Transforming Education in 140 Characters or Less

I'll be participating on a panel discussion along with three distinguished educators next week: Nick Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher), LaRon Carter (@laroncarter), and Linda Clinton (@Linda704). The occasion is the Detroit edition of the 140 Character Conference (#140conf) scheduled for Wednesday, October 20, where we'll be presenting our views and experiences regarding "real time communication" (RTC) and its impact on education.

One question I plan on addressing is, "How can we harness RTC tools and technologies such as Twitter to engage all stakeholders in transforming education?" This is a difficult question given that education is mired in tradition and a culture that resists transformation, especially if it involves the use of technology tools. I'd certainly like to hear from others what your opinion is on this question. If you choose to opine, please provide your response in the comment box below.

If you're going to be in the area and would like to attend the day-long conference in Detroit, you can register at: http://detroit.140conf.com/register.  Use the code 140disc to get a discount on your ticket.

¡Fútbol Rebelde de Viva!

There was a time, not too long ago, that old traditions bumped up to the new realization that there is more than one "football" culture in the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools community. Resistance to adding a soccer program eventually gave way to the realization that America is a diverse nation and our own community mirrors that change. We have come to embrace our soccer program and the boys have not let us down - two conference championships in just four years of interscholastic competition.  

Congratulations Coach Jaime Ramirez and the 2010 Varsity Boys Soccer Team! ¡Viva Lee fútbol!

Transforming Education in 140 Characters or Less

I'll be participating on a panel discussion along with three distinguished educators next week: Nick Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher), LaRon Carter (@laroncarter), and Linda Clinton (@Linda704). The occasion is the Detroit edition of the 140 Character Conference (#140conf) scheduled for Wednesday, October 20, where we'll be presenting our views and experiences regarding "real time communication" (RTC) and its impact on education.

One question I plan on addressing is, "How can we harness RTC tools and technologies such as Twitter to engage all stakeholders in transforming education?" This is a difficult question given that education is mired in tradition and a culture that resists transformation, especially if it involves the use of technology tools. I'd certainly like to hear from others what your opinion is on this question. If you choose to opine, please provide your response in the comment box below.

If you're going to be in the area and would like to attend the day-long conference in Detroit, you can register at: http://detroit.140conf.com/register.  Use the code 140disc to get a discount on your ticket.

Engaging Learning

Technology helps even the youngest students engage in classroom learning activities. These students, born in the 21st Century, know little about life without digital technology.  Classrooms can no longer afford to be museums from the 1980's. If we fail to take advantage of the iGen's interest in mobile digital technology, we render ourselves irrelevant.

The More Things Stay the Same

Change is often slow and incremental. And sometimes it's just plain non-existent. Such is the case with public education reform, as illustrated by Andrew Draper's lament in his 1909 tome on American Education (p. 279):

We've been discussing the overloaded classroom curriculum and its negative impact on learning for more than 100 years - five generations, and all we've managed to accomplish is to load up our public schools with even more requirements!  Instead of resolving this complex problem once and for all, we choose to be distracted by the so-called reformers who want to blame our system's faults on the teachers.