tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78030978180292660702024-03-21T19:27:16.479-07:00BurghvilleSiebert J. Myburgh -
Principal, Morrison Academy Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803097818029266070.post-65446921519416381632016-04-19T02:20:00.001-07:002016-04-19T06:28:20.785-07:00One Small Step for Students, One Giant Leap for our School. (Part 3/3)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In a recent tweet world-renowned educational researcher, Dr. Michael Fullan, warned against the allure of technology and emphasized to conference goers that <i>"pedagogy is harder and deeper"</i>. He went on to say that the <i>"the big change is mobilizing students and teachers"</i>. This post will show that our teachers not only have a high moral compass, but have found digital north in the classroom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Digital North</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The influential Bill and Melinda Gates addressed their <a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/2016-Annual-Letter">Annual Letter</a> to <i>teens</i> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">this year</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">because of their belief that this generation will need to solve the pressing issues of our time. We agree. We also affirm that for students to dynamically impact their world, they'll need to master technology as an essential tool. Tech, however, is not a panacea or cure-all. These talks by </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEmuEWjHr5c&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Derek Muller</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzwJXUieD0U" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">John Hattie</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8a1dsv5IXo" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Matthew Stoltzfus</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">shaped some of our thinking in developing our own <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IX6rEv22mV7kGFaZQCubF9tOerWf9ANejio_4zUUwno/edit#slide=id.g9dd6554de_0_91">app-edagogy</a> only to discover that there's nothing new under the sun, <i>but we might have coined a new term. </i>:-) I've had the privilege to present on this framework on at least three occasions (EARCOS Leadership Conference and Google Summit Events) and feel satisfied that we have done the deep and hard work of pedagogy. </span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/byNHbV-iAX1y5SgTWELYQITK06Obsa5WyF8S9I3RuCoNr3YOeL0uqgiNXw2casanOZvGJfsNS0LENNXjN-01cGc3JFxO6i776bq-f1rZRo3unEI9AqPH3z3v7R7IvvXmQnDU_F7pGg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/byNHbV-iAX1y5SgTWELYQITK06Obsa5WyF8S9I3RuCoNr3YOeL0uqgiNXw2casanOZvGJfsNS0LENNXjN-01cGc3JFxO6i776bq-f1rZRo3unEI9AqPH3z3v7R7IvvXmQnDU_F7pGg" width="146" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While it is an honor to be trusted with leadership, partnering with parents is by far the most strategic action a school can undertake. In January of this year (2016) we surveyed our K8 parent community to understand how we can better partner on digital citizenship. Participants clearly valued this topic and expressed a desire that we protect students' online learning experience. I'm confident that the school's supervision is not only adequate and sufficient, but also technically sophisticated (open DNS tracking, Barracuda web filters, enabled safety mode, etc.). Our school culture is not a permissive one. In addition to the above-mentioned preventative measures, a reasonable <a href="http://taichung.mca.org.tw/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/InfoTechContract.pdf">technology contract</a> based on privileges and consequences has been set up to guide students toward maturity. We consistently employ teaching, mentoring, counseling and advisory as we do our part to populate cyberspace with students who are careful to pin digital citizenship in every footprint they leave on the web. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2020 and Beyond</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently compared the top ten skills of 2015 with <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-10-skills-you-need-to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution">the 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>. Complex problem-solving remains at the top of the list while critical thinking </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">climbed from position 4 to number 2 and</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> creativity </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">charged in from 10 to 3. This should not escape the attention of educational institutions worth their salt. The real work of schools is to help students discover what they're passionate about, ignite their imagination, encourage divergent thinking, pursue solutions outside the box and teach them to critique the world around them. The aforementioned activities all align very well with our 2020 goal of creating a climate of innovation in our school. It is also encouraging to note that emotional intelligence and service orientation are among the WEF's top ten skills, especially in light of the fact that mentoring and service learning projects are an integral part of our culture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Being set on fulfilling our task, then, we recognize that technology is a </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">tool that can no longer be ignored, especially after the Internet became the 21st century's Gutenberg press. