SAT04RM300

=Practicing What We Preaching - Overcoming Obstacles in Creating a Global Communications Center=

Co-presenters:
Vinnie Vrotny Director of Academic Technology [|North Shore Country Day School] Winnetka, IL

blog - [|Multi-faceted Refractions] skype - vvrotny twitter - vvrotny

David Jakes Instructional Technology Coordinator Community School District 99 Downers Grove, IL

blog - [|The Strength of Weak Ties] skype - djakes twitter -djakes media type="custom" key="447685" Chat Log from the uStream: 12:48 colemama : absolutely - outside classroom walls! 12:48 jstearns : Learning in the future should be transparent? 12:49 jstearns : Collaborative 12:49 mjmontagne-2 : what kind of cam is being used? USB, Firewire, built in? 12:50 belinda_s : More face to face time w/students; more accountability for admin being involved directly w/ student successes 12:52 belinda_s : what exactly will it look like when teachers "relinquish control?" 12:52 jstearns : Maybe when teachers become learners along with students. 12:53 dgrice : Agreed. Teachers need to develop their own personal learning networks first. 12:53 belinda_s : all they have to do is go back to school - get advanced degrees; not necessarily in education 12:54 mjmontagne-1 : much better audio/video 12:54 belinda_s : they are great for personal growth, but those universities have yet to offer full-time online degree programs 12:54 jstearns : I don't think that is necessarily the best way to learn. I've learned more in the past 3 years from my pln than in college 12:56 dgrice : Is Diana monitoring this chat? 12:58 jstearns : I'd like to have those stats. I've heard them before 12:58 jstearns : The difference between auditory and visual connection to the brain 12:59 jstearns : I like his use of the colors 12:59 jstearns : red for danger 01:01 kjellwr4-1 : that was kind of random... 01:01 dgrice : Blue also means Democrat 01:01 jstearns : It'sDJakes humor 01:02 belinda_s : how do the colors relate to where our schools should be in 4 years? 01:03 jstearns : I guess we';; find out. I'm surprised they aren't using Google Docs to chart thoughts 01:03 dgrice : Is that the discussion question? 01:07 belinda_s : it was when i logged in - didn't hear any directions on what to do with the colors in the group work 01:09 jazzymiles : just stopped in 01:10 jazzymiles : is the chat working? 01:10 nsharoff-1 : yes 01:11 nsharoff-1 : HI BETH K 01:11 belinda_s : red: administrators in the classroom 'building relationships' with students; not policing teachers. building more of a real community - tell students we are all in this together; get rid of the us v. them mentality 01:23 belinda_s : if school board members or policy makers wnated to be in the classroom they would, but they aren't 01:24 belinda_s : *wanted 01:31 belinda_s : we have one admin like that; the other can barely e-mail - how to make that situation more synchronous? 01:33 dgrice : In a perfect world: Administation models it for teachers. Teachers model it for students. In reality its a little more backwards. 01:34 belinda_s : this is an age-old hierarchy that we can't seem to get around, though technology can and should 'level the playing field' and break down these barriers 01:34 belinda_s : administrators in the classroom with students - who are not in trouble, will create more buy-in 01:34 dgrice : It levels the playing field for those that choose to play. 01:35 belinda_s : true - maybe we'll never get away from that intitutionally; yes on smaller scale - some schools 01:36 mjmontagne-1 : good challenge, David 01:36 belinda_s : at our school a teacher was reprimanded for blogging about what is going on - have to be careful 01:37 mjmontagne-1 : blog as tool for reflective practice is dynamite... 01:37 mjmontagne-1 : we have a devil's advocate... 01:38 mjmontagne-1 : is he serious, or just taking devil's advocate? 01:38 mjmontagne-1 : I agree with patrick...remove technology from any billing 01:38 mjmontagne-1 : this isn't about technology...its about methodology 01:38 mjmontagne-1 : developing as a professional...love it! 01:39 mjmontagne-1 : great conversation... 01:39 mjmontagne-1 : but students really don't know more... 01:39 mjmontagne-1 : they DON"T 01:39 mjmontagne-1 : they know entertainment... 01:39 JackieB : NO I don't believe they do. 01:40 mjmontagne-1 : they don't learn information culling/gathering/sifting thru osmosis 01:40 mjmontagne-1 : they need to practice and learn that skill in an authentic manner 01:41 dgrice : ...and they need a teacher that will model proper use. 01:41 mjmontagne-1 : love seeing all of the laptop screens up! 01:41 kjellwr4 : but the notion that teachers feel that they know less about technology (whether this is right or wrong) is real 01:41 mjmontagne-1 : @dgrice...yes 01:42 belinda_s : the classroom will never be collaborative if teacher and student aren't learning together 01:44 belinda_s : so are we assuming that teachers are not intelligent enough to learn new technologies; or just resistent to change - though technology has pretty much taken over the world and society? 