February+2


 * Sharing**


 * Book Discussion**
 * Discussion Forum. For today, you were to pull from each chapter a passage, paragraph, sentence, etc. that provoked your thinking and write a short reflection on how it engaged your thinking in general.

The // **BIG QUESTIONS** // to answer as we learn about each new technology:
 * Continue your work with new technology tools for learning**
 * 1) What are the "affordances" and "constraints" of the technology? In other words, what does the technology allow us to do or prevent us from doing? The answers to this question might be "messy." This fundamental understanding is important to answer the next questions...
 * 2) What new skills do we need to teach students?
 * 3) What will I need to do differently in terms of how I teach in the classroom? How will teaching and learning look different?
 * 4) How does the technology help me to foster creativity, innovation and some of the other 21st century skills?
 * 5) What are some ways I can use this technology in my classroom?

Continue developing your understanding of technology tools with the Google tools outlined in the course text //Retool Your School...The Educator's Essential Guide to Google's Free Power Apps.// In groups of 2-3, choose a technology/tool from the text to investigate for the week. Your investigation of the tool will include two parts: (1) use the tool! Try it out. Experiment. Create. (2) Locate resources online that show how other teachers are using these tools for real learning in the classroom. Once you have tried the tool out and discovered some new resources, on your blog, write about your REFLECTIONS to the question above (post prior to class on Tuesday) and be prepared to share your learning verbally with the rest of the class on **TUESDAY**. You should share new resources in your blog post and on Google+.

How to Grow A Textbook
 * Introduction of the Application Project**
 * Start with an outline
 * Grab a virtual binding
 * Unpack and publish your traditional documents
 * Grab a few solid updating tools
 * Grab books for solid, more stable content
 * Grab databases and database essays, articles and chapters
 * Grab the right search tools
 * Grab your own presentations and shop for the best of others
 * Grab a couple of pathfinders
 * Grab some film
 * Grab some open source curriculum
 * Grab some student work
 * Grab some other stuff - see below

Questions to discuss:
 * Where are you with a topic/outline?
 * What will be your virtual binding?


 * For Tuesday, February 7**


 * Sharing:** Post any interesting articles, videos, findings on the Internet, etc. to the Google+ stream.


 * Read:** Start reading Chapters 5 & 6 in //Rethinking Education...// We will discuss these chapters on Thursday, February 9.


 * Application Project**: Begin the development of your virtual textbook chapter. Finalize a topic, outline and binder. Start to think about how the technology tools you have worked with to date can be used in your project.


 * Google Technology Tool**: Work with your chosen tool from the //Retool Your School// text. Discover online resources that help you learn more about how teachers use this tool in the classroom. Write your weekly blog post as outlined above. Include links to resources and post those links to the Google+ stream. This rubric will be used to assess your blog post.

** Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 7, 7:00-9:00 PM** ** New Topic: Sharing Technology Tools/New Technology Tools; Q&A on Application Project**