Educational Discourse

Today I’ve been doing some catching up on some reading. I did visit most of the blogs on my Google Reader list and strolled through many of the sites, leaving comments here and there. I was stepping through Kim Cofino’s always learning blog where she had a list of three books essential for 21st Century Educators. I have to admit, I haven’t read Will Richardson or David Warlick’s book. I am reading Thomas L. Friedman’s The World is Flat and I’m enjoying the information that it has regarding the flattening of the world. However, as I thought about what I added to the list, I began to think about how the beourcratic elements of our schools and the exposure we have via our Professional Development really shapes the information that we are consuming as teachers, if we are actually consuming any information.
In Saskatchewan we have just finished a very major amalgamation that was brought on through government legislation. Whether I liked it or not is immaterial at this point and since one gets no where looking backwards, I tend to look forward, find positive and move on making what I have the best that it can be. Our new division is focusing on the SMART goals philosophy Ann Conzemius and Jan O’Neill. Their book The Handbook for SMART School Teams sets out how schools can use this, combined with the Professional Learning Communitees ideas from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker, to change how schools function and focus on Data Driven Decisions to improve the learning outcomes of the students in the school. Thus, much of my reading has been focused on the works of these authors and the ideas that are within their pages.

Just lately at our Administration Meetings we have begun to use PLC’s to focus on different ideas within the admin group. I am currently working with a group of administrators who are focusing on teacher supervision. We are looking at various methods that will allow us to assist teachers in developing as professionals through reflective discussions. One book we have been using is The Three-Minute Walk-Through by Carolyn J. Downey, Steffy, English, Frase and Poston. I’ve been using this method for a few weeks in order to visit the rooms of the teachers, gather some information and then move on. This has been using up more of my reading time. I’ve a few other books on my list that I’d like to get through this year. Then I run across the last few posts by Kim and I see a more books that I think will really benefit me as I look at the way we can improve schools keeping in mind the students who are walking through our doors each day.

Why am I writing about this? Well, the books that I’m working with at present are those that I know will help me to get a handle on the ideas and directions that our school division is going. One does need to demonstrate that one understands what is going on around them! However, I see those books Kim has suggested as also being crucial in helping to create a school that students really want to be at. What do I do? How does one get all this reading in and still get work done? Forget Saturdays and Sundays, I’m coaching basketball and trying to spend time with my family. So what can one do?

I’ve learned that if I have a deadline or required timeframe, I can really prioritize and get work done. I am currently finishing the last week in my online course and I’ve kept up for one month with little added stress. I’m also enrolled in the Connectivism Conference at the U of Manitoba with George Siemens. I know that I’ll find time to take in the information somehow. So, here’s an idea for anyone who visits this site – how about an online book club? I’d like to suggest that we select a book that focuses on education – does not have to be technology! We agree to read and then once a month we meet and discuss the book via Skype (I’m kwhobbes) or some other tool. Now, if you’re interested, leave me a comment with your information and a suggestion for a book or two.

Hey, it’s worth a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Kelly

I’m a gamer. I love games. I enjoy kicking the ………. out of some evil doer and purging the streets, universe, country of evil. I also like challenging my reflexes and testing my cranium. I’m Kelv Chevalier in 2L who’s still trying to find the educational group that I’ve read about; I’m learning the WoW; I play StarWars – not quite a Jedi master; Sims; a few online kill and crash games. I understand they are hard work and require much thinking and all those other things. They’re fun and distract me from my other worries if just for a while. When I’m playing, I’m playing. It takes a lot to pull me out of the “game trance” that I get into.

I’ve been gaming since the 70’s when PONG came out. Now, the games today are much more suffisticated and challenging. The graphics are way better if your computer can handle them. Now my kids and I play games and most of the time, I can still kick some butt. Occasionally, my 13 year old daughter surprises me and sets me up for an early exit. It happens, especially when I haven’t spent the time playing like she has on a game. Of course, were the tables turned, I’d be doing the same thing.

With the WoW, we are at the beginner level but I expect that in a short time we’ll be able to figure some things out. To start, we’re going to play one character – there is my 11 year old, my 13 year old, my 5 year old and myself who will be learning with the character. My 14 year old is checking out some other role play games and even looking at the teenage version of 2L. We all like the distraction that it gives us and we have learned to cooperate fairly well together. I know my kids like to play different games. My girls are into the more finesse, problem solving type of games while my sons are into superhero/battle type of games and they don’t mind sacraficing a player to see what will happen if you ….. go through door three where there is something oozing under the door. You can always start over! Maybe I should get some funding to carry on a research project in relation to female and male gaming!

