EduBlogs Appears to be up once again
After several days, EduBlogs seems to be backup. I will continue to post to both blogs for the time being, but if you want to find my earlier work, you can visit it at:
Multi-Faceted RefractionsTechnorati Tags:
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I've been bagged
Just to let you know that it was not all work and that there was some play, some whimsy from during the conference. Thanks to John Pederson the inspiration for this meme, bloggers in a bag. To see the whole stream, go to this
flickr streamAnd now for my picture:
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Organic Social Networking @ NECC Emerges
For me, there have been two transformatives and significant social networking aspects of the conference which have emerged at this conference. The first is the use of twitter as a way to hold conversations and communicate about sessions, locations, and other aspects, so that one can keep track of their friends. Until two weeks ago, I was personally questioning the power of twitter, but now I am sold.
Secondly, arising from the twitter experiment is the creation of a skype chat with members of the audience during a presentation. This began when David Jakes and Jeff Utecht turned and asked me if I had skype and would I like to participate in a skype chat during a panel discussion featuring Will Richardson, David Warlick, Gwen Solomon, Tim Magnert, and Lynne Schrum. This was a great way to exchange ideas and commentary during the presentation. (
www.utechtops.com)
On Wednesday, during Will Richardson's presentation, a second skype cast took place. Since my battery had died, I missed the twitter announcement and thus was not able to attend the presentation. However, in this session, not only did on-site people participate, but others off-site did as well. Darren Draper has posted his notes but the chat as well (
http://drapestakes.blogspot.com/2007/06/will-richardson-powerful-voice.html) as well as Jeff Utecht (http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=545) who posted the chat only.
As we move towards more blended, collaborative learning environments, these experiences are going to developed and harnessed to better allow for all learners to expand their knowledge networks and understanding.
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Reflections - Creating a Professional Learning Environment
Use with students and faculty.
Use of blogging during video, back channel conversation, can be positive but sometimes negative
skype better than blogger.
teachers collaborate. Student teacher collaboration both inside and outside the classroom. What is important for kids to be employees in the 21st Century.
Students need to learn how to learn to be a leader and also a follower and the importance of both.
Participated in Clay Burrell's 1001 Tales.
Chem teacher - use of blogging to give voice of their own. Allows for epipahny moments.
Podcasting - try it see. Write essays and submit to npr, recorded and put on blog. Created SAT vocabulary to C & W songs. Allows for global audience, extended families. Great hook.
Online peer editing using Google Docs. Breaks down the wall of the classroom.
Inquiry based questions - use of digital story telling (
note - we have changed our US History curriculum around this idea)
Creation of mockumentaries.
Provide release time for PD
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Addendum to Conference Learning to Classroom experience
Is the experiences I am experiencing a positive or negative. My thoughts are that it is more positive, but for some it may be negative. For me, it is positive because I can tag (via del.icio.us) and access and research resources that have been referenced. At my local public library, there are currently three books that I have found out about since Saturday waiting for me upon return home, so I can review while the messages are fresh.
It may seem that my attention is split and at times it is. I am having to process the information faster and differently, since I am searching on one window realizing that I may have missed an important talking point. I am using my $15 iRiver T10 audio recorder so that I can go back and listen to the sessions later. So I have to be careful to make sure that I am paying attention so that I do not miss anything. But with others blogging (both live and reflective), I am more likely to either confirm what I heard (backup for any with auditory processing issues) or challenge my thinking, since I am filtering based upon my biases and perceptions of the material. It can allow for further reflection and conversation to work towards greater learning.
The negative would be if I am not able manage attention. As a high school adviser, I have had several students who have been diagnosed with executive dysfunction. I would imagine that for these types of students, and others with similar processing issues would struggle with this mode of learning. More to think about.
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Reflections - Redesign Research with Social Bookmarking Tools
Lucie deLaBruere
Notes -
Learning with LucieHow bookmarking went social?
Used for self to find good stuff later
Then went one to many
Backflip
ProtaPortal
Still individual
Social
furl - too many syntax problems
stumbleupon
using del.icio.us today
Nest question teachers ask - so what? teachers need to work harder, not smarter. Not enough time in the day to do everything. Ways to organize and help (read weinberger's Everything is Miscellaneous)
Need for more collaborative experiences teachers to teachers, teachers with students, students with students, can go to HOTS
Who is Smarter, the individual or the group collective.
Wisdom of Crowds - a read
Redesign assignments for increased critical thinking skills which move away from copy paste mentality in a pick a topic, do a report to prepare a PSA for a topic in order to get sponsorship, etc.
Working the tools
Is quick research valid? Gladwell says yes. Who is better, google search or asking individuals?
