Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Neil Postman on the Purpose of Education, Schooling and Learning

A recent encounter with a visionary leader in learning led me back to Neil Postman's (1995) The End of EducationReading through this work again, I am struck by so much.  Today it was Neil quoting Nietzsche...."He who has a why to live, can bear almost any how" Neil goes on to offer, "This applies as much to learning as it does to living" (p.4). 

How true.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

@anitsirk looking for a pbl ma...

@anitsirk looking for a pbl management tool for Mahara instance....we are using 37 signals now in a mashup, any ideas? Teambox? Manymoon?

Update

Whoa!  This fall has been extremely rewarding, but busy. 

As many of you know we launched Global Civ in June and the curricular development alone has been a huge and rewarding time sink!  Global Civ's integrated PBL has been a healthy challenge, as we work out that which has not  really been done in earnest (with respect to James Beane and all those before him....the giants of CI), for a year long secondary level program.  We are capacity building for Global Civ right now and will be recruiting in the Winter for next year for students, mentors and interns!

I have been so fortunate to also be teaching part time at the University of Maine and working on the  Design Based Research project that drives Global Civ interventions and writing on the nexus between Critical Education, Connectivism, and open learning. 

Onward!

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Forming generalization of doma...

Forming generalization of domain theories, design frameworks, and design methodologies....

Writing up design based resear...

Writing up design based research proposal, may fall over soon.. research driven, systematic documentation, formative evaluation....

Hi from Thomas , Mid Coast Mai...

Hi from Thomas , Mid Coast Maine US#psd70admin

Monday, October 25, 2010

@Kristina__H just the framewor...

@Kristina__H just the framework! Topic, driving question, table of contents/outline for project, all in a Mahara View!

#EDT 400: check out this ePort...

#EDT 400: check out this ePortfolio project! http://bit.ly/dnQ2VX, from Tony Hursh's course as an initial benchmark!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Vicki Davis rocks! Excellent ...

Vicki Davis rocks! Excellent clinic ! Torres 2009 and now Davis 2010, thank you for inspiring me!#actem

Social Networking projects due...

Social Networking projects due Tuesday!#EDT400

VD: NetGen project/integrative...

VD: NetGen project/integrative project pods=student centric learning!#actem

VD: Finnish teachers as entrep...

VD: Finnish teachers as entrepreneurs /national standards individualized curricular design by teachers=top PISA scores #actem

VD: "instructional technology ...

VD: "instructional technology courses should be mandatory for degrees in education in a 1 to 1 state!"#actem

Vicki Davis: pre-service teach...

Vicki Davis: pre-service teachers can learn to teach through assessment in FCP! #actem

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Creating a New Imaginary for Cultural Heritage

The Institute for Global Civic Culture was launched this May and our pilot program Global Civ is proving to be one of the most inspiring projects I have ever worked on.  Global Civ is a wall-less learning ecology featuring a socially relevant project based curricula designed around the concepts of Society, Environment, and Economy in place based and international studies.  Our 2010-2011 pilot program features one high school aged "fellow" and  is truly a redefinition of education.  Critical literacy across the knowledge territories, experiential learning, service learning and eLearning provide a framework for Global Civ and the results have been amazing. This year the projects are focus on the North American Experience (NAE).  An integrated  study of North America, "place", and the international interconnectedness of humanity, NAE has already proved a success. I was recently reminded of this success as the project fellow exhibited his ePortfolio artifact for a current project. The ePortfolio artifact focused on indigenous North Americans and the ramifications of contact with Europeans. The  project fellow found, vaildated and leveraged a TED talk from the Canadian Anthropologist Wade Davis:

Wade Davis: Cultures at the far edge of the world

In the TED talk Davis chronicles the need for a new imaginary for the conservation of cultural heritage around the world and the  understanding of our shared "ethnosphere" essential for the 21st century.

This ePortfolio struck me deep in the heart and inspired me beyond my expectations for our project.  At the Institute for Global Civic Culture we are committed to providing a framework for creating a new imaginary for cultural heritage conservation around the world.  We applaud our first Global Civ fellow and his construction of meaning to this end.  His is critical work shows a careful and enduring understanding of the world and a passion for the world.  This is the mission of the Institute for Global Civic Culture and Global Civ.

Please look for more information about Global Civ and our announcement of program expansion for the 2011-2012 year.

Wade Davis has a Massey Lecture on Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World.

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Thursday, October 7, 2010

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Will use the film "Babel" for ...

Will use the film "Babel" for a seminar I give next week focused on critical education and eLearning. Look forward to reviewing it this eve.

Very good friend who calls me...

