DIP July Institute

dawnthompson — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:58:50 +0000

Our Digital Immersion Project (DIP) participants had our July Institute last Tues. and Wed. (July 29 and 30). Seventeen of us attended and we taught ourselves! Fortunately, I had purchased Christopher Shamburg’s book, English Language Arts: Units for Grades 9-12 from the Bringing Technology into the Classroom series published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). I blogged earlier about our attending ISTE’s National Education Computing Convention (NECC) in San Antonio. Visit iste.org and www.chrisshamburg.com

During the two-day workshop, we covered the following topics:

National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S)

Bringing Technology into the Classroom: sample syllabus

Setting up Gmail and Airset accounts for all students

Google Document, iGoogle, Google Groups, Google Sites, Google Reader

Creating a virtual museum template

Tips for using our new equipment (laptops and projectors)

Project-based learning planning templates and deadlines

Mock lesson for using Airset, Google docs., and the Interne

Learning so many new things in such a short time has been frustrating for all of us. (Working with teachers can be more challenging than working with students.) Yet, we remain dedicated to helping our students and ourselves be prepared for the future. We have become a family of brothers and sisters, sometimes fighting but always coming together to help one another. Another lesson we learned was to be more empathetic towards our own students. Sometimes, we use words that are foreign, our instructions are vague, and our desired outcomes are unclear.

On August 11, our students will arrive. I anticipate that we will have lots of problems; however, we will work things out. I’ll have to remember the advice below from Brian Adams:

“ Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.”

Taking a DIP

dawnthompson — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:16:31 +0000

How can our school produce graduates who have mastered the basic competencies of language, reading, mathematics, science, and social studies; developed an artistic sensibility, and utilized digital technology? How can we produce independent, lifelong learners who will be responsible, productive members of the global world? How can we make students accountable for their education? How can we teach students to know and do? How can we teach our students to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and create?

The answer: DIP

The Digital Immersion Project (DIP) is an innovative idea created by AHS teachers for our students and teachers. DIP will provide educational hardware, software, curriculum, assessment, professional development, and technical support to our school.

After receiving $129,000 in grant money, we bought Tablet PC’s and LCD projectors for our core classrooms. This year, teachers from the departments of language arts, mathematics, science, and social sciences will participate, using digital technology to incorporate project-based learning as a method of teaching our graduation exam objectives and state courses of study. In December and May we will host an open house/tech fair to showcase the projects to the parents and community.

As we enter this brave new world, we will become participants and creators. We will embrace Daniel Pink’s notion of a “whole new mind,” incorporating design, story, play, meaning, empathy, and humor. We will break out of our bubbles and join the flat world of the future.

This project is about more than technology, grants, and project-based learning. It’s about building relationships and hope. DIP will reach all students, grades 9-12, regardless of ability level or socio-economic background. As success in learning builds confidence and self esteem, we hope our students will have happy and prosperous futures.

Dawn Thompson » Digital Immersion Project (DIP)

DIP July Institute

Taking a DIP