tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-243304192024-03-07T16:15:08.965-08:00Digital Crosswalksdiscussing issues in education and technologyrob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-41684352132568147332009-07-16T07:55:00.000-07:002009-07-16T08:13:04.435-07:00"That's a Dumb Thing to Say"<div class="summary">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBGR9DHn83ROYyeq6SSnwgi8iWfFm98QBuVrjxry0VYEyveuLBY0QQNY3kl9TXrwOO6HsNj01AX4WekOzikA_W60gTTxPlNbOhVoAE1WZWR8Y1I5f7g_3ubae37CVAb53GH12/s320/boy-by-thomas-hawk-66.gif" alt="Photo By Thomas Hawk - www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk" border="0" />
Are you saying more than you really intend?
</div>
<p>
The other day, I was at the market, and as I was walking to the Deli counter, I overheard a woman admonish her daughter with "That was a dumb thing to say!". My heart sank. The look on the child's face made me want to cry.
</p>
<p>
I like to think that this parent meant no harm, that she usually has very loving things to say to her daughter. But the incident remains with me. I shared it at a meeting with some teachers later that day. The mutual reaction was a group moan. It was clear to them that such comments (often said in the heat of the moment) build an image the child has of herself.
</p>
<p>
I wonder what that Mom's reaction would have been had I asked her "Is your daughter dumb?". You can see how one might get that impression from your comment.
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/176785431/sizes/m/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLBdMuUHzRakCmgYM_UGyuRK_nnzA74PyB8ObuvOC31iJ19wxdDYZC19TUIBq8ugAyUT9mP8obSh-5Igyr1yTQD_OYq5v_TtbHCg-hYHYWYhXnlwmQ6h2j4_Pv8SXReLS0ksT/s320/boy-by-thomas-hawk.jpg" border="0" alt="photo by Thomas Hawk" />
<br/>
Photo by Thomas Hawk (cc)</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-29274276660762623412009-07-13T09:05:00.000-07:002009-07-13T10:15:32.257-07:00Thanks Steve! Webinars for Free<div class="summary">
<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 66px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-ZtG_o9A4vFckVK7dAm-zcPaoUfmcbrlcRG00F6UG9Bhpq_aMyD59bHuBI9LpkbPboH7ipJbZRFoe96TCX8ZWis0ryOon3Di_h3pZAVkh-Q34LO3tVbAfY_kza2A8Sc63bOa/s320/vroom-icon.png" alt="vRoom by LearnCentral.org"/>
Steve Hargadon has lead me to another wonderful tool for educators.
</div>
<p>
<a href="http://www.stevehargadon.com/" target="_blank" title="Link to Steve's Blog">Steve Hargadon</a> - of <a href="http://www.edubloggercon.com/" target="_blank" title="link to the EduBloggerCon home wiki">EduBloggerCon </a>and <a href="http://www.classroom20.com/" target="_blank" title="link to the Classroom 2.0 home page">Classroom 2.0</a> fame - has been busy. Perhaps you saw him at NECC this year - <a href="http://www.neccunplugged.com/" target="_blank" title="link to the NECC UnPlugged site">NECC UnPlugged</a> - or maybe you attened one the many PBS Teachers free webinars ("<a href="http://www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/">PBS Teachers LIVE!</a>") or you just know him as the "Open Source Guy". He certainly gets around.
</p><p>In addition to being a really nice guy, Steve has (and continues to be) a great source for new technologies and innovative uses of technology within education. Some of the "gems" that I discovered through Steve include <a href="http://www.ning.com/" target="_blank" title="link to Ning's home page">Ning</a>, <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/" target="_blank" title="link to UStream's home page">UStream</a>, and <a href="http://www.comapping.com/" target="_blank" title="link to comapping's home page">CoMapping</a>. His most recent "gem" is a program that allows teachers to host webinars in <a href="http://www.elluminate.com/" target="_blank" title="link to Elluminate's home page">Elluminate </a>- for FREE. Steve has worked out a deal that gives you the opportunity host your own "public meetings" or online seminars in <a href="http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars?community_tabs_callback_tab=1&referer=node/3432&ac=reply&nid=13444" target="_blank" title="link to information on using LearnCentral's Elluminate Room">LearnCentral's Elluminate Room</a>. There are few "rules" and restrictions including that the topic focus on education, it be available to everyone (for free), and that your are OK with it being recorded. This service usually costs lots of $$$'s and thanks to Steve and Ellumniate, you can get it for free. You can read more about it <a href="http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars?community_tabs_callback_tab=1&referer=node/3432&ac=reply&nid=13444" target="_blank" title="Host Your Own Webinars - LearnCentral">on the LearnCentral site</a> and <a href="http://www.stevehargadon.com/2009/07/hosting-your-own-free-webinars-in.html" target="_blank" title="link to Steve's article on hosting your own free webinars">in Steve's blog</a>.</p><p>But what if you are looking to use something like Elluminate to meet online with a just one or two folks - in a more private setting? Again, Steve (and LearnCentral) has a solution. If you join LearnCentral (free), you can use their <a href="http://www.elluminate.com/vroom/" target="_blank" title="sign up to use vRoom">vRoom </a>feature to host a private Elluminate meeting with one or two others. Think collaborative teaching, online tutoring or virtual parent conferences. (<a href="http://www.elluminate.com/vroom/stories.jsp" target="_blank" title="link to some stories of how educators are using vRoom">some vRoom stories</a>).</p><p>We have been using GotoMeeting's online meeting service for a number of years now - and paying around $50 a month for the privallege. While GotoMeeting lies somewhere between the "open to all - free" model and the "private - one or two participant" vRoom model, it is good to know that there are other options out there.</p><p>Thanks Steve and keep up the good work!</p><p>
<a href="http://www.elluminate.com/vroom/" target="_blank" title="sign up with LearnCentral to get your own vRoom"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 100px;" src="http://www.elluminate.com/images/Get-Your-Own-vRoom-on-E3E8F3.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>
</p><p>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-16544996908431850312009-06-30T09:38:00.000-07:002009-06-30T12:31:09.487-07:00Oh - I remember YackPack<div class='summary'>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YIqeq8_c9sc9dN5HOU0ieM0bTBx8_Nxg2J1pXGdZyAiEwInCfpf3dxh3vhLJ526RZT01sLxcyvMSccwEka5Gjj1wkpYX4FqCli3oBlTLm-YlBWjAEwCXVj_oUHTDkOBvV8v5/s320/yackpack-thumb.png" border="0" alt="yackpack" />
Another look at a fun/interesting/useful tool - YackPack
</div>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3P4n957ObodMm8oQnts4WaTnf3DZAc1Im1EXtWBY_tbjkerGFBN8ld5aNkeQsX1osBwFi75CH4TbfcglNLWfeU2BcacGpb9UlWEHgh3jjw4h-7rgpHcnhlIr0cu3dtdjZuxY/s1600-h/yackpack.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 181px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3P4n957ObodMm8oQnts4WaTnf3DZAc1Im1EXtWBY_tbjkerGFBN8ld5aNkeQsX1osBwFi75CH4TbfcglNLWfeU2BcacGpb9UlWEHgh3jjw4h-7rgpHcnhlIr0cu3dtdjZuxY/s320/yackpack.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353161216701109026" /></a>
<p><em>With all the cool technology out there, how do you keep up with it all?</em></p>
<p>The answers is <strong>you don't</strong>. You only keep up with that technology that you use. The phrase "Use it or loose it" really applies here.</p>
<p>Back in 2007, I gave a presentation at the CUE conference and just before going into the session, I ran into a woman from <a href="http://www.yackpack.com">YackPack</a>. I did not have too much time to hear the YackPack story, but she was willing to give me one of their really cool t-shirts after I promised to include in in the give-aways at my session. <small>(I think the t-shirt was more popular than my presentation)</small>. I did, however, learn more about YackPack when I got home and was really impressed. You can <a href="http://digiwalks.blogspot.com/2007/04/go-ahead-and-yack-on-your-pbwiki.html">read my post about incorporating YackPack into <strike>PBWiki</strike> PBworks</a>.</p>
<p><strong><em>So... what's the point?</em></strong> Despite the uses of YackPack, I never incorporated them into my teaching or training. I didn't use it, so I lost it.</p>
<p>Jump forward to NECC 2009. Since I was not able to go to D.C. :-( I have been following the conference virtually. One participant in particular, <a href="http://delicious.com/elkanj">elkanj</a>, has <a href="http://delicious.com/elkanj/NECC2009">bookmarked</a> several interesting links on Delicious from NECC, and YackPack was one of them.</p>
<p>"Oh, YackPack. Let's have another look." [imagine a little bubble with this thought above my head]</p>
<p>I am so glad that I did. In general - YackPack is a web-based asynchronous conference calling application. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Let me try and answer with some scenerios</p>
<ul>
<li>You are a language teacher who is looking for a way to get your students to practice conversations<br/><strong>yackpack:</strong> create a group with all your students and have them converse. They send other students (you can assign pairs if you want) voice "messages" in the foreign language and the recipients respond.</li>
<li>You have always wanted to schedule individual conferences with your students to review their progress but found coordinating meeting times was very difficult.<br/><strong>yackpack:</strong> create a group with all your students and record a review for each student individually. Students login and hear your review and respond. You don't have to be at school. You do it on your time. The students do it on their time. All of the conversations are saved. And it is private.</li>
<li>You have tried blogging with your students as a way to engage them in out-of-class discussions, and you have had some success. But the kids with who don't write as well as the others feel intimidated.<br/><strong>yackpack:</strong> create a group with all your students and record discussion prompts aimed at the whole group. Each student responds to the group and a conversation begins. This gives the students a chance to articulate their thoughts verbally. As an alternative, you could ask each student to respond directly to you to gauge their level of understanding on a topic.</li>
<li>You have a few friends who are experts in their fields and are really interesting. You would love to have them come to your class and share their experiences with the kids, but you can't afford the class time.<br/><strong>yackpack:</strong> create a group with all your students and invite your friends to join where they record a short talk on their experiences. Your students can then engage them in discussions.</li>
</ul>
<p>YackPack has more information about using their technology in the classroom <a href="http://www.yackpack.com/education.html">here</a>. To get started, watch <a href="http://www.yackpack.com/videos/YPIntro20060807/YPIntro20060807.html">this video</a> preview of YackPack.</p>
<p>If you have never heard of YackPack or are like me and have not Yacked in a while, <a href="http://www.yackpack.com">check it out</a>. There are lots of interesting uses for this technology.</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-60239987735383198012009-06-09T08:54:00.000-07:002009-06-17T09:38:04.073-07:00Montra For Your Class?<div class="summary">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_NB5Rxhbpkh-hWc9Bj1mhZRczHdLMADTDVGcJLjlawCNar1e_gG-aargBHCdEcsTDBcE7sAXufTs4C3KH-Q86RSjxRvPJ-SItuFnKs6oV_PjW6WRtsStYw2bV2d9KM1ahlW8/s320/libeskind.png" border="0" alt="libeskind contemporary jewish museum" />
I love to apply ideas from other industries to our education space. Here is one from the architectural world.
