Showing posts with label #140conf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #140conf. Show all posts

Are teachers keeping students prisoners of their past?


For today’s youth life outside of school is a fast-paced, connected environment where students have the freedom to learn in the spaces and with the tools they love. Once inside school walls however, in many cases digital devices are banned, collaborating is viewed as cheating, and students are often prohibited from accessing the very sites that are necessary for real-world success. 

I will be speaking to the panel of students listed below to address this topic at the upcoming #140edu conference which is only $1.40 for educators! Apply here. These tech-savvy young people are devoted to education reform and they all are aware that technology plays an important role in this.

My question to the innovative educators, parents, and students reading this is what questions should I ask the students to get great answers? I have some ideas, but I'm interested in incorporating your thoughts too. 

Nikhil Goyal | Syosset High School Junior

Nikhil Goyal is a 17-year-old student at Syosset High School in New York, United States. He wrote a book: All Hands on Deck: Why America Needs a Learning Revolution to be published in September 2012 by Alternative Education Resource Organization. Goyal has been featured in the New York Times, Seth Godin’s Blog, NBC, Edutopia, and Huffington Post. He has contributed three Letters to the Editor for the New York Times. In addition, he has spoken at conferences around the world from Qatar, Spain, and the United States. Goyal is starting a Learning Revolution movement to transform the American education system to assure that no child will ever be suppressed by our schools.
Twitter:  @TalkPolitical

Lucia Grigoli | Newton North High School Senior

Lucia is a senior at Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts. She serves on her school's Student-Faculty Administration, where she introduced a bill to utilize social media in school for educational purposes.

In addition to her work on the local level, Lucia is a national advocate for student voice. She helps lead a national initiative to give students a voice in their own education, in addition to being a board member at both the I.M.P.A.C.T Academy for Youth and the National Young Women’s Council.
Twitter: @luciagrigoli

Matthew Resnick  | Eleanor Roosevelt High School Junior

Matthew Resnick is a student at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in New York, New York. His interest in education policy and technique began in his own school, where as an appointed member of the School Leadership Team he advocated for the integration of current events in the school curriculum, and as a member of the school’s iPad committee he works with teachers and the principal to implement the use of Apple iPads in the classroom. Matthew continues to collaborate with students, teachers, and administrators in his school to take full advantage of the digital age.

Matthew’s involvement is not limited to his school. He is also a volunteer at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Since he began contributing to
The Huffington Post, he has had increased contact with students and educators to share his experience and insight in education policy and technique. He recently founded The Student Lens, an organization created to educate and empower New York City high school students by informing them about important events in education policy and reform, and by enabling students to share their voices. In order to improve the American education system, changes must occur which engage students and encourage them to learn. The emerging platforms and availability of information must be taken advantage of - this is the age we are growing up in, and the education system must keep up in order to give students the best education possible.
Twitter: @MatthewAResnick

Nick Perez | Software developer / High School Drop Out

Nick is a software developer based in Brooklyn, NY. After years of skipping class to learn independently, he dropped out of high-school in 2006. For over five years, he has worked with small businesses and tech startups, utilizing expertise gained almost exclusively through the use of technology. A series of discussions with teachers and school administrators has recently renewed his interest in addressing and attempting to solve the problems that destroyed his faith in schooling.
Twitter: @nickperez

Allison Wu | Newton North High School Senior

Allison Wu is a senior at Newton North High School in Massachusetts. She is passionate about youth social entrepreneurship and advocates for youth voice in policymaking and education. Her focus this summer is the creation of a Presidential Youth Council, to ensure young people are represented in government. She also works to give students a voice in education reform by collaborating with reform leaders, engaging students nationwide in a dialogue to improve education, and enabling them to share their opinions on education at local, state, and national levels.

