1: 1 Learning - Where to now?

I will put up more links to DERNSW activities over the coming months. It is all go!

 ... and the ideas from overseas, keep coming too.

1:1 - making the most of it.

Tools and services to use with 1:1 learning

what about wikis

and blogging to enhance digital literacy

Various Themes: A Work in Progress

Today, I have realised I collect a lot of links and resources.  I don't always set them in an articulate post.

Well, does that matter?  Probably not. I may or may not come back to this list and set it up more professionally.

Virtual learning at  high school level
http://ncvirtualelert.blogspot.com/2010/07/ncvps-community-e-lert-for-july-30.html
http://www.ncvps.org/

Digital literacy of digital natives

Digital natives not media savvy.

More on mlearning

For those who do more than me with presenting to others. These people are worth following on Twitter.

Digital Literacy and the Need for Change- A much discussed concept

Getting consensus?

This is a quote presented by Greg Prior Regional Director, Western Sydney in his message to Principals, 16 July 2010

"In schools the main problem is not the absence of innovations but the presence of too many disconnected... piecemeal, superficially adorned projects... We are over our heads".  Fullan 2001

My view:

This is where effective leadership comes in. To use the concepts of Karl Weick in his theory of "loose coupling":

"Tight" on the non-negotiables and "loose" on how subject leaders learn with their staff to implement quality programs and practice.

Our BOS and DET have outlined all these requirements and expectations in current documents.

Good luck with this in your schools ...

Leading Digital Learning Revolutions - Clarify the Focus (3)

Very diverse experiences and opinions from around the world are worth a think.


4 tips for integrating social media into the classroom.

Laptops in the classroom: Back row or front row? 

Districts want an app for that - laptops, handhelds, mobile devices.

At university some tools to enable collaboration.


I am sure, many more to,follow.

Leading Digital Learning Revolutions - Clarify the Focus (3)

This topic is still a bit of a mishmash of very diverse experiences and opinions from around the world. They are all worth a think and add to our learning.

Changing the face of STEM education with ipods

Teacher learning - ideas for schools.

Laptops in the classroom: Back row or front row? 

Evaluating websites for "classroom" use: What classroom is that?

Recently, jomcleay tweeted:
Thanks to all who answered with their thoughts about twitter, some really good ideas. Now question is Twitter for classroom? Edmodo?

This tweet and many tweets and blog posts before have finally prompted me to comment on this issue.

Teachers have always reviewed and assessed the suitability of resources of any kind including websites before they use them in the classroom.

In the case of websites that offer login services, it is absolutely vital, that teachers use a checklist of criteria to assess each product or service, before they "direct" students to register or even use during school hours. Some of the critical issues include:

• being very clear about what is suitable for the age-groups you teach
• looking for interactive resources and adaptable lesson ideas from reputable sources. They are in no short supply for educators.
• being fully aware of the risks of using a service website that may reduce the potential benefits
  
• reading and understanding any age eligibility requirements in the Terms of Service or Privacy statements
• understanding the opportunities for and implications of student "sharing" attached to all the features and functionality of service websites.
  

... a short list to start ...

Finally, these articles touch on some of the relevant issues for educators wanting to engage students with the most powerful content and social media services for learning across all subjects.

Wikipedia fit for the classroom.

Is social media just for kids?

Facebook - To filter or not to filter?

Districts change policies to embrace Twitter, Facebook.

Assorted:

Blended learning - NSW CAP initiative

http://trichorder2.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-stood-at-crumbling-edge.html

New literacies and ambiguity a great overview by Doug Belshaw

Look out for my next post on the key concepts and language for teachers to understand when reviewing digital resources for student access.

Leading Digital Learning Revolutions - Clarify the Focus (2)

In leading a high school into 2010, my priorities would initially focus on:

• SC/HSC teaching, assessment and reporting - getting the best results
• Literacy and numeracy learning - effective, agreed teaching practice for shared responsibility
• Syllabus and program review schedules - refining and updating practice for DER
• Personalising learning to meet diverse student needs
• Involving parents in student learning - especially in the context of DER

This is just a quick brainstorm and the post is a work in progress ... in the meantime, check out this post

In the USA: Nation's superintendents to take back the reigns of educational leadership

About the kids: Tech-savvy 'iGeneration' kids multi-task, connect

A useful post on IWB: It's not about the board.

My First post on this topic

Leading Digital Learning Revolutions: Job Description Needed (2)

Nation's superintendents to take back the reigns of educational leadership

A work in progress ... in the meantime, check out this post.

First post on this topic

Still stuck on SlideShare - Where to now?

Work in progress ...

I plan to map the new features that should attract even more educators and users of social media to SlideShare.

I think I might set up a new group to save to...

I want to create some shows this year, a noble goal, but we will see ...

My enthusiasm about SlideShare, which almost matches my keenness for google tools, figured in many of my very first posts. My first major reflection post 2007-2009.

Social learning - the story so far ...

About my Slidespace, my uploads and my groups.

... and I am not alone, Angela Maiers Chalk Talk post on her use of @SlideShare and that of other well-known educators.

