This is a sample class website where we try out different ways to use technology in the classroom. Specifically, this website is a place to try out different technologies as entities with which students can interact for learning ("teaching artifacts").
Questions to think about:
How can we harness the social aspect of the technologies we use to tap into the inherent social-ness required for learning-teaching?
How much should the technology embody the teacher, i.e., should the technology be a substitute for the teacher (e.g., Kahn Academy: video as teacher) or as a method for communication between teacher and student?
How interactive must the technology be to harness the necessary-to-learning social aspect?
How can the technology enable meaningful interactions between parents and students about class content and related ideas.
As much as possible, we base what we are doing on solid educational theory. Even when we boldly venture into uncharted territory, we take what we know about general geographical principals. We cite as much as possible to encourage future study and collaboration.
We're building our own damn jetpacks!
-vsh