http://saraebest.edublogs.org Reflections on Teaching, Creativity, and Technology in the 21st Century. Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:16:37 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Twitter and how the mathematical title of this post breaks down: 140 characters X who I am FollowinG + my FollowerS= an incalculable amout of shared resources, ideas, feedback, and collaboration...also known as "Professional Development" I joined twitter last spring after after attending the 2008 ETC conference where I presented with fellow ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2009/07/16/140-x-fg-fs-professional-development/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsholly/ / CC BY 2.0 I have been thinking a lot lately about the ideas of creativity and innovation.  Being an artist as well as a teacher of art, design, and photography the concept of creativity is central to my profession and daily interaction with my students. The later concept of ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2009/07/01/passionthe-driving-force-of-creativity-and-innovation/ Sometimes when I am teaching with my Smart Board I feel as if I am the lone personnel member in mission control at NASA.  There are so many tools and features at my fingertips I get afraid to hit the wrong button and launch something from my desktop unexpectedly, sending ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2009/06/23/inside-mission-control-at-the-smart-board/ In collaborating with colleagues on starting to integrate technology, I have heard myself saying the same line several times "It's not about the tool!"  Meaning, connecting technology-rich, engaging lessons into one's classroom isn't about providing a "Wow" factor experience for students.  Technology integration should start with focusing on what it ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2008/11/13/its-not-about-the-tool/ If you haven't yet watched the much talked about TED talk "Are Schools Killing Creativity" it is a must see. I first watched it over a year ago and recently watched it again. It raised some new questions and thoughts about the hierarchy of education today and how can ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2008/11/06/how-do-we-shift-the-hierarchy-of-education/ I have recently read several articles on differentiation through use of technology. The various articles led me to reflection on use of technology with my students and whether or not it is a direct means to differentiation.   We use technology in my classroom daily. However, a student’s access to technology does ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2008/11/06/differentiation-with-technology/ I am about to embark on a new and exciting implementation of using a social network for educational purposes in my photography classes. I have been thinking about ways to encourage more collaborative dialogue among my students. With so much of class time spent on learning technical aspects of ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2008/10/28/social-networks-in-the-classroom/ I began digital portfolios with my Middle School art students this year. As is the case with any new goal of integrating technology, it has evolved a great deal from the original plan. (see blog post from 7/7/08) I started the year with a plan to house student work on ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2008/10/28/digital-portfoliosfrom-audience-to-community/ Last week I attended the Learning 2.008 Conference in Shanghai, China. It was a fast and furious 3 day conference focused on 21st century learning with technology. I attended many excellent keynotes, sessions, and "unconference" sessions (sessions that are inspired by learning throughout the conference, suggested and/or lead ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2008/09/23/learning-2008-technology-conferenceshanghai/ This summer, I was part of the planning and presenting of the P.L.A.T.E (Plymouth Leadership And Technology for Education) conference. This conference was presented by year 2 Masters of Educational Technology Graduate Students from Michigan State University, of which I am a member. We were 19 Michigan ... http://saraebest.edublogs.org/2008/08/19/the-plate-conference/