#MassCUE18 Reflections

#MassCUE18 continued to be a phenomenal learning opportunity for educators of all backgrounds. Witnessing both first-year educators and experienced educators continuing to grow and learn was fantastic. Keynote addresses challenged us to:

  • Listen to and honor student voice. There is more than meets the eye to what kids are able to do, if we take the time to stop and listen! (via @thelivbits)
  • Let's redefine what it means to be a good digital citizen. We must all engage respectfully through social media - kids and adults both. As adults, we must help students be discerning consumers of information and media. (via @rec54)
  • Technology has, and will continue to change our world. We must adapt accordingly, and blend academic skills with social-emotional skills, along with digital citizenship. #EdTech should be used to design, explore and create. (via @thomascmurray)
What does this mean for our work with students in our schools? Respect students understanding of technology, and be sure to continue guiding and facilitate learning of how the real world intersects with the online world. We mustn't assume that students know how to be a good digital citizen or how to discern a legitimate source of information from an illegitimate source. Technology shouldn't be used just for the sake of using technology. Instead, leverage technology to help students create new meaning, synthesize inforamtion, and utilize higher order thinking. Effective #edtech must be based first in solid pedagogy, classroom instruction and student learning. Listening to various sessions throughout the two days at #MassCUE18, I learned more about coding for all levels, with and without pieces of hardware. Providing students the opportunity to problem-solve using coding, even at the youngest of grades, helps develop critical thinking skills across all content areas. Using hardware of Kibo sets, Spheros, Legs and LittleBits all provide a concrete way for students to learn how to approach a problem, fail and try again, and learn the iterative process. This can occur both with and without hardware kits, and an cross age and content areas.

We are preparing our students for a future unknown, for jobs that don't yet exist. It is our resposibility to help them learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills at the youngest of ages, and practice failing and trying again, developing grit and resiliency, and understand how to traverse the world both online and virutally, as well as in the present with interpersonal and social-emotional skills.

Here we go!

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