Creating a podcast

The experience of creating a podcast reminded me that new skills need to practiced many times before you become confident or good at them.
I found putting the recordings together quite a job in itself, not least because of all the different formats which were or weren't accepted by the various tools and software needed.

I didn't get involved in editing my recordings. Instead I recorded short burst of conversation which could more easily be tied together in Audacity.
The final piece is not very professional but I am happy to say that I managed it!

My first ever podcast:

p21.org insights

The layout and organization of the website was not one that I favor. For my personal learning style, the pages were too wordy and the whole site was hard to navigate. It wasn’t clear to me the main purpose or the target audience. My strongest criticism was the difficulty I experienced at separating advertising from scholarly writing. The majority of articles I found were aimed at State Leaders and therefore not altogether useful to me as a teacher.

This graphic helped me see how all the elements of 21^st century learning fit together. It was pleasing to note that 21 century learning is not all about the technology and that the core subjects of Literacy and Numeracy are still central.

I appreciated the link to Route 21 which gives you the opportunity to share your own resources and expertise, as well as a more detailed breakdown of the components of the 21 Century Learning Framework.

“Virtual Schools and 21^st Century Skills” by The North American Council for Online Learning and the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills. (November 2006).

“Eighty-four percent of employers say K-12 schools are not doing a good job of preparing students for the workplace; 55 percent say schools are deficient in preparing students with basic employability skills (such as attendance, timeliness and work ethic); 51 percent cite math andscience deficiencies; and 38 percent cite reading and comprehension deficiencies."

I disagree with the 55% of employers who imply that schools are deficient in preparing students with basic employability skills. Whilst I am not arguing that attendance, punctuality and positive work ethics may be lacking, I would argue that it is not entirely the school’s failing. Lack of work ethic and absenteeism is prevalent amongst the adults in my workplace and the teachers for whom this is true range from 20 to 60 years. I can scarcely believe that they had similar schooling and, even if they did, then so did those of us who are extremely committed to their profession.

The implications for effective 21 century learning is that conventional teaching methods alone will no longer suffice. As such, everything from philosophy, through pedagogy and curriculum to class room environments and teaching-learning practices need to be reviewed and, in some case, dramatically improved.

As contemporary educators, we must learn to emulate this philosophy and commit to the implementation of the new framework. School timetables, calendars and meeting times need to provide opportunities for collaboration and a less top-down hierarchy with regards to policy and decision making can assist in this.

The implications for the students are the increased expectations on engagement and participation. There is no room for students who sit passively by waiting to be “fed” information. Sorting, organizing and staying up-to-date with credible and reliable sources of information will present a new set of challenges for these 21^st Century Learners. Timely preparation and the dynamics of working with others may not come naturally. Personally, I think something we often forget is how essential quality literacy skills will be. In a world full of shared information, crucial dispositions will include the ability to skim read quickly and effectively; understand and manipulate words at deeper levels; communicate critical thinking and complex understandings effectively to native and non-native English speakers. Above all else the next generation will need to be adaptable and creative.

Related articles

• Re-Inventing The Learning Process: Really? (coopcatalyst.wordpress.com)

Blogging for learning

My parents always told me never to buy the first generation on any new technology. They say there will always be teething problems and that it is wise to let other people figure out the glitches. And so it is with Web 2.0 tools. I like to start slowly, rather than jump in at the deep end. I am cautious of over-loading myself. I enjoy hearing what others are doing with the tools and sharing what I have done.

I started out with a professional blog that I still use as a means of sharing what is going on in our classroom. It is the perfect platform for celebrating the students' shared successes and achievements. Readers are able to leave comments and I have heard that many of our students (whose extended families live in other countries) had shared the site with their distant relatives.

Since I have first graders, there is a considerably diversity amongst those who are fluent readers and those who have yet to recognize their name in print. Being so young they are also more restricted in the use of technology at home and they're awareness/interest in technology is not always as developed as their Upper Elementary peers. Some families still see computer time as an extension of television watching. If I were teaching older students I would certainly involve the students more in decision-making on the content of our blog entries. With more internet/laptop access than we currently have I would spend time having the students post and/or respond to entries.

