If you need a weekend/new month starting pick-me-up, ideas for professional development, training, or student inspiration ice-breakers, you might find the videos on the list of 100 Informative and Inspiring YouTube Videos for Educators inspiring and useful. Several are TEDTalks, including several of my favorites by Sir Ken Robinson and Adora Svitak.
The videos cover the topics of creativity and learning, technology, philosophy and social studies, educational excellence, inspiration for teachers, science and math, language arts, special education, physical education, and business education and entrepreneurship.
They are focused for education, but really, they are for anyone interested in learning.
Finally, the Accredited Online Colleges blog that this resources if from, is full of great lists and resources about online technology, especially for education.
The question becomes: is the future of the news industry tied to the technology or is technology an enabler to creating human networks that spread information?
This quote comes from a ReadWriteWeb article about Andy Carvin’s work these past six months, as he has built an incredible network on Twitter to tell the story of the Middle East protests and revolution.
It’s an excellent article to read and if you haven’t heard of Andy Carvin’s ground-breaking and important work, check out one profile piece on him.
With that said, I read the quote above, and thought in light of yesterday’s Summer Institute sessions (notes Part 1, Â Part 2, and Part 3), that the quote could be reworked to say
The question becomes: is the future of [education] tied to the technology or is technology an enabler to creating human networks that spread information?
OR
The question becomes: is the future of [libraries] tied to the technology or is technology an enabler to creating human networks that spread information?
(Emphasis and edits in bold are mine)
I find that quote even more powerful with my edits to both, especially in light of Milton Chen’s comments from yesterday. Three quotes from him:
“Imagine an ‘education nation,’ a learning society where education of children and adults is the highest national priority, on par with a strong economy, high employment, and national security. A nation is only good as its educational system.†–Milton Chen
“An educational system is only as good as its informational system. 21st Century school librarians are the managers of that system. And school leaders for “deeper, authentic learning.†–Milton Chen
A “ladder of learning†from pre-K thru “gray†blending formal and informal learning thru schools, universities, media, museums, libraries, companies, churches, youth groups, parks, and more. Schools and universities are only part of this model. –Milton Chen
Educators and librarians make up a human network, and technology has definitely enabled many of us to build networks and spread information quickly, learn and share with one another.
What about our professions? What could be the impact of utilizing technology to build human networks to spread information and learn from one another, across the globe? I know this happens already on a somewhat small scale, in pockets.
But, right now, education and learning traditionally, formally stops at the end of high school, college, or a degree. Learning should NEVER stop.
People who visit public libraries get this.
People who visit museums get this.
People who attend book clubs get this.
People who attend civic events get this.
People who attend public lectures or presentations get this.
People who visit public parks get this.
People who lead continuing education or professional development get this.
People who take continuing education or professional development get this.
And the list could continue on.
How can we make Milton Chen’s dream of a ladder of learning real?
How can librarians, libraries, educators, schools, universities, professors, journalists, news networks, businesses, business owners, policymakers, churches, pastors, civic leaders, civic organizations, park services, arts groups, musicians, and so on, come together to recreate learning? I don’t have an answer, necessarily, how this could happen or what it could look like. But I think it should.
I do think instead of fighting the same battles over school funding, tuition hikes, staff cuts, loss of innovators, only offering the basics, testing to death, and killing creativity (yeah, you can tell where i stand), we need to blow up the models and rethink learning models and the places and times and ages where it happens.
And the library, especially the public library, is the perfect place for this to start. It is present in most towns already, even some of the tiniest in America (this is at least the case in Kansas). It is open year round, although the hours vary. It serves all members of the community. Of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. And it already is educating your community.
Through summer reading.
Through storytime.
Through craftime.
Through programming.
Through meeting your reading, listening, watching, gaming needs.
Through discussions in the library.
Through book clubs.
Through museum passes.
Through book recommendations.
Through computer classes.
Through computer access.
Through wifi access.
Through eBooks.
Through information access.
Through gaming nights.
Through literacy support.
Through tutoring.
Education is already happening there. How can we take our public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, and place them at the center of learning?
Finally, why is even thinking about all of this so important? Why does it matter?
