Conversations

Conversation Descriptions and Information

 * Register today at:[| http://educon20.eventbrite.com]**

**Personal Learning Networks and the Demands of Schooling**

 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Will Richardson //**Session Time:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Connective Learning//

We'll have a conversation about how best to leverage our own understanding and practice of personal learning networks in ways that can influence others' professional practice and, ultimately, create change in schools and classrooms.

**The CES 10 Common Principles & School 2.0**

 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Tom Hoffman //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: SchoolTool//

The 10 Common Principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools underpin the work of the over 600 schools in their formal network and are reflected in the designs of many of the most important small school reforms around the country, including High Tech High, The Met School, and Science Leadership Academy. It is important to consider if these principles hold for the "School 2.0" vision, to understand its historical context and have a clearer sense of common purpose with other ongoing reform efforts.

**Building School 2.0 -- New Tools and Dewey's Dream**

 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Chris Lehmann //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

What is School 2.0? What are the pedagogical ideas that form it? Examine ideas of constructivist pedagogy and the use of 21st Century tools to create schools that are engaging, caring and relevant places of learning for everyone involved. The history of the formation of the Science Leadership Academy will form the backdrop for this conversation.

**New Media Literacies for the 21st Century**

 * Classroom2.0
 * Student2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Sharon Peters / Meg Peters //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: LEARN//

Mother/Teacher will have conversational exchange with daughter/student about the concept of literacies for the 21st century. In the new Québec Education Program, word, sound and image have their own codes, conventions and grammars. Literacy, simply put, is about meaning-making.

Sharon and her daughter Meg (gr. 10) will discuss how these literacies can be explored in a class situation using the tools and environments of the interactive Internet. We will discuss how to create meaningful activities that can be learning and evaluation situations for high school students. We would like to elicit ideas from the participants about the creation of authentic learning situations for students of the 21st century.

**Yes, All Students Should Learn to Program**

 * Student2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: [|Gary S. Stager, Ph.D.] //**Session Time:**// Sun. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: [|The Constructivist Consortium] / [|Pepperdine University] /[|District Administration] Magazine//

As computer access grows, understanding of that technology paradoxically seems to diminish. Programming is a way for students to control the technology, explore the science of complexity and maximize the power of computing. There may be no better way to learn about learning and construct modern knowledge. Gary will make the case for why every student needs to learn to program and share the intellectual rewards that accompany such knowledge. Exciting project ideas and pedagogical strategies that support the economic, creative and intellectual benefits of programming will be shared. A collection of developmentally-appropriate resources will be shared.

**What Does Good Teaching with Computers Look Like?**

 * Teacher2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: [|Gary S. Stager, Ph.D.] //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: [|The Constructivist Consortium] / [|Pepperdine University] /[|District Administration] Magazine//

It recently occurred to me that during our recent efforts to build technological literacy among teachers we may have overlooked that many teachers know very little about progressive or learner-centered teaching practices. Without this knowledge, technological efforts are les likely to be effective. I would like to share my pedagogical strategy of learning adventures, developed over more than a decade of teaching online, as a substitute for the coercive teaching practices of assignments, tests and traditional grading. Another concept, receptive teaching, will be introduced as a strategy for teachers to identify the learning opportunities around them. This session will discuss the attributes of good teaching with computers; identifying authentic ways of learning with computers; what effective computer using teachers know and the factors associated with rich learning activities.

**Identity and Learning 2.0**

 * School2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Joe Bires //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Marlboro Township School District//

This conversation will build on the theme of the difficulty of identity in web 2.0 learning. This theme was introduced through the presentation “Acceptable Use and the Web 2.0” at the 2.007 K12 Online Conference. The guiding / essential question will be “how do we create digital identities for students, teachers, and schools that are both safe and productive for learning?” Specifically, we will discuss how identity is at the core of writing on the read/write web, how identity is tied to authority, how identity defines us as learners (teachers and students) and members of learning organizations (schools and classrooms), and how multiple/blended identities impact learning? The overall purpose of this conversation is to enhance the participants understanding of identity as a complex construct that impacts on learning, learners, and schools. The tangible result of the conversation is that the participants will come away with ideas for enhancing the development of digital identities in safe ways that foster learning.

**Teacher Technology Adoption**

 * Teacher2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Edwin Wargo //**Session Time:**// Sun. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Quarter Mile Lane Elementary School//

The focus of this conversation will be centered around seven teacher technology adoption themes generated from current research and which have been discussed on Classroom 2.0 and the edtecheconomics.blogspot.com.
 * 1) Teacher's beliefs of teaching (pedagogy) and student learning (epistemology) affect teacher technology adoption.
 * 2) Teachers who engage in more teacher-led pedagogy stay adopt less technology.
 * 3) Teachers who leverage constructivist-centric pedagogy have a tendency to use more technology.
 * 4) Teacher's beliefs and values are not hardened systems; however, they are complex and prone to revision.
 * 5) The richness of an environment (technology, support, quality, quantity) can change teacher's beliefs and values in learners and pedagogy.
 * 6) The manner in which technology is presented-teacher-centered or student-centered impacts those teachers holding differing views.
 * 7) Web 2.0 and 21st century skills are collaborative in nature; thus they are constructivist.
 * 8) This collaborative and constructivist nature of the technologies require teachers to adopt their beliefs which brings us back to theme #1.

