I ran across a great video by Richard Armand, the Mesquite (TX) Independent School District Administrative Officer for Technology. I have added it to the Moving Forward wiki.
You can view the video online or download it for presentations. I have a group next week for whom this will be perfect. Nice work, Richard!
Thanks for the video link. I couldn’t agree more with the content. In an ironic note, I just came across an article that claims technology has also supported an uprise in cheating during class. We have to find a balance somehow, and soon.
Hall Monitor
http://detentionslip.org.
Scott,
I’d encourage you to challenge some of the claims made in this video. Are the claims made backed by research?
This comment was much longer, but I decided to cut it out.
Scott, you’re an academic. Put some critical analysis towards what you post and see if the wider body of literature supports stuff like this.
@Chris: I don’t feel I have to critically and academically analyze every online video I run across (I’m growing increasingly weary of dueling research; there’s a lot of truth to the adage that you can find a study for whatever point you’re trying to make). The video notes that it reflects what students in the district are saying. I think the video makes its point well. That’s enough for me. If it’s not enough for you, that’s cool…
That said, any concern I have regarding this video is the same that I have with these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8
http://snipurl.com/3lnt3
Are the ‘student concerns’ authentically originating from the students themselves or are they simply adult propaganda placed into the mouths of children? It’s hard to know…
As always, thanks for the comment. I owe you a follow-up post on your concerns about my gaming post a while back. Still getting my thoughts together on that one…
OK, since Chris went one way, allow me to go another…thanks for NOT including a bunch of high-brow analysis and over-thinking into this video. Thank you for respecting our ability to do this if we want, skip it if we choose, and determine what is important to us. This is exactly what Weinberger discusses in “Everything is Miscellaneous” regarding the way we think. Don’t tell us the facts to build our knowledge, let us find the meaning so we can build our understanding.
If you disagree, that is your perogative and it only adds to the value of conversation in determinig our combination of knowledge and understanding.
Reminds me a bit too much of Wesch to get excited. Not sure why we need another version of the same thing? Is there something here that’s new that I missed?
@Dean: Interesting question. I like that it’s got the kids from the district in it, rather than university students. The collective ‘we’ may find that Wesch’s A Vision of Students Today is enough for us. But I’m guessing (hoping?) this made a pretty big impact in this particular district…
Richard, do you want to weigh in?
My apologies Scott.
I’ll leave you alone. I guess I’ve just been hoping to brige the gap between academics and “the network”. You seeemed to be in a nice position to help do that.
I’m sorry that each video doesn’t bear academic scrutiny. I guess I understand. One only has so much time.
I’ll not bother you again with high brow over thinking. I’m of the opinion that there are absolutes; that some things are true and some are not. It’s not prerogative to decide which is which.
Chris
No need to run away, Chris. I think we’ve got several issues here.
1. Truth is in the eye of the beholder? What may be true locally may not be true regionally / nationally? What is ‘truth’ anyway? Perception that becomes reality? Data-supported conclusions? Something else? Big, big questions…
2. The simple fact is that we don’t have a lot of data on many of these issues. Part of the problem is lack of interest by academia. Another problem is the sheer speed of change versus the slow pace of study and peer-reviewed publication. For a lot of this stuff, our data collection and analysis are pretty ad hoc and “on the fly” out of sheer necessity…
3. I’m more of a ‘life is gray’ guy than a ‘black and white’ absolutes guy, I confess.
4. I VERY MUCH want to help bridge the gap between academics and ‘the network.’ I’m not sure trying to dig up research to verify claims of a school district’s locally-made video is the best way to do that, but I’m up for other thoughts that you have. I’ve tried to give some thought to some of these types of issues in the past (mostly related to publication):
http://snipurl.com/3luks
http://snipurl.com/3lukj
http://snipurl.com/3lul3
5. You’ve now made me think really, really hard twice in the past month, Chris. Keep it up. I need folks like you stretching and challenging me!
I agree that using your own students/people drives the point home further. Personally I would have liked to see a more deliberate attempt to find originality knowing that posting it means folks are going to recognize the similarity.
@Dean: Well, in all fairness, he only posted it on his team’s blog for the district. I was the one that gave it greater exposure. =)
@Chris
It seems due to your references that you have taken offense at my use of “high brow” and the prerogative to be our own thinkers. I don’t intend to create a chasm of disinterest here. My personal preference is to talk with those that heartily disagree with me, so please don’t be offended. My perspective is that we have so many things that are out there, and frequently we tend to analyze them to death. I’m OK with simply letting the information move us to action or to stir the silent emotions in us all. Please tell me I’m a dataphobe or ignorant, but don’t stop the conversation simply because we don’t agree. My comment was very much not based on this particular post but the general approach. I’d rather speak from my heart and passion than spend deep hours of research into why I feel that way (even though I know that would support an argument so much better). Again, please tell me why I’m wrong as I may learn something about myself through you. At the same time, if there are challenges to the content, shouldn’t we all be doing that and/or posting our concerns or questions? Your perspective is valuable as it questions the information instead of just taking it at face value – and I think we ALL need to do that if we think there is a concern, not just Scott.
Scott – Thanks for sharing this video. I’ve enjoyed the commentary around it. I’d encourage the group to look at a new ditial resources by NBC News — http://www.icue.com — as an example of how digital content can be use to support classroom learning.
This new, free resource gives students opportunities to engage in discussions, fun learning games as well as learn content that is correlated with core course content (AP courses in this case).
As we think about what today’s students need to be prepared for tomorrow, I believe this discussion is necessary.
Just my two cents…
Well…..some of you seem to be very serious about research based content. As a member of team that put this video together allow me to set some context. First, I will say the idea for the video is certainly not original. I doubt many ideas implemented in K-12 public education are 100% original. We depend on and pull from all sources to implement the vey best instructional program we can.
This video is one piece of a comprehensive emphasis placed on learning and teaching with tools that our 21st century student’s appreciate. The district has deployed a significant amount of technology over the past two years and we recognize the need to not only spend money but to also have outstanding support systems. The “Time to Listen” video was one resource in a package designed to announce the reorganization of in-district technology staff development and the launching of a blog to share best practice stories.
Honestly it was never our intention to have the video viewed outside the context of the district program. I am however thankful that Scott posted the media. I truly believe the open sharing of ideas, opinions and concerns is productive.
Richard,
Thanks for spreading the Texas expectations. Maybe some legislators will view it and remember they did not fund those things. Online testing survey done yet? The cost is astronomical using 21st century tools at that volume in mid 20th century buildings.
Tell your kids thanks for participating and sharing their thoughts with us. They are all the research I need most of the time.
Is there another link for this video? It is not working for me. Thanks!