Very good friend who calls me his "crazy" Maine friend now going barefoot on his daily run....things are good!

Friday, October 1, 2010

@sharonbetts would you email m...

@sharonbetts would you email me about ACTEM. I have been so busy that I was remiss in checking schedule....thought I was presenting?

Thursday, September 30, 2010

@anitsirk Thank you for the he...

@anitsirk Thank you for the heads up on ipadio, will let you know how tests from the field to Mahara go!

Monday, September 27, 2010

UVIC IGOV site used to have th...

UVIC IGOV site used to have the most amazing indigenous singers in opening flash, Namsing Singers?

My life was changed forever me...

My life was changed forever meeting Taiaiake Alfred http://bit.ly/choREa after organizing a talk in Washington in 2006. Still listening....

Two week project set out, esse...

Two week project set out, essential questions focus on the space of indigenous peoples in North American cultural heritage#globalciv

This eve, intergenerational bo...

This eve, intergenerational book group meeting on R. Carson's Silent Spring. 15 year old and the 96 year old facilitated the 30ish and 50ish

Amazing web writing intensive...

Amazing web writing intensive with Global Civ Fellow today in Mahara|37 signals mashup.....

@mayacrosby Take to ACTEM!!

@mayacrosby Take to ACTEM!!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Worked on place based project ...

Worked on place based project today for Global Civ focus: indigenous studies |pre-contact North America: with critical education tie

Global Civ design based resear...

Global Civ design based research project. ...Further lit review and first intervention happening together! Collaborative team is growing!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

My copy of the Routledge Inter...

My copy of the Routledge International Handbook of Critical Education is here, all I expected and more. Thanks to Dr. Apple, Au, and Gandin!

@ericaamerica @coolcatteacher ...

@ericaamerica @coolcatteacher EDT 400 is a course on teaching and learning with technology I teach at University of Maine in Orono.

A reminder that the wise learn...

A reminder that the wise learner in #EDT 400 will take notes on next weeks reading via Diigo or Evernote.....

@sharonbetts Project is sailin...

@sharonbetts Project is sailing http://globalciv.org much to connect on, my query was about ACTEM

@sharonbetts RE: ACTEM I have...

@sharonbetts RE: ACTEM I have not heard back from you since our conversation of ago!

Info on Sharon Betts amazing...

Info on Sharon Betts amazing tech integrator in Maine http://bit.ly/cwgsCa#EDT400

http://bit.ly/9i1Idn#EDT400

http://bit.ly/9i1Idn#EDT400

RT @FairTestOffice: Deb Meier'...

RT @FairTestOffice: Deb Meier's 25th Anniversary Challenge http://conta.cc/cWwfmJ via #constantcontact EDT400

http://bit.ly/cAT4rE a blog to...

http://bit.ly/cAT4rE a blog to read!#EDT400

Constructing a group wiki in E...

Constructing a group wiki in EDT 400 to deliberate on the usefulness of twitter and blogging for teaching and learning#EDT400

RT @debwhite: Top 10 Sites for...

RT @debwhite: Top 10 Sites for Bookmarking & Annotation: http://tinyurl.com/2wcjcls again a big thank you@debwhite from EDT400

RT @web20classroom: Connecting...

RT @web20classroom: Connecting Social Studies And Literature-Google Lit Trips: http://bit.ly/9EMATF thank you @debwhite!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Learning vs Dealing

I have had multiple conversations on a few points brought up in this post as of late.  In a recent interview ( for a eLearning pilot project I am a part of), the topic of young people learning to "cope" with  the many facets of the traditional school came up. "How will these students learn to cope in the real world". was a theme of one question and a position in this post.  I would argue that  "Dealing" with professors, colleagues, and peers outside of the "school" will entail freedoms that the traditional school does not allow.  In so many ways the school strips the power of young people away and then expects them to "deal" in there subaltern group.  Coping then becomes at best harmful to practicing things like deliberation (where young people to world leaders find themselves most empowered to learn, fail and imagine the better with peers) and democracy, and at worst psychologically damaging to the self determination of young people.  We must stop blaming young people for the archaic power structures and norms of the 20th century and look to new ways of engaging young people.  Learning is what we care about as educators, not controlling or shaping the young.  They deal with the people outside of school all there lives, and learn to navigate (even if sheltered). Why do we not look at our traditions, many irrelevant to young people (over-"parented" or not) and seek to construct spaces for learning that have learning at heart, not acculturation in the 20th century managerial structures they will not likely encounter in the information economy.

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Monday, September 13, 2010

On the lake where our pilot pr...

On the lake where our pilot program fellow grew up, digital ethnography with Qik and flip video, simply brilliant....

