New Ideas : US Educational Broadband Planning

Future of Learning

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:17:51 PDT

There are some interesting ideas in this document:

http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/chapters/Future_of_Learning.pdf

I wonder if anyone has input on them? The questions about:
* Authority in learning?
* Classroom vs virtual?
* Learning vs participating?

I would appreciate any feedback or comments on this and what it means to you in your classroom, school or other educational domain. Thanks - Steve

Comments (0)Innovation, virtual learning, participatory learning

Uses for Broadband by a teacher

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:02:24 PDT

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I am commenting by giving a typical unit I would do research on using the internet as a teacher.

Unit on a Shakespeare play by a 6th and 7th grade teacher.

1. I would use the internet as a research tool, i.e. researching Shakespeare through sites like the Folger’s Library
2. I would order books of the text on-line and be able to not only compare prices but research which book is best for my age group.
3. I would find videos of the play. (I sent this to a friend and got 2 great videos recommended already)
4. I would use the internet to order materials, i.e. for bulletin boards
5. I hope your plan would give me the ability to “converse” with another teacher about how Shakespeare can be taught to this age group.
6. I hope your plan would allow me, and other educators, to self-publish and be a source for other teachers.
7. I am hoping this plan would allow the possibility of forming forums for discussion, like:
A. How to organize the unit.
B. Materials that would help in the teaching of the unit.
C Areas to be explored within the unit
D. How to motivate a student or students to enjoy and learn from the unit.
E. Possible cross-curriculum ideas for teaching the unit:
1.) Art:
a. Costume design and construction
b. Design and construction of sets
2.) History
a. History of Shakespeare
b. World history around Shakespeare’s time
c. Shakespeare through the ages until today

Comments (0)Other

Flexible Opportunities to Experience and Envision new models

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:36:24 PDT

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Professional development opportunities for teachers should include some real-time experience for dialog (even F2F, if possible, or at least webcam so voices are not disembodied). They also need to include the convenience and personal flexibility of self-selection and asynchronous scheduling.

TeachersFirst.com, a free, ad-free service of the non-profit The Source for Learning (www.sourceforlearning.org) has been conducting free professional development "snack sessions" for teacher self-directed professional development and exploration of exactly the types of tools that can make their STUDENTS self-directed learners, as well. This "OK2Ask" series has garnered very positive feedback and much repeat attendance. The diversity of teaching experience, location, subject, grades, and curricular interests within the sessions has been a very positive influence, as have the connections made between teachers whose classes are obvious mirrors to each other. You can see some of the sample offerings and watch archived sessions here: http://teachersfirst.wikispaces.com/ok2ask and read the general information here: http://www.teachersfirst.com/ok2ask.cfm

GOOD teachers are eager for non-threatening, supportive chances to experience and participate in learning using broadband-facilitated options, and only by experiencing such self-directed learning will they be able to envision and structure similar models for their students.

Comments (0)Professional Development

Public Edcuation

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:00:00 PDT

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USA.
What kind of education system do we need?

Public elementary and secondary schools around the world were designed for the agrarian age. The six hour school day allowed time for the children to do daily farm chores and the 180 day school year allowed them to help plant and harvest crops. Such schedules meant that school facilities were created around the needs of the farm economy. With the industrial revolution schools became important for the technical skills needed in the factory. Consequently, school facilities became egg carton classrooms comparable to factory workstations and time schedules needed for assembly lines in our factories. Pupils were taught to come to work (school) on time and to follow in lockstep from class to class. They learned the math and reading skills needed to work in the factory. For today’s modern world this design is an inefficient use of talented personnel and facilities.

The primary objectives of K-12 schools today include (1) a baby-sitting function and (2) a learning environment. In a modern society with both parents working the baby-sitting function becomes a critical element of schools. With the present school schedules the baby-sitting function requires us to develop “after school” programs and summer camp experiences.

We must redirect schools so that the learning environment is the most critical school element. More than 100 years ago John Dewy described a project based learning environment. Today with modern technologies we can create that authentic learning environment. Learning needs to be modernized so that all learners are engaged, inspired, and motivated to excel in their pursuit of excellence. Therefore, in a proper environment learners become empowered by the knowledge they gain.

Schools should operate year round and be open at least twelve hours daily. In such a system learners take the time needed to reach their individual educational goals. Some traditional classrooms will still provide lectures, but much of the learning will be project based team activities. Each student will have an individual learning plan. Teachers will be mentors helping learners achieve their goals and objectives. Each learner will have the time he or she needs to accomplish his or her goals and objectives. Most importantly, all learners will have the modern technology that gives them access to information, knowledge, and wisdom.

We must revise our thinking and create learning environments that can produce the skills and knowledge needed for the Twenty First Century.
Our educated forefathers had extensive private libraries. The Library of Congress was reestablished by the donation of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library after the British burned down the original Library of Congress. Thomas Jefferson sold his personal library of 6,487 books to the USA to rebuild the Library of Congress. Today there are digital text devices that weigh only 30 ounces and can hold entire libraries. This means that learners can have their own personal libraries.

