ED 211:
Technology for the 21st Century

What do students learn in ED 211?

Every semester one of my favorite activities is to have student write about what they've learned in this class (checkmarks mean multiple people felt this way). Mindsets (with a million check marks) and "learning styles are not real" (with two million check marks) show up, as do "mindsets," "internal locus of control," and "technology is a tool--the teacher makes the difference." "Beware audience capture" and "ask forgiveness not permission" (in innovation!) both made the list, which made me happy! "Choose your influencer" and "teacher quality matters" round out the list. 

We also do a "what is school for" hierarchy activity, and you can see two examples here.

Why Skepticism?

I focus a great deal on the idea of skepticism in this class--particularly caveat emptor. Why? Because my students will need to make wise decisions about purchasing edtech tools and which influencer to listen to, at the very least. I don't think it is an understatement to suggest that skepticism is the 21st century life skill that they will need to thrive.

If you don't believe me, try out this little quiz. My students can get a few right, but they can never get them all. 

And I guarantee it's only gotten worse.

Caveat Emptor:

Another good reason is dating lol. Here's a video I made to explain the process of evaluating your edtech apps.