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A couple quick links

I haven't had nearly as much time to think or write about my Master's Project as I'd like. However, a couple quick links to people who seem to be thinking along similar lines:

1. Scott Meech at Tech & Learning

Scott describes 5 steps toward using technology as an environment for learning (and identifies popular and his own picks for tools to aid in each step):

  1. Researching
  2. Reading
  3. Archiving
  4. Reflecting
  5. Participating

He goes into more detail and it's worth the read1, but these steps fit nicely with the three general steps I have in mind for students while working as self-directed learning in the science classroom:

  1. Selection (choosing learning goals, identifying resources to help meet those goals, content selection)
  2. Performance (working towards learning goals & mastery of content)
  3. Assessment (primarily self- & peer-assessments)
  4. Repeat

This process is surrounded by Monitoring, or self-assessing ones progress, identifying weaknesses, and focusing on strengths. I feel Scott's ideas flesh out how technology might interface with my ideas here. Details are still pretty fuzzy, but my neurons are firing happily when I think about it- telling me it must be on the right path.

2. David Warlick: A Few Shifts I See Happening

The venerable Mr. Warlick lays this down:

Shifts in Education
Not that we stop doing one and replace it with the other.  This is not a dicomedy
F r o m T o
• Classroom/Workshop Learning (time/place-based)
 Network Learning
• Institution Dependent Learning Independent (self-directed) Learning
• Literacy Learning Literacy
• Lifelong Learning Skills Learning Lifestyle

Right now I'm on solidly the left, frustrated because I want to work my way more to the right, but not able to make much progress because of time and commitment constraints. If I could only take a month sabbatical or two to really hash these things out...

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  1. Scott also provides a link to a presentation he gave recently that relates to all this. I haven't had a chance to sit down and check it out yet (I will), but I already recommend it. I'm sure it's worth it. Also check out his blog. [↩]
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My Tumblr (and why I need one)

In my travels through the InterTubes, I find many interesting, clever, fun, or intriguing items that just cry out to be shared.

You'd think since I have this fairly well-established blog (i.e. it's been in existence for >1 year) this would be the place to share. However, I like that this blog focuses pretty specifically on education related topics, yet so much of the good stuff I find isn't directly related to education.

Delicious (or Diigo)! Why not just bookmark it on one of these great social bookmarking sites I already use? Well...I would...but I use those tools to stash away items that I might like to revisit sometime in the future. It's cool stuff, but I don't really have any need to find it again.

Twitter! Of course Twitter is a great place to share this fun stuff. Yet Twitter is pretty lacking in the visual display department (i.e. pictures, videos, etc.), and it just doesn't seem to do many of these things justice.

And so I've created my own tumblog: WillyB's Schtuff

On it will be links to many of the fun, interesting, clever, and intriguing items that the 'tubes drop into my lap. Check it out.

As an aside, I've tried to integrate the tumblog's RSS feed into the sidebar or on another page on this blog, but have been unsuccessful so far. If you know how to easily do this I'd be grateful for the help.

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Making out

Here's a sign that's being posted in the stairwells of my school:

No Makeout Zone

This sign would be so much better without the threat. It could come across as a humorous reminder to not suck face in public spaces. Instead, this sign is just being asked to be torn off the wall. I'm tempted to do it every time I see it. I suppose I can be a little oppositional at times- but so can our students. Not to mention the threat of a blue slip (read: detention) smacks of an authoritarian environment instead of a caring one.

Here are my entrants into the "No Making-Out" poster category:

Paris

Image source

Gross

Image source

Kisses & Hugs

Image sources: Kisses, Hugs

LOLcat

I believe these still get the point across but in a light-hearted, humorous way. Whaddya think? Anyone else have any good hallway signs?

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Censoring > Educating?

Too many times, our schools block websites, social networks, and brilliant content rather than emphasize education and appropriate use of these tools. Most of the time, the decision makers don't even know what it is they are banning. They act out of fear.

-Mike Sansone (Is Fear Disabling Our Students' Future?)

We're not focusing on educating students as much as we are on censoring them.

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Multitasking. Really?

"But I'm multitasking!"

-What nearly every student tells me when I tell them to get off their MyBook and focus on their academic work.

"If you're multitasking, why is it you're not getting anything done?"

-A rough paraphrase of my usual response

Somehow all my students have been sold that multitasking is a wonderful thing and they should do it whenever they can. Did they learn this in middle school? Is it just a part of pop culture now?

In my opinion, multitasking is best when you don't have much to accomplish in a large block of time. I love multitasking. When it comes down to getting some serious work done I turn off the twitter, shut down email, facebook, the aggregator, and the youtube. I might keep the tunes, but turn it to something low key and quiet.

The world of my students teaches them they should be doing 5 things at once. They don't need that reinforced at school. Perhaps we should be teaching them focus.

I could be wrong. After all, I'm notoriously bad at focusing.

