The Learning is Change Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ben Wilkoff
This was going to be a different post filled with all kinds of rich artifacts of my digital identity during a regular week of life and work. It was going to be a reflection on the past decade or so of sharing my experience within the many social and private …
Joelle Warsh, technology teacher and coach at Boston Elementary, discusses the real purpose behind using tech in classrooms and the best ways for teachers to find time for learning from and with children in the process.
Marcelina Rivera, Chief of Staff for Aurora Public Schools, discusses what truly inspires children to learn and teachers to teach. She also questions the ways in which we can use all of the resources and relationships at our disposal to support learners. “Learning is a relationship…”
Ran Jung, Principal of APS Online HS, defines Blended and Personalized Learning and the ways in which relationships between teachers and students can provide for better opportunities for learning. She also goes into the ways in which we might better “write our own story” with celebrations.
Joshua Kusch, PWR Specialist for Aurora Public Schools, reveals how he sees learning as a problem solving endeavor. He also goes into the ways in which we can continue to make stronger connections with our students, no matter which role we may find ourselves in.
Jennifer Andrews, Art Teacher at Dalton Elementary in Aurora Public Schools, dives into the ways in which we can better engage our students in collaboration and connection in our classrooms. She also questions how we can better set expectations for teachers in our district.
Stella Cypher, Educational Technology Coordinator in Aurora Public Schools, discusses the ways in which we can make learning more relevant for students through empathy. She also asks an important questions regarding our own assumptions for others who are supporting teachers and leaders in schools.
In this far too brief interview, Julius Vaughns, Communications Specialist in Aurora Public Schools, urges us to consider the ways in which we commit to kids. Even in roles that are outside of the school, he encourages each of us to support learning and learners every day.
Jan Parker, Educational Technology Coordinator for Aurora Public Schools, asks how we might solve for more systemic problems through educational support and partnerships. She also tries to tackle the role of technology in the classroom, and how it can be a transformative force for teachers.
Tina Green, Department Secretary for Educational Technology in Aurora Public Schools, discusses how we can better create equitable outcomes for all kids by meeting student needs with the right tools and resources. She also provides personal insight for how parents can make choices for which schools to send their children …
Gwynn Moore, technology teacher at Aurora Frontier P-8, discusses the ways in which Blended and Personalized Learning can help meet the needs of students. She also dives into the ways in which plans (and planning in general) can be supported by teachers and leaders even as they change as the …
Jocelyn Stephens, P-20 director for Learning Community A in Aurora Public Schools, considers just how we might really serve ALL of our learners. She also dives into how we can engage students wherever they are in their learning, taking into account their strengths and needs. My favorite part is when …
Joe Dillon, Teacher and Coach at Rangeview High School in Aurora Public Schools, answered important questions about relevance in the classroom. He deeply considered how we might increase and leverage curiosity in the classroom and ways that teachers and truly support students in their learning.
Jacki Sloan, an Educational Technology Coach in Aurora Public Schools, discusses the way in which Technology should be a ubiquitous tool in our classrooms. She also asks about how we can create equity through the use of technology, even if it means bringing in cell phones and other devices from …
Maureen Gurrini, an ECE coach in Aurora Public Schools, digs into how we can support teachers and leaders in creating engaging and relevant learning environments for learners even from the first few years of school. My favorite part is when she discusses the privilege and responsibility of working with our …
Kevin Riebau, Program Director for Educational Technology, discusses creating engaging and relevant classrooms and then dives deeply into the next steps for us in creating equity across Aurora Public Schools. Specifically, he reveals that we have established “the why” and “the what” of equity, but we have still not worked …
Jessica Cuthbertson, Teacher Leadership TOSA for Aurora Public Schools, discusses how facilitation and reflection play key roles for teachers. She also digs into the ways in which we can actualize equity through our shared work in schools.
John McKinley, a vidographer and educational storyteller in Aurora Public Schools discusses how we can make schools more engaging and relevant for kids. He digs into the need for authenticity and solving of real world problems.
