In an effort to bridge the digital divide and bring equity and access to children across New York City, a partnership has been forged between the city agencies including NYC Department of Education, the Mayor’s office, the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), with operational partners including Computers for Youth, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Teaching Matters, AUSSIE, City University of New York, MOUSE and Common Sense Media. Corporate sponsors include Microsoft and Intel.
These partners have come together to provide more than 18,000 students and their families with free computers and discounted broadband access as part of the NYC Connected Learning Initiative which is funded by a $22 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award from the US Department of Commerce. With an additional $5.9 million from the City and a range of generous partners, the program will provide comprehensive training, curriculum and classroom technology support to all participating schools, helping teachers and school leaders to facilitate on-line learning at home and in school.
With the goals of improving student achievement and boosting broadband adoption among low-income New Yorkers, NYC Connected Learning aims to fundamentally improve the educational experience of middle school students across the city by providing access to on-line educational resources at home and in school, offering digital literacy training, and in turn strengthening the connection between school and home-based learning.
What the research says.
Research supports the NYC Connected Learning program model. Educational studies have shown that the home learning environment and increased parental involvement improves student achievement. Additionally, a recent US Department of Education study has shown that on-line learning and blended instruction – a combination of in-classroom and on-line – teaching can be more effective than face-to-face instruction. A 2006-7 City study showed that low-income NYC residents lag far behind their middle- and higher-income counterparts in home broadband adoption rates, due to multiple factors, including affordability of service and/or computer equipment, lack of digital literacy skills, and the perception that broadband adoption is not valuable. NYC Connected Learning is a holistic solution that confronts all these obstacles to broadband adoption simultaneously, increasing digital inclusion in the communities that need it the most.
Here’s a little about each of the program partners:
• The National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the US Department of Commerce is the primary funder through a $22 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant
•The NYC DOE Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT) of the DOE and DoITT are leading program oversight and management.
•Computers for Youth (CFY) is the lead partner in extending learning to home. CFY is working closely with partner schools to offer all their sixth grade families free desktop computers pre-loaded with CFY-approved educational software; bilingual family learning workshops to enhance the confidence of parents as learning partners and to inform them about the deeply broadband discounts; and a help desk available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
•Teaching Matters and AUSSIE are leading the teacher training program for participating schools with CFY providing initial teacher training.
• MOUSE and City University of New York (CUNY) will provide resources and training to establish student-led tech support help desks, providing essential technical support and a powerful 21st century learning experience for students.
•Common Sense Media is providing curriculum, training and support around a digital citizenship curriculum to use the Internet and social networking tools safely and appropriately.
• Microsoft and Intel are corporate sponsors of the NYC Connected Learning program.
•Time Warner Cable and Cablevision are the exclusive broadband partners in the NYC Connected Learning program.
Here’s what some of the program partners are saying about this program.
“NYC Connected Learning puts the power of technology – the single best tool for thriving in an increasingly competitive world – in the hands of New Yorkers who need it most,” said DoITT Commissioner Carole Post. “Today’s announcement represents a milestone in the City’s comprehensive efforts to increase public access to broadband technologies through public computer centers, school programs, and expansion of WiFi in public places.”
“In today’s economy, if you don’t have access to a computer and high-speed Internet you are cut off from many educational and job opportunities,” said Anna M. Gomez, Deputy Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “By investing in this project, we are helping both students and their parents gain the skills and tools needed to fully participate in the digital economy.”
“This initiative establishes New York City as one of the few U.S. cities targeting students’ total learning environment,” said Elisabeth Stock, CEO and Co-Founder of Computers for Youth. “What is so clever about this program is that it supports the adults who are most vital to student success – parents and teachers – while at the same time bolstering students in their ability to be self-directed learners, a key component of college readiness.”
“For Time Warner Cable, providing at-risk students with free or discounted broadband service represents a fresh approach to bridging the digital divide and brings New York City’s disenfranchised young people an even playing field to prepare for their futures. From the beginning of this process, we have been passionate about being a partner with the NYC Department of Education and Computers for Youth and understand that having home access to the Internet along with the proper equipment and resources will have a long lasting and positive impact on thousands of young adults,” said Harriet Novet of Time Warner Cable’s East Region/NYC.
