In class, we're in the beginning stages of a historical interview project. Their assignment for Monday is to bring 10-15 open-ended questions about their topic to class.
We had some preliminary discussion on open-ended questioning yesterday, and that discussion will continue on Monday. I recorded two "interviews" on my Kodak Zi8 and posted them on our classroom blog. This weekend, they're watching the videos and leaving comments about the differences between the two interviews. On Monday, they'll watch the videos in class and discuss the differences with the sub.
Their journal entry for Monday is:
What do you hope Mr. G learns at his technology conference?
I'm excited to see what they say. I've worked hard to make digital technology a natural part of their experience in my classroom. Seeing that they weren't at all surprised that I would record the videos and post them on the blog was a pretty cool feeling. Finding that I've got 3 comments from students on the videos already lets me know that they're into this kind of "homework."
They have come to expect world-wide connections. They've come to expect that the learning they do will be shared with those outside our walls. I hope they've come to the realization that the tools we use are just tools. They blog to reach an audience. They watch these videos to gain an understanding of a concept. We create Wordles to synthesize class-wide thoughts. We use digital technology to learn.
