Western Active Learning Space

Five years ago, I hosted a conversation with my colleagues at RMC about what the classrooms of tomorrow might look like.  Since that time, I've led a handful of workshops at conferences where design ​thinking has similarly led eductors to envision the future. Yesterday I went on a professional development field trip to the Western Active Learning Space at the Weldon Library on the Western University campus where many of the ideas my colleagues dreamt up, have become real.   

To add context to the video, you should know that this is the prelimary test of concept space, in the next few weeks, the full scale WALS, consisting of seven learning pods will be opening in as new research classroom on campus.  The final design will see the teacher's work station moved to the centre of the room, with each pod moved slightly from the touch sensitive projection screens to more easily facilitate multi-user access.

Each collaborative pod can be accessed by a wide range of mobile devices that connect via Internet to a specific IP address. While each pod has been provided with a notebook computer, any device with the freely downloadable Crestron app, can access any of the seven sub-networks. To foster collaboration, each screen can host simultaneous projections from up to four unique devices.

There are two mounted cameras in the space either of which can be fed to the pod screens. One captures the entire room in 360° and is intended to track student engagement and participation by researchers, the other is a remote controlled camera that can focus on particular area, to record or share the work of any pod or individual. 

It's an expensive venture and one that will continue to evolve.  From my perspective, I'm content knowing that Western University has found a way to promote active collaborative learning among large groups of students.  If the vision proves productive, new classrooms at the university can be built using this prototype as a template.​​​

Why I Love the Game

This past week, I had the great pleasure of taking my 8 year old onto a real golf course for the first time. Over the past few summers, he has developed a swing on the range, and has learned some golf etiquette at the local pitch and putt; but this was his first chance to tee it up for real. As we worked our way around the course, I found myself reflecting on the way golf is naturally differentiated for players of varying skills. By the time we'd finished, I had 9 holes worth of reflections to share.

Hole #1 Differentiated Challenge
I usually play the blues, hitting my tee shots from tees just in front of those reserved for professional golfers. Students on the golf team at our school, usually play from the whites; my wife starts at the reds; and the new golfer in the family, played his first round from the yellow tees. For each hole, the game of golf is differentiated, allowing player with varying levels of experience, to choose an apt challenge. I found myself thinking that school could be a much more engaging place if we could provide custom starting points for each of our students.

Hole #2 Modern Tools
While design and innovation lead to the introduction of new clubs and new learning technologies every year, the goals of both golf and school remain relatively unchanged. Many golfers find comfort in well-worn tools, like a familiar wedge or putter that just feels right; while teachers and students may be comforted in the familiarity of pencil or chalk. Those who ignore innovations in club design or developments in learning technologies, may struggle to produce their best work. It remains my opinion that hickory shafts and chalk, belong in the same place... the museum archives. We've got more effective tools to leverage.

Hole #3 Acing the Test
Through a combination of luck and skill, I was rewarded with my only hole-in-one on May 26, 1990. It was the 17th hole, a par four at Oakwood G. & C.C. where my tournament ace, keyed my foursome's victory. I remember many details from the experience, including the fact that I had to delay hitting my shot until two young golfers walked through our fairway; that I used an orange Top Flight golf ball on the tee; that my 5 wood drew in a right-to-left arc, landed on the green and rolled into the hole. Which leads to the question: What do you remember most vividly about the last test that you aced? The perfect performance on a written test may be more common, but is it far less memorable. How critical can either ace be, when you realize that given the opportunity to replay a hole you've mastered, or re-take a previously aced test, most of us are unlikely to again realize such perfection.

Hole #4 Practice as an End in Itself
As in learning, there is work to be done if you are to achieve to your best potential on tournament day. Whether practice takes place on the range where different aspects of the game are practiced in isolation; or on the course where you practice skills in the context of the game, most players find enjoyment in the practice. And the enjoyment happens in spite of the fact that many players, spend significant time on the weakest parts of their game. Knowing that every student in a classroom has a unique skill set, I'm left to wonder: Why it is common for every student to practice their way through a common set of experiences? How might the teacher discover which types of practice would be most apt for a given individual? Can choice, context, and varied practice lead individuals to enjoy the practice of academics?

