Observations and Reflections from the New England 1:1 Summit

Andy Marcinek is a thoughtful educator who served
on the panel at the New England 1:1 conference,
April 10, 2015. He is currently the Director of
Technology at the Grafton Public Schools.
Previously he served as instructional
technology specialist in the Burlington
Public Schools where he played a major
role in launching a 1:1 environment.

Here's what becomes readily apparent when you visit a school that is 'high tech' (ie-1:1): It's NOT about the tech. It's about Learning. Schools are places of learning, first and foremost.  This too: The device doesn't matter.  Tablets and laptops and Chromebooks facilitate learning and access to the greater world. They are in service of existing learning objectives. 

Here's what I observed at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington on Friday April 8 at the New England 1:1 Summit (in no particular order):

• A high level of awareness and social responsibility
• A high level of community engagement
• Students as problem solvers
• Students as leaders
• Students as teachers
• Students as fund raisers
• Students as engineers
• Students as innovators
• Students 'tuned into' the Big Picture of responsibility to the local and global community
• A respect and appreciation for the responsibility that comes with having tools to connect with the world at large.

• Technology Directors and Integrators that put access and learning front and center.
• An EdTech Team that solicits feedback from ALL stakeholders- students, teachers, parents, the community at large.
• Integrated, professional development (student-led)
• Teachers teaching subjects not 'technology'

• A cheery, respectful, upbeat school culture
• Password-free Guest WIFI with social media sites whitelisted
• A learning environment connected to the REAL world 

Some of the above touches on intangibles- those difficult to quantify aspects that can only be felt and observed. Every student-every single one!- that I and our group came in contact with was respectful, helpful and generous in sharing information. They were also enthusiastic when explaining their involvement with various activities that were connected to the community and real world outside of school (ie: fundraising for mental health awareness or developing a prosthetic hand for the son of a teacher born without a hand).

Ever since researching and writing 'Schooling and Student Perceptions' I've been interested in the ways students experience school and where and how they find relevance to their real lives within school contexts.  In the last few years as technology has allowed for more and better access to resources, people and places, the lines are effectively blurring between the real world vs. school(ing). Tablets, laptops, chromebooks, apps and ubiquitous WIFI are game changers.  More than that, they are culture changers when thoughtful educators use them as utilities to connect students to the real world, to real problems, especially when they challenge and empower students to find solutions to those problems.

That's what I saw in Burlington.  It was powerful.  And it should happen everywhere. It's not a stretch to say that our future depends on this kind of cultural transformation in our schools.  Thank you Dennis Villano and the BPS EdTech Team, Patrick Larkin, Andy Marcinek, etc for bravely leading the way and being the change we need to see in our schools. You offer a solid and successful example of how to integrate technology to accelerate and enhance Learning.

Twitter Is For Real: The Learning Paradigm has Shifted

Source: http://bit.ly/1ylhCLa

Here's a question: Would you decline an opportunity to attend an all-expenses paid education conference that promised sessions and recourses related to your work as an educator? Furthermore, would you decline if the session leaders shared their presentations and resource material? 

If the answer to these questions is yes, then you have no need to use Twitter. Because Twitter for educators is exactly that- a FREE, global education conference you have the choice to drop in on 'sessions' and gather resources whenever you want.

Connecting and sharing resources with other educators and communicating/collaborating in real-time conversations (chats) throughout the globe is exactly how Twitter is used by educators.  Evident is a culture of sharing, generosity and gratitude. Whenever "tweet-savvy" educators attend conferences, they share information they are learning in real-time via the conference-issued hashtag. Which means: you can learn along with them from wherever you are (and whenever you want to "tune-in").

By following educators and education leaders, you have access to their blogs and resources that they have shared over time. Arguably one can 'curate' enough resources that, if read, synthesized and put into practice would equal a graduate degree's worth of learning in a relatively short time. Along these lines, it will be interesting to see if personalized learning routes will be accepted as a valid 'credential' by employers in the future if an individual can demonstrate a strong knowledge base on a topic/subject despite never having attended a traditional college or earned a degree in the area of expertise.  

This is for real. The learning paradigm has shifted and, leaders in education have pointed out: It is now a choice for an educator to remain in isolation and ignore the opportunity to connect, learn and become better teachers for their students. Tens of Thousands of educators across the globe are personalizing their education and professional development because they recognize that they are the lead learners in their schools and classrooms. Twitter and other online networks (ie, Google+) are accelerators of this process

Join the Learning Revolution. It's time.

Be Not Afraid of the Hyperlink

(original photo by Michael Nagle, Getty Images) 

We can't and shouldn't expect all educators to spontaneously understand emerging technologies, social networking and the rich proliferation of tools and apps available for learning these days.

One thing stands out right away, however, as I lead workshops on the read/write web and social networking for educators: teachers who have the most immediate success adopting and applying web-based technology to their situation are those that are not afraid to click hyerlinks.

As a member of my school district's technology committee, I am in the process of identifying what teacher's technology proficiencies should be. Questions being considered are: What tech skills are indispensible going forward? Is it OK that teachers are at varying levels with regard to technology use? What do we do about this fact? What separates those that 'know and can do' and those that do not (or won't)?

With regard to the last question, I think it really comes down to basic curiosity which is the precursor to learning anything. Curiosity + critical thinking (knowing what resources have value) + risk taking= learning and transformation. The risk taking in question with regard to web-based technology use is the aforementioned click factor. Either one clicks a link (and risks) finding a shoddy site or a gold mine of information and/or connections to others that can feed an entire teaching unit or full curriculum, or one sits and stares at one site (and gains and learns very little).

Based on these observations, I believe what we really need to be building into professional development these days is the 'capacity to click' in our teachers. Clearly, it is necessary to teach specific tech-based skill sets (uploading, downloading, sharing, bookmarking, subscribing, etc...) but if teachers would use crictical thinking to do targeted searches and then not be afraid to click with abandon, they will be able to learn much on their own.

