Category: Reform

Suggested Reading for 10/02/2008

Why Do Teachers Not Practice What They Believe Regarding Technology Integration?

Cover the Material – or Teach Students to Think

2008 DonorsChoose.org Challenge

Embedded Education Reporters

Joint Statement of CoSN and ISTE Hailing Passage of Internet Safety Education Legislation

View my Shared Google Reader for more suggested reading.

Where Does Education Stand?

Scott Merrick shared an interesting resource with me in response to yesterday’s post. Where We Stand: America’s Schools in the 21st Century aired on PBS and presents an evaluation of the American educational system. I encourage you to watch the program and look through the site and reflect on your opinions/beliefs related to this issue.

  • Do you think Where We Stand presents too soft or too hard an evaluation?
  • Where do you think we stand?

    • As I mentioned yesterday I’d enjoy discussing this with anyone else that is interested. I welcome all points of view, too.

    Be sure to spend time with loved ones this weekend.

    All the Best,
    Clif

    It’s Good to Be Back

    Kannapolis City SchoolsI’m excited to be working with Kannapolis City Schools again (Previous Posts: 1, 2). I’m helping provide professional development for part of their grant funded technology integration initiative called IMPACT. I’ve been asked to facilitate the following workshops:

    Please share any resources, information, cases, scenarios, etc. that you think will help teachers learn more about these topics by clicking on the session titles above and adding your contribution to the Notes and Resources from My PLN section at the bottom of each wiki. Rest assured that I welcome your input in this endeavor!

    Noteworthy from NECC

    I’m still trying to catch up from my recent trips to Kannapolis, EduBloggerCon and NECC. I have notes, pod/vidcasts and photos that I intend to share but more pressing matters (Family, research and writing, preparations for professional development workshops and 2nd summer semester courses) have kept my attention. Here are a few things that I want to make sure I at least go ahead and point out.

    Measuring What Really Matters: The 21st Century Skills Assessment Project
    “…a collaborative effort designed to create viable methods of assessing of higher order learning outcomes, and the higher-order skills required by independent, lifelong learners.”

    • This handout provides a good overview of the project and includes the current iteration of the assessment instrument.
    • SIGTE Forum: Assessing 21st Century Skills–Next Steps – NOTE: I’m interested in exploring this further with those sharing an interest in this. Perhaps we could set up an online discussion group or something. Drop me a line if you are interested.

    ISTE’s Classroom Observation Tool (ICOT)
    "A FREE online tool that provides a set of questions to guide classroom observations of a number of key components of technology integration."

    Ed Tech Action Network
    "ETAN provides a forum for educators and others to engage in the political process and project a unified voice in support of a common cause – improving teaching and learning through the systemic use of technology. ETAN’s mission is to influence public policy-makers at the federal, state and local levels and to increase public investment in the competitiveness of America’s classrooms and students."

    Possible Federal Funding for Educational Technology
    There is a possibility that we will see more funding for educational technology and perhaps even a large funding program similar to the PT3 initiative.

    Write Elected Officials about Educational Technology Funding

    We learned about this possible opportunity during the Teacher Educators (SIGTE) meeting during NECC. I’ve been intending to write a post about it, but I think my good friend, Drew, covers all the high points. The following message was originally posted on The Playground.

    The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation to fund an educational technology initiative. However, the U.S. Senate looks to be undecided on whether they will support funding. You can be involved. Go to the Ed Tech Action Network and put your zip code in the box at the top of the page. It will generate a letter to your U.S. Senators that you can modify as you see fit. In the next month, there is a chance that we will see more funding for educational technology and perhaps even a large funding program similar to the PT3 initiative.

    Please take some time and voice your opinion,
    Drew Polly

    NECC This Afternoon

    Here are the presentations/discussions that I attended/ participated in during the first half of this afternoon.

    A Plan for Wiki Adoption by Ken Pruitt
    Ken’s presentation was an adaptation of Stewart Mader’s Wikipatterns. Ken shared suggested strategies for implementing the use of wikis at all levels.