Hole #5 We Play By Rules
The rules in golf may seem unfair at times, but wherever possible, you 'play it as it lies'. It's a game that relies upon the honesty of the competitors, even when the rules don't seem to make sense. In the world of school, many students look for ways to bend the rules or to outright ignore those that may seem unjust. The parallel seems to be that both school and golf tend to outlaw tools that make the 'game' too easy. Golf balls that go too straight off the tee, or those that travel too far in the air, or clubs that provide the advantage of extra spin are deemed to be illegal equipment. In the classroom, calculators were once seen to provide an unfair advantage; but today, tools like Wikipedia are deemed untrustworthy, while smart phones that provide access to the 'sum of human knowledge', are banned from exam rooms.

Hole #6 Handicaps Level the Playing Field
In golf, once you've been involved in enough 'assessments', your performance becomes predictable. The resulting golf handicap gives each competitor an equal opportunity to win an event. In a handicapped golf tournament, one has to turn in a performance that is better than his or her normal performance, in order to be rewarded. In contrast, handicaps in the classroom appear as challenges that result in an imbalance. Adaptive technologies, varied learning strategies, and universal designs may offset a learner's identified disability, but most of the time, learners are assessed using identical performance scales. As a result, the education system tends to reward the same kids over and over again, just for doing that they've been successful at doing throughout their school careers. As more and more educators embrace differentiated assessment, the practice may be seen as one to reward learners with 'assessment handicaps'.

Hole #7 The Team 'Scramble'
Occasionally, golf and school offer opportunities to learn and play as the member of a team. In golf, the scramble tournament allows a team of competitors to take advantage of the best shots of colleagues. Whether a long ball specialist or an expert putter, being a part of a foursome is most rewarding when your teammates brings different talents to the course. In the classroom, the best parallel I can think of, is when rich performance tasks allow learners to play unique roles in designing solutions to compelling problems. At their very best, both learning and golf are social experiences that bring out the best in the participants.

Hole #8 Data Driven Assessment
In golf, knowing exact yardages to fairway bunkers, water hazards, and pin placements, gives the player a tremendous advantage in making appropriate club selection. Whether using a laser range-finder, a GPS tool, or an iOS solution, players with the right information, are far more likely to make wise decisions on the course. In the classroom, it is the pre-assessment that offers a teacher similarly useful data. Knowing what your students know, and what they need to know, the informed teacher is more likely to plan an appropriate and productive range of learning activities. So, why is it that educators are far more likely to give tests only at the end of a unit of study? Experienced teachers know that gauging the strengths and weaknesses of their students, allows them to play 'target golf'.

Hole #9 What Did You Score?
Ultimately, golf is a game against yourself, and perfection is unattainable. Just as report cards attempt commonly boil down and individual's achievement to a number, so too does your scorecard . Whether or not you have rich stories to share about amazing experiences on the course or in the classroom, that final grade how success is ultimately measured. Yet, after every round, we take the time to celebrate our on course adventures with fellow competitors. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we paid more attention to the affective experiences of learners? We commonly share assessment data, and report our findings to parents, but what about sharing the anecdotes that make learning in your classroom more than 'a good walk, spoiled'?

Photo Credits: danperry.com, kazamatsuri, VancityAllie, jc_091447

Skype in the Classroom: A Sneak Peak

It's been a few years since I first made the pitch for a long distance guest speaker directory. At the time, I had the thought that such a directory would make it easy for classrooms to connect with experts and co-learners in an increasingly flat world. Now comes the news that Skype and the development team at Made by Many, are about to make that dream come true, with the launch Skype in the Classroom!

Last week I had an opportunity to meet with Jacqueline Botterill of Skype, and Paul Sims of Made by Many. The two representatives provided me with a sneak peak at a service that is sure to inspire networked learners in classrooms that span our wired world.

The first half of the interview provides interesting insights into the design process, and may be of particular interest to computer science and business specialists. The latter segment (beginning at 12:00) provides a tour of the widely anticipated social learning network.



Global collaboration among learners young and old, will soon be scaled up significantly. Pre-registration for Skype in the Classroom is taking place now, with an anticipated launch in January 2011. See you there!