</div>
<p>
Architect <a href="http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/">Daniel Libeskind</a> talked about how he tried to make his work expressive rather than neutral, unexpected rather than habitual, memorable rather than forgettable, communicative rather than mute, democratic rather than authoritarian. What if our classrooms were expressive rather than neutral, unexpected rather than habitual, memorable rather than forgettable, communicative rather than mute, democratic rather than authoritarian?
</p>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/projects/show-all/contemporary-jewish-museum/"><img style="display: block; margin:0 0 10px 0px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/typo3temp/pics/4151cc9d95.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Contemporary Jewish Museum</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-39247774879307423332009-06-03T10:12:00.000-07:002009-06-16T11:39:45.485-07:00Your Network of Trust<div class="summary">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLiMMFtgxcYo0Swd4QdQZ4c9Cgkg8D3Ds5QRMv3zJOzrVuLxRHt-gAigf4fHoFjM_RKQXSjYXDYqz41sxNOU0o1-W7GNYvRGj_ibylKKAsZ_nRVL0vw7iZAD6-yDe0vasWFIl/s400/trust.png" border="0" alt="turst" />
It's lonely at the top Whether you are a principal, supervisor, or secretary of education, you need a support network to share ideas, gain feedback, and let your guard down.
</div>
<p>For those of you who follow my rants/ideas, you know how I value the personal learning network - a group of people and resources that help and even push you to be better at what you do. Executives and top managers whether in business or education are no different. We need a group to turn to for advice.</p>
<p>A recent article from <a href="http://www.sloanreview.mit.edu">MIT Sloan Management Review</a> titled "Profiles of Trust: Who to Turn To, And for What" addresses the question "when a top manager needs personal support, who does he or she turn to?" This article caught my interest for its general breakdown of the types of persons managers seek out - essentially it depends on the type of advice they need. OK this sounds obvious but the authors do a good job breaking the discussion into some interesting critical parts. They start by dividing the kinds of support requested into four quadrants - high to low informational complexity and high to low emotional demand. {ed note: is four quadrants redundant?}</p>
<div>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhlGYLQWBZKaTO5jx0DEnyhfD2Ko2OSLSr4nQySbkyzLBFCTfviOMCExU28WNNr970dBAB8VrA3jp-7r3XsFRZC95TdkmD20GrMtpXuRPrgppTQYUbO4Wnz8DwLuBGuSc9avM/s1600-h/mitsloan.profiles_of_trust.support_types.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhlGYLQWBZKaTO5jx0DEnyhfD2Ko2OSLSr4nQySbkyzLBFCTfviOMCExU28WNNr970dBAB8VrA3jp-7r3XsFRZC95TdkmD20GrMtpXuRPrgppTQYUbO4Wnz8DwLuBGuSc9avM/s320/mitsloan.profiles_of_trust.support_types.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347971086206225618" /></a>
</div>
<p>Essentially:</p>
<dl style="margin-bottom: 40px;">
<dt>Raw Information</dt>
<dd>
This is really just data. "What is our budget for professional development?", "How many students are taking AP classes?", "When is the next faculty in-service day?"
</dd>
<dt>Actionable Advice</dt>
<dd>
Support in this area is all about getting something done. The request involves high information complexity but low emotional demands, such as those involving processes. "How do our AP scores compare with others in the state?" requires knowledge of both process (how to get the stats) and nuances (which factors affect AP scores).
</dd>
<dt>Emotional Support</dt>
<dd>
When you seek emotional support, you are less interested in data or advice, but are in need of someone to listen and offer compassion/empathy. While some might dismiss such support as no being productive (resolving a problem), the need for emotional support is part of being human.
</dd>
<dt>Strategic or Political Help</dt>
<dd>
This type of support is characterized by high information complexity and emotional demands. "How do I break the news of teacher layoffs while maintaining a positive morale in the school?" "How can I sell the teachers on the need to improve our collective teaching methods?"
</dd>
</dl>
<p>This is a long introduction to my essential point - and that of the article: As leaders, we (need to) seek out a support network comprised of a variety of "skills". We need that person who can give us the raw data and we need that person with who we can confide our frustrations and insecurities. The raw data gal needs to be skilled or renowned in her area, but doesn't necessarily need to be a "people person". The confidant guy needs to be more of a cheerleader offering unconditional support, no questions, no judgment. </p>
<p>The MIT article groups these skills or traits into what they call Trust. We seek support from someone we trust. As suggested, the definition of "trust" varies depending upon the situation. In general, "trust" can be measured in terms of <em>ability</em>, <em>benevolence</em>, and <em>integrity</em>. <em>Ability</em> refers to the individual's skill or expertise in a specific area. <em>Benevolence</em> is the degree to which the individual holds your best interests at heart. <em>Integrity</em> is the adherence to a set of principles that you value.</p>
<h4>The Take Away!</h4>
<p>I think we all unconsciously evaluate those from which we seek support in terms of ability, benevolence, and integrity &emdash; though we may not be aware of this process. My point is first: understanding of these three characteristics (ability, benevolence, and integrity) will help us better craft our support network. But, my bigger point is: we all need a network of individuals upon which we can rely. In the MIT article, they refer to someone who ranks high in all three characteristics as a "Trustworthy Partner". These individuals represent an enormous value and while often difficult to find, are a prized asset in your network of trust.</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-61827220659518170302009-06-01T09:54:00.000-07:002009-06-17T10:42:12.249-07:00Ready to Throwout Email?<div class="summary">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX00BbvkEr3xEV-Y0Y_IJqV_gtFBrJbZaYMuuZMBTRYh47Ozwgmq0IGd-YkNfNAJAalt9nPd3ILmIYiHhW4asf1KaiSb1m5XTdh7JOZdJc6ycjTwATm6gJKHH2JZ3kNk7ZqAjH/s320/wave.png" border="0" alt="google wave" />
Most of us are tied to email. What would you say if I told you that Google has made email passe? Well, prepare to toss Outlook, Gmail and your traditional email.
</div>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB3LQ5X8hYVaeNVMX87-FDXM2hmAGBhQtyRnM9oHXaC-jNi9CCpLR-VZoBMXJ405ijltE43aOZZkzP_PE73kyOQI4N-1ZXNPbQ1MWj4mujIPsHd4povsDb-GCulDh12Dt1t6f/s1600-h/wave-bigger.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB3LQ5X8hYVaeNVMX87-FDXM2hmAGBhQtyRnM9oHXaC-jNi9CCpLR-VZoBMXJ405ijltE43aOZZkzP_PE73kyOQI4N-1ZXNPbQ1MWj4mujIPsHd4povsDb-GCulDh12Dt1t6f/s320/wave-bigger.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348352721260234562" /></a>
I was unable to make the Google I/O conference in San Francisco due to a last minute scheduling conflict but as a paid participant, I received all of the conference emails including one titled "In case you missed the keynote this morning...". The email included a link to a video of the keynote. The topic was Wave, a new model for collaboration. Sounds interesting, so I clicked.
</p>
<p>
Let me back track a bit. I have been using Google's "stuff" for a while. I have attended and lead workshops on <a href="http://www.google.com/docs">Google Docs</a>. I have written gadgets that utilize the <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/ajaxsearch/">Google Search API</a> as well as <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/visualization/">Google Visualization</a>. I am trying to convince you of my "Google Expertise" but more that I feel as if I am fairly well acquainted with Google's tools and Internet applications in general. I hope this helps frame my comments below.</p>
<p>
Back to the keynote. I clicked the link and was introduced to something called Wave which was going to transform email as we know it. I reacted with skepticism. I just could not imagine how any changes to email could be "transformational". Boy was I wrong!!! I sat riveted to the video. People around me could hear the frequent "Oh my gosh!", "How cool", and "That is amazing" from me. Wave will truly make email as we know it obsolete. As I suggested above, I am not prone to such <em>grandiose</em> statements. But Wave deserves it!
</p>
<p>
Don't take my word. You need to <a href="http://wave.google.com/">watch the keynote</a>. Let me know what you think!
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-27622933066761640332009-03-25T08:34:00.000-07:002009-06-16T11:19:37.774-07:00The Zen of Cutting Paper<div class="summary">
<img class="thumb" rel="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasohill/118616905/sizes/l/#cc_license" alt="peace" src="http://www.260productions.com/blog-source/paper-cranes-sized.png"/>
Given the choice of clip art or scissors with construction paper, which would you choose to create your next presentation? Read on to hear the story of one presentation where this technologist decided to go "unplug".
</div>
<p>
You are asked to create a presentation on 21st Century Skills to be given to the school board next week. Your first step ... sit down at the computer, fire up PowerPoint or Keynote and get stared! OK, we are educators. We know that this approach is a bit hasty. We need a plan.
</p>
<p>
Being the presentation guru, you outline the goals of the presentation and key points that you want to convey to your audience. You then outline the approach - decide what you are going to say. Finally you think about the content remembering that each slide (the visuals) should enhance what you are saying.
