A Twitter Story

A request is posted:

An answer is found:

And this is why I know tools like the iPhone have a place in classrooms; why I believe in teaching kids processes and skills, not focusing on content cramming is so important. I love technology!

The Traveler Returns

It is all a bit overwhelming trying to jump back into the world of digital education when one's mind has been focused on daily survival in foreign lands, things like not getting run over in streets crowded with cars, trucks, scooters, buses, tuk-tuks, songthaews, vendors, dogs and cats.

My mailbox and reader will take the resources of a team of archaeologists to dig through.

Looking forward to exploring others' blog posts with new ideas like Tech & Learnings Top 25 sites for 2010. Note: their list is not hyperlinked so may take some time to browse but there are many new sites I've not explored before.

Image taken by me at The Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookminder/5321587143/in/set-72157625601445658/

Some rights reserved.

Hello from the ROK

They say learning keeps you young. I've been on a steep learning curve these past two days as I left family at home to travel to Korea and visit my daughter. There's a lot to take in when you don't read or speak the language. Fortunately I have discovered two things, many Koreans speak English and they are all overwhelmingly considerate and helpful. The biggest challenge so far has been trying to figure out how to turn on the lights in the hotel room. Tip to travelers, the keycard has to be in the little slot.

Korean Air was a delight to travel with. The flight crew were first rate. This morning I'm off to explore a little on my own before joining my daughter. Here's to learning and happy trails. Oh yes, this post was by way of letting you know I won't be posting any of my usual tips on tech tools or educational ideas until the new year.

Blogging First Steps

Photo credit: xenia from morguefile.com

Thinking about starting your own blog? I'll be doing an Elluminate session on Monday Nov. 22 at 8:15 PST to have an informal discussion around the benefits of blogging for teachers and their students. Along with others from the LAN44 Innovative Learning Team I'll share resources, give some getting started tips and sources of inspiration. Join us in elluminate.lan44.ca.

Resources used in this session will be posted on the LAN44 blog following the session along with a link to the archived session.

More QR Ideas

via youtube.com

Another source of QR code use information is The Active Class: http://theactiveclass.com/?s=QR

Embracing Cell Phones Elluminate Session

Still feeling uncomfortable with mobile technology in the classroom? This might be a great place to learn more about using it successfully. Catch it live or at your leisure in the archive at Classroom 2.0 LIVE.

The Innovative Educator: The Innovative Educator Discusses How to Go from Banning to Embracing Cell Phones Live! on Classroom 2.0 - Saturday, November 13th

And while you're there have a look at the other fabulous archived sessions. You'll find a wide range of topics in a variety of subject areas.

Alerts = Connections to Great People and Resources

Some time ago I set up alerts through Google that feed into my RSS reader. This service searches for mentions of The Web-Footed Booklady and bookminder online. Most of the alerts that filter through are for mentions I already know about such as Twitter comments but occasionally an alert will lead me to a new contact or some great resources.

Today an alert led me to @auntytech 's delicious page because she had bookmarked my post from yesterday. Browsing through her other bookmarks I came across some useful QR code resources I didn't know about. Like the 1 Tool at a Time: Build Your Own Toolbelt wiki which just happened to have an archived Elluminate webinar on using QR Codes along with the Slideshare used in the presentation and a list of links to other resources. Thanks, Donna!

Splash!

A URL shortening service I've been using for some time just got better.  When using a projector/screen to show sites to groups of students or teachers you inevitably come across some with long URLs.  Some people will want to copy them down and the presentation stalls while you wait for them to do this.

This is where SplashURL comes in handy.  Simply install the bookmarklet on your toolbar.  When you want to shorten a URL for easy copying click on the bookmarklet.  You'll get a short URL in large font like this, a good trick for quick URL shortening in the middle of a presentation.

Today when I used it I discovered that SplashURL also creates QR codes.  Here's the one for a page of resources I created:

So how might QR codes be used in the library?  My friend @bryanhughes is going to have students write book reviews, attach a QR code and then insert them into the corresponding books in the library.   Any student with a smart phone can scan the code and read reviews created by peers.

Or you could use QR codes on posters around the school to advertise new books or special library events.  Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin) has published a great list with further suggestions on his blog.  Has anyone out there used QR codes in your library or to promote reading?  Do you have some other creative ideas?  Please leave a comment.

