Tuesday, May 4, 2010

May the 4th be with You.

In my last blog post, It's all about Efficiency, I commented on Notebook being, in my opinion, the most efficient program for delivering content to students and sharing with colleagues. One thing I left out, maybe subconsciously on purpose, was that there is great effort needed on the part of teachers to embrace this program and what it can offer.

One comment I've heard many times over my short teaching career is "This is great, but where am I going to find the time to do it?" Time is always an issue and there is no simple answer as to where you can find time to try new things. As educators we are busy enough, so busy that we can easily neglect the rest of our lives and prioritize our careers. It is tough with what limited time you have left to take a risk and try something new, if there is the possibility you may have been wasting your time. We need to choose carefully, I know that all too well.

Notebook can make your lessons and collaboration more effective. It does take time and effort to get comfortable and proficient with this program. That is when you will reap the rewards that Notebook can provide. Many of the skills I have showcased in my blog videos will help you see how something is done. To really get proficient at these skills, however, you'll need to use those skills when developing content. This is why Alberta Ed promotes cross-curricular ICT projects over specific skill teaching. The skills will come through during the process of creation and will be more meaningful.

Below is another quick video on using the Group feature in Notebook.

No comments:

Post a Comment