Incubating Change

I've been in discussions with colleagues in my school about setting up a wing of our school to be a Teaching With Information Technology zone. Ideally, we'd begin with 3-5 teachers representing a range of subject disciplines, who would teach from classrooms equipped with mounted data projection; a bank of sharable notebook computers; a set of handheld devices; a few cameras; and wireless Internet access.


With my office being located just around the corner, I would act as a resource and team-teaching ally, assisting students and teachers in leveraging modern learning tools. We could have students host guest speakers via Skype; produce and publish multimedia content; participate in collaborative projects with international colleagues; and much more.

During this year of teaching and learning on TWIT lane, we would teach with open doors to model transparency for students, teachers, and visitors alike. Participating teachers would act as collaborative supporters for one another, and would benefit from regularly scheduled planning and debriefing sessions. The following year, a new cohort of teachers could set up shop, with the previous year's pilot teachers acting as mentors.

I'm rather excited about the prospect of working collaboratively with teacher-learners in modern classrooms, but I'm not so sure that TWIT corridor has much of a ring to it. Can you suggest a more apt name for our incubation zone? Do you know of similar projects that we might learn from? Might you be able to play an active role in supporting us?

--- Late Addition ---

We've settled on the name 'TEL-Wing' for the cluster of Technology Enhanced Learning classrooms now under development.

Photo Credits: shapeshift; Timothy K. Hamilton

Student Success: Surviving vs Thriving

As a teacher responsible for Student Success in my high school, I've grown fatigued with dealing from the fallout from one-size-fits-all educational approaches. Specifically, I find myself sharing the frustration of my students as they make every effort to avoid completing work they see as irrelevant.

In the past year, I've spent most of my time at school in supporting students who don't do homework; who are disengaged from school; who don't like to write; and who are too challenged with distractions of the day, to demonstrate an interest in lessons designed by their teachers.

This year, I've been more proactive in working with teachers to develop learning experiences that are more closely tailored to the interests and abilities of my clients. Here are a few examples of the work I'll be doing in coming days and weeks, that I hope will lead students to become active participants in their own learning.

Case 1: "I don't do writing..."
For a student who needs one more language credit, but who finds it painful to put pencil to paper, we're pursuing an independent project. In the next few weeks, I hope to scaffold the work of 'Trevor' who is designing a high school to meet the needs of unique students.

Using Smart Ideas concept mapping software to scaffold the writing, 'Trevor' will be designing a whole new high school experience. This work grew out of a small writing assignment, and although it's been a struggle to get rolling, I've promised to share this student's work with a real world audience. If the project gains traction, you're likely to hear and see more about it in this space.

Case 2: "I can't sit in a desk..."
Like many teens, 'Jake' needs to be physically active in order to survive the school day. While our board's alternative education focuses on career skills and co-op, the remote site that hosts the program is inaccessible to this student. In order to develop a unique program to suit his needs, I'll be hosting a meeting of the special education department, the guidance department, the co-op department, and our school administration, to design a pilot learning experience that may one day be made available to other students at our school.

The plan is to cluster a few accessible courses, and to design rich cross-curricular projects that will lead 'Jake' to demonstrate the achievement of the interdisciplinary course expectations. Ideally, we'll twin this project work with a co-op experience, and will provide access to multimedia tools and training so that 'Jake' can document his experience.

Case 3: "This class is a challenge..."
One of our grade 10 language classes has a disproportionate number of special needs students who chafe at the rigors of reading and writing. In completing the course and in preparating for the provincial literacy test, students are required to respond to a wide variety of 'media texts', so why not engage students in creating their own media texts?

After consulting with the teacher and department head about movie-making and podcasting, we've settled on a few performance tasks that will allow students to play the roles of advertising executives, multimedia engineers, and movie-makers. What's more, students will have choice in the roles they'll play, and the best of their work will be seen by an online audience.

While many of my Student Success colleagues around the province may find themselves working in triage, I'm trying to be proactive in helping teachers to create academic challenges that are compelling and relevant. I'm hopeful that my job will gradually become one of enriching the high school experience, rather than surviving it.

