Being a Blogger

Since I have been encouraging my IREX TEA international teachers to post in their blogs, I thought they needed me to be a good example.

Though I am exhausted from all the extra activities inherent in directing the Center of Excellence for 21st Century Educator Preparation AND providing technology workshops during the 6-week IREX TEA fellows visit, I am energized. These are wonderful opportunities to think and grow as educators and I will miss these people when they go back to their 17 countries.

I hope we will continue our connections via our Facebook, blogs, and wikis. :)

Digi Texts vs. Digi Resources

Our Digital Texts Learning Community is now discussing a name change. We have become increasingly aware that th "textbook" descriptor of what we are reviewing (digital materials for K-12) excludes much of the digital content that we find progressive and appealing. However, our current classrooms ( both K-12 and university) seem to still have a desire for the textbook model for arranging materials for study.

Added to this dilemma is the opportunity to author one's own collections....these might take the form of a digital book ( ePub, PDF, etc.), but these might also be a website or LMS module of resources. Of course, creating your own unique set of digital materials takes time and constant updating, so I think there will be a market for professionally published collections (textbooks?) for quite some time...who I'll capture the power of all that our hyperlinked world can provide, creating digital collections that are vibrant, interactive, meaningful, and personalizable....that remains to be seen.

Check out our explorations at
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/edhd/xep/dtlc.html

Back from FETC

I have just returned from a great time at the FETC 2013 conference. There are some awesome K-12 teachers and administrators out there, doing great things for their students. I was inspired and tired at the same time.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm getting too old to keep up with all the changes that are coming to education. So many ways to communicate, collaborate, create, and learn. BUT...these changes also invigorate and excite me...so I guess I'll just keep exploring.