The EdCamp Mindset - How An “Unconference” Can Yield An “Unclass”

Source: ASIDE, 2014

Perhaps only an EdCamp could inspire educators to dedicate a September Saturday to vigorous professional development. Despite the bustle of back-to-school work — and the ache to cling to summer's penultimate weekend — several hundred teachers and parents convened yesterday for the inaugural EdCamp Long Island event at the Willets Road School in Roslyn Heights, NY. 

Source: EdCamp Long Island

Following the mold of the EdCamp movement, this “unconference” featured a roster of organically generated sessions. Rather than being tethered to a prefab schedule of speakers, participants at #EdCampLI could join conversations posted by like-minded souls on a wall-size chart of sticky note suggestions.

Not surprisingly, many of the workshops centered around technology. We were intrigued by Voxer in its combination of voice, text, and photos. We were also excited to try TodaysMeet as an easy backchannel for student questions and feedback. Our two favorite sessions, however, had little to do with edtech and everything to do with communication and leadership. 

Source: Voxer

The meeting about “Transformational Leadership In The 21st Century School" with Dr. Sheilah (@docsheilah) demonstrated a host of tried and true ideas built around the philosophy that just because it’s always been done one way, it doesn’t mean you can’t step back and rethink the purpose. Imagine faculty meetings where the administrators make their own simple “TED” style talks to promote discussions, or an a la carte menu of meeting topics from which teachers get to choose. This forward-thinking approach made it clear that in this type of school, the administrators model the concept of "lead learners."

The round-table discussion on “Fostering 2 Way School-Home Communication” gathered thoughtful teachers and parents who were genuinely motivated (and at times frustrated) in getting school constituencies on the same page. The small-group seminar was organized by principal Dennis Schug (@DJrSchug) of Hampton Bays, NY, and parent Gwen Pescatore (@gpescatore25) of Philadelphia, PA (and #PTchat). The unstructured confab yielded honest questions about the most efficient technologies for communication and the barriers to inclusivity in PTO meetings. There were also creative strategies to welcome non-English-speaking families and adults intimidated by social media.

Source: TodaysMeet

In fact, the day’s free-flowing learning made us realize that regular faculty meetings could be better structured like an EdCamp. They could involve authentic colloquies spawned from the bottom-up. They could welcome differentiated dialogues initiated by teachers themselves, rather than administrative decrees.

Even more, our classrooms could become miniature EdCamps. We could do more to solicit interest from the students themselves, to invite direction based on kids’ curiosities and passions. Our daily lessons could embrace the messy beginnings of finding a path and honing an objective. In the end, we would probably still nurture the same key skill sets. But we would reach our goals by letting the children themselves scribble post-it notes of wonder and glom onto subjects that matter not to us, but to them.

If you were unable to attend, here is the Google Doc of session notes from Saturday. Also, the hashtag #EdCampLI captured all of the lively exchanges and resources. Many thanks to the organizers who staged yesterday's event, and we look forward to EdCampLI 2.0 next year.

ISTE Recap - Day 4 - The Curse Of Knowledge

Source: ISTE

The final day of the ISTE-palooza felt more relaxed, as the numbers dwindled with the work week and the attendees fell into a rhythm. The emphasis today seemed less about tools for teachers and more about skills for students. Several speakers pointed to the lack of genuine search ability by students who use Google not just as their default research tool but also as their reflexive second brain for information access.

Indeed, Alan November, in characteristic wit and approachability, encapsulated the entire gist of this year's conference in his too-short morning kick-off session about the need for authentic digital use. Ostensibly billed as a talk about what to do during the first five days of school, November effectively marshaled the audience around his claim that before the advent of the web, there were two important concepts to cover: content and skills. Now schools must add “build out your network” as a critical proficiency for today's wired children.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

November also pointed to the "Curse Of Knowledge," a theory in cognitive science described by Steven Pinker at Harvard that claims teachers in effect know too much. Experienced educators have mastered the material already and, therefore, are unintentionally flawed educators. They have difficulty reaching people who do yet know the information. Students teaching other students, however, do not carry this same bias. In fact, the best teachers are those students who truly struggled with the concepts and who understand what it means really to learn.

At ISTE, the same holds true. The temptation exists to feel cursed by the avalanche of knowledge, the overload of "things you're not yet doing." Yet in the Pinker sense, the same is true of teachers teaching teachers; they live on the same plane, within the same general sphere of understanding. Learning between fellow educators, therefore, is efficient and real.

November did offer some intriguing suggestions for the first five days of school, such as spending time on searching, questioning, global connections, year-long projects, and celebrating a culture of failure. Warming up the crowd, he showed the video of "Audri’s Rube Goldberg Monster Trap," a winning way to lure any students into a culture of tinkering.

Other highlights of ISTE's fourth day were the informal "playgrounds" that invited casual, collaborative exchanges. Topics centered loosely on ideas such as the maker movement, mobile learning, and creative play.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

In total, the possible downsides to a conference like ISTE are the enormous crowds, the outsized demand for BYOD sessions that force organizers to require pre-registration, and the omnipresent techies staring at you with Google Glass.