Bev Clemens, Program Director for Professional Learning in Aurora Public Schools dives into her thinking for the role of teachers in the classroom, the types of support that we can provide to teachers, and the ways in which new models of learning can be created to better serve the needs …
Mark Calhoun, Director of MTSS for Aurora Public Schools, discusses issues of equity, the accountability era, and the ways in which we can break down silos across schools and in central office. He also dives into the pressure of modern public education and the way in which we take things …
Amanda McLean, Badge Partner for Aurora Public Schools, digs into the question of which resources teachers and leaders need in order to innovate in the classroom. She also asks a few questions of her own, including “How do we share resources in order to most effectively implement badging in the …
Suzanne Rougier, Program Director of ECE in Aurora Public Schools, discusses her ideas for Blended and Personalized learning and how both will continue to engage and connect learners across the district. If you want to find out more about the #WHOISaps project, here is the best link: http://learning is change.com/2016/08/07/launching-whoisaps-will-you-respond-to-the-call/
Nick Steinmetz, an EdTech Coordinator for Aurora Public Schools, tackles the ways in which we design learning experiences in this #WHOISaps interview. He also dives into just how relevant our schools, teachers, and content can be for our learners.
This is an abbreviated version of John Damhof’s #WHOISaps interview. In it, he discusses his thoughts for how we can best support students for what is to come in college and career. He also dives into the ways in which teachers can lead the way.
Sorry that this video got cut off when I tried to upload it from mobile. This video answers the question of “When Do You Find Time To Learn?” by delving into micro-tasks for learning and some productivity hacks that I use in order to make more time for myself.
Digital citizenship: Where do you start? What IYO is most important emphasis? How do you monitor without imposing fear? #AskBenW via @InkyButton
Should there be lots of post-prod work on education videos or post as-is? #askbenW via @wentale
From @cheriwiegman: What is your favorite program that you used in your classroom or think teachers should be using? #askBenW
How do we ensure school leaders have access to what they need for their own learning? Leadership learning in a digital culture?
AskBenW What’s the best way to get started with Blended Learning for the traditional classroom teacher? – https://twitter.com/grammasheri/status/633373632371159040
Great question from @wentale: does movement (walking) help you do your video-logs? Should teachers and academics move more?
Ben Wilkoff answers a question from Karen Carmean: How do we know people are listening / engaging, especially when so many things are digital/ online? #AskBenW
I have made videos while driving. I have made slow motion videos of my own facilitation. I have made vlogs in a community of reflective practice. I have even made 6 second videos for a keynote. Suffice it to say, videos are something that I find compelling value within. However, …
I love it when Bud Hunt speaks words out of his mouth. Occasionally I get to hear them in the same room. Very occasionally, I get to record those words and share them with others. I hope you listen to this and I hope you learn from his challenge: Stop …
Today’s podcast episode is about how challenging I found two videos about how robots, automation, and mechanization will take entire careers. I want to start thinking about what we can stop teaching based upon the idea that many of the careers we are preparing students for will not exist in …
In this podcast episode I discuss whether or not it is important for us to remove struggle from professional learning experiences. Do you have any thoughts? Should we be taking out steps and making things easier for people to learn, or does this rob them of their ability to learn …
In this episode I talk through the implications of 21st-century learning. This week I realize that any learning that happens in the 21st-century is 21st-century learning. We should not be disparaging one another’s learning. We should come up with better words and better ideas for what we mean when we …
In this podcast I discuss the concept of a job that is public facing. In education, only a few are officially ordained as public facing, but what would happen if we all had that distinction? What would happen if we were all accountable to parents and community members and to …
In this podcast episode I explore how it is that we communicate about new projects that we are working on. I pose the question of how we defend those new projects, promote good things that are happening within our schools and districts, and how it is that we engage people …
In this podcast I discuss a tweet shared with me by Andrew Stillman, which he accuses me of having a tenacious verve as a convener of roundtables. I also ask the question as to whether or not we should all have this trait within our schools and districts.
In this podcast episode I explore what it means to have a mandate for the projects you were working on. How do you ensure that others help you scale your work? How do you reach your mandate for learning?
In this podcast episode I discuss the ideas of using a persistent hangout chat as an educational bat signal How are you creating educational bat signals throughout your learning environment?
This podcast episode is dedicated to the idea that we don’t have clarity around the differences between educational technology, blended learning, personalize learning, instructional technology, IT, professional development, online professional development and any other role that works with technology and adult or student learning. While I don’t solve that confusion …
In this podcast I discuss the possibility of turning off email in favor of social media and collaborative tools. What do you think? Would you turn off your email like this?
