I actually took a technology course the summer of 2020 for my licensure recertification. It has blown my mind how many things I used in this class, 2 years later, I did not hear about (or perhaps did not exist) when I took my other course. I do see myself taking more classes specifically about technology. Rayome (2017) suggests doing online classes or credentials and for me I know that is something I will do to stay up to date. I also look forward to attending conferences in the future. I will purposely seek out presentations about technology.
I went down a rabbit whole reading the blog posts on /www.freetech4teachers.com/. I signed up for his weekly tip. I am excited to read that every week. I like how he looks for free resources to share. He also offers video tutorials. I definitely added this to my bookmarks.
I also found a lot of really interesting articles on EdSurge.com. I signed up for a few of their emails. I like how you can curate what you sign up for a little bit by saying what content you are interested in and how often you want to receive emails.
One more, http://www.renovatedlearning.com/. Her philosophy on integrating the library into the classroom and supporting student learning is exactly what I feel passionately about. I can’t wait to dive in and be inspired more by this blog.
References
Rayome, A. D., (2017, September 7). 10 ways that it pros and developers can keep their tech skills up to date. TechRepublic. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-ways-that-it-pros-and-developers-can-keep-their-tech-skills-up-to-date/
I completely agree! I have taken a few technology courses for recertification, but they were very specific to Word or Google Classroom. I can definitely see myself taking more tech classes like this in the future. If anything changes quickly, it’s technology!
Yes! I do love those classes. They are so inspiring.
Thanks for sharing Theresa! It is crazy how much technology and apps can change from one year to the next. It can definitely make teaching challenging because perhaps one year you created this really cool lesson and then have to adapt it the following year because the apps used are no longer working or a paid subscription is needed, etc. There is a learning curve and there is ALWAYS something new to learn, no doubt. I’ll have to check out the blog you mentioned too.
I also really liked Free Tech for Teachers and Renovated Learning. I thought they had really great resources. I also like how they were organized. Some of the others felt crowded and loud to me. I was overwhelmed… not something I want when I am generally already overwhelmed by tech!
I agree with you about sometimes things are too much. Less is more in my book!