Comments on: Digital Teachers

By: Sonya Woloshen: New Attitudes, New Expectations « Ed Tech Journeys

Sonya Woloshen: New Attitudes, New Expectations « Ed Tech Journeys — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:27:50 +0000

Sonya Woloshen is a relatively new teacher and she embodies an attitude that I believe is essential for the transformation of teaching and learning. She is fearless, she embraces technology, and she respects her students enough to trust and empower them. Sonya is an advocate for using students’ Personally Owned Devices’ (POD’s) aka cell phones, iTouches, iPods, etc., in her classroom.

David Truss conducted a three-part interview with Sonya and wrote about it eloquently on his Pair a Dimes for your Thoughts blog. [...]

By: POD – Personally Owned Devices « Passion Changes Everything

POD – Personally Owned Devices « Passion Changes Everything — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:53:37 +0000

[...] Here is a really good 3 part interview with Sonya Woloshen compiled by @datruss. She explains how Personally Owned Devices can be incorprated into student learning. Some really creative ideas with a personalised approach.
And…a really good slideshow presentation by @datruss on PODS…Digital Teachers [...]

By: monika hardy

monika hardy — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:46:37 +0000

to both of you – huge bravo. the ipod interview brought me here.

well and then after i found her on twitter – with like 2 tweets – one saying…wondering how i can shake my class up.

then dave tweets to me…She REALLY has no pre-conceived notions of what a classroom 'should' look like, so she asks herself, What's possible? -Then tries.

beautiful. what a role model.

By: Wendy Loecker

Wendy Loecker — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:58:13 +0000

I like that Sonya’s focus is not on the technology itself, but on producing meaningful results. Too often I see educators attempting to utilize technology because it is what is “expected”, yet they are unsuccessful in teaching the lesson because they cannot use the technology properly. Thanks for a great blog!

By: EJ Wilson

EJ Wilson — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:44:37 +0000

Hey Dave!

I’m in the same frame of mind, but I spend the first half of the year working on the kids routines, and the second I start integrating their POD’s…

By: Brian Kuhn

Brian Kuhn — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:54:50 +0000

I had the good fortune to be the receiver of Sonya’s ipod proposal. I asked her if she could include me one morning in her FI class when kids would be using ipods in an integrated way for their core learning. It was a great experience (a couple of weeks ago). Grade 8 French Immersion… kids started with a lesson involving watching / listening to screen casts that were student / teacher created. They worked individually and in groups sharing ipods, taking notes on grammatical concepts, verb tenses. Some then podcasted into Sonya’s ipod touch so she could evaluate their spoken French.

They then did a synthesis of a Mideval unit – they grouped around 7 ipod touches, selected topics, and did a 10 minute research on the net, recording key info then a report out to the class.

Next in preformed groups that did research on various technology topics students presented their findings, did skits, facilitated class discussion and simulation, etc. For example, one groups topic was “does listening to music on your ipod while studying, doing homework enhance or detract the learning” (or something like that), another on the benefits, problems of digital music sharing, a raging ethics debate broke out…

Anyway, the ipods and ipod touches are great information research, review, consumption, calculating, devices – instant on, instant net connection for touches, easy to share info, etc. The power is in accessibility, cost, instant on/access, etc. in the classroom or wherever the kids may be learning.

By: Nafi Toure

Nafi Toure — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:21:03 +0000

What a great article Dave! Having the privilege and pleasure to teach besides Sonya two days a week, I agree that she is the “beginning” (starting) of a new era in teaching. We are lucky to have her!

By: Bob Cotter

Bob Cotter — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:47:12 +0000

I looked at her website as well, what remarkable ideas for a new teacher. Since I know a quite a bit about how the system of hiring in BC works, my hope is that she will be able to find enough work in the near future to keep up her interest in teaching.

By: Betty Gilgoff

Betty Gilgoff — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:23:30 +0000

What an excellent example of a digital teacher. Thanks for highlighting her work here Dave. She will be an exciting teacher to watch and learn from as she moves forward with her career.