These seven themes will serve as the frame in which teacher technology adoption is discussed. The first conversation focus will be on assessment teacher technology adoption itself. The second focus of the conversation will be about the themes. Changes, additions, or deletions of the themes will be first discussed in the context of teacher technology adoption. The last focus will be to develop specific actions based on the assessment and themes. Skype will be used as the communication tool while a wiki will serve as the collaboration and final product area.

**Cyber-Mentoring: A Case-Study in Action**

 * School2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Peter Brown / Alison Campbell //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: The School Collaborative / Science Leadership Academy//

Seeking to understand and develop tools for an effective mentorship, this conversation begins with a case-study of a 2-year mentorship currently in progress: A Philadelphia high school student working on strategies to convert a school building into a sustainable/zero carbon environment reached out to an architect and international school planner located in Dallas. Together, they are developing process strategies for an effective educational experience that will result in real solutions for real issues. This conversation looks to expand traditional boundaries to allow a learning experience the benefit of resources offered through a greater geographic area. After setting the stage for the conversation of Cross-Country Mentoring, those involved in this session will share ideas and tools to get the most out of similar experiences. We will explore both challenges and opportunities associated with long distance mentoring, and look at web-based tools, communication tools, and viability and or necessity of face-to-face meetings. Participants in this conversation will walk away with first hand knowledge of interactive mentoring processes, as well as tips and tools for an effective mentoring process in a 2.0 world. To get a full picture, this conversation is facilitated by both student and mentor.

**Tearing Down the Walls - Practicing What We Preach**

 * Classroom2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Vinnie Vrotny / David Jakes //**Session Time:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Director of Academic Technology - North Shore Country Day School//

The focus on this conversation is to identify and to then brainstorm solutions to the obstacles which exist in transforming the four walls of the classroom to a collaborative global communications center.

**Influence without Authority: Finding the Common Ground to Frame Innovation and Change**

 * Innovation2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Kevin Jarrett ([|blog] | [|blog] | [|twitter]) & Sylvia Martinez ([|blog] | [|twitter]) //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Northfield Community School// / [|Generation YES]

Everyone loves conferences. You come, see amazing presentations, meet incredible people, have thought-provoking conversations, and leave inspired. The next day, you’re back at your district. The memories are still fresh, and your Twitter network waits at the ready, but you’re all alone. What do you work on first? Where do you begin? How do you advance your ideas? Facilitate change? Make a difference?

“Influence without Authority: Finding the Common Ground to Frame Innovation and Change” is a conversation about techniques, processes and best practices surrounding change in what some say is one of the most change-resistant organizational environments on the planet - our own public schools.

We will explore proven techniques for facilitating change within communities, particularly the work of Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff of The Future Search Network ([|http://futuresearch.net).] The first 25 participants will be provided with complimentary copies of “Collaborating for Change: Future Search,” a 24-page handbook that highlights the issues, approaches, pitfalls and resources available to educational leaders in their pursuit of excellence in their classrooms, schools and districts.

Our session will be highly interactive and feature breakout teams, a collaborative wikispace, and Skype-video conferences with experts in the field designed to inform reflection, provoke thought, and inspire action. Participants will leave with not only an action plan, but a readymade network for guidance and support.

**Promoting Open, Reflective Teaching and Learning in Elementary MST**

 * Classroom2.0
 * Teacher2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Wendy Smith & Brian C. Smith //**Session:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Webster Central Schools & Monroe #1 BOCES//

We will highlight the teaching and learning taking place within the newly established MST PORTAL; a place for teachers of math, science, and technology to Promote Open, Reflective Teaching And Learning. Utilizing videoconferencing technology, we have connected in-service teachers at Klem Road South Elementary School with faculty and teacher-candidates at St. John Fisher College for the purpose of planning, teaching, and reflecting on high quality MST curriculum, assessment, and instruction. The program centers on the career-long development of pedagogical content knowledge that begins at the pre-service level and continues throughout the career of the master teacher. The primary role of the MST Specialist at the elementary school is to improve K-5 student performance in the areas of science and math using various technology tools embedded into instruction. A multi-faceted approach involving students, teachers, parents, and community members is used to provide students with inquiry-based science and math experiences to promote critical and creative thinking.

**A Fly on the Wall**

 * School2.0

//**Conversation Facilitators**: Pat Wagner, Jason Levy, David Prinstein //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: [|A.U.S.S.I.E.] consultant; Middle School Principal; Dean of Instruction//

Schools today should reach beyond their walls. Through a partnership with an [|A.U.S.S.I.E.] consultant (working mostly online from Australia), this Bronx middle school is putting itself on the 'Google Map', so to speak, with a commitment to online collaboration, transparency and teamwork. A thematic “spider’s web” depicts not just online learning, but support structures and interconnectedness between teachers as colleagues, teachers and students, students and students, students and parents, and teachers and parents. The core is a communications network using the school's wikispace, gmail, Google Talk, blogs as professional development eportfolios, Google Docs, and Google Groups for shared planning and record-keeping. Teachers have now initiated the videoing of their own classrooms in action, for analysis from their peers. From an online survey of teachers at the start of the year, we've progressed to S.M.A.R.T. goals for professional development, student growth, and improved communication with parents, students and colleagues. By the end of the school year, we will have set up “triads” and “transparency” – online learning relationships between teachers, students, and parents, which are visible beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Now is your chance to be a fly on the wall and experience some of what we have gone through and achieved.

