Monthly Archives: July 2008

The Answer to Parallel Parking is C

I keep thinking what our streets would be like if we only allowed new drivers to demonstrate their learning through the written exam. Can you imagine the chaos? [Image- joiseyshowaa1] Personally, I’m glad that there’s a system that ensures people not only know the “right” answers, but can also demonstrate by DOING– in this case, by driving.

Of course, we wouldn’t allow that to happen to drivers. It’s not safe.

But we do it to kids in schools. Multiple-choice tests don’t tell much about what students know, other than the fact that they can memorize answers ( or in some cases, because they can read their teacher’s minds). Rarely do I encounter a multiple-choice assessment that allows a student to move beyond simple recall… maybe a few application skills here and there. What would our schools be like if we allowed kids to demonstrate their understanding or even mastery of a concept through other means? Better yet, what if kids were involved in the decision-making process about how to demonstrate their learning?

On another note, I wonder how many people would be denied a driver’s license had they been given only one opportunity to pass their driving tests– both written and driving. Has anyone ever said, “What? You failed your driving test? Sorry. You will always have a failing grade on this exam. No license for you–ever. Move along.” Seems like the streets would be fairly empty. (This second note is a point that Ken O’Connor discusses most eloquently in his presentations!)

Ever wonder why kids think school is just a game they have to play until they can move into the “real world?”

1joiseyshowaa. “World Class Traffic Jam.” joiseyshowaa’s Photostream. 9 Apr 2008. 25 Jul 2008. http://flickr.com/photos/joiseyshowaa/2402764792/

A Call To Act Now

I’m in a very frustrated state lately… mostly due to my impatience with the direction I feel education should be going vs. where it actually is. I usually feel this way after I attend summer conferences… it’s a natural after-effect of the energizing discussions that take place at those conferences. But I’m even more unsettled right now than I usually am.

In my opinion, if we are supposed to be educating our youth and preparing them for success in life, we have to step it up right now. Not after we get all our teachers and administrators caught up on the latest technologies… not even after we get 10% of them caught up. Not after we have enough money in the budgets to implement a 1:1 laptop initiative. Not after we convince all the parents that their kids are better off knowing how to be responsible digital citizens. NOW. It’s time to pull our heads out of the sand and challenge ourselves to do and be better. [Image from Adam Roberts1]

Is it fair to the students who are in our schools now that there’s such a disconnect between what they learn in the classroom and what they will need to know to be able to enter the job force? Absolutely not.

Jeff Utecht’s latest blog post asks us: Do we need another Sputnik to push us into moving along? I hope not, but it’s a great point. Should it take what many consider a national (international?) crisis to force us to make the necessary changes? Or maybe a better question is… are we already there?

We often hear the term “educational malpractice” applied during discussions pertaining to problematic issues of grades, promotion, and graduation. I’m posing these questions to YOU– is it educational malpractice to exclude digital literacy as part of the curriculum? Is blocking Web 2.0 tools from kids during the school day a necessary measure to protect them? or is it actually educational malpractice? Is ignoring the wealth of information and knowledge available on the web justified because of all the garbage on the web? Or is it educational malpractice?

As I meet with educators in my own district this upcoming school year.. as well as those educators who have invited me to their districts and institutions to present… this is something I plan to discuss at length. I would very much appreciate your comments/discussion here so that I have something with which to open the face-to-face discussions.

So the flood gates are opened… let us hear what you have to say.

1 Roberts, Adam.”Ostrich.” Spartacus007’s Photostream. 5 Jul 2005. 17 July 2008. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/spartacus007/23860934/in/set-547019/>

July 2008 Think About-Digital Literacy and Administrators

Discussing Digital Literacy with educators usually brings about a list of excuses why they can’t implement teaching digital skills in the classroom:

1. I have too much curriculum content to cover, and I don’t have time to teach anything else.

2. I don’t know enough about Web 2.0 (or even what that really means) to help kids… besides, the kids already know more than I do, right?

3. Is anything about digital literacy on the ‘tests?’ No? Then I can’t teach it.

4. My administrator doesn’t support anything that isn’t research-based or a tried/true approach.

… and the list goes on. And for most of them, these are valid reasons for being hesitant, especially #4. But I’ve never really heard a good list from administrators. And without administrative support, classroom teachers can’t really move ahead either.

Jeanette Johnson is a principal who is also a blogger. About a year ago, she posted a top ten list of “not so good reasons… why educational leaders don’t embrace digital technologies.” It’s worth reading, whether you’re an administrator or not.

I’ve been saying for quite a while now that our kids don’t have time for the adults to catch up, but at the same time, I need to be empathetic to the needs of administrators and teachers. Do administrators need to step up? How could they even begin? My suggestion to many has been — start doing something that you haven’t done before:

1. Do you blog? If not, start by reading other educators’ blogs. If you’re reading mine, check out my blogroll on the right side of the page. I’ll be adding more later today.

2. Have you ever ventured into social profiles? They’re not all bad, even though there’s a lot of garbage out there. Jump into one, or better yet, have a kid show you what they do. That’s the best way to introduce yourself.

