Marratech video conferencing on A Whole New Mind

In the book, A Whole New Mind, the author Daniel H. Pink expressed several ideas that are pertinent to educators in the 21st century. The knowledge of the brain has evolved through medical technological advances. Although both sides of the brain work together, each side specializes in its own function. The left-brain specializes in text, while the right brain specializes in context. According to Daniel Pink, there is a shift in which we are moving from a logical and linear society of the Information Age to an inventive and empathic society of the Conceptual Age. Right brain qualities of inventiveness, empathy, joyfulness, and meaning are the necessary skills for the 21st century. This change has come about because of the social and economic forces; Abundance, Asia, and Automation. Abundance is described as consumer able goods being so plentiful that designer goods have become the wave, thus fostering the right brain function of inventiveness. Asia is stated as change due to the outsourcing of jobs overseas because of cost effective business policies. Automation is described as the fact that machines are able to efficiently take over many jobs, thereby demonstrating a lessening of the linear, detail-oriented left brain jobs.

With right brain dominance, Pink describes the Six Senses that are necessary components to nurture the 21st century student. Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning.

On Sunday morning at 9:00 am on November 16, six graduate students from different branches of CW Post, LI University held a Marretch videoconference. The focus of the discussion on the book, A Whole New Mind, by Daniel H. Pink was on the assessment and the implications of his ideas on 21st Century students and the developing learning organizations for the future. Several significant points were discussed enabling each of us to identify present day issues and possible solutions. Interestingly, five graduate students were middle school special education teachers, and one ELA teacher, all in different school districts on Long Island, NY. One major point that was discussed was that we are in the process of learning about a whole new mind yet our students are living in the experience of a whole new mind. Today, children as young as 2 years old are able to manipulate DVD players, CD players, computers and iPods. Much discussion was on the importance of design within the school environment. CHAD, the Charter High School for Architecture and Design was an example of a successful curriculum design-centered school. This resulted in a significant change for otherwise failing students. One teacher spoke about the difference within her classroom when the desks were changed to long black tables. Design and project-based assignments that are connected to meaning are motivating factors. The concept of story was discussed in relation to having students create mini sagas as a means to seek a deeper understanding of themselves and add interest and meaning. Play, laughter and symphony were also discussed and each of us spoke about our intentions to implement one of the six components in our classroom.

The introduction of Smart Boards revolutionized one school, as it engaged students and allowed for creativity and innovation with lesson plans. Teachers were interested; they changed the way they taught. It is difficult to balance the school environment with “No Child Left Behind” laws with the ongoing tests and incorporating new ways of learning.

An interesting issue addressed was the lack of cooperative, collaborative teaching with special education and regular education teachers. It has been a recurrent theme that the regular teachers perceive the special education teachers as subordinate in the classroom thus creating a quiet hierarchy. Although this is a common issue in many school districts it does not get addressed. We have social and emotional programs in place for our students, yet we, as professionals have not implemented these concepts within our own staff. Many of our special education students are right-brain dominant and flourish with computer work. Although there are many issues to address within a classroom, students with special needs, support staff and special education teachers are still part of the educational process. Teachers need to work together, effectively to help all students.

"Which Technologies Will Shape Education in 2008?

The article, “Which Technologies Will Shape Education in 2008?” written by Dave Nagel for the online publication, “The Journal” is a synopsis of a new report which was released in the 2008 Horizon Report, by “The New Media Consortium and the Educause Learning Initiative.”

The Horizon Report discusses six key technologies that have been identified by researchers that will most likely have an impact on education within the next five years. Each of the technologies are broken up into categories of near-term, being adopted within the next year, mid-term being adopted within two to three years, and further down the road meaning within four or five years.

The technologies that will have a significant impact on education within this year or by next year include grassroots video and collaborative Web technologies. Grassroots video is user-generated video created on inexpensive consumer electronics devices, which can be edited and encoded. The second near-term trend is collaborative Web technology. This technology is already in wide use in education at all levels.

The technologies in the mid-term category are mobile broadband and data mashups. Mashups, according to the report, will largely impact the way education institutions represent information. "While most current examples are focused on the integration of maps with a variety of data," the report said, "it is not difficult to picture broad educational and scholarly applications for mashups." Mobile broadband too is in the early stages of adoption for educational purposes, from project-based learning activities to virtual field trips.

The last category of technology, which is projected for adoption in four to five years, according to the report, is "collective intelligence" and "social operating systems." Collective intelligence includes wikis and community tagging.
The report also addresses the challenges facing education institutions and the trends--or "metatrends"--that have emerged since the launch of the Horizon Project in 2002.

I found it particularly interesting that information is gathered for the Horizon Report from more than 175 Advisory Board members in the fields of business, industry, and education and the topic presented were drawn from many published resources, current research, and practice. This study was well researched with a gamut of resources.

From the moment I first discovered video news reporting on the online New York Times publication, I was hooked. I found it fascinating, engaging and I easily absorbed the material quickly. When entering the Educational Technology Masters Program at LIU, CW Post, I was able to teach myself certain technology tools by watching the various videos provided on line by the mentors. The popularity of You-Tube demonstrates the grassroots technology that has spread so rapidly. Incorporating grassroots video and collaborative Web technologies into educational settings is an ongoing process. It will be interesting to watch the growth of the particular technologies discussed and their impact on education now and within the next several years.

Photostory workshop

My Montage 3/1/08