**Are we looking closely enough at student experience and motivation?**

 * Student2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**:// > Dr. Ralph E. Swan, Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology > Pamela Livingston, Author -- __[|1-to-1 Learning: Laptop Programs That Work],__ //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Chestnut Hill College

In the continuing effort to base educational strategies on theory we propose a conversation that looks at the nature of motivation and the relationship between emerging technologies and student motivation. As we question, in a given environment, whether learning is taking place or what kind of learning that might be, we feel that this conversation must similarly include questions regarding whether observed behavior implies motivation to learn, to reach personal and curricular goals, and if so what kind of motivation is at play. We feel technology as a tool can improve motivation to learn both in degree and quality and see a need for all to understand connections between what we observe happening as new student use of technology emerges and theory that informs wise choices that foster more motivated learners.

An initial perspective into this issue will be based on intrinsic achievement motivation, the benefit learners derive from control of the learning environment, the kinds of goals learners set for themselves and each individual’s personal notion of intelligence. Our initial ideas are grounded in research done by Carol Dweck, including explanations and scenarios from her latest book Mindsets.

These ideas will then move to Web 2.0 and emerging technologies as we ask questions about whether technology facilitates motivation and how; whether motivation alone is enough to term technology use successful; and whether emerging technologies are reshaping the technology use questions by their open-ended natures.

**What is Student Voice?**

 * School2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Sylvia Martinez// //([|blog] | [|twitter])// //**Affiliation**:// [|Generation YES] //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00

Web 2.0 advocates often list "enabling student voice" as one of the reasons to use collaborative tools in the classroom. However, what is "student voice"? It's obviously not just students talking; it's something more subtle and complicated than that. It can be looked at as a classroom practice, as a school practice, as impacting the local community and also the larger educational community.

What are the components of student voice? Is it necessarily related to being a “change agent”? How does/can technology enable it? How can this happen in today's classrooms and schools? What are examples of it working (or not working)? What is the impact of enabling student voice in educational practices such as assessment (self/peer), teaching (peer/reverse mentoring), school administration (students sitting on committees, boards, teacher review, or other feedback systems), and are there other models we should be looking at? Are student-only/student-led groups effective? Why and when? I think it would make for an interesting conversation and I’ll bet we could figure out some follow up actions and resources that would be valuable for people to take back to their local situations.

**Knowledge in a 'one-size-fits-all' classroom**

 * Teacher2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Stacey Kizer //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Pepperdine University//

In today's world, school is no longer the place where you go to get knowledge. Knowledge is all around us - we get it from our peers, from the internet, from networks we create, and from the media. Knowledge is no longer one-size-fits-all, and yet we continue to teach as if it is. The idea of using school as a place that facilitates learning, promotes critical analysis, and engages students by using relevant, accessible tools is explored.

This presentation will build from research by Marc Prensky that emphasizes the idea that today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach. Today’s students are comfortable using technology to find and build knowledge, and no longer view a teacher as the primary source of information. Ask a teenager a question about the population in Uruguay and their instinct is to “google it” rather than ask an educator. With this in mind, teachers must begin adapting to the idea that knowledge (and teaching!) is no longer one-size-fits-all. Classrooms must become places where learning is facilitated, critical analysis is promoted, and students are engaged in relevant, accessible tools.

Additionally, teachers and students alike must learn to understand the media in the world, and how to critique messages they find online. Henry Jenkinsʼ work in this area will be explored to illustrate the importance of addressing new media literacies in the classroom, aswell as to expose educators to the idea of “collective intelligence.”

**They're Never Too Young To Learn**

 * Student2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Jennifer Wagner //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Technospud.com//

Join in a lively conversation as we focus on the Pre4 to 3rd grade student and share ideas, hopes, plans, and goals for working with our elementary students. Examples will be shown with videocasts, podcasts, wikis, blogs, and online collaboration ideas. The main focus of this presentation will showcase the abilities, talents, opportunities, and possibilities that are often overlooked by teachers of this age. The conversation will be non-stop and 100% sharing with all involved!

**Social Networking in Schools and with Students**

 * Classroom2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Glenn Moses //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: [|Odyssey Charter High School] and// [|mrmoses.org]

The purpose of this conversation is how to use social networking with students not just to leverage the power that's in social networking but to change the face of education in general. In many cases high school teachers work with nearly 200 students a year. In a traditional setting these students a segregated in to groups of 30 to 40 and are mostly asked to work in isolation. Social networking could completely change this structure? How? What's the best way? What's the role of the teacher in this setting? My experience of using social networking will be shared and shown as well as feedback from students and parents on this topic.

