Conferences pt. 3

On April 13th I attended Apple's Spring Update in Westborough. Those days are always an inspiratation and having just come from my first conference as a presenter I was particularly keen on observing the presenters and what made them so good. They come across as just ordinary guys--not techno super-heroes and don't flood you with jargon. They made everything they demonstrated: from an original composition in Garageband on the iPad that was amazing to deploying 1000 new ipod touches seem like a walk in the park. They related well to the audience. They used a lot of humor and related personal experiences.

Must tries from the day:

1. We need to get our hands on the iPad----HUGE impact on teaching--especially SPED

2. I want to try epub---it seems very doable and will be a good reason to migrate to pages. Grades 5/6 could do this.

3. App development with STEMS focus? Tap into UMASS? Thinking of how the tech squad kids would just gobble up programming.

So many ideas---now we have to find funding!

Conferences pt.2

The TEP (Technology Education Partnership) conference on April 7 provided opportunities to see what was new with Smart, learn about Maine's 1:1 initiative, and ways that educators are using social network tools to stay connected. Of particular interest was a session titled "Connect, Collaborate, Create, Challenge – CHANGE" led by Gaby Richard-Harrington. Her perspective was fresh and thoughtful and I enjoyed her talk. One key point she made was that we are waiting too long as educators to teach our students about online tools. Being a"webizen" should start earlier with training in online protocol, civility and safety. By middle school it's too late. She also stressed the need to give back online--when we use an idea or lesson plan and create something of value, we need to share it back. I liked Richard-Harrington's delivery and message so much I attended her following session, "Design Your Professional Learning Community". I am comfortable with PLCs or PLNs but was sure there were things I could learn. Unfortunately the internet connection at this tech conference was unreliable and she couldn't demo live sites--oh, the irony!-but I did gather a handful of new ideas to use with students. We'll be checking out Edmodo and Primary Pad as possible safe online environments for student collaboration. Great stuff!

And the highlight of the day...the U28 tech team presented a session on our year-long tech initiative: Technology Professional Development – the Key to Mobilizing Integration. We had a full room and the reception was positive. Attendees were impressed with the level of administrative support we had for this undertaking and the time we were give. They like several of the ideas we shared-how we incorporate Tech Time into our PD, 28things, and had some new ideas to take back to their schools. This was our first time presenting and it fell in a week with a book fair, MCAS and Art & Technology show, but our nervousness was unfounded. We nailed it :>)

photo: Michael Wakefield

Conferences pt.1

On April 7 I attended the TEP Conference (Technology Education Partnership) in Holyoke as part of the U28 Technology Team with Debbie Lee, Karin Gravina and Christine Morin. Alan November was the keynote speaker. I'd heard of his work and really looked forward to his presentation. There is real value in having your beliefs challenged and shook up. I appreciated November's underlying message about education and the need to do things differently. He spoke of the Flipped model of learning where students traditional classwork and homework are reversed. I agree that putting computers in every classroom and devices in each child's hand does not increase learning in and of itself. How do we teach? How do we effect change? Unfortunately Mr. November's delivery was so arrogant, cocky and out there that it was hard to hear the valid message underneath. He is a leader in the tech ed field, and he put many folks from small schools at this small conference on the defensive, which isn't a position where people can be open to new ideas. Too bad.

We are all Digital Immigrants

Andy Woodworth has a great blog, Agnostic, maybe that often gets right at an idea I've been thinking about. His post today about the term Digital Native was spot on.

Stop using the terms Digital Native/ Digital Immigrants!

We are all immigrants to this new land.

Google has been around for only 13 years, Facebook and Twitter for 5. New tools are developed every. single. day.

Working with children navigate the internet and the research process has made it clear to me that these aren't Digital Natives. They do not instinctively know how to get the information they need or how to best use the plethora of tools at their disposal. They need to be taught, just like the rest of us.

When I hear adults say they don't understand/use/like technology because they are Digital Immigrants I cringe inside. It's not an innate ability. It is not age related. One of my graduate school professors was in her 60s and is the most tech savvy person I know. She learned it. She worked hard to stay current. She puts in the time.

Not being interested in technology is ok. But please, don't blame it on not being born in this generation.

Social Networks in the time of disaster

Like the rest of the word, I am feeling saddened by the horrible devastation in Japan. This tragedy feels personal to me, as through my son's visits there (he's spent 4 summers in or around Tokyo) the host families that have been so kind to him, his close friends, and the families of his college roommates I can put faces on the afflicted.

It is hard to imagine enduring the uncertainty of not knowing if loved ones are alive or not. Facebook, Twitter, email---these tools have been a Godsend for helping folks stay in touch.

Last month's events in Egypt were fueled in part by social media. It is astonishing how far we have come and so fast.

The number of home videos of the earthquake and tsunami on youTube allow the world to share in Japan's suffering, and hopefully move people to help. The world is small. We are all connected.

My PLN

I am really looking forward to Friday's curriculum day and meeting our guest speaker Richard Byrne. I've been reading his blog for a couple of years and he is an important part of my personal learning network (PLN)--to us geeky librarian types he is a rock star! How can you possibly keep up with new technology? Follow Richard's blog.

This week was extremely busy for me with Books in Action- our big union-wide party. I wasn't able to attend to many things on my plate--and one was my PLN. My RSS feeds runeth over. I'm feeling disconnected. My PLN consists of reading lots of books (books first--always), subscribing to an incredible listserv (LM_NET) for school librarians, following the movers and shakers on Twitter, staying connected to local librarian friends on Facebook, using Google Reader to follow a couple of dozen blogs. I also use Goodreads which is invaluable as a reader's advisory and book selection tool. I also learn a great deal and benefit from collaboration with my colleagues in my school. Some teachers feel isolated in their buildings, but with a PLN I think you can feel connected, supported and have contacts all over the world to turn to for advice. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I like this video as an introduction to PLNs. Ooohhh...I'm feeling a tech time session coming on!

March 2 Job-alike

Debbie and I had the chance to create a workshop on iMovie for the third job-alike of the year. We had hoped to offer this as a hands-on workshop, since we believe that is the best way for learners to experience technology. Since that wasn't an option, I was a bit nervous on how the session would run.

No worries. The group was wonderful! They really stuck with it. Great questions and an openness to giving this great app a try. Once the learning curve is accounted for, iMovie is so easy to use that is really takes no time to compile a clip. I've used it several times this week, preparing for Books in Action.

The dilemma I have is that I have version 8 at home, 9 at school and would love to get my hands on 11, the new version! The rapidness in which new versions are released is daunting. I feel this way about technology in general. The speed in which obsolescence occurs is blinding! Could we please just have 6 months in which nothing new is issued, nothing revised? I need to catch up.