Assignments

• Day 1
Read the Horizon Report (2008).

Post a blog on what technological trend you feel will become most prevalent in K12 learning within 5 years and why.

(see Rules of Engagement)

• Day 2
Please watch both of the Sir Ken Robinson videos linked below. Then post two slides on the shared presentation: 1) one way schools kill creativity, and 2) one way schools foster creativity.
Do schools kill creativity?
Creatively Speaking
(see Rules of Engagement)

• Day 3
Assignment 1 - See Blog entry on Web 2.0 Directory below for instructions.
Assignment 2 - See Blog entry on P21 Skills below for instructions.

• Day 4
Assignment 1 - Wikipedia - see post below.
Assignment 2 - Colliding Forces - see post below.

• Day 5 and Day 6
Live Broadcast - post a response to the blog below on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

• Day 7 and Day 8 - Surprise.....
Your assignment is optional - you will receive credit whether you email me yes or no, but you do have to email me. I do not believe in zeros, nor in failure as an option. However, you get what you put in, so I encourage you to say yes....;-)

If you email me yes, here's what you are committing to. Give me your email address at work, what grade level or content area you teach, whether you are an administrator, whatever. What school you are at and a short resume/introduction of yourself. I will leave your name and contact anonymous until I find another teacher/educator/administrator in PVUSD who might like to work with you on REACH, and in turn you with them. I will make an intitial email introduction of each of you to the other - from there, you are on your own to put into practice the communication, collaboration and creativity of 21st century teaching and learning, using information technology to bridge time and space constraints.

REACH (Real Experiences Advancing Childhood Humanities) is an initiative our district is implementing with other educators/administrators outside of our walls. We are connecting students/teachers/administrators, from differing classrooms, differing schools, cities, states, countries, using technology to communicate/collaborate/create in whatever ways possible and appropriate to postively impact student learning - totally up to you and your PVUSD counterpart on what you think would be useful - how big, how small, how deep, how thin, is up to you.

It does not have to be high tech, with tons of technology - in fact, the technology is not the point - learning with and about others is, being creative and taking a risk is the experience. One simple internet connection and a Google account can do wonders (you should now know that), to connect students, teachers, administrators, whatever. I suspect your kids, your school will be richer for the adventure and you will cross into something I believe is profound and necessary in education - REACH'ing beyond the walls......

So, if you want to REACH, give me the details and I will personally try to connect you with an appropriate counterpart. Then, you have the opportunity to extend your coursework learning into actual practice - the point of taking a class. Email me yay with details, or nay. What I wish for you is to REACH beyond this ASU class, throw optimism into the wind and see what emerges in your participatory networking experience.

Jeff......

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Final Project

I found inspiration for my final project from all of the genyes discussions we have had in class. I decided to teach three students how to use different programs on the computer and then have them teach the other students. To begin with, I picked my three higher readers (so that they could read the menu bar and the various options. I showed them how to do some basic things in a word document (type, save, change fonts, etc) and then I let them spend three days exploring and figuring out how to do other things. Then I had them begin to teach (and trouble shoot) for the other students during center time. Now, most of my students have learned to use microsoft word (which is a big accomplishment!) Last week when we got to the publishing stage of writing I selected four kids who were able to type their stories on the computer. Next, I am planning on teaching the same three students how to use the our schools online clip art gallery along with microsoft clipart to import images that will match their writing.

I think that this has given ALL of my students a new found sense of pride and accomplishment. I also think that they are a lot more willing to try and figure things out on the computer instead of just yelling for me. Next quarter I hope to teach them how to use the internet to do research along with use the computer to create other projects.

1 comment:

Jeff Billings said...

You are embedding the best of GenYes into your classroom - way to go. It is a powerful practice and as you go with it, start having them create digital content for you. Teach them the pedagogy, the standards, and have them develop the content. Try it - you and they will learn much. And, you'll get to the essence of a teacher - facilitating, guiding and providing the learning environment. They in turn will have a new and profound attitude about teaching and teachers.

Jeff....