tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44705116269810783782024-03-05T08:45:33.577-05:00RedHead-EdAn experiment in trying to maintain some semblance of a regularly scheduled journal entry system. I think I can, I think I can....RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-17092175569890043362008-04-30T08:33:00.007-04:002008-05-01T12:03:23.502-04:00Estimating the amount of Change at Sto-Rox<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLk-kjY5nlpf-nHkUazahuQ636KbcJmWe024Be-Ugrd1BsvjB3aYeGtuen5Hmd20ekXj4q7DmlqFH10qXgGNRTLUYEyEyFBtoFZwsSJXmswoK7n__4-UTIHHM0dSeJUJ8RZkK-3CKBmw/s1600-h/2454464634_3dfd56359b_m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLk-kjY5nlpf-nHkUazahuQ636KbcJmWe024Be-Ugrd1BsvjB3aYeGtuen5Hmd20ekXj4q7DmlqFH10qXgGNRTLUYEyEyFBtoFZwsSJXmswoK7n__4-UTIHHM0dSeJUJ8RZkK-3CKBmw/s200/2454464634_3dfd56359b_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195019200429378722" /></a><br />Dispatch from the 1-1 Conference at PSU: Josh Lucas, CFF Coach and two colleagues told the story about the beginnings of dramatic change in culture. Essentially, whne you've hit bottom, there really is nowhere to go but up. Committment from leadership and "agitation" within the teaching corps has begun to meld into an effective learning environment. Sto-Rox deals with a community saddled with a number of long-term problems that afffect the culture within school. Since the CFF and Project 720 initiatives have started, both teachers and students are energized.<br />Kudos to all, and a hope for continued cultural and academic change.RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-69668442050162180252008-04-29T11:12:00.003-04:002008-04-29T11:18:13.544-04:00Paul Curtis, New Tech FoundationDispatch from the 1-1 learning Conference at PSU: Paul Curtis, Chief Innovation and Academic Officer (CIAO), explained that New Tech Foundation was formed to handle all of the site visits related to New Tech High in Napa CA. Has become a professional development organization that can convert schools to 21st Century environments.<br />RESPECT in 20th Century schools: listen to the teacher. 21st C: cultural shift - no single right answer, trust, responsibility, respect.<br /><br />Focusing on certain 21st C Skills: Worked with WestEd - what essential skills do you want all Ss to have? Allkids should know and do - every class addresses. Do that now with every school wanting to become like "New Tech High"RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-90822416337461857662008-03-14T09:54:00.004-04:002008-03-14T11:02:00.886-04:00Question for CFF Coaches to considerThe March 10, 2008 issue of Teacher Magazine online had a fascinating edited version of a transcript "<a href="http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2008/03/05/23tln_norton_web.h19.html?print=1">Are Teachers Ready for 21st Century Learning?</a>" in which members of the Teacher Leaders Network discussed their thoughts and feelings about their reaction to a Karl Fisch blog post from last year, "<a href="http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/09/is-it-okay-to-be-technologically.html">Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?</a>"<br /><br />As I read the article, and then re-read the Fisch post, I was struck by how much more we need to be having discussions about our commitment to, or lack thereof, transforming teaching and learning. Don't get me wrong - I will never, ever say it just takes putting equipment in people's hands. What I want to hear being discussed is, what will we do to make sure every child has a chance to find the spark that ignites a desire to learn? I would like you to read the two items and then vote via SMS in the Poll Everywhere widget at the bottom of this page.RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-79293097966593895522008-02-11T11:33:00.002-05:002008-03-14T10:42:39.401-04:00The keynote for PETE&C - MondayDavid Pogue, technology critic for the New York Times, delivered an entertaining and thought-provoking keynote to kickoff PETE&C for 2008. He was masterful in both presentation style and content, and he painted a picture of the technology trends he sees. Some of them will impact education, others not so much unless mobile phones are allowed to enter school buildings, and are implemented as learning tools. Concluding with his rendition of "I Bought an iPhone" to the tune of "My Way", acoompanying himself on the piaono, no lewss, made this the most memorable keynote at a conference I've attended in a long time.RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-39575879018100296832007-11-08T10:45:00.000-05:002007-11-08T11:17:59.952-05:00TRETC Session 3 - netTrekker DI and other web resources<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://school.nettrekker.com/images/frontdoor/ntdi_header.