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.

Corgi Birthday Song

I located this via FB & as a Corgi lover, I had to capture it!  This was created for the Queen mum on the ocassion of her 100th birthday!  Soo cute!

Library songs a mix

Found this on AL online edition, which took me to this list  Supposedly the 10 best songs about libraries & librarians, but w/ 56 comments, you know folks are quibbling about what songs are the best! I really think hs kids, though, will like this one cuz it's rap! Let's see if I can embed a tune, ok it came out as the youtube video!

No Choice

No Choice

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Mars Attacks- Success and Happiness

Image via Wikipedia

You may remember the movie Mars Attacks, it's a send-up on those cheesy B sci-fi movies. Well it has not been mars attacking my laptop, but sneaky trojans.  Who knows where they came from, but they've been invading since before Christmas!  Our good friend Trevor, church member, funny guy & IT man extraordinaire, installed a great malware program, MalwareBytes, along w/ AVG and we thought we were protected...  NOT!  We uninstalled Internet Explorer, began using Mozilla Firefox, but then a new "update" presented itself.  It was a trojan & I did not have my Big Green Meanie, aka laptop, to take to my first grad class.  Boo!  Today, I fixed the laptop myself- it only took a full scan of the C & D drives, but 1 hour, 26 minutes later, I was free from attacks!  I celebrated by scanning my RSS feeds and found Angela Maiers blog tip about using Zemanta.  I am trying it out now!  I am happy I fixed the glitch myself! 

What Do Teachers Make?

Of course, they MAKE the future possible and better by inspiring their students! However, many folks in other "professions" look down on educators, seeing them as not quite good enough! We all know that old line, "Those who can do, those who can not teach!" This most noble and important profession gets a shout out here from Taylor Mali, slam poet! I've heard/read several versions of this piece before, but I really love the emotion and anger in this piece. Yes, teaching is hard and worthwhile if you care enough to do it right! I challenge Arnie Duncan, legislators and those professionals who think anyone can teach to try it for one week! If pundits and policy makers would take this challenge, then we'd see real educational reform! Have at it Taylor. Tell us "what teachers make!"

PicLit

Now that I am subbing and know I have a 3-day gig for a hs Englsih teacher, I am getting fired up about E/LA resources! Look @ this great resource for creative writing! I just joined this free site - it is awesome! First attempt is here:

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

Nudging toward Inquiry - Ban Those Bird Units

Nudging Toward Inquiry (AASL 2009) from Kristin Fontichiaro on Vimeo.

Muppets sing Bohemian Rhapsody

This is way too funny! Again, I would not have found it w/out twitter!

New Literaices -What It Means

I read, when I have time, Stephen Downe's OL Weekly & came across this today in explantation of new literacies - much beyond the 2 R's - reading & writing. Here's what Stephen had to say:

OLWeekly
by Stephen Downes
November 13, 2009

Speaking in Lolcats: What Literacy Means in teh Digital Era
The internet has introduced us to a world in which we can communicate with each other in a wide variety of media. Where formally we could only talk and sing to each other, now we can create videos, author animations, link to videos and images and cartoons, and more, mix and match these in a complex open-ended vocabulary. What it means to be literate in such an information age is fundamentally distinct from the literacy of the 3Rs, and teaching new literacy an evolving challenge for those of us still struggling to learn it. This talk looks at the elements of 21st century literacies, redefines critical thinking for the internet age, and suggests a redefinition of what we think of as 'core' curriculum.

Presentation by Stephen Downes, Educational Computing Organization of On

Speaking in Lolcats: What Literacy Means in teh Digital Era

View more documents from Stephen Downes.

tario, Richmond Hill, Ontario

Ohio's Institute on Creativity and Innovation - Questions to be Addressed

Am looking for your responses to the questions we'll discuss this coming weekend.  I am representing OELMA, the Ohio Educational Library Media Association,  in this endeavor.  I first attended the Governor's (Ted Strickland) Institute in June of 2008 .  It was created to begin the facilitation and planning of Strickland's educational reform plans for Ohio.  Feel free to comment on all or only one question!  BTW, the Institute is still in its visonary stage and has the support of Ohio'sSuperintendent of Schools, Deb Delisle, and First Lady Francis Strickland. It is part of the recently passed/long-debated budget bill HB 1. Looking for some collective wisdom.  Thank you in advance!
1. If you were designing a Center for Creativity and Innovation from the ground up that would have significant impact on student achievement, what would be its purpose and primary goals? What
would it be accomplishing – short and long term? What should its required outcomes be if it is to accomplish its purpose?

2. In what ways might a Center for Creativity and Innovation enable excellent teachers to use a greater variety of innovative teaching strategies? How would it enable schools to make significant changes in
organization structures, including the use of time? What outcomes would have to happen for it to be successful? What changes could be stimulated by the Center that would make for a better learning environment, but not require new monies? (Ah, there's the rub - no new monies!)

3. Two of the Governor’s principles have to do with identifying the great strengths within our schools, and consulting our creative and innovative teachers for what works best and follow their lead. If the Center is to address these principles, what are the best ways of doing this?  

4. What role could a Center for Creativity and Innovation play in helping demonstrate that educational reform is possible?  What aspects of the public education system do you believe are the most important to transform in order to have the greatest impact on student achievement?

5. Who are the essential partners outside the field of education that the Center needs to cultivate and build relationships with to advance educational reform? What do you view as their greatest potential impact?

A Fair Use Fairy Tale

Great copyright explanation of the key concepts that 4-12 graders and teachers will love!  Of course, I found it on twitter via classroom 2.0!  The fact that the youtube video uses Disney clips makes it quite ironic since we all know how stern the Mouse is about infringement!  Show it & kids will pay attention!
 

Again twitter is great

These days I find  most of my best educational, cutting-edge info from twitter.  I know I'm not posting enough to give back to the commuity, but that will come in time.  Another great video called "Paying Attention."  Are we as educators paying attention to what our kids are telling us ????  They're crying out for a different type of learning experience!  Are we listening?

English Language Arts Revision Process - Ohio

Here is the link to the entire standards revision process in Ohio in Ohio in light of the passage of House Bill 1.  I am going around the state on OELMA's behest in Novemember & December to introduce the draft of the E/LA standards and let school librarians give their feedback.  This should be an interesting process!