21st Century Class Unveiled

I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude toward Steve for introducing us to the amazing array of tech tools that we can now draw on to make our classes truly engaging and interactive. In this class, we had a taste of what's possible in terms of creative ways to communicate information and concepts. As a result, I feel far more confident and ready to build on my understanding of research-based strategies and theories, which we learned over the last two years, and meld them into well-constructed lessons that seamlessly integrate technology. Great goal, right?! Until I master anything, the process is obviously complicated, prone to glitches,and by nature somewhat stressful because of the professional need and personal desire to be effective and capable. Critically, this class revealed that the technology vista is rapidly changing, so I just have to jump on the roller coaster of constant change and adaptation because that's what's required in today's teaching profession. It's exciting, challenging, and unpredictable.

Clay Yourself Avatar

Thinking about ways to create characters using technology, as opposed to that traditional format of paper and pencil, I found http://clayyourself.com/ Thought you all might enjoy it! If you're wondering, this is the character Jazzy, an eye witness to a shooting.

Students Demand Technology

This article speaks to the necessity of keeping technology current and creating access for all. The students profiled in this article were at a conference demanding that policymakers wake up to the necessity that they--students from poorer school districts--need devices in school that enable them to learn effectively. Without better technology and more of it, they contend that they'll never be on an equal footing with their peers who come from families or live in school districts where technology is easily accessible. They are, of course, correct. What is significant about these students is that they organized themselves, raised the money to get to the conference, and spoke with conviction to the adults who make decisions that impact them. They are the generation who demands to be heard, and is capable of being heard because of technology. The entire educational paradigm is shifting because of technology; and adults and students need to be working together to maximize its advantages. It's the New World. Like these students suggest, education will remain relevant if they are given the tools and support from adults in classrooms that enable them to succeed outside the classroom.

Cell Phones in Clear View

Sitting in the back of classrooms over the last 2 years, I've watched countless students text and play games while teachers drone on about some topic or another. Most striking to me last spring was watching four students, who had been doing something on their phones, quickly put them aside when the teacher turned to grading tests using clicker technology, which immediately created a bar graph showing the percentage breakdown of selected answers on their multiple choice exam. Everyone was engaged, talking, debating, questioning. The energy level went from flat to electric. That was clearly the power of technology to enhance learning and to engage students using a method they found compelling. Their cell phones offer the same opportunity. The question is really what types of technology best push learning forward. If you can integrate their phones, which are pivotal part of their existence, into classroom learning, you can begin to open their minds to the fact that your subject is relevant outside school.

Digital Story: Storybird sings a love-lost song

http://storybird.com/books/love-walked-away/ What a magical journey! Storybird, the site that allows you to create books using art from hundreds of artists, is radically different from 20th century publishing. Yes, you can follow the traditional format of writing a story then adding images that propel the plot; but you can also conceptualize stories based on the artwork, which is what I did. I started off exploring Animoto, Prezi, and Movie Maker to create an introductory piece on myself. However, I was drawn to Storybird because art and books are my passion. I first explored creating a story based on "joy." I opted however to go with "love" after finding my magnificent goth girl, created by an illustrator known as CreepyCuties. This character resonated with me, which made me realize I could develop a story based on how the art moved me. As someone keenly aware that much of the public views art as a static, irrelevant medium, I was thrilled. I'd love to use Storybird to introduce students to writing, but also the power of art and the individuals behind it. CreepyCuties has a website, accessible through Storybird, featuring her ghoulish creatures in such things as comic strips. I don't need to "create" the example when I have access to such a broad range of quality work. My job is to sift through what is worth presenting, then let my students follow wherever it takes them creatively!

YouTube's Cultural Icons

You know the YouTube personalities have taken on a higher level of social and cultural significance when The New York Times starts praising their work. "YouTubers" by Rob Walker, The New York Times Magazine, July 2012, was a fun read because my kids follow YouTube's biggest stars, including Ray William Johnson, Smosh, and Mystery Guitar Man. Confession: One of my favorite moments in a busy day is when one of my kids shows me Johnson's latest episode. Yes, it is sometimes crude and almost always punctuated with lewd language, which makes it completely inappropriate for young kids and never appropriate for school; BUT, he's funny and smart! These personalities are the voices kids are turning to for current events and timeout from homework. The article explores how YouTube is evolving as a creative medium, its emerging stars, and its growing prominence, which is elevating it out of the subculture our students already know.