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Tools for field work: iPhone: ...

Tools for field work: iPhone: evernote, Qik, camera, and flip. Data will be uploaded to many sources. Then to ePortfolio, then shared.

Start digital ethnography proj...

Start digital ethnography project today with pilot program! Will tweet from the field as I can. FW:Place based observation and field notes

Will blog again soon

Thanks to all who are checking! 

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Monday, September 6, 2010

Light reading for your morning...

Light reading for your morning evening or afternoon http://bit.ly/axceDN

Also reveling at the research ...

Also reveling at the research tool that I have here. Amazing resources on PBL still being used from @courosa!

A fine weekend to a close, qua...

A fine weekend to a close, quantitative methods, an overnight in national park, reading insights from some amazing pre-service teachers!

A fine weekend to a close, qua...

A fine weekend to a close, quantitative methods, an overnight in national park, reading insights from some amazing pre-service teachers!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Mahara: an excellent wiki tutorial....


Gave an introduction to Mahara today....hands on but quick and with more to come. This afternoon I read through an excellent Mahara Tutorial and look forward to integrating it into the courses I am teaching for further Mahara tutorials down the line.  Mahara is so intuitive and I am happy to see people using it and developing PD opportunities for user groups, thank you.  I also give thanks to an excellent Mahara community member for the information!

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RT @gsiemens: An open educatio...

RT @gsiemens: An open education primer: http://bit.ly/cJD7Lu (thx @duncankinney)

RT @gsiemens: An open educatio...

RT @gsiemens: An open education primer: http://bit.ly/cJD7Lu (thx @duncankinney)

Monday, August 30, 2010

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Steve Wheeler on PL Everything Part 1

I am reading Steve Wheeler lately and have learned much from his insights on PLE's, PLN's, PWT's and now CLE's, for those who know me, that is not Collaborative Learning Environments....but to Steve "Cloud Learning Environments"

Steve's Conceptual Diagram's of Interest







Defining the Environment is essential in Steve's ideas and I appreciate the simplicity and framework he uses. Now of interest is how we make explicit the need to weave social, environmental and economic justice into the essential character of learning.

From "Learning with e's"
Anatomy of A PLE Post


Physiology of a PLE Post



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Monday, August 23, 2010

@debwhite I will be in Orono t...

@debwhite I will be in Orono tomorrow-all day and into eve, meetings with Ed and Gail in the afternoon, and TA- what is your schedule like?

@timbuckteeth This is an excel...

@timbuckteeth This is an excellent resource! Thank you Steve! Any case studies on learning collectives running -k-12 that showcase?

From PLN to PLEcology

Thoughts on teaching PLN's this fall. To what end does the PLN come and are we missing a vital piece for the 21st century?  Do we encourage the pre-service teacher|teacher|student|individual to merely to build a community of net-based realities in hopes that they find outlets for there passion to help better their society, economy, and environment?  Perhaps we encourage personal learning environments (indeed I have read the disagreements on PLN v PLE) that add a reality of tools and tech systems to there deliberation on learning.

I like this diagram on the PLN|PLE confluence:



The conversation I want to have with the world about learning asks the fundamental question, “what can we do to prepare young people for the social, economic, and environmental problems they collectively face now and will face in exponential order in the future?” My answer builds on the work of 19th and 20th century educational progressives while embracing 21 century web 2.0 and 3.0 technologies, emerging theory and praxis on learning modalities, pioneering work in business and economics, and systems thinking that takes the the individual into the heart of experiential place based and international learning; a new set of learning spaces that allows the individual learner to gain the essential skills needed to fundamentally shift humanities course through rigorous pure and applied learning experiences:  a personal learning ecology.


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How can new eLearning ecologi...

How can new eLearning ecologies k-20 accomplish this? RT @timbuckteeth: Intuitive and intelligent informal learning? http://bit.ly/9RBEdi

@KateElmes what ever happened...

@KateElmes what ever happened to your support in NetGen developer KE, I also seek updates on the Congo! Are you traveling this year?

@KateElmes Kate Elmes of Le...

@KateElmes Kate Elmes of Lesley in Cambridge, the one who I respect without question, and mentally slaved for administering an IS !

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Where are the Mahara apps? hav...

Where are the Mahara apps? have portfolio up.... Need native app for mLearning

Workng on mLearning integratio...

Workng on mLearning integration with Global Civ. Interested in further use of Evernote and Qik in particular

Mahara instances this year: ht...

Mahara instances this year: http://bit.ly/9AcbFI and http://bit.ly/dy0OJc

Kristina, a clarification.......

