As part of their social studies curriculum the children study government, citizenship, economics, manufacturing, products, and advertising. As a culminating activity they have to make and sell a product, identify their market, estimate quantities they may be able to sell advertise and determine a goal.

This year the children as a class decided they would make bracelets, HOPE bracelets to be exact, and the money they make will be donated to CaringBridge in Lily’s name. For the past several weeks they have been making bracelets, writing persuasive advertisements to post around school for their sale to classmates and the school community. Ms. Stubits has been able to create an environment in her classroom for students to truly tie the unit of study into something tangible in their lives. The conversations surrounding citizenship, being a good citizen in their community as well as their classroom and school helped lead them to doing something for someone else. They have worked hard, are very excited about the sale, feel good about helping someone else their own age that has had some difficult issues to deal with in her young life. I commend Ms. Stubits for involving her students in an effort to make a difference and think outside the box in terms of connecting government and economics for 8 year olds into an experience I believe they will remember for a long time to come.

We hope to be able to have Lily meet this group of third graders through a Skype video chat, Lily lives in Nebraska too far for a field trip from Pennsylvania, but through the use of so many collaborative technologies available today we believe we can make it happen. Visit the links above leave a message for Lily.

As part of their social studies curriculum the children study government, citizenship, economics, manufacturing, products, and advertising. As a culminating activity they have to make and sell a product, identify their market, estimate quantities they may be able to sell advertise and determine a goal.

This year the children as a class decided they would make bracelets, HOPE bracelets to be exact, and the money they make will be donated to CaringBridge in Lily’s name. For the past several weeks they have been making bracelets, writing persuasive advertisements to post around school for their sale to classmates and the school community. Ms. Stubits has been able to create an environment in her classroom for students to truly tie the unit of study into something tangible in their lives. The conversations surrounding citizenship, being a good citizen in their community as well as their classroom and school helped lead them to doing something for someone else. They have worked hard, are very excited about the sale, feel good about helping someone else their own age that has had some difficult issues to deal with in her young life. I commend Ms. Stubits for involving her students in an effort to make a difference and think outside the box in terms of connecting government and economics for 8 year olds into an experience I believe they will remember for a long time to come.

We hope to be able to have Lily meet this group of third graders through a Skype video chat, Lily lives in Nebraska too far for a field trip from Pennsylvania, but through the use of so many collaborative technologies available today we believe we can make it happen. Visit the links above leave a message for Lily.

]]> http://connectedtalk.edublogs.org/2008/05/20/hope-2/feed/ 2 http://connectedtalk.edublogs.org/2008/05/12/beyond-the-echo-chamber/ http://connectedtalk.edublogs.org/2008/05/12/beyond-the-echo-chamber/#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 01:09:04 +0000 rellis http://connectedtalk.edublogs.org/2008/05/12/beyond-the-echo-chamber/ Since NECC of 2007, and during several other conferences throughout the year there have been conversations taking place about a need to move beyond the echo chamber. Many educators see the value of web 2.0 tools and the potential for use in their own learning/professional practice and also classroom practices. For many they may be the only individual where they work who understands these tools, uses them in their own practice, and they may feel they are alone in what they are trying to do to begin conversations regarding incorporating web 2.0 tools to change practice in their own communities. The questions has been asked how we move beyond the echo chamber, how we inform others, bring new voices into this conversation, share what we believe is changing in the world, the way we communicate, use information and why education has to change as well. What are the new tools, how do we use them to our advantage in our personal growth. How do we use them to move classroom practice from what it is now, to a more engaged environment that extends beyond classroom walls, how do we connect students and teachers around the globe to collaborate and learn together.

In early March of 2008 Dennis Richard, Superintendent Falmouth Schools in Falmouth, Massachusetts started a conversation on Professional Development 2.0, because of his experience here –

”While I was at ASCD 2008 in New Orleans in March 2008, I started a conversation with some ASCD Leadership Council members and my online network of educators about the need for educators familiar with Web 2.0 pedagogies to spread the word about how they are successfully using the new 21st Century technology to improve student learning. That conversation has continued until today, April 3, 2008. We have less than a month to pool our collective intelligence to help ASCD do a “bang up” job for its membership in Orlando in March 2009 on technology and engaging students in learning. See the home page of this wiki, Learning beyond Boundaries for more details”.

He blogged and sent messages through Twitter to those in his network to read a proposal he was formulating. He wanted to take what he had learned in the past year to the decision makers at ASCD, Association School Curriculum Developers.

