17. The Twitter

Twitter has changed the way I communicate with my students.  I can send out mass messages with little effort, help with homework questions, and build collegiality with my students.  I look forward to using this more with parents as it progresses.

15. Animoto

I love me some Animoto!  I created an Animoto video to promote Advanced Placement enrollment a few days ago, and emailed it to my administrators.  They loved it!!!  My school now has their own account and upgraded to to allow for videos of unlimited length.  I am very excited to use this to motivate students in my AP Calculus class.

27. Discuss BYOD and mobile learning

I had a discussion from another teacher this afternoon about how BYOD has enhanced instruction.  No longer are teachers restricted to the outdated PC that has been in their classroom for years.  Now they can bring in personal devices and surf the web on macbooks and iPads with apps and programs they use at home.  Also, teachers having their mobile device on the school network allows them to check and respond to emails more frequently throughout the day, rather than only during their planning time.  This is a big step for our school system that has made a huge impact in instruction in a very short period of time. 

25. Digital citizenship (safety, etc.)

Web2.0 is taking community to a level never before seen.  Some of these communities can be infiltrated by undesirables.  We must educate and warn our children and students of the dangers.  This must not be a one time thing, but a reminder.  As an administrator I would make this a consistent part of a professional development for my teachers, so they can stay abreast of new hazards that can arise.

24. Discuss iPads (or equivalent) and their role with special education

My son, Cooper, has a vision impairment and his third grade teacher has turned an iPad into a closed circuit TV.  This has made a huge impact for Cooper.  Since using the device Cooper has become much more comfortable at school and excited about his school work.  I talked to the districts specialists who deals with students with visual impairments and he had never heard about and iPad being used this way.  

How can iPads influence special education?  With innovative teachers like my son's, the sky is the limit.

22. Flipped classroom

I try to keep opinions of flipped classrooms to myself to keep from hurting people's feelings, but since you asked  ....................

I love my job.  My job is a teacher.  My job is not a homework helper.  In essence, this is why I do not like flipped classrooms.  How can I strategically question students, challenge them to think, facilitate discussion between peers, .....

If students are watching video lessons at home and coming to school for clarification from me.... well that's just not what I want to do.
  

20. Barriers of technology in education

Some students will push the envelope and the opportunity is greater now that ever before because of technology.  Because of this administrators and teachers must try to protect students from themselves.  But what are the costs?  

A few years ago schools used to be one of the few places that students could get online, but now most students have these capabilities in their pockets, 24 hours a day.   It might be time we trust students and teachers to be responsible users and supervisors of use.  And when abuse of the rules occurs, make use of stern consequences.