#ISTE10 TakeAways Part 1: A New Passion Full of Lessons...

I would never have thought that I would go to Denver, Colorado for a technology conference a year ago. I still can’t believe that it has only been a year since I took a dive head first into technology! This past year has really opened up my eyes to a new focus, a new passion!
I went with my Assistant Principal and his wife as they planned a professional vaca-development experience for themselves, which I so graciously became their third wheel and joined them!

As a newbie to an ISTE conference, I soon realized how much I missed from the ticketed sessions and the leadership bootcamps, won’t make that mistake again! So my first experience was the Keynote on Sunday night. Jean-Francois Rischard, an author and former vice-president of World Bank, began with a crowd that I have only seen at concerts in Detroit! I was very awestruck! Only until he began, as many of us soon learned that his presentation skills were lacking. Watching the Twitter stream was both funny and sad; as I think most people could not be believe that he would elect to use a PowerPoint presentation filled with words on every screen. In an arena so large, I am not sure who could see the presentation. I remember tweeting that he actually had his back to audience while he was speaking. Needless to say, it was difficult to give the presentation my full attention, especially with the very ferocious Twitter stream I was receiving.

The first presentation I went to on Monday morning was Backchannel: Let Everyone Speak with @Michael baker, @chrischampion, and @khokanson. This tool interests me as I think this will be extremely useful in the classroom and during staff meetings. I can’t wait to find opportunities to use it this year. One message that hit me loud and clear during this session was what we preach about digital citizenship… When you are tweeting or backchanneling, be positive in our comments, or at least be constructive what we say so that someone can use it to improve…Lesson #1!

I proceeded on to Steve Dembo’s Policy, Safety, and Social Networking session. As a rather new Tweeter, I had no idea that I followed so many experts, as many of those I follow were presenting! Steve was one of them! I felt his session was info packed and much of what I learned; I am taking back to my district. I write a lot about how we must educate our kids to use this technology rather than just ban it from our school systems. He provided many resources for my district as they explore new technology plans and AUPs for our students and staff. The message I heard loud and clear from this session was that putting information on the web about our students should not be prohibited, but encouraged as long as it is appropriate and beneficial to them in the future…Lesson #2!


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#ETLC10 Take Aways: Ride the Wave!

The keynote for this conference was Jamie Casap an Education Evangelist at Google. I was looking forward to hearing him speak as the company Google interests me; I wonder how I could work for Google? That seems like a future career move for me one day; I am going to look into that soon! Some points that I took away from his speech were how new technology has impacted the different generations. It is hard to believe that children today do not know a world without cell phones and instant communication. Mobile learning devices (MLDs) are the largest growing technology in underdeveloped nations as they are affordable and easily obtained. As schools continue to ban these “pocket computers,” educational leaders have to educate themselves as well as our children to learn the benefits of these devices and practice the safe use of them inside and outside of the school. Jaime shared that he spends a great deal of time educating his children on the safe use of the internet, social media, and various interactive technology. He is confident they practice good digital citizenship, so much so he does not check their status of Facebook or the history of the sites they may have visited.
Jaime predicted that the laptop will be dead by the year 2013. This statement alone reinforces just how slow education changes, especially when we are talking about embracing technology. Currently, every child does not have access to laptops in every school even with a goal of a 1:1 setting. Are we already saying laptops will be outdated in three years…? How can we get technology into the hands of every student?
The mobile learning device is the next wave to ride when it comes to increasing student achievement!

IPads in Education was the next workshop that I attended. Joanna Montgomery works for Apple and was/is an educator. Tons of apps were discussed in this session, many of which I was already familiar. One that sticks out in my mind is the sign language app Sign 4 Me that is also available for the iPhone. This app shows the various angles that people view sign language, such as viewing upward if you were a small child and down if you were a tall adult. Another very cool app is the book of the periodic table The
Elements: A Visual Exploration which is only available on the iPad. This app gave 3D views of each element on the periodic table an awesome way to show kids in a chemistry class where an element came from up close and personal. The last app that was highlighted that was new to me is the iBook app that is also available for the iPhone. This app enables your iPad to be an e-reader. When will textbooks no longer exist? Will there ever be a day that libraries will no longer exist? In my lifetime?

A panel discussion took place during lunch. The topic of the discussion was virtual desktops. I remember hearing about this when I went on a school visit to Holly High School in Michigan. No longer, did each student space require a hardrive. The monitors were at each student space, but the information was held on a virtual server for the school district. As I still do not have a full understanding of this topic, it does seem like another wave of the future. As cloud computing increases and people feel more comfortable with the security of this technology, I expect this feature to explode in public schools. When data can be housed and accessible to students and staff whenever, wherever, and however. What a breakthrough! I am ready to ready to ride that wave!

