Planning for 22nd Century Learning

I spent the afternoon with a great group of folks discussing & planning steps to help administrators be the kinds of leaders required to transform our schools into 22nd century places of learning... meaning we must plan for the future.  I wish I remember who said that at the meeting, but I really like the phrase "22nd century learning" much better than "21st century learning," a popular phrase that I believe has become overused.  If we are planning for 21st century learning, we're already too late.

Meetings I attend outside of my school district tend to be with people like me - people who work on instructional uses of technology.  Our ideas and beliefs are shared for the most part.  The meeting today was with a group of administrators (superintendents, principals, curriculum directors, etc) who come from diverse backgrounds .  I enjoyed hearing their perspectives and ideas -  it was fun to discuss educational technology with people who have such different job responsibilities from mine.  The lingo was a bit different from what I am used to, but we all are interested in changing the learning culture of schools and are striving for the same goals.

The discussion was rich as we talked about the "formula" for the development of the kind of administrative leadership that fosters student use of technology as a true learning tool.  What makes some administrators passionate about the topic?  How can students be added to this discussion?  How can we encourage the natural learning that takes place informally in homes to continue at school?   Should teacher evaluation have a technology component?  How can we best share ideas and network with others about this topic?  What are the routines and practices of our best technology-using schools?  Of course, there are many more questions than answers, but I am pleased to be a part of the discussion and planning process.

Also, a phrase I heard for the first time was "generative leadership."  ...I plan to learn more about what that means.

Earth Day 24-hour Webcastathon, April 22, 2008

 

What kind of Earth will your grandchildren's grandchildren grow up in?

 Act Locally; Share Globally! Come join the 24-hour long conversation about the health of our planet.  Participants will be from around the world. Special guests include local leaders, student environmental advocates, scientists, engineers, and people like you who are interested in helping to make the world safe and healthy for future generations.  Participation can occur anywhere there is an Internet connection!  There are three Ways to Participate:

1. Listen to the live show at http://www.webcastacademy.net/live.  There are several ways to listen to the audio:  iTunes, Windows Media, Real Player, and Ustream.  Select the option that works best for your computer system.  Use the chat room to ask questions or communicate ideas to the special guests.  See tentative schedule on the attached flyer.


2. Create your own video or audio that can be played during the webcastathon.  Share how you and your students are making a difference in your own community or any thoughts and ideas that you have about environmental issues.  Upload videos to youtube, teachertube, your blog or website.  Tag all content with earthcast08.  If you need help with the uploading or tagging process, contact Pam by leaving a comment. 


3. Add an an audio, video, or text comment to the EarthDay Webcastathon VoiceThread at  http://enviroscims.wikispaces.com/earthcast08+VoiceThread    

Please help spread the word!  Distribute this flyer to all your contacts who may be interested: 

webcastathonflyer.pdf

I'm "bilingual"

Everyone who knows that I recently purchased a Mac have been asking if I now prefer Mac to PC. Can't say that I do. Yes, it is different. I just like knowing both languages! At work, I use a PC. At home, I switch off. Almost everything I do these days is web based, so either platform works just fine. The creative suite of software on the Mac has been fun to try out, but there are PC equivalents to all of it. The business world is almost entirely PC, so I support my school district in sticking with PCs.

After about a month of use, here are my thoughts:

• The Mac is very hot on my lap. I quickly learned about the need to stick something between me and my laptop after scalding my thighs!


• The Mac makes a very strange bubble noise that I cannot figure out how to turn off. I have figured out that the noise is probably due to using Skype, and the noises may occur when people on my contact list log on and off. I've tried switching every settting, but I'm still dealing with that annoying noise. Yes, I could turn Skype off, but I like to use it.


• Microsoft Office on a Mac = Microsoft Office on a PC


• Camtasia does not work on Mac


• Photobucket is fun. This is a program that does not have a PC equivalent (at least I don't think so)


• iChat is also very cool. I love the computer-sharing function. I use Yugma to do this on a PC, but need to use Skype for audio.


• iMovie = MovieMaker


• I love the ease of using keyboard shortcut to snag images on the Mac - Vista now does the same thing.


• Less software updates on the Mac


• Garageband lets you do "enhanced" podcasts. I use Audacity on my PC, but there is no ability to add images. I'm not all that keen on the enhanced podcasts, because I am unable to use them on my video mp3 player (I have a Creative Zen... didn't go with Apple's ipod. My Creative has a built in voice recorder that Apple did not have.... Apple requires an additional piece of equipment that you have to buy).


• The ease of zooming in when presenting with a Mac is an awesome feature!

Back from MACUL... Now what?

 
The MACUL Conference was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan last week.  The conversations, networking, and social events helped me connect with others, and spending time with others who "get me" for three days was pretty cool.

The pre-conference session with Jason Ohler on digital storytelling was a highlight, for sure.  Jason was masterful at helping everyone see that digital stories have everything to do about the story, and little to do with the technology.  By the end of the day, EVERYONE had written and produced a short digital video using either iMovie or MovieMaker, then we shared our creations with the group.  The stories were fabulous! 

I attended a wide variety of sessions, and picked up at least one thing from each of them.  I was on the MACUL blogging team, so I wrote about many of the sessions on the Conference blog.

So, now it's time to set goals to figure out new ways of bringing the joy and effectiveness of technology into the arms of the students and teachers in the classrooms.   After much thought, I think that one of the things that needs to be done is to find ways to reach the school principals... the instructional leaders at the building level.    One principal from my district attended this year, and he has already made plans to add on-line collaborative experiences for the students at his school.  What could happen if all the principals were to attend MACUL next year in Detroit? 

So far I haven't found a way to systemically communicate the need for keeping abreast of newer technologies that were not available even a few years ago to the building principals.  I've been asked to train them on using Word, PowerPoint, Excel, email, etc.  I'm  happy to do that, and learning to use these programs help them with their administrative tasks, but somehow there hasn't been time for more meaningful types of staff development.   When I do have the opportunity to speak with the group, I have a short amount of time in their packed agenda. 

I plan to work closely with the principal who attended MACUL, and I'm banking on him having clout with his peers to ensure that we find time for doing what we need to do to prepare our students for the world they now live in.  We cannot do it without technology.