A brief summary of a lively eSchool News Twitter chat
Yesterday, Managing Editor Laura Devaney and Associate Editor Meris Stansbury discussed ed-tech trends during an engaging Twitter chat at the @eSchoolNews Twitter handle. In case you missed it, you can see the exchange at the hashtag #eSchoolChat.
Discussion opened with the editors chatting about trends they noticed at this year’s Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and Florida Education Technology (FETC) conferences, which included tablets, mobile learning, professional development, gaming, and digital initiative implementation.
#eSchoolChat participants raised several important questions. One asked about technology integration in libraries, which the editors responded has become less isolated and more interactive, with teachers and librarians collaborating more frequently.
Another participant asked about teacher support; namely, what the best ways would be for institutions of higher education to help educators integrate technology in the classroom. The consensus was that help needs to come from teacher colleges while teachers are still training, and after that, from administrators. Several participants agreed that offering teachers-in-training the help they need through higher education is very important.
A question was also posed about the acceptance of new technology by current educators. The response was that there has been much improvement in this area, but that teachers also need to become comfortable giving up some control to students.
On a lighter note, one participant asked about game ideas to help engage students in digital media classes. The editors agreed that game-based learning in the classroom can be a great tool, and suggested immersive, multi-player games. This particular participant went on to say that many of his kids bring their own devices, and that he even allows them to use cell phones in class [gasp!].
“Being open to whatever tech tools the kids can bring or prefer to use is a great step!” the editors tweeted in response. “Plus it empowers them!”
Carly Buchanan is an eSchool News editorial intern.
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