Alan November - video w/ teeth

Great intro, food for thought for those thinking about educational reform!

Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November from Brian Mull on Vimeo.

I am tired of talking about reform - let's create the "unschool"

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

I

Just got back from another meeting where we talk - this has been happening to all people involved in organizations since the dawn of man/womankind... like Nike - I now just want to do it NOW.  I can remember when OELMA final went from meetings to action after our strategic plan - now we meet w/ a mission & an action plan w/ a champion and a date for when things we want to do actually get accomplished.  What a concept.
Today I met a co-conspirator - a real social deviant who wants to forgo the talk & actually create!  Isn't that what real innovators and creators really want?  Best of  all, she's much younger than I am- a junior in college who is on internship @ Battelle - what could be better!  She agrees that we are missing the student voice in ed reform and agrees we must move out of the system to create a new model.  Someone today said that "form & function" the old Sullivan idea from architecture is  amiss in our plan for wholesale statewide reform.  She's right- we can't put the new into the old model of education- the agrarian/time/space/place/who is teacher/who is student model.  Hence the "unschool." 
Someone else told me today that I could create a charter school as a "new school" under the auspice of a new innovative school- as if I did not know that after 32 years in education.  No, a charter school is still a school that fits the old mode.  I want to break it!
So, if I've learned anything from ed reform it was from Daniel Kim, 2 years ago into this effort.  It has to be systematic and begin w/shared vision, not programmatic.  My vision/thoughts/brainstorms so far:

1. Asynchronous - no summer break or typical breaks
2. A faculty/group who respects & buys into the philosophy of engagement, risk, teacher as chief learner, teacher as one who knows something you don't and can communicate/teach it to others
3. Unschool = US - it's community
4. Many places w/a/several central communal spots - a physical place/an online place to come together
5. Many places=museums, art institutes, arboretums, universities, theaters, dance studios
6. Mentors for teachers, students, administrators from in/outside education
7. PLN's for all - personal learning networks

That's all for now - it's almost 1 AM. 

Summer Is Here!

Obviously I have taken a long hiatus from blogging, but now that school is over & I am re-energized, I am back @ it.  Thanks to my friend Liz over @ Wandering and Wondering in Libraryland, I will also take a cue & review a few books I'm reading this summer - would love to hear your comments, too! Also, I am presenting @ the OELMA conference this fall on...blogging, so I better walk the walk, eh?

Book Trailers from Wellington kids

What fun!

Free book on line by Terry Freedman

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Joyce Valenza posted this & I'd like ot get it 'bookmarked" here instead of loading the entire book.  It's divided into chapters that cover major 2.0 topics and I plan to delve into the podcasts and blogs later.  Isn't it great when information is FREE?  Obviously we library folk agree with that philosophy.  You can also follow Terry Freedman on twitter- he is very influential and well-thought of! Here's the book link, drum roll - and the title is The Amazing Web 2.0 Projects Book!

Can't Touch This

Who says librarians aren't fun?  Check this out!

Old Lady Breaking It Down to MC Hammer - Click here for funny video clips

A great use of WallWisher

Image via Wikipedia

It's been quite some time since I've blogged, but I  have been busy taking a class, subbing and trying to get a job!  Still using twitter and delicious and reading for my class, Collection Development.  We, OELMA Central region, tried to use WallWisher for our last meeting where we discussed the book Unspun. but it did not work so well- just a first try.  Well, here's a great use of WallWisher form a class that was allowed to use cell phone.  They created their own rules for using the phone in class- very smart, common sense rules. Here's their wall & here's the link to the blog where I found it The blog is The Innovative Educator.