01:45 belinda_s : excellent point - to the current speaker about showing kids how to find out the answer to a ? she doesn't know the answer to 01:45 mjmontagne-1 : teachers are burdened by quite a bit...I don't think they are not intelligent enuf or have the interest...systems changes need to happen so they can do these things 01:45 dgrice : Fear is more accurate. Our teachers fear that tech will not work when they need it - that they will look foolish. They say "I never have to worry about not being able to access my textbook." 01:46 belinda_s : i personally am not too proud to open a dictionary if my technology fails me - the technology fails them too 01:46 belinda_s : or better yet - go ask someone else - like another teacher 01:47 belinda_s : one thing that separates us from our students consistently is that teachers want kids to think that they know it all; it's ok to admit that we don't 01:47 belinda_s : it communicates that we are learners too 01:47 dgrice : First timers need a little more assurance of success. And require a lot more "hand-holding". 01:47 mjmontagne-1 : participatory technologies are inconflice with traditional methods...gr8 point 01:47 mjmontagne-1 : programminga vCR is much harder than maintaining a blog 01:48 dgrice : amen 01:48 dgrice : I my Tivo. 01:49 belinda_s : Tivo is the best invention since sliced bread 01:49 mjmontagne-1 : I think VCRs actually have made some people stay away from Tivo and DVR...becauase they think Tivo/DVR will be complicated like a VCR 01:49 mjmontagne-1 : I always hated programming my VCR 01:49 briangrenier : Unfortunately...in those cases the emphasis is placed on passing the test...too high stakes for teachers to feel comfortable exporing new tools 01:50 belinda_s : technology gets easier and more user friendly all the time - that is part of it's design - to make our lives simpler, easier and less time-consuming 01:50 mjmontagne-1 : my 70 year old aunt still users hers all the time...she can program a VCR better than anyone I know! 01:50 belinda_s : our students know that 01:52 belinda_s : there are teachers who embrace change and want to be more relevant to the times and their students, just not enough 01:53 mjmontagne-1 : mayday mayday 01:53 mjmontagne-1 : camera on the ground!! 01:53 dgrice : s 01:54 dgrice : oops! 01:54 belinda_s : did we reach any consensus on 'what our schools should look like in 4 years?' 01:55 dgrice : Every teacher will have a personal learning network. Every classroom will be permeable or at least semi-permeable. 01:55 mjmontagne-1 : I think it should look like teachers and students who are connected both via intra-building/campus and then Internetworked as well... 01:56 mjmontagne-1 : do books work all of the time?? What if kids leave their work book at home?? 01:56 mjmontagne-1 : we had the same problems in the analogue world... 01:56 belinda_s : we either need computers or textbooks - budget driven considerations all 01:56 mjmontagne-1 : we just need to know new management techniques to employ when things don't work in the digital world... 01:57 dgrice : You learn more from your failures than successess. Better to try and fail. 01:57 belinda_s : if we are 'source-less' for any amount of time, we can always fall back on dialoguing with our students 01:57 mjmontagne-1 : things don't work all of the time in the analogue world either... 01:58 mjmontagne-1 : patrick...that is my point!!! 01:58 mjmontagne-1 : patrick...that is constructivist learning!!! 01:59 mjmontagne-1 : the kids need time for partick's technique... 01:59 mjmontagne-1 : that is my challenge...we have 40 minute teaching blocks...don't often have time to let them learn on their own like that. 01:59 dgrice : Kids don't need step by step instruction. Get them started, tell them what the final product should be, and let them figure out the rest. 02:00 belinda_s : which is facilitating, not 'teaching' - how many teachers are willing to do that? 02:00 mjmontagne-1 : I get a lot of bad questions from kids in labs...what do I do when this message comes up? What do I do next? 02:00 dgrice : The ones that aren't control freaks. 02:00 dgrice : Our teacher has a great slogan above the board. Ask 3 before you ask me. 02:01 belinda_s : that's excellent 02:02 mjmontagne-1 : lost video/audio 02:02 belinda_s : it's back:) 02:03 dgrice : Please, please tell me the google doc Diana is typing will be shared online. 02:03 JackieB : *clapping* 02:03 dgrice : 02:03 dgrice : Nice plug.