Comments on: NECC Reflections http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/ The Read/Write Web in the Classroom Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:20:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Kristen http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4517 Kristen Fri, 14 Jul 2006 01:51:19 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4517 Steve wrote: Another vision area...application of Open Source or collaborative software building (and web 2.0) in student projects to help local service organizations....build a database for the local homeless shelter or food kitchen. Create a website listing of local services for the Salvation Army in town to use when helping people...Invite some Open Source geeks to mentor the class.... I think those are wonderful ideas, and while I was unable to participate in the open source lab this year, I will definitely be involved in Atlanta! I still want to learn more, and I want to be informed about Open Source options. I am beginning a new job as technology integration coordinator for a Hartford magnet school in the fall. There is currently nothing in place for effective and appropriate use of technologies to speak of. They have the new hardware, they have funds, now they have me :) I am looking for the expertise of those who have started a program from square "3" and welcome input and suggestions as well as folks to chat with. Thank you to everyone who is blazing the trail. There are many getting ready to join you in the journey! ~Kristen Steve wrote:
Another vision area…application of Open Source or collaborative software building (and web 2.0) in student projects to help local service organizations….build a database for the local homeless shelter or food kitchen. Create a website listing of local services for the Salvation Army in town to use when helping people…Invite some Open Source geeks to mentor the class….

I think those are wonderful ideas, and while I was unable to participate in the open source lab this year, I will definitely be involved in Atlanta! I still want to learn more, and I want to be informed about Open Source options.

I am beginning a new job as technology integration coordinator for a Hartford magnet school in the fall. There is currently nothing in place for effective and appropriate use of technologies to speak of. They have the new hardware, they have funds, now they have me :)
I am looking for the expertise of those who have started a program from square “3″ and welcome input and suggestions as well as folks to chat with.

Thank you to everyone who is blazing the trail. There are many getting ready to join you in the journey!

~Kristen

]]> By: Kristen http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4518 Kristen Fri, 14 Jul 2006 01:51:19 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4518 Steve wrote: Another vision area...application of Open Source or collaborative software building (and web 2.0) in student projects to help local service organizations....build a database for the local homeless shelter or food kitchen. Create a website listing of local services for the Salvation Army in town to use when helping people...Invite some Open Source geeks to mentor the class.... I think those are wonderful ideas, and while I was unable to participate in the open source lab this year, I will definitely be involved in Atlanta! I still want to learn more, and I want to be informed about Open Source options. I am beginning a new job as technology integration coordinator for a Hartford magnet school in the fall. There is currently nothing in place for effective and appropriate use of technologies to speak of. They have the new hardware, they have funds, now they have me :) I am looking for the expertise of those who have started a program from square "3" and welcome input and suggestions as well as folks to chat with. Thank you to everyone who is blazing the trail. There are many getting ready to join you in the journey! ~Kristen Steve wrote:
Another vision area…application of Open Source or collaborative software building (and web 2.0) in student projects to help local service organizations….build a database for the local homeless shelter or food kitchen. Create a website listing of local services for the Salvation Army in town to use when helping people…Invite some Open Source geeks to mentor the class….

I think those are wonderful ideas, and while I was unable to participate in the open source lab this year, I will definitely be involved in Atlanta! I still want to learn more, and I want to be informed about Open Source options.

I am beginning a new job as technology integration coordinator for a Hartford magnet school in the fall. There is currently nothing in place for effective and appropriate use of technologies to speak of. They have the new hardware, they have funds, now they have me :)
I am looking for the expertise of those who have started a program from square “3″ and welcome input and suggestions as well as folks to chat with.

Thank you to everyone who is blazing the trail. There are many getting ready to join you in the journey!