</p>
<p>
After you have the plan, you return to your computer and begin crafting the presentation. This is where I took a different path in a recent presentation. Normally I follow my traditional method - opening Fireworks, developing a visual template, and filling each page/slide with text/images according to my outline. <em>[note: I use Fireworks instead of Powerpoint as it gives me better control and more options. When done, I usually output the file as a PDF.]</em>
</p>
<p>
This time, I took a few of my daughter's coloring books (with permission of course) and found images consistent with my plan. I cut these images out and glued them to pieces of large construction paper. The process of cutting and gluing was much more satisfactory than moving the mouse around the screen. It also allowed me to enlist the help of my daughter - her condition for using her coloring book. I had a great time working with her and the end product was unique. The presentation went over really well and they all loved my "mystery slide" that I through in. It was the page Ruby constructed on her own with her favorite pictures. While it did not tie directly into the topic, it was a source for humor as the audience tried to guess its relevance.
</p>
<p>
The next time you give a presentation, or better yet, you assign your kids to create a Powerpoint, consider the low tech solution. We did this in a recent tech ed forum and the results were fantastic.
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-26151232959426876812009-03-19T08:41:00.000-07:002009-06-09T11:10:00.583-07:00Developing Your Delicious Network<div class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="http://www.260productions.com/blog-source/delicious-man-66.png" alt="delicious man"/>
Social networks are wonderful, but how do you develop one? This post looks at ideas for adding to your network of Delicious users - you will be surprised what you find.
</div>
<p>Do you have a Delicious Network? You know, a network of Delicious users that you follow to see what wonderful things they are bookmarking. What? You don't! Well - you are in for a treat.</p>
<p><em>Note: if you are new to Delicious and social bookmarking, read my earlier post: <a href="http://digiwalks.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-is-delicious.html">What is Delicious?</a></em></p>
<p>Delicious - the social bookmarking site - has a feature called your Network where you select other Delicious users to follow. When you go to your Network page on <a href="http://delicious.com">Delicious.com</a> you will see a list of the most recent bookmarks created by folks in your network. Remember, really smart people surround themselves with even smarter people. Your Delicious Network is a place where you can piggyback on the smarts of others.</p>
<p><a href="http://delicious.com/network/rbanning">Here</a> is my network. These folks represent learners that I respect and I can't tell you how many ideas and resources that I have gotten from the bookmarks created by my network. Someone recently asked how I keep up to date on some much that is on the web. <strong>My Delicious Network!</strong></p>
<p>During my presentation on use of Delicious as a tool for educators at the <a href="http://www.cue2009.org/">2009 CUE Conference</a>, I was asked how I developed my Delicious Network. The short answer is that I don't really remember how I got started (it was a while ago). But this got me thinking: how does one develop a social network?</p>
<p>Here are a few ideas that I can share (one actually is not mine) and I would love to hear of your ideas.</p>
<a style="width:125px; height:265px; float:right; margin-left: 10px;" href="http://www.myhallpass.com/blog-source/coolcatteacher-online.png" title="click to see full sized image"><img src="http://www.myhallpass.com/blog-source/coolcatteacher-online.png" alt="Vicki Davis Online" style="width:125px; height:265px"/></a>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>From Blogs</strong> As you read your favorite blogs, look for the author's Delicious user name. For example, <a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com">Vicki Davis - aka CoolCatTeacher</a> is known as <strong>brightideasguru</strong>. (see image to right)
</li>
<li>
<strong>Referrals</strong> Take a look at who other Delicious users have in their network. If you look at <a href="http://delicious.com/network/willrich">Will Richardson's network</a>, you will have a list of hundreds of folks to follow. (Actually, he only has 55 in his network)
</li>
<li><strong>Explore - Look for Fans</strong> As mentioned, Will follows 55 folks in his network. But there are over 1000 others that are fans of Will. These are delicious users who have added Will to their network. Clicking on their name will give you a list of their bookmarks. If you find someone interesting - that is someone that bookmarks regularly and has similar tastes in topics - add him/her to your network.
</li>
<li><strong>Reverse Engineer</strong> Go to Delicious and search for a topic of interest - say "calculus visualization". Be sure to select "search everyone's bookmarks", and you will get not only a list of some interesting sites/resources, you will also see who has included them in their bookmarks. On the right will be a number. This is the total number of other Delicious users who have bookmarked that same link. Click on the number and you can see each of their Delicious screen (user) names. What is even better - you can also see the comments that they included when the bookmarked the site. Good commentators can make for good folks to add to your network.
</li>
<li>
<strong>delicious4teachers</strong> During my presentation, someone (sorry - forgot your name) turned me onto <a href="http://delicious4teachers.pbworks.com/">delicious4teachers</a>, a <span style="text-decoration: line-through">PBwiki</span> PBworks wiki where you can find teachers using Delicious by subject and because it is a wiki, add your name to your areas of interest.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Ask!</strong> Finally, ask those that you think are continually looking to improve themselves. Ask them if they have a Delicious account. If they do, great - add them to your network. If not, talk them into creating one. I have encouraged several colleagues to join Delicious and they are part of my network.
</li>
</ul>
<p>Don't forget, I would love to include you in my network. Just drop me a line via rob [at] digiwalks [dot] org.
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-21748145915512873432009-03-09T09:03:00.000-07:002009-06-09T11:12:36.787-07:00What is Delicious?<div class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="http://www.myhallpass.com/blog-source/delicious-logo-66.png" alt="delicious logo"/>
A primer on social bookmarking - in case you want to "get on board".
</div>
<p>At the <a href="http://www.cue.org">CUE</a> conference this year I presented Delicious: Innovation in Education. Rachel, one of the attendees, offered a very interesting comment: "I love Delicious and have been trying to get other teachers to use it for years. But no one seems to know about it [Delicious or social bookmarking ]." I suggested the presentation thinking most folks know of Delicious and are using some form of social bookmarking. Goes to show - you should always test your assumptions!</p>
<p>
With this comment fresh in my mind, I offer this primer on Delicious and social bookmarking. Actually, this is more of a resource for finding out more about this very useful (and for me - indispensable) tool.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Before you do anything, check out the <a href="http://www.commoncraft.com/bookmarking-plain-english">Common Craft video on social networking</a>. It is a great introduction and like all of their videos - entertaining.
</li>
<li>
Next, go to Educause and check out <a href="http://www.educause.edu/ELI/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutSocia/156804">7 Things You Should Know About Social Networking</a>. Educause's "7 Things You Should Know" series is a great place to get information on most Web 2.0 technologies from an educators standpoint.
</li>
<li>
Of course, Wikipedia has an entry on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking">Social Bookmarking</a> for those that want even more information.
</li>
<li>
OK, now you are sold. Time to get started with a Delicious account. Delicious has a <a href="http://delicious.com/help/getStarted">Getting Started</a> guide that walks you through the process.
</li>
<li>
If you want to read more, check out "<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/212002/Using-delicious-In-Education">Delicious in Education</a>" by Gabriela Grosseck. It is not light reading but offers a some good ideas.
</li>
<li>
Finally, you can see all of my links relating to Delicious and social bookmarking <a href="http://delicious.com/rbanning/del.icio.us">here</a>. Yes, it is a link to Delicious - all of my bookmarks tagged with "del.icio.us".
</li>
<li>
In a <a href="http://digiwalks.blogspot.com/2009/03/developing-your-delicious-network.html">future post</a>, I will be talking more about using Delicious to develop a professional learning network. [link to post <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">coming</span> <a href="http://digiwalks.blogspot.com/2009/03/developing-your-delicious-network.html">here</a>]
</li>
</ul>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-75535154092120277312009-01-19T08:35:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:37:07.716-08:00It's OK to See a Movie<p class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuPrtFkdWYNZyz9-7ehKWhsKpsUJW7Ce4ET7itG1svN1oWk1f6UEDUd2vsZL6Juki0RNVRVwoaglqQsescl4tMPg7oBL3Y5YrdwzbN_WpDjpMCX3_OwIXI4T8ll5ZI-bEarqA/s320/film.gif" alt="summary thumb" />
How can you tell me that going to a movie will make me a better educator?
</p>
<div style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikemontesa/"><img style="width: 240px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3aW1rLU-X-RHBpFSNp_de1gPUXjVBzCrMWTZ-HvRoDZSk8_-IJa3V7BGOnrUv_lLI9vOjAywXBR0r6VcRwcANMtmdtUujRc052ymvO8hRKbzjG9naUGiv1VX-EZBraJgDZY1/s320/3209464328_088c4746d0_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293048383977643186" border="0" />
© 2009 mikemontesa
</a>
</div>
<p>
I have been a fan of the <a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/">Sundance Film Festival</a> for a long time but never could attend. January was a very busy time for me - my classes were finishing the semester and preparing for exams, the soccer program was in full swing with league play underway, and I was meeting with my department members going over their reviews.
</p>
<p>
When I left the classroom, I vowed to keep January open so I could attend Sundance. My expectations were certainly met and even surpassed. Every year (since 2001), I have been going to Sundance except those years when my two children were born. This year, however, I could have gone, but due to several factors - mainly upcoming commitments - I am not attend the festival.
</p>
<p>
Instead, my friend and I have created the Bill/Rob Film Festival where we are spending the week going to one, two or even three movies each afternoon. At first, I felt the need to justify this: "I am working extra hard in the mornings and at night so I can go to the movies". But why? Isn't it OK for me to see a movie?
</p>
<p>
Yes, you are correct. This is more than just one movie. But it does reflect on a condition that we as Americans especially suffer from. We feel that unless we are busy, working hard all the time, we are not being successful or "contributing". This summer, I read Tim Ferriss' book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307353133?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307353133">The 4-Hour Workweek</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307353133" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" />". In it, the author relates a time when he worked at a job that required him to make sales calls to executives. He found that if he spent an half-hour in the early morning and an hour in the evening making calls, he was more productive (and overall more successful) than his counterparts who spent eight hours calling. The reason: he called either before the the executives' personal assistants got to work or after they had left. These personal assistants were screening the calls and protecting their bosses from the likes of the author.
</p>
<p>
The obvious take-away from this is: "Work Smart, not Hard". But I really focused on the author's other message, namely that even though he was bringing in the business, he was seen as a slacker since he did not make any calls during those other hours. His bosses were short sighted, as many of us are. We tend to encourage those who work hard without really looking at what they are doing and if they are really just spending those hours being busy or are they really doing something.
