History – coming to a phone near you!

Posted on October 26, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Michael Arrington writes about a new interface for delivering history information through World History. I am going to enjoy the reaction of history teachers to this product! if only because they will have to fast-track their 21st century understanding of how students ‘source’ their history information 🙂

Even if it is drawing content from Wikipedia, as Michael suggests, the fact that the company is also developing an iPhone application highlights the fact that change it taking place under our very noses in a pretty significant way!

It seams the product is still in private beta, but the idea is that you will use the map to find a location you are interested in and see historical events that occurred there visually. Even set a date range and see just the events during those years. For more information, check out the demo videos here.

Quotes worth keeping

Posted on October 25, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Learning happens through connections

We learn when we connect ideas, people, thoughts. This isn’t new, but the more I’m in a connected world the more I realize that it’s through connections that learning occurs. Is it just me? Or should we not be teaching students how to connect information to create new knowledge.

Jeff Utecht New Schools

We’re living in a conversation

Posted on October 18, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

How do you feel about online conversations – in public, during conferences, in the classroom. The recent 2008 The Australian Computers in Education Conference generated quite a bit of discussion about the etiquette of blogging and microblogging (twittering) during conference sessions, which was further fueled by Grahams reflection on Redefining Conference Professional Respect. We talked about it on Twitter, and in other online and virtual spaces.

My fellow traveller on the ACEC study tour to NECC 2008 , Jason Zugami, has jumped in with a Google survey to get a better understanding of what it is that drives educators views on this matter – and interestingly, a comparison to what it is that they believe about the immersive use of online tools in classrooms.

By the way, there is a huge lesson in all of this for the way people run conferences these days. Wifi should be accessible and free. Collaboration and distribution of information and ideas should be considered the norm.

Conference Blogging and Microblogging Ettiquette

Please visit Jason’s online survey, and add your voice to the discussion.

I can’t wait to see the analysis on this! Thanks Jason.

I filled out the survey, and kept a copy of my responses for myself to push me to generate further ideas. Here are my quickly written responses – amazing how different my thinking is compared to a couple of years ago.

Buckle in and read the following if you dare!

How do you feel about the undirected use of laptops during conference presentations?

It is essential to have the freedom to search links, explore ideas and interact with concepts being presented at a conference. I choose my options as to when to listen and stare at a conference presenter, or when to listen and connect with my laptop to check out idea, share ideas with others, or discuss issues being raise. If I am bored I certainly don’t want to be captured with no escape as well..I would rather check my email than waste the time sitting in a presentation that doesn’t demand my attention.

How do you feel about the undirected use of mobile phones for texting/microblogging during conference presentations?

When it comes to professional learning this is absolutely essential for being engaged with the content, expressing opinions and reflections about the presentations, and just plain having fun through interaction. Remove the ‘industrial model’ from conference presentations, and allow them to be interactive and collaborative. Use the tool, don’t abuse the tool.

How do you feel about participants undirected sharing their thoughts on a presentation on a public blog?

If a presentation is worth listening too, it is worth sharing. End of story.

How do you feel about participants undirected sharing their thoughts on a presentation via micro blogging services such as Twitter during the presentation?

If a presentation is worth listening to, it is worth tweeting about. If a presentation is not worth listening to, it is worth tweeting about that too. Twitter is about conversation and reflection too. I particularly like it when questions come in via twitter that can be presented to the speaker for response. I like it even better if there is a twitter stream of the conference on display, so everyone attending the conference can see what is being said and what is being reflected upon.

How do you feel about participants undirected sharing the content of presentations with those not at the presentation?

Share with the world – the more we share the more we grow in our understanding of what is possible. Refusing to share is like writing a book, publishing it and refusing to allow anyone to borrow it from the local library. If you only want us to buy a book, or buy our attendance at a conference presentation then you are not a 21st century learner. Sure, getting the information via shared feed at a conference is not as good as being there – we know that, because we love the F2F interactions. But sharing content is the next best thing! Go for it.

How do you feel about participants taking undirected photographs during a presentation and publishing these?

Fantastic. Just keep the flash off please!

How do you feel about participants taking undirected audio recordings during a presentation and publishing these?

Fantastic! So long as it doesn’t disrupt the streaming bandwidth for the main presentations (assuming the conference organisers are savvy enough to realise the value of streaming!). Standalone audio recordings on the other hand are fine but not as good as a presentation that incorporates image or video. Either way, publish and share at all times.

How do you feel about participants taking undirected video recordings during a presentation and publishing these?

