Session+8

Opener 8.1
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8.2 Teacher Conversation Collaborative Crusader: Creating a Twenty-First-Century Learning Community for Teachers How does your school/district currently support and or encourage collaboration between teachers? Malden Pubic Schools certainly encourages collaboration between teachers. Our schedule includes a 60 minute prep period in which 30 minutes each day is allocated for collaboration. Our team will meet to discuss student progress or lack of progress, strategies, analyze data, discuss classroom management and expectations. Some days we will just sit together to correct papers just to connect. Our Principal has also discussed the importance of eating lunch in the teachers lunch room as a team to establish a relationship with other grade level teachers and specialist that may have the same lunch period. How much do you seek to collaborate with teachers and how do you accomplish this? As I mentioned above, there is collaboration time built into our schedules each day. But truly there never seems to be enough time to complete and meet all the needs and expectations of both the students and the school district. To what extent do you think collaboration is of growing importance for teachers seeking to implement a 21st century classroom? Collaboration and training must become top priority to meet the expectations of a 21st century classroom. Currently, I think that Malden is doing a fabulous job pushing forward with the use and training of teachers to implement a 21st century classroom. I was fortunate enough to be part of the summer 2010 technology summer program at Malden High. The work that the teachers and students accomplished with the use of technology was amazing. The article could have been about Judi Allen and her high school staff. Ms. Allen and the Malden Public School system has created a learning community for teachers, and as the article says, these teachers must collaborate and mentor others to become twenty-first century teachers. In what ways, if any, do you see the thoughts in this article applying to student conversation? I think that student's conversation about technology and how to use it is second nature. They can use technology easier than a printed book to find information. Kids collaborate first hand though computers and technology. They find it more difficult to collaborate "our way" or traditionally, using paper, pen and good old fashion social skills and talking. The transition for curriculum to go digital will be easier for the students than for teacher and districts.

8.3 Innovation in Education
//"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew//." **Abraham Lincoln** What is the general meaning of this quote by Lincoln? Basically people need to always plan for the future. Just because a situation in the past is good or peaceful, situations change and we must adapt to the change, overcome and persevere.

Does this quote apply to education? Explain your answer. This quote absolutely applies to education. Education and the way in which people learn is changing because of technology. Technology may be difficult, confusing and unfamiliar to some educators, however, teachers must rise to the occasion and be life long learns. We must become proficient with technology and evolve into the 21st century.

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