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I’ve been reading a great deal about K12 technology integration (#edtech) and mobile learning (#mLearning). Ok… so maybe most of my “reading” has been twitter tweets. And many of the topics, concerns, problems, etc… that come up can be solved with a little Jedi reasoning. Here’s how Master Yoda, a little Jedi, would address the issues.
“Ready are you? What know you of ready?” As we move forward to integrate technology “Help you I can! Yes! Mm!“ “Careful you must be when sensing the future” but our caution should not be a hinderance to progress. Our PD efforts should be to “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” since “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” Mobile Learning is a powerful tool, with very powerful equipment that says to us: “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size do you?” I hope your response to this post is “Meditate on this, I will.” and obviously “Much to learn, you still have.” “Mind what you have learned. Save you it can!” but let’s get going! “Try not! Do or do not, there is no try.”

If you’d like more Jedi wisdom, check out the Wookiepedia at http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Quote:Yoda

mLearning and Activity Theory

The mobile learning (mLearning) community is in the process of a paradigm shift comparable to the transition of static internet (web 1.0) to the present-day dynamic internet (web 2.0) where interactivity, file sharing, and access are becoming more ubiquitous. Successful mLearning atmospheres must be designed to incorporate dynamic attributes that will allow the user to have access anytime, anywhere to interactive content complete with file sharing and community building tools sensitive to individual need and location. (more…)

Teacher Centered Technology Integration in K12 Instruction: The Missing Link in K-12’s Evolving Digital Learner?

Successful technology integration is not so much a question of “Sage on the Stage” or “Guide on the Side” rather… it’s a question of prioritized preparation and implementation. This post explores how to best facilitate effective technology integration with educators to foster the growth of effective digital learners. “Technology integration” is the transparent use of technology mediums to support class instruction. “Digital learners” refers to students in the 21^st century who are being prepared for a future workforce where technology integration has and will become ubiquitous. The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills has identified “Information, Media, and Technology Skills” as a key element in the strengthening of American education (www.21stcenturyskills.org). (more…)

“A page of history is worth a pound of logic.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

I spent much of last Spring wanting to update my iPhone 3GS but dreaded the fact that as soon as I purchased it, the next iteration (iPhone 5) would be released and my shiny new iPhone 4 would go the way of my StarTac Flip Phone… a toy/frisbee for my toddler…. I was so proud of that StarTac 15 years ago, man, I was so cool, rolling like Cpt. Kirk.

Why is my mobile phone out of date after a few months? Have you sighed this question to yourself? Don’t get frustrated, rather find comfort in its predictablility. (more…)

Professional Development (PD) in education has the responsibility of promoting teacher growth in a valid and practical manner. A community of teacher-learners can effectively promote this growth beyond what simple in-servicing (alone) can accomplish. Applied workshop and other in-service content to individual teaching environments will yield results which can only be magnified by a shared-experience follow-up. Literature on Self-Efficacy, Mentorship, & Professional Learning Communities validate the need for teaching professionals to learn, share, and collaborate with their peers. Teaching professionals need to feel successful and believe in their ability to succeed. (more…)

An interesting article on facilitated professional development. There are definite implications for mLearning asynchronous, always on, anytime, anywhere…

“A facilitated format, experts say, adds three major benefits that can improve teacher engagement in ongoing training. First, it can maintain or even increase the level of interaction of an in-person class, because an online instructor or facilitator isn’t limited by time constraints and can have multiple dialogues with each participant. Second, it allows for a measure of flexibility in timing, so a teacher can participate at a time and place that lets him or her more fully engage in the content. And finally, the online medium offers a way for those teachers who tend to hold back during in-person professional development to express themselves.”

Sawchuk, S. (2009) The Online Option. In Education Spotlight PD. from Education Week’s Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook

The training and development of present and future educational practitioners is a key factor in developing citizenship in our increasingly global community. Teaching professionals place great value on collaboration with their colleagues as a means to achieve positive professional growth. In an age of increasingly ubiquitous communication/social technology, we should be looking to create collaborative and reflective atmospheres for teaching professionals. As a mentor, trainer, colleague, and instructor I hope to work towards preparing educational practitioners to meet the needs of all of their students by fostering an environment of open exchange focused on sharing experiential knowledge, best practices, and advocating for individual ownership in professional growth.