The Weaving of Technologies, Both General and Content-Specific

First: How can technology be woven into the scope and sequence of a course? Last week in class, the guest speaker (who, by the way, severely talked down to me and helped reiterate the fact that I am quite inept at technology, just when I was starting to feel a bit adept) showed us a website on uen.org/oer that has all the curriculum mapped out and tied to the core curriculum. I was quite excited about that! In the science lessons (I perused through the entire year's worth while she continued; I was no longer interested in what she had to say) there are many links to websites that can enrich the students' learning. There are videos, webquests, interactive sites, real time pictures, quite the array of exciting things. I am so excited to implement this into my science curriculum! This provides an easy way to weave tech into the curriculum, either with my computer or iPad connected to the projector, or on Thursdays or Fridays when I can actually get the laptops in my room and NOT be doing practice essays on utahcompose. Next year, with the tablets I will be using for my project in my room, I will really be able to implement this wonderful find and not have to work around the rest of the school's schedule :) Yay!!!

Next: How can both general pedagogical and content-specific technologies be utilized throughout the course? Well, this topic was a bit confusing for me, I will be honest. I had to break the two big ideas, general pedagogical and content specific technologies, and then put their meanings together. But I think I got it!

General pedagogical technologies would refer to the Bill Nye videos we watch on youtube that pertain to our science core, and the content-specific technologies would be the activities the students can do on devices to enhance their learning at their own pace. Right? If I've got this correct, then I think the curriculum outline I talked about on uen.org/oer is a perfect example of how to do this. If you haven't seen it (which I'm sure you have), you should, because I know you have TONS of free time between all the other things you are involved with (eye roll) :)

I am really excited to get those tablets into the hands of my students next year. I wish it was this year. I have so many ideas jumping around in my head that would enhance their learning and make it easier for them to learn at their own pace. Also, the backward design has me rethinking my end goals and how I would like to see them come about. With a bit of technology added in to the fun hands on activities we already do, the goal seems so much more do-able. And fun!