GCT WebinarJuly 16, 2008

Jim LermanNYC GCT 07

•Coordinator, NJ Consortium for Middle Schools

Kean University

•Adjunct, Department of Educational Leadership

William Paterson University

•Author of 3 books for ISTE

•lermanj@gmail.com

•917-817-0768

This presentation will have

two parts

Part One - about a book

My nomination for book of the decade

Major Points

1. Students learn differently from one another; accordingly we need a customized, modular system, not one focused on batch processing

2. Most attempts at reform fail to understand the reasons why the system functions as it does:

The interdependent structures of the current system tend to force schools to standardize, rather than customize, the ways they teach and test.

3. Disruptive innovation does not confront the system head on, it goes around and underneath it - to areas of nonconsumption.

Current examples of nonconsumption areas in our school include AP courses, credit recovery, after-school programs and summer school.

4. Spaces with the highest current potential for change exist in emerging online user networks. The current system is paralyzed by competing political forces that make customization impossible. What will transform education is personalized learning delivered through online networks.

In my opinion…

Christensen’s observations and recommendations tend to be more suitable for secondary level education than for elementary (grade 6 and up), but there is much that applies to elementary

Some good links re: DisClass

• How Do We Transform Our Schools? - article http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/18575969.html

• Official website for the book http://disruptingclass.mhprofessional.com/apps/ab/contact/

• Clayton Christensen’s websitehttp://www.claytonchristensen.com/news/

There’s too much of this going on…

Part Two - about a presentation

How Google Changed My School

Presentation by CIS 339

at the

High Schools That Work conference

Nashville, TN

July 10-11, 2008

All Videos for CIS 339 PresoAre on This Page

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=skimask13&p=r

Videos shown in this order

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZBF8tg-ht0 (5:15)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMvL8-C9zA (4:06)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJpixeZWDFg (7:40)

As you watch the videos, please think about:

-What uses of the Google apps do you think might be interesting in your setting?

-What obstacles or difficulties do you think might have to be overcome in your setting?

-Does seeing these uses of the Google apps give you ideas for additional ways to use them?

-Could these videos themselves be useful to you in your work? How?

-What questions do you have?

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-What uses of the Google apps do you think might be interesting in your setting?

-What obstacles or difficulties do you think might have to be overcome in your setting?

-Does seeing these uses of the Google apps give you ideas for additional ways to use them?

-Could these videos themselves be useful to you in your work? How?

-What questions do you have?Thank you!