Below I have attached a video by David Truss who argues that blogging "opens up the walls" of the classroom and allows students to take the learning on for themselves. His dialogue tells of his own journey with educational blogs and how he believes that online journaling creates Personal Learning Spaces for both the educator and the learners.
He ends with a question for us all.

Welcome new followers

Rather than share something about me, I thought I would welcome you all with a gift. This gift is knowledge, experience and the practical application of an online tool (which I like to call creativity). Of course, as with all gifts, some of you will have the knowledge already, others will have no use for the knowledge and some of you will find it useful at some point in the future. At any rate, like any gift, it is the thought that counts, right?



One of my favorite tools at the moment is WORDLE. I used it for all kinds of things. Its colorful layouts, choices of display and simple function make it ideal for my English Language Learners and my students who learn most effectively through visuals. All my kids enjoy it when we collect our ideas together on a shared poster. I use Wordle to garner prior knowledge at the beginning of our units of inquiry and for reflections at the end. Just take the children through it provides me with more valuable summative assessment than a quiz ever could!
Wordle poster are also excellent for Literacy (for example, gathering alternatives to the word said) and Mathematical language (especially important for ELL students). I use Wordle for story planning and for showing commonalities in Social Studies.
We even made a poster of our classroom essential agreements. I had the children write a short list of what was important to them individually. Then I entered the words they chose (such as "being kind"). The interesting thing about a wordle poster is that the more times the same word is entered the larger the font of that particular word. Thus, the words and phrases that were common to us all showed up larger and more significantly on our final poster.

Perhaps best of all is that it is so simple to use that the children learn to manipulate it quickly and effectively. The choices of format, color and font provide just enough room for individual creativity.

Please feel free to share if you have any great ideas to share!
Meanwhile, enjoy experimenting!

Be inspired!

Sir Ken Robinson is an amazing speaker. From the first ten seconds he has you listening attentively. Not only because he has a great sense of humor but because he is truly passionate about what he has to tell you. And his message in this TED talk is all about passion.

Sir Ken makes us think about what we are sharing with our kids. In the days of apprenticeship learning, when our native forefathers taught their son through demonstration, the children were in awe. They weren't disengaged, they weren't bored or acting out because most of everything they were learning was not only relevant to their daily lives but also essential to their community's existence.
What, if anything, valuable are we truly sharing with kids today? And how much say do they get about learning what they are really passionate about? Has over-testing and standardized scoring extinguished the fire of curiosity and creativity? Are we losing sight of our ambition, our motivation, ultimately our happiness? It seems that more people are depressed, burn-out and seeking counseling than ever before.

What can we do as teachers to stop this downward spiral? One thing's for sure. We'd better do something!




Want to know more? Follow up with a CNN interview (below under related articles - thanks Zemanta!) and read people's reactions to it.
If you're so inspired, click the share link and send it to anyone you think might be interested. A revolution can only occur when we all start taking action.
Standardized testing is POLITICAL. It never was "in the interest of the kids" or even "for the greater good of society". It's about making schools into "accountable businesses" that can hopefully show profit over loss. But kids' learning isn't black and white and we shouldn't all be the same. People, and parents in particular, have to stop comparing numbers on a page. Good parents recognize instantly when their child is eager to learn, motivated, excited and curious to know more. When you see a teacher who has inspired that kind of reaction in your child, you know you're onto a winner whether or not they come home with a DRA score of 199!

BRING ON THE LEARNING REVOLUTION!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Why teaching is 'not like making motorcars' (cnn.com)

LISTEN UP GROWN-UPS!

This unassuming young genius has a lot to offer. She speaks to the importance of never underestimating children!
In just 8 minutes, which will have you so gripped that it will seem more like 8 seconds, she discusses the need to raise standards by trusting and believing more in the potential for greatness in every child.

Connectivism

My Learning Network looks like this.
It certainly is connected much like the links between the neurons (hopefully) in my brain.

