Monday, May 31, 2010

This Week's Live and Interactive Events

Below are this week's public, free, and interactive webinars through LearnCentral.org, the social learning network for education that I work on for Elluminate.

The time of the events below will show up automatically in your own time zone when you are registered in LearnCentral and when you have chosen your time zone in your profile. Event recordings are posted and available after the events if you aren't able to attend them live. A number of folks have emailed me looking for an easy calendar import / RSS feed for these events, and while the developers at LearnCentral are working on a good long-term solution, you'll find my Google Calendar "hack" at LearnCentral.tv. Hope it helps!

Be on the lookout for Australia-time-friendly events as part of the new Australia Series, and Spanish-language Webinars from the Aula 2.0 Series! I hope you will also consider hosting your own public webinars using the LearnCentral public room--instructions are available by joining the "Host Your Own Webinar" group on the main announcement tab (http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars).
Thanks for your attention, and see you online!

Steve

Steve Hargadon
Elluminate, Inc.

Monday, May 31st
  • 10:45pm PDT (US) / 1:45am EDT (US) (next day) / 5:45am GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times):
    AUSTRALIA SERIES
    “Tech Talk Tuesday: Web conferencing for Student Collaboration.”
    “Join Anne Mirtschin and hear Claire Bloom discuss the ‘nuts and bolts’ of establishing a web conferencing-based global project. Learn about the achievements experienced as students worked globally to achieve many cultural understandings.”
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/77299
Tuesday, June 1st
  • 10am PDT (US) / 1pm EDT (US) / 5pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    ELLUMINATE LIVE SERIES
    Real World Approaches for Formalizing Informal Learning.” “Lance Dublin will discuss the buzz about Learning 2.0, informal learning and now social learning has turned into a clamor. Organizations sense they need to jump onto this bandwagon, but they worry about how. They understand formal learning; it is well established and is understood. This catch-all term 'informal learning' seems an obvious alternative, but it is too ill-defined for many. So, to bridge this gap, a conversation has begun to about 'formalizing informal learning' as the next important learning approach organizations need to adopt. But, what does this mean? What is 'formalizing informal learning' really, how do you know when it's the right choice, and then how to you actually do it.”
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/70723 (pre-registration required)

  • 6pm PDT (US) / 9pm EDT (US) / 1am GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times):
    AULA 2.0 SERIES
    Aplicaciones prácticas de los blogs educativos.La segunda parte sobre blogs y las mejores practicas dentro el aula.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/77667/
Wednesday, June 2nd
  • 3am PDT (US) / 6am EDT (US) / 10am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    AUSTRALIA SERIES
    “Mahara Eportfolios,”
    with host Carole McCulloch. “Learn how to build an eportfolio in Mahara. You'll gain access to a Mahara system, create your own account and learn how to upload your artifacts and create a view to share with someone.”
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/77102

  • 9:30am PDT (US) / 12:30pm EDT (US) / 4:30pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    SHANNON'S BRIGHT IDEAS SERIES
    Shannon's Bright Ideas Center - Sharing Documents,” with host Shannon Autrey Forte. Document Sharing can be done multiple ways in Elluminate. In this session we will explore File Transfer, Application Sharing and the Whiteboard. .
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/68284

  • 6pm PDT (US) / 9pm EDT (US) / 1am (GMT/UTC (intl times)
    Creating Online Learning Documents.” Please join Lorna Costantini and Kim Caise for another Elearning Center session on creating innovative learning materials, manuals and documents for use in the classroom or online learning courses.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/72135/

The 2010 Global Education Conference
A Collaborative Worldwide Conference on Global Education, November 15 - 19
Multiple Time Zones, Multiple Languages, Multiple Tracks
For more information, to volunteer, or to keep informed: http://www.globaleducationconference.com

Thursday, June 3rd
  • 2:30am PDT (US) / 5:30am EDT (US) / 9:30am GMT/UTC (intl times): STUDENT 2.0 SERIES
    “Wikis - for storing, sharing and showing what you can do.”
    Join Jenny Luca to discuss the use of wikis for storing, sharing and showing what you can do.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/70196

  • 4pm PDT (US) / 7pm EDT (US) / 11pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    EDUBLOGS SERIES
    “Edublogs "Techie How To" - Be an "Elluminated" participant.”
    Join Jo Hart for a discussion about being an active Elluminate participant – how to get the most out of Elluminate webinars. This interactive session takes a close-up look at some of the Elluminate tools features you can use as a participant that will help you get more out of sessions and become a more active participant.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/67258
Saturday, June 5th
  • 9am PDT (US) / 12pm EDT (US) / 4pm GMT/UTC (intl times): CLASSROOM 2.0 LIVE SERIES
    Smartphone Computers in a Rural School District. Join Kim Caise, Lorna Costantini and Peggy George for another Classroom 2.0 LIVE session with Scott Newcomb to discuss 'Smartphone Computers in a Rural School District'.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/node/77539

  • 11am PDT (US) / 2pm EDT (US) / 6pm GMT/UTC (intl times): MATH 2.0 SERIES
    “Math 2.0 Weekly: YourMathGal.”
    Maria Droujkova has a vision: that everyone will have the opportunity to learn and love math. Join this discussion and learn about free videos for the world. .
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/72929

Hold unlimited, on-demand meetings and classes with a 50-seat Elluminate vOffice for only $49.95/month. It’s your personal virtual room with a fixed moderator name for you and up to 49 other simultaneous participants.
The power of Elluminate Live! in a single-room configuration.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

This Coming Week's Live and Interactive Events in Elluminate

Below are this week's public, free, and interactive webinars through LearnCentral.org, the social learning network for education that I work on for Elluminate.

The time of the events below will show up automatically in your own time zone when you are registered in LearnCentral and when you have chosen your time zone in your profile. Event recordings are posted and available after the events if you aren't able to attend them live. A number of folks have emailed me looking for an easy calendar import / RSS feed for these events, and while the developers at LearnCentral are working on a good long-term solution, you'll find my Google Calendar "hack" at LearnCentral.tv. Hope it helps!

