Download the enhanced podcast here.
Here’s another Skype conference call, “quick-in, quick-out,” with people who simply answered a Twitter invitation from me here in Seoul, Korea, to discuss ways to make my Personal Learning Network / Communication Arts English Seminar better. Most of the conversation is with Corrie Bergeron of Cleveland, Ohio - “educator, husband, father, musician, aviation nut” - and a very smart man, with whom I’ve never spoken before submitting a one-line tweet to my Twitter network. He’s interested in this class, and took 40 minutes to discuss it with me instantly.
Other people in my Twitter network came in later: George Mayo of Maryland, USA; Jabiz Raisdana, an international school teacher in Doha, Qatar; and Madeline Brownstone, a teacher and New York City National Writing Project advisor. I’ve talked to George a couple of times, but this was the first voice-to-voice with Jabiz and Madeline.
Let me spell a couple things out: Twitter, Skype, and this blog have very quickly combined into an instant-meeting medium for me to learn from people around the world who are interested in helping me succeed at what I’m trying to do in my own project-based learning - which just happens to be about using the new tools to allow students to learn in new ways. This podcast is at once a datum of and a discussion about Personal Learning Networks.
I want to get this podcast posted quickly so I can refer the curious parent of a student in the class to listen to it. So right now I’ll say, stay tuned: I’ll be posting links to the class wiki and blog, in order for people in my network around the world to come in and offer their help - and their own networks - in helping these students learn how to learn.
A big thanks to all who volunteered their time!
If you liked my post, feel free to subscribe to my rss feeds
3 Comments
I got your tweet but unfortunately was not in a place where I could get away to Skype. I’m very interested in your implementation of creating PLNs with students in your class. At this point at my school what you are doing would be difficult (due to things like Twitter & blogs being blocked), but I’m hoping to learn much from your experience and struggles in trying this out.
I’m glad you’ve decided to take the risk and introduce it to your students. It may go a long way in showing that Twitter & Skype are serious educational tools that should be included in every classroom. Your posts have forwarded my thinking on the implementation of similar “quick in, quick out” activities with my own students. On that note, have you or anyone you know experienced a large earthquake? I’d love to have my students talk to someone who could describe the feeling.
This is a train-of-thought response as I listen…
So I hit a sticking point way back at the beginning of the podcast. You comment on your students not really seeing the difference between myspace and blogs, ie, personal (friends) and professional (the world) audiences. The thing is, I’m not sure I could explain that difference for them myself. Where do you draw that line? I want to run around and ask a bunch of people who maintain personal and professional blogs how they decided what goes where.
Oooh… I like the phrase “I subscribe to their brains”.
The best way to tap into the social networks of whatever group you’re looking for is to go to those popular bar-designer or whatever blogs and see what other things they use in their info. Twitter isn’t everyone’s ‘verse thing–there’s so many other things. It may be the educators are twitter-biased and then bar-designers are all about jaiku or something.
“I know how to do it but how do I teach them?” Amen.
Along with them reflecting on what they’ve tried in terms of creating PLNs–post your own reflections on the growth of your PLN too?
Penelope’s last blog post..Things that Work
I love the phrase “I subscribe to their brains”.
To the parent wondering what this is all about, that is the core of it–your child tapped into what professionals/experts/leaders-in-the-field/passionate-learners are thinking. And then, by engaging in his/her own writing, joining the conversation and developing personal expertise.
Imagine this technology decades ago, your child’s passion is math and Einstein is a blogger.
Matt Clausen’s last blog post..Planning the School of Today (and Tomorrow)
7 Trackbacks
[…] (people following him on Twitter), he has had a few international discussions via Skype (see here and here) with fellow educators on his ideas. He has also begun to work with his students to […]
[…] about and friended a number of folks well worth following. I’ve participated in a spontaneous Quick-in, Quick-out international podcast while grabbing a bite to eat in the teachers room this week, made numerous Trailfire marks, been […]
[…] in this context as it allows you to take your time in crafting responses. But for “quick in and quick out” responses, this might work. Anyway, hook up your webcam and give it go or leave a text […]