3. Find an educational podcast– or any podcast that you find interesting– and subscribe to it.

4. Talk to kids about what they do when they’re not in school. How much time do they spend on the web? Do they satisfy a direct need from what they do on the web? Or is it simply communication to them? How many of them post videos to sites like YouTube? Are they involved in any groups in MySpace or Facebook? Why? Do they podcast? Do they listen to podcasts? Why?

5. Think about the websites that are blocked by your school’s internet filter in the name of “safety.” How many of those sites are really unsafe for kids, and how many of them are considered a nuisance by you and/or your faculty? Brush up on the CIPA requirements and then compare your blocked list. And then… ask kids what they think.

Will kids think you’re weird or old school for not knowing about these things? Probably. But they already think you’re old school, right? So what’s the harm in asking?

21st Century Learners need educators who understand them and know what they need to learn to be prepared for their world. Educational leaders have to help their staff members to be prepared to teach 21st Century learners. If our leaders/administrators are behind, who will help them?

My NECC 08 Aftermath

I think I need to reiterate that this year’s NECC was the best conference I’ve been to in many years. It seems like we’re learning to conference differently and better all the time.

Probably the most important key for me is that I need to maintain the passion and enthusiasm that inherently builds during and after a conference like this… and share it with educators around me. I see some very necessary steps to help those educators with whom I’m in close contact– face-to-face contact on a daily basis.

Initially, I had intended to live blog during the sessions I attended, but I found that difficult… especially when there was little to no internet access in some of the session rooms, and even more so in those events that were open to discussion. I wanted to participate and be engaged in those discussions… that’s difficult to do when taking notes. However, because I was so engaged, I didn’t need to take notes. All of those discussions are very much on my mind and have been for over a week now. Hmmm, imagine that. Learning more from being involved in the discussion, rather than being lectured to and expected to capture it all in notes. What a concept, yes?

So for now, I’ll post a few things that I found important, thought-provoking, and maybe even a few links to information I’ve found since the conference. The Ed Tech world is really buzzing loudly right now, and I feel badly that many educators will never hear it.

NECC 2008 Day Three

Yesterday may have been my favorite day at NECC. The two “sessions” that really stood out for me: 1) a facilitated discussion in NECC Unplugged about Blogging and Twitter Etiquette, and 2) Digital Magic/K-12Online.

I’ve posted a few times before about Blogging Etiquette, and I’ve had many discussions with other educators about what responsibilities and standards are for people in education vs. other professions. I haven’t really had that discussion about Twitter as much. The opinions about the use of Twitter, especially, were all over the board yesterday at the Bloggers Cafe. Should rules beyond the Terms of Use be expected of people who use Twitter? or any blog for that matter? Is there only one blogging/Twittering community? or are there several communities within the “Blogosphere” and “Twitterverse?” Very good discussions, even though many people disagreed… quite loudly in some cases. I really appreciate that people can disagree in a public, face to face forum, and still feel like their voices were heard. I’ll post later about my specific opinions…

Digital Magic/K-12 Online— all I really have to say about this is what a great idea! The fact that educators can contribute and even participate in something that is not bound by time or location is really amazing about the future of education. I talked with some educators who participated in K-12 Online the previous year, and they had nothing but very positive things to say.

Regrets for me regarding NECC 2008– I didn’t spend as much time in the Exhibitor’s areas as I usually do. There were just too many interesting things going on in the planned sessions, NECC Unplugged, Poster Sessions, and playgrounds!!

I did take about an hour or so to see the Alamo with my friends Josh and Wendy. I love history and visiting historical sites! It’s a beautiful area… have some great photos to share!

I tweeted this morning that my head is spinning with all the things I want to blog about, take back to our school district, upload to Flickr… I may not get any sleep in the next few days because of all I want to do!

All in all, NECC 2008 was a great experience. Even though San Antonio was pretty hot, it’s a beautiful area for a conference. The Riverwalk is just amazing… if you ever go to SA, be sure to visit Pesca’s (specialize in seafood) on the Riverwalk. You’ll spend more than you want, but it’s totally worth it!

NECC 2008 Day Two

Today was a very productive day! Spent more time at the Bloggers Cafe and NECC Unplugged… great discussions all around! Also really enjoyed Ian Juke’s Digital Kids II session. It’s so great to be around people who have vision, and it’s also very empowering when someone else validates your beliefs. Sometimes, I’m a bit impatient to get things “moving.” Change takes time, but I also know that it doesn’t happen without change agents.

What I think I enjoy the most about conferences like NECC are a) meeting new people and sharing ideas, and b) the incredible conversations you can have even informally in a hallway that might be a great new strategy to take back with you.

On another note, I had intended to do quite a bit of live blogging today, but the wireless connection seemed to be a bit overloaded. I took a lot of notes and plan to summarize, recap, etc. within the next few days.

Finally… someone asked me today at the conference why I named this blog “Avenue 4 Learning.” No, I don’t think my blog will lead you to all the answers. I view tools used in education the same way I do with roads, streets, avenues. I don’t need to know everything about a street in order to use it. It’s important to know basics about the road (Is it one way only? Does it take me where I need to go, or will I drive in circles, etc.). Other than that, finding the right road is part of the process to ultimately get me where I need to go. I look at education the same way. If we use tools in education– technology or otherwise–  the tools themselves might be great, but it’s really all about the final destination… learning.