~Kristen

]]> By: Dolores Guittar http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4507 Dolores Guittar Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:53:03 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4507 I did not go to this year's NECC. I went to the one last year. I left that conference feeling very disappointed. It seemed like glitz was what everyone wanted. In many ways I believe ISTE pushes too much for hardware/software "solutions" for education - the more you have, the better the school. I just don't agree with that and I am a technology coordinator. Education is the second biggest market that the technology vendors have. It is to their benefit to sell, sell, sell. I am so glad to read the comments on this blog, as I thought I was all alone in my feelings. I am hoping things will change and be better next year as I want to go one more time to the NECC convention. I did not go to this year’s NECC. I went to the one last year. I left that conference feeling very disappointed. It seemed like glitz was what everyone wanted. In many ways I believe ISTE pushes too much for hardware/software “solutions” for education - the more you have, the better the school. I just don’t agree with that and I am a technology coordinator. Education is the second biggest market that the technology vendors have. It is to their benefit to sell, sell, sell.

I am so glad to read the comments on this blog, as I thought I was all alone in my feelings.

I am hoping things will change and be better next year as I want to go one more time to the NECC convention.

]]> By: John Holland http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4498 John Holland Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:38:16 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4498 I noticed that much of the content was changing. I went to a great workshop on Utah's use of open source software to create a SIS that tracks and provides formative assessment. Why aren't we using it in my school system? It doesn't matter. We will need to tacke baby steps. I love talking to other techno's and getting all jusiced about his idea or that program but I know it will fizle if I can't chenge the school culture to embrace technology. Thanks for evangalizing for all of us Will. I noticed that much of the content was changing. I went to a great workshop on Utah’s use of open source software to create a SIS that tracks and provides formative assessment. Why aren’t we using it in my school system? It doesn’t matter. We will need to tacke baby steps. I love talking to other techno’s and getting all jusiced about his idea or that program but I know it will fizle if I can’t chenge the school culture to embrace technology. Thanks for evangalizing for all of us Will.

]]> By: Steve Hargadon http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4497 Steve Hargadon Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:29:32 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4497 With regard to Barbara's comments on Open Source, reflecting Will's comments on the Exhibit Hall and the money spent to market technology to schools: This is a really tough issue, since free-market capitalism can be so effective in many areas--however, it does seem a little weird to me that schools are "marketed" to. I know the issue is bigger than the small part of it that I see. The lack of very much funding for many schools all over the world (and thereby the lack of incentive to "market" to them) leads pretty clearly toward Open Source implementations. What's interesting about that will be to see if the use of Open Source Software, and the tools of collaborative software building, will actually put some of those students in a position of advantage in the flat world. If I had to choose for my own children between 35 minutes a week (to borrow a statistic from Mike Huffman) using P4 computers and proprietary software, or some greater amount of time on a PII or P3 using and learning Linux and Open Source software, strictly based on their learning something of significance that would be useful to them in their college and working lives, I'd choose the latter. (What Mike said was that they've been spending $100,000,000 a year in Indiana to give students a whopping 35 minutes a week each on the computers.) So then I ask myself where you are going to find teachers who know enough about technology to teach more than 35 minutes a week on Open Source platforms. On the other hand, somebody puts a computer in a wall in the slums of India and without any instructors, within 9 months the slum kids working on the computer and teaching each other have the proficiency level of an average office worker in India... So could there be a teaching model for using computers that provides for more ubiquitous use that makes sense? I keep thinking about the Gates Foundation and an article I read in Business Week about how, for all the money they've spent on improving education, they are admitting that they haven't really been able to see much success, and sometimes things have even gotten worse. I finished that article and thought: there is no VISION. Reducing schools sizes (the main focus of the article) is a method, but not a vision. With a vision there is passion, creativity, and excitement. Could the same be true of technology in schools? No real vision of how to use them or how they help? I think that may be why blogging elicits such passion in those teachers using it--they can see clear results of increased interest by the students in communicating, and they see it making a real difference in their lives. There is a vision there of improving teaching and learning that comes from the use of technology in a specific way (and an inexpensive way, since blogging doesn't require the latest and greatest hardware and software). I think another potential area for real vision in the use of technology in schools is in the teaching of technology classes around Open Source software tools: programming, networking, etc. For me the vision is that students would actually leave the classes with employable skills using hardware and programs that they could actually afford (or would reasonably be free). Apache runs over 70% of the world's web servers, it's a Free and Open Source software program, and it will run on computers that most anybody would be willing to give away. And it's virtually untaught in schools. Teach a student in a technology class to run Apache, and you can create a vision of emowering low-income students to finding good and decent jobs. PHP, MySQL, Python, etc. Another vision area for technology in schools would be the application of Open Source or collaborative software building (and web 2.0) in student projects to help local service organizations. Many schools have a senior project that is community oriented. How about: build a database for the local homeless shelter or food kitchen. Create a website listing of local services for the Salvation Army in town to use when helping people. I'm sure it sound scary to think of managing students using technology at such a high level, but with a vision would come passion, interest, and enthusiasm. Invite some Open Source geeks to mentor the class. This has turned into a rant (a ramble?), but I'm very interested in this. Seems like were at a great moment to help create a vision (visions) for the use of technology in schools, and the passion that blogging has stirred is the very kind of passion that is needed. With regard to Barbara’s comments on Open Source, reflecting Will’s comments on the Exhibit Hall and the money spent to market technology to schools:

This is a really tough issue, since free-market capitalism can be so effective in many areas–however, it does seem a little weird to me that schools are “marketed” to. I know the issue is bigger than the small part of it that I see. The lack of very much funding for many schools all over the world (and thereby the lack of incentive to “market” to them) leads pretty clearly toward Open Source implementations. What’s interesting about that will be to see if the use of Open Source Software, and the tools of collaborative software building, will actually put some of those students in a position of advantage in the flat world. If I had to choose for my own children between 35 minutes a week (to borrow a statistic from Mike Huffman) using P4 computers and proprietary software, or some greater amount of time on a PII or P3 using and learning Linux and Open Source software, strictly based on their learning something of significance that would be useful to them in their college and working lives, I’d choose the latter. (What Mike said was that they’ve been spending $100,000,000 a year in Indiana to give students a whopping 35 minutes a week each on the computers.)

So then I ask myself where you are going to find teachers who know enough about technology to teach more than 35 minutes a week on Open Source platforms. On the other hand, somebody puts a computer in a wall in the slums of India and without any instructors, within 9 months the slum kids working on the computer and teaching each other have the proficiency level of an average office worker in India… So could there be a teaching model for using computers that provides for more ubiquitous use that makes sense?

I keep thinking about the Gates Foundation and an article I read in Business Week about how, for all the money they’ve spent on improving education, they are admitting that they haven’t really been able to see much success, and sometimes things have even gotten worse. I finished that article and thought: there is no VISION. Reducing schools sizes (the main focus of the article) is a method, but not a vision. With a vision there is passion, creativity, and excitement.

Could the same be true of technology in schools? No real vision of how to use them or how they help? I think that may be why blogging elicits such passion in those teachers using it–they can see clear results of increased interest by the students in communicating, and they see it making a real difference in their lives. There is a vision there of improving teaching and learning that comes from the use of technology in a specific way (and an inexpensive way, since blogging doesn’t require the latest and greatest hardware and software).

I think another potential area for real vision in the use of technology in schools is in the teaching of technology classes around Open Source software tools: programming, networking, etc. For me the vision is that students would actually leave the classes with employable skills using hardware and programs that they could actually afford (or would reasonably be free). Apache runs over 70% of the world’s web servers, it’s a Free and Open Source software program, and it will run on computers that most anybody would be willing to give away. And it’s virtually untaught in schools. Teach a student in a technology class to run Apache, and you can create a vision of emowering low-income students to finding good and decent jobs. PHP, MySQL, Python, etc.

Another vision area for technology in schools would be the application of Open Source or collaborative software building (and web 2.0) in student projects to help local service organizations. Many schools have a senior project that is community oriented. How about: build a database for the local homeless shelter or food kitchen. Create a website listing of local services for the Salvation Army in town to use when helping people. I’m sure it sound scary to think of managing students using technology at such a high level, but with a vision would come passion, interest, and enthusiasm. Invite some Open Source geeks to mentor the class.

This has turned into a rant (a ramble?), but I’m very interested in this. Seems like were at a great moment to help create a vision (visions) for the use of technology in schools, and the passion that blogging has stirred is the very kind of passion that is needed.

