tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post8808192574262764576..comments2014-09-07T12:09:39.490-07:00Comments on The 21st Century Centurion: STUDENT Conferences are the AnswerBeth Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819933894839367350noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-89594182303265665482008-12-29T18:41:00.000-08:002008-12-29T18:41:00.000-08:00Just came across you on twitter and have now signe...Just came across you on twitter and have now signed up for your podcasts and RSS feed. Great post. I was there (in Reno). My principal literally asked if I had ever heard of this NCTM thing and if I would like to go to Reno. I told him that the local conference was in Oklahoma but he said that the school district was going to send people to Reno. He also wanted me to accompany a new Math teacher who had never been to any PD outside of the school district. So, I went.<BR/> My one defense of attending the NCTM conferences (locally or nationally) is that I always learn a nugget or two that I take back to my classroom/school. And, I thoroughly enjoy interacting with teachers outside of work. <BR/> One district I was with would not help with the funds unless you held PD for the math teachers in the district and kept a journal of all of the sessions that you attended. The last district I was with made me pay for everything AND take a personal day. So, there are a couple of extremes.<BR/> As for student conferences, I am fortunate to teach in a New Technology school and we have students presenting projects to their classmates about weekly. In Texas we will be having an All School's Student Conference (at the Univ. of Texas) this Summer where students will be presenting to other students from the 4 Texas New Tech schools.<BR/> Social Media (such as twitter, facebook, and linkedin) have made it easy to interact with experts in all phases of education and I see conferences going the way of the black board. As you mentioned, on-line conferences and webinars are convenient and fill the need for educating educators.<BR/> Thanks again for a thought provoking post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-50194988723799003892008-12-28T11:57:00.000-08:002008-12-28T11:57:00.000-08:00Well, good ideas abound! Emile, you nail the probl...Well, good ideas abound! Emile, you nail the problem when you identify the need for self-directed learning opportunities for students AND teachers. Seems that schools everywhere are constrained by 20th C boundaries!<BR/><BR/>I'm also intrigued with Dorothy's suggestion about teachers visiting exemplary schools as a PD experience. We don't do nearly enough of this kind of exchange in the U.S. Can you imagine a scenario in which mini-conferences are held in high-performing schools with teachers, students and guests serving as presenters? My first choice for such a conference is Microsoft's School of the Future in Philadelphia. Touring that amazing facility with teachers, students and Gates himself would be the ultimate PD experience!<BR/><BR/>Oh, and Dorothy, you may be right about "conference overload." I'm sure I was overloaded! You make a great point with this leveling perspective.Beth Holmeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13819933894839367350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-70412923125476974262008-12-28T11:18:00.000-08:002008-12-28T11:18:00.000-08:00Hi thereThis is a most thought provoking post and ...Hi there<BR/>This is a most thought provoking post and while I share the concerns you express I don't think the answer is simple (in my context anyway). Personally I object to going to conferences during school time for the reasons you have outlined about the negative impact on students. At my school staff only get sent during the school holidays - and they have the option to say no. That is a beginning to sorting out who is going for the learning/networking!<BR/>Then we require reporting back to the staff and school board of what has been brought back that is of value to our students, staff and parent community. In the last year we have switched the forum for this to Google docs as it gives the opportunity to collaborate in the thinking/writing and non-attendees can re-visit the ideas shared and ask questions when they have had time to reflect themselves.<BR/>The reason I think that there is still a place for face-to-face conferences is #1 the networking and #2 the reality check for some teachers when they see that there are hundreds of other teachers out there confronting (or reveling in) whatever the school is focussing on at the moment. And that it is not some crazed notion that the management have grabbed off the internet and are trying to implement in isolation.<BR/>Don't know if you have ever experienced this, but one of the frustrating/wonderful things about facilitating professional development in your own school can be working with a teacher over a long period of time and they just don't 'get it'. They go off to a conference and some stranger tells them the same thing and they come back excited about this new thing they have learned at a conference. I have been on the opposite end of this plenty of times too when presenting at conferences. <BR/>I think someone out there must have come up with a continuum for conference attendance (I'm thinking a bit like the ACOT model) where you get to a stage where you are 'over' conferences and the online and unconference style is preferred. I still work with 100s of teachers who have NEVER been to a conference!<BR/>Finally 2 things:<BR/>I think taking teachers to visit other schools where the focus of PD can be observed successfully operating with students is more powerful than a conference.<BR/>Conferences run/presented by kids are wonderful. I have had students presenting at these for several years.