The presenter, Shari Albright, began her presentation with showing the Did You Know? video.

Are our students ready?

Rand, Price Waterhouse, and Microsoft are all concerned with global issues.

What is Global?International competences?

Knowledege, skills, and values. NCLB is not enough. Gates Challenge: The International Studies Schools Network (ISSN). Charlotte, NC has a couple. Best school practices. I will be looking at the handout. But, what is now happening in our district, and what are some steps we can do to enhance internationally-focused 21st century learning communities. Raising the bar on rigor is a major challenge. “If it was good enough for me, then why is not good enough for them?”

Think locally, Act Globally! No, Think Globally, act locally. This could help our kids understand issues in their community like gangs.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Graduates prepared for post-secondary ed and life-long learning
• Deep foundational knowledge about the world through mastery of content. Example- digital storytelling->lesson plans->go teach the kids at the elementary school. Take kids to Heifer now that would be really cool! Takes kids beyond their comfort zone.
• Skills to engage successfully in life-long acquisition and development of knowledge in an increasingly interconnected world.
• Have attitudes and habibts of mind to work, live and learn with a diverse range of people.

Civil Rights Tour of the South was another project her school The International School of the Americas. She talked about how this tour was connected with Apart id in South Africa.

School Organization and Governance

Students and staff who elected to be a part of an internationally-focused education. Personalization so all students find their place and connection within the globally-focued mission of the school.

It is our time now to take this information and do what we can with it.

Opportunities to learn and lead so all members of the school community have access to and voice in shaping the school, its polices and practices.

Fulbright scholarships are now available for science and math teachers. I have to try to that.

This project is something our school will be starting to use in Columbus County, North Carolina.
Here is the link to Wake County’s project which we will be using as a model.  

Early Language Learning: A National Perspective, Oct. 24. 2007.Dr. Wang is very engaging as a speaker. Discuss why World Languages, share research findings in planning teaching Chinese Language in schools. examples and resources.World is number of fluent Arabic speakers in the US Embassy in Iraq. 6**.EU- bilingual 99% in Luxemburg, Britain was second to last, 8 out of 10 students ages 15-24, can have a normal conversation in at least one foreign language. US - 9% of Americans speak both their native language and another language. http://www.languages.orgHuman capital premium Global Funds- cultural capital, and social capital.How do you tell rural education that Global Education is valuable? Poultry industry in US is having a hard time understanding why the US chickens do not sell in Asian countries. This example is critical for helping educators promote the necessity for supporting language education. Http://www.cal.orgChildren learn through play, peer socialization, learning by concrete examples, activity-based inquiry, yeast for future development.  Advanages: phonological window open, parameters for language learning expanded, content language reinforced, cognitive skills activated and strengthened, natural imitators and risk takers, enjoy show and tell and fun to communicate for meaning, time to go thorough articulated sequential learning. Don’t leave any students “hookless”. Learners need hooks to help them learn and connect.Adult learners: research supports that to prevent Aleshimers - learn a foreign language!  I am going to learn Mandrian.

I am trying to blog this live, so these are just ideas.

Creating and Integrated, interdisciplinary Global Studies Curriculum session presented by Caryn Stedman, Bloomfield, CT. 100% graduation rate, wow!.  Caryn began by telling us about how her school demographics matched normal schools.

The Need- skills for a Flat World - Sharing our planet - 20-20 book it is Issues involing the goabla communtiy. Global warming, biodviersity….Massive step-up in the fight against prvery.  Third area, policies econ, biotechnology Vivian, Are we fixing the wrong things? Yong Ed Leadership. Applause from the audience when she said that creativity is being driven out of our educational system today.

What is necesary?  Creativity and  What is NAME?

Area/Regional Studies- indepth study of world region or area include African and others, she moves too fast for me…High School - World regional studies- is now a survey approach. She wants to see school focus on one area in depth instead of looking at all of them.

International Studies - NGO’s and multinational firm: McDonalds- got laughs.

Global Education-  integrated approach to ed with systems thinking.  Disciplines are de-emphasized. World is different in other cultures. Color- red blue, etc, look at spectrum

which has no distinction. Piaget - on traditional education…She pointed out that we are testing and teaching to lowest level of learning when just teaching traditional skills.

Global Systems curriculum- Middle School curriculum was their starting point. She showed us their test score from CT and I was impressed. Test scores showed improvement. Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Systems-based curriculum.

