What a great experience in class tonight. Darren Kuropatwa is a math teacher who embraces technology in his classroom and shared with us his typical day (from start to finish!). He painted a wonderful picture and shared his class blogs, his insights, and his passion. Thank you Darren.
This session was extremely helpful to me as I experienced first hand in Darren’s classroom that which I can’t see from central office (at least not while I’m in central office!). On the one hand I learned what I already know – that good teachers are good teachers. I am sure Darren would be amazing without technology -he is a great teacher. So while we struggle with preparing teachers for School 2.0, we must no lose focus of what the research tells us about good learning. On the other hand I learned some new tools and came to appreciate how students can use blogs to enhance understanding.
Darren also told us about the K12 Online Conference and encouraged us to visit the archives from 2006 and 2007. I’ve taken a spin through and listened to one session so far. I’ll be visiting regularly, as there is not only the archived sessions but also ongoing comments.This week I am presenting to my non-teaching colleagues about the tools of School 2.0. I’m going to borrow from Darren’s idea to frame it as “a day in the life” of a teacher. The work of my colleagues is providing support and access to online learning environments, so I am eager to share what is possible beyond the traditional productivity tools and LMS. I think they’ll be blown away!
January 24, 2008 at 4:36 am
Just want to say that I spent four years at Central Office and am now back in the trenches. I like to say this keeps me honest. It’s one thing to present about current instructional strategies but for me bringing them to life with a group of students is the most rewarding. As a part time administrator and part time teacher, I find that I have influence in two places….with teachers and with students.
January 24, 2008 at 6:12 am
Hey Laurie. Your role reminds me of my work in an hr department in a private company some years ago. My VP said it was important for each of us to have some transactional work. Keeping us honest, keeping us grounded, keeping us in sight of what was actually happening – all reasons she gave that I learned were of value.
In my current role, I work hard to visit schools, talk to teacher, talk to students, and do whatever I can to keep that connection. My work has no meaning in the absence of its contribution to student learning.
Thanks for sharing.
January 25, 2008 at 6:14 am
[...] Here’s a bit of what they are saying: What a great experience in class tonight. Darren Kuropatwa is a math teacher who embraces technology in his classroom and shared with us his typical day (from start to finish!). He painted a wonderful picture and shared his class blogs, his insights, and his passion. Thank you Darren. (Cindy) [...]