<BR/>Thanks again for the post<BR/>Dorothy<BR/>Auckland, NZAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16486794203463798461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-91626476449856586432008-12-28T08:38:00.000-08:002008-12-28T08:38:00.000-08:00Hello, Beth,is there any school system which is fo...Hello, Beth,<BR/>is there any school system which is focused on the students´ needs at all? In Germany, the problem with the school system is that there isn´t enough further education for teachers, and if there is, we have got to do that during our spare time. There is next to no further education concerning technology, and even filling out reports for the students is done by hand. If there is a change, teachers, who are mostly 50+, can´t manage that. Nobody shows them how to do that.<BR/><BR/>Another problem is that lessons are too short and teacher-centred. If you go about changing your teaching style, there are always those who tell you: "This will never work." or "How do you keep discipline in the classroom?"<BR/><BR/>Still I think there is no way around putting the students in the centre of learning and showing them how to direct learning themselves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-82960794389110026572008-12-23T09:29:00.000-08:002008-12-23T09:29:00.000-08:00Hi, Lisa...You just inspired an insight! Do you su...Hi, Lisa...You just inspired an insight! Do you suppose we are currently perpetuating "20th Century" conferences - and in this 21st Century the "same old" conferences just don't seem to make sense? For me, this might be a key insight. Thanks for pushing the thought forward!Beth Holmeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13819933894839367350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-58975953414927938352008-12-23T08:26:00.000-08:002008-12-23T08:26:00.000-08:00Exactly. I do look forward to seeing people I know...Exactly. I do look forward to seeing people I know at Educon and a mini-vacation at PETE-C. I pay my own way and no school funds are used in my case. There is indeed no change in the 19th century classrooms, and that is the sad part...........Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-34367830163655991442008-12-23T06:22:00.000-08:002008-12-23T06:22:00.000-08:00Hi, Delaine,I just visited your blog! Great to con...Hi, Delaine,<BR/>I just visited your blog! Great to connect with you in the blogosphere! I'd sure like to hear specifics about what you dislike about conferences. I'm thinking the "dislikes" probably identify the very things that need to morph into more productive and beneficial practices. Hope to hear more from you!Beth Holmeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13819933894839367350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-34322944269427694722008-12-22T18:14:00.000-08:002008-12-22T18:14:00.000-08:00I'm with you--I hate conferences and now refuse to...I'm with you--I hate conferences and now refuse to attend them. I prefer to stay at school and work with my students.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-42637683322923158482008-12-21T18:29:00.000-08:002008-12-21T18:29:00.000-08:00Hi, Paul,I'm so glad you commented. I suspect ther...Hi, Paul,<BR/>I'm so glad you commented. I suspect there are a host of educators who know on some level that education conferences - as they are currently structured - are not the best form of professional development. It was good to hear that you've actually had students involved in conferences. I know they benefited from the experience. Our work, after all is to give students an opportunity to showcase THEIR work. I'm with you, Paul, I'd love to hear some cracker-jack students tell US how to use social networking. Bet the teachers could learn a few things!Beth Holmeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13819933894839367350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7208633604800073524.post-53932013383648521222008-12-21T15:03:00.000-08:002008-12-21T15:03:00.000-08:00Hi Beth,Just stumbled upon you blog and have enjoy...Hi Beth,<BR/>Just stumbled upon you blog and have enjoyed going through the posts, especially the one about educational malpractice. <BR/><BR/>As I was reading this post I began thinking about not just having conferences for kids, but having them lead certain workshops, or at least be major contributors. I know one conference last year had many presentations on using 2.0 tools in school led by folks who had never really used 2.0 tools in a classroom. I see many presenters and tech integrators who use lots of great examples of the technology that they are asking attendees to use, but none of the examples are theirs. They can show a finished draft, but cannot speak to how to go through the various stages to get there. I think this actually does more harm than good. Newbies are shown these incredible examples, have no idea to how to actually get kids to that level, try to do it in class, fail, give up...<BR/>My kids have had the opportunity to speak at a few conferences (virtually) this year. Now for each, I have no idea what the experience of the presenter was that asked my kids to participate, or what happened before or after my kids spoke, but each person in the room had the opportunity to ask kids who are actually using the technology questions about how they were using it, difficulties, changes they have made, etc. They were able to see the (wow-only intended to type a few sentences and I am still going!) the excitement and learning that has occurred within each kid because they used the tools. <BR/>I think also that it would be helpful for teachers from average schools with average kids to hear about things that were done in those classrooms with 2.0 stuff. Too often if you probe a bit behind a "wonderful" 2.0 collaborative project it was done by an "elite" group of kids led by a full time tech integrator. I would like to hear more from teachers in average schools with average tech equipment. Ok--sorry, starting to ramble. Seems as though I have some unresolved issues on conferences too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com