“Cablevision is pleased to support this important initiative with NYC Connected Learning by helping to make access to broadband more affordable for New York City students and their families,” said Trent Anderson, Cablevision's Vice President of Education. “To ensure that the computers received by these families deliver as much value as possible, Cablevision is proud to provide the same award-winning Optimum Online high-speed Internet service used by millions of residential and business customers across our service area to these families at a significantly discounted rate.”
Lynette Guastaferro, Executive Director of Teaching Matters, a nonprofit focused on innovation in the classroom, added that the NYC Connected Learning initiative is an ideal way to ensure student success in the digital age. “The project engages students more fully in their educational progress and joins teachers with parents as active partners in their children’s learning. We are proud to be contributing our professional development expertise to help schools provide 21st century learning environments for New York City students now and well into the future.”
“We are honored to work in partnership with NYC on the Connected Learning program,” says Dr. Victor Aluise, President of AUSSIE Digital School Solutions, an Editure Company. “AUSSIE consultants are working side-by-side school leaders and teachers to help students become true 21st century learners by best utilizing technology in school and at home. Having high speed access at home – linked to a home learning computer – enables students to ‘power up’ at home and continue their class work, as they become global creators of real-world digital projects.”
“For the last decade we have worked to support the information technology needs of city agencies by helping agencies find quality interns from among CUNY’s computing majors. Through these internships, CUNY students are afforded the chance to apply and further develop their IT skills and gain real-world experience upon which to build their professional careers while simultaneously serving New York City. CUNY is honored to be able to support the schools and families involved in the NYC Connected Learning Program,” said Ted Brown, Executive Director, CUNY Institute for Software Design and Development.
“MOUSE firmly believes in the use of technology to empower students with life and learning skills essential for success in their education and careers,” stated Carole Wacey, Executive Director, MOUSE. “We are thrilled to have our MOUSE Squad students play a valued technical support role in the innovative NYC Connected Learning Program, in which partners support educational opportunities for students and their families – in the classroom and at home.”
“Common Sense Media is excited to be a part of the NYC Connected Learning Initiative and to work with the New York City Department of Education to equip students to behave thoughtfully, respectfully, and safely in their digital lives,” said Linda Burch, the Chief Education and Strategy Officer of Common Sense Media. “Giving young people the access, knowledge and technical skills to harness the power of new media is paramount, but so is teaching them to think critically and behave responsibly in this fast-paced digital world. A quality digital literacy and citizenship education for all kids is an essential foundation of a 21st century workforce and society, and New York students and families will have a strong foundation because of NYC Connected Learning.”
“Microsoft is excited to partner with the New York City DOE and its schools to put technology in the hands of underprivileged students and their families, ensuring they have access to learning resources anytime and anywhere,” said Sig Behrens, General Manager, U.S. Education, Microsoft Corp. “We believe access to technology is a critical enabler that should be made available to all children and their families in order to obtain a top quality education. By partnering with the NYC DOE and providing the software, we hope to inspire lifelong learning and help prepare today’s students for the skills they will need tomorrow to be successful in college and their careers.”
“Access to technology is a critical element in getting students college and career-ready. We applaud the innovative effort by the NYC DOE and their partners to increase access and extend the learning experience from the classroom to the home,” said Dr. Eileen Lento, Manager of Intel’s Education Sector.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sweet Child, Teacher O’ Mine
Guest post by Jacob Gutnicki
As a parent, I often like to ask my child, “so what did you do in school today?” Depending on his mood, the answer will vary from the “nothing” answer to “science” or perhaps “I did music”. In short, it is an answer with not many details. At first, I wondered why he would not divulge the details of his day. In time, this mystery unveiled itself.
As expected, there have been many times he would share with me what occurred in school. Often it would involve an exciting trip, an educational video, a computer game, as well as other items. In each instance he would voluntarily provide details about the experience. I know that his favorite Sponge Bob episodes involve a roller coaster, a time machine, and karate. On a similar note, my son will elaborate without fail how to use various computer applications. For example, my son has explained to me what strategies he employs to succeed in Toon Town; a web based virtual town.
