Thursday, January 18, 2024

Connecting with the World: Giving Our Students a Voice.


Your first lecture is a recorded session from our guest speaker, Shannon Miller. She is a UNI graduate teacher-librarian and technology integration specialist at Van Meter Community School District. She is now an international speaker who encourages young people and educators to have a voice while learning, creating, collaborating, and connecting with others globally. She speaks and consults around the country on education, librarianship, technology, social media, and making a difference in education and the lives of others. She is a Future Ready Librarians and Project Connect Spokesperson at Follett Corporation.; Buncee's Teacher Librarian Advisor and Cantata Learning's Teacher Librarian Advocate. 

She is also the author of the award-winning The Library Voice blog. Browse and bookmark it for a future classroom resource.

You may follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shannonmmiller

Before watching the lecture:


Open and analyze the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for teachers and students. ISTE standards provide a framework for learning, teaching, and leading that is amplified by technology.
  • ISTE Standards for Students emphasize the skills and qualities we want for students, enabling them to engage and thrive in a connected, digital world. 
  • ISTE Standards for Educators define the new skills and pedagogical insights educators need to teach, work, and learn in the digital age. 
Bookmark these standards. We will be coming back to them throughout the course.

Download and scrutinize the "I am a Digital Age Learner" poster. It breaks down the ISTE standards for students in an easy-to-follow concept map. 

Ask yourself:
"Am I a digital-age learner?"  Am I ready to become a digital-age teacher? 

If possible, print the poster and place it in your workspace. It should guide your future decisions when creating projects for your students.

While watching the lecture (see Lecture folder in an eLearning) :
  • Try to make a list of the skills and tools mentioned by Shannon. 
Think:
  • Do you know many skills and tools to give you and your future students a voice? 
  • What did your high, middle, and elementary school teachers do to give you a voice and connect you to the world outside of your classroom? 
  • What can you do to make your future students' learning more meaningful and engaging? 
  • Do you see an echo of ISTE standards in Shannon's teaching? 

collage from Shannon Miller guest speaking
Shannon Miller guest speaker