Spotlight

Robin Ellis and Daren Draper (in Utah) present using Skype and other tools. They teach a class together and use UStream so they can record the lesson. People from all over the world are in attendance and some very interesting conversations take place about learning.

Conversation about "what is professional development" and how is it maintained? Robin and Darren teach an online class on Wednesday evenings, openpd.wikispaces.com is open to anyone who would like to learn about social software.

Using 21st century skills to teach these students will connect them to future skills. If we do not use these skills in our classroom, then we are stiffiling their creativity and actually going backwards by ONLY using textbooks and black line masters!

Suggestions if you want to try this:

• test it out with someone, join an online group already in progress
• before your initiate a program, be a student in another person's class
• try a virtual meeting
• a place where communication can take place all at once
• have a chat monitor who can block bots who try to invade
• for new people, stay with Mebo account or UStream account

Teachers become facilitators more than the dictator in control of all movements and action.

openpd.wikispaces.com

TRY IT!!