• 2007 - Leaders of the Future where I focused in developing the leader in every learner.
• 2008 - Just Do It where I urged administrators to stop waiting for the district reorg or the next version of Windows or that bandwidth you were promised 3 years ago and get moving. Listen to kids, don’t listen the teachers who can’t seem to manage an email account, damn the torpedos and full steam ahead.

So what to do for 2009? I still believe that leadership has to be nurtured at every level. I still believe that we can’t wait for some perfect storm to implement our perfect plan. So what’s new?

What’s new in my mind is that it’s all linked together with choice, and more specifically agency. I’ve become increasingly aware that there is no leadership without choice at every level. I’m not talking about the now politicized “school choice” nor a meaningless choice between two barely distinguishable options. This isn’t about picking a red or blue cover for your 5 page essay. Students must have choices and true agency over their own learning.

To accomplish this, you must also have teachers who have choices and true agency over their own classroom and a say in their own school. Administrators who are leaders must have agency, choice, and a vision that others can follow - if they choose. If they are leaders, people will follow. But only if there is a real option to not follow. You aren’t a leader if everything is decided in advance. You aren’t be a leader if your followers are just there for the paycheck, or if they are students, graduation credit.

Leadership is inextricably bound to free will, in the same way democracy is.

And to insist on choice and agency, you must believe that learning is natural and that most children want to learn. You must believe that most teachers really do want to reach children and nurture that amazing natural spark; you must believe that most parents love their children and want what’s best for them. To believe otherwise is to crush that delicate flower with the iron glove of control. That’s not leadership.

“Unless the people who live in schools day in and day out, principally the kids and staff, are entrusted to use their intelligence on behalf of the task at hand, we’ll not get change for the better. Anything else is inefficient, a waste of our precious time and resources.” Deborah Meier, The Power of Their Ideas 1995

I like Scott’s graphic for Leadership Day 2009 - but if it were up to me, every light bulb would be lit. That’s leadership.

Sylvia

The other day I was working and glanced at Twitter. I swear, just a little. I saw a tweet that said something like, “Do you play games on your iphone”. I answered the tweet and pretty soon an email showed up saying I had a message on Facebook. It’s from a New York Times reporter asking if would I mind answering a few questions about playing games on my iphone.

Seriously, the New York Times wants to talk to me.

The reporter calls me the next day and we talk for 20 minutes about games and if I was a gamer (no) and why I play games on the iphone now. Then she asks if would be OK if she sent a photographer over to take some photos of me playing games. I’m thinking, how crazy is this? (and what should I wear!) But sure, why not.

The next morning a freelance photographer calls. She’s in Pasadena, a good hour drive from where I am. But she shows up and spends another hour taking photos of me playing games. She especially likes one game, Jelly Car, because it’s simple and has large graphics that show up well on camera. I play a beginner level for 10 minutes, starting over and over again while holding it in different ways.

And yes, it comes out. And I’m quoted for one line, and of course she managed to work in my age. Was that necessary? But best of all, I don’t hate the photo!

Here’s the link to the article, Yet Another Vogue for iPhones (you’ll need to register (free) for the New York Times.) It’s about how casual game players are a new market for games. No, it’s not about ME, but hey, I got the big photo.

That’s what you get for answering a tweet in the middle of the day!

Sylvia

Steve has also had a huge part in developing our new TechYES TLC - Technology Literacy Curriculum.

Steve is a Midwestern transplant to the Northwest. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, he graduated from The Evergreen State College in 2002. After graduation, Steve became certified to teach ESL and moved to Japan where he spent the next three and a half years. Many travels later, Steve returned to St. Louis and began working with special needs students in the Hazelwood School District. Currently, he is working on a Master’s in Public Administration from The Evergreen State College.

Steve says, “I’m a bit of a philosopher, particularly the philosophies of education and politics. I strongly believe that through technology and collaborative learning, schools can become more effective and efficient in their mission to prepare students for the responsibilities of productive citizenship.”

Looks like he’s fitting right in!

Sylvia

In this 4 minute video, Gever Tulley talks about his Tinkering School. This is a subject I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, especially in regards to technology. My post a few months ago, Technology Literacy and Sustained Tinkering Time was about how looking at technology through the lens of tinkering makes more sense than approaching it through checklists and skill acquisition charts.

But I think this TED talk is nice because it shows kids doing things, and he talks about what is necessary to facilitate this kind of learning — time, materials, and openness to the serendipity of both success and failure. Time is such a key element. Time to think, time to change your mind, and time to work through frustration.

In the comment page for the video, there is a a lively discussion of how computers fit into this world of “stuff” for kids to mess around with. Some people look at computers (and video games) as taking children out of the “real world” of making things with hammers and nails, but I know that computers are not in opposition to children tinkering. Children, especially with open-ended, creative software tools can flow seamlessly between creating virtual and real things that have meaning to them.