How has your network changed the way I learn?
I feel as though I have always learned by way of a network only now the network includes the Internet and Web 2.0. The latter has given me much faster access to information in order to synthesize my thoughts and new knowledge quicker. It has also helped me make more connections between other people's opinions and related information. I believe that with this new abundance of information, it has also make me more skeptical and critical. It provides me a variety of ways to approach the same problem or develop meaning.

Which digital tools facilitate me best?
Undoubtedly, as a newbie to many Web 2.0 programs, I would say I get the most out of search engines which lead me to professional articles, blogs and websites written by more knowledgeable/more experienced/differently opinionated others.


How do I gain knowledge when questions arise?
It really depends on the question I'm seeking to answer. A personal question will more likely go through my friends and family in live conversations or by telephone, email or social networking sites. More intellectual or complex questions would start with the research of professional articles, blogs and websites written by more knowledgeable others. I like to try and access experts whose opinions differ in order to formulate a more rounded opinion of my own. I might then go to colleagues blogs and share my questions with them to get a slightly more personal or "word on the street" take on it. More practical knowledge (that's not technology related) I would definitely seek out a mentor's physical modeling. However digital skills I might be able to access by watching a Youtube video for example.

How does my PLN support or refute the central tenets of connectivism?

Siemens posits the following principles of connectivism:

• Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.

I collect views from various sources. I deliberately seek differing opinions to expand possibilities and be open-minded.

• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

My PLN involves these connections. These connections may be online or not. My connections are diverse and yet not exclusive.

• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.

Not sure about this one. Are we truly learning more or just the same/similar stuff in different ways? Certainly learning must involve some kind of advancement associated with the learner’s personal ZPD.

• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

My PLN refute this as I am almost constantly searching for new and diverse connections not necessarily simply maintaining and nurturing current ones.

• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

This is indeed crucial to successful use of my PLN. Without being able to recognize connections, one could get lost surfing for hours and not moving forward. This probably happened a lot more before web 2.0 applications which give us the opportunity to share, collaborate, synthesize and socialize our knowledge.

• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.

I don’t think it has to be current so long as it still applies to real-world situations. A lot can be learnt from the past and, as a social constructivist I believe that much of what we know is is dynamic and fluid. What is “accurate” knowledge? “Up-to-date” is a relative term.

New frontiers, new pioneers.

I see the dawning of a New Age.

Hold onto your hats. Universities may implode, High Schools could be next.

So listen-up HS teachers, the only way to secure your jobs is to "get tech savvy" and FAST! Failing that you could always "volunteer" for the University of the People.

But I'm alright Jack... at least until technology can teach children how to tie their shoelaces!

You've be warned!!!

Educators. A thing the past?

A friend of mine showed me Dan Brown's "An open letter to educators" and since everything this "kid" has to say is based on personal opinions and only limited experience, we shouldn't hold it as truth. It does however strike me that the younger generation's "feelings" of disillusionment and disengagement with their learning shouldn't be dismissed so easily.

As Universities in the Developed World see more students signing up to online programs and fewer people walking through the doors of massive lecture halls, these establishments are changing; albeit slower than Dan would like. And these changes will eventually filter down through High Schools and lower. The Universities presumably will begin to value "technology skills" and "higher metacognitive applications" more and more. They will be expecting "schools" to teach collaborative techniques and produce under-grads who know how to use all the 21st century tools at their disposal. They will increasing seek social constructivist education as a paramount tool for learning.

So... look up fellow educators... if you are reading this blog then you are already "ahead of the pack"! Give yourself a pat on the back but be careful not to fall behind. There is no limit to learning and neither should there be!!!

Interesting articles on Information Processing and the Brain

The internet and academic libraries are wonderful things but... boy oh boy... they can be more complex to navigate than the Minotaur's maze! Fortunately, and unlike the fabled maze, you rarely lose your life there but you certainly can lose whole days at a time searching for the perfect website, journal or article. At any rate, I finally settled on a couple of invaluable assets.

