Sydney Region Leaders Conference

Posted on September 5, 2011 by admin

Welcome!

Workshop

As the culmination of an evolving model called The Edge-ucators Way, Tom will engage participants in exploring three core strategies and a model to promote student self-initiated learning.
(Want to try ClassBubbles? – use key: detnsw)

 

Keynote

I have the pleasure of sharing “It’s Broke – So Let’s Fix it” with the leaders of government schools in the Sydney region.  The key points are to focus on our most important tasks: changing classroom practices to leverage ICTs to support the best in evidence-based pedagogies, to break free from a century’s worth of habits and emerge into a new Era of Education.  A pdf of the keynote is available.

The Edge-ucators Way

Look to Learn

Samples

Resources

Interaction: Comment on this Post: how could you use / support Look to Learns?

ClassPortals

References:

For Ideas & Inspiration

Interaction: Brainstorm Topics you think would make good ClassPortals

WebQuests

WebQuests by Tom

Resources

Articles

Interaction: Brainstorm Topics / Big Questions for possible WebQuests (Group 1 & Group 2)

Activity: Creating Your Smart Online Space

Activity – Web 2 Tools

Self-managed Learning Framework for students

C E Q • A LL / Seek all!

Posted in Keynote, Tom's Work, workshop | 1 Comment

Adelaide – CEGSA

Posted on August 9, 2011 by admin

CEGSA – August 13 – Adelaide, South Australia

Computers in Education Group South Australia

St Peter’s College Junior School, North Terrace, St Peters.

Keynote: “It’s Broke, so Let’s Fix it” – re-making education for our Digital Era

We now live in era when self-motivated students with computers and broadband access can learn more than they could in school.  Not surprising since “school” is a construct designed using the best technology available one hundred years ago.  Although education has tried many reforms in the past thirty years, all have been based on this old model.  It’s time for a new construct.  Society has changed around us, undermining cultures focused on standardised outcomes and the myth of uniform excellence.  In other words, a culture like “school.”  The world surrounding schools has moved from a “one-size-fits-all” mentality to one where digital customisation enables a world “all-fit-to-one’s-size”.  In this new reality, learn about the four critical pieces needed to succeed and how you can get students and staff started today!

Presentation slides - download: 22 mb .mov (download the file and then open in a movie viewer or Firefox)

90 min hands-on Workshop: “Unpacking Next Era Ed”

This hands-on workshop follows from the keynote, “It’s Broke, so Let’s Fix It!” and details the main strategies of The Edge-ucators Way and CEQ•ALL (“Seek All”).  Find out how Web 2 tools and rich media can be integrated into evidence-based frameworks that you can use to shift from teacher-directed to student-managed learning that will span students’ school years and result in greater achievement and preparation for their futures.

The Edge-ucators Way

Look to Learn

Samples

Resources

Interaction: Comment on this Post: how could you use / support Look to Learns?

ClassPortals

References:

For Ideas & Inspiration

Interaction: Brainstorm Topics you think would make good ClassPortals

WebQuests

WebQuests by Tom

Resources

Articles

Interaction: Brainstorm Topics / Big Questions for possible WebQuests (Group 1 & Group 2)

Activity: Creating Your Smart Online Space

Activity – Web 2 Tools

Self-managed Learning Framework for students

C E Q • A LL / Seek all!

Posted in Keynote, Tom's Work | 19 Comments

PLEASE Stop Teaching!

Posted on June 29, 2011 by admin

Here’s a passage from my Next Era Ed book I wrote this morning.

What if we could improve students:

  • conceptual understandings
  • retention of information
  • quality of performance
  • achievement
  • interest in pursuing further study
  • mental wellness & self concept
  • sophistication of thinking

What if the methods were “sure-fired” with decades of research at some of the most respected universities in the world?

What if each were backed up by a model that defined effective strategies to ensure success?

Want to review the list again, because I’m about to pose a trick question?

Ready?  Okay, you can improve students learning in all the ways in the list above as long as you don’t do one thing: teach.  Especially in a school.

It seems cruel doesn’t it?

But a few hours later as I am going over a list of ICT Skills generated by a school I work with, I ran across this item that a “teacher” added to the list of “baseline skills.”

