Comments on: Constructive uses of disruptive-tech are the key http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/06/constructive-uses-of-disruptive-tech-are-the-key/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:47:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Along the Way » My Weekend PD for May 6-7 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/06/constructive-uses-of-disruptive-tech-are-the-key/#comment-19467 Along the Way » My Weekend PD for May 6-7 Sun, 08 Oct 2006 16:30:17 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=985#comment-19467 [...] Wes Fryer posted a well written (as always) blog on the CONSTRUCTIVE use of disruptive technologies, and advocates that engaged learning through conversation is not experimental and can be observed in the classrooms of master teachers, easily accessible on the web. The comments (part of the conversation) by master teachers to this post are equally inspiring. [...] [...] Wes Fryer posted a well written (as always) blog on the CONSTRUCTIVE use of disruptive technologies, and advocates that engaged learning through conversation is not experimental and can be observed in the classrooms of master teachers, easily accessible on the web. The comments (part of the conversation) by master teachers to this post are equally inspiring. [...]

]]> By: Teach42 - Education and Technology, by Steve Dembo » Connecting and Learning in Holland http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/06/constructive-uses-of-disruptive-tech-are-the-key/#comment-2999 Teach42 - Education and Technology, by Steve Dembo » Connecting and Learning in Holland Mon, 08 May 2006 20:15:34 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=985#comment-2999 [...] The second presentation I did was called Going Mobile and focused on using disruptive technologies in the classroom.  Wait, let me rephrase, CONSTRUCTIVELY using disruptive technologies in the classroom (I got yer back, Wes)!  The presentation revolved around two ideas:  1) There’s a heck of alot of educational things you can do with a PSP or Cell phone and 2) Schools could save a whole lot of money if they took advantage of the technology students are currently hiding in their backpacks.  It’s a fun presentation, an extended version of the one I did for EdTech Connect.  I’ve found some incredible resources using mobile technology, and I get the feeling I barely scratched the surface! [...] [...] The second presentation I did was called Going Mobile and focused on using disruptive technologies in the classroom.  Wait, let me rephrase, CONSTRUCTIVELY using disruptive technologies in the classroom (I got yer back, Wes)!  The presentation revolved around two ideas:  1) There’s a heck of alot of educational things you can do with a PSP or Cell phone and 2) Schools could save a whole lot of money if they took advantage of the technology students are currently hiding in their backpacks.  It’s a fun presentation, an extended version of the one I did for EdTech Connect.  I’ve found some incredible resources using mobile technology, and I get the feeling I barely scratched the surface! [...]

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/06/constructive-uses-of-disruptive-tech-are-the-key/#comment-2995 Wesley Fryer Sun, 07 May 2006 20:27:59 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=985#comment-2995 You are most welcome, Mark, thanks for your continued hard work and for sharing about it online. It really is amazing we can have this type of collaborative relationship completely independent of geography and even time.... I am not sure what the answer is in terms of changing the system, except what I already wrote and chipping away a little at a time. These are big, systemic changes, so I don't think we should be surprised that so many folks don't see the point or get it.... Or see these things just as threats, not opportunities. I think your approach of requesting that sites be unblocked is a good one, but you also can consider alternate routes for content access: Proxy paths for circumventing Internet filters and blocks http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/12/how-to-access-blocked-websites.html I think we need to get our adminstrators and school board members blogging. Only through experiences and conversations will people's perceptions about these things really change. You are most welcome, Mark, thanks for your continued hard work and for sharing about it online. It really is amazing we can have this type of collaborative relationship completely independent of geography and even time….

I am not sure what the answer is in terms of changing the system, except what I already wrote and chipping away a little at a time. These are big, systemic changes, so I don’t think we should be surprised that so many folks don’t see the point or get it…. Or see these things just as threats, not opportunities.

I think your approach of requesting that sites be unblocked is a good one, but you also can consider alternate routes for content access:

Proxy paths for circumventing Internet filters and blocks
http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/12/how-to-access-blocked-websites.html

I think we need to get our adminstrators and school board members blogging. Only through experiences and conversations will people’s perceptions about these things really change.