**Harness Visual Learning for Critical Thinking, Writing, Presenting and Thinking**

 * Teacher2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Jesse Berg, MSIT, MEd //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: The Visual Leap//

Effective 21st century education requires contemporary student centered teaching. Educators must consider multiple access points, different learning styles, and relevant projects that utilize authentic content which is student driven. Visual learning is a method that allows teachers to reach students, and visual learning is a framework from which students can construct meaning. Participants will leave this conversation with practical examples and lesson plans – for tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM - that utilize visual learning strategies as a framework for creating synthetic knowledge. In addition, teachers will gain a deeper understanding of the pedagogical basis for visual strategies in the classroom. This conversation will begin with a brief discussion of the following:

• The scholarly research that supports this approach • How to identify visual/spatial learners • How visual learning stimulates synthetic knowledge • Examples of classroom examples of visual learning used to teach writing, presenting, critical thinking

Participants will then break into small groups and generate ideas of how to use visual learning in their subject matter areas. To conclude, the entire group will reconvene and discuss their classroom ideas, share strategies and ask questions of one another and the facilitator.

Using visual learning in the classroom is rewarding and effective. It is a wonderful strategy to engage students, promote deep learning and put students at the center of the learning process, where they belong.


 * Extreme Makeover Library Edition: Learn How to "Pimp" Your Library and Embrace 21st Century Change**
 * Library2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Carolyn Foote with Cathy Nelson and Joyce Valenza //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Westlake HS Library//

Participants will represent their existing and dream libraries in spontaneous art. Panelists will lead discussion in an examination of what teachers and administrations should expect of an evolving and engaging library program. Explore the ramifications of web 2.0, internet access, and 1:1 laptop schools on school media center/libraries. How can we future proof our facilities and think outside of the box with library services? What does future library mean to the whole school?

**Little Green Schoolhouse (or School 4.0)**

 * Innovation2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Jeremiah Patterson //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Gladstone School District 115 (Oregon)//

The session will address ecological aspects of schooling. It will attempt to move beyond the suddenly prolific “green” vocabulary (without discarding it entirely) and begin a conversation about what it means to intentionally infuse the literal and metaphorical aspects of schooling with an ecological mindset. Sustainability is not enough. We must leapfrog energy neutral practices and move toward making positive environmental effects. With abundance at historical highs there is simply no excuse for anything short of energy-positive practices. Schools are a natural jumping-off place for this movement. New construction, remodels of older infrastructure, and landscaping should transparently reflect our commitment to returning energy and resources to the earth in order that children are infused with the ethical value of responsible stewardship. We are approaching a critical moment in terms of school construction. Though economic value statements are not popular in education circles, the session will not shy away from using market-based metaphors to analyze the central problem: that our current facilities do not adequately prepare kids for the world to come.
 * The iconic “little red schoolhouse” reflected an agrarian economy through the 18th century.
 * The industrial revolution spawned the advent of “big box” or “factory model” schools, focused on the value of economies-of-scale and mass production.
 * Many (but not all) schools designed in recent decades reflect a fledgling movement toward “info-centric” schools, in response to constructivist ideals and the sudden emergence of an information based economy.
 * The schools we need in the future cannot blindly follow the paradigmatic underpinnings of previous (or current) economies. For what Pink (2006) refers to as the coming “conceptualage” we need schools constructed using metaphorically sophisticated (yet surprisingly simple) bricks and mortar.

In many ways School 2.0 should be referred to as School 4.0 – a fourth iteration of schooling in light of sea-changes in the American economy. The session will merge these two ideas – the ethics of ecologically superior learning places, and the critical need for schools to produce citizens of a conceptual age – into an argument for a Little Green Schoolhouse.

**We're All Student Teachers**

 * Student2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Arthus Erea //**Session:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Student at Champlain Valley Union High School and owner of MasterMade Technology//

The conversation will center around the concept of students as teachers and teachers as students. Throughout, discussion of a flat (or wrinkled) classroom model will be discussed.

The main objective of the conversation is to develop ideas or methods to hand over the proverbial microphone to students without sacrificing educational rigor in the process. In line with this topic, tangent subjects will be discussed including student leadership in all aspects of the educational system. We will discuss authentic student leadership in day to day classroom settings. Student involvement in the physical and curricular design processes will also be central to the discussion. Finally, we will discuss how best to give all students a voice through school 2.0 technologies. It is important to note, this will mostly be a pedagogical discussion rather than a practical and technological tutorial. In recognition of the theme of the conversation, everyone in the room will serve as co-presenters, with the official presenter(s) functioning more as facilitator(s).

**Claiming what we Imagine**

 * Innovation2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Dennis Richards //**Session:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Falmouth MA Public Schools, MASCD, ASCD//

Focus question for this conversation: How can I/we best act as agents of positive change in classrooms, schools, districts, states, countries and the world? Stephanie Pace Marshall, at the end of her book The Power to Transform, says "Courage is the capacity to claim what we imagine. If you are carrying this new story in your heart, now is the time to step forward. There is a place in the world for your unique voice, and it carries a message that must be heard. Start anywhere, but begin the conversation, and tell the new story that brings learning and schooling to life.”

This collaborative conversation will begin with a mini-presentation on the possibilities for systemic transformation of education to prepare students for the 21st century. Each participant in the conversations will be invited to consider the topic from her/his own position as an educator. We will use a National School Reform Faculty Future Protocol which participants should read and reflect upon before our meeting. Participants will post a personal reflection on the results of the collaborative conversation at the conversation blog.