From leadership roles in student government, Allison has witnessed and propagated a cultural shift within her school as it integrated new technologies into teaching and learning, and she believes that all students deserve the benefits of these advances. In fact, she is currently exploring how technology can narrow the achievement gap in her school district. Viewing technology as a platform by which students are empowered to “learn by doing,” Allison believes that it has endless potential to activate students and be a tool for positive change. As a leader of a youth-run 501(c)3, a member of the Policy Council of the National Youth Association, a member of DoSomething’s Youth Advisory Council, and part of the team creating a national youth engagement strategy for the government, Allison has both led and participated in efforts to unite and mobilize youth nationwide through technology. These experiences have taught her that learning often happens outside the boundaries of the traditional classroom, but when digital technologies are included in schooling, all students will have these opportunities.
Twitter: @allisonswu
You have read this article #140conf / #140edu with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2012/06/are-teachers-keeping-students-prisoners.html. Thanks!

Get OnBoard with The Innovative Educator at the 140 Character Conference Bus Tour!

Click this picture to register now!
If you've never been to a #140conf and you live in the New York City or Long Island area, now is your chance to do so in a unique and fun way.  Jeff Pulver's #140conf is taking it on the road with a three-day bus tour.  I'll be joining the tour on Monday, August 15th for Wisdom, Web, Talk, and Wine as the #140conf embarks on a tour through Long Island, North Shore, and Greenport. 

This is my second year participating in #140conf events.  I can't imagine a better way to learn than this unique opportunity to get on the bus to share ideas, insights, while on a bus tour.  The #140conf provides a platform for the worldwide twitter community to: listen, connect, share and engage with each other, while collectively exploring the effects of the emerging real-time internet.

I hope you'll consider joining me and other innovative educators like the fantastic Deven Black who will be discussing the benefits of opting out of school and learning through life. This is gonna be a lot of fun so come on and hop aboard!

For more information
  • Read the 140edu recap here.
  • Find out more about the event here.
  • Register for the event here
You have read this article #140conf with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2011/08/get-onboard-with-innovative-educator-at.html. Thanks!

Webdoc - Great Tool to Bring Learning to Life Through Multimedia

I discovered Webdoc.com at the 140edu conference.  The company did something really cool.  They made a Webdoc of each presenter like the one they created below that features me and my talk.  You can see the others here



What is cool about webdoc is that you can so easily embed or drag and drop all sorts of content / media right onto the page and it is also designed for discussion / conversation that can have media included as well.

Here are some ways I can envision using it in education:

  • Students create passion profiles.
  • Students create "What's Your Genius" profiles of one another and use the discussion to build upon it.
  • Forget textbooks. Create webdocs.
  • Each teacher can have Webdoc that outlines who she is.
  • Classes can make webdocs to celebrate the completion of a unit of study.
  • Schools can use webdocs to organize events. Imagine this webdoc from @ was a school event.  
  • Webdocs as a student learning portfolio.
  • Create a Webdoc to provide an overview of your school as Richard Cassella has done in the following video. You can read his whole explanation here.


Webdoc.com also has an education page full of ideas.  Check them out here.

Here is a video that shows how to use webdocs.com.  How might you use this for learning?


    webdoc in action from webdoc on Vimeo.
    You have read this article #140conf / #140edu / learning innovatively / webdocs with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2011/08/webdoc-great-tool-to-bring-learning-to.html. Thanks!

    My #140EDU Character Conference Presentation

    If you saw me present at the #140EDU Character conference and you want to share what I discussed with your community, please feel free.  You can access the presentation where you can also download and modify it here. Thanks so much for taking a listen.  I'd love to keep the conversation going.  Please visit my "About Me" page and reach out in whatever way you prefer.

     


    See the #140edu recaps
    Visit USC Online here.
    Visit SnappSchool here.
    Visit Connect with Your Teens Through Pop Culture and Tech here.
    Visit Ruckus Media's recap at Education + Social Media = #140Edu
    You have read this article #140conf / #140edu with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-140edu-character-conference.html. Thanks!

    140 Character Conference - The State of Now in Education

    Those that believe in the impact of the state of now for education will enjoy the four education-related conversations at the #140conf this week. Here they are in the order in which they were presented.

