Following hot on the heels of the Learning 2.0 conference there is a buzz around ISB. Teachers are asking new questions, taking new risks and experimenting with possibilities. For a technology and learning coordinator this is an important time. A moment to seize. Right now it is important to provide support, celebrate ideas and broadcast the creativity of the staff. It is certainly wonderful to have Kim Cofino around getting hands on with teachers and students in the classroom. It is amazing what she has done in just over a month. If you are looking for a collaborative project to jump on to there is no better place to start than here “20 project ideas inspired Learning 2.0″. If you are interested in working with teacher and students from the International School of Bangkok just post a comment on our CONNECT 2 blog and we will get back to you.

How inspiring would it be if your principal and vice principal were to model 21st century literacy by starting their own blogs? We are fortunate to have just that. Struan and Annelies have done just that. It sets a new standard for leaders to follow.

The Learning 2.0 conference was a reaffirmation that we are on the right track. That our ideas are sound and that this movement is not just a trend but is rooted in best practices, sound pedagogy and inspired people. What became clear over the course of the weekend was that while these tools are fantastic for enhancing teaching, learning and the curriculum, they can be even more powerful in helping solve some of our global problems. By bringing people and their ideas together from all corners of the world we all draw a little closer, see each others perspectives and deepen our patience and tolerance.

Tomorrow, Sept 21st it is PEACE ONE DAY  which provides a fantastic teachable moment to take a few minutes to discuss peace with the class and why it is important. One of our grade four teachers in particular is looking to get some global perspectives on this question and is having his students post to his blog tomorrow as part of the refection process. If you are interested in connecting your classroom and sharing your student perspectives please drop by http://lamontslearningblog.blogspot.com/ and have you students post. Make sure that they leave their country of origin after their first name so the students can see where the comments are coming from.

We hope to hear from you and your students!

Peace

This weekend I along with 25 of my colleagues will be travelling north to Shanghai to attend the Learning 2.0 conference. The three day conference represents a progressive step forward in professional development as this conference will focus on the future of learning and what it means for the classrooms and teachers of today. The lineup of speakers is impressive. Check out all the action at http://www.learning2.net.cn/

I will be involved in two presentations over the weekend.

The first………….

Interactive Whiteboards – Reflections on a 5 year study – Justin Medved

Over the past 5 years I have been actively involved in implementing, developing and leading interactive white board programs at several different schools. As a teacher and trainer I have taught with this new tool and have come to develop a set of best practices that have enabled staff and students to deepen the teaching and learning process. This session will be a synthesis of my experiences and hopefully offer some helpful information to teachers and coordinators who are thinking about implementing interactive white boards into their classrooms This session will explore how Intern active whiteboards can enhance: Teaching Student Learning Staff Collaboration Staff Development Instructional Practices Classroom Management
Session 4: Saturday 1:15-2:00pm
Room: C-204

The second presentation is one that I am really excited to do with friend and colleague Dennis Harter. This presentation represents the culmination of a years worth of thinking, talking and reading about how schools should think differently about the information technology strands of their curriculum and offers an alternative to the skills and scope and sequence model that many schools are used to.

Information Technology Curriculum 2.0 - Justin Medved and Dennis Harter

At ISB, we believe that technology is a tool for learning. We believe that technology is used as a tool outside of formal schooling for communication, collaboration, understanding, and accessing knowledge. It is our goal in developing an integrated curriculum to ensure that the way students learn with technology agrees with the way they live with technology. At ISB we believe we must focus on the higher-order skills that are necessary for success in the 21st Century. These skills are not tied to any particular software or technology-type, but rather provide students with the opportunity to succeed no matter what their futures hold. In this session we will share our curriculum model and our implementation plan for the next three years.

Session 8: Sunday 10:15-11:00am
Room: C-228

Are you going ?

If so introduce yourself here and then again in person in Shanghai.

Looking forward to it.

Came across this interesting picture and accompanying story this week.

