:Connecting the Dots

Well, Doug Johnson saw my link to LifeHack’s 10 Essential Skills and has challenged the Edublogosphere to come up with their own lists.  Here’s mine:

1. The ability to understand and interpret data: So many people - especially in education - try to prop up weak arguments and ideas with even weaker/incomplete/misleading statistics.  Worse, many people lack the tools to see when others are doing the same.
2. Seeing the big picture/putting things into perspective:  People who consider only their little corner of the organization when making decisions will forever remain in that little corner.  Teamwork means not only understanding your own “stuff” but how it fits in with everyone else’s “stuff” and collaborating to chart a path accordingly.
3. Communication: Okay, I’m a former English teacher, so I suppose this is to be expected.  Whether it’s writing, speaking, reading, or listening, there are few jobs that don’t require us to interact with others in varied settings and through diverse media.  It’s sad that one of our assistant principals had to send out a blast e-mail to the school clericals reminding them to be polite when answering the phone.  And I’ve seen people lose their jobs because they couldn’t write to save their lives.
4. Being a good compromiser: The ability to walk into a room where people are fighting and find a solution that meets everyone’s needs is very valuable.  It’s a creative, thinking-out-of-the-box act: taking a situation that has reached an impasse and finding a way out.
5. Empathy: Right on, Doug.  I would go beyond just understanding the needs of others, however, and ask that all leaders know how to minister to those needs.  Asking about family, sending a note when someone is sick, complementing a co-worker on a job well done: these little actions mean a lot.
6. Critical understanding of technology: It’s about more than just knowing which buttons to push and which icons to click.  People need to be able to recognize appropriate tools for a task and use them properly to achieve the desired outcome.  They need to be able to reject those tools that are poorly-designed, harmful, and/or irrelevent.  Otherwise money gets wasted and there is a backlash.
7. Math and logic:  The greatest value in math is the habit of mind toward logic which it develops.  Geometric proofs, in particular, are valuable because they help students to understand how to work methodically through a problem.   I’ve seen so many poor decisions made because people lacked the ability to temper emotion and intuition with a little hard reasoning.
8. Creativity: In a world where so many insitutions appear to be failing and/or inadequate to meet the needs of such a rapidly-developing culture, people need to be able to dream up innovative, new solutions to the problems we face.  People who succeed are the ones who aren’t afraid to fail, and I think that’s what creativity is all about when you come right down to it.
9. Knowing where you put things- both physically and mentally:  Complexity seems to be increasing faster than our brains’ capability to manage it.  The ability to leverage tools to stay organized - both in terms of physical items, contacts, and appointments as well as ideas and facts - are invaluable.  And perhaps part of that means managing a storehouse of facts that we can quickly and easily recall - you never know when someone will name-drop “Harold Pinter” or need to know how to convert gallons to liters.  No, I’m not saying it should all be memorized and yes, it can be Googled, but we need to be able to contextualize and use that knowledge effectively.
10. Responding well to setbacks:  We all identify this as an important skill in children.  It even shows up on standards-based elementary report cards.  I think it’s equally valuable for adults: the ability to work through any crisis without giving up and without losing your head.   In the words of Judge Smails:

It’s easy to grin, when your ship comes in,
And you feel you’ve got the stock market beat,
But the man worthwhile, is the man who can smile,
When his pants are too tight in the seat!

I know I’ll think of at least 2-3 more over the next few hours now that my motor is going…

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LifeHack has an interesting list of the 10 Skills You Need to Succeed at Almost Anything.  Lots of good stuff, but nothing about technology/computers.  Should there be?  Or does the development of those other skills (math, decision-making, networking, etc.) ensure that one will be able to succeed in our increasingly technology-rich world?  Is facility with technology a fundamental skill unto itself or does the development of other parts of our brains help us to conquer whatever new tools come down the pipe?  Many of the Digg commenters responding to the story indicated that #11 should be computers.  I must say that I certainly agree with the authors that the 10 skills they did identify are indeed necessary in our world; I’m just not sure that their list is complete…

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I sympathize with Scott MacLeod, who decries the information overload he experienced at NECC.  In my case, the problem with being connected was less about the overload of information emanating from the conference and more with my inability to avoid niggling issues back at work.  Monday morning started off with a cell phone call from the high school assistant principal about a problem with comments on report cards.  With my laptop, I was able to troubleshoot the problem in our web-based SIS.  More issues followed.  Even when someone wasn’t calling me, I was checking e-mail.  As a result, I found myself missing out on large chunks of lectures, workshops, etc.

I’m not a bad multi-tasker, either.  But I can’t help feeling that the thing that we all celebrate so much about computers and the internet - being connected when and where we want - has its dark side and at least in this case somewhat prevented me from fully enjoying the face-to-face interactions at the conference. I wonder if students ever feel this way when they are barraged by texts and calls from friends during class or when they are trying to enjoy a movie or be with their friends.  We all assume that, unlike us, they enjoy and can manage that full-time connected-ness.  Perhaps not.  Can being connected prevent your from connecting?

