Please advise: Doing online courses for teachers using web 2.0 typ apps

[MIke Seymour]

I direct The Heritage Institute a program of continuing education for teachers located in the Northwest, but with distance education offerings that reach teachers anywhere with Internet access.

We are expanding our online offerings and want to do a suite of short courses for credit and CEU's on the uses of Web 2.0 -type applications for classroom instruction. As many of you know, most teachers out there have little or no exposure to using the internet beyond simple searching, and names like wiki, blogs, RSS feeds, podcasting and more are like a foreign language.

So, my first question is how to best design, name and present courses which cover some of the basics and then move on from there. My sense is that, say, an elementary teacher, will want to know simple steps on how to make elementary science, or writing come alive through use of the web. So, a course that is very subject specific and shows them examples of what other teachers have done would be a away to start.

Secondly, I'm looking for a few instructors who have a masters degree and who could offer courses like this for us. We already have someone doing a course on Google Earth and its uses (social studies etc), and I am doing content area courses around themes of social justice, environment and global issues. But I would love to chat with some of you using web 2.0 or other apps at both the secondary and elementary levels.

My email is [e-mail].

Thanks.

Mike Seymour

[Steve Hargadon]

Best advice I keep hearing is not to teach how to use Web 2.0 in the classroom first, but to teach how to use it for the educator's own personal/professional development. It's so transformative that trying to teach application before understanding doesn't work.

[MIke Seymour]

Thanks Steve. Makes intuitive sense--use for personal development first.

[Danielle Heaton]

I can agree with this. I'm in the same class that Lauren (who posted below) is in. We are to create blogs, wikis, etc. ourselves. In order to teach these tools to students, one has to be comfortable with them.

[Lauren Parigi]

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Florida. I am specializing in educational technology, so I am currently in 2 online classes (8 weeks long). One is titles Internet in K-12 Instruction. In this course we are expanding our knowledge and also learning about wikis, blogs, rss feeds, podcasts etc. and how to use them in the classroom. I have learned a lot and I thought I was a "digital native."
My other course is entitled digital photography and visual literacy. We are using photography and visual literacy to help the curriculum. Just like the other course I am enrolled in, I have learned a lot about using this in my future classroom. I hope this helps.

[MIke Seymour]

Hey Lauren:

Are you doing your student teaching yet, and if so, using tech with students?

[Lauren Parigi]

Mike
I have completed my student teaching already. I will be a first year teacher this August. I am just about done with grad school.
I have used some technology with my students. I have used a SMARTboard, mobile labs, digital booktalks, educational games, and I just completed a Digital Kids Tech Camp where we created video games and animations with the campers.
I have had some friends use blogs in their student teaching and they turned out great. There are so many free sites out there that you can use with your students, that are safe. I also have some friends who have used podcasting to increase fluency. The possibilities are endless with integrating technology into your classroom and curriculum.

[Nahil]

Hi all,
I also interested about educational technology because I'm working with the departement of educational technology in a ministry of education. Actually I'm a new employee in the departement and some time I feel losing some experience in the technology they must hundle. I need advices in how should the depatement plan to start e-learning project for around 2000 schools, what requirement, what are best tools of learning should they build and if you can specify some companies used to build best e-learning software. sorry for the big story.

Thanks

[MIke Seymour]

Nahil:

I'm just a beginner myself. You are better off asking people with more experience, of which there are many ont his web site. Try Steve Hargadon who started this discussion. Hw may know.

Mike

[Mark Cruthers]

Hi Mike,

I recommend you take a look at Wiziq's virtual classroom and authorstream's power point presentation platform. Both are web based platforms, have a bunch of features and free basic service. Here’s a public class recording conducted by Nellie Deutsch on Technology Integration.

Integrating Technology into the Classroom Using Moodle and Wikis by Nellie Deutsch

Get your own Virtual Classroom

[MIke Seymour]

Thanks Mark. These look like good resources. If you know of anyone who might like to teach for our continuing ed program, please pass our info along.

Mike