Hicks' Human

After our Skype session with Troy Hicks Thursday, I was happily surprised to find that he is an extremely down to earth guy. He doesn't have all of the answers. He's still trying to fight through his own problems and short falls when it comes to technology.

What I especially enjoyed was that he wasn't afraid to throw out many other resources and tools that we're found in his book. Since the class has ended, I've checked out little bird tales and using PowerPoint for creating digital books. Both great tools/resources and I definitely recommend you checking them out as well! Overall, I thought the Skype session was incredibly beneficial and engaging; nothing better than receiving tools and advice straight from the experts!

Hicks the Hero

Troy Hicks' text, The Digital Writing Workshop, reconfirmed everything I thought and loved about integrating technology into the classroom. In addition to helping me organize my classroom blog, Hicks has also exposed me to new ways of using technology in the classroom. One use of technology that I had not previously thought of is to use Google Docs for rough drafts of major assignments and projects. By having a working Google Doc with each student, as a teacher, you can explicitly coach students into writing exceptional pieces of work. Saving trees doesn't hurt either. :) Another use of technology I hadn't previously thought of is to have students use their blog as a portfolio. By having students add lengthier, major projects, viewers will not only be able to see the student's blog work, but also what is occurring within the classroom. All in all, Hicks truly helped me envision what is possible within my classroom. Above are my students working on their own blogs!