"Reclaiming the Magic" in instructional technology and learning the value of Blogs and Web 2.0 were the topics of the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center's annual Mohonk Technology Retreat held for the region's educators in October.
The weekend retreat kicked off a season of workshops and other events in the Technology Leadership Institute series, and featured speakers Gary Stager, editor-at-large for District Administration magazine, and Will Richardson, "learner-in-chief" of Connective Learning, who led discussions during the two-day event held at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz.
In a lively and humorous presentation, Mr. Stager warned educators of "an imbalance" in instructional technology, where students and teachers are focused on using computers and the Internet to "look things up" and spew out facts instead of using the computer as an "imagination machine" to create and foster in-depth, critical thinking. The emphasis on looking things up has also created "unintentional consequences regarding Internet safety and security," said Mr. Stager, and an unfounded fear of the Internet.
The possibility that students will look up inappropriate material, he said, has convinced school districts to spend valuable educational funds on filtering and other security measures and has diverted attention away from what's important -- using computers in ways that "encourage a creative and intellectual renaissance in children."
Mr. Stager, who has worked extensively with schools in Australia, said that the hysteria in U.S. schools over use of the Internet means that stringent Internet filters introduced by our public schools has made using the web frustrating for many teachers and students.
"The vast majority of students remain unable to email, collaborate or publish online despite the lofty goals of our official technology standards," he said.
Although Mr. Stager himself noted that he used Microsoft Powerpoint in his presentation at Mohonk, he cautioned the educators that "PowerPoint sucks the oxygen out of educational computing" because it is overused, often for trivial tasks. Teachers confuse mastery of Microsoft Office programs with the effective use of computers for communication and learning, he said.
He also encouraged the educators to think differently about instructional technology by pushing for one-to-one computing through the acquisition of laptops for every American student. Calling it the "Dream of 1:1 Computing," Mr. Stager debunked the notion that laptops for every student is too expensive for school districts, noting that schools routinely spend more money on the real estate, furniture and wiring for computer labs than it would cost to provide one laptop for each student. Laptops also allow "anytime, anywhere learning," he said, and that results in improved writing, reading, research, peer editing and other skills.
Mr. Stager, who showed photos of Australian students working on laptops some 15 years ago, said that the U.S. "owes it to our students to close the digital divide immediately. We cannot afford to sacrifice another generation of students."
Mr. Richardson of Connective Learning delivered a similar message, but on different topics - Web 2.0 and Blogs. Author of the critically acclaimed, best-selling book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms, Mr. Richardson is a proponent of the use of weblogs by students and teachers.
Weblogs, otherwise known as blogs, have gradually gained popularity in schools as a means of communicating, writing and joining in discussions and forums. Teachers who use blogs can also build in lessons, assignments and announcements, and can more easily communicate with parents.
Mr. Richardson, also the author of Will's Weblog, has worked internationally with educators and students to help them understand and implement instructional technologies into their schools, and provides them with assistance in creating K-12 blogs and using Web 2.0 resources.
This year's TLI series has been expanded to include not only the series of workshops and speakers, but Technology and Learning magazine's Tech Forum, which was held at the IBM Palisades Executive Conference Center on Oct. 20, and the 41 st Annual NYSCATE Annual Conference, which was held Nov. 19-21 in Rochester, N.Y.
On Dec. 11 at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff, the next TLI event will feature Neil Howe, author of Millennials Rising, a book that examines today's teenagers. On Jan. 10, the TLI series will feature Dr. Jamie McKenzie, a former superintendent of schools and director of libraries and technology, who will speak about best practices in analyzing assessment results. On March 15, the LHRIC will host its First Annual Tech Expo at the Edith Macy Conference Center. The theme of the daylong event will be "Learning Through Communication," and will feature presentations by Hall Davidson, director of the Discovery Educator Network, and David Jakes, instructional technology coordinator in Downers Grove, Ill., who will discuss best practices in technology. Participants will also engage in breakout discussions and technology vendors will attend.
On April 20, the TLI series will hold its popular Pioneer Awards Dinner at the Westchester Marriott, where some of the region's school districts and leaders will be recognized for their educational technology practices. The keynote speaker for this year's Pioneer Awards will be Dr. Rudolph "Rudy" Crew, former chancellor of the New York City schools and current Superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Dr. Crew will speak about "Lessons in Leadership."
The TLI series will end on May 23, when teacher Erin Gruwell will describe how a racial incident in her classroom convinced her to start an ongoing dialogue that changed the lives of 150 inner-city students. The students, who came to be known as The Freedom Writers, were challenged by Ms. Gruwell to confront hatred through writing and to publish a nationally acclaimed book. |
