Changing Education Paradigms

Hole in the Wall Experiment

Watch this TED Talk about the amazing results Sugata Mitra got in the slums of India when he filled a hole in the wall with a computer.  Do you agree with Sugata Mitra's conclusions?  What implications do you feel this has for Guam?

• Learning is a self-organizing system.
• Remoteness affects the quality of education.
• Educational technology should be introduced into remote areas first.
• Values are acquired, doctrine and dogma are imposed.

"You can drive children with questions. You don’t have to give them the answers. They can find the answers. If the kids/students didn’t get the “right” answer, then teacher didn’t ask the right question. The teacher needs to change question."

Global Education Conference

 A unique event will be taking place this week in cyberspace. The 2011 Global Education Conference is a free online conference that will connect educators from around the globe in a series of keynotes, presentations, and discussions. The conference begins on Tuesday, November 15 at 1:30am (Guam time) and literally last around the clock until concluding Saturday at 4am. You can find a schedule of the conference here with all the times given for our time zone.  Each session listing includes links for viewing the event or for adding to your Google calendar. 

The presentations will be given using Blackboard Collaborate, a webinar platform we may have viewed in our Gateway class.  Blackboard Collaborate is easy to use but you will need to download a file to your computer for each session and have a working internet connection.  Links to each session are given in the schedule.  Each presentation typically lasts 60 minutes.  Keep in mind that some presentations may be in another language; last year's conference had presentations from 62 different countries.

The conference is a collaborative, world-wide community initiative involving students, educators, and organizations at all levels. It is designed to significantly increase opportunities for building education-related connections around the globe while supporting cultural awareness and recognition of diversity.

The conference seeks to present ideas, examples, and projects related to connecting educators and classrooms with a strong emphasis on promoting global awareness, fostering global competency, and inspiring action towards solving real–world problems. Through this event, it is our hope that attendees will challenge themselves and others to become more active citizens of the world. Let us learn, question, create, and engage in meaningful, authentic opportunities within a global context!

 - conference website

Please take one hour out of the next four days to hear what others are doing around the world.  You may find some presentations lean towards educational technology but all should address the global experience of learning.  Enjoy!

Here are a few links for more information...
Global Education Conference website
Presentation schedule for Guam's time zone
Twitter: #globaled11
 

Related articles

• The Global Education Conference 2011 (murcha.wordpress.com)
• Global Ed Conference Nov 14-18 #globaled11 (coolcatteacher.blogspot.com)

Corning's View of the Future

Better or Different?

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeI've been following the news on Guam's SAT-10 scores with dismay. Dismay, not in that the scores are low, but in the message that is sent to students, schools, parents, and the island as a whole. One sentence in the PDN article stated, "As a whole, local public school students fall below the national average - in all ages at all schools."  The blatant omission by the writer are the words "on SAT-10 tests".  It is an injustice to equate the worth of our children, teachers, and schools solely by standardized test scores.
Guam is by no means unique in the way these test results are given credence as the marker of success in schools.  The main problem with standardized tests is that they provide data on "achievement", and it is these numbers that allow politicians, administrators, and others to remark on that achievement.  You see, it is something tangible- a number, that they can use to describe how the schools are doing.  This is obviously the purpose of the tests, but it is at this point that most people have accepted the SAT-10 as an expert indicator of the overall success of schools.  I'll accept it as an indicator of achievement on a SAT-10 test, but I won't give it credit for judging a student or the overall value of Guam's educational system.
I'm not saying the public school system and its students don't have room for improvement and I'm not saying that there isn't a place for standardized tests, but I am totally against this mindset that SAT-10 determines the value of our schools.  We shouldn't make judgements on a student who filled in bubbles for hours over the course of several days.  Nor should our educational leaders make arching policy changes based on these results.  To chase these scores will just lead us to a system that trains students for a test rather than one that focuses on learning.  We should see it for what it is - a nation-wide trivia contest.
Thinks that's harsh?  I've been playing with the idea of giving adults the SAT-10 test.  How do you think a politician would score?  How do you think a business leader would score?  How do you think you would score?  If these scores are so important then why doesn't everyone take them.  A low score must mean that you are a person of low intellect so we'll send you back to school.  Ridiculous?  Of course, so why do we place such importance on it?
You can easily find much better arguments than mine against standardized testing and the need to reform our educational system for today's society.  This is something of grave importance that should be debated in public and addressed in schools.  I strongly urge you to view Will Richardson's TED Talk below and reflect upon it.  Do you think our schools need to be better or different?  Please pass the video or articles you find on to others and discuss what you think is right.
 

