ATLE Conference In Red Deer

Presented "All the Right Stuff" with partner Greg Woitas at the conference. Theme of team building was evident even in the evening events. Lots of laughs, fun, team building and relationship building.

Enjoyed listening to the Courus Brothers speak about Social Networking and the use of a blog or twitter account. Amazing what educators can do across the space/time continuim if they put their minds to it.
So many peers out there with great ideas, thoughts, challenges. Having your peers in other places in Alberta, Canada, the World to chat with, discuss and provoke questions that make you want ot seek out answers if what being part of a social network is about.

It is also knowing they are there! Having the net of collegues that you haven't even met is an amazing feeling.
Check out some other blogs by educators interested in social networking and educational technology:
http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/
http://georgecouros.ca/blog/
http://shareski.ca/Home.html

Sept. 6th 2010 Interactive Whiteboards....so?

Well, I have some more ponderings. Interactive whiteboards are taking many classrooms by storm. It isn't just the main brands but many other interacitve devices and even the newest projector that will make the surface interactive. Is this something we need or just cute? Does it actually provide students with 21st century learning skills.... does it promotoe collaboration, critical thinking, global connections, organzing and analyzing? Well some would argue yes and others would argue no. My concern is the cost of providing educators with this kind of device and then it is used as a whiteboard, screen to project on.... is this really worth the cost?

How long do you wait for it to become a useful tool? My other ponder is, can educators fall into the trap of using an IWB as the old "worksheet" and make students interact but keep the learning at a level that is just knowledge and fill in the blank??

My goal is to find examples of great use of IWB and working with students to help foster the 21st century skills.

Just wondering out loud...

Sept. 2010 Is technology ready for Education?

So everyone keeps writing about how technology will support and help education but my question is reversed... Is technology ready for Education? One might ask, is she crazy, what does she mean?
Well it has been my experience that there is ample Web 2.0 tools, gadgets, tools, seminars, interviews, multmedia videos and products that will help you integrate technology but then come the restrictions... security, privacy acts, filters, policy, permissions, bandwidth, infrastructure, etc etc.
So we get our teachers all excited about what is possible and then we tell them, but wait... you can't really do that yet, or this is great stuff but beware of ....... and check with.....

Wouldn't it be nice to just be able to be explorers that push boundaries and discover new lands without the worries of what is going to work, fit, secure, will download, etc.
Just a thought... share your thoughts...

P.S. Below are my posts from last year's adventure in Scotland at the Scottish Learning Festival. Amazing Conference. Sorry for the absence of posts but I am going to committ to more frequent blogging as a chance to converse with others about Technology and Education. Please comment away to keep the conversation going.

Post Scotland Learning Festival

Well, it is only been @ 6 weeks since I was in Scotland participating in the Learning Festival and I feel like I have a million quesitons, follow ups and other topics to pursue.

I am very happy that there are many resources still on the Learning Festival Website:

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/index.asp

One of the sections I love to review is the Conference in Pictures section which has cartoons of peoples opinions, sessions, reflections and thoughts during the conference. Some great food for thought.

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/whatson/conferenceinpictures.asp


Can't wait to go back to Scotland.

Thursday Sept. 24th 2nd day #SLF09

The second and last day of the Scottish Learning Festival. I couldn't possibly write about all of it so I want to mention a few key items.

A/ Sessions were very interesting, it is wonderful to know that as educators we are all facing similar challenges in working with and creating the 21st Century learning atmosphere, I can't say the learner as they already exsist but they need to the skills to succeed, this is where we as educators have to step up.

B/ One of the great features of the conference was a wall they called Conference in Pictures, there was a gentleman there who talked to the participants and then in seconds creted a cartoon of their main idea and the thoughts they had about education. I took some great photos. He would be amazing to have at a pd session or when you are trying to capture the thoughts of many. I guess after the conference all the cartoons are then made into colour hardcopy posters that will appear on the SLF and LTS website.

C/ Video link with a school in Aberdeen, well I had a great time with students from a variety of schools. One of the schools had 2 level 6 and 2 level 7 students running their booth, they also had a live link with their school. It was great. I have connected with the teacher and am looking forward to making a connection with the one to one students at Corpus Christi.