Photo credits: br1dotcom, vancouverfilmschool, Proctor Archives

Redefining the 21st Century Learner

Earlier today, I was asked to demonstrate my understanding of the term '21st Century Learner'. I was pleasantly surprised by the question and found myself mentally reviewing a few of the conversations I'd had with colleagues in recent days.

The term may have been adopted to spur educators to consider the relevance of learning experiences being offered to students; to embrace emerging tools in the classroom; and to inspire an evolution in our practice. Now that it's 2010, and we're well into the new millennium, my observations are that the term has failed to engage a majority of educators in critical reflection of their own teaching practice.

By the time I was finished critiquing the term, I was faced with a follow-up question: What term would you use in place of 21st Century Learner?

In considering a more apt term to represent today's school-aged learners, I put forth the term 'refugees'. I went on to explain that I see students every day, who have to unplug, disconnect, and go solo in a world whose terrain is foreign to the way they regularly interact. Rather than interact via mobile devices tethered by invisible signals, most of today's students have to wait for teacher permission to communicate, and even then, can only network with students in the same room. In many ways, it's like being forced to speak a unique language while being contained in a foreign land. What they wouldn't give, to have the freedom to return to their 'home country'!

How would you have responded?
Have you grown tired of the term 21st Century Learner?
Do terms like Digital Native and Digital Immigrant now strike you as failed attempts to categorize youth and their not-quite-so-techy parents and teachers?
Do you have an apt metaphor for today's learners in today's schools?
Do you see today's learners as 'Time Travelers', 'LOST passengers', 'bats without radar', or something different?

The audio version of this story is available as today's episode on The Clever Sheep Podcast.

Image Credit: Alex Mickla

Rethinking the iPad in the Age of Schooling

The iPad comes to Canada and other international destinations on May 28th. Whether or not educators will line up to get them, there is little doubt that the new 'tablet category' of handheld devices will spark plenty of debate in both staff rooms and living rooms. In case you find yourself in conversation about the relevance of the iPad, consider the following issues as fodder to further the discussion.

The Entry Point We've Been Waiting For?
I would argue that the iPad is the perfect entry point for educators who have, until now, avoided the implementation of modern communications technologies. But guess which folks have been snatching the first available tablets? The tragic conundrum from my point of view, is that the very people who would most appreciate the iPad's simple interface, have been loathe to follow early adopters, let along elbow them out of the way to purchase the latest tech gadget.

The iPad in partnership with an expanding catalogue of intuitive apps, provides a user-friendly entry point through multi-touch. Maybe it is reasonable to expect every teacher to be able to use a computer?

Simple Matters
The complexity of computer programs and peripheral devices have has always been a significant barrier for the widespread adoption of communications technologies in education. With the removal of input devices (i.e., no keyboard; no mouse; no disk drive; no usb drive; no power cord...) I'm betting ICT novices will be happy to let their fingers do the walking.

Even the greasy fingers of very young students are sure to be attracted to the bright colours and interactive apps. As we add these tools to primary classrooms, I hope we'll include comfortable 'learning mats', allowing little ones to share their learning in more ways than one.

Consumption vs Creation
The iPad in its present form, has limited tools for creating content; but is an incredible device for consuming content. As a new category of device, can we really expect it to be a 'swiss army knife'?

I agree with Trevor McGarrah, who writes at Edutechnophobia that taking real notes with a stylus would be a great way to leverage the touch-sensitive screen. Mark Crump suggests that the ability to take a photo into notes would be a bonus. Others might suggest that microphones, VGA output, or disk space should be priorities. Do you see these otherwise common tools as necessary steroids for this new tool?

Beyond the expandability, there is a practical need for teachers to be able to easily and quickly clone the contents of a given iPad. Being able to streamline the updating of apps, e-books, activities, presentations, or bookmarks will ensure on-demand readiness. Ideally, a simple solution will allow a teacher to simultaneously update multiple devices to a common iTunes account; or to push content to a number of iPads. Is Apple working on this yet?

Books Are Changing
In the future, most every book is sure to be available electronically. Those published on paper, will embed hyperlinks and augmented reality upgrades. If you've seen 'Alice' or 'The Elements' you should have an inkling of what is possible on this new platorm.

