Harry B
Oct. 21, 2011, 12:35 p.m.
The Red Group met the last few days via Google Docs, and these are the comments were are still working on, we will update as we complete thoughts and ideas....:)
1) Design how you will work together over the coming 5 weeks. (Skype secondly, Google Docs primary, we can go to other forms of meeting on line but will these two be okay?) Yes.
Designing is the process of planning how a team relationship will function. It means being intentional about setting up expectations, guidelines, goals and rules. Any “designed alliance” can always be “redesigned” is something is not working. Here are some questions you may want to discuss during your designing process:
- What are the expectations of our team? Communicate once a day on progress, input? Yes, we can do this by email and/or working on this document.
Share equal components of a project? Agreed
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When/how are we going to meet? -
Can we meet via message at least once a day? Definitely once by the end if
Sunday on the weekends? We can try. Sunday evenings is a bad time because we normally have people over in the evenings. Tuesdays normally works well for me except next week as I have to attend our Governing Board meeting. I am able to meet next Monday.
- What goals are we committed to pursuing? 1)Discuss which sections of the Kit you want to “own”., then 2)begin planning the media kit to help promote a social media lesson plan.
Out of these:
- Core Academic Knowledge
- Critical Thinking/Divergent Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Effective Communication
- Working in Collaboration
- Learning how to Learn
- Global Perspective
- 21st Century Skills
- Real World Application
I like #2, #4, #7, #8, and #9 the best, let me know what each of you think?! My goal this year is using Web2.0 tools for collaboration so I’m very interested in #5. I also like #6, #8, & #9.
- What will we do if someone gets off track?
With frequent communication, once a night and once minimum over the weekend, we will try to keep tabs on progress little by little with comments so we can adjust. Agreed.
What kind of support do we want from each other? Advice on organizing ideas, possible programs we can use that share our goals/philosophies/possible connections from our various background
experiences?
Ideas about using the Web2.0 tools.
- Is there anything else we would like to design?
A VIRTUAL TOUR/PROJECT OF OUR toolkit so other educator can jump right in and use? Possible lesson plans that can be attached to last a week to get our goals across with our kit?
2) Based on Week 1, we’ve identified the above topic areas as kit sections of our “Practical Guide to Using Social Media to Encourage Deeper Learning Kit for Educators”. As a
group define what each of the section topics means to you. For example, what does “Core Academic Knowledge” mean to your group? What does “Critical Thinking/Divergent Thinking” mean to your group? Please share your definitions below.
1. Core Academic Knowledge
I see this as the foundation we all grow up with knowing, so what are the basic areas that help define our approach to education Mine is from an influence of World Literature, Multiculturalism, and film. In this, my core is editing, tutoring writing, peer mentoring in volunteerism community service. I think Core Academic Knowledge is the knowledge base we started with as far as specific areas.
I see the core academic knowledge as the three R’s. Unless someone can read, write, and compute, it is very hard to succeed in this nation. If a person has these core academic knowledge, they are able to advance in their occupations. We live in an age of unlimited content. A critical core knowledge is placing that content in context.
2. Critical Thinking/Divergent Thinking
I see this as methods for seeing different points of view, utilizing technology in
non traditional ways (Back Channeling, meeting virtually, using social media as blogs to help with advisory student groups, etc.
Being able to take the information/content and questioning it. Not taking the information given as the truth.
3. Complex Problem Solving
Using technology to find a cure for cancer, alternatives to off shore fishing, agricultural ruin/waste, using technology, social media, and 2.0 as an example to solve similar problems that were solved in the past with lectures and committee meetings in person.
Able to think “outside the box.” Able to use the available tools beyond their intended use to solve a problem. Not to see the world as everyone else sees it. See possibilities where others see problems.
4. Effective Communication
Enabling a more regular, convenient, and quality style of communications while incorporating technology to do so. This avoids large gaps of opinion and lack of equal voice among all participants.
Able to get a point across without confusion.
5. Working in Collaboration
Providing an atmosphere where everyone that as their niche can contribute in some form (be it writing, editing, illustrating, photography, etc.
Everyone working together to achieve a common goal. The ball maybe on one side of the court, but the other three players are moving without the ball to set up a score three passes away. Each one knows their role and works within the strengths and weaknesses of each other.
5. Learning how to Learn
Providing basic information on how to cope, keep up, and attain information that is presented in new form via web, blogs, wiki’s etc. In learning new processes, more information is obtained and retained in a more efficient method.
