First Hangouts, Now Helpouts!

Did you know that Google has a new service called Helpouts? Helpouts are essentially listings where any person can offer to teach something to someone else via a Google Hangout.

It's just one more example of how every connected person is transforming into a teacher (and a learner!).

The topic of my helpout? Well, Edcamp, of course! I saw Helpouts as one more way that people can find me, connect with me, and get their Edcamp event off the ground.

You can check out my Helpout here:

Chatting About the Future of #EdcampOnline - Techlandia Podcast Episode

A little while back, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jon Samuelson, Allison Anderson, and Curt Rees on the Techlandia Podcast.

Drew Harry, of Edcamp Online fame, also joined me for the conversation. We had a lot of fun, chatted about the future of connected learning, and I even discovered that Karl Lindgren-Streicher eats brie. Who knew?

If you'd like to take a listen, 

you can check out the entire show HERE.

Join the 12 Days of Edcamp!

How Do We Harness the Power of Games?

This post is cross posted at Smartblog on Education.

Everywhere you look, kids are playing digital games. Whether it’s a game on mom’s mobile phone or their personal Minecraft account, many youngsters are engaging with games daily. These experiences have become an important thread within the fabric of youth culture.

However, many educators are still skeptical about the power of games for learning. In fact, many believe that time spent playing games is “wasted time.” However, such narrowly focused mindsets miss the enormous opportunities games offer. Well-designed educational games can hold incredible possibilities for teaching and learning. You just have to know what you’re looking for.

Over the past few months, Gayle Allen and I had the pleasure of teaming up with Zynga’s Co.Lab, a non-profit organization designed to assist educational game designers. I’ve met game designers, culled all of the current research on gaming, and asked a lot of questions.

Our collaborative work and research has identified that many games offer opportunities for engagement, real-time data, and persistence in ways that can’t be replicated in analog environments. However, the promise of the games for learning isn’t fully realized unless the design of the game intentionally supports educational transfer.

Educational transfer, when achieved, ensures that students can use what they’ve learned in many different contexts. Practically speaking, games that support educational transfer prepare students for real life. Games that support this type of rigorous learning often include simulations, social elements, and instantaneous feedback. (To learn more about these features and find specific examples, check out our entire whitepaper here.)

Games aren’t solutions or problems; they’re merely tools for learning. It’s how we use and design these tools that will truly determine if gaming is time wasted or time well spent.

Photo credit:

  by  Lel4nd 

Improv as Professional Development: A Quick How To

With improv, 

it’s a combination of listening and not trying to be funny. 

~Kristen Wiig

Improv, an activity usually associated with theatre and the performing arts, is actually defined as the accepting of offers. With no predetermined script, every action is an invitation to build and grow the current scenario or scene.

One way to conceptualize improve is to take every action and respond with a “YES AND…” Not only does this build and develop the plotline in the scene, but it also requires careful listening and awareness by all involved participants.

Because improv is so effective at stretching folks beyond their comfort zone and predetermined thinking, it’s a great strategy to use during professional development.

Just last week, I had the pleasure of working with David Havens, creator of The Flying Treehouse which is an improvisational group for kids. He led me (and a group of school leaders) through a series of improv activities. His work helped us consider and experience all of the healthy tensions that exist in schools, especially when change is on the horizon.

Here are the two activities we did. You should try them with your staff. Seriously.

1. The Equilateral Triangle
To do this activity, begin by having everyone walk around in an open space. Next, tell everyone to find one person in the crowd. (Keep the person a secret!) Label that person “POINT A.” Then, each person should find another person in the crowd. (Again, keep this a secret!) Label this new person “POINT B.”

At the same moment, tell everyone to create an equilateral triangle between “POINT A” and “POINT B.” Watch madness ensue.

After a few moments, stop everyone.

During the debrief ask the following questions:

• Why is it so hard to create your triangle?
• In life, everyone’s trying to make their own triangle which is why leadership is so hard. What are some of the triangles that others make in our schools? Our communities?

Takeaway:
Everyone in life has different objectives and motivations. We have to watch and listen to achieve our objectives.

2. Planning a Party
Have people break up into groups of 3 or 4 for this activity. Advise everyone that they’re planning a party.

Phase 1 (3 min): As they plan their party, people in the group have to respond to every part idea with NO.

Phase 2 (3 min): As they plan their party, people in the group have to respond to every party idea with YES, BUT.

Phase 3 (3 min): As they plan their party, people in the group have to respond to every party idea with YES, AND.

During the debrief, ask the following questions:

• Which phase was most enjoyable? Least enjoyable?
• What type of thinking will foster innovation in your school?

Takeaway:
YES AND thinking is the best way to reimagine all aspects of school.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes in the comments. I really enjoyed it and plan to try it with some groups this week!

Photo Credit:
alt='iO & face2face improv by House Of Sims, on Flickr' title='iO & face2face improv by House Of Sims, on Flickr' border='0'/>

  by  House Of Sims 

Why do we have such low standards for PD design?

As a regular reader of the ASCD Smartbrief, I find it to be a useful (free!) aggregation of educational news articles, blog posts, and resources. One of my favorite features of the newsletter is the educator poll that shares opinions on hot-button topics.

Just a few weeks ago, the following poll was posted inside the daily Smartbrief:

Now, the results of this poll just confuse me.... 

Why aren't we using information from our professional assessments to drive professional learning? Over 45% report that little or none of their PD is actually tied to professional assessment information.

Let's remember-- using assessments to guide instruction is a core prerequisite of instruction for kids. It's an expectation to which every teacher must adhere. 

Teachers deserve the same level of thoughtfulness and differentiation when it comes to their professional development. By being thoughtful and connecting assessments and instruction, we can raise the quality of instruction in every classroom.

#justsayin

Better Ways to Use Technology in Schools

A few months ago, I wrote a post summarizing the research that shows most schools use technology to practice rote skills.

I was recently interviewed in School Leadership Briefing about this topic. If you'd like to listen, please click on the podcast below.