An Inspiration For All


A young girl named Laura was looking for a way to remember the wonderful qualities of a grandfather she had recently lost. Laura's grandfather was very important in her life, sharing ideas about generosity, love and kindness. As a way to remember her grandfather, she decided to begin a blog titled Twenty Five Days to Make a Difference, that would chronicle her adventures throughout this holiday season. Well, this young girl has begun something truly powerful, expanding upon the blog to create a contest that shares the stories of kindness.



What would our classrooms and schools look like if we as educators, learned how to harness these technologies to create a character education class based on these same ideas?

Great job Laura, I will be following!

Collaboration: Enjoying the Art of Powerpoint

I can imagine that many of us feel it is impossible to keep up with all of the new technologies out there. I know for a fact I am having difficulty trying to stay on the "cutting edge", if there is even such a thing anymore. Everyday, the blog tech crunch posts anywhere from ten to twenty new post, discussing new ideas and technologies hitting the cyberspace. It’s enough to make your head spin. Couple the technology initiative currently underway in our district with the thoughtful education initiative, and we begin to recognize time is quickly becoming the greatest commodity in our professional development. Therefore, I have a suggestion; collaboration. I admit, this is not a new concept; however, professional collaboration is becoming much more readily accessible due in large part to several power tools now available on the internet. Our community of practice wiki is an example and alone can become the very hub of professional growth in the district, if we as a staff are willing to make this a part of our individual professional learning.

So how can we as a staff understand the power of collaboration and begin to leverage what is available on the internet. I thought it would behoove readers to start with a collaborative platform on the internet called slide share. Slide share is a free online community, where individuals join, download, and post powerpoint presentations. Imagine, you are searching for a quick presentation on Life on the Ocean 500 Years Ago and you search slide share. Low and behold, after a couple clicks, you have in front of you a down loadable presentation that can be customized. Such platforms are not merely used by teachers either. Students can save powerpoints online and share them with the class, or the world. Take a look at this global warming presentation posted by several students this past summer. On the day of this post, more than 1600 individuals viewed this presentation, and it was produced by our very own students.

Joining is simple:

1. click on the sign-up link at the top right hand corner of the slideshare.net site.

2. fill in the proper fields with the appropriate information.

3. hit enter and you are now a member of one of the most powerful multimedia collaboration groups out there.

Enjoy!

Let's Try Cartoons

Everyone loves the Sunday comics. I can remember back to my childhood, on those cold winter days, during the weekly family pilgrimage to visit grandmother after Sunday church, how reading the Peanuts, Garfield, Dagwood, Family Circus, and Prince Valiant would pass the time. These days, I have to wrestle the comics from my three children and our dog. Mind you, I read the comics to revel in the nostalgia of my youth more than anything else.

As a young man in high school, I have fond memories of many lectures that began with a comic strip from the previous Sunday paper. As a classroom teacher, I see the same practice used by colleagues to this very day. Recently, I found a neat little cartoon strip creator called ToonDoo. I cannot help but think of the incredible potential this has in the classroom. As educators look to continuously increase the student voice in class, I am finding technology can become the greatest accelerate for that idea. Imagine, instead of a teacher utilizing a comic that coincidentially ties into the topic of the day, why not have the students produce a comic strip of their own, as a form of assessment, as a hook for a discussion, as a means to reinforce content, or as a start for some piece of writing.

As usual, I grabbed one of my technology guinea pigs, my children, and try out my idea. My oldest daughter who is currently in fifth grade, loves to tell stories, but has had very little opportunity to develop a visual story board. I sat her down in front of the computer, asked her what she learned that day in class, gave her the website, and let her go. Without any directions as to how the program works, she was able to produce a three frame comic strip on the concept of supply and demand, in under 60 minutes. "You gotta love them net-geners"!

Imagine an entire class producing comics for each other, reinforcing concepts and ideas learned in class that day. Think of the rich possibilities with writing math, and science. Imagine, students developing their own publishing contests, developing a criteria for student judging, putting together a "how to manual", the possibilities are endless.

The nice thing about this technology is, "it's FREE"! It is also very user friendly, with click and drag construction. Simply review the backgrounds, the characters, and get going.

Wax-On, Wax-Off

Last night while performing the nightly parental juggling of homework, baths, and reading, my second daughter asked if she could play Webkinz. I really do not have a problem with my children playing Webkinz, provided they limit their time to 20 - 30 minutes, and it does not become an issue with their siblings. It does force the player into decision making and problem solving and I feel it is worth their time. Unfortunately for her, my oldest daughter was already playing. With her the indomitable spirit like "Molly Brown", my second oldest daughter's eyes lite up and she asked, "can we play some math games on your computer?" As proud as any nerdly father, whose child just figured out a rubric cube, I looked down at my little cherub, patted her head, and said "of course". Now mind you, she had played a flashcard game the previous day on the a-plus math site, and enjoyed the simplicity of its interactivity. I thought it was time to test another site called cool math 4 kids. Jackpot!!! Cool math 4 kids is not unlike many math sites out there, except, it has a terrific game called lemonade stand.

