If you’re interested in the intersection of technology and education - which these days covers a rather large part of education - you might like to check out this new podcast. The host, Jeff Utecht, is a teacher at Shanghai American School, as well as a presenter and IT consultant for schools in the Asia region, but for a number of the episodes - a series of conversational episodes called called SOS (Shifting Our Schools) - he is joined by teachers from various other schools in the region, where they discuss
the latest conversations in the educational blogosphere as well as deep thinking about education and the changing nature of learning.
This is highly relevant material for international school teachers and administrators, and the latest episode is from the EARCOS conference just the other week, where Jeff was one of the presenters.
To subscribe with iTunes, click here: 
If, on the other hand, you don’t want to use iTunes, you can also just go to the site itself (http://www.thethinkingstick.com/ondeck/archivepage/) and browse the links there to download individual episodes or recorded conference presentations or conversations to your computer and listen to in Media Player.
Back in September, I wrote a bit about podcasting at ISM. In the months since, podcasting has really started to take off in the middle and high schools. During the last couple of months, a number of HS English classes, all the 8th graders and a number of 6th graders have started podcasting projects using www.podbean.com.
For an example, listen to this episode (from Dave Feren’s IB class podcast) featuring a fictional radio program called “Good Morning, Afghanistan”. The purpose of this podcast was to creatively show an awareness of some significant aspect of the historical context for the novel The Kite Runner.
Read the rest of this entry »
On Monday this week, we started the new semester with the now annual IT @ ISM Expo. The feedback after the event was good, and many seemed inspired by what they had seen and heard, whether the new ideas came from the intended topic or just something that came up incidentally during conversations. There were several sessions devoted to podcasting, and a number of classes have started experimenting with this over the last couple of months.
One concern brought up by a presenter afterwards was the risk that you might end up preaching to the converted, as some attendees seem to select topics they already know they’re interested in, when part of the intention is to expose teachers to new ideas. However, ideas often come bubbling forth anyway, through conversations with other teachers. The interactive format with small groups gives rise to conversations with people you may not otherwise have talked to, often from other grade levels, departments and divisions.
Another concern was the timing, as some seem to have prioritized report writing over the chance to learn from each other. This is a pity of course, and we can try to avoid that for next year’s event. For those who missed a topic they would have liked to learn about, there is a folder in Staff Resources with resource files/handouts from most of the events (please note that this link only works if you are logged on to the network - if not, you have to log in and navigate to Staff Resources >> CommonFolders >> IT Expo 08 via the public site).
Thanks to all the presenters!
This morning, a student forwarded this article to me about iPods in schools. While the article mentions iPods, this could in fact apply to any mp3 player. A couple of quotes really stood out such as:
“You know the No. 1 complaint about school is that it’s boring because the traditional way it’s taught relies on passive learning,” Mr. Noguera said. “It’s not interactive enough.”
“…students seemed bored by their English-language textbooks…which they found outdated and irrelevant”
Fortunately, this is not necessarily the case at our school, however, the article made me reflect on how we are using mp3 players at ISM. In the HS, how are mp3 players used in the classroom to facilitate learning? Why are mp3 players not allowed in the MS? Now, aside from the obvious concerns about theft and loss, I think there could be real value in allowing students to bring iPods to school, however, it would require a well thought out vision that clearly outlines how iPods could be utilized and training for teachers on how to integrate this technology into the class. The groundwork for integration has already started. Training on podcasting has been offered to several departments in the school. Mp3 recorders are being used at the IB level for oral exams. The Music and Modern Language departments are recording student work for playback and self evaluation. Many of the students are already familiar with the technology and possess the tools to use it. Where do we go from here?
This is from the faculty focus group session I did this morning. I shamelessly borrowed the idea from Alan November, whom I heard present at a recent conference in Shanghai. It’s deceptively simple, yet very powerful…
Over the last year, many teachers have voiced an interest in podcasting as a way to diversify students’ ways to demonstrate learning and understanding, but for a few different reasons, few ever seem to get round to actually implementing it in the classroom. Read the rest of this entry »
Over the last week, a number of teachers around the schools have been visited by an IT teacher offering to explain RSS in twenty words or less and to hook them up with a personalized iGoogle page. Read the rest of this entry »