After several long hours of trawling and refining the Walden Library Online, I came upon the Journal: Mind, brain and education by Blackwell Publications Inc.
It contained many articles pertaining to this week's studies and I spent time digesting Bob Samuels (2009) "Can the Differences Between Education and Neuroscience be Overcome by Mind, Brain, and Education?" in particular.
This particular article reiterated many of the points studied this week but also discussed the possible links between neuroscience research and classroom application. In my profession it is of little use to know of great theories without comprehending their practical implications and/or limitations.

Websites
Thus inspired, I moved onto "googling" the internet. At Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University, I read National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2007) "The timing and quality of early experiences combine to shape brain architecture. Working Paper #5.
A fascinating insight into what shapes the child's early brain formation and addresses the policy implications for early intervention.

And luckily for me I happened upon a fantastic website source quite early on. The Education Psycholgy Interactive site seemed limited at first glance but this was a big misapprehension. Most notably, the Directory of Ed Psyc Links contained a vast array of interesting articles. A few of my favorites were:

• A research article from the Journal of Young Investigators.
• Some practical design principles based on brain-based learning inside and outside the classroom.
• And a great site full of games and quizzes Neuroscience for Kids which my students will love!

Once I started, I couldn't stop. Sometimes one has to remember to pull one's head out of the books and get on with the practical demands of life!

Sources of interest

As you will see from my blog list to the right, the following blogs and websites have caught my attention recently.
As a forerunner I should just mention how hard I found it to find anything related to Instructional Design that didn't relate either to the field of Business Education, Adult Learning, or ICT professionals. The blogs and sites that I settled upon had a strong "practical" component and a limited use of unfamiliar vocabulary. I was seeking information that I could hooked into and hopefully add to and/or use in my daily life.





The first one, Integrating Technology into the Primary Classroom , is Kathleen McGeady's professional website about... well the title says it all really. A bonefide and self-proclaimed techno geek, Kathleen shares her experiences and adventures in Elementary ICT. The blog is user-friendly and visually stimulating as well as being packed with practical ideas, links and tech tools for teachers. I feel that Kathleen and my own experiences are likely to overlap and intertwine through this journey of Instructional Design Discoveries and that it will be valuable to share and reflect on each other's developments.



The next blog I chose was the Instructional Design Development blog out of DePaul University. Here we have a blog hosted by University faculty and students (much like MyWalden)which discuss new and interesting developments in the field of instructional design. As quoted "The site’s primary goal is to provide information on enhancing instruction through the use of technology". Some of the terminology here can be challenging for us "ICT immigrants" but I'm hoping that it will also help me become more familiar with some new concepts and with the common terms used by Instructional Designers.





The third blog Mewanderings is a more personal account of one man's journey through technology integration in the international school system (which is the system that I always have taught in). Paul McKenzie shares with us the trial and tribulations of his job as K-12 integration specialist in a variety on international school settings. This blog is probably most inline with what I do on a day-to-day basis and for this reason it has a more personal connection. As a true believer in "learning from others", I feel that his writings will help me reflect on my own thoughts. And, from reading some of his entries it would appear that Paul is open to professional collaboration.





And finally I have attached The Edublogger. This is site offers "Tips, tricks, ideas and help with using web 2.0 technologies and edublogs." The site is thorough and easy to access. The Edublogger's step-by-step tutorials really help me put what I am learning into effective practice.

As a footnote, I trust you have noticed the divergent roots of the blogs I chose. As an internationalist, a citizen of the world, a national of "wherever I lay my hat" I have deliberate chosen blogs written by people of different culture backgrounds to my own. I know what I think and how my culture shaped me. Now I want to know what the rest of the world has to offer! :-)

And so it begins!

This will be the first entry into my personal, professional blog. Each entry will be an account of my professional development in Education. This week marks the start of my journey into online learning; aiming for a certificate in Instructional Design & Technology.

My first task is to create some RSS feeds to websites and blogs that I feel will be useful to me on my journey. Wow! Seems easy enough for some of you I'm sure. I'm just about OK with the instruction "Create a blog" but when you get into RSS feeds, google readers and embedding links, I begin to feel as though I've barely step out of the sandbox!

Still only one way to get the job done... get in there and have a go!