D/ Intel, man they can be creative. I had the pleasure of chatting with this robot, yes we chatted, it came up to me and asked me all kinds of questions and then offered to do a spin for the camera, told me it liked my camera etc. I have a picture here but will later post a podcast of the conversation with the computer.

E/ Oatcakes, I was treated by a group of students who had travelled by plane from one of the north islands to join the conference. They told me all about their island, their school, traditional foods and they even taught me some Gaelic.

Wonderful day of learning and meeting new people. Interesting to me that the integration of technology is progressing but at the same time the issues of engaging students continues to be front and foremost. I was most pleased to hear that the ideas of assessment, peer assessment, feedback loops, critical thinking, analytical thinking are all being discussed in this Education system too.

A few pictures from the Day One at the SLF/conference..... #SLF09

Well the displays were definitely interesting, here are a few pics from the conference. Also wanted to note that they are using Twitter, Blogs and Flicker to collect all info from attendees on the conference. Interesting and very good way to use this new medium of social networking. Just have to add #SLF09 to blogs and twitters and they will scan and add to their website results.

Wednesday Sept. 23rd - Scottish Learning Festival and School Site Visits

First I have to say, I love SKYPE!!! Being able to connect and talk to my family while i am so far away ahs been an absolute dream. With the built in web camera I am able to see them at home and they are able to see me here.

Okay, on to my day. First I took a Taxi to St. Clare Catholic Primary which I discovered is located about 25 minutes car ride from city center. It is one of the last communities to the NW of Glasgow before you leave town. The school is located in a beautiful old community however it is a realatively new school.

It has many open bright spaces, two stories with a nursery that shares space. The nursery I have learned takes children from 6 weeks old, imagine teaching in an area where you can go visit babies on your break?

The school has @ 257 students from Level 1 to Level 6 which I seem to have translated from our K to Gr. 6 class. Level 1 is 4 and 5 year olds. The cool connection for me with this school is the name of the Headmaster which happens to be the identical name of my former principal at Corpus Christi. She showed me around the school and introduced me to the students. They were delightful and aside from uniforms and an accent just like my former students at Corpus Christi.

Technology is part of the Curriculum of Excellence here in Scotland and different schools are at different stages of working towards integrating but like us their main focus appears to be Student Engagement not just the technology. Building learners for the future, not just passing "standards".

I could write about St.Clare's for hours but I will move on to my next visit. I was honoured to see the children, speak with the staff and learn from them. I look forward to maintaining a connection with them in the future.

Notre Dame Secondary School is an all girls Catholic secondary that begins at about age 11 to age 18, our 7 to 12 grades. Here I was greeted by the Headmaster and Prinicpal Teacher, the headmaster and I could be mirror images when it comes to teaching style, beliefs and passion for teaching and learning. She invited me to join one of her classes where I had the opportunity to speak to the girls, I brought gifts from our MP Neil Brown of Alberta/ Canada pins (badges they call them here). They were thrilled to receive them and were very excited to hear about school in Canada. They then proceeded to show me some of their presentations for a News and Views series. The students choose the topic, research it, then compile in a format of their choice and present. The rest of the class provides feedback and then they edit, revisit etc. Topics interestingly are exactly what our students would want to research and discuss.

After getting used to the idea it is an all girls school I toured the building and took photos of some of the work and the spaces. This school like St. Clare believe in honouring and celebrating student work, student learning and student engagement. Although St. Clare is fairly new Notre Dame is over 100 years old. The building site is a historical site and although it went through some revising the original building had to be left as is and only restored. Original tile on the walls makes it a very unique building as do the people that walk the halls.

Again I could go on forever about Notre Dame but I will save some for my reflections later on. I proceeded via Taxi to the SECC center to attend the Scottish Learning Festival. This is on the River Clyde in a complex collection of buildings that are used for conferences, SECC standing for Scottish Exibition Conference Center. The "Armadillo" is where the Clyde Auditorium is located and where the keynote speakes presented. Including Carol Dwerk author of Mindsets.

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/aboutslf/index.asp