Table For 25 Please....

I am now in my third year with my SMARTboard Interactive Whiteboard, and I am always looking for and innovative ways of enhancing my instruction for my students. With each new version of software or incorporation new features, I like to 'play' with it to see what I can do with it. This also helps me when I teach professional development classes within my district. I love my board, but I know it still has its technical limitations. One of the limitations is that only one person or one thing may provide physical input on the board at once. While this reinforces waiting ones turn, it limits the potential for more than one 'user' to participate in the learning experience at the same time. Over the last nearly three yars, it is something that I have simply learned to deal with, and it has become less of an issue than I had originally thought. Having said that, I was browing a collaborative forum for SMART Educators, and I saw "The SMART Table". While I don't necessarily see this particular technology being used in my classroom, the potential for multiple input interactive whiteboards would be.. well, it would be very cool.

I wonder what is next? Check out the movie for more info on the SMART Table.

Name, Rank, and Facebook Page...

So I was watching some new channel the other day, and the talk was all about the upcoming Obama administration. Now there will be a changing of the guard, the new administration is offering a whole slew of newly vacated positions (bye bye W!). Anyway, the new application includes 63 fields of personal and professional information. It isn't just the usual job app info that is being requested. It isn't that potential employees are asked about their families and if they own a gun. What made it interesting and different to me was the fact that one's digital life was being called into question for validation. They are asked if they have sent any e-mails that might embarrass the administration. They are asked for all Internet handles and screen names that are used by the potential employee. They are asked for blog posts and Facebook pages that might also provide cause for concern.

This piggy-backs my previous blog post regarding Will Richardson's talk at my district's Professional Development Day. Technology truly has become a give and take environment, and he is the upcoming executive branch of our government holding potential job applicants accountable for their 'actions.' If this isn't cause to start rethinking technology education and digital ethics, what other catalyst are you looking for???

Facebook and other social networking sites have also been used a tools. If you doubt it, take a look at President Elect Obama's own Facebook page. Barack Obama's Facebook Page It worked so well that an anti-Obama group put up a fake looking one to convey their messages. Even the haters love it I guess.

The Good, The Bad, and The Googled...

My district brought in ed-tech guru Will Richardson to speak at our professional decelopment day. He posed a lot of questions and spoke about his own experiences and beliefs in education. I was also fortunate enough to have been selected to participate in a small group of educators to informally speak to him afterwards.

He spoke about using technology in education, or course... but the points that resonated most with me were the following:

1) Our students are 'hyperconnected' through text messaging, instant messaging, etc. The entire network is literally 'in the palm of their hands'

2) I have already read and heard people speak about how web2.0 is more of a participant experience than a spectator sport. Will said "it's not read/write and not just read".

3) Business is now more about the conversation of the conversation about the product than the product itselves. The Internet allows people to open dialoges about their experiences in a way that is so powerful it helps to drive consumer purchases.

4) We are preparing students today for a world that we know is changing. The top ten jobs for the very near future have not even been created yet. How can we best prepare our students for success in tomorrow's world when we don't even know the skills?

and finally..

5) We must prepare our students to anticipate being "Googled". He spoke about asking school administrators if they use Google to check out potential hires, and then went on to ask them "How do you prepare your students for the job interview of tomorrow?" I found that very interesting.

Social networking can be a powerful tool. It can make or break you. It can create global and local connections that can empower students and enrich their learning experiences. On the other hand, it can damage one's credibility and destroy reputations. It can provide reasons to take a chance on someone or disregard their potential.

I believe that we need to transform the definition of technology in education. It is not hardware or software. It is not the presence or the absense of visible technology. I believe that is an underlying theme or way or thinking. The visible tech resources are used as tools to carry out this new mission.

Will said that we must "live this ourselves." Thank you Will Richardson for speaking to us and planting some ideas and cultivating other ones.