Feb
7
2010
Although I missed Bill Fitzgerald’s Educon 2.2 presentation about online portfolios in Drupal, I’ve been studying his demo site for that presentation:
http://educon20.com/posts/4/user
I need to overlay his recent work with his book about the educational development of Drupal (http://www.funnymonkey.com/), but he’s stating some very intriguing ideas about a more simplified portfolio structure that servers several purposes at once.
We normally think of portfolios as a way to students to select and share work for assessment, but his approach is to build the portfolio concept right into the development of units by teachers. Thus, they are building and sharing multi-year teaching portfolios with each other, while also using the units with students, who develop their own portfolios in response.
He speaks of this as possibly creating more openness and searchable examples between faculty, much in the way that curriculum mapping has attempted in the past. We are spending next week building and revising a pilot Drupal system for middle school students to use for blogging (using ideas from his book), but at the same time we’ll try to think about larger issues like this as we map out the information and access design of the site.
Should be fun.
Feb
6
2010
Always nice to visit Ray’s Jazz Club at Foyles. Worked on Drupal today.
Feb
1
2010
A very simple comment: the iPad is a step forward to larger computers becoming more like mobile phones. Many people will like that, given that there is nostalgia for land-line phones because of their simplicity and durability. (The black rotary in my parents home has been working about as long as I’ve been alive.)
If we move into a realm where more of our users (faculty and students) use their own computer hardware for school work, then the more reliable it is the better. Even the lack of multitasking could be a benefit, since it prevents users from overloading system resources with a pile of background widgets.
Maybe the biggest lost is a definite shift from laptops being creative tools to iPads being information access tools. I’ve already seen that with iPhones– why carry a laptop when you can do email, calendars, contacts with the phone. It’s not that iPads can’t create content, but…
I think we’re going to lose a lot of related to computing becomes a sealed environment, and you toss it if it stops working (like a mobile phone). At the same time, it will make computers boring in a technical way, which Clay Shirky believes is the key for them becoming socially interesting (and trans-formative).
So it goes.
Feb
1
2010
Okay, let’s conclude my notes about Educon 2.2.
School Policy Panel Discussion: I listed to some, but the parts I heard were very general– “we all make policies all the time” sort of thing. I won’t comment more, since I switched to working online.
Invitation to Inquiry: This was a relatively fun session, because different groups got different inquiry materials for a project design. We had science, and articles about the earthquakes in California and Haiti. Members of my group did a great job of discussing different inquiry project designs for the material. My only wish was that the leaders were a little clearer about scaffolding inquiry learning. How much focusing do students need to stay on topic? For example, our content could have been used for social/political inquiry projects, but could you allow that to happen in the same classroom (and probably not if you are a science teacher).
Lunch Meeting: fun discussion with an open source developer and planner. We shared a lot of views about truths and misconceptions about open source software for schools. Perhaps like Veracross, the goal of open source is to become a service more than a product. Getting started may be “free” in a few respects, but sustainability is only achieved with support (for both upgrades, modifications, new modules and new ideas). It is fun to think of multi-school collaborations for new open source modules or tools– curriculum mapping for Drupal or Moodle, anyone? (I should also note that Zimbra benefits from an open source version and community, and a paid-support contract.)
On the Development of Learning Spaces: it was fun to hear David Jakes leads conversations and share ideas about changing physical learning spaces, and actively integrating virtual learning spaces with the physical. Some basic ideas: move your desks into a fish-bowl design (inner facing circle inside a larger inner facing circle of desks). Bring in floor lamps from Oxfam, Goodwill or Walmart, and turn off the in-ceiling fluorescent lights. In fact, in one classroom he removed all the ceiling tiles and went for an industrial look, changing the eye lines of his students by raising the ceiling by four feet (and then using that space creatively). Ask the students what they think should be changed. Create a Genius Bar for the school. Create a Starbucks space in the library. I need to get the book he referenced: Learning Space Design. I also liked how Jakes was using Etherpad.
After that session, I took public transport to the Philadelphia airport (getting there far too quickly) and then flew over the Atlantic, over-night. I’ll be processing more ideas from Educon over the next few days, and I may post a bit more. Good conversational conference– my main request would be for a bit more focus instead of too many major ideas mixed together too briefly.
Jan
31
2010
Here’s some observations so far from Educon 2.2
“What is Smart” Panel discussion: many attendees felt that the discussion was too broad and focused too much on trying to decide what “smart” meant. Some general ideas about areas of affinity, finding a passion, differentiated learning, inquiry-based learning, project-based learning and memorization were tossed in, but the conversation seemed to go in a lot of directions at once. Last year’s topic about “what is a school” sounded more interesting.