Great! so long as it is not being streamed and using up the bandwidth of the main streaming organised by the conference team. Imagine 20 people streaming!! It’s great to have access to go back to sessions in this format, as good presentations lend themselves to review for further reflection. It’s about deepening our learning and understanding – not limiting it!

How do you feel about participants making undirected live broadcasts (audio or video) of a presentation?

This is a great idea, but the reality is that most venues don’t have the bandwidth to have more than one stream working effectively. Hence it is really smart of conference organisers to incorporate streaming into their program, instead of impacting the audiences opportunity to focus on blogging, microblogging, or using online tools to collect conference notes etc. If we believe in cloud computing and Web 2.0 then we don’t build in restrictions into our conference structures – we capitalize on Web 2.0 to promote and disseminate the ideas and information being generated by the collaborative crowd.

How do you feel about participants making undirected ratings on the quality of presentations via blogs and microblogs?

Frankly, it adds a bit of spice, and keeps presenters and conference organisers honest! The time is over for tolerating boring presentations. However, this should not be seen as a way of attacking the presenter, nor undertaken in such a manner that is offensive. I see this as a golden opportunity if undertaken with a positive aim in mind. After all, we expect students to stand up in class and be assessed as part of their learning!! It’s time for educators to be accountable for their work too!

How do you feel about the undirected use of laptops during your lessons?

Awesome! Now here is a true challenge to teachers. The truth is that unless pedagogy has shifted in the classroom to create authentic and project-based learning, the undirected use of laptops doesn’t work. Teachers who are in control mode can’t cope with this. Teachers who are mentors know that it is essential.

How do you feel about the undirected use of mobile phones for texting / microblogging during your lessons?

Mobiles are just communication tools, organisational tools, and collaboration tools. What are we afraid of? Oh I know! We have to change our classrooms into 21st century learning places 🙂

How do you feel about students undirected sharing their thoughts on your lessons on a public Blog?

A real-life skill to be learned, and one that is essential to 21st century learning. Sure students will waiver at times, but isn’t the idea that we should be supporting students to think and learn in multimodal ways? That is their natural domain – let’s work with it.

How do you feel about students undirected sharing their thoughts on your lessons via micro blogging services such as Twitter during the lesson?

Use the tools to shape thinking – twitter is just one of many ways for teachers to create effective blended learning environments. Microblogging is an ideal way for communicating and reflecting in that immediate MSN style of thinking that comes naturally to kids. Capture the world of opportunities and be amazed at the outcomes.

How do you feel about your students undirected sharing the content of your lessons with those not in your class?

Anyone students can share with works for me. That makes it a 21st century global class, and those that share back become members of my class.

How do you feel about your students taking undirected photographs during your lessons and publishing these?

Of course students should share. The bottom line is the nature of the digital citizenship and digital literacy skills of the students that we need to nurture. The truth is that unless we nurture them, then students will undertake activities that are counter-productive to quality learning. But simply saying ‘don’t do it’ is an abrogation of our role as guides and mentors in this 21st century world that we have stumbled upon. Let’s sort out our thinking and get one with learning.

How do you feel about your students taking undirected audio, video recordings or live broadcasts during your lessons and publishing these?

Please do! As long as it is focused on improving knowledge and understanding and incorporates safe digital citizenship in the production.

How do you feel about your students making undirected ratings on the quality of your lessons via blogs and microblogs?

Students need to learn how to be be authentic in their collaboration and engagement in the learning process. Whether it is reflecting on other students or commenting on the nature of the teacher’s engagement with the multimodal learning of their students, it is an area that is evolving. It is also an area that is highly sensitive for most teachers, but needs to be unpacked and incorporated into the formative processes of learning.

Overall comments.

The world has changed! I am thrilled to be part of the 21st century learning that is now possible at a conference, in my classroom, at home, in fact absolutely anywhere. I want my students to have the best opportunities. I want them to be thrilled too!

UPDATE: These same topics are currently being discussed at ISTE in relation to NECC conferences and more. Read about it or join in the conversation at Fair Use & Digital Citizenship 2009

Photo: Speedmonster 5

The learning leader

Posted on October 16, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Resistance to change is an organizational reality … a frustrating reality that scares the pants off me if I stop and reflect too long on the implications of this for schooling today. I have been lucky in my own professional learning journey – which might explain my passion for change and innovation. I have been to great conferences, made wonderful friends around the world, and can connect with the best as well as the up-and-coming innovators via my social networks. I’ve had dinner at various times with people like Stephen Heppell, John Connell, Kathryn Greenhill, Andrew Hiskens, Marco Torres and Will Richardson; lunch with Ewan McIntosh and any number of cups of tea and coffee with many many more.

