Tic Tac Toe activities

1.) Observe a technology lesson taught by a collegue.
     I have had multiple opportunities to observe various collegues using technology in the classroom. The most recent observation I had the opportunity to observe was a math lesson being taught to six students with mutliple complex disabilities. The students were struggling with maintaining focus on a unit geared towards teaching basic money skills and coin identification. The teacher was able to utilize the interactive features of the white boards through the use of the Elmo and pulled up a web-based interactive money unit that required the students to get up and interact with the activities on the board using the pen and their hands. It turned the lesson into an exciting and interactive lesson that increased the student's overall engagment and participation in the unit as well as increasing their concept understanding and success.

2.) What does it mean to be a 21st century teacher? 
     I believe that being a twenty-first teacher means that the teacher needs to expose themselves to multiple technology options and be willing to explore and  experiement with the various options. It requires the teacher to determine what works for their students and allows for the maximum engagment of the students. They must constantly and consistently reevaluate their techniques and be flexible and adaptive to the ever changing trends in technology and beyond. 21st century teachers must also be as much a learner as the students they teach.

3.) Unconference Reflection:
    Walking away from the Unconference is always an over-whelming yet exhilerating experience. The opportunity to be exposed to new and different techniques, options and solutions to how to implment these new skills acquired is empowering. It allows staff from across the buildings and grades an opportunity to share their own expertise as well as gain new information. Much of what I use within my day when teaching are things that I learned and have taken away from the sessions.