K12Online2009, part 3

Two additional K12 presentations I watched included: You Might be a 21st Century Leader if... and Little Kids, Big Possibilities.

Little Kids, Big Possibilities was pertinent, interesting, and applicable (and still somewhat overwhelming). One of my frustrations with all that we have been learning and exploring in the this class is the fact that I teach at the elementary level, am not a classroom teacher, and split my time between two schools. While much of this seems great, the practical applications can be elusive as students at this level can limited by their age. This presentation introduced five web2.0 applications that would be appropriate to use at the elementary level, along with examples of how she used them with her students. She also demonstrated the steps a teacher would follow to begin using each. Wordle was the only one with which I was already familiar. Others include Wallwisher, Comic Creators, Comics.com, and Edmodo. All are worthy of further investigation. But where to start? What continues to surprise me is that with all the new tools I've been learning about, there are still so many out there. What's the best way to sort through the options?

You Might be a 21st Century Leader if... was geared towards school leaders. It was helpful to watch to keep in mind the direction in which teaching and learning are traveling. Standards were shared and compared. The standards related to core values, the way students learn, and the way teachers teach. Inspire, sustain, promote, manage, collaborate, model. The ISTE standard shared, which I think is important in creating a successful 21st century environment - "... the success of technology integration initiatives relies on leaders who excel in supporting, implementing, and sustaining systemic reform for schools."

Dennis, I just noticed you have a presentation, too. I'll add it to the list.