With the introduction of the iPads to the freshmen class this year, I have adjusted my pre-algebra curriculum to include full immersion of the iPad. Students take notes in notability, practice sample problems in Educreations, and develop presentations using KeyNote. They continue to have access to daily assignments and information that is posted on our Edmodo site. Within the [...]
I’m sitting in an airport cafe, typing on a laptop. Almost every person of the 100 or so people in my vicinity is either connected to a digital device or has one sitting on the table near them. My students’ lives are so entangled with their devices that, it seems to me, that even when [...]
I personally have been focused on non-technology related goals in the past weeks in my classes (we just finished up a big French culture festival project), but some other teachers in our department have been doing exciting things eith technology: Amy Huang has had her Chinese students complete a campus scavenger hunt using QR bar [...]
Sometimes risks are taken and they are a complete flop. Sometimes they are taken, and they are a complete success. In the case of my English 12 class, I took a risk and the outcome was really quite extraordinary. A group of 5 boys, all varying in their interests, abilities, and truly disinterested in English; [...]
In a few days Bill Darling, Linda Wooster and I – and twelve printmaking and drawing students – will depart for two weeks of drawing, printmaking and exploring in Florence Italy. This is the first time in ten years of making this trip to Italy that we have (with the help of Josh Seamon and [...]
One of my passions (aside from technology) is photography. Perhaps that is why in my classes I am continually finding ways to incorporate photography within my lesson activities and assignments. For visual learners in particular, using photographs to help develop skills such as sequencing, retelling, comparing & contrasting, and even inferring; prove to be quite successful. Students [...]
My focus this term has continued to be posting all my class notes and materials online (mspaupst.com) and getting students to access them as appropriate. I would say success has been mixed. Some students have gotten into the habit of getting the notes when they are absent without being prompted, while others still seem confused [...]
A discussion has been started within the technology group about creating a technology lab that goes beyond a computer writing lab. This would be a place where any student (or faculty member, for that matter) involved in a project requiring specialized software that is not commonly available on Academy computers, such as Photoshop or FinalCut, [...]
I continually find myself trying to “keep up” with the ever-evolving technology. It seems when I just start to feel comfortable with one form of technology, something new emerges; something better. For someone like me, who continually tries to find ways in which to capture my students’ interest and engage them in activities and lessons [...]
A paintbrush is a tool. A computer is a tool. Years ago, when I had recently finished my study of painting at the Art Students League of New York and was working hard in my studio to further develop my skills and voice, I had a conversation with my father that has stuck with me [...]