Blogosphere Connections

During Alan November's Building Learning Communities Conference 2007 in Boston, I met a remarkable teacher named Seth Bowers who is helping catapult Deerfield Public Schools squarely into the 21st Century.

Learn how Seth is helping to integrate many of the must-have Web 2.0 technologies to empower students by browsing Seth's blog at http://blog109.org/communities/sbowers/default.aspx.

Accio Potter

I'm too absorbed in the trials of Harry Potter to contribute much to the blog at the moment...other than, what a great story! No wonder my students loved the series so.

I'm afraid I'm a Pottermaniac. I used to be a Beatlemaniac, but I've grown up somewhat.

Will Ron Weasley finally express his love to Hermione Granger? Will Ginny Weasley finally express her love to Harry Potter? Will Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall see eye-to-eye on anything?

Was Lord Voldemort never held as a child?

So many important questions for a lowly Muggle to consider. Accio Potter!

Building Learning Communities - Dr. Yong Zhao

Dr. Yong Zhao on Rethinking the Purpose of Education in a Global Economy

Technology and Redefined Talents

Dr. Yong Zhao gave a most thought-provoking final keynote at this year's Building Learning Communities Conference. What is not surprising is that the theme of transforming learning environments to prepare students for a completely different kind of world resonated with each of the excellent keynote presentations.

Yong began with the findings from the recent Technology Integration Project (TIP) study results that were published in May. The findings declared:

"Test scores were not significantly higher in classrooms using the reading and mathematics software products than those in control classrooms. In each of the fou groups of product-reading in first grade and in fourth grade, mathematics in sixth grade, and high school algebra-the evaluation found no significant differences in student achievement between the classrooms that used the technology products and classrooms that did not."

The study indicated that software tools don't raise test scores, yet Yong suggests that readers are advised to 'scrutinize the findings carefully as even the Department of Education states that the study 'was not designed to assess the effectiveness of educational technology across its entire spectrum of uses." More on this can be found on the following websites: CoSN, ISTE and SETDA.

The study did recognize that proper implementation of educational software is essential for success.

Yong introduced the book, "The alphabet versus the Goddess;" the premise of the book is that technological advances change society in systemic, yet unpredictable ways e.g. the invention of the alphabet may have led to the diminished value of women in society. This technological advancement caused systemic societal changes which served to favor the left-brain directed capacity among men, thus leading to the devaluation of women in society.

The advancements of the industrial revolution are another example of how technological changes act as extraordinary societal disrupters.

What knowledge is of most worth? --Herbert Spencer posed that question in 1859. The answer was science and that changed the curricula of schools to focus on science and mathematics - both Left Brain-directed (L-directed) aptitudes.

Digital Citizenship

Almost 150 years later, nations are now going to war with Cyberattacks. People are engaged in Cyberwars in China and Taiwan.

People around the world are now engaged in virtual marriage in Second Life. We are now socializing virtually, and negotiating virtually: recently a Second Life user became the first actual millionaire by creating value in a virtual world.

Just think about that for a moment.

The advent of mass virtual collaboration has also led to other less desirable revenue sources such as Gold-farming" and "Digital Produce." We now have digital farmers market where one can raise one's social status - virtually.

There are literally millions of people joining these virtual games and this has led to the growth of actual economies. In China, gamers are playing for a living: there are 100,000 people working in digital sweatshops harvesting points and information about the games, then selling their IP online to wealthier gamers. The actual number isn't known since the process is illegal.

So, what kinds of new talents are needed in this new type of world? How do we prepare kids to prosper in an economy marked by the phenomena of YouTube, Flickr, MySpace and podcasting? What skills and aptitudes are in demand in a medium where people are not just tuning in to shows but running their own shows?

Guttenberg's invention made it possible for everyone to be a reader. The Internet makes it possible for everyone to be an author - of anything.

