Again, a bit since I've blogged! Ok, two months' isn't really a bit and I have been in transition from one job to another. Now that I am settled, consistency should fall into place. I am finding a routine and time to revisit the blogosphere that I have neglected. I realized I missed the K-12 Online Conference. Yikes! Luckily David Warlick's keynote is still on the site and I have download it to watch when I don't have time (have to say that these days as who really has time???).
I have also come to see that you have to be careful not to confuse pre-conceived notions about how an organization is with how it really is! Additionally, in my new position I have the opportunity to work with Ray Jorgensen and the ideas surrounding Conversational Leadership. Great stuff for someone coming new to an organization and looking for ways to structure conversation and think about systems and how they function.
As I transition, so do the people who work for me and I am hoping that along with me, they can suspend certainty (one of the principles of the learning conversation) as we move forward to develop a vision for technology...keeping in mind my theme for this blog of changing the discussion...from technology to pedagogy.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Gaining Perspective
Over the past month and a half (wow, has it been that long since I blogged??!!) I have had a number of experiences that have (again) brought to the forefront of my mind the NEED we have to be able to examine multiple perspectives before responding (and not reacting) to situations, events or actions.
While it would be wonderful if others in this world did the same, I will focus on myself continuing to do this, at work, at home and in all of my relationships. It seems that if I pause, even for just a moment, to do this, understanding comes and my response is thoughful.
I am currently reading Change or Die by Alan Deutschman. While I agree with the principles in the book, I think we have to be careful to make a blanket statement and expect everyone to "change or die" in the same way or at the same rate.
For examples, teachers who have never created a WebQuest before are not quite ready to create their own blog or even post so someone else's blog as they are not confident yet of their ideas (maybe haven't even really formed them yet) and feel naked posting out there to the world. As an advanced user of technology, I think it is important that we all keep this in mind. Especially if we are working with teachers who are NOT advanced users. We must remember the point that they are at and strive to move them to the next step. Sometimes pushing them too far ahead will lead to refusal. Afterall, shouldn't we differentiating our strategies for technology integration and scaffolding for teachers just as we expect them to do for their students?
I will try to get on track again with my blogging with the goal of one idea at a time and continuing to change the discussion ~ it's not about the technology...it's about the processes and pedagogy that we use for 21st Century learning.
While it would be wonderful if others in this world did the same, I will focus on myself continuing to do this, at work, at home and in all of my relationships. It seems that if I pause, even for just a moment, to do this, understanding comes and my response is thoughful.
I am currently reading Change or Die by Alan Deutschman. While I agree with the principles in the book, I think we have to be careful to make a blanket statement and expect everyone to "change or die" in the same way or at the same rate.
For examples, teachers who have never created a WebQuest before are not quite ready to create their own blog or even post so someone else's blog as they are not confident yet of their ideas (maybe haven't even really formed them yet) and feel naked posting out there to the world. As an advanced user of technology, I think it is important that we all keep this in mind. Especially if we are working with teachers who are NOT advanced users. We must remember the point that they are at and strive to move them to the next step. Sometimes pushing them too far ahead will lead to refusal. Afterall, shouldn't we differentiating our strategies for technology integration and scaffolding for teachers just as we expect them to do for their students?
I will try to get on track again with my blogging with the goal of one idea at a time and continuing to change the discussion ~ it's not about the technology...it's about the processes and pedagogy that we use for 21st Century learning.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
8 Things - Tagging, Connecting, Learning
I came back to my office this afternoon to the latest Learning & Leading with Technology. All of the articles immediately caught my eye on this one...especially the article by Tim Lauer on making your presence known as a blogger.
I was tagged by Marci Hull and Kristin Hokanson! While this may seem somewhat like an annoying meme, I am finding that as I lurk on their blogs and read their "tags" I am learning a lot from who they know. So I hope that you learn a least one thing from those that I tag.
Here are the rules:
Post these rules before you give your facts
List 8 random facts about yourself
At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged
So, here are my facts:
1. I am a certified NAUI scuba diver, have been 130' deep off the Jersey Shore where visibility was about 8' but my favorite dive to date is the James Bond wreck in the Bahamas where visibility was 80'!
2. I can cook just about anything in the microwave.
3. My great grandfather immigrated from Campobasso (Molise), Italy it is the first place I will visit when I get to Europe!