Be on the lookout for Australia-time-friendly events as part of the new Australia Series, and Spanish-language Webinars from the Aula 2.0 Series! I hope you will also consider hosting your own public webinars using the LearnCentral public room--instructions are available by joining the "Host Your Own Webinar" group on the main announcement tab (http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars).

Thanks for your attention, and see you online!

Monday, May 24th
  • 10am PDT (US) / 1pm EDT (US) (next day) / 5pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    Cyberchase Summer Challenge Training.” Join this PBS training session to learn how to use FREE Cyberchase resources to extend your students summer learning!
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/72592

  • 10:45pm PDT (US) / 1:45am EDT (US) (next day) / 5:45am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    AUSTRALIA SERIES
    “Voice First (Podcasting Options).”
    “Digital audio can be used at all levels, in a variety of ways with students to help them make sense of their learning. Oral language has often played second fiddle to reading and writing in our teaching practice yet it is the corner stone for all language development and also for constructing learning in a meaningful way. In this session Lois Smethurst will discuss the use of voicethread, livescribe pens, skype and podcasting in the classroom. "Voice First" is about creating meaningful learning through oral language and the increasing importance of developing verbal communication as we move into an era of global classrooms. Different podcasting options including voicethread will be discussed.”
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/75970
Tuesday, May 25th
  • 5pm PDT (US) / 8pm EDT (US) / 12am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    FUTURE OF EDUCATION SERIES
    Interivew with Cathy Davidson on The Future of Learning.” Steve Hargadon will interview Cathy Davidson , co-author of The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/60489
Wednesday, May 26th
  • 2:30am PDT (US) / 5:30am EDT (US) / 9:30am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    STUDENTS 2.0 SERIES
    “Ning and other social network environments - how to work and earn with others,”
    with host Jenny Luca. Ning environments are a great way of learning and communicating with like-minded people. But every Ning environment is dependent on its members to drive discussions and support one another in their learning. This session is designed to help you understand how you can help one another to create a community in Students 2.0 that will prove of benefit to you all.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/68344

  • 3am PDT (US) / 6am EDT (US) / 10am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    AUSTRALIA SERIES
    “Murder under the Microscope,”
    with host Carole McCulloch. “Stanley Yip from the Centre for Learning Innovation will be presenting the Murder under the Microscope project. ‘MuM’ is an online environmental game for school students in years 5 to 10, typically children aged 9 to 15 years. Teams of students research and analyse the evidence to solve the crime.”
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/76202

  • 1:30pm PDT (US) / 4:30pm EDT (US) / 8:30pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    MIDDLE SCHOOL PORTAL 2: MATH AND SCIENCE PATHWAYS
    Let's Present With Prezi! ,” with Jason Borgen. Join us as we introduce a presentation tool that brings a whole new meaning to the experience of powerpointlessness. We'll look at the zebra tool and it's different functions but spend the majority of time talking with educators that are using Prezi in their classrooms and professional development work.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/71836

  • 3:30pm PDT (US) / 6:30pm EDT (US) / 10:30pm (GMT/UTC (intl times)
    Take Off, Migrate to Another Home School Option.”Why do some birds remain on resident grounds for four seasons, while others only survive by wintering in one location and bringing new life into the world at another site? That’s just one of the topics you’ll hear about when homeschooling mom Sue Ferrara, PhD, and BrainPOP's Allisyn Levy team up. Join them as they show you how to “migrate” to a new educational playground and bring new life into your homeschool curriculum.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/node/76318

  • 4pm PDT (US) / 7pm EDT (US) / 11pm (GMT/UTC (intl times)
    Creating Online Learning Documents.” Join Lorna Costantini and Kim Caise for a session on creating innovative learning materials, manuals and documents for use in the classroom or online learning courses.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/72135

  • 6pm PDT (US) / 9pm EDT (US) / 1am (GMT/UTC (intl times)
    AULA 2.0 SERIES
    Vamos aprender a crear nuestro primer blog.” Licº William H. Vegazo Muro, de Lima, Peru nos hablara sobre como crear un blog, paso por paso. Primera parte.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/76422

  • 6:30pm PDT (US) / 9:30pm EDT (US) / 1:30am (GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times)
    Math 2.0 Weekly: IntMath," with host Maria Droujkova. IntMath uses Flash, Scientific Notebook and LiveMath to invite a wide range of people to interact and to communicate.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/72927
Thursday, May 27th
  • 11am PDT (US) / 2pm EDT (US) / 6pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    “2010 Elluminate Center of Excellence Showcase.”
    Elluminate's 2010 Centers of Excellence will share their success stories. Join us to be impressed and inspired.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/69931

  • 4pm PDT (US) / 7pm EDT (US) / 11pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    EDUBLOGS SERIES
    “Edublogs - Serendipity (PD out of a blue sky).”
    Join us in our fortnightly unconference sessions. Bring along the burning issues and hot topics YOU would like to discuss. Topic is chosen by poll at the start of the session.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/67257

  • 4pm PDT (US) / 7pm EDT (US) / 11pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    “HS19530: 1-1 HS iMovie Projects in Social Studies.”
    Ninth grade students in a 1-to1 high school present cross curricular, collaborative iMovie projects on 19th century immigration. Students trace push pull factors, patterns and trends, the journey, nativist reactions and individual and group contributions that helped shape America. Students and teachers will be available for questions after the presentation.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/73703

  • 4:30pm PDT (US) / 7:30pm EDT (US) / 11:30pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    “VSTE Webinar: Advocating at the Federal Level.”
    Come join ISTE’s Director of Government Affairs, Hilary Goldmann for an evening of information and advocacy. Hilary will address advocacy at the federal level and how to get involved. She will go into detail about how EETT works and what it means to your division locally. We will also discuss more of the politics behind the beltway action.
    LearnCentral Link:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/62747

  • LearnCentral Link: 5pm PDT (US) / 8pm EDT (US) / 12am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    Resources online for teachers.” Join Kerrie Smith for an exploration of EDNA services and tools. LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/74491 (two hour session)

  • 7:15pm PDT (US) / 10:15pm EDT (US) / 2:15am GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times):
    “Resources online for teachers.”  Join Kerrie Smith for an exploration of EDNA services and tools. LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/74511 (two hour session)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Update on Free Classroom 2.0 Community Events at ISTE - EduBloggerCon, OpenSourceCon, ISTE Unplugged, and Bloggers Cafe