It is how I learned. But I was unafraid to click (to find out). I was interested to 'know' about things. This drive to learn is alive in me every day. I know I am not alone. Every single person I am connected to in my personal learning networks shares this trait with me. Why are we like this? Was it learned? What life experiences differentiate clickers from non-clickers? And how do we build that capacity (curiosity) in others?

Be not afraid of the hyperlink.  You just might learn something.

Finding Real Reasons to Embrace Technology in Schools

"Knowing how to make use of online tools without being overloaded with too much information is, like it or not, an essential ingredient to personal success in the twenty-first century." -Howard Rheingold (in Net Smart)

"I would challenge each of you to truly analyze how you are using the technologies that you are using." -Nick Sauers 

Nick Sauers has an interesting post citing the results of an Educational Researcher article that analyzed how wikis are being used in schools.  He is essentially asking us to reflect on why we are using the technologies we are using.  While it is OK to use tech tools for efficiency purposes or for the "fun factor", we need to ask more and more whether the technologies we are adopting have value in terms of student learning.  That should always be the bottom line.


The Digital Native argument is getting tired. If you haven't heard, the digital native argument goes something like this:  Kids are immersed in technology. Kids seem to intuitively understand how computers and mobile devices work without having to read a manual. They "communicate" and "collaborate" with each other with these technologies despite us (teachers).  Let me be as clear in this as I can be: It is not a strong enough argument. Anymore.


Principal Eric Sheninger's post, "Education Should Reflect Real Life" is short and to the point.  As always he makes good points, such as:

"Many of us firmly believe in the potential that technology has to transform the teaching and learning cultures in schools.  Whether it is used to enhance lessons, assess learning, engage students, or unleash creativity, technology has a defined role in variety of school functions."

He then shares a video by Power on Texas which ends well but made me cringe at first because, once again, the digital native paradigm is raised.  Ultimately in the video, teachers are interviewed and they cite real evidence that students have become more engaged in their learning and test scores have risen as a result of the technologies that have been adopted in the classroom.


This is where we should focus now:  finding real, evidence-based reasons to adopt technology in schools.  We need to reflect on our goals and employ technology use as a tool for increased student engagement and learning. Thankfully, evidence is being gathered and shared.  It is up to us to mine through the available (digital) information and collect the data to support the use of technology as a tool that improves student learning-and to continue to do Action Research studies on our own uses of technology with students.


Data doesn't lie.  And 'digital native' is just a term. Some (economically privileged) students have and employ technology to their educational benefit but many need to be shown smart ways to learn in digital realms without being overloaded with too much information. We then to need to assess their use and determine if the technology was truly helpful to learn pre-existing curricular learning objectives. My bet is that the technology is helpful when used mindfully but we shouldn't justify our future technology purposes just because students text each other. A lot.

Making the Case for Technology Integration Without Invoking the Digital Native Paradigm

(Preamble: In this post, when I refer to students, I am referring to middle school-aged students in a rural-suburban area of Western, MA that I teach but I suspect that others may relate to my experience with regard to students and tech. use. I submit that students are NOT as tech savvy as most ed. tech enthusiasts would have us believe. The Digital Native Argument is alive and well but in my experience it is erroneous. After spending 3 years of my life as an Educational Blogger blogging about the need to change how we teach to accommodate ‘digital natives’, I have had to stop in my tracks and retreat from my position based on the real students before me. Their lives, experiences and even their interests were not in sync with the Digital Native Argument-a very seductive argument, indeed. So, here's my first blog post from the other side of the fence so to speak. With apologies to Marc Prensky whom I greatly respect.)

How do you make the case for technology integration?

How do you make the case for technology integration? Is it because kids are incessantly using technology, including many multifunctional mobile devices and they ‘demand’ that our pedagogical choices match their ‘digital learning style’ ‘in the 21st Century’? Are they really wired differently?

Most of what I read (and view) on the web regarding the why’s of tech use in education makes this argument. I’ll call it the Digital Native Argument. Videos are put up (copycat versions of original videos) that star ‘wise’, ‘tech-savvy’ children confronting an (apparently) ignorant non-tech using teacher. The claims are that kids spend countless hours immersed in media, texting, 'surfing', etc. and if teachers aren’t allowing them to do the same at school, they are out of touch and, well, ‘bad teachers’. These videos would have us believe that all this time spent doing media is all good. Unstructured, undifferentiated time but time well spent! Hmm.

Here’s where I fight a serious case of cognitive dissonance. I want to believe this is true. It’s tempting to believe in the past 9 or so years that students have suddenly and spontaneously evolved new brains; that they are wired differently and we should teach them accordingly. There is something to this but making blanket claims that ALL kids experience this type of engagement with technology all the time is simply untrue. That the time they spend using media is all ‘good’, ‘productive’ and ‘educational’ is seriously misleading, too. I know this is NOT true because I actually teach real, live, students not 'actors' on You Tube Videos repeating words scripted for them by adults. I teach in a technology lab. In the last 5 years, in a class of 20 students, maybe 5 have what I would call basic technological competence. They do not know the difference between a file, a software program or folder let alone the myriad uses and learning potential of blogs, wikis, podcasts and social learning networks. They do not know how to change the volume on a computer and they do not know how to do a basic Google search, let alone fire up a web browser other than Internet Explorer (to get to Facebook). Most, however, have handheld gadgets like cell phones or ipods and/or ipod touches. So, many otherwise technologically illiterate students have the ability to open i-Tunes and use it to sync music to their players.

When students do use technology, what do they use it for?