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803097818029266070.post-67476821861066003992016-04-17T07:01:00.004-07:002016-04-17T07:03:23.201-07:00One Small Step for Students, One Giant Leap for our School (Part 2/3)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In my previous post I reflected on our changing world and shared an expert's take on exponential change in the next decade. In this post I want to review our schools' journey over the last four years in preparing students for the future. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It's hard to believe, but we're now closer to 2040 than 1990.</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>The Next Frontier</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During the early years of my principalship I attended an <a href="https://www.earcos.org/elc2016/index.php">EARCOS Leadership Conference</a> where <a href="https://bluyonder.wordpress.com/about/">Greg Whitby</a> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Australia's 2012 Innovative Educator) challenged school leaders to rethink education in a world immersed in technology, especially with the arrival of ubiquitous devices like SmartPhones. A</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s superintendent of 80 Catholic schools his</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> main concern was to not lose the God-given mandate to educate young people. His was a warning to stay relevant and to keep schools from becoming museum-like. Equally important was his pledge to never experiment with students' schooling in the quest to modernize the classroom. This resonated deeply with me and resulted in a resolve to always stay research-based in my approach.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2013-14</i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soon after our faculty started to use a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BrJy88Lne6vV9yvqkS5bBQH2s6ZxC_VGxkdyX2w2jhw/edit">brain-friendly lesson/unit plan template</a> based on</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> how students learn best. The four components below not only gave us a common language, but also promoted effective teaching and </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">laid the groundwork for future integration of educational technology</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Prepare learners with a captivating hook to engage students</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pick instructional strategies carefully to accommodate learning needs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Practice new learning through the use of regular assessments </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Ply (apply) student feedback to consolidate long term memory. </span></li>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2014-15</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Teachers<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><span style="font-style: italic;">then</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>started to enhance<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>the brain-friendly lesson/unit plan template through the use of educational apps. This led to the creation of our <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/mca.org.tw/tch-instructional-tech/">Instructional Tech</a> site, which not only enabled teachers to benefit from each other's discoveries, but also served as an educational technology resource to other schools in Taiwan. Leaders in countries as far away as India have expressed appreciation for the work of our teachers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In February 2015 staff also participated in a professional learning event, an <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/13jET6GVd3chHp9jOm6PVddS9zUUN8GXfZ3FjnF6JWPs/edit">in-house mini-conference</a> of sorts, to ponder the realities of our changing world. One of our new teachers who had returned to the teaching profession after a hiatus of fifteen years compared her adjustment to the classroom to that of Rip Van Winkle! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We concluded that educational technology was here to stay. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">We made a set of iPad Minis available for teachers to apply technology more frequently to their brain-friendly lesson plans. This pilot was overwhelmingly successful in that it declared our independence from the traditional computer lab and demonstrated our teachers' comfort level with the use of educational technology. One middle school teacher commented that </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"the iPad Minis allowed students to share their work with the class more quickly. For example, my students were able to clearly share a concept map they made with the entire class through AirPlay versus something that was smaller and harder to read on chart paper." </i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Our integration of educational technology was now clearly rooted in sound pedagogy and we recognized that we were no longer at risk of merely placing a $1,000 pencil in front of our students. </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2015-16</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This year our strategy involved a much narrower and more practical focus as we seek to modernize our classrooms. Teachers formed collaborative action research groups to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">make recommendations on how to: </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9ZiHfnEqa6wWTaxWknCMQwAdWSIy8uWac12su80Ob3bnWUNgb4pEHmnp81tjUtvMQRYyEHF7FNBhoMiC4x4AMhbSVWR9LXCspGbQZzAD-usy7uh_3CTFtEZc5us19BfFLdoqH5HTvv4/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9ZiHfnEqa6wWTaxWknCMQwAdWSIy8uWac12su80Ob3bnWUNgb4pEHmnp81tjUtvMQRYyEHF7FNBhoMiC4x4AMhbSVWR9LXCspGbQZzAD-usy7uh_3CTFtEZc5us19BfFLdoqH5HTvv4/s200/IMG_0705.