Week 1 discussion Topic 2

Topic #2: Tech in your workplace: How has your workplace kept up with tech or not kept up with tech? What kinds of tech things have you bought to use in your classroom/presentation?Please give examples (and have a little fun with the idea…).

 We have a really great tech director, Janene Kosman. She brought in a course called 21Things4Teachers, in collaboration with a local university, and offered many, many workshops to assist staff in learning how to use Web 2.0 and other technologies. Without the training I received from her, I would never have been ready to participate in the EMDT program. She is all about 1-to-1 and integrating tech into the classroom.  It was Janene that inspired me to get an iPhone and become more adept at using it as a tool for my classroom. She introduced me to Skype, but EMDT gave me a practical reason for using it. Janene is always offering more opportunities for staff to learn - although I got to a point where I had taken some workshops 2 and 3 times. EMDT was my answer to taking the next step in my learning.

Everything I have learned through EMDT I have used in my classroom, and many of them I have taught to my students.  I have even bought an iMac to take to school so kids would have a chance to experience using Garage Band, iMovie, and some of the Adobe software. Before EMDT, I had begun to explore digital storytelling using a Flip camera, Audacity and Movie Maker software. I have had my students create blogs, and have used them myself to deliver class content.  I used the Moodle LMS, and have gotten deeply involved in creating and collecting things I need to create class movies.  As part of my ARP, I have had my students do story boarding, find creative commons music, create their own video and voice-overs, and have had them use video equipment and a green screen to create a class movie.