After enjoying the better part of a week being off the grid, I was working my way through my feedreader this evening, catching up on my network.

One item that caught my eye, mainly because it is something that I have been pondering about for the past week or so, is a post by Jeff Utecht about a conversation he had with his wife.  She postulated that that change in education - real change - will only happen with another Sputnik.  Her analogy was that until the US (and by extension us here in Canada as well) are shocked, scared or otherwise threatened by a perceived threat from outside, there won’t be any real change in the way we teach.

For the past week I have been thinking a lot about Scott Klososky’s keynote at the Laptop Institute conference in Memphis last week.  Scott drew a parallel between Apple’s moving into the void created by the disinterest in change by the traditional music industry to become the major music distributor in the world.  It took a computer company, not a music company, to see the possibilities.

Scott mused that maybe it’ll take the same kind of model to shift the education system.  Maybe as the tradional schools with their industrial model of teaching continue to miss the boat on the shifting nature of the world and, more importantly, our kids, some other entity will move to create a new learning model that will serve these 21st century learners.  It might be someone like Apple or maybe a model like Curriki where the community takes ownership of the learning enterprise.

I am not sure where the change will come from…or when it will come.  One thing is for certain, the tradional model of school, particularly in North America, will become less and less relevant to our youth and their lives as connected global citizens.  While I tend to think the change will come from an entity from within and not a Sputnik from abroad, it will happen.

Are we ready?

tags: technology, education, whipple, learning, scott klososky

One of the great things about summer is that teachers have the time and the opportunity to become active learners by catching up on reading.  Unfortunately, all too often, teachers don’t see themselves as learners…but that is not what this post is about.

Every teacher who cares about understanding the world we are preparing our kids for should try and understand the little we do know about the future.  After all, how do we begin to prepare students to be active and productive 21st century global citizens if we don’t care to know about the new global community ourselves?

There are two books (neither of them specifically about education) that I encourage teachers to read. The first is A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink, the second is Thomas Friedman’s landmark The World is Flat.

In his work, Friedman documents the shifting nature of the global economic, cultural and political communities, pointing to ten “flatteners” that have helped create a flat world where geography is becoming less and less a factor in participation in a global, connected community.

Now comes word that consumers can have access to TWIF for free…in audio form.  According to his website, readers (listeners?) can begin to receive audio downloads from the book beginning July 25th.  In addition, we can also receive excerpts from hiss new book Hot, Flat and Crowded.

With such a reluctance by teachers to read for learning - sound familiar? - maybe they would be more open to listening instead?  Let’s hope.  I’ve signed up!

tags: technology, education, whipple, learning, theworldisflat, thomas friedman

Last Tuesday evening I said goodbye to many old and new friends in downtown Memphis at the closing party of yet another great Laptop Institute conference hosted by the wonderful folks at Lausanne Collegiate School (more thoughts on that later). After a couple hours of sleep my wife and I caught “The City of New Orleans”, made famous by the Arlo Guthrie ballad of the same name, and thoroughly enjoyed a pleasant and very economical seven hour journey down the river to New Orleans. I must give kudos to the folks at AMTRAK for their service. I hope that as flying continues to become more of a hassle, train travel will experience a resurgence across North America.

This was my first experience in New Orleans and didn’t really know what to expect. After three years of Beale Street in Memphis, I figured much of the same except with a jazz feel. To say that New Orleans didn’t match that expectation is an understatement.

Despite being ravaged by Katrina just a few years ago, my experience in New Orleans was amazing. In fact, expect for a couple of derelict buildings that were pointed out by tour guides (which could have been the result of any variety of reasons) there was no evidence of the destruction visible in the downtown area. I will admit that we deliberately avoided the Katrina Tours available (we wanted to return home with good memories), but Katrina certainly was not on prominent display.

New Orleans was nothing short of amazing. From the dinner cruise on the Natchez and the Swamp Tour put on by the wonderful folks at Westwego Adventures to the romance of the French Quarter and the freak show of Bourbon Street, this is a city like no other.

The other part of New Orleans that was refreshing was to be disconnected for five days. In his keynote at LI, Scott Klososky spoke of the need to get “off the grid” to refresh. Well, I took his advice and for five days there was no blogging, twittering, emailing or even checking the weather online. I was completely disconnected from the web, and it was good (I think my wife enjoyed it too!!).

