Digital Footprints… What do you know?

Parents, students, teachers, EVERYONE should watch this video and discuss it!

Video compliments of …

Educational leaders in Hoover, Alabama, have created a superb "teaser" video for upcoming parent education classes on digital citizenship which will begin this fall. The 3 minute, 35 second video includes well-planned scenes depicting the choices as well as consequences involved with cell phone sexting.

Students of today need to understand their digital footprint and know what and how it impacts them, their lives, their future.

Thanks again to blogger friend Pat H. from Successful Teaching. who alerted me to this blog post Digital Citizenship video resources from Hoover, Alabama Schools and Common Sense Media from Moving @ Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer, one of my PLN bloggers that I read.

How are you teaching and guiding the students/children you are responsible for regarding their digital footprint? Leave a comment.

[As always, in my author quotes, the underlines, color changes, and bold type is mine, not the author’s!]

Technorati Tags: Wesley Fryer,Pat H.,Successful Teaching. digital footprint,sexting,education,cell phones,digital citizenship

The Power of UTube

Wesley Fryer is one of my favorite bloggers to read.

I remember when his daughter posted a video on UTube about her comments on the inaugural speech made by President Obama.  Wesley mentioned the reaction and the “fame” created by that posting.

His blog post is quite a good piece of writing and shows his concern for young Greyson. He gives a “lesson” to Greyson and his family about the internet and the pros and cons of notoriety. All students should learn this.

This is an excellent opportunity for those in education, and especially those in technology and education, to step up to the plate and teach the students we have influence over about these situations.

Learning at this moment when the “fame” is there is VERY IMPORTANT!

From a church talent show to the Ellen DeGeneres Show: YouTube fame for an Edmond 6th grader: Watch it and enjoy.

Here is his interview and performance on the Ellen DeGeneres show:

This is the world our students live in on a daily basis.  Technology is out there everywhere.

I noticed that in the interview Greyson said he got a text from his mom that said to call her.  He was able to accept that text and then excuse himself from the classroom, as he says, and call his mom from school, in the hallway outside his classroom. Obviously his school does not have a problem with cell phones and their use during the school day.

I would like to learn more about what school he attends and what their technology experiences are for all the students in the school.

Then, add to the technological experience that Gaga is on the phone  talking with Ellen and Greyson on live TV. The only thing that could have been better is that there would have been video of her side of the conversation.   Doesn’t she have Skype?

Teachers, technology experts, and interested learners, what lessons can you make from this opportune moment?

Leave a comment… What will you do or how will you use this as a learning experience for your students?

Technorati Tags: Lady Gaga,Greyson Chance,Ellen DeGeneres,"Paparazzi",technology tools,internet safety,lessons,education,technology,singing,Wesley Fryer,Utube

21st Century Schools

A very interesting video from Clif Mim's blog states

Stephen Heppell’s video about 21st century schools provokes you to consider what lies ahead. Wes Fryer states that this video “makes a strong case for blended learning where the learning connection between home and school is seamless.”

What more can I say?

Well, here is a bit more on the subject from the ITSC website, another video of Stephen Heppell.

"If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow." - John Dewey

Keep your eyes on this site for future information re: ISTE 2010 February 14,15, 16, 2010 in Portland Oregon.

Technorati Tags: ISTE,Stephen Heppell,Wesley Fryer,21st Century,future,schools,education

Challenging their Professional Identity

Wesley Fryer, of Moving @ the Speed of Creativity, is one of my favorite blogsters to read.  He always has interesting information, ideas, and insights.  I like how he also involves his children and their technology activities, sometimes, in his blogs. He seems like such a kind, generous, mild mannered person and then suddenly…

He makes some VERY CHALLENGING (but true!) STATEMENTS:

Wesley says, “To ask an educator used to lecturing every day to give it up for vodcasting, and instead to both craft and lead highly-interactive, engaging face-to-face discussions with students is tantamount to challenging their professional identity and raison d’être.”

Read the whole blog here.  He started the whole story with talk about the “Teaching Naked” controversial comment/title in an article about Dr. José A. Bowen of Southern Methodist University.

Because so many teachers of today are the BABY BOOMERS, who are getting ready to retire, as soon as their teacher pensions will allow them to retire (in this economy), there is little (if none) desire to “re-work” lectures and lesson plans by MANY teachers, but this is not everyone in the profession. 

Now I have to qualify myself here.  I, too, am a BABY BOOMER, who currently is out of the classroom. (I thought I’d retire and then along came the recession and all of its negative impact on my financial security!)

But I am trying to get back into teaching in the classroom because…  I WANT to do this type of teaching.  I personally am a lifelong learner plus technology and collaborative learning are exciting prospects for me.

True, I am at the elementary level, not high school and college, but the statement above by Wesley Fryer is still pertinent in the elementary education classroom as well.

I also have another question that may or may not be related to this whole topic. You decide.

Are we teaching the future teachers how to teach in this “new” manner or are they just learning the “same old ways” we BABY BOOMERS were taught in the late 60’s and 70s?

Tell me what you think. And if you think we are not teaching them in the “new” manner, what needs to be done? What can we do as leaders?

[As always, in my author quotes, the underlines, color changes, and bold type is mine, not the author’s.  I do this so often, I should probably put a disclaimer to this effect at the bottom of every blog!]

Technorati Tags: Wesley Fryer,Moving @ Speed of Creativity,Dr. José A. Bowen,Baby Boomers,teaching,life long learning,new teachers,challenges,professional identity,vodcasting,collaborative learning,technology,elementary education