This is just a brief update on the FREE Classroom 2.0 community-based activities happening as a part of the ISTE 2010 Conference in Denver at the end of June.  If you're attending ISTE, hopefully there is something here that will be fun and exciting for you!  If you're not attending ISTE, hopefully some of the virtual content will let you participate remotely.
  • EduBloggerCon - now in its fourth year, this all-day unconference gathering for those interested in social media / Web 2.0 in education takes place the Saturday (June 26) before the official ISTE start.  Honestly, this is a great event, and many will tell you it is the event to attend at ISTE because it's all about connecting and sharing.  We'll socialize and create the session schedule from 8am - 9am and will finish roughly at 4pm.  The website for EduBloggerCon is at http://www.edubloggercon.com and the now-obligatory Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=104806156230000  If you want others to know that you are going to attend, you can sign up on the Facebook page or here, although no advanced registration is actually required.  We meet in the Colorado Convention Center thanks to the generosity of ISTE, we have access to free wireless, but bring extra computer batteries or make sure you're fully charged up because this is a BYOP (bring-your-own-power) event.
  • OpenSourceCon - for the first time ever, a parallel FREE all-day unconference for those interested in Open Source Software in education.  Same basic details as EduBloggerCon (8am - 4pm on June 26th in the Convention Center) and you can even go back and forth between the two activities!  The Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=129729370370845 or you can sign up at http://community.k12opensource.com/events/opensourcecon-1, or you can just show up!  
  • Bloggers' Cafe - also in its fourth year, this is an amazing gathering place at the conference center where there are couches, tables, chairs, and fun people to meet all during ISTE.  This is an open event--do not be intimidated if you are new to the social media world.  We want you to come and be a part of this informal gathering, and if we don't welcome you be sure to just come in and introduce yourself.  Biggest idea for this year, and now approved by ISTE:  we'll have a live webcam and mic so that those not at ISTE can say hi and chat with those who are in the Bloggers' Cafe.  Not that this needs a Facebook page, but what the heck:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118907761481941
  • ISTE "Unplugged" - this will be the second year of this incredible opportunity to present at ISTE even if you have never done so before, or weren't accepted to speak, or just have something valuable to say!  Run inside the convention center near the Bloggers' Cafe, on the same timetable as the conference, you can sign up to present to in our small presentation are to both live and remote audiences (those not at ISTE can watch all the presentations via Elluminate).  We still can't believe that ISTE lets us do this, but they do, and we think they are awesome because of it!  The website just went live, so sign up to present or see who's presenting at http://www.ISTEUnplugged.com.  (Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129492867064828)
  • Classroom 2.0 Birds of a Feather Meeting - Tuesday, 6/29/2010, 4:45pm–6:15pm.  Come meet other members of Classroom 2.0 and have some fun as we share with each other.  Usually a big crowd for this one!
  • Classroom 2.0 LIVE Broadcast - time and date to be determined.  Come meet with Peggy, Kim, and Lorna as they broadcast a live show from ISTE that features YOU as the guests.  :)
  • Open Source Pavilion, Speaker Series, and Playground Area - this terrific speaker track, supported generously as a formal part of the ISTE conference now, is not to be missed if you're an Open Source enthusiast or wanna-be.  We need volunteers, too, who can help to man some of the playground stations during the conference (free limited admission)!  
  • Global Education Poster Session - as part of the amazing 5-day online Global Education Conference in November that we're just starting to announce, we'll be manning a poster session table on Sunday night, June 27th, to give details and make connections with the larger community.  
I've said it before:  this is an AMAZING list of community-generated activities.  If you're going to be at ISTE in Denver this year, it will be fun to be together.  For those that can't attend, we hope we provide you with lots of good, streamed content so that you can have some of the same fun.  

Thursday, May 20, 2010

May 25th - Live with Cathy Davidson on "The Future of Learning"

Join me for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com interview with Cathy Davidson, co-author of "The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age."

Date: Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am (next day) GMT (international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event and Recording Page:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/60489

From the MIT Press site:  

The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning)"Over the past two decades, the way we learn has changed dramatically. We have new sources of information and new ways to exchange and to interact with information. But our schools and the way we teach have remained largely the same for years, even centuries. What happens to traditional educational institutions when learning also takes place on a vast range of Internet sites, from Pokemon Web pages to Wikipedia? This report investigates how traditional learning institutions can become as innovative, flexible, robust, and collaborative as the best social networking sites. The authors propose an alternative definition of "institution" as a "mobilizing network"—emphasizing its flexibility, the permeability of its boundaries, its interactive productivity, and its potential as a catalyst for change—and explore the implications for higher education.

"The Future of Thinking reports on innovative, virtual institutions. It also uses the idea of a virtual institution both as part of its subject matter and as part of its process: the first draft was hosted on a Web site for collaborative feedback and writing. The authors use this experiment in participatory writing as a test case for virtual institutions, learning institutions, and a new form of collaborative authorship. The finished version is still posted and open for comment. This book is the full-length report of the project, which was summarized in an earlier MacArthur volume, The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age."

From Wikipedia:  "Cathy N. Davidson is an American scholar and university professor. She has served as the Ruth F. DeVarney Professor of English at Duke University since 1996 and has held a second distinguished chair as the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies since 2006. She has served in leadership roles at Duke and a variety of organizations and has authored or edited eighteen books. Her work for the last decade has focused on technology, collaboration, cognition, learning, and the digital age."

From the HASTAC site on the report:

Key Findings 

Young people today are learning in new ways that are both collective and egalitarian.
They are contributing to Wikipedia, commenting on blogs, teaching themselves programming and figuring out work-arounds to online video games. They follow links embedded in articles to build a deeper understanding. They comment on papers and ideas in an interactive and immediate exchange ofideas. All these acts are collaborative and democratic, and all occur amid a worldwide community of voices.
Universities must recognize this new way of learning and adapt or risk becoming obsolete.
The university model of teaching and learning relies on a hierarchy of expertise, disciplinary divides, restricted admission to those considered worthy, and a focused, solitary area of expertise. However, with participatory learning and digital media, these conventional modes of authority break down.
Today's learning is interactive and without walls.
Individuals learn anywhere, anytime, and with greater ease than ever before. Learning today blurs lines of expertise and tears down barriers to admission. While it has never been confined solely to the academy, today's opportunities for independent learning have never been easier nor more diverse.