I’ll simply repost this quote from Milton Chen.
“Imagine an ‘education nation,’ a learning society where education of children and adults is the highest national priority, on par with a strong economy, high employment, and national security. A nation is only good as its educational system.†–Milton Chen
Downloaded 1.3 million times. Cited in LJ, SLJ, ALA journals.
This isn’t how to make a comic. It’s more to inspire the audience to do what works for their libraries & inspire creativity. The comic book worked for McPherson College.
Developing the relationships.
Quotes from Education Nation; one by George Lucas in the foreword & George Leonard quote on p21.
“We want students to know how to find information, how to assess the quality of information, and how tto creativiely and effectively use information to accomplish a goal.” –George Lucas, foreword to Education Nation
“We must consider the possibility that students are justified in being bored, that we have been too cautious and unimaginiative….Perhaps the moment has come to show our young people that school [or a library] is where the action is” p21 of Education Nation
Before Matt came to McPherson, the library was pretty deserted; didn’t come into study; didn’t even know the library existed. Handouts in in-class instruction were about as useful as a seatbelt in trying to reach students.
How to get the students in the building?
They published a comic book.
Mike was an illustrator, non-conventional student.
Introduction to the book explains the purpose of the comic book/guide.
Made it attention-grabbing, yet informative. Followed the ACRL standards.
It was a small college–they saw a need and tried to meet it.
In creating a unique guide, break stereotypes, poke fun at yourself.
12 page introduction to the library. Their attention was grabbed. Then the instructional handouts are then incorporated into the comic book.
Goals to do so…
Provide an excellent intro to library services
Be creative and a little irreverent
Save time
Encourage familiarity with the library
get students involved in the process
let the students know that the library cares about their academic success and is actively involved in their education
quality product
took the talents they had in-house to develop it
Unintended Results
Well over 1 million hits — provided great marketing for McPherson College
McPherson wants to hand these out at college fairs
Unique artifact that no other school has.
Advocacy tool. Unique resource that grabs the attention of your school board or board or leaders.
Other libraries are now using this tool; didn’t plan for it to be utilitarian.
It looks fantastic as a digital version on mobile devices and tablets.
Quickly got around library community, as a digital resource, thanks to social media.
Milton Chen comment: This is proving: A lot of the best curriculum can be taught through story.
Back to the comic.
They took cues from the real library, photographs, photos of people to build it. The characters are never named. It’s just a story in a familiar place. Students were transferred over into comic form.
Get your community involved
teaser poster of the cover
Facebook
Signing Party: 40 students showed up
QR Codes
He contacted LJ, American Libraries, pestered them to look at his resource. People finally did and wrote about it, and it took off.
He’s connected with many people all over the library community in the US and the world.
Anyone can use it and has, in their libraries.
What can you do?
Fun: The OH COOL Factor
Different: Make them (students, faculty, parents, admin) see the library in new ways
Quality: do something that can be done well
Involvement and Buy-in: include reps from all areas of your school. Who are the stakeholders? Can you find a sponsor or collaborator?
Can share your ideas and resources with the entire world, even unexpectedly.
They are working on comic guides for several other libraires.
We know what is availble to us in terms of hw, sw, and experiences
What we actually do not know is where we could actually end up on our journey…
The questions…
Whose job is it to determine the journey’s end point and success level?
The Teacher?
The Student?
The Team?
Talking to students. Filters are insulting to the students. If they’re filtered on the school computers, they won’t use them. They have their smartphones, that have no filters and are private.
The Box
Educators and those who rule education like to say they are thinking outside of the box
It’s easier to think inside the box, be in your comfort zone. Change disrupts that.
What’s good about the Box?
knowns
tangibles
baselines
comforatble
What’s not so good about the box?
Missed opportunities
Growth
24/7 ed experiences
21st century student-centered learning
Affects desire for lifelong learning
if you always do things in the same way you’ve always done them, you’re missing out connecting with the way kids are doing things today: want info instantly, without boundaries, teacher is no longer expert. they want to be the expert. they know experts are out there and want to reach them.
Did you know?
