Technologically Literate

I want to thank Dave Cormier for a brillant idea.  Although he was rushed and met with one ill-prepared website, Dave’s presentation at the FOE (Future of Education)  online conference was excellent and could change the way we see the aggregator. 

First, I can’t say that I am a big fan of the online conference.  It’s the blur of a chat room, the bad audio, and sometimes disasterous presentors that keep me watching re-runs rather than participating in real time.  (By the way, thank you to the person that thought of recording and posting presentations.  It’s like TiVo’d education ) However, Dave did it right.  He demonstarted a tool within the context of potential use.

Dave used the aggregator, PageFlakes, as a web portal.  (see it here) He set up each of his ”flakes” to aggregate certain tags (in this case foe2007scm.)  He then encouraged the students to create a blog post or tag a flickr pic.  After a few minutes and a quick page refresh, links started to pour in from the attendees.  I literally sat slack-jawed in my clunky K-Mart recliner.  It was so simple, yet so cool.  

Sure wikis and even expensive web-portals can do similar things but here, right in front of our eyes was a FREE 10 minute answer to keeping everything…and I mean EVERYTHING, in one place.  Just off the top of my head.  This is reseach, assessment, collaboration, community, and even entertainment placed into a nice neat package.

Here are two communities I am working on.  I cannot stress how ease this was.  I hope that I can energize others the way Dave unknowingly energized me.

For teachers at DuBois  http://www.pageflakes.com/kpruitt/11176389   

For PA tech Teachers   http://www.pageflakes.com/kpruitt/11201963

Obviously, I am only working on local items.  I have no idea where this is going nor am I sure what the impact will be.  I can tell you one thing, the success or failure will be clear.  In fact, it will be availble for millions to see. 

Balance.  In personal life, and in professional life, we all need balance.  Balance in the way we approach, balance in the way present.  Comfort can disguise itself as balance.  Routine is easily misread as “I am doing a great job.”  I have been blown out of my routine both in my personal and professional life.  Personally, the birth of a child has weighted the scales towards extreme exhaustion and has left the counterbalance, mental clarity, dangerously teetering. 

Professionally, my wish has come true and I accepted a new position.  It will be my job to help our teachers prepare our students for the future.  That’s right, little ole’ me attempting the most dangerous job in all of teaching, teaching the teachers.  Of course I am extremely pleased with my new position, but I also realize the choas I just called for in my professional life.  No class schedule, no regular students, NO SUMMER OFF.  What have I done???  

As I sat back and enjoyed the holiday weekend, I was mindful of the battles abroad (My sister leaves in a week, stay safe Traci) and of our battles right here at home.  I am proud of the men and women of military and wish them all God’s speed.  I am also proud of the work we are doing for the education of our children.  As a parent and as a peer, I know that the future of education is in good hands with you folks around.  With your tireless efforts to improve education, you will help provide our students with balance.  I know that some day, God willing, those students will provide our world with it to. 

Hopefully this blog will soon start to take on it’s original intent, to share the journey of technology integration and professional development.  So if you are growing tired of my scatter brained reflection, fret not, soon you will also experience the wonderful world of my scatter brained ideas for technology integration.  I start writing new NETS curriculum June 11th.  Wish me luck.