Time for Reflection

What an amazing year....2008. Today, as I am a bit homebound, I started to reflect on the year of connections and technology....and the beginning of a new and amazing section of my journey.

Over last Christmas break, I was asked to write lesson plans for a new software program called, "Animation-Ish" from my dear friends at FableVision. What a great experience that turned out to be. There is nothing more exciting to me than dreaming up ways to reach kids using any tool available, and having a great animation tool was the motivation for a lot of new ways to teach! In May, the high school kids made political cartoons (one of the last lesson plans I came up with) and I was blown away by the results. Huge thanks to History teacher, Brent Thoren, for having students work on the assignment. Check out my resource collection on a previous blog post.

In May, I also took the jump into Twitter. I had read about (and mocked) Twitter for quite some time and didn't see the point. How can a person learn anything or make friends 140 characters at a time? After gaining 220 or so followers, I have learned that the "Personal Learning Network" is a very strong force in my career and my life. I have learned so much from these friends, most of whom I have never met in real life. I must give thanks to Sylvia Martinez who tweeted my presence and gained me a lot of followers on that first day!

Also in May, I launched this blog. What a journey that has been. I have been able to post about the things that move me. I have been able to think out loud and also make some cherished connections. I love the thoughtful comments and I love being the voice for some other dreamers. One of the greatest thrills this year was when I blogged about "Darius Goes West," an amazing journey that EVERYONE should watch and support, I received emails from some of the gifted filmmakers. What a thrill. I purchased a video and I hope you will too. Here is a previous post to give you more information.

June was truly amazing and unreal. I traveled to NECC in San Antonio and was part of the FableVision group for the second year. I attended the Constructivist Consortium with my friends Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns, Gary Goldberger and Cristine Goldberg.  I got to meet "The Great One," of Twitter and Plurk fame, Diane Cordell (@dmcordell). What a treat. What could be better than being in a room with motivated educators who want to make a difference in the lives of children and they want to change their practice to inspire the difference?

I also had the wonderful opportunity to be a guest presenter with my hero and friend, Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns in her session. Watching this truly gifted educator is treat enough....but being invited to present some things my students have done was unbelievable. Another great treat of this conference was while I was sitting on a lobby floor hanging out and having lunch with Peggy, Peter H. Reynolds came up to sit with us and showed us the proof for the book that would be come one of my favorites of this year, "Free to Be...You and Me: The 35th anniversary edition." I had used "Free to Be...You and Me" in my classroom over the years, I was thrilled that it was being updated. Peter H Reynolds' artwork is some of the best ever. It is a beautiful book and a work of art to me

The other great part of NECC was meeting people all around the country who love FableVision and some who hadn't met the company yet. It was great fun....in a way, like teaching. Sometimes, you could literally see the fire light as educators dreamed of ways to use "Animation-Ish" in their classroom!

Sometime in the summer, I also jumped on the Plurk bandwagon...I have amassed 143 new friends. It is amazing how much sharing goes on in that arena. Although much of it is the sharing of the mundane comings and goings of the day.... their have been some very poignant discussions. There have been the passing of animals and the devastation of areas with weather that have led me to make charitable donations. I am amazed how the lives of people that most of us have never and will never meet have brought about such compassion.  On the other side of serious, my sense of humor gets a work out with some of my favorite sparring partners on Plurk, like principalspage and Dedra. Although I love making connections and learning about the latest in education and technology, my extreme quest for humor enjoys the silly interchanges as well. I once said, "If you can't have fun doing it, don't do it!"

In the end of October I was hired part-time by FableVision, the world's greatest software company (which you know I thought was that great before I 'worked' there). I lead the Ambassador program, which is the program I had been involved with. As I mentioned earlier, one of my greatest joys in the world is talking with educators who are committed to motivating kids and improving lessons with new products or methods. So, this job is a perfect fit for me. I am not in sales, which I would be really bad at. I get to spend time talking to phenomenal educators who are ON FIRE about reaching kids and love education. I get wonderfully touching emails about what people are doing with kids and it is truly a joy.

In November, I was asked to write an article for "Learning and Leading" magazine because of a comment I left on my "cyber angel" Sylvia Martinez's blog. It was a thought provoking prompt and it was gratifying to be asked to respond.