I’ve played other games on line, like chess (at which I am brutal! I think some 5 year old from somewhere beat me in 4 moves! So embarrassing!), card games and simple tactical games. I like being able to have a human opponent to play against.

We haven’t been able to convince my wife that we need a game station of some sort. She’s probably right that it would eat away too much time and I’d never take out the garbage. In time, I believe that we will end up with some sort of station, probably  through the computer. We have 4 Apple’s in our house and use them regularly for much more than computing. They are becoming part of the entertainment center for the house. This, I think will eventually lead to gaming through the computer on tv with wireless handhelds and action centers. In fact, we’re looking at doing television through the computer, set up with Apples new itv tool.

I  like the fact that I can escape, for a bit, from the “stressers” of life and play at whatever game I choose. Now, the great thing about games is that when you make a fatal mistake in a game, you can just start over and make sure you don’t make it again. If you’re really into a game, you can go to various sites, get clues, hints and various other tricks to use in completing stages in the game you are playing. I don’t do this as I prefer to stumble my way through the levels but I know some people who play more than I do who use these sites regularly.

As an educator, I can see some use for certain games, especially when they involve strategies, collaboration and no real violence. You would have to make sure that the learning outcomes are clear and that there is a way to assess what is going on throughout the game. That, I feel, could be a sticking point for some people because, like it or not, teachers must demonstrate that the tools they are using allow for some type of assessment, preferrably ongoing, authentic assessment. This will be the area in which we need to work in order to bring games from being an out-of-school activity to an inschool teaching tool.

Another area that will need to have some work is the public idea of what “learning” is. For some reason, society continues to see the use of technology as not “real” learning. With the advent of Web2.0, we have some very powerful tools that will allow students to access information, share ideas, collaborate and publish in ways they haven’t bee able to previously. This is the area, I believe, that we need to concentrate our efforts not on convincing people that bringing games into schools can be educational. I don’t think they will have the impact that these other tools will have on the undertanding and learning that can happen within schools.

Back to my family! It is common to see anyone of the 6 kids from age 4 up playing on the computer, chatting, writing and interacting. However, it is also common to see them reading the paper, reading a book, playing a board game or playing with various other toys around the house. The idea that “gaming” is the only thing that kids do might just be a bit of an over-exaggeration. They do a lot more. A whole lot. Gaming isn’t the only way they entertain themselves. Learning from that, we, as educators, need to vary what we do, using a great many strategies and methods so that students are challenged to push and search for new understanding. Gaming is a great escape and you might be able to escape for a bit but you cannot hide forever, no matter how great the other world might seem.

Life is much different from gaming, I think. Maybe that’s why, as I get older, I don’t do it as much as I use to. There’s too many exciting things going on in the real world, I don’t need to go anywhere else. Plus, I don’t have the time to dedicate to playing although with the WoW I may be able to find some “more” time in my day for this 

Kelly

There has been a wonderful discussion going on in relation to the Prensky article “Engage Me or Enrage Me”. Now, I’ve spent a few days refiing my thought on this blog. The comments have been spectacular and I’ve grown to know a few of you even more (Thanks for dedicated entry Scott ) Now, I’ve been preparing a rather lengthy discussion and then I read Dean Shareski’s tag article where he comments on posting length. So, with that in mind, off we go….

Scott, Dean and others see the article as being a wake-up call to take notice that we need to focus on the fact that students are not engaged.

What is different now (and why Prensky’s article is so salient) is that until recently kids didn’t have anything to compare teachers’ instruction against except other teachers. Now they have these high-powered learning environments called video games that are purposefully designed to keep kids’ brains in their own individualized zones of proximal development. The subject matter may be questionable, but the intentional cognitive engagement that is occurring is not. Scott McLeod

As I read through your post Scott, I realized that we are talking about the same thing it’s just that we see the article from two angles. I think we’re like this: looking at a dice that has landed six up. You see it as two horizontal lines and I’m seeing two vertical lines. We both see a six and we’re just trying to figure out if they’re horizontal or vertical. So, I’ll walk over to your side. What the hey, horizontal!

We both see that schools have to become more relevant to students and it is the teacher’s role to use differentiated instruction to reach all students (in Saskatchewan we call it the Adaptive Dimension). We both agree that we need to see the schools begin to adopt a greater focus on using data to make decisions and, I would think, that we would agree that we need to use Professional Learning Communities to enhance what is happening in the schools. I agree that we need to use more technology to engage the learners – no doubt about it. And, I could probably be convinced that, given the right conditions, gaming could be a relevant tool for teaching.

