Week+Two

Week Two -- Initiating your PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network) and 21st Century Schools

** Introduction **
During this week you will begin the development of your Professional/Personal Learning Network. You will also investigate the concept of 21st Century Schools and begin to consider how the needs of today differ from the needs that existed when our traditional educational system was implemented. You will complete two discussion forums. In the first, you will discuss the value of a PLN and share the resources/users you are following on Twitter. In the second discussionforum, you will utilize the assigned videos and readings to compare and contrast past and/or current educational practice with future needs as well as suggesting changes that need to be implemented to make schooling more relevant. You will also specifically focus on two of the videos as a final part of your discussion forum. In addition, you will review the final project description and requirements so you will have that in mind as you move into Weeks 3 and beyond.

** Lesson Activities **

 * 1) Personal/Professional Learning Networks (PLN) -- study the assigned materials over PLNS listed in the Assigned Resources section below. and decide and implement how you will begin building your own PLN using Twitter (See Week 1 Forum Discussion 2) on the Assignment Overview Page or Week 1 in the Syllabus for more guidance on what you should be looking for as you review this material and in thinking about how you will use Twitter to build your PLN. (APA Formatting Resources and Guidance)
 * 2) Study the assigned resources on 21st Century Schools listed below. It is also recommended that you review the supplemental resources as an extension to your learning opportunities.
 * Pay particular attention to the videos about educational technology and 21st century schools (your discussion forum posting for this week must demonstrate an understanding of the concepts expressed in the videos)
 * Read the required articles for week 2 listed below.
 * 1) Complete **Week 2 Discussion Forum** in which you discuss issues relating to the 21st century schools. See the Assignment Overview Page  or the assignment description in the Syllabus for the Week 2 Question frame and specific guidelines and instructions. (APA Formatting Resources and Guidance)
 * 2) Review the final project description and requirements. See the Assignment Overview Page or the assignment description in the Syllabus for specific guidelines and instructions. Also review the scoring rubric for the final individual video demonstration project on TK20 to insure that you are including all of the required components at an appropriate level. The Final Project is due Week 7
 * 3) Continue monitoring and expanding your PLN and adding new resources/tools as appropriate.

** Assigned Resources **
==Connecting and Collaborating -- Developing Your Own PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network) (scroll down to find the 21st Century Schools assigned resources) ==

Beginning the Process
**View the following Videos** media type="youtube" key="mghGV37TeK8?fs=1" height="385" width="480" Professional Learning Networks (3:41) Will Richardson explain the importance of building PLNs and the importance of immersing our students into this world. media type="custom" key="24865754" How to Build Your PLN on Twitter (3:20) A good overview with some excellent suggestions media type="custom" key="24865764" Using Twitter to Build a PLN (5:30) See how one teacher found the value in Twitter and a Professional Learning Tool. media type="custom" key="27560294" [|Why Educators Should be Using Twitter] -- (7:23) The value of using Twitter as an educator and several great suggestions of people to follow.


 * Read the Following Articles**

[|Twitter in Plain English]

Why (and How) You Should Create a Personal learning Network -- Provides a good overview that highlights some of the benefits and reasons for developing a PLN. Goes beyond Twitter so it will be helpful as you move toward the your Week 3 and Week 5 PLN Forum Posting Updates and the Week 7 PLN Review.

PLN Yourself -- This site is to help you gain the skills to begin building your own PLN (Personal Learning Network) [|Twitter is Sold Wrong] A blog about how Twitter can help build a collaborative PLN

Personal guidance from an educator that uses Twitter as part of a PLN

[|Find Others to Follow-Twitter 4 Teachers]List of other educators who useTwitter to share educational resources

What I Wish I Knew Before Using Twitter 50 Education Leaders Worth Following on Twitter

**21st Century Schools**

 * 1. View the following videos about educational technology and 21st century schools**

media type="youtube" key="2L2XwWq4_BY?fs=1" height="279" width="462" [|21st Century Learning Matters] (9:30)

media type="youtube" key="dact-1Tdgz0?fs=1" height="275" width="460"  A Vision of the Future -- Microsoft Sustainability Video ("A Vision of the Future video referenced in the last part of the question frame for week 2 discussion forum posting" ~ approx. 5 minutes)

media type="custom" key="23541026" Shift Happens (Version 6) (4:22) -- (A very thought provoking video that is the "Shift Happens" video referenced in the last part of the question frame for week 2 discussion forum posting) (May 8, 2012)

media type="youtube" key="tahTKdEUAPk?fs=1" height="267" width="456" [|Learning to Change – Changing to Learn] (5:36)

media type="youtube" key="_A-ZVCjfWf8?fs=1" height="312" width="470"  [|A Vision of K-12 Students Today] (4:09)

media type="youtube" key="K_6GUx1Zx0w?fs=1" height="277" width="462"  [|Learning and Motivation in the 21st Century] – kids talking about preparing them for their world (1:00)

media type="youtube" key="Ayl4dyNlwic?fs=1" height="341" width="460"  [|Motivation and Learning] (1:07)

media type="youtube" key="aPQlu5Vxm28?fs=1" height="312" width="458"  Three Steps for 21st Century Learning (4:14)

media type="youtube" key="L6zuvdLc2Pw" height="341" width="466"

