Monday, January 30, 2012

Does an iPad replace other computers ?

I have bantered the idea of using my iPad only for the month of February.  If I am going to be immersed in supporting iPads with our teachers, I need to make the mind shift to use it for everything.

Currently my iPad is used less than maximum; however, I have access to a MacbookPro for work and a PC at home.

The question rises for schools - what if I only have an iPad?  Should we buy desktops or even laptops anymore?

I haven't quite decided myself if I will take on this challenge as there are challenges that I know will arise.
- What if I want to print?  Do I send it to a colleague? (not fair to them)  Do I try to get the district to have a new printer that accepts AirPrint?
- Can I create everything I need to on an iPad? - (Pages on iPad can't export to ePub)
- Will I be as efficient?  To search in First Class, it takes more steps on an iPad...

I am thinking that I should try this, but allow 30 minutes a day access to another computer.

Any thoughts or advice?

Monday, January 23, 2012

iBook Author - Where is the real power?

I was very excited to hear the foreshadowed Apple announcement changing the textbook world.

http://www.apple.com/education/#video-textbooks

This has the potential to change learning resources in the same way that the printing press did almost 600 years ago.  The printed word became accessible to a broader audience.  Now the multimedia world will become accessible to a broader audience.

We already have access to the individual pieces of information and media; however, there hasn't been a crisp way to staple all the resources together.  Now there is

I have already read some criticism that the power of the multi billion dollar textbook industry will still remain with the publishing giants.  While I can see that as try for content rich textbooks that have every detail for entire courses, I see greater potential outside of the publishing companies.

I see the real power being brought to the students and teachers.  As a teacher I can now create custom content for the course I want to teach.  (Unfortunately, this is still living in the old paradigm of teacher experts but better than a business as the expert).  The most amazing power will be what students can create.

A huge frustration for me is when teachers create an awesome wiki with their students, then ask how to erase it all at the end of the course.  Why do we make students start their learning journey at the beginning.  All current innovation is built on previous innovations.  Why should 'textbooks' of the future delete those previous learnings?  Wouldn't it be better to create a 'textbook' resource with a class, then have the next class spring board to adapt old learning and explore new learning.

Please don't waste previous student's learning.  Acknowledge and honour the previous learning and move forward.  Textbooks are dead resources from a snapshot in time.   The content in a textbook is not the value; the process of learning and engaging with the content is the value.   Living iBooks can and should develop a life of their own


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Technology as a change driver

Always fun to read something and see it with a different perspective.  This (http://t.co/8AwhthBe)  article from Finland shared that "Frequent surveys of Finnish teachers' use of technology in instruction, however, demonstrated that technology can't be the main driver of change in education."


This could be read as - 'Don't expect technology integration to result in changes to education." or "Technology doesn't drive change." or "Don't bother spending money on technology because it doesn't make a difference."


Using the driving metaphor, I support technology is not the driver of change; however, I would propose that it is the highway change is driving on.  The bumpy dirt road of the internet and pentium 100 computers of 15 years ago were dirt roads - they still got you places - but slower and maybe with some bumps and bruises along the way.


It was incredible today as I was talking with an incredible teacher colleague.  In one year, the work of his students has gathered 101, 000 views in their youtube channel.  The automotive industry is one of the most high tech in the world, yet schools often send their struggling and disengaged students there.  Mani Grewal at Frank Hurt Secondary School (http://www.youtube.com/user/FrankHurtAuto) has grown his program into an immensely popular program at the school and engages students with real world learning experiences and sharing their learning with the real world.  His shop functions as a shop with customers bringing in their vehicles with unknown problems.  The learning output of his students is phenomenal.  During this semester, they have overhauled 2 engines, did 6 cylinder gaskets, 3 clutches and numerous smaller jobs.  On top of it, they produced 6 more videos explaining their learning.


Students are learning with technology constantly in this 'classroom.'  They use All Data to assist with diagnosis and repair, they use power points and videos regularly in the classroom, and they use their personal devices to assist them writing tests.  


