305 Tech Talks

Helping Teachings: In reviewing the top 8 technology resources from the beginning of class and the 20 educational tools, there are still so many resources to explore.  I jumped on WeVideo, as I'm concerned about how to do screen captures if I ever do not have free access to CaptureSpace.  I did not sign up for an account, but with a free account, teachers can create 5 min. of material, and with an account for $3 a month, teachers can create up to 30min of material per month, which seems like plenty and worth the tiny annual free to continue creating fun and interactive materials students can access from home. There is just so much value to providing screen-capture instruction to help students complete homework assignments, refer back to lecture materials, and to cover information as homework and save time in-class for discussion and even deeper development and comprehension. I also took a closer look at Really Good Stuff, as I was hoping the site had the teacher supplies ...

The topic of Victor Rios' Ted Talk for teachers, Help for Kids the Education System Ignores, is how to look at kids and change their label from At Risk to At Promise. Victor shares his real stories from his own childhood. He explains how as a child he saw the system fail himself; he was "fatalistic" and didn't believe he would make it to his 18th birthday.  If he didn't think he would make it to 18, then what resolve would he have to change his ways and fulfill his promised potential? He was given hope by a teacher and his uncle who told him "Buscando Vida," we are looking for a better life. His teacher took the power his uncle gave him and shined a light on how that work ethic was his strength. By showing him he really had it inside of himself, his teacher helped him graduate and go to college. Rios suggests getting rid of our "deficit perspective," start valuing the stories our young people bring to the school house, and provide the resourc...