</p>
<p>
Well, back to the Bill/Rob Film Festival. Certainly, if we can get our work done before the films, we should be OK. But I would say that going to these movies will help us work better.
</p>
<p>
A big part of my passion involves creativity and as Frans Johansson explains in the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1422102823?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1422102823">Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1422102823" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" />", we need to surround ourselves with new ideas and novel ways of expressing these ideas. Movies help in this end.
</p>
<p>
Finally, going to a movie is fun and setting up our own film festival promises to be a blast. Isn't it OK to have some fun?
</p>
<p><strong>Followup</strong> - We are still working on the schedule for the week and I will update this post with what we saw and how we like / dislike each. But if you have not seen "Slumdog Millionaire", I would certainly recommend it. Also, Sean Penn is fantastic as Harvey Milk in "Milk".
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-26999192676255495292008-08-20T14:12:00.000-07:002008-08-20T15:06:18.991-07:00Wish for a Successful Year<p class="summary">
<img src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/wish-tree.jpg" alt="wishing tree" />
With the start of school around the corner, what are some of your hopes for this new school year?
</p>
<p>
I was astonished to learn that my nephew will be starting school <strong>tomorrow</strong>! It just seems so early; summer has really whizzed by. But it was not my nephew's return to the classroom that got me thinking about the coming school year.
</p>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVA07JfO-VZLocwKIbVdvX7Anv3G_m45vKqqU8oGJqZezp9n946g51rjs2XWPgDN9rCdpzxoOJb4P5Npev-8z5tpH-Fttb6PvY4NRuLtueAn8OKOShEaAv9SwgIJ995IS6Mnq/s1600-h/wish-tree-big.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVA07JfO-VZLocwKIbVdvX7Anv3G_m45vKqqU8oGJqZezp9n946g51rjs2XWPgDN9rCdpzxoOJb4P5Npev-8z5tpH-Fttb6PvY4NRuLtueAn8OKOShEaAv9SwgIJ995IS6Mnq/s320/wish-tree-big.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236716471876157298" /></a>
Monday, I was taking my early morning walk with my little boy and happened upon the <a href="http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_10220806">wishing tree project</a> here in Pasadena. It is part of Yoko Ono's <a href="http://www.imaginepeace.com/news.html">Imagine Peace</a> project and includes about 20 trees planted in barrels and hundreds of little tags tied to the branches with wishes. Anyone can come by and write his/her wish and attached it to a tree.
</p>
<p>
There are thousands of wishes and while many are what you expect (world peace, money, etc.) there are some that really caught my eye. Here are a few:
</p>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGXDXKH6Oq3lCKPh8RQUEk3py_g2XpaNN95FwBqHFqD8HBQHTElXqTQmfKvibefaptVeOAjmGCiM5YyAZWTIpvg2VzrHgOfwWlGTQSXEVcF8diBYJ03wzAJkEvEMSwdX1raAD/s1600-h/wish-grades.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGXDXKH6Oq3lCKPh8RQUEk3py_g2XpaNN95FwBqHFqD8HBQHTElXqTQmfKvibefaptVeOAjmGCiM5YyAZWTIpvg2VzrHgOfwWlGTQSXEVcF8diBYJ03wzAJkEvEMSwdX1raAD/s320/wish-grades.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236717846562018658" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOf4SvRiXKbw7bBBgk9cisoO9ryex7FoGKw1VmvHalFSpKm3Hcs4SvsjG1gRFf4CMYLU3cHOR-Yfc-yy4GKdGwEy2PseFvykgyfaZ7qghaRpv3PpQENS_7AW8_ZsADVsKqKOm/s1600-h/wish-big-brother.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOf4SvRiXKbw7bBBgk9cisoO9ryex7FoGKw1VmvHalFSpKm3Hcs4SvsjG1gRFf4CMYLU3cHOR-Yfc-yy4GKdGwEy2PseFvykgyfaZ7qghaRpv3PpQENS_7AW8_ZsADVsKqKOm/s320/wish-big-brother.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236720380302611810" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5bLGGUIPt0PvF58_OkN-WjuhMQk5bhcZML82T6RBU722Ec5VOYMUq1zjb7CUVKdkc2mUfwhNc5z3iv5DGqwpwqM74Q4x7UoXu51X-lsUZQAsS-VGlbmLhR9Wkq-ApxNwC_wv/s1600-h/wish-2plus2is5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5bLGGUIPt0PvF58_OkN-WjuhMQk5bhcZML82T6RBU722Ec5VOYMUq1zjb7CUVKdkc2mUfwhNc5z3iv5DGqwpwqM74Q4x7UoXu51X-lsUZQAsS-VGlbmLhR9Wkq-ApxNwC_wv/s320/wish-2plus2is5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236720623300828274" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8VlOkdrqdfT2s3DV2_eBGwFn8gHdttyG1_WPfdKQYtY17GWcCvdOKHnvLSjeYX6UHulaWfBoOR9EZzZVBxeYr9J247ZXKEe8B6sgwfgiDAaH-nsI27nrV-8qSj36f-8JcCfm/s1600-h/wish-hippos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8VlOkdrqdfT2s3DV2_eBGwFn8gHdttyG1_WPfdKQYtY17GWcCvdOKHnvLSjeYX6UHulaWfBoOR9EZzZVBxeYr9J247ZXKEe8B6sgwfgiDAaH-nsI27nrV-8qSj36f-8JcCfm/s320/wish-hippos.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236720848402885090" /></a>
</p>
<p>
On Monday, one particular wish captured my attention but I did not have my camera. I returned today and spent over an hour reading the wishes. You can see a slideshow of my favorites at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/pasadena-wishing-tree">http://tinyurl.com/pasadena-wishing-tree</a>.
</p>
<p>
Unfortunately, I never found the tag that originally caught my attention. It read: "I wish I do well in calculus this year." I had forgotten how the end of summer and the looming start of a new school year brings out anxieties. Whether it is a particularly scary course or teacher, the start at a new school, the return of the bully, or just the book(s) you did not read over the summer, the end of August can be a time of worry.
</p>
<p>
So here is wishing all of you a wonderful and scary-free school year.
</p>
<p>
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/art" rel="tag" class="techtag">art</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/wish" rel="tag" class="techtag">wish</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pasadena" rel="tag" class="techtag">pasadena</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/wishing+tree" rel="tag" class="techtag">wishing+tree</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/yoko+ono" rel="tag" class="techtag">yoko+ono</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/imagine+peace" rel="tag" class="techtag">imagine+peace</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-25037044615914716562008-08-11T14:17:00.000-07:002008-08-11T14:51:12.936-07:00Do teachers need to be technologically proficient?<p class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/connected.gif" alt="technology"/>
Is there some minimum level of proficiency that all teachers need to reach with respect to technology?
</p>
<p>
Technology continues to become more and more ubiquitous in our lives. Cell phones keep us connected at all times. TiVo has changed the way we watch television. And the Internet has revolutionize the way we communicate. But we are not all the same when it comes to technology. There are vast differences in the adoption of technology into people's lives. Reasons for this "Digital Divide" are numerous and include:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>access</strong> the technology is not available in your area.
</li>
<li>
<strong>money</strong> the technology is available but you cannot afford it.
</li>
<li>
<strong>ability</strong> the technology is both available and you can afford it, but
you are not (or do not perceive yourself as being) able to understand how to use it.
</li>
<li>
<strong>relevance</strong> you understand how to use the technology but don't see how it will benefit you.
</li>
<li>
<strong>lifestyle</strong> you not only understand how to use the technology but also see how it can be used to benefit lives, but you have made a lifestyle decision not to use the technology.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Given the prevalence of technology in the world today, should teachers be expected to be able to use some of this technology in their classroom and/or in managing their teaching? What forms of technology can be considered "basic" and all teachers be expected to not only know how to use but to be actually using?
</p>
<p>Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/professional+development" rel="tag" class="techtag">professional+development</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/proficiency" rel="tag" class="techtag">proficiency</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/edtech+forum" rel="tag" class="techtag">edtech+forum</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-65076644647230987302008-07-28T13:22:00.000-07:002008-07-28T15:12:37.807-07:00Keeping Up in a Digital World<div class="summary">
<img src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/dw.jpg" class="thumb" alt="Digital World" />
As parents and educators, it is important for us to stay abreast of the digital world in which our kids live. I recently found another reason for us to keep up.
</div>
<p>
I have been immersed in several projects recently, one of which involves exploring the human development aspects of growing up in a digital world. This project has me searching for resources that explore various ways our digital world is affecting the development of our kids.
</p>
<p>
My research took me to a report titled <a href="http://www.mediappro.org/publications/finalreport.pdf" title="link to the report">The Appropriation of New Media by Youth</a>. It is an interesting look at use of new media from a European perspective. The report looks at several countries offering a profile and recommendations for each. For example, one of the general recommendations for the United Kingdom was:
</p>
<p style='margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;'>
<em> "We recommend that the current emphasis placed on the regulation and prohibition of online media within schools and colleges is substituted by pedagogical interventions aimed at developing children and young people’s critical literacy skills and competencies."
</em>
</p>
<p>But what really caught my attention I found in the report conclusions:</p>
<blockquote>
The survey also shows that whereas young people are appropriating user skills thanks to their peers and to their own experiences, they are finding few adult partners to rationalise and systematise the spontaneous learning channels they are developing. Instructional independence is a quality, to be sure, but many young people feel (and sometimes express) the need of finding a heedful ear among adults and at times a dialogue that the family and school develop to a very limited extent about using the
Internet, games and mobile telephones.
<cite><a href="http://www.mediappro.org/publications/finalreport.pdf" title="link to the report">The Appropriation of New Media by Youth</a> - page 56</cite>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Excellent! Absolutely!</strong> We need to keep up with our kids so we can be there to help them as they navigate adolescence in a digital world. How can a child talk to us about cyberbullying when we don't get social networking? Most of us can relate to being embarrassed on the school playground, but how many can relate to a child who has just been flamed in a Internet chat room? So to say up with my daughter, I am off to explore the world of <a href="http://www.noggin.com/shows/pinky.php" title="Check out Pinky's latest adventures">Pinky Dinky Doo</a>.
