Building A Cohesive Community — Where Educators Become Neighbors

Source: Michael Maslin, The New Yorker; Condi Nast; Art.com (for sale)

One of our favorite New Yorker cartoons by Michael Maslin depicts a woman at a party replying to a suited gentleman, “I’m hearing a lot of buzzwords from you, but I’m not getting any buzz.”

Educational conferences can be like that. Despite the best intentions of dedicated presenters, sometimes the reruns of familiar talks can feel like a litany of mots du jour. The session titles can feel like “Christmas Tree” bills in Congress — so nicknamed because Senators will hang endless amendments on a well-intentioned law, such that the final text is a mishmash of unrelated pet projects. Session headlines often do the same, smooshing as many buzzwords into a 64-character limit as possible.

Source: Building Learning Communities 2019

That’s why the Building Learning Communities (BLC) conference from November Learning is one of our annual favorites. Alan November, an international leader in edtech, personally invites expert educators from around the world to share on-the-ground experiences and best-in-class techniques. This recent BLC19 conference, from July 16 - 19 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, lived up to its pedigree.

For example, one of the new friends we met from South Africa introduced us to how diversity education is framed in his community. Personally, we have been struggling with terminology, from the outdated “tolerant community” to the slightly better “inclusive community.” Both of those, however, position one group in higher status that “tolerates” or “includes” the other group.

Source: ASIDE 2019

In his South African school district, they use the notion of a “social cohesion.” For some reason, this immediately struck a chord with us. "Cohesion" refers to unity and solidarity. It doesn’t give one group more agency than the other. It suggests effort with lasting effects. It implies disparate elements coming together to coalesce around a common core. We really liked his suggestion, and we are eager to take this framing back to our own school.

In fact, our session about reimagining a curriculum based on social justice inspired all sorts of meaningful and spontaneous exchanges. Many audience members offered valuable resources, while others raised due concerns about a wording shift from “social justice” to “social good.” This thoughtful debate played out even further over Twitter.

Source: @theASIDEblog

We want to thank the many individuals who attended our conversations and who lent global perspectives to the collective thinking:

• When Intent Meets Agency: Reimagining A Curriculum Based on Social Justice
• Visualizing The Complexities Of Time and Place

Other highlights of BLC19 included:

• "Healthy Grading," by Joy Kirr (@JoyKirr) - Kirr led a master class in fostering a debate about grading, with a group activity that worked so well, we are going to steal it for our own faculty meetings
• Keynote, by Shaya Zarkesh (@ShayaZarkesh) - As the teenage founder of Polyup, Zarkesh introduced us to one of the most intriguing math apps we’ve ever seen, combining true gamification with adaptable learning
• "Innovative Leadership," by Matthew X. Joseph (@MatthewXJoseph) - Joseph reminded us that “only tasks can be managed – not time,” and we should, therefore, prioritize efficiency and communication
• "Beyond TED Talks: Voice, Influence and Impact," by Caitlin Krause (@MindWise_CK) - Krause emphasized how stories start with connections. They are "something I give in a box and care about" to share with others; to hear them, we need to be present.
• "Encouraging and Supporting Leaders To Foster Social and Emotional Learning Through Technology," by Vincenza Gallissio (@vgallisso), Christine Zapata (@CGoffredoZapata), and Jackie Patanio (JPatanio) - This group from NYCDOE, District 31 implemented a district-wide SEL program that would be the envy of most schools. It exemplified a growth mindset toward professional development.

Finally, the conference’s prime location near Copley Square and Back Bay made for lush local dining choices — from our regular “welcome to town” lunch at the Parish Cafe, known for its eclectic sandwiches from star Beantown chefs; to the spicy pasta, fresh mussels, and sincere service at Lucca (despite having a full glass of Cabernet knocked onto our white pants by an embarrassed busboy); to the French Mediterranean flavors of Mistral, featuring a summer corn soup with lobster and chive leaves, a fabulous halibut over shrimp risotto, and a sumptuous Maine crab ravioli.