“A team of scientists engaged in military research recently came to the conclusion that when it comes to reading web pages,most readers read in “F” shaped pattern taking into consideration the eye movements of 232 readers,it was found that a reader generally reads in a horizontal movement first.This is followed by their eyes moving downwards a bit and then,ensues reading across in a second horizontal movement covering a shorter area than what it was previously.

…………………If a page contains some images or box at the top right,it is noticed that a viewer usually concentrates over there leading to some distortion in the “F” shape .All these movements when tracked through a heat map-with red color defining most of the viewed areas,yellow indicating the lesser and blue”F”. signifying the least viewed area-gave the shape of the letter

……………………The study reiterates the guidelines for web designing and writing web content-since the user does not read the text throughly,the first two paragraphs must contain the most important information comprising subheads,bullet points followed by information in the realms of the text.

The last few lines of this story are probably the most important as they speak to universal elements of good design. This information is nothing new or revolutionary however it still has me thinking and wondering about how many people know about it. We tend not to think about design when we find it easy to read, navigate or follow information across a page or sign. However are keenly very aware of it when we cannot?

I can’t think of a grade, subject area or teacher that does not have their students at some point in time create or display work for others to read, watch or consume. Visual presentations (movies, powerpoints, posters etc.) are often used as summative assessment tools for educators across the world. I do however wonder how often components of visual literacy are woven into the student preparation and planning of the assignments. Even more interesting would be to find out how often they are assessed!

Would an understanding of basic design elements be beneficial to students as they are asked to prepare presentations across different mediums? Should an understanding of visual literacy and how to take advantage of known and basic design techniques not be an important part of all curriculum no matter what the subject area? Should students be accountable for it? It seems to me that in todays info rich world design and ease of information delivery is sometimes just as important as the content itself.

Who’s responsibility is it to teach these skills?

Sound like we are calling for a Curriculum 2.0 !

 Back from the summer and wondering where all the time went?

Back full of fresh ideas, thoughts and projects.

Last year left me exhausted and ready for a break but it also left me with a great sense of accomplishment that we were headed in the right direction. Fellow trail blazer Dennis Harter and I laid some great ground work that will help shape our version of Curriculum 2.0 that so many have been writing about.

I am really excited about this school year. There is so much potential and excitement in the air. Lots of new blood, ideas and possibility around.

I want to officially welcome Kim Cofino to the ISB Team. She is going to a fantastic new addition to the school and will be a crucial part of the critical mass that will help make “shift happen”.

The flag ship of this change has to be our new ES library. Pushing all boundaries of design and ideas around “what a library should be”, this new hub for learning will help us open minds to allow for deeper questions, critical thinking and 21st century literacy. You really have to see this place it is awesome. Much of my time last year was spent bringing this learning playground to the point you see it at now. In the words of A-Team leader Hannibal Smith: “I love it when a plan comes together!”

Last year was all about doing. I tried to write often but most of my efforts were focused on bringing the ES around to the level of the rest of the school. This year will be more about sharing and collaborating. I am committed to writing more and giving back a little to the community that has given me so many of the ideas and resources that I used last year. It’s only fair

Now all we have to do is get those books on the shelves!

A very wise colleague of mine and I have been working towards creating an Information Technology/Literacy curriculum for our school that can stand the test of time. The funny thing is we don’t talk about technology. The conversation always seems shifts elsewhere. In one of the recent versions of our ever developing vision statements he wrote these words:

” It is our goal in developing an integrated curriculum to ensure that the way students learn with technology agrees with the way they live with technology.”

Sometimes words in the right order ring so true.

Much is being written at the moment about how schools need to shift their paradigm and move away from TECHNOLOGY SKILLS and move towards THINKING SKILLS.

So what technology skills do students NEED to know?

You ask 10 educators this question and they will give out 10 different answers.

Terms like Power Point,Word, Dream Weaver, Web Search often appear in them.

Should they not be replaced with with words like: Communicate, Write, Evaluate, and Think?