We will broadcast the conversation using USteam and invite participation through the UStream chat, Skype and Twitter. Participants should join UStream, Skype and Twitter before the conversation.

Conversation Blog: [|http://www.claimingwhatweimagine.blogspot.com]

**What about education touches your soul?**

 * Innovation2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Tracy Rosen //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Howard S. Billings High School, New Frontiers School Board, Chateauguay, Quebec//

Let's have a conversation about what it is about teaching/learning/leading that touches our soul and fuels our passion. Let's then excavate our findings and use them to explore how we can trigger change in the teaching profession that will be authentic and sustainable.

**Interactive School Culture -- CANCELLED**

 * Student2.0

//**C****onversation Facilitator(s)**: Laura Webber //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Tapestry High School, Buffalo, NY//

As today’s students become more accustomed the Web 2.0 word—a world in which their participation is expected and valued—schools need to give students the opportunity to become involved in designing and maintaining participatory, democratic school culture. We will discuss principles of students’ involvement with school culture not just through student government, but through everyday participation in online forums, wikis, and studentcentered and facilitated face-to-face dialogue. Through this conversation, we will collectively build an understanding of the innovative opportunities for engaging students interactively in their school experience. This conversation is well-suited to teachers and administrators--particularly at the middle and high school levels--who hope to facilitate greater student ownership and "buy in" of school culture.

**Intellectual Freedom and Internet Filtering**

 * Library2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Carolyn Foote //**Session Time:**// Sun. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Westlake High School//

Explore proactive approaches to difficulty with filtering; discuss current law, explore approaches to bring more intellectual freedom to filtering process. The goal is to develop a wiki of standard "best practices" regarding access to information that can be used by educators facing difficulties in their districts.

**Sense of Place: Effective Learning Environments**

 * Classroom2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Gamal D. Sherif //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

If schools are to foster meaningful, hands-on and democratic uses of educational technology, then what are the criteria for creating effective learning environments? How do these criteria inform how we use computer technology? While some teachers may prefer "learning stations," others may prefer small discussion groups---or even computer labs.

Is there any relationship between how a classroom (or computer lab) is physically arranged and students' effective use of educational technology? How we answer this question maybe influenced by teacher or student preferences, access to resources, and/or professional criteria. Is it possible to create a set of objective, yet flexible criteria? In advance of the conference, participants will be will be invited to send digital images of effective, or not-so effective, learning environments.

**Join the Teach Web 2.0 Consortium**

 * Teacher2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** [|Wendy Drexler] and [|Anna Baralt] //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: [|Shorecrest Preparatory School] and// [|University of Florida]

This conversation focuses on emerging social networking tools and their educational potential. The Teach Web 2.0 Consortium began as a face-to-face wisdom community dedicated to the exploration of Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom. It grew to include all who wish to participate. We are very excited about opening it up to educators from around the world. Our goal:
 * Research Web 2.0 tools and social networking sites
 * Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
 * Brainstorm effective, appropriate educational applications

Web 2.0 represents a more collaborative, interactive Internet where individuals can easily share and contribute to global conversations. This new web offers so many opportunities for educational applications, but schools are challenged by resistance to change, the rate at which new tools are emerging, network security issues, and Internet safety concerns. Despite these challenges, research indicates ( and we know) that K12 students are already there. It would be impossible for just one or two teachers to stay abreast and evaluate all of these resources alone. By establishing a consortium, more individuals are available to assess these tools, examine options, and consider their potential use in the classroom. In addition, the consortium will provide a relatively safe and non-threatening learning environment where teachers and administrators can work collaboratively.

We invite you to come to this session for the //**camaraderie, collaboration, conversation, and FUN!**//

**Cathedrals of Learning on Your Desktop**

 * Classroom2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: H. Songhai //**Session Time:**// Sun. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Hope Charter High School, Philadelphia//

Conversation will focus on the Personal Start Page (PSP) as your personal Cathedral of Learning, your personalized University of Sankore at Timbuktu, with iGoogle serving as your North Campus, Netvibes as your South Campus and Pageflakes as your East campus.

Think of the tabs on your PSPs as academic departments - math, science, anthropology, art, music, technology, videography and more. Click any tab and a world of information is right at your fingertips. What an incredible time to be a student: information islands on your desktop, universities and cathedrals of learning at the click of a mouse, portable, virtual, archive(able) world.

**Authentic Learning**

 * Classroom2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Diana Laufenberg //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Mount Elden Middle School//

Focus: The act of doing something authentic is in and of itself a learning experience. The average classroom does not honor the act of authentic experience nearly enough in the age of innovation. Although field trips are nice, they often represent a momentary aside to the 'real' learning in the classroom. From business partnerships to outdoor education to film festivals, students have the opportunity not only to mimic the experiences from the classroom, but actually participate in them both in person and digitally. This engagement of students in meaningful, genuine experiences can transform a learning environment. A serious conversation needs to develop regarding the paths classrooms are currently creating, new ideas for fostering real life experiences and how to re-envision schools to include time and space that values authentic learning as a vital part of the school experience.