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students posting a blog on Chomebooks</td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">facilitate classroom management in a 1:1 environment where each student has access to a device</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">equip students/teachers with essential tech skills</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">proactively teach digital citizenship </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In May 2016 we'll be compiling a list of agreed-upon recommendations from teachers' end-of-year presentations and hope to communicate these guidelines and expectations to all our stakeholders (teachers, students and parents). This will give us a common language to reinforce the same message. I am confident that our teachers have been equipped to find and maintain digital north in the classroom. More about that in the next post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803097818029266070.post-44368541758021427372016-04-15T01:27:00.000-07:002016-04-15T01:27:39.089-07:00One Small Step for Students, One Giant Leap for our School! (Part 1/3)<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Walk with me down memory lane, just for a few paragraphs before we talk about the future of schooling. My anecdotes will no doubt trigger a few of your own gems from the not-too-distant past. (Feel free to share in the comment section!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Back to the Paper-on-Earth <b>'80s</b></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVY9KlraF9vXmilm-dlnv7E9Lp_Hz4P8Z90FDDIaaff2i0-DAxSlRrEGiDLTw5ld5E75TjXHrl3D2HjbAf38LLkmYobP64mYpFRhtIDMb746yTDpdTIu-jRRjlXHJlZlVXWISK3wS9Rw/s1600/Gestetner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVY9KlraF9vXmilm-dlnv7E9Lp_Hz4P8Z90FDDIaaff2i0-DAxSlRrEGiDLTw5ld5E75TjXHrl3D2HjbAf38LLkmYobP64mYpFRhtIDMb746yTDpdTIu-jRRjlXHJlZlVXWISK3wS9Rw/s200/Gestetner.jpg" width="163" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During all my years at school I never worked on a computer. The closest I came to using technology was learning how to type ... and use correction tape. I managed 165 words/minute, strewn with errors! As students at teachers college we were given a once-off opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the basic components (mouse, keyboard, monitor, floppy disk, etc.), but I do not recall mastering any software or programs. I did learn how to make copies using a Gestetner duplicator though! And I have vague memories of worrying over my parents regarding how they were going to keep up with all the new technology. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>In the Dial-up-to-the-Cloud <b>'90s</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the first few years of my professional life, computers started appearing in school libraries where one could access information through CD-ROMS. Most of us thought our elderly 7th grade LA teacher was an alien from cyberspace (the term wasn't coined back then) when she one day proudly announced that her students had successfully emailed their peers in England. We thought she was weird. We obviously understood very little of what was happening in the world. In the mid-nineties I purchased my first black and white DOS-operating computer and replaced it a few years later for one with an amazing color monitor! Transitioning from Coral WordPerfect to Microsoft Word was very hard! The Internet was a luxury few of us could afford in South Africa and when I finally hooked up via a dial-up modem, I did so sparingly and only stayed on long enough to download content to read offline. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Through <b>Y2K</b>, to Cyberspace ... and Beyond!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we came to Taiwan in the early 2000s I was amazed at the ease of Internet access. Our family purchased a brand new CRT computer and even used it to watch DVDs! I would not own a laptop until much, much later, let alone a SmartPhone. Other new gimmicks included burning CDs and storing data on a 256 megabyte thumb drive for which I paid about US$100. I cannot help but chuckle when I reflect on these experiences. The world has changed so much over the last thirty years, but we're told that we <i>ain't seen nothing yet</i>. Professor Klaus Schwab's recent book </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Industrial-Revolution-Klaus-Schwab-ebook/dp/B01AIT6SZ8" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt;">The Fourth Industrial Revolution</a> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seeks to prepare society for deep technological shifts that are bound to happen over the next decade. As a father and an educator, I believe we have a moral obligation to equip our children and students to not only engage with this new world, but to dynamically impact it. With the next post I want to show how our school has gone about this task. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
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<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803097818029266070.post-38146355681014920152014-05-20T07:12:00.000-07:002016-04-14T20:44:26.652-07:00Journey to Joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSe0ctwT6m-TOARFuJv-I09_u1qyxC4QvElEewAI_N4B_QoRfPk27ZGAp9MMIJQvAFFOlCTraqiE8x-V0Vu3pNXpQwUqdlttShVyzsZI0AsxUiHLJBJGWeh8qT5YLQ6aNi8t6yaxEtZk/s1600/hourglass-161125_640.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSe0ctwT6m-TOARFuJv-I09_u1qyxC4QvElEewAI_N4B_QoRfPk27ZGAp9MMIJQvAFFOlCTraqiE8x-V0Vu3pNXpQwUqdlttShVyzsZI0AsxUiHLJBJGWeh8qT5YLQ6aNi8t6yaxEtZk/s1600/hourglass-161125_640.png" width="126" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The life of an educator,</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> especially at the
end of a long school year, is one of inconvenience. But this is not a
