Smartboards in the Classroom

Andrew A. Zucker enumerates the six key education goals in his book "Transforming Schools with Technology - How Smart Use of Digital Tools Helps Achieve Six Key Education Goals".

Consider:

Goal 1: Increasing Student Achievement

Goal 2: Making Schools More Engaging and Relevant

Goal 3: Providing a High-Quality Education for All Students

Goal 4: Attracting, Preparing and Retaining High-Quality Teachers

Goal 5: Increasing Support for Children Outside School

Goal 6: Requiring Accountability for Results 

 

 

Have you ever faced a techno-phobic colleague and tried to explain why integrating technology into the classroom is so important?  Have you been given the argument computers are just an "add-on"?  Well, I've begun reading Andrew A. Zucker's latest book "Transforming Schools with Technology - How SMART Use of Tools Help Achieve Six Key Educational Goals" and highly recommend his book to help answer these questions.

 

Consider:
Fundamental Change (p 23): "Despite the existence of new media, people learn as they always have - through practice, direct instruction, projects, inquiry, hands-on experience, apprenticeships, positive and negative reinforcement, metaphors, images, life experience and so forth."

He believes that technology will allow us to transform "where and when students learn", "how they learn i.e, the tools they use", "who they learn with" and "what they learn". 

He uses a wonderful aviation analogy to further explain the distinction between fundamental and transformational change.  Let me paraphrase:

Fundamental Need: People need to move from place to place. Over time, we have developed methods of transportation to meet this fundamental need -  early planes to modern jets.

Transformational Change: Change has occurred, not in our fundamental need to move from place to place, but rather in the method we use to meet this fundamental need. In education, it is the tools we use that has changed, not our fundamental need to learn through social interaction.

Wonderful!  Concise, straight-forward, practical.  Curl up with Mr. Zucker's book and add your thoughts below.

Here's a link to my new blog that is exclusively dedicated to readings of books, articles and research on technology integration.

Attachment(s): http://edtechinstruction.blogspot.com

The full title of this wonderful new book I'm reading is "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life - The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger and Impulsiveness".    By now, you've realized that one of my favorite reading topic is "How Do Children Learn?".  This book addresses that question from a medical doctor and psychiatrist's perspective.  Did you know that the brain is made of specific parts like the Deep Limbic System, Basal Ganglia, Prefrontal Cortex, Cingulate System, and the Temporal Nodes?  Did you also know that each part controls specific behavior and that damage to that part directly influences how people behave?  Well, I didn't.  So this book has been one I've been studying, re-reading and discussing with my family and colleagues.  I hope that this book will be the first of many I read so that I can greater understand the students in front of me.  To differentiate instruction, we must first understand how people learn.  A wonderful beginning.  Strongly recommended!

I read. A lot!  When I'm at leisure or between workshops, I am happiest with a book in my hand.  Here's a picture of my most recent non-fiction reading list.

 

Current Reading List

• "Disrupting Class" by Clayton Christensen.  Very thought-provoking book that needs to be read and digested.  Much of what I've learned I've put into my teaching practice.  Highly recommended.
  
• Web Literacy for Educators" by Alan November.  This is Alan's latest book and well worth reading by anyone working with children in the 21st Century.
  
• "The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player" by John C. Maxwell. Wonderful analysis of team building with clear guidelines.
  
• "You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader" by Mark Sanborn - Nor does having a title make you a leader!  Ha!  Great read!
  
• "Our Iceberg is Melting - Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions" by John Kotter.  Love this quick, amusing and very thought-provoking book about team building and leadership. Watch out for the "No-No's" in any team!
  
• "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni.  Essential reading for anyone trying to impact change.
  
• "The Wisdom of Crowds" by James Surowiecki (more to follow)
  
• "Here Comes Everybody" by Clay Shirsky (more to follow)
  
• "Transforming Schools with Technology - How Smart Use of Digital Tools Helps Achieve Six Key Educational Goals" by Andrew A. Zucker (more to follow)
  
• "Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" by Will Richardson.  An essential read as well as keeping up with Will on his blog.
  
• "Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom" by Carol Ann Tomlinson.  I'm a great fan of Carol Ann's since I met her at the ASCD conference in June, 2008 in Nashville, Tenn.  A talented educator who's made a significant impact on education in the US. 
  

Thoughts on Readings

I ponder about what I read. Increasingly, I've become fascinated about how children think, how technology can reach the diverse learner and how a well-organized, highly functional professional development team can change teacher practice to reach all students.  

 

So I've created a new category on the right called "Readings and Ruminations" so I can record my thoughts and talk with similarly minded educators like you.  I plan to discuss specific books that have stimulated my thoughts on improving teacher practice...sort of like an international book club online.  Be sure to comment when you visit.