Create Art? Be Remarkable? Can I Have an Example Please!

I´ve always been a big proponent of examples. I think they help us grasp direction, and are the basis of collaboration. In my earlier post last week I mentioned creating art in reference to Seth Godin´s quote. I would like to clarify more what he means by that.

He states, "I don´t believe that you are born to do a certain kind of art, mainly because your genes have no idea what technology is going to be available to you. Cave painters, stone carvers, playwrights, chemists, quantum-mechanic mechanics - people do their art where they find it, not the other way around. The art that you do when you interact with a customer (student), or when you create a new use of a traditional system or technology - it´s still art. Our society has reorganized so that the answer to the question "where should I do art?" is now a long booklet, not a simple checklist of a few choices (Godin, 2010)."

Let me provide you with an example. The Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock Scotland was one of the first schools in the world to pilot a 1:1 environment for the ipad k-12. Here is what Fraser Speirs (@fraserspeirs) who is the Head of Computing and IT at Cedars and also develops iOS apps for Connected Flow had to say about the first phase of their ipad deployment.

"We've done something that's not often tried – we brought in technology and didn't tell people how to use it". Instead of thinking of the iPad as a digital textbook, it's become a research and creativity tool across all subjects; because of this, minds are being expanded and experiences broadened, not restricted. Once, the school focused on iWork, iLife and Safari, but now pupils access dozens of varied apps (Speirs, 2010)."

If you´re looking for inspiration, I highly recommend visiting Cedars website. I teach fourth grade, and have been searching all summer for more inspiration on Project Based Learning for my upcoming students. I love examples, they are art, and they allow me to see the tools that are available to do my art. Godin states, "Shakespeare didn´t invent plays, he used them. Salinger didn´t invent the novel, he wrote a few. The technology existed before they got there (Godin, 2010)."

The Cedars 4/5 group recently published and sold a book at a local bookstore. They created the content and art using their ipads. Talk about a fundraiser! These types of projects are what being remarkable is all about.

iPad2 Coming Soon, Now What?

Very soon the iPad2 will be in the hands of all ZPS educators and soon there after in the hands of students. Some will be asking the fundamental question, "Now What?" The interesting thing about the iPad is, I think you´ll continue to ask yourself that question even after a few years of toting it around in your pack. The world of apps is ever changing, and constantly improving for this little book of the future. One might ask themselves; where are we heading with this? The world of predictability is shrinking, becoming more transparent; information we have always trusted is in question, and being re-written constantly. Why? The collective voices of everyone in the world is now being heard, their stories are being told in real time and shared. Exciting isn´t it! Now, we are ready to give that power to the classroom. The iPad is a device that is totally customizable. In fact, email me when you have this experience. You´ll be cooking along thinking you´re doing pretty good with your device, and then you´ll meet someone else who has tons of cool apps, that can do things you didn´t even think of. You might feel a little lame, or behind. But, what you´ve just experienced is the power of collaboration. You´ve been exposed to new ideas, new ways of doing things, and you´ll be that person to someone else along the road as well. That power is about to go exponential in Zeeland Public Schools, and it´s going to be a wild ride! Should we expect things to change? They always have and always will. I have been reading Seth Godin´s book titled "Linchpin." He describes, "The New American Dream, though, the one that markets around the world are embracing as fast as they can, is this:

Be remarkable

Be generous

Create Art

Make judgement calls

Connect people and ideas

...and we have no choice but to reward you. (Godin, 2010)"

I think it´s impossible to quantify what is possible with these devices. This really is just the beginning. The question "Now What?" will be different for everyone, and that´s what I believe is so remarkable about this. You know what your interest´s are; go search for them, discover what this new world has for you. Get it, and share it with everyone you know. That´s what will make this a truly remarkable transformation. If you´re waiting for a manual; for predetermined steps of action then you could be missing the whole point. Sure some guidance will be provided, but in the end it will be up to you to navigate your path and share your success.

www.SethGodin.com

Happy Fourth of July. Let freedom ring!

Content consumption on the iPad

Last week, I suggested that the iPad was great for both content consumption and content creation.  Consuming content -- text, audio, and video -- seems to be what the iPad was designed for (and it allows for it to be done quite beautifully, I might add).

This short TED talk by Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book amazed me when I saw it.  Imagine student textbooks that could work like this prototype, allowing students to read, view both still images and video, and completely personalize their learning experience.

Just imagine...

Content creation on the iPad

"What are students going to be doing with their iPads when they get them?"