In this podcast episode I think through whether or not we are making upside down investments in develop curriculum and people within our schools and districts. Just like if you are upside down in your house, you are paying more than it is worth, are we paying more than our …
In this podcast episode, I tackle all of the types of fear that I am seeing around my work and the work of those I am collaborating with. I discuss the fear of collaborating from within the car, the fear of letting teachers and leaders experience struggle, and the fear …
In this podcast I talk about the birth of my third child as well as the challenge that educating him presents. I also think through just how all of you, as teachers and learners, will help to influence his learning life. And, I think you all deeply for helping to …
In this podcast I discuss how I’m looking at aggregating all of the images shared during digital learning day on Twitter. I will be publishing the set later today, but I’m intrigued by this idea of crowd sourcing what classroom practice looks like on a grand scale and then using …
In this podcast, I talk about how no one else will tell your story for you. I also think through how important it is to do reflections about moments that it had great impact upon your learning life. In the digital storytelling workshop that I am a part of, I …
This is my first addition of the learningischange podcast in almost a year. In this episode I ask a question that has been on my mind lately: what will your learning legacy be? This is due to the reflection I did over winter break around just how much of an …
I believe that better backchannels are possible, so long as we don’t keep doing them in a chat that is reacted upon every few seconds. In the video, I identify three things our #etmooc backchannels need: 1. @mentions (replies that show to whom you are speaking) 2. Threading (much better …
Should we concentrate on making a MOOC less overwhelming, or should we rather concentrate on making our learning process better? What role does our own empowerment play in finding the right “slice of learning”? Thank you to Darren Kuropatwa for inspiring this idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m_PaAFRtxc Reflective Practice Vlogging Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116395158372553895482
I have been inspired by Caine’s arcade for a while now, but I am not the only one. Michael Smith has also been inspired by the hand-made arcade, and has transformed it into a teaching and learning experience for his students. I encourage you to think about how you create …
After thinking about the ways in which we can develop incredibly insulated learning networks, I wanted to create a way to find alternative voices. Eventually, I stumbled across the idea of creating a profile for the types of people that aren’t represented in my networks and then going after them. …
I get to think through PLNs in a new way. Instead of being nodes in a network, I would encourage us to be people in a neighborhood. And rather than demonstrating the far reaches of our network, we should be introducing one another to the “locals”. Those that push us …
This one let me respond to an engaging concept from Michael Wacker. He is mad that Time has been bullying him and taking away his capacity to spend time with his family and do things about which he is passionate. But, time can be a companion if we translate our …
This one lets me connect three very different voices together and reflect upon the nature of Connected Learning. Kevin Honeycutt’s kites video: http://youtu.be/Sa4tk-YtGxc Rodd Lucier’s hubs and spokes video: http://youtu.be/YFMMNUZBv30 Vi Hart’s comments video: http://youtu.be/7IJyRAUxtAQ The Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/communities/116395158372553895482
I was really excited to get started with the first week of content in #etmooc. My hope is that this video fits pretty nicely into the Pedagogy side of “Connected Learning — Tools, Processes & Pedagogy” It may challenge you to think about which of the three learning paths you …
I was quite engaged by Sheri Edwards comments on my previous vlog, so I thought I would extend it into a discussion of how we can “spin off” parts of the course conversation into passion projects. This isn’t the final word on how to create meaning in a MOOC, but …
This post is a reaction to Rodd Lucier, the ETmooc community, a Remote Access blog post, and the concept of being an open spoke for collaboration. My hope is that it exemplifies how we can go deeply together rather than skimming the surface. Rodd’s vlog: http://youtu.be/WSMtG1JMP4A Remote Access Blog Post: …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk0to7CCIlQ
This is my introduction for #etmooc in which I use a whole bunch of public domain videos in order to illustrate what I am talking about (sometimes with better results than others).
I'm excited about this course and the people that I will meet and collaborate with as a result. I also wanted to make sure that I emphasize just how much I believe we owe the past for our understanding of teaching and learning. In our rush to create a connected MOOC community, I am interested in figuring out the human and timeless elements of education. The good, and not merely the new.