**Access and Safety: Where's the Balance?**

 * School2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Tim Stahmer// //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00

Many teachers and some of us who support them are in a tug of war over internet filtering. We want to help students learn to communicate with the world but we also want to keep them safe. Where is the middle ground? How do we educate our administrators and parents to let up on the heavy-handed blocking? How do we convince all the parties that we need to involve students in making and enforcing the rules? Many more questions than answers at this point but it should make for a good discussion and exchange of ideas.

**Professional Development using Social Software**

 * Teacher 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: [|Robin Ellis] and [|Darren Draper] //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: [|Quakertown Community SD] and [|Jordan SD]//

Social software can provide a highly interactive, educationally rich environment for teachers and students worldwide. No longer must learning take place in a vacuum, as students and teachers can communicate and collaborate like never before. The socially enabled Read/Write web (Web 2.0) facilitates an expanding classroom (beyond the physical walls of any particular school) and also provides easy access to an ever-growing array of resources available for collaboration among teachers, technology specialists, administrators, staff developers. No longer are physical boundaries present, nor is there any barrier of time and place. The use of social software engages us in conversations.

Today we not only consume information from the Internet, we are contributors of information. All Internet participants have the potential to become teachers and producers of content as learning becomes personal, authentic, and highly individualized. Social software includes wikis, blogs, podcasts, instant messaging, and any system that allows communication that also emphasizes the richness of personal interaction instead of the technologies that make the interactions possible. The generations we teach now and will teach in the future innately use technology to communicate. The need for learning experiences to adapt to meet a new generation of learners is upon us.

In this presentation we will discuss our experiences in creating an open professional development environment. In doing so, we were freed from the typical restraints (of time and place) that can often limit the success of traditional classroom experiences. We have developed a model that can be used and enhanced by professional developers and teachers in collaborative classrooms throughout the world.

**Success 2.0: Addressing the Unique Needs of Struggling Learners**

 * Student2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Karen Janowski and Chris Janowski //**Session Time:**// Sun. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Reading, MA//

Often overlooked in the discussion about seamlessly embedding technology into our 21st century classrooms is an appreciation of the unique needs of our struggling learners. It is imperative that we recognize that students learn differently, are engaged differently and demonstrate what they know in a number of different ways. Why? As we gain an understanding of the unique needs of our learners, we acquire an understanding of the urgent need to facilitate change. The co-facilitator (a high school senior with a language based learning disability) will share his perspective as a struggling learner trying to succeed in a text-based school environment.

This conversation will focus on identifying and supporting differing learning styles that our students present with in our schools. What are the characteristics of struggling learners (for example, students with special needs or English Language Learners)? How effectively are we addressing their needs and supporting all learning styles? What are the tools that remove the obstacles to learning and promote empowerment for all learners? Is it possible to offer greater success using social software tools? Are some tools more effective than others? What does success look like? Again, a personal perspective will be provided by Chris Janowski, a co-facilitator.

Participants will use a variety of methods to contribute to this conversation.

[|Online Collaboration 101. The why and the how?]
 * Classroom2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator**: George Mayo// ([|mrmayo.org]) on twitter: [|@mrmayo] [|@manyvoices] //**Affiliation**:// 8th Grade English Teacher, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD. //**Session:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00

This will be an interactive session centered around these guiding questions and ideas:
 * 1) How do students benefit from online collaboration? Is it worth the hassle?
 * 2) How do teachers begin the process of online collaboration? Where do you start? Using Twitter and other social-networking tools to start your teacher network.
 * 3) The importance of starting small. In order to become involved in larger, more in-depth collaborative projects you have to first and foremost forge relationships. Small, bite-sized collaboration projects are a great way to start these relationships. Twitter and Skype, in particular, are useful starting points. It’s amazing what you can do with Twitter, Skype, and a $60 webcam.
 * 4) The big picture. Starting small so you can eventually go big. A look into successful, current collaboration projects. For this part we will be Skyping in [|Clarence Fisher] (ThinWalls Project), [|Cheryl Lykowski] (Global Explorers Project) and [|Julie Lindsay] (Flat Classroom Project) for their expertise on the subject. [|Silvia Tolisano], creator of the blog [|Langwitches], will also participate in our conversation via Skype.

Attendees will use a new format I'm calling [|Twitter Notes] to record their thoughts throughout the session. Hopefully, I can also convince someone in attendance to blog during the session.
 * Culminating Session Activities:**

**The Dialogic Practitioner: Becoming Teacher 2.0**

 * Teacher2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Konrad Glogowski //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto//

The goal of this highly interactive session is to facilitate a series of conversations about the role of the teacher in the new, participatory, and student-centered spaces of Classroom 2.0. Specifically, the session aims to address the following:
 * 1) The role of the teacher in building communities of learners that transcend classroom walls.
 * 2) The development of instructional practices - including assessment and evaluation strategies - that support students as they engage in learning that is student-centred and exploratory.
 * 3) New professional development programmes that support dialogic practices.
 * 4) Tools, resources, and environments that can help teachers support student-centred learning in the 21st century.