The middle-schoolers I teach (as did middle-schoolers 20 years ago) have one over-powering objective: socialization and connection with fellow friends and classmates. So guess why they love their gadgets? SO. THEY. CAN.CONNECT. WITH. EACH. OTHER. Once connected, they can spread the rumor about the pool on the third floor or the story about how Mr. Jensen tripped over a dry erase marker 3rd period. Or make plans to play or ride bikes. In other words, the majority of tech use by the majority of students is decidedly low tech. They are simply using tech to do what they have always done offline: connect, cajole, connive, and sometimes create. (future blog post). Mostly, students text or talk into a device that could be considered a tech device. Texting, of course is just typed talking. (Tsup? Nthn. Gowin 2 the game? Na. K. Cya. l8ter).

What’s the other thing students use technology for? MUSIC. Consuming (and making) music. Teens and music have always gone hand in hand. Thanks to technology, they can bring ‘their’ music with them wherever they go and 'share' with friends digitally (remember the mixtape?). There is an element of education and learning going on with all the music downloading and sharing which is encouraging and provides a good starting point for tech use in the classroom. We can examine how students find, download, consume and share music and use that as a model for how they can find, identify, examine, synthesize and share information related to our subject matter. Skilled i-Tunes use, however, does not qualify a student as a Digital Native. But, interestingly, the reason they have become skilled at i-Tunes use despite being decidedly technologically illiterate is that they want access to music and learning the basics of surfing, finding, downloading and syncing with i-Tunes had to be learned to get at it and then have it (music) as their own. Kids are fully and enthusiastically engaged in these processes. There is more to this which deserves another blog post but it illustrates the point that tech use is just a tool for achieving what students want. It's not about technology use for it's own sake. That is a good thing. We can learn from this. We adults DO get to caught up with the technology itself. In an education setting, tech use should rarely be about itself but about the subject matter at hand and increasing engagement and learning objectives through it's use.

So, how do you make the case for technology integration? I submit that one can justify technology use in the classroom for these reasons:

1- Cultural Competence

Technology is here to stay-both gadgets and software. It has become embedded in our social and cultural norms. Businesses are using technologies routinely and require tech. competency in a global climate. Individuals rely on personal computers and devices to absorb, synthesize and transmit information. As educational institutions we should be the ones teaching how to use technology for the highest possible purposes of investigating, researching, creating, thinking, reflecting, writing, documenting, connecting, collaborating, and remixing and synthesizing. In short: learning.

2- Engagement.

It is becoming increasingly evident without the need for the Digital Native argument that young people are truly engaged when they are using technology. Student engagement is the number one priority of any educational institution. Sadly, of course, it is lacking in many classrooms which look and feel irrelevant and outdated to young people (whether or not they use technology). Well planned technology use appears to be a cure for disengaged, "bored" students since having a hands-on experience using technology suddenly feels like the "real world" to students.

3. Individuation and Differentiation

I have written before that there is no such thing as a "class". And if a teacher actually utters those dreaded words, "Now class...." they immediately become Charlie Brown's teacher. No student sits in a classroom and identifies with the notion that they are part of this nebulous thing called a class. They are Julie, or Michael, Cesar or Alycia. And they want nothing more than to engage in activities that they can do as an individual...even if they might ultimately contribute to a larger group. Technology, makes this a reality for students-especially in 1:1 environments where students can complete tasks (learning objectives) using a computer, laptop or tablet PC. Once students are working on their own (individuation), we as teachers have the ability to differentiate learning activities as well depending on student capacity. The possibilities for differentiation using technologies are enormous and not limited to one mode (students can read, write, consume and create stories and media among other things).

FINAL WORD: Flip the Digital Native Paradigm

Our curricula and learning objectives should always drive our efforts at tech integration. Not the other way around. But, as teachers, we need to know what is out there. What website, software or app would enhance/enrich a student’s experience with your subject? We must always be on the lookout. Always learning (RSS feeds, anyone!).

We can be the Digital Natives for Education. We should stay ahead of the curve and know what’s out there and how it can best be used in our classrooms to support already existent educational aims, content and objectives.

Technology Is Not the Problem

How much sense does this statement make?

I propose that we outlaw cars because of all the drunk driving.

As unthinkable and absurd as that sounds, the exact same logic is often applied with regard to technology. This is something Nick Sauers recently ranted about on the 1:1 schools blog.

He writes:
My frustration is when the media, or other individuals, place blame on technology for things that truly aren’t new or unique situations.

So true. There are many ways that technology gets a bad name especially when (more) technology is proposed in school settings. Suggesting that social media might improve learning for students sends shivers up some parent's spines because they have been- as Steven Anderson has pointed out-"Dateline-ized". Consumers of traditional media are often given incomplete and highly inaccurate views about technology use by and for teens. (Watch out for them predators!). Without going into a million details, what is important to understand is that teen behavior precedes technology use. Human behavior is an independent factor that when combined with technology use can yield beneficial, creative results or can yield personally damaging results. The choice lies with each individual. As a mere tool, Technology is benign.

So. Technology Is Not the Problem. Inappropriate Use of Technology Is.

When we talk about technology in education now, we are talking about paradigm-shifting, never-to-be-the-same-again kind of learning opportunities. So many emerging technologies, apps, programs that can truly transform teaching and learning already exist or are in development. It is a monumental task to stay on top of it all. It is harder still to take the time to learn what's new and how it can impact learning.

NOT taking the time predisposes one to misconstrue the truth about technology use and it's myriad benefits in education because it's convenient to do so. Convenient but wrong.

To return to the above statement- The car is not the problem. Drinking and then driving one is.

Misinterpretation of '21st Century Skills'

21st Century Skills

It means something. But what? For those that haven't had time to explore the phrase's meaning, the specifics are slippery. Even Harvard Scholars use the term tentatively (in quotes-see page 24).