</p>
<p>BTW... If you have any resources that you would like to recommend, add them to the comments. I am looking for articles or sources that address issues relating to the digital world and human (child) development. While issues involving how the educational system needs to be changed to reflect the digital world are important, this project is more about the emotional, social, moral, ethical development of kids that takes place both in school and out of school. I am really excited to see what you might recommend.
</p>
<p> Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digital+world" rel="tag" class="techtag">digital+world</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/human+development" rel="tag" class="techtag">human+development</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/child+development" rel="tag" class="techtag">child+development</a> </p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-78680542711737218712008-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-03T07:07:26.272-07:00NECC: So Connected<p class="summary"> <img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/iste.jpg" alt="iste"/>
NECC succeeds at providing wireless connectivity despite the large number of participants.
</p>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XkgpAIIhhRH6jEiUulO1RVeQLZeP-Q1qlPJu3Z1qVdOpYHkmjp-OcbmyD0QCx9Cy6DUoEDVhOkc_x7tii_3ek4UualO0MHAyCPKTK_UVStBiq5CfFMaNiAHVaRoLdYX9mZ-r/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XkgpAIIhhRH6jEiUulO1RVeQLZeP-Q1qlPJu3Z1qVdOpYHkmjp-OcbmyD0QCx9Cy6DUoEDVhOkc_x7tii_3ek4UualO0MHAyCPKTK_UVStBiq5CfFMaNiAHVaRoLdYX9mZ-r/s200/12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218788816652439010" /></a>
One of the most impressive parts of NECC this year may have been lost or at least not recognized by many of the attendees. It did not have to do with the quality of the sessions, the nice environ offered by the City of San Antonio, nor even the fun yellow ISTE beach balls given away the first day. It was about WiFi. Every time I tried to connect whether in a session, the hallway, or even at lunch, my system found the "isteconnect" and I was on the internet. I was sitting at the Blogger Cafe with at least 30 others, most of whom had their laptops open - presumably connected too. Even with these numbers, I was able to connect. I have been to a number of conferences and the ubiquity of access to the Internet this past few days has really made this conference standout.
</p>
<p>
Of course, it took a contrast for me to really notice it. At my hotel, the Internet (via wifi) was very slow. I am currently at a Starbucks writing this offline because I am too cheap to fork out the money for a iMoble connection. Writing offline is difficult. I am so used to being connected that I can't help but to jump over to my browser to check a fact, look up a word, or search for supporting (contrasting) arguments. I am not even that big of an email/twitter/IM/rss junky. I don't have the fear of missing something that many folks have. But I do need access to get any work done, whether it be writing, programming, or even designing. The Internet has become a ubiquitous part of my work process.
</p>
<p>
Thus, I am writing this blind. I have no idea if others have been equally impressed with NECC wireless connectivity or if some found it to be very lacking. It is kind of exciting...
</p>
<p>
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc08" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc08</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/connectivity" rel="tag" class="techtag">connectivity</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-80098502495252862542008-07-02T06:57:00.000-07:002008-07-03T06:59:54.445-07:00NECC: Intel - Best of Show<p class="summary"> <img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/iste.gif" alt="iste"/>
My pick for "Best of the Show" - Intel's <strong>FREE</strong> thinking tools.
</p>
<p>
Exhibit halls at conferences don't usually excite me. They are noisy, crowded, and with every vendor designing their booth to capture your attention, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Despite my feelings (and my better judgment) I venture into the hall every conference and usually leave with very little. This was the case yesterday at NECC. I did have a nice conversation with the folks at Adobe, met a friend of a friend at TI and was amused by the varied and creative methods being employed to grab ones attention. But, as usual, when I turned to leave, I had nothing to show for my time. Or, that as until I happened by the Intel booth on the way out.
</p>
<p>Why would I stop at the Intel booth? Don't get me wrong - I like Intel and their products. I just have never looked to Intel for educational tools or resources. Well, that has now changed. I am so excited about <a href="http://www.intel.com/education/tools/index.htm?iid=ed_nav+k12tools" title="link to the tools">Intel's Education Initiative and their tools for K-12 teachers</a>.</p>
<p>
The tools are divided into two categories - "Thinking Tools" and "Productivity Tools". Right there, you got to get excited by the title "Thinking Tools". Within this first category, there are three tools: "<a href="http://educate.intel.com/en/ThinkingTools/VisualRanking/" title="link to the tool">Visual Ranking Tool</a>", "<a href="http://educate.intel.com/en/ThinkingTools/SeeingReason/" title="link to the tool">Seeing Reason Tool</a>", and "<a href="http://educate.intel.com/en/ThinkingTools/ShowingEvidence/" title="link to the tool">Showing Evidence Tool</a>". Again, just from the names, you can get a feel for how these tools might be used for challenging your students with higher learning skills.</p>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fiWWtT6IvIPrWD033DOFgpfRBf-D33VXT4GK6pKXfVCsg2QEfPBDxGXJGY41xn9Y8KGyoHyuSMw1JOXQAVjRMoN4DYWS1dnDGq1ny_iwxyA4X8bEftXwumdjN8G_NzPisnTD/s1600-h/necc-intel.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fiWWtT6IvIPrWD033DOFgpfRBf-D33VXT4GK6pKXfVCsg2QEfPBDxGXJGY41xn9Y8KGyoHyuSMw1JOXQAVjRMoN4DYWS1dnDGq1ny_iwxyA4X8bEftXwumdjN8G_NzPisnTD/s320/necc-intel.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218786970141545810" /></a>
The Visual Ranking Tool is the one that Vanessa (an educator from Austin in the day, Intel Education Leader at night) demonstrated for me and the tool that got me so excited. The tool is quite simple. Teachers setup a list of items and students (working in teams or individually) rank order the items based on some criteria. For example, you could list factors/events leading to WWII and have your students rank order them in terms of their relative importance in causing the war. You could list various reasons why an author killed off a character in a book the class is reading then have your students rank order them based on their plausibility. The tool need not be limited to open-ended type questions. The Ranking Tool could be used to put things in chronological order. In Mathematics, students could be asked to put the steps necessary to solve a problem in their correct order testing their understanding of the concepts and terminology rather than just whether they can perform the math.
</p>
<p>
Simple ranking is of no use unless students are required to backup their decisions with some rational. The tool provides a place for students to justify their rankings and then when they are done, they can see how other teams/students ranked the items. This gives the kids a chance to reflect on their ranking and discuss if they should make any changes. It also provides for a good class discussion as students defend their ranking.
</p>
<p>
The Visual Ranking Tools alone is a powerful learning tool. And the other tools provided compliment and even extend its ability to get students thinking at a higher level. With all of the fancy tools and technology offered for educators, these relatively simple tools are my pick for the best of the show. They give quality educators the power to get their students thinking!
</p>
<p>
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc08" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc08</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/intel" rel="tag" class="techtag">intel</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/thinking" rel="tag" class="techtag">thinking</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tools" rel="tag" class="techtag">tools</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-58324601609003394322008-06-30T07:53:00.000-07:002008-07-01T07:50:36.368-07:00NECC: Wicked Problems<p class="summary"> <img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/iste.gif" alt="iste"/> Summary and take-away's from NECC session "Immersive Collaborative Simulations in Augmented Reality"
</p>
<p>
"Wicked Problems" as <a href="http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~dedech/" title="link to Dede's Harvard profile">Chris Dede</a> describes, are problems that are too big for any single individual to be an expert on. Global climate change is an example. Such problems are becoming more common place in today's complex world and to address such problems a team with diverse and complimentary skills / knowledge sets is required. And, the lecture is not the place for teaching such complex learning.
</p>
<p>
Dede offers three alternative learning environments all focusing on what he termed as "Situated Learning".
</p>
<ol>
<li>Internships and apprenticeships where tacit learning is available.</li>
<li>Multi-User Virtual Environments such as Second Life and <acronym title="Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game">MMORPG</acronym>s</li>
<li>Ubiquitous computing learning environments - augmented reality</li>
</ol>
<p>This last category - augmented reality - suggests a new approach to computing where we depart from the traditional desktop approach to access. Access to information, experts, and even virtual worlds has been through the desktop and it is this form of interaction with technology that we are most comfortable. The desktop offers a portal to other worlds whether they be as simple as a dictionary for looking up word, to communal like Wikipedia, to social like Facebook, to all-encompassing like Second Life.
</p>
<p>
In an augmented reality, we will leave our desktop and move around in our physical world that has been enhanced, augmented, with virtual artifacts. Thus, on your next visit to Target, you may encounter a virtual personal shopping assistant who knows your needs as well as your tastes and will use this information to better inform you of the newest products and those items that are on sale. Your complete interaction with this assistant might be through your phone or PDA.
</p>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6275ceAKWYRywImEP8KFTHs1kV8ABtd9G2dtxAfxnG0I__o7coJK1-HH0JPn8cfroozu8GSbjCPmvOWnkAN5AVVrd5nu8ao87MpfYvv17-LB9Iscl59n715oCs5CbEauGrCCy/s1600-h/dede-harvard-augmented-reality.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6275ceAKWYRywImEP8KFTHs1kV8ABtd9G2dtxAfxnG0I__o7coJK1-HH0JPn8cfroozu8GSbjCPmvOWnkAN5AVVrd5nu8ao87MpfYvv17-LB9Iscl59n715oCs5CbEauGrCCy/s320/dede-harvard-augmented-reality.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218057938524070818" /></a>
In education, augmented reality can be used to create (reproducible) learning opportunities for our students. Dede and his group at Harvard have put together a <a href="http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=harp">"challenge" where students explore their neighborhood looking for clues</a> to help explain the reported landing of an alien spaceship. These clues are virtual and are activated using GPS technology when the students move (physically) to a particular place. Students are presented with a set diffentiated clues based on the "role" that they play in this augmented reality. One student might be the FBI agent, so her clues are geared toward information that an FBI agent might discover. Another might be a NASA scientist and another might be a linguist (to help decipher the alien language). Students work in a team collecting their information, solving problems, sharing their results and collaborating on a solution.</p>
<p>
This sounds rather far out, or at least non-traditional, but I was surprised to hear that it was funded by a grant from US Dept. of Ed. to address poor (standardized) test grades. While I did not hear how effective the project was in regards to test scores, it did sound very successful at engaging students with "real" world learning. I guess the folks in Washington are happy enough as Dede, et. al., are in the process of creating their second scenario where a gray whale has beached itself and students are clamoring to find out why. Sounds interesting and what a fun way to simulate "wicked problems"!
