I believe that learning is a lifelong journey. I conduct workshops and training sessions helping learners of all ages develop their skills in critical thinking, reading, and communication. This site is an ongoing presentation of the conversations along my learning path. So join me.
Chalk
Talk Friday represents conversations and brilliance I've discovered
traversing my way through the Blogosphere. From professional to
personal development, these are the posts and links have in some way
touched my head or my heart!
More on ISTE's NECC09 and EduBloggerCon (my head is still processing all the great info, my heart remembering the great friendships forged! Hope to see you all in Denver for #ISTE10)
I went directly from NECC to two days with Omaha Public Schools ELL/ESL teachers (a great group of leaders!). I look forward to talking more about both events next week! Have a wonderful holiday weekend.
We're on the final turn before my biggest event of the year, the 8th Annual Maiers Literacy Bootcamp -- and this year the intensity is packed into a single day. We'll be looking at how to design a great student experience, core curriculum, habitudes, and several breakouts on using technology and techniques to enhance teaching and learning.
One amazing thing about this event is the response I've received from out of the area. Not just outside of Iowa (though several are coming from various states), but several outside of the continent! Actually had a few teachers from Brazil and Australia inquire about coming.
So...
We'll be making the keynote (and possibly the closing segment) conversations accessible to the global community We'll be doing so via UStream, Cover-itLive, and Twitter.
(If you're thinking about registering at the last minute, stop thinking and just do it -- or just show up at the door. It's already a full house...but why not?)
It's been less than two years since I've begun laying digital footprints, and I am so thankful for the friends, teachers, guides and collaborators because of the tools that are available to use. Would you believe two years ago, if you'd have searched my name, you'd find one single picture. Unfindable two years ago. WOW!
So stay tuned. Though only a small portion of the day will be available Live, I'm sure many of the presenters and participants will try to keep the conversations alive in the breakouts.
Thanks for a great two years! Here's to a smashing day on Monday.
To prepare for the conversations, I asked students to describe what reading and writing is like in various content areas. The most immediate answers centered around "facts to be memorized,"
"vocabulary to be defined," and strategies to "remember EVERYTHING to pass the test!"
In school, content reading and writing instruction revolve around consuming and remembering what someone else has produced.
In stark contrast, outside of the classroom, "content" is positioned in a drastically different way. We are simultaneously filters, producers, and co-creators of content. Successful producers of content must do more than simply churn out meaningless facts and ideas.
Successful online writers use their creative and curious spirit to generate content not only to inform, but will inspire, even transform the lives of their audience. Success on this age of read/write web is not determined by how much you know, how many pages of content your produce, or how long you have been "expert" in your content area. Success is determined by how your audience responds. If your readers are not impacted by your message, then how much you know matters little.
We must prepare our students for a very different relationship with content. Perfect penmanship, knowledge of participles, and the perfect 5-paragraph essay will not be enough to adequately prepare students for the content that will be mediated and vetted by a global audience that demands consideration.
Our students must leave our classrooms understanding how to communicate what they know and beleive in a way that considers, honors, and believes in their audience. Author and Entrepreneur Rajesh Setty writes a brilliant piece on how audiences respond to content.
Spam: If your content does not provide a
reasonable ROII (return-on-investment for an interaction) for the
reader or is self-serving or simply useless, the reader will mark it as
spam. Posting something that may be assessed, as “spam” is the fastest
way to losing credibility.
Skip: The reader makes an assessment that he or
she won’t lose much by reading it. In this case, the reader has not
written you off yet but if you consistently create content that is
worth “skipping,” the reader might write you off.
Scan: The reader thinks there are only a few parts
that are of relevance and wants to get right to the core of the content
and skip the rest.
Stop: The reader is touched by the article and
stops to think about the article, it’s relevance and what it means to
him or her personally and professionally.
Shift: The article is transformational. The reader
is so deeply affected (in a positive way) by the article that it shifts
some of their values and beliefs. In other words, this piece of writing
will transform the reader and make him or her grow.
Send: The content is not only useful to the reader
but also to one or more people in the reader’s network. The reader
simply emails the article or a link to it to people that he or she
cares.
Subscribe: This is the ultimate expression of
engagement and a vote of confidence that you will continue to provide
great content. When the reader wants to continue listening to your
thoughts, he or she will subscribe.
I am getting very excited about our 21st Century Literacies and Habitudes Workshop Day on June 22nd. Seats are filling quickly and the calendar is moving fast. Remember the deadline is May 31st for the discount (from $169 - $139).
On the top right of the site, I've included a link to the flyer you can print off and pass around your school (hint, hint). Or you can register online (payments due at the door or via PO#)
Many have asked about hotels, so I've included some information here.
Though there are several hotels in the area, the closest will be the southern most on the map (below the 80/35 split). Click below for a larger map and directions from any hotel to the Workshop.