All that's Real then Contrived

I was first exposed to the process and rationale of altering photographs in 1994 when writing a feature article on a chef. The photographer assured me that the food photos would be crisp and vivid, better than the real thing! Frankly, I had that "duh" moment, when she told me food photos were routinely color enhanced because they didn't present well otherwise. OK, made sense; but, it had never occurred to me that the lush green salad with sparkling slices of grapefruit weren't the magic of Mother Nature. Flash forward to 2012, and enter the world of constantly changing photos and images. What's real? Common Sense Media's lesson "Retouching Reality," for grades 9-12, is a splendid exploration into the conceptualization, and creative and ethical issues involved in altering images. And because students have grown up in a world where photos are splashed all over the Internet and routinely photoshopped, there isn't a sense that original images have a sacred right to be preserved and protected. Nonetheless, seeing is believing. The activities in the lesson involve such activities as voting if a photo is real or fake, and altering a photo through a website linked to Flickr. It's a lesson that could be molded into any discipline, because photos drive perceptions, create opinions, cause an emotional reaction, even alter the course of history. Critically, it's a lesson that allows students to be front and center, either showcasing their own work and/or their opinions.

PowerPoint on Auto

Got sucked into the link trail on PowerPoint discussions: "Learning to Love PowerPoint," "PowerPoint Is Evil," "The Power of PowerPoint: Is it in the User or the Program?" PowerPoint clearly has made its mark on U.S. culture! I haven't been subjected to endless slides, which induce boredom and suck the room dry of credible questions, so I remain open to the powers that it has: keeping the speaker on track, creating focus, defining/setting an agenda, presenting ideas visually. Like any tool, it's only as good as the content created by the maker; bad PowerPoints are like bad podcasts! David Byrne, a musician and artist, wrote "Learning to Love PowerPoint," and captured the essence of what any tool can be in the right hands: a creative adventure. He reminds me that an enlightened teacher is not going to define the right way and wrong way to use a medium. Tech tools, in the hands and minds of some, will yield the most astonishing results. I know my limitations; but, I don't know the limitations of others. And, within the classroom, all I want to know is the potential and unexpected discoveries and mishaps students have when exploring something new. As Byrne shows, PowerPoint can be far more than a bullet-point slide; it can be art!

Reinventing the History Textbook for Online Learning

I have two middle-school-aged children in my home who have been using online History books for two years. Their verdict: terrible. This is hugely interesting to me because they are wired to the hilt. So, what don't they like about it? The difficulty of going back and forth, trying to find information, which speaks to a format problem, not the use of computers. In Historical Thinking, the textbook is addressed from the point of being controversial, which speaks more to the balance between learning facts and synthesizing events in a way that enables students to think in historical contexts. The focus, in my view, ought to be the use/creation of software that allows teachers to create their own textbooks, which serve as a platform for whatever they're doing in class. Both my children had amazing History teachers, who utilized Project-Based Learning throughout the year; but, both felt frustrated by the textbook, which seemed to slow learning down. If students are going to be required to read History textbooks online, then those materials should developed in a way that suits the medium, as well as suits the needs of the teacher and students!

Redefining Writing for the 21st Century Classroom

There's no question that pen & paper are the 20th-century version of the horse & buggy, while computers represent the car, which is so fast, wildly efficient, and capable of taking us places we never dreamed possible. Within the English classroom, the tug between these two traditions and the impact it's having on craft is being played out on sites like Getting Smart . Susan Davis, a veteran English teacher, writes a compelling argument in "Teaching Authentic Writing in a Socially Mediated World" on what it means to teach writing in a meaningful way to today's students. Forget the 5-paragraph essay and deconstructing poems, it's time to blog, write photo captions, do digital stories. It's time to teach using the medium that students use outside the classroom. Unsurprisingly, this spawned a flurry of comments from readers, most of whom are teachers. What's intriguing are the posts that argue against what she's advocating---that the 5-paragraph essay enables students to develop logical arguments, which is a skill not developed through Facebook posts. Davis responds well to her critics, furthering adding to a much needed dialogue and debate on what belongs in the English classroom and how it can be adapted to the environment we all inhabit. It's the adaptation, in my view, that is critical because students will "engage" when they think the materials are relevant to their lives, to their world. They're wired, as we all are, to learn, to respond, and to engage when something resonates with them. The issue isn't "throw out the old, bring in the new" but rather package the content, i.e. the instruction, in a way that's appealing and substantive enough that it results in actual learning. None of us learn well when we're bored by the presentation or feel the method is woefully outdated.