Consider 21st Century Skills a 'flavor'. A flavor that spices up, updates and globalizes the Educational Landscape. However, I have heard some interesting takes on '21st Century Learning' lately. Interesting and disconcerting. I have heard a version of this more than once in recent months:

"21st Century Skills! I do that! It's just a new name for what we've always done. Collaborate and Communicate. I communicate objectives all the time....." Then I think (but don't say) "Uh Oh".

Yes, Collaboration and Communication are 2 of the '4 c's' identified as a part of 21st Century Skills. (The others are Critical Thinking and Creativity). 21st Century Skills demand more though. 21st Century Skills demands an expanded definition of Literacy. One that 'doesn’t merely refer to the ability to read and write but also the ability to evaluate and synthesize information, media, and other technology.' (-Ted Lai )

Creating and Connecting to the real world outside of school is a big implication of 21st Century Skills as well. Underlying this, though, is the implication of 21st Century Skills that the creating and connecting is done using technological tools and apps.

21st Century Skills is not old wine in new bottles. 21st Century Skills is a whole new vineyard.

Whose Definition of (Educational) Technology?

A challenge that I see emerging is that there are multiple definitions of the word technology in the Education Community. These definitions are based entirely on and limited by an individual's experience with computers/computing devices and [proprietary] software . Here are some personal observations noted recently:

• A curious dichotomy between 'great teaching' vs. 'technology' seems to creep in to many conversations. As if the two are mutually exclusive. (They're not)

• Those with limited experience with current technologies tend to believe that those with successful experience using technology are biased because they "like" technology/computers. (Actually, in many cases, education technology enthusiasts are only enthusiasts because they have seen remarkable results along the lines of engagement and learning with their students while learning with technology)

• Those with limited experience with current technologies believe all technology/technological applications are expensive. (Wrong. Most web applications and many cloud-based programs are....FREE. Many of these rival proprietary programs like Microsoft Office).

• Those with limited experience with current technologies make no mention of web-based, networked online learning spaces. The conversation remains in the realm of hardware and internet access. (Yes, you need to be able to access the Internet to use any cloud-based app but the hardware/device being used to access the web is beside the point. The learning moments happen in those networked spaces.)

• Those with limited experience with current technologies scoff at the idea of using Twitter or other social networking platforms as a Professional Development tool or Learning Resource. (Twitter is, to many education professionals a "Professional Development Superhighway".)

• Etc...(Add your observations in the comments below)

Here's one way of describing the problem:
Those with limited experience with current technologies are like people who stopped learning the alphabet at the letter "C". Knowing only 3 letters of the alphabet, they will argue that the alphabet is a limited resource. After all, you can only craft so many words with three letters.

They're right about that . (CAB) But guess what? There are 26 letters. And so it is with technology, except that the technological alphabet is ever-expanding. Which is why Lifelong Learning is imperative now. It's not just an option to stop learning and impose your limitation on those who know better. It's an indefensible position.

EduCon, Collaboration and the Arts

The following is a blog post created in collaboration with the following Educators on the subject of Arts Integration which was a conversation topic at the recent EduCon Conference in Philadelphia.

Yoon Soo Lim

Michelle Baldwin

Elizabeth Peterson and

Kyle Pace

(For those unfamiliar with Twitter, user names are preceded by an "@". This is one's Twitter "ID" or handle. I recommend Twitter to all Educators and I further recommend 'following' any of the fine Educator's listed above.)

Cultivating Connected Learning Experiences through Arts Integration
by Yoon Soo Lim

@eliza_peterson, @KylePace, @michellek107, and I decided to bring a vis-a-vis conversation to EduCon about learning through integrated arts curriculum. Why? It is believed that in our society art, dance, music and theater are considered nice, feel-good things, especially for kids. Take a look at our crowdsourced virtual bulletin board here with teachers answering the question, “Why Integrate with the Arts?”. After reading through these posts, one cannot help but ask a follow-up question, “If the arts are so important, why aren’t they integrated more into the curriculum?”. This is precisely why we wanted to have this conversation with our colleagues at EduCon.

Interestingly, creativity and arts education had been mentioned many times during EduCon, starting with Friday night's panel. During the discussions of EduCon sessions and in my preparation for our conversation, these words kept popping up: "cultivating", "connected-learning", and "experiences".
These words also happen to be the first four words of our session title :-)
When it came to our session time on Sunday morning, these are the words we focused on.

Why?

Everyday, Elizabeth, Michelle and I are immersed in music while Kyle gives support to his arts teachers. We teach about music, we create music, we teach others how to teach music, and we learn new ways to learn about music. We live and breathe the joys as well as the pains of being “in” the arts field. To move our schools forward and to collaborate with teachers, we motion to cultivate a new culture – to prepare the ground, and foster growth through refining of the mind – for all of our students’ learning. So why does it matter to connect?

This screen shot is from RSA video we shared in our session. The video is RSA Animate – Changing Education Paradigms of Ken Robinson (05:41 and on). It’s a clear capturing of what a fully-engaged learning looks like. Senses, brain function, and passion all working together, so focused and fully alive!

To the teachers who attended our session in person or virtually, making this kind of “aesthetic experience” mattered. Some teachers grew up being in the arts. For some, they were curious how to integrate the arts in the classroom. These teachers engaged in conversations fully and intentionally.

Some of the examples we shared on our Google Sites were good starting places to delve into deeper conversations with teachers who were in attendance.

Encouragement: If you want connected learning for your students, make it a priority. Take the first step to get in a consistent conversation about what students are learning and how you as teachers can give support to each other.

This charge is for both classroom teachers as well as the arts teachers. WE ARE ALL TEACHERS. We no longer cannot monopolize our “subject” areas and consequently keep ourselves at an arm’s distance. Students will not connect their learning if it is not encouraged or modeled for them. It will be hard. It will be time consuming, but by creating this kind of learning environment, learning becomes real and interesting for students.

