NCTED 2017: Teaching Tech and Thinking Skills (1 of 2)

Congratulations to Woohoo Learning Lab for successfully staging the first National Conference on Technology in Education (NCTTED) last week amidst two typhoons. I missed day but made it to days 2 and 3 of the conference. I missed the research presentations and the panel on technology in education but, thanks to Schoology and the NCTED website and Facebook page, catching up on missed sessions was possible.

Being at the conference was a reunion of sorts with friends in the teaching and book industry and former colleagues from Xavier School. I met new friends too, teachers who registered in my session on Media in the Time of Social Media. Indeed, the experience was fun, nostalgic and life affirming.

So here now is my list of "take away" from the NCTED.

1. Using technology in education is equal to sound pedagogy.

2. Teachers are lifelong learners and must be given the support to grow in their context and environment.

3. Quoting Fr. Johnny Go, "A culture of what ifs is grown by a leadership of why not?"

4. Important terms: Assessment of learning. Review and selection. Evaluation. Curation. Collaboration. Empathy. Innovation. Critical Thinking. Creativity.

5. There exist a gap between the boomers, the gen Xers and the millennials. Of course. But, if possible, bridging programs or initiatives that fill in gaps need to be set up by the government and non-government organizations.

6. Question: Advances in technology cost a lot. What happens to the have-nots if they could not keep up or are not given access and opportunities to learn and use technology?

7. Content is king. Context is QUEEN (Insert: Ms. Universe wave).

8. Formative assessment is crucial to learning achievement and progress. Where technology plays a role in formative learning is applied in differentiation or differentiated instruction.

9. The effective use of technology in education involves a lot of time spent on discussions with peers, colleagues, school leaders and students - even parents. Talk. Talk. Talk. My take: LISTEN. Listen. Listen.

10. Learning in the age of the digital  natives require teachers to take on different roles: a sage on the stage; a guide on the side; an architect of learning environments. In the best interest of your students, when are you a sage, a guide and/or an architect of learning?

These are all for now. Part 2 to follow as I share the Teacher's Idea Box which participants in my workshop came up with.