More on my thoughts on another great Laptop Institute later.

tags: technology, education, whipple, learning, laptopinstitute, scott klososky, new orleans

live blogging

Gary Stager - Ten Things you can do with a Laptop

Laptop Institute - Memphis, TN

———–

Intro by Susan Einhorn, AALF…Gary is abrasive, annoying, challenging…but passionate about learning

Gary…

Online handouts… http://www.stager.org/memphis/

Question…what is the world like for kids who haven’t even entered school…

We spend a lot of time on PowerPoint…why are we spending a lot of time training kids to be used car salesman…

Software determines what you do and what you do determines what you learn…

ideas…

1. Write a novel - authentic work valued by other people…kids can write more, better, differently, fan fiction…different media, podcasting, fiction / non-fiction..create…if the reason for having a computer is to look stuff up, why are we surprised when they look up inappropriate stuff

2. Share your knowledge - changing nature of memory…authentic audience…passion = accuracy

3. Answer Tough Questions….”Who Should I Vote For?” - a webquest alternative ( http://www.stager.org/whoshouldivotefor )…kids will go a lot further than we think…use primary sources…

4. Make sense of data…google Earth, GIS software, Inspire data, tinkerplots, etc…

5. Design a video game …instead of consuming them, kids can design them…games are not necessarily a great learning tool…but as designers kids are learning about math and design…

6. Build a Killer Robot - esp. great for Math/Science…tactile, outside of computer, testing, debugging…

good prompt, appropriate materials, supportive culture and sufficient time  = ability to solve problems

7. Lose Weight - “Less Us, More Them”…always ask…how do we make the experience richer for kids as opposed to easier for us…

8. Direct a blockbuster -  Two rules needed for every classroom…video should be shorter and should be edited one more time….mirrors the writing process, different genres (science experiments)

9. Compose a symphony…finalnotepad.com or apple.com/garageband…multimedia studio inside…EVERY kid can be enriched…not just those with access to expensive studio…(e.g. http://www.missyhiggins.com kid started creative in early laptop school)

10. Change the world…move beyond the computer as a prop…create change…engage in the global community

Imagine an educational system that had a grad requirement that you had to answer a question…

Technology Matters…extends the learning opportunities…

tags: technology, education, whipple, learning, laptopinstitute, gary stager

Live Blogging

Monday Morning keynote…

Laptop Institute Keynote - Scott KlososkyLive blogged…please excuse typos…

+++++++++

Technology…is just a tool… it doesn’t do anything…

Need to understand concepts of technology - we don’t understand how much tech has already changed things… we can spend lots of $$$ on tech, but it won’t change anything

In healthcare, Google is the second opinion.  People research diagnosis on own, self medicate, reference.  Google has rolled out Google Health Record.  Number two advertiser in world is Google - 5 years ago it didn’t exist.  targeted marketing - track and focus advertising.  Apple is number one music retailer today, only three years in development! How did this happen?

Is it possible that this can be done w. education? Can learning leadership come from outside school system?  The need will get filled.  Young people want learning, if we don’t give it to them in the way they want it, they will gte it from the net.  How do we service them? How do we create value?

The iThryv” Generation…they will use tools to survive/thrive….as educators, we need to a) Learn to better see the future, b) understand the impact of technology and c) evolve “how” you teach with new tools.

Future of technology…virtual worlds…NA has Second Life, Chinese have own…Internet in general will be come a 3D world.  Google is rumoured to be building a parrallel universe merging Google Earth and Second Life…

What is good about this?  A virtual space could be a great learning space…visual clues can be added…tags, etc… brain/computer interfaces (exist now!…read here) will allow users to navigate virtual worlds at speed of thought…

“If you are going to create value, you must INFUSE PROGRESS that will be RELEVANT in the future.”  - if we don’t, we are wasting our time…we need to think for lifelong scope…we need to think ahead…vision…

“Young people are busy assembling their “e-community”…it is not NetFun, NetVisit or NetPlay…it is NETWORK!  plaxo+linkedin+facebook=ecommunity”

• this sounds an awful lot like my personal learning network

As educators, we need to start connecting with students in these ways if we aren’t already!

Technology has allowed us to work anytime, anywhere - need to differentiate between on the grid and off the grid…laptops won’t solve every problem…need to be able to have human interaction… it’s important to disconnect at times…

The future? We will all have a grid profile that will tell us how to contact us…what am I using in terms of tools, where am I (GPS tracking), status (busy, invisible, available), group variability of status, how am i represented? (avatars, profiles), best communication methods.