The upsides are the exposure to cutting-edge ideas and the access to leading names in the edtech space. Also, meeting Twitter friends in person feels like speed dating mixed with college reunions. Above all, the ISTE reward for us is being honest about what we don’t know and returning to class in the fall armed with an reenergized toolkit of apps and ideas.

Click here for recaps of Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.

ISTE Recap - Day 3 - Where Are All Those “Lazy” Teachers?

Source: ISTE

Nationwide, the witch hunt against teachers unions and teacher tenure has built its argument on the gimcrack premise that educators are inherently lazy. Teachers will no doubt recline in their cushy career thrones once granted a decent living wage and professional flexibility. Well, bring those Chicken Littles to ISTE. Their airy thesis evaporates instantly upon entering the convention hall.

There are no lackadaisical teachers here. There are no uninspired trolls among the animated educators chatting in corridors between rapid-fire sessions. There are no sheeple among the collaborative professionals trading tech on Twitter. The best way to bust open a stereotype is open one’s eyes and see teachers in action at ISTE.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

This morning’s keynote address by writer and “katalyst” Kevin Carroll charged the crowd with an emotional exhortation about the benefits of belonging. Carroll preached the power of play as a uniting force among children. He quoted Plato, saying, “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” If wishing could make it so, Carroll would speak in every conference, convention, classroom, and living room across the nation. As a former in-house change agent at Nike, he showed the famous “Tag” ad to reinforce his action message.



Other themes from the day centered on digital citizenship as the responsibility not just of teachers but also of students. Schools should let children take ownership over drafting a statement of digital purpose and designing activities to emphasize an Internet honor code.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

Another frequent motif was the power of backchanneling to give voice to the hesitant and to create a crowd-sourced avenue for dialogue. Great resources for teacher-to-student and student-to-student backchanneling include Croak.it, TodaysMeet, and Cel.ly.

Augmented reality has definitely hit the mainstream, given the number of ideas and apps being bandied about today. The maker movement has also gained widespread credence as a hands-on must-have for engaging modern kids. The most pervasive argument, however, remained the reminder that regardless of device or website, learning is a mindset. Passion and sharing are the most potent ingredients in nourishing both the teaching profession and students' lives.

Source: Hakan Forss, via Erin Klein

Click here for a recap of ISTE Day 1 and Day 2.

ISTE Recap - Day 2 - Creative Confidence: The Teacher Who’s Always Pitching

Source: ISTE

First of all, let’s not kid ourselves, there are a lot of people here at ISTE 2014. The Georgia World Congress Center turns into Pamplona when a marquee session hour approaches. There’s also a panic upon walking past a long, bullish line waiting for an event that you haven’t heard about. You’re tempted to join the stampede for fear of missing out. Still, the hours are impeccably managed by the ISTE organizers, and the mood of sharing is high.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

With the opening of the ginormous Expo Hall today, 12 start-up companies chosen from over 100 hopefuls had five minutes in the Ed Tech Pavilion to sell their ideas to the crowd. Even though there were no educators on a judging panel whose job was to evaluate educational products, the pitchfest was still a fascinating glimpse of up-and-coming learning tools.

It reminded us that teachers themselves are always pitching. Passionate teachers are always trying to carry their voices above the noise to convince students and administrators of the value of innovative learning. At times, they pitch like ships on the sea, trying to maintain even keels among the agitated waters of testing and mandates. But more of the time, they are desperately pitching for more time, more resources, and more flexibility. They are looking to communicate their nuggets of wisdom and their clever approaches to anyone who will listen.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

Because someone is always questioning progressive educators, they must in turn persuade parents and policy-makers that it’s okay to try something new. For their part, Copernicus educational products actually invited teachers to promote their visions on the side of a VW Bus, scrawling their hopes for what education might look like in 25 years.

Source: Creative Confidence

In between sessions today, we read Creative Confidence: Unleashing The Creative Potential Within Us All (Crown Business, 2013) by Tom Kelley and David Kelley of IDEO. The thesis of the book is that, “creative confidence is about believing in your ability to create change in the world around you.” All throughout today, that message was echoed by dedicated educators. Angela Maiers (@AngelaMaiers) asked attendees at the #geniushour panel what breaks their hearts in the world and what they are going to do about it. In explaining their inspiration, the pitch team from Modular Robotics invoked the Hebrew phrase, “Tikkun Olam,” which means "repairing the world."

In their book, Tom and David Kelley point out that there is no word in the Tibetan language for “creativity.” The closest translation is “natural.” It is ironic and affirming, therefore, that good teachers are naturally creative. Each presenter today demonstrated imagination and curiosity. They reiterated the same lessons from Creative Confidence: sustaining a doer’s mindset, not rushing to judgment, acting with intention, and leaping with courage. In essence, the Kelleys promote “karaoke confidence,” to put aside ego, build on the energy of others, value team camaraderie, and keep a sense of humor. That is ISTE at its core.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

On a practical level, our favorite apps and sites from today were Pop Lock Robot, Listen Edition, Pear Deck, and IFTTT. Our favorite quotes came from Twitter friend Sylvia Martinez (@smartinez) who encouraged educators to stop getting mad when kids won’t learn exactly as they are told. She also admitted, “I’m greedy. I want every hour to be genius hour.”

