Which way? Reflections on #i11i and choosing a path to follow

The 2nd annual Iowa 1to1 Institute was held last Wednesday, and while those of us who roam the world of twitter know it by it's "hashtag" #i11i we are the minority of who understand this concept. I challenge that we are the minority in education who share the true passion and true belief that we can change education by fearlessly choosing a path to venture forward upon.

It's not that the vast majority of educators are void of passion, or passionless. They are searching, questioning, doubting or taking baby steps forward. They want answers and promises, guarantees and a safety net. They want a formula, concrete reason or a flow chart to show the path to educational prosperity for their students and to show their patrons.

Guess what? Those things do not exist, not at this time and not in this disruptive place. So at #illi many educators went from session to session with the look of bewilderment, the look of astonishment from the enormity of trying to organize all of this vast ocean of possibilities. They are looking for a clear path, but what they encountered was a sign post much like the one located in the middle of the compound on TVs hit series M*A*S*H.



Erase the cities on each board and replace them with things such as 24/7 access, Collaboration, Skype, Digital Footprint, Google, Interest driven Learning, PLNs, eCurriculum, Twitter, MOODLE, Web2.0, iPads, APS, mobile device tools and on and on.

It is easy to become stuck, staring at the signs wondering which path to take. I've seen this in the eyes of my Web2.0 students, when given the freedom to take any path, they often choose taking no path at all. I've seen it in the eyes of my staff as I've proclaimed, "Try anything! Be bold! Don't be afraid to fail!" Too, too often they're left standing in disbelief at the options presented before them, the enormity of the possibilities. The opposite occurs as the freedom can have a paralyzing effect. We are safe where we are standing.

My students sat on a panel representing a class of seniors that have had computers since they were sophomores. (Video) (PanelHighlights) In preparation we talked about our audience - my estimates put the new, first year or considering 1 to 1 at 60-70%. Conversations and observations about #i11i tell me I vastly underestimated that figure and it was more like 80-90%. Coming to #i11i is safe, it's getting information, reporting back, gathering data. They are paralyzed studying the options, trying to chart the guaranteed path.

CAM High School is lucky that we have chosen paths, are traveling on some and tried others. Administrators and teachers from districts still riding the fence, still searching for the exact, right path have an edge to their comments. A frustration stemming from a gut feeling they're missing out, the train has pulled out of the station without them and they're watching it fade into the distance.

The good news for those still waiting is the technology is evolving and changing. There will be new starting points, new paths, new ways to make new paths. Paths are being wore down, being traveled by more and more educators as they support systemic change or have found a way to capture the best of new technology. Concepts such as Personal Learning Networks (PLNs); eCurriculum through a free, state-wide repository; Connecting classrooms and authentic project based curriculum are some of the emerging paths district's like ours are exploring.

More good news is that there is a growing group of passionate educators that are a click, email or phone call away. All eager to share, collaborate, create or advise on which path to start down.

Whether traveling a long ways towards "Boston" or a short trip to "Seoul" it's important educators use their passion as fuel to move from the #i11i signpost and continue on their journey of educational transformation.

New thought on Math - TED

My thoughts on Math by someone who knows more about the topic.

Listen to Iowa's educators

CAM High School has a hard working staff of professionals teaching a fantastic student body and I am proud to be their Principal. It’s not uncommon for the climate in education to take a negative turn, but the ripples of negativism that are spreading across the nation from Wisconsin is, in one word - disgusting.

Before listening to the talking heads, to Bill Gates, to the U.S. Department of Education head himself, Arne Duncan. Listen to the educators of Iowa who have stepped into classrooms. They are the ones who have worked with struggling students and are working hard to change education in Iowa. Listen to the people in the profession before you turn to the media and the politician.

Listen to the words of Iowa’s educators and administrators as collected by Jason Glass, the Iowa Department of Education head appointed by Governor Terry Branstad. Go to New Director Offers Roadmap. He had a tremendous outpouring of responses to three questions he asked in his blog - “What should we keep doing? What should we start doing? What should we stop doing?” Simple, reasonable and collected from those who will take their own time to answer, not positioned on a political stage.