This fits in perfectly with my work next week at the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute. I’m looking forward to 4 days of tinkering with all the cool materials and software we bring in. According to Gary Stager, who leads the institute, teachers often see student frustration as a failure, and want to “help” students through it as quickly as possible. He says that teachers simply need to fine tune their reactions to differentiate between “mouth up” and “mouth down” frustration. No one wants to just leave a student stuck forever in an endless loop of problems. But to rescue them too soon means they never develop the problem solving skills they need. At CMK, the teachers learn that lesson by going through it themselves, tackling complex projects that have natural cycles of success, frustration, and more success.

Here’s a video from CMK last year, made during the event by one of the participants, that shows some of this in action.

By the way, there are a few places left, so sign up and come on down. What better way to spend a week than going to technology tinkering school!

Sylvia

It’s rocketing up the charts of “most popular “videotaped sessions from NECC 2009 with a huge 96 views!!! I can’t wait for my NECCY award

See other popular videos at www.istevision.org

Sylvia

“This article in the San Francisco Chronicle and the accompanying video describe the school in East Palo Alto where I have been tutoring for four years.  Eastside is a result of creative genius and hard work; it had to be invented and the existing models were scarce.  The story is impressive - Chris Bischof, a basketball fanatic in high school, found the best pickup games were in East Palo Alto, which once led the nation in per capita murders. When he was heading off to Stanford Chris realized that none of his ball playing friends was going anywhere.  That simple observation became the focus of his undergraduate career, and led him to that first meeting with eight students about 13 years ago.”

Eastside Succeeds By Focusing on Students - San Francisco Chronicle, June 11, 2009

Sandy goes on, “There are some phrases in the article that make the whole thing sound simple, that anyone could do it: “believing in students helps them find success”, “the school appears to brush aside any doubt that closing the achievement gap can be done.”  The important quote is a modest one from Chris, who really deserves a MacArthur ‘genius’ grant or at least national recognition - “it’s the full package - that’s what it takes.”  If anyone wonders why a nearby high school with similar goals and student body, and the support of Stanford University, just flounders along, it’s because this is not a simple thing that can be achieved with slogans and college pennants hanging on the walls.”

Sandy has hit on some of difficulties of communicating why school models differ. It’s difficult to explain how slogans don’t translate to success, when slogans are such compact little devices. In contrast, subtle, complex human interaction takes too long to explain, much less to actually do.

“The article mentions some features of the school.  Here are more contents of “the full package”:  There is a large room reserved for tutoring by volunteers, and tutoring time is built into each day. There is a modern computer lab and complete connectivity throughout the school, but no library.  Teachers are remarkably dedicated to the school’s mission - their regular day is 8 to 5 with kids.  Advanced Placement classes, including calculus, advanced biology, and physics, are in each student’s program.  All students reach at least pre-calculus.  Every incoming student takes summer school to get up to speed in math and writing.  Every senior spends 6 weeks at the summer “boot camp” in preparation for all phases of the college admission process.  Every student takes Spanish; those who already speak it take courses to prepare them for AP Spanish.  All students take art and music and show their work in public exhibits and concerts at the school.  A full time staff member is dedicated to staying in touch with graduates during their college years.  Every senior does a research project that is presented, quite professionally in my experience, to a panel of teachers.  All this is provided tuition-free.”

This school does sound like a fabulous, caring place, but there are places with great facilities that fail miserably to serve their students. There are so many lessons to be learned here, but I think the big one is, “…the full package–that’s what it takes.” Tinkering around the edges won’t work, nor will slogans about how different things will be. Sandy says, “it had to be invented” not because good schools don’t exist, but because real innovation can’t be checked off a shopping list or slapped together from parts and pieces. Sharing models, and going beyond the superficial is important to help all the other future Eastsides and future Chris Bischofs of the world. People have the power to reinvent education, we just need to share success stories, ideas, and why the hard work is worth it.

Sylvia

Lots of exciting things going on at NECC this year!

On the Exhibit Floor - Come by booth 2918 and meet some local TechYES students who are going to be making some photo souvenirs for selected conference attendees right in our booth. If you love politics and technology, don’t miss the fun!

TechYES TLC - Making its nationwide debut at NECC is our new student Technology Literacy Curriculum, TechYES TLC. Completely online and up-to-date, this curriculum gives technology teachers options and guidance to create an engaging, student-centered, project-based learning experience. Access to some revolutionary project planning and classroom tools will be included in the permanent license.

I’ll be meeting with quite a few press and ed tech media folks to talk about what we’ve done with TechYES TLC.

Sessions

• Digital Equity Symposium - one of the roundtable discussions will be led by Dr. Dennis Harper Monday, June 30 8:30AM
• 30 Years Later: The Best Technology Professional Development - Sylvia Martinez, Tuesday, July 1 12:30PM
• Classroom 2.0: What Is Web 2.0’s Role in Schools? ( Steve Hargadon, CoSN/EdTechLive with Darren Draper, David Jakes, Chris Lehman, Julie Lindsay and Sylvia Martinez) Wednesday July 2, 12:30PM

Pre-conference - And once again, the 3rd Annual Constructivist Celebration event on Sunday, June 19 is SOLD OUT! If you were lucky enough to get in when we announced this last month, we’ll see you there for a fabulous day of creativity and constructivism.