Kristina, a clarification....I am *going into my fourth year* with Mahara, having integrated it in early 2007!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

RT @timbuckteeth: RT @kylepace...

RT @timbuckteeth: RT @kylepace: Making Videos On The Web: A Guide For Teachers http://bit.ly/byQGGS by @rmbyrne

@debwhite Deb, I need to touch...

@debwhite Deb, I need to touch base with you re ECE tech integration.....let me know times that might work!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Just added my twitter must fol...

Just added my twitter must follows for EDT 400 PLN final Project: From Siemens and Wheeler, to Betts and White......

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

PLC|PLN|PWT

Personal learning communities, networks, and personal web technologies, a nexus for learning in the 21st century.  Steve Wheeler is smart, effective and interesting.




"Smart Technologies will take the classroom into the world"-Wheeler

I hope that smart technologies contribute to the  elimination of the classroom, as the world needs dynamic, brave, young people today who can take control to teach and learn in an ongoing conversation with the world. How adults mentor these young people in these new learning ecologies is of much interest to me right now.

Still working with Mahara! 4 ...

Still working with Mahara! 4 years and counting....Now integrating into post secondary. Excited for 1.3

Found the course http://bit.ly...

Found the course http://bit.ly/2X5YCk

Working on Global Civ and EDT ...

Working on Global Civ and EDT 400 concurrently....need to find the course that George Siemens tweeted on awhile back TK? looked excellent

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Using Backpack in current proj...

Using Backpack in current project: I do like it....

Saturday, July 10, 2010

FOSSed Presentation

Thanks to all at FOSSed 2010!


I believe in the Open Source Movement.

Presentation I gave at this weeks FOSSed Conference in Bethel Maine on Creating Collaborative eLearning Environments using open source tools.

[issuu viewmode=presentation layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml showflipbtn=true documentid=100710142309-aefb0a25d59f4852bf436d1d997fd476 docname=nextcle_s_fossed_2010 username=steelemaley loadinginfotext=CLE%20Presentation%20FOSSed%202010 showhtmllink=true tag=fossed width=600 height=450 unit=px]

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Friday, July 9, 2010

Mahara

FOSSed 2010: A  Link is HERE to the Institute for Global Civic Culture eLearning Nexus that is powered with Mahara.

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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

At FOSSed 2010



I will be presenting on Creating Collaborative eLearning Environments with Mahara, Sakai, Atlassian's Confluence and TeamBox.


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Monday, July 5, 2010

Oh Sakai, an Elluminate bridg...

Oh Sakai, an Elluminate bridge indeed, but where is Sakai 3!

prepping for presentation on F...

prepping for presentation on Friday....Sharon lets talk at some point!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Team Box

Working with Teambox today! 


Powerful open source project management!  eLearning possibilities are vast as a replacement for Basecamp.  The social feel to Teambox is welcome and has multiple uses for project based eLearning and Collaborative eLearning Environments (CLE's).  I will be showing Teambox at FOSSed 2010 during my presentation on CLE's.


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Friday, June 18, 2010

June!

Working on CLE presentation 1 and Mahara Tutorials for UMaine!  Looking forward to Monday@Summer Tech 2010....

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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Excellent meta service learnin...

Excellent meta service learning at mlti 1000+ young people free-ricing for WFP@http://bit.ly/dbHse6

Seeing so many middle level st...

Seeing so many middle level students engaged in eLearning reminds me of the import in scaffolding the same 9-12

A the MLTI Student tech confer...

A the MLTI Student tech conference: students presented on our Internet radio@http://bit.ly/cR9kPM

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Thoughts

Alright, I am not a cartoon type. Yet just such an image developed yesterday as I explored the ecology of our field with my children.

The scene opens with a brick school house....

As the audience marvels at the antiquity of it all, the roof blows off and all four walls collapse to the outside.

Left are high school students neatly sitting in a row and a "teacher" pointing and in mid-sentence is at the front of the classroom.

The students look side to side at each other and get out of their desks. They proceed to take out their mobile devices to check social networks....the teacher barks, "put the devices away, I see you!" The young people turn to the teacher, and call him by first name. They alert him that they would like to convene class themselves for awhile to make some project management decisions; they will need an hour and a half....or two hours....they figure.

As the teacher runs away he is heard murmuring, "the class only goes for 60 minutes...." the young people then hear screaming and he is gone.

The young people meet for a couple of hours, deliberate intensely, and determine a course of learning for themselves. They then dismantle the desks (on principle) and move out in project pods to meet again via elluminate at the agreed upon time.

The rest of the story is full of individualized spaces for learning: mentors who see and hear young people, MIT open courseware, fieldwork, research....

Happen to be co-designing the ...

