Notes from Millie D

I know the end of the class isn’t until next week but there is a lot going on over the next two weeks so I thought I would just get’r done.

I have gotten a lot of this class, despite what you might have thought Jeff.  I haven’t had the time to explore much in Second Life and this class has given me a chance to explore around.  I’ve realized that I should make some more time and get familiar with this virtual world.

I want to take a moment and thank Dean, Kevin, and Sheryl as guest speakers.  It is always nice to hear from others who want to share their expertise with others.  In an online environment having guest speakers makes the experience even better.

For me the content is only a piece of the overall experience in taking classes. Just as big as the content are the conversations.  Having the chance to chat with Jeff and my fellow classmates is something powerful that I take away from the class.  I hope everyone who started blogging through this class continues during the school year because you’ve got a worldwide audience out there.  If you’ve been reading my blog through this class I hope you continue to follow my journey throughout the school year.

I was skeptical about the collaboration project when it was first presented.  I think my skepticism was based on the time frame given the expectations but Dean and Jeff put me at ease when it more about the process than the content (content was important but we expect our students to learn from mistakes as we should as well).  In the end the wiki turned out fairly well.  I hope people use it as a resource.

If Plymouth State Univ. decides to offer this class next summer I would be glad to recommend it.

From Wikipedia, assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Personal Note:  If this is what NCLB was measuring, great, but NCLB looks at specific evaluations not assessments.

In a technology-rich classroom assessment moves closer towards reality because of how Web 2.0 tools can show the process of documenting knowledge and skills.   When I stop to think about the power of wikis and blogs it really talks about assessment.  Assessment looks more at the development of knowledge and/or skills rather than a snapshot within the journey like evaluations often show.  

One of the first times I listened to someone explain to me the difference between assessment and evaluation they talked about the difference between a portfolio and a chapter test.  Portfolios show the knowledge and skills over time and chapter tests showcase student responses to specific questions or topics in that moment.  Another way to look at that made sense to me was assessment is whole entire movie and evaluation would be 30 second trailer the studio wants you to see in order to make an impression of their movie.  Classrooms which utilize technology like blogs and wikis can show the knowledge over time by examining comments within entries or the history on wiki pages.  Web 2.0 tools becomes the basis for ePortfolio assessment work.  Using RSS feeds the portfolio can be a living document instead of a static product.  I think in the next few years, thanks to projects in NH and other places, ePortfolios based on Web 2.0 technologies taking off and becoming a teacher’s dream as far as management goes.

Using this type of technology changes how students learn and how teachers teach.  The technology should change the tools we use to assess!

The wiki has been put to bed, as much as you put a wiki to bed.  David and I put the finishing touches on the wiki this week.  Collaborating with David has been nice because we went in with a game plan and executed.  Before we even started on the wiki we exchanged emails where we set the tone of what would be on the wiki.  I put together the framework but before we started putting content we made sure we were on the same page (which we were).  Once the framework was in place we draw straws on what work we’re going to post.  Editing occurred after the first layer was put on and fortunately we were only doing minor edits or add-ons.  At some point I figured leaving comments on the wiki wasn’t going to be the best way to collaborate as I could use the RSS feed to see the updates.  I felt this wiki was about working smarter not harder.  A message I try to impart on my students.

Talking over my experiences with another student in the class I discovered that taking the time to set things up really made the whole process much easier.  If either David or I had just jumped in and created the first layer there would have been a lot of issues down the road, especially if we didn’t agree on the content.  Is this ideal?  For the most part I would agree.  We teach our students to plan and draft before putting together a first draft.  Isn’t that the expectation we should have on their teachers?

Not every school district is fortunate enough to have the funding sources to have a 1:1 environment that includes desktops or laptops but that doesn’t mean districts can’t fund 1:1 for its’ students.  To me 1:1 is about individual access to digital information.  In Steve Dembo’s presentation at the K12 Online Conference he talks about different ways to achieve mobile learning in the classroom.  To me districts need to think about what technologies to the children already have access to to utilize 1:1 access to digital information.  Steve highlights cell phones, portable gaming devices, and pdas in his presentation.

I think with the advent of the Apple’s iPhone and Nokia’s N800 we are seeing the power of technology getting smaller and cheaper without loosing power and impact in the classroom.  These devices take advantage of WiFi hotspots and give the user access to the Internet.  More and more applications that use to sit on the drive of the computer now becoming web-based these WiFi devices become more and more appealing for a 1:1 solution.

