I am an Educator

I feel I was "called" to this profession, one I am proud to have been a part of for 35 years. After 25 years in the classroom (N-8), I decided to become an Instructional Technology Specialist. Although my focus has changed to coaching teachers in the use of technology, I feel that I have a good insight into the demands on today's teacher.

Many teachers are leaving the profession during their first five years. The demands on today's teacher are phenomenal. School districts who adopt new programs, textbooks, professional development expectations and so forth are forgetting the need for the time needed to adequately prepare for lessons. Too many meetings, paperwork, assessments are interfering with the teaching and learning process. Our school day is the same length as it was back in the 1920's, but look at all the things to learn that have developed.

To do the best job for students we need to have initiatives and policies fully backed with the necessary funds to make it happen. Perfect example is the use of online testing when schools are not equipped with enough computers to basically 'shut down' any other use for 3-5 weeks of the school year. We need educators with vision...where are we heading and what is the ultimate goal?

January FETC 2010

Time is drawing near for this year's Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC) held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. FETC is a division of 1105 Media Inc. and this year's conference will have more than 200 Concurrent Sessions, more than 70 Professional Development Workshops, and an exhibit hall with 500+ companies. Participants will have an opportunity to network with folks about the latest in technology and educational resources. I look forward to attending and meeting folks I've communicated with during the year on Skype, Twitter, and FaceBook. Educators discovering ways to incorporate the latest Web 2.0 tools in the classroom are an exciting group!

FETC Virtual Conference

The FETC Virtual Conference is being held today until 6PM. Interact with participants and exhibitors. Go to the auditorium to listen to guest speakers. If you are unable to stay online for a long period of time, go to the Media Center and pick up some white papers to check out later. This is a perfect venue for those of us with busy schedules and no budgets for travel and such.

Consultant work

I have really enjoyed the past couple of months working with BigUniverse.com. It has been very rewarding and I've met wonderful individuals virtually. Working strictly "in the clouds" has been a new experience. My role allowed me to draw upon the skills I have been working on for the past decade. I learned new software programs, communicated via Skype and used Google Business (docs, spreadsheets, calendar, and gmail). Hats off to a company that has a great product and a 21st century work environment!

Good Find from Twitter

You can always count on learning something from reading the tweets on Twitter. This article, 100 Helpful Web Tools for Every Kind of Learner, is a real find! Check it out, as it is organized by learning style.

BigUniverse.com

I first posted about BigUniverse in January and I’ve really come to appreciate what this site offers. The site includes the opportunity to create a virtual bookshelf, rate books, and recommend them to others. There is also an authoring tool built in so subscribers can create and publish their own books. With school budget cuts across the country, this is a wonderful way to increase access to books in our K-6 schools. Older students would welcome the authoring tool.

Google Certified Teacher

What a fabulous experience being at Google in Boulder, CO. I learned so many things and previous learning was reinforced. I am ecstatic to be part of this closed community.