Inquiry-based Learning: Total Recall

We've plowed through stacks of strategies and theories on education, but how do we know what works? As someone who's an experiential learner, I can say with great conviction that, for some learners, inquiry-based learning is powerful and lasting. I think back on our first class with Dr. Luckas and quickly recall Wendy and Lisa D delivering their inquiry-based lessons. At the time, the process for creating that type of lesson seemed too challenging, too time consuming, because it has to be meticulously planned in order to work. Now, I feel like it's worth the effort because I remember their lessons, which were many moons ago!

Our Concept Board Podcast!

UDL: Learning Opportunities for All

Differentiation seems like a 101 concept in comparison to Universal Design for Learning, which is the horizon for working with 21st-century learners. I feel like I've discovered the tip of the iceberg on a concept we ought to know how to implement. By checking a webinar sponsored by the National Center on Universal Design for Learning, I discovered that VDOA addresses it through Special Education Departments, which makes sense on one level. Nonetheless, it seems like every teacher needs professional development that presents the tools and concepts that are at the core of UDL philosophy: "The way we learn is as unique as our fingerprints." The goal behind UDL curriculum is creating expert learners; that's radically different from creating experts! I wonder what Lisa, our Special Ed. math teacher, can share about her experiences with UDL?    

Plagiarism has been my main concern about students using the Internet for projects. Copyright? Hadn't given it much thought until this lesson. Wow! Where have I been? Of course, we have to know and explain copyright because it's a legal issue one has to respect and abide by. And, like technology, the law is evolving. It's exciting to learn about sites like Creative Commons, which can help you find the photos, text, and images that can be used for free. It's like a whole new world has opened up for me! Duh!

Visual Learning Update on the Past

Forgot to list my article, Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom, from ERIC Digest, which was written by Charles Bonwell and James Eison in 1991--21 years ago. What interested me was the emphasis placed on engaging students and moving beyond the lecture format, which echoes what we hear on a regular basis in 2012. "Students must engage in such higher-order thinking tasks as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation," they say. They talk about the resistance to change among teachers, and how critical it is for teachers to be supported by administration so they're not working in isolation. Importantly, they stress the necessity of adopting strategies to promote learning, like visuals, so that students retain meaningful information. I found it hugely ironic that I could have slapped 2012 on that 1991 year and essentially had a current paper. Of course, we would add a section on tech tools that enhance learning. The task going forward, in my view, is creating the grounded research that supports that it works!  Teachers, now more than ever with the emphasis on test results, need proof that utilizing technology does in fact boost learning outcomes, because resistance to change is human nature.  

My Clown Fish Recreated

Visuals: All in the Mind's Eye

While traveling abroad some years ago, I developed a series of horrific eye infections, which kept me awake at night with fears of eventually going blind. Yes, it's said that other senses are enhanced when one is lost;  but, is there really an adequate substitute for sight? Not in my mind. Visuals are our way of framing the world, framing ideas, conceptualizing. Caves, with the delightful scribbles of people we refer to as "cavemen," reveal that we have an instinctive need to express ourselves in pictures, through pictures. What is most captivating to me about tech tools is the ability to frame words and ideas differently; it's like unlocking a new toolbox for creative expression. I realized this when I did my first Wordle. I dread self introductions because I edit out or in the essence of who I see myself as within a certain context. However, a Wordle takes words that I associate with myself and puts them in a frame bursting with energy, potential, expression. So many students struggle with creating a solid paragraph. Why not liberate their minds with other tools of expression, like Wordle and Digital Storytelling? If the process is creative, then somehow the "pain" associated with some types of learning naturally disappears. 

Flipped Learning in My Mind, My Class

Passion to learn, explore, create, and connect with others is the driving force behind my interest in being in a classroom. To imagine that one needs to know it all is frightening, if nor crippling. Hence, I'm encouraged by Andrew Miller's admonition that you have to learn how to implement and master engaging models like Project Based Learning and Authentic Literacy in order to fully utilize the potential in Flipped Learning. Like everything, you have to start somewhere, test things out, enhance what worked, tweak what didn't, and reflect on every angle. It's what Peter Pappas addresses in his posts on the importance of reflection among everyone involved in the process.