In time I noticed that my son consistently discusses in great detail his favorite television show, movie, toys, and computer games. For example, I can ask him deep probing questions, which demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of fantasy and non-fiction, scientific and historic facts, problem solving, as well as other academic disciplines. Being an inquisitive fellow, I began to compare and contrast his various responses to my questions, and a revelation hit me like a ton of bricks. The reason he often does not discuss school events can be summed up with one word. Boredom. After all, who wants to discuss math problems when that time can be spent designing video games or other child based interests.
As I thought of this revelation deeper, I realized that his passions and interests are an excellent springboard to further enhancing his thinking skills and creative spark. To be clear, I have always understood the importance of “passion based” education. However, despite this truism, every time I witness a spark that motivates my child, it gives me a far deeper understanding of how critical it is to always teach children through their interests.
A few years ago I witnessed first hand how my child’s vocabulary and comprehension of every day occurrences expanded vastly through watching Sponge Bob. Similarly, he is acquiring new language and content skills from a variety of media sources. For example, the other day he told me that he learned a new expression while watching Sid the Science Kid. He now uses the phrase, “Ask away.” More importantly, he is learning a wide variety of science skills through this program.
Nowadays my son discusses his day with me in much greater detail. He tells me what he likes and dislikes about school. Through observation, I have learned what truly motivates him and helps him learn. In effect, he has helped me develop a far deeper understanding of what matters to children. For this reason, I am more likely to ask him about the characters he interfaces with when playing Jump Start, how a movie should have ended, or if he would like to build a Lego Robot?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Don’t Respect Your Elders. Respect Each Other.
When I was a kid, the statement, “Respect your elders.” just pissed me off. I would say, “Respect the children!” or “Respect each other,” or “Respect is earned, not given!” I always felt respecting “elders” was DANGEROUS. I also felt that it could be used as an excuse for idiots who’ve grown old to be idiot elders. As a child this didn’t make me too popular among the elder men in my life. The women seemed to secretly get it but didn't want to piss off the men demanding my respect.
Well, I’m an “elder” now, and I’ve just come across something called, “Adultism,” which perfectly describes how I felt as a child who was yearning to be free, independent, and given equal respect despite my diminutive stature.
The Parenting for Social Change website describes adultism as a product of the system of oppression explaining the adult/child or parent/child relationship defines our existence and our world from birth, arguing that adultism allows for the perpetuation of all other forms of oppression (sexism, racism, heterosexism, etc…).
I read the article, saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” The article goes on to explain that Barry Checkoway, in his article “Adults as Allies” defines adultism as “…all of the behaviors and attitudes that flow from the assumption that adults are better than young people, and are entitled to act upon young people in many ways without their agreement.” He goes on to say,
And, again, I thought, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” In my experience, these elders, did not respect me and it pissed me off. I knew I was important. I knew I would develop correctly. I thought it was insane that they punished, hit, and took away privileges. When they did this, (yes, even as a kid)I explained that I felt sorry for their ignorance and felt we’d both gain much more by discussing our feelings. Of course, when you’re dealing with adultists (most adults I knew were), that just gets you more punishment, hitting, and loss of privileges. They called me a smart-mouthed, know-it-all. I said, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” “You are right! Listen to me! I have a smart mouth and I know stuff. I have important things to say!” Their adult status gave them the right to disregard my thoughts.
The adults in my life liked to show off my successes (which they inappropriately took ownership for) to their friends, but they wanted me to know, that I knew little. They knew all. And, oh yes, I was spoiled and selfish...even though I didn’t ask for the stuff they gave me and would have traded it in for a good conversation anytime.
I moved out of my parent's house the day I turned 18 and my life since then has been a relief. It was at that time I had the ability to escape from some of the adultism that I knew was wrong, wrong, wrong! I did have a few college experiences where, unfortunately, I had to call in the support of “real” adults to help me make a case because my adultist professors dismissed me.
The article advises this.
Wow! Great advice. When I talk to my friends like Penelope Trunk or read about people like Bill Zeller (read letter to the end where he addresses this), I realize how important it is for adults to talk about this farce and acknowledge how some children are mistreated. The cycle needs to be broken.
