As a frequent internet loafer, I am pretty good at stumbling on obscure blogs that make me smirk. Today's quest was to find some education-related blogs that are both interesting AND useful. Well, 90 minutes later, I have discovered quite a few. Finding creative ways to incorporate technology and foster long-lasting learning in my classroom is what I am typically after. The following sites seems pretty geared toward both of these goals of mine.
The very first blog I was pulled toward was The Innovative Educator, which can be found here: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/. Boy of boy, does this spot have it all. From posts about the latest in online education trends to tips on using gadgets in the classroom to articles on plain old differentiated instruction, this blogs hits on everything you hear about as a teacher in today's world. Blogger Lisa Nielsen's focus is to share ideas about the future of education. We all know that reform is needed and this blog is a one stop shop of the latest and greatest ideas that are flying around the digital world.
Another site that has me hooked already is Moving at the Speed of Creativity (http://www.speedofcreativity.org/). Written by Wesley Fryer, this blog has a slightly different viewpoint. Wesley uses his blog to document his journey of collaborating with people across the globe on issues and ideas such as how to use technology in the classroom to truly engage students, how the world of education is shifting, and web 2.0 applications. The site offers a chance to listen to podcasts of workshops Wesley has led, as well as a chance to read guest bloggers' thoughts on hot topics like what it takes to make an effective technology committee. Also available are links to wikis that Wesley has set up for past professional development days he has hosted. The one that immediately caught my eye was "Developing Problem Solving and Math Skills with Minecraft" - many of my sixth graders are always extolling the benefits of Minecraft and telling me how great it is. Wouldn't it be great to use a gmae they are interested in, to also sneak in some 21st Century Skills!??! The various types of media and viewpoints that are imbedded in this blog make it an interesting read for me.
I am really interested in the innovative educator blog that you posted. I agree that it does a really nice job of presenting different issues or debates in education and, as all blogs do, provide the author's take on those topics. However, the one thing that I wish blogs like this would do is to offer concrete examples to back up the argument. For example, the most recent post on the blog (as of now) is about whether or not to ban cell phones in the classroom. The author provides examples of why they should be kept and how they help eith students networking skills and it keeps them connected to eachother. However, the arguments listed do not seem to offer any educational merit. True, students can cheat as easily with their phones as they did before cell phones were so common, but is that really an insentive to keep them in schools? What about allowing cell phones do students gain educationally? Overall, though, this is a very interesting blog and I do like the discussion of many of the topics offered.
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