site we used during training.  Many of you have inquired how long it will be available online and the answer is as long as you need it to be.  If you haven't visited it since your training, you will find that I have made some adjustments.  The major changes usually stem from the plethora of tech resources there are to share with you.  I've continuously added content throughout the site but you'll find most of the expansion has taken place on pages for Ethics, Safety, and Additional Resources.  I've added an Announcement page which I'll continue to update as I receive news to share with you.  Additionally there is an Action Plan page where I list some points for you to start the year off with.  In the future, I would like to add a page that provides examples of your achievements.  I would appreciate it if you would share the address for your new website, blog, or perhaps a lesson you used.
   
It is of my understanding that additional technology training will be offered in the future.  Some of it should relate to the new equipment which will begin arriving in the next months, and I believe more advanced training on specific techniques will be presented as well.  I hope I am able to provide more professional development for you.  I would like to present some model lessons and provide you with support as the year continues.  Build your support network with teachers nearby and from afar.  Stay positive and don't get discouraged.  I hope this is a transformational experience for you and your students and I wish you the best of luck.

So New to blogging and learning how to put a blog together...

I am so amazed at young people today, they are so entrenched in technology and don't even realize it.  From texting, Facebooking, and blogging, oh my goodness.  I hope to use some of these forms of communication to help my students learn more about the subjects I teach as well as themselves.

I can see how being anonymous is a good thing for the student, but I also see how this can be a bad thing.  I hope to get more ideas on how to optimize the use of technology in the classroom.  I have so much to learn...


 

Technology in Classroom

While teaching in California I had three Macs and a cd reference collection. My problem was that I could not print as there wasn't any ink or the printer was offline. The computers were always going down because the district tech person kept loading incompatible software. After time it wasn't worth the effort. I look at Singapore and other countries' math and they all use books. The difference is that the books are a base and the teachers knowledge fills the majority of the class time. I feel we all have to work every year to improve our presentation. Part of presentation is the effort to make the material relevant for the students. Technology can be used for this but in GDOE we know that the tech is going to be stolen or will break down quickly. The lighting in the rooms are not set up and we often don't even have a screen for an overhead, or an overhead let alone computers. We all hope the STEM and laptops work and don't break down for years but...

Integrating Technology in the Classroom

Ten years ago, the internet is limited on what it could do and who used it. Most people have heard about it but do not know how it's used. Today, Teachers use internet at home and in school. Teachers even use a wide variety of resources from the internet to prepare for their lesson plans. As a Math Teacher, I enjoy accessing different kinds of materials I can use for my classroom may it be a lesson plan, practice and guided tools to assessment tools. Another way I integrate technology in my classroom is the use of Powerpoint Presentations and projectors. Unfortunately, not all our students have access to computers at home, which makes it difficult for me to engage them in an interactive technology setting. Nevertheless, I am planning to utilize our Computer Center and teach them how to use online sites for learning. Photo Source.

Gateway - After Class: Classroom Technology

Gateway - After Class: Classroom Technology: My first year experience as a teacher was in one of the private schools on Guam. I was exposed to a variety of new technology, including a s...

Technology in the Classroom

I'm teaching 8th grade Math at FBLG for the past 13 years and I was probably one of the first teachers who introduced powerpoint in the classroom. At first the kids were very attentive, but I found out that even visual kids have certain saturation points, so I will always make it a point to show powerpoint lessons only for about five minutes, followed by discussions, then another five minutes of ppt, then discussions. The only thing that really gets in the way? The lighting in the classroom- we only have one switch and everytime I have to use ppt, I have to turn off the light and that's when trouble always happen- in the dark. Preparation is another thing. It takes hours to prepare a lesson in ppt. I tried other online lessons, but our internet service doesn't allow for a smooth operation, just like what we're experiencing here at UOG. If GDOE wants technology in the classroom, then they should be able to provide us with a better, faster internet service and electronic equipments that can cope with all the technological advancements teachers are supposed to acquire and learn.

Using Technology in the Classroom

Teaching Reading in middle school is a challenge. To capture students' attention, teachers must be very creative in their strategies. Simply reading a selection followed by class discussion is not enough to get students engage in learning. The use of technology helps capture their attention and motivate them to learn. I've used PowerPoint to present my quarter and genre units in order to give students colorful visuals that spark their interests, thus, encourage learning. I plan to use TeacherTube in my classroom to facilitate reading. My students can read and watch a poem and put an image to the events on a short story selection.

Supplements to spice up your Teaching!

I too am a strong believer that the textbook is not the only material to teach with. I find myself skipping through chapters to find what is best to teach to my students that week. A great part of my weekend and after school planning is using other books and materials that I have acquired and searching the internet. I usually find a great quote or story that also becomes my starter for a lesson with the Chicken Soup series. When we sit with our team teachers, we share lessons that have been successful.


I enjoy going over my lessons with my daughters who are 17 and 19, and getting their opinion and feedback on what they think about it. They also share what they enjoyed as students in class and what made learning fun. I try to take into consideration, what is the "in" thing.

When I hear that a teacher can not teach because there are no books, it drives me crazy! I always tell them the newspaper, magazines, the library and the internet have lots of great lessons. The more I use things other than my content book, the more I get students to participate and motivated.