In late November, Peter H. Reynolds encouraged me to join Facebook. Previously, I believed that was an avenue for college students to come up with party plans....I was wrong. I have had a great time connecting with my Twitter, Plurk, and FableVision friends. Lately, I have started following some of the authors I admire in the Young Adult realm. Susan Patron, Deborah Wiles and others... Another great way to be motivated by interesting people. But, probably the greatest use of Facebook is that I have been reconnected with some of my favorite students from the past.  What a great use of technology!!!  I now have 229 friends and am enjoying adding more as the days pass.

It was a year filled with friends and good times. Thanks to all who played a part!

I am a very lucky man!

Are we SURE we want to go to DC???

This from Michelle Rhee, the new chancellor of D.C. Schools...

"She says things most superintendents would not. "The thing that kills me about education is that it's so touchy-feely," she tells me one afternoon in her office. Then she raises her chin and does what I come to recognize as her standard imitation of people she doesn't respect. Sometimes she uses this voice to imitate teachers; other times, politicians or parents. Never students. "People say, 'Well, you know, test scores don't take into account creativity and the love of learning,'" she says with a drippy, grating voice, lowering her eyelids halfway. Then she snaps back to herself. "I'm like, 'You know what? I don't give a crap.' Don't get me wrong. Creativity is good and whatever. But if the children don't know how to read, I don't care how creative you are. You're not doing your job."
Source: Time Magazine

In education, we do need people who can make hard choices....But, more importantly, we need leaders who have taken their place in the classroom and been EFFECTIVE! Unless you have been in the trenches, you don't know how to handle the struggles in education. Thinking that creativity and "Touchy Feely" people have no place in the classroom gives me the impression that Ms. Rhee has not been in a classroom and/or was not effective in it.

Well, I am going to say it right here.... I am one of those "touchy feely" people who tries to teach kids that they can be whomever they want to be--if they work for it. I think you could survey kids in my room and they would KNOW I care about them and I want what is best for them. If I had to guess, I would say that many kids love me and most kids I know respect me....and most all of them, learn from me. SO, touchy/feely and learning are not mutually exclusive.

Creativity will get us to the promised land in education! We need to be done educating kids to punch clocks....we need to get them to THINK and come up with creative answers to the problems ahead of us. Thank goodness for amazing people like Peter Reynolds and Sylvia Martinez and others leaders in education who keep us heading in the RIGHT direction!!!!

So, when I fly into D.C. this summer, I pray to be met by wonderful people who create amazing things. I know I will be able to be in the presence of teachers and leaders like me who are touchy-feely in all the right ways! WE KNOW that the kids will learn more from a caring adult....and we will lead those amazing children in our classes to a brighter tomorrow.

What Do Future or New Teachers Need to Know about Technology

One of the fun things about teaching a class of undergraduates is to watch their excitement grow when thinking about their future classrooms. One of the challenges is, what do they NEED to know! How can I prepare them for an ever changing classroom and world. Expectations for teachers are always growing and seem to stifle the creativity of students and teachers alike. We are now sitting at Midterm of an eight week session, and I am looking at where we have been and where we are going.

The class is "Computers and Instructional Technology" and it is an undergraduate class for future teachers. So far this term, we have learned about learning theorists, software evaluation, CyberSafety, Assistive Technology, Blogs, and had countless conversations on what constitutes good classrooms. We created an educational video and used Web 2.0.

Here are some fundamentals for me --
1- I didn't 'teach' them Google Docs... I used Google Docs for part of a lesson, the students had to log on and complete a working definition of Constructivist and Behaviorist (which I think some of the blog commenters should perhaps take a refresher from). The students collaboratively came up a working definition and they "learned" how to use GoogleDocs in the process.

2- As has been documented several times, we brought in experts using Skype. In those experiences they learned from the best people in their field....and they also 'learned' Skype and the power of social networks because that is where I found my experts!

3- We evaluated software first using the rubric in the book and then through discussion and expert, Sylvia Martinez. The true power of this assignment came in an unexpected way! Because of a Twitter conversation, Dr. Gary Stager weighed in on my blog post which helped me to review my practice. When I had my students read all the comments, they also reviewed my practice. Honestly, have students reflect on practice is the BEST thing I think I can reinforce.

4- We made an educational movie. Did the students learn how to create professional video? No. What they did learn was the process of brainstorming (using Inspiration). They learned the importance of storyboarding as a means of organization and a MUST for students. Mostly I think they learned that creating visual representations is a very powerful learning tool.