Happen to be co-designing the most inspiring set of learning spaces....ideation that has moved me....

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Digital PBL! Basecamp/Mahara h...

Digital PBL! Basecamp/Mahara hybrid redefines integrative eLearning-challenging, messy, enduring and critical learning.

Whew, what a couple of weeks,...

Whew, what a couple of weeks, twitter desert for sure. So many inspiring things happening however.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Interested in the release of E...

Interested in the release of Eaarth info@http://bit.ly/aeStnR I hope we hear these voices:http://bit.ly/cHcJMq

@KateElmes You Rock Kate, look...

@KateElmes You Rock Kate, look into NGO opportunities this weekend!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

My new projects bring even mor...

My new projects bring even more elation! New learning spaces, university, creativity.

I have announced that I am not...

I have announced that I am not seeking another contract! Thoughts on leaving the "institution": elation.

Friday, April 9, 2010

There are epic divisions in th...

There are epic divisions in the world. Our schools are not helping. Control vs collaboration will serve only those who can easily obey.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

The Focus of Learning

Not one thing about teaching and learning in the 21st century should be without a direct application to the lives of those involved.  Ecological, and social overshoot are issues not for the post-doc at University alone; rather, they are issues for the 10, 14, 18, 22, and 32 year old global citizens who can build a global civic culture.  Our learning spaces need to become systems of dynamic change to support young people as they map our collective and interdependent future.

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Thursday, April 1, 2010

Basecamp/Mahara projects launc...

Basecamp/Mahara projects launched! Focused, collaborative....ah, time for a rest in the sun.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

In PBL land: about to launch i...

In PBL land: about to launch integrative investigations using Basecamp. Server is set for Internet radio!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Youth Activism/Climate Change

Just saw the most inspiring presentation on youth activism and climate change/sustainability/transition!  500+ young people rapt.


Thursday, March 25, 2010

How are we hearing young people?

How do you hear young people? 

This morning my boys were in beautiful chaos, you all know it, chaos.  My response to this state of affairs was serendipitous. 

I smiled.  I deeply smiled about their chaos; and it was stunning.  Not stunning because I shun chaos, quite the opposite.  Stunning because I noticed and was so exhilarated.

Then, I started to think about my interactions with young people day in day out, project to project and their chaos.  I need to appreciate it more.  I certainly honor young people in spaces where the messiness of learning is very obvious. But I will now be listening to their chaos for what it is, youth energy, laughter, and yes soul. 

Let's work tirelessly to create learning spaces where we can hear young people. When we hear young people we learn so much. 

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Imagining New North American Spaces

Have a project in mind that may help young people of North America critically look at our collective histories: indigene and settler (European, Metis, African, Asian, Latin....).  What is our place? What do you consider your place?  Is it sustainable, is it resilient, is it open to change, is it wild?

Will be building out my wiki f...

Will be building out my wiki for the spring@http://bit.ly/bx85zw, as projects take flight I will tend with more rigor.

@hartastic My comments will be...

@hartastic My comments will be heard!

Students using google calendar...

Students using google calendars for project management. Leaning toward basecamp http://bit.ly/9piKPi for next year

Huge motion in current integra...

Huge motion in current integrative projects! I can see them taking control! Scaffold again and again, add culture....

Monday, March 22, 2010

Portland Maine teaching and le...

Portland Maine teaching and learning for an interdependent world! http://bit.ly/cvfqO0

Sunday, March 21, 2010

New project with a course sail...

New project with a course sailing! I have been guiding only/truly integrative, now, on to democracy....

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Discussions! RT @BIEPBL: #pbl ...

Discussions! RT @BIEPBL: #pbl Read BIE National Faculty member Suzy Boss's thoughts about 21st century project design http://bit.ly/d0O1IG

Sharon,Josh,Alex?RT @gsiemens:...

Sharon,Josh,Alex?RT @gsiemens: RT @RichWhite: Educational institutions: Get your discounted iPad 10-pack http://bit.ly/bsuira

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Place in New eLEarning Environments

Just finished reading Siemens, blog post Changing the System at a National Level and am struck by the excellent writing and insight.  Especially rich is his discourse on blending technology, with learning spaces. I consider the place based component of learning, that which is on the ground and f2f that augments and is augmented by technology rich collaborative learning environments as vital in this deliberation also. These places are where the work of mobile learning field science labs are, where young people hike the wildlands and engage with environmental leaders to develop strategies for the sociology of wildlands conservation and restoration, students applying there integrated learning to help shape their future.  I want to see rich networks of students in India working on UNESCO projects or eco-villages connecting via elluminate with Midcoast Maine networks of students doing the same, the interconnectedness of global civic culture.