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://school.nettrekker.com/images/frontdoor/ntdi_header.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I'm not above a bit of shameless self-promotion, so I will review the third session of the day that I attended, which just happened to be one that I did. After having experienced a similar session at the Classrooms for the Future Coach Boot Camp in September, I wanted to co-present virtually. Dawn Crawford, Customer Relationship Specialist for <a href="http://school.nettrekker.com/frontdoor">netTrekker</a>, was the virtual co-presenter and mastermind behind the presentation. <br />I had a nice-sized group in a PC lab that was able to follow along with what Dawn and I were searching for/manipulating the results of search results for in netTrekker. When Dawn spoke, she had control of the microphone, whiteboard, etc in an Elluminate vRoom I had signed up for only a week or two prior. (If you'd like your own vRoom from Elluminate, start <a href="http://www.elluminate.com/vroom/">here</a>).<br />I liked that Dawn and I had to collaborate and cooperate via a virtual classroom space like Elluminate; I liked that the participants were working on a lot of different levels at the same time: attending to the presentation content, attending to one presenter in the room and one that was not, and attending to the results they got through this robust academic search engine.<br />I definitely want to do this again, at other conferences, and even during professional development sessions at the AIU or in the districts. It is efficient, a time- and money-saver for the other presenter, and I think it provides an additional level of engagement for the participants.<br />Among one of the ideas we gave to the group was the inclusion of a hyperlink to a "Shared Folder" within a teachers "Saved Searches" on their account, which gets embedded into a placemark on Google Earth. For more on why that can be helpful to a student and a teacher, you'll have to comment.RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-30628233836204048642007-11-07T11:28:00.001-05:002007-11-07T11:40:52.930-05:00TRETC Session 2 - The Power of an Image<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2248/1905134960_13a8c8f1ba.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2248/1905134960_13a8c8f1ba.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Stevie Kline, my colleague from IU1, showed us that a picture really is worth a thousand words, and maybe more. Images can convey a lot of meaning quickly, and we can infer a lot from cues within the image.<br /><br />Simple exercises with a single image helped us realize how much learning/information can be derived. A single image can be a great jumping off point for a multitude of topics.<br />The tie-in with the references to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-Mind-Right-Brainers-Future/dp/1594481717/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-5653755-6445716?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194453433&sr=8-2">Pink's book</a> and its emphasis on using our inherent creativity are evident.RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-89568340848283030522007-11-07T10:20:00.001-05:002007-11-07T10:32:03.181-05:00TRETC Session 1 - Digital StorytellingIt's safe to say that the theme for today is using the tools to allow students to express themselves in ways beyond standard assignments: written or oral. Peter Scott, who works for <a href="http://www.harcourtcl.com/">Harcourt Connected Learning</a>, did a nice job of showing how digital storytelling can:<br /><ul><li>engage students</li><li>be cross-curricular</li><li>encourage writing </li><li>provide an outlet for student creativity</li></ul>A timely question emerged: what are the implications of using images in the digital stories if they are posted online? (teachers need to familiarize themselves with the <a href="http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/INTELLECTUALPROPERTY/ccmcguid.htm">multimedia fair use guidelines</a>) short answer: don't do it if you don't have permission to use the images - longer answer is that there are plenty of sites where teachers can find copyright-cleared images that are great and present no worries!RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-9992187526852201022007-11-07T10:07:00.000-05:002007-11-07T10:20:09.536-05:00TRETC Keynote - ESL with Lance Rougeux<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/files/2007/11/hpim0351.thumbnail.