Designing the 21st Century Global Learning Environment

These are my notes from Stephanie Sandifer’s closing session at EdubloggerCon 2008 in San Antonio, “Designing the 21st Century Global Learning Environment.” Our work in this session focused on the wiki: eduplan.wikispaces.com.

What school is NOT … (let’s brainstorm that) – This idea came from Ginger Lewman, who shared her thinking and work with others from a Google Doc on the “Is not…” wiki page.

Many teachers cannot or do not want to connect 24/7

teaching is not a 9-5 job (it is a lifestyle)
teaching is not bell bounded
learning should not be bell bounded

flexible time for different age groups has been an important part of learning for Sue Tapp at Upwey High School in Upwey VIC Australia

think of the worst scenario school when envisioning
– fear

not intimidated
– fear bound
– fear driven

not bound by traditional boundaries

not limited or defined by minimium standards

not scripted by unrealistic and unhealthy parent expectations

not driven by litigation fear

not focused exclusively on standardized assessments and standardized measures of learning

need to address the political energy for for accountability in new ways
– have to figure out a way to change the political landscape
– we need to change locally the perception of what is and is not the right kind of accountability

we need kids to do real stuff for real audiences
– to have skills and passion
– to have a sponge-like

I want that more than knowing my grandkids

how we measure the outcome of schooling is a SERIOUS barrier today to everyone involved

we need to change how we compensate and reward educational professionals
– it is abysmal when we put teachers in subsistance labor categor
– not talking about career ladders
– teachers to be entrepreneurial
– we need to set them free to do other

We Are Teachers is about that: helping teachers be able to put out their shingle
– Do you think

Teachers need to do a better job of capturing and sharing their stories
– the politicians have their own OLD mental picture of school and what it looks like

NOT
– closed
– opaque
– alone in an echoing room
– look like a factory model
– look like a 19th century classroom

it is appauling how we have policy prevention today in schools
– the way we use facilitaties
– they are NOT fully utilized
– they don’t deal with social justice issues

NOT
– overcontrolled by IT

NOT
– just scripted months in advance (fluid)
– just focused on the formal curriculum

teachers deal with social justice issues every day

we need to help make public policy

IS
– filled with ongoing professional learning

NOT
– undifferentiated
– impersonal
– teaching to the middle

NOT
– simply focused on summative assessment (formative assessment)

Other ideas from the other group
– bringing in retired teachers to share knowledge and experiences with other teachers
– differentiating and accomodating

No more “binge professional development”

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