Architecture of Ideas

Size Doesn't Matter

"The mind is never right but when it is at peace with itself."-Seneca

I've been ruminating over this post for a couple of days. On the heels of Sunday morning's Edublogger Twitter frenzy over NECC photos, ownership and lack of attribution I was sitting in the Blogger's Cafe with Ewan McIntosh who was surfing my blog and offering encouragement. That is, until he found this.

"Laura, this is really good stuff, but this is my Flickr image. You didn't give me attribution."

You can imagine how I felt. Sure, I was able to fix the problem quickly, and with that twinkle in his eyes and great Scottish accent he offered redemption-assuming I could get him a good Americano coffee. (That's a whole 'nother story.) However, as someone who wants so very much to "do the right thing" even when someone else isn't looking, even if the audience is zero, I crumbled inside. Peace of mind I could not keep, and I knew that I had to write something meaningful--at least for me--in response.

As I pondered what to write, taking notes to self for how to use this example with students and schools, a much bigger thought began to evolve. In all of our efforts to sort through copyright, fair use in education, and the "everyone is a publisher" world, we make understanding and "doing the right thing" much too complicated for our students. It needs to be simpler.  It needs to be less about who the audience is, how big it is, and how the work is presented and distributed. (Although these are important questions and distinctions, and we need to teach methodologies for each situation.) More importantly, we should be focused on building individual character such that when the situations and gray areas come, there is a better chance of making the right choice. So I propose we model the process  by asking ourselves these questions:

#1 Is it mine or yours?

#2 Are you sharing it with me freely or are there conditions?

#3 Who should get the credit?

And, then model the following actions:

#1 Be honest. Regardless of circumstance, form, or audience give credit where credit is due.

#2 Don't take what isn't yours. If someone isn't sharing, they aren't sharing.

#3 Model and encourage sharing. The best way to change behavior is to model the behavior you wish to see.

Sure, there can be all kinds of nuances and conditions and "gray areas". But, if we keep it simple, the idea might become a habit. It just might stick.

Thanks, Ewan, and so many others for sharing. And for being so gracious.

 

Image Attribution: peace+postcard by Wiccked found using FlickrStorm (thanks to David Jakes)

Compliment and Attribution to: Average Audience for Students' Work by Ewan McIntosh

Drumming It Out

Sometimes it’s good to let them be bored...they're eight and 10, they'll have plenty of time for the computer.-Will Richardson, "Get Off The Computer"

Schedules. Busy schedules. Tools. Lots of tools. Toys. Lots of toys. Stimulation? Yes, overly so. It's not just the kids, it's all of us. As I sat at my computer this morning trying to put some of these ideas in my mind onto "paper" (funny how wed I am to that word), I found myself totally consumed by various Twitter DMs, divergent blog posts, and the streaming from Bloggers Cafe here at NECC. The information and community were coming fast offering a sugar-fix that helped me procrastinate that healthy square meal of longer reflection, creation and ultimately a sense of pride and maybe accomplishment.

Richardson and Kjellstrom's posts on boredom/nothingness stirred my mind last week. My inner monologue went something like "are we really doing nothing when we're bored"? What happens when our kids are bored, when we are bored, when life is boring.

That's where the drums come in. Somewhere is this muddle of a crazy life I started playing the drums. I don't have my own private tutor, I'm not planning to start a rock band, and I don't practice every day. I could tell you that I got hooked with the notion of /possibility of being a rock 'n roller when Tom Cruise gave his memorable "I'm a rock star" solo in Risky Business, or when I watched my friend Randall Kirsch take his gig into co-habitation with married-father-of-two-I-am-responsbile adult life. But, that wouldn't be telling the truth. It began when I was five, I was bored, and I discovered the pots and pans.

Discovery.  Imagination. Creativity. Possibility. Dreams. The pots and pans, the Coca-Cola bottles filled with varying levels of water, the untuned piano in the basement, the crickets outside at night. Long summers, three TV channels, education-only TV during the week, a library card and not a lot to "do" inspired a wanna-be-musician (at least a lover of music), a reader  and writer, and most importantly a true believer in The Art of Possibility. Though I complained loudly about being bored, by the time I settled into that place of quiet I was able to find who I was, where I fit in, what I could create, and some thoughts of who I might become.

