Friday 13 February 2009

The 21st Century Poster Child

While searching for an image of a book cover today online, I stumbled upon this--an incredibly cool 21st Century Learner poster! The creation of author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds (same guy who does the amazing children's books Ish and The Dot) and actor Eric Close, they came up with it at the National Educational Computering Conference in San Antonio while leading a session on the characteristics of a 21st century learner. The tiny print says it can be used for educational purposes, so I'm already planning where to hang them around the school and in classrooms where I know kids will love it.

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Musings

It's been a while...

When I reflect on why it's been a while since I've posted, I know the reason. It's because I feel that what I am learning is still so basic. Maybe it's because I spend too much time with my groovy colleagues, Jeff and Kim, who are somewhat famous in the blogosphere. I tend to start thinking that everyone already knows what I've just discovered.

But I'm wrong. Today, as I sit in a room full of librarians all working in international schools in the Asian region, I see that so many librarians are just now dipping their toes into technology. There are some, of course, who are charging ahead, but many are still just getting started.

And this is why I started this blog in the first place. To share with those who are just starting out, to make it less scary for those who know they have to get on the tech train now.

So, I'm back on track, writing for the audience much like the woman working in Myanmar whom I met at this conference today. In the lunch line, she asked me, "Do you know of any websites where I can learn some activities to do with elementary kids?"

Why, yes I do. Here's the perfect introduction to any conversation with students regarding online safety. It's called "Think Before You Post," and it's incredibly powerful about how permanent things are that we post on the web.