BLC09 - A Reader's Digest for Those Unable to Attend (In Person, At Least)

Editor’s Note: This post is written by high school teacher Dana Lawit who serves as a contributor to this blog. For this post I asked Dana to look through my Tweets to learn, gather, and share what she and others could learn remotely from what I tweeted. Dana does a great job in this post of not only providing an overview of my experience through a Twitter lens, but she also demonstrates how Twitter can be used to enhance learning.

The Innovative Educator just returned from the Building Learning Communities conference on Innovation in 21st Century Schools in Boston. While she was tweeting, blogging, and broadcasting in real time throughout the event, I wanted to compile some of my favorite quotes and takeaways as a non-participant. Think of this post as a cliff notes, or cheat sheet -- a reader's digest inspired by InnovativeEdu's tweets from the event.

InnovativeEdu: Education was ranked the lowest (below coal mining even!) for use of technology. Learning to Change-Changing to Learn. BLC09 12:14 PM Jul 27th from web

Clearly, if schooling is to continue to prepare young people to engage as productive members of their community, schools need to do a much better job and infusing technology and digital literacy into their curricula.

InnovativeEdu: Reading Student as Contributor: The Digital Learning Farm http://tinyurl.com/digitalfarm at BLC09. MOET12:16 PM Jul 27th from web

Conference organizer Alan November provides a historical context for charging students with responsibility and creation, and offers suggestions as to what the looks like in a 21st century classroom.

InnovativeEdu: Watching the Learning to Change - Changing to Learn video http://bit.ly/1oRKfr at BLC09 MOET12:30 PM Jul 27th from web

Inspiring video produced by the Consortium for School Networking that frames the need for 21st century classrooms.

InnovativeEdu: Nice post for BLC09 folks and others who are ready to transition from lurking to contributing. Inspiration @ http://blogush.edublogs.org//9:21 AM Jul 28th from web

How do we as educators make the transition from reading, researching receiving to collaborating, creating, and contributing? It's a transition I recently made. This post captures many of the reservations one might have as she transitions from lurking to contributing, but ultimately calls upon all of us to comment and exchange ideas more.

InnovativeEdu: Alan November is @ BLC09 saying we shouldn't have tech action plans just like we shouldn't have pencil and paper action plans.12:24 PM Jul 28th from web

Technology in a classroom isn't innovation. Just as an arrangement of desks and chairs doesn't necessarily yield a classroom. Instead, the deliberate arrangement of chairs combined with human capital transforms spaces to experiences. The thoughtful application of technology combined with learning experiences yields innovation.

InnovativeEdu: Alan November says Ning is "THE" tool for building learning communities at BLC09. At the NYC DOE we were told ARIS Connect was. MOET2:01 PM Jul 28th from web

As I posted earlier, Ning is a powerful tool for teachers and students. Its applications are endless -- connecting students within a classroom, teachers within a school, educators across the globe.

InnovativeEdu: @ BLC09 Alan November says we should replace the word technology with information or instruction @PLCJP really loved this concept.

I too love this concept for two reasons: 1) it debunks technology as a fancy word denoting slick, humming machines and 2) folds that word into the work of teaching and learning as another tool.

InnovativeEdu: mathtrain.tv is a site that was set up to share student created tutorials shared at blc09. I think marc prensky would love this.10:30 AM Jul 29th from web

Mathtrain is great example of creating an authentic audience for student products. On this site, students produce videos that not only demonstrate their own understanding of a topic, but can be used as a resource for other students.

InnovativeEdu: Connecting to students online allows educators to build and develop relationships that would not otherwise be possible.2:14 PM Jul 29th from web

I couldn't agree with this more. From my recent experience using a Ning Network with an English class in summer school, I found students reaching out (by sending me Ning messages) that had never engaged in a classroom before. For many, social networks carry with them a different set of social expectations. This is a powerful change of pace for many students and teachers alike bored and unsatisfied by the traditional conventions of schools.

InnovativeEdu: New York City School Leaders just created a learning network for transforming ed @ blc09. Come join us at http://ted21c.ning.com. Ted21c

Join the conversation, join the Transforming Education in the 21st Century Ning and continue the conversation.

InnovativeEdu: Blc09 concept: When you learn something, don't keep it inside. Do something with it. Publish it! Blog it! Tweet it! Discussion Forum it!9:56 AM Jul 31st from txt

As usual, we challenge ourselves and each other to continue sharing and discussing our experiences and insight about innovation in education.

Leave a comment, start a blog, join a Ning network. One of the most powerful and innovative ideas brought about by the introduction and widespread use of Web 2.0 technology is a lesson I'm continually learning and sharing with my students: you are important, and what you have to say and thing matters.

Look forward to hearing every one's thoughts.