Digital Eyes

*Image from http://www.mediaspin.com/images/superstock/head-CFL-bulb04-hgrebe-800.jpg I have been reading How - and Why- to Teach Innovation in our Schools by Alexander Hiam. I highly recommend you read this article if you have not already done so. It really helped frame this idea of how to teach innovation in our schools. Our technology integration curriculum includes a strand on Creativity and Innovation, and Creative Thinking. However, when teachers ask me what does that look like, I don't always feel as though I have a great answer. This article has really helped me frame my answer. I knew it was there, I just couldn't put my finger on it. First, Hiam breaks innovation down into the Five I's: Imagination, Inquiry, Invention, Implementation, and Initiative. The fuel for imagination is defined as the "bridging between apparently diverse or unrelated ideas, skill sets, or objects." He asserts that many innovations in our lives come from combining two different c...

My official job title is technology integration specialist. The implication of that title is that my job is to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom. Makes sense. A large aspect of my job is to help teachers do exactly that. I do a lot of training on how to use our district technology tools. I answer numerous questions about how to use these tools effectively in the classroom. But... increasingly, my job is about other things. Redefining literacy, effective formative assessments, global perspectives, problem solving, and many other things that aren't solely dependent on technology. So maybe I need a new title. Something that focuses on learning rather than on the tools. Here are a few that come to mind. I would love your input!!! Learning Integration Specialist Learning Constructivist Digital Literacy Specialist Digital Instructor Digital Integrationist Information and Communication Specialist Digital Facilitator Curriculum Integration Specialist

I came across this video from Library Ireland Week. Library Ireland Week It got me thinking about today's libraries. Our school and community libraries are really in a state of transition. They want kids and adults alike to continue their love of reading yet what reading looks like is really changing. As reading becomes increasingly digital , how do libraries (or media centers, if you prefer) provide literature, research resources, and etc... in a format that people want? Do we still need brick buildings to provide them. Many libraries have robust websites for reserving books, doing research, downloading ebooks, etc..., but at what point, if ever, do we cease to need a place to go. I know,  I can hear many people arguing that the library is also a community space and we need to bring people together. When I visit the library (Yes, I go often!), I often see tutoring, meetings, collaborating, sharing, and librarians helping people. I love the collaborative spaces that libraries provi...

It's been a while since I posted to my blog. I had very good intentions to get back to it, but other things came about. So that has me wondering. How important is it to make time for blogging? We're all busy. We all have things competing or our attention and time. Where does blogging fit? The easy answer is that it is not that important. In the course of my day, I am inundated with projects, requests for help, needs to research new tools, communications, and much more. Giving up blogging would be a nice way to shorten my to do list. On the other hand, it has led to some really significant experiences. I have had people who I respect (and some who I do not) comment on my posts, leading to great discussions about topics important to me. Without my blog, these discussions might take place but they might only take place among those who I see regularly at work. This does not necessarily lead to a broader perspective. My blog allows the conversation to grow beyond our organization. I...