The Chinese Backstreet Boys are two kids in China who lip-synched their favorite Boy Band then posted their creation on YouTube. It's hilarious! After thousands of hits (like the one you may just have made) they are now very popular actual entertainers in China.

Technology has historically redefined the talents that are needed to be successful in the world.

And yet, we are still debating if software helps kids learn to read.

Living in the Digital World

We are not just approaching an age globalization, we are in it.

As electrically contracted, the globe is no more than a village --Marshall McLUhan, 1964

"Honey," I confided, "I think the world is flat." -- Thomas Friedman, 2005

Globalization is the global free flow of goods, people, and money.

"McDonaldization" and Starbucks in the Forbidden City in China reflect a new type of "Global Consumerism." These companies bring many changes: e.g. McDonalds does not provide chop sticks in China. McDonalds also forced people in Hong Kong to stand in line in order to be served and this is helping to make people more polite - a big change, evidently.

Evidently, McDonalds has imported more than obesity to China.

Starbucks wasn't that lucky. Apparently, the Chinese government got nervous about having a Starbucks in the Forbidden City and so it was removed - amicably.

"Our students, are affected by global forces, cultural clashes, and different value systems."

So, what type of talents, what type of aptitudes should we develop in our students?

Another example is the Mini. It's a big job to make the Mini based on the Global Supply Chain. Its now not uncommon for the different parts of products to be manufactured in different parts of the world. The MINI is a car whose parts are made in 14 different countries.

Global Trade of Talents is nothing new. To wit: Yao Ming and Herbert Hoover. At 7'6", Yao Ming of China is among the tallest basketball player and arguably the best center in the NBA. Herbert Hoover was once the richest man in the world - he was hired by the Chinese Emperors, since he was a miner, to search for gold to further enrich the Chinese Empire.

In Summary

Consider the following concepts:

*Multiple Identities/Nationalities both virtual and physical;

*Global reach

*Returning to the agricultural mode of production

*Accepting the role of the machines

New World, New Aptitudes

Read Daniel Pink's: A Whole New Mind

Pink's premise is that due to three forces:

Asia
Automation
Abundance

We are moving from the Information Age, dominated by L-Directed Thinking (sequential, literal, functional textual, analytical), to a Conceptual Age where R-Directed Thinking (creativity, emotional astuteness, nonlinear, holistic) must also be developed.

Pink has identified 6 essential aptitudes:

Design
Story
Symphony
Empathy
Play
Meaning

We can now, for a fee, learn Chinese in Second Life. Simply amazing.

Now What?

We must first start with problems - such as re-imagining education; then

Redefine talents and academic success; and finally,

Reconfigure traditional institutions.

It's time to rethink our purpose in education in a global economy.

Building Learning Communities - Dr. Mitchel Resnick

Mitch Resnick on The Spirit of Play and Lifelong Kindergarten

(http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/)

A kindergarten approach to creativity around a childhood spiral
Imagine, create, play, share, reflect imagine.

Too often we push down learning from the upper grades down to kindergarten and we should do the exact opposite: take what's great about schooling in kindergarten and push it up into the other levels of schools.

Low floors, a high ceiling and wide walls.

Mitch was involved in the team that created Lego Mindstorms and developed creative robotics and activities; now Mitch has gone beyond building robotics by creating a veritable inventors toolkit called Cricket (http://www.picocricket.com/) so support the same creative thinking, but in variable containers. This expands the range of combining art and technology.

Mitchel offered great examples of how to let kids use their imagination to create interesting things like a "wearable jukebox" that played different songs depending upon the

Froebel, the inventor of kindergarten, was a toy maker and developed a series of learning toys that are known as Froebel's gifts.

Another tool is called Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu/) which just became available. It's a free programing environment that helps kids very quickly learn computer programming by stacking a very cleverly designed set of building blocks. Scratch is fully integrated with the web and makes it easy for kids to develop an understanding of programming by focusing on the thinking rather than the punctuation and syntax of programming, which at first, can be out of reach for many.

Get Scratch!