]]> By: Mark Ahlness http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/06/constructive-uses-of-disruptive-tech-are-the-key/#comment-2994 Mark Ahlness Sun, 07 May 2006 20:20:25 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=985#comment-2994 Wesley, thanks for putting me in such lofty company - there are days when I feel I ought to be in the pile at the other end of the quality teacher continuum. I truly agree with your recommendation for constructive means to get the job done, to "change the sphere where you live and work". Unfortunately, many of us teachers are just too overwhelmed teaching, getting it done - to change much outside our own classrooms. If we had the energy, we might try to change the system, try and advocate for student use of web 2.0 technologies - but we are few, and ultimately, powerless. An example. This past week I submitted a list of 12 educational blogs that I wanted unblocked to the network folk in my school district (Seattle). All blogspot.com sites, as Blogger is blocked. Good news, they were all unblocked. Of course, you can't comment on them, they look fractured (no blogger.com originated images are allowed through), etc... Emboldened with a little success, I repeated my earlier request to have flickr unblocked. No dice. No surprise. Exchanged a few emails on that. Forget it, not gonna budge. All this took a fair bit of time, compiling sites, writing emails, responding, etc, etc. I can't do this very often. My question is this: Why isn't there somebody else doing this job? I've already got one :) Now, I'm not giving up, but I'm saying it's a pretty steep hill up ahead, and I'd like some company, some extra ammo, whatever. Where is THAT help gonna come from? Many thanks for all you are doing!! - Mark Wesley, thanks for putting me in such lofty company - there are days when I feel I ought to be in the pile at the other end of the quality teacher continuum.

I truly agree with your recommendation for constructive means to get the job done, to “change the sphere where you live and work”. Unfortunately, many of us teachers are just too overwhelmed teaching, getting it done - to change much outside our own classrooms. If we had the energy, we might try to change the system, try and advocate for student use of web 2.0 technologies - but we are few, and ultimately, powerless.

An example. This past week I submitted a list of 12 educational blogs that I wanted unblocked to the network folk in my school district (Seattle). All blogspot.com sites, as Blogger is blocked. Good news, they were all unblocked. Of course, you can’t comment on them, they look fractured (no blogger.com originated images are allowed through), etc… Emboldened with a little success, I repeated my earlier request to have flickr unblocked. No dice. No surprise. Exchanged a few emails on that. Forget it, not gonna budge.

All this took a fair bit of time, compiling sites, writing emails, responding, etc, etc. I can’t do this very often. My question is this: Why isn’t there somebody else doing this job? I’ve already got one :)

Now, I’m not giving up, but I’m saying it’s a pretty steep hill up ahead, and I’d like some company, some extra ammo, whatever. Where is THAT help gonna come from? Many thanks for all you are doing!! - Mark

