Tag Archives: 21st century

1:1…Productivity, Audibles, and an Open Message to Intl’ Schools

Posted on March 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

I piloted my first 1:1 classroom in 2007 at the Walworth Barbour American International School in Israel. I had a basic laptop kit of Lenovo PC’s that, maybe, had 80 GB hard drives. It was a social studies class for English language learners and so the course was very literacy based. It was the perfect storm for 1:1 lap top integration.

Image from Gary Stein courtesy of Time Magazine

I have spent an enormous amount of thought and time in developing successful ways to run a 1:1 classroom. And I’m still experimenting. I have been extremely fortunate to have attended the right professional development opportunities and stay connected with the mavens of technology integration in education. The most important consideration in turning your classroom into a 1:1 environment is that you are not adding a new academic tool (like an overhead projector), you are actually changing the context and philosophy of learning.

I thoroughly enjoy having laptops in a classroom; however, to say I have never been frustrated by their use would not be true. Expecting problems, glitches, and technical issues would be most pragmatic. The benefit here is that individual experience in troubleshooting increases enhances the skills necessary addressing issues as they arise. The philosophical shift is now the teacher as the learner. Unfortunately, some teachers are uncomfortable with embracing this important 21^st century ideal. My advice: swallow your pride, admit your human side into the learning process, and have some fun.

Here are some important reflections on learning in a laptop environment. The aim here is to share what I have found to be some basic approaches that support two key areas for teachers: productivity and pedagogy.

Productivity

Proper laptop use starts with a clear understanding of how the technology will be used in the class and the specific protocols for maximizing its potential. I think an understanding based on productivity is crucial. We will use the machine to produce and at the same time, to be an active learner. Getting a container would be the initial way for teachers to model productivity. It can be a web site, wiki, or blog…..or Edmodo!! I love Edmodo because it allows me to be extremely productive in a variety of ways. It functions as a very sophisticated communication tool that carries a library feature that allows for organization of resources. I use Edmodo in conjunction with Google Apps to power a productive classroom. Every student shares a Google document (only one) with me so I may check their progress in assignments or have them respond to prompts. It’s primarily a paperless environment with the ability to constantly monitor progress.

Productivity should be a top priority for implementing 1:1 protocols and showing students what and how to make their systems more useful. Here is a shortlist of important productivity tools/concepts to use for managing a laptop:

Social bookmarking – I use Diigo.
Dropbox – cloud based with sharing capability of files.
Chrome extensions – Evernote, Screenshots, Diigo, Twitter, etc.
Folder management
Google Doc management and collections
RSS Reader
Kwiki Cloak anti-procrastination tool
Instapaper for Twitter – to bookmark links to read later when the Twitter feed is too heavy
Picasa or Flickr – to build collections and for practicing visual literacy.
Teach Tagging…it’s a big deal
Create a Youtube Channel

screenshot

Pedagogy

With the outstanding tools available for teachers and students, it is easy to get consumed and overwhelmed by the new blogging platforms and integrative resources. I feel that here is great opportunity to communicate my thoughts on calling audibles in the school year. An audible is quick change in the course of an activity or initiative. Effective teachers are like QB’s in football….they can call audibles when the situation calls for it. I try and stick to big initiatives and carry them through the school year, while tucking away new tools for implementation next year. I plan to see what I can do with Google+ next year so for now I am sticking with what I’m using now. Smaller tools and apps can, through backwards design, be implicated into a unit of study (sometimes easily, sometimes it’s a stretch). Effective teaching strategies and clear communication of expectation will slowly, but surely, transform a classroom into a much more interactive and problem based classroom.

Here is a short list of what I have found useful as a 1:1 teacher.

