A teacher asked me if I would be able to connect her to some people who could talk about where they are from and how they use wireless technology in their work and their lives. You don’t have to ask me twice.
One email later to three people and the deal was done. Lee Kolbert was gracious enough to let us use their Adobe Connect as a platform which proved to suit our situation well. Tom Barrett would be able to chime in from England and Tim Lauer would have to grab an early Starbucks but was ready by 7:30.
Students asked questions, we gave some answers. Easy squeezy.
This is how classrooms ought to look. Learning from people.
If you generally think of the Internet as a place to look up stuff, you’re missing the best part.
This is not just about “wow is this ever cool”. This is about learning. Learning from someone who:
- has a lemon tree and grows lemons
- can see Mount St. Helens
- lives in the city famous for Robin Hood
Do you see how this might make a difference in classrooms? Is there some potential here? Those of you who do this everyday in your classrooms know exactly what I’m talking about.
This is my first attempt to do anything beyond a few basic edits in iMovie 08. It captures about 5 minutes of the 30 minute conversation. (the video may not be processed, if you’re one of the early viewers of the post)
Thanks for sharing this example of classrooms connecting. It is important to see the models of success. I bet the students were jacked up about further possibilities after this global exchange.
Kyle Lichtenwalds last blog post..Reflections on Dean Shareski’s Class & Continued Mentorship
This is exactly the kind of experience I want to make possible for my teachers to use with their students. We supposedly don’t have enough bandwidth, but it seems like most other districts I read about do…I can’t figure it out. Thank you for this post – I’m going to forward it on to the powers that be so they can have a clear visual of the kind of experience I want to happen in our schools! 🙂
Melanie Holtsmans last blog post..Thank You Google
Dean,
It was truly a pleasure being a part of Mrs. McInnis’ classroom today. I hope to hear more about her students and their adventures. Thank you for including me. I also love what you did with the video. Great job!
Lee Kolberts last blog post..Ever See a Moose On Your Way to School?
Thanks for the great post, Dean! As you said, so good to see an example of using the web for interaction, not just one-way delivery of “content” from teacher to learner. You’ve truly shown how this medium can be used to connect our learners with the outside world, rather than isolate them.
Keep up the good work.
Wags.
http://renew-ed.blogspot.com
I got such a kick out of this, Dean. I remember when you skyped me last year for a geography project for your students. I’ve talked about that endlessly as a great way to connect. This is even better! Such fun to see everyone, too. You share such possibilities for all of us. Thanks…
Susan Carter Morgans last blog post..Sometimes, it’s all about winning!! Div II State Champs!!
Thanks for sharing this… what a great experience for the students. Wonderful way to show students that the internet isn’t just for “looking up stuff.”
MaryAnn Sansonettis last blog post..Looking for inspiration….
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