The article points out that by the time children reach their teen years, they have usually experienced a decade or more of domination and control by parents, teachers, and the social systems that reinforce this authoritarian paradigm. This happens because the nature of the relationship between a young child and parent (or adult) requires significant caretaking by the adult. This kinda sucks for the kid, because they need the parent to take care of them financially and in other ways. This often makes the adult to feel empowered in inappropriate ways i.e. telling/hitting/demanding rather than explaining.
This article challenges us to move beyond our assumptions that adults are better than or superior to children.
For the whole article read Parenting for Social Change. You may also be interested in reading what wikipedia says about adultism or the adultism blog which publishes a few posts each year.
Well, I’m an “elder” now, and I’ve just come across something called, “Adultism,” which perfectly describes how I felt as a child who was yearning to be free, independent, and given equal respect despite my diminutive stature.
The Parenting for Social Change website describes adultism as a product of the system of oppression explaining the adult/child or parent/child relationship defines our existence and our world from birth, arguing that adultism allows for the perpetuation of all other forms of oppression (sexism, racism, heterosexism, etc…).
I read the article, saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” The article goes on to explain that Barry Checkoway, in his article “Adults as Allies” defines adultism as “…all of the behaviors and attitudes that flow from the assumption that adults are better than young people, and are entitled to act upon young people in many ways without their agreement.” He goes on to say,
(e)xcept for prisoners and a few other institutionalized groups, young people’s lives are more controlled than those of any other group in society.
In addition, adults reserve the right to punish, threaten, hit, take away 'privileges,' and ostracize young people when they consider it beneficial in controlling them or "disciplining" them.
If this were a description of the way a group of adults were treated, society would quickly recognize it as a form of oppression. Adults, however, generally do not consider adultism to be oppressive, because this is the way they themselves were treated as youth; the process has been internalized.
The essence of adultism is that young people are not respected. Instead, they are less important and, in a sense, inferior to adults. They cannot be trusted to develop correctly, so they must be taught, disciplined, harnessed, punished, and guided into the adult world.
And, again, I thought, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” In my experience, these elders, did not respect me and it pissed me off. I knew I was important. I knew I would develop correctly. I thought it was insane that they punished, hit, and took away privileges. When they did this, (yes, even as a kid)I explained that I felt sorry for their ignorance and felt we’d both gain much more by discussing our feelings. Of course, when you’re dealing with adultists (most adults I knew were), that just gets you more punishment, hitting, and loss of privileges. They called me a smart-mouthed, know-it-all. I said, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” “You are right! Listen to me! I have a smart mouth and I know stuff. I have important things to say!” Their adult status gave them the right to disregard my thoughts.
The adults in my life liked to show off my successes (which they inappropriately took ownership for) to their friends, but they wanted me to know, that I knew little. They knew all. And, oh yes, I was spoiled and selfish...even though I didn’t ask for the stuff they gave me and would have traded it in for a good conversation anytime.
I moved out of my parent's house the day I turned 18 and my life since then has been a relief. It was at that time I had the ability to escape from some of the adultism that I knew was wrong, wrong, wrong! I did have a few college experiences where, unfortunately, I had to call in the support of “real” adults to help me make a case because my adultist professors dismissed me.
The article advises this.
The liberation of young people will require the active participation of adults. A good starting place is to consider and understand how we – today’s adults – were mistreated and devalued when we were children and youth, and how we consequently act in adultist ways now.
Wow! Great advice. When I talk to my friends like Penelope Trunk or read about people like Bill Zeller (read letter to the end where he addresses this), I realize how important it is for adults to talk about this farce and acknowledge how some children are mistreated. The cycle needs to be broken.
The article points out that by the time children reach their teen years, they have usually experienced a decade or more of domination and control by parents, teachers, and the social systems that reinforce this authoritarian paradigm. This happens because the nature of the relationship between a young child and parent (or adult) requires significant caretaking by the adult. This kinda sucks for the kid, because they need the parent to take care of them financially and in other ways. This often makes the adult to feel empowered in inappropriate ways i.e. telling/hitting/demanding rather than explaining.
This article challenges us to move beyond our assumptions that adults are better than or superior to children.
For the whole article read Parenting for Social Change. You may also be interested in reading what wikipedia says about adultism or the adultism blog which publishes a few posts each year.
The Innovative Educator’s 2011 Educon Picks!