Make Arts Your Priority, Admins!

If you truly believe creativity is something that needs to encouraged, and cultivated, make arts education a high priority! I am tremendously blessed to work with administration who support the arts education at our school. I am going to quote one of the administrators at my school: “Creativity, critical thinking and innovation – all are important terms in today’s education. Integrating the arts is a great way to tap into all of these while making learning more meaningful to the students.” Follow Susan’s advice and make it an important priority for your school.

Start with a Simple Conversation, Teachers!

Routinely get into conversations with your students about what they are learning. You are good at asking specific questions to elicit information, teachers! Engage in conversations and learn about what they are learning. It shows not only that you are interested in who they are, but that you are curious about them as learners. Talking to other grade teachers in person is always good idea. Again, connecting with another teacher is something that is time consuming, but in teacher’s lounges, or even in passing, make an effort to start a conversation. If you need help integrating the arts in your discipline, ask an arts teacher you are interested in partnering with. There just might be an area where two classes can naturally work on a project that will bring deeper learning.

I am humbled to have worked with Elizabeth, Kyle and Michelle. They are not only active in their own learning, they make connected learning come alive. I learn much from them and work harder to make connected learning a reality for my students.

The EduCon conversation was a great beginning. I cannot wait to have more of these important conversations and see the changes in many classrooms. I believe there will be a time when more decision makers for schools will make arts a priority. Until then, our work continues.

Before I end my thoughts for today, I want to ask you to think about a question based on @mrchase’s post titled, Things I know 36 of 365: We're really good at not teaching kids to sing. Why are kids afraid of singing?

If you would like to think some more, check out Where Do the Arts Stand in Our Schools? by Dana Santomenna, PsyD.


The EDUCON EXPERIENCE
by Michelle Baldwin

Educon was a fast and furious experience for me, but one that I will value for a very long time. So many conversations, both scheduled and impromptu at lunch or dinner, have kept me thinking and questioning since I returned home.

During our session, we talked about how arts education helps students to understand not only how everything is connected in our world (as an adult, you don’t just do math at 10:00 in the morning and then switch to science or reading), but also how arts education helps to understand how everyONE is connected. Through music, art, drama, and dance, students can view similarities and differences across cultures. Isn’t it interesting that every culture on our planet utilizes the arts to express what it means to be human?

At one point during our session, we began discussing how the arts really help students learn about each other and work together. I said, “When you’re taking a math test it’s all about YOU. When you’re in a music class, it’s all about US. ” How often in school do students have an opportunity to truly work toward a common goal? Most of the time, that is going to occur in an area where the arts are involved. When I think about how important teamwork and collaboration are in our society, I wonder why students spend most of their academic careers competing with each other for class rank, grades, etc. It’s no wonder they have difficulty translating their learning in school to how to succeed in a connected, global society. By integrating arts lessons throughout the curriculum, students may have more opportunities to work together, to learn ensemble, and to feel the power of WE, instead of only ME.



The Virtual Experience
by Elizabeth Peterson

Attending a conversation virtually can be interesting. You are listening in, taking it all in, but your voice may not be heard. Let’s face it, one of the best parts about a conversation is the give and take. You can’t just take, you have to give!

The platform used for the live streams at EduCon 2.3 was great because not only were you able to view and hear our session(once it got up and running), but you could participate with other virtual viewers in the chat room.

Our team tried to make sure that other virtual attendees were part of the conversation. There was a give and take going on in the chat room that posed some interesting thoughts, resources and even built relationships. We echoed the important points made in Philly and added our own two cents, making for a full experience.

There is something about listening in on a conversation that allows for great reflection, too. As you sit in the comfort of your home, slippers on, letting the sound of others talk together fill your headset, you have a relaxed feeling of being there. And when you are ready to respond, your thoughts, written out, not spoken, are thought out a little differently than if you are there. You are able to complete your thought, look it over and then send it out to the others in attendance.

I, being Skyped in as part of the presentation team, had the other advantage of being able to speak at times when I thought appropriate. My wonderful teammates would make my talking head a little bigger on the screen and allow me to add my thoughts. (That was another interesting aspect of Skyping in – I was always being projected on the screen in the front of the room! :-) )

At the end of the session, everyone in the chat room made sure we all knew each other’s Twitter handles so that we could keep in touch and keep the conversation going.

The other venue we provided for our attendees was the #artsint backchannel. Here, both face to face and virtual participants could tweet and reply to one another. This backchannel is now in full swing as people are starting to use it more and more! Again, we are keeping the conversation about the ever important topic of Arts Integration alive!

Sure, there are limitations to being virtually in attendance to a conversation among peers. But this is yet another wonderful example of what the virtual world can do for us as educators. We connect online, have opportunities to converse in person and continue the discussions for weeks and months into the future.

See what happens when you allow teachers to connect? Go us!


ATTENDING EDUCON VIRTUALLY
by Andrew Garcia

Despite the video feed glitch delaying my remote entry to the Arts Integration conversation, I found attending virtually to have several benefits (some of which I tweeted using the hashtag #noncon). First, the view of the presenters and what they were saying was clear (most of the time). From home there is no obstructed view or “overflow room”. Second, it is actually easier to ‘take notes’ during conversations by listening and writing and/or live-tweeting. This would quickly become annoying to a neighbor if I were actually present at Educon. (One great benefit of being an auditory learner is the ability to at once listen and type!) Question is, which is more important? Silent and still listening to preserve the peace of your proximal #educon attendee or to passionately listen, process, type and connect (w/ others on a backchannel)? Who is to say that the backchannel conversations aren’t the ones that will assure that the message lives beyond the moment?

