Teachers brave the new world
In a reversal of roles, 13 USD 410 teachers recently completed a 10-day summer school class in order to catch up with their students, in the "brave new world" of digital information technology.
The focus of the "Teach to the Future Essentials" course was to help teachers integrate technology in the classroom, and to enhance the teaching that is already taking place, according to Maura Wiebe, a fourth grade teacher and technology facilitator, who taught the course.
"We know that kids are in the digital age and that their brains work differently now," Wiebe said. "This is one way we can get them excited about school and learning."
Wiebe and her assistant, Dustin Dalke, taught the teachers how, when, and where to incorporate technology tools and resources into their lesson plans. In addition, they experienced new approaches to create assessment tools.
The final exams were multi-media presentations by the teachers, demonstrating how they plan to incorporate the things they'd learned.
There were presentations made by teachers and other educators from kindergarten through high school.
In explaining the purpose for her presentation, "21st Century Learning," assistant librarian Janet Whisenhunt said digital technology is part of a brave new world, especially for people old enough to confuse a wi-fi with a hi-fi.
"Those over the age of 30, we are considered digital immigrants," Whisenhunt said. "Students are considered digital natives. These are the tools of their world."
Launched in 2000, Teach to the Future, sponsored by Intel and Microsoft, has trained more than 3 million teachers in over 35 countries.
The course is being offered as an option to all educators in USD 410. Those who complete the course are given a powerful laptop computer for classroom use, as well as $2,000 to purchase digital equipment specific to their subject needs.
Another class taught by Dalke, with Wiebe assisting, will begin July 5.
Additional classes will be held, in the summer, until all have had a chance to participate, Wiebe said.
"We were patient with each other, and we learned a lot," Wiebe said. "And there's a lot more out there. Hopefully we'll just keep learning as we keep going."