    Social Media + Education
    Chris Lehmann



    Real Time Communication and Education.
    Aparna Vashisht (@Parentella) - Founder, Parentella (moderator)
    Kevin Jarrett (@kjarrett) - K-4 Technology Teacher
    Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) - Educational Technologist
    Mary Beth Hertz (@mbteach) - K-6 Computer Teacher and Technology Teacher Leader in Philadelphia


    Twitter and Animal Farm (and some 8th graders)


    Real-time web and Education
    Participants Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) - Principal of New Milford HS (NJ)
    Kyle B. Pace (@kylepace) - Teaching K-12 teachers about technology infusion
    Steven W. Anderson (@web20classroom) - Technology Educator, Blogger, Co-Creator of #edchat
    Tom Whitby (@tomwhitby) - Professor of English in Secondary Education


    You can read more on the topic in these posts:
    1) Teaching Kids how to manage their Digital Footprint - Lisa Nielsen
    2) Why social media curriculum is critical in schools - Lisa Nielsen
    3) Ideas for parents interested in helping students manage their digital footprint and effectively participate in social media. - Lisa Nielsen
    4) #140Conf Talk and Telling Our Story - Chris Lehmann
    5) #140 Character Conference Reflection - Mary Beth Hertz
    6) What Does Communication Mean in 2010 - Mary Beth Hertz
    7) The State of Now and K-12 Education: The 140 Character Conf - Kevin Jarrett
    You have read this article #140conf / chris lehmann with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2010/04/140-character-conference-state-of-now.html. Thanks!

    Real Time Communication in Education - 140 Character Conference Begins Today!

    badge5The 140 Characters Conference in New York City begins today, April 20th. It's largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on business, education, and “we” the people. Speakers include Ann Curry, NBC News (@AnnCurry), Chris Lehmann, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy, (@chrislehmann), Donny Deustch (@Donny_Deutsch), Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump), and MC Hammer (@MCHammer).

    I am a part of the Twitter and Education panel and joined by @mbteach, and @kjarret, with @parentella moderating. The topic of our panel is called, "Real Time Communication in Education. Specifically, we'll be discussing:

    1) Teaching Kids how to manage their Digital Footprint
    2) Why social media curriculum is critical in schools
    3) Ideas for parents interested in helping students manage their digital footprint and effectively participate in social media.

    For a preview of what I'll be discussing, you can click on any of the links above for my thoughts on the topic.

    I look forward to discussing these topics on the panel and I hope to see other innovative educators at the conference as well.

    If you're already in NYC this is something you should consider attending tomorrow. You can register to reserve a ticket at a cost of $80 for one day. You can register here to guarantee yourself access to the event.

    The format at the #140conf events is unique. Individual talks are 5 and 10 minutes, keynotes are 15 and 20 minutes and panel discussions are no more than 20 minutes. During the course of the two days more than 140 people will share the stage at the 92nd Street Y in about 70 sessions. To get a feel of the energy you may experience click here to review the videos from the 2009 #140conf NYC. The takeaways from this event will provide the attending delegates knowledge, perspectives and insights to the next wave of effects twitter and the real-time internet will have on business and education in 2010 and beyond.

    You have read this article #140conf / 140 Character Conference / digital footprint / social networking / twitter with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2010/04/real-time-communication-in-education.html. Thanks!

    Twitter - It's All About the Conversation

    In light of today's #140conf (nyc.140conf.com) I thought it would be timely to bring back Jeff Branzburg's witty Twitter Comicstrip. Enjoy!

    You have read this article #140conf with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2010/04/twitter-it-all-about-conversation.html. Thanks!

    Help students manage their digital footprint and effectively participate in social media - 140 Character Conference

    badge5I am presenting at The 140 Characters Conference in New York City on April 20th. This event is the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on business, education, and “we” the people. Some of the other speakers include Ann Curry, NBC News (@AnnCurry), Chris Lehmann, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy, (@chrislehmann), Donny Deustch (@Donny_Deutsch), Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump), and MC Hammer (@MCHammer).

    I will be a part of the Twitter and Education panel and joined by @mbteach, and @kjarret, with @parentella moderating. Specifically I'll be discussing:

    1) Teaching Kids how to manage their Digital Footprint
    2) Why social media curriculum is critical in schools
    3) Ideas for parents interested in helping students manage their digital footprint and effectively participate in social media.