To me, at least with regard to conversations, I learn best by listening and processing. Right there, right then. With any good talk, keynote, session, workshop, ‘conversation’ NOW is the moment to key into. (And why so much Professional Development efforts fail- it’s too easy to lose that lovin’ feeling once tomorrow comes.) Attending virtually, I was 100% THERE and turned ON to the moment/topic at hand. I was simultaneously documenting the moment. As Connie Weber of Fireside Learning wrote to me after the keynote, “I definitely felt you there!” Being ‘there’ is all about the quality of attention and intention. I might argue that some folks “at” Educon, may, at times, have been physically there but mentally elsewhere. If I were at Educon, I would have been, at least to some extent, distracted by all the awesome Educators around me (‘OMG, there’s @willrich45!!’). And, if reading the tweets of some of my followers is any indication, this is definitely true for them, too.

Third, attending Educon online actually allowed freedom to attend multiple conversations without being considered rude. I was interested in many conversations that were scheduled at the same time. I would time my exits accordingly (a lull in the conversation, a tech problem, but I always returned). Doing so also allowed me to be a minor asset to presenters. I took screenshots of conversations and posted them at BOX.net-free for the taking. Many presenters were grateful to have “evidence” of them in action for their professional portfolios. I was happy to be a minor but helpful resource.

Finally, far from feeling alienated and excluded by those attending Educon, I would argue that relationships with #educon friends in my Twitter PLN, were kicked UP a notch. Circumstances (multiple snow days, committee obligations) kept me away from Philadelphia during Educon 2011 but I feel closer to those who attended than I did before as a result of the conference, and the multiple live and virtual conversations being had in those 2 thought-provoking days. Sure, I would have loved to see @NMHS_Principal’s karaoke skills. But (apparently) I am glad I missed the Applebee’s experience on Friday night. (Eh?) It also was a plus to be able to prepare a meal and/or go to the bathroom without missing a word that was said. Good perks, those! All this said, I can’t wait to be at ISTE2011. Live. In person.


I feel a depth of gratitude for being invited to share and learn along with these fine colleagues. Please visit their blogs and follow them on Twitter (see above). This experience represents the best of what is possible through digital networking and streaming media. Please also see my post: On Arts Education-Changing the Paradigm in Schools which provides a framework for schools seeking to adopt a '21st Century' model using the Arts as a lens.

10 Things All Teachers Should Know How to Do (Edited)

After viewing @todmafin's tweet about how it's simply not funny to claim 'Luddite' status anymore, I thought about what might be important-from a tech perspective-to know as a teacher teaching in these times. Here's my top ten...with many exclusions.

These, to me, are basic competencies I think all School Districts should assess and provide professional development in.

All teachers should be able to..........
1. Subscribe to an RSS Feed
2. Bookmark, tag and annotate websites in the Cloud
3. Create and use a Blog
4. Create and use a Wiki site
5. Create hyperlinks (in e-mail, at blogs, websites and wikis)
6. Create a PDF file for Free
7. Capture, Remix and upload Photos (free of copyright restrictions)
8. Capture, Remix and upload Audio/Video
9. Use Google Docs or other collaborative file sharing system.
10. Locate and Participate in Social Networks on Education, Useful Tech Tools for Learning, 21st Century Learning and content-specific Education Sites.

What would you add?

What's With All The Tweeting?

Those that tweet about all things 'Education 2.0' are on a mission (me, too). That mission is to change some minds; to elucidate that times are a changin' and Academia better get on board. This is an important quest. The field (and so many in it) are slow to change--too slow to see the proverbial writing on the wall. That writing tells us that kids are different. They are wired (actually wire(d)less) but nonetheless connected to multimedia, to information, to other teens. They are the so-called Digital Natives and we best make efforts to reach them. And we also best get Luddites on board with all this tech that drives teen's lives. We best find ways to leverage these modes of connecting and communicating in the classroom! We Best! We must!..............................But.

But....is it really a quantitative paradigm we want to exemplify with regard to our use of tech? Because that's what I'm seeing all around me now-especially on Twitter: '21st Century Teachers' on a mission--blinging out their 'PLN' by tweeting incessantly like a South Korean World of Warcraft addict. I follow many such Tweeting Educators who seem to tweet all day, all evening and on weekends, too. What is going on here? There isn't possibly enough time to actually digest the information that is being tweeted and retweeted. It's like watching Educator's Gone Wild With Tech! I'm grateful for all the links, articles and potential professional development resources but when is it time to power down? Or is never the new normal?

I asked this on Twitter:

One reply I have received says it all:

"Excellent Question, message is that they have time on their hands--and perhaps the beginnings of a problem."

Yes, that seems to be the problem. Do we really want our Supervisors, Principals, Superintendents and School Boards thinking we have that much time on our hands?

What it boils down to is this: We can do an amazing job batting for the adoption of '21st century tech' in our schools and classrooms. We may even convince people that matter (our Supervisors, Principals, Superintendents and School Boards) to take a look. What will they see when they do? In one case I know, they will see a teacher that 'tweeted' over 10, 000 tweets in a matter of months. The questions When? Why? and Where? are all valid questions for Supervisors, Principals, Superintendents and School Boards to ask. I hope the answers point to the improvement of student learning. I also hope face to face interaction with them hasn't been marginalized either. In the case of Prinicpal's as Twitterers, the same questions might be harder to answer.

I hope there's Quality in all that Quantity. My personal assessment? There is. Let's just be sure to keep it that way.

Combining Service-Learning and Technology Fosters positive Youth Development

In an ongoing effort to promote youth empowerment in education, we’d like to offer this research synopsis. This one pulls together several of our favorite subjects: youth development, project-based learning, and technology.

Best Practices for Integrating Technology and Service-Learning in a Youth Development Program by JoAnn R. Coe-Regan, PhD and Julie O’Donnell, PhD, MSW.

