O.K., I'll admit it. I'm getting old! Day 2 was so full of information and the evenings went into the wee hours of the morn. I was exhausted! My head was also swimming with so many ideas heard throughout the day, I was concentrating more on how I could bring these ideas to Iroquois that blogging took a back seat. Day 2 was as information (and overwhelming) as Day 1 with Sheryl. The volume of new information and tools was incredible. Several people that attended last year's conference were concerned that they might not be exposed to too many new ideas....Wrong!! Sheryl had the unique ability to continue to stretch those that attended last year and may have been more experienced with Web 2.0 tools. Most interesting for me were the on-line tools available to develop and sustain a learning community as well as the on-line collaboration tools. I have had some experience with these tools but never used them to their full capacity.
At lunch we were entertained with several songs performed by Iroquois' own select concert choir. Mr. Gastle as usually made sure that these gifted students were well prepared and the talent our students display is nothing short of amazing. As usual, they made me feel so proud to be serving such an outstanding district.
The evening entertainment was yet another example that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. If you have not heard "Flame", go out and but a CD. This group certainly knew how put on a performance and warm the hearts of everyone there. The band has 9 members. You may be asking what makes them so unique. Each individual is challenged in some way: physically, cognitively or both. I hope to bring these very talented people to our school. They are an inspiration for everyone who has a dream but thinks they have too many obstacles to achieve them. The members of Flame certainly prove that determination along with the right skills makes the seemingly impossible, possible.
The morning of Day 3 concluded our time with Sheryl, learning more tools and actually using them. An on-line community was formed for attendees on Tappedin and is sure to keep those interested in continuing their learning and collaboration connected. The afternoon gave us an opportunity to work with the team from our school to develop an action plan for implementation at our district. We also had the opportunity to meet as a region to discuss how the momentum and initiatives could be sustained as well as what our BOCES can do to support our efforts.
Once again, the Joint Management Team organized a phenomenal conference. The energy and excitement I heard from so many individuals gives real hope to those of us that know teaching and learning in the 21st Century will be different than that of previous generations.
3 comments:
Neil, I too have great hopes but reform will not just come from only this conference. I have a question about the following statement. "The energy and excitement I heard from so many individuals gives real hope to those of us that know teaching and learning in the 21st Century will be different than that of previous generations." Do you actually know that teaching and learning will be different than previous generations or do you hope it will be different?
Personally, I don't think teaching will change much. I am just pessimistic about the whole thing. Especially when I hear one of our technicians say, "I always thought the shut up and do it method worked just fine."
Feel free to check out my blog at http://techedguy.edublogs.org I guess I don't have a lot of faith in the slow changing educational system as we know it.
Rick Weinberg
Rick,
I guess I'd like to think that people will engage in the same follow-up that I do along with my team. Idealistic perhaps. I KNOW that instruction will be (and did change after last year's conference) different at Iroquois. We have committed people that understand the imperative at the high school. Of course, I would like that to begin to trickle down to middle school and the elementary schools.
Schools have to change. We have a political environment that is demanding it, an economic environment that is proving the need and an accountability the likes of which education has never seen before. School choice is a reality. Whether it is private school, parochial school, or charter schools, if public education cannot evolve into creative, innovative opportunities for children, parents will take their children elsewhere. I believe that public education has a responsibility to make the necessary changes.
With respect to the comment you heard from a technician, "shut up and do it" may get it done but but without the understanding and buy in, quality will lack and teachers would become compliant servants at best. I don't see that atmosphere engaging for anyone. I will check out your blog. I too do not have the patience that change theory documents i.e. three to five years. I can live with three for implementation given the right support and direction.
I think we are talking about the same things. With school choice, the whole system is changing. I just don't have a lot of faith in high schools changing in the system as we know it. I gotta say that many of our students don't have a choice because we are so rural down here in the Cattaraugus Allegany Region.
I have to say that I feel like that teacher, and we all know they exist, maybe not in Iroquois, but the teacher that only has 14 months to go and has done things that same way they have for years. This is the same teacher that gets made if you drink out of their coffee cup by accident. This is the same teacher at faculty meetings says, "I've heard that before." When I am pessimistic about change, I feel like that teacher. I have to tell you that I am not.
Rick Weinberg
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