Comments on: “Footprints in the Digital Age”

By: john brandt

john brandt — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:13:32 +0000

I just read this blog entry on Bloglines and apparently there was a bit of a “feed error” – well at least that’s what i hope. At the bottom of the entry there wasa link to “Viagra Canada Online.” This linked to http://www22.ips.qoarn.com/

What do you supposed that means?

By: Toby Fischer

Toby Fischer — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:46:55 +0000

It is great to see a publication such as this featuring your article. I am sending out the article to our 500+ teachers later today in our monthly edtech wikiletter. Earlier this year the entire staff was told they shouldn’t have Facebook pages. I am looking forward to the comments we get related to your suggestion to create a Facebook account. Keep up the great work. Even though our progress is slow, we are making progress!

I do agree with Carolyn. I watched students present the use of SMARTBoards to 100 staff members earlier this week. I believe this was a more powerful sell of the technology than I, or another educator could have presented. With the guidance of those of who “get it”, the students might be the best sellers of educational change to the masses.

By: abeer amro

abeer amro — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:13:07 +0000

A very interesting article. the internet made the world a small village and changed the way we live our lives. from the way we shop, the way we travel, the way we interact to the way we are learning now and new possible ways for learning in the futures.
With one click, we can surfe the web and review information about anything that cross our mind, as if the world is an open book that we can review any page of it in minutes. The real challange would be how to guide this new learning enviroment for students and for teachers, how do teachers guide their student along the way. leading the way for teachers is always goin to be faced with their ability to capture the technology and be in bar with their students, my feeling is that students would always be ahead of the curve. A child’s mind once is allowed to fly and would be a real challenge for everyone to keep pace with.

By: Patrick Darfler-Sweeney

Patrick Darfler-Sweeney — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:45:44 +0000

Chris, I have to agree with you, the sad part about the “Will Experience” is the emphasis that he placed on collaboration. The term itself implies that there is an open give and take of ideas unfortunately this does not seem to translate to feedback to his own students. Well, good luck Will, here is to getting more feedback here than you gave to many of us, your students.

Patrick Darfler-Sweeney
Doctoral Student- Seton Hall University

By: Chris Huss

Chris Huss — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:55:26 +0000

What a surprise, every post here strokes your ego. While I congratulate you on being published in Ed. Leadership and for being chosen for Online viewing, I have a suggestion for you. Perhaps while viewing your own article, you could take a look at some other articles and some other issues of Ed. Leadership. I recommend looking at the ones dedicated to useful assessment and feedback.
I was a student in one of your courses at Seton Hall University who was one of many that was disappointed with your teaching practices, especially your assessment. As a retired high school teacher and someone who lectures on using technology to improve education, I thought you would get it. But, clearly and unfortunately that is not the case. My apologies if this post leaves a negative tread in your “digital footprint”, but I have this thing for people practicing what they preach.

Chris Huss
Doctoral Student – Seton Hall Universtiy

By: carolyn hassard

carolyn hassard — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:04:20 +0000

Bravo! I like the googlable twist on what has been, for the most part, a cautionary tale. The idea of being googlable underscores the reality of digital citizenship in very tangible ways.

But I contend that eductors do NOT have to “own these technlogies” to let students live and learn in them. The manifestation of this technology as part of our ‘ever-changing world’ heralds a fundamental shift in what ‘teaching’ is. Shirky, Prensky and Brown all write about the transitioning from conventional social organizations to a ‘flatter’, less hierarchical connectivity.

Never before have students had such mastery over a realm adults were largely mystified by. This is bigger than rock and roll, bigger than television and bigger than the dark. Its a parallel universe. If we’re going to wait until “educators . . . own these technologies and [are]able to take advantage of these networked learning spaces . . . to prepare students” we’re going to go down. Its time to harness the power right under our noses. Let a kid take your hand, open the door and follow them through it; not by walking around the room and supervising – but by getting them to show you how to log on, get in, and start learning. Tomorrow.

By: Peter Pawlick

Peter Pawlick — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:45:45 +0000

To add to the echo…A short while ago I had a talk with my superintendent to fill her in on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. We are heavily into a prescribed teaching model in our district. I mentioned very generally that I felt students needed to own their learning and teachers needed to own their teaching. When I arrived home that day I found the latest copy of Educational Leadership with the title “Giving Students Ownership of Learning”, and it had your article in it. It is nice to feel vindicated once in a while.

By: Tammy Gillmore

Tammy Gillmore — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:42:39 +0000

Thanks for sharing…just “shared” this again with my Seconday English Methods students. They are blogging for the first time!