That's the most frequent question I am asked when talking with people our move to 1:1 with iPads.  The simplest answer I can give:  students will be consuming content and creating content.

In this podcast from Tony Vincent, Project Based Learning in Hand Part 1, he shares step-by-step how he used only his iPod Touch to create content, a five minute video on the topic "What Makes a Good Vice President."  The same apps that he used on his iPod Touch can be used on an iPad.

After viewing, take a minute to leave a comment and share your thoughts about how your students might use the same process on their iPads in your classroom.

Next week, we'll take a look at the content consumption side: a next-generation eBook that's being developed for the iPad.

PBL in the Elementary Grades

Last month, Tony introduced us to project-based learning (PBL).  For most of us, PBL is either a new idea or an idea we are slightly familiar with but are wondering what it would like in our own classroom.  The Buck Institute for Education offers a couple of books to help us wrap our heads around PBL.  They introduce their elementary level book with the following:

Would you like to conduct effective Project Based Learning in your classroom, but feel unsure how to start? Or have you tried "doing a project" but it didn't turn out the way you wanted? Or have you done PBL in the past, but you're looking for new ideas or a more systematic process of planning and managing projects, to meet the demands of today's world of standards and testing? If your answer is "yes" to any of the above, this book is meant for you.

Designed for teachers of Kindergarten through 5th grade students, PBL in the Elementary Grades contains down-to-earth, classroom-tested advice, including sample projects, step-by-step guidance, tips from experienced practitioners, and planning tools.

I ordered a copy of the book earlier in the week after reading the Introduction (free download).  Send me a note if you're interested in reading it along with other ZPS teachers.  For middle and high school teachers, BIE also publishes the PBL Starter Kit for those who are new to PBL.

Happy summer reading!

Introducing iLearn@ZPS

As the ZPS TPIT (Technology Plan Implementation Team) prepares to get iPads into the hands of teachers and administrators this summer, we would like to introduce you to iLearn@ZPS.  

iLearn@ZPS brings together the ZPS mission of life-long learning on the part of both students and staff and the new modes of learning made possible through technology.  Here are four tools that have been created for our personal and collaborative professional learning.

Wiki - The iLearn@ZPS wiki contains a collection of resources at all grade levels and in all subjects that will assist us as we shift to the student-centered learning made possible with 1:1 iPads, SMART Boards, and presentation carts.  This resource is being continually updated, so please stop by often.


Blog - The iLearn@ZPS blog is a collection of posts by ZPS bloggers sharing the vision of the transformative teaching and learning made possible by 1:1 as well as showcasing classrooms from around the district that are embracing this new learning.  We encourage you to visit the blog and subscribe with either your email address or a RSS reader such as Google Reader.

Diigo Group - Diigo is a web-based social bookmarking tool that allows users to bookmark online resources.  The iLearn@ZPS Diigo group is open to anyone who would like to share and comment on resources related to the change in teaching and learning through the use of technology.



Google Group - The iLearn@ZPS Google Group is a discussion forum open only to ZPS staff.  Browse through questions and responses posted by staff or share your own questions and learning.




Links to all of these tools are available at ilearn.zps.org.  We hope that you'll take advantage of these tools this summer as we venture into this new learning for staff and students.

Project Based Learning in the Freshman House

The end of May is an exciting time for 9th grade students at Zeeland East. Instead of cramming for exams students have a chance to showcase their knowledge and passions through a project based learning experience called "Our Community, Our World- The Freshman Capstone Project".

The purpose of the project is threefold: 1) provide a real-life, collaborative experience in which students can demonstrate how their core content area classes are connect to their life passions, 2) Develop knowledge about how math, science, and history are used to build and improve the community, and 3) Enhance the communication and leadership skill of the students.

This past week students were given six guiding topics to help them refine their project. The common thread woven through each of these topics is "how are math, science, and history tied to your area of interest?"

During the project week teachers serve as advisers challenging students to collaborate with one another and the community at large. Several guiding questions such as "What are you communicating to your audience? What is the significance of your topic and findings to the world?, How are you likely to use your new knowledge in the future?" shape the students research. Students also spend time throughout the day making phone calls to local businesses, inviting relatives and local experienced people to come and speak with them on their given topic.

Final presentations are set this year for June 1st in the gym at Zeeland East. The public are welcome to attend and encouraged to ask students questions regarding their findings. If you would like to know more about Project-Based Learning (PBL) this short video from the Buck Institute of Education provides a good overview.

Look for a future post showcasing some of the student's work.