The goal in this game will be to make as much money as you can within 30 days. To do this, you've decided to open your own business -- a Lemonade Stand! You'll have complete control over almost every part of your business, including pricing, quality control, inventory control, and purchasing supplies. You'll also have to deal with the weather, which can be unpredictable, which will play a big part when customers are deciding whether or not to buy your product.
Other factors which will make or break your business is the price you charge and customer's satisfaction. As you sell your product, people will decide whether or not they like it, and how much they like or dislike it. As time goes on, they'll start to tell their friends, neighbors, and relatives (hence, your 'popularity'). Sell a good product for a good price, and you'll build business over time; overcharge for inferior products, and you'll be out of business sooner than you'd think.

As I sat and watch my second grade daughter pick up on the process and concept of this game, I was reminded of a very famous scene from the 1984 movie The Karate Kid, where the main character Danny Larruso (Ralph Macchio) was told by Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) to wax a car using clockwise motions to apply the wax, and counter-clockwise motions to remove the wax. After hours of waxing, he confronted Mr. Miyagi about was educated on how waxing a car was teaching him martial arts. The Lemonade Stand was like waxing the car. My daughter played the game for 25 minutes and completed the entire 30 day simulation. In the end, she actually lost money, but it gave me an opportunity to watch how my daughter learns. She was completely engaged by the experential nature of the task, continuously asking questions and making decisions. On one particular day during the simulation, the weather was 59 degrees with over cast. I commented, "phew, its pretty cold, what do you think?" She immediately responded, "people were not going to be very thirsty on such a bad day." I helped her understand that when people want to buy something, they usually call that demand, and when you want to sell lemonade, you call that supply. She slowly began to pick up an elementary understanding of supply and demand. She was learning economics and all she knew was she was playing a game (Wax-on, Wax-off).

I then began to think of how such a game could become a wonderful part of a classroom math or economics lesson at any level. Imagine, teams of students begin the simulation and blog about their teams decision making process. Maybe teams blog about why they choose the price, the quantity of supplies, or the ingredients? Then, students could create a graph, and plot the demand curves and the supply curves. Students could read each others blogs and make comments or suggestions from their own experiences. Furthermore, the class could create a wiki, and begin to collaborate as a class, identifying the 10, or 20, or 50 best ways to make money selling lemonade. Teams could construct a "how to book" for lemonade stands. Finally, teams of students could present their findings to a class, simulating a presentation to a ficticous board of directors. The possibilities for such fun is endless.

Change - Time - Knowledge

Our High School Action Planning Committee has spent the 2006 - 2007 school year organizing and familiarizing themselves with the authentic applications of technology in our classroom instruction. It would be irresponsible of me to avoid mentioning several key obstacles we as a district face, when trying to build on the momentum of change so many of us have begun throughout this past school year; however, I have given it much thought and wanted to share with the readers of this community of practice, several important points that must be identified and addressed, in order for our work to continue down a positive and productive path. The hope and intention of this comment is to begin an open discussion, that would search for a solution to the problems of change.

• Educational change, and the pace of change, is driven by technological innovation and the pedagogical demand to accommodate individual learning styles (thoughtful education), and a growing need to engage students, amidst growing cultural awareness of global competition. Failure to maintain a pace in one area, creates a ricochet effect.

• One often misunderstood element of change that convolutes progress is the concept of synchronization and horizons of time. Districts that pursue multiple initiatives cannot expect a complete synchronization when the pace of change is inherently based on desynchronization. The culture of change that our community of practice is striving for, cannot sacrifice research and development, experimentation, trial and error, to meet imposed deadlines, which are often imposed by outside forces, whether political or economic. The culture of change becomes more complicated when change involves multiple levels of the organization, each with its own ecology of time. In a nut shell, fights over synchronization disrupts operations, especially the most important partnership necessary in educational change, the partnership between administration and the teaching staff.

• The reality of any culture of change rest on the facts that educational change traditionally responds on a ten or twenty year schedule, affixed to industrial time tables (bus schedule, bells, periods, yearly budgets, standards, etc). The emergent economy driving much of the change within education, operates on radically different temporal principles. Personalized markets and products create personalized time tables.

• So what does this all mean beside the now famous phrase "shift happens"? Our greatest challenge for the 2007 - 2008 school year lies with the need to come to some understanding that desynchronization is quickly becoming a part of the educational evolution of the Iroquois School District. How we as a group, committed to providing the most authentic, engaging, fulfilling educational experience for the students of the district, manage the manner in which we as a group, building level, department, and individual, approach our role in this effort of change. This will more than likely thrust many of us outside our comfort zone, inherent to our industry. Teachers and administrators will need to focus on engaging in revolutionary instructional practices, that move beyond traditional roles, and focus on a more student-centered learning environment.