However, the social and moral spaces of learning are not happening at the traditional school. "Education" has not time for the heart, the culture, the visioning of new systems, the hard work of constructing democracy through deliberation and action. So we do need to be careful to craft arguments about reform not in terms of what new tool we can use to trick students into being "educated" but the spaces we must co-create for them to learn in.  Young people are nervous and bored with traditional spaces of education.

Time to create/co-create new spaces for learning; time to act.

To the book: J. Beane's Curric...

To the book: J. Beane's Curriculum Integration (again, and again), Godin's: Lynchpin....

Started co-planning process fo...

Started co-planning process for student World Studies Internet Radio using Diigo first hours here http://bit.ly/9KYnm7

Theme, Concept, Activity: some...

Theme, Concept, Activity: some trouble today in our PBL land, but the students I teach and learn with are brilliant!

@oldaily Thank you for your p...

@oldaily Thank you for your posts today, they are relevant to me and I have made connection and learned

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

OLPC/Neo-Colonization@http://b...

OLPC/Neo-Colonization@http://bit.ly/a6Rozy WS students just read and critiqued AU core docs, will add this element

Monday, March 15, 2010

Just blown away by Graham Attw...

Just blown away by Graham Attwell, thank you Nick!

Education without School/Ivan Illich

Suggested by Graham Attwell

A Special Supplement: Education Without School: How it Can be Done

By Ivan Illich

This apt and candid article by Illich on networks, certification and the disestablishment of schools is thought provoking, a challenge, so good.

From the Article:

"The alternative to social control through the schools is the voluntary participation in society through networks which provide access to all its resources for learning. In fact these networks now exist, but they are rarely used for educational purposes. The crisis of schooling, if it is to have any positive consequence, will inevitably lead to their incorporation into the educational process."



"I would like to have an A"

A sentiment that caused me pause today as I entered a number into a machine for a young person who has lived through trauma, alcoholism, and a culture that deems formal education for the other.  "I would like to have an A" is what the trimester reflection said; not I deserve that which I did not earn, nor anything else but their reflection on difficulty in learning in a system that I have bent so far....  I believe this young person, I believe him. 

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Reflecting on Helen Barrett sp...

Reflecting on Helen Barrett speaking on "Flow"

launched 2010 Tweetfolio addit...

launched 2010 Tweetfolio addition to integrative programs 2010 see tweets@GACtweetfolio....should ramp this week

Just threshed through Siemens/...

Just threshed through Siemens/Downes eLearning space for connectivism @ http://bit.ly/9pTRSk I will check out CK10

Thursday, March 11, 2010

ePortfolio's: Assessment for Learning

My thoughts are on adding to my ePortfolio presentation for this summers small conference series.  What keeps coming to mind in 9-12 learning environments is the leap ePortfolio's are for most schools.  ePortfolio assessment takes the learning community away from the school as factory mentality, the bell, the one right answer, the turn-it-in-grade it-its over addiction that so many schools have (and many LMS along with them).  Learning with ePortfolio's isn't the 9-5 teaching job or the 60 minute class period.  Learning with ePortfolios is a lifestyle and culture; it can be interwoven into every aspect of life.

ePortfolio's provide us with the opportunity to record learning as it is being constructed.  That learning might be hard to define in its messy, or rather human forms.  The heart of ePortfolio assessment is a definition of learning by the individual learner.  The definitions weave inquiry, failure and reflection for growth.  That growth is measurable through the highly individualized, personal, and vivid learning nexus that ePortfolio's enable.

Steven Hepple has the amazing reflection in Learn to Change Change to Learn that "children today are living in a new space....nearly now.... its a really interesting space because its not adversarial its not pressured, its a place where people; its all the R words, they can reflect and retract and research and repeat, its a very gentle world, i'll tell you, its a great world for learning."

The learning communities I am a part of are living Hepple's insight with ePortfolio's. The learning is palpable, enduring understanding is common, learning is everyone's culture in the community. Young people construct expectations for themselves and seek the help they need to meet them, from teacher, peer, parent and community to create meaningful projects. The process is not without flaw's for sure, "is that an A", procrastination, and the exhaustion that go along with the shopping mall high all play into the difficulty with integrating ePortfolio's into the traditional school. The work is more difficult for students, connected, challenging, peer driven at times.

I love being a part of this process.  I see the possibilities of lasting structural change with ePortfolio driven eLearning.  I am inspired!



Wednesday, March 10, 2010

National Tech Ed Plan: trend t...

National Tech Ed Plan: trend towards digital PLP's--read ePortfolio--yet seems as expected light.