Do quick research for free clip art
Google - advertising and 32 million hits
del.ico.us - 1900 hits, but more targeted can find the number of users and trace their search back. This is something that someone has consciously choosen the resource. See how others tag. Comes back to the wisdom of crowds, who to put on your radar, what to put on radar, and who to ignore. (
we are back to my previous post about the war for attention, how ironic)You have to get the tools. Idea -
(create class user with same name and password. That way students can tag to a class set of resources, sharing the wealth and getting a wider range of experiences)
Next, a look at examples.
Can add via a link roll.
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Conference Learning to Classroom Experience
I am getting a glimpse of the future and beginning to experience classroom 2.0. Here is my experience.
I am moving through the physical space based upon the conference's determination of schedule. As is any school, there are several different choices which I can select and I am limited by time and space to participate in only one at a time. Some of the sessions are being captured via either audio or video podcast, so unless I really want to see that presentation, I can choose one which requires me to be physically there to have the experience and follow up with the others at a later point.
Armed with laptop, I have several windows open at a time. One is my calendar, one, my email, thirdly is a blog window to capture notes, a fourth is a window which I use to go out and research links which are mentioned so that I can tag or search my library and amazon for book references.
The most important window open is my aggregator which is loaded with my twitter feeds and friends. From this window, I am able to follow what is going on in other sessions from trusted friends. If my session is not engaging me, I use my feet to move my physical presence to a selection which will meet my needs.
Yes, it is a case of engage me or enrage me, something that we must understand and experience in order to understand what changes we must make to our teaching in order to focus the attention of our students in the all important physical space.
The last window open is a second view of my aggregator
, which I can scan to read the reflections from various sessions from other trusted friends.
Preaching to the choir, as teachers, mentors, and guides we are in the midst of a war for the attention of our students. Our message has to rise above the white noise of the six open windows on my connection device as teach students how to develop their voice, determine what medium to use to create for their best method to communicate their ideas (text, pictures, movies, audio, peformance) so that it rises about the white noise and clutter of other creators. This is a daunting task but one we must get a handle on so that we can properly guide all of our learners, students, faculty, administrators, and parents.
My thoughts. Look forward to feedback from others.
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Relfections - Rock Our World
What is Rock Our World?
It is Collaboration, communication, Creativity, curiosity, and compassion.
Came up with idea and used GarageBand. Everyone came up with 30 second of drums and passed it along and collaborated on by everyone around the world. Surrounded herself by emailing teachers after doing Google searches. Sent hundreds/thousands of email and first project to get six continents. Now have added Antarctica.
Collaboration - old view, check what page they were on to coordinate.
Key - find out strengths and weaknesses. Surround yourself with others who are experts (strengths) in your weak areas.
Project is all about communication and sharing. Talking face to face, find out similarities, same smiles and different sounds (language). Last round on digitla story telling. Go to American Film Institute training on digital story telling. Everything online at www.rockourworld.org. Have created a Moodle to begin. You need to register with Moodle (simple process) to access.
Rakau Sticks (New Zealand) - Did a project sharing games. Watching a class in New Zealand play this game. Showed recorded version. Nice rhythm activity (Note to self - have to show my wife for future)
Students gain understanding of self and place. Connections apparent, some students had difficulty dealing with students who were living in the future (on the other side of the international dateline)
Next showed tools, iLife and GarageBand. Talked about Audacity. Created iMovies to document. Used iChat to support conferencing.
Has been a stepping stone, utilizing new relationships to forge new projects. In Rock our World, all children world wide speak in English. Why? Done a story unit, where primary create stories and older students in district (Spanish, French, German, Latin) translate and then read the story. Through relationships, have expanded the range of languages (Japanese).
There is value in face to face communications, to keep context.
You can make a difference. The world is full of bias, stereotype, intolerance, fear, prejudgice, and discrimination and these ugly things are in media and many books in the library. Peel off the ugliness to possibility, appreciation, tolerance, respect, compassion, acceptance (and empathy, my addition) through connection.
This was live blogged. Apologies for mispellings and rough word choices. It has been a long week today and they are started the session with selections from Schoolhouse Rock while I overlook the obscene vendor floor (looks like Vegas for educators, scary when I walked in and saw a booth for a classroom electronic Jeopardy game that an educator claimed it was the next greatest thing since sliced bread. Scary. Photo to follow)
There are so many great ideas that are simple which create connections. Too bad we are always looking for the grand huge project, rather than finding smaller simpler projects which are easy to implement and will have a quicker and with an equal impact.
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Non-chronological postings
Due to the fact that my edublogs primary site has been flaky and the nature of my battery, only getting 55 - 75 minutes of life since I cannot completely recharge, many of my posts will not be a chronological order.
This is also to the quirks of my brain, where I often need time to allow the ideas to percolate to the top of my brain in a understandable way.