</p>
<p> Tech Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a
href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc</a> <a
href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc08" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc08</a> <a
href="http://technorati.com/tag/n08s431" rel="tag" class="techtag">n08s431</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dede" rel="tag" class="techtag">Dede</a>
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Harvard" rel="tag" class="techtag">Harvard</a>
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/augmented+reality" rel="tag" class="techtag">augmented+reality</a></p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-31456659680352032362008-06-30T04:59:00.000-07:002008-06-30T09:42:56.257-07:00NECC Opening: Diversity Matters<p class="summary"> <img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/iste.gif" alt="iste"/> Why is the wisdom of the crowd greater than the smarts of the most intelligent individual? James Surowiecki explains in his keynote at NECC. </p>
<p> My <a href="http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2008/" title="link to NECC 08">NECC</a> experience began yesterday with a very engaging <a
href="http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2008/program/keynotes.php" title="link to NECC keynote programs">keynote address</a> by James Surowiecki. His basic premise is that a mass of people has greater intelligence than the smartest single individual - the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385721706?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385721706" title="link to book on Amazon"> <strong>The Wisdom of Crowds</strong></a>,<img
src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385721706" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />. Of course there are some conditions for this phenomenon to hold true, the most interesting for me being the requirement that the mass be a diverse group. The principle is that the a wide range of ideas (even if some are really out there) will lead to a better solution than a narrow set of "informed" ideas. </p>
<p>Surowiecki offered several stories that illustrate this principle the last involving the search for a lost submarine in the 60's. After loosing communication with one of its subs, the Navy assembled its top folks to coordinate a search. After the search was unable to uncover the sub, someone put together a team of very diverse individual including those you would expect (e.g. sub commanders and navigation experts) as well as some you would not expect (e.g. mathematicians). The group came up with several scenarios and then were asked to bet on which of the scenarios each thought was the most likely. This process resulted in a location that turned out to be within a couple of hundred yards from the sub. The diverse mass did better (much better) than the group of experts the Navy put together. </p>
<p> Surowiecki's keynote reminded me of two books that have been very influential to me. The first is "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1422102823?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1422102823" title="link to book on Amazon">Medici Effect</a><img
src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1422102823" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> " by Frans Johansson that suggests one ingredient for innovation is access or association with a diverse group of people. Rarely are innovation born from like-minded people sitting around brainstorming on how to improve a process. What they usually come up with is an incremental improvement on the process, not an innovation - a revolutionary change in the process. If you have not read this book, please do. It gives us a model for our professional development:
namely, we should look toward diverse sources for our learning. </p>
<p> The other book of which Surowiecki's message reminded me is "<a
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400064287?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400064287" title="link to book on Amazon">Made to Stick</a><img
src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400064287" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> " by the Heath brothers. For me, the connection is in the form of Surowiecki's message. He has followed the six principles of creating a idea that will stick with us: Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions, and Stories. Interestingly, Amazon partners "Made to Stick" with Surowiecki's "Wisdom of Crowds". </p>
<p> While some may have come away from the keynote questioning its relevance to education and work in the classroom, I found it engaging and timely offering motivation for teaching the skills of collaboration, problem solving, and even probability/statistics. </p>
<p> <em>Here are some links to the books mentioned in this post</em> </p>
<p> <a style="margin-right: 10px; padding: 5px 10px;"
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385721706?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385721706" title="link to book on Amazon"><img border="0"
src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/amazon/0385721706.jpg" /></a><img
src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385721706" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
<a style="margin-right: 10px; padding: 5px 10px;"
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1422102823?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1422102823" title="link to book on Amazon"><img border="0"
src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/amazon/1422102823.jpg"/></a><img
src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1422102823" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
<a style="margin-right: 10px; padding: 5px 10px;"
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400064287?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400064287" title="link to book on Amazon"><img border="0"
src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/amazon/1400064287.jpg" /></a><img
src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400064287" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </p>
<p> Tech Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a
href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc</a> <a
href="http://technorati.com/tag/necc08" rel="tag" class="techtag">necc08</a> <a
href="http://technorati.com/tag/keynote" rel="tag" class="techtag">keynote</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Surowiecki" rel="tag" class="techtag">Surowiecki</a> </p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-14871783012709324182008-06-25T08:05:00.000-07:002008-06-25T09:23:49.284-07:00What Are You Talking About? (WiR)<p class="summary">
<img class='thumb' src='http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/call-rss.gif' alt='talking about?'/> This Week in Review posting focuses on a couple of sites that help us keep track of what's going on in news and the blogisphere - what are you talking about?
</p>
<p>
As you can see, I have decided to change the name of Week in Review (WiR) postings. This was done, first to better reflect a theme for the week but also becase "Week in Review" is boring. It does not attack any attention. And it is not interesting in a RSS feed. So, without further ado, let's talk a look at what you are talking about.
</p>
<h4>Twitturly</h4>
<p>
<a href="http://www.twitturly.com" title="link to the Twitturly site">Twitturly</a> is a site that shows what URLs people are talking about as they tweet on <a
href="http://www.twitter.com" title="link to the Twitter site">Twitter</a>. As you can imagine, there are lot of Twitter conversations on videos. The recent "<a
href="http://www.break.com/index/ball-girl-makes-incredible-catch.html" title="link to the video">Ball Girl Makes Incredible Catch</a>" was included in 42 tweets. (If you have not seen the catch, it is quite incredible!). And "<a
href="http://gizmodo.com/5018924/girl-spins-on-escalator-thanks-to-physics-or-magic"
title="link to video">Lady Spinning on an Escalator</a>" was mentioned 28 times. (Again, worth watching - I could see using this video in class.)
</p>
<p>Twitturly also breaks the stats down by time including how many "active" tweets the URL is mentioned on. An "active" tweet is one posted in the last 24 hrs. It also approximates how many people have seen the URL via Twitter. This is based on the number of people following a Twitter member who tweets the URL.
</p>
<p>
The real beauty of Twitturly is discovery... the ability to find things that you never knew you really need. For example, you should check out <a href="http://howto.wired.com/wiki/High-Five" title="learn how to High-Five">this wired.com how-to wiki page</a>.
</p>
<h4>Daylife</h4>
<p>
Daylife gathers news from thousands of news sources across the world and organizes it into related stories, quotes and images. If you check out their site, you will see that you can the latest hot topics, top photos starred by Daylife users, as well as the latest news stories. You can search for news articles based on a topic. Results are not limited to just the stories. You can see images or quotes based on a topic. You can also see related topics.
</p>
<p>
For this alone, Daylife is an interesting resource. But what makes the service so unique and exciting is its eagerness to open its data to developers in an effort to create new innovative services. Daylife is currently running the <a href="http://developer.daylife.com/contest" title="link to contest">Daylife Developer Challenge</a> encouraging developers to create exciting new applications. The term that they use is "<em>newsware</em>". Kinda Cool!
</p>
<p>
There are a number of sites that have already created <em>newsware</em> apps. A couple worth checking out include:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
The Washington Post's <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/issues/">Issue Tracker</a> lets you see news and opinions on the presidential candidates and the major issues of the 2008 campaign.
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://universe.daylife.com/">Universe</a>, a Daylife powered creation by the incredibly talented artist/technologist <a href="http://www.number27.org/" title="information on Jonathan Harris">Jonathan Harris</a>. Check out his session at <a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/144" title="Jonathan Harris' session at TED">TED</a>.
</li>
<li>
[editors node: this last app does not appear to be still active but is a very interesting idea] CNN's <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/techconference/2007/index.html">Meme-o-meter</a> ranks the hottest <span style="border-bottom: dashed 2px red; cursor: pointer;" title="Meme: ideas that circulate and mutate (like genes) throughout the culture">memes</span> being discussed in news stories and blogs. Clicking on a meme will display the latest news for that idea/concept.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/week-in-review" rel="tag" class="techtag">week-in-review</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/trends" rel="tag" class="techtag">trends</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/daylife" rel="tag" class="techtag">daylife</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/twitter" rel="tag" class="techtag">twitter</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/news" rel="tag" class="techtag">news</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-33634348487861929262008-06-19T08:27:00.000-07:002008-06-20T17:58:53.229-07:00Writing for the Web or the Stupid?<p class="summary">
<img class='thumb' src='http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/the-dreaded.jpg' alt='stupid?'/>
What is the rule for writing for the Web and is it making use dumber?
</p>
<p>
Are you stupid or do you just have an <a href="http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=294978">attention span of a flea</a>? If you listen to the <a href='http://www.useit.com'>usability experts</a>, then you are probably just <strong>scanning</strong> this article, looking for <strong>keywords</strong> that pop out of the text.
</p>
<p>
You might just look for
</p>
<h4>Headings</h4><ul>
<li><a href="#">Links</a></li>
<li>Words that <strong>standout</strong> in a sentence.</li>
<li>And of course lists!</li>
</ul>
<p>
Last week, I found an interesting link thanks to <a href="http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/brian/" title="abject learning blog">Brian Lamb</a>'s del.icio.us <a href="http://del.icio.us/blamb" title="link to Brian's del.icio.us bookmarks">bookmarkings</a>. The link was to an article from "<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com" title="theAtlantic.com">The Atlantic</a>" by Nicholas Carr titled "<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google" title="link to the article">Is Google Making Us Stupid</a>". This sounded really interesting; I bookmarked it to use in my <a href="http://digiwalks.blogspot.com/search/label/week%2Bin%2Breview" title="posts tagged 'week-in-review'">Week In Review</a> posts. You see, I don't believe that the Web (or Google) is making us dumber. I still feel that we have the same or perhaps better capacity to delve deep into a subject.
</p>
<p>
It wasn't until later that I realized that I only scanned the article and didn't actually read it in depth.
