Originally posted at Powerful Learning Practice – Voices From the Learning Revolution

This week I’m completing two online graduate courses at The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. I am part of their Teaching 2.0 program, entitled: Emerging Technology Meets Progressive Pedagogy. This program looks at the way education is changing, the way students learn, and the way technology can be used to help students collect information, collaborate with other students, and connect to a network that can further their learning. After a year in the Powerful Learning Practice program, I was excited to find that the university offered graduate credit for my PLP experience. UWOSH also offers credit for PLP’s new e-courses – a great way to take courses such as 21st Century-ize Your Curriculum, Teaching Online: Becoming a Connected Educator, Unleashing Student Passion, Reimagining Classroom Research for the Digital Age, and Leading Edge Boot Camp.

One of the courses I took this term, “Learning in a Connected World” was particularly useful. Although I had begun to develop a personal learning network (PLN) before starting the course, this gave me the opportunity to look further into useful tools, ways to engage my students, and applications of these resources in my classroom.

At some point this term, I began to truly understand how to change my teaching. The big revelation, was that it’s NOT about technology. It’s about learning. If we are “integrating technology” just to bring computers (or interactive whiteboards, or cell phones) into the classroom, we’ve got it all wrong. Just using the equipment isn’t enough.

We have to look at our overarching goals, and understand how technology is a necessary tool in helping students develop the skills they will need to be successful in the world they will enter. We have to look at how students like to learn on their own, so we can make learning more enjoyable and engaging in the classroom. We have to learn what presentation methods or styles of instruction are easy for students to retain, so we can present information in a way that students will hold on to. We have to look at what students will be expected to know and do, so we can prepare them for their future – not ours.

Once we have done this, technology ceases to become an end in and of itself. It becomes the means to an end, and can be used with purpose.

Wondering how to get there? Here are some tips, based on my experiences:

1. Learn – Part I. Take classes. Read posts or books by leaders in the field, or by educators who are having positive experiences in their classrooms. Do professional development workshops or conferences. Powerful Learning Practice was transformative for me. Will Richardson and Rob Mancabelli’s book, Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education is a great book for folks who are ready to hear about the shift and how they can change their teaching to better serve today’s students.

2. Learn – Part II. Develop a personal learning network of individuals across the globe who have “been there done that” or want to learn with you. Use Twitter, blogs, or social networking to find educators posting ideas and resources.

3. Collaborate. Find a buddy to learn with, or a mentor to guide you. There are no stupid questions. Support and encourage each other.

4. Dive in. Start playing – exploring – trying. You won’t break anything. Find out what is out there, and discover tools that will work with your students. Try sites like Glogster, Xtranormal, VoiceThread, Go Animate, Voki, Symbaloo, and more!

5. Reflect. Start a blog where you can talk about your experiences. Don’t worry about an audience. In the beginning, a blog’s best purpose is to help you realize what you believe and what is important to you. Free blogs are offered through Edublogs, Blogger, Posterous, and others.

6. Be transparent. As you begin to develop ideas and lessons, share them with your PLN. Give back to those who helped you grow, and to those who are just starting and will benefit from your experience.

7. Be patient. Change is never easy, but do you want to be that teacher that just “doesn’t get it?” You will be less confident for a while, and that’s ok. It took a long time for me to get comfortable with not being comfortable… Things are always changing, which means you will always be learning and growing… much like your students. 🙂