Do you speak their language?

How often do you hear students complaining about a teacher who told them to put their cell phone away, or turn their iPod off? If your school
is anything like my school, then I am sure you hear this on a daily
basis. Integrating technology into the classroom has been a hot topic
over the last several years, and as our society continues to embrace new
technological advances, Education 2.0 will hopefully continue to gain
traction.

I have been using a lot of my summer to research and learn about new
ways to use technology in my classroom. The great thing about using
technology in the classroom is that we for the most part won't have to
teach the students how to use the technology. Ironically, the students
might be doing a majority of the teaching, by teaching the teachers how
to use THEIR technology. More importantly, I want to bring the 21st
century advancements in technology into our classrooms so we can close
the gap between our schools, and the "real" world. Unfortunately, going
into most schools is like going 20 years into the past in terms of
applying current technological trends.

This upcoming school year I plan on using Twitter in my classroom to
stay connected with both students and parents. Additionally, I want to
give my students and parents the opportunity to voice their comments and
concerns in an open and transparent forum. I hope to also utilize the
many resources available online to "engage" the students in the learning
process. I want them to help me integrate technology into the
classroom. I will ask them for advice and suggestions that could prove
to be influential in gaining their trust, as well as their attention!

This video highlights the importance of using current technologies
(which the students already use) in the classroom to address student
disengagement and student boredom. "When I go to school, I have to power down," perfectly illustrates exactly why it is imperative that we change the way we approach technology in the classroom. Enjoy!

http://edupln.ning.com/video/pay-attention