Week 4 AR Leadership Project

There are two technology conferences where I would love to present my AR project. My first choice is the NESA Spring Educators Conference. Our NESA representative is currently organizing a "call for papers" that specifically "encourages the submission of . . . innovative talk formats which focus on the integration of technology in the classroom." Among the keynotes at the Spring Educators conference is Technology Infused Project Learning by Neil McCurdy. My AR presentation, I believe would be a perfect fit for teachers wanting to see what a child-driven project could look like. Moreover, I feel that this would be a perfect opportunity to get my feet wet as a teacher workshop facilitator in the International arena. Feel free to view my keynote at https://public.me.com/ctinaschraeder
My second choice is one of the Office of Overseas Schools Summer Institutes for 2012. As they are only advertising the 2011 workshops, it will be hard to tell if they opportunity will be available to me. I'm particularly interested in presenting at the Overview Jefferson Overseas Technology Insitute (JOSTI). Again, this institute may change in 2012, but I have put in a letter to the director of A/OS so time will tell. For more on the Office of Overseas Schools

Although I would be interested in presenting at other venues, I'm bound to the rules of regulations of the company school for which I work. You can read about that in my recent blog:
Week 4 Think Out Loud

You may also be interested in my first think aloud

Week 4 Think Out Loud RE: Leadership Project

I've given a lot of consideration to the presentation that I'd like to give and at which conference. As I'm in the unique situation of working for a company-owned school, there are special parameters, which will mold my decision. Firstly, I must give the actual presentation to a board of directors, who will decide whether or not it is worthy of our company name and then and only then am I free to pursue submission. I recalled an email that came across my desk last trimester. Our Near East Asia Schools (NESA) representative was keen to inform us that the NESA Spring Educator's Conference would run with a technology theme. I contacted the Spring Educator's Conference liaison and was informed that they are still taking submissions and now I've contacted our district rep and am awaiting reply.
Now I'm weighing the following: Do I want this presentation to be an informative what I did in my AR, as the instructions seem to indicate? Can I use the AR as a lead-in only and then inform my attendees that we will learn to use the ELMO digital camera to create time-lapse and stop-motion photography together. I envision a room full of computers with ELMO's attached to make this possible. My slide show could contain small movies that were made by the kids themselves coupled with a smattering of images and my explanations of how we shared those films with each other and parents. I could see ending the "collaborative presentation" to a hail of applause and an open Voicethread that teachers who wished to share their projects and ideas could join.

Image credits:

Without You by Earl Wilkerson available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/earlwilkersonphotography/5191484350/in/photostream/

The artist used photoshop and the images below to create "Without You"

- Boat: www.sxc.hu/photo/1289604
- Sky: www.sxc.hu/photo/1176857
- Sky: www.sxc.hu/photo/1206713
- Sky: www.sxc.hu/photo/1317346
- Beach & Ocean: www.sxc.hu/photo/1317691
- Seagull: www.sxc.hu/photo/1178345

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Week 4 Comment #2 Helen Xiong

This comment is in response to Helen Xiong's blog posted below:

I recently watched the interview between Holly Ludgate and Ron Smith and WOW.....what an experience these students in California are going through....It is really amazing to hear what other schools are doing and what types of opportunities there are out there for our future leaders of our world.

It literally made me laugh out loud when Mr. Smith spoke about how teachers become so excited when they make a good powerpoint and I feel like that is the era I began teaching with and now experiencing what I have through EMDT.....wow were they off as well as myself. I started my teaching career making smartboard lessons for all of our math units and I was super proud of them because in every lesson I tried to incorporate something that would be exciting for my students to experience. But now after seeing all of these web 2.0 tools and resources that are free and hands on on the web, it has really opened my eyes to so much more that I was letting slip away from my students. I hope that this next school year I can raise the bar for me and my students and have them experience more through their education through the technology tools I have experienced.

Helen,
I'd like to thank you for reminding me of this interview. It was a fabulous example of what is possible in digital education. I wish your Smartboard lessons were also available for download via Promethean Planet. Have you thought of publishing them? I am sure that you will exceed your high bar of expectations this term. You appear to me as someone who is always striving for true possibility. I too had a giggle when listening to Ron Smith describing the teacher who likes to come in and build their lesson the day before. I'd like to say I've never been there. Ron Smith's advice that frontloading would pay off in the end and yet what a hard-sell it is reminds me of all course-building we did in Schoology. All the best as you frontload for the new school year.

Source: Ludgate Ron Smith Interview Video available at http://web.me.com/edm613/m11/mi-ronsmith.html

Week 4 Comment #1 Edwin Moy

This comment is a response to Edwin Moy's Think Out Loud Post below:
Week 4 and thinking about a paper or creating a presentation for publishing. With my back ground writing is not the path I would chose if ever given an option, so presentation is the path that I will be heading down as week 4 and month 12 approach.

