Unleashing Student Passion

I had a neat collaborative experience a few days ago with Mark Wagner over at Educational Technology and Life. He was on Skype, and I needed a fresh pair of eyes to look at the abstract I was writing for my keynote in New Zealand-. We collaboratively edited the piece down to 150 words. The whole time I am thinking-- I really can collaborate with the best minds on Skype from anywhere in the world. Man -- what a time is this to be alive. The trick is having an array of disruptive P2P tools available and then being skilled and brave enough to network with others. Of course this is all contingent on going one step further making sure those who aren't using these powerful tools - start.

So anyway, back to Mark- after we finished working on my abstract and pairing it down, he was able to take some key ideas and phrases and work them into a piece he was writing. How efficient is that?
The key to true innovation is engaging collaboration. And the key to effective virtual collaboration is connectivity and skill at networking.

Here is my New Zealand keynote abstract- if you have any resources or ideas that relate please share them in the comments or if you would just like to talk a little about unleashing student passion then let's start the conversation here.

Keynote Address: Schooling for the 21st Century: Unleashing Student Passion
Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, Adjunct Instructor of Educational Technology, College of William and Mary & Educational Consultant, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

A passionate student is a learning student. As the people of the world are becoming increasingly connected, the nature, use, ownership, and purpose of knowledge are changing in profound ways. Our goal as educators is to leverage these connections and changes as powerful means to improve teaching and learning in our schools. Using digital media and web-based tools, students are building their own learning experiences, constructing meaning, and collaborating in teams to solve authentic content-based problems. Many teachers who use these empowering technologies are now discovering we can have rigor without sacrificing excitement. The secret: Focus on student passion and interest, not the machines and software.

Come listen as Sheryl stirs a sense of urgency for shifting classroom practice toward more engaging approaches that unleash the passion that lies within each learner. Sheryl invites you to discuss this and (other 21^st Century teaching and learning topics) on her blog: http://21stcenturylearning.typepad.com/blog/

Comments

[Joseph Papaleo]

The abstract looks great. The focus on the passionate student not the technology is what is required, especially when some draconian teacher talks about the technology being too hard to use. Times have changed since DOS and they refuse to move with the times.
Your abstract also has many parallels with our new Year 12 IT course in Victoria, Australia as we need to look at virtual teams working together. I need to do more reading ...
Good luck in NZ.

[Paul Harrington]

Hi Sheryl, I agree with Joe that to focus on the passion of the student to use the technology is an important feature as is your idea that the teacher acts as leverage ( I take that to be the fascilitator ?). It is important that we allow ourselves to learn along with our students - that way we don't have too many pre-conceived ideas that will limit our pupils creativity...
It doesn't matter how something works - just that it woks and allows us to do stuff!!!

Regards Paul

[Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach]

Joe and Paul,

Thanks so much for your feedback. It is very valuable. I also am responsible for a workshop and I am considering building on an idea I got from Joe... Why "You" were chosen as Time Magazine's Person of the Year.

I think content is important. But I think it comes after engaging students and appealing to their passions and interests.
I was bothered a bit as I read the Times piece "How to Build a 21st Century Student" by the idea of building a student rather than getting out of the way and enabling or unleashing a student in helping them to achieve.

Virtual communties of practice hold promise as a way of helping teachers work together to make princpled changes in the way we teach and learn in the 21st Century.

I look forward to continuing the conversation on your side of the world.