Change or die.  It’s a common expression, although somewhat simplistic in its approach.  Reality certainly rings loudly from the expression, especially regarding the field of education.  As I introspect about the transformative world of education and technologies that enhance and enrich education, I am drawn back to the simplicity and accuracy of this phrase: Change or die.  The teacher of the 20^th Century is faced with just such a prospect; just such a choice.  I am going to explore some ways that I believe the world reflects man’s dynamic nature, some realities of globalization that impact all world citizens, and ultimately, how we as educators may choose to respond to what is happening in our increasingly connected “real” and “educational” worlds.

History demonstrates mankind’s dreams and visions.  Who knew a man would one day walk on the moon?  When I was born, this feat had yet to be achieved.  Some were born before mankind learned to fly.  Some of us never experienced using a computer in high school or college.  Consider the newness of the airplane as demonstrated in the World War I movie called Flyboys.  The lifespan of a fighter pilot in the early 20^th Century was measure in weeks because the technology was so new to warfare.  Set in the 1970s,  the movie Apollo 13 deals with the plight of three astronauts face seemingly insurmountable challenges as their badly damaged space craft lurches about in space, rapidly leaking oxygen, and experiencing a myriad of technical difficulties.  Using the teamwork approach, ground control crews work frantically to solve the crisis by breaking down the immense problems into smaller steps, solving each predicament, and eventually succeeding in safety landing three men back on earth.  The old ways no longer would work because things had changed.  In another “space movie” we find the Astronaut Farmer who seeks new horizons, literally, for his dreams and visions.   The only certainty is that change, especially technological and innovative change, will continue to be major goals of humankind.  And, fortunately, the need for change often brings out the best in mankind.

This “change” is so essential in a world where its citizens are bound to one another in many visible and invisible ways.  Globalization has linked humans together into powerful and ever expanding networks.  From the products we buy to the languages we speak, we are interconnected.  Even within my own classroom I have witnessed an increasingly globalized my clientele.  Students recently immigrated from the republics of the former USSR have moved to the district, along with second generation students whose parents come from Cuba and Mexico.  On the college level my classes contain students who not only represent various cultures, but also many American born students who have travelled widely across the globe.  The Swine Flu outbreak was a prime demonstration of how interconnected we are, how dangerous such a virus can be, but also how working together, we can stave off a potential pandemic.

 There is no going back from these ties.  If some of the threads are loosed or cut, the entire web begins to fail.  A solid goal then is to keep each aspect of the web strong, each thread taut, each team member inspired.  Our students are the future players and members of the world.  Many at younger and younger ages are already making a dramatic impact of the world.  Examine ideas posted on student blogs, become more educated or inspired by reading and responding to the ideas of professionals and laypersons alike in any part of the world through blogs.  The power of these links cannot be understated.  And with these connections come choices.  Ultimately the educator teaches students about choices, hopefully how to make good ones and learn from poor ones.  How best then can today’s educators bring about quality student consumers, producers and contributors to our future world?  The answer may well lie in some very simple advice; change or die.

One way educators can choose to change is accept the reality of what is.  A prime example would be that educational technology tools are going to continue to expand and play prevalent roles in schools.  Other possibilities abound also.  Schools may look very different in the future, both in physical structure and in the clientele they serve.  The teacher who embraces change as a constant and choose to grow with it and through it has the best chance of reaching kids and touching lives in ways that will equip students for the next decades.  Put simply, rolling up our sleeves and “digging in” to the web tools pushes teachers in powerful ways, both as models of learning, and as facilitators of the learning experience for kids.  One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was about facing fear, and how stepping into the fear actually empowers you to best deal with it.   I have found this to be true in my personal and professional life.

Along with accepting that technology innovations are here to stay and expand, teachers can embrace the philosophy that they are learners also.  As learners we serve a role as powerful models in the “process” of learning.  If we are eager to grow, gracious in our errors, patience with ourselves and those around us, we become a testament of how learning is done.  When we engage in continuing education, when we expand our networks by reaching out to other teachers, both in house and around the globe, we experience the power of the connectivity.  Ours does not have to be the “ultimate” or strongest strand.  We can be the steady, firm strand that does its part to uphold the entire web.  Truly, we are today making history.  If we aspire toward and practice faithfully the very skills we wish to enshrine in our learners, we fulfill a tremendous role in our students’ lives.