Join the Diigo Groups 1:1 and Classroom 2.0
Put your unit plans on google docs…second smartest thing I have done with technology.
If you use Edmodo, create a Teachers Lounge and add resources through feeds; then once a week remove/tag the resources (by subject area and section). By Christmas you will have a treasure chest of awesome.
Create a Livebinder and start your own textbook. Share it!
Build a Personal Learning Network. Smartest thing I have ever done as an educator. If you don’t have a PLN….then forget everything here. The number one reason people leave positions is over the lack of Professional Development. A Personal Learning Network has been the single most important discovery of my career. You should know what people are doing in their classrooms, tech or no tech.
Create a “Tools of Mind” list for giving students a chance to create their own learning opportunities.
Have students blog and encourage their writing to address multiple formats with an emphasis on voice.
Engage in visual literacy activities, critical thinking problems, and creative fun.
Rubrics are everywhere so borrow them and adapt them. Even better, use generic rubrics that target key areas.
Use the class time for active strategies involving verbal fluency, conversation, and individualized de-briefing.
Social Media — encourage students to find relevant articles on thee material
I do use a basic folder to have students cover up their screens on certain occasions. I expanded the use of the folder into a search reference tool, formative assessment tool, place to score blog entries, and relevant strategies for thinking analytically.

Screenshot from my Website

Will students check emails and skype chat in your class? Maybe – but they won’t if they are busy and focused. What we are really educating with a laptop is self-regulation. Can a toddler-teenager-adult have the discipline to ignore the underlying distractions of the web? Ask your students and empathize with them because the teacher is just as likely in the same boat.

One last note about the 1:1 classroom

Being an international teacher with some degree of control over where I wish to teach, I can say, with the utmost conviction, I will not work at a school that isn’t 1:1.

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Posted in COETAIL 4 - Pedagogy

Tagged 1:1, 1:1 laptop, 21st century, 21stcentury technology skills pedagogy communication, pedagogy, reflection, skills, student-centered, teaching

The Psychology Behind Reverse Instruction

Posted on February 28, 2012 | 3 Comments

You have no idea

It is not a secret that reverse instruction alters the traditional landscape of education. I mean, what kind of teacher just assumes that a video or screen cast can effectively deliver instruction the way a trained professional can? What happened to the human element in education? Are teachers an endangered species as a result of reverse instruction? Will Khan Academy threaten my future?

Please! Where do these irrational questions come from? Are teachers predisposed to the role of devil’s advocate? The first understanding of this approach in education is that it is not very innovative or revolutionary. I teach high school aged students and my colleagues would agree that at some point these learners must begin developing habits that allow them to be responsible for their own learning. Actually, in the 21^st century, it is earlier than high school. Try Kindergarten. What I find most practical is that reverse instruction acknowledges the transformation of what we used to value in education (knowledge) to what the world values (information). Technology may have enhanced and facilitated the forms and resources for learning, but the Socratic method is quite alive in the flipped classroom. The best part of the flip, hands down, is that the students can finally drive the class.

The Flipped Classroom Model Full Approach

I teach IB Psychology and some of the concepts and theories students must master in the course are quite sophisticated. Schema Theory particularly can blow your mind. The cognition necessary to build conceptual understanding cannot be derived from someone else’s mind. The brain doesn’t work that way. It is impossible to share a mental framework with another student and thus “plant” information in their minds (I also don’t believe narratives do this, but they are entertaining). Reverse instruction of sophisticated material requires student engagement and inquiry. The in-class agenda becomes predominantly deep discussion with Q & A time allowed. In-class activities can engage students in research, organization, and further extensions of the learning with emphasis on the specific meaning connected to the information. This is the flipped classroom: jumping “head first” into a new and interesting concept, while the teacher “life guard” throws the life line when necessary. I cannot lecture on notes, I cannot present lectures embedded into power points. That is a waste of time and the learning moment is seriously marginalized. Interestingly, I suppose it doesn’t matter if the students utilize videos, notes, articles, textbook; what matters is how those students are expected to relate to the information. What they need is an essential question to guide their understanding outside of class so that they do not lose focus. Once in class, their responses can be challenged or shared. Ultimately, the classroom experience should allow for thinking time, peer reflection/discussion time, creative activities, and student feedback. It would be difficult to schedule these important experiences in a forty minute lecture.

