I teach a technology class for middle school and from everything that I am reading in blogs and on twitter is that we have to keep up with the times in technology:
- Have the students create the content
- Anaylze the content
- Have fun while learning
- Be motivated by the work and not the grades
- Lead them in class
- Model for them
- Guide them
- Should they have homework? How much?
- Let them see what tools they need to create the product they are trying to create.
- Create, create, create
- Collaborate with each other and students
- Use Twitter and social networks to share, share, share
- ePortfolios are important for a student’s future.
- BLOG and share
- No excuse for not being creative
- Technology is a tool that is so important to be integrated into all classes.
- and lots more…..
I teach 6th grade Discovering Computers, 7th grade computer programming and then 8th grade “Eagle News,” which is a media production, web creation, digital production class. My classes have been different and generally change every year a little bit. Every July, I sit with my computer and try to figure out what I want to do differently in each of my classes and what I want to keep the same.
In 6th grade I usually cover networks and how they work and then cover how to use Google Drive or Office 365 (New this year) and then make a presenation, but not GOOGLE SLIDES OR POWERPOINT. What do I need to change for my 6th grade students. I only see each student for 6 weeks. I always want to do more with the 6th grade students, but I struggle with this because I always catch myself using so much time with VERY basic skills in Google Docs/Mircosoft Word. What should I do differently?
I like what I am doing in 7th grade. We do basic javascript computer programming and 
then collaborative, creative, imaginative work in Minecraft. The first 3 weeks we cover coding with code.org and codehs.com and then the students as a class have to recreate some space in a blank world. Last year we created OSU, Easton and a local neighborhood. That was fun! I’m sure we will come up with a couple of different spaces to recreate and I am pumped for that!
For 8th grade, this is where I am most excited about, Eagle News! What is this new group of students going to do that is different. Of course I will allow them to come up with a bit of a different way to do our morning news. What can we add, subtract or expand on? What does the staff at Hyatts think we can do? What do our students think about what the teachers want? I want the kids to lead this.
The projects are always evolving. What types of projects do I have the kids do? Do I schedule them for the kids? Do I allow them to fix their topics? How should the videos look? I like giving the kids a “Genius” or “Innovation” project. I loved giving the students 
the power to teach the “audience” what they are experts of! Eagle News needs to be “real world,” where we will include the resources/businesses around us. This class will also include a blogging aspect and ePortfolio section as well. This will include creating and maintaining a website where the students will blog, create content and share their work, curate content that is important to them and also teach what should be the appropriate way to maintain this portfolio.
I have had inspiration from Dejan Kovacevic, who has started his own Pittsburgh Sports app where he had left the big paper in town to write the Pittsburgh Sports scene on his time and his level. His product, DKonPittsburghSports.com has exploded to where he has quite the staff and now does audio and video with all the writing. I want the Eagle News class to run a quick live show in the hall with the kids walking by live on FaceBook. This would include more work, planning and execution that I think dedicated students can create.
Just thought of this now….I want to PODCAST….
How do I spread out this time in Eagle News, schedule it in my 45 minutes of time with the kids each day, set up, blog, curate, etc…..it’s exciting!
Jim
Mr. Meta's World 