Wisconsin Survey

This email recently came from John Pederson on the wetech listserv (Wisconsin technology coordinators). Think about the data he presents and what it means for schools.

"Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, recently presented the keynote at our WiscNet Future Technologies Conference. In short, these folks do a ton of data collection about educational technology use in schools.

Julie presented two bits in particular that caught my eye.

1. When Wisconsin students were asked to describe their own level of proficiency with technology, only 21% self identified as being "advanced" in their technology use. I think we as adults often over estimate the abilities and attitudes regarding students and technology.

2. 28% of students Grades 3-5, 45% of students Grades 6-8, and 58% of students Grades 9-12 have their own laptop computers in Wisconsin. Chew on that a bit and consider what it tells you about how you should be thinking about your infrastructure over the next 5-10 years. Will you allow them? Should you provide them? Will this number increase as the costs drop or decrease as the number of mobile devices increases? What does this mean for your network? What are their parents expectations? Is it fair? Does being fair matter?"

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John Pederson
Educational Technology Liasion - WiscNet
johnpederson@wiscnet.net
http://wire.wiscnet.net

Twitter to Keep Parents Updated

I found this example last year of Twitter used in an elementary classroom. The kids share with their parents.

Engaging People via Twitter

Do you want more followers on Twitter? Do you want to engage in real conversations? Read Cindy King's 12 Tips to Engage People on Twitter.

Social Communication

Now that you have experienced Twitter, you may find it interesting to read Aliza Sherman's post, How Social Media is Affecting the Way We Speak and Write. Are we more concise? Do you use different spellings? Are we more revealing?

Digital Pencil

Here's an elementary school application called Digital Pencil that is being used in Grandview Elementary School "to support the writing process -- draft, revised draft, edited draft to a published piece -- allowing students and teachers to work on and review student writing from any computer which has access to the internet." We often talk about things that are used in the secondary schools, but this looks like something that could be used at the elementary level. Class subscriptions are available. Also look at some of the links along the side for other tools recommended.

Encouraging people to comment on your blog

You may have noticed that some people are getting more comments on their blogs than others. One reason may be that they post earlier in the week, so there is something to read and comment on, but it may also be that they offer a new way of looking at things, a practical example that others can relate to, or additional information about the topic. Think about how you can make your blog both a reflection of what you are thinking and something interesting for others to read and comment on.

Teachers and Students Using Social Networking

Doug Johnson did part of a webinar on Constructing New Learning Landscapes and talked about essential conditions. One thing he promoted was the need for networking guidelines for teachers, especially as many of us did not grow up in a networked environment. Take a look at Mankato School District's proposed guidelines for teachers.