Friday, January 28th marks the start of my favorite conference of the year. The brilliant, visionary, thought-leader, and ultimate player (Frisbee that is), Chris Lehmann and SLA’s Educon 2.3. I love this conference, because it’s all about the conversation. At Educon, the idea is that participants and presenters share ideas and get smarter. It provides a more intimate setting to give attendees the opportunity to talk, think, grow and connect in a setting much more intimate than larger conferences. The other nice thing is it takes place at the school with many of the students on hand. One of my favorite things to do is eavesdrop on their conversations that are so filled with excitement, pride and enthusiasm. The same can be said for the teacher conversations.
If you rare planning to attend and like my blog, you might find my recommendations for sessions and events helpful. Following each session I share exactly why I’m interested in each session selected.
Friday
12:00 – 3:00 - Spend the day at Science Leadership Academy. EduCon attendees have free admission to the Franklin Institute and other local Philadelphia institutions on Friday.
6:00 – 8:00 - Panel Discussion at the Franklin Institute: Why Does Innovation Matter?—Come to the Franklin Institute to see a group of societal visionaries speak about the role of innovation in our society in a panel discussion moderated by Frederic Bertley of The Franklin Institute
8:00 – 9:30 - Reception at the Franklin Institute
Saturday - 9:15 a.m. at SLA
Keynote: Leroy Nunery, Deputy Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia
Policy development is a lot like watching grass grow and the process can look different depending on the view from your perch. Let's dissect some recent education policies and brainstorm ideas to encourage educational activism (e.g., creating networks of people and organizations) at all levels to influence future policy.
Why I’m attending this session: I’ve been spending more time participating in the ed policy conversation in person, on my blog, and most recently at the Huffington Post. I appreciate any advice on updating outdated policies.
Online professional development facilitators often measure the success of a learning experience by analyzing time spent, clicks, posts and other assignments. How can we change online PD to be more community-based where content combined with context and conversations guide learning? To that end, what tools does a facilitator need in his/her toolbelt?
Why I’m attending this session: I’ve been talking and writing about online learning both on my blog and at EdReformer. Online learning is growing fast both in secondary and higher ed. Most of us agree with the need in moving from seat time to demonstration of personal mastery. This means that time, clicks, posts should have less relevance than they do. What are more effective measures of learning? This is the right conversation to be having.
Participants will learn to work with cell phones outside of school bans by developing several different cell phone based activities done outside of the classroom.
Why I’m attending this session: Because I’m leading it with George Engel, oh, and I’ve just written a book on the topic. I also write about this a ton on my blog with the “Cell phones in Education” tag and I have a facebook page called, “Let Students Use Cell Phones to Learn.”. I hope to see some of my readers at this session :-)
Saturday Evening
4:30 – 6:30 - Making Connections: "Philly Classic" Dinner at SLA
Room 208
This conversation will explore curriculum and cross disciplinary opportunities to explicitly teach visual literacy skills using concrete examples from the news and a Mythbusters approach to YouTube. Bring your laptop and be prepared to play and learn and talk.
Why I want to attend this session: I <3>Controlling your digital identity is as easy as 1-2-3.
Sunday - 10:30 a.m. in 204
Nicholas Carr argues that we live in The Shallows. Clay Shirky writes that the literary world is now losing its normative hold on culture. So, is literacy changing? As we incorporate connective technologies in our classrooms, are the skills associated with deep reading and critical thinking being lost? What does it mean to be literate in 2010 and beyond?
Why I want to attend this session: As I shared in my post The Kids Are All Right, I disagree with Nicholas Carr and his “Shallow” philosophy. I always learn a lot when I hear David Jakes speak so I look forward to his views.
Sunday - 12:30 p.m. in 301
Only in its first year, the NYC iSchools Area of Focus program, which requires juniors to select a two-year focus for their studies, is already increasing motivation and attracting college interest. Come learn about how the program works, share and discuss suggestions for improvements, and evaluate the program for use in your own school community.
Why I’m attending this session: I’ve the iSchool and its brilliant leaders since my first visit to the school when I discovered it provided an Immunization to an Uninteresting Curriculum. This new program sounds simply wonderful and I hope it is something that becomes an opportunity for other students. I look forward to learning, writing, and sharing more about their work.