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 95px;" src="http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/files/2007/11/hpim0351.thumbnail.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Lance Rougeux from <a href="http://community.discoveryeducation.com/">Discovery Educator Network</a> delivered the keynote, having us consider our "ESL" students - our kids who speak txt lingo. He provided a <a href="http://www.transl8it.com/">translation site</a>, so that we can convert the language we use to a language that kids use more frequently. Emoticons are the new "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Rorschach">Rorshach</a>" test. These collections of punctuation marks, letters, and other keyboard strokes have meaning for the group that assigns meaning to it.<br />He also told us that learning the second language is mandatory. The icing on the cake was his IEP he had developed for us to follow - great resources as starting points for learning the language - walking a mile in their shoes, so to speak.<br />New to me: <a href="http://www.moonk.com/">Moonk</a> (similar to <a href="http://www.animoto.com/">Animoto</a>, other sites) - a tool that allows posting of images, video, and audio and automatically converts them to <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/">Flash</a> format.<br />Link to Lance's take on the <a href="http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2007/11/07/translating-at-tretc/">session</a> (Boy, he's fast!)RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-19288114234670667222007-11-06T18:01:00.000-05:002007-11-07T08:33:59.896-05:00Pre-conversation at TRETC Pre-Conference<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9huNxgIN2paBGHwIiRAGHR7vw7Fcnj7_0ixiCMq5FKIxevYcC9ycZxGC9e975TfZDvLa2rHUqhK9jOvysZLKsOp5an1d9MDrvuydUKBzw1pODrloNnNzFPxDOPCWOzQyJA44jzaoxsKM/s1600-h/conversations1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9huNxgIN2paBGHwIiRAGHR7vw7Fcnj7_0ixiCMq5FKIxevYcC9ycZxGC9e975TfZDvLa2rHUqhK9jOvysZLKsOp5an1d9MDrvuydUKBzw1pODrloNnNzFPxDOPCWOzQyJA44jzaoxsKM/s320/conversations1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130091052030813810" border="0" /></a><br />I just finished a powerful conversation with a group of great educators at the pre-conference session for <a href="http://www.tretc.org/">TRETC</a>. Ostensibly, my session was titled "Blogs and Wikis," but after finding out that most folks were at level 1 on a scale of 5, I shifted back to starting off with <a href="http://del.icio.us/">del.icio.us</a>, which remains one of my favorite tools, and seems to be an easy entry point into Web 2.0 and social networking.<br />I also realized that even in a two-hour block, it is very easy to overwhelm people who are new to these tools. Part of that is because of the inherent value of these tools: their <span style="font-style: italic;">interconnectedness.</span> Becauseone tool truly leads to another, it is very tempting to jump down the rabbit hole and get lost in Wonderland. Yet, people need to see how these tools begin to feed into and off of one another. Creating del.icio.us bookmarks that can then be fed to your <a href="http://www.edublogs.org/">blog</a>, and then adding audio content (often known as <a href="http://epnweb.org/">podcasts</a>) to your blog, and then peeling parts of that content off and attaching it to a <a href="http://www.wikispaces.com/">wiki</a>....you get the idea.<br />Ultimately, I tried to emphasize two things: find what is useful to <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span>, and begin the conversation within your classroom and with the world.RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-23577843770669159682007-11-01T20:16:00.001-04:002007-11-01T20:16:13.203-04:00When the power of love...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. <a target='_blank' href='http://www.jott.com/Show.aspx?id=b0bf0f22-82de-4027-81ad-fc330abf69cd'>listen</a><br /><br />Powered by <a target='_blank' href='http://jott.com'>Jott</a></div><br /> RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-68835407598048933642007-10-31T13:55:00.001-04:002007-10-31T13:55:26.300-04:00Verizon is offering...