I have been honoured to work with some fabulous teachers during my years in school. As principal, I wanted to be able to share a teacher’s perspective on our journey towards implementing more social media within our schools to engage and develop our student learners. Corre Mahan has enthusiastically implemented these strategies within her classroom and has empowered her students as leaders within our school. She has also actively engaged parents within her classroom, through her classroom blog. I asked Corre to discuss her thoughts on our shift this year at Forest Green School. Please read her guest post below:
From my first day as a classroom teacher, I have searched ways to engage my student’s meaningful ways and to incorporate technology into my classroom. I have never been satisfied with the skill building websites and educational games sites that educators can send their students to each week. I spent time exploring the “webquests “which though they effectively taught my students how to use the Internet as a research tool but still did not capture the level of engagement I was hoping for.
It wasn’t until my recent relocation landed me at Forest Green School that I feel that I have finally started to incorporate technology in meaningful ways. I am lucky enough to have a very patient and resourceful principal with a passion for technology as a learning tool that is willing and excited to help! Working in this setting, I have now moved from having an idea, to putting my own thoughts into practice. As I have worked within this setting, I have been able to come up with some great activities that have not only actively engaged my students, but have created authentic opportunities for learning. The learning has increased not only for my students, but for myself.
The implementation of classroom blogs at our school has created a real audience for their work. It has been wonderful to see the students take pride in their projects because they know that not only their parents reading, but a larger global audience that is watching and is inspired by their work.
It has been great to see parents using this as a tool in their homes and see this our blog turn into a true communication tool in our classroom. Many parent regularly check the not only for classroom information but to get updates on student learning and to see their work.
My students at the age of 7 and 8 truly are digital citizens and in the two short months we have spent together, have been able to navigate and teach various programs to other students in our school. We have moved from “Miss Mahan will we get to use computers today”, to “I think we could use this program to complete this assignment.” It has been amazing.
As an educator I continue to search for ways to engage my students in their learning and am excited to have started building my online PLN. I have taken the first steps and know the possibilities are endless.
