Any Value to Social Networking?

So according to Will Richardson, "The world is changing because of social web technologies. Our kids are using them. No one is teaching them how to use them to their full learning potential, and ultimately, as teachers and learners, that’s our responsibility. To do that, we need to be able to learn in these contexts for ourselves."

I AGREE.

Richard goes on to provide a reference: a piece in the Harvard Graduate School of Education magazine Ed. titled “Thanks for the Add. Now Help Me with my Homework.” As Richardson points out "Harvard" and "research" might be cause for notice.

Some points made:

• A virtual creative writing boom among students spending long hours writing stories and poetry to paste on their blogs for feedback from friends, or creating videos on social issues to bring awareness to a cause
• Skills students are developing on social networking sites, are the very same 21st century skills that educators have identified as important for the next generation of knowledge workers — empathy, appreciation for diversity of viewpoints, and an ability to multitask and collaborate with peers on complex projects
• A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers cited this spring in The New York Times found that more than half of employers now use SNSs to network with job candidates.
• "Perhaps even more important than the impact of social networking on the classroom, however is the impact that the classroom can have on social networking, by teaching students how to be responsible "digital citizens" online. At their most basic level, these sites can be launching points to discussions on Internet ethics. "If we want kids to be digital citizens, we must model that behavior for them," says Greenhow. As it stands now, however, most schools do the exact opposite, actively discouraging student use of social networking sites by blocking them on school computers -- sending the message that they are dangerous or inappropriate. As Wiske says, "A lot of people can do a lot of damage driving cars, but we shouldn't tell kids not to drive cars."

There's MORE: Read the entire Will Richardson post The “Added Value of Networking.”

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN: A Guide for Global Leadership?

These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

I came across the following application of Robert Fulghum's list; something to think about:
"Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together."

Cool Resources I Found Today

FUNDRED

The FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT is an innovative artwork made of millions of drawings. This creative collective action is intended to support OPERATION PAYDIRT, an extraordinary art/science project uniting three million children with educators, scientists, health care professionals, designers, urban planners, engineers and artists. Together they are working to make safe the lead polluted soil of New Orleans that places thousands of children at risk for severe learning disabilities and behavioral problems, including violent crime.

In This Case: Godly Susan

At the Smithsonian American Art Museum "Eye Level" Blog, there is a great entry on understanding and responding to the portrait Godly Susan by Roger Medearis.

"The choices artists make about what to include in their work and how to do it are very interesting, whether they are part of a larger, moral message or something more personal. You can make a close reading of a painting by simply looking, but there are some things that cannot be uncovered without doing a little more research. Maybe you'll need to pull out an old art history textbook, or do some reading on the artist. Everything is intentional!"

Sony World Photography Awards 2009 Shortlist Nominations Announced

LONDON - The shortlist for the 2009 Sony World Photography Awards was announced, Tuesday 24 February. The list contains the names of 186 exceptional photographers from 43 different countries, all of them competing in a variety of categories in one of the most prestigious photographic competitions in the world. The Honorary Judging Committee, comprising world-renowned photographers, curators, representatives from leading international photo agencies, publishers and critics made their selection from 36,546 professional and 25,370 amateur photography submissions.

President Obama's Joint Sessions Speech: Education

"In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a prerequisite.
Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma, and yet just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation, and half of the students who begin college never finish.
This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow.
So tonight I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be a community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.
And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself; it's quitting on your country. And this country needs and values the talents of every American."

How do we respond to this as educators?

Alabama Arts Education Summit 2009: Speaking with One Voice

As I reflect on the Art Summit I attended at Troy University, I am overwhelmed with the ideas and opportunities presented; many are developing as I write. For my students who are reading this, I hope you find an outlet to reflect on your journeys. Whether it be visual arts, writing, or a conversation with others, the art of expressing yourself brings deeper meaning to the experience and can inspire others through your communication.

I was inspired by the art and interpretation offered by the artist "Nall." He indicated his work is autobiographical and expresses his "truth." Interpretations of political messages he shared in his art were fascinating as well. I will see his work with enlightened eyes. Nall was born in Troy, Alabama and has become an internationally known artist. Locally you can find his work in the Mobile Museum of Art and the Battlehouse Hotel. Check out his work and think about sharing the work and life of this regional artist "Nall" with your students. (pictures above: Nall's art and Paige & Nall)

Dr. Thomas R. Bice, Deputy Superintendent, ALSDE, presented innovative ideas for 21st Century Learning. I was thrilled to hear that he is an advocate for the arts in the curriculum. He specifically indicated that "art education integration classes should be a part of every teacher preparation program."


I was not aware, prior to the conference, of Bill Strickland's work or of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation and Manchester Craftsmen Guild. WOW! Strickland is among the most dynamic speakers I have ever had the privilege of hearing; furthermore, Mr. Strickland's story and accomplishments inspire me to want to do so much more professionally! He indicated that "environment drives behavior", and "the way you think about and treat people drives behavior." He stated that "if you build world-class facilities, you get world class behavior." His philosophy about environment has been put into practice and made such a difference in the lives of at-risk students in Pittsburg. His story is worth reading. I have ordered the book! The links in this paragraph lead you to video of his presentations.

The USA Arts in Education integration model (in its 5th year of funding and implementation) was presented to an audience of about 35; many have contacted me for additional information. Jeannette Fresne (Assistant Professor, music education), Linda Dean (Executive Director, Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts) and I shared our programs and facilitated interesting discussion.

Presenting with Vicky Cook (Baldwin County Fine Arts Supervisor), Ricky Trione (Blind Artist) and his wife Bonnie Trione is always a privilege. I value the friendship we are developing and am increasingly inspired by their passion for education, the arts, and LIFE! We are all very excited about fine tuning our stories and sharing our presentation with art educators from all over the world at the National Art Education Association Conference in Minneapolis this Spring. Ricky's message of perseverance, creativity, and life-long learning is an inspiration to all who attend.

As a result of the innovative work Ricky and Vicky have accomplished, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with Daimler Financial Services, selected Foley Middle School as one of only 10 schools across the country to tell their story of the arts in their community: in this case, the impact Ricky has made. Our Summit presentation on the USA/Across the Bay collaboration has been forwarded to the Kennedy Center as well. I look forward to witnessing the process as On Location: Spotlight On Your Community is produced and then shared worldwide.

Faculty and Student Learning and Service through the Mobile International Festival

The slideshow is a presentation of faculty and student participation at the 2008 Mobile international Festival.

authorblog: Gone With The Wind

authorblog: Gone With The Wind

Learning to Change ~ Changing to Learn

So rather than JUST memorizing INFORMATION, can you "FIND it, VALIDATE it, SYNTHESIZE it, COMMUNICATE it, COLLABORATE with it, PROBLEM SOLVE with it?" Do YOU have a 21st Century set of Literacies? Do YOU facilitate learning these literacies?




Does technology make it "A GREAT PLACE FOR LEARNING?" Is the space asynchronous, not adversary, not pressured? Can you "reflect, retract, research, repeat?"

What do YOU think?

Google: Is there anything they don't know? Or anything they can't see? GOOGLE OCEAN; DIVE IN

GOOGLE OCEAN: New extension for Google Earth launched Google has launched an extension of Google Earth, which allows internet users to virtually explore the ocean.

Google Ocean, which is included in the newest download version of Google Earth, allows users to explore the high seas with thousands of images of underwater landscapes from volcanoes to sea life.

Users can also watch videos, read stories and contribute photos as they explore the ocean.

Google Earth, which combines satellite photos, maps and information to enable users to explore streets and cities around the world, has been downloaded 500 million times since it was introduced in 2005.