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Verizon is offering in limited areas 20-20 service, 20 meg download and 20 meg upload, interesting level of service for home users, thus every home becomes an ISP. <a target='_blank' href='http://www.jott.com/Show.aspx?id=2b18adb6-ecbe-40ce-9589-b679f53bdab7'>listen</a><br /><br />Powered by <a target='_blank' href='http://jott.com'>Jott</a></div><br /> RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-48087159850843296762007-10-26T12:47:00.000-04:002007-10-31T14:05:03.130-04:00Justifying ed-tech ivestments<a href="http://www.cosn.org/resources/videopodcasts/index.cfm"><img alt="CoSN: The Consortium for School Networking" src="http://redhead-ed.blogspot.com/" height="120" hspace="8" width="182" align="left" border="0" /></a> <br /><blockquote>http://www.eschoolnews.com/video/index.cfm?v=196&c=7&f=284&cb=1178196970031<br /><a href="http://www.cosn.org/resources/videopodcasts/index.cfm">CoSN: The Consortium for School Networking</a> </blockquote>eSchoolNews recorded presentations at the 2006 CoSN Conference, and one of them centered on a hot topic for all of us: justifying ed-tech investments. While I think sometimes technology is purchased before an application is selected, for the most part, schools are doing their best to keep up with technology, both in selection and software. View the video segment titled "Rich Kaestner: Justifying Ed-Tech Investments"<br />RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-71472329324810806762007-06-19T10:45:00.000-04:002007-06-19T14:20:41.345-04:00Inspiring children with the Myst game seriesThis fellow is amazing - he uses the MYST game with kids to motivate them to write. I have never palyed the game, but I understand there is a lot of "geography" that is not covered in the game<a href="http://www.timrylands.com/html/inspire.html"><img alt="Inspiring children with the Myst game series" src="http://redhead-ed.blogspot.com/" height="120" hspace="8" width="210" align="left" border="0" /></a> - KC<br /><blockquote>If you are sufficiently motivated you can achieve ANYTHING! Tim, a Primary school teacher for over 20 years has always maintained that in order to gain experience you need to do it. In order to do it you need to want to do it! “Children need to be inspired if they are going to pick ideas up and start to juggle with them.” Tim has been described as an “extremely gifted and inspirational teacher, with a love of the creative potential of technology, who has an excellent rapport with his pupils. The approaches he uses are innovative and imaginative, in particular his use of games software.” (Becta)<br /><a href="http://www.timrylands.com/html/inspire.html">Inspiring children with the Myst game series</a> <br /><br /><div align="right"><i>(via <a href="http://www.timrylands.com/html/the-story.html">The Tim Rylands story - from Myst to mainstream education</a>)</i></div></blockquote><br />RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-12213923889521781262007-06-19T10:32:00.000-04:002007-06-19T14:20:41.349-04:00New day, new toolUsing a tool called "Post2Blog" Hoping it will simplify how I add my (very intermittent) posts.<br /><br /><B>Attached Files:</B><BR/><br /><UL><br /><br /><LI> <a href="http://redhead-ed.blogspot.com/" target=_blank><i> (47 KB)</i></a> </LI><br /></UL><br />RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-44399889815423996932007-06-05T15:51:00.000-04:002007-06-05T15:52:06.778-04:00GickrIf this works, I'll add to it. Click <a href="%3Ca%20href=%27http://gickr.com/%27%20title=%27Gickr%20pimp%20myspace%27%20%3E%3Cimg%20src=%27http://gickr.com/results2/anim_39cccce2-2fc9-b6c4-e9d0-6c70231bc040.gif%27%20alt=%27myspace%20graphics%27%20/%3E%3C/a%3E">here</a>RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-89599802250562202372007-05-06T10:51:00.000-04:002007-05-06T10:53:38.618-04:00Fun with Text to Picture GeneratorsI have tried several of these sites, and enjoy creating random things<br />Here's one for a "dummiez" book <a href="%3Ccenter%3E%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.customsigngenerator.com%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3E%3Cimg%20alt=%22Make%20thousands%20of%20free%20clipart%20images%20online%20without%20having%20to%20install%20any%20software%20%28web%20based%20applications%29%21%20You%20can%20make%20banners,%20buttons,%20forum%20avatars,%20comic%20strips,%20logos,%20blog%20pics,%20safety%20signs,%20email%20sigs,%20personal%20flags,%20vanity%20license%20plates,%20warning%20labels,%20book%20covers,%20e-cards,%20celebrity%20deface,%20brand%20name%20parody/satire,%20controversial%20pix,%20etc.%20We%20supply%20the%20basic%20picture%20layout,%20you%20supply%20the%20funny%20text%20%28famous%20quotes,%20slogans,%20jokes%29%20to%20customize%20the%20captions%21%20BUY%20as%20personalized%20gifts%20%28fridge%20magnets,%20postcards,%20stickers%29.