And back to the blog. It's been quite some time since I last updated this blog. Except for a few short updates I haven't really written at all. The reason for the blog was to cover Maine 2010, which I think I did pretty well. Yeay! You can read them below. However, Twitter has given me a couple of new followers and I thought it would be a good idea to refer to some of discussions taking place over here, 2011.
Most of us here seem to have had a great experience at the difference school visits this morning. I had the opportunity to visit Yarmouth High School and meet a couple of teachers and students, also visiting some classrooms. Oh, and they are starting to use Google Apps. I actually asked them last year why they didn't. The answer was that they already had an application for the same things that Google Apps could do. Perhaps not.
What stroke most of us was the students awareness of the implication that technology can have on their individual development, specifically when we discussed creativity and innovation. There have also been a lot of discussions regarding game based learning. There are some definite signs that game based learning will have a great impact on schools and learning.
There are two question that I try to figure out and understand regarding school development right now - why, how and where will game based learning impact day-to-day work in schools. It's obviously a nobrainer that it's attractive for the students, but then there are teachers, curriculums and other questions that needs to be adressed and put into a context.
The second question is how to build a sustainable learning environment. With and without technology. I've been working with 1-to-1-schools since the beginning of 2008. It still is the most important question. And I don't mean that in a general way or as a theoretical question, what I mean is - for example, why do some schools never have a teacher quitting, students skypeing with nobel prize winners and serve, despite being 550 students, only vegetarian food made locally? Why does a newly started school attract 350 students the first year and 800 students year two, while located in one of Swedens best school communes - and still delivering on so many different levels? Or companies calling the CEO to hear if they are going to start a school in the same commune as they, and if they are, they rather choose to not compete. I've been trying to speak as much as possible to the teachers and principals to understand the context in why, what and how they've made it work. There are some things in common but for now I'll keep them to myself. I need to get a deeper understanding and try my theories out.
Visar inlägg med etikett Maine. Visa alla inlägg
Visar inlägg med etikett Maine. Visa alla inlägg
onsdag 4 maj 2011
onsdag 5 maj 2010
"We work harder with laptops, the time before we had laptops, work was harder"
It is an absolutely beautiful day in Maine today. Sunny, warm and very pre summer feeling to it. Todays program included visits to school in the morning and now, 14.30, a panel discussion on topics brought up by us participants after the visits this morning.
I got the privilige to visit Freeport Middle School and meet up with Raymond Grogan, principal, and Shawn Favreau (visit his site here). We were guided by a handful of young girls who also, along with their peers, showed us some fantastic projects they´ve been working on.
We got to meet Eric who showed us three projects, the first project was a 20 minute long movie on events that had influenced him in his life, so far. Remember, the students are 10 to 13 years. He also showed his podcast and his creation of clay sculptures the process behind it and how they documented it. You can watch their creations at their site click this link. The reflection above was made by a student (and quoted by Chris Toy) at Freeport Middle School today.
One of the things that stroke me the most was the childrens engagement in their own learning. It´s so different to read about the Maine initiative and to actually visit the classrooms to see and almost feel how they work with their computers. A perfect example of how to work with the computer was in wood work/carpentry and how they created models in Google SketchUp and then built them with the tools. One of the boys were making a model of a small cabin which he and his dad is supposed to build this summer, from the model he has created.
Google SketchUp was an essential program in their classrooms. It´s free and I recommend every school to download it. They used it in so many projects, one was to build a model of an energy efficient house with solar panels and other smart solutions. Someone had made a true scale model of Maines house of representatives/congress (don´t know the exact word) with all the furniture, people and everything in it.
Principal Ray
Two of the boys had built their own photocopier in Techno and programmed it themselves. The feeling I got from seeing them present it was like "This? This is nothing special. We do it all the time. And it´s fun". O_o
The feeling in the school was so positive and teachers as well as students gave us the feeling of constant learning, constant development. It truly felt like they were on an endless journey, exploring and trying to find new ways to engage each other. And they are not done. This is not the final destination or end to their 1 to 1 project. A thing they pointed out many times.
"Don´t not expect 1 to 1 to raise your testscores through the roof, it might raise writing and maybe other subjects too, but what it does do is engaging the students, learn them how to collaborate, find information, value information and produce new knowledge. This is not a solution for raising the grades or the SAT scores, it might very well do that too, but this is truly the best way to make the kids ready for the 21st century. This is 21st century skills and digital competence and we can´t measure that with test from 40 years ago".
I got the privilige to visit Freeport Middle School and meet up with Raymond Grogan, principal, and Shawn Favreau (visit his site here). We were guided by a handful of young girls who also, along with their peers, showed us some fantastic projects they´ve been working on.
We got to meet Eric who showed us three projects, the first project was a 20 minute long movie on events that had influenced him in his life, so far. Remember, the students are 10 to 13 years. He also showed his podcast and his creation of clay sculptures the process behind it and how they documented it. You can watch their creations at their site click this link. The reflection above was made by a student (and quoted by Chris Toy) at Freeport Middle School today.
One of the things that stroke me the most was the childrens engagement in their own learning. It´s so different to read about the Maine initiative and to actually visit the classrooms to see and almost feel how they work with their computers. A perfect example of how to work with the computer was in wood work/carpentry and how they created models in Google SketchUp and then built them with the tools. One of the boys were making a model of a small cabin which he and his dad is supposed to build this summer, from the model he has created.
Google SketchUp was an essential program in their classrooms. It´s free and I recommend every school to download it. They used it in so many projects, one was to build a model of an energy efficient house with solar panels and other smart solutions. Someone had made a true scale model of Maines house of representatives/congress (don´t know the exact word) with all the furniture, people and everything in it.
Principal Ray
Two of the boys had built their own photocopier in Techno and programmed it themselves. The feeling I got from seeing them present it was like "This? This is nothing special. We do it all the time. And it´s fun". O_o
The feeling in the school was so positive and teachers as well as students gave us the feeling of constant learning, constant development. It truly felt like they were on an endless journey, exploring and trying to find new ways to engage each other. And they are not done. This is not the final destination or end to their 1 to 1 project. A thing they pointed out many times.
"Don´t not expect 1 to 1 to raise your testscores through the roof, it might raise writing and maybe other subjects too, but what it does do is engaging the students, learn them how to collaborate, find information, value information and produce new knowledge. This is not a solution for raising the grades or the SAT scores, it might very well do that too, but this is truly the best way to make the kids ready for the 21st century. This is 21st century skills and digital competence and we can´t measure that with test from 40 years ago".
måndag 3 maj 2010
A trip to Maine
So I´ve finally decided to write parts of this blog in English. Mainly because I´m heading to Maine tomorrow and therefore will meet a lot of non Swedish speaking people. Although we are a delegation of approximately 50 Swedish attendants, there will certainly be people from other countries too (apart from the US obviously). Once a year we make this trip with Apple but for me it´s the first time. We´ve been hearing, watching, reading and learning from the Maine initiative for almost nine years and I´m thrilled (seriously) that I finally get to go. I´m a bit stressed though as I´ve got so much to do before leaving. I´m soon going to start packing and checking that I have everything with me.
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