I have been racking my brain trying to think of something that would be appropriate to add to the contents of this class. I like the idea of using other sources to blog about. One source would be The New Tech Network found here.
The New Tech Network is a non-profit organization that helps high school students gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life, college, and the careers of tomorrow.They work nationwide with schools, districts, and communities to provide services and support that enable schools to implement innovative high schools that promote deeper learning.Beginning in the mid-90s in Napa, California. The local schools were meeting education standards, and the community thought of Napa High School as a good school. However, local business leaders remained concerned that meeting basic standards would not be enough to ensure that students were graduating with the skills needed to meet the needs of the new economy.These business and community leaders decided to make a difference. Working with the local school district, they began researching innovations in education to re-imagine what a truly great school might be like. In 1996, the Napa Valley Unified School District established Napa New Technology High School with the first class of 100 students. As Napa New Technology High School thrived, local business leaders and education advocates came together to ensure the school’s long-term success and sustainability by establishing the New Tech Foundation. In 2001, New Tech was awarded a $6 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Today, their name is New Tech Network and they support 87 public high schools in 16 states. New Tech schools leverage what research tells us about how people learn to create an exceptional teaching and learning environment. Based on this research and experience, they create a rigorous and engaging high school experience that features project-based learning, the seamless use of technology, and a positive and empowering school culture.
Now that you know a bit about the site and why it was created, let's move to the assignment. One this page is the blog for the site. I think the assignment would be to assign each student a blog and require them to post on the blog and explain how they could possibly use the technology discussed in his/her classroom. I think it would be a big help to future teachers to see how other teachers view technology and apply it to their classrooms...
What do you think?
That sounds really cool. I like to hear from others about what they think on tech but the coolest part would be how they are making sure that the locals know that just having a "C" average school will not produce the most successful graduates. Unfortunately it seems to be the norm now that if you can get the student through the 4 years of high school to get a piece of paper then through college to get another piece of paper means that they will succeed. Not only that but the students who have the piece of paper think that with that paper they can become the next Bill Gates or Teddy Roosevelt or George Washington with little to no hard effort. I am truly glad to see that people are trying to make the future a brighter place. And this sounds like a great addition to our already strenuous work load.
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of the New Tech Network, but after reading about it I found it interesting. It looks like a really great program. I liked your idea and think it would be an excellent blog assignment. Keep up the good work!