RJ is a Technology Facilitator at The Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, IL. He is a strong advocate for implementing technology in the classroom to aid student learning. He spends much of his time educating teachers and students in how to use the most beneficial technology tools available. His goal is to create the most efficient and enjoyable learning environment possible.

ISTE 2012: Tech Tales From a Technology Facilitator
There’s a lot of talk about the flipped model and how it impacts teachers and students. But how does it impact the technology facilitators? This session will introduce the experiences straight from a tech expert himself. RJ will discuss implementing a lecture capture system (Camtasia Relay) across an entire elementary school and what teachers and students are saying about it.

Watch this presentation:
Monday: 12:00PM, 3:00PM
Tuesday: 12:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM
[Download full schedule]

An interview with RJ:

As a tech facilitator, why do you think it’s important to implement technology in the classroom?
The traditional brick-and-mortar ways of educating our students simply do not work as well as they used to. The idea that the teacher is the “owner of all knowledge” is unrealistic and unsustainable. As educators, we have to keep up with the technology world that are students are used to. When students get to the classroom, they shouldn’t have to power down. Technology use in the classroom should be celebrated to show our students that we’re working with them and not against them.

What has technology done for education?
As a whole, we’re in the early stages of integrating technology in the classroom. Traditional educators still aren’t sure what kind of effects the use of technology will have on their students. It’s hard to predict what education will look like in 10-15 years, but we know it shouldn’t look like it does now. Educators need to be pioneers in the methods of teaching students with the technology that is available. There may not be a perfect answer yet, but we need to continue to move in the right direction by integrating technology in the educational lives of our kids.

What’s your suggestion to other educators who could benefit from the Flipped model but are essentially afraid of technology?
Traditional educators are often nervous or afraid to take time and learn about technology. But the reality is that technology is advancing the speed and depth of our kids’ learning. It is shifting the educational paradigm away from the “teacher-centered” classroom to the “student-centered” classroom. The teacher’s role is changing from “content knower” to “learning facilitator”. Camtasia, for example, is specifically designed to take the hardest parts of teaching and learning and make them easier. Students are already starving for this type of learning, so teachers simply need to open up their minds to it.

I would tell other educators not to deny technology. I would tell them to take a look at the world and the ways kids are interacting with one another now. Phones, tablets, laptops, etc. are all daily parts of our students’ lives, and we need to engage with that lifestyle and realize that with a little bit of hard work now, it’ll benefit us all in the long run.

What are some key points you hope your audience will take away from your presentation?
-What the flipped classroom is and how it works

-What resources are available

-What sorts of projects other teachers have done in their flipped classrooms

Connect with RJ: