a paparazzi-filled future

This must be a mistake! Surely there’s been some sort of tampering with the votes. The amount of talent around me and here I am, on the stage, accepting this Educator. I’m speechless, utterly and truly speechless. I don’t know what to say. I should probably just say ‘thank you’ and walk off this stage, to my right, yes I know to go to the right, but…oh my…

When I started on this sinuous path, there was no pavement, no posted signage, no, not even a rest stop. Seriously, I had to hold everything in, and doing that within the confines of my solitary classroom was no easy task. Oh my Lord, I can’t believe this. Pinch me, Dave.


Can I call you Dave?

Oh…Mr. Warlick it is.

My bad.

My mother and father, for always believing in me and for their amazing purchasing powers. Without them, there would’ve been no Atari, no Intellivision, no Commodore 64. They harnessed the power of credit limit and technology to instill in me a technological curiosity that, to this day, still percolates with bubbles of inspiration.

Mr. Maltese, for crafting lessons that, in their writing and his oral instructions, seemed more like infomercial than educational. Oh, and for believing in me without ever having to say that you knew I could do whatever I wanted. I only hope that I can continue in the powerful conveyance of inspiration without ever having to crack someone over the head with an after-school special pep talk. Honestly, he’s the best teacher ever and there’s no way I would be here without him. Mr. Maltese, this Educator is for you, for you are ‘the Educator’.

Joyce...you know. You complete me. You had me at ‘hello’. Or was it ‘wiki’? I recommend that all of you, native or immigrant (not that kind), find a giant and stand upon its shoulders. Travel with it to NECC. And upon its clavicle, ask questions, seek information. Better yet, information fluency.

And finally, Web 2.0. You are an ever-changing entity, a tumultuous adolescent with an over-aggressive, no-quit puberty streak that keeps everyone around you overwhelmed, intrigued, and frustrated.

Oh, I remember those early days of skepticism and doubt. There was no way you could ever be worthy of my time, my students’ time. But I can’t quit you, and I won’t quit your tweets, your blogs, or your pods.

And even if some applications are too simplistic to warrant inclusion in a serious discussion of tech integration, don’t ever change. Because in truth, I would have never received this honor without your Animoto, your ToonDoo, or your Blabberize.

You remind us all that simple is, for some, a complex and scary word; a word that, when digitized and Flash-enhanced, still keeps many educators away.

But you keep creating doors. Doors for me to open. Doors for me to explore. Doors for me to consider. And doors to thresholds upon which my colleagues and I may take some of the most wondrous experiences in our teaching careers.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

teachers caught in the act

DATELINE: Harrisburg, PA
Early Monday evening at the Harrisubrg Hilton, 200 teachers engaged in off-task behavior during a multi-media presentation by internationally recognized tech-ed guru, David Warlick.

At the beginning of the presentation, Mr. Warlick invited the Classrooms for the Future Coaches to engage in a real-time discussion using a tool called AjaxChat. From the beginning, the dialog was mired in innocuous and trivial matters that strayed far from the presentation topic. By the end of the hour long presentation, over 1000 messages had been posted.

After analyzing the entries, Mr. Warlick reported early Tuesday morning that only 300 posts pertained to the topic while an astounding 700+ posts were meaningless to the purpose of the gathering.

Mr. Warlick noted that one person was responsible for over 200 of the 1000 posts and not one of those entries had any relevance to education, technology, or integration.

Commentary:
So 200 teachers in Pennsylvania were reprimanded for not using the AjaxChat in an educationally appropriate manner. In truth, I added to the off-task behavior, but this is not surprising for anyone that knows me. In elementary school, I more often than not watched from inside my classroom as my peers enjoyed recess.

But here's my problem with last night, as interesting, informative, and thought-provoking as David Warlick's presentation was: it missed the front-loading of appropriate on-line behavior that is CRUCIAL for students, regardless of age.

I am not trying to excuse the posts, but I will state that the AjaxChatter afforded all of us the much-needed opportunity to reflect on how we will integrate a new tool for learning.

I have had CFF teachers want to use a wiki. They believe it will be a great tool. They sign-up, set-up, and invite their students in with Enthusiasm2.0. And a day later, I receive an email that says the following:

"I am upset that a student posted a picture that is inappropriate. What else can a student do on this space that I won't like?"

My answer: A lot!

But then I tell teachers that they missed an important step. In their desire to use new tools for learning, they over-looked the same activity that accompanies their first day of class: rules, procedures, and expectations.

However, we are accountable for those students. We are responsible for teachers that implement without laying down the foundation for ethical and social responsibility in a web2.0 environment.

And we sure need to take a long look in the mirror, for we are the Coaches and the models, but as Mr. Warlick forgot, teachers sure are bad students.

A teacherly play

The Scene:
A large ballroom, classic middle-american design; beige & taupe colors permeate the walls, the neurotic carpeting, and even the seat cushions. Eight person tables cover the landscape, each filled with more than the recommended seating size. The people are educators from all over Pennsylvania, converted from the classroom into miracle workers. They all have computers out; loaded, charged, ready to surf at a moment's notice.

The Player:
Ken - a Classrooms for the Future coach with a hint of ADD, evident by his new-found use of AjaxChat and a massive inability to stay focused in large group settings. He is at an uncomfortable age; parent, husband, and questioner. He asks large questions about technology, education, and effectiveness. He is mired in questions, drowning in them and he can share them in impromptu fashion.

The Questions:

1. What does a classroom look like today?
2. What does an effective teacher look like today?
3. Are there any more non-negotiables in a classroom?
4. What does creativity look like and why is it so valuable?

Curtain rises. Enter stage left. Dim the lights. Spotlight on...?