At the end of the day it’s not who you eat with that counts! As Dean so aptly explains in his poster No1 (in a 30 day challenge), there is no glory, no change and no achievement in pure grandstanding. To me it has always been about collaborating, and trying to inspire others around me to take up a new learning challenge. Often they forge on ahead and leave me well behind, which is awesome.

Yeah but! is the theme of another of Dean’s posters, and should be printed out an plastered in a few staff rooms around the country 🙂 It’s true – Professional Development; Capacity; Digital Citizenship; Organisation; Sustainability; 21st century skills: – you can wait….but the kids can’t!!!!

So no amount of fine dinners, or friendly conversations matters a fig if we aren’t working in a supportive workplace that promotes diversity in thinking and innovation in practice. A voice in the wilderness is not a good model for innovation and change within the whole school. So 5 men and Jude have formed a team to get some significant thinking and doing underway.

Actually, the 5 “men in black” and myself spent an amazing two days in Melbourne, attending the launch of PLP followed by visits to schools the following day. This was indeed an outstanding beginning for us. The program put together by Will and Sheryl, and hosted by Jenny, was of course full of tactics for easing into the exploration of our proposed journey of change. Thank you for a wonderful start!

I can confidently say that I think I’m pretty ‘eased’ into Web 2.0 and social networking, and learning approaches for students. But it’s the team that is going to act as the force for change in ideas and innovation at our school…building capacity by strengthening knowledge and understanding of how to teach with technology in ways that are not 20th century.

We also visited three schools, and learned a great deal. Scotch College showed us that professional development is about personalised learning, mentoring, and co-ordination of change.

PLC showed us the incredible value of an integrated Web 2.0 approach. Cloud computing is driving the world, and should be driving what we do in education. Communication, collaboration, and full utilisation of digital environments is essential

Coburg Senior Secondary High School put it all into context with smart thinking and smart learning. The school works on open plan design which incorporates learning commons rather than classrooms. This design and the corporate feel of the school, help create a more university like adult learning where teachers and student learners develop their skills and understandings in a cooperative and supportive manner that has high visibility and high expectations of achievement.

Now our hearts are on fire, and our learning will be intense, but change is definitely underway! Anthony (man in black at the back!) acted straight away first chance! and grabbed the usual boring assessment task that all schools have, with text, text and more text, followed by even more text that spells out the outcomes of learning, and turned it into a student-friendly task. The result is this and this.

Some students spotted my copy, and demanded to know which class was getting that to do! There were loud groans when they found out it was not for their class. The kids said “More teachers should do this!”

Given half a chance they would have started on the challenge straight away – and that’s what passionate learning is all about, isn’t it?

So who’s the learning leader then?

WE ARE!!!!!! YOU ARE!!!!!

PS. Don’t you love the idea at Coburg of projecting school images on the landing of the stairway to the second floor!

Beginning our Powerful Learning

Posted on October 13, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

This morning 5 wonderful teachers and myself began our journey into Powerful Learning in the 21st century.

We are attending the official launch of the Australian cohort of the international Powerful Learning Practice program being run Sheryl Nussbaum Beach and Will Richardson.

Welcome to my fellow teachers from Joeys, and enjoy the next 12 months on this wonderful rollercoaster pedogogical journey.

Posted by email from Heyjude’s posterous

What revolution?

Posted on October 5, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Term break means a time to relax, a time to reflect, and a time to regroup! It is also inescapably time to stop and reflect on professionalism. My head has to stop spinning and my mind has to stop being excited on the one hand, or screaming with frustration on the other.

Like many others in my personal learning network, I am passionate about the changes in the learning environments of our students – at least the possibilities if not always the actualities. I’ve been blogging about this and the information frameworks, tools, concepts, and activities since May 2006. Yes, I know that’s not long, but it’s longer than some and long enough now to know when I am hearing or reading rubbish!!

Doug Johnson in Continuum’s End said

It seems to me that that the continuum between reactionary educators who still find overhead projectors a cutting edge tool and progressive educators who seem to master each tool and philosophy du jour is stretching ever longer every year. As a classroom teacher in the 70s and 80s, we all taught pretty much the same way, with the same sets of tools.

The question of importance to me is not the mastery of tools, but the underlying processes that are important. This is the rub – there are those who, rightly or wrongly, are amongst the elite in terms of commentary or influence on directions in education, who it seems to me have become what my own family constantly remind me not to be…..they are ‘clique-bags’.

“Those” clique-bags are the smart ones – not me, not you – but people who make decisions on our behalf.

Finally I have had enough of the clique and rhetoric!

I’m churning my way through a ton of books on digital schooling, digital kids, 21st century society etc etc.