Like you, I’ve read, reread, pondered, reflected and rewritten a few times. Dean, I agree with your comment and we do need to root out the outdated and irrelevant work. I guess I write from where I view the profession of teaching. I see it as a dynamic, ever-changing, ever-evolving journey of learning. I am constantly looking for new ideas and challenging what I believe to make sure it holds up to the litmus test- are kids learning/understanding and with me. That is why I’ve embraced blogging, wikis, podcasts, videos, audios and other formats of presentations, however a student can demonstrate their understanding, I usually can work with them. This doesn’t mean I don’t do some worksheets, some written work, some reading, some …. it’s a mixed bag.

Now, in the school where I am adminstrator, we have learning teams. During our first set of meetings, I made it clear that it was OUR responsibility for the students learning and understanding. We don’t have any control of the parents, home life, emotional state of the student or various other things. Some we need to address but some, well, that’s out of our control so we can’t use it as an excuse. Boy do teachers work at trying to get the home life card back in – but it doesn’t work. So, we need to differentiate, adapt and challenge the students. MY job is to provide the resources to make it happen. I give the teachers support, I present them with options and I ask them questions. But, I expect that they will come out of isolation and we will work together to make this a “happenin’ place” where students don’t mind coming every day. We want a safe and welcoming place where we understand that there are 200 odd individuals all with different needs and expectations and we, as the teachers and support staff, have a duty to do our best to meet those needs.

I try to lead by example and, therefore, I’m offering pd for teachers to introduce them to blogs, wikis, podcasts, using video, etc. Having said all this, I’m still learning as an administrator so I haven’t figured out how to get all this together but we’re working at it and trying.

As a teacher it always infuriated me that some “person” from outside (if you are not presently teaching and have been out more than 5 years, you’re out of tocuh.) telling me that if I just do “this”, my students will learn and understand. Like NOT. I hate sitting and getting so I try not to do it myself – however I can sit here for 2 plus hours and …. and I can game for like 4 hours. I understand the engagement thing – but that is different and I can separate that in my mind – I don’t get a lightsaber to get rid of the evil one’s (some days I’d like to manipulate the force though – You will do your homework. Now go. You won’t call him a dummyface any more. You may pass. And to be able to lift the desk and rotate that one student – mmmmm) As a learning professional, I’m insulted by the article and that is why I object to it. I really don’t find Prensky to be a “futurist”. Personally, I see him as an opportunist. And I will stop with my comments there!!

Scott, I truly enjoy all the learning that I have done and the reflection that this has made me do about my practice as an administrator and as a teacher. Unfortunately, my position doesn’t allow me to get to see other schools so you are a better judge and I will defer to what you see. I know that I don’t want my kids to be bored – that’s when they tatoo each other with multi-coloured ink pens. I want them to be engaged and pushed to the limit of their abilities (these are my own kids, not all the students). So if that is what I want, then I figure most other parents want the same. I’ll have to post about my girls and I. Maybe you’ll see why I’m not normal!!

Sorry Dean but I’ve written a lot again I promise the next one will be short – er.

Thanks for the responses and the conversation.

Kelly

I’ve spent some time reading through some of the blogs from my GoogleReader, just blog cruising the past few days. Several things have caught my attention. First, there isn’t too much that is really new in a good portion of the high frequency blogs. Like Graham Wegner states in his blog entry relevant and  original :

Quite often I read about an idea and then that theme seems to propagate itself in a multitude of blogs. For instance, More Prensky’s concept of digital immigrants and nativesis currently doing the rounds. My problem ? The majority of what’s being written I’ve read versions of before  with very few bloggers currently breaking new ground on this well worn topic.

Now, if you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’m not fond of this whole concept of natives and immigrants. Just recently I’ve read Prensky’s latest article Engage Me or Engrage Me. on Scott McLeod’s Dangerously Irrelevant  where he introduces the topic and the discussions going on via two blogs: Chris Lehmann’s and Dennis Fermoyle’s. Both of these blogs do have some good conversations taking place. Although I agree with Chris that

   … our schools do need to do a better job of engaging our students. I think we do have to find ways to integrate new tools into how we teach, and I (clearly) think that the technological tools we use outside of school need to find their way inside of schools as well. I even think that there are moments with simulations and games can play a major role in what we do in our classrooms.

