Teach Teachers Tech

Purpose

The purpose of this video is to introduce "Teach Teachers Tech", a feature in A Platform for Good. Adora Svitak, a 14-year-old international speaker and published author, showcases what inspires students in the classroom and how teachers can use tech-related lessons throughout the school year.  This type of learning promotes positive relationships between students and teachers as well as empowers and engages young learners to further explore future opportunities inside and outside of the classroom.

More information about Adora Svitak (@adorasv & Adora on Facebook)

Since the age of four, Adora Svitak has been exploring what she can do with the written word: everything from championing literacy and youth voice to raising awareness about world hunger through her work as a World Food Programme Youth Representative. Hoping to instill her love of learning in other children, she taught her first class at a local elementary school the year her first book, Flying Fingers, debuted; since then, she has spoken at hundreds of schools, classrooms and conferences around the world. She co-authored her second book, Dancing Fingers—a collection of poetry—with her older sister Adrianna in 2009. In 2010, she delivered the speech "What Adults Can Learn from Kids" at the TED conference. That video received over one million views and has been translated into over 40 different languages. The following year, she received the National Education Association's Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education, an honor granted in previous years to such notable figures as Billie Jean King, Bill Clinton, and Jane Goodall. Adora organizes the TEDxRedmond conference, a by youth-for youth event now entering its third year.

Discussion Questions

• What are the risks and benefits of having students take a more proactive role in leading lessons?
• What are some of the barriers to incorporating technology in the classroom?  How can they be overcome?
• What other ways can students interact with teachers in tech-related lessons?
• What projects would you (students) like to see incorporated throughout the year?
• How can you (students) help your teacher use more tech?

Full Links and Additional Resources

• A Platform for Good: www.aplatformforgood.org
• More videos by Adora Svitak: http://www.youtube.com/adorasvitak

Click here to download this video.

Purpose

This video aims to encourage teachers to use more resources online to increase opportunities for students to interact with the content on textbook pages. By exploring educational tools online such as CK12.org, TEDed.com, or Khan Academy, teachers can add a creative spin to simple lessons in English, math, and many other subjects.

Discussion Questions

• Ask your students to find a cool activity on CK12.org, TEDed.com, or KHAN Academy and transform it into a fun lesson for the class this year.
• What lessons do you feel should integrate some online resources or games?
• This year, would you prefer all of your lessons to integrate tech related materials, most of your lessons, or some of your lessons?
• What lessons do you think don’t need tech related materials?

Full Links

• CK-12: www.CK12.org
• TEDed: Lessons worth sharing: http://ed.ted.com/
• Khan Academy: http://www.khanacademy.org/
• A Platform for Good: www.aplatformforgood.org

Click here to download this video.

Purpose

This video introduces different ways to incorporate technology-related tools into the classroom. The video offers the opportunity to explore sites like the UNESCO World Heritage download for Google Earth which can turn a simple art history lesson into a three-dimensional interactive display of some of the world’s most treasured elements of culture and history from around the world. These tools allow students to use these extraordinary resources in their classrooms as well as engage their learners within the standard curriculum.

Discussion Questions

• ​Ask your students about the benefits of utilizing platforms, such as the Google Art Project, to virtually visit museums around the globe.
• What other places would students like to explore virtually?
• Ask your students to recommend some tech-related resources for teachers to use to enhance the classroom?
• How does the usage of tech related resources improve students’ interest in various subjects?
• For additional ideas for making lesson plans with the google art project:  http://teachinghistory.org/nhec-blog/24540 and http://theteachingpalette.com/2011/02/17/9-ideas-for-integrating-google-art-project-in-your-curriculum/

Full Links

• UNESCO: http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/unesco/
• Google Art Project: http://www.googleartproject.com/
• A Platform for Good: www.aplatformforgood.org

Click here to download this video.

Purpose

The purpose of this video encourages teachers to integrate activism within their classroom by incorporating collaboration online resources that promote social movements for change within local and national communities.  Adora Svitak promotes three success stories of ordinary youth making a major impact within our nation by using collaborative resources online.

Discussion Questions

• If given an assignment to design one lesson from the school year, what lesson would you choose and how would you get the classroom involved?
• Go to www.change.org, find a current petition that aligns with one of our lessons for the year, and try to mobilize support as a class.
• What other ways could we, as a classroom, get involved in social activism, by using the power of technology?

Full Links

• First Woman Moderator of the Presidential Debates in 20 Years: http://www.change.org/debate
• Lorax Petition Project: http://www.change.org/petitions/universal-pictures-let-the-lorax-speak-for-the-trees
• Crayola Recycle Markers Project: http://www.change.org/petitions/crayola-make-your-mark-set-up-a-marker-recycling-program

Click here to download this video.

Purpose

This video aims to encourage teachers to use more creative interactive features in their classroom by incorporating activities such as 'game creation' to bridge students' understanding of their lessons to relevant issues and social activities. By using game creation sites like Scratch, Game Creation: Construct 2, and Ayiti these content creation features enables students to connect their lessons to everyday principals and bring a sense of purpose to learning the standard curriculum.

Discussion Questions

• Does the standard curriculum bring relevance to your daily experience?
• How can I, better help you understand the importance of learning the lessons we cover this year?
• Would you like to incorporate more game creation opportunities to our curriculum? Besides game creation, what other tech-related resources would you like to see in our classroom that will make our year fun?
• For homework, find some fun sites that you think we could incorporate in one of our lessons for the year. Write a small summary on how this activity is relevant to the lesson. As a class, we will vote on four activities to incorporate in our lessons this year.

Full Links

• Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu/
• Game Creation: Construct 2: http://www.scirra.com/construct2
• Ayiti: The Cost of Life: http://ayiti.globalkids.org/game/
• A Platform for Good: www.aplatformforgood.org

Click here to download this video.