Boredom is not "nothingness." As I wrote in response to Willy's blog post:

[B]oredom–or lack of a prescribed activity–enables imagination and creativity. Just like the lack of “saying anything” to fill space encourages private reflection, boredom actually moves us to higher levels of experience and engagement and learning.

I would add that boredom takes us to the place where we begin the process of learning how to learn, how to take ownership for our own learning, where we become empowered to be life-long learners. This is what our kids and our students really do need. I agree with Will: There is always time for all the rest.

Footnote: I'm really not learning how to play the drums. Not to say that I wouldn't love to learn. But, I am learning to "drum out" my passions, live into the possibilities, and encourage those around me to do the same. A drummer I shall be.

Photo: Stephen Still's Boredoms uploaded November 15, 2007

Refining Searches

If you are interested in creating refined search engines, then follow Willy Kjellstrom's lead. I've just embedded his Edublogger search engine in the right side bar of my blog...and I'm pretty excited about it. He's got another one for Educational NonProfits, and my mind is spinning thinking of the possibilities for the classroom.

What if you wanted to encourage the use of certain vocabulary words in your students' writing? What if they were doing a fair bit of writing on their classroom blogs? What if you created a customized search engine just for your classroom blogs and searched for the use of certain words? You could so easily share the examples with the rest of the class and discuss best uses? How cool...and how effective...

That's just an off-the-top-of-my-head response...I wonder what the possibilities could be? I love it.

Visualization

Welcome to Wordle! Grab some text and watch what Wordle will do with it. I gave them my del.icio.us tags, and this is what my social bookmarking looks like in Wordle. Kinda cool. Not sure what the educational application might be (I am thinking about literary texts and Christian Long's recent post)... but nonethless I love it's visual appeal!

They Are Our Children

Parents should be able to comfort their children by saying 'Everything is going to be alright, it's not the end of the world, we're doing the best we can.' -Severn Suzuki, 12

In 1992 at age 12, Severn Suzuki admonished the UN council and challenged members to take environmental action instead of offering empty words to their children. Her passionate determination to make change left ambassadors speechless and a later YouTube generation enthralled. (This video of her speech has been viewed nearly 2 million times.) That was 16 years ago. And whether the issue is our environment, our ethics, or how we educate our children,  it seems that our actions are still falling far short of our words.

I've spent the better part of a weekend reading through my RSS feeds, awash as I was in a backlog of too-much-information-but-I-refuse-to-offer-up-the-white-flag posts. From news feeds to edubloggers, enterprising souls and market gurus to NGOS and inspiring videos, I labored along looking for the difference-makers, the traction, the sign of something I could grab hold of-whatever the subject-and show my kids that indeed "everything is going to be alright." I see some great work being done, some inspired thinking, enthusiastic and creative efforts...and a long way to go. But I do sense that people care, and I am reaffirmed in my belief that one person can truly make a difference in the world.

Two thoughts resonate with me as I reflect tonight on what I've read, what I've seen, and where we need to go. First, at no time in history have we had the tools at our fingertips for individuals to communicate, connect, collaborate and create the changes we need at the scale we need them-the scale Severn sought. The ability to construct an effective message and corresponding solutions to global issues is unparalleled. Second, it is my job-our job as educators and parents-to engage our children in the world and help them find their issues, exercise their voices, and mobilize their actions. They can make a difference. The only way for me-for us-to do that is to have our walk match our talk. Model it! I've got to do the work, exercise the voice, and aim for integrity.

As a child growing up, my dad was my Great Challenger and my Great Comforter.  His expectations were always  high, but his words were carefully chosen, his embrace tender, his attention genuine, and his actions said far more than any great word he uttered. Trust and hope for the future were something I never had to question...and anger was something I never had to understand. Climbing onto his lap, or nestled beside him while he was reading, I knew deeply that "everything was going to be alright".