The problem in education is should not be put on the shoulders of teachers financially or philosophically. There are many states that have budget gaps to fill due to the recession and other factors. It would be nice to have an honest, open, all-inclusive discussion on the causes and the solutions. Cutting down a profession that works harder, under higher expectations, than any other profession.

It is a rare and wonderful day when you find a “natural” teacher, someone who commands the classroom, relates to the students, can deal with parents, and juggles a social life (or plain just doesn’t have one). The rest of our staff we must develop and assist in their journey. These are not jobs where they clock in, sit at a desk and collect a salary. They have prom committees, concession duties, meetings, student-assistance meetings, school board appearances, conferences and the like. All while trying to raise a family, coach little league, serve on church boards and live a spotless lifestyle.

We are fortunate to have developed many tools and have made innovative steps in improving education. We have a very well received and developed evaluation system that allows us to work with new and career teachers to improve. It’s allows for collaborative and constructive talk around instruction. The Iowa Core is moving us towards a system where instruction in the focus of professional development, and peers hold peers accountable. Technology allows us to even the playing field, help those who need help and accelerate those who are able.

I’d like to tell the Governor, or anyone interested in stopping the progress of the Iowa Core, to tune in Sunday night at 7 p.m. on Twitter for the Iowa Core chat. We break down the outcomes and how they are being implemented in each of our districts. We talk about the training and guidance we get from the meetings they are about to cut out of the budget. Join us because the discussion will not stop even if we shift to something new.

There are thousands of hardworking educators in the state of Iowa and I challenge any profession to match our work ethic, integrity and determination. The teachers in our district and state are owed gratitude and respect. Not cheap shots and cost cutting measures.

Amazing Days tweeting around the world

I have encouraged our staff to address the revolutions happening in the Middle East right now. I remember the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, Libya's role and their dictator Moamma Kadafi's maniacal face on the TV. Now his country is gripped in a civil war, right on the heals of the fall of Egypt's dictator and several other uprisings in the Arab world. Twitter played a big role in Egypt to the point that the government shut the Internet down for a spell, but in the end all was restored and their leader stepped down.

Last year Iran was able to stop an uprising by holding firm and making small concessions, but Twitter and the Internet fueled days of revolutionary behavior that nearly led the American adversary into civil war. Twitter reported and helped tell the story of the protests on the streets that ended up in some violence.

It is unfortunate that many of us here in the United States hold certain stereotypes and biases to the people of the Arab world, when the truth is they are like any of us. They want freedoms, they are intelligent and they are now using the means available to organize and fight back against their oppressors.

It is also unfortunate that we are insulated by the media to the sound bites, and quick reports that usually end with "And today on Wall Street, investors were nervous with rising oil prices and stocks fell."

If television brought the weekly highlights of war to the living room of America during the Vietnam War, the allows you access to a play by play. You can be a participant in the discussion, the debate, the dialog. Active rather than passive interaction is your option.

Amazing times being shaped by a Global community.

"Hey! My phone really is smart!"

I'm officially convinced my phone is smart enough to make me change some of my work patterns. For starters, I'm writing this blog traveling back from Chicago. I recently upgraded my Blackberry and have had three breakthrough moments inside of a week's time.

First off the syncing software working seamlessly with my Macbook. This means my calendar is synced, my contacts are synced and my to do lists are available. Now I can go to meetings armed with just my blackberry, not necessarily my laptop. Someone out there could comment there was software out there for my older Curve, but I'll counter with I had lost faith after three failed installs and I gave up a year ago.

Secondly, I have been installing APs and going to websites on my browser and things are working flawlessly. When I got my other Curve almost two years ago I found it hit or miss for success in websites loading or APs doing what they promised. They mashup pretty well together right now and in a weeks time I've found many things for work and leisure.