PBS Frontline Digital Nation - BBC Virtual Revolution - Lots of Buzz

Both productio have created some global buzz on Twitter. I will collate any follow-up commentary and posts.

BBC production The Virtual Revolution. How 20 years of the web has reshaped our lives.

PBS Frontline digital_nation

Henry Jenkins has written briefly.

Digital Tools and Laptops for Learning - Global Buzz (11)

Down and dirty ... no neat links yet ...

http://blogs.itbusiness.ca/2010/02/one-laptop-per-student-a-pre-requisite-to-a-21st-century-public-education

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/02/03/02customlearning.h03.html

http://www.slideshare.net/ajmccarthynz/evaluating-the-effectiveness-of-laptops-in-the-classroom

More about Iowa 1:1, Wesley Fryer writes and podcasts the detail.

1:1 learning: laptop programs that work

Setting table for learning

Israel’s Time To Know Aims To Revolutionize The Classroom

Some schools rethink bans on cell phones

Laptops in the classroom - getting feedback by Tami Brass.

Leading Digital Revolutions - Job Description Needed (1)

There have been an increasing number of posts on leadership of digital learning.

@langwitches has written a post from @educon

Leadership 2.0: Who Do We Need Our Leaders To Be? reports on a presentation by Chris Lehmann.

This toolkit of inspirations post from #educon on @slideshare by Ben Hazzard may be useful.
Field Guide for Change Agents

Is this innovation too disruptive for my firm. @HarvardBiz is worth a follow.

How to get along with frenemies.

Could you manage this style ...

Digital Kids: Dumber and More Distractable? Or Do Kids Learn Better Online?

PBS documentary questions tech and our future

Students Sound Off on School Tech Use

Educon 2.2 reflections- What do you think? post by Chris Lehmann

Shelly Terrell has written her amazing Goals 2010 Challenge Series and now has an ebook of the lot. This is a focussed an interesting way to jump into digital learning.

A work in progress ...

Debate Continues: Kaiser Family Foundation Study (2)

Wired Kids, Negligent Parents?

Digital Native, NetGen, Millennial, iGen and so on ...

In a post entitled the Myth of the digital native, Terry Freedman writes:
"Angela McFarlane gave a talk at the Naace 2009 Conference which was quite interesting. The full title of her talk was:

"5 year olds never could program the video -- challenging the myth of the digital native"."

The full post is worth a read.

This January 2010 post, "The problem with the native/immigrant dichotomy" adds to the debate.

A July 2008 post tackles the terminology too. Not ‘Natives’ & ‘Immigrants’ but ‘Visitors’ & ‘Residents’

A more recent post, January 2010, looks at the use of various "i" devices by toddlers and younger children.

A few strong cases for ditching the paper and letting books grow digital wings

Miguel Guhlin writes: First Grade Media Literacy

You can do a quick search to find out what Mark Prensky and Don Tapscott have to say on this topic.

My thoughts:

I wonder does this language actually create artificial barriers?
How are the implied generational divisions of critical relevance to schooling?

I know that my grandchildren ( 7 & 11) are all already quite used to "finding and doing things online". This would include:

• locating games sites, mostly arcade and dexterity practice only
• google search for anything
  
• locate and follow product auctions on ebay

Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18 year olds - Kaiser Family Foundation (1)

The study, "Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds," reports that:

Kids pack in nearly 11 hours of media use daily a report for CNET by Larry Magid.

George Siemens has written this:
"Kaiser Family Foundation has a new report available on youth and technology. Overall, it's not a surprising report - basically, if they're awake, they're online. Media consumption increased in almost every domain - web, TV, music, games, etc. Print was down. Two parts of the report were interesting - though mainly for lack of useful information or clear correlation: distinction in media use among whites, African Americans, and Hispanics...as well as a bit of a psychological profile on high media users (basically, they're less happy, have poorer grades, and have more issues)."

From eSchoolNews this post: Technology gives kids constant media access

Plugged In and Tuned Out?

CMCH Weighs in on Kaiser Report of Kids’ Increasing Use of Media

Another post on the same themes. The Young and the Digital references the book: Watkins, S. C. (2009). The Young & The Digital: What the Migration to Social-Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

I'll post other commentary links as I find them.

Scotland Learning Grids and Resources (2)

I have time to continue my sweep of some of the fabulous UK LEA websites.

Just found URLs for Scottish ones that I had never seen. Not yet checked. I will publish this post and let any visitors do the checking. Some may already be transferred to GLOW.

http://www.aberdeen-education.org.uk

http://www.falkirkvtc.org.uk

http://egfl.net

http://www.educationict.org.uk
http://www.educationict.org.uk/bpt

http://www.fife-education.org.uk

http://www.mgfl.info
http://athena.mgfl.info/artman2/publish/index.shtml

http://www.ers.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/topics.htm

http://www.ea.e-renfrew.sch.uk/curriculinks/

Teacher and Student Zones at Newspaper & Media Websites (1)

This is another Work in Progress. I'll add as I locate.

Times Educational Supplement has a very extensive site with login.

The New York Times also has the Learning Network for teaching and learning.

Washington Post has KidsPost section.

Newspaper in Education organisation has teacher resources.

NBC Learn is the education arm of NBC News.