If you have an hour of time, it may be worth it to listen to Eric Mazur discuss how moving away from lecture has transformed his teaching.

Psychology & Reverse Instruction

I feel there is some sound psychology at play in reverse instruction. Cognitive and behavioral sciences have elicited a number of interesting ideas about learning, decision making, and motivation:

I think the motivation factor is one easily addressed in reverse instruction, particularly if there is variety in the forms of resources and reasonable time expectations. I also believe that if students actually feel more confident about their cognition, then they will try more difficult tasks and become better at self-regulation, abilities inherent in not just academic success, but future success.
Moving from conventional to conceptual understanding does not happen in lecture. It comes from time and attention, deep processing, and articulation. Importantly, when students do well with conceptual problems, they do well with conventional problems. This cognitive effort works the slow thinking system that is less intuitive and demands more information and time.
A major part of the flipped classroom should engage students in abstract and integrative thought processes. Mental models of information and associative memory are extremely vital to success. In fact, creativity has once been described as “associative memory – that works extremely well.” Creativity and systematic understanding can be fostered through inquiry and constructive (or connective) activities. Teachers can facilitate a classroom that move away from favoring cognitive ease by giving less of the information and providing more of the challenge.
Teachers should train students to self-prime for their individual self study. Priming techniques are powerful, yet can be extremely subtle. Experiments have shown that simple visuals or words can prepare the mind to learn or behave in particular way. Using priming in reverse instruction significantly enhances the students engagement outside of the classroom.

Reverse instruction also conditions learners to build organizational skills, seek help and assistance, and construct their own personal learning environment. Technology has greatly facilitated learners by allowing them to crowd source information (like using wiki’s or sites), apply and construct visuals that enhance understanding, and share those materials with others. I feel that if teachers communicate the value of using information over the acquisition of knowledge, then learners will seriously reexamine their roles and responsibilities. With reverse instruction, what we really expect are students that perform at a high level, not regress to the mean, as so often happens when certain units favor their abilities or piques their interests.

In the end this is about good pedagogy. When the brain learns something new the first time, there is a lot of work involved in regard to neural activity. Anyone who learns something new (a procedure, information, language) must devote an appropriate amount of time and attention to that new learning. That makes the learning part of education quite difficult. In the words of High school chemistry teacher Ramsey Musallam ,

“Good teaching, regardless of discipline and age, should always limit passive transfer of knowledge in class, and promote learning environments built on the tenants of inquiry, collaboration and critical thinking.”

This doesn’t sound like reverse instruction, but forward instruction. As for the questions at the beginning of the post, isn’t exaggeration a truly wonderful literary device.

For more on the flipped classroom check out the following resources and articles:

Should you Flip your Classroom?

Flipped Classroom Livebinder

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Posted in COETAIL 4 - Pedagogy

Tagged 21st century, blogging, cognition, communication, critical thinking, flipped classroom, learning, pedagogy, psychology, skills, student-centered, teaching

Doing Your Job

Posted on February 14, 2012 | 1 Comment

"Time - In"

I remember when I began teaching (back in 1995) reading an article by John Taylor Gatto , a former New York State Teacher of the Year, on the “six hidden rules of classrooms.” The article struck me at the time as an attempt to demonize learning in public education, rather than live up to its intention, which was to initiate change. Interestingly, here I am sixteen years later in what must be considered a “critical period” in education, where how and what children learn is becoming increasingly differentiated and integrated with technology. 21^st century learning is all the rage and with it, educators are beginning to tear down the traditional classroom walls, replacing them with connectivity and problem centered tasks that demand collaboration and critical thinking. What a wonderful time to be an educator.

