Awake & Curious

Quick update, and a webcast from FETC . Our school has purchased the November blogging service. We will roll this out formally in the next few weeks. The interesting thing is that we have a few teachers who have already started their own blogs. Like new bloggers they seem excited. Our kids have also started their own Kidsnewsblog, which is just in its infant stages. The idea here is I make them blog about what I want and here they can blog about what they want. I was showing them how to navigate Wordpress dashboard yesterday and most knew how to use this technology because they all have My Space accounts. Not really surprised but again it brings home the point these children in my case ( 4th, 5th, and 6th graders) are using Web 2.0. technologies outside of the classroom. Now to try and get my colleagues to use them inside the classroom.

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Now the tie in between us beginning to blog and what Will and Rob have to say about Web 2.0. technologies . The podcast is interesting they take a look at some creative classrooms that are using blogging and pod-casts to connect students to the larger world. Valuable stuff. What struck me is the points that Rob makes about how to apply this stuff to a larger audience, systemic change whole school districts etc….

I can’t help but think we need leadership on high level for real change to happen. Something Will said about presidential hopeful John Edwards (not that he is a John Edwards fan) , using his blog to run his election in a participatory manner where he responds directly to bloggers queries made me think we need a president who understand this stuff. Elect a president who understands social technologies and their untapped power in education and creates a NCLDC ( No child left disconnected) act.

Rob makes it clear that a Field of Dreams approach will not jive here. The “if you build it they will come” approach to change will lead to nowhere.

He retorts “if you build it but do not convince, A.P.’s principals, Superintendents, etc…of its importance, if you do not make Web 2.0. technologies standards based with quantitative standards, nothing will happen. You will just be left with a green field populated by a few teachers, isolated silos of educational excellence, but no system change.
I can apply this to my own school, things are changing not as fast as I would like perhaps. I would love if our administration would make blogging a requirement, or at least reward bloggers, but things are changing. In part this is due to one of our A.P.’s is in the know about Web. 2.0. technologies, and he is dedicatd to bring about change in this area to our school culture.
Anyway click on the pic below to listen for yourself and post a comment if you like.

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