MassCUE Reflections

This year's MassCUE conference was a very enjoyable day. It was great to be able to reconnect with past colleagues as well as meet many new individuals. It was great to talk with administrators, teachers, technology coordinators, and more. Some of the highlights for me were:

• The high school resources that Malissa Northup shared - I'll be sure to checkout GoAnimate and the NCES Online Graphs.

• Robin Talkowski, Rachel Fawson and Alison Breaux shared some great Language Arts resources to use with middle school students - I'll be sure to check out Storybird and Tikatok to create online books.

• I was also able to learn more about the advanced features of Diigo. I would like to use the "Teacher Console" more with teachers and students. Having access to a teacher account in Diigo is a real benefit. Diigo has certainly helped me transform my bookmarking practices.

• Mary Beth Bergh and Susannah Remillard really made podcasting come alive with their Mystery Theater Podcasts. They even had everyone participate during the session. Mary Beth has documented the whole project on her blog.

Which technology tool should I use?

Too often teachers and students are faced with the question "Which technology tool is the best option for the project I'm working on?" In the schools I work in, this question often surfaces when students begin to work on multimedia projects. I often explain to both teachers and students that it isn't as much about the tool as is the learning outcome.

For example when completing a multimedia presentation teachers and students are presented with endless options. Here are just a few:

• PowerPoint
• Keynote
• 280 Slides
• Animoto
• SlideRocket
• Google Presentations
• iMovie
• Movie Maker
• Photostory

The list of available resources can be daunting. For older students I often suggest teachers give students a choice of tools. Students with different learning styles will often gravitate toward different tools. Also, in some cases students will have a personal preference for a tool that they feel confident in using. In the end it is really about choosing the tool that is going to best support student learning objectives.

Another point to keep in mind is that some programs are Mac specific and some are PC specific. If a teacher would like to avoid this conflict all together they can choose a "cloud-based" program like Animoto or 280 Slides. Choosing a cloud-based program also allows students the option of continuing work on their project from home (as long as they have an Internet connection).

If teachers have the luxury to pick from several tools it is also important to acknowledge that each tool has its strengths and weaknesses. Some are great for group collaboration, while others are better suited for the individual contributor. Some are feature rich, while others have a limited tool set. In the end there really is something for everyone. Just remember it should always be about the learning experience!