Sunday - 2:30 p.m. in 207
We’ll explore the viability of open-inquiry classrooms, where students pursue skills of their choosing, supported by teachers with unrelated expertise. Where's the "sweet spot" for student inquiry, balanced between the learning habits of obsessive hobbyists, realities of the middle-school classroom, and the absentee approach of Minimally Invasive Education? (http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com) Is it worth looking for?
Why I’m attending this session: Autodidacts, free/dom/un schooling has been of tremendous interest to me since I was introduced to the philosophy just a short time ago. I’m interested in talking about it more with others face-to-face.
Those are my picks. If you’re a reader of my blog, or a social media friend, I do hope we’ll have a chance to connect during my stay. Advance warning, please remind me how we’re connected. While it’s wonderful to meet my brilliant social media friend’s minds before I see their faces, it makes it a tad hard for me to solidly connect who’s who. Apologies in advance.
If you rare planning to attend and like my blog, you might find my recommendations for sessions and events helpful. Following each session I share exactly why I’m interested in each session selected.
Friday
12:00 – 3:00 - Spend the day at Science Leadership Academy. EduCon attendees have free admission to the Franklin Institute and other local Philadelphia institutions on Friday.
6:00 – 8:00 - Panel Discussion at the Franklin Institute: Why Does Innovation Matter?—Come to the Franklin Institute to see a group of societal visionaries speak about the role of innovation in our society in a panel discussion moderated by Frederic Bertley of The Franklin Institute
8:00 – 9:30 - Reception at the Franklin Institute
Saturday - 9:15 a.m. at SLA
Keynote: Leroy Nunery, Deputy Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. in Drama Studio
"I'm From the Education Department and Am Here to Help" and other bedtime stories: A conversation about how to make and influence policy with some who do.
Who: Jonathan Becker, Julia Fallon, Cathy Higgins, Doug LevinPolicy development is a lot like watching grass grow and the process can look different depending on the view from your perch. Let's dissect some recent education policies and brainstorm ideas to encourage educational activism (e.g., creating networks of people and organizations) at all levels to influence future policy.
Why I’m attending this session: I’ve been spending more time participating in the ed policy conversation in person, on my blog, and most recently at the Huffington Post. I appreciate any advice on updating outdated policies.
Saturday - 12:30 p.m. in 308
Online Professional Development...moving away from post three times and submit
Who: Michael Wacker, Chris CraftOnline professional development facilitators often measure the success of a learning experience by analyzing time spent, clicks, posts and other assignments. How can we change online PD to be more community-based where content combined with context and conversations guide learning? To that end, what tools does a facilitator need in his/her toolbelt?
Why I’m attending this session: I’ve been talking and writing about online learning both on my blog and at EdReformer. Online learning is growing fast both in secondary and higher ed. Most of us agree with the need in moving from seat time to demonstration of personal mastery. This means that time, clicks, posts should have less relevance than they do. What are more effective measures of learning? This is the right conversation to be having.
Saturday - 2:30 p.m. in 313
The Great Prohibition: Using Cell Phones Outside the Ban
Who: Lisa Nielsen (That’s Me!), George EngelParticipants will learn to work with cell phones outside of school bans by developing several different cell phone based activities done outside of the classroom.
Why I’m attending this session: Because I’m leading it with George Engel, oh, and I’ve just written a book on the topic. I also write about this a ton on my blog with the “Cell phones in Education” tag and I have a facebook page called, “Let Students Use Cell Phones to Learn.”. I hope to see some of my readers at this session :-)
Saturday Evening
4:30 – 6:30 - Making Connections: "Philly Classic" Dinner at SLA
- I may skip the Philly classic. Dinner with some attendees might be nice.
- This is an absolute and where last year I had a chance to have great conversations with Chris Lehmann, Christian Long, Will Richardson, FunnyMonkey, Jon Becker, and more!
Sunday - 10:30 a.m. in 208
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Who: Darren Kuropatwa, Dean ShareskiRoom 208
This conversation will explore curriculum and cross disciplinary opportunities to explicitly teach visual literacy skills using concrete examples from the news and a Mythbusters approach to YouTube. Bring your laptop and be prepared to play and learn and talk.