Comparing 20th and 21st Century Educational Paradigms | Educational Origami

Comparing 20th and 21st Century Educational Paradigms | Educational Origami

Thanks to Dave Truss @datruss for sharing this excellent chart in Google Reader. Think about how it could spark discussions around moving classrooms towards more collaborative, process focused, learner-centric environments.

YouTube - Academic Excellence in 140 Characters

This YouTube video talks about an interesting study done recently to examine how using Twitter in class might benefit students. The results are encouraging.

YouTube - Academic Excellence in 140 Characters
Social Media in Higher Education Blog

A Sharing Community

You never know when your small idea will ignite a fire
in the mind of another.

I get an interesting reaction from people who know that I've retired but am still involved in education and the online education community.  "Why are you doing this?" they say, "You're supposed to be retired!"
So why am I doing this?

I think because interacting in an online education community has become such a passion for me.  It's a way to keep on learning, interact with an intelligent and interesting community and share or help out where I can.  People choose to give back to their communities in a variety of ways through volunteering their time and sharing their resources.  For me, that community resides online.

Which brings me to the K12 Online Conference keynote presented by Dean Shareski.  Dean makes the point that all teachers have a moral imperative to share and I agree.  Why not share his presentation with your colleagues?  The  K12 Online schedule is posted here.  I'm always amazed at the depth and breadth of these offerings, there really is something for everyone.

Image used under a creative commons licence by furiousgeorge81 - Thanks for sharing, George!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/furiousgeorge81/177926979/sizes/m/

TweetUp

Meeting with people you've only interacted with on Twitter takes conversations to a whole new level.  Last night I took part in a Vancouver area educators Tweet-Up along with a couple of colleagues and four others.  We had an established comfort level to build on, we knew each other's interests in education and technology and some of the barriers we deal with on a daily basis.

As we enjoyed some refreshments and good pub food we shared ideas, resources, philosophies and discussed the possibilities for future meetings and joint projects.  It was a great evening of laughter and some undirected Friday night Pro D.  Thanks @davidwees for organizing this event.

Resources I bookmarked this week:

Guest blogger Melissa Smith on Differentiated Professional Development on Wes Fryer's blog offer's some great online suggestions for Pro D. opportunities.

Google Docs tip sheet and resource guide.  More Google Docs resources can be found in Delicious.

Free easy and useful creation tools from New York Times The Learning Network.

Where Good Ideas Come From a 4 minute video that would be useful for starting conversations around teaching methods and classroom structure.

The Return of the Blogger

The view from my new office.

This morning a lovely tweet came my way from someone who reads this blog and had noticed that I hadn't posted in over a month.  Thanks @bookchica!

I am indeed alive and well but have been enjoying the first few months of retirement.   It seems this is the time in your life when you wonder how you ever found time to work.  I'm exploring the balance between time for personal projects, family and doing some contract work in various education related ways.

It's interesting to see how stepping out of the system has allowed me to clarify my own thoughts around education.  I am more convinced than ever that the old sage on the stage model of teaching has to go!  Having said that, I know it would have made me very uncomfortable as a beginning teacher.  I needed those texts, worksheets and the structure to shore me up.

This morning I watched "Where Good Ideas Come From and thought that classrooms could be re-defined as spaces for ideas to mingle, share and create new forms.   This would require teachers who were confident, not afraid of taking risks, and learners in their own right.  It's hard for some to let go the reins or even hold them more loosely and turn the learning over to their students.

So the blogger is back.  For how long or in what capacity, time will tell.  There are just so many other interesting things vying for my attention.  Take for instance a simple walk through the park last week which turned into a prolonged stop to watch a film crew shooting a scene for an upcoming TV show featuring a live cougar.  Or my current planning for a mother/daughter trip to Thailand for two weeks.

And if you enjoyed reading this post please thank Tara!

Unlearning Cont.

Following on the Unlearning post I came across this list of 10 Things Teachers Should Unlearn on the What Ed Said blog.  I wholeheartedly agree with most of the items on this list but am perplexed by the third one.

3.  Teachers are responsible for learning.


I think I understand what this question is getting at, that students should be responsible for their own learning. Yes, students are more apt to engage and learn when they take ownership but I think teachers need to be there as coaches, mentors and learners in their own right.