As someone who blogs only on matters in education I am increasingly vocal about the concept of responsibility in education. A friend of mine on the Board of Education once spoke to the entire district prior to the school year with a simple message to do your job. “If everyone does their job, then this will be a great year in a great school.” The resonance of this charge is extremely relevant to the impending (and in some cases, current) adoption of technology in education. It is essential for school districts to decide the apparatus and the context by which children integrate technology into their lives. Interestingly, if all stake holders (teachers, parents, community) are engaged in the acculturation of children; and mobile/information/digital technology is an obvious component of that culture, then the answer is pretty clear. WE ALL ARE.

The social scientist in me identifies the tech integration question as more about people than about the technology. This is a progress issue, not a technology issue. It is simply unrealistic to design and implement curriculum and assessments with a 20^th century mindset. The progressive changes must be institutional and drive a “culture of do” rather than a “culture of know.” Nearly every teacher I know has done the activity “What makes a GREAT student?” and the answers are inevitably focused on doing, not knowing. This might not be so progressive after all. Real learning is engaging and authentic. It requires students to be responsible and appreciate accomplishment; they build self-conscientious attitudes and self-control, two core habits of mind that drive success in all endeavors. Progressive curriculums that foster these habits may or may not utilize technology. However, more often than not, technology compliments the needs of learner by offering tools to transfer, process, and re-package knowledge in frames that are useful and progressive.

This never hurt anyone

Flexibility, Relevance, and Personal Growth

Teachers spend a majority of their time and energy modeling behaviors to students that are required for success at the next level. Teachers that incorporate meaningful use of technology are undoubtedly challenging students to have greater flexibility in their approach to learning by providing opportunities to plan their own learning and how to demonstrate their understanding. Already, connectivity has transformed learning outside the classroom. I feel that education should embrace this huge transformation and bring relevance to the learning moment. Teachers can model ways their subject areas can be connected to relevant ideas and situations found outside of the classroom. I am quite confident that authentic experiences, dialogue, and proper reflection will exacerbate personal growth. After all, this should be what all teachers would want for their students.

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Posted in COETAIL 4 - Pedagogy

Tagged 21st century, 21stcentury technology skills pedagogy communication, flexibility, pedagogy, student-centered, teaching

Open courses: the Infographic

Posted on December 15, 2011 | Leave a comment

The proliferation of information is perhaps the biggest news story of history having repercussions in every facet of human experience. Jeff’s blog entry on the value of a diploma is an excellent place to start when considering the paradigm-shifting value of open course learning.

This summer I want to teach an open course class at Tim Pettine University. Any ideas what classes I should offer?

Created by: Online College Classes

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Posted in COETAIL 3 - Visual Literacy

Tagged 21st century, open course, pedagogy, visual literacy

If today was 1989

Posted on November 25, 2011 | 1 Comment

http://badyearbookphotos.com/

I have to think that, for some very unconscionable reason, that a motive to be a high school teacher is that I really enjoyed my time in high school. I enjoyed the sports teams I played on, I loved my friends that I shared time with, and I can honestly say that the classes I took were fun (not all the time). I was blessed to grow up in the time and space of upstate NY where I was able to experience pretty much everything that I could have imagined.

Sitting around and playing with all the creative tools that make visual literacy happen in the world, I began to wonder what I could have done with such innovations such as the ipod, the smartphone, the laptop computer and it dawned on me that kids today aren’t really tapping the true potential of existing technologies for both academic and personal use. I am going back to 1989 and I’m going to show how these technologies could have significantly enhanced my teen years.

Here are some ways that the 1989 me would have utilized the 21st century tools:

1. love letters

I am assuming that email has replaced the love letter but that lacks creativity and imagination. I am wondering what teen boy with a crush on a girl has created the romantic powerpoint or prezi that shows they really want a date.

2. parent communication

I really want to go to that Bon Jovi concert or need $20 bucks to go see Pretty Woman with that girl I sent the awesome “love powerpoint” to. Prezi may work here to convince parents of the difficulties of adolescence.

Copy of American Teenagers: The Unknown Frontier on Prezi

3. my friends

Facebook right. No, wrong. Friends require more effort. They require information and a personal touch that appreciates the time they covered for me when all the gin in Dad’s cabinet went missing or they are in a jam with the school bully.