Also, hat tip to Alan Levine for giving me the idea of using public domain footage. Check out the ds106 course video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIJ-FsZ_K5g
I finally got around to exploring the ins and outs of DS106, a Digital Storytelling MOOC from The University of Mary Washington. It made me think that we are in desperate need of a #DailyCreate in all of learning environments. DS106 Site: http://ds106.us/ Some Favorite DS106 Folks/videos: http://youtu.be/lnprop8N6f4 https://www.youtube.com/user/timmmmyboy https://www.youtube.com/user/rushaw …
This video is a reaction to Rodd Lucier combined with an idea I had a couple of years ago. We should be open spokes on the wheel of learning, capable of connecting the core to the ground. Google+ community: https://plus.google.com/communities/116395158372553895482 Rodd’s Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/roddlucier
I had the opportunity to ask my 6 year old about her learning this morning. I was not disappointed, and you too will not be if you have the same conversation with the learners in your care. Google+ community:https://plus.google.com/communities/116395158372553895482 Powered by WPeMatico
I hope we create a community around everyone who feels alone in their teaching or learning. We should surround their pain and support them as they heal. We should do this because it is the thing that matters most when you are passionately trying to create. This vlog is very …
As a response to both Tim Villegas and Kevin Honeycutt, this is where I think the conversation around managing our digital learning lives should go. I discuss why we should feel a sense of professional responsibility to curate our learning for others. We should always feel a responsibility to our …
Tell me why I’m wrong instead of Yoda. Or, tell me what you want to try. Link to Yoda’s quote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ4yd2W50No Link to Google+ group: https://plus.google.com/communities/116395158372553895482 Powered by WPeMatico
This vlog discusses something that Tim Villegas brought up yesterday, the real vs. ideal learning environment. I believe that is a false dichotomy and we can visit the ideal learning environment daily. Link to Tim’s channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/thinkinclusive Link to the original conversation with my 7th/8th graders: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s3/sh/28a7cf59-03da-43f6-a3ad-e044383ef4e9/155af2cea527d077e809ffba5c771651 Link to google+ …
This one is in response to Kevin Honeycutt’s vlog that challenged me to consider how learners should manage a digital life. My theory goes like this: We should stop aggregating and start curating, stop notifying and start digesting. The tools I discuss are: http://hojoki.com http://curate.me http://unroll.me Kevin’s Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/kevinessdack The …
I had a conversation with one of my favorite people today, Kevin Honeycutt. And he challenged me on the nature of expertise. To which I am responding in this video that I outline engagement as the missing piece of an expert’s toolkit. Kevin’s channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/kevinessdack Google+ community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116395158372553895482 Powered by …
This vlog contains excerpts from Syd’s previous video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vf4QNg-yZU), and it focuses on an idea from Paul Thomas Anderson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000759/) that identities and stories should be ironed out over time. Join in the G+ community: https://plus.google.com/communities/116395158372553895482 Powered by WPeMatico
This is a response to Glenn Moses’ video about process. I believe that the cult of done meets up with the love of process by making that process transparent. Connect with the Reflective Practice Vlogging project at https://plus.google.com/communities/116395158372553895482 I reference Glenn Moses in this video. His Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/mrmosesdotorg Powered …
Teachers are not and should not be interchangeable with one another. This vlog is both an introduction to myself and a way of expressing what I would like to see as a part of a teacher profile/portfolio. My klout profile/portfolio: http://klout.com/#/bhwilkoff Google+ Reflective Practice Vlogging Community: https://plus.google.com/communities/116395158372553895482 Powered by WPeMatico
In this reaction video to Cyd’s claim that she is a reflective practice vlogger, I react to Bre Pettis’ manifesto on getting things done as a way of creating change and having a great community. The original “Cult of Done”: http://www.brepettis.com/blog/2009/3/3/the-cult-of-done-manifesto.html Powered by WPeMatico
This Learning Is Change List item is one that stems from a question I had about who is Vlogging in education and who is using video for something other than content. Here is the original post on the topic: https://plus.google.com/102111820124999073838/posts/joeiVUKGUF8 Powered by WPeMatico
The thing I would like to Change today is people using “yellish” to teach. It is never okay. So stop it. Reference for the original conversation: Pamela Livingston was the woman on the panel that the Kipp representative cut off in order to make his flippant remark. Gary Stager was …