• Furthermore, we are operating in an era where knowledge is not longer finite; rather knowledge is configured into broader and higher levels. The economics of knowledge in the 21st century cannot be looked at as it were in the industrial age, where knowledge was perceived as a scarce resource. Essentially, with digital technologies, knowledge has become inexhaustible. The industry of education must move beyond the mass production and consumption of knowledge, and begin to leverage the technologies to administer differentiated instruction with an understanding that the knowledge supply is expanding exponentially.
  

The Ramblings of Potential Insanity:


Over the past eight months, I have personally and professionally come to embrace the relevance and rigor that on line, web-based technologies afford the learner, in both an classroom setting, as well as a individual learning experience. I want to qualify myself at this point as a convert, a person who truly believes that my professional involvement in education has seamlessly adopted these new tools and the pedagogy that accompanies them. However, I am still struggling with where all of this is going, and I would like to share with you several thoughts (more like ramblings) and questions that have come about as a result of my participation in this educational revolution.

First: As I read about the revolutionary capabilities of these technologies, and the push to promote the adoption of these technologies, I cannot help but think that the movement for change may be unrealistic in the near future. In may own classroom experience these past eight months, I have battled with the lack of technologies both in the home, and in the classroom. As a member of a group of teachers within the district I teach, pursuing the proliferation of these wonderful tools, I cannot help but dwell on the issue of finances, availability, and the cultural dilemma we all are confronted with. Example: As the first member of the staff pushing the use of blogs, wikis, and online tools of collaboration, I had little difficulty in securing the means within the school, to educate the students, and promote the growth and usage of these technologies. However, as time passes, more and more teachers are beginning to adopt these strategies, and we are developing a situation where the current quantity, and foreseeable technologies available, may begin to fall short of the necessary needs of both the staff and the students. Now, I would like to point out that we have at Iroquois, possibly the greatest amount of support from our administration, and no one would like to see this educational revolution occur more than our very own superintendent, who himself has embraced these technologies in a very unique and successful manner. However, there is the reality of finances. No community, nor state, can expect to meet the growing demands of this type of technological change occurring within classrooms, without incurring the rath of taxpayers on a local, state, or even national level. Furthermore, many of the districts I have looked at, do not have in place ample infrastructure to accommodate the technologies being discussed. What compounds my concern is the cultural view of technology within the family. I can honestly state that my fourth grade daughter will have her own tablet within two years, as I plan on replacing the current model I am blogging with tonight. We also plan on affording the same opportunity to our other three children. This is a financial choice my family has made because we see the value in raising our children with these tools. I would also like to add that we have wireless, and four computers in our household. However, what about the family that cannot afford such luxuries, or fail to recognize the value in buying computers instead of T.V.s or SUVs. As more and more teachers within the district adopt these technologies, how does a family with multiple children, receiving multiple assignments that use these tools, logistically support that type of academic environment. What about the parents, whose mortgage payments depend on seat time in front of the family computer? How are they going to adjust to their children's academic work load when multiple teachers begin assigning on line collaborative projects, similar to the ones I currently assign? Are we looking at the end of reasonable bedtimes, in order to met the family schedule for computer time? Are we looking for government to afford tax-breaks, similar to fuel efficient automobiles, to anyone who purchases a computer for academic or home business use? How can we expect those families, not in-tune with the changing global approach to education to throw hard earned cash at something that may very well be low on the priority list?

Secondly: In a recent hour-long conversation with a twenty-something employee from Microsoft, we began to discuss the future of the traditional school as we know it today. Now I realize there exists many new platforms such as Second Life, and other virtual learning communities out there, but I think that it would not be prudent on the part of educational leaders, to think that the traditional forces of supply and demand will catapult these platforms ahead of the traditional institution of education that exists in our current model, especially when you combine this thought with the first point made previous in this blog. That being said, how can a school, bombarded with quickly evolving technologies, and a growing sense of urgency, construct an environment that meets the technological needs of the immediate transformation occurring in education. Wireless is great, and I know for a fact that there are several model districts out there who have adopted this approach. I also recognize the value in a laptop rich academic environment that affords, not only teachers, but also the students a of district, the opportunity to develop a truly exploratory and collaborative form of education. But I get the sense out there that we are becoming a technological bull in a china shop. With the growing pressure to transform education, we are beginning to allocate financial resources toward an immediate adoption of technology, without addressing some real hard questions, in particular, security, funding, training, and longevity. No one wants to commit financial resources that will be viewed five years from now as a band aid.

Which brings me to several observations, and please recognize I am not a naysayer. I believe this is the future of not only our educational system, but our world. Currently, many teachers, schools, and nations for that matter, are running the race of the hare. There does not seem to be any consensus as to what a 21st century student will need. Yes, we can clarify that much of traditional taxonomy still holds true; however, we have not yet dealt with the value of content. How can our math and sciences, so badly in need of attention, accomplish the necessary outcomes while diminishing the value of content. What about liberal arts? Where do the arts and history fit in? Why is it that overarching frameworks of content, such as the need for individuals to understand the importance of political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, and artistic institutions on a historical level, lose out to higher order thinking. I realize that most knowledge is just a keystroke away, but wouldn't our civilization be better off with well-rounded individuals who have a foundation of knowledge, similar to that of the 20th century educational model?