We have full heads and full stomachs after a conference like this.

Why Multitasking Is A Myth AND Bad For Our Children

Source: ASIDE 2017

Today's students live in media-dominated bubbles. They stream Netflix, check Snapchat, Facetime friends, and scroll Instagram — simultaneously on laptops, iPads, and phones — all while purporting to do their evening homework. Parents tell us that homework now takes five or six hours a night for their children. But candidly, most of our parent conferences end up being conversations about how to wrestle devices away from their kids. Families acknowledge that more often than not, their sons and daughters are in bedrooms with doors closed and with devices on full blast. It's a mystery how much "work" is actually being done.

Source: NBC News

That's because today's media-saturated world demands multitasking to parse the competing inputs. "Multitasking" seems like a badge of honor for modern professionals and learners. But for most children and adults, multitasking is a myth that deserves to be disproved. Multitasking by its definition relies on interruption. It (wrongfully) claims disruption as a blessing. Countless scientific studies have refuted this premise. Instead, every endeavor benefits more from full attention, not fractured thought. Every test, quiz, or homework assignment benefits more from dedicated study, not digital disturbance.

A helpful video from NBC News tries to make sense of this contemporary obsession with multitasking. The scientists quoted in the clip argue that monotasking is in fact more vital for brain development. They note that interruptions of fewer than three seconds can double the rate of errors on simple tasks. Multitasking can lead to a difficulty in ignoring irrelevant information and in memorizing facts, both of which are crucial for young learners.

Source: ASIDE 2017

Here are some other articles that provide terrific ideas for teachers and parents about how to negotiate the multitasking impulse in our children:

• Students Think They Can Multitask. Here's Proof They Can't.
• Media Multi-Tasking: Effects On Students' Attention
• Multitasking Increases Study Time, Lowers Grades
• You'll Never Learn! Students Can't Resist Multitasking, And It's Impairing Their Memory

Using Brain Science To Study Smarter, Not Harder

Source: ASIDE 2016

Finding the optimum study technique is the holy grail for educators. Parents and teachers alike are joined in their quest to discover the most effective yet the most efficient process for helping their children learn. Countless conversations in the weekly parent-teacher Twitter chat (#ptchat), one of our favorites, have been dedicated to pinpointing the ideal strategies for evening study.

Source: Benedict Carey

Several peer-reviewed scientific studies have actually conducted real-world experiments to determine which methods are the most successful. The terrific explainer video, "How to study smarter, not harder," offers some surprising findings about what helps children retain information. This animated infographic comes from Benedict Carey's book, How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens (Random House, 2015). An award-winning science reporter, Carey explains the benefits of daydreaming and distraction to amplify learning – both of which are anathema to the conventional thinking about nighttime study.

Source: Benedict Carey

Carey clarifies that the brain is not a muscle. It doesn’t grow simply from hard work. Most educational theorists state that the more studying, the better – the more hours of focus, the deeper the memorization. Brain-based research, though, says the opposite. Consistency is often the enemy of learning. In fact, a control-based study proved that a simple change in venue can yield a measurable increase in the internalization of material.



Parents and teachers owe it to their children to take advantage of scientific findings to aid young people's development. If proven data points to more salient learning techniques, then the skill-and-drill mentality of flashcard homework deserves to be shuttered.

For more ideas about effective learning, check out:

• The Uber Generation Of Learning - Fast, Efficient, And Driven By Tech
• The #Unclass Movement - Why Structure Is The Enemy Of Anytime, Anywhere Learning
• Collective Consumption: Social Media And Active Learning
• Content And Design: Pushing Learners Beyond Mediocrity

A Philosophy Of Education: Energy, Inspiration, And Understanding

Source: ASIDE 2015

This week we were asked to share our philosophies of education. It was a worthy question and a worthwhile endeavor. Even though like most teachers we’ve gone through many versions of these philosophies over the years, it was thought-provoking to reframe our tenets as both learning and we have evolved. We thought we might publish our current thoughts, to see what other educators think and to invite feedback about other philosophies of teaching in today’s learning climate:

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If students were given a choice about which classes to attend each day, would they choose our classes? Is there something about the tone, the environment, the practice, or the design of information that makes our time seem worthwhile to learners?

