The Observation Deck

As of this past Monday, the LHS 2.0 team at Lakewood High School has issued 200 netbooks (hp mini) to our students. This 1:1 education initiative is the result of a federal ARRA grant, and is funded completely with federal dollars. This exciting pilot program is one of many steps that Lakewood City Schools is taking to bring our students into the digital age. As this is a pretty huge undertaking, I have started a blog in which I will share some of my personal thoughts on this endeavor. I will also be sharing links and resources that I am encountering as I learn to shift my classroom in accordance with the changes of our times. I bring this to the deck because I think that this blog will be of value to the Lakewood community. All thoughts expressed on the blog are my own, and do not reflect the opinions of Lakewood City Schools. Please feel free to comment both here and on the blog. I look forward to sharing this adventure with the stakeholders of our community. I am new to blogging, so please be understanding as I get used to it.

http://teacherstalkingshop.blogspot.com/

Sean

Congratulations on this.

I know how hard you have worked on this and realize you are perfect for this.

Good luck, let us know how we can help.

.

Thanks, Jim. I probably should have posted this in the new education section. Any help on moving it?

Sean--- Sounds like a terrific project that you have initiated! However, there is one little itty bitty thing that I am unclear about.

I thought today's kids were ALL digitally adept - maybe to a fault even. Now you're telling us the purpose of this class is to get them into the digital world?

Help me out here!!!

Stan

Hey Stan,

The difference is that we want to shift the kids towards using digital content for [i]learning[i]. While most of my students can text, facebook, and watch youtube videos with the best of them, they have had little exposure to the vast majority of opportunities awaiting them in the digital world. Most of my students have never used email, attached anything in an email, listened to a podcast, perused digital texts, read a blog, or posted to their own blog. Few know how to contribute to a wiki, research a topic using valid digital sources, or participate meaningfully in a forum like this.

This project is not about fancy new tech toys. It's about preparing our students for a world in which most information is digital. Just yesterday, Amazon reported that digital texts outsold paperbacks last quarter. (http://bit.ly/gJgzq0) This means that books, really, are no longer "books". In the same way, textbooks aren't really where it's at anymore. The moment any of these expensive and huge textbooks are printed, they are out of date. For what most schools spend on the five or so textbooks that any kid has to lug around, we can replace them with a netbook or similar device that costs less, weighs less, and provides access to information, networks of learners, and productivity tools.

Like I said, if we were talking about the Text Olympics or How to "Like" Someone on Facebook, the kids are supremely capable. But when it comes to students being prepared for the digital nature of both work and secondary education, we have a ways to go to get them there.

Thanks for always being interested in chiming in on education topics, Stan. I hope this helps. If not, keep at me.

Oh well--- I guess "the dog ate my homework" just won't cut it anymore if your assignment is in the cloud on Google docs.

I guess I'll just head on down to the Detroit show and catch John Wayne in True Grit. He might win an Oscar for that!

Sean,

Congratulations on your new project and getting the word out to our community about what is going on in education. You are so right about our kids being plugged in, but that many don't use technology for learning that you are describing.

I think your program will not only teach kids about how to access and use information, but will also provide opportunities for the students to learn how think critically about the information they have before them. Our society is truly experiencing the information age in new ways, and yet we are not necessarily better informed or understand how to dissect information to determine what is plausible or true. I love the idea that textbooks may become something of the past only in the sense that high school textbooks (I can only speak from teaching history) are not always factual or represent diverse ideas. I have not bought into the idea of reading my books from a screen--you will have to pry the paper book from my hand, but I can definitely see the possibilities that will open up for our kids when information is presented in a dynamic way.

Just a side note, I work with Job Seekers and have been involved with corporate training. One of the biggest complaints that I hear from employers/recruiters is that we have a generation entering the workforce that is plugged into Facebook, texting, and so on, and as a result being ablbe to understand how to function in the culture of the workforce is a struggle. For instance, understanding when it would be appropriate to text a co-worker or client, proper use of grammar, and knowledge of basic social skills. In fact, I have read research that corporate trainers will be in higher demand to teach a younger workforce about the culture and requirements of working in a professional environment.

As always, it comes down to educating the whole student no matter which way the pendulum swings in education. Trends come and go, but the ability to decipher information in whatever form it takes is still paramount. We still need "people" and I think Lakewood High School is doing a great job helping our kids get ready for all that they will encounter once they graduate.


Kristine