    In anticipation of the conference I'm writing about each topic. You can read what I wrote about Teaching Kids to Manage their Digital Footprint here and Why social media curriculum is critical in schools here. For this post I am addressing:

    Ideas for parents interested in helping students manage their digital footprint and effectively participate in social media.

    As children enter their teenage years they begin participating more and more in online environments and parents are often at a loss for guidelines around how to offer their children support and guidance. In many cases parents may ask their teachers for advice on how to help their children engage effectively in online environments. Here are three simple ideas teachers can share with parents interested in helping students manage their digital footprint and effectively participate in social media.

    1. Help teens take control of their digital footprint
    2. Help teens determine what their digital footprint says about them

    3. Connect with others with your passions and interests
    1) Have a conversation with teens about taking control of their digital footprint
    I was recently at a conference where educators were discussing whether or not teenagers should use their real names online. One of the women in attendance felt strongly that in their teenage years students should begin using their real names. She posed the question, "If we don't take ownership of our digital identity who will?" This is a powerful question and brings to light the concept of active and passive digital footprints.

    A 2006 Pew Internet report indicates there are two main classifications for digital footprints: passive and active. A passive digital footprint is created when data is collected about an action without any client activation, whereas active digital footprints are created when personal data is released deliberately by a user for the purpose of sharing information about oneself.

    The question becomes, this. Do you want to deliberately be aware of and control what you stand for online or do you want that to be left to others? Parents who agree the teenage years are the right time for students to begin identifying what they stand for and who they are can begin helping their children establish a purposeful digital footprint. Teaching students the lesson of responsibility and accountability early on can result in a future payoff of giving them a name they can proudly stand behind. If we teach a student to automatically think about what their online behavior and words say about what they represent and remind them that their words leave a digital footprint, how might this change how they interact?

    It can be very powerful for students to begin developing their identity at this stage of their life and extremely impactful if parents guide and support their children in doing this. But who are your children? What is the message they want their digital footprint to convey? How do they know what it is or should be? How could they find out? The answer to that is in the second idea.

    2) Help teens determine what their digital footprint says about them today

    Of course the most obvious way to uncover your digital footprint is by Googling yourself. When you do so, what comes up? Once you explore that, decide, is that what I want people to see when they Google me? If it is, terrific. You/your teen is doing a great job. If it's not, think about what it is you want to have appear when someone Googles you. What do you stand for? I asked myself this question two years ago when I started my blog. I decided that I wanted to be the number one topic that came up whenever someone searched for "educating innovatively." To make that happen I began considering and implementing Ideas for Making a Purposeful and Professional Digital Footprint. Now, two years later, I dominate the page for that search term. Work with your child to think about what their defining phrase, statement or idea may be.

    Here are some innovative and not-so-obvious ideas for parents exploring the digital footprint of teens who use Twitter or Facebook. Parents and their teens can start exploring their digital footprint with what I call "Recap Apps." Recap apps let you take a look at who you are online in a variety of ways using your words, photos, and updates over a period of time you specify (i.e. the last month, three months, six months, or year). The apps are free and it only takes minute or so to generate each one.

    A parent and teen can do this together and discuss what the word clouds, status clouds, or photos say about them. Parents should ask their teen how they feel about this digital footprint. Here are some ideas for questions they may discuss.
    • What do they like?
    • Is there anything they are proud of?
    • Is there anything they are embarrassed about?
    • What might they want to change?
    • What might they do to more effectively represent how they want to be viewed by others?

    You can find out more more about how to use recap apps in these posts.


    3) Connect with others with whom you share passions and interests

    Once you help your teen to discover what their digital footprint says about them and they decide they want to take control of it, they'll need to do some thinking about what it is they really stand for. They'll want to explore their interests. In fact, some, like Sir Ken Robinson, would say that perhaps the most important job of a parent or teacher is to support children in discovering these talents, interests, and passions. The internet provides opportunities to do this and connect with others ways never before available.