ITunes U is the next session I attended with Judy Paxton from MACUL. This session was informative as I have not explored this component of iTunes. I think this might be a hidden gem for educators. Michigan educators have linked lessons to the standards. Not only does this provide a wealth of teaching resources, but also provides an opportunity for students to upload videocasts of lessons as well as earn a stipend for quality uploads. I need to explore more of this resource and share with my staff. There was a lesson on an Algebra activity for middle schoolers that was addressed; I still need to check this one out!

The next hot topic revolves around disruptive innovation. Fred Sharpsteen describes disruptive innovation and how it relates to education. His research specifically relates to how students need a customized learning environment that compliments their individual needs. Technology is the rogue wave that needs to disrupt the educational systems of today. Teaching methods must not just integrate technology but must imbed it into the teaching and learning process. Therein lines our dilemma, with continued cutbacks and loss of funding how do we do that if we don't have the technology?

Finally, my last learning experience is one that will help me reach my goal for next year, I want to produce podcasts or, more appropriately coined, videocasts. I explored the Camtasia and Snagit software produced by TechSmith a Michigan company, gotta love the homegrown folks! I was able to create a brief podcast, as no video was available on the computers in the lab. We created a brief podcast to show others how to change the size of the cursor, very cool and very easy! I want to create my own very soon! The main take-away from this session, other than how to use the software was to create a script prior to recording, this was very helpful to have as it was your safety net!

So, what is your definition of an educational leader? How do they use technology? How do they build capacity in their staff to embrace technology in their classrooms? How do we keep up with our kids? How do we afford the technology and the support that comes along with it? Why do I have so many questions? How do I ride the wave of technology to increase student achievement?

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Will you come out and play with me?

At the end of the year last year, I vowed to make it my personal/professional goal to become technology literate and a user of web 2.0 tools. I purchased my first iPhone last June. Since then, I have become a blogger, tweeter, Facebooker, wiki creater, open source media user, a Google fanatic, video uploader, web 2.0 promoter, 21st century skill advocator and overall supporter of the need to integrate opportunities for our students to collaborate, create and communicate using 21st century tools.

With my new found dedication to “eating up” everything I can get my hands on regarding new tools and resources to help teachers make changes in pedagogy, curriculum and assessment for today’s kids, I have encountered more criticism than support.

I have learned more this year through Twitter, than I have in the entire 3 years I have been doing my coursework for my doctoral degree. So I will continue blogging and tweeting with the hopes educators will get bitten by the curiosity bug and just explore!

The more I read and learn through my PLN, the more urgency I feel in sharing the wave of the future. Unfortunately, the request is to slow down. I know the importance of not doing too many things at once (or at least I try not to implement too many things at once), but technology integration is not one of them. Our kids are already leaving us behind. The longer we wait the more exponential the increase in knowledge our students will have about technology compared to teachers.

What is our solution? How can we get teachers to “play with” and explore these free resources? Can we really create 21st century schools?



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It is Not my Cell Phone it is my Mobile Learning Device!

I thought I was an iPhone freak. I thought I was maybe a little obsessed. I had free resources to access current trends in education at my fingertips any hour any day. My friends and family became annoyed by my constant references to the “latest tweet” or from an app that allows me to speak into my phone and dictate to my blog. I became defensive. Why are you making fun of me when I am learning outside of a regular classroom setting, compared to when I carried the latest educational magazine or book in my hand?

I tease back, that “I am learning new things 24/7 and what are you all doing with your phone that only makes and receives calls?” I said,  “This is not my cell phone this my mobile learning device! “

Then two weeks ago, I was with my sister, who is not an educator, and she got her first Smartphone, a Verizon Droid. Guess what, she was acting just as weird as I was when I got my iPhone! She was talking about her new apps, playing the guitar and looking at stars. She is much more “in the know” with her “current trends” that have nothing to do with education, but they keep her informed of what is going on in her world. Exactly the purpose of technology in the 21st century.

If you could have seen the excitement in her eyes when she showed us her new “tools” you would agree, if we could see that light in all of our students’ eyes we would find a way to get these tools in all of our students’ hands!

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Go into the Light, Carol Ann...