    Educational Technology and the Law facilitated by Jon Becker and Scott McLeod
    While preparing for the Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0 seminar I’ve realized how important it is that I become more knowledgeable about copyright, intellectual property, plagiarism, and related topics. I especially liked how they were able to pose existing IRL analogies for the virtual situations under discussion.

    I’m off to the the much anticipated (at least by me) poster presentation of the ISTE Classroom Observation Tool. I plan to share what I learn soon.

    NECC This Morning

    I’ve spent most of today participating in the following sessions and meeting online friends in the Bloggers’ Cafe. I’m looking forward to the presentation of the ISTE Classroom Observation Instrument (ICOT) later today. I’m curious to see how it stacks up against similar instruments like LoTi. Perhaps I’ll get a chance to post my thoughts about it. For now, here’s what I’ve attended to day.

    Diigo: A Swiss Army Knife for Your Browser by Maggie Tsai, Diigo Co-Founder
    Maggie gave a crash course in the basic features and use of Diigo. After her presentation she asked to interview me on camera and I reluctantly agreed. I shared some of the most common ways that Diigo is being used by my students, teachers with whom I mentor in professional development, and by me. She also asked me to share ways that I thought their technology could be improved and I reiterated ideas that I’d previously shared on Miguel’s discussions (here and here) related to this topic. I was pleased with her responses to my technical and design suggestions (She even contacted the engineers about one of the issues while we were talking.) and she provided Diigo’s rationale for why the ads, for now, will continue to exist throughout the tool. She assured me that they are indeed considering

    Creating a Ning Network from Scratch by Steve Hargadon
    If you want to learn about setting up your own Ning you might as well learn from the master. I’m comfortable using this “tool” but Steve provided useful insight regarding design and implementation which I found valuable.

    Using Understanding by Design (UbD) to Create Technology Rich, Deep Learning Unit Plans by Chris Lehmann and Marcie Hull
    There are oodles of similar models out there but I found this one to be practical but thorough. I’m going to take another look at Understanding by Design when I return home.

    This Afternoon at EBC

    Diving Deep into Google Earth and Google Maps

    Web 2.0 in Teacher Education (Program Info)

    1. My presenter notes
    2. Alternative to the term Web 2.0 is the Read, Write Web
    3. Teacher education and professional development that effectively helps teachers better integrate technology with teaching and learning
      • Allow the teachers to select their own goals and help them reach them
      • Online social networks can more easily provide the in-time assistance, coaching, mentoring, etc. that individuals during development/learning, but teachers often don’t think about using the networks
    4. How do we prepare teachers to teach in the 1-to-1 environment?
      • The emphasis should change from "teaching" to designing learning that engages the students.
    5. Resources for future teachers

    Designing the 21st Century Global Learning Environments (Program Info)

    1. Building on some online discussion that has been ocurring for the past year here and here.
    2. If there were no barriers what would education look like? Brainstorming notes

    This Morning at EBC

    I’ll be updating this post throughout the day to alert you of things happening here at EBC San Antonio. The full list of sessions is here. I’ll be sharing information form the sessions that I’m attending. The session titles are in bold.

    Social Networking for Professional Development

    Scott Merrick is sitting next to me and streaming this discussion live.

    1. Should it be organized or self-forming?
      • Should the tool(s) be dictated?
    2. An atmosphere promoting risk-taking is imperative.
    3. Teachers know what they want to learn. Professional development should be tailored around them rather requiring them to attend PD in which they had no say.

    Social Networking in the Classroom

    Vicki Davis is sitting by me and is streaming this seession here.

    1. Teachers in the room are using Ning, Elgg, and several private online communities.
    2. Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis updated us about the Flat Classroom and the Horizon Project.
    3. How important are digital citizenship and pedagogy in these decisions?
    4. If someone says a curse word in the classroom do we close the school? If there’s a fight at recess do we quit having recess? Why do we over react to these problems in online spaces?