Too much information or Blog ADD???

When is too much information just too much information? I have been perusing that thought for the past couple of days as I had let my Google Reader pile up with unread blogs. I was a bit overwhelmed about catching up on them and yet was unable to push the button to delete any of them because somewhere in there was information I didn’t know and I want to know it.

Everyday I receive terrific blogs and ideas and my mind starts to spin and I begin checking out links and going from site to site until in desperation I have to go back to the History icon to find where I have been on this journey and what I was doing in the first place. I am aware that I have Internet ADD or as I like to tell people “I just want to know everything.” The ADD seems to have spread to Blogs as I happily push the orange RSS feed icon to send more and more blogs that I can’t miss to my Google Reader.

I am now aware that I have too much coming into my Reader and that I must do some culling if I am going to be able to actual learn anything that will stay with me. But where do I start?

Eighteen months ago I didn’t even know there was such a thing as Web 2.0 or the Read/Write Web. Now I am bordering on being obsessed with it and have completed four courses towards my Masters focusing on Integrated Technology Grades 3-12. This may not seem like a major step to you but when you realize I am 58 years old and have wanted to get my masters since I was 24 but couldn’t decide what direction to pursue it is a HUGE thing.

The interesting thing is that out of all the blogs in my reader only 4 of them are not about some aspect of teaching technology and one of them is my personal blog life with heather. Reading Dooce www.dooce.com is a must for me to get through my day. Confessions of a Bad Christian www.daveburchett.comhelps me realize I am not a failure in my faith journey and Chinesepod www.chinesepod.com is a tremendous site, that if I were to use it properly, would greatly improve my communication skills here in China. That is it. All the other 63 are tech related.

Well, I do know that I can’t possibly not read (how is that for bad english?) Cool Cat Teacher www.coolcatteacher.blogspot.com, or Dave Warlick davidwarlick.com/2cents, or Will Richardson weblogg-ed.com, or Jeff Utecht www.thethinkingstick.com or Kim Cofino’s Always Learning http://mscofino.edublogs.org/or Hey Jude heyjude.wordpress.com or Liz Davis http://www.edtechpower.blogspot.com//or…………… !!!! So what is a person to do??? These don’t even include my Second Life blogs or my mini life as Siobhan Oceanlane which has yet to develop or my Wiki or Ning. Help!!!!!!

Reflections on Flat Classroom Conference in Qatar

The following is a post I wrote under Reflections for the Flat Classroom Conference Ning after I returned home. As I am becoming more involved with Global Conversations using Skype and I am writing about the journey here I thought I would post my reflection of that wonderful time here.

I was also really happy when I realized that Julie Lindsay had used part of what I wrote in her own blog. WOW!!!!!!

"It has taken me a while to recover from jet lag and get my thoughts together. Unlike many that I met at the conference I am on Chinese New Year vacation and so did not have to go back to work immediately. Tomorrow, Monday, we will begin again so I figured it was time to focus on this past week.

It is hard to find the words to describe the experience of the Flat Classroom Conference so I am just going to comment on some things I learned about the world and about myself.

1) I,like many other westerners, was very nervous about going to the Middle East. As part of the generation that watched the American Hostage Crisis for 444 days during the Carter Administration plus the growing wars and terrorism I have been indoctrinated with a fear of men and women who wear robes and head coverings. Even in Canada, my heart would beat faster and I would be uncomfortable whenever I would see someone of Middle Eastern descent on the street. I have been programmed that head coverings and robes were synonymous with terror and while it was not my intention to become prejudiced, or judgmental that obviously happened. Seeing Arabic writing confused me and also scared me. I find that unusual as I live in a country that uses characters as the written language and I see a beauty in those. I arrived in Doha with all of these fears and stereotypes spinning in my mind.

