Collaborate, Construct, Content

I wish I could have kept track how many times I said the words “collaborate,” “construct” and “content” during my stay in Boston this week. It must have run into the hundreds without question. And there seemed to be a palpable excitement about blogging. It was pretty cool.

So today I read that Anne is collaborating to construct content. Go figure.

Now I’m thinking I can just set this up in weblogs. There will still be one student, one business partner but this gives a better way to open up the communication to the rest of the class, parents, and others. I pitched the idea to the principal. She liked it. Next up is to meet with the General Mills CEO.

I’m thinking that I could have two authors to a weblog to begin with with possibility of adding more. They could post pack and forth and students and educators could comment. I’m liking this more and more.

I thought one of the most interesting statements coming out of the conference was from a participant who wrote the following in the conference blog:

My first thought following the opening words of our keynote speaker was, “My God, classroom walls have become a hazard!” In the past, walls helped create an environment that promoted learning; now, walls are just one item in a long list of factors that inhibit learning. Walls in our classrooms, walls in our thinking.

It’s all about getting outside those walls. Everyone I talked to about blogs was thinking that way, talking about really “building communities” that extend far outside their own schools. I wish we could have had just one big brainstorming session at the end to really push each other’s thinking on it.