Ten Principles for Redesigning Learning Institutions 

The authors offer ten principles that can guide universities and other institutions of learning in adapting to learning in a digital age. They focus on college-aged students, although the recommendations also apply generally for all age groups.
Self-learning: Today's learners are self-learners. They browse, scan, follow links in mid-paragraph to related material. They look up information and follow new threads. They create their own paths to understanding.

Horizontal structures: Rather than top-down teaching and standardized curriculum, today's learning is collaborative; learners multitask and work out solutions together on projects. Learning strategy shifts from a focus on information as such to learning to judge reliable information. It shifts from memorizing information to finding reliable sources. In short, it shifts from learning that to learning how.

From presumed authority to collective credibility: Reliance on the knowledge authorities or certified experts is no longer tenable amid the growing complexities of collaborative and interdisciplinary learning. A key challenge in collaborative environments will be fostering and managing levels of trust.

A de-centered pedagogy: To ban or limit collective knowledge sources such as Wikipedia in classrooms is to miss the importance of collaborative knowledge-making. Learning institutions should instead adopt a more inductive, collective pedagogy based on collective checking, inquisitive skepticism, and group assessment.

Networked learning: Learning has traditionally often assumed a winner-take-all competitive form rather than a cooperative form. One cooperates in a classroom only if it maximizes narrow self-interest. Networked learning, in contrast, is committed to a vision of the social that stresses cooperation, interactivity, mutual benefit, and social engagement. The power of ten working interactively will invariably outstrip the power of one looking to beat out the other nine.

Open source education: Traditional learning environments convey knowledge via overwhelmingly copyright-protected publications. Networked learning, contrastingly, is an 'open source' culture that seeks to share openly and freely in both creating and distributing knowledge and products.

Learning as connectivity and interactivity: Challenges in a networked learning environment are not an individual's alone. Digital tools and software make working in isolation on a project unnecessary. Networking through file-sharing, data sharing, and seamless, instant communication is now possible.
Lifelong learning: The speed of change in this digital world requires individuals to learn anew, face novel conditions, and adapt at a record pace. Learning never ends. How we know has changed radically.
Learning institutions as mobilizing networks: Rather than thinking of learning institutions as a bundle of rules, regulations, and norms governing the actions within its structure, new institutions must begin to think of themselves as mobilizing networks. These institutions mobilize flexibility, interactivity, and outcomes. Issues of consideration in these institutions are ones of reliability and predictability alongside flexibility and innovation.

Flexible scalability and simulation: Learning institutions must be open to changing scale. Students may work in small groups on a specific topic or together in an open-ended and open-sourced contribution.
These ten principles, the authors argue, are the first steps in redesigning learning institutions to fit the new digital world. By assessing some of the institutional barriers to change, the authors hope to mobilize institutions to envision formal, higher education as part of a continuum of the networked world that students engage in online today.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Thursday Event: Michael Furdyk of TakingITGlobal

As a part of my FutureofEducation.com interview series, Michael Furkdyk from TakingITGlobal will be my guest on Thursday (May 20th, 2010).

TakingITGlobal is the largest online community of youth interested in global issues and creating positive change.  Their vision is to have youth everywhere actively engaged and connected in shaping a more inclusive, peaceful and sustainable world, and their mission is to enable a collaborative learning community which provides youth with access to global opportunities, cross-cultural connections and meaningful participation in decision-making.  They serve youth primarily between the ages of 13 to 30 through an online community and initiatives that focus on enabling actively engaged youth and through education programs geared towards middle and high school students.  TakingITGlobal has reached 14 million youth since their launch in 2000.

Date:  Thursday, 20 May, 2010
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am (next day) GMT (international times here)
Duration: 60 minutes
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event (and Recordings) Page:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/74961


Michael Furdyk is the Co-founder and Director of Technology for TakingITGlobal.org, a global online community for young people, providing a platform for millions of youth across more than 200 countries to engage with social issues. Along with managing the technology team at TakingITGlobal, Michael was involved in developing the TIGed education program, and has spoken to over 50,000 educators about the importance of engaging students and integrating technology and global perspectives into the classroom. In 2008, he was named by Contribute Magazine as one of 10 Tech Revolutionaries Redefining the Power and Face of Philanthropy.

In the past, he has turned his interest in technology into a series of successful online companies, co-founding MyDesktop.com (later sold to Internet.com) and BuyBuddy.com (which raised $4.5-million of venture capital). Michael has provided insights on the Net Generation to a number of Fortune 500 companies, including a 6-month engagement developing youth strategy with Microsoft in Seattle, Washington.

As one of Teen People's "20 teens that will change the world", Michael has shared his expertise in youth engagement and experiences bringing the power of technology to the non-profit sector by speaking at dozens of events, including the World Congress on IT, the US Government's National Youth Summit, Microsoft's Anytime, Anywhere Learning Summits, The Business Council, and TED. He has made numerous media appearances including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Time Magazine, Fast Company, BusinessWeek, and USA Today. He is a board member and advisor to numerous groups including Better the World, Microsoft Partners in Learning, Virgin Unite, Greenpower Canada, and several other national and global organizations.

Tuesday Event: Charles Fadel on "School Architecture in the Context of 21st Century Skills"

As a part of my FutureofEducation.com interview series, Charles Fadel from Cisco will return as my guest on Tuesday (May 18th, 2010) to talk about "School Architecture in the Context of 21st Century Skills."
As teaching for 21st century skills gains adoption by 14+ States and several provinces and countries, there is renewed emphasis on support systems such as learning environments.  This session will describe how project-learning and teaching for relevance revamps the school and classroom architecture, for a better student and teacher experience.
Date:  Tuesday, 18 May, 2010
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am (next day) GMT (international times here)
Duration: 60 minutes
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event (and Recordings) Page:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/74495


Charles Fadel is Global Education Research Lead at Cisco Systems, and the Cisco board member at the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (of which Cisco was a founding member) and Innovate/Educate (an organization dedicated to advocacy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)). He is vice-chair of the Education committee of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and actively works with three committees of the OECD — CERI, AHELO, and TALIS. He has consulted with a wide variety of education ministries/boards including Massachusetts, France, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, Tunisia, and the Dominican Republic, to name a few, and has worked on education projects with more than thirty countries and states. Charles has co-authored a book titled “21st Century Skills — Learning for Life in our Times”, and frequently lectures on this topic, as well as STEM, and Education Technology.

