Students would be surprised at what goes through their teachers’ minds this time of year. While kiddos are dreaming of sleeping late, riding bikes and taking a break from homework, many of their teachers are imagining something a little bit different: summer learning! While teachers initially take a well-deserved break, rest, and vacation, they quickly become restless, focused again on the new school year and how they’ll improve their classrooms.
For over 1,000 Dataseam educators, this will be an exciting summer, as they learn how to use the iMac and integrate technology into their curriculum. Teachers are always looking for ways to engage, empower, and excite their students. To incorporate technology into the classroom is to broaden horizons, expand the walls, and introduce students to digital literacy skills that are required for career and college-readiness.
The fact is, students are eager to use the technology in the classroom. Its second nature to them, and their digital minds engage quickly. Teachers often find that computers and tablets excite their students, encourage project-based collaborative learning, and level the playing field for the entire class. With technology in the classroom, students can take ownership of their work, and be the master of their own learning.
With a full slate of trainings this summer, from Introduction to Digital Learning – to Multimedia in the Classroom: iLife’11, our trainers are preparing for some great workshops in 15 districts. And while preparing, we’ve poured through Intake surveys submitted by all of our attendees and discovered that there are still a large number of teachers who don’t have the skills and training to integrate technology into their classrooms.
However, of these 1,000 plus summer trainees, most of them indicated that they are excited to integrate technology into their classrooms, want to use the iMac in their classrooms, and are eager to teach students how to use the new technology.
We are looking forward to a great summer with these motivated, Dataseam educators, and can’t wait to hear all the new ideas they have as they prepare for their best school year yet.
