Technology with Intention

A tough transition…

By Jac de Haan On February 22, 2013 · 3 Comments · In philosophy

I spend a good deal of time planning for transitions, as both a parent and educator. So when I recently received an unexpected opportunity to work on a long-term educational project with global impact, I started the arduous task of planning a graceful mid-year exit from the classroom.

I cleaned up all my curriculum maps. I documented my daily routines. I re-organized all of my server files. I shared permissions for all of my Google Apps for Edu data. I made screencasts of all iPad management processes. I worked with administrators to hire and train a middle school technology integration coordinator and a lower school technology specialist. I practiced my conversations with students prior to the announcement.

I thought I was in good shape until my last day of school. My final sessions with kids were tinged with sadness. Students asked all sorts of thoughtful questions about my future plans – ranging from when I would visit to my dog’s ability to accompany me to work at Google.

What I was completely unprepared for was students, faculty and administration leveraging the tools & skills we’d been exploring to give me a send off. I received a heart-warming and beautifully composed email [...]

How do we measure mobile learning’s impact on higher-order thinking?

By Jac de Haan On December 14, 2012 · 2 Comments · In philosophy

Learning though action

By Jac de Haan On December 6, 2012 · Add Comment · In philosophy

Jobs from the future: Virtual World Economist

By Jac de Haan On November 29, 2012 · Add Comment · In philosophy, tech in the news

Editor note: discussing “jobs from the future” may be a creative compliment to high school classes studying economics, sociology, media literacy, entrepreneurism, etc.

A few years ago most of us had never heard of social media managers, market research data miners or app developers. What will be the employment opportunities for recent grads in 2025? One new career for recent economics grads might be a virtual world economist.

Gaming and social networks are a global industry. Many systems allow participants to buy, sell, and trade in native currency that can be purchased with real-world money (Habbo Hotel credits, Facebook credits, Wii points, etc). How will real-world currency fluctuations affect virtual-world currencies?

Seattle-based game-maker Valve recently hired an in-house economist to manage the interaction of their virtual markets (source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18456171).

Modeling collaborative learning: edCamp Seattle

By Jac de Haan On November 19, 2012 · Add Comment · In resources

Apple Distinguished Educator 2013 application period opens

By Jac de Haan On November 1, 2012 · Add Comment · In resources

Free Google Earth in Edu webinar

By Jac de Haan On October 23, 2012 · Add Comment · In educator profiles, resources

Free iBook: Student Guide to iPads & iOS 6

By Jac de Haan On October 15, 2012 · Add Comment · In resources

Use iBooks as an archive for PDF content

By Jac de Haan On October 7, 2012 · Add Comment · In tutorials

Facebook reminds us of technology’s purpose

By Jac de Haan On October 4, 2012 · 1 Comment · In philosophy

Facebook has just released a video that elevates their advertising platform to the ultimate goal of technology: to connect us, give us a sense of belonging, and make us more human. What is the price we pay for this desire to find a tribe?

For years now, my first class has been a discussion on the definition of technology. We use this word everyday but many of us can only give examples, not a concise explanation. Technology is:

An object or invention created conciously by animal or human, changing the nature of something to make work more efficient or simplify life.

- 6th grade class in 2010

Technology is the use of new knowledge to improve our lives by solving problems or making us more productive.

- 5th grade class in 2011

Though my students have different answers year-to-year, we always focus on technology as a means of productivity, creativity, communication and identity.

Technology with intention in the classroom for optimal learning

We then jump [...]

learning in public with technology and education