Thing 23: Teachers - Reflecting on Practice

I've been thinking a lot about this Web 2.0 journey, and the resources that are available to teachers and students. There is so much to access, which can feel overwhelming with the choices--but using the lens of 21st Century Skills, it's less about knowing what all or most of the tools are out there. The students can help in that area. I'm thinking it's all about how as educators we use and teach 21st Century skills to our students.

Communication and Collaboration come to mind as a vehicle to getting rolling. Learning new ideas and creativity can grow from exchanging ideas and working together to discover new perspectives. I attended a Dell Computers sponsored event where the topic was on how do we support student learning. Consider that this is a Dell event without a sales presentation. Instead, the presenter Adam Garry, who has lengthy experience as an educator and user of instructional technology, facilitated a conversation about what best supports student learning based on the kid culture in the cyberverse: Connected. Participants were encouraged, sometimes prompted, to share their opinions, stories, and resources. By the end of the session, no Dell products were sold, yet Dell as a business that gets the important message that teachers need to focus on academic achievement, and Dell is committed to involve themselves in understanding this focus, and thereby intelligently share how their tools will help academic learning. Engagement is no longer acceptable as "the" reason to have technology. Here's Adam Garry's presentation slides from Connected:

Connected Presentation

View more presentations from Adam Garry.

From the presentation, I left with some great instructional tools and a deeper understanding of how kids through their online world connect with learning, collaborate, communicate, create, work independently, problem solve, --oh, and are engaged.

• Back Channel
  Example: Todays Meet
  During instructional talk or video viewing, participants post comments and resource links on a website as a way to allow learning and conversation to be non-linear. It's a back channel to the main conversation. Have you ever been to a session where the speaker sparks an idea or mentions an article or resource? You look for it and then post it along with your thoughts for the benefit of the other participants.
  
• Trailer Mashups
  Create a trailer using snippets of a movie to present it as a different genre. How does this lend itself to study the power of media, changing voice, or organization and details? Many possibilities...
  --Shinning (Classic Horror) presented as a Romantic Comedy
  
  --Lord of the Rings (Fantasy) using Transformers (Science Fiction)
  
  --Avatar (Science Fiction) using Pocahontas (History+Disney)
  
  
• Google Features
  Google has a number of tools and features that are best explored than for me to go into a lot of detail. Suffice to say that these tools can lead to assignments that allow students to spend more time with critical thinking and collaboration, because the fact organization is done. Think of the possibilities. Explore at your pleasure:
  Squared
  Wonderwheel
  Timeline - Dipity - General - News
  
• Wolfram Alpha
  Ever have a student who struggles with understanding a concept. Abstract explanations just do not work. This site takes such ideas as Math concepts and breaks down answers in a way to show the steps and mechanics. Opens possibilities on how to help students understand what their learning, and not just "do it" without lasting comprehension.
  
• Pageflakes
  Create your own portal for where information comes to you. Include sites and information you'd like to have your students get resources. If students have their own Pageflake, they could RSS your Blog or Wiki or news sites or school resources. iGoogle is another one that does the same. Here's an example.
  
• Google Wave
  This will be a great innovative tool for collaboration and development of resources with all tools at your finger tips. Great for student teams in a classroom, multiple classrooms in the building, across district, across the state, country, or internationally.

These ideas for the classroom were sparked by the opening of doors of RESA 23 Things. 21st Century Skills are necessary for everyone to navigate the constantly expanding realm of information, knowledge creation, and collaboration. Kids and adults are already using the networking tools out there for personal use. How we help students harness the experience and navigate the information flow and creativity is critical to their success...and ours.

Teachers: Thing 3

The EduBlogger has a an interesting list of blogs to explore. It also has tools of its own that I found interesting, such as the rss Tweets. That could be great for announcements or an information source to provide like news sites. I was particularly interested in the primary grade sites because it's intriguing to see how younger kids could be included. Some interesting approaches includes Receptions--Room 25@Willunga Primary, Wojtera's Words, and Mrs. McDonald's Blog.

Blogging with students, and for supporting student learning is one way to develop 21st Century skills. Take traditional essays, opinions, and multimedia projects that occur in classrooms, and post them on a classroom blog, or a blog maintained by each student. The conversation opportunities are enormous. Feedback is considered to be one of the top ways to improve student learning ("Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback",Classroom Instruction that Works, Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock). Security can be a concern, except that many blog sites have security tools that, for example, only allow posts by registered users, or users who have been approved or screened by the blogger. Teachers might use a blog to provide information or incorporate activities and resources for students and parents.

Teachers: Thing 1 and 2

21st Century skills are crucial today. Collaboration and communication skills are honed by practice within the global society. Students generally use the technology tools with intuitive efficiency and understanding outside of school. Harnessing those skills in academic curriculum would seem liberating for instruction. The video Pay Attention is excellent. It continues to be required viewing for anyone with doubts about why technology is important to developing 21st Century skills. Another video that goes to the heart of instructional needs is: A Vision of K-12 Students Today. 

When I last explored these concepts, it was as freshman exploring a new world. Now as a wise-fool (sophomore), I'm looking for the layers. 21st Century skills are the venue through which technology (Web 2+) can be efficiently integrated into teaching and learning.

Thing Two (reprise)

When I first started this blog, I wasn't sure where it would go. 

Now, the focus is rooted in exploring concepts and ideas about education. Why? To ask questions and make decisions through the filter of "What's best for all..." learners. I'm exploring other blog ideas. Yet I find staying consistent with this one is about all the real demand I can maintain for the moment.