Need to learn to use right tools at right time…don’t ask simple questions via phone call…twitter, etc…that will be important for our kids to know…as teachers we need to add plaxo, linkedin, twitter and msn id’s…but soon we will simply have  a grid profile…

Cloud Computing…in 1950’s…mainframes with tethered terminals, IT controled, 1980’s…PC’s… untethered… partial IT control…standards!!, now in 2008…cloud computing… applications untethered, IT less control, all apps web-based, devices only need to have screen and input devices…cloud knows it is me, computinmg power tied to me and I can access from anywhere… for young people, this is future…they will exisit on net w. access and use tools…much for free.

Clash of cultures…collaboration vs control…business isn’t there yet…standards-based…e.g. google docs vs MS Office.

• education is in same boat

In order to effectively teach, we have to try and see world as kids see it…EMPATHY!

Example…teaching kids financial literacy….http://mymoola.com kewl…school based.

We are blessed to live in this time of change…don’t waste it!

www.technologystory.com

tags: technology, education, whipple, learning, laptopinstitute, scott klososky

It’s been particularly warm here on the east coast of Canada, one of the two or three weeks during each summer when the temperatures and humidity get together and run the outdoor humidex scales upwards of 40C.  The temps usually break quick, but this year the heat will be extended for me and 9 other staff of Nashwaaksis Middle School as we leave Friday for Laptop Institute in Memphis, Tennessee, where this weather is normal fare for the summer.

This will be my third trip to Lausanne Collegiate School’s wonderful 1:1 gathering, an event that has played a huge role in the fundamental shift of my own personal vision of learning.  I am looking forward to returning and, with four presentations/workshops scheduled, providing some ideas for others to chew and grow on.

I am busy this week getting the presos ready.  The first offering on Monday morning will be a two hour workshop entitled “Ten (not-so) Secrets About Wikis“, where we’ll spend some time exploring not just the mechanics of building spaces, but also looking at some examples of effective uses of wikis and how they can play a role in shifting learning, especially as student content platforms.

After a general one hour session on Web 2.0 Tools in the classroom (many teachers are still unfamiliar with the term, let alone the variety of tools available) on Monday afternoon, I’ll be leading another workshop on “Learning to Blog, Blogging to Learn” Tuesday morning.  I intend to focus on not just blogs, but a couple of other conversational tools (e.g. twitter) and how they can be used within the classroom and as a means of developing a Personal Learning Network.  On Tuesday afternoon, it’ll be a one-hour presentation on RSS and it’s powerful application as web content filter.

This is a great event.  The folks at Lausanne are generous and well-organized, the keynotes are first class (I am very excited about seeing Gary Stager for the first time and chatting with Denise Frazier-Bowen again) and the more intimate nature of the gathering really promotes teacher connection and collaboration.

I am particularly excited about having nine members of our staff attending this year.  It’s an investment in ideas, vision and leadership that I believe will have a huge impact in moving our 1:1 program into the future.

tags: technology, education, whipple, learning, laptopinstitute, wiki

I dropped by my boss’ office last week for a chat.  It was the end of the year and, while we keep in touch pretty much daily on twitter, it’s always good to have that f2f interaction.  We always seem to share ideas and frustrations, sharing our visions of learning.

As I sat down, I noticed a few laptops sitting in a carrying crate.  Our district has put together a few “loaner kits” of laptop pods for K-5 schools.  We also have loaners of GPS units for geocaching and podcast equipment.  While not the ideal of having ubiquotous access for all learners, it is a great start.  The units are in constant demand - a good problem to have - and the district continues to work to have more mobile kits available.

My boss was telling me about a recent visit he made to a Kindergarten class.  This young boy was eager to talk.  “Hey mister!  I wanna show you something…come over here!”.  My boss, of course, wanted to see what the youngster had created.  But it wasn’t a product that he wanted to show.  It was a secret.  The secret of the red line.

“See what happens when I don’t spell a word right”, he said.  “This little red line appears underneath it.  And look, if I right click, I get this word list and I have to choose the correct spelling for the word I want”.  My boss, of course, played along, pretending to have seen spellchecker for the very first time.

I know that many - including teachers I talk to - don’t like spellcheck.  They think it excuses kids from learning to spell.  I would argue that it does just the opposite.  If the red line didn’t appear under the word, he would never have known it was misspelled, and would never have had the opportunity to correct his spelling.

This child was becoming a 21st century learner.  Utilizing the available tools, he was able to identify and solve a problem.  This type of assistive technology will be increasingly available in their work, play and learning spaces.

Of course, no loan would be complete without the thank-you note.  Coming from a kindergarten class, you would expect nothing less than perfection, misspellings and all!

Paige writes…“Mister Facey, Thank you for lending us your computers.”