BREATHE is an acronym representing the Habitudes for creating, sustaining,and growing your personal learning networks. More importantly, BREATHE reminds us that social media is about people not tools. People breathe. Tools don't!
Build a Base Creating a base is about three things: the right people, the right tools, and the right habits. Do this, and you will not only stay afloat, you will soar to success.
Find your friends. There are literally hundreds of millions of people occupying this space. The key to your success is finding people most relevant to you. Go slow, chose these friends and fans wisely as they will become your most important asset in this new world.
Chose three (3) tools that maximize your productivity and ensure you are getting what you need from the network.There are hundreds of tools, but when building your base, less is often more.
Finally, commit to three (3) actions; steps that you will repeat and sustain every day until they become action-based habits.
There is magic in the Base. 3 Friends, 3 Tools, 3 Actions
Relationships Social media is about the human connection not the media, tools or technologies. The time spent in each space is impacted and influenced by the kind of relationship we wish to foster. The relationships we hold most dear, require more deposits. You can't engage with everyone, so give your time, energy, and efforts to those who matter most.
Extend Success is not measured by the number of "friends" you are connected with or follow. Your success is determined by your follow-up. When you extend the conversation, you extend the reach, and strengthen the connections you make. Leaving comments on blogs, uploading images to Flickr, building a community on Twitter ... whatever helps further
the discussion illustrates your commitment to developing
these online relationships. This is where the fun begins!
Always learning This is essential. Be open to learning, unlearning, and re-learning. Those who enter this space as "experts" fail. The mindset of proficiency leaves us blind, deaf, and dumb. Self-proclaimed experts no longer feel the need to listen,
question, and evolve. Self-proclaimed learners understand they will never "get it" because "it" will always changes. Ask questions relentlessly, get comfortable with the grapple, and enjoy the challenge. Know that you are succeeding when you are always learning!
Transparency Sharing is the fundamental building block for building
connections and networks; it may take many forms - a blog, a photo of the family vacation, a comment on a post. Each contribution leaves a piece of who you are, what you think, what you like, what you can offer. Your online personna are the sum total of these communication parts. We live in an age where your presence can and will be discovered. Preparing for transparency is essential. Managing your online reputation ensures you always come
across to others as you want to be presented. People want the authentic you.
Have a Plan You’ve got all the tools, resources, and connections together, but do you have a plan-of-action? Having a plan, an engagement strategy, will help to determine how much time you can and should devote to your network. Having a plan is more important than finding the perfect plan. You will need to experiment, fail, and revise. Failure is free, so give yourself some wiggle room as you find a system that works best for your goals.
Embrace! THIS IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY important! (really). Jump! Yes, you heard me, take the plunge! It may be scary, it may feel overwhelming, it may even take your breath away, but you know you have the power to come up for air when you need it! When you embrace the power of the web and the connections - I promise, the network will embrace you back! The feeling is exhilarating!
NCTE really gets it! They get that 21st Century literacy is not about technology - it's about powerful communication. As I read Kathi Yancey's recent report on Writing
in the 21st Century this point came through in many ways:
Writing is life work not desk work - in the 21st Century we are ALL citizen journalist. The web is a platform where anyone can have a voice. Writers and their audiences are everywhere!
Writing is fueled by curiosity, passion, and authenticity - today's writers do not writer to "publish" to complete an assignment, 21st Century Writers write because they get to. They "get to" share, discuss, connect, and participate in conversations that matter to them!
When we make writing authentic and meaningful, we empower students not only to become better writers, but to want to become better writers.
Traci at NCTE's Inbox suggest three simple things that we can do to
support our 21st century writers:
Welcome all writing.
Writers express themselves in text messages, blog posts, and wiki entries.
They compose fan fiction, angry rants, and email messages. They write reviews
on Amazon, item descriptions on eBay, and status updates on Twitter and Facebook.
And sure, in the classroom, they write test answers, book reports, and journal
entries. We have to recognize, value, and allow everything. Not just the
customary classroom genres. All writing matters.
Call students writers.
That's right. It's the simplest and
most effective thing teachers (and families) can do. From the beginning,
we need to recognize students as writers. Not "student writers," and
certainly not just "students."
They are writers, no matter how much they write or how polished their writing
may be. When people believe they are writers, a whole world of possibilities
opens up.
Celebrate all writers equally.
There is no special admissions test you have to pass to become a writer.
The texts written
in the classroom are just as important as those published in the textbooks.
Make every writer in the classroom a role model. Use great openings by
students alongside those in the textbook. Share effective word choice by
students at the same time you share the diction of Maya Angelou or William
Shakespeare. Emphasize that students don't have to aspire to be writers—they are writers,
and every writer matters.
I would add the following:
Assume all children are writers and that they can be successful as writers from the first day and communicate this often.
Share Yourself and Your Writing Process - Show them that writing is life work, and you engage in it everyday in multiple ways and forms. Model how you write, when you write, the challenges you face as a writer. Let your students know that the process is no different for them.