Community-based programs that are meant to promote youth development have been around for quite awhile. Numerous studies indicate that youths benefit from these programs in many ways: a more positive self-image, a reduction in risk taking behavior, improved school behavior, etc. Because research illustrates the success of after-school programs, federal funding has increased from $40 million to $1 billion in recent years. A ubiquitous and recurring challenge these programs face is how to recruit and retain teens despite the potential barriers of boredom, family responsibilities, and spending social time with their friends.

In 2006 the YMCA Youth Institute of Long Beach, California developed a service-learning program to help overcome these barriers which “…uses technology as an integral mechanism for promoting positive youth development and enhancing the academic success and career readiness of low-income, culturally-diverse high school students.” (Coe-Regan & O’Donnell, 2006)

The YMCA Youth Institute research is unique in the fact that it focuses on the mutually supportive benefits of technology and service-learning. It also supports the idea that effective technology learning is more than skill acquisition, but is built into collaborative, authentic projects.

Overall, the study found that service-learning which emphasizes technology not only increases positive youth development, it also retains and sustains the service-learning program. Participants were particularly attracted to learning new technology skills and saw this as increasing the likelihood of being successful in life.

from Relevant research: Combining service-learning and technology fosters positive youth development -Generation YES Blog

PHSprincipalBLOG: One Size Fits All?

PHSprincipalBLOG: One Size Fits All?: "Imagine walking into a shoe store where all shoes were the same. Size, shape, color, and function were the same for all choices. Every customer walks out with the exact same shoe as the customers yesterday as well as shoes that will leave the store again tomorrow. Of course shoe stores do not work this way. People have different shaped feet and need shoes that function for different tasks. Apply this to education. Do schools do a good enough job of 'sizing up' each student and finding the right programs for them?"

Twitter As Professional Learning Resource

When I first tried to wrap my mind around twitter, I had the same reaction as many--what a trivial waste of time!
It's true that some use twitter to share every and any banal event of their lives. However there is real PLN (Professional-or 'Personal'- Learning Network) potential on Twitter. Many forward-thinking teachers and administrators use Twitter to post links to excellent learning resources.

I highly recommend giving Twitter a shot. Do a twitter search about your subject or curriculum interests and see what comes up. You can then choose to 'Follow' people who 'tweet' useful links. Once you're following a dozen or so people, you have created and are a part of a dynamic PLN.

I can be found @berkshirecat (twitter.com/berkshirecat)

If Textbooks Go Digital, Do We Lose Deep Learning?

It really is a fascinating time to be living and to be an Educator. Why? Because it's all changing. Quickly, too- '21st century skills', 'flat world', 'long tail', digital distribution', 'Google everything', 'wikis', 'mashups', 'twitter', 'learners as content creators', 'digital 'text'books'-these are all 'recent' inductees into the lexicon of Education professionals everywhere. They cause excitement for some, and confusion, frustration or resistance for others. Digesting it all and figuring out how students can benefit from any of it is a huge undertaking.

TOOLS OR GAME CHANGERS?
I will cut to the chase. New digital technologies are both Tools AND Paradigm Busters. If they were just tools, teachers everywhere could simply say, "No thanks, I'm not 'into' technology. I'll keep doing what I've been doing." One argument I have heard is that going digital (think online textbooks) will create shortcuts to reflection, knowledge and understanding. I have deep respect for this concern because they (reflection, knowledge and understanding) are the bedrock to all we do as Educators. But I have to ask: Why would going digital be considered a shortcut to any of these?

Take a moment to think about each of these:

• Think about a Textbook.


• Think about You Tube.

When you thought about a textbook chances are, you 'saw' a flat, unopened, thick, worn, book sitting on a desk in front of you. Nothing dynamic or interesting about it. There is no chance for interaction with a textbook. When you thought of You Tube, maybe you thought of a specific video you saw recently, or just had a palpable feeling of the potential things you could view there (redeeming or otherwise). At the very least, you realize there would be clicking, searching and viewing going on at You Tube based on your interests and inclinations.
Let me clarify a significant difference between the two: Textbooks are not primary source documents. They are amalgamations of second-hand information produced by "experts" and marketed by profit-oriented companies. You Tube, on the other hand, contains nothing but primary source material whether by kids, adults, teachers, musicians, amateurs or professionals. Which is more authentic? Which do think has more appeal to students aged 10-18?

It seems having interaction with dynamic, multimedia-rich information has the potential to plant the seeds to richer, deeper learning-if the online versions are themselves organized. That's the key. We can't just turn on computers and the internet and say, "OK, kids, have at it! Go learn about cellular biology (or trigonometry or contrapuntal analysis or parts of speech) ". It will take Educators from everywhere to compile and organize the digital resources and produce new kinds of 'textbooks' that include text but also photographs, interactive maps, documents, videos and primary sources of all kinds gathered for each and every topic of each and every Unit taught each year.

REFLECTION, KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING

What is the nature of Reflection?
By nature, reflection is something done 'after' (and sometimes during) exposure to some stimulus (event, book, new information, conversation, etc..). Teachers have forever guided the reflective moments and thoughts of students. Perhaps the new way of doing this starts with this: "Now, please turn off the computer monitor for a moment think about...." I'm not convinced that we will lose the ability to reflect because we read and absorb information from digital sources rather than books.

How do we gain Knowledge?
Typically, if we have learned a thing to the point that it resides in our memories for easy recall and/or the new information has changed us in some way, we believe have gained knowledge. If we (students) experience a concept in diverse ways (say a paragraph of text about the Parthenon, followed by Flickr photos taken by 'amateurs' of it, followed by a digital reproduction of a Parthenon metope). Contrast this with how you would have learned about the Parthenon in a traditional textbook. Have you learned more? Less? It's hard to believe that learning the digital way would yield less knowledge. (Incidentally, what using amateur photos does is store the idea in the mind of a student that Greece is a place she can physically travel to when she has the opportunity. It becomes more 'authentic'. She KNOWS it's still around and is a relic from the past.)