One of our mantras with learners has been to “Look at more stuff; think about it harder.” We seek to inspire learners to use creative thinking to come up with innovative ideas; likewise, we hope to do the same with our approach to teaching. In their schooling, students hope to experience moments of wonder. An instance of surprise or curiosity, even if brief, can make all the different in motivating learners to explore and delve deeply. Insight leads to ownership, which makes meaningful the internalization of skills or concepts. One "ah ha" moment is worth one hundred perfect test scores.

To inspire others is, after all, why we teach. We rely on inspiration as the fuel for engagement. We want to encourage an environment that fosters creativity, inquiry, ownership, and independence. Learners need a stimulating environment that fuels inspiration and a hunger for knowledge. This atmosphere refers to both the physical space and the personality of the teacher. Is the room stimulating and engaging? Is the layout flexible and complementary to the learning? Furthermore, is the temperament of the teacher encouraging, with an authentic sense of optimism about the journey the learner and the educator are about to take together?

It is not about efficiency and compliance; instead, it is about things like mindset, mood, mechanisms, measurement, and momentum that push the critical thinking process in order to extract new ideas. What is the tone of the instructor's language? What is the tenor of the student-teacher relationship? A bit of humor, for example, can be key to keeping the mood light and productive. A sincere repartee can make the minutes tick by with less tedium and maybe even some anticipation.

Source: ASIDE 2015

The more interdisciplinary, collaborative, and challenging approaches we use, the greater the chance to develop individuals that are confident to take risks. In this vein, teaching and learning is a partnership. A conversational style or technological savvy can help validate students’ daily experiences and show an effort to connect to their worlds – to what is important to them. This connection stems from mutual trust. Students want to trust that their teachers are laying out clear expectations, that their grades are based on fair assessments, that their learning is in the hands of an expert. If students don't trust that we as teachers are going to keep our word, treat them with decency, and give them the benefit of the doubt, then they will tune out everything else we try to communicate.

Today, learning is no longer limited to the teacher as keeper of the knowledge, nor to the moment with little connection to the future. It has to be deeper; it is about understanding. We want students to be more like hunter-gatherers, who constantly search for anything that interests them and who share it with the world. Life-long learning is far more like the migrating hunter-gatherer, and technology has opened that door. 

We hope to harness that energy, that inspiration, and that understanding of the power of connections to explore ideas. Our hope is to tap a learner’s inspiration and creativity so that they develop as innovative thinkers and knowledge seekers.

As teachers, we want to engage students:

• To think like designers to transform the way they learn and look at the world
• To develop flexibility in their thinking about ways to learn, and to tap their curiosity
• To grow to be open-minded individuals who are knowledgeable about historical events
• To gain confidence about what they know to share their understanding and enthusiasm for history and geography with others
• To help them develop a curiosity for learning through the creation of their own work
• To provide a range of choices for them to visually map their ideas to realize there is more than one way of seeing
• To design curriculum to meet the information, technology and new media literacies needs of today's learners through current best practices that incorporate digital learning, technology integration, and social media
• To develop flexibility in their thinking about ways to learn, and to help them feel comfortable with being uncomfortable
• To promote honest discussions about disparities in society such as race and class to promote empathy for our differences
• To recognize, value, and assess the many diverse ways children learn and how to meet them there

The Uber Generation Of Learning — Fast, Efficient, And Driven By Tech

Source: ASIDE 2015

It’s no surprise that the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission is lobbying for limits to Uber’s expansion. In fact, municipalities across the country are fretting over Uber’s intrusion.