The most important learning happens when things don't work well and then you iterate the cycle of imagine, create, play, share, reflect, and imaging. Mitch and his team want kids to do the same thing: try something out, if it doesn't work, you think about it and try it again.

This will prepare kids for a world where creativity and problem solving will help kids be more successful and more content.

Building Learning Communities - Professor Angela McFarlane

Angela McFarline - Online Communities of Learning

(http://www.bris.ac.uk/education/people/academicStaff/edaemf)

"There has been a chorus of pronouncements that "the information society" both requires and makes possible new forms of education" - Seymour Papert and Guy Caperton, 1999.

Angela began her thought-provoking presentation with her astute observation that we lack a bold vision of what education could be as a result of technology utilization by students. She sais that while we have a tendency to engage in "techno-romanticism," we have to keep our feet firmly on the ground.

"We've had 20 years of a future which was a disappointment" - John Gardner. If we're not careful, we're going to have another disappointing 20 years.

Part of the problem is that there are many people who still think that knowledge is deliverable. However, there are a growing number of us, like Angela, who think that knowledge is constructible.

Direct Impact Model (DIM):

Traditionally defined curriculum and learning culture + Traditionally defined ICT skills, leads to activity using new technology and ICT skills, which leads to improved knowledge and understanding and improved attainment.

However, there is not enough substantive use of the technology.

Socially contextualized Impact Model (SCIM): self-directed learning runs parallel to Institutional learning with some overlap - Traditionally defined ICT skills and Home-based task.

A lot of kids are doing great things in school, but an awful lot of what they are doing is banal and trivial. How many are really have enriching and productive experiences of digital media in online communities?

The kids that not are getting this don't have the community in which to have those enriching experiences. They lack the social capital in the form of a highly educated home, and parents who are highly involved. in their educational lives.

Meaningful learning disrupts:

*Teacher roles
*Learning behaviors
*Ideas about learning
*Models of knowledge

In the first one-to-one program in Queensland, Australia, the experts came in to show the kids Logo, then left and let the kids do the programming on their own while the teachers had no idea what was going on and were not able to help their kids - which the kids clearly understood.

Media/Tools + Content + Pedagogical Model wrapped around a Meaningful Task.

Looking at the patterns of usage of computers in the UK align with the US: almost all kids have access to a computer outside of school before the age of 12. As a result, They Power Down once the get into their classrooms.

Angela use the Promethean Activote 2.4 system to get responses to the following question:

"The link between ICT use and learning remains elusive because technology use:

A. Does not support traditional learning
B. Testing does not capture relevant learning
C. There is insufficient use of ICT
D. Use of ICT is not well managed for learning
E. Too much software is not well designed
F. There is insufficient digital content

Here are the results:
A. 8.9%
B. 21.7%
C. 6.9%
D. 54.2%
E. 2.0%

Angela then let the audience choose the direction of the presentation by posing three things to discuss:

A. Handheld technology
B. Online creative communities
C. Managing face to face interactions

Here are the results:

A. 14.8%
B. 52.2%
C. 26.6%

We overwhelming chose Online Creative Communities.

New Wuxia Novels are typically over 10,000 words, written in chapters over a period, have a large following and have constructive and positive comments (http://www.wuxiasociety.org/).

In these communities there is a lot of one-to-one tutoring going on. The key things about blogs is that they are a good place for people to come together and exchange ideas.

Plant (2004:54) defines an online community as "a collective group of entities, individuals or organizations that come together either temporarily or permanently through an electronic medium to interact in a common problem or interest space."

However, in schools, we often penalize student for collaborating since we consider it some form of "cheating." So until we encourage students to work together and stop penalizing student interaction, we shouldn't be enthusiastic about what might happen.

Have we lost sight of education as a process of personal enrichment? If we have, then we are

We don't educate kids anymore, we train them. That's why they can decode text, but they can't read.