5- Wednesday, my students learned the WebQuest strategy. They learned it by doing one I developed which asks if the Internet should be filtered. Then they are taught the six steps of a WebQuest through direct instruction. In my teaching career, the highest order of thinking skills have been developed through the WebQuest strategy and it is fun to share that.

6. Students created their own media for use in their classroom. It always interesting what students develop!

7- Still to come in the term is a "How to do PowerPoint well" component including a presentation from each student. The main criteria is that the students in the classroom must be engaged. We will try VoiceThread because it comes so highly recommended. We will develop lessons that incorporate technology. There is much more to come, that I won't mention.....

8- My biggest dream and struggle is that I want to create powerful teachers who effectively use technology to reach students. What I want most is to create a hunger for these future teachers to always reach for new strategies and tools to reach students. I want their classrooms to always be a place of discovery and creation! I have an undying passion for learning and I want to share that.

What do future teachers need to know to be successful?

What Inspires You?

ColleenK on Twitter said that she got to hear Peter H. Reynolds speak this week and he gave a "very inspirational talk." To which I replied, "Peter is always inspirational to me, in one-on-one talks or in large groups. He has a great outlook on life and kids." It is no secret if you have ever happened upon this blog that I am a big fan of Peter Reynolds and of FableVision. I have even tried to explain what it is that motivates me to speak of them so often.

Which led me to wonder, what inspires me - or maybe more accurately, what is it about the people who inspire me? I will start with what inspires me and I hope readers will comment with what inspires them.

Thinking back to speakers I have heard, I think of the things that they said that are still with me. I think I have come up with some common threads to share.

1- One strong memory I have of being completely inspired--and in fact, changed, was when I heard Bill Page who was a speaker at an "At Risk" conference. I remember him saying, "it all comes down to what you believe in?" He said (paraphrased), if you get done teaching a lesson and the kids fail the test, what you do next depends on what you believe in. If you believe the kids are dumb and didn't learn what you so excellently taught, you move on. If you believe that all kids can learn if you could teach it in a way that they learn, you reteach and you do it in a different way. I can't tell you how those words have practically haunted me. When dealing with kids, I frequently hold decisions up to the "Bill Page" test. Not that I give tests, but it is a great way to approach problems.

2- Next, I would point to Peter H. Reynolds (I know, not a surprise). I had never met Peter until 2006 at the Iowa Technology Education Connection Conference when he was the keynote speaker. I had known the company and Peter's books, but I hadn't met the man. I had the priviledge of meeting Peter and Bill Norris in person. You could go through a lot of life without meeting people as genuine as Peter and Bill.

The true inspiration of Mr. Reynolds lies in watching him interact with people. I believe I have watched him interact with people for dozens of hours between the Iowa conference and the two NECC's I attended. I am amazed how 'present' he is when he talks to people. Total and complete chaos can be occurring around him, but he focuses on the person he is speaking to. It inspires me. It makes me want to be more like that. He is a person who has hundreds of projects going at the same time and deadlines that have to be always looming, and he takes time for people.

The other facet of the inspiration comes from the walk-the-talk nature of his personality. The first time we were out to dinner with a huge group of people, I am sure my jaw dropped when Peter took out his water colors and using a little wine, embellished a picture someone down the table had drawn. He is everything that the website says he is, a truly rare commodity.

4- A few years ago, I heard Debbie Silver, author of the book Drumming to the Beat of a Different Marcher: Finding the Rhythm for Teaching a Differentiated Classroom, which ironically did NOT have a cover by Peter Reynolds when I bought the book (but it does now and I have that copy too). What amazed me about Ms. Silver was that she was keynoting at the Iowa Technology conference and seemed to ignore the technology part and just speak about her educational experiences. I laughed...I got misty....and best of all, it made me think. It was early in the days of differentiation, or at least the word, and she spoke compassionately about kids and learning.

5- I have also mentioned Dr. Peggy Healy-Stearns a bunch of times and, trust me, she is deserving of every mention. She inspires me through her honest love of learning. Let's face it, Stationery Studio is an amazing piece of software and if Peggy did nothing, people would still buy it. That software is how I got to know FableVision. But watching Peggy talk to people about the software is an amazing and beautiful thing. She encourages them to send her projects and share what they are doing with kids...because she loves to learn how kids are impacted by the software and enjoys seeing the creations. The fact that she is one of the nicest people I have ever met is just icing on the cake! She also listens to every suggestion about possible changes to the program...the only thing that could motivate that is wanting it to be the very best and the most useful.

