Mr. Higgins’ Blog

No, i’m not talking about the Race for the Netxtel Cup.  I’m talking about the conference that I have waiting for ever since I wanted to become an educator, the K12 Online Conference.  The keynote address by David Warlick was extraordinary and is only adding on to the thoughts are spilling out of my head and hopefully into my writing (also listening to “The Who” helps me a great deal).  His keynote address was basically the viewership watching the human side of an individual who thinks and discusses educational issues with an ora that resembles “the force”.  When he speaks, his tone and demenaor instantly make you realize the human side of things and helps put in perspective the details of his educational anecdotes and information. 

This K-12 Online conference comes at a time during my teaching career, if I can even say that I have one right now, in which I’m reflecting on myself as an instructor, blogger, coach, and motivator.  The conference is making me realize that my blogging needs to count, quality over quantity.  I need to make a more concerted effort to link to others content and thoughts in order for my own to be shared.  After all, isn’t that what the internet as the very base is turning into, a place where thoughts and opinions are shared amongst the many informative resources.  I talk at least once a week to my students in my web development class about blogging because I want them to realize it is a way to communicate with their own peers and make their opinion count.

I am a big believer in the fact that technology can enhance learning, not make the student learn.  With that being said, I still need to buy into the idea of using a wiki and effectively updating the wiki.  I currently use Drupal so my students have blogging, turn in electronic assignments, and can view the homework/class work.  My wiki skills need to be improved and will see how things go when I start my Wiki unit with my Web Development class.