He is presently advising two non-profit organizations, and an innovative school system in Chile (Innova100). He is also incubating a non-profit organization addressing the convergence of 21st Century Skills and STEM to better teach Statistics and Probabilities. He is a visiting scholar at Wharton/UPenn where he recently taught a class on Technologies for Learning. He has recently served on the Massachusetts Governor's Readiness Project as well as its 21st Century Skills task force.

He has contributed many articles or has been interviewed in publications such as Technology & Learning, New Media Consortium, Massachusetts Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, eSchool News, Education Week, University Business, EETimes, and others. He has presented at numerous education conferences, including the Consortium for School Networking (COSN), the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI), and the Masie Center's learning conferences.

Charles has been awarded five patents on video, content, and communication technologies. He holds a bachelor of science in electronics with course concentration in quantum and solid-state physics with a minor in neuroscience, and a master of business administration in international marketing. An avid reader, he has autodidactically learned disciplines such evolutionary psychology and comparative linguistics. He also enjoys the lessons of classical history.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

This Coming Week's Live and Interactive Events in Elluminate

Below are this week's public, free, and interactive webinars through LearnCentral.org, the social learning network for education that I work on for Elluminate.

The time of the events below will show up automatically in your own time zone when you are registered in LearnCentral and when you have chosen your time zone in your profile. Event recordings are posted and available after the events if you aren't able to attend them live. Be on the lookout for Australia-time-friendly events as part of the new Australia Series, and Spanish-language Webinars from the Aula 2.0 Series!

A number of folks have emailed me looking for an easy calendar import / RSS feed for these events, and while the developers at LearnCentral are working on a good long-term solution, you'll find my Google Calendar "hack" at LearnCentral.tv. Hope it helps!

I also hope you'll consider hosting your own public webinars using the LearnCentral public room--instructions are available by joining the "Host Your Own Webinar" group on the main announcement tab (http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars).

Sunday, May 16th
  • 7pm PDT (US) /10pm EDT (US) / 2am GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times):
    MOODLE MEET CONNECTED LEADERSHIP ONLINE CONFERENCE

    What does it mean to be a "connected educational leader.” What does it mean to be a a "connected educational leader." What is effective leadership in the 21st century? Is the style of leadership needed in the 21st century different than what was required in the 20th century? Join this session to explore what it means to be a "connected educational leader." This webinar introduces the topics that will be discussed during our Connected Leadership Moodle Meet May 16 to 21.
    LearnCentral Link:
    http://www.learncentral.org/event/74666 (pre-registration required)
Monday, May 17th
  • 10:45pm PDT (US) / 1:45am EDT (US) (next day) / 5:45am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    AUSTRALIA SERIES
    Tech Talk Tuesdays: Is it really pen and paper?The livescribe pen!” Among other ideas it's time to speed up the running records and move classes into the 21st century. Jenny Ashby will present many ideas for using the livescribe pen in the Primary school by teachers and students. See how easily it converts written to typed text and puts a copy on a secure website to share including graphics and audio. Quickly create how to's and explanations. Let your parents view the latest reading interview.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/73253
Tuesday, May 18h
  • 5am PDT (US) / 8am EDT (US) / 12am GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times):
    ELLUMINATE LIVE SERIES
    Doing More With Less: How Elluminate Can Help You." Hot topics in education currently involve budget cuts, driving down costs, increasing efficiency and not compromising on quality. So how do you really achieve this? Join this webinar to meet Jesper Schumacher, Functional System Administrator from Open University Netherlands, who will discuss why they chose Elluminate as their preferred solution:
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/70715 (pre-registrated required)

  • 9am PDT (US) / 12pm EDT (US) / 4pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    AULA 2.0
    Using Skype in ESL and literacy programs with Dr. SarahEaton." Learn what Skype is and how it can be used in ESL and literacy programs. We will look at how Skype can be used in personal and professional situations, it's applications for ESL and literacy programs and how it can be used to increase the technology literacy of teachers and tutors who may not be so tech savvy themselves.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/73298

  • 5pm PDT (US) / 8pm EDT (US) / 12am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    FUTURE OF EDUCATION SERIES
    Interview with Charles Fadel.” Steve Hargadon will interview Charles Fadel on "School Architecture in the Context of 21st Century Skills".
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/74495

  • 6pm PDT (US) / 9pm EDT (US) / 1am GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times):
    AULA 2.0 SERIES
    Pensamiento Visible" de la Universidad de Harvard,con Ana Maria Fernandez.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/74792
Wednesday, May 19th
  • 2:30am PDT (US) / 5:30am EDT (US) / 9:30am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    STUDENTS 2.0 SERIES
    “Google Docs - storing and sharing your information in the cloud.”
    with host Jenny Luca. What do you know about Cloud Computing? Google Docs offers you an easy way of storing documents that can be shared with other people and edited easily. You will discover how you can access your documents from any computer, anywhere, provided you have an internet connection.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/68343
  • 3am PDT (US) / 6am EDT (US) / 10am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    AUSTRALIA SERIES
    “eT@lking: elearning Innovations in SA”
    with host Carole McCulloch. Presentation of range of innovation projects for VET in SA for 2010.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/69049

  • 11am PDT (US) / 2pm EDT (US) / 6pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    ELLUMINATE LIVE SERIES
    Supporting Exceptionally Able Children's Motivation for Learning.” Dr. Sarah McElwee, Post-doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, will look at how parents and teachers can help to motivate their gifted children and pupils towards achievement. Dr. McElwee’s presentation will focus on the following topics: the link between motivation and challenge; orientations to learning, specifically "performance" approaches versus "mastery" approaches; how beliefs about the nature of intelligence can impact upon motivation; socio-emotional aspects of underachievement and motivation and ideas for parents and teachers on building motivation.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/71110 (pre-registration required)

