Educational Discourse

Okay, I figure that my other title wasn’t really working for anyone! So I decided to see if another one would work a bit better. You see, one of things we need to do is reach out to new bloggers and get them exposure. We need new voices and new reflections on what we are doing. I know that some of the other bloggers like Bud, David, Scott, mscofino, missprofe, HeyJude and Dean have highlighted new bloggers or directed us to new voices. This is so important for the development of ideas and building networks. As each new voice joins the chorus, our song of change will grow louder until it cannot be ignored.

My latest find is Tom Clearwater a graduate student from Alberta, Canada. His blog, Random Thoughts of an Adult Student , is a new blog having a total of three posts. Now, I usually highlight a few posts for people to check out but in this case I suggest you just check out the blog.

What caught my attention of the honesty which Tom uses in his writing.

Now, I will state up front that I have not read near enough on this subject to make myself anywhere near knowledgeable enough, but there are some things that struck me.

How many other bloggers let you in on this kind of thing? It’s hard to start a blog and then to be this candid about your writing. I’ll definitely be back to see what Tom has to say in the upcoming months.

Don’t forget that there are some other new bloggers out there that need to be encouraged to join the chorus. Let’s take a minute or two to encourage them!

photo image – cabbage leaf – http://www.simplebits.com/notebook/2005/01/05/cabbage.html

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a few themes that have caught my attention. Now, a few of them are very positive, like the Future of Education that is being hosted by George Siemens over at University of Manitoba. Another is planning, especially for the summer months as many teachers prepare for some time off and away from the school. Now, I would have thought that many more positive ventures regarding education and technological tools would be blossoming forth given the onset of the summer. Instead, we still seem to be up against a social resistance to using technology in schools because of what might happen. More recently is the suggestion that the internet is “dumbing down” society and we’re now set to live in mediocrity, this according to Andrew Keen.

First, I thank Vicki Davis for her post on the subject of mediocrity and the response from Brian Grenier and his awesome pic. I believe that Vicki sums up the thoughts of many who are working to make the internet a better place when she says

I am a teacher, and we teach that we do not call names. I would put Andrew Keen in the corner for calling me or anyone else who disagrees with him, a monkey.

Additionally, I think that his blanket, inaccurate statements could result in many people simply covering their ears and saying “Na na na na, I can’t hear you” like the obstinate brother trying to drown out the sound of his sister singing tiptoe through the tulips.

It also reminds me of those who would stop their ears as they rushed to burn heretics at the stake. Listening to the opinions of others (yes, even Keen’s) is a good thing. Listening to only one side is not.

As always, Vicki gets to the heart of the matter. Her comment on my post further explores this whole idea.

Now, combined with this, there seems to be this continuation of a native/immigrant divide that just won’t go away. Karyn over at Karyn’s erratic journey begins a very good discussion about this whole idea.

The speaker was talking about digital natives, and the concept had the chat channel buzzing. Is it relevant? Valid? Will people who were born into the era of the computer be noticeably different from those who had to “migrate” to the technology?

Now, anyone who has read my writing over the past few months knows that I do not agree with this whole idea on several levels. I don’t think that putting people on sides and then giving a description to those sides helps build bridges. In fact, one of the greatest problems we face as educators is that many in society are seeing only the negative of the internet as reported by the media. Instead of the great projects like Vicki and Julie’s Horizon Project being celebrated in the media, we are continually be exposed to the negatives that occasionally happen. The media, from which Andrew Keen seems to have taken his cue, continues to malign the internet as a sinister place where bad people roam searching for the souls of the youth to corrupt them or where the mediocre live, dispensing their ideas as grand. This is further hindered because there is little hope of an immigrant really understanding the world of the native so it can be dismissed without “educated society” really trying to see how the two fit together.

