If you read this month’s Education Week, you may have noticed I was quoted in article U.S. Schools Forge Foreign Connections Via Web which explains how American students are teaming up with classrooms around the world to learn valuable lessons. The piece features anecdotes of young people connecting and learning with others like the American students who videoconferenced with students in Egypt when President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. Americans and Egyptians both were in awe, clapping and laughing and sharing in a moment of global importance. Donna Rose, the director of the American school’s program explained that they had a real-life lessons in “what freedom is, what a democracy means, how fortunate they are to be where they are, and how people have to struggle to get to that level.” She shared that “In a heartbeat, they changed their view of humanity” and asked, “How could I have done that on my own?”
The reality is that not only is it true that Ms. Rose couldn’t have done that on her own, she shouldn’t have. In the age of the internet the world is indeed flat. We no longer need to depend on politicians, agenda-backed textbooks, or the media to tell us about other peoples and cultures. We can connect ourselves easily with tools like Skype, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Hangout and with the advent of Google Translate it has become even easier to understand people from around the world.
In the article I shared how I thought this would affect children and our society explaining that it’s really easy to hate what you don’t know. However, I believe social media will help break down barriers and help build tolerance in our word. In fact, in the future, I think there are going to be big changes in the way countries are defined, because people around the world are going to be connecting and bonding with each other in a way that doesn’t involve places, but rather their ideas and passions.
It is no longer acceptable for educators to keep children confined to a classroom. Even with just one computer and the internet, any classroom can, and should, be transformed into a global communication center. Read about how teachers across America like Suzie Nestico and The Flatclassroom Project, are doing just that in this month’s Education Week.
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I often write about practices occurring at schools that makes sense. The activities are learner centered and passion driven. The students are engaged and able to use the tools that enable them to learn best. I've just created a label (aka tag) for these schools on The Innovative Educator blog so that those looking for examples of such schools can find them easily. The label is "Promising Practices." You can click on the label to read about schools and/or classrooms engaging in this type of work with students.
I've also created two sites that collect such practices. One looks at innovative schools. Anyone can share information about their school on the site. Upon visiting the site you can see information, video, and pictures about a school as they focus on a problem of practice. The site is Innovation Field Trips. The other site is called Innovate My Class. It looks at how students and teachers are learning innovatively using technology. A nice feature of this site is that you can sort by subject and technology meaning if you teach English and you just received some flip video cameras you can see what other English teachers with flips are doing. You can also share what you are doing with your class. Both sites allow for commenting.
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People ask me how kids will know how good they are at something without tests. It’s a question I get a lot. Possibly because I go through life saying things like, “Can you believe how many tests kids have to take? How much better would the world be if they were drinking milkshakes instead?”
Milkshakes are so good.
OK, I don’t really think kids should drink milkshakes ALL the time. But I think they’d be better off drinking them than taking tests. Especially if they are chocolate peanut butter milkshakes.
I’m a little sad right now, because my mom just gave me this huge lecture about how I need to stop drinking so much diet soda, because it’s definitely going to kill me. I don’t remember why. Calcium was involved. Maybe my bones are going to turn to dust really soon. And diet soda was my healthiest option, since water tastes completely boring to me. She doesn’t know how close I am to drinking milkshakes all the time. (Vanilla peanut butter is pretty amazing, too. Source)
But that’s not the point.
People explain to me how important tests are, for the kids. They emphasize that part. For the kids. You know, rather than for the maniacal pleasure of power-drunk adults who think tests are hilarious? Pick C., sucker! Fill in the C bubble on #29! You know you want to! DOO IT!!!!!!!! Actually, they mean rather than for maintaining the balance of society, which, they are pretty sure, tests are also good at.
I love the question about kids and tests. Because it’s really easy to answer. Which makes me feel smart.
I say, “Do you take tests?”
They say, “Not anymore,” and smile like, “You’ve got to be kidding…”
I say, “Are you great at everything you do?”
