A Few Simple Ways To Introduce Reluctant Colleagues To Technology

(Cross-posted at TechLearning) Many years ago I helped operate a soup kitchen on San Jose’s (CA) Skid Row. We were well-meaning, but not the most responsible neighbors. I’ve often thought about that incident during my nineteen year career as a community organizer and six years as a public school teacher. The issue of educational technology is, I believe, no different. In my community organizing career, I learned that a key to engaging people to move beyond their comfort zone is to first build a relationship — a reciprocal one. Based on the conversations I’ve had with many teachers, here are some of the simple ways I’ve introduced using educational technology as tool reluctant colleagues might want to consider — after I’ve developed or deepened relationships with them. 1) Using a Computer Projector. 2) Using a Document Camera. 3) Easily Creating A More Authentic Audience For Student Work. To Make It Easily Viewable By Other Classmates: Tackk is another one. Yes, these are all small steps.

My 5 Favorite Tablet PC Tips for Educators With all the growing interest in tablet-based computing in schools, I thought it would be timely to share once again “My 5 Favorite Tablet PC Tips for Educators”. These are simple ways you can use a digital pen to support your teaching – especially in math and science, where diagrammatic discussions are key. I also include a tip at the end for using your existing laptop to take advantage of the power of digital ink… As with anything new, especially education technology you’ve never used before, start with someone simple. The best starting point for learning to use your digital pen is marking up PowerPoint. What’s interesting is that teachers who are doing this have discovered that they make better use of PowerPoint: Because they leave more whitespace so they can draw as they talk, the presentation slows down to the speed of thought. EXTRA TIP: Create your master powerpoint, but don’t present from it; always make a copy, then start marking it up. Looking for ways to be more efficient?

Apps for Professional Development Twitter App (free) Twitter is one of the most active and beneficial social networks on the web. All educators would be wise to join the conversation. Google Voice (free) Text and call for free! Skype (free) A beautiful app that allows you to make and receive VOIP calls on your iOS device. HeyTell (free) A fun “walkie-talkie” app for quick voice communication. Consumption Apps FlipBoard (free) A beautiful app that turns your RSS reader (such as Google Reader) into a magazine. Zite (free) Similar to FlipBoard, however instead of just providing a beautiful interface to view content you select, Zite tries to introduce you to new content sources based off of sources you currently read. QR Code Readers Quick-Response codes are the strange black and white boxes that have begun appearing everywhere. RedLaser: free native iPhone app, simple and lightweightQrafter: free, the most robust of all of the QR scanners. Diigo (free) Research Apps: Google Search App (free) WolframAlpha ($2.99) QuickOffice HD ($14.99)

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