Workshop--A day to reflect.

 Valley View, Ohio: Today I am at a conference at the CCERC (Cuyahoga County Educational Resource Center).  Jim Luteran is running the conference with Mark Tebeau, from Cleveland State History Dept.  The objective was to help prepare teachers to present a workshop at their own schools.  The topics were "Sounds" in the teaching of History.  As I listened to Mark and Jim, as well as 15 teachers from Portage, Summit, Cuyahoga, and Lake county, a few things "hit" me.    First, teachers in general are not using technology in many districts.  Teachers said, "At meeting we present these ideas and several teachers point blank state, I will not use technology in my classroom."  They talked about how many teachers in their districts did not know how to make powerpoints, let alone use the web as a learning tool.  This could be caused by many factors: lack of resources, tradition, and their own education.   However, several teachers pointed out the district got smarthboard/projectors and still they are not seeing new ways of teaching emerge, yet. Second, it became clear we "cover" history.    What I mean by that is we attempt to cover tons of information in our standards to achieve success on state mandated exams, but really don't teach students how to understand history or study history (or any content).  Do we teach them how to critically think to understand material? Do we teach students how to analyze materials (readings/cartoons/images/newspapers/etc..)?  Do we teach them how to connect ideas and or historical facts? Do we teach them how to relate what they are learning to the world around them?  The third hit came from a young women who teaches in the Cleveland Area, she talked about the need for teacher leaders.  We need teachers who model how to implement the technology and share that knowledge with their staff.  They mentioned this over and over, how if they did something with students and people would hear about it they would come and ask questions.  Then they become the go to person for help and willingly led them down the road toward the integration of technology.  That is something we need more of: Teacher Leaders. 

Near the end of the presentation they showed a classroom wikispace…here is a teacher leader at First Grade doing it all with her students--see images below.  Check out her site. 

I will have to think about this day a little longer and then comment on some of the new website they presented.