Well I just got a promotion. At least that’s what my nametag says. When my superintendent couldn’t attend the PSBA conference this week, I took his spot (entusiastically because I noticed David Warlick was giving a keynote). Well, they screwed up my nametag and it now indicates that I am the Superintendent. I noticed you get treated better as superintendent than tech director, at least at this conference…lol.
This morning’s keynote was David Warlick. He’s great, but I did see this presentation before (I think it was one he delivered at this summer’s NECC conference). Still liked it. Basically his general premise is that we should stop focusing on integrating technology into the curriculum and start focusing on technology literacy instead. I think it hit home with the audience (primarily school directors) and the message was well recieved. I totally agree with him, but would argue that technology integration does serve to a good extent to move us toward focusing on the technology literacies. We need to synthesize both activities - integrating activities at the same time we improve the literacy skills (of BOTH teacher and student).
David is presenting a longer session at 1:00. I’ll go try to get a password so I can blog that one live. It is so annoying that you can’t get on the web in the conference rooms at the Hershey Lodge - I’ve come to rely on continuous access and recording my notes here.
…time passes…
AAARRRGGHHH…I hate it when you can’t get on the network. Have to resort to composing my thoughts in Word and then a little copy/paste action if I happen to remember after I reestablish my link to the metaverse. Weird isn’t it how we rely so heavily on the continuity of our connectedness. However, I guess spellcheck is nice.
Anyhow…David presents another session…YEA!
He starts this session showing the “I make a difference” video.
Q&A session…couple of the questions from board members revolved around how do school leaders “cheerlead” this initiative of school reform and technology literacy. Also concerns regarding the higher-order tech literacy skills .
One board member was very interested in Skype and seemed to generate a lot of interest among other members of the audience. That makes me think I really should do a professional development activity focusing on Skype. I wonder if we can deploy Skype via SMS?
How do students demonstrate competency? “What kind of test would show they have achieved competency/proficiency.?” David mentioned a school where they have instilled a ‘rule’ where the students (after a certain grade level) can only submit assignments digitally. He indicated that this has served as a powerful catalyst that instilled many more skills – would really push teachers and students to use the technology and discover new ways of working in the digital world.
Demo of SecondLife. “What I find fascinating about it is the mathematics involved.”
Beacon School
Question – Do you see any implications for Second Life on the futures eof education?
Three Converging Conditions
1. Unpredictable Future
Cited data from Richard Florida’s Rise of the Creative Class, indicating that in the next five (??) years we will lose 400,000 manufacturing jobs, but gain 200,000 science and engineering jobs and, more importantly, 500,000 creative arts jobs.
“Our kids are different” – much more connected, but we prevent them from being who they are as soon as they walk into the classroom. We try to make them the students that we want to teach instead of teaching the students that they are.
2. Information-Savvy Students
These are the kids that will be defining the future. Teachers need the same skills – skills to develop the learning communities that allow them to get the skils they need to get when they need to get it. “There is power in that community.” But most of our kids aren’t provided the supports that develop healthy communities.
Students have created a “new grammar”. (WOMBAT – waste of money brains and time)
The traditional definition of what it means to be a teacher and the traditional focus of what it means to be a learner are out of alignment – need to bring those two concepts into better alignment. Teachers need to model themselves as ‘MASTER LEARNERS’.
Video games – showed an impressive video demo of Assassin’s Creed from Xbox. It shows a very free-form environment. [This might have relevance for my presentation on Second Life – draw a parallel between the high quality video environment in the latest games and the tools used and interface of SL]
David Williamson Shaffer – A game must have Roles and Rules. You play some type of role and operate within some ruleset. Maybe educators need to structure lessons with this in mind
Machinima –
RSS –
Netvibes.com - recommended aggregator
Closed with his wearenotafraid.com blog spiel.
He never did get to the 3rd item… But stll a great presentation. I really really like the informal approach with the audience interaction.