They say, “Um…No. Obviously.” And laugh uncomfortably.
I say, “How do you know?”
Here’s what I think kids should do instead of taking tests AND drinking milkshakes: They should work on real projects. What I mean by “real” is something that has an impact on a larger world than the classroom, the teacher, or a grade. This can mean things like a brief apprenticeship with a chosen expert (it’s amazing how willing and excited adults are to accept apprentices. Everyone loves to feel that they’re doing something important enough to teach), starting a little business, or putting together an art show that will have an opening, with everyone in the community invited. It can mean a huge number of things.
Interesting things happen when kids undertake real projects. They have specific real-life models for success to emulate, they feel very responsible for their participation and production, since other people will be impacted by it, their work is often fluid, so that when they do something wrong, they can correct it without that mistake defining the outcome of the entire project. They learn skills that apply to the real world, and they often actually learn them, rather than memorizing and forgetting, because they HAVE to learn them. Just memorizing how to lay a floor or coordinate topics on a newspaper page isn’t enough. And it doesn’t really work that way in any case. Because these skills are much more comprehensive than the sets of often disconnected facts that tests require students to hold briefly in their heads.
I took a lot of tests in college. I barely remember a thing I was supposed to have learned. I apprenticed with a local artist when I was fourteen, and I remember everything she said about light, because after she said those things, I had to teach them to a class of young children. And I had to demonstrate them myself, with paint.
I spent a day as a photographer’s assistant, and I learned immediately how bad I was at standing for hours on end, and how uncomfortable I was with answering the phone for his studio. I also didn’t like hauling the garbage out back and having to order lunch for everyone. He was taking photos of dogs in giant pink satin ribbon collars, their proud owners dipping in to fluff them and hovering anxiously on the margins. I learned so much about myself that day, and I never went back. I knew exactly how bad I’d been at practically everything that happened in that environment, and while I also knew that I was interested in photography, it was clearly not the right place to learn more.
It’s really, really easy to tell when you aren’t doing something well. But that information doesn’t always cause you to want to get better. It depends what the subject is. What the project is. What the reward might be. When the reward is another good grade and a higher GPA, it’s easy for students to get good at tests without having to deal very often with how good they are at doing things in the world. And when your world is about doing well on tests, what happens when you find yourself doing something totally different? Something that requires real mastery of a subject or practical thinking or creativity? You might figure out just how to handle the situation. Or you might not know how to fail and keep going until you get it right. You might not realize what a big deal it is to be responsible for other people. you might not have learned how good you are at… life. (I followed this dragonfly around a stream bed for an hour or more before I finally got this shot. I took a lot of terrible pictures first. And I didn’t have to answer any phones at all.)
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Innovative educators will appreciate these twelve first-person films that make up a series exploring three related themes, each in its own way at the center of current debate about what works, and what's needed, to help students succeed during school and in life. I notice some familiar names of these movie makers including Alan November, Elliot Soloway and Stephen Heppell. You can visit the websiteherewhere you'll find the following films grouped by the themes below.
Side note: The images (taken from the website) aren't what I think of when I think of learning innovation. Seems to be a disconnect from the message in the films and the person assigned to graphically represent the themes.
These films look specifically at the ways that the latest digital and mobile technologies can potentially transform the ways that young people communicate, collaborate, and learn.
These films look specifically at ways in which school leaders and educators are testing and proving project-based models for a new, student-centered model of learning.
Dismissing suggestions that poor kids can't learn, these films demonstrate how much is possible when people come together to challenge the conventional wisdom about urban public education.
