Monthly Archives: September 2008

My TOP 3 Learning Gems…

Posted on by
4

My exploration of blogging and other Web 2.0 tools began in earnest during April this year. At that point my enthusiasm saw me spending most of my spare time signing up for and experimenting with tool after tool, following lists compiled by Web 2.0 pioneers and reading every educational blog I could find. What a journey! Now that I have recovered from the ‘dizzy heights’ of discovery I finally feel ready to share a few of my Top 3 Learning Gems:

· The Google Tools: I’m talking Gmail, igoogle, Google Reader, Google Docs and Google Apps (for Education). I use each every day and believe they’ve helped me more than any other tools. An essential starting point for all educators.  To learn more try this excellent blog post from College@Home: ‘57Useful Google Tools You’ve Never Heard of’

· Edublogs: The blogging world is a vibrant place embedded with passion and enthusiasm that tends to be contagious. Starting a blog (or 5 in my case) is a great way to become immersed in the thinking and challenges of Web 2.0. Edublogs worked perfectly for me because it had simple, easy to follow, films I could watch and also The Edublogger, a fantastic resource for all bloggers.

· Microblogging Tools: At first it was Twitter and then Plurk. I love the sharing and camaraderie these tools allow. Plurk is ‘time-zone friendly’ because the timeline allows me to easily follow and contribute to discussions that happen while I’m asleep. Twitter is not quite as useful in this respect although it is still one of the best and I have made some of my best discoveries via tweets. Both are valuable tools for educators. I’m hoping Edmodo, microblogging for education, will work just as well with my students.

TOP 3 Blogs: The ones I read first are:

· Jane’s E-learning Pick of the Day

· Free Technology for Teachers

· Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day

All fantastic blogs to follow!  Great resources for educators.

TOP 3 Diigo Groups:

Educational discoveries abound:

· Web 2.0 tools for teachers

· Classroom 2.0

· OZ/NZ Educators

Top 5 Wow-factor tools: (Tools that impress with very little effort!)

· ClassTools: Impress students and teachers with your specially designed games

· Glogster: So many possibilities…higher-order thinking opportunities in abudnance.

· Pageflakes: a great tool for educators; the ‘anything flake’ opens up all sorts of possibilities. Great as the ‘front page’ for our Earth 2.0 webquest.

· Animoto: Very cool presentations. Impress the ‘too cool for school’ group with this nifty little tool

· Flickr: More than you think! Creative Commons makes this the best starting point for educators looking for great images.  Lots of tools worth exploring too!

However, it’s not really about the tools…

It’s about quality teaching and learning; it’s about being an agent of change and it’s about equipping students and teachers and being an agent of change so that, eventually, all teachers and students are equipped with the skills they need to function fully in the 21st Century.

‘PLN Reflections’: sharing ideas and building relationships

Posted on by
7

Inspired by the amazing ideas and thinking generated at the recent ELH conference I decided to ‘experiment’ with my PLN and begin a collaborative slideshow. (They’re a lively bunch ready for any challenge!)

I wanted to build something for my work colleagues to illustrate the power of the group and show the potential for us all to save time and energy when we work together. At the same time I wanted to encourage reflective thought and build something members of my PLN could also share with colleagues as appropriate.

PLN Power:

The ‘PLN Reflections’ slideshow below is the result of my experiment. It’s powerful stuff; creative and inspirational. Achieved in a matter of days, across several time zones and without any drama, it is a small taste of what can be done. However, the best part is not the slideshow itself but the interactions and enthusiasm that occurred behind the scenes, particular in plurk. I’m already hatching plans for a ‘We are the Children’ equivalent…watch this space!

‘Ah Ha’ Moments and what to do with them…

Posted on by
4

I recently had an epiphany…the ‘sudden intuitive leap of understanding’ kind NOT the ‘manifestation of divine being’ kind. (In case you were wondering!)

I was at a conference being totally inspired by the thinking and ideas I heard there. (Expanding Learning Horizons in Lorne) Lots of inspiration, lots of great thinking, lots of new tools, lots (and lots) of talk! (Particularly impressed with Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and encourage all to check out her wiki)

As I pondered people’s willingness to share their ideas and material with us I considered my own workplace and the many other snippets, experiences and ideas I’ve collected on my own learning journey. That’s when I had my ‘Ah Ha’ moment and everything fell into place:

Essential truths about educational change:

  • Education needs to change with the times (Der!)
  • Change is not about adopting the latest and greatest tools it is about passion and reflective practice.

  • Organizational culture is real and needs to be acknowledged and dealt with for real change to occur in schools.Mindsets do need to change and this is not always easy
  • Teachers need to work in teams to build professional learning communities. These shared experiences will help to bring about change.

  • Teachers must build a Professional Learning Network: such groups inspire, encourage and focus thinking.
  • Professional Relationships are important.

  • Teachers need to share their ideas and materials. Professional dialogue needs to be open and reflective.
  • Teacher’s teaching is very personal and important to them and this is why change can be difficult.
  • Best practice is not a ‘one size fits all’ model: best practice is really what’s best for your students and your school.
  • It is important to highlight and build on strengths and positives rather than focus on the negatives and what is not being done.
  • Learning new tools, working within teams, building meaningful curriculum and assessment, reflecting on teaching and learning, adopting new strategies more appropriate to 21st Century learners (etc, etc) is not ‘more work’; it is our work!

  • ‘Change by Stealth’ has its place and can be used to change practice and, ultimately, thinking.
  • It’s all about passion and vision!

Now what?

Time to actually do something!!!

Connect with a colleague; Start a blog or reflective journal to build skills and understanding; Suggest an innovative program at your school; Form a team; Challenge thinking; Start to build a professional learning network; Share material with a colleague (even when you don’t expect anything in return); Publish your stuff on a wiki and invite others to share; Do something differently and, Consider the possibilities…

Where\'s the passion?

Are conferences Learning Gems?

Posted on by
1

Having fun, wish all educators were here…

I am currently attending the ELH 08 ‘Expanding Learning Horizons’ conference in Lorne and find myself wondering about the benefits of such gatherings. (I am having fun so from that point of view it’s great!) However, I suspect that a group of like-minded people already dedicated to bringing about change in education is not necessarily the best audience for the messages here. We do not need to hear the message again and again…we need to act on it!

Several issues and questions seem to persist:

How do we change the way people do things in education?

How do we change school culture?

How do we ‘transform’ the resistors?

How can we move forward without moving backwards too?

These are not small issues. These are issues that require vision, perspective and planning.

I would love to hear from people who have changed school culture and transformed teaching and learning in a school anywhere…

How long did it take?

Was a ‘softly, softly’ or ‘bulldozer’ approach used?

Were many or any people lost along the way?

If you picked one decision or moment that seemed to be a ‘turning point’ what was it?

What main piece of advice would you give others committed to change?