Thing 13

I viewed Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students Creativity and Initiative presented by Jackie Gerstein.  The goal of the presentation was to show that technology can be used to teach students how to research while encouraging their creativity.  She gives them certain parameters without stifling their drive to explore new websites and topics.  Then, she asks them to create a project using what they learned.  Her teaching materials are constantly being updated as she reads through different blogs on a regular basis to stay informed.  She teaches students how to make personalized webpages if they choose to do so on their own outside of school. 

One thing that I thought was interesting is that in the students projects, they each have to create an avatar that becomes the narrator.  This allows the students to be creative but also remain anonymous.  Using a wiki (similar to our class) they post their projects and highlight their work using different tools like animoto.  Jackie Gerstein notes that a “teacher is a tour guide of learning possibilities”.  She feels that her students are savvy with games but that much of emerging technology is foreign to them and she encourages them to explore to become comfortable with new technology.

Of the essential questions, I felt that two of them were worthwhile while one was too abstract to really offer any meaning.  The two that were meaningful asked how learning technologies can promote creativity, innovation, and personal and group flow of social awareness and asked what skills should be taught to elementary students to prepare them to be 21^st century learners.  I felt that her presentation addressed both of these questions and was therefore, worthwhile.   

I do find value in the online, anytime delivery option for professional development because not only does it reinforce what you are learning but it allows for convenience and flexibility.  I would definitely mimic her students online projects in my classroom.  As she does, I would give them guidelines and even specific sites that I would encourage them to explore on different topics. For example, she is a huge proponent of thinkquest.com.  Then, students would be able to turn their research into their own creative projects and we could post them on a wiki for all to see.