Having spent 5 minutes with a Marvel comic book on the iPad, I can honestly say it's the most engaging bit of reading I've ever done. Tactile, kinethetic, and visually compelling, books on the iPad will redefine what it means to be an active reader.

Not Ready for e-Books?!
This past week, Dalton McGuinty, Ontario's premiere, shared his opinion on e-books:

"I think that over time we are probably going to make a transition to more technology-based reading and learning for our students, but my fear is that at this point in time it may be a little premature..."

There are few tools that education has been the first to adopt, but I can think of two: the chalkboard; and the e-chalkboard. Many believe that we should be stepping more boldly into electronic textbooks, while I'm of the mind that we should be writing our own.

A Presidential Observation
Speaking at Hampton University, the president of the United States is quoted as saying:

"With iPods and iPads; Xboxes and PlayStations -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation" Obama said.

With brains tending more and more to be wired for attention deficit, my vote is that we find ways to make use of emerging tools, rather than dismissing them out of hand. I'm hopeful that a more relevant curriculum is on the horizon; one where students will learn to write, edit, and publish authentic products including touch-sensitive apps. Maybe we should ensure learners use tools that remind them that their world is destined to be very different than ours?

A Learning Window
While most of the apps available for the ipod; iphone; ipad are not built for rich media production, I suspect that in short order, learners will see the device as what Lucas Gillispie calls a learning window.

Although initially, the iPad may be reminiscent of 'one-way glass', an ever-expanding menu of applications are sure to bring new uses to light. My biggest worry, is that too many of the educational apps for iPad will be written by yesterday's learners, focusing on developing the drill and repetition skills of a bygone era.

High Touch
Rich tactile experience as made possible via multi-touch, are sure to influence the way we interact with yet unimagined devices. If indeed interactive whiteboards are effective because they provide users with right-brained, high touch experiences, can you imagine what will result when each learner is afforded such opportunities in their daily work?


It's been over 100 years since the original chalkboard led schools to adopt individual slate tablets, maybe iPads are a logical next step?


Researchers in Practice
While Michael Trucano has highlighted a number of worst practices in ICT use in education, a few are worth considering before launching into an iPad rollout. I don't agree that technical training should be necessary for such an intuitive device. Rather, leaders should model how a tablet device might be leveraged in day-to-day learning. If we're serious about ensuring that educators are comfortable with new tools such as the iPad, why don't we offer programs like "summer vacation with the tool of your choice"?

The most tranformative point Trucano hints at, is that educators ought to see themselves as researchers, comparing and contrasting the effectiveness of tools and strategies. Even allowing for what Michael Fullan, in "Leading a Culture of Change" would call an implimentation dip, documenting the results of pilot projects, and reflecting on learner experiences, should be of the highest priority.

One Part of a Larger Ecosystem
As I've written before, I'm not a supporter of each student having the same device. My vision is of a classroom is one where students and teachers are supported by a range of devices, any of which might be made available for 'just-in-time' learning. While the classroom ecosystem will include ipads, notebook computers, cameras, ipods, and other mobile devices, it will take a special teacher to recognize how these tools can be leveraged to achieve specified learning outcomes.

I agree withWandering Academic who suggests “Tablet schools” are the new laptop schools, and they are imminent." My hope is that schools will recognize the iPad and similar tools as key components of an ever widening menu of learning tools.

With over one million iPads sold in the first month, this app-happy device is proving to be extremely popular with those lucky enough to get their hands on. Just ask Chuck Hollis who recently reflected on "What iPads Did to My Family".

It's Not About the Tool... Unless It Is
Change is not about the tools, it is about having a mindset that re-imagines classrooms as flexible, collaborative learning environments. Once we have such a common understanding, we will naturally adopt devices like the iPad, a tool that Tony Bradley and others recognize as "...a device built for mobility... an ideal platform for working with the cloud."

Whether the next tool we consider is a touchscreen device like the rumoured Hurricane from HP; a Google tablet; a revolutionary mobile phone; or some yet unimagined device, we should be on the lookout for tools that empower learners to take control of their own learning. I think that the iPad holds such promise.


