Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2009: The Year of CHANGE!

Just a brief message to say Happy New Year and voice my hopes for the year to come!

I believe in teachers and what they can do to change the lives of children. I believe that any effort to invite students into learning is a step in the right direction. I believe that every teacher can make a difference, a positive difference, in the life of a child. But how do they do it?

They do it by:

-being personal.
-being understanding--even if 179 days have passed with misbehaviors--but believing that the 180th day will bring a change.
-being invigorating--by trying out new things "just to see if they work."
-being interesting and teaching beyond the middle.
-being human, and knowing that everything they do will have an impact, and to try for more positive impacts than negative ones.
-being technological. There's no way around it now. Get your students involved with technology and learn with them. It will make your job that much more fun!

Happy 2009--let it be your year to shine!

New Web Stuff 01/01/2009


Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

1st Post...

What to write, what to write?

Since I have a pretty significant online footprint already, adding another blog doesn't seem to be that big of a step outside of my box.  However, I rarely write about the teaching and learning that go along with educational technology, if for no other reason than I haven't had the space to do it in.  I write and share a lot on twitter, but sometimes I need more room to express what I'm trying to say.  Hence, DigiGogy--my views on Learning and Teaching with technology, as we begin to unravel that line between digital native and digital immigrant--creating a new digital pedagogy that embraces rather than excludes.

It is my intention to up-end tradition, then bury it completely.  What used to be right and acceptable is no longer.  Sage on the stage, drill and skill, even plain old lecturing--all going the way of 8-track tapes.  The new way is here, and it demands changes in the ways that teachers do their jobs.  It's all about Sharing, Organizing, Collaboration, Engagement, Revising and Remixing, Networking, and learning TOGETHER.

Our classrooms aren't inside four walls anymore, they are the world.  We must invite so that we are invited, riding a new wave of learning that is like nothing we've ever seen before.

-Mike