Organized Pandemonium w/Technology for Success

Today’s students come to us from a wider variety of backgrounds and abilities than ever before. To fully meet the needs of our students, teachers can no longer simply lecture and pass out worksheets. This type of instruction is not successful with today's students. This also does not prepare our students for the real world where they will be expected to work with others and develop solutions to problems.

As 21^st Century students they have been born into a technology right environment. Expecting our students to power down in our classrooms is unreasonable. One of the best ways to accommodate different learning levels in a classroom is to integrate technology. Students can be grouped to create presentations, while others practice concepts on tutorial programs, while others can be demonstrating what they know on the interactive white board while playing an educational game. This type of technology integration allows for more student success and more student involvement. This type of varied instruction and environment also better prepares them for working in the real world.

In my classroom I am trying to incorporate more online resources. Teaching in a lab setting my students are use to using what the computer has to offer to work together. I want to show my students all the internet has to offer for collaborating and learning together.

A little About this Blog (& Myself)

My name is Dusti (with an I because I am a female).  I am the Proud single, mother of two wonderful boys; Zack (14) and Taylor (11).  To further provide for my sons and to show them the importance of education, I have recently returned to school to complete my Masters Degree.  This Blog is being created as part of the requirements for obtaining that degree.

When I graduated college in 1991 with my Teaching Certificate, computers were just starting to come into existence, and certainly were being used very little in education.  Therefore my teaching fields were Business and Math.  Through the Business Degree I was very fortunate to  move to Technology classes 14 years ago.  I am a digital immigrant and proud of it!!!

I firmly believe we can no longer teach the way we learned (talking about my generation).  Educators must teach with, and completely integrate, technology into their classrooms, lessons, daily lives in order to actively engage today's students.  This is also why I am seeking my Masters.  I want to help/teach teachers how to better utilize technology in their classrooms and lessons.

So join me here as I explore Digital Learners and Learning more this semester.