Texting for teaching?

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100426/NEWS/100429736

In several of our course discussion forums through PODetc lately, educators have been discussing what do to about texting! I have some associates who text their students on a regular basis but I have not yet tried to incorporate the practice as opposed to fighting its use. The above article is one example of a teacher using it to teach poetry with a measurable improvement in test scores. So what are some ways we could use it? Here are my thoughts:
For the group of students in my advisory -

• texting reminders of meetings, important events
• sending important updates on grades (not sure about privacy here)

For my classes -

• homework reminders - but it is already posted on a webpage so this might be too much
• word of the day
• puzzle of the day
• identify an interesting picture (if all phones receive images) - for science
• "chat" about a particular science topic
• identify main idea from a passage

These are a few thoughts but I have done nothing in terms of actually considering implementation. Send me some of your ideas on how you could use texting in your educational practice.

Come Learn With Us - Reflections from a Summer Student

How I spent my summer vacation….Well, it’s almost over and what do I have to show for it? Thanks to PODetc much newly gained knowledge. I always look for a way to make learning fun and meaningful to my kindergarten through 5^th grade students. Computer games are not used in my labs. In order to learn computer skills and to become life-long learners of technology, the students are required to complete projects which display these learned skills. For example, using MS Word to create a tri-fold state travel brochure in the 4^th grade displays the ability to perform research, typing skills, word art, text formatting and other skills. The 4^th graders then take the population of each state and create an Excel graph comparing the populations of each state.

I was somewhat familiar with the concept of Web 2.0 apps, but had never really had hands on experience. PODetc not only introduced me to many new resources for teaching and learning, but these courses also involved me in these resources. I had the opportunity to communicate with several of my classmates using SKYPE. Using http://21cif.com/rkit/timed_sc1.html in class helped me to understand how the students make mistakes during the search process and which mistake they make. More importantly, it gave me ideas for designing new lessons to teach the students more efficient ways to use the Internet to search for information.

Knowledge gained from my PODetc classes will also benefit the district in which I work. I have suggested to the administration that the use of SKYPE will increase the level of collaboration within grade levels between the three elementary schools in the district. Since two of these schools will be merging in about three years, these teachers, and students, will have the opportunity to get to know each other using this app.

The first day of school is in two weeks. I’m sharpening my pencils and aligning my objectives to the NETS standards. Thanks PODetc. I’m looking toward taking more classes this coming fall and using the skills I have learned.

Bonnie is an active learner and has taken several courses with PODetc since our inception. These courses include Introduction to Instructional Technology, Survey of Emerging Technologies, and Technology Literacy 102: Building Knowledge Management Systems. Thank you, Bonne, for your review!

A New Look for PODetc!

PODetc is pleased to present a new look with our updated website. Visit us at http://podetc.com! As we all get ready to go back to school, it is a good time to look at what new skills you might need to update your classroom and approach to teaching. Any classroom teacher is all too aware these days of how addicted our students are to their technology whether it is an iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, laptop, or combination of all of these. How many of you have caught a student texting during class or, worse, cheating because of the technologies they know all too well.

Rather than try to restrict access to available tools, it is time to be proactive and learn how to incorporate these tools into your own curriculum. Imagine if you had to spend 6 hours every day in rooms without access to the tools you too have come to depend upon - how can we expect that of our students? PODetc offers a variety of courses for a range of comfort levels with technology. Many teachers start with our Introduction to Instructional Technology to get a broad overview of the ways some educators are actively using technology as critical tool for their teaching. But we also offer classes specific to certain kind of technologies with a range of applications. All of our classes are designed to meet one or more of the ISTE NETS for students as well as NETS for teachers. In the near future, we will offer a certification program that will grant a professional certificate in ISTE NETS student standards upon completion of a course map that covers all of the standards and an independent study in which you design a lesson around those standards.

We are partnered with the University of Wisconsin, Greenbay in order that you can earn graduate credit hours with the same tuition for both residents and non-residents. You may also take the course on a non-credit basis to fulfill professional development needs and to address your questions about integrating educational technologies into your instruction.

Fall classes are open for enrollment now!