Enabling vs Helping

1. A valid questions was posed by Scott McLeod today - Are our training efforts helping educators or enabling codependence? I often wonder if I’m enabling my staff as their in-house technology trainer. And I, too, wonder at times why they can’t just read a handout. However, these thoughts always come back to me:
   
   1) Teachers have learning styles just like students do. While most have learned to compensate in most situations, when they’re out of their comfort zone some of them need to “see” or “do” – not just be told how or read a handout.
   2) Just because some people don’t choose to learn what I teach doesn’t mean they’re not a self-learner or life-long learner. There’s a lot of stuff to learn out there…
   3) If I have to choose between my teachers putting their time and energy into students or into a handout/procedure I can easily show them, I want that time going to students – every time.
   4) Teachers’ frustrations are a great teaching tool. Whenever someone gets frustrated trying to read a handout or learn a new procedure I ask them to take a moment and remember this feeling the next time a student doesn’t “get it”.
   
   So, while I completely agree that there needs to be accountability for professional learning, I ask that we maintain a measure of understanding that those teachers then become learners who might have a variety of needs – just like our students.

Monday Dots...

I love this post from Garr Reynolds' Presentation Zen about Jeffrey Monday's "dot presentations".

Here's a sample:


Here's why he does it:




Here's how he does it:



Here's what intrigues me (aside from the design perspective). We're so often making things concrete while here, Monday makes a point of making things more abstract. Are there times we make things more "concrete" when it might be better explained in the abstract?

It's about your goals...

I love this post from Jeff Utecht, "There's no spork for education!". There's no "one-size-fits-all" tool for students or teachers. As educational techologists, I feel we still battle the tool mentality. When teacher comes to me and says, "I want my students to blog. Can you help me do that?" the first question is invariably "What is the goal you're trying to achieve?" -- maybe we'll blog and maybe we won't.

Your first question should always be, "What am I trying to accomplish?" and THEN "What tools can help me accomplish that best?"

Keep your goals first, always.

On Preconceived Notions...

Another singing sensation made the news lately on Britain's Got Talent -- Susan Boyle has received rave reviews on her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream". What has caused the media frenzy? The fact that Ms. Boyle does not have the outward appearance we expect from someone so talented, much the same as we were all shocked by the operatic talent of Paul Potts not long ago on the same show.



How many people do we overlook because of their outward appearance? How many talents go undiscovered, unrealized? What could we achieve, where could we be if we let go of our preconceived notions and just see people for who they are?

Thought of the Day 3/24/09

We want it all...



I often hear these two sentiments in the same conversation from the same person: "Why are we so far behind with technology?" and "Why do they expect me to keep learning new things all the time?" Sorry folks - you can't have one without the other. You can't stay up to date and not learn new information. Not only are we in an Age of Information; we're in the Age of Learning.

We need to start putting those two pieces of the puzzle together!
Image: Microsof Clip Art

Lost Generation

This piece is getting a quite a bit of buzz lately; I saw it on Garr Reynolds' Presentation Zen blog.



I'm learning that more and more I have a split personality when looking at videos like this. First, WOW, I cannot believe how beautiful the sentiment is and how creatively clever the presentation is. Second, I agree with Reynolds' that even this wonderful presentation can be improved by typeface, size, etc.

But, in the end, it's easier to teach people who have the artistry and creativity to create the content how to make it better than to try to teach someone who is all about the fonts how to be creative. This is really beautifully done.

Note: This video came in 2nd place in the AARP U50 video contest.

Intellectual Property: More than the written word

Whenever I give a presentation on how to obtain resources - video, audio, images, etc. - I always try to share some insight on what classroom teachers may and may not use. While I was preparing for my most recent presentation I was also working with a number of students on selecting images for some digital storytelling projects. I am rather taken aback by the reaction I get when I even suggest that they must cite their sources of images and make sure they are using images for which they have permission. "It doesn't matter with pictures", "I'm a student; I can do what I want", etc.

