I spent about an hour at the conference yesterday afternoon and could feel, already, the incredible energy of this event and of educators, traveling across this small, yet magnificent country, to learn about modernizing classrooms. I am overwhelmed, and thankful for this energy, as I have only a little left after 31 hours in transit from Richmond, Virginia.
At this conference I will be talking about the new story, and from my conversations with conference attendees and planners last night, inventing and telling a new story about teaching and learning is a challenge for all of us. I will also be doing a number of presentations about the changing shape of information, talking about collaboration with wikis, playing (and working) information with video games, and the new glue of the web, RSS.
As a reminder, if you plan to blog or photograph my sessions, please tag them with learningatschool and with the suggested tags of that session.
So here are the links to my online handouts:
Our classrooms — what they look like, how the furniture is arranged, what teachers and students do, what is taught, how it is taught, and why — are all modeled after old and outdated stories that are still being told by our culture. We must change these stories and tell new ones, based on a new world, an unpredictable future, almost unlimited opportunities, a new kind of student, and compelling new learning experiences that have never been possible before. (tags: new story warlick)
One of the pivot points of the new read/write Web is wikis. Originally invented in 1995, wikis have recently emerged as the poster-child of the Web 2.0 movement. This session will provide a general overview of the wiki style, ranging from small group collaborations to global collaborations to global encyclopedias. Participants will learn about the characteristics of wikis, how to operate and manage them, and a variety of classroom applications. Come learn how to create a wiki site – for free. (tags: wiki session warlick)
“Edutainment†is a term that has frequently been used to describe computer applications designed to make learning fun – and the word has not always been used with the best intentions. In recent years, however, educators have begun to take a serious look at video games and the video game generation and to reconsider the role of technology, fun, and serious video gaming within the context of formal education. This presentation will provide an overview of various video game genres, some of the latest writings on video games in education, and some spin-off activities that will literally amaze you. The presenter will also attempt to break down some of the characteristics of video gaming that seem to make the practice such a compelling learning experience for youngsters — under 30. (tags: games session warlick)
The nature of information has changed dramatically since the advent of the World Wide Web. However, that change has accelerated during the past 12 to 18 months, thanks to a family of web tools that are so changing the way that we think about information that it is increasingly called, Web 2.0. These tools include blogging, podcasting, social networks, and wikis, to mention only a few. However, the real magic of the New Web, the glue that holds it all together, is a simple, yet fundamentally revolutionary concept usually called RSS. Learn about this concept and how it can be used to manage instructional materials in brand new ways. Prepare to be on the edges of your seats. (tags: rss session warlick)