%22%20border=%220%22%20src=%22http://buy4cheap.brinkster.net/signs/images/Online_Image40.gif%22%3E%3C/a%3E%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.comedysearchengine.com%22%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/center%3E">cover</a>RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-74133116773814985122007-03-28T11:53:00.000-04:002007-03-28T12:18:06.722-04:00Working on building 21st Century Schools(Skills)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/437676839_5b9bb8ae42_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/437676839_5b9bb8ae42_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We are working on figuring out how to catch up to the 21st Century before everyone else decides to move into the 22nd!<br />So many hurdles to jump, so many structures to change/re-engineerRedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-83284210340633646112007-02-22T15:33:00.000-05:002007-02-22T16:02:30.179-05:00PETE&C Adventures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcR_CFOjFu-iz5EbNqUNz5E6M3FwlM0n_5FN6Y5MO0GwU7YmCjXSUTNyB2Ly13ad9Qdn_M6jhoNTJg6hYdp9fasDJElAJMeje8d1be4mkiYVloq8qX4YizSE1_JqatW8N8ND7bhvZjZZI/s1600-h/apPL1798_WINTER_WEATH_008DY.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcR_CFOjFu-iz5EbNqUNz5E6M3FwlM0n_5FN6Y5MO0GwU7YmCjXSUTNyB2Ly13ad9Qdn_M6jhoNTJg6hYdp9fasDJElAJMeje8d1be4mkiYVloq8qX4YizSE1_JqatW8N8ND7bhvZjZZI/s320/apPL1798_WINTER_WEATH_008DY.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034465476236380546" /></a><br />The presentation I had prepared for <a href="http://peteandc.org">PETE&C</a> was essentially a bust when a major winter storm moved into Pennsylvania from the west and threatened to engulf Hershey PA during day two of the conference. I had a small audience, but that was in part due to the hordes of people heading for their cars in an attempt to get home before the storm got too bad.<br />On the drive home, I got to thinking about the <a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/docs/k12online06-agenda.html">K12 Online Conference</a>, and how it made a lot of sense to make part (all?) of the conference available online for people who couldn't make it at all, or had to leave early. A lot of presenters had small/no audience that day, and had good information to share.<br /><br />Picture via AP Multimedia Archives ((AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, 2/14/07)RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-84772399922895872452006-11-09T10:16:00.000-05:002006-11-09T10:17:34.590-05:00Good times at TRETCThis is great stuff....RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-53567717523352682222006-10-26T23:13:00.000-04:002006-10-26T23:28:32.222-04:00Gearing Up For TRETC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.tretc.org/nuke/themes/DeepBlue/images/tretc.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 80px;" src="http://www.tretc.org/nuke/themes/DeepBlue/images/tretc.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>We're looking forward to having you join us at our session called "The Read/Write Web in the Classroom during the Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference. TRETC is by far the best ed-tech conference in the Pittsburgh region, and I really hope we get a great turnout. <br />I'm writing this entry as an example of one of the Web 2.0 tools teachers and students can use to accelerate and expand learning.RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470511626981078378.post-48664344926879694602006-10-19T20:45:00.000-04:002006-10-19T20:56:54.411-04:00Are They Ready?<a href="<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kc_drums/269548187/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/112/269548187_3cc31f21b4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="1014061649.jpg" /></a>As these two young men pose for a cameraphone photo before going to the Homecoming Dance with their friends, I wonder: are they ready? Has their experience in school so far, 11 years and counting, prepared them for a future that will be unique in the same way mine was from my parents?<br />My son is on the right - he has done well, but I wonder if his learning experinces have taken advantage of all of his talents, stretched him in new directions, offered several ways to produce a product acceptable to his teachers.<br />Why didn't his education stay on the same path as in elementary school? He is/was in the gifted program. I've always felt all children should have exposure to inquiry-based, project-based learning and assessment. Why does learning shift so dramatically in junior and senior high? Aren't those skills ones that should be nurtured continually? Couldn't he take much better advantage of learning when it is done in collaboration with the teacher and his peers?<br />So, again, I ask: are they ready? And I wonder; who is "they?"RedHeadEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12210435837733333876noreply@blogger.com0