We need to elicit among our students the ability to ask good questions. Many of the effective online communities are full of good questions of these types:

Problem solving "How can I take a photograph like this one?

Requests for information "What do you think of the new CAD system? Does it really help?"

Seeking experience "Can we visit your personal photography lab?"

There is a whole lot of interaction going on using a host of technologies. The online community stuff that's visible is only a part of what's going on. It's the visible part that the public can see, but there is much going on beyond what we can see.

Amazing social project: BioEthics Education Project, or BEEP (http://www.beep.ac.uk/content/index.php).

Unfortunately kids still lack skills in information filtering and quality assessment; don't question the authority of information sources, have a diminished vocabulary compared to the past, and don't like to think. They are too overloaded with information to care. They cut and paste without engaging because they are too busy preparing for exams. They just don't want to know the stuff that's not on the exam. And these are some of the brightest and best students.

This is what we have to pay attention to because we over test.

We are turning out generations of people who can take tests, but who can't learn. And the only difference between the rich kids and the poor kids is that we give the rich kids certificates for not being able to learn.

Building Learning Communities - Dr. Tim Tyson

Tim Tyson on Kids Making the World a Better Place

http://www.drtimtyson.com

Tim is the principal of Maybry middle school in Marietta, Georgia. He has just announced that he is leaving his position and is going to go out and wander the world and work with schools around the planet.

Tim started his presentation with two great questions using the new Promethean Activote 2.4 system with over 200 responders:

"1. To what extent do you truly believe in your heart that school age children have the capacity to make a significant contribution to our world?

A. Truth be told, I really don't believe this at all
B. A few children might have the capacity to make a meaningful contribution
C. Most children have the capacity to make a meanignful contribution"

2.5% selected A
13.8% selected B
76.4% selected C

2. About what percentage of children in your school (or school district) actually did something last year that you believe made a significant contribution to our world? (above and beyone being a precious child)

A. None
B. 1% - 10%
C. 11% - 25%
D. 26% - 50%
E. 51% - 75%
F. 76% - 100%"

1.5% selected A
42.4% selected B
24.1% selected C
8.4% selected D
8.9% selected E
3.0% selected F

So, the respondents generally believe that students can make a significant contribution to our world, but they believe that less that a quarter of them actually did contribute something that significantly to our world.

Read Dan Pink's book "A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future." Listen to an interview on Alan November's podcast sight.

According to Pink, schools are maniacally focused on preparing kids for a world of work that no longer exists.

The big question for every teacher is: "Who is doing all of the thinking work?"

We can't continue school as usual. We must change. This is a time of new beginnings replete with unlimited opportunities, potential, and transformation.

School 2.0 includes:

*Authentically Engaged Learners
*Self-directed Learning
*Project-driven Instruction
*Independent Problem-solvers
*Empowered by Technology Innovation
*Community of Learners
*Relevant

Read "Working on the Work" by Phil Schlechty.

On global distribution: Tim and his staff have created a means for students to contribute significantly to our world. Learn more by going to http://www.mabryonline.org/ & iTunes - searh on iTunes to find over 100 podcasts made by the students and teachers at Maybry Middle School.

Maybry has had visitors from New Delhi, Tasmania, Beijing, Shanghai, Perth, Hong Kong, Republic of Georgia, Tunisia, Canada, Africa, Japan, Peru.

Having a global audience totally changes the nature of schoolwork for students. Most of the projects don't get graded, rather students are provided the opportunity for Authentic Assessment from their world-wide audience.

Essential Question:

When does meaningfulness start?

In K12 education?
In college?
When we get married?
When we work?
Now?

Tim showed a marvelous film on the complex ethical considerations surrounding organ donation created by students entitled, "Making Our World a Better Place." Two of the most powerful statements by of the students were "Now is not that far away." and "Making a movie? That's like learning on steroids."

The second film was called "Genetically Modified Foods: Frankengenes." Perhaps the most impactful statement was from a twelve year old student who looked straight into the camera and said, "The United States is the largest feeding experiment in the world. We are rats in a cage. You and me." The power of that statement, and the manner in which it was shared was not lost on me.