4. I surround myself with positive messages...always! Casting Crowns, Skillet, Tom Boz
5. My son is the most creative child I know he knows how to play - and not with technology but with old fashioned mud, blocks and his imagination!
6. I have 3 sisters, 2 brothers and 8 nieces and nephews.
7. My dream job is to be an educational technologist and use a Mac everyday!
8. I love children!
I tag:
Joyce
Bill
Tim
Dave
Bard
Kathy
Jen
Marc
I was tagged by Marci Hull and Kristin Hokanson! While this may seem somewhat like an annoying meme, I am finding that as I lurk on their blogs and read their "tags" I am learning a lot from who they know. So I hope that you learn a least one thing from those that I tag.
Here are the rules:
Post these rules before you give your facts
List 8 random facts about yourself
At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged
So, here are my facts:
1. I am a certified NAUI scuba diver, have been 130' deep off the Jersey Shore where visibility was about 8' but my favorite dive to date is the James Bond wreck in the Bahamas where visibility was 80'!
2. I can cook just about anything in the microwave.
3. My great grandfather immigrated from Campobasso (Molise), Italy it is the first place I will visit when I get to Europe!
4. I surround myself with positive messages...always! Casting Crowns, Skillet, Tom Boz
5. My son is the most creative child I know he knows how to play - and not with technology but with old fashioned mud, blocks and his imagination!
6. I have 3 sisters, 2 brothers and 8 nieces and nephews.
7. My dream job is to be an educational technologist and use a Mac everyday!
8. I love children!
I tag:
Joyce
Bill
Tim
Dave
Bard
Kathy
Jen
Marc
Happy Tagging!
Monday, August 6, 2007
The Target
I have been on vacation off and on for the last month and have been thinking about the target that I want to give to my teachers. Now its back to reality, catching up on my favorite blogs, 45 posts to read right now. In reading Marcie's blog about teaching Web 2.0 I am reminded of two quotes...
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." ~A. Einstein
"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time..." ~Author Unknown
And so I am starting small while dreaming big! I am reading about Twitter as an educational tool and all sorts of cool stuff but I know that most of my teachers need to start small so I am going to ask them to try to do two things relating to technology this year:
1. Create a web presence - we have a new web tool in the district; SchoolFusion which is easy to use and simply combines a web page with some basic online classroom features and,
2. Create a new way to learn difficult material through the use of technology (WebQuest, Wiki, etc.)
Of course these two things are not small ideas but will start discussions that may change classroom instruction, that is my hope anyway!
As Will Rogers said, "why not go out on a limb - that is where the fruit is."
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." ~A. Einstein
"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time..." ~Author Unknown
And so I am starting small while dreaming big! I am reading about Twitter as an educational tool and all sorts of cool stuff but I know that most of my teachers need to start small so I am going to ask them to try to do two things relating to technology this year:
1. Create a web presence - we have a new web tool in the district; SchoolFusion which is easy to use and simply combines a web page with some basic online classroom features and,
2. Create a new way to learn difficult material through the use of technology (WebQuest, Wiki, etc.)
Of course these two things are not small ideas but will start discussions that may change classroom instruction, that is my hope anyway!
As Will Rogers said, "why not go out on a limb - that is where the fruit is."
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Stuck and Paralyzed
I was struck by the video that a colleague of mine posted on her blog as it illustrates just how stuck some educators are in their traditional ways of doing things and solving problems. When presented with a problem, instead of working together to find an answer, we call for help as if we are a victim of our situation, paralyzed by our circumstances.
The truth is, we have a choice to stay put or to move. To allow others to keep us hostage or to move around the system in a way that we build our own power and unstick ourselves so that we can continue to grow and for the purposes of education, continue to make a difference for the lives of those we teach. We have to learn how to empower ourselves and take risks. How do we do that if we feel as though we are in an unsafe environment to experiment and sometimes fail??
We have to hope that there are brave administrators our there who are willing to put on their sheilds and fight the good fight for teachers to feel safe in changing pedagogy, embracing Web 2.0 tools and changing teaching and learning! And, as my colleague Marcie says, "Negativity is not cool!!"
For those of us out there trying to make a difference, keep going!! Think of yourself in a swimming pool, wherever you are, as in a system, when you move you will cause ripples. As for my target for teachers...still trying to figure that out. I'm not sure we can set one target for all if we can not support it system wide.