Check out the recap from Day 1: "Who Is Standing On The Shoulders Of Teacherpreneurs?"

ISTE Recap - Day 1 - Who Is Standing On The Shoulders Of Teacherpreneurs?

Source: ISTE

Most conferences by their nature host an eager pool of participants. Without some authentic interest, why else would individuals sacrifice their time and dollars for days of intensive workshops? The Twitterverse and the edtech sphere, however, seem to reserve a special place for ISTE, the annual see-and-be-seen summit staged by the International Society For Technology In Education. This year’s #ISTE2014 network is no exception, with a zealous crowd of conference goers expected to top 20,000. There is even a trending #notatiste14 thread to loop in curious parties unable to visit Atlanta. And with the lines for the first ISTE Ignite session as a prime indication, it’s going to be a convivial, congested weekend.

If attendance ratios are anything like last year, though, only 19 percent of ISTE attendees will be actual PK - 12 teachers. The rest will be split among tech coordinators, administrators, consultants, media specialists, and "others." Perhaps this diverse turnout is beneficial toward nurturing a melting pot of tech ideas and professional experiences. But perhaps there is a downside to this relatively low presence of classroom educators at a convention intended to improve education.

Source: CTQ

On the plane from Douglas to Hartsfield, we read Teacherpreneurs: Innovative Teachers Who Lead But Don't Leave (Jossey-Bass, 2013) by Barnett Berry, Ann Byrd, and Alan Weider of the Center For Teaching Quality (CTQ). These writers ask whether there is a genuine career trajectory for teachers to become school leaders while still remaining in the classroom. They pinpoint four waves of teacher leadership in both formal and informal structures. 

Yet the book also identifies two institutional impediments to these kinds of leadership roles: “egg-crate” schools, in which teachers are separated into cordoned-off rooms of solo instruction, and  “crab-bucket” schools, in which teachers are pitted against each other to impress administrators and claw to the top of the heap. Both models stifle voices that might encourage creativity. 

If entrepreneurs are those optimistic business-types who thrive on risks and self-reliance, then teacherpreneurs are those agile mobilizers who encourage democratic deliberation and digital ubiquity. Most schools, however, do not recognize this evolving and nuanced educator mantle. In other words, there is not currently a familiar, accurate name for the type of teacher-leader who continues as a daily classroom instructor while also inspiring change among colleagues, administrators, districts, policies, and social media PLNs. 

Source: ASIDE, 2014

One idea from this evening’s ISTE keynote session is to station in a school’s faculty lounge a savvy teacher who can be “on call” to answer both small and large tech questions. For one class period, for as many mentors as possible, a trusted colleague might be more approachable for fellow faculty to ask for help. On the school’s part, the key is to build this tech mentor role into the teacher-leaders’ schedules and compensate them in the form of salary, reduced duties, or equally as meaningful ways. Entrepreneurship is not charity, ask any businessperson, and neither is teaching.

Perhaps the reason ISTE, and other favorites like NYSCATE, have struck such chords among forward-thinking pedagogues is that these types of teacher-leaders are exactly the people who attend these conferences. They soak in the progressive philosophies and emerging tools and bring those revelations back to their communities. Every single person we met today was a sharer, an experimenter, a wonderer, a pioneer, a doer, and an ally. These are the types of people who need to stake careers in the classroom to helm their schools and to engender innovation.

Leadership Day 2011

Source: Bill Sheskey

What makes us do the things we do as teachers? Do we call it opportunity, responsibility, or motivation? Countless books, articles, and news reports look at the education system and question where the problem is with motivating students. Well, what about the teacher? We could argue that if we take away our passion for teaching, we in effect take motivation away from our students, too. Forced deadlines for units of study, scripted programs, and off-the-shelf “boxed” curricula leave little room for creativity. Teachers, like students, need to feel empowered to make choices to engage their learners in a more meaningful way.

Regardless of medium or era, education has always been the act of offering information for acquisition. “Learning” is the individual process, where one internalizes new concepts or skills. “Education,” though, is the active delivery – the technique of shaping and structuring ideas by an instructor so a student assumes them readily and permanently. The two most obvious changes in educational delivery over the past 15 years have been the visual representation and immediacy of information as a result of technology.

Communication has advanced along an accelerating continuum from the town crier to the printing press to the telephone, radio, television, and Internet. The change in fact-finding, however, is different from simple communication. Essentially, we are motivated by the idea that teachers, as well as students, can “map” the way to change and technology has made this possible. When teachers and students both share in designing the learning, they are driven to take responsibility, seek opportunity, and desire more.

Innovative design crosses over all aspects of education. Integrating the design of information into the daily conversation by integrating technology into the 21st-century classroom is essential. It is a necessary part of the teacher's toolkit. The underpinning of good educational design is based on looking at the information available and communicating meaning for a world of learners. Technology has retooled how we teach and how students learn and used effectively the payoff is substantial.