Why I want to attend this session: I <3>Controlling your digital identity is as easy as 1-2-3.
OR....(The Jakes VS Shareski Dilema)
Sunday - 10:30 a.m. in 204
Why Johnny Can't Read: A Conversation About What It Means to Be Literate...Today
Who: David Jakes, Laura DeisleyNicholas Carr argues that we live in The Shallows. Clay Shirky writes that the literary world is now losing its normative hold on culture. So, is literacy changing? As we incorporate connective technologies in our classrooms, are the skills associated with deep reading and critical thinking being lost? What does it mean to be literate in 2010 and beyond?
Why I want to attend this session: As I shared in my post The Kids Are All Right, I disagree with Nicholas Carr and his “Shallow” philosophy. I always learn a lot when I hear David Jakes speak so I look forward to his views.
Sunday - 12:30 p.m. in 301
iSchool Area of Focus: Helping Students Become Experts
Who: Alisa Berger, Mary MossOnly in its first year, the NYC iSchools Area of Focus program, which requires juniors to select a two-year focus for their studies, is already increasing motivation and attracting college interest. Come learn about how the program works, share and discuss suggestions for improvements, and evaluate the program for use in your own school community.
Why I’m attending this session: I’ve the iSchool and its brilliant leaders since my first visit to the school when I discovered it provided an Immunization to an Uninteresting Curriculum. This new program sounds simply wonderful and I hope it is something that becomes an opportunity for other students. I look forward to learning, writing, and sharing more about their work.
Sunday - 2:30 p.m. in 207
Teaching Middle School in an Age of Autodidacts
Who: Andrew CarleWe’ll explore the viability of open-inquiry classrooms, where students pursue skills of their choosing, supported by teachers with unrelated expertise. Where's the "sweet spot" for student inquiry, balanced between the learning habits of obsessive hobbyists, realities of the middle-school classroom, and the absentee approach of Minimally Invasive Education? (http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com) Is it worth looking for?
Why I’m attending this session: Autodidacts, free/dom/un schooling has been of tremendous interest to me since I was introduced to the philosophy just a short time ago. I’m interested in talking about it more with others face-to-face.
Those are my picks. If you’re a reader of my blog, or a social media friend, I do hope we’ll have a chance to connect during my stay. Advance warning, please remind me how we’re connected. While it’s wonderful to meet my brilliant social media friend’s minds before I see their faces, it makes it a tad hard for me to solidly connect who’s who. Apologies in advance.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sir Ken Robinson Sets Us Straight On What Is Wrong with Education
This Doodlecture (another of my portmanteau's) by one of my favorite writers and thinkers, Sir Ken Robinson - hits on everything we know is wrong with education. In this video, a master doodler does an incredible job of putting a picture to Robinson's words...almost like a live Prezi - AMAZING!
In the video you'll see and hear some of my favorite concepts by Robinson like:
The ADHD myth (at 3:45) which he notes has grown with the increase in standardized testing. . ." For more on the ADHD myth, check out the links below the video.
Here is a collection of resources I gathered in a new post Cure ADHD without Drugs with These Resources from Doctors, Educators, and Parents.
Here's a round up of articles on the ADHD Myth from the "Say No to Psychiatry and Drugging Children" site.
Ritalin: The Drug Time Bomb In Our Schools - educational pamphlet.
The Myth of Attention Deficit Disorder by Dr. Mark Barber
The ADHD Industry by Dr. Mary Ann Block
It's All About Drugs by Dr. Mary Ann Block
America's New Learning Disease by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
A.D.D.: Now You See It, Now You Don't by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
Why A.D.D. Is A Simplistic Answer To The Problems of a Complex World by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
Suppressing The Passion Of Children by Peter Breggin, M.D.
Abandoning The Children by Peter Breggin, M.D.
Saving Your Child From The Label (ADD, or ADHD) by Katherine Taylor Wanamaker (Advice for parents to battle the school system trying to label and drug your child)
In the video you'll see and hear some of my favorite concepts by Robinson like:
- The problem with production line teaching
- How nonsensical it is that we group students by date of manufacture
- The misconception that Academic = Smart and Non Academic = Not Smart
- Schools are designed to squash creativity and divergent thinking
- Outside schools cheating is called collaboration
The ADHD myth (at 3:45) which he notes has grown with the increase in standardized testing. . ." For more on the ADHD myth, check out the links below the video.