How four days can change a person's viewpoint and comfort zone. I leave with a understanding that no stereotypes actual exist but are created by the media and by fear. I leave with an understanding that people all over the world are the same though the clothes and cultures may be different. A love of family, country, and friends exists in all nations. A desire for a better world, a desire to solve our global problems together, a desire for information and education and a desire to share openly and willingly exists. I leave with an appreciation of the elegance of the traditional dress. I leave with memories of laughter as we all shared common experiences. I leave with the memories of the beautiful friendly eyes of the Qatari woman who were veiled, of their help and their willingness to help. I have memories of an incredible sense of fashion, beauty and a love of family. I learned to appreciate the flowing scroll of the Arabic language as I saw it written beside trademarks such as Carrefour, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Mercedes, Valentino and Gucci.

How did this happen? Mostly through an incredible group of students from western, middle eastern and asian countries who led the way while they worked together and formed bonds, created projects, made themselves vulnerable to each other and to adults. It happened through listening to the pride the Qatari residents and expat have in the development of the country and surrounding regions.

2) I have come to the digital world rather late. When I graduated from university in 1974 the world was changing but schools were very much the way they had been for my parents and grandparents. I was taught to teach in the manner that I had been taught. I used areal blackboard and white chalk. It was creative for my students when I used coloured chalk on the board. Today I teach on the other side of the world in a classroom with two computers, a scanner, an Interactive whiteboard, wireless connection, video and digital cameras and I have access to most technology I want.

I am surrounded by students and teachers who have grown up in a digital and I work hard to not just learn how to teach in this world but also to be a leader. Therefore, it was so encouraging to attend an international collaborative conference, along with other eager educators who have many years of experience and who are willing to go through the uncomfortable change that must happen to become master learners in the 21st century. It felt good to meet members of the baby boom generation. :)

3) I also learned to begin to hope again. To see promise in the future. The students who came to Qatar were not just a part of the conference but led the way. It gives me new focus and a determination to move forward and create authentic global connections with and for myself and my students.

Thanks to Julie, Vicki and everyone involved in creating this incredible experience. Thanks for the new global friends I have made and thanks for giving me the opportunity to travel to the Middle East and learn so much. I hope I can somehow share it all."

Onward to Reno

Today we had the privilege to join Brian Crosby and members of his class in Reno, Nevada on a Skype video call. (You can check out Brian's blog for more information about the setting.) It was a great experience except for the fact that I again had an IT tech problem. I need to learn how to do this by myself so I am not dependent upon others to be able to do the hook up. It cannot be that difficult.....I am a smart person so why can't I figure this out.

Frustration ruled my morning with this problem but the call itself and the conversation we had was great once we got over the technical problems. I hope the teachers that were watching us understand that the problems I had with the tech side this was not the norm - just life here in Beijing sometimes. Of course, being technology there is always the chance of a problem

I only had 6 of my kids today on the call and this was good as each of them were able to share something about the school. The connection was good though there was a bit of a problem with the quality of the streaming from Nevada.. It was not as clear as it normally is. Well, live and learn....and learn and learn.

One of the things that was terrific about the call was how much more relaxed my students were doing the call this time. They have participated in a couple and now know how it works and now just wait for everything to be in its place to begin.

They were very proud of the fact that they were able to share with teachers on the other side of the world. Students teaching teachers. How I love that concept.

Around the World from Beijing to Jacksonville

Monday morning was our first official global collaboration. I was nervous and hadn't slept that well the night before. I kept going over in mind if I had taken care of everything. As far as I knew I had. The proper emails had been sent to the proper staff needed for the hookup and everything was approved.

The kids came in already to go and after a reminder talk, a run through and class set up we were ready to go. Of course, the first email of the day let me know that my regular IT guy I was counting on and who had been part of the Friday adventure, was off for the day. YIKES!!!!!!!!!! I contacted the other Tech and he came over though a bit late which had me stressing and pacing.

Finally we heard from Silvia and her class and with a few minor problems, such as they couldn't hear us, we were able to get it all worked out and make our connection.

It was a great experience. It was wonderful to hear what Silvia's class had done with their China study. Many of the activities they had done at the China Fair were exactly the same that our students had done at our Temple Fair the day our school celebrated the new Chinese New Year.

