Thoughts About Tech Camp

[Meg Ormiston]

Hello all!
I started a new book, went swimming, and planning a picnic, summer is officially here for me! My little Irish boys are just perfect, not one minute of trouble so far!
In my other network classroom 2.0 there is a lot of interest in our tech camp idea. If you get a chance, can you share what you enjoyed most about camp?
Enjoy the summer two more days before my son turns into a teenager!!!
meg

[Greg Noack]

OK, I will be the first.

I like:
the hands-on time,
working with peers who knew their technology ( I didn't spend half my day helping others),
working with peers who new more than I did ( I could learn from them),
being exposed to so much (I am still trying to sort it all out)
learning from Meg (She has too much energy) and is an expert.
free time to work
being able to multi-task, choose what I wanted or needed to pay attention to in class.
working on Ning, (it was a great way to share products/ideas)

What I am still wondering,
How to judge/evaluate technology, how do we decide what is important to teach, what tools to use, and what gets left behind. What are some good sources to go to for quality, researched, reviewed educational technology information.

[Meg Ormiston]

Thanks Greg!
I agree I also like the structure of the week and how it flows. Time to work, yet time to work with others. I do want to comment about what you said about leaving things behind. We have to cut some things out to prepare students for the 21st Century! We are still spending far too much time learning isolated facts that mean nothing, if you can Google the fact, why have students memorizing them? I am working this week to change the focus of my house in Second Life to put out examples of what needs to be left behind. I think it is safer in Second Life, because most educators there understand we need to change, in RL I know there are so many educators that do not want to hear change! I can hear it already, we have been doing it this way for 20 years, why change?

[Rhonda]

I gained such a variety of interesting and useful information during Tech Camp. It was great being in a nonthreatening computer lab, where everyone was so helpful, and didn't make me feel computer illiterate! Getting the hands on experience with Windows Media Player and Movie Maker, and actually finishing a project was a fun learning experience and confidence booster. I plan on using what I've learned at school and in my personal life!

[Meg Ormiston]

I agree Rhonda, we need the time in professional development. Time to think, time to create. We don't learn by talking about it, we learn by doing!

[Jackie Steinbach]

Tech Camp was a really "fun" experience.
I loved having time to learn new things or think about new ideas. We often don't have a lot of think time and the tech week certainly filled that need.
I enjoyed collaborating with others from my school district and seeing a different side of the coin.
Maybe best was just having time to listen, talk, try new ideas, hear other's ideas, etc, etc.
I am going to do my best to encourage more of our staff to attend next year.