{"success":true,"data":[{"ID":95,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1320206318,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Constructionism from Top to Bottom","Handle":"Constructionism_from_Top_to_Bottom","ShortDescription":"Incrementalism is the enemy of school improvement. Those concerned with creating productive contexts for learning must be willing to change everything. This presentation addresses the setting, curricular concept and pedagogical practices required to amplify the potential of project-based learning. Constructionism provides authentic non-coercive principles for educating learners of all ages.","Description":"This presentation is concerned with four powerful ideas related to employing constructionism as a basis for school transformation.\r\n\r\n1) Paperts learning theory of constructionism will be explained and examples of constructionism in practice will be shared. Constructionism will be situated in the context of other learning theories and progressive education traditions. \r\n\r\n2) Constructionism will be presented as the theoretical basis for project-based learning. Elements of effective project-based learning will be shared. Participants will define what is and isnt project-based learning.\r\n\r\n3) The role of the computer in constructionist learning and expanding the range of project-based learning will be discussed. Schools have a lot of computers, but too little computing. The power of computing in the construction of knowledge will be emphasized.\r\n\r\n4) Educators yearning to embrace constructionism or related pedagogical approaches, such as project-based learning, need to recognize that more needs to change than the actions of the teacher. The setting, including environment, objects to think with, schedule and materials; the nature of the curriculum; curricular content; freedom; relevance; agency; assessment and teacher expertise all need to be addressed mindfully.\r\n\r\nThe conditions required to maximize the potential of each learner will be explored throughout the presentation.","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Presentation with video-based case-studies used to elicit conversation among participants, followed by Q&A.","Presenter":["Gary S. Stager"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Constructing Modern Knowledge"],"PresenterEmail":["gary@stager.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":6,"ScheduleLocationID":10,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46216,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":94,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1320204709,"CreatorID":104,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"#chats and #camps: Examining the Impact of Social Media-Fueled PD on Classroom Practice and Student Learning","Handle":"chats_and-camps-Examining_the_Impact_of_Social_Media-Fueled_PD_on_Classroom_Practice_and_Student_Learning","ShortDescription":"If Twitter chats and social media-fueled unconferences are as powerful as many believe, what evidence is there that they are making a difference? Our hope is that, out of this session, a virtual\/distributed teacher-research project will develop whereby participants can document impact of these PD practices on teaching and learning.","Description":"#edchat\r\n#RSCON3\r\n#140edu\r\n#TEDx______\r\n#edcamp____\r\n\r\n\r\nMany of the educators who participate(d) in the events listed above and others like them report that the events are\/were perfectly wonderful; amazing even. Apparently, this social media-aided PD is more powerful than any PD theyve ever done; better than any grad school course theyve taken. And, it may very well be.\r\n\r\nBut, many of the folks who take part in events like these have been at it for a couple\/few years now. And, weve become pretty good at sharing what theyre learning and even doing. Theres value in talking about and sharing ideas and actions, but that only gets us so far. Furthermore, many knowledge claims are made about how awesome these ideas are. Students are learning more! Students are so much more engaged! etc.\r\n\r\nSo, then, what are the warrants for these knowledge claims? What evidence is there that all of these new forms of professional learning are making a difference for kids?\r\n\r\nThink of it this way: imagine parents of a student in your classroom wants to know if the new stuff youve tried with their kid this year worked. How would you respond? What evidence would you offer? Imagine a principal considering awarding you professional development credits for participation in these events. How would you convince the principal that these professional learning experiences are legitimate?","Link":["http:\/\/bit.ly\/educonteacherresearch"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"This session is designed as part conversation, part workshop and part meeting. The attendees will ultimately be invited to participate in a virtual, distributed, teacher-research project aimed at uncovering and documenting the effects of social-media mediated, informal professional development on classroom practice and student learning. To get there, well open with some general discussion based on guiding questions. From there, well transition into an introduction to teacher-research, an important form of action research. Finally, well discuss the logistics and feasibility of organizing, undertaking, and starting  a virtual\/distributed teacher-research project.","Presenter":["Jonathan D. Becker","Meredith Stewart","Bud Hunt"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)","Cary Academy (NC)","St. Vrain Valley School District (CO)"],"PresenterEmail":["jbecker@vcu.edu","meredithlstewart@gmail.com","budtheteacher@gmail.com"],"ScheduleSlotID":8,"ScheduleLocationID":10,"SubmitterID":104,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46218,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":15,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1316878655,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"You Can't Buy Change","Handle":"You_Can-t_Buy_Change","ShortDescription":"1-to-1 initiatives, mobile devices, and IWBs are all the rage, but arent these just digital solutions for an analog classroom? In this conversation, we will discuss how  teachers can transform learning experiences which increase achievement, creativity, and empathy. We will explore \"flipped\" classrooms, writing for authentic audience replacing completion with creation,and promoting peer reliance among others.","Description":"Do 1-1 initiatives, iPads, IWBs, or using Web 2.0 improve student achievement? ISTE draws up  Essential Conditions that discuss Necessary conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning.What ISTE points out, is that too often so-called innovators are merely espousing A digital fix for an analog classroom. In other words, throwing new tools into the same old classroom structures will yield very little change. True, there are some visionaries who see classrooms without walls, independent learning, global communities, as well as other seemingly futuristic scenarios. This in itself can be daunting to the classroom teacher of today who wants to make changes right now. Clearly, a chasm exists between the traditional classroom of today, and learning of the future. However changing today does not lie in an explosion of tools, it lies in the changing of classroom structures. By this, I mean that teachers have the ability right now to change how their students learn for the better within the existing system. Some of these changes include:\r\n \r\nFlipped classroom\r\nWriting for authentic audience\r\nReplacing completion with creation\r\nPromoting peer reliance\r\n\r\n \r\nIn this conversation, we will pose the following questions:\r\nWhat are other ways we can change classroom structures?