In many schools, we still ask students to sit for several hours a day at desks, listening (or not) to a teacher as he or she lectures? Pump and dump, without any meaningful connections to the real world.
One-to-one Palm initiative: usage varies from word processing to using temp probes attached to the Palms.
Current scenario
500 PCs
250 laptops stored in mobile carts
Minimum of one PC in each classroom; some rooms have more; labs typically have 25 PCs
Average class size is approaching 30.
Gets a little hairy.
Budget effects
time/personnel constraints
purchasing power
reduced spending per student
NCLB effects
teaching to test
less personal investment in subject matter
lack of context across subjects
focus on end point, not the learning process
Used Aniomoto to build a video overview of her library. PR piece for teachers who can’t make it to the library and since Lori can’t make it to the whole building.
Teacher/Librarian Immersion Levels
Isolation
Semi-isolation
Semi-immersion (PC lab)
Immersion: wants full collaboration; you’ll both cover your standards. Real-world; group collaboration; peer review; evaluation.
Can’t do that with everyone.
Immersion looks like
collaborative planning
multi-standard driven
real-world problem solving…
Example: the “country report”
put the focus on building a knowledge base
no PowerPoint allowed — used Animoto; images had to be copyright free/Creative Commons-licensed
Student collaboration and peer review
Made the student the expert
Constructive comments expected
This project provided frustration, exhilaration, and student learning beyond note memorization of facts
Had to stand up and talk about the project and his peers reviewed it.
Thinking outside The Box:
College Prep English IV — blogging about the novel Frankenstein with a partner school; wiki creation, meting in person to share results; effects
Algebra III, pre-Calculus — all classes podcasted; use of cell phones as “clickers” (Teacher at OEHS who wrote on Numb3rs loves to do this)
Edmodo
Some don’t..
Used assignments from 5 years ago
Isolated teaching
Not reaching out with online resources (eBooks, databases, Skype with experts, Edmodo, wikis, pod/vodcasting, Moodle)
Special learners lose out
Boys better served by breaking up instruction with physical activity each hour
ELL learners left behind
SPED students receive modifications, but not necessarily modified teaching, which should include a continual assessment/modification cycle to determine if learning is occurring.
Horizon Report: K-12 Edition
The New Media Consorium
Updated annually
?
Horizon Report Findings
Technology is: means for empowering students; method for communication & socializing; ubiquitous transparent part of student lives.
Technology has a profound affect on the way we work, collaborate, communicate and succeed. (In her research, she’s seen lots of kids leaning together, socialization)
Increasing interest, in just-in-time, alternative, or non-formal avenues of education: online learning, mentoring, independent study [Topic where you’re immersed, forming opinions, reflective pieces developed, creating interactive product others can learn from]
The way we think of learning environments is changing
Challenges
The Horizon Report outlines several challenges. Especially telling is this statement
Stuents are different, but ed practice and the materials that supportit are changing very slowly
Thinking outside the box
The horizon report describes how today’s learning and education must happen outside of physical walls and time/distance constraints
Students expect to seek out expert opinions other than the teacher who is in the room with them!
Speak Up Study — 2 million informants
Students identified as “free agent learners”
School buidling, teacher, and textbook no longer have a monopoly on knowledge, content or  the educational process
Students seek personalized learning
More from Speak Up
Social-based learning
untethered learning
digitally rich learning
Digital disconnect
Haves/have nots — no connectivity
Proficient to the point they think they know everything, when they don’t. Don’t have searching skills.
Want to mess around with the goodies and then not allowed to go to these sites or take tools home. Turns off students, disengages them.
For the next two days, I’m at the 15th annual Education Innovation: 21st Century School Libraries symposium, aka, Summer Institute for School Librarians at Emporia State University in Emporia, KS.
“Imagine an ‘education nation,’ a learning society where education of children and adults is the highest national priority, on par with a strong economy, high employment, and national security. A nation is only good as its educational system.” –Milton Chen
Even more important:
“An educational system is only as good as its informational system. 21st Century school librarians are the managers of that system. And school leaders for “deeper, authentic learning.” –Milton Chen
Authentic learning, not artificial learning on projects that don’t exist in the real world.