Essential questions- addressed teacher’s strengths, looked at case studies from around the

world as main themes. Mapped out ideas. Region was not the guiding idea. She pointed out urban amermica and Arctic region unit. Other skills, math, science, teach the system, not the chapter! This is something we need to implement in our school to get away from chapter driven teaching. They use capstone project as a graduation requirement. Students must pick an issue. Process to their projects is complex and we need more information which Caryn will be providing.

Three Signature Elements- students expected to participate in action, including service learning, travel, and/or internships.

Man, I just had a brain-storm. We have an new program in our district for student to graduate with fewer credits than the regular high school- 11-12 graders that choice to particpate in this new program must complete a Global Issues project.

Economic Systems- Global Issues, careers, and skills are included with knowledge.

Exchange program, math classes international studies helped teach math lessons.  Scholarships for study abroad. It costs about $10,000 to house and feed a kid today, it only costs $5-6,000 to send them to foreign countries.  Global Nomads.

Using Google Docs to Edit Edublogs.org

Setting up Google Docs

First, you must have an account on Google Docs to begin this process.

How do I sign up for Google Docs

To use Google Docs, you’ll need to create a Google Account. Note that while it’s possible to view a document, spreadsheet or presentation without a Google Account (via an invitation), you’ll need to create a Google Account to edit the document, spreadsheet or presentation and to continue accessing Google Docs. If you already have a Google Account, just go to the Google Docs home and sign in. http://documents.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=40599&topic=9378

How can I instruct Google Docs to publish my documents to my blog?

To specify your Edublogs settings, follow these instructions:

1. Click Settings in the upper right corner of your Docs list page.
2. In the Documents tab, select edit info in the Blog settings section.
3. Enter the requested information. The first items on the blog site settings screen: “Existing Blog Service”.

• Click the radio button beside My own server/custom.
• API: Select MetaWeblog API.
• URL: use your site’s URL and add /PATH/TO/xmlrpc.php Like this http://blakej.edublogs.org/PATH/TO/xmlrpc.php
• Existing Blog Settings are next. Enter your user name and password you use to edit your Edublogs with. Blog ID/Title can remain blank since it is optional. I have checked the option to include the document title when posting.
• Test time: Click the test button and allow time for the API to process the command. A message will appear if the settings work. If it does not work, you may have to do what I did- check the spelling of your site’s URL. The first time I tried, I omitted the letter j in my URL.

After the testing, you are ready to click the OK button and you will be able to publish your documents to the blog you selected. If you’d like to publish to a different Edublog in the future, simply re-enter your blog settings.

I think I have only two students that do not have cellular devices, a.k.a. cell phones, this year. They all know about how to cheat on their tests using SMS, or what us teachers call text messaging. I mentioned to one of my fellow teachers that the cell phones they have are more powerful than the eight year old dinosaur/paper weight computers we have them reading on and watching videos. They are not impressed with our old school tech toys.

When I asked my students if they knew about Google SMS, none of them had heard about it. Personalized SMS saves time by saving your location. Google automatically saves your most frequently used location for future queries. You can also text ’set location’ followed by a city & state or zip to save a new location. Then with a few key strokes, the user can Google the phone number of the local pizza place, access weather forecasts, find out what it playing in movie theater 40 miles away, look up directions to the drivers license office, and look up definitions to words on their text that they should have been learning in class when you were trying to lecture them on the structure and function of endoplasmic reticulum. The all know that if they type in the words “define zenith”, it will look like this on their cellular device:

In the unlikely chance that you are reading this on your cellular device, here is the link: mobile.google.com for you to start using this if you have not already mastered the art of Googling on your cell phone. I mentioned using Google to one of our district administrators. The response was honest and short- “I need to have my son teach me about that”. I just smiled and replied- I am still not going to learn how to set my VCR and I refuse to learn how to check messages on my home phone. If they want to talk to me, keep trying or send me an email. On second thought, if it is really important, I want to talk face to face. Send me a video message. Oh, but you can’t because my cellular device is an old cell phone and I do not know how to use anything on it myself except the address book and how to dial a number.

Technology- can’t believe how fast it is changing. It is a real challenge to keep current– I try.

Key #1 Large Schools are not safe- but small schools lack resources and personnel to search and seize

Key #2 Student book bags- it is time for them to disappear from schools

Key #3 Teacher visibility- not seating at our desk (maybe that is why two teachers were shot in the resent school shooting on NBC this morning)

Key #4 Communication- if you know about a threat- put it in writing (triplicate copies and turn in one to the assistant principal(s) and one to the principal) Students have this “code of silence” and are afraid of telling on their comrades. Students have to know that not telling can get them kill anyway! Use of automated phone calling machines are popular in schools. But many of our parents are now using text messaging to communicate with their kids. The SMS feature needs to be added now.