I think I might have a little of Suzuki's passionate determination (the action). And, it seems I am called to vision creative, authentic learning environments that are relevant in the 21st century (the issue). However, most importantly, I hope that I have enough grace and integrity to do the very best I can (the real gift).

Thousands, Perhaps Millions, Think

Faceparty
Originally uploaded by RichardAM

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think”. 

–Lord Byron

I spent Friday morning exploring the world of blogs with 150 7th graders. Their wonderful English teachers are giving them a gift: their own individual blogs.  Assessed only for completion they will be geared towards passions, interests, and development of individual voice. The student excitement was contagious, and their engagement evident. I cannot wait to see what they will discover about themselves and one another, who the writers are and who the community builders will be!

Process
I spent the first part of each class brainstorming with the students to identify what blogging is and how it is different than writing to an audience of 1.



We discussed Lord Byron's quote, and the students--in groups of about 40 separated by gender (we are piloting single gender classes at Lovett with great success)--were very clear about his poetry. "We have the ability to be influential with our words," they exclaimed. (I was impressed...) We talked about words, reflection, our voices, conversation and commentary, and the difference when you write in a social context. 

After determining what makes blogging different than traditional classroom writing we started reading. We spend the majority of the class looking at a wide variety of blogs, everything from Cute Overload and Daily Kitten to World Changing and Huffington's Post to Bethany's Post on Spiders (and the comments!) and 7th Grade Students Blogging in Singapore. We read about first time horse ownership, basketball, tap dancing, and why Dino Guardio should be Coach of the Year. (OK, tonight's UNC domination of Wake Forest will have me eating crow tomorrow...)

It was fascinating to explore these sites with them looking at text, design, structure and discussing images, video, and copyright. They were blown away by the Clustr Maps, and intrigued by blogrolls and links. Be Funky avatars and Vokis were tempting diversions for the boys, while the girls wrestled with "does mine have to have just one 'theme'"?

We'll be in the labs on Tuesday and Wednesday getting started, and then I'll move into my observing, commenting, and tweaking role--working with teachers and students. I look forward to sharing their voices from time to time. And I hope this community with help them grow. The classroom home sites are English 7 Blue and English 7 White.

PS: If you'd care to see the initial overview with links to the various blogs we considered, I've attached the document below.
Download intro_to_blogging.doc

Additional Photo References:  Average Audience of Student Work, By Edublogger

 

My Reflection on EduCon 2.0?

You gotta love Hugh MacLeod. He's smart and funny. OK, admittedly some of his cartoons are pretty "out there". But, as I was flipping through my reader tonight I tripped over this cartoon of his. And it resonated with me. It reminds me of what EduCon was last weekend. Not in the "cocktail conversation" sense; EduCon was meaningful, good stuff. I can't quite let go of the experience-and I'm not sure I have to. Thanks, Hugh.

Creating a Culture of Care and Understanding

Kids of conversation
Originally uploaded by Kris Hoe

The recent conversation over on Will's blog and the subsequent posting by Christian Long at Think:Lab continue to percolate in my mind. The question is "Is it necessary for a blogging program to extend the conversation 'outside the garden', go global, in order to be effective"? What is the "right" answer?  Hmmm...more hmmm...

I've been at work these past few months trying to establish a foothold in a traditional independent middle school in order to help them "up the mountain": helping them envision a school that is more student-centered, inquiry-driven, and connected. I converse with the teachers and the students about a 21st century where our ability to create, communicate, connect, collaborate, critically think...and bring our integrity...is vital. And although it isn't about the tools and the technology, the network wouldn't be real without it. So, we have 1/2 of the 8th grade students blogging in their English classes, all 150 8th graders and their teachers launching science-related blogs, and a 7th grade group of 150 anxiously awaiting time for me to get them up and running.

