On Thursday evening, April 19, 2007, several teachers and administrators convened at 3 different school districts around Pinal County, AZ for The Pinal County ITv Consortium’s Second Annual Tech Academy (Our guest presenter was broadcast via ITv from Maricopa to particpating sites, Ray USD and Eloy USD).
Thanks to the following people:
Gina Pinch, MUSD Director of Technology, Tech Academy Planning Committee, Consortium Member
Jack Wallbrecht, Consortium Member, CTE Director, Maricopa USD
Ezmy Guzman, Consortium Member and Site Coordinator, Ray USD
Vicky Ruelas, Consortium Member and Site Coordinator, Eloy USD
This year’s topic: ‘Engaging the 21st Century Learner’
Speaking to our group of interested learners was Chris Johnson of 21st Century Learning. Dr. Johnson presented challenges facing educators as they encounter Digital Natives in the classroom.
Some participants voiced concern over using new ideas to engage students that they believe to be wholly disengaged from their own learning (inside of the traditional school environment). Dr. Johnson countered with questions about students being focused and engaged outside of the classroom “on things of interest to them“. His point was not that we should entertain students for entertainment sake but rather that we tease out what we can learn from observing what does wholly engage them and apply those findings to our educational environments and teaching styles.
He shared an example of digital storytelling, a third grade class’ interpretation of bullying. The video was set to the tune ‘Don’t Laugh at Me’ and in light of the tragic shootings at Viginia Tech earlier this week, was painfully poignant and moving. How much more engaging to learn about the implications of bullying and understanding such powerful lyrics, than to script and act in a digital representation.
We wondered about what age of student would become the catalyst for change in education. Will today’s High School students demand progressive change when their ranks become teachers in the next decade? Does pre-service instruction need to evolve before real and widespread change occurs? How can this be encouraged and guided. How can everything be encouraged to change simultaneously (like we see right now within the web, like we see in technology, like we see in Web 2.0)?
One teacher voiced concerns, no doubt shared by many, about the inability to become proficient enough to teach using technology at a level that the Net Gen’s might require. One participant countered that the students may not need so much ‘teaching’. Suggesting rather that many already possess the tools and have learned the requisite skills themselves, outside of the schoolhouse. The evolving responsibility of the teacher, as stated by Chris Johnson, becomes guidance and direction to insure proper critical learning is taking place while incorportaing what we aready KNOW engages the learners, our students!
Specific to education, how can administrators and legislators nurture and facilitate development of the Web 2.0 philosophy? How will assessment systems evolve to properly evaluate that critical, but non-linear learning that is taking place, when our entire system is predicated upon linear progression?
These are not trivial issues and thus do not have easy answers. We are, as is often the case in the realm of technology, on the edge of something that did not exist yesterday. The rules are ours (and THEIRS) for the making.
Last year’s Tech Academy brought consortium members together face-to-face to learn more about the integration and application of videconferencing into existing curriculum. This year we learned that videoconferencing is one more opportunity and tool districts can offer to teachers working toward Web 2.0 Integration!
Tech Academy Planning Committee:
Amy Chayefsky, Maricopa USD, District Office, Technology Integration Specialist and Wanna be Web 2.0 Integration Specialist
Gina Pinch, Maricopa Unified School District, Director of Technology, Visionary Leader (my blog – I get to brag about this remarkable individual!)
Some resources for educators who want to learn the NEW tools of the trade:
ASSET Arizona School Services through Educational Technology
AzTEA Arizona Technology in Education Alliance
ISTE International Society for Technology in Education
Listen to podcasts and read blogs on topics of interest to you
Your local Community College
Internet based tutorials
Ask your friendly EdTech Specialists
With 2 digital cameras in the shop for repairs, photos will be posted when my throw-away camera gets developed! 
So un-web 2.0
One more thing! Chris asked if anyone uses Skype. I heard of it but wasn’t even sure what it was. So of course when I got home after the conference I googled it, downloaded it, emailed all my contacts and invited them to join me on Skype! In less than an hour, my cousin responded to say she has Skype and will call me Sunday. We hope to finish setup on my video cam so I can see her and she can see me (yes, hers is already up and running). My cousin lives in Holland and we have not ever talked by phone!
Playing on Skype I encountered a public phone site and popped into one for literally (it was on a timer) 15 seconds and got out as it did not interest me. Within several seconds I recieved a message from someone in Mainland China who encountered my username on that public site and contacted me to say ‘Hi’! My China contact ‘Jack’ is the same age as my daughter and I hope to encounter him again!
Does that make you frightened or fascinated beyond belief? I am absolutely the latter! And my amazement and awe show no signs of waning anytime soon! How about you?