Here is a collection of resources I gathered in a new post Cure ADHD without Drugs with These Resources from Doctors, Educators, and Parents.
Here's a round up of articles on the ADHD Myth from the "Say No to Psychiatry and Drugging Children" site.
Ritalin: The Drug Time Bomb In Our Schools - educational pamphlet.
The Myth of Attention Deficit Disorder by Dr. Mark Barber
The ADHD Industry by Dr. Mary Ann Block
It's All About Drugs by Dr. Mary Ann Block
America's New Learning Disease by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
A.D.D.: Now You See It, Now You Don't by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
Why A.D.D. Is A Simplistic Answer To The Problems of a Complex World by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
Suppressing The Passion Of Children by Peter Breggin, M.D.
Abandoning The Children by Peter Breggin, M.D.
Saving Your Child From The Label (ADD, or ADHD) by Katherine Taylor Wanamaker (Advice for parents to battle the school system trying to label and drug your child)
School Doesn't Have to Be a Race to Nowhere
Race to Nowhere is a documentary created to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens. The movie website has a few trailers and the Op Ed piece below from the New York Times. The piece focuses on the stress that comes with AP courses and also reveals a secret I was unaware of. In the past, the idea of AP courses in part was to provide student with college credit. At some point this changed. You see if high schools give students college credit for free they're stealing dollars from the colleges. Now it's just pull your hair out stress that results in an $84 per student profit for the testing companies. It ultimately has become a gatekeeper to many universities rather than its initial intent to give students higher level material and college credit.
Interestingly, when I was in high school I took International Baccalaureate classes. There was some opportunity for college credit but it was not equivalent to the amount of work required. I realized in my junior year, that this stress was kind of a dumb waste of time. Instead of taking high school classes to prepare me for college, why not just go to college??? The only issue was I wasn't old enough to drive. Somehow my mom got a waiver so I could have a license at 15 and off I went! I took the regular classes in high school, just so I could get my diploma, but each day, I left high school and drove on over to college to "take college level classes" and get real college credit. I did this in the summers too. This is why I ultimately graduated college at 19. I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life...but that's another post :-)
The big idea for parents and students is this:
Stop preparing your kids for college. Let them take those classes now. In fact, take a lesson from the unschool/homeschool/free school community and let your child take the GED whenever s/he may be ready and let them just move past high school if they're ready and hop into college. Online options also open up new possibilities. In short, take ownership of your learning. Don't follow the herd. Think outside the box and if you have a child that may be ready for college-level classes, sign em up!
Oh..and don't believe the BS that age mixing is an issue. I heard that sooo often before my first day of school and was a bit nervous because I was a young looking 15. It wasn't a problem. I was younger, sure, but age didn't matter when it came to learning a topic of interest.
And, now to the New York Times Op Ed piece.
Interestingly, when I was in high school I took International Baccalaureate classes. There was some opportunity for college credit but it was not equivalent to the amount of work required. I realized in my junior year, that this stress was kind of a dumb waste of time. Instead of taking high school classes to prepare me for college, why not just go to college??? The only issue was I wasn't old enough to drive. Somehow my mom got a waiver so I could have a license at 15 and off I went! I took the regular classes in high school, just so I could get my diploma, but each day, I left high school and drove on over to college to "take college level classes" and get real college credit. I did this in the summers too. This is why I ultimately graduated college at 19. I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life...but that's another post :-)
The big idea for parents and students is this:
Stop preparing your kids for college. Let them take those classes now. In fact, take a lesson from the unschool/homeschool/free school community and let your child take the GED whenever s/he may be ready and let them just move past high school if they're ready and hop into college. Online options also open up new possibilities. In short, take ownership of your learning. Don't follow the herd. Think outside the box and if you have a child that may be ready for college-level classes, sign em up!
Oh..and don't believe the BS that age mixing is an issue. I heard that sooo often before my first day of school and was a bit nervous because I was a young looking 15. It wasn't a problem. I was younger, sure, but age didn't matter when it came to learning a topic of interest.
And, now to the New York Times Op Ed piece.
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