Travis Miller : Weblog

Outsourcing and Preparing Students for Work in a Global Economy

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:02:45 GMT

I recently came accross this Wall Street Journal video interview of economist Alan Blinder. As educators, I think it is essential that we think about how we are preparing our youth for life in the 21st century workplace. The link is below:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid452319854/bctid711665115

Building Systems that Support Learning with Technology

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:24:01 GMT

In working with area educators it seems that we have a need to continually work to build systems that support the work teachers do in the classrooms. While the work that individual teachers do is essential to the education of our children, I believe we need to build systems that ensure that essential information is shared with all students, regardless of class schedule or attendance center. Until our schools can shift to such a systemic approach, our collective efficacy will be negated by the pressures of the immediate needs of the classroom and the school. By working together, teachers, administrators, and other key stakeholders can create a common vision of what good instruction (particularly good technology instruction) looks like, then work together to achieve that vision. As the old cliche goes, "together, we can."

Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:18:10 GMT

In thinking about many of the trends and shifts that are occurring within the context of globalization, I believe it is essential that we educate our children to be effective at living, learning, and earning in both the local and global economies. As our region of the United States continues to undergo demographic shifts, the work of educators and educational leaders will become even more essential to our society. In fact, it seems that our long-term prosperity depends upon the ability of our schools to prepare students for a world that will be very different from the one in which we are living.

In terms of understanding that world and thinking about how to prepare our students, I highly recommend A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. While I haven't yet read the physical "paper version" of the book, I have listened to the audio book several times, and find Pink's work to be thought-provoking for me as an educator, parent, and citizen of our great nation.

I hope that as educators become more knowledgeable about web 2.0 tools and other methods to alter the teaching/learning environment, we will move toward preparing our students for the future . . . whatever that future may look like.

Science and Web 2.0

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 16:42:05 GMT

Today we are participating in a workshop for science teachers about the use of web 2.0 in the science classroom. The learning and discussion have centered around the use of blogs, podcasts, wikis, rss, moodle, and elgg.

As we make the transition from the traditional paper/pencil and textbook classroom to classroom environments which are permeated with electronic literacy, both for teaching and learning, our teaching strategies and methodologies will need to adapt to fit the needs of students.

I think this journey is an incredible opportunity to transition the classroom from a top-down hierarchical setting, to a community of learners, led by the teacher as the lead learner. This is a scary shift, but one that I believe has tremendous power to increase student achievement.