Thirdly: Young people, in particular the youth of America, need intellectual and social discipline. Are we preparing a generation of individuals, who will be educated with such intellectual freedoms that are so unique to this point in history, that they might not be able to appropriately function within the demands of the "real" world? How will the generational gap be addressed in the real world. How does a forty-something, who has been a part of a defined business world, function next to an individual who is being educated in a virtual world, that has greater flexibility of time and schedule, than any previous generation? Are we on the verge of seeing the tail wag the dog?

The more I read from the educational community in this blogosphere, the more I question the radicalization of schooling. The discussion of academic change, from all observations, may be at an inappropriate and irresponsible pace. We know the positive impact that these technologies have on individual learning, and that digitizing and globalizing the academic environment may have the greatest influence of knowledge since Gutenberg's press; however, shouldn't prudence and planning precede such radical evolution. With teachers screaming for administration to "tear down the walls" and all of these technologies being used by a growing number of the world educators, wouldn't it serve our interests if we used these technologies to develop a national, or international congress of education (forgive the verbage).

The irony of this post lies in the fact that I will be participating in a classroom environment over the next two days, that has my very own students, addressing a problem solving issue of World War II. Each community of practice within each class, will have utilized digital text, formed a group in diigo and social bookmark their topic, collaborate on line using skype and vyew, to produce a portion of the class wiki, and a fifteen minute power point presentation or podcast, discussing their findings. I will then take this example and present it to a group of teachers at a regional conference called "Riding the Digital Wave", in the hopes of convincing others to take the righteous path that appears to be more frequently taken these days. Talk about insanity!

Community of Participation
Practicing and Preaching Collaboration

I am enjoying a professional rebirth here in the Iroquois Central School District. I, along with several teachers and administrators, have been able to develop a Community of Practice. This is nothing new, professional communities have been a part of mainstream change in industry forever. However, I have never been a part of one, let alone one of the facilitators.

The objective of this community is to promote change within our high school, with the hope that this will spin out towards the other levels within the district. I cannot help but be excited with the potential this community presents to the staff and students at Iroquois. I am meeting tomorrow with two curriculum specialists from the regional Board of Cooperative Educational Services and hope that this community comes up in our discussion.

The concept I enjoy throwing around most is the potential gravitational pull this community can have on those teachers who are reluctant to dip their toe into the instructional world of technology. With a collective community of hundreds of years of expertise and online tools of collaboration so readily available, no better way to share ideas and best practices. This is our way of changing our own little corner of the world.

Wow!!! It Has Been A Long Time:


Did you ever wonder what makes an individual lose interest in something? Is it laziness, boredom, apathy, or exhaustion? Recently, a light bulb burned out in a stairwell in my house. Now, if you knew the layout of my house, that particular light bulb plays a very important role in illuminating a safe passage down a flight of stairs. I don't know what it was, but that bulb took several days to change. I was a pretty big light bulb but I am a pretty handy guy. I can't help but feel my absence as a blogger for nearly a month, has somehow diminished my worthiness to participate in this community. I almost feel like the athlete who struggles back to a comfort zone with their teammates, after having experienced an injury. I know it sound ridiculous, after all, no one is out there keeping track. But I just feel odd and cannot quite put my finger on it. Maybe it is the pace of change, or it's that I am finding the echo chamber reverberating back the same message, and I sometimes feels like I am back in a faculty lounge.

There has been a great deal of discussion regarding what to call this educational shift and how slow it seems change is occurring. Maybe I am reading this incorrectly, but that is what I've discovered. I cannot begin to describe the personal and professional transformation I have experienced as a result of having been introduced to all of these technologies last July. I share with many of you the observations as to how my individual learning styles and capacities have changed, all for the better, since discovering the power of web based tools. I cannot help but feel transformed. But I've stopped writing and I am not quite sure why. I don't believe that it's from a decline in my enthusiasm. Anyone looking for me between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., can easily find me reading my bloglines, and discovering new ideas, in the comfort of my family room. Maybe I am becoming absorbed in transforming my own little world (room 208), or that I am avoiding the grand fight of transforming the educational culture. For what ever reason, I have stopped writing and wonder if something is broken. I have missed it tremendously, but I feel like there may not be anything of significance to say. I thought that getting back into the game a little, and shacking off the dust, may be all I need.

On one particular night, around 11:30 p.m., I read a post by Clay Burell, a neat and creative idea regarding students developing podcasts for history. I went to bed, and tossed and turned for nearly an hour. I had a freight train of ideas running through my head, and there's not a lot of room up there. My wife nearly asked me to sleep in the family room. The other day, while washing the dishes in my kitchen, I began to become so absorbed with the development of a collaborative project using diigo, I washed the same glass for nearly five minutes. In preparing for an upcoming conference, I realized the irony of the 41 slide power point presentation I had developed to inform the participants of these tools. I feel like I am turning into the Richard Dreyfus character in the 1977 classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. You know the guy who builds the model of Devil's Tower in his living room.