In reviewing choices to submit I searched for conferences that were excepting submissions during the time frame of the EMDT program. I started thinking about not looking at conferences geared towards solely teachers, but in thinking about the book The Art of Possibility I didn't want to limit and start a downward spiral of thinking so I looked at most sites. EduComm is excepting submissions and will be located in Las Vegas next year. The location was a factor but they are have a leadership category for presentations and I think my project would be geared towards that audience.

Edwin,
I read through your Week 3 post as the image of the head exploding intrigued me. I think you have a very positive attitude and despite the incongruous imagery, it looks like your "one step at a time" approach will work. I love that you've decided to look beyond the Educator conferences expanding your horizons. I too am using location as a major factor in deciding the conference at which I'd like to submit. EduComm sounds like a brilliant mix of your criteria. It would be great if you inserted a link to the conference in the body of your blog, or when you link to the think aloud in your Leadership Project page. I'm attending a conference in Las Vegas next summer. If it happens to coincide with EduComm, I'll come and check out your presentation!

Sources: Head Exploding by Frankenstoen available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankenstoen/402660999/

Week 4 Reading - Art of Possibility

Chapter 9. Lighting a Spark. It’s not about us. It’s about them. What are you doing to pay-forward from your universe of possibility?

“…our universe is alive with sparks. We have at our fingertips an infinite capacity to light a spark of possibility.” In our lives as educators we model the passion of our craft. I have seen over the course of changing many schools that there is always the opportunity to ignore the voice inside that says, “How Facinating!” and fall into the downward spiral of “at my old school…we, blah, blah, blah.” If however I can accept that others are eager to catch the spark and I am willing to show them just what ignites me, then the kindling will remain stoked for the arrival of the next individual to arrive and greet us with I’d never thought of that.

Chapter 10. Being the Board: It's not them. It's not the circumstances. It's me. It's my choices. Now what do I do?

This practice arrived at a defining bend in my journey à ce moment meme. I had just been informed after months of fighting, that my district would not accept the Full Sail EMDT as valid. There are accreditation issues with the fact that Full Sail is accredited as a “trade school.” Flashes of all the nights that I spent not sleeping, feeling incredibly ill-prepared to complete the technology aspects of this degree and yet accomplishing so much spiraled down with my mood. I read the words; “when you are angry and blocked, and, for all your efforts, others refuse to move or cooperate, to compromise, or even to be halfway decent; when even enrollment does not work and you are at your wit’s end- you can take out this next practice:” I moved the problematic aspect within the boundaries of myself and began to see new possibilities. Furthermore, I decided against lining up my moves as I’d been doing with our district, to let the pieces move themselves until there is more that I can offer as the board. I may not have a solution yet, but I’m confidant one will present itself and it certainly stemmed my suffering.

Chapter 11. Creating Frameworks for Possibility: How do I take this flash of insight and make it into daily thing? And how do I share this with others?

Recalling the story of the teacher who shaved her head, I smiled. One small gesture like that could make all the difference in the way children enter into their small social contract. It reminded me of Mrs. Delphinium who came the rescue of the bullies that taunted Chrysanthemum in Kevin Henkes book of same name. I began to think long and hard about what I value in education and began searching for other books that might inspire my soon to arrive kiddos with a more just social reality. I can’t make them drink, but it seems to me that I’ve found a set of texts that will draw them near the oasis. I’ve ordered How to Fill a Bucket , How Full is Your Bucket and Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A...

By Carol McCloud, David Messing. I think by starting the year with the children creating a framework for happiness and possibility as our shared agreements are forged, is our opportunity for a real connection.

Now let me digress for a moment. I had to laugh as the Zander’s explained visions and missions…specifically noting one company’s competitive stance as the “preeminent supplier” of tech etc. The word preeminent is actually contained in the mission statement of our school district in Saudi. I had to laugh at this. Earlier this year we studied Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a possibility for creating change on our campus. We were told that we could not change our mission statement and yet were encouraged to run through the actions of a PLC. This seemed counter-intuitive, as the very premise of a PLC is to create a shared vision. Still, we muddled through and I'm quite proud of the one we did in Kindergarten, which I'm linking to here.

Chapter 12. Telling the WE Story: I told you it wasn't about you. Have you been able to tap into the power of combining your expertise and passions with someone equally gifted? Have you had the pleasure of lifting a teammate, student, and stranger, enabling them to realize their dreams and exceed anything that you could have imagined?

I’m so fortunate to work with someone who held my hand through many of the “experiments” of the past year. He and I have adjoining classrooms and our kids constantly intermingle, roaming freely from my room to his and vice versa. Christian is a gifted educator and always willing to share ideas as we develop something with our students, that is both magical and full of possibility. It is because of our own-shared vision that the incredible things, which have graced the pages of my blogs, AR tangents and daily life, have been achievable. There are a number of other people including my professors, my classmates, my critical friends, and my boyfriend who accepted the invite to the WE story. I’m better equipped to frame possibility because of their graciousness and can only hope that I’ve add to their growth as well.