Key #5 Special program/alternative school for disruptive students. This program provides a special classroom at each school for students who are disruptive or who have been involved in violent behavior. A teacher and counselor will be specially trained to work closely with these students to improve their attitude, behavior, and study skills. Special attention will be paid to students with learning problems. If necessary, counseling services may be extended to families of these students.

Key #6 School uniform program. All elementary and middle school students should be required to wear school uniforms unless parents opt out of the program. Each school will select its own uniform. The program will provide assistance to families who cannot afford to buy uniforms.

Key #7 Increased security equipment and personnel. This plan provides metal detectors and hallway surveillance cameras on each middle and high school campus. One new security guard will be hired at each school to help staff the equipment.

Key #8 Conflict resolution program. High school and middle school teachers must be trained in conflict resolution skills, which they will teach in various classes. Each middle and high school will develop a peer mediation program, in which students learn how to settle disputes among students. These peer mediators will also travel to elementary schools and train students in conflict resolution. This could part of our school’s NC Positive Behavior Support program.

Key #9 Parental Involvement- calling all parents using a “calling machine” helps communicate, but nothing beats Parent Night or Open House after-school events. I know the ones we want to see never come but information presented in these events help. Schools need to hold special night classes for parents. The classes will teach effective discipline techniques, how to deal with problem behaviors, and how to help students with school work. There will be classes for parents of students of all ages—from elementary school to high school.

Key #10 Just Do It!

CALL FOR CONVERSATIONS — Proposals Due Nov. 1st

Educon 2.0 — January 25-27, 2008
Science Leadership Academy
Philadelphia, PA

EduCon 2.0 is both a conversation and a conference.
And it is not
a technology conference. It is an education conference. It is a School
2.0 conference. It is, hopefully, an innovation conference where we
want to come together, both in person and virtually, to discuss the
future of schools. We are looking for people to present ideas,
facilitate conversations, and share best practice.

The Axioms / Guiding Principles of EduCon 2.0:

1) Our schools must be inquiry-driven, thoughtful and empowering for all members.
2) Our schools must be about co-creating — together with our students — the 21st Century Citizen
3) Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around.
4) Technology must enable students to research, create, communicate and collaborate
5) Learning can — and must — be networked.

Cost: $50 ($80 after January 16th) — Payable to the Science Leadership Academy
Register TODAY At http://educon20.eventbrite.com

Hotel Information — The Windsor Suites — 17th and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Attendees

Join the Facebook EduCon 2.0 Group!

CALL FOR CONVERSATIONS — Proposals Due Nov. 1st

The blog post with the initial thoughts.

January 25th Agenda 12:00 — 3:00: Spend the
afternoon at Science Leadership Academy. Meetings with teachers,
students and administrators to talk about the ideas of School 2.0 and
how SLA is working toward that ideal.

January 26th - 27th — EduCon 2.0
Conference / Conversation Categories:

Issue Conversation Sessions
One of the things we have seen is that more and more presentations are
becoming conversations. We are looking for “Conversation Sessions” that
are interactive and engaging. One possible format: The
mini-presentation — 20-30 minute lectures, with the ability to be
Skype/note-chatted, where a speaker takes a position on an issue,
explains something, tries to define an idea or just tries to get their
head around something. Listeners note-cast the session along with a
live audio feed so others can take part. After the lecture, 30-40
minutes conversation where the speaker just joins the conversation
around a table, followed by 15-30 minutes where personal reflection
takes place.

No matter what format these take — all of these sessions must have participation built in.

Blogger Cafe
We’ve got a comfy library and we’re not afraid to use it.

Unsessions
This would be more like what we saw at the EBC, where one facilitator
ran a conversation for an hour. I think these sessions would work best
around ideas where many people felt a level of expertise or previous
investment. Goals for sessions like these might be action oriented? If
we all are walking in with a lot of expertise, can a good facilitator
build consensus toward a goal? Again, if the conversations were an hour
long, I’d want to leave time for a half-hour to reflect and write
afterwards. (And again, no reason not to have a Snowball mic on the
table and make sure that others can take part. In fact, there’s every
reason to.)