  • Teach students how to use the Internet for research purposes, including advanced search functions, keyword choice. etc.

This kind of thing makes me want to scream (and validates my point above).  Can’t we recognize that if we stop thinking “teach” and shift to “learn” that it creates an entirely different (and better!) criterion?:

  • Create a task that can only be achieved when students appropriately use advanced search strategies.

I suppose one main difference is that the first one is very easy…

(please pardon my frustration, but some days the mountain seems awfully steep)

Posted in NextEraEd, Tom's Writings | 4 Comments

CEFPI Conference – Sydney Exhibition Centre

Posted on June 15, 2011 by admin

The Council of Educational Facility Planners International is currently holding their conference at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in  Darling Harbour.  I will be contributing to a discussion session on Wednesday and a keynote on Thursday.

During the discussion session I will be able to make the case for where current schools are “broken” and during the keynote I will share my version of the “Fix:” Next Era Ed.  Essentially, today’s schools are built on the assembly line model which worked reasonably well last century given the available technology.  When resources and expertise were limited and the goals were “basic skills,” the Factory School was our best option.

Today’s digital technologies, however, “change the game.”  Not only is this the beginning of a Golden Era of access to rich digital media and interactions, but the data mining behind the scenes allows for what Alvin Toffler called “mass customisation.”  So why do we continue to operate schools based on last century’s “one-size-fits-all” mantra instead of shifting to the possibility of “all fit to one’s size?”  This is my shtick.

Theme Session: “It’s Broke”

Challenge: Contribute environmental planning ideas around 3 versions of Digital Schooling

Keynote: “So Let’s Fix It!”

Thursday morning I have the chance to make my case for the four areas we must address if we are to succeed at shifting away from the “virtual learning” of the assembly line school in favour of the Joy of Learning available in the digital era.

Posted in Keynote, Tom's Work | Tagged | 3 Comments

WASLA Conference in Perth

Posted on June 10, 2011 by admin

School Library Conference – Western Australia

Santa Maria College, Attadale WA

It gives me great pleasure to publicly share what I’ve been working on these last years (really my whole life).

Next Era Ed is about Learning

Share a great learning experience on this Stixy board or add your comment to this post.

Get involved

Please use this form to share your ideas or get involved.

Keynote Abstract

We are entering an era when it can be stated truthfully that a self-motivated student with broadband access to the Web can learn more than he or she could in school. Society has changed around us and one of the few certainties is that these changes will continue. Some of the main changes undermine cultures focused on standardised outcomes and the myth of uniform excellence. In other words, a culture like “school.” The world surrounding schools has moved from a “one-size-fits-all” mentality to one where digital customisation creates a world “all-fit-to-one’s-size”. In this new reality, the Next Era of Education will require re-vision of four main dimensions to “schooling.”



Digital Learning Pedagogy

Look to Learn : : Learn to Look

Online Samples

Visible Thinking Tools

 

Create a ClassPortal

Site to visit Regularly

RSS Feeds

Web 2 Tools

 

WebQuests for Constructing Knowledge

WebQuests by Tom

Resources

Articles

Self-managed Learning Framework for students

C E Q • A LL / Seek all!

Posted in Keynote, NextEraEd | Tagged | Leave a comment

Studying Asia & ICTs in Ballarat

Posted on June 7, 2011 by admin

Welcome

Please begin by using the comments link on this post to share your personal learning goals for this workshop.
I have the pleasure of facilitating another 2 Day workshop for the Studies of Asia group at the Victorian department of education. Lindy Stirling, State Advisor, Studies of Asia (see the Studies of Asia Wiki) and local educators have organised this session in historic Ballarat.

After adding your comment, you might like to download the handouts for this 2 Day Workshop

Participants’ Completed Web sites (in 2 Days!)

Studies of Asia Links

Activity 1: Great examples from previous Studies of Asia Workshops

To get a sense of what we will be creating over the next two days, please explore the work created by participants in previous sessions.  Try to notice the features, strategies and benefits gained from such a learning platform.

Brainstorm what you noticed using a shared Stixy board

(debrief Web 2.0 terminology?)