complaint; it is stated as a good thing.</span></span></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Do you know about </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Type I and Type II errors? The former involves erring on the side of inconvenience
so as to avoid harm and the latter is being negligent to the point of causing
harm. Over the last year several incidents reported in the media have impressed
upon me the grave consequences of Type II errors.
The news headlines below bear this out: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">July
6, 2013 – Lac Megantic train derailment, 47 dead <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An unattended,
idling freight train carrying crude oil and parked on the main lines, accidentally
became mobile after several observed that it was in distress. Some time during
the night it turned into a driverless projectile that derailed and exploded in
the busy town center, causing one of the worst rail disasters ever in Canada. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">July
24, 2013 – Santiago De Compostela train crash, 79 dead <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The driver
was accelerating at double the speed limit when the train derailed while going through
a bent. Apparently the driver had been boasting on Facebook about his reckless
behavior.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">March
8, 2014 – missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, 239 presumed dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It’s
hard to believe the negligence of those who for nearly 4 hours failed to report
the lack of communication from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.</span></i><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">April
16, 2014 – Sewol ferry disaster in the Yellow Seas, 281 dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s
even harder to swallow the inaction of the crew of the Sewol, the sunken ferry
in South Korean waters. Failing to uphold the ship safety act and abandoning
those entrusted into their care, the captain and crew are now being charged
with murder and manslaughter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Type
I errors, however, are in sharp contrast to the
above events. For example, when we sound a fire alarm in a public place and
afterwards find out that we were wrong, we’ve only suffered inconvenience. Inconvenience, however, is not only an act of prevention,
but it also means being willing to walk the extra mile. Last week Judge
Thokozile Masipa classically displayed a Type I error when she inconvenienced everyone by delaying the Oscar
Pistorius court case with a month in order for the South African athlete to be referred
for mental observation. The extra time will help her remove potential error as
she discerns between reality and her conclusions of a reconstructed reality. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">While mistakes occur all the time in schools, they are
pronounced in May. Remind yourself that it’s been a long year. Like Masipa, we
need to be prepared to commit </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Type I errors. What does that
look like with a few weeks of school left? The acronym below communicates some
key points:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">J – Jaded
</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">… you’re tired, don’t jump to conclusions, instead bite
your tongue<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">O – Observe</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> … listen
with your eyes, ears and all other senses, be slow to speak <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Y –
Yield </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">... lose a battle (or two), you and the other person are
needed in the war, just swallow it<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">While wisdom is available to all who ask, its sluices tend
to remain open to those who are prepared to commit </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Type I errors. Such people are characterized by humility, gentleness, and
patience. They carry each other’s burdens, overlook each other’s faults and as they walk the extra mile, they find
joy in the journey. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803097818029266070.post-11122715542633248182014-04-06T08:35:00.000-07:002016-04-14T23:15:53.418-07:00YES and NO<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our school has some excellent examples of technology
integration. Almost every classroom is fitted with a digital whiteboard. Our
library has check-out laptops, multiple desktop computers and students have
access to several computer labs. We have a well-established Internet network
with Wi-Fi access points throughout the school. Teachers have successfully used
this infrastructure to have students create authentic learning products. The
best examples include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->writing blogs,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">ebook poetry anthologies,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">audiovisual animations of experiments,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">videos casting persuasive speeches,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">websites capturing outdoor excursions,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">a variety of presentations (Prezi, PowToon, etc.)</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, <b><u>YES</u></b>,
we are equipping our students to use technology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In previous blogs I emphasized the need for today’s schools
to promote a 21<sup>st</sup> Century learning environment. With <a href="http://burghville.blogspot.tw/2013_11_01_archive.html">Imagine</a>, I pointed
out that teachers must seize the opportunity the Internet affords for learning.