What does it mean to Understand something?
This has always been a perplexing, philosophical question. Does knowing something mean we understand it? Not necessarily. As an example: How can something such as a photon or electron be both a wave and a particle? Quantum physics proves it to be so. But do we understand why? What we do know about understanding comes about by sharing knowledge. Are there digital (online) places where people routinely share knowledge? Yes! they're called social networks and they can't be found in texbooks. Classes are, by design, social networks. By sharing information and knowledge offline and online, better understanding will result. But again, there is no loss of understanding using online networks. It's just a change in venue from the classroom.

THE POTENTIAL FOR DEEP LEARNING IN (OUR) DIGITAL FUTURE
Far from being the beginning of the end of reflection, knowledge and understanding, I believe we are on the brink of an Education Renaissance where deep learning will be routine precisely because of the digital availability of information once all of us realize that the digital tools represent something far greater- a total paradigm shift away from teachers (and textbooks) being the 'sage on the stage', once and for all. Teachers would benefit from understanding that their new role is to find, remix and make available the exact information that they want students to reflect on, to know and to understand.

TEXTING AND TWITTER: THE DARK SIDE

Here's something I don't read or hear discussed much:

There is fundamental difference between how a 30, 40, 50, 60 year-old professional and a tween or teen might choose to use social networking tools. Same is true for any of the media sharing sites we have at our disposal. A professional person (a postgraduate with a job and real life responsibilities) has a completely different raison d'etre than, well, a child. But both are equally vulnerable to the dark side of tech tools like Twitter and Texting.

TEENS, TEXTING AND SLEEP DEPRIVATION

I bought heavily into the Digital Native/Digital Immigrant argument early on but something isn't feeling right anymore as I see so many (digital) presentations by these so-called natives about how out of touch (we?) immigrants are. Many of these presentations are clearly scripted by adults (are they, then, "neo-natives"?) but they have the students deliver the message. To be clear before I continue: my raison d'etre is to promote what's best about 21st century learning/tools. This should be evident by reading my blog posts and bio. The issue, though, is that too many of us are assuming that since kids use cell phones, other handheld devices and computers regularly (not all do) that they are using these tools in productive useful ways and to learn. They may look sophisticated and "involved" but my own observations and conversations with students confirms to me that there's an awful lot of trivia being exchanged and so much healthy, youthful energy is being wasted.

To wit: A middle school girl was complaining recently about being tired. "Why?", I asked. She responded that "this one" referring to the boy next to her "texted me at 9:30 and I was already asleep". I said, "Was it important? What did he say?". The boy offered that he just wanted to 'bother' her so I asked the girl, "Why don't you turn your phone off when you go to bed?" Response: "I don't know. I don't want to miss something. I keep it on all night"

As usual, then I began thinking. I am concerned. I am concerned because this is an independent, strong, smart and talented young lady. She's the kind of girl who teaches herself to play and sing songs by Colbie Caillat and Sara Bareilles and who plays goalie for an All- Star soccer team. Yet....yet she feels she has to answer a text message by a boy who woke her up just to annoy her. We're not talking about friends here. We're talking about a boy she doesn't really associate with or like. I think that if this happens to strong, talented, independent girls how about those with weaker self-esteems? Are they waiting for every text with bated breath as some sort of personal 'validation' even if it comes from people they don't like or know well. And what does it say about the boy and his apparent lack of boundaries? I'm concerned. I have read about the rising epidemic of teens losing sleep because they sleep with cell phones under their pillows. I now have evidence that this is real and that sleep is being lost for no good reason at all for some young people. That's a pitfall of texting for teens. Speaking as an advocate of technology in all forms, I see no reason that anyone under the age of 18 needs a cell phone, or at least a plan that involves texting. No reason at all. Perhaps that seems like a contradiction but I believe in limits.

TWITTER, ADULTS AND SLEEP DEPRIVATION

If you have a Twitter account, you know that you can follow people who may have some valuable insight into things you are interested in. For me, I follow people who "tweet" interesting messages about education, education technology, internet learning tools, arts and music education. I use twitter more like an action research project where my tweets, in time, become chronological data points that can help map my learning and understanding from day to day. I read articles that others suggest reading. It's highly educational for me. It is a form of professional development.

However, I do witness the potential pitfalls of twitter everyday. Here are two things I have witnessed that concern me:

• Some people I used to follow were always online. Seriously. Always. One person I used to follow made 2-3 tweets EVERY HOUR in a 24 hour period. Huh? Really? Is this necessary? Why? He had many followers and tended to send direct messages to me. Not creepy messages. Just chummy, "thanks" kind of messages. I don't know this person in real life but I sensed he felt validated by the "connection" to strangers. Is the tweeting a potential addiction? Does he need help? He definitely needs to sleep. So do others who incessantly use the service. It's a pitfall.

• The constant river of information that is Twitter in itself concerns me. It sets up a false sense that one is "missing" something. Go 8 hours without checking your twitter account and, wow, there's some catching up to do! Any sane person, though, realizes, it's impossible to catch it all, to read it all, to synthesize it ALL.
  

In the end a good life requires balance. Now that we're wired, connected and connected wirelessly all the time, we need to fight for this balance, lest we begin to lose sight of the big picture. It's really what we need to teach our children now: Tech Tools can be used in positive ways to learn, create and express yourself AND Tech Tools can be used in negative ways that waste time, cause sleep deprivation and can potentially damage your health, sense of well being and, consequently, your future success. Let's teach them to unplug and power down once the work is done.

Let's model it, too. It's almost summer. Log off. Get some sleep.

photo by Sifter at Flickr