Returning to my premise though... Technology has empowered this awesome teacher to engage students, provide them extensive life skills, and provide a world audience to their work.  The driver is good thoughtful teaching.  The learning is deep and fast empowered by technology.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Response to InnovativeLearningDesigns.ca - To Gel or Not to Gel

I read the blog post noted above, and posted a comment.  After seeing what I was able to articulate, I thought it was worthy of its own post....


1.  Living, Learning and Teaching in Transformation is tiring and uncomfortable.  I believe that new learning doesn't occur unless we are a place of transformation.  If we are not uncomfortable, we know it already and are not motivated to learn.  Equally though we may learn every single day; we don't need to be learning every moment of every day.  Everything I know says if I want to learn French, I need to be immersed in French and not have English as an option.  Certainly uncomfortable but I would learn the language better than being a 'Language Tourist' where I can step back to being comfortable.

2.  Digital is a language.  Many of our students are Digital Natives and speak Digital fluently; however, just like our classrooms, not everyone comes to school with the skills to speak and learn with the language proficiently - even though it is the expected norm.

With Marc Prensky's work came the term Digital Immigrant and Digital Native.  The concept was native speakers and second language learners.  Research shows learning multiple languages is easiest before 6 years and dramatically difficult after 10 years old.  If we remain as a Digital Tourist that can use the language for 'excursions' of learning but return 'home' and revert to our old language, then students lose the immersion experience and we actually make it harder for students to learn the language as they get older.

Many students are bi-lingual with English and Digital; most teachers are too old to be Digital Native speakers.  Rather than being a Digital Tourist, some teachers have chosen to immerse themselves in Digital.  These teachers can become fluent in Digital and English.  Ideally all teachers will be fluent in both languages, but the most impact would be for helping students be bi-lingual by the age of 10.


Saturday, January 14, 2012

Renewed commitment - It is a moral imperative to share learning

Wow did this one hit me. I had an amazing conversation with two educators for Penticton this afternoon - Myron Dueck and Todd Manuel. It was just a sharing time. We talked about education and supporting technology use. I remember some of my best ProD being this type of personal conversations.

We were passionate about a topic and kept at it for an hour non stop. We all had so much to offer the conversation. Surrey is integrating iPads in a big way so I was able to offer some thoughts, but the conversation stretched into so much more. Even having to articulate answers to questions pushed me to think deeper about how I support technology integration.

A quote from today was that "It is a moral imperative to share learning." A critical component to sharing is being 'available' to know your ideas for sharing. Thanks to James Gill from SD43 for being the connector and broadening my PLN.

EdCamp43 - Transformative Learning

What do you think about Transformative Learning? What do you think about sharing a twitter stream as a blog? As I just posted in my last post, I kick myself regularly for not blogging. (When does microblogging become a blog post?)

Here is the nuggets of my learning on Transformative uses of Technology conversation at EdCamp today.

Kevin Amboe
Content is the conversations along the journey. Make connections to life. Can't make a journey and never move.
Kevin Amboe
Don't teach content. Teach students. Explore the world together. Take a learning road trip. .
Kevin Amboe
Let's go back to why teachers don't do inquiry? Go further back to why am I teaching any content? A report card?
Kevin Amboe
It takes courage to say what you really mean. Inquiry is personal. Thanks Louise Morris sd42 for that nugget
Kevin Amboe
RT : School is more than questions on a test. Good question can't be googled. no more trivial pursuit
Kevin Amboe
Is it harder to change the mindset of teachers or students to the paradigm / cultural shift to inquiry learning
Kevin Amboe
RT : yes, support them, remove barriers (and in some cases get out of their way. yes, we need to GOOTW
Kevin Amboe
How do we push the envelope to eliminate asking the 'googlable' question ?
Kevin Amboe
RT : ​How to take advantage of the 'pockets of brilliance' happening? . Remove barriers and empower, then share
Kevin Amboe
Amazing shift. Mythology was the way of explaining the world. Science now reduces the myths to stories
Kevin Amboe
student quote - (inquiry) makes me want to think more. So powerful when students lead there learning
Kevin Amboe
RT : The day . Excitement and passion as seen by stickies
»
Kevin Amboe
Starting a session on inquiry great to have 2 history 11 students sharing. Thanks Jon V for inviting them