Importance of universal early childhood education. Policymakers should be leading in this.
The U.S. an Education Nation?
of 50 1st grade students behind in reading, 44 still behind in 4th grade
A HS student drops out every 26 seconds, 6,000 each day (Tough Choices or Tough TImes, 2006)
CA students 1 year behind U.S. average, 2-3 years behind best states (NAEP…)
Closing the gap could contribute $2 trillion per year in GDP (McKinsey & Co., 2010)
“The New Australia: Most Advanced Educational System in the World?”
Broadband. 1:1 programs….
Redesigning a New Educational System: Schools Can’t Do It Alone
Chen’s Dream: A “ladder of learning” from pre-K thru “gray” blending formal and informal learning thru schools, universities, media, museums, libraries, companies, churches, youth group,s parks, and more. Schools and universities are only part of this model.
A way of getting adults involved back in the education process. Community school. Kids go out into the community to learn.
National Park Service. When you look at the federal agencies, it’s the most respected agency. It’s becoming more of an educational agency.
Ducks image. Can’t see it, but ducks paddle furiously under the surface, which is what educators are doing through the summer, quietly innovating from the bottom up, professional development on their own, etc.
Innovation: The Key to an Education Nation
A “Must Do,” Not Just “Nice to Know”
Internet Time: Google 13 Years Old, YouTube 6 Years
Every Minute, 24 Hours of New YouTube Video
Edutopia website shows how to do projects step by step. Publishes PD ideas. Has discussion groups.
Lots of times we look at people who are accomplished, and think they’re geniuses from early childhood. George Lucas had no idea what he wanted to be/do. Not best student. It shouldn’t take a car accident and a friend suggesting he go to USC for him to figure out what he wanted to do in life, but that’s what happened.He ended up at USC to study photography (which at the time the film school wasn’t what it is today; back then people directly apprenticed with film companies). He loved photography studies, and the rest is history.
Lucas understands kids today, that different things turn them onto learning. One size education doesn’t fit all.
Every medium ever created, we can use for expressing knowledge. Why isn’t education taking advantage of that? Text. Images. Audio, Video. Music. Getting cheaper and cheaper to access and do.
The Key to Educational INnovation? It’s Simple School Life=Real Life
“From the standpoint of the child, the great waste in the school comes from his inability to utilize the experiences he gets outside the school…within the school itself while, on the other hand, he is unable to apply in daily life what he is learning at school.” John Dewey, The School and Society lecture, University of Chicago, 1899
A lot of the documentation on innovation that Edutopia is tracking, they are also trying to document the research, including that from the US Dept. of Education.
Policymakers. Maine Governor. Started the Maine 1:1 project with. Took a few years to gain traction, but he did — and people were supportive of it because of the results. Great education governor.
“Laptops are equity tools.” “Oh cool” factor. Sense of wonder — generates questions — leads to new knowledge.
Video:
Comments from the video
How to make laptops more than $2,000 pencil? to become transformative tool?
Sense of ownership. Creators. Inventors. Changing the way learning and teaching happens. Teacher does less talking and the students do more finding. They learn more through the finding. “More interesting to find out things yourself than reading it in the book.” Seeing the whole picture.
Just have what the kids do in schools be like real life. Be like scientists in the field, thanks to technology. Kids assembling images and sounds, writing reports, and compiling CDs to show what they’ve learned.
Available for free for middle school teachers across the country. Meets core curriculum standards for visual learning.
Films chosen:
The day the earth stood still.
To Kill a Mockinbird
Mr. Smith Goes to Washigton.
Chosen before the movies comes from perspective of kids. Different historical periods. Deal with social issues. Shows kids how movies are made. Lighting. Acting. Music. Foreshadowing,
Illusion were difficult for students to grasp in literature. Easier to understand through the screen for them.
Students are coming into classes mentioning these terms watching other films. Owning their learning.
Quotes from video: “Technology should improve our lives, not take away from their lives.” Engage students in them becoming teachers. Presenting. Kids teaching kids. Cross-age tutoring. “Learning how to learn” “Being comfortable about any type of technology”