I wonder in the age of readily available information if it’s worth spending valuable instructional time memorizing “facts.” If so many details are available on Google, should we just move on? Case in point: Google Earth, a free program, presents current, high resolution satellite images of the entire world. Why should we have globes with names of countries that are out of date? And, with Google Earth, you can “write” notes on the earth and easily share those notes in the form of .kmz files. If a classic question of the twentieth century is “What’s the capitol of Colorado?” perhaps the classic question of the twenty –first century is “Using satellite imagery, determine why Denver makes a suitable capitol for Colorado.” Which question do you think will lead to higher order thinking?

Clickers are one of the fastest growing technologies in our schools; they're spreading from primary grades through grade twelve.  We have seen them used to do book reviews, to assess prior learning, to determine prior knowledge, and to have a good, old-fashioned debate.  Yet some folks are still wondering about the value of clickers in the classroom.  My point is this: clickers are as good as the questions they are designed to respond to.  With that in mind, please give use some feedback on how you use, or plan to use, clickers in the classroom.

Some resources for your perusal:

Google tools offer real advantages to educators: They’re free, fairly simple, and promote collaboration.  Another key trait of Google products is that they are web-based.  In other words, as long as you can get online and remember your password, you can access your work.  Another feature is the ease of version control.  It’s easy to determine who contributed what to your documents or spreadsheets.

The kids in your classes are wired! (Funny how the context to that word has changed!)  We mean, of course, that they have grow up in a media-rich environment.  In tonight’s Monday Model, we’ll discuss the link between visual presentation and learning theories.  Also, we’ll learn how to super-charge our presentations with connected videos and audio.  Finally, we’ll brainstorm how PowerPoint isn’t just a teacher’s tool—it can be an excellent way for your students to demonstrate their learning.

Please post your reactions to tonight’s class and share out your “take-aways”.

Our first Monday Models was a big hit--in fact, we had our biggest turnout ever.  Please use this blog to give us (the Instructional Technology Team) feedback, to share ideas, and to contribute to the conversation.  Thanks for working with us!

Some starter questions:  How can we differentiate our classes to meet the needs of our adult audience?  What kind of follow up support can we offer?  How will you use these technologies with your students?

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