]]> By: Cheryl Oakes http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/06/constructive-uses-of-disruptive-tech-are-the-key/#comment-2989 Cheryl Oakes Sun, 07 May 2006 11:01:37 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=985#comment-2989 Aside from my sabbatical this year, which was an incredible experience, you can see evidence of what I accomplished at my school website and at my blog; the new 4.0 THINK.COM has been the most transformational activity I have participated in with 200 of my favorite 3rd and 4th grade students at Wells Elementary School. I've been using Think.com for the past 4 years, with great success. However, this year it really took off and has become the culture at our school. First, parents are very interested and through THINK.COM, they are using/sharing their students’ accounts to email and sticky me too, with messages such as, “hello, this is Mary, Becca’s mom, and I was wondering…….” This is NEW, this is the first time parents have joined and used this venue to communicate with me. They understand this is a joint venture. They are monitoring their student use at home while I try to monitor their online communication. Second, 3 out of 12 teachers are communicating with their students through THINK.COM, the assistant principal joined a class the other day and created a THINK.COM page. It was just the best experience watching her try to respond to stickys as quickly as 18 students were sending them. The beauty of being in the classroom is that you can watch social networking at its best. Student A sends a message, then walks over to the assistant principal, Ms. Lang, he notices that the message is not on her page, shows her how to refresh, the message appears and this scenario repeats itself about 6 times. By the end of class she is exhausted, the students are energized and we, the blogosphere, have another convert. Our assistant principal is spreading her message that our school is a bully free zone and she is using THINK.COM as another avenue to touch base with students and keep a pulse on what is happening. (We use THINK.COM a free service, however another option that comes with a fee, and a way for parents to have access is ePALS.) When she sends a sticky note to students she incorporates her bully free vocabulary and reinforces that she just sent a "put up", not a put down. By the end of the class and into that evening students were sending her more “put ups”. Thirdly, I noticed this weekend that students internationally are using a poem format that a couple of my students started back at mid-March I I l I li I lik I like I like T I like Th I like Thi I like Thin I like Think I like Think. I like Think.c I like Think.co I like Think.com Now, did all those students have that poetry instruction in their classes, in spite of the fact that this type of poem has showed up in Italy, Australia, California, Texas, student blogs etc???? Or was this simply and transformationally the result of participating in the blogosphere. I know what I believe it to be. The power of the web. The impact of the web and sharing. While Wes kindly referred to me as a master teacher I hope this description demonstrates that anyone can register and use think.com with their students or school. There must be some Star Wars metaphor; I’ll leave that for you to come up with, but learn from a master and go forth and use the force with your students you won’t regret it. I’ll conclude by having you look back at the last paragraph of what Wes just wrote and affirm that we are up to the challenge of teaching in the 21st century. Aside from my sabbatical this year, which was an incredible experience, you can see evidence of what I accomplished at my school website and at my blog; the new 4.0 THINK.COM has been the most transformational activity I have participated in with 200 of my favorite 3rd and 4th grade students at Wells Elementary School. I’ve been using Think.com for the past 4 years, with great success. However, this year it really took off and has become the culture at our school. First, parents are very interested and through THINK.COM, they are using/sharing their students’ accounts to email and sticky me too, with messages such as, “hello, this is Mary, Becca’s mom, and I was wondering…….” This is NEW, this is the first time parents have joined and used this venue to communicate with me. They understand this is a joint venture. They are monitoring their student use at home while I try to monitor their online communication.
Second, 3 out of 12 teachers are communicating with their students through THINK.COM, the assistant principal joined a class the other day and created a THINK.COM page. It was just the best experience watching her try to respond to stickys as quickly as 18 students were sending them. The beauty of being in the classroom is that you can watch social networking at its best. Student A sends a message, then walks over to the assistant principal, Ms. Lang, he notices that the message is not on her page, shows her how to refresh, the message appears and this scenario repeats itself about 6 times. By the end of class she is exhausted, the students are energized and we, the blogosphere, have another convert. Our assistant principal is spreading her message that our school is a bully free zone and she is using THINK.COM as another avenue to touch base with students and keep a pulse on what is happening. (We use THINK.COM a free service, however another option that comes with a fee, and a way for parents to have access is ePALS.) When she sends a sticky note to students she incorporates her bully free vocabulary and reinforces that she just sent a “put up”, not a put down. By the end of the class and into that evening students were sending her more “put ups”.
Thirdly, I noticed this weekend that students internationally are using a poem format that a couple of my students started back at mid-March
I
I l
I li
I lik
I like
I like T
I like Th
I like Thi
I like Thin
I like Think
I like Think.
I like Think.c
I like Think.co
I like Think.com

Now, did all those students have that poetry instruction in their classes, in spite of the fact that this type of poem has showed up in Italy, Australia, California, Texas, student blogs etc???? Or was this simply and transformationally the result of participating in the blogosphere. I know what I believe it to be. The power of the web. The impact of the web and sharing.
While Wes kindly referred to me as a master teacher I hope this description demonstrates that anyone can register and use think.com with their students or school. There must be some Star Wars metaphor; I’ll leave that for you to come up with, but learn from a master and go forth and use the force with your students you won’t regret it. I’ll conclude by having you look back at the last paragraph of what Wes just wrote and affirm that we are up to the challenge of teaching in the 21st century.

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