Now, Marc Prensky, the person behind the digital native/immigrant idea, does say that an immigrant may enter the world of the native but will always be an immigrant. However, as Karyn points out, that would mean that anyone alive before that advent of a societal shift in technology would be an immigrant – like telephone immigrants or cellphone immigrants or , or, or. We’d just continue to create immigrant/native divides, looking at when you were born instead of what you can do. Does this make any sense? So what will the next group be called – you know the one’s born when all this is wireless and there is greater open source production, when each house has unlimited access to internet through highspeed and we’re all connected? If people born before are immigrants then will the natives become immigrants and those later become the natives with now two classes of immigrants and natives? I actually thought this was suppose to bring things together not separate them out! So maybe we need to just dispel this whole idea of immigrant/native and move to a continuum of learning where we have early adopters through to novice learners and as you learn how to use different technologies and bring together different tools, you move up the continuum.

With this in mind, we might be able to work at dispelling the myth that the internet is “evil” and, with immersion and education, it can become a place of great intellectual action while at the same time allowing that not everyone wants to be involved in the pursuit of knowledge – some people want to rant about the refereeing during the NHL playoffs or post comments about the two-tiered system that appears to allow for the rich and famous to get special treatment.

This is also where we need to emphasize that what schools are doing with these tools is a bit different than what is happening on Facebook and MySpace and other social websites. Schools are looking at using the tools in a learning environment. This means they are looking at creating something that will demonstrate their understanding of a topic or idea using the tools and the various information gathering items that are available via the internet. Schools do not want to create “safe” MySpaces where kids chat about whatever they like in a safe manner. Schools are looking to create projects that allow student to interact globally under the supervision of teachers, where there are learning goals that specifically define what they are to do. The best example I’ve seen of this is the Horizon Project. Can you imagine the unofficial learning objectives that were fulfilled (global citizenship, cultural integration) never mind the actual ones. Unfortunately the media does not seem to want anything to do with such things – it is positive and all.

My last week was very busy so I didn’t have time to take in many of the Future of Education discussions or presentations. What hasn’t escaped my attention is that there is absolutely no mention of this convention in the mainstream media despite the fact that this is a huge thing for education. Why is that? My hunch is that media wants to continue to show the face of the internet and education being less than stellar. Highlight the teacher with kiddie porn but not the people working diligently to better education using the tools that, in the near future, will become the dominant tools of teaching. Leave the nagging suspicion that the teen who goes on a shooting rampage was somehow linked to evil through the internet but don’t highlight those students who are reaching out to other students to offer assistance and help.

This, to me, is the whole crux of why those of us working to bring this forward are struggling and seem almost stalled. We still live under this “immigrant/native” banner that has, unfortunately, created a divide that people are accepting. Given this acceptance, is it a wonder that adults are kind of dismissing this mode of interaction as another “teenage fad”. They are uncomfortable with how the youth are changing their habits of communication and interaction. So, instead of trying to make sense of this, adopting parts that lend themselves to building better social systems, they are continuing to adhere to the past structures especially in schools where they, as adults, want to feel comfortable with what is happening. So, instead of being open to changes, we are seeing resistance to adopting these tools because people are too easily convinced by the media that the social networks of the youth will breed evil when in fact schools aren’t wanting to recreate these networks but want access to the growing number of opensource tools that will allow the students to demonstrate their understanding through what they create and through their collaboration with other youth across the country and around the globe.

Maybe it’s time to reframe the conversation around a learning continuum, highlighting that we may in fact be encountering at a type of intelligence, digital intelligence, which lends itself to a way of learning through digital mediums and is growing as we have more children entering school who have been exposed to this way of communication and interaction. We need to continue to focus on the facts about internet safety, putting forth our case while not ignoring that, yes, sometimes students will access inappropriate material. But haven’t they always? Check out Dean Shareski’s posts about this topic for a good understanding of how the general public is being misled.

