Nocking the Arrow

" Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world. " - Robert McKee It's that wonderful time of year. It's time for us to submit our content for the handful of conference sessions we'll be facilitating during the coming year. I'm fortunate enough to have been able to attend more than one hundred conferences through the years, I present at nearly all those I visit. I used to have an aversion to public speaking, that's long gone. My preparations and presentation strategies have evolved. Unfortunately, many of the so-called innovative #edtech sessions I've attended recently are still mired in the sit-n-git style of the previous century. We can do better, and if we aspire to make our classrooms places of great learning, then we must do better. ** Caution, this post is likely to contain some snarky sarcasm, but for the most part, my purpose is to share some observations and some research-based practices to help you win your con...

"Academic research from  Rutgers University  examined the characteristics of social activity and patterns of communication on Twitter; a prominent example of the emerging class of communication systems that is called “ social awareness streams. ”  The rise of social media services has contributed to the altering of many people’s communication patterns and social interaction." - Te@cher Toolkit I was using Twitter to backchannel interesting ideas from a conference session I found engaging. Part way through the gamification workshop, my friend Chris, who was looking over my shoulder asked, "Whoa, twenty-five thousand tweets! Why do you tweet so much?" Until then, I hadn't given much thought to the frequency or purpose behind my tweets. "Sharing is caring, and it helps me process the experience.", I said. After the session, we discussed gamification strategies and circled back to the learning value of tweeting. I contend there are small, but signi...

"If Google sees that you're searching for specific programming terms, they'll ask you to apply for a job. It's wild."   - Max Rosett, theHustle Modern learners need to understand the permanence of a digital footprint, & this footprint can be advantageous or detrimental. #edslowchat — Robert Schuetz (@robert_schuetz) January 17, 2016 The common dialogue is to tell learners, young and old, to tread lightly into the digital fray. Digital footprints are permanent, thus, there is danger afoot. Certainly, there is potential for long-term damage to one's reputation by sharing material, or information that paints us in a negative light. Conversely, our online activities can be very advantageous to our personal and professional growth. Like many folks, I enjoy listening to music while driving. Additionally, I frequently use time behind the wheel to get caught up on current events. Yesterday, while riding in the car with my teenage sons, we listened ...

This post was inspired by two of my giants,   Tom Whitby & Steven W. Anderson "Relevancy includes not only skills educators need to use, but educators are also charged to teach these same skills to their students. Digital literacy is now an integral part of education for teaching and learning, going beyond the application in an education setting to that of the world of work. Strategies and methodologies used for collaborative learning in education are easily carried over to the world of work, enabling lifelong learning to become more than just words in a school's mission statement." - The Relevant Educator What used to constitute relevancy in education was confined to the pages of a textbook, the walls of a classroom, and the words of a teacher. However, today relevancy in education is learning empowered through connectedness. Connectedness and digital literacies create limitless availability to information, diversity in perspective, and access to gia...

There is little doubt that technology and the Internet are dramatically changing life in our homes and workplaces. But what about our schools? There seems to be plenty of evidence suggesting that the factory model typifying the 20th century classroom is alive and well in our 21st century schools. Why are schools not keeping pace with the technology changes impacting other facets of our lives? Are teachers impeding real and dramatic change in schools? Are teachers, by virtue of having successfully played the game of education, perpetuating practices that are obsolete in a socially networked world? A few weeks ago, Tom Whitby called this phenomenon " time-capsule teaching ". Jesse Martin, and others, have referenced " teacher cognition " as a reason for change resistance. Most teachers from my generation have navigated and thrived in the factory classroom model. There is little interest in changing what doesn't feel broken. If it worked for us, should it not...

Many of my colleagues and students have said, " I don't get this Twitter thing. " I have heard Twitter described as a modern day equivalent of chats around the water cooler. The Twitter experience can be unique to each user. For instance, I tend to use Twitter as a search engine, for social bookmarking, for considering global perspective, for establishing voice, for relationship building, and for staying engaged in my personal learning.  Tom Whitby , one of my favorite bloggers, often says what I am thinking using better phrasing than my limited vocabulary can express. In his most recent post, ISTE14 Impressions , Tom persuasively describes the value of being a connected educator in order to maximize the conference experience. Sarah Hutas commented on this post by highlighting the value of becoming more connected, but she was still looking to gain a better understanding of Twitter as a tool for socially networked learning. " Where is the substance? ", sh...

Nicole Krueger - ISTE Blog The ISTE Conference is like attending a Super Bowl, the event is larger than life, and you never know who you will meet. Billed as a conference for technology educators, the focus of ISTE-2013 was on the learner , while, to me, the prevailing themes of ISTE-2014 was the connected learner , and personal learning . Atlanta was a welcoming and accommodating host for the 16,000+ enthusiastic educators. As a proponent of life-wide learning, I make an effort to draw deeper meaning and understanding from everyday activities and adventures. Learning is happening all of the time. It's just a matter of choosing to recognize, process, reflect upon, and share our experiences. I'm not familiar with the literary work of Zadie Smith, but this quote shared recently on Twitter struck a chord with me. "The very reason that I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life." - Zadie Smith And so it goes for me, my life has seemingly...

In route to Atlanta for ISTE 2014 , and I'm caught reflecting on Jennie Magiera's keynote address from earlier this week at Schoology NEXT . During her energizing presentation, she challenged us to write and share our own keynote addresses. "What are you passionate about? What is the greatest need in your school or classroom? Given the opportunity, what would you like to say?" After putting some genuine thought to these questions, my response is I am surprised, confused, and disappointed at the lack of " connectedness " of many of my educational brethren. What percentage of educators engage regularly with a personal learning network? I am not sure that I have an answer for that. Tom Whitby , co-founder of #EdChat , and Educator's PLN , is also one of my favorite bloggers. During a recent conversation, we agreed that truly connected educators are in the minority, and may number less than ten percent of the teaching workforce. An infor...