</p>
<p>
While I may believe that I still have the ability to sit for long periods engulfed in a book, I know that my mind wonders. I am constantly thinking how what I just read relates to a project that I am working on. Or I read something that sparks an idea of a new project. This constant attempt to contextualize the information that I am reading is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does speak to either my impatiences or my restless nature.
</p>
<p>I have since read Carr's article and agree with the general premise that attention spans are decreasing; folks just want the "facts" wrapped in a quick and easy to digest package. The Web both offers, enables, and even promotes this behavior.
</p>
<p>
What I found even more interesting was Carr's suggestion that Google (perhaps as representative of the God of the Internet) believes "that intelligence is the output of a mechanical process, a series of discrete steps that can be isolated, measured, and optimized." In other words, Google is attempting to solve the problem of artificial intelligence using their vast number of smart people who work at the GooglePlex supplied with terabytes of click activity that they capture daily from our activity on the Web. His fear is that intelligence is being defined as vast amounts of information readily at hand and "ambiguity is not an opening for insight but a bug to be fixed."
</p>
<p>I personally, don't share Carr's fears. In the first place, the Web offers an unbound source for both the Cliff notes edition of information as well as access to the primary sources and deep discussions on the information. Actually, the Web embraces ambiguity through dissenting opinions. This post is an example. I also don't fear Google's quest of artificial intelligence. Actually, my concern is more that Google is confusing click activity with actual answers. Just because a site is popular does not mean that it is the best soruce for a particular piece of information. But my concern is tempered by the knowledge that the brains at the GooglePlex probably realize this and are motivated to excel at connecting us with the best source for the information that we seek. I am also aware that popularity not equating to the best is just as relevant in the printed world as it is on the Web.
</p>
<p>So what does this mean for us who write for the web? Well, if I am writing copy for a page that will be scanned, I will keep in mind the <a href="http://www.useit.com/alertbox/print-vs-online-content.html" title="link to useit.com's alertbox article">differences between print and online content</a>. But that does not mean that there are not places for the narrative or storytelling on the Web. Similarly, the Web offers a perfect platform for papers that promote deep thinking and expanded intelligence. But unlike other mediums, the Web also offers the platform for reflection, commentary and further discussion.
</p>
<p>
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks," rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/web," rel="tag" class="techtag">web,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/writing," rel="tag" class="techtag">writing,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/google," rel="tag" class="techtag">google,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/usability" rel="tag" class="techtag">usability</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-73587597012663446172008-06-17T12:43:00.000-07:002008-06-20T17:58:00.785-07:00Week In Review: 2008-June-09<p class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/art/alltop-education-sm.gif" alt="Alltop Education"/>
This week in review includes a discussion on open access, effective training, and the Alltop badge contest.
</p>
<h4>Berkman@10</h4>
<p>
<a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/">The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School</a> celebrated their tenth anniversary this past academic year culminating in a conference - "The Future of the Internet" - that was held on May 15-16, 2008. There are numerous videos of the conference sessions / panel discussions and I encourage you to hear what these folks are saying.
</p>
<p>
But one of the topics really caught my eye - <a href="http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/overview.htm">Open Access</a>. In conjunction with the conference, the <a href="http://publius.cc/">Publius Project</a> published two essays on "access", <a title="Article by Peter Suber on Open Access" href="http://publius.cc/2008/06/04/peter-suber-the-opening-of-science-and-scholarship/">the initial essay</a> by Peter Suber and <a title="Response by Melissa Hagemann" href="http://publius.cc/2008/06/04/melissa-hagemann-open-scholarship/">a response</a> by Melissa Hagemann.
</p>
<p>
I have always been curious about the mystic behind journals and why researchers choose to publish in journals where they are not paid, they relinquish their copyrights, and the access to the ideas is limited to those who can afford subscriptions to the journal. Open Access is "digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions" (<a title="link to the source of this quote" href="http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/overview.htm">source</a>).
</p>
<p>
The conversation continues in Melissa Hagemann's <a href="http://publius.cc/2008/06/04/melissa-hagemann-open-scholarship/">Open Scholarship</a> where she discusses open education. "Open education resources", Hagemann writes, "are digitized materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and re-use for teaching, learning and research" (<a title="link to the source of this quote" href="http://publius.cc/2008/06/04/melissa-hagemann-open-scholarship/">source</a>) An innovative teacher could compile a set of these resources, add her own material and product a textbook customized for her class - and the cost would be far less than traditional textbooks.</p>
<h4>Effective Training</h4>
<p>I enjoyed <a href="http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/" title="The Blue Skunk Blog">Doug Johnson's</a> recent post titled "<a href="http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2008/6/13/seven-qualities-of-highly-effective-technology-trainers.html">Seven Qualities of Highly Effective Technology Trainers</a>". In a nutshell, here are his seven qualities:
</p>
<ol>
<li>The problem is on the desk, not in the chair.</li>
<li>No mouse touching.</li>
<li>Great analogies.</li>
<li>Clear support materials and advanced planning.</li>
<li>Knowing what is essential and what is only confusing.</li>
<li>If it breaks, we’ll fix it.</li>
<li>Perspective.</li>
</ol>
<p>These "qualities" revolve around the theme of creating a safe environment for the technology student (e.g. teacher) so that they feel confident to try and even make mistakes. It is worth reviewing these seven ideas before any workshop, presentation or training day, as they remind us that we are not all geeks and what we might find exciting (and perhaps easy) is to someone else a scary mountain with no clear path to conquer.
</p>
<h4>Alltop Badge Contest</h4>
<p>If you have not already discovered <a href="http://www.alltop.com">Alltop</a>, it is a site that shows the latest posts from a selection of news and blogs organized by topic. For example, <a href='http://education.alltop.com'>education.alltop.com</a> provides a rich source of news and views on education. You will find the obvious (NY Times, NPR, BBC, US Dept of Ed) and the big guys (Dave Warlick, Will Richardson, Vicki Davis, Kathy Schrock). But you will also discover new sources of information or opinion like the "<a href="http://blog.genyes.com/">Generation Yes Blog</a>".
</p>
<p>
Alltop has hundreds of topics ranging <a href="http://ajax.alltop.com/">Ajax</a> to
<a href="http://women.alltop.com/">Women</a>. And their growing all the time.
</p>
<p>
Currently, they are holding a contest for folks to create badges for Alltop that bloggers or others can paste on their sites. The prize is an Apple iPod Touch so I had to try my luck. I have posted three so far (see blow) and may try some more. Deadline is June 29th, so you better get busy.
</p>
<p style="position: relative; width: 100%; overflow: hidden;">
<img style="display: block; width: 125px; height: 125px; margin-right: 10px; float: left;" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/art/alltop-education.jpg" alt="alltop - education"/>
<img style="display: block; width: 125px; height: 125px; margin-right: 10px; float: left;" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/art/alltop-covered.jpg" alt="alltop - education"/>
<img style="display: block; width: 125px; height: 125px; margin-right: 10px; float: left;" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/art/alltop-made-it.jpg" alt="alltop - education"/>
</p>
<p>
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks," rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/week+in+review," rel="tag" class="techtag">week+in+review,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/open+access," rel="tag" class="techtag">open+access,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/open+education," rel="tag" class="techtag">open+education,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/berkman10," rel="tag" class="techtag">berkman10,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/training," rel="tag" class="techtag">training,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/alltop" rel="tag" class="techtag">alltop</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-23617895260797318042008-06-17T11:31:00.000-07:002008-06-20T09:22:21.964-07:00New Look for Digital Crosswalks<div class="summary">
<img class='thumb' src='http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/digiwalks.gif' alt='digiwalks'/>
I have been working on a new design for Digital Crosswalks, so look for it <strike>in the coming days</strike> <strong>now</strong>.
</div>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/art/learn.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height:192px;" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/art/learn.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>
While it has been a long time coming, I have finally dedicated some time to a new design for <a href="http://digiwalks.blogspot.com">Digital Crosswalks</a>. Over the past few weeks, I have been fiddling with not only design but also what I want to include in this blog.
</p>
<p>
I have learned so much about Blogger and its templates. My emotions have ranged from "This sucks! I am moving off Blogger and going on my own!" to "Cool, Blogger makes it easy." As of now, I am sticking with Blogger. My decision is more about Blogger being more expedient than learning another blog-manager (e.g. Wordpress, Drupal, etc.) or writing my own code (which I may still do in the future).
</p>
<p>
At this point, I want to return focus to the numerous projects I have in the works - many of which will be of great interest to digiwalks readers. I am reminded of a quote that I recently sent to a friend who was trying to educate his bosses that websites are more about what is in them than their design. "Users don’t search for design, they search for content. If your site doesn't have content people want, no one will look at it." <a href="http://justcreativedesign.com/">Just Creative Design</a>
</p>
<p>
So look for the new design and <strong>PLEASE</strong> let me know your thoughts. But most importantly, look for announcements of new projects in the coming weeks. Who knows, there may even be a chance to win something.
</p>
<p class="tech-tags">
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/new+design" rel="tag" class="techtag">new+design</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/content+over+design" rel="tag" class="techtag">content+over+design</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-40290144501791482052008-06-17T10:34:00.000-07:002008-06-17T12:05:14.344-07:00Edutopia Membership<div class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/edutopia.gif" alt="edutopia"/>
Edutopia is a fantastic resource for teachers striving to be their best. Are you a member yet?
</div>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.edutopia.org/sites/default/themes/edutopia2/images/global/masthead.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.edutopia.org/sites/default/themes/edutopia2/images/global/masthead.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>
If you have not already become a member of <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/">Edutopia</a>, I would highly recommend it. Here are some of the benefits of <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/edutopia-member">becoming a member</a>:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Subscription to <em>Edutopia</em> magazine - a great treat in your mailbox.</li>
<li><em>A New Day for Learning</em>, a DVD discussing how learning can be extended beyond the classroom.</li>
<li>Occasional opportunities to chat (online) with education thought leaders and change agents.</li>
<li>A copy of <em>The Best of Edutopia Cool Schools: Project Learning</em>. Have not gotten mine, so I can't comment :-(</li>
</ul>
<p>
But this list fails to mention the most important benefit of your membership - that you will be supporting an quality organization with an outstanding vision:
</p>
<blockquote>
<p>
Our vision is of a new world of learning. A place where kids and parents, teachers and administrators, policy makers and the people they serve are empowered to change education for the better. A place where schools have access to the same invaluable technology as businesses and universities -- where innovation is the rule, not the exception. A place where children become lifelong learners and develop the technical, cultural, and interpersonal skills to succeed in the twenty-first century. A place of inspiration, aspiration, and an urgent belief that improving education improves the world we live in.