Uber’s appeal — and its rapid, unmitigated ascent — is exactly like the edtech groundswell in contemporary learning.

Uber is a private car service currently taking the country by storm. It allows anyone with an app to instantly summon a professional ride. It takes away the guessing about street corners and hand-waving. It offers customized choices, such as a car seat or SUV. Uber provides real time, visual tracking of how far away the car is and how much the trip will cost. 

Uber takes the frustrating tasks of flagging a phantom taxi or confronting a gruff phone operator and replaces them with immediate, digital satisfaction.

This is exactly what today’s students expect from their lessons and teachers.

For better or for worse, children enter our classes with a ready affinity toward online tools and an understandable assumption of digital learning. They are used to texting in realtime, chatting in realtime, Googling in realtime, and creating in realtime. When anachronistic teachers give them paper worksheets and bubble tests, it’s no wonder they roll their eyes and feel like they’re being intentionally stranded on the side of a high-tech boulevard, while the wired world seems to be passing them by.

Kids (and adults) live on their smartphones. They demand instantaneous answers via Siri or Wikipedia to any question that might pique their curiosity. In this way, they are uber-researchers. They seek information more actively and more frequently than any prior generation. The gift of the Internet offers them answers, but they still need to know their end destination. They still need to have a conclusion in mind, to drive their scholarship in the right direction.

Source: ASIDE 2015

The greatest gift from laptops, iPads, SMARTboards, and phones is efficiency. What used to take a middle schooler an entire Saturday now takes a split second. Kids can diagram the locks of the Erie Canal or study the bricks of the Giza pyramids in the same time it takes to tie one’s shoelaces. The “Internet of things” is a powerful encyclopedia. Any school district that blocks access to YouTube or Twitter, therefore, is closing the doors to Alexandria, erecting antiquated barriers in the face of authentic learning.

We expect our Uber driver to know our name, know our route, and know our credit card number. We expect service with a smile and quiet satisfaction in skipping the crowded van to the airport or the late-night carpool quest.

This is modern education — personalized, differentiated, and affordable.

This is technological learning — satisfying, searchable, and immediate.

As a point of reference, check out this current ad for Microsoft Windows 10:

Many educators still fight against this disruption, against these invading technological hordes. They demand professional development and budget studies to delay the inevitable. Many administrators side with city districts, viewing apps as interlopers seeking to upset the status quo.

Many still resist the arrival of a learning alternative, because it’s not “the way we’ve always done it.”

But the rabid popularity of Uber speaks to a communal need. The instinctive embrace of real-time learning by students means that if educators don’t change, kids will be chauffeured off into the sunset without them.

Thank You NYSCATE 2014 - TransformED

Source: NYSCATE 2014

The annual NYSCATE 2014 conference ended just before the Thanksgiving holiday in Rochester, New York. Thanks to another excellent roster of educators assembled by The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE), we returned with our toolkits full, ready to share what we’d learned with our colleagues and learners.

Source: NYSCATE 2014

The theme for this year’s conference was TransformED, with a magical overlay to encourage us to wave our magic wands to engage the mind. For the first time, an EdCamp component was added to the roster of sessions, as well as 15-minute lightening sessions on a variety of topics.

We had the privilege of participating in an EdCamp round on visual thinking, and we met a host of impressive educators who emphasized the importance of the learning environment and the ability of teachers to influence it with creative ingenuity, technology know-how, and forward-thinking approaches.

The social media kiosk, a fixture at the conference, added a new twist to attract educators to grow their personal learning networks with a visual display of live tweeting and cameo photo opportunities.

Source: NYSCATE

The “iPad App Smackdown” session by three Apple Distinguished Educators, Mike Amante (@MAmante), Richard Colosi (@RichardColosi), and Ryan Orilio (@RyanOrilio), did not disappoint. The friendly rivalry for the session's winner and the shouts of “SLAM” allowed for an engaging banter between presenters and audience. All we could think of was how fun this would be to do with kids or at a faculty meeting.