Changes like these will not come easily for most.  We are hard wired to impart knowledge, to be the expert.  That's why most of us became teachers.  Letting students take over the learning requires that we take a big step back while still keeping our hands on the helm.  Thinking back about colleagues whose students have thrived and been universally successful, two individuals stand out above the rest.  Both taught in an atmosphere of controlled chaos.  The walls of their classrooms were covered with student made work and displays.  Walking into their classrooms was like entering a workshop where creativity and individualism reigned.  Yes, they covered the curriculum but they did so by taking many little side roads that interested them and their students along the way.

The blog post is worthwhile reading as the author feels the ideas are outdated and asks readers to comment, update or revise the list.

Unlearning

This post, Unlearning Teaching, from Will Richardson (@willrich45) got me thinking this morning.  It talks about teachers as co-learners and co-creators with their students.   It talks about the fact that teachers are no longer central to networked student learning, a fact that should make us all more than a little nervous.  Unless of course we learn to change with the times.

I think this would be a valuable way to re-purpose staff meetings.  I can remember few staff meetings, or professional development sessions, where the focus was on ways to change our basic practice.  Most were focused on news updates, or perhaps an examination of the current bug bear: students late to class, homework not being done, chronic absentees or the new report card software.  I always felt as if we were on a merry-go-round, same issues, same suggestions for improvement.

But what if principals took an approach that explored the rich opportunities that networked learning affords?  If this exploration was done together, as a staff, co-learning, there could be many benefits.  Hesitant teachers would feel supported, successes and failures could be celebrated as part of the learning curve.  Those early adopters on staff could act as mentors.

In a world where information is easily found and cheap what do we as educators really have to offer our students?  Maybe that might be a good focus for a start-of-the-year staff meeting.

What do we have to offer that's of value to students that they can't find elsewhere?
How do we foster skills in our students that their future employers will find useful?  What are those skills?
As a staff how will we examine what teaching as a guide and mentor might look like?

From Twitter this Week

Facebook is at it again assuming everyone will want to have Places running on their accounts.  Phil Bradley posts on how to change your settings to protect your privacy.

Social Media Competencies for Librarians  Two specific lists of the basic knowledge and skills teachers and librarians should have and be able to engage their students in around using social media in the classroom.

VoiceThread Digital Library a database of articles about successful VoiceThread projects.

The Networked Learner

A tweet from @courosa got me thinking about the power of networked learning and this is the result.  A person with a well-tuned PLN has a far greater chance of coming up with thoughtful solutions because their questions can reach a wider audience.  For a more readable image go to the website.

 

The diagram was created using Gliffy, a simple-to-use diagramming app.  Unfortunately this is not a free app. however they do allow you to create 5 diagrams using a trial account.

iPost about iPad Pilots

Image used under a creative commons license from Kominyetska
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kominyetska/4524717824/sizes/m/

Here are a few interesting blogs about school iPad projects happening around the world.  I've included one that outlines a proposal as it was well thought out and may serve as a guide for others and another that serves as a question and answer forum.  The list is saved in delicious and I'll be adding to it as I come across other interesting projects.

Fran Speirs Blog

iPad Pilot Project a wiki from Palm Beach School District with lots of resources and information.

iPad Trial @ Epson Primary School

My iPad Journey - This is the one that has the good proposal.  I hope he's successful!

The one-to-one Newbie at the Digital Party

Expanding Teaching, Exploring Technology

iPad 4 Education - question and answer forum

iPad's Promise and How to Use it Now on the I Education Apps Review blog

Brandt Schneider is blogging about using iPads in music class.

A few Twitter Gems

Iconscrabble: This tool is similar to Spell with Flickr but instead uses icons to spell the words you type in.

NewsCred:  Create your own newspaper with topics you choose from papers around the world.   Choose from world news, sports, entertainment, business, technology, politics. I can't see any way to embed your newspaper in a blog without going to the pay option but you can share it out using twitter or email.  I think if you wanted to use this with a class you could tweet out the link to a class twitter account.   You can add your own editorial comments.   This would be a good place to write questions for discussion, prompts or observations.  There are a range of options for adding in links, images, lists and other style options.  Very easy to use.  Once posted, editorials can be edited, deleted or unpublished.  Comments may be added.

Search the Internet for guides on any topic of your choosing.  

The GuideDB searches for pdf and other eguides, ebooks, manuals etc.  The search also returns a list of related guides.  Finds guides to everything, seriously, I even did a search for 'zwieback' and got results. 

Thanks for tweeting these goes to @shannonmiller and @Larryferlazzo!