In an era when the President of the United States uses a Blackberry and computers are  becoming as necessary as number two pencils, digital technology is changing the way we live and learn.  The digital age has created an exciting new environment for us all, and innovative teachers like you are embracing and harnessing the power of digital learning to blow the walls off their schools and open up their classrooms to other educators all over the world. But sifting through all of the information about digital learning can take more time than a busy teacher has to spend, so we’ve found some great resources on the web to help you find new ways to incorporate digital technology into your classroom.

The case for digital learning is simple: your students live in a time of wikis, webinars and iChat. But how could this help them in the classroom?  This video shows what your digital learners expect of you in a Web 2.0 age.

At WeAreTeachers, we want to encourage you in your efforts to be a part of this digital revolution, both by providing you with the tools you need to keep up and through the teacher’s magic word: funding.  Through WAT microgrants, we are helping teachers get their big ideas out into the digital world-and the response has been phenomenal. Our current “Digital Learning “ microgrant sponsored by Dell, had over 200 submissions! From those 200 applicants, the community will vote to determine the top ten who will receive $200 and a flip video camera to share their project with the entire WeAreTeachers community. Have you had a chance to take a look at the microgrant applications?  It’s a great way to see what your peers are doing to bring their students into the Web 2.0 age. You are sure to be inspired!  What is so exciting about each of these teacher-submitted ideas is that they all demonstrate how digital learning empowers teachers to share their passion for reaching students in a fresh new way.

We are so proud of the astonishing response to this microgrant. What this tells us at WeAreTeachers is that you are excited about being on the forefront of using this technology, and we are thrilled to support you!

And we aren’t the only ones, many companies are hopping aboard the digital bandwagon. Everywhere you look, companies and organizations are standing up and taking notice of the need for digital content. NASA has a wonderful Digital Learning Network that was designed to help educators bring the wonder of space into the classroom.  PBS will be launching a fantastic digital learning library this fall, geared especially towards educators. The Digital Learning Commons is a nonprofit organization created with the sole intention of helping teachers find the best digital learning techniques to give their students an edge. Additionally, exciting programs are being developed like the Digital Learning Lab at UC Irvine, which is currently looking for educators to collaborate in a host of digital learning projects.

How do you use digital learning? Do you keep a blog? Have your students used wikis to research information? Have you thought about using a flip video camera like the ones we are including with our microgrants to collaborate and idea share with other teachers?  Is there an area that you’d love to see supported by a microgrant? We want to hear about it! Have you been inspired by an idea from our 200 applicants?  Your feedback is crucial, so please take a minute to leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.  We cannot wait to infuse your ideas and bring you more valuable teacher-generated content that will inspire, enlighten and empower you in the days to come!

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Image by Tony the Misfit via Flickr WOW!  What a week it has been.  I am moved and inspired, as should ALL Americans be, by the events of yesterday.  Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, you must pause for a moment and reflect on where this great country is, and how this moment came to be.

A major political party just selected an African American to be its candidate for President of the United States of America.  And an amazingly bright and passionate woman was the alternative choice for this high honor.  Wait. Stop. Think.  Remember the 60s and 70s?    I never dreamed that in my lifetime, our Country would be ready for this big step, whether a woman or a person of color was the selection.

Clearly, many factors have converged to bring our Nation to this point.  Many glass ceilings have been cracked, if not totally broken.  The GenX crowd has been raised in an environment that has no memory of ‘whites only’ drinking fountains and segregated buses.  Most Americans embrace, and even revere, the memory and legacy of Martin Luther King.

But the SINGLE most impactful change?  EDUCATION.  As we learn more about one another — our history, our background, our culture — we are able to shed many of our old biases and perspectives.  Knowledge is POWER, and that power can translate into real, sustainable, positive change when applied to our life and our work and our dreams.

I just stumbled into a post from Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia.  He describes five things that the next president could do to ensure that our students are prepared for college or the modern workplace. In a nutshell, they are:

1.  Improve policy and funding

2. Improve reading comprehension

3. Promote common state curriculum standards

4. Ensure support and training for educators

5. Measure and improve graduation rates

OK.  That’s all well and good.  But since the WeAreTeachers team is all about TEACHER ADVOCACY — I have a couple more to add.

6.  RE-DEFINE ‘education’ as the transfer of skill and knowledge that occurs both inside and outside institutions.  In other words, respect and support teaching and learning that improves the human condition, not just traditional academics.  We need to re-focus our energy on the arts, on creativity, on physical fitness, on values, on ethics. . . the things that really ensure success in a flat world, and have a huge impact on the quality of life.

7.  EMPOWER and SUPPORT the BEST teachers.  Great teachers must be sought out, given a voice, provided real decision-making authority.  We must find a way to connect teachers who demonstrate both content mastery and excellence in teaching to the education materials industry,  so that their expertise can impact others.  And we need to empower these great teachers to reach beyond just the walls of their institutions.  Finally we need to find ways to PAY them appropriately, so that they can teach for a real LIVING, not just a paycheck.

So — in this time of political focus, let’s keep our eye on the REAL change agents in our culture — the people responsible for improving the human condition, and passing on the strength of our collective wisdom and learnings from one generation to the next.  While politicians can help to provide the scaffolding and inspiration for change, REAL change occurs when real learning occurs.  And that’s the job of our best and brightest and most engaged teachers.

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