By: Blaise

Blaise — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:43:19 +0000

Wow! Talk about an echo chamber. Will, what do you do to find those dissenting voices? Besides Gary Stager, dissenting voices are few and far between on your blog.

I have been reading your blog for over a year. Like your blog, I enjoyed your article in Ed. Leadership.

I agree that educators should be responsible for helping students use these technologies in safe and collaborative ways. However, I think you overemphasize the need for students to be “Googled well”. For me it is more important that students are not being Googled poorly.
People do great things that are not necessarily recorded on the internet. To me, you seem to over-emphasize the need to get your positive (resume quality) stuff on the internet. I see this stuff being important for networking with people that share similar interests but not necessarily for employers or admission officers.

Will, I feel that you need to try and communicate more directly with teachers. Based on the comments above, it seems that your audience includes a lot of tech coordinators and non-classroom educators. My feeling is that for these types of changes to take place you have to speak directly to teachers and in turn they will seek out these tech people to support their pursuits. In twenty years of teaching I cannot think of many times where I received practical insight into improving my teaching methods from non-classroom teachers.

In a similar vein to Laura’s story, which you wrote about, maybe you could map out 25 days (lessons) to getting this type of classroom up and running. Or if someone else has done this could you direct me to it?

As a teacher that is what I need to read about.

Joe the teacher

(Blaise)

By: atw

atw — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:38:12 +0000

I think the link has been changed. I think this the new URL.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/nov08/vol66/num03/Footprints_in_the_Digital_Age.aspx

By: Gail Desler

Gail Desler — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:51:33 +0000

Will,

I’ve been facilitating a series of Internet Safety for Parents workshops in my district and have introduced the term “digital footprint” via a parent newsletter from iSafe.org. Your article and explanation of the importance of “being Googled well” adds a whole new layer and makes for a discussion-provoking and complete package.

I’ll echo the others in thanking you for such a timely resource.

Gail Desler

By: Andrew Neely

Andrew Neely — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:47:52 +0000

I agree with some of the other posters, this article could not have been published at a better time. As a small part of a large state wide technology initiative I will definitely be sharing this article with my faculty at a kickoff meeting early next week. It’s time for schools to stop fearing this movement or simply trying to wish it away. As Kesey says, “You’re either on the bus, or off the bus.”

By: Ann Etchison

Ann Etchison — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:43:25 +0000

Great discussion of the pervasive nature of this type of communication among students in school today and the opportunity it provides to teach them lifelong skills. My children tell me they feel they were “born knowing this stuff”, yet, with the exception of accessing information electronically, I don’t see a big shift in using web 2.0 technologies at school. I suspect they’ll keep up changing and new technologies in spite of what happens at school, but it’s starting to make more and more sense to me that schools need to evolve to reflect the way these kids learn with a greater emphasis on what to DO with the information and how to use it once it’s accessed.

By: Dan Froelich

Dan Froelich — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:47:56 +0000

Way to go Will. Your shameless plug comes just in time, as I am running off materials for use the Saturday. It’s a great conversation to be held.

By: Angela Stockman

Angela Stockman — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:59:19 +0000

I’m hopeful that this piece will provide further incentive to teachers and admins in Laura’s school, who have been incredibly supportive of her work, but who still struggle to integrate it within her academic day. At times, it’s very frustrating to watch her labor over less meaningful and engaging assignments while her blog remains largely neglected for days or weeks on end, simply because she “can’t do it all” as a new middle school student.

We’ve invited participation, encouraged other kids to blog, volunteered to help in classrooms, and nudged everyone from classroom teachers to district level administrators in very respectful ways, but there has been no movement within her school on this issue. As an educator and as a mom, I hear a lot about how parents fail to support the work of teachers well and how parents fail to cultivate a love of learning and important literacy skills at home. This experience has been an eye-opening one for us.

Last week, I attended a community forum hosted by our Superintendent. He spent a portion of this evening sharing the school’s vision and their ultimate goal: to become a premier school district. I’m uncertain what this means honestly, but it’s given me a lot to think about in the week since. In the past, my husband and I have worked very hard not to be “those parents.” You know who I’m referring to: the parents who question or judge or constantly ask for more, to the supreme annoyance of every professional who crosses their path. I taught for a long time, and I’m well-acquainted with parents like these.

I’m realizing something though, slowly but surely: becoming a “premier school district” probably requires a community of parents who expect a lot more from the system than what is currently being provided. And as a member of that community, I’m realizing that maybe this is going to require opening my mouth a bit more often. This will not be comfortable, but necessary and comfortable are two different things, I suppose.

I often wonder how other parents who are also educators support their children, advocate for change, and address the gaps of knowledge and experience that are created along the way……