Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of taking part in the t.i.c.l. (Technology Integration and Instruction for the 21st Century Learner) Conference in Iowa, a lively gathering of educators focused on transforming their classrooms into student-centered learning environments. Co-hosted by the Prairie Lakes and Northwest Area Education Agencies, this conference gathered teachers and leaders in northwest Iowa who are passionate about changing current classroom and school norms to better meet the needs of today’s learners through innovative teaching ideas, 21st century tools, and involving students in their own education.
I especially liked the helpful tools available to aid participants in summarizing key ideas from the sessions. A reflection journal, in both paper and electronic formats, included sections for teachers to connect what they were learning to the second edition of McREL’s Classroom Instruction That Works. This updated journal (below) provided participants with a common language for integrating 21st century tools as they learned about new resources and techniques to take back to their classrooms and apply immediately to their practice.
By offering this tool to teachers so they could adapt CITW strategies to their own teaching, conference planners demonstrated a thorough understanding of component two of the new Framework for Instructional Planning—helping students (or, in this case, teachers) develop understanding.
You can access the Reflection Journal from the bottom of the front page on t.i.c.l.’s website. Consider modifying this tool for upcoming professional development and training sessions.
(Special thanks to Prairie Lakes and Northwest for permission to blog about this resource.)
Written by Elizabeth Hubbell, co-author of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works.
It’s a good idea!I want to try it!
Marvin Trimble
Thanks so much for the blog article.Really thank you! Fantastic.