My lesson today focused on how history and outside influences have affected the Middle East. The focus was the modernization of three nations – Egypt, Turkey and Iran. In advance I created a presentation in PowerPoint that summarized the main ideas in the text. Finally, I wanted the students to reflect on the content and given a series of self-questioning stems, generate one question that they still needed answered based on the content. We were [...]

This week I tried something different with one of the assigned textbook sections. I created a Google doc with several main ideas and then listed a few bullet items beneath each. Students were asked to find supporting details from their text, the web, etc. for each of the ideas. In the end, we would have a single, collaborative document with lots of information. My original idea was to have only one computer for each question [...]

This year I have returned to classroom teaching for the first time since 2001 in a split position. Half of my time this year consist of teaching World Cultures, and the other half to instructional technology support. If you have been a regular visitor to the site you noticed that I haven’t posted for the last month. Much of that is due to the fact that I have had to re-acclimate myself with the daily [...]

I found this video while searching for some online summer professional development. Enjoy! And spend some time reflecting on what this will mean for your current professional position next school year!  

Will Richardson presented at TEDxNYED on March 5, 2011. Enjoy!  

This post might not be directly related to technology but it may have the power to transform teachers and / or the classroom. I am trying to get into the practice of taking the last ten minutes to reflect on these questions daily: How did the day go? What success did I experience? What challenges did I endure? What did I learn today? About myself? About others? What do I plan to do — differently [...]

Laura Turner posted on Digital Learning Environments a list of 20 technology skills she believes every educator should have. Take a look… Google Tools Knowledge* Google Earth Knowledge Wiki Knowledge* Blogging Knowledge* Spreadsheets Skills* Database Skills* Social Bookmarking Knowledge* Social Networking Knowledge Web Resources in content area* Web Searching skills* Web2.0 Tools* Interactive White Board skills (SmartBoard and Promethean)* Website design and management skills* Presentation Tools* IM knowledge Video and Podcasting RSS feeds* Mobile and [...]

From Edutopia: Want to know your learning style? Take the quiz. There are 24 questions, and it will take less than five minutes to complete. Try not to think too hard — just go with your first thought when describing your daily activities and interests. At the end, you’ll find out more about how you learn. *If you would like to your results saved then please login first. What’s Your Learning Style? | Edutopia Just [...]

Looking for another way to use a wiki? How about having the students take class notes? I came across the concept from this post: The Salt-Box » Wikified class notes In the post, the author outlines the first attempt at having college students enter class notes on a wiki and then provides the criteria for the second version: Creating a 75-100 word statement of the main idea or unifying theme of the class.  (For a [...]

Dr. Michael Wesch is an Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Michael is a cultural anthropologist exploring the effects of new media on society and culture. His YouTube videos have been viewed by millions.