Friday Night Independent School get-together: Great people, but the Public House music was way too loud and it was hard to have conversations even in the private room. Leaving the place, the music was almost making people bounce out of chairs…
Many to Many Session: I greatly enjoyed the conversations and points brought up, and I hope the Prezi I had didn’t take too long to get through. There was some debate about open source– the ideas behind it should be part of what we define digital citizenship to be (doing things for love, collaboration, contributing to many helping many) and there are open source solutions schools should consider (as we use Moodle and Zimnbra, and others use Drupal and more). There was also very good conversation about social networking initiatives that have failed (bulletin boards, wikis, threaded discussions, more). As Shirky notes, we have to be careful about the Promise, the Tool and the Bargain. If one fails, the project fails. Also, scaffolding is needed to push contribution and collaboration– it does not happen automatically out of the goodness of the hearts of users.
Managing your digital lifestyle session: Wow, that was a group of serious list-makers, calendar makers, tweeters, Evernote users, Google Apps users, etc. I actually felt a little left brained in the session, because I don’t use 800 tools to help organize myself or tweet my life or Facebook my family. (Not that I don’t have a blog, a twitter account, photo galleries online). I am much less connected than some– which is okay by me! One tool that was recommend, and I intend to look into, is Evernote.
Leadership 2.0 by Chris Lehmann of the Science Leadership Academy (hosting school). Chris has a great personality and can definitely talk to teachers. Hearing more about the story of the creation of SLA over the last four years was very good, as well as hearing about the cross disciplinary Inquiry philosophy they have, and the creation of a Caring Community. All good stuff, but again a bit scattered. So many topics (tech, inquiry, caring, collaborative decision-making) were handled at once. I would have enjoyed a little more focus on the changes in leadership that all schools are considering or engaged in as a new generation of administrators step up to the challenge.
Last night I took myself on a walk downtown to Rittenhouse Square. It was snowing and 17 degrees, but it was great to walk by the places where I once taught night courses to adults for Temple University. That was a good time, back in the late 1980s.
Okay, time to participate in an Inquiry session.
Jan
30
2010
So far, I’ve survied the trip to Philadelphia, survived the “What is Smart” Panel discussion, had a great time with a group of ISED-L types at dinner last night, and now I have the final version of my Prezi done for my “Many to Many” conversation this morning at 10:00:
http://prezi.com/8ypptizb10k7/
Now, for six blocks of 20 degree weather to walk to the converfence area.
Jan
25
2010
Okay, I’m using Prezi for the first time to create an opening presentation for a conversation at Educon 2.2. Here’s a link to draft six:
http://prezi.com/8ypptizb10k7/
Earlier drafts are linked at that URL. This draft is about 80 percent done. Feel free to comment.
I only learned about Prezi at a conference presentation last Friday by a colleague. I’m ready for a break from PowerPoint, and I also like how Prezi is a combination of Mind Mapping and Presentation.
Jan
23
2010
My parents died in an Alpine climbing accident when I was eleven.
They were in the bathroom of our flat in Hampstead, shaving and showering for another day of work, when Alpine climbers fell out of a plane that had recently taken off from Stansted Airport en route to the Eiger. The climbers crashed through the roof, landing on my mom and dad, who where killed instantly. The climbers apologized, brushed off plaster dust, picked up their gear, and called a cab to return to Stansted for the next flight to the Eiger.
So began the adventure of my childhood in which I alone would face great challenges and learn great things, parent-free.
Jan
23
2010
We had a teaching friend over to dinner last night, so I thought it would be a good time to pounce on my 12 year-old son with an observation.
“So, son, I noticed that now that you can choose one elective per semester in seventh grade, your first choice this year was more of a lecture course, and so was your second. You didn’t get your first choice for the second semester, and you don’t seem overly happy about doing video film making.”
“Yeah, dad, I wanted the other course. it was a lecture course– you know, one where I could just sit back and listen to someone talk who knows something, and not have to be making stuff, or collaborating, or having to state opinions and ideas…”
This made us crack up. Here’s my poor son, surrounded by teaching adults at the dinner table who have pretty much devoted their lives to increasing student choice in the classroom, differentiated learning, hands-on activities, challenging discussions, collaboration, and the rest. In response, he says he wants a break from almost all of that, for a change.
Oh, boy. We talk about listening to kids, but when we do… 
Jan
19
2010
Our week in Boston with Veracross went well, and we are now steaming through a very important stage of the migration. Our database manager is carefully going through each Filemaker Pro file, scripting as export that only removes columns of data (not calculations) and then documenting the columns of information after each export. We are also dropping unusued data as we progress.
By 1 February, we should have exported data from all files, scripts to do it again at the start of July (after the yearly rollover) and documentation for all data sets. When the final export comes, we will just run the scripts again. In February, we turn over all of the data to Veracross, so they can start building the black boxes to import it into Veracross, create alignment of their systems with our data, and then start working with us on interfaces and printed reports.
This is a big process, and we will have many modules coming online at once, but I hope the work we are doing now will make the data as clear as possible for the Veracross engineers.
Jan
9
2010
I’m on the train to Portsmouth to visit our boat. All this snow is wonderful to see.