This change list takes a look at an idea from the very first k12 online conference that talks about ways for educators to “be the box”. I am interested in tweaking this to “be the story.” Original link: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=169 Powered by WPeMatico
This is the first installment of a regular web series called the Learning is Change: Change List. The topic for today is “what brings us closer to or takes us further away from the change we want to see.” Powered by WPeMatico
Image via CrunchBase (Cross-posted on the Edmodo Blog. I have not taken any money for this endorsement. They just asked if I would write a review.) I don’t usually make it a point to call attention to a particular technology as being so overwhelmingly beneficial to education as to set itself …
My morale is conflicted. In tending the communities I created, I have constructed an almost impossible conundrum for myself. It goes something like this: I am most happy when I talk to those who need my help and I am most engaged when talking to those who have things to …
Image via Wikipedia We worry about being fathers. We worry about being sons. About being employees and entrepreneurs. We worry about the things that we are and what we will never be. But I don’t care abut the roles we are prescribed or the ones that we take on over …
I was really excited about revising my session from Educon 2.1 for TIE 2009. This is how it went (Including the presentation, the screencasts, the podcast for planning, and the twitter archive): The On-Button Theory of Collaboration: All of the best collaborations I have been a part of have started …
Although I was thrown a whole bunch by not having wifi for the first 45 minutes, I think that the session was worthwhile. Here is the archive of all that we have done. I am also including my planning podcast from my drive up to copper mountain. Presentation: Drop …
While this post may not be for my typical reader, I believe that it has value to the larger online education community, mostly because many of us are faced with making current systems work with what know to be the way forward. The specific system in question is using an …
I have been going back through some of my audio files recently and I found a really good conversation from Educon 2.1. This conversation was from John Pederson‘s Session, The Networked Learning Manifesto: Welcoming Parents into the Conversation. You can find the actual Manifesto that sparked the conversation here. The …
I recorded this podcast a few weeks ago, but I have sat on it for that long in order to mull everything over for a while. The topic for this podcast is all about how we enumerate the exact needs found within the classroom that would require us to be …
I had the unique opportunity to talk with Kevin Honeycutt about his amazing unconference, Podstock. Please listen and know the movement that he is working for (and that we may be all working for in our different ways). Show notes: We wanted to create an Edubloggercon for Podcasters We wanted …
Although I haven’t spoken much about the project itself on the blog, I am a Douglas County School District Digital Educator Mentor, which means that throughout the year I have been leading a small cohort of 6 teachers through some conversations about teaching and learning with technology (you can learn …
The power of possibility the only kind of power that matters. The power of the status quo no longer is a value because it can no longer provide kind of security it once did. Powered by . Mp3
Image by Targuman via Flickr Although I didn’t really want to string this piece out for two posts, I think that thinking things through is really important for me. I guess that I really needed to talk it through as well and put some links behind the theory. A year …
Whenever I feel like I’ve run into a wall in online school I start thinking about all the possibilities for communicating and things just seems to open up. Long story short I am looking for a way to use google ups as a domain as internal communication system that we …
Although I have already written my This I Believe a few years ago and you can even hear it if you wish, but I have been asked to consider the prompt again in a new light, telling a story of learning that exemplfies your beliefs about learning. My story of …
Connecting is the hardest thing to do in learning. If you don’t believe me, ask a student how many times they have received meaningful feedback today. Ask a teacher how many parents know exactly what goes on in their classes. I want to do this connection every single day and …
Here is the second installment of the Douglas County School District’s conversations around learning and technology, which is cross-posted here. So, we focused our time today on discussing how to overcome typical stumbling blocks in teachers using technology to reach learning in the classroom. You can see the show notes …
In an effort to have some of the conversations that I engage in regularly on Twitter and in the Edublogosphere within my home School District, I have started having a semi-regular conversation with a few folks in Douglas County about 21st century learning in our district. We have decided to …