The Los Angles Times once named Andrew Carnegie as the most important educator of all time because he pushed for free public libraries. His belief was that any literate person who had access to a library could learn. The printing press and cheap books were the foundations upon which public schools were built in the 1800’s. How will digital books change schools? Today large digital libraries are accessible for first graders.

Every child shall have an Individual Learning Plan and their own tailor made digital library that provides them with the stored resources they need to accomplish their goals. Intellectual curiosity is a compelling motivating force in schools. From an early age children will find schools are places where learners demonstrate their achievements through products whether it is in the arts, sports or scholarly academic pursuits. I can envision a twelve year old giving a public lecture on a subject of interest to her, such as, the social behaviors of elephants or for that matter any subject of interest including political discussions. A twelve year old might give us grater insight into the current healthcare debate.

Schools will provide a wide range of online publishing materials for learners. These publications will include serious academic content, fictional stories, and even cartoons developed by learners. Student digital art galleries will all also find a place on Internet. School Internet sites will include graphic arts, animation, drama, student musical works and scholarly dissertations. .

The challenge is how to inspire, motivate, engage and empower all learners in self-directed learning experiences. When a learner is recognized for his or her good excellent works they are likely to be motivated and empowered to accomplish more rigorous learning challenges.

To illustrate how this might work might work Kirti Bien is a sixth grader in a Santa Anna, California school. Her school mentor is Mrs. Eberman, a master experienced teacher. She has four team members on her in school team and four distance team members. Her distance team members are in Alexandria, VA, Hong Kong, Paris, France, and San Marcos, Texas. The team has a technical mentor, Mr. George Simon who is a meteorologist from the U. S. Weather Bureau. They also have an online consultant from NASA that assists the team with Land Sat data and information. All team members are making weather observations and recording them in their computer data bank. They are especially interested in acid rain; therefore they are making ph measurements of water in their areas. They have access to certain NASA and NOAH data banks and resources. They plan to present their findings at the City Science Fair in the spring. They are working with the school media specialist to develop graphs and with their music teacher they are composing a theme song for their presentation.

In another class the science teacher has created a robot contest. Five person teams are to design a cardboard working robot that that can move across rough terrain, a bridge and pick up four five inch rings and place them on a rod. In addition, the robot must pick up three inch rings and drop them into a cylinder and when finished return to the starting point. The teams have fifteen minutes to carry out this “Challenge of the Rings.” Each team has the teacher mentor, but in addition they have a working engineer that consults with them on their work and design. Such additional consultants are from industry or colleges. The work of the Cardboard Engineers and the final contest are documented on DVDs developed by student teams and broadcast by the local cable company.

Another team is engaged in producing a school play, Alice in Wonderland. When Alice tells the Queen of Hearts something is impossible the Queen replies, “You must practice the impossible…. think of six impossible things before breakfast everyday and then do them.” School reform may appear impossible, but we must develop systems that engage, inspire, motivate and result in excellence that empowers individuals and the nation.

We do not need minor tinkering with schools; we need major new and informed research based new learning environments that challenge the learner’s mind to new horizons. We need learner centric schools with authentic assessment that creates life long learners. We need creative teachers capable of inspiring all children to learn.

There is nothing greater for the future of a nation than its support of its teachers

Christa McAuliffe’s famous quote, “ I have seen the future…I teach.”

was never so important as it is today. We need to think of public education as being from preschool to graduate school. We need to encourage all learners to remain in school as long as they need to reach their goals. It should always be possible to drop back into school.

As long as a learner is learning adequately it is in the interest of the nation that they have the opportunity to be all they can be.

Technology is the open door to life long learning.

Comments (0)Educational Resources

Tim O'Reilly's ideas on Government as a platform

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:06:54 PDT

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We at the FCC would welcome public discussion and advice on how to consider this article in regards to the Education broadband plan:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_tim_oreilly_aims_to_change_government.php

What do you think Tim is talking about here? What would "government as a service" look like in the Education space? Consider varying "shades of grey" -- inside the classroom? Instruction without a classroom? Standards for student data and instructional content and resources? Supporting Professional Development communities?

What ideas do you have on this subject?

Comments (0)Innovation

Supercomputing and the future of technology

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:13:20 PDT

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I attended the FCC meetings. I am concerned about the continuing digital divide, the technology divide and the academic divide.

In particular, I do not see that the educators discussing the problem have much of an idea about Supercompting. I tis here. We who work with the research communities know that it is coming and we participate in the use of data mining, creating models and visualization and using programs such as agent sheets and Vensim and other
programs such as Maya, .. etc. That cannot be done on a low level of broadband . We who use Teragrid allocations and who work within the NCSA EOT program are aware and worried that those educators who are only thinking toward 2.0
will compromise work in the future that is expansive computational modeling.