And its always the same – rattle out the cliches, dismiss everything about the past, bang on about the digital generation and bingo you have 21st century learning frameworks.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I don’t agree with some of the key elements – I wouldn’t be a blogger if I didn’t have my headspace in the 21st century – but please slap me with a cold fish if I ever start saying the following:

In many ways, schools as we have all experienced them, are offspring of the industrial age. So powerfully influential were industrial processes and their effects on all aspects of society, that schooling was actually modeled on these processes, designed to meet the needs of a particular society in a particular point in history……..G. Whitby in “Leading a Digital School: Principles and Practice” ed Mal Lee and Michael Gaffney

What has happened with cliques is that educationalists have been ranting about ‘industrial age’ schooling, related to the economic and communication environments that shaped society in the 19th and 20th centuries. So with the globalisation of world economies and the emergence of the flat classroom concepts, the thought leaders have adopted the ‘industrial schooling’ argument as the reason for wholesale deconstruction of education structures across schools or systems.

I would suggest that we not forget the history of education in society. Unique combination of technological, cultural and economic factors led to the Industrial Revolution and a spinnoff in this era was the eventual emergence of the right to education for all. The much criticized ‘industrial age’ of schooling of the 20th century was in fact the endpoint of an age of great achievement where education was sought after and available for every child in western society. It was an age of great sacrifice, of economic battles for the right to either secular or religious education, it was an era that carried forward the ideals of knowledge first cemented by the Greek philosophers, and valued throughout history and the transitions wrought by the age of the printing press and beyond.

The ‘industrial age’ of schooling was the pinnacle of many achievements. My children’s grandfather rode a horse to school, had no electricity or running water at his home, yet without basic technology or the accouterments so urgently demanded for all our students, was able to learn so much that made him the thinking man he is today, who can hold his own and challenge the ideals and deep knowledge of his geeky young grand kids.

It was a major achievement to be able to educate all young members of our society. In third world countries, this right is still being won! It is not technology or web 2.0 or fancy new ways of arranging staff and learning spaces that makes the real difference. It is what we say, how we say it, and how we support deep knowledge that makes it possible for our students become good social, ethical and moral citizens of the world.

No more cliques please. Rather, acknowledge the value of past efforts, and build on them to create future opportunities – which incorporate the demands that our 21st century makes on us. If I go back to John’s post The Continuum’s End – I’d venture that the continuum between reactionary and progressive education spans many centuries.

Unfortunately there are some amongst us that are so poorly read themselves that they can’t see how silly it is to tout 20th century ‘industrial age schooling’ as the reason for educational change. Oh but they are probably the same people who run your education system, or institution and are good at verbose cliques to justify their actions.

Yes, there’s a lot that needs to change about schooling. Let’s focus on the facts to get there. Cliches are born of ignorance – that’s all. Focus on the revolution not the rhetoric!

Photo: Revolution Banner, Froglette’s Swimin

Celebrating writing

Posted on September 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

I am delighted to be able to share our own celebration of our first Write a Book in a Day competition. This short video captures the magic and excitement of this special creative writing day; tells the story of the initiative; and reminds us how important this initiative is in promoting literacy.

Get yourself a copy of the books over at our Wiki at Write a Book in a Day 2008.

Enjoy!

How well do we know our students?

Posted on August 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Quick read of Student Blogging from Michael Rees who is working Web 2.0 into his Web Applications course, a new subject introducing the students to the creation and scripting of interactive web sites and the basic technology behind Web 2.0, was very illuminating.

For their last blogging task he asked the class to nominate three Web 2.0 sites they find useful., I was fascinated (as he was) in the results of his survey. We should perhaps consider checking with our students a little more often too?

Bring tacit knowledge to the fore

Posted on July 27, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Google ’s answer to the Wikipedia encyclopedia, Google Knol (short for Knowledge), launched earlier this week.

Knol is a unit of knowledge! or so the logo proclaims. In fact, Knol is a collection of authoritative articles, written by a community of experts and as such Google Knol is positioning itself in direct competition to Wikipedia.

Knol is looking for authors (either singularly or in groups) willing to put their names behind their content on a wide of range of topics, “from scientific concepts, to medical information, from geographical and historical, to entertainment, from product information, to how-to-fix-it instructions.” Google will not edit the content in any way, but, like Wikipedia, readers will have access to community tools that will allow them to submit comments, questions, edits, and additional content — in addition to being able to rate or write a review of a knol.

In addition, Knol authors can share in the revenue generated from the Google Adsense ads on their subject pages.

I’ve read quite a few reviews, reports and comments about Knol.