Image by Getty Images via Daylife I am now going to be in the habit of posting the most relevent conversations that I have with those who are around the Denver area. Although you may not be able to hear and see everything that we are doing, I think it …
As I promised, the audio to my conversation with Kevin Honeycutt primarily about my upcoming Educon 2.1 Presentation is now in the podcast. I basically used this conversation as a way of fleshing out some of my thoughts on Instant and Always-on Collaboration. I really like what we talked about …
Head on over to Kevin Honeycutt’s driving questions podcast at http://kevinhoneycutt.org/ and click on the driving questions podcast. I had a great conversation with him this morning about change in schools and ways to create instant and always on collaboration. I will be posting my audio and notes from the …
I’m holding my son right now and talking to my WordPress blog and I am considering whether or not this is going to be a great way for me to start blogging regularly again and thinking a lot of different things in order to get my mind out there and …
Presentation (both live and PowerPoint): Technology And Community View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. Cell Phone Back Channel and Idea Network: Audio Reflections: Subscribe Free Add to my Page Topics and Links from the presentation: Make the Community Visible Make the Community Inclusive Make the Community Public Make the …
The process of creating a Ripe Environment for Authentic Learning is one that must be experienced rather than explained, so it is my most sincere hope that you experience The Ripe Environment today and that you take ownership enough of it to take it with you when you leave today. …
Well, when I first started blogging about The Ripe Environment, I didn’t know that I was being edupunk, but now that I have read the powerful thinking behind the theory (Students 2.0, Stephen Downes, Bavatuesdays, D’Arcy Norman) and I believe I was. I don’t know that I really want all …
For as long back as I can remember we have squashed the questions that only help out the individual and focusing only upon the questions that benefit the most students. The tangential question is not allowed because it is a distraction to the learning, rather than an enhancement. The student …
Although the podcast (which was somehow not recorded because I had the device set for line-in rather than mic… I am quite mad about it actually) for this post explains this prerequisite for The Ripe Environment pretty well, I would like to further outline it for those of you who …
This podcast is all about how budget cuts and justifying every expenditure does not have to stop the process of creation and respect for that process. What has been your experience? Links from podcast: Kevin Honeycutt Essdack Voicethread Freakazoid1’s Blog
This is my first official Learning is Change podcast, and I hope it lives up to the legacy that the Discourse about Discourse educasts established. This podcast is all about trying to answer the following question: “What is the itch you are trying to scratch?” In the podcast, I try …
June 27, 2007 12:30PM It is with some hesitation that I post this podcast. I am a teacher, and I will always be a teacher. However, I have been given the opportunity to do more. I have been recruited (although not formally given the position) for a Technology Integration …
June 19, 2007 09:24PM Well, there are two main elements to this podcast. 1. This is my first blog post/podcast about being named the 2006 Totally Wired Teacher by Edutopia and Yahoo Teachers. I am honored, but I hope that the one thing that comes out of flying to …
June 11, 2007 05:02AM The more that I think about doing something “different” in my classroom, the more that I feel that process should be transparent. Not just for my students and their parents, but also for my administrators. Principals, Assistant Principals, and even Super-Intendants should be aware that …
June 05, 2007 03:12AM Feedback continues to be something that requires a lot of thought to do right. I want to provide my students with as much timely feedback as possible, but I don’t want to have to resort to the methods of printing out blog posts and putting …
May 28, 2007 10:26PM This is the first podcast that I have done on my new MacBook and I was used GarageBand rather than ChapterToolMe in order to create the chapters. I have, as of yet, not been able to find a way of exporting the chapters and links …
May 14, 2007 09:19PM Well, I may be going out on a limb with this one, but I have described in the podcast a level of discomfort with technology that goes beyond the simple immigrant/native debate. The fear and panic that is associated with technology in the classroom comes …
May 12, 2007 05:41AM I am very worried about what is going to happen to my students when they leave me at the end of this school year. Not because I think that they won’t be able to handle to rigors of high school life, but rather because I …
May 06, 2007 05:14AM The podcast episode is based upon the idea that teachers will listen to someone who has a lot of experience teaching without technology and then stumbled upon the effectiveness and authenticity of technology and became an advocate for change. They will not listen to someone …