That’s kind of lame I guess. Here are some other augmentations I would have made in 1989:

Instead of mixtape……play list to here my Vanilla Ice, Arrested Development, and Madonna, and Skid Row.
Evernote to run the 8,000 Sunday Errands my mother had me do like clockwork.
Slingbox to watch football while at my cousins horse shows and WKRP in Cincinatti
Flip video to refine my hitting in baseball
Twitter to really understand the events around the collapse of European Communism and Operation Desert Storm
Voicethread to ask girls out
Livebinders instead of Trapper Keepers
Youtube to get a laugh when ever a teen crisis kicked in.
Ebay to sell stuff if i needed some quick cash to shop at Chess King.
Google maps to find carnivals in the region to hone my skills at winning stuffed animals.
How Stuff works to get better at playing pool in my friends house or to distill my own spirits.
Shaving, typing, and spanish speaking tutorials
Self defense training
Visual and data collection for use in competitive swimming and Bell Biv Devoe analysis

I’m sure there are more but I have to get back to my wife and kids in 2011.

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Posted in COETAIL 3 - Visual Literacy

Tagged 21st century, augmentation, critical thinking, empathy, problem-solving, Projects, visual literacy

Four Quotes to Consider from TechEx 2011

Posted on November 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

I had a wonderful opportunity to present at this year’s TechEx conference at Bangkok Patana School in Thailand on the topic of developing Social Studies units that address 21st century fluencies. Additionally, the real reason for attending the conference was to attend the workshops headed by Ian Jukes, a Canadian educator and trailblazer in the commitment to transform schools to meet the needs of a new generation of learners. I was able to attend 3 of the 4 workshops where I was able to come away with some outstanding ideas of how to approach 21st century learning by considering the shift from developing ‘knowledgeable’ students to ‘fluent’ learners. In the sessions I was able to live blog on Twitter while taking notes…..all from my phone. Below are some of the more important understandings fostered by the conference. As Ian made clear, it is professionally unethical not to share new understandings with colleagues and with the PLN.

we are living in an age of disruption….

Some rights reserved by Learning Futures Festival 2010

Disruption is coming whether we are ready or not. I have always believed that creative destruction is an inevitable by-product of progress. Jukes pointed out six very compelling forces that will disrupt current human systems: Moore’s Law, photonics, the internet, bio-technology, nanotechnology, and infowhelm. that these forces are exponential significantly increases the likelihood that life as we know it is transforming in ways unimaginable not 50 years ago, but 10 years ago. Teachers that ignore the transforming landscape are unwittingly setting themselves up for replacement.

Teachers that can be replaced by computers SHOULD be replaced

The scariest dimension of this claim is that it is already happening. The rise of the creative class and the decline of the ‘low skill to no skill’ jobs has happened in my lifetime. There exist video lectures and podcasts that deliver information with enriching visuals and enlightened wisdom. Very soon the brightest minds and storytellers will be available for 99 cents on iTunes and the pod schools will emerge that bring like-minded learners into a shared space to collaborate and create based on interest, autonomy, and the drive for mastery. I think back to the movie Accepted where students wrote on a huge wall what they wanted to learn and then set about making it happen. They were in charge of their learning. I do not feel good teachers can or will be replaced. I can’t say the same for ineffective lecturers, non-creative lesson builders, or one-size fits all curriculum. Phasing out dead weight is all but assured once more innovative models emerge. A more promising approach is to allow students opportunities to plan their learning. The need a member of the creative class to facilitate this.

If the rate of change outside an institution is greater than on the inside, then the future of that institution is in peril.

What I feel is the most enduring message of the presentation. This is actually attributed to former CEO of General Electric Jack Welch. A succinct and broad idea, the evidence of this axiom is all around us and serve as warnings to the necessity to evolve individually and as members of in-groups. The one area that education should focus upon is right brain work, particularly since left brain work has been replaced or outsourced. This is a untapped reality for teachers stressing cognition in their classrooms. A teacher can build the ultimate puzzle that requires navigation of resources and knowledge, collaboration of multiple talents and skill sets, and culminates in creative/practical construction. Holding all this together is curiosity and that begins with questions….effective opportunities for inquiry that require divergent thinking solutions that incorporate right brain thinking opportunities. This is the change occurring outside of schools and makes 5 year old curriculum maps seriously out of date.

