What one teacher can do....

From the title, you might think this is going to be a post of how one teacher can change a student's life/day/direction. Well, it's actually how one teacher can recharge a technology trainer's batteries. I have been absent from this blog for awhile, sadly, because I frankly haven't been "feeling the love" of instructional technology lately. Various technical frustrations, vendor issues and general beginning of the year chaos sometimes wears me out. But a conversation with one of my English teachers, Chris Palmi, today really got me started again.

This is what I call one of those "little big things"...doesn't sound like a big deal, but it can have a great impact. Chris is jumping into Web 2.0 tools in his classroom - discussion boards, blogs, etc. We've met a few times about determining goals, what tools best serve his needs - not really anything earth shattering. But there are two things that he's doing that really got me excited:

1) Chris is having his students create a website that is basically a fake MySpace page for a character in a book they read. Now, here's the twist: they are using the information about safe MySpace accounts from the technology orientation I gave all our freshman last week. Will Richardson, Dave Jakes and others have been suggesting we teach MySpace for a while now... how refreshing to find I actually have someone doing it and doing it in context and of his own accord. He's not losing any time. He was already doing a similar activity -- he just updated it and is incorporating online safety information while he's at it.

2) Chris also happens to be a teacher educator at a local university and teachers pre-service methods classes. He's incorporating Web 2.0 tools in there as well. He knows his students were taught traditionally and will lean toward teaching traditionally but he also knows he would not serve them or their future students well by not introducing them to 21st century tools while they're in his class. His English methods students are blogging. His English methods students are using discussion boards. If it's an integral part of their teacher prep (they're not taught about blogging, they are blogging) there's a chance these ideas (and more) will become part of their teaching. And, even better, he knows that if he is going to have them blog he'd better be blogging himself - and he is.

Many of Chris's ideas are in the infancy stages but we're already talking about how to improve them for next year and what more we can do to make connections with teachers, students and pre-service teachers.

Here's the other thing I love about this: Chris is not a "tech-head" kind of teacher. He is your regular, everyday English teacher (well, frankly, he's a phenomenal, regular, everyday English teacher) who might not know a lot about technology but he does know two things -- technology is undeniably a part of life in the 21st century and we need to connect to the world kids live in better than we do right now.

Life-Long Learning: No longer a choice

As I look around at the Web 2.0 and School 2.0 discussions occurring all over the globe I keep coming back to a phrase I hear myself utter more and more: Being a life-long learner is no longer a lifestyle choice, it's a necessity. We know that we are preparing students for a world we cannot imagine. But, there is one thing we know, they will have to keep learning new concepts, ideas and strategies their entire lives.

So, what about us? As teachers, it is easy and natural to slip into the easy chair of expertise knowing that we know our topic inside and out. I always say the class that probably served me better than any methods class was the university math class in which I "hit the wall". Math had always been easy for me; it came very naturally - until my 2nd year at the University of Illinois. I earned the lowest grade I had ever earned...since Kindergarten. I just didn't get it. Remembering how I felt in that class went a long way in having compassion and patience for my students who just didn't get it.

In order to remember that feeling, I contend that every teacher should learn something new at least every two years. And I mean something REALLY new...and out of their comfort zone. Whether it be Italian, sewing, golf or the new grade book program makes no difference. I am convinced teachers will be as well served by remembering that "I don't get it" feeling as any other professional development they participate in.

Why I do it...

I had the wonderful experience yesterday of remembering exactly why I like my job. I'm a "Technology Trainer" (though I'd love to change that title to something along the lines of "Instructional Technology Specialist" or some other such high-falootin' name). In the summer, days can get long as I write and read and plan. Don't get me wrong...I enjoy that part, too. But I miss the regular interaction with people I have during the school year.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of facilitating two workshops with 9 teachers who gave their time in the summer to learn something new that will hopefully have a significant impact on their classrooms. And, I remembered...THIS is what I love doing - teaching, facilitating, interacting , brainstorming and being surrounded by people who are great at what they do and only trying to get better. Thanks, GBS teachers, for the inspiration!!

