#469 – Resources for Keeping Current With EdTech

#469 — Resources for Keeping Current With EdTech

AVID Open Access
10 min

Transcript

The following transcript was automatically generated from the podcast audio by generative artificial intelligence.  Because of the automated nature of the process, this transcript may include unintended transcription and mechanical errors.

Paul Beckermann 0:00 Welcome to Tech Talk for Teachers. I’m your host, Paul Beckermann.

Children 0:05 Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. What’s in the toolkit? Check it out.

Paul Beckermann 0:16 The topic of today’s episode is resources for keeping current with edtech. Technology does not stand still. In fact, it changes faster than nearly everything else in education, and it can be a challenge to stay on top of current trends, new tools, and integration strategies.

Researching all of this on your own is nearly an impossible task, and doing this yourself would take you away from the important instructional work that you need to do every day to make keeping up a realistic goal. It makes sense to lean on edtech leaders and resources who are already doing this work. They’re actively keeping up on the latest research and filtering it down into a manageable summary for you.

In today’s episode, I’m going to share a collection of these types of resources that you may want to bookmark and reference on a regular basis as a manageable way to stay on top of the latest in edtech. Let’s count it. Let’s count it. Let’s count it down.

Let me start with three resources that focus on classroom-ready edtech tools and strategies. Each of these is facilitated by a K-12 edtech educator. The first is Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller. Matt’s a former high school Spanish teacher turned edtech enthusiast. On his site, you can find his newsletter archive with over 600 posts. You’ll find his blog with topics like creativity, artificial intelligence, gamification, lists of digital tools, and features on specific tools like Google Vids and Adobe Express. He also has a section with free templates you can download, including games, graphic organizers, lesson plans, exit tickets, and so much more.

The second resource on the list is Control Alt Achieve from Eric Kurtz. Eric has over 30 years of experience in education and serves as a technology integration specialist in Ohio. He brings this expertise to his website, where he is constantly posting new resources, which includes an insightful blog that highlights all the latest and greatest tools and strategies for using technology in the classroom.

Oftentimes, he’ll include templates and embedded “how-to” videos presented in a really easy-to-access style. There’s a section of the website dedicated to AI resources and best practices. Another section contains countless resources which are searchable and organized by tool and topic. Eric is a sought-after keynote speaker, and he packs his website with lots of webinars that you can access for free. In addition to these resources, you’ll find edtech links, a newsletter, and more.

The third resource is Shake Up Learning from Casey Bell. Casey is a former middle school teacher who is now a digital learning leader, author, and international speaker. Like Ditch That Textbook and Control Alt Achieve, Shake Up Learning offers an insightful blog, lots of teacher resources—many with free downloads—and an extensive video library featuring tips and tutorials. You can also find episodes of her Shake Up Learning podcast.

All three of these resources include options to subscribe to an email newsletter. I find that this is an excellent way to stay connected with what’s happening since I probably won’t remember to go check these sites every week. I like that the newsletter comes to my inbox. I can quickly skim the main headings and review what topics are featured that week, and if there’s something that piques my curiosity or that’s new to me, I can dig deeper. If I feel like I’m pretty well-versed in the topics I see, I can move on or file that email away for later reference if I need it.

Here’s a bonus tip. As a bonus, let me add one more educator site that I find very valuable and insightful: it’s The Cult of Pedagogy from Jennifer Gonzalez. This option is not exclusively focused on technology, but Jen touches on a variety of education-related subjects, which often does include technology. She’s got a really accessible style, and her website also includes a blog, podcasts, tips, and videos, and yes, you can subscribe to her newsletter as well.

The next two resources you may want to consider focus more specifically on artificial intelligence. And let’s face it, that’s the big edtech topic right now. I’ve personally learned a lot from these resources.

The first one is One Useful Thing from Ethan Mollick. Ethan’s a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He states that he is, quote, “trying to understand what our new AI-haunted era means for work and education”. This site is primarily a collection of his blog posts, which are filled with insights and practical examples that you can use yourself. I find that he is one of the most forward-thinking thought leaders in the area of AI and education.

The second AI resource is called Futurepedia. The site is not specifically created for education; in fact, it’s probably more targeted to business applications. Still, I find that it’s one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date resources for information on what’s new and what’s available in the area of AI.

There is a section of the site called AI Tools, which is broken down into categories like video tools, text generators, image tools, audio generators, productivity tools, and things like that. Each option links to tools and oftentimes courses; the courses may require a subscription, but the YouTube channel is free.

Finally, I’d like to share a few resources that are more like edtech journals with articles about edtech. The first one is EdSurge. Now, this publication is not exclusively about technology, but it does regularly include content about digital learning and artificial intelligence. Tech-related articles often focus on research, product updates, and classroom impact. They say this about their own publication: “EdSurge is the digital news and resource magazine about education that illuminates, informs, and ignites your curiosity. We bring you human-centered insights for a changing world”.

Number two is Tech & Learning. This option is specifically dedicated to educational technology topics. You’ll find news, how-to articles, features about classroom tools, and more.

The third option is THE Journal (T-H-E, or the), which stands for Technological Horizons in Education. They say this about their mission: quote, “The Journal is dedicated to informing and educating K-12 senior-level district and school administrators, technologists, IT professionals, and tech-savvy educators who serve the nation’s public schools so they may improve and advance the learning process through the use of technology”. You’ll find sections for K-12 news, feature stories, research, podcasts, and more.

And the fourth option is Education Week. Education Week is a subscription service, but you can access a limited number of articles each month for free. They have a technology section dedicated to edtech topics. Their articles are less about specific tools and more about tech news trends and issues regarding the use of technology in schools.

Finally, I would like to point you in the direction of our own resource, AVID Open Access, as a place to get edtech news and updates. On our website, you’ll find links to this podcast, Tech Talk for Teachers, as well as the Unpacking Education podcast, where we have great educational guests join us, and a large collection of articles, tips, and resources that you can access for free. You can find us at avidopenaccess.org.

Now, don’t feel as if you need to follow all of these resources. Pick one or two and follow those. If that’s going well, you can always add more later. You might want to sign up for their email newsletter if they’re available, so the content comes to you rather than requiring you to go find it. It’s a great way to keep up-to-date with minimal effort.

To learn more about this topic and other free resources, again, visit avidopenaccess.org. Specifically, I encourage you to check out the article collection “AI and the K-12 Classroom”. You can also check out the show notes for this episode, and you’ll find links to the various resources mentioned in this podcast episode.

You might also want to check AVID Open Access for Unpacking Education episodes featuring some of the edtech experts mentioned today, such as Matt Miller, Eric Kurtz, and Jennifer Gonzalez. They’ve all been featured on our podcast. And of course, be sure to join Rena Winston and me every Wednesday for our full-length podcast, Unpacking Education, where we’ll be joined by exceptional guests like those that I mentioned and explore education topics that are important to you.

Thanks for listening, take care, and thanks for all you do—you make a difference.