Give them TIME to write - writers get better when they have time to read and write! It's just that simple, and it's just that hard!
This blog is my lifeline to conversations that matter most. It connects me with teachers, researchers, parents, business leaders, and everyday wonderful human beings. I feel so blessed to have this space to share my world and learn from yours. I am absolutely humbled and honored to be among the colleagues who's blogs I have read and whose work I've admired since I started started just over a year ago.
More importantly, this is a wonderful way to meet new bloggers and celebrate those who have inspired you. (of course, if you want to vote for me, that would be OK, too:-))
Please take some time and enjoy new conversations and learning-the categories are as follows:
Oh, if I have not said it lately, I appreciate you. Without readers, there is no conversation, and every day you make it worth the effort! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is one of the most popular questions I get asked. So, I am letting my social media teacher, Mike Sansone, explain it in they ways he helped me understand.
Blog - a Talk Show with call-in guests (e.g., Bill O'Reilly) -- while guests and callers can comment on the conversation, at the end of the day -- it's Bill's show.
Wiki - a Talk Show with a panel (e.g., The View) -- Everyone contributes to the conversation.
or
Blog - a boardroom table with a podium at the head of the table.
Wiki - a boardroom table that's round.
or
Blog - is a single blank canvas
Wiki - is a graffiti wall
One way to describe the difference is that a blog is a flow of thought or thoughts shared by one or more individuals with others commenting on those thoughts, whereas a wiki is a repository of thoughts or information with others modifying or contributing to the library of thoughts.
Got more questions??? Mike is my number one source for answers. Check out his blog, Converstations, or check out my new "Mike" widget in the right sidebar of my blog for the latest and greatest lessons from the smartest social meidatician I know!
It's been a year. And what a year it's been. I'm celebrating my first ever Blogiversary (my blog's anniversary). Last August, I entered into the blogosphere. Here's what I found: Relationships around the globe; learning across disciplines; opportunites all around me. Together, We Are Smarter.
I vividly remember wondering if anyone would ever read my blog. One day, Troy Worman awarded me with an Oustanding Blog award -- and the readership and relationshps started to escalate from there.
I believe a big part of blogging is putting others first, so rather than toot my own horn -- I'm going to blow some link love on others. Because it's also Blog Day 2008, a great way to celebrate new blogs or blogs outside of our own niche.
Here are the guidelines:
BlogDay posting instructions:
Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting
Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending them as part of BlogDay 2008
Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs
Here are 5 blogs to celebrate this year (some may not be new, but they may be new to you):
Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds - Garr probably doesn't know this, but his work has transformed my work. I've become a better speaker, a better teacher, and a better listener because of his brilliance. Every teacher should read his site (and his book).
Growing, Changing, Learning, Creating by Tom Haskins - Tom has such a passion for learning! His curiosity and willingness to use blogs and comments as a whiteboard for his ideas continues to be an inspiration.
Successful Teaching by Pat Hensley - Pat shares so many resources and tips she is one of the first sites I look for when reading my RSS feeds. She's also a great community builder -- an important trait in the classroom, yes?
Chaos Scenario by Cam Beck - Not chaos in the classroom please (though I can think of lots of scenarios). Cam has a passion for learning and most every post, idea, and skill can be transferred into a classroom setting.
Laura4Literacy by Laura Hecht - My student, my colleague, my friend. She has just launched her own blog -- almost a year to the day of my own launch. She has such a passion for kids, especially in Africa.
Do I have to stop at five? No, but I'm going to ask you to help build upon this day and celebrate five blogs too -- on your site.
If you've seen Angela work, you're familiar with her love of cute shoes ("Aren't these sooo cute?!?")
Well lately, we've been showing a lot of cute videos and presentations too. So I thought we should make them available to you along the sidebar of her site. We've added a few cool "widgets" so you can find the most recent nuggets we've shared.
Presentations All of Angela's presentations eventually appear on SlideShare - and along the sidebar on the right, you can find the most recent.
Videos The videos Angela shares, including the Funny Teacher and 21st Century Learner videos, now appear on the right side thanks to VodPod
Resources Angela aggregates all her resources shared across Web 2.0 sites with a tool called FriendFeed. In this widget, everything Angela puts forth online -- blog post, bookmark, twitter message, presentation, podcast...whatever...appears in the FriendFeed widget.
Now all we have to do is find a widget to show off all those cute shoes!
Teachers need to be great learners to lead great learners. I believe that learning is a lifelong journey, an ongoing exploration and way of life. I challenge myself and others to always be striving to find and share big ideas in every million dollar conversation.
Chalk
Talk Friday represents conversations and brilliance I've discovered
traversing my way through the Blogosphere. From professional to
personal development, these are the posts and links have in some way
touched my head or my heart!![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=9c5bc129-6c2f-464a-917a-8c5bd0bef811)
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