Week 14 Review: TECHNOLOGY 101 SKILLS FOR TEACHERS
Shelly Fryer, author of the Technology 101 Skills for Teachers blog, is a teacher, author, speaker, and children's advocate. She teaches 3rd and 4th grade students at Oklahoma’s only elementary school specifically for homeless children. In the video above, Shelly’s shares that her passion is to help her students love learning again. She believes student learning in the classroom should be engaging and should drive students to understand that their voices matter. She does this by letting students know that their work will be shared with others beyond the walls of their classroom. To Shelly, this gives meaning back to school for students and really allows them to enjoy learning again. She works along with her husband, Wes Fryer, also an advocate for technology in the classroom with his own accomplishments, in order to put on events like the one shown in the video above, iPad Palooza. These events, along with her website and blogposts. showcase the work that she has done in advocating for technology in the classroom and details its importance to education.
In Technology 101, Shelly shares the importance behind App Literacy. App Literacy involves knowing how to create unique projects and make new discoveries through the use of technology. App literacy in iPads is especially important as they are THE device used in the classroom and it is most likely that whether you like it or not, they will be a part of the classroom. It is important to know what is possible and what apps are appropriate for students’ developmental levels and needs. In Technology 101, Shelly lists some Vocabulary that all teachers should know if they are to be app literate and iPad literate. These terms include things like:
- Share Square
- Hamburger
- Save to Camera Roll
- Workflow
- Home Button
- Screenshot
- Photo Roll
Overall, Shelly Fryer, her website, and her blogpost titled "TECHNOLOGY 101 SKILLS FOR TEACHERS" are an exceptional source for how to safely and properly engage students in the classroom using technology. Lets forget about the technology for a second and admire the passion that Shelly and Wes have for teaching. They are two of the many in the profession that are truly dedicated to making the classroom a place where students want to be. Shelly's main goal is to make learning fun and with her being so well versed in using technology in the classroom, she is able to do that. Not only can we find tips on how to use iPads to create learning opportunities for students, we can find inspiration to put on our nametags in the morning and make a positive difference in whoever's life that enters our classroom. I'm not sure if you can tell, but I really enjoyed scrolling through this website and you can count on me coming back, especially when I am using technology in the classroom.