Pedagogy Sessions
Here’s what I want to see more of… specific conversations around
pedagogy. Could we have some sessions where folks had agreed to read an
article beforehand around constructivist teaching and then had a
conversation where we looked at Web 2.0 tools with the specific agenda
of looking at how to take the best of progressive pedagogy and apply it
to the new word in which we live? Maybe even looking at old language
and looking at its limits and where we do and don’t need new language?
Again… skypecast it, chat it and give time for reflection at the end.

It would also be nice to see these discussions of pedagogy lead to more
specific suggestions about how to incorporate these ideas into
practice; ie, how will I apply this idea to the lesson/unit I’m
starting tomorrow. How do I introduce this to students; what does it
look like onscreen, and what does my “classroom” (in quotes because you
can define it however you want) look like as a result? Perhaps these
sessions could be followed by a series of posts/wiki pages where people
brainstorm and archive ideas on using these tools in specific lessons.

Cross-Pollination Lunch
We’ll be offering spaces for folks who went to different sessions to come together and talk about what they’ve learned.

Getting outside the Echo Chamber From John
Pederson — everyone is encouraged to bring one person from outside the
“chamber” — i.e. a student, a teacher, administrator or colleague.
From Stephanie Sandifer — and think about options for “skypecasting”
discussions/sessions back home to site team members who can’t attend.

Conference 2.0 Resources

From Stephanie Sandifer’s Change Agency Blog — we should definitely
think about protocols for making it a productive conversation /
conference. “Home Teams” — another idea that may be helpful.

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EduCon 2.0 is both a conversation and a conference.

And it is not
a technology conference. It is an education conference. It is a School
2.0 conference. It is, hopefully, an innovation conference where we
want to come together, both in person and virtually, to discuss the
future of schools. We are looking for people to present ideas,
facilitate conversations, and share best practice.

The Axioms / Guiding Principles of EduCon 2.0:

1) Our schools must be inquiry-driven, thoughtful and empowering for all members.
2) Our schools must be about co-creating — together with our students — the 21st Century Citizen
3) Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around.
4) Technology must enable students to research, create, communicate and collaborate
5) Learning can — and must — be networked.

Call For Conversations

In
addition to the many informal conversations we believe will be a big
part of EduCon 2.0, we do want structured sessions in the following
broad strands:
School 2.0 — What are the schools we need to prepare kids for the world to come?
Classroom 2.0 — What are the classrooms our students need — today and into the future?
Student 2.0 — How should the student experience change in our schools?
Teacher 2.0 — How should the profession of “teacher” change?
Innovation 2.0 — How do we best act as agents of positive change?
Library 2.0. – What is the role of the library in the future and what does it looks like, act like, feel like?

Conference proposals are due Nov. 1st. Please submit proposals via Survey Monkey — Call for Conversations.

All proposals should include:
Title:
Conversational Strand:
Conversational Focus / Main Idea / Presentation (in 250 words or less):
Conversational Practice –
How will you make this an conversation, not just a presentation?
Skypecast? Conversational Protocols? Building a wiki together? For more
ideas, visit Stephanie Sandifer’s post on Conference 2.0 Resources or the wiki page “Protocols Examples”.
Conversation Website (Optional):
Presenter(s) Names:
Presenter(s) Afflilation:
Contact Email:

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Last night, my wife and I watched the movie Blood Diamonds on HBO. We enjoyed the action and drama, but we were moved by the facts and consequences of the diamond market.  This morning, I read a few articles online. Here is a link to one article.

Then today, our church had its annual Fall Service. It is a big event with “dinner on the grounds” following the church service. Looking around the small church as the families entered for the service, I recognized a familiar face. It was Jerry Lanier and his wife, from Washington, DC. Jerry is from Chadbourn, NC and graduated from West Columbus High School in Cerro Gordo, NC. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as Deputy Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Ghana. As we were standing in line to fill our plates with the church dinner, Jerry asked me what I was doing now, and I told him I was teaching science. He smiles and nodded his head. He asked several other questions about my family and it come to me to ask him about the movie Blood Diamonds. He did not hesitate and calmly said that he knew a lot about the topic. In about 30 seconds, he summarized the topic and told me his opinion on the whole problem.  I asked him what he thought of the movie and he said it was historically accurate. Jerry was impressed with DiCaprio’s portrayal of the White African diamond smuggler. I wished I had taken my H4 recorder and recorded some clips for a podcast. But, he probably would not have agreed to comment about it on tape.

I was happy to learn that he and his wife are making plans to retire back here in Southeastern North Carolina. I will try to interview him later.