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As Scott McLeod points out, not everyone is happy with the arrival of NECC Unplugged at the Blogger’s Cafe.  Havinig spent time in the BC and presented at NECC Unplugged I, too, think the integration of the two could have been handled a little better - or else they should go their separate ways next year.   To begin with, the positioning of the BC at the conference site was great in terms of drawing lots of people from the nearby foot traffic on the concourse.  This was great for getting people involved but boy, did it make it tough to present.  Also, the layout of the space itself made it difficult.  It seemed like the Unplugged presenter was shoe-horned into the corner but the tables and seats were pushed out into the middle of the area.  There was a large gulf between the speaker and the audience, which meant he/she needed a mic and had to speak all the more loudly to engage everyone.  This in turn probably distracted all those who just came to sit quietly and reflect or to share some conversation with a friend in the Cafe.

The solution?  Maybe next year the Unplugged “stage” is placed in a space adjacent to the Cafe, where people can watch and hear what is going on, if they like, but also have the opportunity to do their BC thing in peace.  It’s important that all of those bloggers still have access to the Unplugged content, but they shouldn’t feel like we’ve invaded.

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I presented at NECC Unplugged today in a very noisy but welcoming Blogger’s Cafe.  My topic was, “Grassroots Technology Change, or: Stop Telling People What to Do.”  I spent a long time preparing a long text for a 10-minute “TED-type” talk.  When the time came, I plugged in my mic and opened the floodgates.  It was hard to stay focused on the text and hard to keep people engaged with so many people walking past and so many conversations going on around the room.  But more clapped than booed  (OK, no one booed) and at least one attendee came up afterwards to congratulate me and discuss.  It was over before it began but I’m glad I did it.  Click here to view the complete version of that long text.

The weirdest moment occured as I was waiting to present and took a casual look around the room.  The woman sitting next to me was reading this blog!  So strange to see your writing on someone else’s screen…

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My bags may not be packed yet, but at least I’m thinking about what I’ll be bringing to San Antonio when I attend NECC next week. I’m also thinking about where I’ll go, what I’ll do, and who I want to see when I’m there. Undoubtedly, I will be spending a lot of time talking to vendors as I stroll the show floor; I would estimate that in each of my other visits to NECC I’ve probably spent about 5-8 hours walking through the exhibit hall.

So I appreciate all too well Ryan Bretag’s warnings about getting swept up in the buzzwords and glitz when you walk through those convention hall doors. Bretag has chosen not to attend this year, apparently fed up with not only the salespeople but the pundits and attendees mindlessly spouting “web 2.0″ and the like. Maybe a little extreme, but I think he’s right in encouraging those of us who do attend to be critical. Thinking about his post, I would suggest keeping in mind the following when dealing with those sweet-talking reps:

They want your district’s money and while they might not lie to get it, they will certainly bend the truth. Go up to a software vendor whose literature describes their product as geared towards K-6 and tell them you teach eighth grade. Sit back and enjoy the show…

As you talk to them, ask yourself if this person really knows their product. And then ask yourself if they really understand education. Have they ever worked in a school? Did they use technology in the classroom? How long ago was that?

One of my favorite questions when talking to vendors is, “There are about 20 different brands of whoozy-whatzits on the market. What differentiates yours from the rest?” Another gem: “What do people dislike the most about this product and what is your company doing to address those issues?”

As you discuss that wonderful piece of hardware/software/web site/etc., expand your consideration to include things like the availability of support, training, and user communities. What is the roadmap for the future development of this product?
There are always other attendees standing around the booth while you’re getting a demo. Talk to them about what you’re seeing. Learn from them and be frank in sharing your reactions and let the sales team overhear and react.

The absolute bottom line: how will this help students in my class/school/district to learn? So easy to lose sight of with that shiny gizmo in your hands and Mr. Salesperson whispering sweet nothings in your ear - but so crucial!

I think it’s helpful to think ahead of time about what you want to see. In my case, I’m going to be looking at document cameras, web-based keyboarding software, and possibly anti-spam solutions. Going in with a shopping list prevents you from getting distracted and allows you to minimize time on the floor and maximize time spent with colleagues in and out of sessions talking about learning. After all, that’s what we’re going there for, isn’t it?

Image: Chestnuts for Sale by The Beardster (Creative Commons)

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Will Richardson brought my attention to Nicholas Carr’s Atlantic Monthly article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr poses the question: Is the internet re-wiring our brains? Noting that he and many of his friends can no longer concentrate deeply as they read for extended periods, Carr asks if the way we think is being shaped by this new medium of hyperlinks and infoglut. Obviously skeptical about the internet as a positive force in the evolution of our culture, Carr nevertheless makes some good points and raises some very valid concerns. I have two specific problems with his article, however:

1. I think his characterization of Google as the embodiment of Taylor’s principles of scientific management is way off:

In Google’s view, information is a kind of commodity, a utilitarian resource that can be mined and processed with industrial efficiency. The more pieces of information we can “access” and the faster we can extract their gist, the more productive we become as thinkers.