Some rights reserved by caseorganic

To think schools are immune to disruptive change is naive.

History has shown over and over again that the one constant has been progress (for the lack of a better term). Whatever the argument, schools can not consistently meet the needs of entire societies without first considering what skills are necessary for the jobs that will exist in the future. It is possible to consider what types of skills will be emphasized in the future. The most obvious are in areas where skill sets are synthesized. Psychology, web analytics, social media, and logistics will all evolve into more specialized fields requiring creative thinking and design skills. Curiosity will push the boundaries of industry and societies will especially benefit from a creative class that will visualize and explain the emerging landscape of the world.

I believe it’s time to consider the current job description of an educator with wider eyes and with more of our right-brain.

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Posted in COETAIL 3 - Visual Literacy

Tagged 21st century, 21stcentury technology skills pedagogy communication, critical thinking, disruption, IanJukes, pd, teaching, techex2011

Learning Dilemmas of the 21st century (it’s not all bad)

Posted on September 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

Teaching internationally has excellent benefits and, at times, heart-wrenching costs. There is a high degree of stress that comes with the wide-range of responsibilities shared by faculty and staff that make weekends feel short and workdays stretch. Educational historians may look back at the initial decade of the 21st century as the “dark times” prior to an even larger paradigm shift in formal secondary education. A time when collegiality was replaced with cynicism; a time when break room conversations turned vitriolic regarding the changes that all could see coming. There are those that distrust emerging tools and 21st century approaches to education, and others ready to ‘storm the barricades’ in it defense. In the international community, where reputation and professional growth are the driving factors behind successful postings, teachers have rare opportunities to be mavens in education by escaping the standardized testing climate of home. International teachers are not interested in things like tenure because they are impractical; we are interested in “what’s new?” or “what’s coming?” and how can this help me both professionally and personally.

The topics covered in Coetail #2 have really provided context in understanding the values that will likely drive formal education in the future: the importance of sharing and having empathy. With proper use of intellectual material and protocols to use materials, content will continue to proliferate and the opportunities to create shall be a visible force for change. Blogging about cyber-bullying, in the shadow of the death of young boy who took his own life as a result of bullying, hit me very hard as a teacher and father. Standardized tests didn’t help that young man and I’m sure that is what all of his teachers focused their attention upon. The situation is as much sad as it is criminal.

The Coetail 2 project our group developed is a very elaborate and engaging lesson plan for teaching proper use of intellectual property and the thinking that drives Creative Commons. Our group from Ruamrudee International School collaborated and commented one another’s contributions and tailored the lesson toward students with options for informing parents. Students will take a short assessment that will email them the results. The lesson will be useful to any program teaching digital citizenship or relying heavily on visual media.

I would like to say that the face to face time in the cohort has gone way beyond any classroom experience I’ve ever encountered as a student. The case studies and engaging opportunities are great, but the large group discussion with so many fine teachers and fine people have been excellent. We do have a great cohort with great ideas (as the blogs indicate), articulation, and visible passion for teaching.

To finally arrive at the point of the title of this entry, I do see the problems in education as something that can be fixed (in order to make room for new problems). We have awfully intelligent students who are on the average smarter now than any generation before them. They are doing things much earlier and with higher expectations of results. So what is the PROBLEM? Maybe it’s us as teachers always trying to solve something or sensationalizing the issues because at least then we have something to make a crusade about. I guess there is always something to complain about. Even in a world that’s pretty damn awesome.

My concern: my pre-school aged daughter will be a member of the Class of 2026. I am inclined to ask her teachers (many are younger than I am) what they believe the world will be like in 2026 and are they really preparing my child for that kind of environment. That should be a driving question for all educators.