But, so what? As I mentioned to my friend Willy the other day, it isn't about the numbers. It isn't about the tool. It is really about the conversation. Do they "get" the conversation, and what will that conversation look like? How will it affirm them as writers, as human beings? Will it give them a greater sense of "self", a place to pursue their interests and develop their thinking, and a desire to use this platform to effectively develop their voice? Will they begin to understand that they are part of a network of learners? And do they have to have a "larger connection", a "global network", a high level civic engagement (political or social) to "get it"?

I think the essential question we ought to asking here, as it relates to blogging and more importantly to our learning environments, is this: "What experiences am I providing my students such that they are aware they are a part of a culture of care and understanding"? If I as an educator can create that culture in my classroom, or in my school, where all participants feel "heard", where their passions have "flight and freedom", where they can grow and respect one another's growth...then, I think the answer to the global is "no." These tools invite an extended learning environment, a 24/7 community, and (thank you, Konrad): flow. Assuming the participants support the envisioned culture of care and understanding--a supportive environment--then looking somewhere else really isn't necessary. (@chrislehmann--you've really got it at SLA.)

Growing up I was blessed with a family that spent time together. In particular, I had a father who understood the value of listening such that I know what it means to be "heard." Much like many children, I didn't always feel heard at school, or understood by others. And I would oft work to "please" my teachers. My world expanded as we traveled the country and visited numerous countries overseas, and my three-week stay with a French family solidified my commitment to open-mindedness, a global perspective, and the value of relationships. The world view has been invaluable, and I do not mean to suggest that we don't need to offer our students the tremendous opportunity to make those connections. I just fundamentally believe that giving our students a place to develop their voice where it is cared for, honored, and grown, is paramount to any other gift I can bring.

So, let's blog...responsibly...locally..globally...but most importantly, with the end goal in mind.

 

 

Learning "2.0"

learn
Originally uploaded by aaron schmidt

As part of a year long professional development program led by Will Richardson and Sheryl Nussbaum Beach we were asked to reflect on this post and the question "What is learning 2.0 to you"? The reflections have been quite interesting to read, and they have been varied with one exception: We all agree that we don't know the answer, but we are encouraged and inspired to learn.

I’m not sure I would want to fragment “learning” into evolutions like "1.0" and "2.0"; there is something about “what learning is” that holds sway in spite of any current climate. (The philosopher in me.) However, I do agree that the process-how we learn, what we need to learn, where we learn, and from whom we learn- has evolutionary characteristics. And indeed we are in one of those moments in history when our technological advances (our new “tools”) are forcing us to re-think, re-engineer, and re-design those processes, or in our irrelevance we will fail to engage and our students will fail to learn. If we aren't relevant, then learning cannot be “meaning-making.”

I would not argue that education should be like a child: an impulsive “early-adopter." It should serve the “wise-man’s role.” However, with all that we know about how learning happens and what learning "is", we keep giving ourselves over to the status quo- such that our wisdom looks like fool’s gold. Growth, which happens in learning, does not happen standing still. In this age of technological change that affords information abundance (and a repository), a long tail of participatory opinion and interest, and infinite community, education seems idle yet again; and the early adopters, our students and children, appropriate these tools for their own use without modeled wisdom. It is wonderful that they can teach us; but, something is missing isn't it?

If we as educators can appropriate these new tools for ourselves to support what we believe to be vital to learning, and remain open to what may seem “foreign” to us, then perhaps we can bring wisdom to the sea of change and impart a respect for and love of lifelong learning. How do we go about this? By learning how to use the tools first for ourselves. That is what this practicum and community are about. In my mind, we are using the tools our students use in a way that is relevant for us-it supports something we're interested in. We are learning to access and process vast amounts of information, search for relevancy, evaluate, synthesize, connect, communicate, collaborate, and critically think. As we get comfortable using these tools, then we look for the application in our classrooms knowing that teaching the "natives" how to use the technology isn't going to be the issue. Rather, we can aim higher in our learning outcomes by nature of what the tools do for us, and we can anticipate greater engagement from them by the nature of what the tools enable the kids to do: engage, find authentic audiences, develop voice...participate.

 

Visualizing the Network

(Note: To better view the images please click on them. A pop-up window will provide an enlarged view.)