  • 12pm PDT (US) / 3pm EDT (US) / 7pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    MOODLE MEET CONNECTED LEADERSHIP ONLINE CONFERENCE
    Connected Leadership: The Vision, Skills, and Strategies to Lead Our Schools,” with Jason Borgen. How has the 21st century changed the scope of leadership? Join this webcast to hear about evidence and research regarding how students have changed more than ever before and how you, as a leader, need to develop your digital skills quickly to keep your school and district on top. This presentation will lead you in developing a vision based upon research and what other educators are saying is essential for today's schooling.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/node/74668

  • 6:30pm PDT (US) / 9:30pm EDT (US) / 1:30am (GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times)
    Math 2.0 Weekly: Cut the Knot!" with host Maria Droujkova. cut-the-knot.org is a large collection of math eye openers, essays on education, and tools of the trade - with love!
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/72924

  • 8pm PDT (US) / 11pm EDT (US) / 3am (GMT/UTC (next day) (intl times)
    Digital Citizenship Modules,”with Suzie Vesper. 21st century students need to be equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills to be successful digital citizens. This facilitated discussion will explore what this means for our schools. The discussion is happening as part of the Digital Citizenship module for teachers involved in the New Zealand ICT PD project.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/72288
Thursday, May 20th
  • 9am PDT (US) / 1pm EDT (US) / 5pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    ELLUMINATE LIVE SERIES
    Elluminate Product Spotlight: Elluminate Bridge For Sakai.” For users of the Sakai Collaboration and Learning Environment, our new “Elluminate Bridge for Sakai” gives you the power to easily and seamlessly integrate live, synchronous distance learning and collaboration into your coursework. That means instructors can schedule and deliver classes using Elluminate Live! our Internet-based, real-time, multi-platform eLearning tool that includes superior voice over the Internet, multi-point video, shared whiteboards, text messaging, breakout rooms, application sharing, PowerPoint import, and more. In this 45-minute webinar, Steve Schoen, Elluminate Senior Product Manager, & Rick Ruden, Senior Product Marketing Manager, will provide an overview of the Elluminate Bridge for Sakai.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/73768 (pre-registration required)

  • 10am PDT (US) / 1pm EDT (US) / 5pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    ELLUMINATE LIVE SERIES
    “Learning Styles: Fact Or Fiction.”
    “Ruth Clark’s books and workshops incorporate the most current research evidence on what works in workforce instructional environments. We offer research-based guidelines for creating effective training presentations, directive skill building training, and scenario-based multimedia learning.”
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/62851 (pre-registration required)

  • 10am PDT (US) / 1pm EDT (US) / 5pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    ELLUMINATE LIVE SERIES
    “Learning Project Charter In 45 Minutes? It's Important And Can Be Done!”
    Join Lou Russell as she shared about the Learning Project Charter and defines WHY the business or organization is spending money on the project instead of something else. Very few people know how or take the time to work through this important step. Since ‘Bad News Early is Good News’ in project work, it’s a step that pays you back in rework if skipped. In this session, learn quick and easy techniques to complete a ‘good enough’ Learning Project Charter in 45 minutes or less.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/70721 (pre-registration required)

  • 12:30pm PDT (US) / 3:30pm EDT (US) / 7:30pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    AUSTRALIA SERIES
    “Business Breakfast - Fear of Elluminating! (Bring your IT people).”
    The third seminar in the Business Breakfast series looks at the greatest barrier to using Elluminate effectively - the IT department! For many large organisations the fear of anything being able to penetrate the firewalls that are built around their silos can amount to paranoia. No amount of reassurance seems to work. The best way to remove the fear is to take them on a short and gentle journey into the unknown with IT people who know the territory. Bring along your IT decision makers. We'll take them by the hand and show them the security benefits to their world and yours and see if we can't make using Elluminate a greater possibility in your organisation.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/52161

  • 1pm PDT (US) / 4pm EDT (US) / 8pm GMT/UTC (intl times): MIDDLE SCHOOL PORTAL 2: MATH AND SCIENCE PATHWAYS (MSP2)
    “Timely Teachings: Seasons and the Cycles of Night and Day.”
    Join us as we discuss two challenging topics in the elementary and middle school curriculum - day and night and seasons from both science and literacy perspectives. We'll review scientific principles, examine common misconceptions and formative assessment strategies, and discuss how to approach these topics by integrating science and literacy. We'll share resources from Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, the National Science Digital Libraries' Middle School Portal, and other high-quality content providers.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/71141

  • 2pm PDT (US) / 5pm EDT (US) / 9pm GMT/UTC (intl times): PBS TEACHERS SERIES
    “PBS Cyberchase Summer Challenge Training.”
    Join us as we discuss two challenging topics in the elementary and middle school curriculum - day and night and seasons from both science and literacy perspectives. We'll review scientific principles, examine common misconceptions and formative assessment strategies, and discuss how to approach these topics by integrating science and literacy. We'll share resources from Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, the National Science Digital Libraries' Middle School Portal, and other high-quality content providers.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/67593

  • 4pm PDT (US) / 7pm EDT (US) / 11pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    EDUBLOGS SERIES
    “Edublogs Fine Focus.”
    Join us for our forthnightly "Fine Focus" sessions on a wide range of topics from: how to use tools/applications (the "techie stuff"),edu issues, e-learning tools/strategies and much more. In fact anything "e" that is of interest to educators. PS If you have anything you would like to share we would love you to deliver a session for us.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/67254
     
