the digital teacher - etaq presentation

The Digital Teacher: Managing the workload and

choosing effective tools

Kelli McGrawQueensland University of Technology

ETAQ Beginning Teachers’ Day 2012

DigitalTeaching

DigitalLearning

• BlogsHomework blogsClass publishing blogs‘Character’ blogs

• Wikis• Social media

Share bookmarksYouTube sharingTwitter/Facebook (?)

• Twitter@kmcg2375@ETAQld@englishteachers

#ozengchat(Tuesday nights)

• TED Talks• Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/ETAQLD

Making your class a

blog is easy…

Getting your class to use a blog is hard.

http://englishteachinginoz.wordpress.com/

http://englishandthecurriculum.yolasite.com/

TOP TIPS:• Be realistic about how long

students take to make a profile• Don’t ‘double up’ – REPLACE

written homework with blog tasks • Be a responsive moderator• edublogs.org a good alternative

to school-based services

Wikis, blogs & workflow:

Email folders and RSS feeds = new

best friends!

Use your email folders to sort student emails by year/class/project.

+ ‘Poetry Blog’folder for…

Using email or Google ‘Reader’:Blog posts and comments can

be monitored via RSS feed.

Teaching in digital spaces requires/allows students to develop their digital literacy.

You can scaffold this, or learn alongside them.

Digital and online tools allow teachers to monitor student

work, progress and engagement in new and different ways.

TOP TIPS:• Ask students to use their first

name only in online profiles• Get students to make an ‘avatar’

that isn’t a photo of them• Promote student use/knowledge of

school email addresses• Set boundaries for when you will

be responding online.

BONUS SLIDE!“How do I convince my HoD to let me use online sites when school policy discourages this?”

1. Find evidence that a teacher at another school has been allowed to do it.

2. Explain how your school’s public profile will benefit from demonstrating innovative pedagogy.

3. Create the blog/wiki before you ask them – it will be harder for them to refuse you if you’ve already put the work in ;)

4. Present a plan for sending information and/or permission notes home to parents.

Love your technology…and your Learning Networks• Embrace social media

Other English teachers are sharing; YOU are in control of how much time you spend online!

@ETAQld http://www.facebook.com/ETAQLD

• Be patient at schoolYour teaching colleagues may not be as enthusiastic as you…always try to see things from their point of view and lead by example.

• Your digital footprintDigital teaching = greater public visibility. Be aware, not alarmed.

Love your technology…and your sanity!• One class at a time

Trial new ideas e.g. homework blog with one class first.

• Talk to your familyDon’t underestimate how much ‘home time’ you might be surrendering.

• Ask for help!e.g. HoD, librarian, ETAQ You can contact me too!

@kmcg2375kelli.mcgraw@gmail.com

kellimcgraw.com