This is the company that tells its engineers to spend 20% of their time working on projects of their choosing not directly related to their core job function. They manipulate their corporate logo to commemorate significant dates in the progress of the arts and science.  There’s a lot about Google that scares me; but I think that overall their corporate culture is one that celebrates non-linear thinking and creativity.  In the same way that so many viewed the IBM of the 50’s and 60’s as a monolithic culture of conformity and order (in spite of their “Think” motto), I think Carr mis-characterizes Google’s attempt to make information manageable in the service of free thought as an attempt to mechanize thought. 

2. I have to assume that an editor titled the piece. I say this because in spite of all of his concerns about how the Internet is changing the way we think, Carr is very honest about his abivalence. He opens his conclusion noting, “Maybe I’m just a worrywort.” And while he offers a very convincing argument that the internet is changing how we process information, I don’t think he ever goes so far as to equate that new way of thinking with “stupidity.” Regardless of whether it is Carr or his editor who is to blame, I think we have to stop and consider not only what we have lost, but what we have gained. If we do indeed “think in hyperlinks,” then perhaps we are developing a new capacity to draw connections between disparate ideas, people, and works. Perhaps the structure of the internet reflects the way our culture has evovled into a postmodern one characterized by diversity and interconnectedness and if our brains our evolving in the same direction, they will serve us all the better in this new world. 

Carr shows that clearly the notion of what terms like “literacy” and “intelligence” is changing.  Will we stand by and let others define what’s important or will we play a role in re-interpreting these concepts?

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I introduced PBwiki to a number of teachers at our high school recently. One just ran with it and now has her ninth grade social studies classes busily putting together review materials on her “Globalpedia.” For the others, I’ve decided to offer a little carrot: an online summer reading list for use by the faculties at our three schools. I thought this would be a simple way to expose people to wikis: a wiki of just four pages (Introduction, Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Biography) which could be read quickly and subjected to simple, minor edits.  Focus on something that most teachers know about and like to do at a time when they are gearing up to do a lot of it.

I started by trying to convince the few teachers who were already comfortable using wikis to go in and add a few books. Nothing more intimidating than a blank page staring back at you when you’re a wiki newbie. Once I had seeded the wiki a bit, I sent a blast e-mail to all of the teachers inviting them to participate. Many responded asking to be invited into the wiki and thanking me for putting it all together. But since then, only a few have actually gone in and added their own favorite books.

Frustrating. Am I being too impatient here? Is it just the wrong time of year? Or is the problem that these people thought they were getting a freebie, an opportunity to grab a few titles and run off to the bookstore without adding their own two cents? Is it just that they don’t get it - the fact that in this world the quality of the resource depends almost entirely on the community’s willingness to build it? Who knows? Maybe it just needs time…

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For the last two months, teacher participants in my New Technologies Seminar (offered through the Scarsdale Teachers Institute) have been trying their hand at blogging to reflect on the course and to discuss its content.  I thought this would be as good a time (and place) as any to introduce them to the rest of the education blogosphere:

Regina - What’s going on in my gray matter?

Laura - Hola Todos

Rachel - This and That

Heather - All That and More

Deborah - Zig Zag

Sandy - Sandy’s Blog

Jennifer - Make Sense of It ALL

Beth - For the Technologically Challenged

Jeanette - jstockblog

Barbara - Literary Lines

Jessica - Why Blogger?

 Stop by, take a look, and leave a comment!

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In preparing a lesson on internet research last week, I was reminded of just how important it is to try your searches in multiple search engines instead of just relying on one favorite. I was looking for a current topic to explore with the ninth graders with whom I would be working and decided to give the recent protests in Tibet a try. It was fascinating - and very scary - to see the differences between the list of sites returned by Google and Yahoo when I entered the search term “lhasa riot” (Lhasa is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region). Google’s results included a number of YouTube videos (who owns YouTube again?) and links to reports of the events on a number of western news outlets. The Yahoo results, in contrast, featured links to ChinaDaily and People’s Daily Online, both Chinese sites sponsored and controlled by the Chinese government.

A mistake? An anomaly in Yahoo’s search algorithm? Maybe not, considering Yahoo’s documented cooperation with the Chinese government in its efforts to censor search results to eliminate anti-Chinese content. Are students aware that these things are happening? Are they aware of the immense power that these search companies wield as gatekeepers to the internet? How many of our students - how many of us - actually bother to perform a search in two search engines instead of just relying on that first page of results from whichever one happens to be our favorite? We’ll drive across town from Best Buy to Circuit City to make sure we get the best TV at the best price but most of us (myself included) never take the time to shop around our important questions about what’s happening in our world. Perhaps we should…

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