]]> By: Steve Hargadon http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4495 Steve Hargadon Wed, 12 Jul 2006 23:32:24 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4495 The "Blogger's Cafe..." We did have a "Blogs and Wikis" booth in the Open Source Playground area, but I think it was pretty unknown and under-attended. Adam Frey from Wikispaces was there, and if we'd known he was going to come earlier than we did, we could have made a bigger deal out of it. I think ISTE/NECC might consider letting us do some of those booths again (hopefully, closer to our regular lab), and if so, we could do a better job of publicizing it and of promoting it as a meeting place. Maybe we could even get some chairs and a couch and actually have "guest bloggers" who would sign up to be at the "cafe" during certain hours so others would know that they could come and meet them... The “Blogger’s Cafe…” We did have a “Blogs and Wikis” booth in the Open Source Playground area, but I think it was pretty unknown and under-attended. Adam Frey from Wikispaces was there, and if we’d known he was going to come earlier than we did, we could have made a bigger deal out of it. I think ISTE/NECC might consider letting us do some of those booths again (hopefully, closer to our regular lab), and if so, we could do a better job of publicizing it and of promoting it as a meeting place. Maybe we could even get some chairs and a couch and actually have “guest bloggers” who would sign up to be at the “cafe” during certain hours so others would know that they could come and meet them…

]]> By: Kevin J. Gray http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4492 Kevin J. Gray Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:45:38 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4492 I'm glad I wasn't alone in feeling the gap between the sessions (and the open source lab) and the exhibit hall. I am both a teacher and a content developer for ed publishing. As a teacher, I left the conference with great ideas for the classroom. As a tech content developer, I left very discouraged and am still racking my brain trying to figure out how to get our clients to understand how far behind they are. Ultimately, I agree with the post above that the change most likely will have to come from administrators and politicians--the publishers are often just reacting to the marketplace. The key, I think, is to change the marketplace. I’m glad I wasn’t alone in feeling the gap between the sessions (and the open source lab) and the exhibit hall. I am both a teacher and a content developer for ed publishing. As a teacher, I left the conference with great ideas for the classroom. As a tech content developer, I left very discouraged and am still racking my brain trying to figure out how to get our clients to understand how far behind they are.

Ultimately, I agree with the post above that the change most likely will have to come from administrators and politicians–the publishers are often just reacting to the marketplace. The key, I think, is to change the marketplace.

]]> By: Mark Phillips http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4486 Mark Phillips Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:50:23 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4486 I'm glad someone mentioned the Best Buy Bags. I volunteered for traffic control on Thursday night. As I stood near Door A (directing folks to the acrobats performance), I witnessed a petite woman DRAGGING a BB bag. It was full! I bet it weighed 50 pounds or more. I’m glad someone mentioned the Best Buy Bags. I volunteered for traffic control on Thursday night. As I stood near Door A (directing folks to the acrobats performance), I witnessed a petite woman DRAGGING a BB bag. It was full! I bet it weighed 50 pounds or more.

]]> By: Barbara http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4481 Barbara Wed, 12 Jul 2006 03:37:11 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4481 Sorry I did not make my links corectly so here are to URLs for the articles I mentioned. http://www.twitchspeed.com/site/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part2.htm http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm Sorry I did not make my links corectly so here are to URLs for the articles I mentioned.

http://www.twitchspeed.com/site/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part2.htm
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