Photo credits: bump; aperturismo; anitakhart; The Shifted Librarian; Caro's LinesJason Nicholls

We Can do Better than 1:1 Computing: Making the Case for an On-Demand Ecosystem

The very nature of any initiative that puts matching tools into the hands of students, facilitates the teacher led, lock-step learning that many constructivist educators rally against. That's just one reason I'd prefer that children learn and grow in an ecosystem filled with a variety of rich tools, rather than being assigned to a classroom boasting a 1:1 computer ratio.


I like to see the classroom as a learning commons, where individuals can tap into a range of devices to further individual and small group inquiry. In a project-based learning environment, the need for technology should vary widely among both teacher and student learners. Why not frame a classroom around a kit of enabling devices, designing an ecosystem to support the needs of groups and individuals?

The On-Demand Ecosystem:

Hand-held Devices:
In an ideal world, students will have permission to enable their personal devices on the school network. I would augment such an approach with shareable hand-helds, ensuring that each student would have access to e-books, apps, and cloud-based resources. While most of the apps available for the iPod and iPad are not built for rich media production, I will outline my argument for their adoption in a subsequent post. Suffice it to say, I suspect that these tools and their offspring will become the centerpiece of the learning commons.

Notebook computers:
At the outset, I'd suggest a ratio of 1 machine for every 4 students. Beyond speaking to the collaborative nature of Classroom 2.0, such an approach would lead all to value the interdependence of learners and devices alike. As the most capable devices in the ecosystem, these shared machines would do the heavy lifting for groups tasked with digital storytelling; media development; and online publishing.

Audio tools: Microphones, headsets, and speakers should be available for recording and playback. Securing a set of devices for each notebook computer seems sensible.

Digital Cameras: Used to create raw content for later post-production, these devices would capture evidence of learning, while facilitating the emergence of wide-ranging multimedia products.

Scanner: Whether scanning documents, photographs, or artwork, the scanner would ideally be accessible by any notebook computer.

Document Camera: An opaque projector for modern times, this device is perfect for the sharing print media; screens from hand-held devices; and other 2D and 3D offline content.

Projector: Whether touch sensitive or not, this presentation device might be paired with the teacher's computer to facilitate teleconferencing and large group instruction. In providing an area of focus, it would also be leveraged by individuals, partners and groups to share their learning.


You may note that I've neglected to include a printer. What does this say about the learning commons I'd prefer to see? Am I missing anything else? Which tool you see as critical to the design of Classroom 2.0?


Photo Credits: Adam Melancon; angela.a.acevedo; Burnt Pixel

Educon: Harnessing Chaos

When students are actively engaged in their learning, they aren't necessarily sitting in desks and working with pens and paper.

Our first day at the Science Leadership Academy gave us opportunities to see a variety of learning environments in action, including what on the surface may have seemed to the uninitiated, to be a chaotic learning environment.

Click image for large version.

Today's podcast summarizes what happened when senior student tour guides led a group of visiting educators through Stephanie Dunda's grade 10 bio-chemistry class.

Simple Seating Spreadsheet

My colleague, Jim Pedrech, has created a spreadsheet tool that allows teachers to quickly and professionally adapt or create seating plans. Regardless of the layout of your classroom, you're sure to appreciate his simple yet elegant solution.



Jim has agreed to license this work as a Creative Commons resource, meaning you can download, test and share the Seating Plan Spreadsheet, provided you let folks know where it came from.

Classrooms of Tomorrow

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to lead the academic staff of Regina Mundi College, through a morning of learning, reflecting and designing. With the staff still getting to know me through the first ten weeks of school, it was a unique opportunity to revel in my passions for emerging technologies along with local colleagues.

The Lesson
I began the workshop by highlighting Ten Trends sure to affect teaching and learning in the years to come:

Ten Trends Rmc

View more documents from Rodd Lucier.

Peppered throughout the morning, were unexpected bonuses that I like to call 'soft returns': resources that can immediately impact classroom teaching & learning. Tools you might take for granted such as Wordle, WolframAlpha or Mr. Robbo's blog, are a few of the examples that rewarded participants for engaging with the 'formal lesson'.