With about three weeks left in school, I’m looking forward to this summer. I’m looking forward to the time to recharge myself, get some rest and have fun with my children. I’m looking forward to evenings on the deck sipping iced tea and listening to birds. But, I’m also looking forward to some uninterrupted time to plan how this upcoming year will be a year where the school where I am administrator will move forward technologically. Where we will look at a continuum of learning for teachers and students. Where learning will become something for all – something fun that we can be proud of and display for others and where parents will be included in our learning – some of them need to know more about what is happening – to become informed. I don’t know how this will happen yet but I have a whole summer to plan things out.

I was going to write a post about some of my latest work with online desktops. However, I came across a post by Tim Stahmer over at Assorted Stuff that was very interesting. Now, I had to take some time to listen to the podcast that Tim refers to in his post so that I could better write this post.

I listened to Jon Gordon’s interview of Andrew Keen about his book The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture and was, well, bewildered. Now, Tim highlights the following quotes from the interview.

Former Silicon Valley entrepreneur Andrew Keen says web 2.0, which is shorthand for user-generated content like blogs, internet video, wikis and podcasts, is a mass of poorly produced, uninformed materials that’s eroding the pillars of society by replacing professional media.

In his new book Andrew Keen compares internet users who make blogs, wikis, and internet video to monkeys banging away on a keyboard.

“The problems that the music business is having, the problems that the newspaper business is having is intimately, profoundly connected with the rise of user generated content media.”

“One of the problems is that the internet allows people to steal things.”

“I would be thrilled if people were reading mainstream, reliable newspapers and then wandering around the blogosphere to supplement their reading. What concerns me is when blogs become the primary source of information. The problem with that is it’s so unreliable. They’re so vulnerable to corruption. They’re often written anonymously. They often have interests, economically, politically or ideologically behind them that we’re not able to acknowledge.

Now, some of the things that Keen says are true. There are many things being stolen and used by others on th net and it is a problem. We are also seeing that there are those who are using the anonymity of the internet as a way to do things that they would be unable to do in a face-to-face situation. And, the music industry has taken a hit with the proliferation of mp3 downloading. However, what really struck me was the comparison of

internet users who make blogs, wikis, and internet video to monkeys banging away on a keyboard.

Right off, it struck me because I write a blog and don’t consider myself a monkey (although I know there are people out there who would agree with this comparison or probably worse ) I then began to think about all the blogs I read and the information that is hosted in these blogs. Now, I may be a monkey but I surely don’t consider the likes of Stephen Downes, Chris Long, Christopher Sessums, Vicki Davis or Scott McLeod to be monkeys. They are very educated and knowledgeable people whose ideas and thoughts are not just bangings on a keyboard.

I find this to be another case of someone, in this case Keen, who is struggling with the incredible changes that are taking place in our ability to access information and desperately trying to maintain that there is a truth and that the professional newsreporters are the ones who have it.

They’re so vulnerable to corruption. They’re often written anonymously. They often have interests, economically, politically or ideologically behind them that we’re not able to acknowledge.

Sorry, that quote is describing the bloggers not the reporters but, in my experience, this can be said of some of the information that one gets in the newspaper and on tv. I know that reporters are suppose to deliver unbiased information. However, the unbiased opinion depends on what one believes about the subject. Take this whole post. I am biased towards blogs and therefore am ready to defend my use of them and my using them to gather information for myself. Why? Because I consider myself able to read through information and detect bias and then, depending on the level that I see, either accept that it doesn’t get in the way of the rest of the information or disregard the information because the bias too heavily interferes with the information. And that is what really bothers me about this whole idea.

Yes, there are things on the blogosphere with which I don’t agree but then I need to determine whether I just let it pass or I do some more looking to see if it is my understanding that needs to change in some way. This is where our schools and what we do there is so critical. With the changes taking place in information access, information exchange and how people view “truth”, we need to help our students determine fact from fiction and develop the critical thinking skills that will question things that do not seem to be right. This will mean questioning the major news providers, seeking to determine if in fact they are providing us with unbiased reporting. Learning to exchange ideas and create new understanding from old is an essential skill that our young people will need. Relying on “experts” to continue to tell us how to think and what to do may not be the saving grace that Keen suggests. In fact, I would say that many of our problems as a society, stem not from individual questioning of what is presented to us but, instead, a mass of people who do not critically question what they are presented. Could this not be the reason we are facing an obesity crisis in North America and, if the “experts” are to be believed, a future diabetes and heart problem crisis in the near future.

