Karen Greenwood Henke is a professional writer and speaker on emerging technologies and their role in education. She is also the founder of Grant Wrangler, a free grants and awards listing service.
Back in 2002, Shelly Luke Wille, William Myrhang and I designed a model classroom for the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Technology + Learning Conference. After the first class, word spread about our innovative room, seamless technology, and the learning that was happening. We were at capacity for every class. Educational decision makers didn’t just see how a classroom could be designed for collaboration, they actually experienced it, working in pairs, following the leadership of expert educator Shelly Luke Wille. If we want to change the classroom, educators and policy makers have to experience a different classroom for their own learning. We have to change perception about what a classroom is if we are ever going to catch up to the needs of the 21st century learner. To see how we did it, Read the article: How to Build a Classroom in 24 Hours or Less
It’s not quite what you think. The disconnect is not between classroom teachers and their students but between student teachers and the future. Unleashing the Future, the Project Tomorrow report on 2009 Speak Up findings surveys aspiring teachers for the first time and finds that these digital natives are learning to integrate technology using spreadsheets and word processors. REALLY!??! Read more »
I attended a workshop at the American Architecture Foundation on Great Schools by Design to talk about how to design learning spaces for schools in Los Angeles and New York City. Listening to architects and school leaders talk about the actual shape and functionality of classrooms and school spaces, I realized that the architecture of the virtual learning space is as important as the physical space.
These students created a centralized web site for their school and recently won a Digital Open award, a tech expo for teens.
PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection is a great example of the rise of social networks as professional learning communities. Social networking is not just about sharing your latest thoughts, it’s about developing a network of peers who help you learn faster and become better at what you do.
These networks support long tail learning for teachers. It helps teachers find and share expertise on specific areas of interest that they might not find in the same school building or district. Barbara Bray’s eCoach Web site is another great example of this phenomenon. eCoach also offers professional coaching services to help teachers develop their coaching skills or improve their own instructional skills.
When I hear educators talking about Web 2.0 in the classroom, I keep hearing about 2 particular applications: Wikispaces and VoiceThread. We’ve already shared Adam Frey’s thinking about the future of education. Next up is Ben Papell, one of the founders of VoiceThread, who I met on the exhibit floor at NECC 2008. As you might imagine, he echos earlier comments about breaking down walls and fostering collaboration.
