Teacher Trails

These days, when globalization reigns and boundaries between countries are dissipating, a virus is calling us to do our best and share what we can. In our case, we feel that going back to social networks is fundamental to be with others and add our little grain of sand. In these circumstances, we are encouraged to contribute our experience and share what it was like to move into the virtual world on a previous opportunity ( influenza A (H1N1) in a K-12 school in Buenos Aires (June 2009). Once again this has become a necessity in order to shorten distances and continue with our work. With this in mind, we want to share what we learned and "harvested" from the mistakes and successes during that time. It is not our intention to "determine" how or what to do but, to open an invitation to think together what it means to teach in times of physical isolation.  We will try to present some ideas, even the most obvious ones; sharing our doubts, mistakes, concern...

Some time ago I heard someone say we are living in "interesting times for teachers." Definitely! Never before have I seen educational issues discussed and debated in such a way. Of course we have a tool we did not have before: technology. This allows us to connect with colleagues, working and learning together, sharing what we are doing, how we do it and the results we are getting. But technology is not just a means of communication, it is present in everybody's daily life and schools cannot ignore this. It now stands at the classroom's door trying to enter and become a powerful partner. Technology is not just an incredible collection of relevant information updated to the minute. It allows us to connect what happens in school with the real world, contributing to the significance and purpose of what happens in the classroom. A common mistake is to think that ...

As I was trying to "organize" all the files I have on my computer, I found this paper I wrote back in 1998. It feels strange to read what I thought and read back then...   The idea of computers in classrooms was science fiction for me at that time still, most ideas hold so very true.  My generation stands in awe as we see how much things change, mainly regarding technology and communications. Life has become so accelerated that changes are outdated before we can truly understand them and integrate them into our lives.  Immersed in this situation schools and teachers are facing complex questions: What should schools teach? What knowledge is essential? What knowledge will be most needed when our students leave school? Schools and teachers have a very important challenge ahead; provide our students with tools in order for them to live intelligently in today’s world and become useful members of society. John Holt in his book “ How children fail ” (1964) sustained “S...

Weathering e-motions (when Integrating Technology) on Prezi There’s a lot going on regarding Technology Integration to educational settings. In my view, there’s still a participant in this whole story who’s not receiving the necessary attention which will provoke the changes we expect: Teachers . If we don’t pay attention to what teachers feel and go through, technology will fill in classrooms but we won’t be able to make the most of them and all the possibilities they can offer. It is the teaching not the technology we need to focus on. Even more, positive teacher attitudes towards computing are critical if computers are to be effectively integrated into classroom settings (1). Technology integration is a complex phenomenon that involves understanding teacher’s motivations, perceptions and beliefs about learning and technology (2). It has all to do with pedagogy and little with technology in itself.  It has very little to do with teaching basic computer skills a...

I opened this space to think and share what I find, what I do but also to think in a loud voice so that hopefully, others might read and share their thoughts as well. Some may agree, others won't. I know I can think a lot better when I'm thinking WITH others.  Many times my posts have to do with what I find or read from other colleagues, seldom can I remember how I got there, organisation is not one of my assets although I work hard to improve this. A few days ago, my colleagues and I finished a 4 meeting Professional Development course we prepared for a group of secondary school teachers on integrating technology to their daily practice, it all ended on such a high note!  In my experience, teachers are always thankful when you share information, experiences and tips.  They look so enthusiastic and are ready to share what works for them in their groups.  All the same, sometimes I stop and wonder how many are willing to take the plunge, leave "common groun...

Hace relativamente poco, que empezamos a hablar de modelo 1 a 1. Se generan debates, altamente constructivos y creo que todos buscamos lo mismo, entender, aprender, probar... porque en esto de la inclusión de las TIC "todos somos aprendices". Algunos piensan que este cambio pasa por las máquinas, la tecnología, el software, poniendo el acento en el manejo de herramientas.... quizás sea un punto de partida, amigarse con la tecnología, convertirse en usuario para explorar e iniciar el proceso de cambio. Pero EL CAMBIO no se detiene ahí, hay tanto más, ¡lo mejor recién empieza! La posibilidad de presentar situaciones problemáticas, trabajar en base a proyectos, contemplando los intereses de los chicos, dando lugar a sus aportes, sus preguntas, sus hallazgos. Compartiendo con los de cerca y con los de lejos, construyendo el conocimiento a partir de los saberes previos integrando los nuevos y los aportes de los otros. Borrando las paredes del aula y entregándose a la apasionante e...

Another great post by Dean Shareski “ How To Make Better Teachers “. His idea is clear and simple: use a blog, to connect with others, to tell them about what you are doing, to learn with and from others, and also to show your students you are ready to go through the experience yourself. It is also an excellent way so as to leave a trail of your daily activities, efforts, achievements, reflections, and more. There is a whole community of teachers ready to learn and share with you, so take the plunge and get a blog  How to Make Better Teachers If you still have doubts, here’s a great example of two teachers 565 miles apart who share their class experiences in this blog. So, if you think you are not ready to go alone, grab a friend and jump in hand in hand! Two Writing Teachers In my case, my blog is the place where I record my ideas, think with others, keep track of interesting material I come across. The closest thing to a box or folder where I keep my material, nowadays ...

I read and follow quite a number of blogs and I always marvel at the amazing things people share. Today I found  What Ed said  "A teacher, a learner, an inquirer, and now a blogger."  There are a number of interesting posts, the one that most caught my attention is:  10 ways my thinking has changed…  such a great way to show how our thinking has (or should have) changed! Many times thinking about the changes education is going through and how technology is changing our lives and the way knowledge is acquired/built… I think this post describes it in a fantastic way, I couldn’t have found the words to say it in a better way. There’s also a  “10 ways series”… worth looking into.  10 ways to get students to own their learning 10 ways to foster a love of learning 10 ways to create a culture of thinking 10 ways to grow as an educator 10 ways my thinking has changed 10 ways to think about your learning space 10 ways to hel...

En los últimos tiempo mucho se habla de la integración de la tecnología al ámbito escolar. Es evidente la gran resistencia que desde siempre presentó la escuela a varios intentos de “modernización”; sino cómo explicar que en los últimos 50 años no se hayan observado cambios significativos en su estructura. ¿Qué debe hacer la escuela frente al dilema de la inclusión de las nuevas tecnologías? ¿Qué desafíos pedagógicos generan? ¿Cuál es el rol de la escuela? Y el de los docentes? Las nuevas tecnologías desbaratan las prácticas pedagógicas tradicionales, el modo discursivo, el docente como poseedor de todas las respuestas correctas. Derrumban su estructura, su organización, su planteo áulico y discrepan con las habilidades y el valor de los contenidos que transmite. Algunos docentes por vocación se sienten inseguros, de hecho no fueron capacitados para integrar la tecnología a sus prácticas diarias cuando transitaron el Profesorado; les inquieta ingresar a un aula en la que se s...

Uno de los blogs que sigo es el de Seth Godin siempre tiene temáticas interesantes y que invitan a pensar como esta: "Ideas that spread, win". Creo que ese es el punto de partida y gran cambio, sobretodo para los que crecimos en un mundo donde la idea general era que compartir devaluaba el conocimiento que se poseía.