I shouldn’t have to mention it, but criticizing the current paradigm of education is not an attack on teachers or administrators. There are larger forces at play that make it near impossible for well-meaning educators to change things.

(c) Matt Arguello

I’m going to add another idea to the mix. I’m hesitant about the rush to adopt 1-to-1 programs. Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Why is 1-to-1 better? Why not 1-to-2, or 1-to-3?
2. Wouldn’t one device for two or three students improve information literacy and access WHILE fostering real life collaboration?
3. Are devices becoming the new desks? With desks, students are isolated despite being in the same room.
4. Adults don’t share devices (generally, with good reason). Do we really need to give kids a head start? I don’t believe sharing devices will hamper students’ learning to use them. On the contrary, collaborative learning is often more efficient.
5. Many students have plenty of time to work alone at home. Must we really use precious school time for independent screen time?

It occurred to me when setting up our school webmix that it would be really easy for teachers to create their own mixes that can be displayed on the main page. Here’s how it works:

1. You will need a Premium account to have a dedicated URL.
2. Once that is set up, have interested teachers set up free accounts and create their web mixes.
3. Have teachers share the URLs for their mixes via the “share” button. Just have them copy and paste the URL into an email.
4. When the administrator to the main page opens that link there will be an option to add the web mix.
5. Add the web mix and you’re done.

Thinking out loud…

What makes more sense, to have school online accounts for various services and educational sites managed centrally or to have teachers manage their own? I can see benefits for both. If we’re integrating technology, do these tools become another classroom supply like books or pencils?

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My first impression of Khan Academy almost two years ago was positive. I was immediately impressed by the idea that a former hedge fund manager would leave his lucrative career to devote his time to a project which started out as an idea to help a relative with her math work. At the time, I was teaching 6th Grade math and appreciated how concise the videos are. They gave my students another avenue to access concepts and also another person, albeit recorded, from which to learn.

The conversation surrounding Khan Academy essentially revolves around two arguments. The first argues KA is transformational. The short, specific video lessons on literally thousands of topics allow students to easy access to instruction, independent of an actually person. Proponents, including some big names in education reform (who are not actually educators, for what it’s worth) argue that KA represents the future of education.

24/7-learning, flipped classrooms, individualized instruction, differentiated instruction, educational technology; KA represents the best of all these, or so say its fans.

Now, detractors argue that KA is just another step in the wrong direction. Yes, it’s a good use of technology. Yes, Salman Khan is a pretty good math teacher. Yes, these videos can be helpful. But the “beef” with SA that I’ve heard from educators is it is simply an extension of the “monolithic teaching” being pushed by reformers (Christensen, et al). Students, or in this case viewers, are taught in the same way, irrespective of individual learning preferences and strengths. KA is not individualized or differentiated at all. It is NOT transformational and should not be the direction in which we, as educators, go. Math educators also argue that Khan presents math as a process removed from real-life application.

Here’s where I have a problem with the naysayers. I agree that KA is basically “sage on the stage” teaching. Videos are inherently one-sided. It is representative of monolithic teaching. But that does not mean there is no value in Khan Academy or video instruction.

We can argue for days about the state of education in the United States. There is certainly progress to be made. But, for better or worse we are stuck with our educational system. That does not mean that it cannot be changed, or that it should not. But changing a system so complex will take a while. In the meantime, there are a lot of students who can benefit from Khan’s videos in order to navigate the current system, one they will not likely see change, with its high-stakes testing and over-standardization. Unfortunately, students must absorb as much information as possible in order to succeed in today’s system. Why not deliver it on the student’s own time and free up the teacher for more in-depth and personal problem solving?

I argue that KA is useful as another tool in the veritable teacher’s toolbox. I recognize that some big names are pinning a lot on this type of education. I think they are wrong. But that does not mean there is not a place for video instruction. Too many people testify to the help KA has provided.

I have not read all there is on Khan Academy so I’m eager to hear other perspectives and welcome any comments.

After only a few days, The Centers dedication to technology integration is apparent. There a great tech staff on board and many teachers routinely strengthen their lessons with digital media projects, wikis, and supplemental online tools. This year we will be focusing on implementing a 1 to 1 program in 4th Grade and introducing iPads to grades K through 3, among a host of other great projects.

My home base will be the “Innovation Center.” The IC serves as a tech lab for video production, professional development, and student innovation. I’m enthusiastic about continuing the “CEE News” in which students demonstrate their learning with the school community.

More to come…

You see, I’m not very good at it. I’m not fast and I don’t run particularly far. I’m a short guy so I don’t have a natural runner’s body. Running is hot and it makes your body hurt in all kinds of places.

On my cool down walk after running 4.5 miles today I decided I wanted to at least attempt to nail down some reasons for repeatedly doing something that is not actually that enjoyable. That’s when it occurred to me that the draw, for me at least, is in accomplishing something at which I’m not naturally gifted.

So how does this have anything to do with education? I’m not entirely sure, but I think that there is value in showing our students how to be comfortable with discomfort. Doing so can only make things easier for them in the long run. How better to prepare them for the unexpected trials of life?

Disclaimer: While the act of running is uncomfortable, the benefits of fitness, better sleep, and more energy are greatly enjoyed.

I’ve been trying to think about other reasons the students seem to really get into this assignment so much. Whether they know it or not, or rather whether they can articulate it, one of the draws is that it has a real world connection to something they experience. Unfortunately, we’re all accustomed to being the subject of marketing.

But I’ve become a little uneasy about this assignment in as much as it’s definitely not my goal to promote consumerism. Perhaps next time my students will be required to “sell” a free service that, in some way, helps others.

Here is a link to my rubric. Feel free to use it, remix it, or print it out only so that you can tear it up.

Business Project Rubric

Kids are naturally impatient. That’s fine. Patience is learned and many adults don’t have it. But I wonder if students expect themselves to retrieve and process information as quickly as a computer does. In my math class students are often impatient with other when time is required to process a problem. Sometimes the student doing the thinking is pretty quick to say s/he does not know. I don’t think this is a new problem but maybe it’s being compounded.

We should remind our students that taking time to think is actually preferred to being reactive and providing instant answers.

I’m convinced that CUE folks had exactly this in mind when they first decided to schedule the conference for mid-March. It’s the perfect time of year to give teachers that extra dose of motivation or inspiration to finish out the year.

CUE was awesome again this year. It was my first time as a speaker at the conference and it was a great experience to share my knowledge with attendees. For those keeping track, my session was entitled Imaging Basics Using Free Web Tools. I covered some basic techniques and concepts of imaging tools and how these tools can be used in different curricula. As a professional photographer I use Photoshop a lot. It’s a great tool and has almost limitless potential for creativity. However, it’s very expensive. Enter free web tools.

In the past few years many different web 2.0 tools that focus on image manipulation have sprung up. Lately, some of them have begun to rival Photoshop in terms of basic to moderate manipulation. If you’d like to check them out head over to AVIARY.COM or SUMOPAINT.COM. There are others but those are particularly good.

If you’d like to see my slides from my presentation they can be found at http://goo.gl/jxxQj. Additional resources can be found at http://goo.gl/023uh.

The sessions I attended were great as usual. Particularly useful was Bill Selak’s Improving Student Learning by Creating an Online Video Library. I have already started making short videos for my students. It’s actually quite interesting how easily video engages them.