I imagine beginning with brief podcasts on poets or music as a way to begin a subject. It would in essence be my hook. I'm also intrigued with having students create essential questions that become the frame for the podcast and/or launching a unit. Frankly, I never understand the nuances of anything until I dive into the process, the experience. In that sense, I imagine my ability to harness the usefulness of Flipped Learning will hinge on how I integrate it into a student-centered learning environment. That integration will also depend on my ability and opportunities to pursue things like PBL.

Negotiating Student Centered Learning

"The Four Negotiables of Student Centered Learning" in Peter Pappas's blog is an excellent starting point for teachers to consider and reconsider how students' voices can be heard in the classroom. Teachers are often looking for the student voice that indicates he "got it," i.e. the voice that affirms that the objectives in the lesson were understood. Why not have your class be more of a Socratic forum for learning in which students deliberate which areas of content and skills need to be studied in depth; which types of products that would demonstrate learning; and guidelines for assessment. I've seen countless numbers of high-school students dissect rubrics, trying to figure out the minimum required steps to get a C or a B. I've even asked several students why they don't shoot for an A. The bored look on their face says it all: What for? We have to respect our students' intellect, ability, and natural curiosity. Engagement begins with willful participation. It's not a power struggle so much as it's a "buy in" process in which students propose how best to tackle the learning objectives. Teachers can't negotiate what has to be learned, but they can allow students to help mold the learning process.    

Flipped Instruction as a Starting Point

As Andrew Miller points out in "5 Best Practices for the Flipped Classroom," it's an approach that is simply a starting point within the context of running a class that has the teacher as the Guide on the Side as opposed to the Sage on the Stage. What's exciting about Flipped Learning is how it can open avenues for content delivery. Frankly, the thought of listening to a taped lecture makes me cringe, while the thought of having students frame the "So What?" objective in learning is exciting. I'd enjoy creating a podcast centered on their essential question. Better yet, why not have a motivated student create the podcast? We have so much talent in a classroom that is never tapped into because students don't have an opportunity to use or express those skills. By allowing them to help frame the content and objectives, aren't we creating the engagement that's so essential to all learning, no matter what one's age!

"High School Stinks"

I checked this link in the earlier assignment on Project Based Learning and included a response in that blog, because Lehmann speaks "the truth." I have two teens who talk about the classes that "stink" and the ones that are amazing. Without exception, it's the classes that utilize PBL and collaborative learning that they enjoy the most. Anything hands on, from building rockets and cars in Tech Ed to sewing pillows in Home Economics, scores high on interest and satisfaction. When teachers assign work in order to check off the teaching of material likely to be included in the SOLs, the complaints about being bored or unable to understand the point come in. However, it raises the question of what content---what knowledge base---should be included in school in order to create a unified sense of what it means to be a part of the American fabric in the 21st century. As Lehmann says, the class is a lens to look at the world, and school is a place to make sense of the world. Can teachers find time to craft projects that have the required content of SOLs and also enable students to see the world in a different light?

Pearlman: Students Thrive on Cooperation

My favorite teacher is The School of Life, which, in some sense, encapsulates the essence of Project Based Learning. We all learn by doing, not by sitting and listening to a lecture. What's interesting to me about the skills PBL is supposed to nurture is the fact that sports also develop and refine many of those skills, including teamwork, critical thinking, oral communication, and effective application of content. Moreover, employers have long noted that some of their most successful employees are ones who played club sports, including Ultimate Frisbee, in college. In that regard, when I read articles on 21st century skills and the imperative that students must collaborate, it strikes me that these thinkers are attempting to redefine individualism in the classroom. It will, as Pearlman notes, take talented and dedicated teachers to bring about that transformation. The real key is transforming educators and parents because kids will always team according to friendships and interests. As long as teachers can frame a compelling question or task, students will rise to the challenge. Indeed, curiosity directs learning.