I would venture to say that EVERY student has been taught and understands that they are not to use the written work of another other without giving credit (whether they choose to do so is another story). We have systems such as Turnitin.com to prevent that very thing. So why is written text so carefully monitored and images, video and audio are, in many cases, considered free rein?

Now, I'm a photographer, not a writer, so perhaps I'm more sensitive about this. But, I have my theories. Teacher make an assumption that images, audio and video come from another source. Therefore, there is no pretense that it is the student's own work. If a student appropriates written text, however, the student is passing the work of as his or her own. I think that's why teachers care more about the written word than other intellectual property.

In this Information Age, I believe we, as teachers, have sorely neglected the need to both model and directly teach a respect for intellectual property. Yes, we certainly have the right to use a lot of information freely in our classrooms and should continue to use that right. But, as more and more student projects go out into the world and, more importantly, as our students go out into the world, I want them prepared to use all the resources they can AND use them respectfully.

NECC Reflections 2008: Adobe Acrobat 9

Okay, this was a "session" on the vendor floor but I have just three words: Oh…My…Gosh….. This new version of Acrobat/Reader is amazing and, frankly, was one of the highlights of the conference for me.

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatproextended/index.html?sdid=DFKWT

· Embed video that can be read with Acrobat Reader 9 – yes, video in a pdf!!
· Nice bookmarking feature
· Make a Ppt presentation a PDF and preserve transitions and animations AND file size is a fraction of the original Ppt size
· Extended version allows you to add a sidebar video to presentations so you can narrate a presentation if you like
· Can create a PDF portfolio that can contain editable documents – looks VERY interesting for student portfolio work!!

NECC Reflections 2008: Grassroots Creativity: Helping Everyone Become a Creative Thinker

Grassroots Creativity: Helping Everyone Become a Creative Thinker
Mitchel Resnick, MIT Media Lab

Resnick REALLY gets creativity and its essential place in both work and play. While the focus of the tool he demonstrated (SCRATCH) is more elementary than what I was looking for he definitely makes you think about where creativity lives in work, school, and home. His constructivist approach and results are fascinating.

One nugget I took from this session is looking at the sharing component of SCRATCH. How much to our art/photography/computer graphics students share their work? We have a game creating class at our school and I’m trying to find out if our students put their work out there for playing, comment and critique. We’re missing the boat if our students aren’t sharing their work on a more global scale.

http://scratch.mit.edu/

NECC Reflections 2008: It's in Your Pocket: Teaching Spectacularly with Cell Phones

It's in Your Pocket: Teaching Spectacularly with Cell Phones
Hall Davidson, Discovery

Hall Davidson, spectacular as always, gave a wonderful talk about what we can do with cell phones. I admit, I did not know about many of the things he demonstrated. A few that may be new or not:
· GCast.com – podcast from your phone
· Polleverywhere.com – live poll using the internet, chart or text, fascinating!
· Text 34381 and receive nutrition information back (e.g. McDonald’s Big Mac)
· YouTube now accepts videos from cell phones
· Jott.com – transcribe voice to text (rti, etc.)
· Favorite quote: “Our non-working lives have been ruined by cell phones, why shouldn’t kids’ lives be ruined, too? Send them a quiz!!”

My reflections:
· I love the idea of using these tools and yes, almost all our students have a cell phone
· Big question: Who pays for this?? I can see parents looking at their cell phone bills after a few days of texting in poll results, etc.
· Really would have to have clear rules as to when you use them and when you don’t

NECC 2008 Reflections: Using Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Tools in the ESL/EFL Class

Using Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Tools in the ESL/EFL Class
Juan Rozo, Colegio Anglo Colombiano (Colombia)


Juan Rozo from Bogota, Colombia shared some uses of Web 2.0 tools in the ESL/EFL classroom. (In Colombia, English is EFL – English as a Foreign Language.) I can’t say there was anything earth shattering in this presentation but it was interesting hearing an approach from a non- native English speaking classroom. The concept Rozo best brought to light for me was utilizing podcasts of interest for students to increase the English speaking voices they hear…different accents, vernacular, etc. There’s a podcast in English about just about everything and they tend to be more interesting than typical, prescribed listening exercises. Also, leaving assignments orally on a website, interviews, audio plays, digital storytelling, etc. are other ways to enhance listening skills.

