Chapters 3&4

Doris: Some things students already do well; I know how to do very few of them well. Don't have the opportunity throughout the day to use these things.
Wendy: Found social bookmarking sites really useful for myself recently; realize that students need access from anywhere so they can continue where they left off with research. Instantly applicable.
Doris: Took Google Docs class. Useful if we teach kids how to use it.
Wendy: I do all my work that way.
Shannon: Google Docs has changed my life, but I have no idea how to use spreadsheets.
Therese: 2007 doesn't even look the same
Wendy: Open office on desktop - I use it at home on Linux.
Therese: Part that I'm concerned about is how to set up, monitor, make it private for students.
Wendy: page 56
Therese: We need tech support to use the tools effectively. If we don't have support, how can they be effective?
Doris: Teachers are behind the curve for a variety of reasons: generational, happening so quickly, expensive, time consuming... we can't even share docs outside of our network.
Therese: We lack access to technologies that would make them useful.
Therese: Kids need to be taught skills to use tech -
Doris: Instruction happens as teachers need kids to use the skills; pick it up as they go along.
Therese: If you are going to use the tools, what teaching needs to go on in order to use them effectively?
Doris: What is the curriculum like at places that have all of this stuff?
Therese: How do you deal with the issue of a reliable site?
Shannon: There is explicit instruction in ELA at the HS levels.
Doris: Maybe a good place for a delicious kind of site - send kids directly to reliable sites.
Wendy: Blogs to create accountability and to determine areas of interest, questions, etc.

This is an incomplete record of our conversation....