I am reminded of a Sesame Street book that illustrates similar principles to Kristin's video mentioned above...where Big Bird has a wagon that just won't go (doesn't have wheels) and then asks "who has something good for wagons" and EVERYONE comes running with something different to help fix his wagon...at the end of the book Grover says..."every day you need a helper, every day I need one too, there's so much we can do together, you help me and I'll help you!"
These simple messages make sense to children...why don't we try them on educators?!
The truth is, we have a choice to stay put or to move. To allow others to keep us hostage or to move around the system in a way that we build our own power and unstick ourselves so that we can continue to grow and for the purposes of education, continue to make a difference for the lives of those we teach. We have to learn how to empower ourselves and take risks. How do we do that if we feel as though we are in an unsafe environment to experiment and sometimes fail??
We have to hope that there are brave administrators our there who are willing to put on their sheilds and fight the good fight for teachers to feel safe in changing pedagogy, embracing Web 2.0 tools and changing teaching and learning! And, as my colleague Marcie says, "Negativity is not cool!!"
For those of us out there trying to make a difference, keep going!! Think of yourself in a swimming pool, wherever you are, as in a system, when you move you will cause ripples. As for my target for teachers...still trying to figure that out. I'm not sure we can set one target for all if we can not support it system wide.
I am reminded of a Sesame Street book that illustrates similar principles to Kristin's video mentioned above...where Big Bird has a wagon that just won't go (doesn't have wheels) and then asks "who has something good for wagons" and EVERYONE comes running with something different to help fix his wagon...at the end of the book Grover says..."every day you need a helper, every day I need one too, there's so much we can do together, you help me and I'll help you!"
These simple messages make sense to children...why don't we try them on educators?!
Monday, July 2, 2007
How Do You Hit a Moving Bulls-Eye with a Blindfold On?
...well, with ESP of course!! :) Having just come back from NECC, I find that my head is spinning with so many new ideas and it is now time to write the goals of technology integration for next year. As I think about them, I am reminded of a few quotes from my dissertation research:
In the meantime, I am going to try to create a target that my teachers can see (topic for a future blog), so that they can try to hit it with their eyes open and tell their stories about the challenges and successes along the way!
- Technology alone is only one piece of the puzzle that can support educational change, but technology will have little impact without accompanying reform at all levels (Barnett, 2003; Ely, 2000).
- The success of a system wide change model depends on a coordinated “bundle” of innovations affecting many groups of stakeholders those results in a coherent system after its implementation (Ellsworth, 2000, ¶ 11).
- Further investigation into how teacher pedagogy and teacher technology knowledge affect general teaching practice found that teachers who are exemplary in pedagogy are able to integrate technology as an effective tool, even if their technological expertise is not at an advanced level (Pierson, 2001).
In the meantime, I am going to try to create a target that my teachers can see (topic for a future blog), so that they can try to hit it with their eyes open and tell their stories about the challenges and successes along the way!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Telling Stories
At NECC 2007 I had the opportunity to sit at the Drexel Online Booth to promote the new Learning Technologies Masters program. It was interesting to me how many people came up to the booth just to share their Drexel story. The more questions you asked, the more you could learn about them. It is a good example of how people just want to connect to other people.
I think we need to think of more ways for people to share their stories...maybe that should be my ning. For right now, I will just quietly think about it and listen to others tell their stories and watch the Classroom 2.0 ning. I am currently multi-tasking, blogging while I am attending a Birds-Of-A-Feather Open Source/Web 2.0 session at NECC. People are sharing lots of great stories here. It is great stuff but almost information overload at the same time. For some of the best Web 2.0 tools, check out the Classroom 2.0.net wiki website. I'm off to go explore some of these tools and listen to the stories!
Have you connected with someone and told a story to today?
I think we need to think of more ways for people to share their stories...maybe that should be my ning. For right now, I will just quietly think about it and listen to others tell their stories and watch the Classroom 2.0 ning. I am currently multi-tasking, blogging while I am attending a Birds-Of-A-Feather Open Source/Web 2.0 session at NECC. People are sharing lots of great stories here. It is great stuff but almost information overload at the same time. For some of the best Web 2.0 tools, check out the Classroom 2.0.net wiki website. I'm off to go explore some of these tools and listen to the stories!
Have you connected with someone and told a story to today?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
