As we enter the final stretch for CI 505, our array of topics in a single evening may appear unconnected. All of our topics for April 9, however, share the focus on using technology to create learner centered, active environments for students (and sometimes teachers).
Dennis Culver encouraged all of us to work on expanding our Professional Learning Networks in useful and efficient ways. After his presentation, I decided to try Twitter one more time and after class, I became a follower of Dennis on Twitter.
Dennis also offered some interesting Ipad Apps and opened up student thinking on possible uses of Ipads in classrooms. Dennis's presentation, combined with Adam's earlier presentation on Ipad text books, will help all of us carefully consider affordances and constraints of Ipad technology for classrooms.
We then moved to Leah's informative presentation the The Google Art Project, which also provided a good introduction to our consideration of virtual worlds as classroom tools.
And, finally, each student shared ideas about final paper topics and we formed three work groups to facilitate the development of the papers. I was pleased with the topics chosen for final papers and I look forward to our work together on this project.
I am pleased with the community that has formed in 505 and the contributions of each student as we work to construct knowledge about technology and human learning together. The results of the midterm suggest to me that we have a group of strong leaders who will be able to make thoughtful and coherent cases for appropriate uses of technology to expand and enhance technology use for learners. I am hoping that many 505 students will use social media to expand their PLN's to include colleagues from our class.