The title of this session, “The Dialogic Practitioner: Becoming Teacher 2.0,” refers to the concept of dialogism developed by the Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin who argued that every human utterance is “the product of the interaction of the interlocutors, and, broadly speaking, the product of the whole complex social situation in which it has occurred” (qtd. in Todorov, 1984). Building on the work of Mikhail Bakhtin, this session aims to explore the role of many diverse voices – those of parents, students, administrators, and educators – in redefining professional practice in the 21st century. In order to fully explore this topic, the facilitator hopes to involve a wide variety of participants, including teachers, administrators, theorists, as well as both K-12 students, parents, and pre-service educators.

In order to accommodate such a wide variety of diverse voices, the facilitator will start the session two weeks prior to the presentation at EduCon 2.0. A dedicated online environment will be set up to support participants as they discuss:

This conversation, initiated online two weeks prior to the conference, will continue throughout EduCon 2007, and after the conference concludes. The participants who cannot attend the conference will be able to participate virtually via the online discussion space and through synchronous means during the presentation itself.
 * 1) Several relevant theoretical constructs, such as, among others, Henry Giroux’s (1988) notion of the “transformative intellectual,” bell hooks’s idea of the democratic educator (2003), as well as the “three-dimensional narrative inquiry space” and the “professional knowledge landscape” developed by Clandinin and Connelly (2000).
 * 2) Current examples of Teacher 2.0 practices found in the educational blogosphere and/or scholarly and professional literature.
 * 3) Their own experiences and ideas that relate to teacher professional development and/or challenges facing education and educators in the 21st century.

During the presentation at EduCon 2.0, the presenter will take the participants on a virtual tour of an online community of writers developed by the presenter as an attempt to transform his own professional practice and create an engaging student-centred environment. Particular emphasis will be placed on methodology and student engagement, both online and off. One of the focal areas of the presentation will be its emphasis on literacy development and the positive impact of online communities of writers on student literacy skills. The presenter will also address how this environment relates to the ideas discussed in the online pre-conference session. The discussions that take place online before the session will be incorporated into the presentation to highlight or critique the presenter’s own experiences, strategies, and practices.

**Exploring the Collaborative Writing Process using Web 2.0 Tools**

 * Classroom 2.0

//**An interactive (and slightly dramatic) Session with:** SLA Student Playwrights Dylan Arroyo, Jasmine Thomas, Lucas Duffy-Tumasz, Lonnie Mercado, and their teacher, Anissa Weinraub //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

Teachers often want to develop a "collaborative" approach to teaching and learning in their classrooms, but at times are thwarted by students' expectations of the teacher as the central hub through which all information/decisions must travel. At SLA, 6 students and 1 teacher used webtools to transform the collaborative process of writing, such that all writers had equal access, control, and say in the building of an original full-length play. Join us as we discuss our decentralized process and help you to consider how to use the tools in your own classroom/workshop setting. (You might want to come back for the show, which opens on Feb 29th!)

**Engineering: The Constructivist Curriculum**

 * Classroom 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Matthew N. VanKouwenberg, Sam Beccaria, Yousef Khaled, Julia Sweeney, Jordan Young //**Session Time:**// Sat. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

This seminar will look at Dewey’s dream of constructivist education and how an engineering curriculum fits in with that ideal. There will be a panel of students who will share some of their experiences in engineering; what they learned and the different methods by which they learned. Some quick hands-on activities will be demonstrated through the discussion.

**SLA’s Use of Moodle as a Classroom Tool**

 * Classroom 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Matt Baird //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

This session will focus on how Moodle, an open-source course management system, is typically used in an SLA classroom. This will be a hands-on presentation where attendees will participate in the discussion as they are using the tools offered by the program. The content for the session will be based on actual course material to give an example of how laptops, Moodle, pedagogy and curriculum are combined in the SLA classroom. Participants will need their own laptops and will have to register as a guest user of SLA’s Moodle before the workshop begins. This session will be useful for those that are interested in seeing how course management software works in the classroom, how a 1-1 laptop program works in the real world or those interested in seeing what a history classroom looks like as we move towards School 2.0. The presenter is a veteran History teacher who has used Moodle extensively since the founding of SLA two years ago.

**Public Partnerships: The Science Leadership Academy and The Franklin Institute**

 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Ali Rogers //**Session:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: The Franklin Institute//

Much of the call for reform in education today speaks to a need for public / private partnerships, but what does that look like in practice? How can cultural institutions meaningfully contribute to the life of a school. In this session, Ali Rogers -- Manager of Youth Programs at The Franklin Insitute -- speaks to the ever evolving partnership between SLA and TFI as a framework for discussing how schools and outside institutions can create robust and powerful partnerships to enrich the lives of people in both organizations.

**Meaningful Mentoring: The Individualized Learning Plan**

 * Student 2.0
 * Classroom 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Jon Amsterdam, Jeanie Mayer, Greg Goldman, Darryl Williams, Julia Sweeney, Greg Windle, Jordan Young //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy, The Franklin Institute, Wireless Philadelphia, iPraxis//

Relevance and relationships - two attributes of a quality internship/mentorship experience. Listen to high school students talk with their mentors about SLA's weekly release-time individualized learning opportunity which allows them to pursue the development of skills and knowledge in authentic adult environments. Hear about the variety of exciting and ambitious things an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) can involve, and share stories about other meaningful mentorship and independent study programs.

