Edubeacon

Creating effective teaching and learning environments: first results from TALIS is the report from the OECD TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey) group in which over 70,000 teachers and principals representing lower secondary schools in 23 countries worldwide were surveyed.

Overwhelmingly teachers have responded about their desire for recognition, appreciation and more professional development opportunities. The interview with Michael Davidson embedded below provides and overview an sets the scene for the next report which will address solutions. He notes, amongst other factors, the influence of school leaders in:

• Supporting individual professional development
• Providing feedback
• Encouraging collaborative behaviour amongst teachers

At a time when so much is available for teachers to support their own learning it’s also worth looking at this research from the perspective of musician Ben Zander who encourages us to look for the possibilities in our lives rather than the tragedy.  This is a motivating approach and places us in the driving seat while the ‘ocean liner’ of education slowing turns.

Meanwhile, it’s also interesting to see so much the research of John Hattie, Mark Treadwell and Steve Dinham and others here in Australia and New Zealand reflected in these survey results.  It will be a report to follow.

We’ve all come to know Clay Shirky through his book Here comes everybody.  In this latest TED Talk, he explores the evolution of social networks further with the introduction of Twitter and its influence on our social infrastructure and historial outcomes.   We’ve seen this in action during this past week with the use of Twitter by the people of Iran to get their message out to the world following the recent election.

Here Shirky talks about the speed at which knowledge of the devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province, China spread out to the world and the influence this experience had on the Chinese government’s handling of the recent anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

He suggests that we are experiencing the ‘largest increase in expressive capability in human history’.  The Internet has become increasingly social, with citizen reporting within personal networks a powerful force as:

1. The Internet becomes the mode of transport for all forms of media.
2. The Internet develops as a massive site of coordination.
3. We evolve from passive receivers of information produced by ‘experts’ to a situation where every person has the capacity to be both receiver and producer of Internet content.

We’re seeing the impact of this revolutionary change on all levels of our society particularly, from my point of view, government, media and education.  Hear Clay Shirky’s interpretation of the trend.

Sometimes it takes enforced rest to enable you to finally get something done.  Last weekend, while laid low with winter bugs, I finally completed Daniel Pink’s A Whole new mind: why right-brainers will rule the future.

This book is so much more than an explanation of the role of the right side of the brain and its role in the development of our skills and personalities.  Having identified this ‘Conceptual Age’ in which we now live, Pink goes on to introduce us to the key elements he considers vital to our growth namely: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning.  He provides explanations of the role of each of these elements with a ‘portfolio’ of activities to use in applying them to our own lives and the lives of our students.

This book is actually a handbook for living.  It’s essential reading and is very readable.

One only has to look at the rapid developments in online multimedia to realise we’re educating students for a future that will be very different from today.  Therefore adapting the ideas of Daniel Pink, Ken Robinson and others is critical.  A Whole new mind concludes with the comment that in the Conceptual Age:

‘…. your future will depend on your answers to three questions.  In this new era each of us must look carefully at what we do and ask ourselves:

1. Can someone overseas do it cheaper?

2. Can a computer do it faster?

3. Am I offering something that satisfies the nonmaterial, transcendent desires of an abundant age?’

In preparing our students for their future, we have so much to consider if we are to be able to look back without regret.

Today I’ve taken time to explore Google Wave, the new integrated platform on which Google sees as our online future with the move to HTML 5.0.  It’s still at preview stage with a full launch later in 2009, however, now’s the time to get our heads around the concept.  A wave is an open source, browser-based collaboration tool that combines email, document sharing, multimedia and social networking.  Reviews from the experts are very positive and if you’ve got 1 hour 20 minutes, I’d rcommend viewing the preview Google Wave presentation from the Google Developer Conference.

Google Wave has an Australian connection as it was developed out of Google’s Sydney office by brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, the designers of Google Maps with Stephanie Hannon as project manager.

A clear description with screen shots has been published by TechCruch who herald it as an exciting new development.  Working in real time it allows simultaneous, multi-user document editing and language translations.  In viewing it’s impact from an elearning perspective, Donald Clark explains the simplicity as:

A ‘Learning Wave’ can allow any combination of teacher(s) and student(s) to:

• step back and forth through content
• pull in/share resources
• pull in links
• provide live feedback
• poll the group
• assess the group
• teach in multiple languages (translates in real time)

It will really provide a functional place for learning in the ‘cloud’ and promises to simplify the process of providing elearning resources.

Personally, Twitter is very easy to love.  You can pick it up and put it down as often as you like.  When you think the central heating has exploded, within moments you hear on Twitter that it’s been an earth tremour.  It’s short and to the point.  Facebook on the other hand……. well, it’s not really my technology of choice.  Thankfully we have the option for alternatives.