NECC2007 Session 11: From Hand It In to Publish It: Re-Envisioning our Classrooms

Notes on From Hand It In to Publish It: Re-Envisioning our Classrooms


Presenter: Will Richardson, Connective Learning Group


This session reminded me of why I enjoy reading and listening to Will Richardson so much. He really challenges the audience. I didn't take too many notes as most of it is in the wiki he created for the session. A few notable points:

• Today's students are hyperconnected
• Today's students are hypertransparent
• They are extremely collaborative
• The world is no longer saying "do your own work" but "do work with others" (are schools??)
• Students need to see people who are modeling learning
• (This is something I've been saying for awhile now) LIFELONG LEARNING IS NO LONGER A CHOICE!!
• change in information - e.g. all of MIT's course content is online, for free, for anyone at http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html

I have to include these favorites from the session wiki. Richardson was visibly taken aback by the spontaneous applause for number 5:

So what are the challenges, and how do we overcome them? What are the "Yeah,
buts"?

1. "We don't have the technology." Talk about and model the uses of these
   technologies in your own practice as much as you can. Start a conversation about
   the ways in which you can bring free and open hardware and software to your
   schools.
2. "My supervisor (principal, superintendent, etc.) won't let me do this." Be a
   beacon for these changes in your own practice, ask for small opportunities to
   implement.
3. "My parents don't want their kids 'out there.'" Teach them why it's
   important for their students to be using these tools, that they are using them
   already, that they are not going away, and that they need to understand how to use them safely, effectively and ethically.
4. "I have to make sure my kids do well on the test." Make the case that this
   is not either/or, that the ends can be met through these means and at the same time, the "standards" can be met.
5. "I don't have the time." At the end of the day, as an educator, you don't
   have much choice. You need to make the time, You need to understand these
   changes for yourselves.
6. "I'm scared." You should be. On some level we all are.

I can't say I've always agreed with Will Richardson but I have a lot of respect for what he says and does... and there is a LOT of good stuff in here. It was a great way to end the conference!

NECC 2007: 5th year - New Experience

This was a very different NECC conference for me. I'm usually very focused on sessions and the exhibit hall. The people with whom I attend the conference and I get together and talk about our sessions. This year it didn't exactly happen that way. While I did not stop by the Blogger Cafe as so many of my colleagues did, I still reaped the rewards of the new age of conference and informal learning. Ryan Bretag, educational technologist extraordinaire, introduced several of us to people whose posts we've read and whom we'd heard of but never met - virtually or face to face. Being immersed all day and throughout the evening with educational technologists from around the globe was exhausting and fascinating. Thanks to all who shared their ideas and experiences with us over a meal Pittypat's Porch: Julie (I'll probably never go rafting again!), Vicki, Brian (who has my new favorite blog name), Vinnie, Terry, Peggy and John!

And, here's what got to me - the passion I saw in so many people. And not just passion for technology. These are not just gadget-heads and techno-geeks (though some of them are). These are educators who care deeply about teaching, learning and the future of young people in this country and around the world. The time and energy so many folks pour into learning new things so they can serve their students better is astounding. Jeff Utecht, for one, seems to be a non-stop learning machine!

Not only did the learning in Atlanta start before NECC started with Edubloggercon but it lasted long after, too. After several days of being immersed in discussions about educational technology, were we done? No! The conversations continued at the Atlanta airport and on board flights, as well. A small group of us (David Knudson, Ryan Bretag, Dave Jakes) gathered in an airport watering hole and people dropped in and out (as some of us had longer waits than others). Sorry I don't recall everyone's names but it was a pleasure meeting Brian Grenier and Tim Lauer among others in the airport version of NECC!

Thank you, everyone, for your dedication, generous spirits and willingness to share!