CODA: What’s next?

Well the possibilities are boundless, no?

Sources:

From a Little Spark Bursts a Mighty Flame Image by Mykl Roventine available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/3689364622/

Layers on Layers Image by Mykl Roventine available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/3733194129/in/photostream/

Overhung Image by Mykl Roventine available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/4007603690/in/photostream/

Monochrome Drops by Mykl Roventine available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/3956788033/in/photostream/

Week 3 Wimba Archive and Think Aloud

Until watching the Wimba session, I was sailing along pleasantly basking in the warm waters of Rule No. 6, even giggling every now and then at the preposterous entirely "invented" assumptions being thrown at us at this teaching conference. Then knock, knock..."Hello?" "Landshark" the voice answered mockingly then, revealed his true identity, "It's your calculating self." The panic that set in as I talked myself through all the negative scenarios surrounding the very idea that I need to submit a presentation proposal to a conference by next week. What? Here I thought I was doing so well; doing everything ahead of time so as to enjoy some semblance of a vacation NYC at the end of this conference. Please don't see this as blamescaping, it is all me, often ill-prepared. I sometimes feel as if the bat mobile is driving in front of me. I wonder what button Batman has his finger hovering over next? Will it be the oil-slick? "Oh, hi, calculating self, my old friend. Sit down."
Besides the mercurial change of my inner calm, this session did also yield some practical information that will carry me through the process of rebuilding my confidence as I approach the task of publishing. I suppose you will read more about this in my two "Think Out Loud" posts to follow.
I did not know about publishing specifics. I had no idea that publishers can turn you away if you've submitted to other publishers. I guess it makes sense that they would want the one-and-only go or "first publishing rights" and so we should only submit to one Journal at a time.
I will have to go to some websites and look for applications for presenters and then see what they wish for me to submit be it 100 words some slides or what have you.
The most immediate and pressing task at hand is to create a first draft. What will my presentation look like? I will need to prepare 5 slides with about 1500 words (300 words per slide) though it was mentioned that we could make a presentation of 24 slides (15 words per slide). I would rather not prepare a "death by powerpoint."

As for the delivery of this work, it was suggested that it would be better to put our words in google docs and share the URL with our peers. This is important as some publishers view work on websites as being "published."

I'm trying to remember to focus on the possibilities rather than focusing on the limitations of "publishing" my presentation.

I'm still unclear as to how we PROVE that we've submitted an idea for presentation at a conference. Please answer that in your comments to me.

I did enjoy the fact that Dr. Joe did voice his annoyance the chapter on "giving an A." I hope that I'm not making an assumption here, but I too felt this chapter was giving us conflicting information. I like the advice but the example of having the kids write why they deserved an A is not the same thing that the "practice" is telling us.
I have recently received a note from my mentor Joe Huber, who said that since reading the Zander book, he has started to give all of his kids an A and that none of the work has suffered as a result. I think of the act of giving an A as more of a metaphor for making the assumption that we are all equal and in this together than a physical grade. Luckily as I teach little kids, the "A" grade does not enter into our dialogue.

Sources: Creative Commons Image by Ian Boyd available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsaboyd/5397010770/

Week 3 Comment #2 Heidi Faber

In response to Heidi Faber at http://faberhedm.blogspot.com/

Chapter 7. The Way Things Are:

When I started teaching, I was full ideas and innovations, but in staff rooms and meetings my voice was drowned out by jaded, seasoned teachers complaining about this and that, until one day I found myself sucked into the Downward Spiral Talks.

It is not a coincidence that both you and Sheri have touched on the same tragic phenomenon. It is very difficult not to fall prey to these critical educator discussions. I remember being warned when a young teacher not to get in the habit of spending time in the lounge, as this would happen. It seems that these discussions permeate meetings, lunches and the playground as well as the lounge. They are hard to escape. I too have found myself sucked in and on inglorious occasion, being the negative Nelly downplaying all the greatness around me. Hopefully, in our realization that this is not the path to take and considering it’s all invented we will continue to fight the good fight.

Chapter 8. Giving Way to Passion:

What are you doing in your daily life that expresses your passion or the things you are passionate about?

I am passionate about art and nature. In the brief freedom of summer for my girls (before they go back to school and are sucked into a world mostly devoid of these things), I try to instill as much of these two high held passions as I can. This is one of the main reasons I chose Portland, OR to move to. This city is as passionate about art and nature as I am.

Surely modeling the importance of following your passions in the hub of creative energy that Portland is said to be, will yield high dividends for your girls. Congratulations!

Sources: Creative Commons Image by David Berkowitz available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidberkowitz/4452569798/