Using the core academic knowledge and taking the skills you have been given to obtain more information and applying the information to move forward. My father was the greatest model for me. If he had stopped to learn, he would have been unemployed the last 15 years of his life. But, because he continued to learn, he was able to advance in his field while others were laid off.
6. Global Perspective
Maintaining the ability to stay in touch with individuals from around the globe that bring differing values, voice, and points of view to the table of discussion. By incorporating a global perspective on everything from discussions, web projects, to tools, a more diverse and open product is created to appeal to a wider and more diverse audience.
Experience the tastes, smells, and life styles of other cultures. By learning the cultural norms, a person begins to understands himself. I required all four of my boys to leave America to experience other cultures and I am not talking about living in an all inclusive resort or visiting tourist areas, but living within the communities.
7. 21st Century Skills
This is opening wider every day. Skills that will compete with jobs and skills that were never required before (forum monitors, blog/wiki supervisors and Public relations adovcates, ability to tie the countless tools to a basic “kit” that can lead to other extensions based on the goals described, a more efficient method to organizing thoughts, data, and projects as technology is utilized.
We are only in the beginning of the 21st century and the first decade saw major changes. The skills right now is to learn how to take all the information and apply it correctly. How do we use the various tools that are being developed? How do we use it organize our information? How do we use the tools to apply the information.
8. Real World Application
Being able to take the fundamental tools learned in front or on a computer and applying these skills, products, projects, and ideas to the world around us (In the community, to organizations, to public service works, to individuals such as neighbors, peers, supervisors, family).
The toughest part of teaching is staying upon or ahead of the skills students needs to use for the “real world.”
3) Each group will create 2 kit sections over the coming weeks.
Therefore, as a team please shortlist the top 4 topic areas you’d like to work on by Sunday October 23rd (Note: We extended the deadline to give groups more time to work together). We will then assign final sections based on team preferences.
What do you think of the following:
2, 5, 7, 8?
2.Critical Thinking/Divergent Thinking
5. Working in Collaboration
7. Global Perspective
8. 21st Century Skills
These are good. I still like #5, collaboration. 1) It is a goal I have for the year and I am learning how to use the Web2.0 tools for collaboration & 2) There are very few independent careers.4) The Kit is meant to be 1) practical for you and 2) practical for the educators we share it with. How do you think each Kit section should be organized? Please share your group’s ideas below. For example each section might include:
- Definition of topic
- How topic relates to social media and deeper learning
- 2 case studies of topic in practice
- Social media tools and how they can be used to promote the topic
- Sample lesson plan/unit where social media is used to promote the topic
Case studies will be difficult as this area is not established, but is changing. For example, today I listened to an audio about the founders of Dropbox. They know they have to compete against iCloud and Google. What tools will be useful today, may not be around next year. Hard for an instructor to predict.
We have initiated a survey out to faculty that asks - What can we do to help you better in the classroom? What is your dream project? In trying to design a toolkit that will help answer these questions, we can actually meet the needs of all disciplines, with a variety of tools, so all disciplines will be targeted and be able to rely on resources. Very multidisciplinary in this approach and this might allow for some changes in the tools if we can pick some that will last the ages, for example, Doctor’s still use powerpoint because it is not too much of bells and whistles and there is a demand/need for it still in certain occupations.
Possible ideas and answers to the below:
- Definition of topic - A 2.0 Webkit is a collection of tools that meet interdisciplinary needs of both student, faculty, and individuals interested in being educated on the newest information in the 21st Century. Also, it would be good to leave this definition open as others can add to it.
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How topic relates to social media and deeper learning
The interpersonal skills of divergent thinking, collaboration, global perspectives,
as well as the 21st Century skills needed will impact the ways individuals
interact and relate to each other. Deeper learning and social media will be highly
used as technology becomes more and more a part of the communication
process among people and whole countries!
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2 case studies of topic in practice
It would be interesting to ask educators in other countries and their schools in
how they use the skills of:
2.Critical Thinking/Divergent Thinking
5. Working in Collaboration
7. Global Perspective
8. 21st Century Skills
in their classrooms (so we have a global perspective represented through the view/lens
of another global classroom.
- Social media tools and how they can be used to promote the topic
Ideas for this could be class examples and mini cuts of film that show this tool
being used in a classroom.
- Sample lesson plan/unit where social media is used to promote the topic
I think it would be a good idea to utilize all disciplines, such as photography,
Science, Math, English, Social Studies, Health to give a wide spectrum of how Social
Media, tools, the ones we choose, can be applied whether you are secondary,
elementary, etc.