One of the funny things happened when a boy from Florida asked what games the kids played. I had figured that would be one of the questions and so had one of my boys ready to answer the question. But Marcus didn't come forward. When I looked at him he just shook his head and didn't move. Suddenly, Marcello, who wasn't supposed to answer jumped up and came to the front and said he would answer. So he talked about the board games we play etc. I had to remind him to talk about soccer, and basketball and badminton and ping pong.

After it was over I asked Marcus why he didn't come up and answer. He told me that he was supposed to answer about sports and the boy had asked about games. I had to laugh because it was all in interpretation. I hadn't even caught that one because coming from North America I knew exactly what was being asked but Marcus who is from Singapore and an EAL learner only focused on what he knew the word games meant. To him it meant games we play inside.

I learned a lot from this experience and hopefully will be less stressed when we do it again. Silvia was a tremendous help and support.

My class is already wondering who we are going to talk to next. As I have six Korean students in my room they are really lobbying for us to contact the school in Korea. I am looking into it.

What did I learn? I learned that this is certainly a viable way to have my students learn and be an active part of the process. I learned that with just a bit of support we can do this from Beijing China and reach out to the world. I often forget about where I live and how special all of that is. To me it has become home...and yet there are so many people absolutely fascinated by the Middle Kingdom. Maybe as we continue to move forward in collaboration we can share the special world we live in.

What do I want to learn????? I want learn how to get my video feed to work for the school I am calling. Two times I have had to call tech support to get it to work. That is too often as far as I am concerned. :) I want to be independent and be able to do this kind of sharing and interaction without getting everyone else pulled into it. Just stubborn that way I guess. This 57 year old wants to know how to do it all on her own.....

I finally did it

It is still hard for me to grasp but after months of reading books and endless blogs about global collaboration, attending the incredible Flat Classroom Conference in January and talking to anyone who would listen on Friday, February 13th my class of Year 5 students finally went Global.

A good friend in Gladstone NSW volunteered her Year 5 students as a way for my class to do their hookup. To be honest I was nervous, scared and excited all at the same time.

At the end of school, June 2008, I had to list some goals that I wanted to accomplish during the next school year. Among the list were two that directly related to Web 2.0 - get involved in Global Collaboration project with my class and do a podcast. In January I became part of Silvia Tilsano's Around the Work with 80 Schools project. With this project we would begin this adventure.

As I had never actually done a Skype video call before from school using a webcam I read everything I could possibly find on how to do it. Silvia had listed some good resources and while I was blocked from some of them by the Great Firewall of China I received good information and support from Anne Mirtschin a new friend I met face to face in Qatar.

The whole thing went really well with just a couple of small glitches but those were solved by Jack, our IT guy. My students loved it and are looking forward to meeting up with their Aussie counterparts again very soon.

So the practice session is over and on Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. we will make our first offical link up with the project. More news to come.

I am in Doha, Qatar

It is unbelievable that I am sitting at an IT conference in Doha, Qatar. Two years ago I had never heard of Web 2.0 and now I have flown 10 hours to take part in a conference.

The Flat Classroom Conference led by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis is underway. How exciting. I exhausted and have an infected finger which is making typing difficult but at this point I no longer care. I am just glad to be here at this conference.

What will happen? How will this unusual conference work? How do the students fit into this whole scenario? Questions - so many questions. Hopefully by the time this conference is over I will have the answer to these questions and many more.

My first blog on blogger

I have previously blogged with Wordpress and while I loved the process it was difficult because Wordpress in blocked in China and I had to continually use a proxy. Thankfully Blogger is available in China so I will continue the process here.

We have just come back from Christmas vacation and going through the usual settling in time as well as students and teachers recovering from jetlag. That is one of the side effects about teaching internationally. Another couple of days and I should be recovered and back on track.

I am excited about this new year and especially as I think about my goals for my professional development and what the future is going to hold.

The end of this month I will be going to the Flat Classroom Conference in Doha, Qatar being presented by Julie Lindsay