Nocking the Arrow

Do you really need a learning management system?   Who needs a digital portfolio?   Are e-portfolios past their educational used-by date? These are examples of posts discussing the merits of tools used to manage and organize evidence of learning. A few months ago, I discussed the value of every learner having their own domain on the Internet. Autonomy, creation, and self-organization of information were key aspects of my position. However, a few readers asked, "where's the scaffolding and structure?" With divergent opinions being shared I want to clarify my thinking on web tools, and their purpose. I want to create a focus, or a center , for the fragments of information made available through my network. According to George Siemens, an expert on socially networked learning and  connectivism , information fragmentation contributes to a lack of coherence and understanding.  "Fragmentation of information requires that we weave together elements into some type o...

Happy New Year everyone! It has been a terrific year of personal and professional learning. I appreciate those of you who make " Nocking The Arrow " part of our learning agenda. This blog has evolved into my digital learning portfolio. I have learned that sharing my learning transparently deepens my thought, widens my perspective, enhances connectedness, and provides an archive of my observations and experiences. Here are the three most popular posts from this past year on " Nocking The Arrow " How Can Teachers Make Their Learning More Visible? - This post is my plea for educators to become more transparent with their personal and professional learning. Transparently sharing learning has benefits the educator, his or her colleagues, his or her students, and other learners in general. Digital Badges For Teacher Professional Development - Digital badges can be used to acknowledge and distribute professional learning. Badges visibly identify achievements,...

No one can logically argue that current and future education won't be based largely on our ability to leverage social networks for learning. There is plenty of rhetoric describing the emergence of web 3.0, but how many educators are practicing what they readily admit is the foundation of making our students "future-ready"?  I applaud Cale Birk for suggesting talk can be cheap, and it's time to feature action. In his post, " #EDUDO - The New Hashtag ", Cale asks educators to transparently share artifacts of learning using the Twitter hashtag, #EDUDO . Several years ago, my sons became interested in downhill skiing. It had been some time since I had been on the powdery slopes, but skiing presented an opportunity for the three of us to actively learn and grow our skill together. I wanted to be able to articulate and demonstrate safe and effective skiing to my sons. In order to do this, I did some online research, talked to experts at the pro shops,...

Comedian and entertainer  Howie Mandel uses fist taps instead of hand shakes as a coping strategy for his mysophobia . Years before this became a popular greeting method, I was using fist taps to connect with my G343 Psychology students. Early in the course, we would use our hands as models when learning about human brain anatomy. The hemispheres and lobes of the brain were represented by both hands and the position of the fingers and knuckles. To promote our psychology learning club, or learning community, we would touch fists when entering or exiting the classroom, and to acknowledge each other when outside the classroom. This gesture became a symbol of connection for a few hundred psychology students. This year, I am using a similar theme to promote connected learning at our school. During our summer institute day, I introduced my fist, specifically the four knuckles, as symbols for improving learning at our school. Knuckle of index finger - put learning first . 9 out o...

"How great would it be if every student could be connected to every other student by a web connected device?" This was my guiding question, and quickly became my quest, as I accepted a position as technology coordinator twelve years ago. This was before smart phones, iPads, 802.11ac, and 4G networks. One-to-One learning had yet to become an educational catch phrase, and our media-rich classrooms consisted of a desktop computer, a VCR, and a 600 lumen multi-media projector. Regardless of the name, a computer for every student was going to be my trophy. It would become my legacy as "the tech guy". Years later, as we are about to distribute iPads to all of our students, I have come to realize that I was aiming at the wrong target. Today, while eating fresh at Subway , I began whining about my revelation to my friend and colleague, Keith Sorensen . Not only does he usually pay for lunch, he's also one of the few people I know that will sit and listen to my wacky m...

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...

If you are a teacher or student in a 1:1 classroom, then you already realize, particularly if you are using iPads, that there are frequently times when a single application doesn't complete all of the desired tasks.  App smashing , a concept recently coined, explained, and popularized by the amazing  Greg Kulowiec , is the process of using two or more compatible applications to complete a task, or create a digital product. According to innovative educator,  Miguel Guhlin , these are the recommended steps in creating a product through app smashing: End Result - Begin with the end in mind. What does the final product look like? What purpose does it serve? What message does it convey? A storyboard or graphic organizer helps with the planning of the project. I recommend a Google Doc using the Lucid Chart add on. Apps Smashed - Create a list of apps that will be included in the project. Research and practice with the chosen apps to assess their compatibility, but le...

Our digital footprints should not be left to chance. Will Richardson recommends that all students become " well-googled " by high school graduation. As the accompanying graphic suggests, students should build a positive digital footprint as they progress in their education. My contention is this is sound advice for all educational stakeholders. As our lives become more digitized, more connected, and more cloud-based, where should we be keeping our evidence of learning? Where should we be keeping our evidence of professional growth? "One answer is digital portfolios."   Learners of any age need a place where curated information can get chewed up, broken down, and reassembled into new artifacts of learning. When our children were younger, the refrigerator, their bedroom cork boards, and our under-bed bins, were the final resting places for their shining examples of creativity and learning. To quote Dr. Helen Barrett, "we collect and share what we v...