Why do we begin to complicate our lives by taking on the challenges such as educational reform Why should a 39 year old married father of four begin a professional transformation that redefines priorities and diminishes time on the ski slopes? In a skype conversation with another blogger, I explained the sleepless nights, the obsessive hunger to clear my bloglines, and the hypnotic control these technologies have over my creative energies. He laughed and stated "you appear to be headed on to bigger and better things." I don't know if that is necessarily true, I don't have my administration degree, and I have some pretty deep roots in the district I teach.

What I began to realize was, I, like so many of you, have the opportunity to be a part of something truly historical, and much bigger than any one of us. When I graduated from St. Bonaventure University in the spring of 1989, I never envisioned a world like the one we live in today. I never envisioned the profession of education, being as much in a state of future flux as it is today. No one knows for the first time, what the future holds for education. Will the institution of education as we know it today, still be in existence 5, 10, 20 years from now? Will the school two miles from my home, remain the heart of the community I live in, or will that change as well. I don't know what the future holds, but I know that I am very excited to be a part of it. When I was ten, I got a chance to be one of the first guys from my neighborhood to ride a new roller coaster at the regional amusement park. I didn't sit in the front seat, nor was I in the back. I probably sat about four rows from the front. I definitely enjoyed the ride, and took a little pride in being so far toward the front and one of the first to ride.

Maybe, as a teacher, I am experiencing a close encounter of the professional kind, riding an educational roller coaster of change. All I need to do is figure out where to sit, and what to build.

Our superintendent, Neil Rochelle shares with us several thoughts on a daily basis. His emails usually includes this poem from Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow."

Maybe it's as simple as that.

2007: The Year it all Changed?


On Monday, I spoke in front of the Iroquois Board of Education on behalf of a technology initiative our high school has undertaken. The presentation was titled, the Velocity of Change: Technology in the Classroom. During the course of the fifteen minute presentation, I exposed the board to several web-based technologies many of the teachers in the high school have recently embraced. Overall, I felt very strongly that it was a positive moment for changing the perception of web-based technologies in the classroom.

I left the meeting, rushing home to catch the two-hour episode of "24" (Jack is too much), all the while thinking of what would be the most effective next step. Having just read Will Richardson's post Worse Before it Gets Better, I began to think of the "Power of One", a book I read in the early 1990's by Bryce Courtney. It has always left me with the idea that an individual has the tremendous capacity to influence the thinking of the ignorant. I can state that a man named Will has had that type of influence on me, and thus indirectly, many of my colleagues.

If there is a cultural lack of knowledge about the validity and revolutionary qualities of these technologies, why not incorporate traditional means of communication to further the cause. How can we as a group of educators, looking to promote the benefits of these tools, expect a culture dependent upon the media to gain an educated understanding of their value, when the media itself is unfamiliar with blogs, wikis, and online tools of collaboration. Now I realize the heavy hitters in the national media are a part of the blogging community; however, the local media, who form the basis of much local parental perception, lack an understanding of the dynamic uses of these tools. I myself have a family member in the media, who is unfamiliar with the power of delicious, diigo, blogs, and wikis. Should we not be looking at the bigger picture and look to extend our educational strategy of these tools beyond the school board, and incorporate a self-promoting campaign that incorporates the local and regional media. Imagine the power a media series could have on the technology budgets of school districts, looking to educate the voting populous. Imagine film crews in classrooms, interviewing teachers and students, showing concrete examples of these tools in action, all promoting the positive juxtaposition to the types of negative (though accurate) coverage seen in media presentations such as Datelines: To Catch a Predator.

If we as an educated community, with all of our dynamic talents and energies, form an organized media blitz, that taps into the security blanket of media guided information, which most people have come to rely on, wouldn't we be better serving this movement? We all know that our calendar year is marked with days manufactured by major corporations, like sweetest day (I still think several greeting card corps. used their lobby groups to secure these dates). Why not declare a date on our calendars like May 11th, 2007 as the day of technological reckoning. We could even devise some very cool, though geeky name like "bring the web to work day! " (Just kidding of course). How about something as simple as Technology Day. We have wellness weeks, we have red-ribbon days for anti-drugs, hands across America for aids, Live Aid, and we even have dress down Fridays. People, this is not a pipe dream! We could make 2007 The Year it all Changed. All we need to do is become organized. We have all the tools we need to pull this off at the touch of our fingers.

Welcome to the
World of WEB 2.0


During an unexpected snow day, I had the pleasure of reading techcrunch when I came across what may prove to be a remarkable Israeli site on the Web 2.0 technologies available to us educators. Feel free to take a look.