It is no longer about information only. In <a href="http://burghville.blogspot.tw/2014_01_01_archive.html">A New Paradigm</a>,
I echoed the job market’s desire for ongoing innovation and how educational
institutions must leverage connectivity to that end. Recently, my colleague also
reported on the high school’s progress toward a possible 1:1 program (see <a href="http://hs.mca.org.tw/home/intouch">In Touch</a>). I believe our
objectives and goals are stated clearly through these communications. We hope
to equip our students to use technology in a productive, creative and
collaborative manner in order to promote a positive digital footprint. Have we
not been doing that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Few would disagree that this generation is a new breed. They
were born after the Internet emerged and grew up with Google, Facebook, Twitter
and mobile devices linking them to a world of apps. To them technology is
universal and they use it anywhere, anytime and do so intuitively. During a
recent classroom observation I noticed how “user interface” has become part and
parcel of students’ vernacular. Without any systematic explanation of how to
navigate a new app, middle school boys and girls simply started to skillfully
use their fingers to tap, double tap, drag and snap on an iPad Mini, while uploading
and sharing their learning at the same time. I looked at the students, then the
teacher, and realized I was the only digital immigrant in the room. The degree,
to which educators restrict students from leveraging their learning through
technology, is the degree to which schools run the risk of falling behind and becoming
irrelevant.<b> </b>So, <b><u>NO</u></b>, we must continue to stretch ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I believe one of the key differences is for teachers to no
longer be dependent on a specific location, like a traditional computer lab. Surely
our roadmap must include an environment where students have immediate access to
mobile devices all the time so teachers can enhance instructional strategies (e.g.
creating a flipped classroom through Khan Academy), use app-specific tools to
assess (NearPod), collect immediate feedback (Socrative), adjust instruction (Google
doc collaboration) and still have students create those cherished learning
products (e.g. Animoto). An important question to ask is how do we do this without
discouraging our staff? Our strategy must be a safe one. We therefore identified
teachers who are at ease in our digital world, who can create a contagious
environment and inspire others through powerful, enthusiastic modeling. It encourages
me no end to see how this approach thrills our teachers, who in turn equip and
impact our students. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803097818029266070.post-20979568201739130552014-01-02T19:00:00.000-08:002016-04-14T20:30:12.566-07:00A New Paradigm<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In a previous blog post I described how the Internet, just
like the printing press in the 15<sup>th</sup> century, has brought us to yet another
watershed moment in society. Educational institutions all over the world are
either embracing this invention or are wrestling with its how-to’s. In this
post, I briefly explore why educational technology cannot be ignored. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let me first state my conviction that the teaching
profession, as far as it relates to the existing body of research, is mature.
