NECC, Tuesday, Session 3 and I'm running out of steam!

Connecting Space and Place: GIS for Upper Elementary Grades

Bob Kolvaard

• Geographer's question – Why are things where they are?


• Software solution to use lots of data within maps to answer geographer's question




• Arc Explorer – Java Edition for Education – freeware from http://www.esri.com/aejee

NECC, Tuesday, Session 2: Bernie Dodge

Bernie Dodge

This is the other father or WebQuests. His theme is that the mechanics of doing WebQuests keep people from creating WebQuests. He is looking at a way to make the whole thing easier. The whole presentation is available.

Among the most useful thoughts were these:

• Finding good links is hard – try www.ethemes.org/ethemes/index.shtml where teachers have been creating libraries of good links based on grade level and topic areas


• pedagogical knowledge using the WebQuest Design Patterns

Then he spoke about authoring tools that allow you to focus on the concepts rather than the mechanics. Many provide both the development and the space. These may be of limited interest as they include other requirements.

• All in French: www2.csduroy.qc.ca/mission/generateur/index.asp


• Teachnology


• PHPwebquest (docs are all in Spanish and must be installed on a local server)


• Instant Webquest


• Teacherweb.com (not free after 30 days) – check out a sample made here

But he’s also creating a space to scaffold future WebQuest development

• QuestGarden will be available Sept 1 2005.


• Free until Sept 1, 2006; $20/2 yr after
  

Tuesday at NECC -- Session 1

Tom March, Drive for 2005, Drivefor2005.org

The first session I visited was Tom March. He was one of the original developers of WebQuests and has extended the idea to emphasize reaching beyond the classroom and making a difference in the world. Last year, the session was full before I got there so I left early.

Snippets

• New 3R’s – real, rich and relevant learning


• The new WWW – wherever, whenever, whatever


• In 2008, market for ring tones is estimated at $4 billion


• Scott Fitzgerald: “The victor belongs to the spoils.”


• Martin Seligman – studies “authentic happiness” – 3 paths only the last 2 work (30 years of research)


• Pursuing pleasure


• Taking meaningful actions


• Service to something larger than yourself




• William James: self-esteem = success/pretension (pretension means expectation)




• March: pretension > success = The Real “Whatever” because so much expectation is forced at kids via TV, phones, web, etc.




• Construct rather than Consume


• Ipod – you make your own radio station

• To capture student interest:




• Create a Class Portal – ex. Immaculata HS with essays on slavery – not a lesson, not a unit – living


• Create a hotlist


• Create/monitor wikipedia page


• Create blog

Drivefor2005

• Steps to create one of the involvement strategies


• Filamentality – ozline.com – search here for links vetted by educators


• Learning to Look as a Class – encourages students to look differently at things




• Submit sites that are “ah-ha” – something is unique, weird perspective




• Class Act Portals for all -- blogs, wikis, etc.




• modeling passion about learning


• Meaningful learning


• Evolving, ongoing learning

NECC -- Day 1

Last night was the first session of NECC, the opening keynote by David Weinberger. He has some very challenging ideas about the nature of knowledge in the world of wikis and blogs. I first came in contact with him on a Library of Congress series on the digital future. His talk last night was about the same topic and covered many of the same points.

What was interesting to me also was what happened when I came back to write to all of you about this. I went first to check out his blog. The whole talk is there as well as some commentary back and forth -- all before he gave the speech!

BTW, I also ran into Sandy. She confirmed that she has dropped the class because of too much business at her new school.

Imagine My Surprise!

Well, I checked the blog and the listserv and the wiki before heading off to bed last night. Then I got up early this morning and checked all again. A few notes and some randome thoughts and I left a few replies. Then I went off to a meeting arriving back in Newark just a few minutes before class.

Little did I know that between breakfast and lunch a windstorm of conversations had taken place on the blog and the listserv. And of course, no one tipped me off in class.

As I read through all of it, however, I am struck by how closely your questions follow the lines of thinking I was attempting to draw out in class today. Yes, the project is unclear. Yes, the requirements are emerging as you get a better picture of what good integration is. Yes, the process is very much what your students will experience if you change your teaching style.

There is one more thought I'd like to share with you as you try to think freely about that project. That is, that we have discussed whether the "product" or the "process" is more important. In my mind, the "product" of this class is not the unit or the essay you'll be producing, those are only observable manifestations. The "product" I have as a goal is changes in your teaching behaviors and attitudes. I hope you leave with a mindset that allows you to evaluate your practice continually and to harness new technologies as they emerge.

So, if the project isn't great and doesn't score well on the rubric, do you get a "D" or "C" in the class??? Well, you get the idea.

Progress on the Rubric

Today's class agenda was to solidify the ideas that have been traversed thus far so they can be captured in the class rubric for the projects that each student or team will create. So far, we haven't said anything about what the "project" is and everyone seems fairly content to talk about the "project" as if they know what is meant. This is a lot like the blind men and the elephant.

So, is it possible to create a rubric that works for any lesson that integrates technology? And will our rubric be a good enough sieve that only those lessons and units that integrate technology well will get through?

Looking at Lessons

After today's class, the question that pops into my mind is where should we look first in deciding that a lesson is a good one. Perhaps the task or problem needs to be open-ended enough that there is space for students to exercise higher-order thinking. Perhaps the evaluation or rubric is the road map for students. Perhaps, as Tom March believes, it is important to give students reasons to reach beyond the classroom.

Then there are the mechanics of creating a lesson that is useful and doable within the "real" classroom.

Lots of ground to cover!

Day 1

We covered a lot of distance in the first class. Things went very well using the wiki to record each group's work. We'll have to see how that continues.

I'm anxious to see how the rubric progresses after everyone gets a taste of Jonassen.

Welcome!!

Writing on the morning before the class, I am extremely optimistic. We have a lucky 13 registered for the class.

If this class runs like its predecessors, the first week will be extremely stressful as students make the transition from more traditional styles to the style of this class. For the first time, we'll have a week off in the middle of the course and we'll see if that helps the projects and the stress level.

At this point, I'm also hopeful that students will participate in this blog or their own to reflect on how the course unfolds.