A New Era in Staff Development
Synergy Necessary for Change:

So often, when a district attempts to utilize staff development as a platform to introduce an element of change, it does so often with a single facilitator. This poor individual is usually perceived as an interloper, who has no individual equity within the district. Often times, a staff is subjected to hours of a presentation, on subjects such as differentiated instruction (I find the lecture method a little ironic) or classroom management. I can remember one time we had an individual come in to discuss the use of humor as a means of engaging students. I liked the guy and could relate; however, several of my colleagues complained about the perceived waist of time.

Yesterday, I participated in a staff development day in our district that represented everything truly dynamic within our profession. While other schools within the district graded assessments, the high school was spending the day on building initiatives, or rather "building initiatives". These initiatives included introducing blogging, podcasts, and online tools of collaboration to our entire staff. The district hit a home run! The collective talents of many individuals, nine teachers and three administrators in all, offered an open invitation to the staff. The key phrase was invitation, not mandate. Over the course of 4 1/2 hours, teachers moved from one module to another, engaging teams of teachers in discussion, best practices, and a truly open sharing of information. The collective talents and the manner in which these ideas of change were presented, may very well become a trigger that engages more teachers.

A veteran teacher of 33 years, shared with me how he utilized the new technology of blogging last night in an undergrad class he teaches. Another individual took the concept of blogging and problem solved an issue that befuddled many of us. I explained to her how she should look to become a presenter at our next staff day. Another teacher commented on how easy podcasting is (a tribute to the manner in which Rico Ruffino presented the information) and how she could not wait to begin to utilize them in her class.

Yesterday it all became apparent to me. As difficult as change is to many individuals, offering individuals ownership in the manner and pace of change, will often become changes greatest facilitator. The more we allow for individual teachers to become engaged in the process of change, the more likely it will for change to become a part of our educational culture.

Calling All Bloggers:
Understanding Current Events through Global Collaboration

After reading a comment left by Clay Burrell on a recent post of mine, I thought it was time to share an idea with the educators of the world. I have the luxury of teaching a group of highly motivated students who have embraced the tools of collaboration beyond my wildest expectations. They have become a ball of energy, spending week nights, as well as portions of their weekends, working online together in ways I could not imagine when the school year began this fall. Looking to stoke their intellectual fires, I am looking to go global. Here is my proposal.

As a history teacher in the United States, I feel a great opportunity awaits my students with current events. The study of current events, the media that reports these events, and the opportunity to conjoin multi-global points of view, allows a truly unique opportunity to study history in the making, while exposing students to a dynamic global perspective.

I would like to construct a super community that utilizes a common set of websites, such as daylife (thanks Will Richardson, again), and have students blog these stories and comment on each others blogs, discussing points of view and literary analysis. Students could develop a sub-community using their delicious accounts, allowing social networking that reaches beyond their individual classrooms. Students could utilize skype and online white boards like vyew, to develop inter-continental collaborative blogs on particular topics. Students can develop their own extensive library of thought using diigo and clip notes. It is a simple project in design, with truly a limitless opportunity to develop a global perspective of real-time historical events.

Imagine, constructing an intellectual community that offers its participants a wider audience then ever before. The community would expose students a truly multi-cultural perspective of an event. The community would utilize the potential development of thought that blogs were meant to develop. Students, aware of the global audience, would become motivated to cultivate insightful analysis on political, economic, social, artistic, religious, and intellectual movements occurring in their lifetime. This maybe limitless.

Anyone interested?

Remember to leave an email.

Technology Portfolios:
The Next Exit Outcome


Now, I know there is never truly a new idea. I also realize that if educational change is going to occur, or we are going to expedite change, we may have to alter, increase, or simply redefine the exit outcomes, high school seniors will be required to fulfill before graduation. Why not then create some portfolio that illustrates the student's growth of technology and literacy. Imagine, every single student, in every single class, would have to construct a collection, illustrating literacy utilizing the web. This collection, transferring from year to year, would become a representation of that student's literary and technological growth.

For example, students exiting my A.P. European History class, would have to develop a blog and personal wiki, utilizing information gathered from their delicious account and that account's subscriptions, interject quotes from other blogs, wikis, articles, or sources, using diigo. They would also have to assist in the construction of a class wiki, leaving comments on a class blog, while collaborating online using vyew (online whiteboard), and sharing their delicious account with all their classmates. Talk about higher order thinking with a literary focus, in a dynamic and engaging environment.