April 24, 2007 06:10AM Well, I guess it was bound to happen sometime, but I really didn’t expect it to happen this soon. We have received funding for our School 2.0 within a school idea, The Academy of Discovery. So, what do we do now? How do we continue …
April 19, 2007 04:28AM I have become dissatisfied with talking about School 2.0 only among educators. It seems to be this feedback loop that creates a lot of noise, but in the end, really doesn’t create any massive change. So, I am proposing a change in tactics. We need …
April 10, 2007 04:33AM This podcast was created because of a discussion I had with my students about the merits of rubrics in a School 2.0 classroom. The data was mixed. Some students felt very comfortable with rubrics because it let them know how to get an A. Others …
April 04, 2007 09:09PM The two wiki project that my students have started to work on have taught me that an open framework that allows for embedded materials is preferable to any all-in-one solution that tries to do too much at once. I also would like to apply this …
March 31, 2007 09:36AM One of my students came up with an amazing metaphor for how intellectual property should work in the classroom and in greater society. She described the idea that remixing should be like cake making. You buy all of the ingredients and then can prepare any …
March 28, 2007 04:56AM I give all of the credit for this podcast to my amazing students. They were the ones that kept a debate on intellectual property, remixing, and mash-ups going for nearly thirty minutes. They were the ones that came up with the amazing examples to support …
March 20, 2007 05:08AM My students are different. Not from yours, but from the ones that came before them. They are desperate to connect everything together: disciplines, ideas, home and school. They need a way of bridging the gaps that many adults artificially create. We must help them to …
March 13, 2007 08:58PM In creating a wiki for my vision of School 2.0 within a school, I have found that there is quite a bit of research out there supporting 1:1 computing, constructivist teaching practice, and engaging technology usage in the classroom. What is even more amazing is …
March 03, 2007 07:06AM Support is such an essential part of education, but many of us who are looking ahead to a technologically rich educational experience sometimes forget this. Because we are savvy, we expect others (including our students) to be savvy. I created this podcast in order to …
February 21, 2007 07:18PM This podcast was brought about because of the classroom discussion that my eighth graders had about what a terrible affect Myspace can have on their lives. I wanted to start brainstorming a school-sponsored space that we could substitute for Myspace that would be an extension …
February 18, 2007 08:51AM This was a discussion I had with my 8th graders about how the Internet could be used as a vehicle for creating a utopia in their everyday lives. I was truly surprised and intrigued by some of their responses. Many of the students believe that …
February 13, 2007 08:58PM Convincing parents that the skills of School 2.0 are important is going to be one of the biggest jobs facing all teaching in the very near future. I have outlined in this podcast three possible ways of accomplishing this goal: 1. Student exemplars of continual …
February 11, 2007 08:36PM I’ve been trying to figure out for a while just how assessment is going to look in School 2.0. I have developed (or at least half-baked) 3 types of assessments that I would consider in this new type of environment: 1. Conversation 2. Reflection 3. …
February 01, 2007 07:55PM I have been thinking a lot about how we have the same graduation requirements that we have always had. We may have upped the number of Math and English classes, but each student has to do the same things in high school, jump through the …
January 31, 2007 04:04AM I created this podcast because I was frustrated with the way our vision of education seems to conflict with the reality of education. I know that the administration at my school wants only what is best for kids. I do not have any doubts in …
January 31, 2007 03:57AM This podcast is of a discussion that I had with my 7th and 8th grade students about what they think the perfect learning environment would be like. I asked them a few guiding questions, but their ideas were purely their own. I think there is …
January 29, 2007 04:18AM A colleague of mine and I were brainstorming all of the technology implementation possibilities for the next school, when he suggested that what we were talking about was not merely two classes (Social Studies and Language Arts) collaborating, but that we were shifting the paradigm …
January 23, 2007 08:37PM I have been thinking a lot about this question. Should all teachers be using the Read/Write Web in their classrooms, or am I merely a part of the latest educational technology trend. I try to answer it in a fairly in-depth, before-school podcast.
January 23, 2007 08:21PM This is a podcast about how I see the world of literacy shaping up in the next few years. This idea was brought about by discussion ideal learning environments with my 7th and 8th grade students.
