If you want to find an area of the country that is getting really serious about the Read/Write Web in the classroom, look no further that Western New York. If nothing else, the last two days here speaking to and with the superintendents from about 50 districts and the staff developers from the Erie BOCES made it clear that these people either get it or want to get it and will do whatever it takes to move the schools in a new direction. It’s been really gratifying to be involved in some very provocative, challenging, and imaginative discussions, ones that I think bode really well for the students and teachers of the region.
For the last few months, the BOCES has been planning a series of blog, wiki and podcasting in services that will start up in September throughout the region. They’ve invested in servers and training, and it’s an attempt at least at the kind of support that’s needed to make their efforts successful.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t hills to climb and roadblocks to navigate. But the good news is that there was real weight to the discussions these two days. These are educators who I think are starting to understand the importance of taking these conversations to larger and larger audiences and work together to find answers to the obstacles that remain. People who get what Barbara Ganley is talking about when she writes:
But now things feel more urgent suddenly, as though we’ve reached a crossroads. Much is in flux. Much is under threat. My students have changed, for one thing,—these young ones are now true digital natives and what that means has collided with our present model of education, exploding into an alarming reality.
For maybe the first time working with a group of educators, I felt that urgency too. The urgency that comes when more and more students feel disengaged, disenfranchised, and disinterested. And I have to thank all of you that contributed to my talk by posting to the blog, and especially Chris Lehmann, whose blog post I read to the superintendents to close my talk. It was and is a powerful statement of the world as we know it, and the world as more of our school leaders need to understand it.
We’ll see…
It was great to meet you today and see what is happening over at our neighboring Erie #1 BOCES. I am definitely encouraged by what I am hearing among our districts. I think to be in a position to ask questions about how a regional organization, such as BOCES, can provide services, training and support for read/write technologies is incredible. I applaud those that are getting there feet wet and especially those that already have their hands dirty. Thank you for your resources, knowledge and suppport.
Wow… I’m honored. I didn’t think you’d even get to see the post until you got home.
I’m curious — what was their reaction to it?
Will, you were very helpful and I liked the informal way you replied to all of our questions! Bravo!
However, my notes lack information about one topic you mentioned: a term called “Fliction” where students can be directed to post fiction writing pieces in reaction to Flickr images etc. I thought that it was a term I could “search” in Flickr.. but alas, it’s not there or I am searching the wrong place. Can you give me some more detail to find this process and, perhaps, find examples to bring to my teachers?
And thank you for your fine presentation Friday at the Erie 1 BOCES!
What software are they planning on using?
There was a great response to the workshop and a request for more next year. I am impressed by these leaders striving to do their part to change the landscape. The next day the FBI spoke on all that can happen to children on the Internet and through such things as Blogs and MySpace. The part that the leader plays in this educational dilemna could not have been felt more stongly.
Will,
The training was amazing. I have several parents, students and teachers interested in reforming high school and the information presented last week certainly is one component. I have been interested in blogging and wikis for some time now. I did give you a website for the blog I started as a result of the conference. My hope is when I add some more info to make it available to parents and teachers in order to begin to pave the way to out-of-the-box thinking. I had been having trouble with the link so I hope it works. If not, send me an e-mail and I will be glad to try and send it again.
Thanks for an informative and uplifting 2 days!
WOW! RSS feeds have really advertised this post!
I am an instructor at Buffalo State College, this current summer session I am using Mr. Richardson’s book to teach EDU 375, Integrating Tchnology in the Classroom, for pre-serice teachers.
Unfortunatly,I wasn’t aware of his visit to WNY, but I was thrilled to see positive comments and forward thinink from Erie 1 BOCES and WNY educators!
Fellow teachers, if you have yet to purchase Richardson’s book to help you begin your blog,
order it today! It’s a must have! EDUCATOR friendly!
Will’s seminar at the JMT conference gave me the time and opportunity to initiate change in my district. Since then, I have several teachers being trained in podcasting. We have already begun discussions about podcasting a weekly sports program next year for parents and teachers. The teacher of a new course ‘entrepeneurship’ is hoping to integrate podcasting by his students as part of a class project.
Others would like to use blogs and wikis to further creativity in their student’s learning.
I’ll keep you posted.