Seems like what we want here.

I also have to mention–Will Richardson spoke at our campus this spring, and I gave him the dubious task of summing up everything about the read/write web in ten minutes for the parents on our vision committee.

I have to say he did an incredible job.

So I think your challenge here is a great one for all of us–to think about what our “post-it” would be.

That being said, I would concur with your list above, and add information literate/search literate.

My vision would be a classroom full of kids teaching and learning from each other. Teaching is changing almost as rapidly as technology and the kids know far more about how to use it to arrive at their ends than we do. Watch a group of kids collaborate on a project and the leaders step forward.

I am the instructor/facilitator for Edtech 462 an online technology leadership course, at Penn State University and see adult students, given a project with a stated outcome, meet in chat rooms created by me and lay out/plan how the project will be done. Ideas change hands and the framework takes shape. They hassle back and forth, divide the project, and conquer it.

I have no doubt that this same thing will take place in a public school classroom given the outcome desired and the tools to do it. I think sometimes we get too hung up on how to get there and lose sight of where we want them to go. In other words we get too academic minded and look far too much for a way to “write down” the vision. We over study it because that’s what “education” is supposed to do?

In my opinion, you want people who can learn, who can teach themselves. I’m coming to call this learning literacy, and I believe that learning literacy is the same as literacy — the skills to resourcefully use your information environment to help yourself learn what you need to know, to do what you need to do.

I would also suggest that we need graduates who have a strong context that they can share with others — a sense of who, what, where, and when (culture, science, geography, and history) they are, that gives them a common ground interacting, collaborating, and enjoying each other.

Then we think of what the classrooms, teachers, textbooks, technology, blah blah blah, need to look like to accomplish this.

I think this is an excellent discussion. I enjoy reading and learning from you.

It is my contention with regard to the “challenge” that the outcome will always vary for students. Developmental levels come into play. I believe that effective teachers meet the child where he or she is at and then helps to scaffold development (i.e. Vygotsky’s ZPD). Being a special ed teacher, I’m a big fan of developmental psychology (also undergrad).

Indeed, Piaget posits that not everyone will achieve formal operations. Therefore, from a developmental perspective are the utopic visions via technology too narrow? And in turn, is technology considered ineffective by many school administrators if their particular visions are not fulfilled? Can we explore the shades of gray? Can we broaden the efficacy of technology to consider each child’s developmental level and how teachers are scaffolding development through the medium?

…just some thoughts…

Best Wishes,
Mechelle : )

Hey, am I mistaken in thinking that finally my point about talking points was heard? I see they even had an edubloggercon session about this…

Why have student create online projects like Webquests and wikis, or write on blogs?

1. Get their interest, their hearts and minds will follow:
It improves engagement, students are more motivated to learn;

2. Use it or lose it! It improves retention;
Students need to use what they are taught for it to make sense and to remember it.

3. It improves, encourages, and develops independent and group work skills;
This is preparing them for a modern work force where they will have little supervision and blurred lines of authority;
They will need to work cooperatively with others without input from a supervisor.

4. It helps them contextualize themselves (or see their place) in their community and the world;
Its a big world, and they will be a part of it.

Metacognitive literacy — understanding of how one/others learn.
Social literacy — understanding how to peaceably navigate the changing world. (From the playground to the floor of the UN.)
Environmental literacy — understanding our place in the earth, and that of others.
Literacy — oh yeah, and understanding how to read and comprehend.