Perhaps the most powerful film exposed the prevalance of child slavery in the African chocolate fields.

Finally, it's not about technology and connectivity. It's more about the contributing to make the world a better place.

What's your next logical step?

Take it.

blc 2007

A Whale of a Task

I enjoy a good lunch.

A good lunch is a rather like a well made investment in the middle of the day.

Today I had a lovely lunch with Angela the Ferry Catcher. We had decided to take the New England Aquarium sponsored Whale Watching tour out of Boston Harbor based on their stated claim of "Guaranteed Whale Sightings." According to their website (http://www.neaq.org/), in the unfortunate event that whales aren't sighted, passengers would receive a complimentary New England Whale Watch ticket. It reminded me of Mastery Learning: if at first you don't succeed, just do it a lot more.

We arrived a bit early, and, intrigued by the name "Legal Seafood," stopped in for a bit of lunch. Angela said that the first time someone mentioned the restaurant's name, she heard it called "Lethal Seafood," which might explain why we got such a good table.

We dined on fresh grilled calamari salad with white beans and a snappy vinaigrette. Expecting the usual nondescript calamari rings, I was surprised to see whole creatures in the salad, complete with tiny tentacles and suction cups. One even looked like a miniature octopus - which had probably gotten caught up in a confused crowd of squid. A lethal mistake. But a tasty one - for me.

After lunch we boarded the Voyager III, the Aquarium's sleek whale watching vessel, a mammoth catamaran with huge pontoons and three observation decks complete with indoor seating. Angela and I decided to sit outside on the bow of the lowest deck in order to maximize our visibility. We also thought it would be more stable than the uppermost deck in the event of a rogue wave or two.

We steamed out to Stellwagen Bank, an enormous undersea mountain with massive pockets of nutrient-rich water upwelling from the cold dark ocean depths. This serves as the fast-food equivalent for dolphins, sea birds, whales and other marine life...such as, squid, perhaps.

About thirty minutes into the voyage, as the ship began to roll significantly, I had vital self-realization: I am easily susceptible to sea sickness. I typically remedied this flaw by avoiding the open ocean. Now, however, the trait which had remained dormant for so many years was waking up with a surly disposition.

Motion sickness is caused by two differing signals, emanating from within each ear, which confuse the brain and result in excessive saliva production, dizziness, and nausea. It is impossible to be calm and sea sick at the same time. Angela seemed serenely focused on the horizon looking for whale spouts while I sat in a mouth-watering, stomach-churning dilemma: it would be most uncouth to disturb Angela's rapture by vomiting on her.

I remembered reading that one could counteract the effects of motion sickness by applying pressure to the inside of one's wrist and impinging a nerve that somehow mitigated the unpleasantness. I also recalled that meditative repose focused one's thoughts elsewhere, which was where my thoughts needed to be at that moment.

I found the spot on my wrist, pressed forcibly then turned my focus to breathing deeply. It went something like this: in....out....in...out...SQUID!...in...out...in...out...TENTACLES!...out... no, no...in, then out...in...out...in...out...YOU ATE A BABY OCTOPUS!...and so on.

Oh, incidentally, we did see humpback whales, five or six of them. We saw a mother breach the water completely followed by her young calf doing the same. They rolled on their sides and slapped the water with their fins. They stuck their heads out of the water and peered at us in a maneuver known as spy hopping. They dove deeply, breaking the water with elegant tail flourishes.

In...out...in...out.

The spectacle finally drew to a close and we made our way back to port. As the Boston skyline drew nearer the swells subsided. Evidently the leading edge of a cold front had whipped up the ocean surface and the Voyager III encountered some of the roughest seas the tour operators had ever seen. Angela turned to me and in a conspiratorial whisper said, "You know, I was this close to being sick, but I just kept focusing on the horizon." Most of the other passengers onboard were not so fortunate, particularly those seated inside which, according to one observer, became a veritable "floating vomitorium."