In terms of inspiration there are many other people who inspire me. Sylvia Martinez, Diane Cordell, and Karen Janowski all used Skype to present to the college class I am teaching. First, they were all inspiring because they had so much knowledge and experience to share. Second, they were so inspiring because they all either volunteered, or jumped at the chance to help out. It takes a special person to share their knowledge in a non-traditional format. There literally wasn't a moment of hesitation for any of them to jump in and help, which I attribute to being great people and to loving what they do. I won't go into the entire social network again, but I am constantly inspired by my learning network.

I am also constantly inspired by my wife. She teaches in a large school (for Iowa -- 1800 in 9-12) and she sincerely cares about the students in her classroom. It is easy for me in a small school, but her classes are sometimes stretched to fit more than 30 students, it amazes me that she knows all their names and can work with them all to bring out their best writing. I can't tell you how many times she has cried over something her students have written or how many times she has gone above and beyond to help them.

Now, for the common thread that all of these people share -- they all have a passion for learning, people, and kids. They are all immensely creative people who care about other people and share their talents.

People with passion and creativity inspire me.... What inspires you?

How Shall We Evaluate Media?

Last night was an exceptional one in my college class. We were set to talk about evaluating software. As the students were looking at three pieces of software that we are fortunate enough to have on our computers and one on my laptop, I sent out a Tweet. I said that I was waiting for class to look at software so we could talk about evaluating. Lucky for me, my Cyber Angel, Sylvia Martinez was on Twitter at the same time and said she would have a lot to say on the topic.

So, proving that the world is truly flat, I asked Sylvia to Skype into my classroom and join the discussion. I should probably mention that I have had Skype on my computer for a year, but never used it for a phone call. This is the sort of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants that either makes me look brilliant --- or a fool! Lucky for me, it was brilliant. I was lucky to have a brilliant guest!

For those who might not know her, Sylvia Martinez is the president of GenYes and has years of experience in software development. Her insight is phenomenal and was just what this rather quiet class needed. Before the call, we had a mini-conversation on the four vastly different pieces of software we had looked at. The students enjoyed the interactiveness of some and wondered about the breadth of others. When Sylvia was on the phone, she talked about the great promise of "blank page" software. She quoted my hero, Peter H. Reynolds, who is also a proponent of the blank page. Peter owns a bookstore and if anyone asks him what the best book in the store is, the international famous - New York Times best selling illustrator points to the blank books that they sell. So both of these marvelous mentors point to the wide range of implications of the blank page to curricula. Sylvia wowed the class and provided the impetus for a great conversation.

After the call, there was an excellent discussion about software and what to look for. When I went back to Twitter after class, I noticed that Dr. Gary Stager had asked me why we evaluate software. He questioned why we don't apply that same scrutiny to items such as textbooks. I replied with, " The reason I talk about software eval is because some people let software dictate curricula-instead of the other way around." I think my job, as an instructor, is to get students to evaluate all media. Whether it be a Web 2.0 application, a piece of software, a video used in class, a textbook, or any other media. I think most techie-people will agree to that.

Dr. Stager's point seems to include why we use a canned, out of the book type rubric to evaluate media. Do we use that same rigid and generic criteria to evaluate textbooks? Good and thought provoking question. Truth be told, I start the conversation with such a rubric. The rubric in our book asks students to look at things like content and navigation. The reason I extend the conversation is that there are a LOT of things that are not in the rubric. Many good pieces of software would NOT rate well on that rubric. An example would be the new software Animation-Ish. Blank page software does not fall neatly in the package of the rubric. The student doesn't receive feedback from the software and there isn't any teacher monitoring.

So, the question is, how do we start the conversation with future teachers about evaluating media. Seems to be a tender balancing act to help distinguish between the groundbreaking achievements in software development and the slick and/or shiny objects that people become enamored with. We must provide guidance in selection so that the objectives/education drives the media acquisition and not the other way around.

I sincerely want to thank Sylvia Martinez for her participation. I also want to thank Gary Stager for asking the tough questions. My favorite undergraduate teacher, Dr. Berg, quoted one of his instructors when he would say, "Anything worth believing is worth questioning." It is critical in this education/information explosion to question why we do what we do and how we choose what companies and materials get to be viewed and explored by our most valuable asset....our students!

I encourage you to leave comments!