 [|Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century] (9:59)

media type="youtube" key="T3_O39mTsPw?fs=1" height="334" width="460"  [|How Technology is Transforming Schools] (5:26) -- A powerful video from testimony before the House Education and Labor Committee.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">media type="youtube" key="b5MGlrXADn4?fs=1" height="316" width="462" <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Ted Castranova on Learning and Virtual Worlds] (2:32) -- Some amazing implications for education and the classroom.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">media type="youtube" key="2Mug66WnoSk?fs=1" height="314" width="456" <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Microsoft School of the Future (10:20)

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">media type="custom" key="6948569" width="390" height="390" <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Unveiling the "Sixth Sense" -- Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry] -- Some more food for thought about where the future technology may be headed. Well worth viewing (8:42) -- Think about this in connection with the following video on Google Glass. <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Read the following articles.**
 * [|Five Reasons for Integrating Technology] -- Answers to some of the most common reasons for not integrating technology


 * How Technology Has Changed Our Idea of Knowledge and What It Means For Schools -- A good discussion of changing face of "knowledge" and some things educators need to consider.


 * [|Life in a Technologically Enabled Classroom] -- The 21st Century Difference. While the focus of this article is on science, it provide a glimpse into the power of technology when it is readily available in the classroom.

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 * 21 Things That Will Be Obsolete in 2020 -- Very good futurist article originally from December 2009. Just look at how things have already moved in the direction of some of these "predictions".
 * [|Reflection on 21 Things That Will Be Obsolete in 2020] -- A companion to the above article that revisits each of the items. Written in 2014 by Shelly Blake-Plock.


 * A Challenge to Doubters: Do Something Impossible -- A companion to the "21 Things That Will Be Obsolete in 2020" in which the author addresses some of the comments made about the original posting.


 * Six Technologies Soon to Affect Education -- Links to eSchool News. You can either register to read beyond page 1 or you can simply click on the print button at the top of the article to open up the entire article in a printable/readable format.


 * [|Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally] -- a view for the digital age -- notice the modifications and how it takes things to a higher level.


 * [|21st Century Skills: Will Our Students Be Prepared] -- a Tech Learning article that discusses what our students need for the 21st century.

** Supplemental Resources **

 * Building Your PLN (Scroll down for additional 21st Century Schools Resources)**

media type="youtube" key="oK8kqjNomAg?fs=1" height="360" width="476" [|Web 2.0 and How it Can Work for You] (5:03)

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> A collection of articles about using Twitter as part of your PLN and lots of great suggestions of educators to follow

If You Were On Twitter

Five Things You Can Do To Begin Developing Your PLN

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Building a Powerful PLN

[|Linked In]--Social/Professional Network


 * 21st Century Schools**

media type="youtube" key="_uozG9td6AE?fs=1" height="344" width="425" <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">[|Explore, Create, Share]-- Think about it! What is this video suggesting about the broader scope of the educational system and specifically about how we tend to integrate technology? It is not a condemnation of education, just a presentation of what often happens when we try to apply a technology without considering the paradigm. (2:01) media type="custom" key="23540998" Iowa - Did You Know? (7:38) -- A video about how rapidly things are changing produced for the Iowa School Administrators Conference Aug. 4, 2011

media type="custom" key="24865630" Google Glass Project (2:31) -- Early promo for Google Glass. But an illustration of where things are likely going.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">media type="custom" key="23564642" Amazon Kindle Friends Ad-Real Books -- Another cute ad! Once again, think about what this ad tells us about 21st century education and educators. (31 seconds)


 * [|Possibilities for 21st Century Education] --A look at students, skills, education, and technology from the viewpoint of the needs and realities of the 21st century classroom.
 * [|Why the Office Labs 2019 Video Isn't Just a Video] -- Read the blog
 * [|They Said It--Listening to End Learners] —Go to the article on page 50 – “They Said It--Listening to End Learners”. You can select the Contents Button, then select the article to go directly to the article.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Handhelds: Getting Mobile] --Handheld computers bring K12 classrooms into the 21st century. From the July 2008 issue of District Administration.
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Teacher for Tomorrow Today: Transforming the Education System to Meet 21st Century Demands] A short article by the president of ASCD that has a very powerful message.
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> [|Creating Assignments that Work for Digital Learning Environments] -- Digital environments require that we look at student work and assignments somewhat differently.
 * Our Essential Question: How does an information and technology curriculum stay relevant and meaningful in the 21st Century? Be sure and watch the 1 minute embedded video.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Lauching an iPad 1-to-1 program


 * Enhancing/Expanding Your PLN**

Five Things You Can Do To Begin Developing Your PLN

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Building a Powerful PLN

[|Linked In]--Social/Professional Network <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -40px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 5574.5px; width: 1px;"> <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -40px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 5699.5px; width: 1px;">