Thursday, October 9, 2014


This blog's for you...

It's hard to believe students have been back in school for five weeks now. After a busy summer of supporting the summer program with technology needs, attending several professional development conferences, and making sure school technology was up and working for the start of school, it seems as though they never left. It's great to have them back though.

Why a blog? This is my first blog entry for tESHnologically speaking…and there's so much to write about I don't know where to start. So, I'll start by explaining why I'm finally starting a blog after 15 years of working with school technology. I worked and learned along with students and teachers as we incorporated technology for five years first in the middle and high school here at the Laboratory Schools and now in my second year as Technology Coordinator, here at Earl Shapiro Hall (ESH). Prior to that I worked with technology for thirteen years at a CPS school. I'm still learning.

I started this blog to chronicle the variety of ways in which teachers are attempting to leverage technology to meaningfully support, enhance, and transform learning and teaching here at ESH. As you know, it's not at all only about the technology. It still comes down to learning, teaching, and relationships.

“This is not about technology: it’s about relationships and learning.”
-George Couros, ICE Conference keynote address 2013

I want to share what has worked, what hasn't, and what we're still trying to figure out, in order to help others along the way. I'd like tESHnologically speaking... to serve as a resource of ideas for others, as well as our own teachers here at ESH who are looking for ways to leverage technology in authentic ways as they attempt to create flexible learning and teaching spaces. Flexible spaces which allow us to reach all learners, facilitate and encourage student creation and reflection, document learning and understanding, and promote student choice and student voice.

My hope is that teachers here at ESH will contribute the ways in which they're using technology by sending me photographs, links to student creations and/or projects, and sharing their ideas and comments.