So if you are going to be at NECC, be sure to say hello!

Sylvia

“Based on the numbers, Twitter is certainly not a service where everyone who has seen it has instantly loved it,” said Bill Heil, a graduate from Harvard Business School who carried out the work.

That quote alone got me thinking. Since when does everyone have to love the same thing instantly and do things in exactly the same way. Oh, right — school.

A couple of months ago I wrote two posts on the subject of tinkering that have probably gotten me the most (offline) comments of anything I’ve written. Technology Literacy and Sustained Tinkering Time and Tinkering as a mode of knowledge production in a Digital Age.

Part of the magic of tinkering is that everyone does not do the same thing, that people can easily pick up tools and materials (digital or otherwise) and quickly do something that is personally engaging.

Hurray for Twitter for making it so easy to try out, so easy to decide if it’s right (or wrong) for you. Hurray for a world where you can twitter about lunch and twitter to save your country.

Are there parallels to learning?

In some ways, yes… especially for technology, making simple tools available means people (students and teachers) can try them out and find immediate uses. Or discard them quickly. They have a low barrier to entry. Twitter fits this bill nicely.

In some ways, no… education is about asking youth to find their passion and make meaning of the world, without making them hate it. Even if it takes effort to push them into it, even if it takes a caring, persistent adult to show a youth that that passion does indeed exist. Tools that offer a high ceiling, a potential to go further than you ever thought possible, to create, to creep into complexity, to explore a craft deeply, meet this need. That’s not Twitter, nor most of the Web 2.0 world.

Tools that offer both are indeed extremely rare and valuable.

Sylvia

How are Digital Games Used in Schools covers  the use of games in schools in Europe: video games, computer games, online games that run on consoles, computers, handhelds or mobile phones.

- Full report (180 page PDF) - English version
- Synthesis report (40 page PDF) - English version

The researchers interviewed over 500 teachers, 30 decision-makers, and included 6 case studies and a review of the scientific literature. They came to some interesting conclusions, both from a teaching and learning standpoint.

• “The teachers who are involved in these practices leave nothing to improvisation in their pedagogical use of these games; on the contrary, they prepare them very carefully.”
• “Experiments in the classroom use of games are bringing teachers together in a community of practice, and associating the whole educational community and parents around the pupils’ achievements.”
• “Practices centred on games rehabilitate more traditional teaching tools in the eyes of the pupils.”

European Schoolnet also established a social network as part of this study for teachers interested in using digital games in the classroom.

From the conclusion - “The investigations that have been made show that electronic games favour a way of learning that is particularly in tune with the modes of learning now regarded as effective. The table below summarizes several major principles of learning that are now known and recognized. It relates them
to the characteristics of electronic games and the modes of use that they generate. The correspondences that
emerge argue in favour of a‘re-opening of the case’ [of using digital games in the classroom].”

- Full report (180 page PDF) - English version
- Synthesis report (40 page PDF) - English version

Sylvia

WALLS TALKING PROJECT. The idea is to ‘listen’ to the graffiti talk around us (on our walls, doors, desks, chairs, floors, T-shirts, schoolbags, etc.), and to record and share interesting finds. If other interested teachers and students respond by posting photos and related info, this could turn into a nice project of the wall/s/talking in our schools, streets, towns, countries, world. Sketches, squiggles, doodles and other more sophisticated street art around us is the part of public spaces usually walked by, unnoticed by most people. More information | Flickr group | Wiki

SHARE YOUR MAGICAL MOMENTS FOR A GLOBAL ONLINE BOOK. Students around the world are invited to unite in sharing their magical moments in a global online book, showing youth that their personal magical moment is part of a human web that transcends borders is of incredible human value. And, it promotes values such as compassion and tolerance. Youth from Iceland, Zambia, Belarus, Romania, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sierra Leone, Portugal and Denmark have posted their magical moments. View online books and find out more here.

iEARN-THAILAND HOSTS 3-DAY WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS, JUNE 11-13, 2009. Hosted in Bangkok, Thailand, approximately 25 English Language teachers have joined together with iEARN-Thailand Co-Coordinators Sonthida Keyuravong and Patcharee Sridakum, and Tina Habib of iEARN-USA for a workshop on how to integrate iEARN global projects into their curricula. Meet them in the online Teachers Forum.

iEARN-MOROCCO (MEARN) TO HOST 16th ANNUAL iEARN CONFERENCE AND 13TH YOUTH SUMMIT IN IFRANE, MOROCCO, JULY 19-25, 2009. Innovative Technologies and Cross Cultural Dialogue For Quality Education. Participants from 45 countries are already registered: Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, France, Brasil, Canada, Spain, UAE, USA, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Oman, Netherlands, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Indonesia,Taiwan, Slovenia, Tunisia,Turky, Kenya, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Argentina, South Africa, Lebanon, Yemen, Israel, Belarus, Suriname, Nepal, Malaysia, Palestine, Iraq, Uzebekistan, Thailand, Pakistan, Georgia, and Poland.

Can’t make it to Morocco? Join the Conference Forum and Youth Summit Forum for ongoing discussions and updates.

Sylvia

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