ISTE Daily: Day 3 -- Playgrounds, Networking, and Sushi w/ Jesu_IT

Sitting this morning in the preparation for one of the CUE.SHRED sessions (lots of speakers in two minute time limits -- could be fun). Reflecting on yesterday and seeing if there is anything profound.

Let's Talk about the Natives

I went to my first hour long session. David Warlick presented on digital natives and their impact on education. He certainly made the case for the necessity of change,

Quickfact: 6 hours of YouTube videos are uploaded every 15 seconds

I'm not sure if I have heard a better argument for infowhelm and the need for students to have the ability to setup filters either through thoughtful PLN development or...well, that is really what I have at this point.

Avoid Question Proofing

He had an interesting point regarding our project design. So much of our traditional teaching methodology applied to modern PBL takes the form of question proofing -- designing each assessment so that every question is answered, every possibility is accounted for. #Edtech geeks reading this have had the experience of the nervous teacher who wants a pre-made flow chart of every question and every possibility 

aside: interestingly, this is the difference between early debate coaching -- teach them to not ask any question for which they do not know the answer -- from experienced debate coaching -- teach them to explore an opponents case with open-ended questions that  lead to closed set-traps.

Questions are good

Show a picture of a barbed wire. Say nothing. Wait for the students to begin asking. Answer clearly and succinctly:

What is that? Barbed wire

What is it for? material to build fences that hurt cows

Why would you want to hurt cows? Interesting question. Why would we want to hurt cows?

Discussion follows led by student inquiry. Boring topic made good.

Gaming and Failing as Learning Models:

One of the most popular tweets from yesterday (maybe @webclassrom20 or @sjunkins):

I have yet to have a student tell me they can't use technology in class because they haven't received any PD on it. #iste12

The idea of creating environments where we are allowed to accept wrong answers; where we take advantage of the #dignat student's natural willingness to experiment, to play, and to find value in problem solving; where we move from high-stakes cannot fail to high-value learning from mistakes.

The sigMS Playground: Draw Them in w/Toys and Talk about Learning Anyway

I had a rollercoaster ride of contacts before finding out for sure that I was presenting about digital devices and e-readers in library settings. I ended up talking about BYOT (shock); and teaching as knowing student context and learning through reflection on experiences (shock with Jesuit flava*); and letting go of control in order to focus on the things we know and can share with our students (let me hear big ups for #digcit)

How good was this? 

I got to meet the @40ishoracle groupie (her name is @bachrens and she is awesome.

I became best friends with @maureenbrunner (she lives like 30 minutes from me...we met in San Diego)

The playgrounds are great places to learn, network, meet and talk to other educators. I had absolutely no reason play #edlingo bingo and got to learn as much as I taught. -- Isn't that kind of the point?

(because of my enjoyment of this, I skipped two sessions i was planning -- if anyone has notes from Android Projects, I will give you one of my super-special #edlingo bingo prizes)

Library ReThink

Doug Johnson at http://dougjohnson.wikispaces.com

Doug Johnson walked us through a history of library artifacts (hilarious) -- his point: Libraries could be on the verge of being NETFLIXED (like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video) - made obsolete by the net paradigm.

In order to avoid this, we need to think about what the library has to offer in its physical form that cannot be accomplished with the internet, google, kindles, virtual databases, etc. His suggestions:

Libraries as social learning spaces -- letting go of the quiet libraries

Libraries as havens for production creation and presentation practice

Libraries as teaching spaces, club spaces, tech help spaces, 

Quick hits for library design:

• Allow games -- it gives kids a reason to follow rules. (he had ten other reasons to allow games)
• Create make-it spaces: white boards (laminate the tables!)
• Forget teaching classrooms. Make them model classrooms with all of the stuff for teachers to test
• Kill librarian offices - put the desk in the center where the kids can find you
• Co-LAB-orative Design: one powerful table with four chairs scattered throughout (love this!)
• Aesthetics: the degree to which a school cares about looks is the degree to which they show respect. Human beings like places that look nice.

The Expo Floor

Yes, I went. Felt like I needed a shower. Still processing this section

• Samsung -- even if the whiteboard is on the table, i don't know if its useful. Cool toy though (projector and digital pens.
• Every vendor talking about #flipclass except TechSmith -- If you cannot add value, I am not interested.
• Cabinets and Furniture makers: BYOT is here. How have you not thought about individualized charging units yet? dont try to talk me into what I don't want. Security with a SINGLE door covering twenty slots is SO last year
• Google -- Awesome magnets. Need more people who can talk about teaching and learning.
• Samsung (you're the one with multiple booths) -- A whole classroom of shiny pretty galaxytabs and a management system is the wrong lesson to learn from Apple. I don't care if they are the official ISTE innovation of the future.
• Blackboard -- you own so much of the LMS market, you aren't even sure what all you control.

Birds-of-a-Feather: BYOT (They called it "D", but they haven't read my blog)

Another one that I am processing.

There is a whole series of blogs ready to go from this session. BYOT is in danger of buzzword corruption. I heard BYOT as 

"Bring your own --"

• Powerful device
• Macbook
• iPad
• iPad that we will put through our management system

I think we need to go back to the messaging basics of the model: The power of student control; the meta-level power of making the choice of app, program, device, and project; The ownership inherent in the "YO" of BYOT

If BYOT becomes the new catchphrase for cost-offsetting 1:1 strategies, we have will lose the movement.

Fortunately, for every line that made me cringe, there were a few schools doing open explorations of how it improves education, student learning, teacher-as-guide, and the cultivation of the skills necessary to be a #digcit. But the storm cloouds are gathering.

Downtime at ISTE:

Two amazing restaraunts for good meals: Seersucker - Every piece of the meal was the best I ever had. Nobu - Japanese cuisine with sushi, sashimi, and more. Just ask the waiter to take care of you. They do amazing. (about $100 per person -- what can I say? @wishbabydoc is a doctor and I skipped lunch networking).

What's Next?

Next keynotes (hoping for better), Talking #digcit (i think?) at the tech.pavillion; more sessions (more bingo opportunities - a few prizes left);