Related articles

• Standardized Testing: The Modern Bloodletting? (downes.ca)
• Tale of a Broken System: A Student's Perspective (Guest Post by Jay Chisley) (coopcatalyst.wordpress.com)
• Talking to the Deans About the SATs (education.com)
• Making the Grade: Evaluating your Child's Education (teacherdaddy.wordpress.com)

Role Models

Here's a video of a senior couple trying to set up their webcam while unintentionally recording a video of themselves.  There may be several lessons to learn from this but what enjoyed the most was their attitude.  They aren't complaining or getting overly frustrated - just trying to figure it out.  (2:39) "Well you do whatever you do.  You'll be fine.  You'll learn; it's gonna take time."

Does this sound familiar?

Recommended by Roberta A.

Teacher Education and 21st Century Skills

The end is just the beginning

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This past Saturday marked the final offering of training by the University of Guam for the Gateway to Technology program.  The end is just the beginning though as the new school year is getting under way.  My understanding is that over 1,000 public school teachers participated in the training over the past 5 months.  Although there are obstacles yet to be faced, I hope that this is a productive year with many advances made.
 
For my part, I'd like to thank all of the teachers I've met during training.  It isn't easy switching roles and becoming the student, but you all did a great job.  I am energized by your enthusiasm and willingness to learn new things.  This blog has accumulated over 150 posts which is remarkable in that short period of time.  Please take the time to read through the past posts and leave comments for the authors.  I will add new posts to this blog from time to time.  I hope many of you are starting your own blogs, but if you would like to pick up the digital pen again, I can always add you on as an author of this blog.
 
I've received a lot of positive feedback on the Gateway to Technology resource site we used during training.  Many of you have inquired how long it will be available online and the answer is as long as you need it to be.  If you haven't visited it since your training, you will find that I have made some adjustments.  The major changes usually stem from the plethora of tech resources there are to share with you.  I've continuously added content throughout the site but you'll find most of the expansion has taken place on pages for Ethics, Safety, and Additional Resources.  I've added an Announcement page which I'll continue to update as I receive news to share with you.  Additionally there is an Action Plan page where I list some points for you to start the year off with.  In the future, I would like to add a page that provides examples of your achievements.  I would appreciate it if you would share the address for your new website, blog, or perhaps a lesson you used.
   
It is of my understanding that additional technology training will be offered in the future.  Some of it should relate to the new equipment which will begin arriving in the next months, and I believe more advanced training on specific techniques will be presented as well.  I hope I am able to provide more professional development for you.  I would like to present some model lessons and provide you with support as the year continues.  Build your support network with teachers nearby and from afar.  Stay positive and don't get discouraged.  I hope this is a transformational experience for you and your students and I wish you the best of luck.

So New to blogging and learning how to put a blog together...

I am so amazed at young people today, they are so entrenched in technology and don't even realize it.  From texting, Facebooking, and blogging, oh my goodness.  I hope to use some of these forms of communication to help my students learn more about the subjects I teach as well as themselves.

I can see how being anonymous is a good thing for the student, but I also see how this can be a bad thing.  I hope to get more ideas on how to optimize the use of technology in the classroom.  I have so much to learn...