For me there is something Zen-like in the act of whale watching. I found it not so much in the the awe-inspiring natural phenomenon of massive sea creatures twirling in balletic grace, or the poetry of sea and sky, wind and water. No, I found nirvana by keeping my investment in a good lunch.

It was a whale of a task.

blc 2007

The Best Recipe

Many recipes exist for many different things. I'd always thought of myself as he-who-does-not-need-a-recipe. Numerous disasters later, I've softened my position: while there is much to be said for serendipity, it seems that some structure, a sense of purpose, and a good dose of community makes the best recipe.

My new friend Woody from the D.C. area shared his best recipe for Margaritas; it all hinges on the sweet and sour mix: 1/2 cup lime juice + 1/2 cup lemon juice + 1/4 cup sugar + 4 tsp lime zest + 4 tsp lemon zest. Refrigerate up to 24 hours, strain and serve with equal parts of the mix, your favorite tequila, and triple sec.

Angela, the "Ferry Catcher" put together a lovely recipe for fresh striped bass (see July 14th Post): catch a stripped bass in a kayak with Alan November; have Alan filet the fish (he's really very good); season the filets with salt, pepper, lemon juice, Italian extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil from Alan's garden; wrap in tin foil and place on a hot grill for ten minutes, then remove from foil and place filets directly on the grill for two minutes on each side; add a jigger of brilliance from Christine Bridge and Jennifer Beine; season with a lifetime of reflective practice; fold in a heaping portion of insightful conversation about teaching and learning, brain research and gaming, randomly assigned collaborative groups and supporting best practices with technology. Serve with at least two bottles of Cousino Macul Chilean Antiguas Reservas cabernet sauvignon (I know: red wine with fish - so sue me).

Enjoy a most memorable evening.

The Ferry Catcher

Angela McFarlane is a precise woman. She is also quite charming. I learned these two critical facts about Angela today - the first day we met. Angela is the Chair of the Education Department at the University of Bristol and, like me, is staying at "Camp November" in preparation for Alan's Building Learning Communities Conference.

In the midst of last-minute details and tasks, Alan November invited Angela and me to go fishing. Well, kayaking, really, while trolling for striped bass. I live in Seattle so I know how to kayak, as do most Northwesterners. Fishing from a kayak is, as I've discovered, entirely different.

You start with worms.

These are not your ordinary, night-crawler variety, but rather frilly sea worms that look like something not of this planet. They seem docile enough; but then there's the hook, which you have to "thread" with the sea worm. Not pleasant. Neither for the worm nor the threader.

There is, of course, a fishing pole. In a single kayak, such as I was using, one has to juggle the fishing pole by oneself along with the paddle and the hook - a nasty looking curve of metal that you don't want any where near you...unless, of course, you are engaged in the unfortunate task of threading it with a sea worm.

Completely and utterly absorbed, I set out following Angela and Alan, who were in a much more stable double kayak, into the Atlantic on our mid-morning fishing/kayak trip.

Angela fished with charm and precision while Alan paddled into clear blue-green waters. The tide was nearly at its height as rolling swells came in from the vast Atlantic. Black back gulls and sooty cormorants roosted on nearby Rams Island, and the sun sparkled like emeralds on the water's surface. The scene could not have been more beautiful.

Or so they told me.

I was too busy ensconced in unraveling fishing line, keeping up with Alan and Angela, and threading worms.

We had a few nibbles, but it was great fun.

Or so I heard.

Later in the day, Alan suggested that we catch the Salem Ferry into Boston. We thought it sounded splendid, and so we drove to the town of the famous Witch Trials. Apparently, witchcraft is still practiced in Salem, and most things there have a bit of the peculiar.

