We haven't started school yet and I'm jacked up all ready. Especially after spending the last two days with Alan November founder of November Learning: A consulting foundation that offers strategies in the form of online courses, workshops and conferences that help with "Expanding the Boundaries of Learning."
Alan was invited to hold a workshop of the Principals and administrators of the district to convey a simple of message of going from the automating learning approach to using technology to the informating approach which will lead to a higher quality of learning. Alan demonstrated this transition by introducing several online applications that bolsters leverage of empowerment for both teachers and students. He talked about Jing by TechSmith. The crowd went wild from the demonstration, but I also saw wheels turning as each Principal imagined the possibilities for student led tutorials right from the desktop. While introducing tools to these eager-at-the-time administrators, Alan emphasis the global collaboration expansion with these tools; something that is somewhat of a passion for him. Khan Academy was introduced along with Wolfram Alpha: Computational knowledge engine Diigo, Delicious and more. All this prompted a conversation covering the desperate for a PLN within the districts to keep up with what technology applications are changing the face of education. This was a proud moment for me. Learning 4 Leading was launched. This was all day one, a day that I was not apart of. However, because of the enthusiasm that filled that room, the details from the lips of principals were easy to gather. I was privileged enough to participate in a dinner that evening and the next day's activities where Alan emphasized more about how risk-taking educators are taking advantage of this changing world and are providing students with collaborating opportunities with their families, students in other classrooms in different states and across the globe. This provides an audience to where today's digital child is motivated to perform for. Alan states in his book (can be purchased at Amazon) that, "One of the most powerful lessons I have learned about student motivation is that if a students are given an authentic audience, they work harder as a group than they work for their teacher alone." (Empowering Students with Technology, second edition 2010) Therefore, principals, along with other invited guest, including myself, left with that mission in thought. If you expand that classroom, you expand the mind along with expanding the possibilities for that child to change the world.
Read more at Learning 4 Leading and take a look at the notes for each session.