The cheapest 1:1 solution probably will never make it into a U.S. classroom.  I’m talking about the OLPC XO laptop.  The laptop costs about $150 a piece and within a couple of years it might make the $100 price point that the project was trying to achieve.  These laptops are going to 3rd world countries to make 1:1 affordable for countries that would never be able to afford it any other way.

Ubiquitous classrooms 10 years ago was a pipe dream now it is a reality.  Access to the technology is only the first step in achieving an educational revolution for the 21st Century.  Teachers and administrators need to know how best to use it to impact teaching and student learning.

I’ve been very fortunate in my technology experiences as I’ve been involved with the Maine Learning with Technology Initiative (MLTI).  MLTI provides every 7th and 8th grader and their teacher with a leveled classroom no matter where you are in the state of Maine.  Each classroom is equipped with a wireless connection to the Internet and each teacher and student has a wireless laptop chock full of software.  Leaders in the program are very quick to let you know that this is not a technology project but a teaching project that uses technology.  A lot of time and effort has gone into professional development.

Last week, MLTI and eMints collaborated together to hold a Summer Institute in which David Warlick was a featured speaker.  The Summer Institute featured technology but it didn’t feature how-to session but rather how-can sessions.  It didn’t start that way.  In the first two years professional development integrated the how-to and how-can sessions.  At a certain point there was a conscience decision to make the shift.  The ownership of the how-to needed to be on the local level.  The end results of the project so far as shown the depth of professional development.

If people just look at test scores they would claim 1:1 has not been the best use of tax dollars, much like in NYC did earlier this year.  1:1 has meant access to resources that children may never have received due to tight budgets and the lack of resources.  1:1 has meant good teaching has developed into great teaching.  Students are more engaged in classes, less abscenses, and less disciplinary referrals.  Parents in some cases have had access to technology in the home when they wouldn’t be able to afford it for their own children.  These successes have not gone unnoticed.

People from all over the world have visited Maine classrooms.  Teachers have spread their success stories to a worldwide audience.  Schools have changed their views of education in the 21st Century.  It has taken four years but these success have extended to the high school level.  This fall each high school teacher will be getting their own laptop in anticipation of high school students across the state of Maine getting laptops next fall.

I’m not sure if this is a good sign or not…

Personal Learning Networks have really evolved as a professional development tool over the last few years. Before we were limited to face to face type interactions, reading web pages, or participating in listservs. Each of these served a purpose but now we have so many more tools at our disposal. To make my point a little easier on the eye I created a graphic for your viewing pleasure.

Anything in yellow represents recent (within the last 5 years) methods for teachers to expand their network for professional development. Think about how this might grow in the next few years.Students are already utilizing these tools teachers should be as well.

I like blogging because it gives me a voice on the Internet that has worldwide appeal.  No, I’m not egotistical but one of the great things about blogging is that anyone around the world can read your thoughts and opinions and share theirs on the topics, giving the blog worldwide appeal.  On this particular blog I’ve had people from all different parts of the world leave a comment giving me a chance to connect with people I never would have the chance to meet face-to-face.  For that I say thank you.

Blogging also provides a two way conversation with your audience.  I’ve read some great posts that have made a profound impact on me or made me think about things that I might have taken for granted.  My way of thanking them is to leave a comment.  It is such an easy thing to do but it continues the conversation.  Even if I disagree I have the chance to express it.  The only way I could do that in a Web 1.0 world would be to create a static page which most likely wouldn’t be read or start a flaming war.

In the classroom blogging can be a very powerful tool to engage students in a meaningful way.  Students have a chance to have an authentic audience.  They can engage in powerful conversations which is living proof of their learning.

If you have any other items to share please leave a comment.

This weekend I’ve been painting my daughters’ room which hasn’t been a whole lot of fun but that is another story for another time at a different blog.  Anyway…if you were looking for a way to explain the difference between a Web 1.0 site and a 2.0 site then here you go.

A Web 1.0 site is like a room that has already been painted.  If you don’t like it you have to wait for a new color to be put on the walls (a new/revised site).

A Web 2.0 site documents the stages of painting the room.  Users can see the prep work, the primer coat(s), the trim work, the first coat, the second coat, and any touch up.  Along the way you wife, your daughters, or whomever can leave comments (criticism) with the idea to producing the best product as possible.

Either way my daughters have a Fairytale Pink bedroom.