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Health & Fitness

JTHS Instructional Technology Nominated for Best New Blog

JTHS Instructional Technology has been nominated for Best New Blog in the 2012 Edublog Awards.

JTHS Instructional Technology has been nominated for Best New Blog in the 2012 Edublog Awards.

The JTHS Instructional Technology blog serves several purposes within JTHS District 204.  It is a place where JTHS teachers can access links to the latest educational websites and digital tools reviewed and evaluated by an Instructional Technologist to be highly effective for instruction.  Teachers will also find helpful ” how to” videos and tutorials intended to make the daily integration of technology seamless for teachers. 

“In order for our 1:1 imitative to be successful, technology should be like oxygen: ubiquitous, necessary and invisible.  We hope to make this possible for teachers by doing extensive research when writing our blog posts,”  said JTHS Instructional Technologist Eric Patnoudes.  “We meet with teachers on a regular basis to determine what kind of road blocks they may be encountering.  Then, we research what other 1:1 schools have done to combat these issues and write an article directed to all of our staff so that we may continue to grow as a district.”

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The blog addresses various foundational topics that are essential for effective technology integration such as scaffolding in a technology rich environment and focusing on 21st century technology skills that students need to be college and career ready.  “We have also tried to build upon our teachers’ resourcefulness by including an article about developing a Personal Learning Network (PLN) and the resources needed to create a PLN,” said Patnoudes.  “We are fully aware of the high demands placed upon our teachers and the amount of time and commitment it takes outside of the classroom to be an outstanding teacher.  That’s why the JTHS Instructional Technology blog is such a valuable asset to our staff.  In many ways, it is one stop shopping for everything a teacher in District 204 could need to make the integration of technology a meaningful and engaging experience for our students.”

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