The Digital Café was an opportunity for students and staff to share best practices using technology to enhance learning and understanding. We would create, collaborate, and communicate ideas using digital tools to learn and make the world a better place! Digital Cafes took place while coaching at the Groton-Dunstable Regional High School. This concept could easily be carried over to other grade levels.
Digital Cafes typically run once each quarter but any timeline that works for you is a good reason to get started.
Staff, students, and other school community members are encouraged to attend. Visitors should stop by each station to ask about the technology tools and applications used in the projects like... What technology did they use? Did they enjoy working with this technology or not? What did they learn? How could I use this tool in my math class, etc? If you are interested in presenting, simply fill out an online application (example) or stop by Ms. Kaplan's office.
Stations for presenting were held in the front commons area for maximum exposure to our student and staff population. The front commons is found at the entrance of our school and one of two main areas for lunch. Any large space with a lot of traffic is ideal. Presentations were designed to be quick introductions to various ways in which students and staff reap the benefits of existing technology while displaying personal pieces of work and sharing their ideas.
Each Digital Cafe showcased a number of ways in which staff and students used technology to support their teaching and learning. There were typically 5 - 7 stations for sharing complete with projectors and other materials needed to showcase ones work. Stations might include demonstrations of how one can manage their workload, stay organized, collaborate with peers, conduct research, go paperless, share content creation, etc. The sky's the limit and you are the driver! Students and staff are welcomed to participate and share their knowledge with friends, family, and colleagues to continue our learning journey.
NOTE: All participants are responsible for making up any work missed from class. Working within a group may be beneficial to split your presentation time if needed. Applications are required for each group member. Each member application should reference the same project title.