]]> By: Barbara http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4480 Barbara Wed, 12 Jul 2006 03:34:33 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4480 Our school community is in the midst of a major transition and having 5 of us attend NECC has helped us solidify a shared vision. I have personally been learning and pondering for almost a year as I worked to establish a vision for our school. There is much I still need to learn and you , David and Clarence along with a few other are still giants to me. I value your insights. Not unlike you comments regarding the Exhition Hall I found myself pondering the vendors in light of the Open Source sessions. (Dare to dream). I would hope that by Atlanta we wil find Open Source claiming an even more prominent position. As a relative neophyte I did not take part in as many conversations as I would have liked but I hope that through the on going Blog conversation that I will be better prepared to enter the conversation. With regard to “I agree we can’t ignore the impact of technology on our students, but that doesn’t, to me, mean that we have to imerse them even further in it.” I am not sure about this I think the point about the half-life of knowledge is a very persuasive point for the need to embrace Web 2.0. It is not however about the tool but the avenues of learning which it opens. I also found the article on then digital native based o brain research pretty persuasive. Our school community is in the midst of a major transition and having 5 of us attend NECC has helped us solidify a shared vision. I have personally been learning and pondering for almost a year as I worked to establish a vision for our school. There is much I still need to learn and you , David and Clarence along with a few other are still giants to me. I value your insights.

Not unlike you comments regarding the Exhition Hall I found myself pondering the vendors in light of the Open Source sessions. (Dare to dream). I would hope that by Atlanta we wil find Open Source claiming an even more prominent position.
As a relative neophyte I did not take part in as many conversations as I would have liked but I hope that through the on going Blog conversation that I will be better prepared to enter the conversation.
With regard to
“I agree we can’t ignore the impact of technology on our students, but that doesn’t, to me, mean that we have to imerse them even further in it.”

I am not sure about this I think the point about the half-life of knowledge is a very persuasive point for the need to embrace Web 2.0. It is not however about the tool but the avenues of learning which it opens. I also found the article on then digital native based o brain research pretty persuasive.

]]> By: Diane http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4472 Diane Tue, 11 Jul 2006 21:27:38 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4472 Hi Will. Got to meet you at NECC and as it was my first NECC, I thought it was great. Hearing from the vets like you about expectation vs. reality, especially on this topic of fear being the reason we're stalling, it occurs to me that many of us "out here" are waiting for our fearful administrators to retire. And some of that will be happening in the next couple of years. So we keep learning, operating under the radar in some cases, and counting the days until we get to take over. Hi Will. Got to meet you at NECC and as it was my first NECC, I thought it was great. Hearing from the vets like you about expectation vs. reality, especially on this topic of fear being the reason we’re stalling, it occurs to me that many of us “out here” are waiting for our fearful administrators to retire. And some of that will be happening in the next couple of years. So we keep learning, operating under the radar in some cases, and counting the days until we get to take over.

]]> By: Scott Walters http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4471 Scott Walters Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:37:27 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4471 This is a great conversation! I couldn't boil my ideas down succintly enough to include it here, so I've written a post on my blog: http://theatreedutech.blogspot.com/2006/07/rehearsing-revolution-thoughts-on.html#links This is a great conversation! I couldn’t boil my ideas down succintly enough to include it here, so I’ve written a post on my blog: http://theatreedutech.blogspot.com/2006/07/rehearsing-revolution-thoughts-on.html#links

]]> By: Andy http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4470 Andy Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:05:02 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4470 I've been rereading the Cult of Information by Theodore Roszak and the question that runs through my mind is if technology is so great for education, why do we have to try so hard to get it to work. We, I think, would all agree that there are some considerable problems (and successes) with the way that technology is being implemented in schools. Could it be that technology in the classroom is not as great as it is sold to us by the IT industry and the techniliterati? There is an economic driving force that encourages the obsolesence and repurchasing of computers. This is not nearly the same force driving the sale of books and that is a signifcant difference in my opinion when comparing the introduction of books to the classroom and the introduction of computers and other technology. What part of education will not survive if we don't embrace technology? Are students going to stop being able to listen to someone talk? Are they going to become unable to write their thoughts on paper? Will their science exeriments not work? I agree we can't ignore the impact of technology on our students, but that doesn't, to me, mean that we have to imerse them even further in it. Perhaps computers are a product looking for a solution rather than the other way around? They are a tool like the calculator and the pencil, but they are not magic bullets that will solve all our educational ills. Thus sayeth the neo-Luddite computer science teacher - that's irony for you. I’ve been rereading the Cult of Information by Theodore Roszak and the question that runs through my mind is if technology is so great for education, why do we have to try so hard to get it to work.