One last scene from Apollo 13 really captures my imagination and my desire to part of the solution.  When the C02 filter cartridges do not fit properly the ground crew must use the limited items available in the space craft in order to create a whole new filter.  Change here is essential, or literally, the three astronauts will die from C02 poisoning.  The team knows the need, sorts out the tools provided, and innovates something brand new.  And the new works.  It’s not pretty, but it works!  Are we part of a team willing to put forth our best effort in the face of mounting odds?  Do we aspire to be part of such a team?  I hope I am in the process of becoming more and more the type of team player who can model how to learn.  Fully cognizant of the challenges ahead, educators have a choice of bemoaning our circumstance or stepping up to the plate and doing our very best for the good of the team.  I hope we all choose positive change.

The Google tools seem to possess everything from a color coded calendar tool (perhaps to help the student whose learning style really benefits from having this type of tool readily available?), to Blogger, which I have found to be simple to use.  Students can certainly easily incorporate blogging (writing skill practice!) into their daily routine for practice in higher level thinking skills, or even a method of self expression or dialogue among peers.  I know a lot of my honors level students are very verbal, but there is often limited verbal class discussion time due to time and size issues.  I would highly encourage students to continue “discussing” class issues outside of class through the use of blogs.

I guess I have enjoyed the wiki collaboration quite a bit, but I know that Google docs sharing through word processing tools in “real time” and even create presentations.  I would be interested in doing more discovery into the various aspects of Google presentations versus let’s say PowerPoint type tools.  Some of my students used Google presentations for projects, and we discovered that often some text or pics did not show up properly on the large screen in the classroom.

As I read on and on, I am more and more impressed!  This Google Book Search thing sounds quite nifty!  I am finding Google to be user friendly also as I dig deeper, there are resources within resources.  For example, the Google Book Search has an About Google Book Search page linked to it that answers a lot of questions in an easily readable format.  I am even cracking up as I locate and attempt the Google Quiz, and answers of course!  I see much potential here to refer students to an array of tools, that I’m guessing they would readily learn and/or adapt to assist their learning.  (I do feel like there is another entire grad class here though and I’m quite overwhelmed with all the tools available!)  I am almost tempted to show these various tools (Picnik, ZohoNotebook etc.) to students and ask small groups of students to demo the tools.  Our class, including me, would thus be exposed to a variety of ideas we could then run with as we saw fit.  I think sometimes being overwhelmed is feeling like I need to be an expert with all these tools before exposing students to them.

 (Beshkin, A. (2000, November 20). General studies offers a paperless undergraduate class. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from Columbia University, Columbia University Record Web site: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/archives/vol26/vol26_iss10/2610_Paperless_Course.html)

The students appear to love the use of web tools to connect with one another!  I know in my own classroom that students are usually turned off by the size and scope of typical social studies textbooks.  Learning without the actual text, or cutting back on text use, would inherently, therefore, be motivational to my students. 

My role as a teacher would change a lot.  When forming and educational community online, the teacher can certainly act in the role of facilitator, but also has to take up the “student” role and become part of the class dynamic through interaction and feedback.  Any educator would broaden themselves a great deal through this approach.  Much reading would be involved, much reflection and processing, and much creativity and creation of new ideas.  It sounds quite intriguing.

Paperless also has the great advantage of creating something dynamic that can be constructed, destructed, reconstructed etc.  This changing nature of online products allows for various types of editing too (I like how the article talked about color coding.)  Measuring the learning would involve examining skills students use, how they contribute, teamwork, online portfolios of ideas, wikis, blogs etc.  The difference is that, well, it’s GREEN first of all!  Secondly, the work is available anytime, anywhere an internet connection exists, and third, all members of the learning community potentially benefit from what others produce. 

I think paperless would make it easier to building a learning network.  All the ideas could be “out there” for others to banter over, expand upon and explore.  This shared aspect is very empowering to learners.  Though the paperless world is not without some drawbacks, what if the net goes down, change is hard, too much of a person gets out there in cyberworld, I can see infinite potential for groups of learners keeping touch with one another and continually expanding on ideas.

I love how Will Richardson has titled his Chapter “What It All Means” in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms!  The big shifts he discusses are so insightful, logical, and in many ways encouraging!  I am choosing shift #8 because “Writing is No Longer Limited to Text” is probably the biggest shift I am personally experiencing.  Many of the other ideas he expresses have also shifted my world greatly, but having less experience with the theme of #8, I am thinking it may turn out to be the most transformative development in my classroom down the road.