I don’t think that people are suddenly running amok, banging on keyboards just to contradict what is being presented in the newspapers or on television. In fact, much of what I read is really discussion and reflection of a book or an article. I would suggest to Mr. Keen that the take some more time to look at what is on the web a bit more closely. Yes, you run across many self-indulgent egoists that really know nothing of what they are writing about but use the shock value to get press. But, I find that in the papers in some of the columnists. I just have to be more selective in what I read. And more discerning. And more critical. It makes me think in new ways and imagine possibilities that were not there before.

As for Keen, I really see someone who is seeing a way of life slip through his clenched fists and this is his way of railing against the injustices he observes. Quite frankly, it brings the elite in contact with the general public, something they have never been happy about. Only this time, it may be that climbing back up to the elite status may mean something totally different and that really scares people like Keen. For us monkeys, such a book that is so doomsdayish can only mean that the shift is happening, albeit slowly. We still have many things to do and there are plenty of others who will continue to malign what is happening on the internet and point out only the negative. But, as I have seen and been part of, there is so much good that is also going on that we continue. The negative factors have always been there and the net just gives them a place to gather more quickly but, if we realize this, positive pressures can be brought to bare on them. In much the same manner that we have had to streetproof our children because of the changes that society has seen, well now we must netproof our children and part of that will be to help them discover how to distinguish the good from the garbage. It’s the least we can do!

For a more indepth look at the book (Can you tell what the author thinks?) see here.  Also, see Andrw Keen’s site where he’s promoting his book. A blog no less!

Well, I finally got around to doing some yard work this weekend. I was able to dethatch my lawn and fertilize it just before we had rain so, if things work out, I should be cutting twice a week in a week or so! My daughter and I also did some flower planting and did some discussion of what we are going to do with our front yard once we finish in the back with the grass growing. She’s turning into quite the gardener. I also discussed the option of a garden with my sons but they weren’t real keen on having to give up camping to weed so maybe next year.

Today, we had our Early Dismissal and staff meeting. Now, our ED have been working with PLC’s. The last few we have been discussing and working on our School Improvement Learning Plan. This SLIP is required and must be created in collaboration with our School Community Council and sent to the School Division Board for approval. Now, last month, members of our SCC met with the staff to look at developing the SLIP around the area of Safe and Caring School Environment. We looked at the four components and created an area of focus that will be part of our SLIP for the next year. The meeting was a success and has brought school and community together in a few ways.

Today, I had the groups focus on what, they as staff, would like to see as part of the SLIP and where we could go from here. In groups they discussed this and reviewed what they had done. Now, although I think that was a good exercise, what I thought was more productive is that, at their tables, they were to also brainstorm ideas for PD so that we could use our ED more effectively. As they were winding down their discussions, I heard things like “using more technology, doing more with video, using the technology we have better…” which was good. I also know that I have two teachers interested in doing a cross-continent learning experience and I have one teacher interested in doing something with the science project linked to the space station. What is really great, is that teachers are looking at how technology is going to enhance what they are doing and seeing how it will make the learning experience better and not just using the technology for its own sake.

