District Administration - August 2007 - (Page 44)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Report from Educators offered the latest in AV, IT and Web 2.0 technologies. BY WESLEY FRYER T HE EDUCOMM 2007 CON ference, held June 19-21 in Anaheim, Calif., provided outstanding opportunities for educators from school districts and higher education institutions across the world to come together to share best practices and learn more about what the digital future holds for students and educators. While the presentations in the K12 education strand were diverse, several common themes emerged. Alan Kay: The Importance of Authentic Inquiry Alan Kay, the first day’s keynote speaker and a personal computing visionary, related a variety of memorable anecdotes and demonstrated ways students can use the graphical, object-oriented programming environment Squeak to learn scientific as well as mathematical concepts. One of my favorite quotations from Kay’s presentation was, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it,” although Kay observed that most people instead choose to follow the opposite reasoning: “The best way to predict the future is to prevent it.” This is affirmed by the fearladen, reactionary responses we see in many communities to new media tools and digital technologies. Kay’s opening statements about government graphs depicting rising student scores on standardized tests, and his inability as a professional mathematician and scientist to understand what those scores actually mean in terms of student learning, were poignant. He compared much of the work being done in schools to “playing air guitar” instead of playing a real guitar. He related how students in many schools are merely being subjected to “science appreciation courses” instead of real science courses, which require students to conduct experiments and gather data in the real world. It is impossible to learn science well by merely reading about it; rather, students must do science in order to develop the concepts, skills and, most importantly, the viewpoint of a scientific thinker. Kay demonstrated how even young children can learn sophisticated concepts, often with “one repetiDistrict Administration 44 August 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - August 2007

Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Technology Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
Research Corner
Computer Literature
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Bus Money
DIBELS Draws Doers & Doubters
Report from EduComm 2007
Ins and Outs of Outsourcing
Curriculum Clearance
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Problem Solution
Online Edge
Speaking Out
Professional Opinion
Calendar of Events
Understanding the Times

District Administration - August 2007

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