Building Initiatives, or Building Initiatives?
Nobody Ever Washes a Rental

Have I mentioned that I am part of a district wide initiative to introduce web-based technologies to enhance student literacy? I was recently asked to discuss these building initiatives with my fellow teachers in an upcoming professional development day at the end of January, thus the title. I am never as secure discussing ideas of change amongst a group of my peers as I am amongst my students, or even the parents of my students. Probably because of the false perception often associated with any form of change, especially when the concept of change is presented by a peer. I thought I would share some observations and thoughts with you as I prepare for this session. Models of professional organization often operate with a stigma of poor communication of vision and objectives between administration and teacher, a structured framework that pigeon holes individuals into a set of guidelines that constricts creativity and ownership, a litany of false perceptions that construct the mount Everest of roadblocks, and the inherent failure most often associated with the principles of change, recognizing past practices (best-past practices) continue to have value, and may only need to evolve with the times. We have all been there, sitting usually in some auditorium environment with industrial colors, having individuals, usually with a power point, discuss some new idea of change, exclaiming "if you are not onboard the train, you will be left behind." Talk about the art of de-motivation. The sad thing is, when first told that I would lead a portion of the upcoming staff development day, I began to prepare a 28 slide power point presentation. What is the problem with presenters, why do we often forget how it feels to sit in as the audience? Scratch the power point.Recently, I was traveling back from New Jersey, driving a rented brand new 2007 Toyota Sienna mini-van, listening to Bob Seager's "Roll Me Away", this was sadly cool to me (mind you I have four kids). While driving, I could not help but think how I would treat such an outstanding piece of Japanese technology if it were mine. I would bath it once a week, wax it seasonally, and even place carpets inside, during the winter months, to preserve the beige carpets. However, for the time being, I was beating on this fine piece of machinery, realizing it is a rental and nobody ever washes a rental. The same holds true for change, especially in education. How can education overcome stigmas and preconceived notions, which have rendered educational change ineffective, initiative after initiative? How can educational administrators motivate teachers to thirst for innovation? How can professionals, many of which have been teaching as long as I, if not longer, am expected to buy into any form of change? Maybe it's as simple as ownership and I am talking real ownership.

Ownership that throws out traditional frameworks and planning structures allowing for individual learning styles, learning curves, and creativity. Staff development that is planned and exercised by the staff. Staff development that constructs open forum discussions, supported by best practice sharing, along with tutorial guidance, and information sharing. Professionals whose involvement will give them value and equity in the direction of education.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Learning Manifesto

Christian Long brings me back to my immigrant roots.

think:lab: "The Future of Learning" Manifesto

It Ain't About the Technology. It's About the Story.

Laptops? (Yawn)

Blogging? (Yawn)

PowerPoint? (Snore)

Multi-Media Center with a Starbucks 'coffee house' espresso shot in the backside? (Daring? 21st century school? Yawn.)

How about we stop talking all giddy-like about the technology. For us, it's not about the box. Not even about the iPod in pink or black. And it's definitely not about the email (psst: we don't email 'cept when old people need help).

It's about the conversation. The ricochet of words. The energy. The fact that its happening right here right now and it ain't coming back.

You tell me to turn off the game. Because you're staring at the box. I can't turn off the game. Because the game ain't in the box.

So, stop making technology such a big deal. You want laptops. I got a cell phone. And you still don't get it.

'cause no matter what you spend your money and professional development time on, for us it's about being inside the game, inside the story, in real-time.

Everything else is over-priced and ready for recycling.

Whats in a Name?

If you have time, go to Jeff Utecht's blog The Thinking Stick, Jeff nails what I believe may be the biggest challenge educators face in changing the view of technology and instruction within our schools.

"Where technology just replaces the things that we do. This isn’t a new school, this is an updated school. A new school starts with a new pedagogy a new theory and even a new taxonomy of learning. School 2.0 is not an upgrade to School 1.0…it’s a whole new school. An upgrade to School 1.0 is word processing instead of hand writing or PowerPoints instead of posters. These are upgrades to an old system. School 2.0 needs to be new from the ground up…starting with the foundation in which we build our teaching practices on. . . "

I often times find myself having a conversation in my head. I am taking part in a discussion with a group of teachers about the ideas being developed in the district's Technology Action Planning Committee, when without fail, I am being bombarded by a statement (not even a question), "this sounds like the next flavor-of-the-month," or "how does this differ from anything else we have been told is the future? "

The cultural change within education cannot overlook the importance of bringing awareness to the staff within a district. Easy for any card carrying techno-geek, to recognize how technology has created an unprecedented access to a global community, and how that global community has changed the learning environment. However, individuals who have limited exposure to technology in their individual or professional life, may not actually comprehend the educational potential of the global community. Presenting the idea of educational change in the form of technology, may actually create a major distraction to the goals of educational change in the 21st century. Maybe, our districts committee name, the Technology Action Planning Committee, should look to re-design itself into a 21st Century Action Planning Committee.

Breaking the Chains of the Past:

The Flexible Future of Education

I came across an article by Sharon Kopyc . The title of Sharon's article captured the ultimate question many of us are wrestling with in today's movement to change the face of education. Entitled Enhancing Teaching with Technology: Are We There Yet? Sharon addresses many of the institutional challenges both K -12 and college academics face in this ever changing educational environment.

As a member of a Technology Action Planning Committee (TACP) in the Iroquois Central School District, I found many of her observations a reaffirmation of the struggles we will all face, as we try to recognize the value of technology in changing the instructional environment within today's classroom.