NECC 2008 Reflections: Opening Keynote

Opening Keynote
James Surowiecki, The Wisdom of Crowds

I found the opening keynote speech by James Surowiecki quite interesting. Much of his presentation came from material in his book The Wisdom of Crowds. In a nutshell, Surowiecki claims that the wisdom of crowds is great than that of its best and smartest members. He provided several anecdotes to prove his position. By the way, the first thing that must be understood is that the crowd must be diverse; diversity is the key to bringing different perspectives, ideas, experience to the table and therefore the overall wisdom gained by such experience that one person could not possibly have.
I found this concept of “the wisdom of crowds” compelling but wonder how one really acts upon it. When choosing leaders, one tends to lean toward the familiar, toward those most like us. While I am fascinated by the idea and inclined to agree, I think putting the concept into practice is a daunting task for most organizations. I wholeheartedly believe that diversity makes an organization smarter and better. But I also believe in hiring the best person for the job. I know that “diverse” and “best” is certainly not always a contradiction but they do seem to battle each other at times.

NECC 2008 Reflections: Open Minds, Open Education, and a View of Open Culture

Open Minds, Open Education, and a View of Open Culture
David Thornburg, Thornburg Center


David Thornburg of the Thornburg Center is one who never fails to be passionate about his topic; he clearly loves education and loves kids. In this presentation, he shares the beauty of Open Source software. A few of Thornburg’s points:

· As the cost of hardware decreases, the escalating cost of software is an increasingly significant part of our technology budgets and we have to pay attention to it.
· “Single platform software is anti-child” – Thornburg believes a student should be able to access the same software at home as at school or anywhere else regardless of platform but many are serving the platform, not the child.
· We need access now, more than ever, for every learner in the world
· Technology is changing faster than pedagogical practice
· Question shifts from “Given current classroom practice, how should technology change?” to “Given current technology how should classroom practice change?”

My reflections:
· I think the “question shift” is interesting…we’ve often said instruction should drive technology and not the other way around. But, perhaps, there is a place for looking at technology first if for no other reason than to open our minds to possibilities not available to us 5, 10, 15 years ago.
· While I understand the point, I’m not sure I like the broad brush painting of single-platform software development as “anti-child”. Those are pretty harsh words to hear at an educational conference…some people are just makin’ a living.
· I’m concerned about looking to open source for everything. Some open source software is truly essentially the same as its more expensive competitor. However, some of it just can’t match up. I’m concerned that my district might move to an open source concept-mapping software because of the exorbitant price of the industry standard but I have yet to see open source / web based options that really do what the more expensive option does. I don’t want to sacrifice the educational benefits of packages because we can find a “similar” free one.

NECC 2008 Reflections

I thought I’d share a few thoughts about some sessions and NECC 2008 in general. Overall, I had another good experience at NECC, learned some new things and built relationships with colleagues…all good stuff. Here are just a few general comments with more detailed session comments to follow:

1. I felt like the things I wanted to learn about were represented at NECC. Most of what I wanted to accomplish, both on the vendor floor and in sessions, I did.
2. Going to NECC with a team is great. You can share so much more and generate more ideas. If your district can swing the cost, I highly recommend it. There's a lot of value added in sending more than just one or two people.
3. While I hate to think that anyone would have to be excluded, I cannot help but suggest that something must be done about the size of this conference. I love telling friends and family that I’m at an educational conference that draws 15-20,000 people ("Wow!") but there just aren’t enough sessions to go around. Fortunately, this year, several of my goals involved exhibitors so I could always go to the floor if I couldn’t get in a session but I showed up 45 minutes early for one that was closed already. I think this is going to continue to be a problem if it’s not addressed. Showing up 30 minutes early to a session only to find it's already full was a regular occurrence.
4. I hear comments from people that the sessions don’t serve them very well and their most valuable time is networking and conversing with people; well, heaven help us when engaging in conversation with colleagues isn’t one of our most valuable activities! Many of the people I hang with are definitely past where these sessions will take them, but there are clearly about 10,000 more people who are still learning from even the most basic session (myself included); they – we- still need NECC and such conferences.
5. On a practical side, San Antonio is a GREAT convention town…good convention center, plenty of hotels, restaurants, etc. to accommodate a conference of this magnitude. Thank you to a great host city!