Thus far, my teaching practice is not impacted greatly by audio, video, digital picture etc.  As this course nears completion though, I realize just how many web tools are just a few clicks away!  Thus, I expect many of these tools to transform lessons and projects in my classroom.  For example, I can see utilizing podcasts on a regular basis.  I love the idea of setting presentations to music!  The Creative Commons of Flikr is an untapped reservoir of potential also.  I expect class will be more exciting and interesting to students as we begin to utilize these tools.  I also realize how various tools tap into student learning channels, give students options, and encourage creativity.  Seems like win-wins all the way around!

Looking back prior to this course, I feel somewhat of a techno-dolt.  (And perhaps I am still in that category, but a much more EDUCATED techno-dolt now!)  My eyes have been opened to a lot of possibilities, most of which are not particularly difficult!  Who knew?  Have access to a class set of laptops, I believe I am ready to go!  The big challenge will be processing what I am learning about web 2.0 tools, designing lessons that meet the objectives I seek, practicing skills that students need as critical thinkers, and being patient as we “move” into new realms of ideas and possibilities.  I feel a bit like the Wright brothers on take-off day; feeling excited about what COULD happen, expecting something wondrous, and petrified out of my mind about crashing!  Fear didn’t stop them, and having a network of classmates to turn to for trouble shooting, I am feeling more of the wonder and excitement than the fear at this moment.  I am also wondering what to do next to further hone my own understanding and skills with web tools!

But, beyond the global scope and potential of these web tools and changes in pedagogy, I am wondering about a bigger, perhaps more literal picture.  What will Classrooms of the Future actually look like?  What will the physical arrangements be?  Will walls literally be torn down to make larger learning areas?  Will the physical school building still be necessary?  How will time be structured?  We can all see the potential for the student who is absent to “catch up” using web links.  What about the student who works from home and entire semester due to injury or illness?  Are we heading to an era where teachers will become more obsolete as fewer instructors manage vast numbers of students online?  Clearly information can be disseminated in many ways including webcasts and Skyping.  Is there a need for teachers and students to meet daily face to face?  What changes do you see your own districts making in the face of evolving tech tools?  What role will challenging economic times play in shaping future schools?

I know there was a time when I dreamed of having virtual reality headsets for each student, thus allowing us to revisit the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.  And even as I envisioned such powerful, emotional experiences, I wondered about my role as the classroom teacher-would I be needed for more than simply to press the “PLAY” button?  If you haven’t had the chance, check out Shamim’s comments on my blog re: Skype as a tutoring tool between India & the US- http://4consideration.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/hyping-skyping/#comments.  This is really thought provoking.  How do you see teacher’s roles changing in the future?  And in the middle of these potentially shifting sands, how do we say grounded to best practice and the best interests of those we serve?

I look forward to hearing your visions, ideals, and dreams for our futures as educators.

I guess the bottom line in exploring this connective theory is my agreement with Group A’s comments that “Connectivism is absolutely relevant to my teaching practice.”  I see how these connections empower teachers and students, so I’m not concerned as much with titles as with utility.  It’s how we endeavor to foster connections for maximum benefit for all users that ultimately give use the powerful results we aspire toward.

I also really liked how individuals and teams can express ideas with the wiki that give the whole class access.  Connectivism in action?

Whether you ascribe to educational theories on connectivism, constructivism or any other ism, connections to other educators is totally empowering for an array of reasons, and Skype makes a great tool choice for connecting!  My personal experiences with Skype have been encouraging.  I team teach and with Skype, we can contact each other mid-class if necessary to answer any student questions about various symbiotic projects, homework, deadlines, etc.  Sometimes our “calls” solve an immediate problem and prevent dragging out potential trouble shooting issues.  For example, when one of our students is absent, he/she sometimes comes to see one teacher and is given information that perhaps is not totally clear unless the other teacher is also involved.  A quick Skype can answer and clarify.  Even trivial responses to interesting tidbits of information are sometimes desired during the course of class, and Skype offers a window AND a door into another teacher’s classroom.

I have thrilled to use Skype this summer with friends who have left town.  Several of us are taking online courses, and through Skype we’ve been able to chat, answer questions, and share what we’ve learned!  I need to add that Skype’s emoticons totally rockJ

I picture myself greatly expanding the use of Skype this coming school year.  I know our CFF funding was cut, and that we no longer have access to a full time technology expert.  I am thinking Skype can be used as a tool to fill the gaps when teachers have questions or technical issues that require immediate attention.  Knowing I have a school full of peers I can turn to and help solve problems is pretty empowering!  So, in essence, I hope to gain an enhanced network, greater security in having my peers “with me” in the classroom, greater connections to the outside world, and an increased sense of what it means to live in this globally connected world.

 http://feeds.feedburner.com/CrashCourseInIslam

The title “Crash Course in Islam” pretty much speaks for itself.  The reason I choose this series is that the USA is currently engaged in war with nations whose populations are primarily Muslim.  Yet, our American culture appears to have little understanding of Muslim culture.  This crash course contains short vignettes that answer many questions about Islam.  I find this information intriguing, simple to listen to, and hopefully relevant to student lives.