Source: iPad App Smack Down

Click here see the 12 apps they demonstrated in the session.

Lastly, thank you to the generous crowd who attended our session on Simple Ways To Publish In A Paperless Environment. All of the resources and links highlighted in our workshop are available here.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

Finally, if you're ever at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, stroll three blocks for a delicious, dining experience at Dinosaur BBQ, and if time permits, don’t miss Craft Company No. 6, a unique gallery housed in a Victorian Era firehouse, located in the Neighborhood of the Arts district.

The #Unclass Movement – Why Structure Is The Enemy Of Anytime, Anywhere Learning

Source: ASIDE, 2014

Many current initiatives, such as blended learning, genius hour, and flipped instruction, are all embracing the same potential of disrupted education. They all recognize the multi-latticed, pan-directional nature of contemporary learning. In essence, they are trying to make class time less like class time. We call this the "unclass."

Learning no longer begins and ends at the school bell. Students don’t switch off their devices and their senses of wonder just because the final period clocks out. Even though children have always pursued hobbies and outside interests, today they can network their school inquiries with their personal passions and continue their threads of discovery any time, any where. Learning becomes more like free time and free time more like learning.

Just like adults who juggle smartphones and information streams, kids today reach for a variety of sources to satisfy their natural curiosities. Schools that try to stifle this octopus impulse can run the risk of becoming irrelevant to contemporary learners.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

Recently, we have initiated the “unclass” philosophy to change our prevailing stencil of in-school activity. Rather than falling back on the typical model of teacher instruction and student compliance, the unclass approach imagines a classroom as neighborhoods of self-directed learning. It encourages imagination and skills through social media, backchannels, and self-publishing. Just as companies embrace flexible workspaces and educators flock to “unconferences,” teachers, too, can cultivate student dialogue and self-direction that can be continued at home at the end of the day.

The unclass approach is both a structure and a practice. It offers a strategy for running an organic environment in which children have ownership over their own time. It also still achieves the desired goals of learning and skill acquisition – such as linking the controversies of the Reconstruction Era to America’s racial climate today, or making the scientific method actionable in a digital, non-tinkering world.

The unclass philosophy also emphasizes a mindset. This outlook recognizes that students and teachers can engage in meaningful collaboration well after a 40-minute period has ended. In fact, only a few key questions can be addressed during a day's limited course time. The ramifications of these inquiries, though, can echo later into living rooms, ballparks, and backseats via social media and digital devices. Creative apps and self-directed technology mean that learning occurs via an unclass, with enlightenment an exuberant affirmation of student passion and teacher inspiration.

Source: Yong Zhao, Zhao Learning

In his terrific book, World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students (Corwin, 2012), Yong Zhao talks about the "grammar of schooling," which refers to the organization of class time and rosters into periods, sections, grades, and subjects (180). He points out the "inherent logical contradiction" in trying to instill student innovation and initiative within this type of structured, one-size-fits-all curriculum (94).

In fact, Zhao quotes Professor Kyung Hee Kim in the observation that while "teachers claim to value creativity in children," they often squelch "creative behaviors," because they are non-conformist and hard to wrangle (14). Zhao argues that transferring the responsibility to the learner emphasizes engagement, accountability, and relevance for all students (171).

Extrapolating from Zhao's thought-provoking work, teachers in an unclass find that their "primary responsibilities have shifted from instilling the prescribed content in students following well-established procedures in a structured fashion to developing an educational environment that affords children the opportunity to live a meaningful and engaging educational life" (176).

For more ideas about the unclass movement, we recommend "The EdCamp Mindset - How An 'Unconference' Can Yield An 'Unclass.'"

Kids Need To Dance: The ABC's For Parents

Source: V is for Vulnerable

It’s that time of the year again when we see the signs of back to school wherever we go. The usual symbols of yellow buses, apples, and ABC's seem to saturate the retail market, as if apples were grown across the country and we all need to learn the alphabet.