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I don't read enough

Deborah Meier believes that many people heading school reform outlets "have not read more than one or two of the 100 books I recommended at the end of 'In Schools We Trust.'"

I've read some Deborah Meier (The Power of Their Ideas), but I'm not familiar with her list of 100 recommended books. In fact, upon thinking of it- and I'm embarrassed to even mention this- I've never read a book by John Dewey. I've read books about Dewey's ideas. I've read countless articles that reference his ideas. I'm quite familiar with his ideas and yet I've never read what he's actually written.

Can I really say I understand Dewey without reading his works? How much am I missing by not reading his own words?

Now I'm wondering how many other influential ideas I've only ever gotten secondhand. I'm feeling suddenly unprepared pushing for change at my school.

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New York City and The Google

I might not be quite the Google-ite others are, but I do use a good number of their tools, and I think their corporate structure and culture might have some lessons for the education world. As a result, I decided I'd like to see the Google in action at the Google Teacher Academy in NYC this November. I'm not counting on being selected, but I figured I couldn't pass up the chance.

I've put in my application, which included producing my own 1 minute long video- something I've never done before. I'm pretty happy with the results¹, although it's certainly a long way from being professional. I'd call it a good first attempt at film making.

Here it is, my acting, screenwriting, producing, and editorial debut:

Let me know what you think.

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¹ Upon searching for other applicants videos (which I did only after finishing my video), I saw lots of pandering to Google by focusing on how cool Google tools are. I hope that's not a major requirement, since the only Google-y things in my video are the brief screenshots of Reader and YouTube. Oh well. If they're looking for panderers, then I'm not going to be their guy anyway.

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Oh, snap!

It's been a frustrating week or so.

Since misery loves company, I found it interesting to read a post by Darren Draper in which he says:

Google 2001 is nice, but what some teachers really need is more like Google 1983. That way their experience on the Internet would better coincide with the experience they are providing for their students.

Shortly after this post, Dan Meyer's post on the efficacy of textbooks was pushed my direction:

[Textbooks are] perfect for below-average teachers with limited imagination and limited love for their own content areas, the sort that need a pick axe, a shovel, and a map to the goldmine handed to them before it'll occur to them to start digging.

It's kind of an indictment that this has been such a profitable business model for so long.

Once again the network has pushed in my direction my thoughts, but more eloquent, punchier, and- dare I say- ballsier (is that even a word?) than I might dare to write myself¹.

And then, just as I was starting to feel good about my situation today, the entire staff gets this email:

'nuff said.

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¹Perhaps why they have thousands of readers and technorati "authority" of 165 and 191 while I have tens of readers and an authority of 11.

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Whiteboards of the future?

Another education design idea I'd put in the "really?" category (along with the multi-touch desks I commented on earlier):

Flexboards! Interactive whiteboards that don't need an LCD projector to work, and include a workspace! While just a design concept, their description page at TheGreenerGrass.org has some silly things on it (IMHO).

While I'd agree that mobile interactive whiteboards that don't require an LCD projector to function are likely to be useful in the future, the way TheGreenerGrass describes them strikes me as a little odd:

By configuring groups of these boards together in multiple ways, many of the learning modalities can be accommodated in addition to lecture...

and then:

Missing from the traditional classroom is collaborative work. By getting out of their seats and working in groups, students experience a visual way of learning that teaches them the creative problem solving techniques they need as professionals.

and still more:

Teachers can use Flexboards to create a small space within their classroom for one-on-one instruction, or a small breakout space with additional media such as special audio-visual aids.

So...a major selling point will be their role as room dividers? I'm sure district budgets will have space for at least five or six of these per room. Srsly.

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Images from "Flexboards Remake the Classroom" at TheGreenerGrass.org via NOTCOT.org

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Economy: FAIL

Understanding the ins and outs of the United States economic woes of late isn't exactly my strong suit. I get the basic concepts, but I'm not claiming to be much of an economic expert. This picture is definitely the best I've seen to date in describing the recent turmoil:

Fail!

Yes, that is Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke in the foreground.

As a subscriber to ICanHasCheezeburger and the FAIL Blog, I appreciate this "protester's" simple yet effective analysis of the situation.

In other economic related news, Gov. Jodi Rell of Connecticut (that'd be my governor now) said:

When the markets and Wall St. seem to be in flux and the state budget is extremely tight, we're going to have to make the most of every learning opportunity that's out there.

Hmmm...that sounds an awful lot like, "Education isn't going to get much funding in the future, so start figuring out how to run a school on a shoestring budget."

Considering many economic-related stories have been using descriptors like "unprecedented" and "first time since the 1930's," perhaps that's the least of our worries.

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Image by Getty (Chip Somodevilla) via denverpost.com :: via Gawker :: via my wife who recently started using Google Reader to share items with me

Jodi Rell quote via WSHU public radio