No Time! No Time!

No time. This is the number one reason I hear from teachers regarding the reluctance to try a new tech tool in the classroom.


"I'd love to try Google Docs, but I don't have time to learn it first."



"That's really cool. My students would love that....maybe next semester."


"Twitter? I'm sure the students will know more than me!"


One of the big challenges I face each day as an educator and a digital literacy teacher is the lack of time. We are all busy, busy people with no time to investigate new digital tools that could be used to engage and support student learning in the classroom.

So make time.  So reallocate time! Pick one new  digital tool that you would like to investigate and dedicate 15 minutes to it.


15 min. before you go to bed at night.

15 min. while waiting for the bus (oh, wait. The buses are still on strike. You can dedicate 45 min now!)

15 min. while waiting for your son/daughter's 5th skating/dance/hockey/swimming lesson of the week to end.

Now's the time. Start here.


Commoncraft videos make complex concepts easier to understand. Everything from Google Docs to Twitter to Zombies. The videos are all approximately 2 1/2 min. long.


Wow. That would leave you 12 1/2 min. to peruse the Internet for ways to use your newly discovered digital tool in the classroom!!


Once you are hooked, head over to CoolTech4Teachers and look into hundreds of ways to use the digital tool in the classroom.

Getting Ready for Summatives

At the end of the semester draws near, students across the province will be getting ready to create their Summative projects in a variety of courses. 

In some cases, the summative project gives the student some flexibility in the way they submit their final project. There are a whole host of web 2.0 tools to support this….check here!

But if the summative assignment for your class involves the  planning, researching and writing of an essay of sorts, then take a minute to check out EasyBib.

EasyBib takes the time to demystify the essay writing process with a number of writing guides including a topics guide; research guide; writing guide and a citation guide. From start to finish, EasyBib has the tools to support your student as they foray into the wild world of essay writing. The language is very student friendly and will be a great starting point for everyone in your class.

For you, the educator, there is also a dedicated section to help you with lesson plans for your class. Having trouble explaining how to complete a credibility analysis? No worries….check out this lesson plan.

Are you interested in the latest ideas surrounding literacy and essay writing? Take a minute to check out the EasyBib blog and follow it for the most up-to-date postings!

Essential or Extraneous?

This week, the Globe and Mail has been running a 5-part series on Technology in the Classroom. They have looked at everything from the evolution of technology in the classroom to the concept of the 'flipped' classroom.




But what caught my eye today was a survey which asked the question: "Is technology a boon or a burden in the classroom?".


Check out the results here.


What do you think?


When I think about the early years of my teaching career, I had considerably less technology available to me: a chalkboard, a piece of chalk, an overhead projector, transparencies, a photocopier and my 24lb Dell Inspiron laptop. And I used every piece of technology I could find. And then I started looking. And searching--searching through Webcrawler and Yahoo to find cool things to do in my classroom.


Google wasn't even a verb back then.


And then the Internet exploded. And technology became available at a faster pace and at lower costs.


But has it changed your teaching? Do you feel empowered to use the latest and greatest tool to provide authentic and relevant learning experiences for you students?


Or is it a burden...something that slows down your teaching and hinders the learning process?

I'd like to know what you think