We boarded the "SS Nathaniel Bowditch" precisely at four o'clock bound for downtown Boston. It was a lovely trip followed by quick walk around Boston. Angela inquired as to the time of the return run to Salem and was told the ferry would depart at 5:10. Alan and I had just purchased lucky Boston Red Socks hats when we saw the ferry pulling out into Boston Harbor. We looked at our watches - it was only five past five. As Alan and I started to panic, Angela quickly made her way to the ferry ticket counter.

I've lived in Seattle for nearly twenty years and when you miss a ferry, you miss a ferry. No matter what. They never turn around for anyone: governors, legislators, rock stars, retired Microsoft execs - no one. It just never happens. So it was no small surprise when we saw the Nathaniel Bowditch reverse its engines and make its way back to the dock. We simply couldn't believe our eyes: Angela, with her inimitable charm and sense of precision, managed to reel the ferry back to the dock. She explained, in her charming British accent, that the ferry left the dock too soon and simply had to return to pick us up.

We boarded while the passengers looked at us with mouths agape. We must have seemed awfully important. As we extolled Angela's newfound superpowers, she merely shrugged her shoulders and said, "I expected the ferry to return to the dock and so it did. You just have to believe. "

We decided to test our newfound belief and try our hand at fishing once again - only this time with "witchy" sea worms we bought in Salem.

Now at sunset, Alan and Angela set out in their double kayak while I paddled like mad to keep up in the single kayak. In no time at all Angela adeptly reeled in a beautiful large-headed striped bass as Alan kept the kayak steady. While the fish was impressive, it was just under the regulation twenty eight inches and so was thrown back.

Meanwhile, as I struggled to keep up while threading one of the spirited witchy worms from Salem, the little bugger bit me in the finger. I nearly swamped the kayak as I jumped back in my seat. I didn't know that sea worms had teeth! Sharp little incisors, too.

Somehow managing to get the thing on the hook and into the water, I heard the reel sing out and found myself wrestling what seemed like a mammoth striped bass. The fish actually began to tow my kayak towards shore as I held on for dear life yelling repeatedly, "Fish on!" Alan, having never heard the term before, calmly turned to Angela and asked, "What did he say?"

Angela expertly maneuvered their kayak into position so that Alan could net the fish, a whopper at nearly thirty-six inches. It was, without question, the biggest fish I had ever caught. We kept kayaking and trolling and Angela caught her second striped bass, though it was smaller than her first and was also thrown back. As the sun set on the pink-hued cliffs, we hauled in our lines and headed towards shore.

As I paddled back to Marblehead, I reflected upon the events of the day. When things fall into place one gets an almost organic sense of flow. Individually anticipating events and then believing that they will come to fruition is great, but doing so in collaboration makes it even better.

Yes, I did catch a three-foot striped bass in a single kayak. But only thanks to Alan for inviting me to be a part of his learning community, and to Angela...because Angela, with her inimitable charm and precision, caught a seventy-foot ferry.

blc 2007

A Beginning

I'm sitting inside "Camp November," the lovely late 19th Century home of my friend Alan November on a warm July evening. Hailing from Seattle, where the Pacific Ocean rarely ventures above hypothermia-inducing, I found the Atlantic, mere steps away from the house, a balmy 65 degrees. I waded in from the rocky shore and felt the tension from a long day's travel washed away.

The town of Marblehead was built on granite flecked with rose and white quartzite veins criss-crossing the bedrock. These formations, when first seen by early colonists from the decks of approaching British ships, resembled banks of marble glowing in the setting sun's final rays. The long hump of Cape Cod, a vast deposit of debris at the terminal moraine of the last great northern glacier, peaks into view twenty miles to the South East.

I'm attending Alan's Building Learning Communities Conference. Serving as the National Strategic Initiatives Manager for Promethean, I've decided to start my first blog by documenting my experiences at this, my second Alan November conference. Since many of my teaching colleagues at Promethean aren't able to attend, this blog will serve as both a personal journal and a meeting place to collaborate and share new ways of thinking about engaging students with technology.