10 Smart Lessons from Our Teachers in 2011

This past year, we’ve enjoyed some great posts by our team of Smart Teachers who have brought new, innovative ideas to the classroom. Below, we have compiled our favorite lessons from teachers this year that cover everything from mobile learning to social media to generation gaps.

1. Generation Gap. Adam Renfro brought us some great ideas this year about Generation Y and Z, which ask us to think differently about our teaching and learning models for students of the future. Check out his posts “Z Future Is Here!” and “Dawn of the Nerd Hero.”
2. Learning Labs. Renfro helped us envision how we could make better use of students time on the bus each day with mobile learning in his post “Rev Up Your Mobile Learning Lab On a Bus.”
3. Mobile Learning. Mike Shumake gave us some excellent tools on how to take texting to a new level in the classroom with his post “The Power of Texting: A Changing Communication Medium in Changing Times.”
4. Serious Games. Many students today are well versed in games. Renfro says, let’s leverage this for learning in his posts “Change Your School’s Culture and Save the World Part 1 and Part 2.”
5. 21st Century Technology. The 21st century means new technologies and ways of learning. Renfro examines the way our old paradigms prohibit growth in 21st century technology in his post “Access Denied.” He then, pokes fun at the old paradigms in his satire “HULK’s Thoughts On E-Learning.”
6. Google Apps. Google Apps are storming the education market, providing teachers with valuable tools that improve learning. Shumake breaks down how to use these tools effectively in the classroom in his posts “How to Use Google Docs to Collect Contact Information Part 1 and Part 2” and “How to Use Google Voice to Connect With Parents & Students.”
7. Social Media. Social media has become a hot topic in education this last year. Renfro talks about the ways that students could be mentored in social media in his post “Mentoring Your Students in Social Media and Vice Versa.” Shumake talks about how teachers can better represent themselves online with his post “Four Ways to Become an Ed Leader With Social Media.”
8. Web Conferencing. Web conferencing tools improve teaching capabilities online and blended learning teachers. Shumake shares his thoughts on this in his posts “How to Teach Online With Screensharing and Screencasts” and “Google Hangout: A New Collaboration Tool for Learning and Living.”
9. Videos for Learning. Khan Academy and SchoolTube are proving that video can engage students in learning. Andy Havard discusses how to incorporate video in the classroom with his post “How to Effectively Teach Students Using Video.”
10. Grading. Grading itself hasn’t changed much, but the way teachers record and manage grades for students has improved dramatically with the use of technology. Shumake gives us tools to take grading into the technology age with his post “21st Grade Book: How to Best Deal With Good Old Fashioned Grades.”