Morning sessions are over, lunch has broken out all over. So what has been discussed so far?
In the breakout discussions I’ve been part of the main topic has really been “How should school look AND how are we going to get to do it that way? Much of the crowded discussion has revolved around mostly the usual: Get the word out … how?: involve media and parents and interested others more to spread the positive message (because there has been too much of the negative). This was discussed at length but time ran out before we really came to grips with some substantive ways to go about inciting media to cover the edtech, web 2.0, project based message. Hopefully we will revisit this after lunch because it seems to be a major part of the disconnect right now in making change.
Then the topic became OK, but what should that topic … what should the message that we want to promote be? Students becoming literate was popular – literate in language, math, science … but also literate in the tools they will need to excel and continue their learning. Make the message urgent was discussed.
It seems to me that we have re-clarified the issues – if we don’t take the time to discuss a plan of action all is for naught. It is too easy to get excited and create great talking points with the choir all around … let’s hope we do the dirty work of deciding what exactly to do while this group is together and focused so later we aren’t saying we need to have a plan … as great as blogs and web 2.0 is it won’t do the job as well as a group of people focused on solving an issue face to face when there are fewer everyday distractions. Well back to the grind. : )
Solving issues is messy!
Hi Brian! My google reader is popping up with NECC all over the place. I am so glad because i wasn’t sure how I was going to get all the information. Thank you for your posts and updates.
I am also battling with what the ‘message’ should be about student learners. Yes, literate students is the best one. I even feel I have become a better writer since I have been blogging for only 3 months! WOW that’s not even a school year’s worth of months! Can you imagine how students could grow as readers and writer’s over the course of a 9 month school year just blogging? Then there are all the other tools!
We do need to overcome the negative perception of tech tools and the internet. I recently blogged about a discussion my school board had about cell phones.
http://weprincipal.blogspot.com/
Kids know more about technology and internet than most adults and their parents. I think parents would enjoy some of the web 2.0 tools their kids are using as well.
I am going to play around on edublogs this week and create a student blog (for my 1 1/2 year daughter:):) Obviously she can’t blog but I can use her name as my ‘experiment’ blog. I think as part of Reader’s/Writer’s workshop kids can do their ‘writing’ on a blog and the parents can view it as well.!
Keep posting! My ideas are flowing as I read your posts and then write back. Sorry this is so long!