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Posted in COETAIL 2 - 21st Century Issues and Ideas

Tagged 21st century, 21stcentury technology skills pedagogy communication, collaboration, critical thinking, cyber-bullying, empathy, reflection, SocialStudies, values

Fair Use and 21st century Social Studies

Posted on September 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Some rights reserved by AlphachimpStudio

How do I properly cite a joke? How about advice? Can I plagiarize my own ideas? Of all the discussion topics I’ve encountered in the Coetail program this one seems the most relevant to my subject area which is Social Studies. I am a firm believer in a number of precepts about history and in general the social sciences as opportunities for collaboration and understanding. I am aware that important considerations regarding the source of knowledge are critical to understanding human behavior in the past and present. Of these “ways of knowing what we know,” authority is the most relevant to fair and proper use because traditional scholarship demands proper citation of information from specific authority. Good scholarship in historical investigation is judged on the strength and balance of quality sources taken from authority; this is reasonable and justified in a sense that it protects both the authority and the researcher but for altogether different reasons. I am intrigued by the discussions around this issue and find that the grey areas are too grey to actually address (I leave that to the courts).

I guess a huge part of my own internalization of fair use is the question “what is an authentic idea?” Is there such thing as an original idea? How does syncretic development fit into the conversation? Writers of religious work generally have borrowed liberally from earlier works. I wonder if the Greeks cried when the Romans stole the Odyssey and produced the Aeneid? Actually, it is reasonable to assume that one of the great accelerators of civilization is the ability of humans to borrow from one another strengthening collective knowledge. The key word here is accelerate as traditional thinking of property and information no longer seems to apply in the 21st century. Consider the proliferation of information in the years after the development of the 16th century printing press. The power to disseminate information lay within the hardware of the actual press (The Chinese understood this having developed printing capabilities as far back as the Sung Dynasty, yet I don’t believe it to be coincidence that every Chinese press was considered property of the Emperor). The ability to move information has always trumped the actual content and I firmly believe this is because there really isn’t anything radically original or newly constructed that fails to borrow from pre-existing ideas, designs, and methods. As new innovations emerge that build and improve, I am much more inclined to place greater value on the connections between people and the content/knowledge, or more appropriately, the concept of experience rather than on wholesale information/product. Human beings are hard-wired to reach out when the need arises to tap the abilities and skills of others and the benefits of cooperation (or altruism) have been documented, encouraged, and celebrated.

I really enjoy this particular rant on the value of information in context where information is limitless:

As a social studies teacher the conversations regarding fair use, academic integrity, and scholarly pursuit are vital and relevant. The opportunity that the Creative Commons concept brings to the table is an upgrade to the property minded mores and attitudes of protectionism which have rarely resulted in progress. The great intellectual jumps in history have been the result of sharing and crowd-sourcing and it is actually happening right in front of our faces. This is the right time to begin educating the next generation on being scholarly responsible while endeavoring to embrace the collective power of ideas. The natural place in schools to provide such opportunities is in the Social Studies where visual literacy, critical thinking skills, and citizenship are all heavily emphasized. I would hate to think the world’s population as one large externality. (The video below is a famous clip from the Documentary “The Corporation:”

As for piracy, the concept and act have been around as long as people produced surplus goods. Piracy is an activity as inherent to society as deviance. Living in Thailand however, when I buy the bootleg dvd at the Samakorn market, I see the ladies children right there in front of me maybe having things a little bit better, and I actually sleep very good at night.

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Posted in COETAIL 2 - 21st Century Issues and Ideas

Tagged 21st century, copyright, creativecommons, critical thinking, property, social media, SocialStudies, teaching

Finishing on a High Note….

Posted on April 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

My project/unit plan for my course final is a very basic research assignment that asks students to explore a topic of interest and develop a systems-based understanding of how that topic of interest has changed in the last 30 years. I have taught world history for 15 years and absolutely love the systems history approach as it allows for a deep understanding of the connections between people and ideas, their geography, and other people. I also chose this project because it is at the end of a modern world history course and very rarely do most history classes (except for token “current events” days) ever address recent or contemporary change. Like MTV or Reality TV.

