Who Won?

I went to the Innovative Instruction contest finals yesterday, but I had to leave at 4 so I didn't see who won. If I had to choose, though, I might have picked the mega-overachieving group who created a website that basically ran an entire class on its own. It contained sources, homework assignments, lesson plans, everything you'd need to run a class. However, because it was so huge, I didn't really get a feel for what the point of the project was.

Another project that impressed me was one that included a website that contained documents about the patriots vs. the loyalists. This website allowed students to read these documents and formulate their own opinions about whether they would have sided with the patriots or with the loyalists. They then post their ideas on the site, and dialogue starts. I thought this was a great idea, because as teachers we often tell the students the information but never let them form their own ideas about it. Personally, I don't think you can really learn something until you are able to think about it critically and form opinions. Although this project was not as huge and impressive as the first I mentioned, I think that the overall idea is much more applicable and beneficial. Just because you have technology, doesn't mean you have to use it. Technology doesn't always make things better.