Ground Rules for the Web Tools Collective

A few weeks ago, I introduced the Edutopia Summer Professional Development Series' Web Tools Collective. Over the next 2 months, you will have the ability to participate in a collective -- an informal group of "like-minded" individuals learning together -- to explore a variety of web tools and how they can be applied to the classroom.

Introduction

Randy Nelson, the former dean of Pixar University, describes four key aspects that employees in "innovative" companies need to have. Individuals need to show persistence as they develop mastery -- or depth of knowledge -- in an area that they are passionate about. They need to be curious and have a breadth of knowledge. In other words, they need to "be interested, not interesting." Individuals need to be good communicators with the ability to translate complex ideas into something understandable and engaging. Finally, they need to understand collaboration as a way to amplify the ideas and expertise of a group. As a team, these individuals need to take each others' ideas as a starting point and "plus" them. When given a piece of work, instead of judging, they take it as a starting point and ask, "What can we do with this?"

Comment on this video, download from iTunes, and more

As educators, we should be providing opportunities for our students to develop these same characteristics. Just as importantly, as professionals we should be developing these characteristics in ourselves.

Participation in the Web Tools Collective

Participation is simple; there is no need to register. You can learn and share at your pace and on your schedule. I will be writing three posts to provide a loose framework for exploration:

Exploration 1 – Collecting: Web tools and resources for collecting and assessing information
Exploration 2 – Creating: Web tools for expressing, sharing, and celebrating ideas
Exploration 3 – Connecting: Web tools for breaking down the classroom walls

Your job, as part of the Web Tools Collective, is to take these posts as a starting point and ask yourself, "What can I do with this?"

As you answer that question, you need to share: What questions do I have? What have I learned? How can my learning impact my classroom? Sharing will be done in two ways. First, if you are on Twitter, use the #teaching20 hashtag. Second, carry on a discussion (here's a rubric for effective online discussions) in the comment area below each blog post.

Ideas to Chew On

Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst studio and Intel have partnered to produce IdeaJam. The premise is simple -- bring together a group of "thinkers" to brainstorm solutions to a specific problem. The second IdeaJam (released June 12) focused on education and was moderated by Alan November. He showcased two innovative classroom projects that shifted the "role of the learner and the relationship those learners have with the world."

Showcase 1: Math Tutorials (7:00)

Showcase 2: The Flipped Classroom (5:15)

In an IdeaJam, teams are then set loose to brainstorm solutions. So, have at it. In the comment section below, try your hand at answering these three questions (based loosely on the IdeaJam – Education questions).

Note: Eric Brunsell will be teaching a course called "Current Trends in Curriculum and Instruction: Learning in a Connected World" at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh this summer. The course will be taught entirely online and will feature Edutopia -- and our community -- as a resource. Registration is open until June 21.

Other blogs in this series:

• Introduction to the Web Tools Collective
• Exploration 1 – Collecting: Web tools and resources for collecting and assessing information.
• Exploration 2 – Creating: Web tools for expressing, sharing, and celebrating ideas.
• Exploration 3 – Connecting: Web tools for breaking down the classroom walls.