Activity 2: Creating Your Smart Online Space

Fine-tuning your Blog

Activity 3: Look to Learn : : Learn to Look

Online Samples


Day 2 – Personalising Your Learning to Personalise Student Learning

Paths to Personal Success – Twiddla EtherPad

Path 1: Create 3 – 5 Look to Learn Activities for your students

  • Export / Import to begin new blog?
  • Copy / Paste this Post into your blog?
  • WordPress Lessons

Path 2: Web 2 Tools

Path 3: Enrich your site with content and rich media

RSS Feeds

Other Media

Path 4: Manage your Rich Media Links

Path 5: Create a ClassPortal

Path 6: Create Specific Learning Activities

Path 7: CEQ•ALL – Student-managed Learning

 

Feedback

Important – please complete this form (made with jotform)

 

Posted in workshop | Tagged | 23 Comments

Introducing Next Era Ed at ICTEV

Posted on May 21, 2011 by admin

It gives me great pleasure to publicly share what I’ve been working on since last years (really my whole life).

Next Era Ed is about Learning

Share a great learning experience on this Stixy board or add your comment to this post.

Get involved

Please use this form to share your ideas or get involved.

 

Piecing together Digital Learning

1. Smart Online Environment

2. Rich Resources

3. Digital Learning Pedagogy

Look to Learn : : Learn to Look

Online Samples

Create a ClassPortal

WebQuests for Constructing Knowledge

WebQuests by Tom

WebQuests by Others

Return to the  “What are WebQuests?” Stixyboard to update  your ideas

Resources

Articles

Visible Thinking Tools

Site to visit Regularly

4. Self-managed Learning Framework for students

C E Q • A LL / Seek all!

  • CEQ•ALL
  • The Remembered 20%
  • Map Skills to Hit 50
  • The Students’ Half
Posted in NextEraEd, Tom's Work | Leave a comment

Studies of Asia

Posted on May 18, 2011 by admin

Welcome

Please begin by using the comments link on this post
to share your personal learning goals for this workshop.

I have the pleasure of facilitating another 2 Day workshop for the Studies of Asia group at the Victorian department of education. Lindy Stirling, State Advisor, Studies of Asia (see the Studies of Asia Wiki) has organised this session at the Clifton’s in Melbourne’s beautiful CBD.

 

After adding your comment, you might like to download the handouts for this 2 Day Workshop

Studies of Asia Links

 

Work Completed by Participants of this Session

Activity 1: Great examples from previous Studies of Asia Workshops

To get a sense of what we will be creating over the next two days, please explore the work created by participants in previous sessions.  Try to notice the features, strategies and benefits gained from such a learning platform.

Brainstorm what you noticed using a shared Stixy board or Twiddla

(debrief Web 2.0 terminology?)

Activity 2: Creating Your Smart Online Space

Fine-tuning your Blog

Activity 3: Look to Learn : : Learn to Look

Online Samples


Day 2 – Personalising Your Learning to Personalise Student Learning

Paths to Personal Success

Path 1: Create 3 – 5 Look to Learn Activities for your students

Path 2: Web 2 Tools

Path 3: Enrich your site with content and rich media

Path 4: Manage your Rich Media Links

Path 5: Create a ClassPortal

Feedback

Important – please complete this form (made with jotform)

 

Posted in workshop | Tagged | 37 Comments

Day 2 for ISV

Posted on May 5, 2011 by admin

Welcome to Day 2

Today provides a chance to review and embed skills related to using an online space as the platform for rich and authentic learning. The main focus for the day is to add rich resources through RSS feeds (using Netvibes) and podcast players. We will work toward creating a robust set of tools and interactions that can lead to implementing a ClassPortal.

Day 2 Activities and links at the Workshop page.

Posted in workshop | Tagged | 1 Comment

Real, Rich and Relevant – Day 1

Posted on May 4, 2011 by admin

Welcome

Today is an important day as we begin another year-long, five-day series of workshops at Independent Schools Victoria. During the series we will develop a robust online presence to explore Web 2 applications and strategies like Looking to Learn, ClassPortals and WebQuests. Today people will begin by setting up a WordPress blog and finding Web 2 apps they want to try out with students.

You can go to the Workshop page elsewhere in ozline.com.

Posted in A New 3Rs, Tom's Work | 23 Comments