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I’ve had the great fortune to spend a week at Alan November’s Building Learning Communities conference in Boston with a group of New York City school administrators who have made significant progress in becoming transformative leaders. I felt it was important during my week with these leaders for us not only to talk the talk, but to walk the walk and (even if things got messy) use a variety of the tools they were beginning to explore so that in addition to learning about theoretical implications of innovative practices, they would have hands on experience in discovering what it was like using these tools.During our time at the conference our group used a variety of technologies to enhance the way we were communicating and collaborating.To set the stage it was important to establish that our work together wasn’t around learning about things like wikis, blogs, twitter, and learning networks (which we did learn about) but rather about working in innovative ways that enhanced the work we were doing.
Sharing Knowledge with Google Docs
Prior to the conference we established a Google doc where we would each capture our Schedulesto enable us to share our plans for the conference. This would serve a couple purposes. 1) It allowed us to be aware of the sessions one another was attending as it’s always great to be able to connect with colleagues who experienced the same learning as you, process, and extend the thinking. 2) It enabled us to capture the knowledge each of us set out to gain so we had an instant record of our group’s professional development experience.
Using a Wiki for Collecting, Capturing, and Accessing Important Materials
We also set up a wiki page for our conference experience.This provided a place for us to collect and access all important conference information such as the conference program, our daily reflection.It also provided a place where we could capture notes and materials shared at various presentations.
Tweeting to Follow Conference Activities and Share Reflections and Plans
School leaders set up Twitter accounts which they used to follow the goings on of the conference using the tag “BLC09” for the first two days.By day three most school leaders were also contributing tweets that included instant reflections of what they learned that they planned to bring back to their schools. This is now permanently captured and available for future reflecting and all leaders have access to see what their colleagues are thinking of doing allowing them to connect and collaborate.Here are some examples of their tweets using the tag 21cl.
·I plan to introduce digital writing portfolios through student blogs, expand use of wikis/blogs, expand our newspaper to be multi-media
·Use twitter and google docs to promote a sense of community that can be extended outside of school
·Have staff tweet to share what is going on in school using a school tag
·Teachers can tweet homework assignments
·Have students create tutorials using Screencasting. (mathtrain.tv)
·As a leader I will model using tech tools in my practice
·Use Google Docs to construct grade level planning conference agendas and collaboratively write lesson plans
Using Google Graphs, Spreadsheets, and Twitter to Poll Participants
Our group was determining what our online brand would be.To do this, all members of our group were asked to contribute by tweeting nominations for the potential group name using the tag 21cl.I collected the nominated names and placed the 25 nominees in a Google Spreadsheet which we planned to use as a free polling tool.Our group members names were placed across the top of the sheet and each school leader used their five votes to nominate their top choices.As they did this we watched the graph rise and fall.The winner was Transforming Leaders for the 21st Century.
During Conference Reflection Using Google Forms
School leaders completed a Conference Reflection Form a few times during the conference to capture what they learned and planned to bring back to their schools.These were captured as
conference reflections that were published enabling each participant to have the ability to access their own reflection any time as well as those of their colleagues.
Posting Conference Reflections Using a Blog
Each principal is going to write one reflection in response to the question, “What specific thing(s) will I do as a transformative leader in my school?”This will be posted on our newly created blog at http://ted21c.blogspot.com.
Connecting Across Schools and Across the Year with A Free Learning Network
Our group spent a session designing and creating the TED21C Learning Networkwhich will be used across the year for schools to connect, communicate, and collaborate both within their schools and across schools.School leaders created groups and customized their home pages.
Capturing Memories Using Flickr
Photos of our experience were captured at Flickr using a new account we set up at ted21C (friend us).These photos are also posted on our learning network.
I’ve spent a memorable week working with school leaders who are thinking about ways they will bring transformation back to their schools.During that time we were Flickring, Blogging, Google Docing, Polling, Networking, Tweeting, Eating, Speaking and more.I can’t wait to see their plans for taking some of what they learned back to their schools as they continue down the road of transformation.
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This week I am with leaders of schools in Manhattan at Alan November’s Building Learning Communities conference. During the conference we are reflecting on the question “What am I going to do to become a transformational leader?” To help frame the question conference organizer Alan November has shared these questions for administrators to keep in mind as they are thinking about their schools and how they are assessing the implementation of innovative practices that will build capacity and enrich teaching and learning at their schools.