“The idea is to use my leadership role with ASCD (explained on the wiki under “The Conversation”) to “propose” more visibility for the web 2.0 pedagogy proposals so they are given due consideration for their importance and uniqueness and eventually to do the same for the selected presentations. I think major professional associations like ASCD are ready to acknowledge the important and transformational role technology must now play in our schools. We can have a significant influence on the quality of their conversation if we shift out of our traditional circles and bring stories of how students every day are deeply engaged in learning by teachers who are using web 2.0 pedagogies”.

ASCD’s theme for 2009 is Learning Beyond Boundaries persistence paid off, 102 educators have signed on to be collaborators and this message now appears on the wiki:

“I can’t believe it, but I have great news! Kathleen Burke, Director of ASCD’s Annual Conference accepts our offer and wants us to work with ASCD to develop a 3 year plan! More to come in the following days”.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”. Margaret Mead 10:45 A.M. EDT, 5.5.08

I am happy to be part of such a group of committed citizens and I look forward to working with everyone to develop and implement the three year plan with ASCD. Thanks Dennis, for pushing beyond the echo chamber.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjVgF5JDq8]

Art history fans and anyone who is intrigued by the great Vincent will love this site. Learn about the man behind the art at this Web Exhibit entitled “Van Gogh’s Letters”. Many of the details of the master artist’s life are revealed through his personal letters, including his diet and penchant for alcohol, certain incessant psychological conditions such as agoraphobia and depression, as well as more intimate revelations such as his personal beliefs and feelings.

Our students are only with us a finite amount of time in their K-12 lives, they don’t have time for us to think about whether or not this may be a good idea to talk about for the next 5 years, we need to begin to move now. To bring teachers into the 21st century, then maybe they will see the possibilities for students. So where have you started in your districts? I have suggested holding an administrator’s academy on Web 2.0 this summer, what it means, what it has changed, and the implication for professional practice. Have not heard yet whether that is being considered a valid offering during administrative staff training days, but I hope it will be. What is anyone else doing in his or her districts to get conversations going, or are you having less resistance than I am? Any suggestions are truly welcome.

Pennsylvania is committed to creating schools that can change to meet the needs of students by providing instruction grounded in rigor and relevance that prepares students for career and college. Our society has transformed into what Thomas Friedman refers to as a “flat world” — a global marketplace that is highly competitive and where every citizen has immediate access to unlimited information and to an abundance of continually newer and better services and goods. This environment demands that one possess 21st century skills such as collaboration and problem solving and the ability and knowledge to use technology resourcefully as both a consumer and a worker. High school students are poised to enter the global marketplace or to continue their education beyond preK-12 and it is our obligation to prepare them, within a short window of opportunity, for a “flat world” in which opportunities for jobs and higher education are highly competitive. By focusing on high schools, we will be providing these critical 21st Century skills while expanding learning opportunities, creating relevant and personalized information-driven learning environments, and ensuring in the success of these students. Pennsylvania is committed to creating schools that can change to meet the needs of students by providing instruction grounded in rigor and relevance that prepares students for career and college.

Are conversations regarding preparing students for their future taking place in your schools? Do people elsewhere understand what 21st century skills are, and the importance they hold for all students, for that matter, for all of us as the future unfolds?

Image Source Flickr user: oberazzi (Tim O’Brien)

I asked all who attended to be advocates for teachers in their buildings or districts, teachers who may come to them asking to use a tool an IT department may have blocked. I asked them all to believe in their staff, really to go to bat for them, because I know many classroom teachers do not feel as though they could ever “win” against IT. And rather than make the argument themselves, they give up at the first “access denied”. We need to have technology literate administrators, just as Karl Fisch and Terry Freedman blogged sometime last year about it is no longer ok to be a technologically illiterate teacher; I feel the same way about administrative staff as well. How are classroom teachers to move forward without support and understanding of what they are trying to accomplish from their building leaders? If the people in decision making positions are unaware of the tools and the possibilities those tools provide for students and learning then I’m afraid any significant change is light years away.

I hope to be able to have administrative staff development in my district this summer, and I hope as a result of yesterday’s sessions there may also be the possibility of offering something similar for all districts through the Intermediate Unit, as was done yesterday. I get impatient I know, thinking so many in people in leadership roles have no idea of the types of networks and collaborations we have at our fingertips. The resources we have available to one another and the sharing that takes place 24/6/365. I have to find a way to bring that awareness to my district.
Here is a link to a wiki I would like to use in the summer for any staff development I do on social networking, networked learning. Thanks to anyone who contributes.