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21st Century TechnologyThe Power of Collaboration
Tom’s 3 column Graphic Organizer
oh Aha OMG!
An upfront “oh”
I have not used the term “student” and “learner” interchangeably
“Student” – from studere – one who studies and attends school*“Learner” – from lernen – to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience*
* From Merriam-Webster OnLine
Learning like you’ve never imagined it could be!
One Premise
Beliefs Determine Actions
Two Questions
What year is it?
Do you believe it?
The Premise
Beliefs determine actions.
I WISH I could fly!
I don’t jump off of a 20 story buildingBecause I don’t believe I can fly
Belief determines action.
I WISH I could gamble and know I would win
I don’t gamble.
Belief determines action.
Remember the two questions?
1. What year is it?
2. Do you BELIEVE it?
Do you BELIEVE it?
How many of you text regularly?How many of you have an iPod?How many of you use it personally for learning?How many of you are in the blogosphere as blogger or
reader?How many of you have uploaded a video to YouTube or a
picture to Flickr?How many of you have a page on MySpace or Facebook?How many of you play MMORPGs?How many of you know what that means?
Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games
How many of you think your students would have answered all of those affirmatively?
How many of you use Skype?In your classrooms?
How many of you believe that your classroom is the only place where learning is occurring?
How many of you link regularly for student learning with . . .A class or teacher in another country?A class or teacher in Nevada?A class or teacher in your building?
Do your students know these things can be done?
How many of you . . .
Believe it’s 2008?
What evidence would you use?
And don’t tell me you use instructional technology as evidence
Most technology in classrooms is just used to do 1950’s stuff
– MORE LOUDLY
What I saw in a “state of the art” school
Could your students offer evidence that they believe it’s 2008?
Let’s go back to those beliefs I mentioned …
How many of you believe in . . .
School Reform?
1990: I believe that all children can learn. I believe if we do the right things in school we can make it happen for every child. I believe that if we know what
works and show others, they will do it and schools will be reformed!
I acted on those beliefs.
Boy did I act on them!
“King KERA”Hundred conferences and
presentations
The teaching principalship
The active consultant
AND . . .In a few places, there has been
amazing success!
You can name them!
And it’s wonderful for kids!!!!
BUT,
It’s 2008 . . .
You saw the data – it’s not happening for kids the way it needs to!
That’s after working with the “easy” ones; the low-hanging fruit in the
reform process.
My Observations.
Every child deserves to be a great learner.
Jim Collins sent us down the wrong path
We don’t have the resources to make every school a GREAT school.
It’s 2008.
Let me ask . . .
How many of you live in an area with magnet schools?
What magnets?
What about the rest of you?
What about your students?
What about kids in Battle Mountain? Or Wendover? Or Hawthorne? Or Wellington? Or ____ ?
Don’t they deserve those opportunities to learn?
It’s 2008, Why would we continue to act as if we believe that geography is the main determining factor in what a student can LEARN???
I am the first to praise courageous school leaders
I WISH school reform were a viable model for bringing about change. . .
But remember Dorothy?
School Reform and . . .
The Wizard of Oz
We knew where we wanted to go
We believed in a myth
Put ourselves at great peril
Spent time on a difficult journey
The Secret of Oz• Have to have special glasses• If you wear your “school reform glasses” you can
almost believe it’s going to work!• The Wizard’s way won’t get us “home”• We need another way to reach our
destination• The answer was not in the Wizard’s system, the
solution was letting Dorothy use what she had!
What year is it?
The tsunami is on its way
There is another way
The Virtual Learning Magnets
What this is NOTNot NationalNot SchoolNOT school reformNOT school redesignNOT school reinvention
This is about the complete transformation of opportunities for learners.
What is it?
1. Under the auspices of CCSSO
2. Works with a learner’s local school
3. Works with state/district Virtuals
4. Focuses on learning not schooling
Characteristics of each VLM
Targeted to individual learners and their passion
Strong post-secondary emphasis
Strong link to business and gov’t partners
State Compact
1. Agree to Performance-based creditsA. Use of existing state policy
B. Use of Chief’s waiver power
2. Agree to fully credential the learning on the report card.
3. Agree to aim for diversity that matches the learner population in the state.
The first VLM
The Virtual Learning Magnet for Space Science and Mathematics
In Cooperation with NASA
Proof of Concept starting in Fall 2008
500 learners
PofC finished by Spring 2009
Course Design
Non-traditional
Based on Big Ideas and Essential Questions
Non-linear
Computer-game metaphor
One teacher of Record
First courseSSM Physics 101 (comparable to AP, but not AP)Not a general physics courseFor learners who are “rocket kids”Regular physics course, stripped of contentRepopulated by harvesting existing high quality NASA content
Essential concepts to understand
No formative and summative assessments
2 types of assessments
Gateway assessments
Readiness assessments
2 Different RepositoriesContent Repository
Initially with NASA contentThen partner contentThen learner contentQuality controlled through LMS
Learner Evidence RepositoryNever static
MSSM Physics 101
The Big IdeasKinematicsMechanicsGravityConservation of energy and momentumThermodynamicsWave theoryElectricity and MagnetismNuclear Physics
Order of UnitsUnit 1Unit 2Unit 3 or Unit 4Unit 5,6,7,8 in any order
Some will be learning in more than one at the same time!
How will learning take place?activitieslessonslabspodcastsdiscussionsreadingsvideos
Second Life tutoring . . .
How much does each learner have to do?
Whatever it takes to get through the gateway.
Evidence goes into the learner’s Learning Evidence Repository (ELR)
A Gateway assessment one place is a Readiness assessment somewhere else
Learning always has value
Extended learning has value
Learning is valuable and “portable”
The value is stored in the ELR
Other assessment requirement
Contribute to the Content Repository
Once as an individual
Once as members of a virtual cohort
Assessment as fractals of Fibonacci
Look for Evidence of Learning at each level
VLM down to individual concept
Link to 21st Century Skills
Independent study course linked to successive NASA missions
What EVIDENCE can you provide of your …Global AwarenessFinancial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial LiteracyCivic LiteracyLearning and Innovation skillsInformation, Media and Tech skillsLife and Career skills
The Learner’s Evidence Repository• Common currency (the Franc vs Euro)
– same evidence useful in other classes– leads to “compacting” of other courses– Spanish example
• Isn’t limited by time• Can add more into the evidence of
knowledge of physics after the credit
• Forget the myth that we must choose EITHER a mile wide or an inch deep!
• Learner may add to their knowledge in a course at any time – even after they have earned the credit!
• We’re not in KANSAS anymore!
What’s ahead?
The VLM for International Relations
Focus on Mandarin
CAN’T redo traditional programs
The AHA/OMG moment
Basic courses can be repopulated by anyone, anytime
So what about the teacher’s role?
WOW! For many this will be the golden age!
Match learners and teachers
Spend the time that each needs
Tangible rewards for both learners and teachers
What will it take to start?
It already has
And so . . .
What’s this mean for today . . .
and tomorrow?
Tomorrow’s ours . . . If we can free it!
