YouTube – Dylan Teaching the Teachers How to create a basic podcast.

If you have teachers who need help, why not let students create tutorials for them? Students have an authentic project, and teachers get help with the exact hardware or software, not some generic tutorial. This is a win-win for everyone involved.

And think about this – if you are teaching a technology applications class, or asking students to pass technology literacy standards, why not have the projects the students do actually do some good? Why not have student projects that have an authentic purpose – helping teachers (or peers, or the community, for that matter).

One of the most important parts of project-based learning is having a sense of who your audience is – and the audience for student work does not have to be one harried technology teacher.

These can be useful additions to any school’s suite of tech support tools, plus, create a climate of student ownership. Brett says, “They did a series of five this year – they’re now training next year’s group to continue! Teachers love them.”

Sylvia

I think it came out pretty well – listen and you’ll hear all kinds of ideas about “The Digital Classroom” from me and others including Helen Otway, Chris Rogers, Alan November, Andy Penman, and Michelle Selinger. I especially liked opening the show by talking about how technology is not dehumanizing us as it’s often depicted. Rather technology allows a greater sense of community with people around the world, and how this can now include young people in an unprecedented way.

Sylvia

The Digital Classroom – ACEC 2010 (click to play)

If this doesn’t work, try this direct link to the ABC site for the MP3.

Five on Five: A Dialogue on Profession Development

A quintet of educators gathers to sound off on what works and what doesn’t in the ongoing mission to train teachers to use technology in classroom instruction.

Thanks Matt for turning an audio interview with 5 people on the phone into a great article! Plus, they did caricatures of us — kinda cool.

If you are an auditory learner try this:

Five on Five: Professional Development Podcast

Thanks also to the other podsters – Kristin Hokanson, Jim Gates, Bob Keegan and Cathy Groller. It was so much fun we kept talking after the time was up!

Sylvia

Megan is the Generation YES customer service lead, and Emily is our development coordinator (and ex-GenYES student.) The podcast, recorded on the exhibit hall floor at NCCE, is about the leadership and teamwork skills students develop in the GenYES program as they team with teachers to integrate technology at their own schools.

Link to the podcast. – Compelling Reasons to Involve Students in Technical and Instructional Technology Support with GenYES and TechYES

We discussed how to help teachers quickly move to student-centered uses of technology. Many professional development sessions focus on teaching tool features, yet this method can sometimes result in less teacher confidence as they become overwhelmed. By teaching students, or teaching students and teachers together, teachers can see how quickly students learn technology and that their fearlessness overcomes many obstacles. Teacher fears need not translate to student fears, but it’s hard for teachers to believe that until they see it with their own eyes.

Sylvia