  • 5pm PDT (US) / 8pm EDT (US) / 12am GMT/UTC (intl times):
    FUTURE OF EDUCATION SERIES
    Steve Hargadon interviews Michael Furdyk, co-founder of TakingITGlobal, the largest online community of youth interested in global issues and creating positive change. Michael has spoken to over 50,000 educators about the importance of engaging students and integrating technology and global perspectives into the classroom. In 2008, he was named by Contribute Magazine as one of 10 Tech Revolutionaries Redefining the Power and Face of Philanthropy.
    LearnCentral Link
    : http://www.learncentral.org/event/74961
Saturday, May 22nd
  • 9am PDT (US) / 12pm EDT (US) / 4pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    CLASSROOM 2.0 LIVE! SERIES
    “Classroom 2.0 LIVE!” Join Kim Caise, Lorna Costantini and Peggy George for another webinar about using technology tools in the classroom.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/67058

  • 9am PDT (US) / 12pm EDT (US) / 4pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    LEARNING GAMES NETWORK SERIES
    Choosing and Using Video Games in the Classroom: Review and Reflect.” In this final session of the Learning Games Network's "Choosing and Using Learning Games in the Classroom" series, we will look back on successes and obstacles, possibilities and challenges. What have we learned? Are there ways to motivate students to use media more effectively through project-based learning and/or designing games to complement instruction?
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/58450

  • 10am PDT (US) / 2pm EDT (US) / 6pm GMT/UTC (intl times):
    LEARNING GAMES NETWORK SERIES
    Designing eGames: Pitching the Design .” You've got five minutes to tell someone about your game. Go!” That is essentially how a design pitch works. It requires a concise and exciting description of what the game is and what it does. We’ll discuss some of the best ways to share your story/work with those who may help you make your creation a reality.
    LearnCentral Link: http://www.learncentral.org/event/61842/
Thanks for your attention, and see you online!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Live Tonight with Think Global School's CEO and Curriculum Coordinator

Tonight, as a part of my FutureofEducation.com interview series, I'll be talking live with Think Global School's Aron Solomon, CEO and Head of School, and Laura Malbogat, Curriculum Coordinator.  The school will open its first ninth grade class in September 2010, aiming to become "the world's first global mobile high school."  Based in a different international city each of its twelve trimesters, the private, non-profit school's educational model integrates the classroom with immersive, experiential learning on a global scale, hoping to prepare "a select number of international students not just for university, but for leadership in an increasingly complex, inter-connected and multicultural world."  Fifteen students from across the globe are bing admitted into the first, with fifteen or more international students being admitted each subsequent year as the proceeding class advances to the next grade.  The 2010-2011 school year will be based in Stockholm, Sydney and Beijing/Hong Kong, with all of the students living and studying in Kuala Lumpur, Berlin and Santiago the following year.

Date:  Thursday, 13 May, 2010
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am (next day) GMT (international times here)
Duration: 60 minutes
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event (and Recordings) Page:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/73314

"The vision for THINK Global School is to take the wonders of the world and make them our classroom," said executive chair and founder, Joann McPike, who is also a photographer, world traveler and mother. "We will offer children an alternative to a customary deskbound education and the chance to experience the varied cultures, beliefs, languages and histories of twelve remarkable countries in all their splendor and complexities.  Our world-class instructors and local guides and experts will pique students' curiosity and nurture their ingenuity.  THINK Global School will help our students develop the wisdom, tolerance, understanding and respect needed to create, question and eventually lead as outstanding, globally committed citizens."

Aron Solomon, a top independent school administrator and teacher in the U.S. and Canada for more than twenty years, is THINK Global School's CEO and Head of School.  "The world is rapidly evolving, making international dialogue and understanding more crucial than ever before," Solomon said.  "THINK Global School will prepare students for twenty-first century living and leading by taking global perspectives as the foundation of its curriculum and recognizing that we all, particularly children, learn best through doing."

For the past twenty-two years, Aron has worked at top independent schools in the United States and Canada. He has been an admissions director; acting headmaster; residence director; teacher of English, Political Science, Creative Writing, Economics, Sociology and American Studies; and coach of soccer, hockey, tennis, basketball and squash at such institutions as Mercersburg Academy and Appleby College.

Aron has dedicated himself to creating new models of education that embrace a commitment to philanthropy, international awareness and emerging technology, and to elevating the power of optimism.  Charitable work is a cornerstone of Aron’s life, and he has volunteered with Amnesty International's Urgent Action Network, communicating directly with governments to gain the release of torture victims and aiding their resettlement in Canada. He spearheaded a relief mission in China following 2009’s Sichuan earthquake, raising thousands of dollars that was given directly to the victims. Aron is also passionate about his work with i.c. stars, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that will develop 1,000 community leaders by 2020 through a business and technology training program.

A native of Montreal, he has lived in over thirty cities; visited China over fifty times; is fluent in English, French and Spanish; and dabbles in Mandarin, Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian. He dreams of acquiring some Vietnamese, Indonesian and Japanese one day.

Laura Malbogat has worked in the education field for more than twenty-five years, spending ten years overseas with students ranging in age from kindergarten through university level. She has been a teacher, counselor, administrator, college advisor and special-needs consultant at high schools and colleges in Montreal, Quebec, including Riverside Academy High School, McGill University, and Vanier College, as well as many World IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization) schools such as the American International School of Johannesburg, Mont’Kiara International School in Kuala Lumpur, and Harare International School in Zimbabwe.

Currently; Laura is an educational consultant, working internationally with educational organizations to develop and implement curriculums that promote an expansive worldview. She believes in applying a holistic approach to educational programs that are responsive to the needs of educators and students globally. Laura also specializes in developing programs with an emphasis on integrating technology.

She received her Master of Education, with honors, as well as diplomas in special education and elementary education from McGill University. Laura has spoken at many leading international educational conferences and served as vice president on the OACAC Board and on the IBO World Summit project.


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The 2010 Global Education Conference - Call for Preliminary Participation

In partnership with Elluminate, we are in the process of organizing a free virtual online global education conference to take place in November of 2010. Our conference strands are *tentatively* set to include: Teachers (professional development, training, etc.), Students (student-led initiatives, exchange programs, service learning etc.), Pedagogy (curriculum, digital citizenship, assessment etc.), Policy and Leadership (exemplary schools, ICT infrastructure, government initiatives etc.), and Change (peace and social justice, equity, etc.).

If you are interested in joining our mailing list to stay informed of developments, please sign up using this online form: http://tinyurl.com/globaledcon.

