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Teaching with Technology

One thing I have learned is that learning can be controversial, at least it's difficult for all of us educators to agree on what exactly precipitates "getting our learn on."

See this video about technology in the classroom: http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/t4/content/view/221/35/. Not everyone on the listserv loved it, and there was some good debate about using technology for technology's sake. My take is that this is probably a great time to err on the side of too much rather than not enough, and it'll still be less than the students would prefer.

The learning curve is not always comfortable for us teachers but we have an obligation to meet our digital kids a good part of the way. Yes, it's fair to say that it's tough to teach kids with a game boy attention span. What doesn't make sense to me is believing that somehow this might change and we'll be back to our pre-game boy selves, here, soon. I am going to do better, I am.

On an up note, you gotta see Mrs. Burk rap about measurement on TeacherTube: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e471f4d180b08d62b00

Lucy Rose Here's the Thing About Me (by Katy Kelly)

Great book, one-day read, cute as can be. Lucy Rose is a little older than Junie B. and a little wiser, too.

Just look at the way she works the guinea pig angle with her teacher, Mr. Welsh. Break after break, she watches the pig travel to her classmates' homes rather than her own. Finally, a well-written letter does the trick and Jake travels to his rightful (if temporary) home.

But don't expect a whole lot of fluff with Lucy Rose. She's dealing with some seriously tough stuff, not the least of which her parents' seperation, which means a cross-country move away from her father. Lucky for Lucy Rose, she has a fabulous extended family waiting in Washington D.C., complete with an agony aunt for a grandmother.

Illustrations by Adam Rex were certainly a welcome surprise. There are very few books that have captivated me for the length of time that Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich has. That man has more talent in human form than seems rightfully fair.

This book managed to fully cheer me up today after a freak accident with a butcher knife which translated into two hours in prompt care with five stitches on my heel (not delicious).

That in itself should be review enough.