The research process is the key here and ninth grade students are expected to establish research skills along a continuum with their senior year demanding extended essays or English papers. I have embedded opportunities to practice search skills, visual literacy, organization, content-analysis, and ultimately presentation/design elements. My students will be constructing a slideshow with exactly 15 slides that change every 20 seconds, a presentation technique referred to as Pecha Kucha (pronounced “pa-kach-ka”) . After five minutes the audience will have heard a research based “story” about the last 30 years that demonstrates understanding of systematic change. We will employ a PERSIAN chart for their research plan, video examples, and ultimately a tool box of appropriate terms used specifically by social scientists. The assignment will be be four class periods with one class for presentation. Rubric link is embedded into the lesson plan:

FINAL REFLECTION

Well, after two months of exploration, organization, and autonomous thinking about the craft of teaching and what is happening, I am left with a number of very real questions and dilemmas about the systems we still use to educate young people. If I trace the genesis of my beliefs regarding education I end up with the birth of my son (and two years later, my daughter) and the very real concern that I (still) have that he is allowed the freedom to learn and grow socially with other members of his cohort. That my children are able to think critically about the world around them and that direct instruction in skills will be made available along with the opportunities to shape their own learning. This course is a beginning in allowing me to facilitate a change in mind set: that education is a journey employing all the senses and brain functions in order to understand and shape our environments. It never stops. Our focal point as educators is the tendency to be age-restrictive (roughly ages 4-18) and that preparation is the paramount responsibility. I think this is a very narrow view of teaching and in general ignores the real roles of teachers (which are approximately 23 different roles).

Blogging is great because I get to say what I want. Current teachers must consider collaborating on a regular basis, consider upgrading stale and disengaging curriculum, and above all stop complaining. I hear so many teachers complain about so many different matters that it is very uninspiring and difficult to be collegial. Current parents need to be much more engaged and informed on what is happening in their children’s class rooms. Know the curriculums and question when they appear stale or lacking in 21st century skills. Administrators must be involved as well in evaluating classrooms and begin to push their schools in a progressive direction that emphasizes higher level skills, rigor, and pride.

My favorite excuse for not keeping up with the times is “I am a traditionalist.” (whatever that means) I literally throw up in my brain. All I can promise is if my son or daughter ever has a “traditionalist” for a teacher, all I can promise is that it will be one very long year and they better get used to seeing my face. I read Nurture Shock; plus, I know how the brain learns.

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Posted in COETAIL 1 - Info Literacy

Tagged 21st century, critical thinking, design, history, problem-solving, Projects, reflection, skills, teaching

Tag Archives: 21st century

1:1…Productivity, Audibles, and an Open Message to Intl’ Schools

Productivity

Pedagogy

One last note about the 1:1 classroom

The Psychology Behind Reverse Instruction

Psychology & Reverse Instruction

Doing Your Job

Flexibility, Relevance, and Personal Growth

Open courses: the Infographic

If today was 1989

1. love letters

2. parent communication

3. my friends

Four Quotes to Consider from TechEx 2011

Learning Dilemmas of the 21st century (it’s not all bad)

Finishing on a High Note….

About Me

COETAIL Courses

Harbaughing

Days Go By

Twitter Feed

Who’s following:

Blogroll

Waiting to Read

Badges of Honor

RIS MS Teachers Network

May 2013
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Tag Archives: 21st century

Productivity

Pedagogy

One last note about the 1:1 classroom

Psychology & Reverse Instruction

Flexibility, Relevance, and Personal Growth

1. love letters

2. parent communication

3. my friends

About Me

COETAIL Courses

Harbaughing

Days Go By

Twitter Feed

Tags

Who’s following:

Blogroll

Waiting to Read

Badges of Honor

RIS MS Teachers Network