We use products of supercomputing a lot , it is just that to most of us it not a known subject, or discipline.
Some curriculum models are at www.shodor.org, and there are of course many programs that we use.

With the development of the use of technology there was never a plan to disseminate training for teachers, so in Washington DC, there are teachers who have never been on Email, and are not aware of the vast resources that the use of broadband can bring.

I do professional development for teachers and there are many rural areas where the best programs on the Internet cannot be used because of the lack of broadband.

We discovered and invented this technology. THere are countries in which the whole country is on fast broadband as an economic decision. What about us?

Finally the paperwork to get E rate is so difficult that I had a friend who would not go to the hospital to get treatment for his medical condition because he felt that no one could master the paperwork. He died. It should not be an ordeal to complete the paperwork.

Bonnie Bracey Sutton

Comments (0)Innovation, supercomputing, beyond 2.0, professional dwcwlopmwnt, paperwork, visualization and modeling, gateways, online labs, e-rate

Universal Access for those with Disabilities

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:00:07 PDT

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1. The broadband should be accessible to the assistive tech used by the International Alliance of Audio Information Services (IAAIS.org), the means of access for those who are blind or print-impaired.
2. All video content should be audio described for those who are blind, comparable to captioning for those who are deaf.

Comments (0)Formats and Standards, access for those with disabilities

Partner with the new National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:51:35 PDT

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As you formulate a National Broadband Plan, please consider a partnership with the new National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies in the plan. This National Center will be a 501(c)(3) Congressionally-originated nonprofit corporation reporting to Congress through the Department of Education. It is modeled on the National Science Foundation, and will support the development of advanced information and digital technologies for learning through grants and contracts and public and private partnerships. It will bring the same focused, sustained research funding to technology and learning that the federal government has funded for years in technology for health care at NIH, for defense at DARPA, for energy at the Dept. of Energy, and for science at NSF.

The National Center’s mission is to harness the power of information technology in the cause of learning by sponsoring research for pre-competitive, high-risk, long-term projects that will spur educational and skills training innovation. The National Center will:

• Provide financing for research, development, and demonstration of advanced information technologies that can transform education, skills training, and lifelong learning.
• Build multi-disciplinary teams that mobilize the skills in American’s schools, colleges, universities, museums, libraries, public broadcasting entities and other similar organizations, as well as the corporate sector, to achieve these goals. The National Center will encourage partnerships between nonprofit and for profit enterprises. Private firms will take the concepts developed through the National Center investments and convert them into instructional projects and powerful tools that educators can use to build new learning systems that reflect individual needs.
• Support the testing and evaluation of these systems, and encourage the widespread adoption and use of effective approaches to learning.

Since the goals of the new National Center are in line with the goals of the FCC with regard to the use of technology in advancing education, I hope you will consider a partnership with the National Center in the National Broadband Plan.

Comments (0)Innovation, national center for research in advanced information and digital technologies, collaboration, r&d, emerging technologies, infrastructure, innovation

All of America's youth deserve to play a part in the digital society

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:21:36 PDT

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I work at Global Kids, a 20 year old youth development nonprofit that has helped tens of thousands of at-risk youth in New York City succeed scholastically, go on to college and become active civic leaders. From our perspective, all of America's young people -- whether poor or rich, Black or White, in urban centers or remote rural communities -- deserve a chance to meaningfully participate in our increasingly digital society. In order to do that, they require access to affordable, accessible broadband internet, in their schools, libraries and homes.

I recently organized a virtual fossil dig for a group of 11 New York City teenagers at Global Kids. From our headquarters, these young people were able to go online and learn about paleontology, evolution, African society and culture. They engaged in VOIP voice conversations with scientists digging for fossils in Zambia, watched videos of young people like themselves in a rural African village talking about the challenges of HIV/AIDS, and researched online about ancient mammals and reptiles long extinct. Their minds were opened to ways of life, career paths, and areas of study that they didn't know anything about prior to the camp. Oh, and they had fun in the process.

As one of our teens Rowana wrote, "Over the past two weeks, I think that I have developed better communication skills. I'm a shy person and I'm not used to being thrown into problem solving situations with strangers, but IDZ [the virtual camp] forced me to communicate better with others."

All of this was made possible by broadband internet and the applications that rely on it -- from VOIP to streaming video to virtual worlds.

This is just one example of how broadband internet can do more than just educate, it can inspire and open minds.

Comments (0)Exemplars, voip youth virtualworlds video science culture

Seeking a place at the table? Become the table.

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:40:20 PDT

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Jim Lukaszewski is right. If you want bring people and technology together, become the table where they meet.

But is it really possible to bring data communication professionals, higher education institutions, public school districts, telecom providers, state government, educators, students, parents, public broadcasters and libraries together in a meaningful way? A living example of this kind of statewide collaboration is the Utah Education Network. Take a look at http://www.uen.org.

Comments (0)Educational Resources, statewide network, collaboration, public education, higher education, public broadcasting