in ET4TP Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 1

Welcome to the first-ever issue of ET4TP MONTHLY, a new edtech newsletter at SUNY New Paltz for teacher candidates, inservice teachers, and teacher educators.


Sections in ISSUE 1:

Recent
Relevant, recent stories in the edtech world.

Did You Know?
Need-to-know facts about edtech integration in teacher preparation.

Upcoming
Upcoming workshops, events, and RFPs/CFPs.

Tool Tips
Suggestions for new tools or tech tips for use in the classroom.


Recent

How Do We Know If Technology Is the Solution or the Problem? by Sam Peterson. Has a more hotly debated or wholly unanswerable question ever been posed? One can easily imagine an Epic Rap Battle of History between the Luddites and Futurists on this very topic. And nowhere is that seemingly innocuous question more likely to ruffle feathers than in the realm of education. At EdSurge Fusion in October, we hope to find some common ground between the tech-forward and tech-resistant education communities. Furthermore, we aim to hit upon research-backed and evidence-based solutions to the most intractable problems that students and educators face in the tech-infused classrooms of today… and tomorrow….(click here to read more of this story from EdSurge).

Skim Reading is the New Normal by Maryanne Wolf. When the reading brain skims texts, we don’t have time to grasp complexity, to understand another’s feelings or to perceive beauty. We need a new literacy for the digital age. Look around on your next plane trip. The iPad is the new pacifier for babies and toddlers. Younger school-aged children read stories on smartphones; older boys don’t read at all, but hunch over video games. Parents and other passengers read on Kindles or skim a flotilla of email and news feeds….(click here to read more of this story from The Guardian).

Tech Integration in Blended Learning by John McCarthy. Blended learning continues to grow as an approach to meeting learner needs, especially as schools put more computers and other devices into student hands. The growth of blended learning is generally paced at the comfort of teachers as they expand their use of digital tools for teaching and learning—at present learning to teach with digital tools seems to be the greater focus than exploring how to deepen students’ learning….(click here to read more of this story from Edutopia).


Upcoming

NYSCATE/SUNY Smart Schools Summit
The 3rd annual NYSCATE/SUNY Smart Schools Summit on Tuesday, October 9 at SUNY New Paltz promises to be a hands-on, idea-generating day of edtech learning for P-20 educators. #SmartSummit18 is one of the few events that includes educators in both K-12 and higher education. Sign up to learn with and from your education colleagues across the greater Hudson Valley region today! $25 per person. Lunch included. For more information and to register, visit the website.

Call for Submissions
The Journal for Interactive Technology and Pedagogy (JITP) seeks scholarly work that explores the intersection of technology with teaching, learning, and research. We are interested in contributions that take advantage of the affordances of digital platforms in creative ways. We invite both textual and multimedia submissions employing interdisciplinary and creative approaches in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Besides scholarly papers, the submissions can consist of audio or visual presentations and interviews, dialogues, or conversations; creative/artistic works; manifestos; or other scholarly materials, including work that addresses the labor and care considerations of academic technology projects. Find out more here.

NYSCATE Annual Conference
Each year NYSCATE sponsors an annual statewide conference attended by 1,500 attendees and 150+ exhibitors showcasing exemplary education applications of technology. Half and full-day hands-on workshops take place on the first two days of the conference, which will be held in Rochester, NY. Over 120 presentations by teachers and technology experts are given over the three day period. NYSCATE recruits keynote speakers who are respected experts in their fields. NYSCATE’S website provides links to educational resources and current issues as well as conference, seminar and grant information. NYSCATE disseminates, through email blasts and newsletters, up to the minute information on issues and regulations relating to technology and education from both state and federal governments.

Why so much about NYSCATE, you might ask? Because they’re the premiere PD provider for edtech in New York State! Please share other events with Kiersten directly at greenek@newpaltz.edu.


Did You Know?

The SUNY New Paltz School of Education now has its very own Education Technology Fellow, Liz Brennan, who will hold drop-in hours in the Center for Innovation in Education @ New Paltz (CIE@NP). No question or problem related to technology is too remedial for Liz! Faculty and teacher candidates are both welcome to seek out Liz’s assistance.

Sign up for an appointment with Liz on:

  • Mondays 2:00-3:00pm in the CIE@NP
  • Thursdays 2:00-3:00pm in the CIE@NP
  • Tuesdays 10:00am-12:00pm virtually

Find out more about Liz and what the the EdTech Fellows program offers — and sign up for an appointment — here.


Tool Tips

Want your students to respond to something in a virtual environment in a more dynamic way than just posting a comment? Then try Flipgrid, a video discussion platform. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. But before you sign up for (or have your students sign up for) any app, it’s always a great idea to check out the privacy policy.

  1. Sign in.
  2. Create a grid.
  3. Share the unique code with your students and start posting!

Visit this link to find out how to get started.


We hope you enjoy this first issue! Look out for Issue 2 during the last week in October.

Be sure to subscribe by clicking on the ‘subscribe’ button in the sidebar (and then confirm your subscription via email).

If you have any questions or suggestions, email Dr. Kiersten Greene at greenek@newpaltz.edu.

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