The Culminating Task:
To demonstrate an understanding of highlighted emerging trends, teachers were asked to consider the following questions:

Which trends are most likely to impact your classroom?
How will your classroom change?
What tools will you need to address these trends?
What will you need to learn?
What will you need to un-learn?

Rather than answering the questions in a journal, or writing a test, teachers were grouped and tasked with designing a 'Classroom of Tomorrow'. To highlight the potential of collaborative design tasks, members of each group were invited to take on roles with entry points differentiated to meet the needs of a diverse 'classroom':

Team Leader: ensure all have input
Architect: sketch the classroom
P.R. Specialist: communicate design decisions
Espionage Expert: sample the ideas of other teams
C.F.O.: calculate a budget for proposed design
Timer: reinforce timelines for design and presentation

Showing What You Know:
Participants came to realize that it was possible to demonstrate an understanding of the 'course content' through an engaging activity. If such a task were to be used for assessment purposes, teachers were reminded that each individual should be required to explain the group's design choices, in the context of course expectations. It was also emphasized that any rubric for such a task, might de-emphasize the artistic presentation, in favour of a focus on design thinking and understanding.



The Wrap-up:
In completing this design task, my teaching colleagues transformed into students before my eyes. Letting their true colours show, we staff members unwittingly took on the characteristics of just about every type of student you can imagine. The animation and willing participation of my colleagues was beyond my greatest expectations.

To conclude our morning, an eloquent Ontario teenager, and 'wired' high school student, Patrick Quinton-Brown joined us via Skype. Patrick is a student trustee with the Durham District School Board, and Director of Communications with OSTA-AECO whom I met six days earlier while sitting on a panel at the People For Education annual conference in Toronto. Having heard him speak about the role technology played in his life, and about how the restrictive classroom environment often impeded his learning, I knew he'd be the perfect guest to wrap our morning.

In arranging an appearance, 'live' from his home school, Patrick was instrumental in helping me to put an exclamation point on the need to transform our classrooms. Indeed, my colleagues were able to experience first-hand, the Classroom of Tomorrow!

Photo Credit: Rodd Lucier

Which Brands of Soda Do You Sell?

In my search for an motivational piece of media for an upcoming PD day, I happened upon a gem that will be used to introduce the topic: Engaging Classroom Environments. When viewed through the right lens, John Nese of Galco's Soda Pop Shop has many important messages to share with educators.



Passion: When you are lucky enough to be doing something you love, you can't help but share your enthusiasm with others. Are you passionate about learning new things? Are you are willing to give novel ideas a shot? Do you validate the passions of others?

Community: The most successful entrepreneurs see themselves as part of a larger dynamic community. Do you see what you do in the context of an entire school? Do you go out of your way to connect classroom experiences to the real world? Do you encourage and empower learners to reach through the walls of your classroom?

Variety: There is no need for this vendor to offer run-of-the-mill product. Customers can get Pepsi Cola anywhere. What unique experiences do you offer to your students? Is there something uniquely available in your course or class, that has students hoping to be on your classlist?

Customer Engagement: John Nese has the trust of his customers, and he recognizes that each one has unique tastes. In a similar fashion, the movement twards Differentiated Instruction, is calling on teachers to recognize the uniqueness of the students in their classrooms. How well do you know your customers? Do you embrace their unique tastes over a one-size-fits-all approach?

Imagining Conversations with Former Students

Have you ever bumped into former students and been surprised by what the students remember?

"Hey, I remember you! You taught me how to copy notes from the blackboard!"

"Remember when we did that algebra work, where we all filled in the spaces on that photocopy?!"

"Oh, and that time we read from the text book and answered the questions at the end of the section!"

In reality, these sample recollections are never celebrated. More commonly, the students with these memories are likely to pretend not to notice the teachers in question.

In preparing students for a future so difficult to predict, how is it that such activities still comprise a significant portion of a typical student's day?

The Classroom Matters

This weekend, I came across a The Fun Theory, a post at Mashable, that demonstrates how the environment significantly alters the way participants behave.



I look forward to the day when it will be the norm for classrooms to be arranged for discussion, rather than for teacher presentation. I anticipate the day when teachers regularly connect their learners with those in other classrooms; in other cities; and in other countries. I await the day when students can expect assessment of their learning to include performances that are beyond essays and exams.