In her article, Sharon references

"Faculty claim that a lack of time, a lack of skills, and a general discomfort with the educational technology culture impede their use of it (Gustafson 2003-2004) "

We must begin to ask ourselves how the institution of education can overcome these impediments. As an active member of the educational profession, trying to implement these new technologies, we can no longer simply qualify an individuals discomfort with these technologies as a lack of professionalism. These technologies take an large amount of time to effectively master and implement. Furthermore, there is such a large number of technologies that compliment each other. How can an educator, working within the realm of the traditional institutionalized educational system of standards based education, be expected to effectively achieve those standards, while practicing non-traditional modes of technology based instruction? It may be safe to assume that political pressures will not afford the academic freedom to develop a truly dynamic educational environment in the near future, so we must develop some plan that affords educators and students the necessary opportunities to develop intellectually in this current academic environment.

What complicates this problem is something Sharon points out as a troubling gap between the promise and reality of technology-related innovative instructional and learning practices in much of higher education (2004).

She points out that this gap is partially caused by the simple fact that the technological cart was put before the academic horse, and a strong shift to flip this around is desperately needed. In other words, pushing technology on academics, the drivers of education, will not get technology into the classroom unless academics first understand the technology and its relevance in the classroom.

So what does this all mean for education? I believe that the technological revolution in education is well underway. I also believe that a system must be devised that will promote the use of these new technologies in meaningful ways, that have a productive impact on curriculum, while enhancing student engagement. To avoid the famous educational stigma of calling technology the favor of the month, districts must construct within their school systems, a flexible partnership that allows the teacher to become instrumental in developing these technologies. These technologies cannot be pigeon-holed into a rigid framework that constructs a false formula for success. Technologies must be married to instructional pedagogy, giving value and relevancy to their usage. In the past, instructional reform, whether instituted on a state or district level, seems to have been a top-down initiative. Such a program will promote uncertainty amongst the educators, and create reluctance on the part of the teacher due to historical stigma. Rather, teacher initiative should drive technologies development. These initiative should take the form of professional development groups, that include a flexible group of teachers, administrators, technologists, and most importantly, students.

The professional development group will look different from place to place, due in part to the many different types of individuals participating. For example, at Iroquois, we currently have a group of teachers who have begun to initiate the infusion of technology into our daily instruction. The meetings and in-service being held, take on more of the look of a best practice sharing session. As new technologies are learned, they are modified to the individual curriculum, then shared amongst the staff. Staff members are offered several different opportunities, and the atmosphere is designed to bring awareness of the potential of the technology. Administration is also providing a tremendous amount of support, supplying the growing demand with new technologies, and continuously stressing the focus of all progress toward instructional pedagogy. The next step for our professional development would be to introduce the technologist element. Here, we can begin to re-engineer the design of traditional tech-support. No longer should tech-support be simply the programmer, rather, there should be the introduction of both the curriculum expert with technological experience. Finally, the student element completes the group. Students must begin to become a part of both the planning and learning of these technologies. Students should sit in on the planning process, giving insight into the characteristics of student engagement. Students should also become a part of the educational process, taking on a role as a peer-learner with the teacher. This portion of the group has truly an unlimited potential for expansion.

Sharon Kopyc in her article attributes the modern educational environment as a lab. I like that analogy the best. Education should become a continuous learning lab, where student, teacher, administrator, and technologist, continuously strive to better the academics within the educational environment, without traditional stereotypes, without traditional roles, and without traditional limitations.

What will 2007 Have in Store?

I have taken a break from my blog these past several weeks to spend time with the family, enjoy the holidays, and contemplate what I have experienced as a classroom teacher over the past six months. I can state without a doubt, these past several months have been the most energizing period of time in my fifteen year career as a public school educator. I have become a disciple of the new technologies and the ways in which they can transform the students. I have embraced these ideas, and have done my best to apply these technologies to engage my students in some very creative and innovative ways. I have developed a greater understanding of student needs, and realize that adopting these strategies is truly the way to become a meaningful part of a young person's intellectual development.

That being said, and forgive me for the cliche, I have decided share with you several of my New Year's Resolutions. Forget weight lose and getting back into shape, there is too much pressure associated with them, plus, I am only 39, I figure I can focus on those hurdles when I reach that great milestone of 40. I have decided that my professional goals will take center stage.

1. I will look to forge ahead with adopting these technologies in my classroom. However, I will move beyond the initial phase of adoption, and strive to create some good examples of student-directed learning.
2. I will look to develop an online blogging community with my students that truly taps into their individual interests, and allows them to take full advantage of the read/write platform that these tools afford everyone.
3. I will look to take this message to the local media in the Buffalo, metropolitan area.
4. I will look to construct an educational opportunity that will educate the parents within our district, and allow parents to become a greater part of their child's educational experience.
5. I will look to construct an international network that reaches across the world, and allows the students within our district, to develop an opportunity for international collaboration.
6. I will look to expand the technological opportunities within our district.
7. I will look to become a truly self-directed technological Uber learner of the 21st century.

Only time will tell whether I am able to achieve these resolutions. However, knowing my track record with weight loss, and attempting to recover past physical glories, I am confident that I have a better chance of achieving these goals more than the traditional resolutions of years past.