This was my 6th year at NECC; it has been, and I hope will continue to be, one of the highlights of my year. I’m grateful to my district for sending me and more and more of my colleagues so that our experiences can be even richer.

The Responsible 21st Century Teacher

David Jakes asked the question back in 2006, "...can you be a good teacher without using technology?" in his post On Being Good. After numerous recent posts about professional learning with regard to technology (Will Richardson's , Ryan Bretag's, etc.) David's question keeps coming back to me.

As we all know, there are those out there who say things to the effect of "You should be blogging in your classroom!", "You are blowing it if you're not using Google Docs.", etc. In our district, we are trying very hard to pull away from looking at educational technology as a collection of tools and redirecting people's vision of educational technology as a way to serve learning and teaching goals. If someone comes to me and says "I want my students to blog" my first question will always be "Why?" I have almost as many people wanting to use technology to no purpose as I do people who won't investigate technology as a resource.

And that's where my answer to David's question comes in. The root of the matter is that every responsible, professional teacher in the 21st century must investigate available resources that will serve his or her students. We have truly remarkable teachers in our district; it is the responsibility of each of those remarkable teachers to continue their learning, to seek ways to better meet their goals or accomplish goals that were impossible before. They may or may not find anything but the search is critical.

Flipping out!!

Have you heard of the Flip video camera? Neither had I until the week before Christmas. Then, days later, my husband and I received one for Christmas and it seems to be taking the world (at least MY world) by storm! I returned to work after the Winter Break to the entry Caught on Video from Bob Sprankle on TechLearning.com about the Flip and his insightful vision for its use. So, what's so beautiful about the Flip?

1) It's so easy, even a child can use it (as you can see, my 2-year old niece is a master!)

2) It's affordable- approximately $100-$150, give or take, depending on recording time (30-60 minutes), etc. You could buy a classroom set for the price of one camcorder.

3) It's easy to download - "flip" out the self contained USB and plug it in. It appears as a drive and, generally, you just pull off your .avi file.

4) It has a self-contained microphone that picks up audio pretty well.

5) It's compact - about the size of my point and shoot camera.

For all of these reasons, I feel like this is a tool, with the cooperation of the budget-holders in my building, that could be in the hands of students and teachers in a matter of minutes! A tool that could impact and facilitate assessment, storytelling, evidence gathering, and on and on and on.
So, THAT's why I'm ready to FLIP out!!

NSDC Reflections: Resources

Another beautiful thing about attending a conference full of staff developers is that they are so interested in your continued learning. Many made references to and suggested books to read. If any of you have a spontaneous review of these works or suggestions as to what to read first, let me know!


Books:

• Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches, Joellen Killion & Cindy Harrison
• Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement, Richard Dufour and Robert E. Eaker
• Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom, Larry Cuban
• The Way We Never Were, Stephanie Coontz

Online Resources:

• Partnership for 21st Century Skills: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
• Systems Thinking in Schools: www.watersfoundation.org/

NSCD Reflections: A Whole New Mind Book Talk

The book talk about Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind, was very interesting; not just because I truly enjoyed the book but because it let me really see what an insightful group of educators I was with at the NSDC conference. We did several activities (mostly from the portfolio sections of the book) that promoted great discussions and were led by three great facilitators. I'm not going to summarize the book here; while I don't agree with everything in the book (very Amero-centric and some consider it classist) I recommend it for reading and you can see a summary here.

So, what do I do now? That's what I kept asking people in our discussion groups. I get it. I buy into it. So what do I do? The administrative team at my school read it. Are they going to do anything about it? Maybe, maybe not. I kept asking for answers at our tables. Then, during the last table discussion of the session someone helped me realize that I probably shouldn't be looking for a set plan (that would be very "left-brained" of me!). I also realized that, in my area of educational technology, maybe I can weave this in my own curriculum; I work with everyone in my building...why don't I do something about it?

