Fourth Annual One-to-One Computing Conference

Conference was outstanding! Thanks to Dr. Peck, the presenters, keynote speakers and Penn Stater Staff that did such a great Job!

I'm in a session at ISTE's NECC Conference. These are the big ideas that came out of the session:

Assessment vs Evaluation:
Assessment is aimed at understanding what students know, while evaluation looks at the worth of a program or practice

PADI Principled Assessment Design for Inquiry
Angela Haydel DeBarger SRI, Inc.

It's a hard job. PADI is a system is designed to help educators create tools that enhance assessment design. From knowing what students know... observe students and interpret their behaviors.

"Task templates" describe the task

Have you seen ISTE's new NETS Standards for Students? They were just released on June 25 at the NECC Conference. The new standards are less about technology, and more about "21st century skills," including:

1) Creativity and Innovation
2) Communication and Collaboration
3) Research and Information Fluency
4) Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5) Digital Citizenship, and
6) Technology Operations and Concepts.

Wow.

I'm in a session at NECC, during which Jennifer Ragan-Fore showed a graph of changes in scores on the Myers-Briggs that indicate the US population may be shifting from a nation of extroverts to a nation of introverts. She says that many people attribute this to technolgy. This raised several questions in my mind.

First, is it a bad thing, or a good thing? The two labels are extreme postions, and being at either extreme may not be good. Introverts (looking within) might be a good thing, perhaps indicating more introspection and reflection.

I'm at the NECC conference, listening to a very bright, kind, ed tech blogger, David Warlick. How said smoething that we know is right, but that I have never heard before.

He pointed out that there are two digital divides: the access to tools divide, and the access to contacts divide. Students can get the equipment, but unless they are prepared to locate the contacts out there who can engage in their evelopment, they are still disadvantaged. Interesting thought. Once agan, David, you have opened my eyes.

I'm at the NECC conference, listening to a very bright, kind, ed tech blogger, David Warlick. How said smoething that we know is right, but that I have never heard before.

He pointed out that there are two digital divides: the access to tools divide, and the access to contacts divide. Students can get the equipment, but unless they are prepared to locate the contacts out there who can engage in their evelopment, they are still disadvantaged. Interesting thought. Once agan, David, you have opened my eyes.

As I listen to Grace Poli describe how she uses technology to reach and serve students for who English is not the primary language, I see a great example of a technology-literate educator with a big heart who uses technologies creatively to solve real problems.

She is also very politically astute, copying the Superintendent on all good news, and sending him notes that start, "Here's what we are doing..."

Marco's session was dynamite. He made us think about "the why," and he reminded us not to get stuck on the media, forgetting the message. He made us consider the fact that our schools have a technology plan, but not an education plan. And, he made us laugh (and perhaps get "misty" as he talked about successful students and how they must have felt. But perhaps most importantly, he reminded us that our work is extremely important.

I have to say Thank You to everyone who came to my talks today! I enjoyed having the opportunity to share some thoughts with you more than you can imagine. I mentioned I was nervous b/c coming into it I thought our worlds were so different, but after spending time together it has become clear to me that we are all in the same boat. Please feel free to contact me about things going on in and around your schools -- I'll do my best to lend a hand. I've posted my slides and some wrap-up thoughts over at my blog, so feel free to take a look. Again, thank you all so much for making the day a blast for me!