As I continue to struggle with our current vision and model of school, I have recently had an opportunity to go to an enlightening and inspiring conference entitled, Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning (MACUL.) The conference had numerous presenters that have revamped what they do in the classroom while using technology to make their life a great deal easier. Now, their lives were not easier at first, during the learning process, but now could not imagine their life without Google Apps.
The word on the street was that I might be so inspired after this conference, that I might expect staff to engage in various new experiences and use new tools and strategies in the classroom. Well, truth be told, I had those expectations before I went to the conference, but now I have a better idea of how to explore those topics without overwhelming the staff who are at different comfort levels of technology integration (hopefully.) I do not want any of our staff to "Be Left Behind." Google is going to revolutionize education, and we cannot ignore it or refuse the wealth of opportunities that comes along with it.
There are some myths that Jacobs (2010) states in the Curriculum 21 book:
Myth 1:"The old days are good enough--There are real dangers in glorifying the good old days and and clinging to our schools myths and stories. How can we grow the curriculum if schools are shackled by memories?"
Myth 2: "We are better off if we think alike -but don't think too much--Often times those who use the word elite use it in a pejorative sense when referring to a well educated person who has made a significant accomplishment." Society tends to give props to those people who have  "made it" by pulling themselves up by the boot straps and find them more highly regarded than those with higher education. I know there are times when I have met new people, I have felt a little embarrassed to say I have almost completed my doctoral degree or I won't even admit to it at all, which sounds so crazy as I sit here and type...
Myth 3: "Too much creativity is dangerous--and the arts are frills": Clearly the 21st century skills require learners to collaborate, create, use real-world tools, be personally and socially responsible, and be culturally and globally aware-we have to foster this kind of creative learning environment.
If technology is going to help us create our new vision of what schools look like (or don't look like in a virtual classroom) we have to embrace it.
Carol Ann's mom in Poltergeist said, "Go into the light, Carol Ann, it is OK, go into the light!" Carol Ann was afraid and didn't want to, but her she trusted her mom, and believed that her mom would not send her in the wrong direction or down the wrong path. Think of the light as the world of new technology. Although it can be scary, you have to go into the light if you are going to survive, but go there seeking support from those asking you to go there, and be brave, you will come out on the side and lead our kids down the path to the 21st century!

To Do More with Less, or Do "Different" with Less, That is the Question.

In my last post, I stated that in light of the dismal financial future and the demands that are being placed on public educators, we will have to do more with less. This really struck a nerve with a colleague. So much so that we had a conversation about the statement and I shared the number of times I have heard "we have to do more with less" in various settings. The response to me was "maybe it is not doing more with less, but doing things differently." I think I am fully aware we have to do things differently, but what things? The problem is that no one really knows what those things are. When the future is filled with uncertainty, it is difficult for us to forge ahead when we do not know what the end result will look like. We struggle when we do not have an example of what it should like. When we have to create something from scratch, fear and anxiousness begin to set it. This happens only because we want to do things right...once again, what things are we talking about?
When I feel like I need guidance or inspiration I turn to my "teacher" books, a joke I share with my colleague mentioned above, as we tease each other and say we are "teacher geeks" because we seem to share the same interests in books that help us perfect our craft. So the book I just finished, Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World, Jacobs (2010) states that we need to create new versions of school as well as update the curriculum. In the description of updating the curriculum, it is vital to define essential curriculum. This definition should include removal and replacement of outdated material, skills, and ways we assess students. Rather than take on the huge challenge of upgrading all aspects of curriculum at once, it is recommended that schools take one piece at a time. Targeting one unit a semester can feel a lot less daunting than revamping everything you use to teach and assess at one fell swoop.
The author also describes that maybe we really need to redefine what it is we call school. The structures that we can begin to redefine would be scheduling (daily and yearly, even what it means K-12); the way students are grouped (age and grade); the way we configure staff; and how learning environments are used (physical and virtual.) These structures can also impact curriculum as we now know it.
If we have schedules, groupings, structural space, and a curriculum that still models the schools of the 1930s, we are overdue in taking on the challenge to make schools support what our students need to be able to know and do. Our students should not have to conform to what we so rigidly keep in place, because if we change it, we won't know what the end result might look like.
In the words of my fellow doctoral cohort member, We can't say that because we use an overhead instead of the chalkboard, or an LCD projector instead of an overhead, or a smartboard instead of an LCD projector that we are progressing and using 21st century tools, we are still doing the same thing just with new bells and whistles. This is not the "doing things differently" that we mean is it? Or is the "doing things differently" mean we have to "blow up" those traditional models and start from scratch, with the ultimate goal of creating the most engaging learning environment and curriculum that there is not any type of learner that cannot succeed and that any teacher would not love to teach everyday! Yes, I know maybe my head is in the clouds again, maybe it should be my dissertation topic...

Students Pledge to Go Paperless on Earth Day...

Earth Day Pledge...
The Green Team ran across a blog entitled "TeachPaperless: Seeking social solutions for the mysteries of 21st century teaching that has created an interesting challenge--How many teachers could pledge to go "Paperless" on Earth Day? The Green Team at South Middle School has now created the challenge of having our entire school go "Paperless" on Earth Day! The link to the Blog is http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/ if you would like to read more about the challenge. Teachers can pledge to go paperless by clicking on the link found in the Teachpaperless blog and students can pledge to go paperless right here!