The TeacherTechMate Manifesto: The future direction of my blog #blog #ozedchat

My blog so far

I have been blogging, on and off, for over a year now. I feel that my blog posts, along with twitter and feedly, are helping me to reflect, and share, my learning. I also feel that I am starting to write posts and create content exploring topics and themes in a more meaningful manner. For example rather than just listing digital resources I am starting to write about how I have attempted to use these resources effectively throughout my teaching. However, I see plenty of room for improvement so I declare....

The TeacherTechMate Manifesto: The future direction of my blog....

I'm not interested in the quantity of my posts or increasing the size of my audience. I am interested in creating higher quality content that provokes more discussions, and offers possible solutions, surrounding some questions I have regarding the future direction of education.

These questions include:

How do we provide students, who will still be living in the year #2094, with the foundations for success so that they can make a positive difference in their world?

I intend that this discussion will focus on:

• Our use of the Habits of Mind and the Visible Thinking Routines.

• Discussions about providing experiences that encourage the development of important problem solving, and life skills/habits. 

• Throughout this contemplation I will discuss teaching Entrepreneurship, Coding, Digital Citizenship (by class blogging, tweeting and skyping), and explanations about the benefits of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program (SAKG)

Critical Consumption, Meaningful Collaboration  and Purposeful Creation.

Two questions I often contemplate and argue about regarding this larger question include:

• Is writing with pen, or pencil, a dying art form we can do without or a necessary life skill?

• Is spelling important in the modern world?

How can we use technology to redefine and transform education and to also achieve the above statement? (Through SAMR.)

• I will attempt to detail how iPads, iOS apps, Google Apps for Education, Augmented Reality, Scratch, and machines like the Raspberry Pi can be used to achieve redefinition and transformation of education.

How do we use technology to improve the quality of our lives and teaching?

• In this section I will share how I am using IFTTT, DropBox, Evernote, Data Tracking, Google Apps for Education, and QR codes.

• I will share my thoughts on big data, differentiation, personalising learning, flipped classrooms, and blended learning.

How can I ensure that I am a lifelong learner?

• I will start to share about the way Feedly (Blogs), Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, PD, YouTube, ISTE, ICTEV, Podcasts, Codecademy, Khan Academy, TedTalks, TedEd, maker meets etc are influencing my teaching and ensure that I remain a lifelong learner

Please share your thoughts on these topics and look out for my explorations.