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30
2009
I had the pleasure of watching Apollo 13 with our kids last night. It’s amazing how little they know about the Apollo program. My son is reading up on it online right now.
Last summer I thought about doing an after-school activity with students to study the Apollo program (my wife had done something similar with fifth graders in the past). Even though I was just over 8 years old when the last lunar mission was completed (December 1972), it was a big deal during my childhood. It was science and technology on a major innovation curve– more so than “what’s the next iPod going to be like?”
Sources suggest that the Apollo program, clocking in at 20-25 billion 1969 dollars (around 145 billion 2008 dollars), was the start of several long-term technology advances, including integrated circuits (for the on-board computers), fuel cells, and computer-controlled machining (CNC). I wouldn’t mind exploring these beliefs with students to see if the connections are true.
I don’t believe that science and technology need to be at the center of our lives, and I was a bit amused when my son noted that he has no interest in being blasted off on the planet on a rocket the size of a major skyscraper. (I felt ready to go at his age– and maybe the dumb sailboats I sail are a reflection of that.)
However, we have some challenges coming up in the next few decades (take your pick) of which several could benefit from some pure science and technology innovation. Better still, long-term innovation.
Dec
27
2009
It’s interesting that home ownership plays a role in two of the most popular Christmas movies: Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life.
In 34th Street, Santa literally dons a real estate agent’s hat to ensure that the young girl secures the ranch house of her dreams at the end of the film. (Sorry, should I have marked this as a spoiler?)
Wonderful Life is pretty much an advertisement for home ownership, noting that that have and have nots can be divided between owners and renters (from Mr. Potter, no less).
At the core of Wonderful Life, James Stewart and Donna Reed pretty much break into an abandoned house (with around five bedrooms for their future family) and fix it up over the years. There’s a house exactly like it in our neighborhood here in Hampstead– five bedrooms, three sitting rooms, pretty much boarded up. In fact, we saw squatters forcibly removed from it about a year ago, and fresh boards put over windows and doors.
In fact, it is the quintessential Wonderful Life house– corner lot, literally faces the open grass of Hamptead Heath, a turret, a garage. It went on the market about four months ago, and workers moved it to strip the interior. Their signs are all gone now, but the for sale sign is still in the window.
In our Christmas mood, and being have-not renters, we looked up the listing today, simply knowing we could move in like Stewart and Reed and fix the place up over several years. I could just image the school parties I could host in such a home, and models of bridges and skyscrapers in the main parlor.
Here’s the listing:
http://www.vebra.com/home/search/vdetails.asp?src=agent&fd=550&bd=1&db=1&cl=1177&pid=19323379
In sum, they want 3.25 million pounds for the shell. Yeah, we know a lot of families with kids who could sign off on that mortgage. Mr. Potter strikes again!
Dec
27
2009
I plan to go to Educon 2.2 (http://educon22.wikispaces.com/) where I have a “conversation” I’m leading. Let me know if you will also be at the conference.
Many to Many– How Entire School Communities Can Collaborate
Presenter: Jim Heynderickx
Presenter Affiliation: Director of Technology, American School in London
Conversational Focus/Audience: All School Levels
Conversation Description: Clay Shirky has published and presented on several interesting concepts about how the Internet can enable “many to many” communications and support. He has also noted that technology tools become socially interesting when they become technologically boring. The main idea of this conversation is to discover if his ideas are becoming apparent in our schools, and specific ways that we could foster their growth. In this context, we will also review the problems with type of change, and how some long-term beliefs and structures may need to be reviewed.
Conversational Practice: I’d like this section to have an opening 20-30 minute presentation of the core “many to many” concepts that apply to schools and learning. This presentation should identify two to four core types of change, and offer some examples of tools or processes that facilitate their evolution. The second half of the session should be a conversation, in that all members of the group should share their own examples, concerns and experiences in these areas. The presentation and a summary of the discussion can be published online afterwards.
Website: I will share the conversation materials at http://www.k12converge.com
Dec
24
2009
Well, we didn’t make it to Paris, but we are ready for the holidays. We have a free-range turkey in the fridge and we just picked up Christmas Stolen at Borough Market. The shopping is done, and the kids are excited about the gifts under the tree.
End of the year achievements include some significant boat work:
We had Endeavor Quay lift our boat, pressure wash the hull, replace the anodes, and give all under the waterline a good looking over. She checked out fine. Next, XW Rigging will rebuild the winches and roller furler, check the standing rigging, and verify all is safe for another season.
In other sailing news, we have a charter reservation down for a week in July on a Tartan 35:
Our plans are to sail north in the British Columbia’s Gulf Islands.
Overall, that’s what I like about quiet holidays– we get the chance to plan future adventures, even if the weather outside is too rough for current adventures. However, we will sail SR to the Isle of Wight this week if things calm down and warm a bit. We would love to have a simple dinner at the Folly Inn.
Meanwhile, I need to return to a superb bread pudding. Happy holidays, all.