**Urban School Reform**

 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Chris Johnson, Eugene Ivory, Robert Denson, Andrew Gault, Anthony Worthom //**Session Time:**// Sun. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Ben Franklin High School, School District of Philadelphia//

The focus of this conversation will be centered on what certain student’s actual needs are from our educational system. While it is our ultimate goal to send every student to a top tier university, the reality is that most American students will not enroll in a college or university. Urban minority student’s odds are far less than those of their white counterparts. Most of these students, while they may want to leave “The Way”, will not. Therefore, the question is for educators, “What do we need to provide/teach these students so that they can effectively participate in an economy that has long been neglected and/or ignored by the educational system at large.


 * Student Empowerment: Constitution High School’s Government**
 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitators:** Thomas R. Davidson, Principal, Marc Brasof, Resa McMillan, Student Government Co-Advisors
 * Affiliation**: Constitution High School, Philadelphia, PA
 * Session Time:** Sat. 2:30 - 4:00//

Can students be trusted to govern themselves? Constitution High School, of the School District of Philadelphia knows that they can. In this workshop participants will learn about Constitution High School’s constitutional government that was created by the student body. Modeled after the Untited States federal government, with an Executive branch (the Principal), Legislative branch (House of Students & Faculty Senate), and Judicial branch (Student Faculty Court), the school community proposes and eventually passes bills into school “laws” and has the mechanism to adjudicate disputes.

**Advisory - Scheduling the Ethic of Care**

 * Classroom 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Marcie Hull & Karina Hirschfield //**Session Time:**// Sat. 10:00 - 11:30
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

We will be discussing Advisory at SLA and how we have come together as a group of educators to schedule and manage the "ethic of care" in our building. Participants will contribute to an advisory activity and discuss the outcome. Students will be there to participate and explain the advisory experience from their point of view.

**Student Led Technical Support**

 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Ted Bongiovanni //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation:** MOUSE//

Are you the accidental technical support person at your school? Do you wish that you had more help? Imagine that you have a trusted group of students who can resolve the majority of technical problems that teachers encounter when they try to use technology in the classroom. The MOUSE Squad youth technical support program has been helping schools in New York City, Chicago and Northern California provide students with authentic project based learning so that students can hone their information and technology literacy skills and so that schools become effective learning communities. Learn how MOUSE Squad is changing the role of administrators, teachers and technology and technology support personnel in schools and how student technicians feel the program has changed them.

Learning to Teach: First Year Teaching in a Progressive School

 * Teacher 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Jillian Gierke / Melissa Yarborough / Matt Kay / Kenneth Rochester //**Session Time:**// Sat. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

This presentation will deal with how to support first-year teachers in this environment. We'll discuss what type of learning takes place for a young teacher in a progressive school. Participants will be rotated through four stations, each manned by a teacher who'll lead a mini-discussion on a different challenge/triumph that young SLA teachers have experienced. Examining the experiences of young teachers, learning the craft of teaching in a progressive environment can, we hope, provide insight not just for looking at new teacher learning, but what structures and systems can help all teachers adapt their craft.

Participants will then get a chance to practice designing an authentic project-based assessment. The teachers will then show participants what they did in the same scenarios, with the same goals, and then there'll be a recap. Participants will leave with a copy of example unit plans from all of the presenters.

**From Tools to Teaching - Battling Information Overload**

 * Teacher 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Marcie Hull //**Session Time:**// Sun. 12:30 - 2:00
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

This session will talk about strategies that people like myself use to get to the resources they employ in the classroom. I will lead the discussion starting with the following questions: > any questions for our experts? Do you have any advice for our experts? > have any questions for our experts? Do you have any advice for our novices?
 * If you are new to the Web 2.0 idea, what are you seeing and reacting to now? And do you have
 * If you are not new to the Web 2.0 idea, what are you seeing and reacting to now? And do you

**Separate but Equal(ly Driven): Owning Educator Learning through 2.0**

 * Teacher 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Zac Chase with Kristin Hokanson //**Session Time:**// Sun. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

We hope to lead our students to be inquisitive life-long learners. Are we modeling that expectation? Two educators share their divergent paths to owning their learning. Come learn how you can utilize Web 2.0 resources to make the ideal of differentiated self-directed professional development a reality.

**Constructivism and Inquiry**

 * Classroom 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s)**: Tim Best, Gamal Sherif and Matthew N. VanKouwenberg //**Session Time:**// Sun. 2:30 - 4:00
 * Affiliation**: Science Leadership Academy//

"Constructivism" and "Inquiry" are sure to win you a few squares in Buzzword Bingo, but what do they really mean? How do you differentiate between the two and how do they apply to your classroom? Discussion will center around the use of these techniques and how they affect student learning.

**Advisory: The Soul of School**

 * Teacher 2.0
 * School 2.0

//**Conversation Facilitator(s):** Marcie Hull, Karina Hirschfield and the students of SLA// //**Affiliation**:: Science Leadership Academy
 * Session Time:** Saturday, 10:00 - 11:30//

In schools, what we schedule, we value. If the Gates Foundation says that schools must be about Rigor, Relevance and Relationships, where do we schedule in time for the relationships? A group of SLA students and teacher talk about Advisory -- the course where the curriculum is all about the relationships.