Lastly, the documents, Google APs and general application software and websites are very functional. They are not watered down barely functioning versions of the computer versions. I was able to check my student's blogs while riding to Chicago Friday and register their grades Friday night (from my laptop at the hotel).

All of that doesn't include the photo posts from the Iowa game, getting state playoff results for people, my reading everyone's tweets while watching my kids in the hotel pool and getting caught up with my Goggle Reader reading.

The big thing is my confidence in my previous phone was low, due to problems I had early. This one has worked flawlessly and my confidence is soaring now that my smartphone is really smart!

My newest wordle

Our Web 2.0 class is finally getting to Wordle. I was going to do it sooner, but we hadn't started blogging. Hopefully they've done enough writing to gain some insight. Mine is totally different from what it was 10 months ago.

Web 2.0/PLN class evolves, redefines "wait-time"

Two weeks into Web2.0/PLN class and the students and I have experienced some highs and some lulls. We haven't experienced a "low" but in the evolution of the class we've had moments were we've redefined the term "wait-time" and it is in that time where the "lulls" occur.

Traditionally the term "wait-time" has referred to those seconds separating a teacher's question and a student's response. I was molded traditional. Each second ticks like a minute when holding back the knowledge you want to bestow on students in a Q & A. If one of the smart kids didn't know, and I waited 30 seconds, I answered and performed a fantastic review of the concepts on the board. "There, they have it" I can think to myself and move on to the next question to engage the next concept.

Our new "wait-time" is the pause between defining the task and student-teacher interaction and/or student action. This "wait-time" cannot be defined and monitored, just tracked and it can be surprisingly minimal or lengthy. It's an open-ended proposition followed by a pause then action, discussion or both.

My first three classes were traditional, even though my intention was to have it be a blend of online resources, instruction with my guidance and facilitation. Day one was a flurry of group watched videos, Q & A, read and write, with registration into web 2.0 tools. Every step was coordinated and well placed, timed and tracked. I was a bevy of knowledge and had the 2-3 students who were engaged with me answering and feeding my passion.

At the end of the first day I had a moment of satisfaction, and old feeling from the days standing in front leading my Chemistry class through complex concepts. I sat down to write a reflection on my Google Doc and realized a couple things. First, I hadn't let go of the reigns at all during the day. I steamrolled through silence ignoring the majority by providing them the answers. Secondly, the performance high wore off and I crashed with a guilty dread pooling into my stomach. I had fallen into the same trap all traditional teachers - I grabbed control and were stimulated by the euphoria of executing a locked-in lesson. A lesson that was two weeks in the making and now I had to prepare for one in just a handful of days.

Over the last five days of class I've weaned myself of the majority of control. I dumped the first assignment and due date; I've introduced and re-introduced topics; I've given an open-ended assignment that will be ongoing and I've mixed in quick hitting videos with quick response activities. And we've talked, laughed and through all of it gained insight as to their skills and needs for the class. We've hit a scattered selection of objectives from the original course outline but I'm readying a cross-referenced curriculum guide to track what we'll hit cover and master. It's going to be like taking a connect the dots and erasing the numbers.

I've also been able to collaborate, watch and learn from Shannon Miller, who spent this past summer developing her course and helped get me started with mine. We brainstormed some ideas on a Google Doc and I have developed my own to help prepare and chronicle the development of my course at CAM High School. There are many differences that I can see right now, but the commonality is we are submerging students into web 2.0 tools and moving them towards the development of a personal learning network (PLN) of peers and adults. Her class is moving right along, and despite some changes in the original idea each class is experiencing the buffet of Web 2.0 tools and laying the ground work for PLNs. I have been able to follow Van Meter's progress through Shannon's Twitter and feel comfortable deviating from her course and letting our students progress in another direction.

Most likely our students, intentionally or unintentionally, will cross paths while establishing their PLNs. We could have forced the issue, staged the encounters and had a well coordinated meet and greet with traditional classroom control.

Instead we're going to take our time, and wait for it to occur naturally. And in that wait time my class and I will learn something and I will discover how to effectively start feeding my student's passion.