We  also are looking for people with various expertise and interests related to the following tasks:

- Serving on an international educator advisory board

- Recommending students to serve on a student advisory board

- Presenting a session at this conference

- Facilitating conference sessions in Elluminate

- Volunteering to develop the resource wiki

- Translating conference sessions and materials

- Volunteering to mentor other educators around the topic of developing global collaborative projects. We are seeking people who will partner with less experienced educators to introduce them to this concept.

- Contributing ideas for reaching out to other individuals, organizations, and government entities in order to gain support and publicize the conference.

Thanks for your support. We'll be in touch soon with additional details! Feel free to pass this link on to others via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Steve Hargadon
Founder, Classroom2.0
hargadon@gmail.com
http://www.stevehargadon.com/

Lucy Gray
Founder, The Global Education Collaborative
elemenous@gmail.com

Leonard Waks on "The Web 2.0 Educational Revolution: Are We There Yet?"

Tonight, as a part of my FutureofEducation.com interview series, I'll be talking live with Leonard Waks, Professor Emeritus in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Temple University, who's writing a book with the working title The LearningWeb Revolution: Web 2.0, Digital Tools, and the Transformation of Education.  Join us for what promises to be a fascinating discussion of educational change.

Date:  Tuesday, 11 May, 2010
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am (next day) GMT (international times here)
Duration: 60 minutes
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event (and Recordings) Page:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/73309

Leonard has been an active participant in the FutureofEducation.com series, and is doing an amazing job synthesizing the larger themes playing out in education as reflected through previous guests and other current voices.  In preparing for tonight's interview he has written me:
I think we are at a crossroads at the moment. On the one hand folks like Robert Epstein and Anya Kamenetz are pulling away from the schools to take advantage of the affordances of the web.  On the other, so many folks are doing the opposite: channeling the power of the web into the schools to neuter it while retaining the top down structure of learning. 
...My questions (and answers) are:  what is fundamental or revolutionary change (change in basic grammar of learning or 'paradigm'), is web 2.0 generating fundamental change yet (not really), will it (probably but not inevitably), what would it look like if it did (open learning centers), and how will it get there if indeed it will (a path from virtual schooling to blended schools to OLCs). I think the transition to blended schools will now be swift; the question is what happens next...
Here are a few interesting thoughts from your favorite authors to put together:   
1. We are surrounded with new tools that are powerful, mobile, cheap, easy to learn, easy to use, and soon will be ubiquitous. (Jeff Howe)
2. With these tools it is increasingly easy to learn, to contruct and express one's knowledge and insights, to exchange, to cooperate and collaborate, and to act collectively (Clay Shirky). 
3. Late teen and early adult years are cognitively peak years (Bob Epstein) and the young people are the primary users of the new tools (Kaiser Family Foundation and others). 
4. All of the world's useful knowledge is already on-line or soon will be, and is readily acquired and mashed up for re-use by the new digital tools. This knowledge, circulating in open access formats, is better than the official knowledge because it is subject to rapid correction and augmentation (Judy Breck and others). 
5. As a result teens and adults do not need schools and teachers, and in fact are infantilized and humiliated by their constraints (Epstein). 
6. As a result the overwhelming percent of them hate their schools (Collins and Halverson). 
7. At the same time all sorts of outside the system innovation is being generated by educational entrepreneurs, such as Live Mocha.(Curt Bonk tells the whole story here). 
8. Meanwhile college diplomas are increasingly worthless as links to advantageous jobs, unless they come from elite colleges  -- it is the elite college link, not the diploma, that pays. And elite colleges are pricing the middle class out (as Kramanatz said this evening -- though this is hardly fresh news). 
9. Larry Cuban is probably right that the schools have great internal capacity to adjust without changing in very fundamental ways -- they'll continue to be age-graded egg-crated curricularized test-oriented factories as long as they can. I might agree with Cuban not to expect much change from within. 
So where does that leave us? My story is that blended schools can morph into something quite different, and may have to in order to avoid a blow up. But nothing is inevitable.
This promised to be quite an evening!  More about Leonard:


Leonard J. Waks holds earned doctorates in philosophy (University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1968) and organizational studies (Temple University, 1984). For almost half a century he has been examining the links between technology and education, publishing more than 100 journal articles and book chapters and a book, Technology’s School (CAI, 1995). He taught philosophy and educational theory at Purdue, Stanford, and Penn State, and retired in 2005 from the department of educational leadership at Temple University. In the 1960s at both Purdue and Stanford he introduced the nation’s first regular courses on the philosophy of revolutionary change. At Temple in the mid-1990s he introduced one of the first courses on education in network society.

Waks was co-founder of the National Technological Literacy conferences, which earned him first prize in creative programming by the Association for University Continuing Education. He co-authored the first article on “technology” in the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and served as associate editor for the periodical Research in Philosophy and Technology.  He co-directed the summer institute for college teachers sponsored by National Endowment for Humanities on Re-Examining Technology, and he offered popular National Science Foundation Chautauqua workshops for college science teachers on Integrating Technology and Social Issues in College Science. He has also received numerous other research, training, and course development grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and other agencies.

Waks is the General Editor of the book series Leaders in Educational Studies, published by Sense publishers, editor of the volume Leaders in Philosophy of Education (2008) and co-editor of the volume Leaders in Curriculum Studies (2009).

Waks’s recent research has focused on revolutionary educational change in global network society. His recent articles have included “How Globalization can Cause Fundamental Curriculum Change” in The Journal of Educational Change (2004) and “The Concept of Fundamental Educational Change” in Educational Theory (2007); the former has been reprinted in the Oxford University Press handbook Globalization, Education, and Social Change (2006), the latter is consistently among the most downloaded articles from Educational Theory.

You can contact Leonard at ljwaks@yahoo.com.  Copies of his writings are below:
Leonard Waks Learningweb Revolution Proposal 4 28 10.doc
LEonard Waks Web 20 W2TE PES 4 5 10.doc
Waks Learningweb Revolution Proposal 4 28 10.doc
Waks Globalization State transformation.pdf
Waks Fundamental Educational Change.pdf
Networked Common School.pdf
How Globalization Can Cause Change.pdf