What more could you ask for. Perfect.

tags: technology, education, whipple, learning

I was fortunate to grow up in a region more beautiful than any place I have ever visited (and I have been fortunate to travel a fair amount).  The Miramichi River region of northeastern New Brunswick in Canada is a generally rural area settled by the earliest European settlers to North America.  The strong Irish flavour of the area is evident in the English-dialect spoken by many of the people.  While I have generally lost the slang, it quickly comes back as soon as I cross the watershed line.  “How’s she goin’ by?”

Dependent on a natural resource based economy - particularly pulp and paper / forest products - the once booming area has struggled as of late, the victim of  increasing competition from cheaper producers in the developing world.  With highly developed transportation systems, the primary consumers from the US east coast simply find it more economical to source paper products from overseas.

I am home “on the river” this weekend.  My son is playing in a baseball tournament that has brought me home.  Simply put, a hectic lifestyle doesn’t give me enough opportunity to visit family here.  Friends aren’t much of a pull, as most of my high school chums have moved away to find opportunity.

Those that have stayed are mostly tradespeople,  doing the latest in a long-distance commute after the closing of the areas five mills, working in employee-hungry Alberta for 3 weeks and returning home for a week.  It’s certainly not the ideal - long times away from family are hard at both ends - but a choice most people live with in order to remain at home in the hopes that a miracle will happen and bring jobs back home.

Every time I come home -  and it will always be home - I have this urge to return permanently.  This time is no exception.  The river has this strange pull, even though there is little here economically.  I have a hard time placing my finger on it - maybe it’s the genuine nature of the people, maybe it’s the natural beauty of the area, maybe it’s the memories of salmon fishing as a youngster with my dad, maybe it’s the sense of community or maybe it’s a bit of all of that - but there is just something very special about the Miramichi.

Having said that, I am also excited about the opportunities to live globally.  My wife and I have been exploring discussions about taking a leave and spending some time living and working in Asia in the near future.  Is there a clash with these two tugs on the heart?

As educators, what does this flexibility in terms of opportunity mean for our students?  How many of them will be able to stay “at home”?  How many of them will choose to?  With the connected global community, how should the story of learning change to prepare our young people to work, play and learn in the world of the 21st century?

One thing is for certain, wherever I may live or visit - and I have now lived away from the river for over 20 years - the “Meer-ma-shee” will always be home.

tags: technology, education, whipple, miramichi, learning

Photo Credit: Rushhour Water Street, uploaded to Flickr on September 4, 2006 by tanker625

I love the connections available at f2f conferences.  The opportunity to build personal friendships and professional relationships are incredible PD, and can be leveraged in our classrooms through student-based collaborative projects.

Sometimes, however, it’s just not possible to get together.  Fortunately, in today’s digitally connected world, the opportunities can come to you.  This fall will see the third edition of the K12 Online Conference, a wonderful gathering of teachers, educators and learners who gather, both synchronously and asynchronously, do share, collaborate and learn.  You can find out more here, of by following the link to the right.

If you have something you are dying to share, the deadline for session proposals is next week.  It’s not to late to submit yours

“We are pleased to announce the call for proposals for the third annual “K12 Online Conference” for educators around the world interested in the use of web 2.0 tools in classrooms and professional practice. This year’s conference is scheduled for October 20-24 and October 27-31 of 2008, and will include a pre-conference keynote during the week of October 13. The conference theme for 2008 is “Amplifying Possibilities.” Participation in the conference (as in the past) is entirely free. Conference materials are published in English and available for worldwide distribution and use under a Creative Commons license. Some changes in the requirements for presentations are being made this year and are detailed below. The deadline for proposal submission is June 23, 2008. Selected presentations will be announced at NECC 2008 in San Antonio, Texas, USA on July 2.

tags: k12online, education, k12online08

Caught this poster over on Cathy Nelson’s TechnoTuesday blog… it’s so simple it’s powerful.

This poster speaks volumes about the changing nature of our world. What does it mean for our schools? Just what to we need to be teaching our kids when all “knowledge” is a couple of mouse-clicks away?

I sent this out to our teachers today with a challenge. As we spend our last few days at schools this term, and move into summer renewal, take some time to reflect just what this should mean to us as teachers.

How should the increasingly connected nature of our global community - and our kids as individuals - be reflected in our schools? What should the shift in learning look like in their classroom?

I hope at least some of them take some time this summer to think about the massive shift needed in our schools to help our kids prepare for a connected and collaborative future in which they will work, play and learn - and what they can do to start shifting their individual classrooms.

tags: technology, education, whipple

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