In my classroom, I think I would divide these 9 segments to different groups.  I would allow students time to listen and perhaps link each teams ideas via a wiki, allow for discussion, questions, and further research with ongoing updates to the wiki.  I may start the unit by having students brainstorm all the “myths” they have heard about Islam and Muslims.  I think we could go a long way in debunking myths and fostering cultural understanding.

Images could be incorporated into students Publisher products, or simply be used to enhance a power point presentation.  I see students taking photos around the community and creating products that celebrate community history, shared  both in the classroom, but also throughout the district (or even state!)  I have used a tool called Animoto before, and it was a snap to take photos of my friends Africa trip and set them to music.  Very powerful!  Kids today are so very visual that an image could be used as a bell ringer to start up class, or provoke discussion.

In the photo I choose with the Statue of Liberty, I was instantly intrigued about the meaning of this image.  I felt surely that the creator wanted to be all about the right to bear arms.  And yet, reading onward, I found that indeed the images creator was AGAINST guns and felt gun control would greatly reduce killings throughout the USA.  I would use this image in any segment about government, civil rights, laws and liberties, or with current events connections.  I would ask students to respond to the photo with what they felt the image meant.  From there we could locate other photos that dealt with the gun control issue, perhaps orchestrating entire billboard type displays to state our messages/beliefs about gun control.

Image Citation:  alancleaver.  (2009, June 30). Welcome to America. Alan Cleaver’s Photostream.  Retrieved June 30, 2009 from http://flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/3674434567/.

Another image that was quite simple, but intrigued me, and I felt could tie to my geography classes was the image of cut logs see below.  I thought this photo was very intriguing and could be used to spark discussion about deforestation pros and cons.  It would be really neat to track down more information about various photos; where were they taken geographically speaking?  To assemble a variety of images on our environment and logging around the world and then interact with the photographers or wildlife and conservation experts would be cool.

Image Citation:  Motariles (2009, June 30). Termes pueblo y castillo-18. Motariles Photostream.  Retrieved June 30, 2009, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/motarile/3675082947/.

I do have some nerve issues related to Flickr.  I have been merrily sorting along through photos on other allegedly “safe” sites only to have some inappropriate images pop up.  Our text book mentioned this caveat also, and encouraged educators to really check out the sites and images they will use in the classroom.  I also see how finding the inappropriate is a teaching opportunity, but with my 9^th graders level of maturity, it would probably be best to avoid almost all exposure to risqué type things!  I think I’m just beginning to see the potential of the huge databases of images and how students can publish and interact on the read write web with these tools.  I continue to read more about Flickr.

I still have a few jitters.  I really enjoyed writing as a wiki opponent and hearing classmates offer input and ideas to counter my opposition!  One of the most logical pro-wiki arguments came from those who had some experience with the wiki, and their self assured comments impressed and encouraged me to use wikis more.  I certainly like the wiki where the teacher approves who can become a member, and think this will limit any hacking damage.  I also see the importance of having clear cut objectives as students embark on wiki projects.  While we were provided overall guidelines for our team project, I can see where certain students would abuse a team approach by not doing their fair share.  I can also see where the go getter student may “hog” all the work. 

Overall, my opinion of wikis has changed quite a bit to the positive.  I am certainly going to incorporate more wiki projects and no doubt will learn much from students as they bring their own unique ideas to the wiki.  I am still trying to reshape my paradigm regarding Wikipedia as a valuable too.  I struggle with student reliance solely on Wikipedia, but I’m learning, through my peers, that the wiki is what it is, and that one of the powerful aspects of this tool just may be the chance to address ethical issues of integrity and honesty head on.  Sometimes in education we are avoiders.  After this week, I think I’ve gained enough confidence and skill to use wikis and tackle the trouble shooting aspects as they arise; using these challenges to help myself and students grow.  I guess it’s a case of the tool, despite some drawbacks, being well worth trying.  I anticipate a lot of interest and excitement in the fall, as well as a lot of powerful learning; after all, that’s why I’m in the classroom in the first place, interest and excitement.  WIKI-WIKI!!