As it turns out, Seth Godin’s picture book, V is for Vulnerable: Life Outside the Comfort Zone, is an ABC book for grownups. Hugh MacLeod illustrates each letter, and Godin’s word choice for each one will ring loud and clear for educators.

Source: V is for Vulnerable

We could not help thinking of ways to incorporate this resource into our parent conferences, or ways to motivate our students to understand the difference between effort and impact, taking initiative, or working safe.

One of our favorites is Quality. It’s not about reliably meeting specifications, it needs to matter. “Quality of a performance is a given, it’s not the point.” It reminds us of the students who think it’s good enough.

There are plenty of others including More is not better, Heroes take risks for the right reasons, and Feedback can be either a crutch or a weapon. So many of our students won’t “Dance with fear,” because they're afraid of not being the best, scoring the highest on a test, or getting a B+. Godin’s definition for anxiety strikes at the heart of what adults project when a child doesn’t hit the high note.

Source: V is for Vulnerable

“Anxiety is experiencing failure in advance.”

 

We recommend taking a look at the post by Maria Popova on her blog, Brain Pickings, to read the highlights of Godin’s interview about the book with Debbie Millman, host of the show Design Matters. In it, he talks about why he wrote this book for adults as a picture book.

Source: V is for Vulnerable

“I wanted to capture the way I felt as a three-year-old when my mom read me a book. I wanted to capture the way, as a parent, I felt when I read a book to my kids. And that feeling isn’t something we get when we hand a kid an iPad in a restaurant and say, “Don’t bother me.” Something magical happens when we read a book to a kid, when we’re read a book.”

Perhaps this is why this book strikes such a chord. Adults identify with that feeling. Make no mistake, the design is purposeful; the message succinct.

It hits at the heart of vulnerability and the limits adults cast on children. For Godin, “Design, at its core, thrives when a human being cares enough to do work that touches another — it doesn’t thrive when it gets more “efficient.”

Source: V is for Vulnerable

Let kids dance, and let them do it without a tether and a helmet.

For other resources, please see:

• The Power Of An Idea
• We Love Our Devices, But Need To Look Up
• Century of the Child, Moving Forward
  

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.

Collective Consumption: Social Media And Active Learning

Source: Digital Insights

It comes as no surprise that the Internet grows exponentially by the minute, and in some cases by the second. It’s too late to turn back the clock, and it’s no wonder that our learners view school regulations of social media archaic and restrictive. We see the weekly chats with frustrated teachers who try to get colleagues to see the benefits of Twitter; yet this is not even the most popular media with our tweens, let alone young people under thirty.

Two interactive resources that reinforce the speed of content delivery are Social Media 2014 and The Internet In Real-Time. Talk about a reality check; no wonder students view schools as medieval places with stoic views of the world, devoid of passion and engagement. To deviate from the system is heresy.

Source: The Internet In Real-Time

Data does not lie. In the interactive infographic about social media statistics published by Digital Insights, the numbers are staggering. Instagram is the preferred social media for teens, with 23% ranking it as their favorite. Snapchat boasts 400 million images per day. Likewise, The Internet In Real-Time is equally as enlightening. The Pandora’s box is open, and we cannot put content back in the box, restrict its access, or prevent students from using everything at their disposal to learn.

Source: Digital Insights

The more we control desire to deliver content in prescribed silos, the more likely we are to lose young, bright minds with ideas that we can cultivate and take to new heights. Instead, learning goes underground and outside of school. Sure, we like to think we do our best to incorporate as much technology to serve our curricula, but restrictions on whom kids can email, outright blocking of websites, and banning social media defeat the purpose for a collaborative, shared learning environment.

Source: The Internet In Real-Time

Are schools scared? Is their view that kids will use it inappropriately, or is it because schools can’t measure or assess it? Our learners are using it now. If we want to teach and engage this generation, teachers need freedom to use social media, and reluctant teachers who see no purpose in it need to step up to the plate and learn it. We can’t afford not to participate in what is currently used by our learners and by every type of company they may work for in the future.