We, I think, would all agree that there are some considerable problems (and successes) with the way that technology is being implemented in schools.

Could it be that technology in the classroom is not as great as it is sold to us by the IT industry and the techniliterati?

There is an economic driving force that encourages the obsolesence and repurchasing of computers. This is not nearly the same force driving the sale of books and that is a signifcant difference in my opinion when comparing the introduction of books to the classroom and the introduction of computers and other technology.

What part of education will not survive if we don’t embrace technology? Are students going to stop being able to listen to someone talk? Are they going to become unable to write their thoughts on paper? Will their science exeriments not work?

I agree we can’t ignore the impact of technology on our students, but that doesn’t, to me, mean that we have to imerse them even further in it.

Perhaps computers are a product looking for a solution rather than the other way around? They are a tool like the calculator and the pencil, but they are not magic bullets that will solve all our educational ills.

Thus sayeth the neo-Luddite computer science teacher - that’s irony for you.

]]> By: Ubiquitous Thoughts » Blog Archive » NECC 2006: Reflections on Reflections http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4467 Ubiquitous Thoughts » Blog Archive » NECC 2006: Reflections on Reflections Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:15:58 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4467 [...] Graham and I had some interesting conversation about how we need to get decisionmakers at the highest level of education (e.g. politicians, top administrators etc.) as well others at all levels of education to see that if we keep doing things the way we’ve always been, the educational systems as we know them today will not and cannot survive, in large part due to new technologies and the ways in which kids are using them outside of and despite of what they do and learn in school. That we’ll need to ruffle more than a few feathers in the process should speak for itself. An interesting observation we made as we were walking around the tradeshow floor is that many of the booths were hawking their wares using a traditional classroom setup, with chairs facing the presenter, who was often up on a small podium, talking down (literally) to the attendees. Graham promptly started snapping pictures with his Treo and has since posted them on his site. I am still amazed at how little venders of educational technology understand about the full potential of their own hardware and software for education, displaying them in traditional classroom settings for which they are not particularly suited, a feeling that is echoed in Will Richardson’s NECC reflections. It’s a feeling I’ve had at NECC for at least the last two or three years, with more of the same being shown every year and not much new and truly innovative technology. [...] […] Graham and I had some interesting conversation about how we need to get decisionmakers at the highest level of education (e.g. politicians, top administrators etc.) as well others at all levels of education to see that if we keep doing things the way we’ve always been, the educational systems as we know them today will not and cannot survive, in large part due to new technologies and the ways in which kids are using them outside of and despite of what they do and learn in school. That we’ll need to ruffle more than a few feathers in the process should speak for itself. An interesting observation we made as we were walking around the tradeshow floor is that many of the booths were hawking their wares using a traditional classroom setup, with chairs facing the presenter, who was often up on a small podium, talking down (literally) to the attendees. Graham promptly started snapping pictures with his Treo and has since posted them on his site. I am still amazed at how little venders of educational technology understand about the full potential of their own hardware and software for education, displaying them in traditional classroom settings for which they are not particularly suited, a feeling that is echoed in Will Richardson’s NECC reflections. It’s a feeling I’ve had at NECC for at least the last two or three years, with more of the same being shown every year and not much new and truly innovative technology. […]

]]> By: Kim Cavanaugh http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4464 Kim Cavanaugh Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:11:47 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/necc-reflections/#comment-4464 Will-- You captured my feelings exactly. On the one hand it's clear that the "leadership" in the educational world is interested in assessment and remediation, evidenced by all the companies selling those types of products on the vendor floor. On the other hand, what teachers are actually doing with kids to motivate, excite, and lead them on their journey through the educational system continues to amaze and inspire me. By far the best part of the show for me was all the terrific conversations that went on. Will–

You captured my feelings exactly. On the one hand it’s clear that the “leadership” in the educational world is interested in assessment and remediation, evidenced by all the companies selling those types of products on the vendor floor.

On the other hand, what teachers are actually doing with kids to motivate, excite, and lead them on their journey through the educational system continues to amaze and inspire me. By far the best part of the show for me was all the terrific conversations that went on.

]]>