As you read the below suggestions, reflect on what you are doing. Leaders what will you self-prescribe to be a transformational leader? Educators, what would you prescribe for leaders in your school? Is anything missing?
• Does technology serve to create new opportunities for teaching and learning that were not available before, or is the computer simply serving as a $1000 pencil merely automating standard assignments? • Are students thinking critically about the information they access online? Are they gathering their content from multiple resources? Are they cross-referencing information and bringing in content that provide opposing or alternative points of view? • Are the boundaries of social discourse being expanded? Is collaboration a point of emphasis? For example, are foreign language students being connected with native speakers, or are science classes connecting with the local crime scene investigation team? • What opportunities are being taken to build school/home/community connections? • Is content being developed and published to authentic audiences or only consumed? • Are students being exposed to a broad range of skills and applications or are teachers focusing too much on too few? Are they being taught to create podcasts, engage in digital storytelling activities, utilize social bookmarks, collaborate with others using VOIP tools, etc.? • Are students providing support to teachers in areas they are familiar with, or is technology use limited only to what the teachers know? • Are faculty development sessions addressing curriculum with as much intensity as the tools being used, or are the tools the sole purpose? Are faculty development sessions being offered online and in different formats to engage teachers at different levels? Is support available to all staff members in an efficient and productive manner? • Are students working in teams and individually to meet the goals and expectations set by themselves and the teachers? Are all team members contributing to meet the goals of the group? In group settings, are these groups mixed in ways for everyone to receive equal opportunities? • Do teachers have the ability to override school filters with a password to utilize appropriate resources that have inadvertently been blocked? • Does the current allocation of technology within the school meet current needs? Are pioneering teachers being encouraged and rewarded for their work? Are these teachers being utilized as role models for those who are still trying to figure out how to leverage it all? • Has your school’s Acceptable Use Policy been reviewed recently? Does it address newer technologies, student safety and ethical considerations? Are students acting in a socially responsible manner, and are they demonstrating respect and appreciation of others? Are students aware of protecting their identity and the identity of others?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License Courtesy Alan November. Expanding the boundaries of learning novemberlearning.com
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Today, principals were invited to join the Manhattan Office of Instructional Technology on a learning walk at the School of One at M.S. 131 in Manhattan. The school is pioneering a new way to learn in school by implementing an approach to truly provide differentiated instruction each day for each students by creating individualized daily plans (Playlists) for each student based on student assessments, individualized learning styles, interests, expressions, abilities, and more. When students enter school their schedule is posted on a digital display (think flight schedule screen at the airport) and this schedule is based on their assessments from the previous day using an assessment algorithm. Every day, students study skills from their personalized Playlist and then take a Playlist Update (assessment) at the end of each of day. The next day they receive a new and different schedule. Student classes take place in the School of One Mission Room that has been created in the school library.
Manhattan principals are fortunate to be invited to visits to innovative schools throughout the year. Our visit was certainly a timely one as the day of our visit, the school was featured in The New York Times Education Article: Laptop? Check. Student Playlist? Check. Classroom of the Future? Check by JENNIFER MEDINA.
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If you read this month’s Education Week, you may have noticed I was quoted in article U.S. Schools Forge Foreign Connections Via Web which explains how American students are teaming up with classrooms around the world to learn valuable lessons. The piece features anecdotes of young people connecting and learning with others like the American students who videoconferenced with students in Egypt when President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. Americans and Egyptians both were in awe, clapping and laughing and sharing in a moment of global importance. Donna Rose, the director of the American school’s program explained that they had a real-life lessons in “what freedom is, what a democracy means, how fortunate they are to be where they are, and how people have to struggle to get to that level.” She shared that “In a heartbeat, they changed their view of humanity” and asked, “How could I have done that on my own?”