Benefits & Barriers of Podcasts

In regard to flipped-learning, podcasts are the means to the end. Moreover, a well-done podcast can be catalogued and used for as long as it remains relevant, saving teachers' time and classroom time for other activities. The primary difficulty is ensuring that students watch/listen to them in advance. Keeping that in mind, I imagine that truly effective podcasts shouldn't run longer than 10 minutes, so students can check them anywhere when they have a spare moment or access to the Internet.

Besides being a tool for removing the teacher's lecture from the classroom, it also serves as a dynamic tool for assessing student learning. It's hugely complex: a student has to discern what's worth presenting, script it, and present it in a way that's both informative and interesting. That's a lot of "idea" packaging, which requires critical thinking, organization, and deep learning. Once posted, it becomes a catalogue of student learning and even instruction, depending on the content.

Barriers to its usage would primarily be lack of technology. Also, students with disabilities would have greater obstacles, but not insurmountable when teamed with other students.

Podcasts in the Classroom

It's not a question of "if" podcasts can enhance or support learning but rather how can you best incorporate them into learning. A student-prepared podcast, with audio and video, is far more compelling and complex than a PowerPoint presentation or report delivered in front of the class. Moreover, they can be done in groups or alone. What I like best about the format is the ability of the creator to sit in the audience and assess audience reactions. Did it work? Was the evidence/material convincing? Was it packaged right? In this regard, it's a powerful tool, drawing on creativity, writing skills, and organizational, to name a few!

Podcasts and Professional Development

I'm relieved that I don't have to have a Smart Board in my future classroom, even though I think it's cool. If you grew up in the chalk-board era and had the pleasure of banging erasers at the end of the day, you recognize the brilliance of this fun device. BUT, James O'Hagan, the commentator in Razor's Ed, contends in The Death Throes of the Interactive White Board that the Smart Board is on its way out unless it can evolve into a technology that allows kidS to interact with one another; coming to the front of the room won't cut it anymore. The Ipad was the game changer, in his view, because it meant every student could have their own screen. Then Apple came out with a device that could project images from any Apple device onto a screen. Next came Reflection software that could be installed on any Apple device, which allowed multiple students to project their work on a large screen at the same time. With a $500 projector, a laptop already in the class, $15 for Reflection software, and a $600 Ipad, students can take control of the class, making it really interactive. He thinks it's a much smarter and cheaper investment than a Smart Board, which costs $5000 and doesn't allow for student collaboration. I love the idea of students having their own tablets because they truly are the "textbook" of the 21st century. It's another means to harnessing creativity, attention, and our basic desire to share with one another.

Will I use podcasts for professional development in the future? Hmmm, isn't Steve going to keep us plugged into all the amazing tech tools coming on the market for years to come? No? OK, then I have to use podcasts. Through this assignment alone, I've discovered some really impressive tools, like educlipper and storyjumper.

High Tech vs. No Tech

When I read the stark contrasts between these elite private schools--one embracing technology, one holding fast to 20th-century traditions---I couldn't help but wonder why there couldn't be a middle ground that draws on the strengths of both approaches. Particularly at the elementary-school level, where the world is being unveiled on a daily basis, we know children thrive by touching, exploring, experiencing. You can't eliminate that type of learning nor the importance of play; but, technology can enhance those endeavors.  As echoed by both girls, there are situations that call for traditional methods and others that call for technology to enhance the overall experience. Which avenue to pursue depends on the student. High-tech Nina wrote her poems with paper and pencil, while low-tech Nina longed to explore the web links in her arts and science magazine.
Children thrive when provided with choices. Part of being an informed educator is to discern when traditional approaches to learn are most effective and when technology tools are best. I'd say a blended approach can be used in most cases with most children. And within that framework, they teach each other the value of both. 

The Nuts & Bolts of 21st Century Teaching

"High school stinks!" is what Chris Lehmann says as he launches into a powerful talk on the necessity of training students to be citizens, not workers. That line resonated with me because high school has to be interesting, has to be fun, has to serve a higher goal of self discovery. "21st Century Teaching," almost by definition, has to be linked to the Internet, today's library, today's corner of civilization. Classes should be "lenses to open the eyes of students," says Lehmann. But, as Shelley Wright learns through her experience using an inquiry-based collaborative project on the Holocaust, the teacher's lenses also need to remain clear, open to change, open to redefining goals and expectations. Stepping out of the traditional role of imparting knowledge means teachers have to be in the learner's seat as well to remain effective. The real challenge, as Wright talks about, is framing the task and goal; ensuring everyone is invested; enabling everyone an opportunity to contribute. My questions are: How do we assess it? Can we fit it into the Pacing Guide? Can we test it? Those are questions from the 20th century that dog creative collaborative projects today. How do we change the lens on how to impart content and measure what was learned?