Computers in Libraries online journal this month has an article by Sarah Milsen entitled Twitter for Libraries (and Librarians).  It’s a very comprehensive article with examples of he whole range of public and academic libraries using the application:

For example, a library could share all kinds of news that patrons want. Short messages can tell people about events such as readings, lectures, and book sales; newly available resources; or changes in the building hours. One message a day or one a week could share a tip on finding or accessing information online or in the building. Twitter posts can link to interesting news stories about literacy or about libraries. When appropriate, the posts can link to a library’s own website and blog for more in-depth information.

If you know nothing about Twitter, this article will of of great value to you.  Get on board.  It’s fun and learning.  I’m Edubeacon on Twitter - not a big poster but I find it a really useful component of my personal learning community.

Don’t know anything about editing wikis or using them is the classroom?  Here is a fabulous PD activity using Wikispaces.  It’s free, online and will continue to be available if you miss the live event.  See the full details of how to access this PD session on Live Classroom 2.0.  It has been organised by Steve Hargadon of Classroom 2.0.

Australian, Sue Waters is presenting this series of introductory workshops.  Use World Time Server Meeting Planner to establish that May 13, 8.00pm eastern time is May 14, 10.00am Victoria, Australia time.  Sue works closely with all educational sectors and has facilitated several global Web 2.0 projects.  She provides practical e-learning “how-to’s” through her sites including The Edublogger, PLN Yourself wiki, her personal blog and podcast site.

This BEGINNER SHOW is an exciting new Classroom 2.0 webinar series for beginners that will kick off on Wednesday, May 13 at 8:00pm Eastern (that’s USA)!  The new three-part series “Go Wild with Wikis” will be hosted on Elluminate and facilitated by Sue Waters, Edublogs Community Facilitator. In the first session Sue will take you on a guided tour of what are wikis, why educators use wikis, and how to use wikis for their own professional learning and/or with their students.

In future sessions you will gradually learn step-by-step details about the different features of a wikispaces wiki including how to set it up, manage it and add content. While the beginner series focus is helping educators new to web technologies learn more about how they can use these tools with their students it will also provide ‘takeaways’ for the more experienced users. Attend the beginner show and see future events.

With the support of Garr Reynold’s Presentation Zen book and website and a few other people, we are all gradually overcoming the Death by Powerpoint syndrome.  The message still has a way to travel as I was reminded in seeing the work of some senior students this week.

Garr Reynolds has modelled many of his ideas on the sleek and snappy TED: Ideas worth spreading talks in which presenters have just 18 minutes to get their message across.  If you get to present on TED you are no slouch, so one would imagine you would have heaps to say about the passionate message that has got you there, not allowed however, you only have 18 minutes.

Today Garr has blogged about Making presentations Zen style and given us a list of the 10 TED commandments that are given to presenters preparing their TED Talks.

Teacher Tap professional development resources for educators and librarians is a site that’s been around for a long time and is well worth a visit.  Organisation of the resources is orderly and accessible with menu headings:

• Tech & Learning
• Internet Resources
• Libraries and Literacy
• Tech Tools

It’s the work of Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson and relates to their courses at Indiana University-Indianapolis.  It’s an absolute mine of free resources.

It’s interesting to read of the launch of the OLPC 2.0 which is a dual toouchscreen device that’s estimated to cost $75 per unit and then see where the whole project was been restructured due to funding issues earlier this year.  Nevertherless, the One Laptop Per Child project has always been particularly fascinating because it was the passion of Nicholas Negroponte and his associates that broke the hold that the laptop manufacturers had on the school market which were forcing students to use the same computers that were designed for businessmen.  I’ve previously blogged about this a number of times.

Here in Victoria this year we have the DEECD Netbook Trial where netbooks are being distributed to Grade 5 & 6 students in government primary schools.  While not without criticism, this project is an indication of the courage of some education leaders to make the hard decisions.  We just have to push forward in getting some of this technology into the hands of students.  This project is being supported by a wiki which provides an extension to support from the ICT coaches.

NSW have recently announced the Laptops4Learning iniative which is a major project rolling out netbooks to all DET Year 9-12 students.  Teachers will get their netbooks first with Yr 9 students to get them in Term 3.  These are major steps forward that will gather momentum very quickly.  Other states are very likely doing the same thing.

Last year when we visited Apple in Cupertino with the ACEC Study Tour, Apple execs told us that they had exciting news in the pipe.  Seems it’s almost here and its the iPad won’t it be fabulous if it’s anything like this.  They said it was worth waiting for!

It’s interesting to see the video on the Mindspot the library of the future as blogged about by Jenny Luca today. It offers a glimpse of the future as libraries are incorporate multimedia options and the voice of youth.

With so many resources being freely available online, the future library is going to be a place of activity with flexible spaces, events and visible users. We’re already beginning to see this in public libraries.  It will be an augmented library where people will use the resources of the collections to build multimedia projects and it will be a place of networking people, places and organisations.

These ideas were all taken from the video embedded below from the Transformation Lab. It’s a couple of years old now and has been followed up with the Children’s Interactive Library project, also from Aahus.

All worthy of note in future planning as, although you cannot adopt ideas to the same extent, they are still ideas for planning.