How can a curriculum or technology scope and sequence hope to keep up and remain relevant when software, hardware, and information change daily. All too often these elaborate documents that track and chronicle how technology is integrated and are used across the curriculum become dead the moment they are written. They exist because they are written in the traditional educational framework of : document, track and CONTROL.

The problem is the way we live with technology does not agree with this framework. We have to relinquish CONTROL and think BIGGER!

I learn new skills when I need to learn them.

I learn new skills when they are relevant to me and what I am doing.

I learn new skills when they contribute to my understanding of something.

Not before.

If we wish our students to be successful in the 21st Century, they will need to know how to:

• Find and access information efficiently
• Evaluate the quality of information including both accuracy and bias
• Communicate effectively using all means of media
• Tap into the collective intelligence of many by collaborating both in person and electronically
• Keep themselves and others safe through responsible use and awareness of the dangers of a connected world

The tools used to meet these learning outcomes can vary widely but if you know the fundamentals behind how to communicate, evaluate, access, find, and share information then it does not matter what tool you use. You will be prepared.

Today technology has become an important part of meeting these fundamentals but it should never be the reason for learning to use it.

But what about the skills??

Who will teach them?

The answer is: You embed them right along side what you are doing. When you are doing it.

If I am having students present in Geography class and I want the students to present using a digital medium then I teach them how to use the tool properly and effectively right along side the content and purpose for doing the presentation in the first place. They need to learn the skills because they have been given a purpose.

Curriculum should always drive this purpose.

Math should drive it.

Science should drive it.

Social Studies should drive it.

P.E should drive it.

Purpose should drive it.

Of course expectations look different at all different age levels but that is what being an “expert of your students” is all about. Knowing what your students are capable of and structuring and creating a learning environments to meet their needs and push their boundries is what it is all about.

We are just getting started.

But it’s not just us.

Some great thinking going on here, and here and all over.

“Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops” – New York Times – May 4th, 2007

“After seven years, there was literally no evidence it had any impact on student achievement — none,” said Mark Lawson, the school board president here in Liverpool, one of the first districts in New York State to experiment with putting technology directly into students’ hands. “The teachers were telling us when there’s a one-to-one relationship between the student and the laptop, the box gets in the way. It’s a distraction to the educational process.”

When I read statements like this it saddens me and maddens me at the same time.

It saddens me to watch thousands of hard earned tax dollars be wasted because of poor implementation and support. You don’t read about businesses considering abandoning their lap top programs due to employee computer distractions or losses in productivity. How are schools to remain relevant to today’s students if they cannot structure and provide an environment that can enable them to succeed?

In one to one lap top classrooms everything looks different.
Classroom management looks different.

Supervision looks different.

Assessment looks different.

Collaboration looks different.

Teaching looks different.

Scaffolding looks different.

Lesson plans look different.

Learning looks different.

Teaching looks different.

TEACHING LOOKS DIFFERENT!!!

After reading this article, my first questions were:

How much PD was done on: “Teaching in a one to one program”, “Classroom management in a one to one program”, “Student user policies in a one to one program” , “How to monitor and track teacher AND student learning in a one to one program”.

You won’t find books on these subjects (idea??) but if you leverage the experience of all of us who are working and teaching in these environments and having success with them you will find a wealth of knowledge, just waiting to be tapped. Reach out and mobilize your resources! Is that not one of the new skills of the 21st century?

I have seen and have been a part of programs that work. There are so many examples out there where one to one programs succeed in engaging our 21st century learners while still ensuring they they are learing. But it takes an investment in PEOPLE and not technology to make these programs successful. Small steps, instructional shifts, changes in thinking, changes in practices and changes in TEACHING.

Changes in Teaching,……………..

I can think of so many subjects areas that a movie like this would fit into.

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our live.

As “visual literacy” creeps into the curriculum and wakes up to Marshall McLuhan idea of the “medium being the message” its nice to know that movie like this are being produced. Think of the conversations.