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NECC Lunchtime Thoughts
As I wolf down the kit-kat bar for lunch (I did have a fruit bowl for breakfast), I was wondering how I was going to be able to absorb new information after attending EduBloggerCon and sitting in a workshop with David Warlick and Chris Lehmann. So far, most of my choices have been right on and I have been able to create new synapses and develop new ideas to take home. All of this and it is only Monday at 1:30 p.m. Will there be any room in the brain for the new ideas
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Poster - Coming of Age
I got to meet Terry Friedman, whose
Coming of Age 1.0 was one of the five books last year which impacted my personal learning last summer. The new version of Coming of Age 2.0 is being released in the early fall and I am anxiously awaiting.
We have since traveled a similar path, crossing at various time in various different learning environments. I shouldn't have been surprised that he knew me. We shared a few ideas and he inquired as to whether I would be willing to contribute to Coming of Age 3.0. I am honored, but wondering if I am still worthy.
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Reflections - Online Collaborative Learning for High School Students: A Blended Approach
Note - This is the session I should have been in from the beginning.This was a research paper shared by Sharon Peters, one of the Women of Web 2.0. Her background can be found at a wiki she set up for the presentation (
spetersnecc07.wikispaces.com)
There was a gentleman who was talking as I went in. He had a great concept, what I would call the aggregated school. Essentially, create a school picking the best courses you can find in the virtual spaces and then use it to attract learners (students and teachers) towards a physical space and location. This is a concept that I am going to have to wrap my head around, but the concept is really appealling. this is the best of all worlds and allows one to tap into the best minds and experiences.
Sharon shared how she got the most resistant learners (male athletes, but I know that she was not trying to stereotype) to grow with their learning.
Question about how to engage the lurker (
Note: For a large part of my academic and personal career, I could be described as a lurker, but I would rather imagine myself as a sponge. I am engaged, soaking it all in, churning it around in my mind, and then share my thoughts and ideas. It wasn't until recently that I began to get comfortable with my voice to share more openly). Solution is to use blended methods, text, but allow students to record conversation, storyboards, or music to express their thinking. Great concept that we need to heed, although I think that we need to steer students into different methodologies if only to have them discover which method works best for them. Do they intrinsically know, or do they have to be exposed towards discovery.
Sharon will post rubrics for her content on the wiki.
A great and thought provoking commentary and conversation that I wish I had been at in its entirety. I am glad I made the choice I did.
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Reflection on Learning for Leaders 2.0
Presenters: Gordon Dahlby and Larry Anderson
Outline:I Effective Schools and Business thrive and Grow from Learning Leaders
-2.0 Learnign and Thinking is broad and reachable
- Read, Listen, and Watch
- Comment, Contribute, Create
II Leadership Development - Self and Others
-Towards an enterprise ethic
-The hyperrated leader
III Habit Seven: Sharpening the Saw
IV Habit Eight: Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs
V Share the wealth
- Support new leaders
Reflections:Gordon has done more professional development online recently than face to face, via streams and audio file.
It is important not just to solve the problem, but begin to forge relationship beyond current crisis and develop more empathy for individuals
To be an effective leader, one needs to live and learn on the edge, listen empathetically, actively seek out the wisdom of others, and reciprocate with a faithful and purposeful life which lifts and enriches the lives of others.
We hope not to contribute to the following: "Teacher guilty of endangering kids due to boredom."
Leaders are learners, are teachers, share, and support the development of new leaders (repeat thought)
Ideas to run with - We should strive to support intellectual live and joy of learning through a broad array of new strategies
Book - Essential Cognative Backpack, Levine (ASCD)
Thinkering spaces are interactive environments that encourage students to think and play with both physical and virtual "things", reflect on what they they have discover, and then elaborate and share with others - isn't this what a classroom is supposed to be?
Reading and listening to ideas is an essential component of learning. One potential source of new thinking can be found in the Ideas and Innovations podcasts from the Stanford Ventures Program. Played a bit of
Ideas and Innovations at Google (http://www.veotag.com/player/?pid=7edc52d3-d397-49db-9adb-c6c6cfb97291)
Note - while session seemed good and paper and rich with ideas, left because speaker was not engaging. Am I more like the kids than I thought? Entertain me and give me and idea and make it stick
Others in attendance who may also be blogging: Chris Craft, Mark the Bionic Teacher, David Jakes, Ryan Bretag, the new coordinator at my local public high school, Glenbrook North, Charlene Chausis (ISTE Recognized School Leader - well deserved),
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Headed to the Backup Blog
With Edublogs currently having difficulties and I am feeling the need to reflect at NECC, I have moved to my backup blog. I will be moving content over to the primary blog as soon as I can.
This is my second day at NECC. Yesterday was a wonderful day at EduBloggerCon. I have many thoughts of what I want to share with the larger group, but I need more time to read and reflect. Today, I am in a session being led by David Warlick on Advanced Blogging. I am really looking forward to learning and making new connections with new folks. So far, both days have far exceeded my expectations. Chris Lehmann (practicaltheory.org) was the warm up act for David and he was outstanding. He shared a Moodle hack that will be a time saver and worth the price of the workshop by itself. I need to make sure that I refocus and do not stay distracted at this point in time.
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