Comments on: Time Crunch

By: Carolyn Foote

Carolyn Foote — Wed, 30 May 2007 01:49:10 +0000

Our campus too, has spent time exploring the idea of what 21st century skills are, though it was approached a little differently.

Our principal set up a vision committee, and invited any interested teachers/parents/students to join. After a couple of meetings the committee was divided into four subcommittees, and I’ve been mainly involved with the Technology subcommittee and the Site Visit subcommittee.

But we all met together for part of each meeting, and brainstormed and read about 21st century skills, and devised our “own” list of skills.

I helped the committee explore some by creating blogs for each subcommittee, which varied in their successfulness, but for most of the parents and students, that was a learning curve, so it at least created a place for some common reading. (you can see one of them at http://www.trends.edublogs.org).
I do like that you involved all the faculty, because I think it would be helpful to have everyone on the same page.

But this committee became very engaged, and we read a joint book together (Whole New Mind) and many articles as well, which was empowering for everyone. I highly recommend doing some “joint reading” like that as a way to help the faculty, and Whole New Mind is a great book for that.

We also worked on a more ‘grass roots’ staff development model using learning communities that teachers form, and that can change each grading period. So teachers will have more opportunities to work on their own learning, we hope.

I do think the administrative support can make a huge difference in moving the conversation forward. The tone and environment the principal can set is paramount.

We have a ways to go in our explorations and to getting everyone to “join” the conversation, but we have planted many seeds this year, I think.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Tue, 29 May 2007 13:24:05 +0000

I think I was in a similar place last August. I had been blogging for about six months, had taken a few staff members to NECC but needed to find a way to make systemic change.
As you said it is important for everyone to construct meaning and understanding regarding teaching and learning with technology. I started the year with vision building. Our mission statement says we educate students to become productive citizens of the 21st century. Acknowledging that it sounded good when we wrote it I asked what it meant. Is teaching for the 21st century different than teaching for the 20th century? After our discussion I showed the video form MIT of Thoma’s Friedmans lecture on his book The World is Flat. Anyway the point is that I spent a lot of time on staff constructed vision…without it I was afraid inertia would kick in…
Anyway, these are just some ideas that worked for us…I will look forward to hearing what you plan.

By: Melinda Miller

Melinda Miller — Mon, 28 May 2007 21:53:16 +0000

Sounds like you and I are in the same place with how to get our staff into the Web 2.0. I model technology at faculty meetings and send web links in my daily blog. (The one listed above is my PD blog for myself which is different from the one I use with my teachers. They are welcome to read either one. This is more of a newsletter type blog rather than a conversational blog. I may switch to a wiki now that you mention it. I have embedded a google calendar but like your idea of having everyone add to it. It would do away with the calendar on our office wall and everyone would have access from their classroom. I have also suggested that insted of paper newsletters my teachers will need a blog, wiki, or webpage. I think that just my excitement alone gets my teachers excited! I would love to hear more your ideas.