Retool administrator education...

Retool administrator education programs to provide training in technology decision making and organizational change.

Empower students’ participat...

Empower students’ participation in the planning process.!!!! http://bit.ly/96os2T

http://bit.ly/bZRt1s We do nee...

http://bit.ly/bZRt1s We do need to listen to our students and learn, everyday

National Ed tech Plan. Test, T...

National Ed tech Plan. Test, Test Test, online, instant, test....collaboration?learning?interconnectedness?I read on.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

@oldaily Moodle fits SAMR@ S a...

@oldaily Moodle fits SAMR@ S and A http://bit.ly/aRkjRk issues are in user control/huge leap with Sakai however 6-20!

Students are getting more and ...

Students are getting more and more hooked on integrating Mindnode and Freemind into ePortfolio writing, I like it.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Excellent Resource: teaching,t...

Excellent Resource: teaching,twitter, research:http://bit.ly/buFnKC

Look forward to stretching Con...

Look forward to stretching Confluence more. PLN wiki?

Working on tweetfolio project ...

Working on tweetfolio project this eve. I will attempt to organize preflection threshing through student r&d via twitter

Introduced reflection/preflect...

Introduced reflection/preflection work today for World History http://bit.ly/bJmJFv gearing up for service learning!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

So good to have just caught @g...

So good to have just caught @gsiemens #TEDxNYED an inspiration! Hinting at Curriculum Integration ala Beane

Thursday, March 4, 2010

From UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

Today any well-informed high school student could make a long list of ways in which humankind is causing its own demise. Gaining awareness of the extent of sustainability problems is only half the project of becoming educated these days. The second half is about appropriate skills to foster the regeneration of natural capital of soils, forests, watersheds and wild areas. It is about learning the social skills to restore broken communities and to create new communities that are working models of viability. It is about integrated design skills, which promote sustainable urban planning within the carrying capacity of our planet's resources. It is about relearning the practices of good farming; and learning the science of powering civilization on efficient and renewable energies, while creating long-term economic, political, and moral arrangements that secure the wellbeing of present and future generations.

More: Here

Just sent an email that made m...

Just sent an email that made my heart leap!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A day of battling the Lizard B...

A day of battling the Lizard Brain: Thank you Seth Godin http://bit.ly/cHmXDT and visioning the future!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Finding student passion

Planning with young people is messy. Planning with young people who are pre-programed to the bell, can be heart wrenching--we reach a peak, the smiles of learning are apparent, ah ha moments like lightning bolts all around, we as adults find ourselves laughing--yes--laughing--at "school" and they slip away after busily packing  into the river of a hallway. But they do not leave the project they planned/co-planned, they do not leave there hard won essential questions, they do not fail to argue the merits of that one .com via the wall in Mahara, that one "so good for the point they are making" when they know we do not use them in our projects--yes the validate the source, usually down to the Professor behind the site and I give in. They leave each other Diigo notes, they revamp their profile page with a new and even more socially relevant youtube video, they post to forums at 3am--about anti-genocide, and international woman's rights.nbsp. They reflect again and again on their work, they take our courses conception of "failure" when it happens and turn it into learning, I cannot get over their candid writing, there growth, their insight and their hope.br /br /I work with these young people for one "class" at a time....I see so much more for the future, this type of learning is too powerful for four walls.

Monday, March 1, 2010

! Students using Diigo notes t...

! Students using Diigo notes to collaborate and converse on Mahara Views!

Assessment is a learners funda...

Assessment is a learners fundamental human right. So often the system takes the full potential away in favor of a #

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010

to all, I have sent no dm out....

to all, I have sent no dm out. Please do not respond to anything you have received discussing dubious material.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

@ifilm4life81321 Wouldn't it b...

@ifilm4life81321 Wouldn't it be nice if that bio class was part of the business conversation.

@ifilm4life81321 Wouldn't it b...

@ifilm4life81321 Wouldn't it be nice if that bio class was part of the business conversation.

360 degree assessment: the importance of having a public presence

Peer, self, teacher/guide, and the PUBLIC make up what I would consider a 360 degree assessment profile (pending clear: rubrics, task management, problem/project based learning, and social relevance).  This type of assessment is difficult to attain in the traditional school let alone the school shaped around authentic learning environments.  Regardless of ease, 360 assessment is essential  and can be a powerful contradiction to the one size fits all sit and sleep system we so often call "learning".