English Grade 10 SOL target

The 10th-grade English student is expected to "become a skilled communicator in small-group learning activities." I'd like to tap into digital tools that have the potential to push learning and student interaction in more dynamic ways than the traditional approaches of Reading Circles, which are research-based, i.e. proven to improve learning outcomes, and journal writing. 

Digital Youth

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century poses important and provocative questions about what constitutes learning and how that process is best achieved in current times through examples of how some people in some places are getting it right, i.e. fully engaging the learner. My primary concern about using technology for learning is accessibility. Does every child have a computer or a smart phone? Are we heading toward a society of further disparities because only certain people have access to technological tools? Chicago's Digital Youth Network (DYN) provides a case study in how community access to those tools can transform youths' opportunities, vision, learning, and how they perceive themselves in society. It's an example of what the education process is supposed to do: enable students to discover and pursue their individual passions. It also demonstrates that technology, be it for photography, music, filming, requires the full breadth of traditional and contemporary literacies. Through digital media, students are literally discovering and connecting with their passions, the community, and the world. DYN founders saw young people pushing personal projects a step further, a step higher, a step in a different direction. Youths would start in a workshop and finish as instructors. Now that is empowering!       

Everyone has an opinion

"Giving Reluctant Students a Voice" is a reminder that everyone has an opinion, and the challenge for teachers is creating effective, as well as various, avenues that allow students to express their views constructively and safely. In other courses, we've addressed the difficulty some students have speaking in front of large groups. On the flip side, we've noted that some students remain reluctant, if not deliberately disengaged, in small group discussions. Blogs force commentary, which I would argue always has the potential to be both dynamic and deep, if prompts are posed well. Moreover, you can't fake a response without knowledge of the material, i.e. no off-topic babbling. Within the English class, blogs are a logical extension of journals but far more compelling because they're interactive. Students are not writing for themselves nor for their teachers, but rather their peer group. It literally gives voice to everyone, without fear of being cutoff or misunderstood. That process and venue are what cultivate critical thinking, not to mention good writing!   

Flipped Learning: Embracing the Peer-guided Learning

I explored "Flipped Learning: Turning Learning on its Head," because when Steve used the term "flipped learning," I didn't understand exactly what it meant. From the blog posts, one finds a variety of takes on this philosophy: creation of online content to eliminate the need for students to physically be in the classroom; inversion of the classroom, meaning what traditionally takes place in the classroom is done outside it; just-in-time teaching, which means addressing student questions from the start; use of technology outside the class to free up time in class to pursue discussion, group work, and problem solving. Based on that, it struck me that "flipped learning" is a buzzword for what we often call "front loading": Give students the materials in advance, so they arrive in class prepared to tackle the subject matter. Humanities teachers would simply say that flipped learning means students are doing their homework. Math and Science teachers, on the other hand, would have their classes structured in peer groups, with students explaining problems, theories, etc. The math and science instructors wouldn't walk students through problems, but rather have them walk each other through materials, arguing their points.

Eric Mazur, a physics professor at Harvard, was mentioned several times so I read the link "Twilight of the Lecture," which was published in Harvard Magazine earlier this year. He notes that his approach is how kindergarten teachers work with students: group them and let them tackle things. He observes that this approach fades as students move up the educational ladder. (Yes, recall our first class with Steve on how education hammers creativity out of kids.) The crux of his philosophy is "helping students learn," which is best done through "students interacting with one another." As graduate students, we're thinking, "Well, duh." However, all of us at the secondary level have observed hours of lecture-based learning in classrooms over the last 18 months, which begs the question of why people are resistant to teaching and learning differently from what they experienced. It's not necessarily that some of us get it, while others don't; but, rather those who have the ability to let go of control over classroom dynamics to discover what works best to enable students to learn and remember materials. In that sense, this technology course is my experiment in discovering tools that make words, concepts, and books come alive in an interactive learning environment. I won't lecture my students, but I don't intend to use technology as a substitute for "teaching." What types of technology are available to bring an interactive classroom to a higher level of learning?