So after almost a year-long hiatus, I’ve decided to get this blog back up and running.  Why did I abandon it for so long? Part of it had to do with Finalsite.  I thought that platform would replace this one as a technology resource for teachers.  However, I’ve realized over the past several months that while Finalsite is great for posting technology tutorials, it’s not as flexible as this blog and, therefore, is not the best platform for discussing and sharing technology tools. Think of it this way–I see Finalsite as place for reference materials and tutorials, while this blog is more a place for inspiration and conversation.

As I continue to work on my Masters in Instructional Media, I am constantly reminded that our students today are different than they were 10-15 years ago.  They grew up with high-speed Internet access and the read/write Web, and spend way more time getting information from screens than they do from books.  They are digital natives, and they learn differently, like it or not.  So if you’re interested in the latest in educational technology tools and best practices in terms of how to engage and inspire your students through technology, please visit this site often. My goal is to post regularly about various tech tools and how they can be used in your classroom in meaningful ways that actually enhance learning. I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions through the commenting feature at the bottom of each post.

That said, the first technology teaching tool I’d like to address is digital storytelling.  I’ve seen a couple English teachers at Polson recently employ this as a mode of assessment with great success, but for those of you who are not familiar with digital storytelling, take a listen to this podcast I put together about the basics, then take a look at the example further below that I put together for one of my course’s final projects.