The Time For Change As Educators

     Yesterday's GEN 2243 class was very fun and exciting for many reasons. Class started off with a Google Hangout session with Robyn Hrivnatz. Robyn works at Microsoft's US Education Division as a curriculum developer for teachers. Before that, she herself worked as a teacher. She made the switch from teacher to Microsoft educator so that she could make a change in the educational community. Robyn believes that social media is crucial and that employees can benefit from the live responsive nature that it allows. Three reasons why Robyn loves social media as a Microsoft employee is because it allows for personal learning, understanding your audience, and understanding the competition. She believes that there is a balance between being yourself and being professional online. Some social media tools Robyn personally recommends are Skype, Google Hangouts, OneNote, and LinkedIn.

     After the talk with Robyn, my class and I were put to the MakeyMakey challenge. MakeyMakey involves turning specific everyday objects, such as a banana, and using it as a computer control device. These crafted devices can be used as a virtual piano or as a controller to play virtual games such as Mario Brothers or Frogger. Although understanding where all the wires belonged was hard at first, the final product was truly remarkable and worth the time. It is perfect for teachers who want to explain circuits to their students in a unique way.

     Chapter 9 of The Connected Educator, focuses on what the future holds in terms of the web and teachers. The web has proven to be not only a great curriculum resource but also a great learning resource. By becoming a learner first and educator second, teachers will serve their students in a better way. Teachers can do this by understanding the four core components of learning 2.0. The first component, knowledge, which involves building classrooms with collective intelligence. Pedagogy, the second component, challenges teachers to focus specifically on the students passions, creativity, and innovation. The third component, connections, involves teaching showing students how to create personal learning networks to increase knowledge. Capacity, the fourth component, encourages us to remain open minded to each other to learn something we may not have known before. All of this will require a change in teaching and learning for educators. This book overall challenges teachers to make a change in the classrooms that will be powerful and life changing.