If students walk into learning environments designed for interaction; with tools for meaningful collaboration; challenging future citizens to demonstrate their learning in engaging ways, then we will indeed be preparing our charges for a future of lifelong learning.

Though modern tools can be the catalyst to reforming our schools, significant changes to the classroom are beyond hardware & software. Whether or not we leverage emerging technologies, we can amplify the engagement of today's students by creating environments for interaction.

When you cross paths with your present students 10 years hence, how do you anticipate the conversation will begin?

Re-Imagining Education: Part 1

As the future continues to beckon, I hope more educators will feel a sense of urgency to re-imagine classroom learning. This series of podcasts will consider how school can be made relevant for today's learners.

The Changing Workplace: Change is rampant everywhere... so why do our classrooms continue to function in the same old ways?



Related Links:

10 Principles for the Future of Learning: Miguel Guhlin
The Future of Work - Time Magazine
"The Future of My Kids' Work" - Will Richardson
A Whole New Mind - Daniel Pink
Seth Godin's Blog
Coke & Pepsi on Twitter
Linux & Microsoft on Twitter
TMZ

Photo Credit: naraekim0801

Five Years New

Earlier today, this tweet proved to be a thoughtful way to start the day...

The responses that trickled in through the morning lifted my spirits as I came to realize that a wide range of teachers do get it! I only wish more folks had been able to see the wide variety of posts that followed. Alas, Twitter's new 'replies policy' restricted live views to the few who are lucky enough to be following many of these Twitterers AND myself.

Next time, we'll use a #hashtag; until then, I hope you'll find these responses as uplifting as I do:


These are the types of classroom teachers I'd love to work with! At least, we can follow the continued learning of these round-the-world colleagues on Twitter.

If you missed out on the chance to respond in 140 characters, feel free to add your response below. Alternatively, you might choose to respond to the provoking followup questions contributed by @lmockford and @biggmaxx.

Old Time Radio... in the Classroom

Do your students realize that television used to be called radio?! Beyond the historic value of such a brief lesson in media literacy, students can produce rich and lasting creative audio works using old time radio dramas as the catalyst.

This 5 minute podcast provides a few thoughts on how and why this might be worth pursuing on Arthur Conan Doyle's 150th birthday.



Related Links:
Old Time Radio Shows for Download
The Internet Archive
Audio at Archive.org

Photo Credit: Brice DEKANY

Class Wish

If you've ever struggled to provide resources to your students, perhaps even paying out of your own pocket for essential classroom materials, you may be a candidate to make use of ClassWish.org. This educational offshoot from Changing the Present, matches specific classroom requests, with donors, to ensure students and teachers have the teaching materials they need.

The following interview with Robert Tolmach explains the origins of the project, and outlines the process for participating either as a wish-maker or a wish-granter.

What Else is Broken?

Seth Godin recently reposted "This is Broken", a talk from a few years ago, that has me wondering why we don't do more about fixing an education system that so many of us realize is broken...



What's broken in school?

Why do high schools begin classes before teens are awake?
Why do we rely on written tests for students to demonstrate their learning?
Why do students have to sit in such uncomfortable chairs?
Why do we prevent useful technologies like cell phones from entering the classroom?
Why do 5 year olds have to carry backpacks to school?
Why does chalk still exist in classrooms?
Why does so much 'learning' take place with students sitting down and listening?
Why do the best teachers often feel like they have to teach with their doors closed?


What broken things would you like to add to the list?
How can we being to fix some of these broken things?

Passing Notes on the Back-Channel

Would you ever consider allowing students to pass notes during class?

If you've attended a conference, either in person or virtually, where backchannels have been harnessed, you'll understand why this might be worth considering.



Professor Encourages Students to Pass Notes
Slidecasting 2.0

Photo Credit: William K.

1 Teacher: 3 Schools: 2 Cool

I recently had a chance to visit with Chris Gagnon to see how the District School Board of Niagara's VLearning project is bringing widely scattered students to a common classroom for math instruction in HD. This podcast is a condensed interview that outlines the project which is supported by the technology in the accompanying photos. (Click for an enlarged view.)






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