The hinge in the 360 degree assessment is public involvement.  For instance, I often tell the young people I teach and learn with that when we write the academic essay the structure and relevance of the work must be constructed in a way that anyone on the web who happened upon it, would gain an easy understanding of the works scene, thesis, evidence based defense, and the writers interpretive stance (why the topic is socially relevant/how the topic is applied to their lives).  This can be achieved through video production,wiki/or hyperlinked piece of writing, art...., on the web and have impact on the public.  Yet the public presentation, lets say with a pre-planned exhibition of mastery is so powerful!

The healthy tension, along with personalized care the public bring, along with the socially relevant necessity of a students work in the 21st century (the public knows there are major issues :war and conflict, poverty, loss of biodiversity, global warming and know that students are learning/or not learning, how to solve these exponential issues), makes the public being involved in learning vital. The nice part: exhibitions can be organized through video conferencing to the public or a myriad of on site gatherings

As we vision learning centers, where young people come together for project meetings, face to face  deliberation, or service work, we should understand the value of public exhibitions!  Libraries, learning centers, downtown streets, business's, universities, IDP camps....are all amazing opportunities for young people to practice acting out their learning in the public (local or place based/international) space.  Likewise we must create networked spaces that test the boundaries of the internet and its use: unique use of video conferencing....

We are all the interdependent actors we posit as important to understand for constructing  a better world.  Get your work out of the classroom, help connect the young people you teach and learn with to the world-- the depression era great grandmother, or United Nations diplomat.  Our collective and global civic culture will surge ahead, and the leaders we hope for may get the practice needed to creatively solve a few life threatening global problems.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Students "Saw" Samantha Power ...

Students "Saw" Samantha Power for the first time today http://bit.ly/arvXsM from Schroeder to Sergio--the seminar flew!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A good deliberation on values,...

A good deliberation on values, sovereignty, and the role of global citizens today-some deep thought...Weighing Genocide

Monday, February 22, 2010

New Maine learning communities...

New Maine learning communities and TED! :http://bit.ly/apomUV Anyone up for organizing?

revisit http://bit.ly/aPYGpn d...

revisit http://bit.ly/aPYGpn discourse on literacy/creativity nexus

Students deliberating on globa...

Students deliberating on globalization and Rwanda today:http://bit.ly/b11i1D Samantha Power!

Have I mentioned that I want S...

Have I mentioned that I want Sakai 3! http://bit.ly/9KuxxQ

First of the season exhibition...

First of the season exhibitions went so well.... history of Islam powered by a Mahara,wikispaces,diigo,youtube combo net gen powered

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

1 to 1 computing: a chisel for your bricks and mortar....

We are facing a time of amazing decision making potential in Maine. Adopt 1 to 1 laptop computing statewide and the transformation that is needed to make the initiatives work, or retreat in the face of another status quo grab and hold.

" its the death of education, but the dawn of learning and that makes me very happy" - Steven Hepple

Data to support Dr. Hepple and 1 to 1 learning environments are within a JTLA article (Weston & Bain 2010).

Now is the time for powerful leadership from teachers, students, community members, and visionary administrators.  Maine has a gift in visionary programing like MLTI that can make learning communities that matter in the 21st century.

Reference:

Bain, A, & Weston, M. (2010). The End of techno-critique: the naked truth about 1:1 laptop initiatives and educational change. The Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment , 9(6),

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Social Justice and Learning

The worlds people are in need, and so many are acting as global citizens to help.  Innovation and world systems may need to change to address a post-earthquake Caribbean, and indeed need to change to curb the ecological overshoot we face collectively as a world.

The students I teach and learn with yearn to help others and are doing so in democratic learning environments using salient eLearning tools like Mahara and Diigo

This is human nature.

Are your learning spaces  co-created and enabling learners to connect with the world through tying curricula to their values as global citizens?

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Learning and Lemonade

I sent this post to the ACTEM listserve this morning and feel like the time is now for a bit more blogging....no promises as school is on, but I will try to lay down some more thoughts on a regular basis.

Not to barge in on the multitude of important issues being discussed, but a recent blog post from Seth Godin caught my eye and applies to what many of us are doing as 21st century learners and educators.

Seth's post deals with innovation.  In a simple scene he sets two lemonade stands against each other, one traditional and one new in many ways.

In the traditional setting things are predictable, easy to measure and accepted.  In the new setting the issues dealt with in the traditional setting are absent and replaced by an enduring understanding of the process by the young woman selling lemonade and the consumer.

Education is like a lemonade stand. We can move or systems to highly mobile, agile, and authentic experiences, that inherently will look different, assess different, and inspire differently.  Or we can make our traditional systems "better" with new technology, labs,enhancements of traditional power structures, and "better" traditional curricula (AP and other standardization).

Maine has an amazing chance to break the mold of educational systems and look to new and visionary learning systems. Are we?