    Watch your child when s/he uses the internet. As Sir Ken suggests, "Kids give you messages." Our job is to watch, guide and listen. He shares that you may be surprised what it is your child loves. "When Olympian Bart Conner's mother noticed he walked on his hands as well as his feet, she noticed, "Hey, he's a gymnast!" "Some are drawn to drawing, some are making music all the time, some love moving around. You have to see and hear the message your child is sharing and encourage it because when you find your talent your whole life changes." Finding your talent gives students, "purpose, meaning and fulfillment" and what more could a student hope for from their parents and teachers.

    While it is certainly important to be aware of how your child's passions, interests, and talents may manifest themselves in the real world, the online world is also important connecting individuals to people and places, never before possible. Remember too that anytime your child engages online they are creating a piece of their digital footprint. Whether it is a tweet they send out on Twitter, a status update they write on Facebook, a comment they leave on a blog, or a conversation they engage in on a discussion board, these all contribute to who your child is online. As a parent you can serve a crucial role in your teen's life, by helping him/her engage responsibly and effectively with others who share your child's passions and interests. Not only will this help him/her on the road to developing an active digital footprint, but you are also helping your son or daughter develop an important life skill.

    To illustrate this point I am sharing the story of a student that attends The Island School about which I wrote You Can Get a Dalton Education at a NYC Public School. This is a school that lives and dies by the belief that the most important part of their work is to help students find and develop their passions, interests, and talents. I had the pleasure of visiting the school and speaking with students and teachers. Every student who attends this elementary/middle school is told that this is a place they will be exposed to, find and develop their passions and talents. Some shared that when they started school they were nervous because they didn't think they had any talent or passion. By the end of their first year at the school every student knows they've got talent, interests, and passions.

    There were so many wonderful students at this inner city public school on the lower east side of Manhattan, but one that particularly stood out was a young man who just loves buses. Yes, buses. The things that take people around New York City. With the help of his parents and teachers this student began a physical and virtual exploration and development of his passion. First any time he road a bus, he studied it. Is this really the most effective layout of seats? Could the onramp for those with disabilities be designed better? What about the fuel emissions? Could there be a way that buses ran cleaner? He also visited the MTA and museum and spoke to experts there and, of course he spoke with bus drivers, but some of his strongest connections were those he made online.

    This student began reading blogs about buses. Yes there are many. He began commenting on these blogs. He started interacting with others on MTA discussion boards. He could read newspaper and magazine articles and comment on those with authors and experts on the topic. He knew how to find the latest news about buses by using search terms on Twitter, and he could follow those with relevant Tweets. And, he could Tweet too! Before you knew it, this student had begun developing not only a strong personal learning network, but he was also laying the groundwork for a purposeful digital footprint. An interesting thing about this is that expertise has no age barriers and this students thoughts, comments, and ideas sat right beside others in the field and he was quickly establishing himself as an expert on the topic, even though he was only in middle school. This student had big ideas, big plans, and a respectable digital footprint. His principal shared that from her school he went on to Automotive High School and she expected he would soon move on to an engineering college to pursue his passion of bus design and engineering.

    Parents who can work with their children and teachers to discover, uncover, and develop their students passions and interests using both traditional and digital tools, will provide students with some of life's most valuable and memorable lessons.


    I very much look forward to discussing this on the Twitter and Education panel and I hope to see other innovative educators at the conference as well. If you are thinking about attending #140conf NYC you can register to reserve a ticket at a cost of $140 for the two day event or $80 for one day. You can register here to guarantee youself access to the event. The format at the #140conf events is unique. Individual talks are 5 and 10 minutes, keynotes are 15 and 20 minutes and panel discussions are no more than 20 minutes. During the course of the two days more than 140 people will share the stage at the 92nd Street Y in about 70 sessions. To get a feel of the energy you may experience click here to review the videos from the 2009 #140conf NYC. The take aways from this event will provide the attending delegates knowledge, perspectives and insights to the next wave of effects twitter and the real-time internet will have on business and education in 2010 and beyond.
    You have read this article #140conf / 140 Character Conference / digital footprint / social networking / twitter with the title #140conf. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2010/04/help-students-manage-their-digital.html. Thanks!