I think the slam dunk in the article is

But I’m going to also say that we also have to teach gumption. We also have to teach kids how to slog through things even when they aren’t fun. And we have to teach kids what it means to see something through, and we have to teach kids that some values are not immediately fun, but are worth it long term. I used to say to my English classes, “Hey, on a warm spring day, I’d rather be outside playing Ultimate frisbee than teaching English, but we all have to be here, so let’s find a way to make it meaningful.” The flaw in Prensky’s article is that there is a difference between recreation and work.(my stress)

This is something that we seem to be forgetting in the discussion of the new technologies. Even when it is brought up, those who are proponents seem to say “Yeah, yeah. We’ll do that but what about ___________” (fill in blank with whatever tool or key phrase is hot.) We seem to be confusing “fun” with “life skills”. The more I read, the more I wonder when we decided to let the children and students decide what would be taught, how it would be taught and what was important to know.

As I progressed through life, each time I hit that ultimate next life stage, I thought “Right on, now I’ve arrived, I’ve worked hard, learned and I’m a capable person. Now someone will listen to me.” Well, I’m still waiting. Not that people don’t listen but I’m realizing that I know less and less about this cycle we call life and all of a sudden someone is saying that we can just disregard the life lessons and learning that goes on from struggle through difficult and mundane tasks. We’ll just make it all wonderful with wowing technology and they’ll learn so much more than through the mundane tasks but you don’t understand because you’re not like them so just nod and move aside. Did I miss something? How can we continue to tell kids that life is like a video game – simulation or whatever. It isn’t. Life is so much more messy, uncertain and chaotic. And when you die, you don’t get any more chances. But if you just want one drama after another – that’s what soaps are for. Really. Or the half-hour sitcoms.

I could continue on this vain but, really, will it make a difference. The lines are being drawn as we move into this uncertain and chaotic period of education. Will children suffer irraparable damage if they don’t  get a whole menagerie of technological experiences? No. Despite what everyone seems to think, children will continue to be children. And last time I checked, the teenage years were always difficult and chaotic times. Questioning the authoraties of the time, pushing the lines and wanting freedom but scared to really take it. Escaping into __________ (fill in the blank with some kind of diversion) has been a way that teens have dealt with things. Are the diversions different and allowing students to soialize in a whole new way. Yep. But they’re still diversions and some kids use the web, some read, some write, some do sports and some, unfortunately fall into using drugs and alcohol. Will there be other diversions for the next set of teens? Yes. Will we have to accommodate them? Of course.

Now this doesn’t mean that I don’t think schools can continue to limp along as they are doing and we need to do some serious changing but let’s not lose sight of the fact that schools are around, really, for one reason. We need to send the children somewhere while people work. Before school, factories, mines and fields were the places of choice unless you were from a rich family then you were usually home schooled or, if you were a rebel and snuck out at night to ride your horse around, you were sent overseas to some monestary or some religious excursion. Then society decided that this wasn’t good, having children working in factories and such so it was made illegal to use children to work in the fields, mines and factories. What to do with them? We came up with schools. Yes, universal education allowed for people to move up the social ladder and achieve things they couldn’t before as it does now. Maybe school has outlasted its usefullness and we need to do something different. But right now, the best option we have is schools and the best understanding we have is to create an environment that, at some point, will challenge most of the students. The posts on the blogs I mentioned earlier are worth the read in this regard.
Now, unless I feel a real urge, this will be my last post on Prensky as I believe that this just creates more advertising. I would like to explore that idea of a digital intelligence as I believe that this has more weight than some of the other things I’ve heard. More on that later.  I do so enjoy the dialogue and discussion. That’s why I blog!

Kelly

Over at Dangerously Irrevelant, Scott refers to two enteries found on Seth Godin’s blog. After reading “On becoming the” I was struck that the changing of two little words could really have so much impact. It reminded me of the Corner Gas episode The Taxman, in which the discussion of a and the are highlighted by a visiting taxman looking for Oscar LeRoy. In the episode, the taxman is very upset when someone says he is “The Taxman” because it makes it sound like he’s responsible for the taxes and for the misery caused by taxes. This highlights what Seth is saying about going from being an “a” to a “the”. It does change how one is perceived. For example, I am “The Principal” in town. Without saying anything, the responsiblilty of the role is summed up in the use of “The” which is different from being “a teacher at the school.” With using “the”, it distinguishes me and my role apart from others. Now, this goes for some of the other positions in school like “The” Secretary and “The” Janitor, both of which are important positions in the well being of the school.

There are times when being “The” is very difficult but these are not the norm. I thouroughly love my job and working in the school with all the students, staff, parents and community. Being in a small community, one is never “off”. I am always the principal even when friends of my children come over. But their getting use to it – especially on Saturday mornings after sleepovers when I surface with a bad case of bedhead. Sometimes one might want to be “the” but other times, it might be just as easy to an “a”. Naw!

Kelly