Beyond These Walls

I have spent the last few weeks crazily reading as many books/posts/journal articles as I could find in preparation for the upcoming MDE conference.  My goal is to host a wimba classroom session to share what I have learned.- in reality, I've probably scratched the surface.. but there is so much out there to learn about. 
As a classroom teacher, I know that our students need to learn how to function in a world that will evolve continually, long after our students leave our classroom.  As an avid museum visitor, I know that there are some great museums out there that have the potential to bring learning to life.  As a linguist, I know that we can improve our language skills by communication - ideally with those who speak the language we are learning.  As a student, I know that learning never stops.  So- what do all of these have in common?   Emerging technologies can make all of these things  possible.  The biggest problem is having the time to figure out what is new, how to use it in the classroom and how to make it part of a meaningful learning process for our students, whether they are in the physical classroom, the virtual classroom or just want to learn as an individual.


Throughout the next week, we'll be exploring some of the new technologies, and hopefully, sharing some ways that they can be used in either the e-classroom or the physical classroom.  The goal is to inspire all teachers to think about how to incorporate these emerging technologies.  In so many school districts, the incorporation of new technologies moves slowly, for a wide variety of reasons.   Having educated teachers who are willing to share how and why these new technologies can be used to increase learning will go a long way to creating the groundswell that is necessary to help those who have not yet figured it out. 

Obviously, I cannot cover every technology,  and there are many that I do not know about.  I encourage all readers to comment on what is posted, and to share their own ideas on how to use these technologies in the classroom at any level.   If you know of software, applications or technology in general that can be used in teh classroom, please share the name,  a link, and how it could potentially be used.  

Looking forward to hearing from you all.