Now, these just didn’t happen. In fact, I’ve been planting seeds since I arrived. I have suggesting that teachers check out some ideas and software but they were too busy or had too many other things to do. So, instead of insisting on big things, I insisted they use email and eliminated the paper memo. I’ve now insisted that they use the staff wiki to list all their activities so everyone can check to see what is going on. We’ve avoided two near scheduling disasters because of it. I’ve started a memo page on the wiki and it will grow. I’m also beginning to question our use of staff meetings and wondering if I could not use some type of software to “transmit” the information to the staff instead of meeting in a f2f meeting. I think this is possible and could reduce the “telling” going on at the staff meeting and we could focus on PD mini-lessons with a topic for the month although I do not want to eliminate the discussions we have because many of them are needed.  Other topics include discussing professional reading or working in our PLC’s on school data or streamlining our attendance and other functions to eliminate paper. There are many topics that fit well with what we are doing as a school but it is good to see that using technology is beginning to be part of the discussion and teachers are interested and enthused.

Planting seeds. It takes so much time to grow and can be really frustrating waiting. I’ve learned if you give them too much water, they drown and die, too little water and they wither up and die. As a gardener you cannot make them grow. You need to weed and take care to make sure that bugs and insects aren’t destroying them and, sometimes, natural events take place that are out of your control. But, with persistence and patience, things take root and grow and you begin to see the fruits of your labour. Growing technology use in the school is not much different. There have been times I’ve wanted to give up and toss in the shovel. However, with the examples I’ve shown and the things that we have done, teachers are really beginning to see the benefit to their students of using technology for all sorts of learning.

I’ve also noticed this same thing in my admin PLC where our group has a wiki we are going to use to brainstorm our ideas for our topics. We are then going to have a conference meeting via the net in order to discuss what we are doing. This, hopefully, will show them that all this is possible and can be done no matter who they are and it can cut down on things like driving just to do some committee work.

Now, like all growing, there are weeds that will pop up but one cannot allow them to overrun the garden. By weeds, I mean things like lack of time, technical problems, uncooperative software, uncooperative students and all sorts of other things. These will happen but if we deal with them, working to try to eliminate them or reduce their numbers, the seeds will grow and flourish and eventually, hopefully, choke out the weeds.

My students always tell me I use metaphors and analogies way too much. However, I’ve learned that in using them, people can relate to something that is really foreign to them  through something with which they are familiar. I began doing this three years ago and, finally, I’m seeing something come up. I don’t know how it will grow but if I don’t tend it and nurture it, then it may not survive.  There are many factors out of my control. As a principal, I’m in the same situation. So, I’ve planted more seeds, having staff as a whole look at areas of PD that they feel would benefit them in the school. Hopefully, some of this will be technology.

Finally, I’ve been doing some conversing with Durff , someone I met through the Horizon Project and we have been discussing having an online “workshop” that would be for technology people who are at the beginner stage and wanting  to progress. Now, my idea was to gather some people who are using technology and have them demonstrate and then answer questions about use of various tools and things they have learned. Just out of curiosity, would anyone be interested in: a) attending such a “workshop” format and b) helping with such a workshop. I’m thinking that many of the things that are done could be saved and posted for use by others later but, in my experience, having a live person to ask questions and use the tools really helps. It would be like a Digital Camp for grown-ups. Let me know what you think.

Well, it’s been a while since I did one of these posts. I’ve been busy with many different things and I’ve been doing more reading and commenting. I’ve run across some great new bloggers. The one I’m going to highlight today is Learning Landscapes. This is a relatively new blog, just two months old. I believe the writer is eve and I found her after she commented on one of my posts. I visited the blog and found some great posts. Now the posts are not very long but don’t let that fool you. eve does a great job of highlighting things and posing great questions. I sometimes forget that I need to shorten my own posts and get to the point. eve does this well.

L-plates

What did you learn today?
As usual, I suggest that people drop by and add a comment or two to encourage eve in her efforts. I know that all new bloggers are looking for some input as they blog into the nether world. If you haven’t done the same for the others I’ve mentioned in earlier new face blogs, please do so. They’ve some great nuggets just waiting for you.

Previously – Susan Funk , missprofe, Steven Michaluk, Jeff Boulton, Kimberly Moritz, Carolyn Foote, Janet Clarey, Lynn, Claudia Ceraso, Ms Sigman, eve,