Educators, as is the case with doctors, engineers and other professionals, follow
an established best practice. Due to the work of researchers like Hattie,
Marzano and others, we know which instructional strategies and classroom
practices are most effective. In my opinion, the incorporation of technology
will not necessarily make teachers more professional. We already know what
works in schools. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Educational paradigms, however, are subject to the political
and socio-economic pressures of the day. This was true for schooling in the
agricultural period as well as during the age of industrialization. Likewise,
the Internet, as a harbinger of the information age, poses a fundamental shift that
affects 21<sup>st</sup> century learning outcomes in a significant way. Students
now have immediate and quick access to knowledge and a curriculum based on
search (research) opens up new pathways for learning. Industries and leading companies
are also beginning to call for educational institutions to devote more time to
creativity, while recent revisions to learning theory further validate the newfound
emphasis on innovation. Few argue as powerfully and convincingly as Sir Ken
Robinson who, in his three TED Talks, clearly articulates why schools need to
equip students to be divergent thinkers, creative problem-solvers and
innovators. To accomplish all this in our digital world, students must learn
the art of collaboration and essentially do so through the use of technology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is strategic then, that we place a mobile device of some
sort in front of our students in the classroom. In doing so, we need to know
why. It’s not because we want to save paper, or money. We’re also not just
giving students a $1,000 <i>pencil</i> with
which they can disrupt the learning environment or be distracted. Teachers
should specifically design learning experiences that will equip students to use
the connectivity that comes with accessing the Internet with 21<sup>st</sup>
century digital devices to hone the following 21<sup>st</sup> century skills:
productivity; creativity; collaboration and communication (Salerno and Vonhof,
2011). These are the outcomes of the new educational paradigm. I encourage us
to wrestle with it and embrace it. Let’s not ignore it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803097818029266070.post-12871908124607306832013-11-11T18:22:00.001-08:002016-04-14T20:30:03.049-07:00Imagine<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Imagine a revolutionary period where key personalities, just-right
circumstances and strategic technological innovations all align to create a
climate so ripe and pregnant that it births a Great Divide, changing the world
forever. Imagine living in such a moment in time when the social, political,
cultural and economic landscape around us is altered significantly, an event
that brings about deep and long-lasting change, transforming life as we know
it. Imagine also an aftermath where information spreads quickly and cheaply to
vast audiences and the communications paradigm rapidly transforms itself through
several modes, each bringing with it a whole new mind. Imagine a change so powerful
that it escalates to proportions that can only be described in terms of the Enlightenment,
the Scientific Revolution and the Great Reformation. Imagine, then, a radical
shift that allows people to connect beyond the usual boundaries of time and
geography, ushering in a new connectivity never experienced before. Imagine the
upheaval, the distress, the mistrust and also the tremendous opportunities. Imagine,
if you would, the greatest innovation since the invention of the wheel … <i>the Internet. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Actually, the last statement is not entirely true. The Internet, though a good guess, was recently only voted the 9<sup>th</sup> greatest
invention <i>(Fallows,
The Atlantic)</i>. The all-encompassing change and radical impact I describe
above is really a summary of my research on another significant invention from
six centuries ago - the <i>printing press</i>.
It certainly sounds like the Digital Divide we've all come to experience over
the last few decades. When Johan Gutenberg invented the printing press in the
1430’s, he not only unlocked script to replicate knowledge, but simultaneously
triggered a series of print mutations releasing a new strain of information and
a new paradigm of learning. It went viral, causing a learning revolution that reproduced both good and evil. And that is exactly my point. Because we have the benefit
of hindsight we tend to overlook the maladies of print (propaganda, for example)
and rather celebrate healthy indicators like the freedom of the press. The Internet,
however, still carries a bleak prognosis, metastasized with large and obvious tumors.
And rightly so, but I genuinely believe society is at a juncture (again) and a
choice is forced upon us to make progress.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Innovation experts today believe the World Wide Web and the
multiple mobile devices by which we access it, are radically changing our world,
as well as our educational institutions. Every administrator worth his/her salt
must give serious consideration to the implications of social and academic life
in the schools of the future. We have to stay relevant in our commitment to
digital citizenship without compromising sound pedagogy and continue to uphold and follow a
balanced curriculum (e.g. outdoor education). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I intend to write more about the use of educational
technology in upcoming posts, but for now we can take comfort in the fact that
those who have gone before us were not intimidated. They courageously carved
out pathways of learning and were rewarded with the Renaissance. Equally
encouraging is the fact that many others are pioneering what learning could
look like in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,
just adopt the can-do attitude of those who harnessed the power of the printing
press for good … if we educate the heart, which requires invention on a whole new level! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470408160193436486noreply@blogger.com1