In this cartoon, written on the back of a business card, Hugh Mcleod captures the very essence of the dramatic transformation created by the evolving Read/Write Web: Ivory towers, market and knowledge monopolies, and isolationist endeavors are losing value to the explosive power of the transparent, free, and highly connected NETWORK. Businesses are getting it (check out IBM's use of social networking and collaborative tools and Forbes' May 2007 issue on the network); young and old alike are getting it (30% of American adults are Elite Users of technology in a connective way and over 55% of online teens use social networking sites-see Pew Internet and American Life Project); philanthropy is getting it; and as I have written before The MacArthur Foundation considers the network important enough to invest $50 million in a 5 -ear study of Digital Media and Learning. Most recently...

The MacArthur Foundation announced a public competition that will award $2 million in funding to emerging leaders, communicators, and innovators shaping the field of digital media and learning.

Their website alone reflects the value they place on the new networked culture. Why are they making this investment? Perhaps it is because educational institutions are slow to embrace change; and the change underway is a fundamental shift that places a higher value on connections,"one's network", than on "one (isolated) node."

How do you show the uninitiated how the connectivity of this network impacts learning? How do you take the plunge yourself? As my good friend MT remarked about writing after spending a weekend with author Sue Monk Kidd, "You've just got jump in and start doing it"! As an adult, I couldn't agree more. That is why I started learning how to blog, use RSS, socially bookmark with del.icio.us, post photos to Flickr, build Ning social networks, and establish wikis. By engaging in these networked environments, I learn like I've never learned before.

Let's look at two examples which will help visually demonstrate (1) the concept of the network and (2) the value of the network for learning. First, let's explore the del.icio.us network. Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking service that collects its users' bookmarks and organizes them by user as well as by the tags or keywords which have been assigned it. You can group your own bookmarks by the tags, and you can also view what other websites have been bookmarked by the same tag name. It is a great way to organize your own resources and connect to find more research on a particular topic.

What gets particularly interesting is the ability to follow certain people and what they bookmark. This is termed "your network." Not only can you view your network, but you can click on a link and see what has been tagged by the people in their network. When you realize how these networks connect, it is pretty amazing to see the depth. For example, Will Richardson is in my network and here is a graphic representation of his network. Note: He is represented by the large node in the middle and the spokes are the people he follows:

Now, let's take a look at one of Will's nodes and view their network. Here I've chosen Will's friend and fellow blogger/principal/educator Chris Lehmann:

You can continue to click on the nodes and see an ever-expanding network of people...and their networks...and everyone's tags. If you are following people that are interested in what you're interested in, or if you just use del.icio.us tagging to explore a topic regardless of who tagged it, you can elevate your research and learning to an exponential level. Imagine the potential for students and classrooms as they work together to build a body of knowledge sources but with more time to critically think and assess as opposed to hunt and peck?

Second, educator and blogger Vicki Davis in rural Camilla, Georgia has expanded the world for her students using wikis, video,podcasts, Ning, Skype,blogs...and more! Her first project, The Flat Classroom Project, was based on Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat. Her students and a classroom in Bangladesh explored the flatteners identified in Friedman's book using the tools and harnessing the network for information, experts, peer reviewers, and distribution of their final product. Their project can be found here (the actual project home-a wiki); and here (Teacher Tube video presentation); and here (Willy Kjellstrom of Trinity School's podcast with Vicki posted on his blog); and here (their project noted on pages 501-503 of the new third edition of Friedman's book).

Davis's interview is really worth the 30 minute listen. She is absolutely effusive about what can happen in a classroom which is "connected." One thing that has stayed with me since listening to her: Simply put, she says that you can study the trends in a classroom, but it is another thing altogether when your students can experience the trends.

When I stop and try to wrap my mind around the network and all its potentialities, I realize that the network is the new platform and no one has a monopoly on it (not yet). Educating our students, and ourselves, on how to navigate this network and become responsible, critical-thinking digital citizens is fundamental to our ability to participate, let alone lead, in the world ahead. I think MT and Davis have it spot-on: We've got to experience it.