As I am moving everything over from Podomatic and Edublogs, I thought it only appropriate that I combine the podcasts I have done in the past into an archive. The Future of Literacy January 23, 2007 08:21PM This is a podcast about how I see the world of literacy …
Core 1: Draw-on: Draw a diagram of how you believe a debate should be run that will go along with what you wrote last night. Share out your diagrams on the document camera. Test the most popular form out with “Solved: They mayor should have paid the Piper.” What can …
This is our first attempt at a video podcast. Because not all of our students have agreed to have their pictures posted online (and because I hold security at a premium), I have obscured their faces somewhat with CamTwist. This project is about creating new words and putting them into …
I have been working on a couple new documents that make sense for the development of pedagogy and the future of education. You can find the links to them at the k12online conference: http://k12online.wm.edu/AuthenticLearning.pdf http://k12online.wm.edu/101Resources.pdf
This new possibility (which is now kind of old) is a total reversal of some of the things that I have consistently talked about and advocated for. This only comes about because of a great contact I have made with the principal of our online school (eDCSD). The possibility is …
Core 1: Quarter 2 question: How do we continually push the boundaries of what is possible? Watch what is possible when you don’t let the boundaries bind you: Space and Time Second Life How can you use another author’s words to prove your point? What are the attributes of a …
Sometimes we get so caught up in creating the system and the environment for learning that we forget about the most important element of that environment: creation. The singular act of creation is not something to be glazed over; it is the backbone of all that we do, and sometimes …
Core 1: Explore-on: How are these poems the same as Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, and how are they different? Devil Dog Way to Choose The Connection between change and persuasion. How do you change someone’s mind? With a partner, create a Smart Notebook file that reveals your thinking. …
I am now convinced that the only way to create widespread change within our schools is to articulate a singular vision for the future of education. I don’t know if I am the person to articulate that vision yet, but I am working toward it.
This podcast is all about how I am starting my year. I would love to know how you are starting your year and how we can collaborate (share) any of the resources and systems that we have set up. Send me an e-mail at benwilkoff@gmail.com
This is the first podcast in over a month because I needed to upgrade for more storage space. It is not an enhanced podcast, but I’m sure it will be illuminating nonetheless. I was trying to figure out which content management system to use for The Academy of Discovery. I …
Core 1: Share-on: Share with at least one other person what you have written about The Road Less Traveled and the concept of change. Introduce concept of thought exploration and Mind Mining: We are going to use a lot of paper and markers and ideas today. Today is going to …
Core 1: Write-on: Where do you feel most safe? AND Where do you feel most engaged (excited, elated, energetic)? Why aren’t these the same places? (If they are the same place, explain how this can be.) Use Google Documents to edit the Discovery Online Code using the Academyofdiscovery account. AR …
Core 1+4: Before we embark upon a journey of authentic learning through technology, we must first ask ourselves why we would want to do it in the first place. With that question in mind, we will be expanding our ideas of literacy, technology, and community. Brainstorm-on: What does it mean …
Core 1+4: Write-On: How do you measure how good a piece of writing is? Does it matter the type of writing? Is this piece of writing different than others? Assess your ocean question writing piece according to the Cresthill Writing Rubric. Turn-in your ocean question writing piece. Discuss expectations sheet. …
Core 1+4: Write-On: How can what you expect affect what you receive? Share your expectations with your group and create a master list of expectations that you will want to hold the class, the teacher, and yourself to. (They may be the same.) Compile and vote on expectations to go …
I don’t know when it happened, but I have started using the word “we” in my podcast and blog when I would normally use the word “I.” I believe that it is due to my increased awareness and involvement of the community that I have surrounded myself with. I also …
Well, it has been a week or so since I got back from San Fransisco where I accepted the Totally Wired Teacher Award for 2007 from Edutopia and Yahoo for Teachers. This podcast has the introduction and my speech. I don’t think that it is particularly eloquent, but I do …
Well, this is the official podcast about my interview with Littleton Public Schools. Although I was passionate and had a great experience in the interview, I was not offered the job. That made my decision to leave the classroom much easier. I still think that this podcast is relevant to …
This podcast is pretty heavy: I was in Osawatomie, KS for the 4th of July. It flooded earlier in the week, and my sister-in-law lost her car and her apartment due to this natural disaster. This event really got me thinking about how we can use the technology that our …
Cores 1-2: Discuss-on: What is Remix Culture? Watch the Remix Culture in Generation Y video and discuss: What is okay to copy? What isn’t? What is a remix? What is a parody? Who owns an idea? Cores 3-4: I have just been selected to be a part of the Digital …
Cores 1-4: you-make-me-touch-your-hands-for-stupid-reasons.mp3 I saw this online yesterday and I knew that I just had to play it for you. This is an example of just how ineffective your words can be when you don’t take the time to choose them wisely. This piece really makes me feel bad for …
Although there is a lot of talk about School 2.0 among those in the edublogosphere, I believe that many educators are going to try and wait out the torrent of technology integration that they currently are experiencing because they believe that it is merely a fad that will eventually go …