Source: The Internet In Real-Time

We need to adjust how we teach and with what tools. It’s high time school policies lift access restrictions and help teachers design curricula that actively uses social media to create and deliver content. The collective consumption of knowledge has changed because of technology, and learners need to be able to use it, search it, and share it.

Content and Design: Pushing Learners Beyond Mediocrity

Source: ASIDE, 2014

In today’s world of fast-paced touch screens, snaps, clicks, and tweets, we increasingly find it difficult to get our learners to see that design and presentation matter. We are not sure if this is the result of the over-scheduled child jumping from one activity to another, or the increasingly shorter attention span to stay with something to make it their absolute best. Now more than ever before, content and design matter in tackling a problem, iterating an idea, building a prototype, or constructing a presentation.

What is clear is that many of our learners think it’s just fine the way it is. When they are assessed on their work with a clear outline of the expectations based on instruction and modeling, they often fail to meet those expectations. As educators, our delivery of content is evaluated on presentation of material, integration of technology, engaging activities, and differentiated instruction. Yet, it seems our students think that delivering text-heavy presentations spinning out of control in Prezi, shallow research to demonstrate understanding, or shoddy work put together in haste is okay.

Design does matter, and it is not good enough to think what is created cannot be improved upon through iteration. The key to good design, however, is content. We are beginning to feel a little dictatorial about it, too. We often see students busily changing fonts, picking colors, and adding pictures before crafting the content into an organized, well thought out way. On the opposite side, we see students putting work together without using any of the evidence they’ve gathered in their research.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

We provide the time for deeper learning, choice in delivery method, and integration of technology. Sadly, we still see mediocrity. How many times have we heard “I’m done” two minutes into an activity, only to realize that they left out key requirements because of a failure to read instructions? While we don’t mind doing something over to make it better, there’s a certain responsibility in not getting a “do over, and over” as a result of sheer carelessness.

We’re sure that many have heard the expression “failure is not an option;” well, what about “mediocrity is not an option?” The problem is not a matter of flipping, blending, empowering, engaging, or any other buzzword; it’s a constant push for sustainable, deep thinking on the part of our learners. They need to know that it is not fine to be run-of-the-mill. The “everyone is a winner” mentality drives mediocrity, and learning that is a “mile wide and inch deep” leads to pedestrian thinking.

Source: ASIDE, 2014

We spoon feed our learners so much with testing, multiple choice options, and detailed review sheets that they cannot organize their own thoughts to learn. Parents besiege us when the “grade” is a B-, requesting extra help for nothing more than a failure to read instructions or follow requirements. It’s an attention to detail and organizational issue; it’s also a sign of a lackadaisical approach on the part of the learner to put in the effort. Barely satisfactory (BS) is not an “A.”

We’re not giving up; we want the kids to sink their teeth into things. So we will keep pushing them beyond mediocrity, because the “ah hah” moment becomes a life-long curiosity for wanting to know more.

Transforming Learning: NYSCATE 2013

Source: NYSCATE 2013

We just finished attending three days at the NYSCATE 2013 Transforming Learning conference in Rochester. The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE) assembled another terrific roster of speakers sharing their ideas and best practices for teaching and learning.

Once again, we met a host of impressive educators who emphasized the importance of the learning environment. It was refreshing to hear again and again that it wasn't the app, website, or device that defines the learning, but the opposite. The focus should be on the learning objective. Define the target goal, and use technology to change the process of how it's accomplished.

We'd like to thank the educators who attended our session on Projects In Web 3.0: Privacy Is The New Predator. In addition to our prior post listing the resources we referred to in our talk, here is the SlideShare for our presentation.

Projects In Web 3.0: Privacy Is The New Predator from Mercer Hall and Patricia Russac

We look forward to tweeting with our new friends and our expanding PLN of collaborators.