HELP-Need Teachers to have disucssion with my Education Majors!!

This is a request is for teachers, elementary and secondary who would be willing to join class discussions beginning with summer session.

I am just beginning to think about how I can do this, so, I haven't quite figured out how all the nitty-gritty details will work, but this Classroom 2.0 seems like a great place to begin.

My students are soon to be classroom teachers. I'd like them to have real discussions about technology and teaching and learning with real teachers (besides just me). Ones who are using technology with purpose in their classrooms. They need to hear from the trenches.

Sometimes I believe they think I am feeding them a line and teachers out there aren't really doing all this stuff. If you are reading thin then I know you are one of the teachers I am talking about. So I need your help.

Right now I am thinking each week (beginning in June), I will post a discussion about the topic we are learning about and doing in class and everyone can join in the discussion. By the way the class is online. This class is very project based, for example, when we discuss blogs, they create one, when we talk about social bookmarking, they do it, when we talk about classroom websites they make their own, etc. etc. On my syllabus I begin by saying:

"You are encouraged to be a Knowledge Seeker rather than a Knowledge Meeter, i.e., You need to add education to your course rather than add a course to your education."

At the moment some of the Units in my course include:
• The Internet & Educational Websites to support your curriculum
• Integrating the Internet into your classroom curriculum
• Kan-ed & it’s wide variety FREE Resources for Kansas Teachers
• Educational Technology Publications-Free Subscriptions
• WEB 2.O-Blogs, Wiki’s & Podcasts, Social Bookmarking, Social Networking, etc.
• Classroom Enhancements: iPods, PDA’s, SmartBoards
• Open-Source software
• Creating PowerPoint Games
• Using Digital Cameras & Images in your classroom, online photo sharing
• Educational Software (demos, trials, freeware, shareware, purchasing, licensing, open-source)
• Inspiration (concept mapping and organization – thinking maps)
• Using United Streaming in your classroom or other such resources
• Grammar of the Internet and Internet Safety (Alan November)

And a variety of others I can't think of right now. Of course it changes all the time in a effort to keep current. Needless to say, this class is packed full. And summer is in 7 weeks rather than 15.

If you would be interested in joining in our discussion this summer and in the future, let me know. I would appreciate it more than I can say. If you have ideas on other things I should include in the course or ways to accomplish this, let me hear from you.

I suspect I will create a Classroom 2.0 site just for the class and invite all of you as friends? What do you think?

Tags: classes, ideas, learning, resources, teaching, technology

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Permalink Reply by idarknight on April 30, 2007 at 8:46am

I'd be game to help - I'm not in the K-12 environment now, but worked for many years training profs and pre-service teachers to integrate technology. Now I'm doing the same thing with just profs for a Faculty.

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Permalink Reply by Sylvia Martinez on April 30, 2007 at 9:38am

Hi Cyndi,
If you would like a different perspective, I'd be happy to drop in. I've designed educational software, from tools to games, and know a lot about games in education. Another topic that sometimes is left off is the business of K-12 education - the role of vendors in this business, how products get produced, marketed, and sold to schools. For example, I see you have trade magazines as a topic - your students should understand why these magazines are free.

I think understanding some of these things will help your students be informed skeptics when it comes to educational technology.

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Permalink Reply by Crystal Plante on April 30, 2007 at 1:23pm

I'm taking 6 hours this summer, so I'll be spending my summer life online. Might as well help out a good cause! I'm not from an exotic locale, but I'm a local gal and a FHSU grad, if that counts for anything! :-) Let me know what you need done!

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Permalink Reply by Maureen Brisson on April 30, 2007 at 4:49pm

Hi Cyndi
I have been in education for 36 years (just retired) and have been using technology in the K-12 classrooms for about 26 years. I still work as a consultant and an adjunct professor in a Technology in Education Graduate Program.
I would really like to be a part of your classroom networking group this summer. I have also been experimenting with many of the Web 2.0 tools available and would like to serve as a resource, learner and guide to the ever- challenging, ever- growing technology use in education for our new teachers!
Thanks
Maureen

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Braun on April 30, 2007 at 5:52pm

Cyndi,

If there is anything I can do to help out with this, let me know. I think it's a great idea.

Jerry

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Permalink Reply by Paul Wilkinson on May 1, 2007 at 12:11am

I'd love to participate in this. Even if it is just to learn from the other participants.

Paul

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Potter on May 1, 2007 at 3:02pm

I'd like to do this if possible. I think future teachers need to know what they are getting into.

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Permalink Reply by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn on May 2, 2007 at 11:57am

I will be in touch with everyone who has already volunteered and anyone who as yet to in late May. The summer semester begins June 4. I know how swamped every teacher is the last few weeks of school. So, I will let you be and I will send an invite to the link for the TECS 290 Introduction to Instructional Technology Classroom 2.0 site in late May.

thanks for volunteering to help!
Cyndi

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Permalink Reply by techmentor on May 2, 2007 at 12:27pm

Hi,

I would be happy to help if you want. As a technology mentor my position is to promote virtually all of your "units" of study to all teachers in our district. Let me know if I can help.