The K12 Geek

In an earlier post I said that I attended the Blended Schools Conference in State College, PA a few days ago and was lucky enough to be present for an innovative presentation by Deneen Frazier Bowen called, The Natives are Restless.

This presentation takes a look into the minds of today’s Digital Natives – our students. Hence the title, The Natives are Restless. Get it? Wink Wink, nudge nudge, knowwhatahmean?

Teachers today are often referred to as Digital Immigrants while Students are the recognized, digital natives; growing up in an increasingly digital and global society. Deneen has created a unique presentation to help us digital immigrants to understand todays’ student.

I was able to capture, and now podcast a portion of this program for you. You can either check it out at my Technology Integration Podcast or if you just want to hear this episode, this is the link to the MP3.

The description of the program follows… enjoy!

The Natives Are Restless

Take a uniquely entertaining and enlightening journey into the minds and hearts of today’s digital natives. Using recent research, Deneen portrays a riveting cast of characters to reveal the students’ struggle to connect what they do in school with what they do in the world. Using their own words, Deneen invites you to witness and connect to both the hope and discontent felt by these restless natives. Discover how to engage and leverage the digital mindset and creative energy of your own students to support the
co-creation of a new future for your school.

Deneen is the author of The Internet for Your Kids, founder and director of ActWith, offering uniquely live interactive learning experiences by creating characters that engage audiences in exploring the possibilities within and around them.

One more reason I use a Mac at home…

Windows update brings PCs to a Standstill

…

…and another reason to try this:

Install Leopard on your PC

Just a quickie, but thanks to DVDChris for this one:

A new, in-expensive Linux-based laptop by Asus is available. This one doesn’t have a hand crank to generate its own power like the $100 $180 laptop, (and you don’t have to buy two to get one) — but it might just be a nice, in-expensive, compact, basic travel companion when you don’t want to lug along your 17″ Macbook Pro.

Check it out at the Cooltidbits blog.

I’m attending the Blended Schools conference today – right now is the kickoff with Jed Friedrichsen: Educating the Digital Native. Jed started off by talking about how he started his day with reading the news on CNN, then moving from web site to web site to accomplish each task. This was to show how reliant we are on technology.

The rest of this post will be in constructivist mode – various ideas and thoughts from his presentation with no real road map. Read them. Google them. Think about them. Reflect on how you (and your students) may learn from them — enjoy!

 

 

Interesting Thoughts:

Digital Natives are independent – they go to the WWW to:

• SPOCK for news.
• Kyte – to produce videos
• Clicksurge – to find news for you

This is the first generation in human history to be linked in such a global manner.

“Most change is not what we do, it is how we do it.” John Naisbett, Mind Set 2006

Casual Fridays should go to Email-free Fridays!! (Big applause!)

Cyberschool Enrollments 30k in 2004-05 to 92k in 2006-07

School districts ranked 4^th as major online instructions providers.

Small research study shows: No large difference between face-2-f ace online courses w/student achievement – because we are educating digital natives.

“Medium-Use Gamers” are now 6 yrs old vs. 12 yrs old just 10 years ago.

Huge projects used to take 100,000 people – pyramids, Panama canal — Imagine what we can now do with 500 million connected people?!!

 

Next big influences in education

• Reality Virtually
• Web 2.0 user created content
• Texting
• Handhelds

 

Six Principals of Sticky Ideas:

1. Simplicity
2. Unexpectedness
3. Concreteness
4. Credibility
5. Emotions
6. Stories

 

Five principals for turning ordinary to extraordinary:

1. Make it your own - Starbucks
2. Everything Matters
3. Surprise and delight – Starbucks
4. Embrace resistance
5. Leave your mark

 

Be a purple cow!

One of my favorites: “Discovering the remarkable is risky, accident prone and FABULOUS.”

“The farther one goes, the less one knows.” Tao Te Ching

What is the Cognitive Backpack we need for students?

 

 

Places I need to visit or look at:

• Izzit.org
• Fiddleandburn.com podcast
• Beyond classroom podcasts

MORE TO COME…