</p>
<cite><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/aboutus">Edutopia - About Us</a></cite>
</blockquote>
<p>
Why am I pushing this group? In fact, <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/">Edutopia</a> represents a better organized and funded version of the non-profit organization that I am in the process of founding. To some, they may be seen as the competition or at least a group that already exists with our purpose. Just one look at the focus of <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/">edutopia.org</a> and you can see that they value most of the exact topics I value: Project Learning, Technology Integration, Teacher Development, Social and Emotional Learning, and Assessment.
</p>
<p>
It is this similarity that gives me such passion for Edutopia. Their vision and path toward change is consistent with mine. And, regardless who is carrying the torch, I want to support these values. I hope that you will join me in your support for <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/">Edutopia</a> and perhaps later offer your support for my organization when it gets off the ground.
</p>
<p style="font-size: 80%;">
PS - for more information about the organization that I am founding or if you want to get involved, drop be a line at rob{at}myhallpass{dot}com.
</p>
<p class="tech-tags">
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/education" rel="tag" class="techtag">education</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/learning" rel="tag" class="techtag">learning</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/reform" rel="tag" class="techtag">reform</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/edutopia" rel="tag" class="techtag">edutopia</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/" rel="tag" class="techtag"></a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-1806123232956085572008-06-10T09:33:00.000-07:002008-06-17T12:03:01.380-07:00My New Buddy<div class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/buddy.gif" alt="buddy">
I have a new Buddy and have been showing her off to all my friends.
</div>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopRNoMwm4PVlPojSKKlKjBUtu6vRbWDlA0wyaa6Oi3aNhJEySIMmxlu17CMwO3_6OEc8TO9NIVc8J3sqkmpS8Ub1Hk1lRjIUgQHrwi7RGbMcFDHsqNy87PYffXT2uS0qMCm9Z/s1600-h/buddy.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopRNoMwm4PVlPojSKKlKjBUtu6vRbWDlA0wyaa6Oi3aNhJEySIMmxlu17CMwO3_6OEc8TO9NIVc8J3sqkmpS8Ub1Hk1lRjIUgQHrwi7RGbMcFDHsqNy87PYffXT2uS0qMCm9Z/s320/buddy.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212890895632168530" /></a>
I have a new <a href="http://www.genuinescooters.com/scooters/buddy/buddy_3.html">Buddy</a> and unlike other buddies, this one is Genuine. In case you haven't guessed, my Buddy is a scooter - 125 tangerine. My wife and I have been talking about getting scooters since our honeymoon when we tooted around Victoria Island on two that we rented. With the price of gas as it is, we finally decided enough talk, let's get serious. I guess we are not alone. Just during the time I was in looking at my Buddy, three folks came in all ready to purchase and one even buying three scooters. The scooter companies recognize this as the price of ours went up significantly just two days after we purchased.
</p>
<p>
Zipping around town on our Buddy is great fun tempered by the constant reminder that there are crazy drivers out there - and they are driving big cars and probably talking on their cell phones while ignoring our little Buddy. I reroute my trips to include a lot more side streets which has its own reward. I am also learning that ridding a scooter exposes you to not just the other cars but bugs, road defects and the weather. A splattered bug on the windshield is an annoyance, a bee crashing into your neck is hazard. The other evening, after a long board meeting, I nearly froze as I did think how the cool air can be really cold if you are unprepared.
</p>
<p>
I am glad that we have our new Buddy and hope to see more of you tooting around town.
</p>
<p class="tech-tags">
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/buddy" rel="tag" class="techtag">buddy</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/scooter" rel="tag" class="techtag">scooter</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-65042323070650651002008-05-30T08:13:00.000-07:002008-06-17T12:06:50.087-07:00The Scary Thing I Did This Weekend<div class="summary">
<img class="thumb" src="http://www.ibanning.com/digiwalks/images/summary-icon/scream.gif" alt="scary"/>
"I pronounce you husband and wife..." How these words made for a scary weekend - even though I was not the one getting married.
</div>
<p>In a <a href="http://digiwalks.blogspot.com/2008/05/week-in-review-2008-may-16.html" title="Week In Review - May 16, 2008">recent post</a>, I spoke of advice once given me: to do something that scares you on a regular basis. The point of this advice was to stretch me - put me in situations that are uncomfortable and challenge me. We learn and improve from such situations.
</p>
<p>This past weekend, I had the opportunity to preside over my friend's weddings. While this was the first wedding where I was the officiate, I have spoken in front of larger crowds. So, it was not the idea of public speaking in it self that scared me. Actually, I really looked forward to being up there participating in their marriage.
</p>
<p>
But why was I scarred? It could have been that I had not completed my speeches (three during the ceremony) and obviously, I had not had a chance to practice. It could have been the amount of preparation that was going into this event and the knowledge that I was in a unique position to screw it all up. It could have been the conflict I was feeling between keeping my words to the traditional, limiting the chance I would insult or offend anyone, and expressing my feelings and making the ceremony unlike others. In the end, the real reason for being nervous is not important as much as the fact that this was a challenge, one of those scary things that I remind myself to embrace on a regular basis.
</p>
<p>
To be a successful scary adventure, I needed to come away with something new. At my brother's wedding, I came away with a silver calling card case, or was it a hip flask? For this wedding, we got chopsticks (actually they were from the rehearsal dinner). But that is not what I am talking about. What did I learn? How did it make me a better person?
</p>
<p>
The first "lesson" or success was my ability to craft the ceremony to be unique, include traditional elements, and (most importantly) be very personal. The second "lesson" was that you can't prepare for all contingencies. I did not anticipate just how emotional I was going to be. I lost it when the flower girls came down the isle and was a mess to the end. (In a moment of role reversal, the groom had to reassure me.) All that emotion made me forget what little of my speeches that I did manage to memorize. But in the end, the emotion was one of the greatest factors for the success of ceremony (more than my actual words - I have to admit).
</p>
<p>
But the greatest success or gift that this experience offered was the chance to reflect on marriage, what is important to me, and my deepest love of my wife. My words while written for the bride and groom, were really an expression of my feelings for my wife and our wedding. Actually, my writing became much easier when I pictured my wife and started writing for her.
</p>
<p>
In hindsight, my "fear" was about the pressure to make the ceremony perfect. Perfection, while an amiable goal, is rarely experienced and is really not necessary. I decided on settling for this wedding to be as special and meaningful as the one I got to have.
</p>
<p class="tech-tags">
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digiwalks" rel="tag" class="techtag">digiwalks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/leadership" rel="tag" class="techtag">leadership</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/scary" rel="tag" class="techtag">scary</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24330419.post-38730958552291985542008-05-21T09:47:00.001-07:002008-06-17T12:36:44.755-07:00Teacher Learner: We Must Also Learn<p class="summary">
One of the most rewarding moments in teaching for me was when I had the opportunity to tutor a student in Algebra II.
</p>
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dT_IDhYg9ODNTfz9bxg6VsJWmv2jva_OqcghprpsZRWqtsph5hjS1jAWJ6cp5AnTcnERBevk3T9eFr6obl6kq1fW3-Pc9Vl4oHyNIYBLHGuwYILXk1FL06R1cv7CVxURwKbb/s1600-h/teacher-learner.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dT_IDhYg9ODNTfz9bxg6VsJWmv2jva_OqcghprpsZRWqtsph5hjS1jAWJ6cp5AnTcnERBevk3T9eFr6obl6kq1fW3-Pc9Vl4oHyNIYBLHGuwYILXk1FL06R1cv7CVxURwKbb/s320/teacher-learner.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202874184115690994" /></a>
One of the most rewarding moments in teaching for me was when I had the opportunity to tutor a student in Algebra II. My approach was fairly simple; each afternoon I would have him teach me the topics addressed in his class that day. I was teaching Algebra I then and was not necessarily familiar with the topics of his class. Thus, his efforts to teach me were not just a trick, I was learning (or re-learning) the topics.
</p>
<p>My approach forced the student to reflect on the topics which in itself is a powerful teaching tool. But I would offer that my role as learner and the respect I showed to the student's teachings was a principal component behind the success of our tutoring experience.
</p>
<p>I have been reading about the use of case studies as a teaching method and came across an essay by Charles Gragg titled "Teachers Also Must Learn". His basic premise is that the best teachers exhibit a attitude of being willing to learn from their students.
</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The teacher who has given up the art of learning from his students should also give up the practice of learning.</p>
<p>
... how can he lead his students to undertake for their own parts the creative interpretation of knowledge? The answer lies in part at least in the ability of the teacher to listen to his students, not with a view to appraising them, correcting their mistakes, and filling in the gaps in their knowledge, but rather in the constant and true expectation of learning something.
</p>
<p><cite>from
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875844030?ie=UTF8&tag=digitacrossw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0875844030">Teaching and the Case Method: Text, Cases, and Readings</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=digitacrossw-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0875844030" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
</cite>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>
Boy, if I think how I listen to my students, it is almost always with the air of the learned one ("the teacher") and infrequently as the one trying to learn. This could be explained by egotism, lack of confidence, lack of respect for the student, or just a traditionalist view of the relationship between teacher and student.
</p>
<p>This points out the how important the art of listening is to the successful teacher.</p>
<p>
The funny thing is that I started this blog with two purposes: an opportunity to reflect on ideas and to learn from this community of educators. Why shouldn't I expect to learn from students as well?
</p>
<p>
Tech Tags:
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/education" rel="tag" class="techtag">education</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/learning" rel="tag" class="techtag">learning</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/respect" rel="tag" class="techtag">respect</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/leadership" rel="tag" class="techtag">leadership</a>
</p>rob banninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12121727631592909094noreply@blogger.com0