\r\nInstead of covering content, how do we uncover passions?  \r\nHow do we develop more balanced, appropriate methods of assessments?\r\nHow can we teach Digital Collaboration \t\r\nHow do we enact systemic change? (Do we need to enact systemic change?)\r\nWhat conditions need to exist to encourage such changes?\r\n\r\n\r\nPlease bring your own questions!","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Small and large group discussion, Completion of a collaborative document.","Presenter":["Sylvia Martinez","Jon Orech"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Sylvia:"],"PresenterEmail":["jonrech@csd99.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":9,"ScheduleLocationID":10,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46758,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":53,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1319833067,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"How do we engineer punctuated equilibrium?","Handle":"How_do_we_engineer_punctuated_equilibrium","ShortDescription":"Growth isn't well behaved; it doesn't follow a line on an increasing curve. Growth happens in fits and starts (and stops) and spurts. How do you plan for systemic growth across an entire school division knowing that it's going to happen in fits and starts and spurts?","Description":"We've got a definition of 21st Century Learning we're going to run with. We've got a plan; 3 cohorts: one for students, one for teachers, and one for administrators. We've got a story: how one School Division with limited resources is trying to grow all our schools along the bleeding edge of teaching and learning. We've got many more questions than we do answers but we're trying. And we'd like to talk with you about it. We're giving away everything we've learned so you can do what we're trying to do; but you'll make it better. Let's talk about how you think you might do that. We'll take your ideas home and test them out for you. Or you can take ours home and test them out for yourself. You can have all our \"stuff\".\r\n\r\nWhaddaya say? Sound like something worth talking about?","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"We'll begin by sharing our definition, our plan and our story. Well continue with our questions and have a good chin wag. We'll further engage participants interactively by using a mashup of twitter, ifttt, delicious and a couple of other ideas (you don't really expect us to give away all our surprises beforehand do you?) to dynamically collect and share resources across the web. We'll gather it all in a virtual bucket folks can dip into anytime from anywhere.","Presenter":["Darren Kuropatwa","Andy McKiel"],"PresenterAffiliation":["St. James-Assiniboia School Division"],"PresenterEmail":["dkuropatwa@gmail.com","amckiel@sjsd.net"],"ScheduleSlotID":14,"ScheduleLocationID":10,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":"I love you guys. Can't wait to see you. ;-)","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46220,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":129,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1323806357,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"A Future Leader","Handle":"A_Future_Leader","ShortDescription":"Join SLA students, led by Rashaun Williams (SLA Class of 2012) work through the question - How do classrooms successfully develop active citizens applying school to life?","Description":"Future Leaders is a conversation about how to engage students into the world on a larger scale. Growing an active and progressive citizen to America is the most important thing that any teacher can give a student. From a personal and professional opinion, schools and school systems aren't successfully preparing children for the real world, and being a student who is engaged in the world on a regional, national, and international level, I can give the opinion and perspective that is not often heard.\r\n\r\nI feel that schools should prepare students for the changing world. Currently, education has seen no true innovation in the development of citizens who can apply themselves to the changing world. If we as a nation we able to approach education in a way that took knowledge and applied it before it needed to be applied, wed have a better prepared future. This conversation will talk about how to give early citizenship to teenagers in high school, and allow them to be future leaders of the world.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe essential questions are as follows.\r\nWhere does education in schools develop the citizen from students?\r\nHow can education grow future leaders from students?","Link":[],"Audience":["High School"],"Practice":"After I am finished speaking on my thoughts of what education means in correlation to developing leaders to our future, Ill ask and answer questions about the presentation and how this can work for any and all learning environments. The group will then collaboratively approach possible barriers for this approach to learning and break them together. We will close with guests talking about where they come from and their thoughts to growing their own future leaders.","Presenter":["Rashaun Williams"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Phresh Philadelphia"],"PresenterEmail":["djreezey@gmail.com"],"ScheduleSlotID":16,"ScheduleLocationID":10,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46221,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":97,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1320209771,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Switching Learning Spaces","Handle":"Switching_Learning_Spaces","ShortDescription":"In this sharing of best practices conversation come join a discussion about how a shift in the learning environment for educational professionals can have large impacts on instructional design and the shape of the classroom.","Description":"The focus of this conversation is to share best practices of what moving from a singular content centric space to a blended, social, and community based learning environment could look like for educational professionals.  The end focus is on how the changes in these learning environments can directly impact the learning environments of our children.  The ideas of who needs to be on board for this to happen and how to get and keep them on board; keeping a PLN generated by central office truly personal and meaningful; and rethinking the frameworks of professional development to help rethink the frameworks of our classrooms will all be on the table.","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Sharing best practice.","Presenter":["Michael Wacker & Glenn Moses"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Denver Public Schools"],"PresenterEmail":["michael_wacker@dpsk12.org","glenn_moses@dpsk12.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":17,"ScheduleLocationID":10,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46251,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1}],"conditions":{"Status":"Accepted","ConferenceID":1,"ScheduleLocationID":10},"total":6,"limit":false,"offset":false}