Let’s Get Digital: Fueling a Digital Revolution in Your Classroom
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!
Tags: "Digital Learning" Microgrant, A Vision for K-12, Blackberry, blog, curriculum, Dell, digital age, digital learners, digital learning, Digital Learning Commons, Digital Learning Lab, digital technology, Education, Flip Video, iChat, K through 12, learning, learning content, lifelong learning, microgrants, NASA, NASA Digital Learning Network, PBS Digital Learning Library, President of the United States, teacher created ideas, teacher funding, teacher support, teachers, technology, UC Irvine, WeAreTeachers, web 2.0, webinar, wiki
August 6th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Love, love, love the ideas! Can’t wait to share with my co-workers at our next meeting.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I have seen computers take a leading role in education just in the short 6 years that I have been a teacher. Even in communicating with the parents it has all turned to emailing rather than the regular paper and pencil notes. After seeing that I have decided to communicate with parents this year through a blog. We will see how it goes but I believe it will be an easier way for parents to keep track with what their child is doing in class on a daily basis.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Living and working in Charlotte, NC, one of the leaders in public online learning, has allowed me to incorporate technology in my face to face classroom as well as in my online classroom.
In my face to face class, I use a blog to reach students. They are encourage to respond to my posts as well as to their classmates. This has proved to be a very effective tool. As the students blog, they are researching other online sources and sharing information that they have learned outside of the classroom. This format allows for thoughtful, introverted students to really shine.
The greatest innovation in my online learning environment is the ability for students to receive immediate feedback based on the answers they supply. If they are taking an online quiz, they will know in an instant what they know and what they need to know. This type of feedback allows us to follow a mastery model. Students work at their own pace, and only move on to a new skill when they have truly mastered the prerequisites.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:43 am
I like the video and agree with most of this idea of bringing technology into the classroom and considering the needs of today’s digital learners. However, I’m not sure about the comparison to China given the size and population comparisons, which can’t really be considered the same. That said, I already use blogging for my classes (fairly successfully), and I recently discovered Photo Story3, which I hope to use this year as well.
August 10th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I am just getting back into the classroom after a couple of years away. I was thrilled to learn that I have a Smart Board in my room, but I have little experience with it. I have taken several workshops on technology in the classroom, but the applications in the high school English class seem more difficult to implement than I thought they would. I look forward to seeing what WeAreTeachers and the Digital Learning Network has to offer. I know that kids today are not stimulated by the textbook anymore, so all help is greatly appreciated.
I plan to share this information with other educators. Thanks for the information.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Good material for teachers,the new era for children comes with a lot of online educational content ..so if all the teachers can learn more about the topic of the technology is much better for the children curriculum ….