So, what do I do now? Here's my current thought. I heard a lot about professional learning communities during the NSDC conference. Why not a PLC about infusing right-brained thinking into the curriculum? Educational technology can facilitate a lot of this thinking...not all but a lot. I might be making a call out to my colleagues to see if anyone else wants to investigate this.

Stay tuned... if this flies, you'll see a lot more about it here! Maybe we'll have a "Whole New PLC" that could impact our whole educational environment.

NSDC Reflections: Instructional Technology Coaching for 21st Century Teachers and Learners

Dr. Jan Streich and several Instructional Technology Resource Teachers (ITRTs) from Spotsylvania, VA shared how they've implemented the Virginia mandate of an ITRT for every 1000 students. They're not saying they have it all figured out but they sure have done their research and they certainly had a lot of good advice/resources to offer. A few highlights:

• ITRTs are proven teacher leaders, not "techies", and continue to be teachers leaders, members of curricular teams.
• ITRTs are placed in each building in the district, they set up goals with the school principal and sign a contract as to what objectives they are trying to achieve and activities and programs of staff development and technology implementation they are responsible for. Having the contract helps make achievement more measurable, holds both parties responsible for providing what they've promised, and helps schools stay focused.
• ITRTs walk with teachers as they move toward implementing 21st century tools. Classroom teachers are responsible for content; the ITRT starts off with the technology and eventually moves the teachers toward independence.
• Curricular goals and student learning objectives drive instructional technology decision making.
• ITRTs are versed in the schools' curricular maps so they can anticipate when units/topics are coming up and address potential services/enhancements ahead of time so that appropriate planning and implementation can take place.
• Data-driven decision making is used. Data is everywhere in this project: test scores, record of ITRTs activities/time, teacher work time, etc. They are building databases of activities, resources, documentations, lesson plans, etc.

I was quite impressed with this team and, in particular, their director Dr. Jan Streich. There appears to be an impressive amount of thought and planning in this implementation. They admit they are not perfect and they don't have all the answers (which I admire) but I really think they could serve as a model for many school districts.

NSDC Reflections: Jennifer James

Jennifer James, an urban cultural anthropologist, gave a fascinating keynote at the National Staff Development Council Annual Conference this week. Professor James made a number of wonderful analogies, thought provoking comments, and real challenges for us to take back with us. While I differ from her with regard to philosophy/belief system I still felt she had a plethora of valuable thoughts to share and I'll focus on what I believe impacts me most as an educational technology professional.

At the heart of James' presentation was an analogy of a tapestry of belief - our "mythologies", our beliefs, our traditions, our culture, our work, our wisdom, all that makes us comfortable and safe. Most of us can handle changes to that tapestry at a certain pace - a thread here and there. We are living in a time when that tapestry is changing very fast; it feels to many that their tapestries are being torn apart and that cuts deep into our being.

What can help? Someone needs to show people the "new tapestry". If your old tapestry is being torn apart and you can't see a new one you can be quite shaken. But, if you can envision the new tapestry being woven one can adjust to the changes more easily.

To me, showing people the new tapestry is my challenge. We're asking people to go into a technological future in which they don't understand the language, the culture, the traditions. Our job is to do more than "train" but to welcome them into a new culture. It's bigger than classes; it's bigger than workshops. We need to help people really see what's around the corner so we don't tear down their tapestry to fast or without helping them see how the new one is being created.

So an underlying question for me for the foreseeable future: how do I show them the new tapestry?



Some favorite quotes/notes from keynote:

“Civilization is the long process of learning to be kind.”

“Why is common sense not common practice?”

"We don’t care about many of our children. We seem to believe they won’t grow up – but they will…and they’ll move next door to you."

In extraordinary times like we have now the learning curve is STRAIGHT UP – we are constantly overwhelmed.

We have very little time to REFLECT in our culture and use everything we know.