It’s still in its infancy as a project, so issues about content and quality are still being fixed. However, my favourite take on Knol comes from Richard Gale, who (after giving Knol a drubbing) discusses some positive thoughts about Knol.

In particular he brings into play a discussion about tacit and explicit knowledge.

Huge amounts of information are collected inside a person’s head or on their computer. And it is not accessible to anyone else. Getting this tacit information out, making it explicit so that others can use it, is an important goal of many Web 2.0 tools.

By providing singular authorship, knols allow a more ego-driven approach for making the information explicit than Wikipedia does.

That is, Wikipedia also provides a means for moving tacit information into the explicit realm. But, there is no real sense of authorship, nothing to really plant a flag and say I did this, I am providing this to the world.

Finding ways to transform tacit information into explicit are crucial in today’s world. Wikis can do this. Blogs can do this. And so can knols. Knols will not replace other approaches. They provide a new path for the transformation to occur.

A danger point? – Knols can move us away from an open-source environment to a digital form of the ‘authoritative’ texts that we bought so frantically to support 20th century learning. Knols are about digitizing our global knowledge base and adding value to their interpretation and delivery of knowledge – by paying out some money. That’s publishing – online!

George Seimens (f Knowing Knowledge fame) says:

Google is essentially stating that individual ownership of articles is important. How will knols be listed in Google searches? Will they receive better search returns than Wikipedia articles? A part of me would like to dislike this service (how much more of our soul must we give up to Google?). But the idea is well conceived.

Digital Inspiration provides a Quick Start Guide.

Resources on the site are quite scarce now, as to be expected. But I am watching this development because I see furture e-texts staring me in the face. The anonimity of wikipeidia is its strength and its weakness. I’m tipping that plenty of teachers will love Knol as the content expands.

Knols are citizen reporting. Knols are democratising information access. Knols are here to stay – aren’t thet?

Infobabble and my head

Posted on July 22, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Reading this article about Twitter made my head hurt just a little less.

The story of how Twitter took off reflects how web 2.0 tools are taking off!

Twitter has become so popular, so fast, that keeping up with its fast-growing user base is a real issue. So many people now use Twitter to update friends that the system often crashes. Twitterers, as they call themselves, post their updates at Twitter.com or by using text- or instant-message tools. The service is even credited with breaking news about fires and other natural disasters.The service is even credited with breaking news about fires and other natural disasters.

So for some, Twitter has been a lifesaver in the whole sea of virtual information. I’m finding that there is just so much information available, at such pace, from so many people…well to be honest, my head hurts a lot! When I started out blogging, social networking was easygoing, a friendly bit of patter with superb points of connection.

Now there is almost to much, and I sense a competitive edge that is not in keeping with that easygoing social networking kind of way of learning. It’s no longer about what the latest tool is, but how many of the seemingly vital tools YOU are using otherwise otherwise you are not really funky Web 2.0!

I am having to prune down rather than add to my toolkit. Too many Ning groups, too many flash meetings, too many points of connection. I am certainly over that initial flush of tool grabbing. I use what I need. I read about the rest, and when I need a way of thinking or connecting for my students, I’ll integrate that. After all, we should be focusing on shifts in thinking, not shifts in technology tools. Too often the shift is about a toy tool, not about substantially different pedagogy. Unfortunately, the reality is that we can’t substantially shift pedagogy on our own, or easily, unless we have a whole-school approach to change. That’s where a school approach wins hands down – the most creative, immersive and best example I have seen of this has been the work the Lenva Shearing is doing at Bucklands Beach. Lenva, you are a dynamo, and an awesome example to us all.

So you know what? I’m over the initial flush of social networking.

Why?

Because more and more networks and social connections are being created and maybe, for me at least, there are too many. So I have to be very particular about what I choose and what I follow – and more importantly – WHY! I have a very busy day job that takes me into the night with all my networking and creative planning for change.

Interestingly these concepts were raised in the backchannel of the excellent Knowledge Conference Key Note presentation by Steve Hargadon on “Web 2.0 is the future of education”. (Congratulations to the organisers for a great conference!)

While we are busy social networking, collaborating, and creating a shared language, I believe we are also beginning to fragment the conversation. The culture of participation is pervasive, and even invasive. I love it and I hate it. I enjoy it and am frustrated by it. The teacher librarians in the back channel reflected on the explosion of information that Steve talked about. No solutions, just ideas. An excellent session for my staff to attend.

My personal focus is staying apace with 3D and the metaverse – simply because this is the new frontier and I want to understand it’s potential for learning and teaching – and life! I can’t ‘talk’ or network with everybody. For now, the group of educators involved with Second Life and the like is sufficiently small for me not to have infobabble in my head!