Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Case Study 2.8: National, International Global Educator - Alan Preis

The Global Educator - Case Study 2.8

The National, International Global Educator

Alan Preis


Alan Preis is currently the Director of Technology at Shanghai American School (SAS). For many years before that he held a similar position at Atlanta International School in the USA and very active with the European Council of Independent Schools (ECIS) organisation IT committee. Since venturing into an 'international' education position Alan has thrived on immersing himself culturally into life in China. When I was in China in 2016 I visited Alan at SAS and was most impressed with his developing command of Mandarin language. 

In the Case Study Alan talks about how he sees 'international educator' synonymous with 'global educator' with both being about a worldwide view of education and shares, 
While “international” speaks to the understanding of different cultures, “global” evokes the idea of seeing these different cultures as part of a connected whole and of forging connections between them.
Connect with Alan
Twitter: @apreis

DOWNLOAD the full case study
Note: The case study shares that Alan completed the ECIS International Teacher Certificate in 2011. The link shared for this seems to be dead now and I am wondering what has become of this certificate course. 


In Alan's words..... 




Next week I am heading to Shanghai and SAS to be a Learning2 Leader at the Learning 2 Conference (Nov. 2-4) and look forward to catching up with Alan and many other international/global colleagues as well. SAS certainly has an impressive program and is one of the more established and forward thinking international schools in the region.



This is the 14th post in what is a regular series featuring the 36 case studies from my book, 'The Global Educator: Leveraging Technology for Collaborative Learning and Teaching'. This book was published by the International Society for Technology in Education in July 2016. The book contains contributions from over 100 educators and case studies featuring over 50 educators.

Read more about The Global Educator and find out where to purchase the hard copy and eBook/ePub versions. In addition, access other Case Studies in this series.

Julie Lindsay is the author of The Global Educator, and of this blog. 
Connect with Julie
 - Twitter @julielindsay
 - about.me/julielindsay

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Global Education Highlights (weekly)

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

My PhD Journey - Musing #7 - How to share the PhD passion?

It's Tuesday morning again....7:30am....I have already been working for 2 hours, but not on my PhD work (unfortunately), on marking papers (I teach at the Masters degree level, and final assignments are challenging to mark and deserve alert responses).

In my GMail this morning was confirmation that I will be presenting a L2Talk at the forthcoming Learning2 Conference in Shanghai (in 2 weeks time!). This conference, designed for K-12 educators with a focus on international schools, is one I have been very involved with in the past as a presenter and as an organiser but have not had any connection for 5 years now. In 2017 it is the 10th anniversary of Learning2 and I am delighted to be invited back again.

I am already attending as a Learning 2 Leader and presenting what is called an extended session. My session, Classroom Connections: From Local to Global, is designed for classroom teachers and also for education leaders (alternate days). I am looking forward to meeting old and new friends in Shanghai! Here is my promotion video....




My challenge before then is to come up with a L2Talk! This is a 3-5 minutes presentation supported by visuals that align with Presentation Zen ideals, and can be delivered from memory - NO reading of notes.

One idea I have is to share my PhD journey.....wondering how boring this might be?....but if I did it in a semi-humerous way, maybe it would work??

This is what I am thinking of so far.....VERY rough notes to get me thinking about a plan and whether this topic will provide inspiration to the conference cohort....


Why you should NOT do a PhD
  • Once upon a time I was a teacher in K-12, and an educational technology leader
  • and everyday I would….collaborate globally, write books about global collaboration, attend conferences and speak...
  • Then one day I decided it was time to put practice into theory - I was witnessing a change in education, a change in pedagogy that was powerful, dynamic and compelling - but only a handful of educators 'got it' so far. Why?
  • Because of that.....
    • I enrolled to do an EdD
    • Honed in on what was important to me
    • Focused on a corner of the world of online global colaboration that I could research and become the expert in
  • Because of that
    •  It took a long time to complete course work, write up proposal, be approved
    • I decided a 4-year in and out EdD degree was not possible
    • I was approved for a PhD - why not? I thought
  • Until finally - 5 years later....and about 1 year out from completion (I hope)
    • Right now I feel like I know less, although I know I must know more.
    • When asked about my 'Theoretical framework'? I respond with baby talk - you know, the full blowing bubbles, incoherent response
    • Member checking? Sure...it's my usual approach....what?
    • Big celebration this week - Chapter 4 is 'done' and Chapter 5 is in a good draft format - these are both data presentation chapters (let's not think about the Chapter 2 literature review I need to redo, or Chapter 3 methodology I need to redo, or Chapters 6 (data analysis) .....or the top and ending chapters)
  • Resolution - 
    • do not do a PhD because it sounds cool
    • do not do a PhD to sound cool
    • do not do a PhD for the pay rise (!) or employment prospects
    • do not do a PhD quickly - it is a journey of discovery - celebrate the small steps
    • Do a PhD for personal growth, etc etc passion, commitment etc
  • A PhD is a humbling experience - you feel vulnerable - you make mistakes - doing a PhD has changed my life
  • But, when I finally get my PhD, it will only be the beginning of the next chapter of my life as an educator, as an academic....as a thought leader....

Thoughts? Does this sound inspiring? Or should I be more serious and do something like this presentation I created for the Charles Sturt University 2017 ThinkPiece series this year?



See you next Tuesday...

Julie Lindsay
PhD student.......thinking about thinking

Friday, October 13, 2017

Case Study 4.4: The K12 Online Conference - Peggy George and Wesley Fryer

The Global Educator - Case Study 4.4

The K-12 Online Conference

What I love about the K-12 Online Conference is that is another wonderful FREE resource for educators. It is also organised by passionate and hard-working volunteers like Susan Van Gelder, Karen Fasimpaur, Peggy George and Wes Fryer....and others!

What I also love about this conference is the dedication to providing archives from when it started in 2006, including the very first keynote by David Warlick. Take a look at the names on the 2006 program - quite a reputable cast of forward-thinking eduators - most of whom continue to push boundaries, share new ideas and lead change at all levels of education.

What I have always admired with the K-12 Online Conference is the thematic approach and related strands each time it is run. In the past it has run as a 3-week event, and more recently a new approach saw themes, presentations and live events runover a number of months. In the case study (download link below) both Wes and Peggy agree this conference has been the most powerful catalyst for learning about blended learning and Web 2.0 technologies and pedagogies.

In the words of Peggy George....



Connect with the K-12 Conference
Website: http://k12onlineconference.org/
Twitter: @k12online
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/k12online/videos 

DOWNLOAD the full case study 

I encourage you to explore all of the resources and archives on the K-12 Online Conference website. Get involved where you can.


 

This is the 13th post in what is a regular series featuring the 36 case studies from my book, 'The Global Educator: Leveraging Technology for Collaborative Learning and Teaching'. This book was published by the International Society for Technology in Education in July 2016. The book contains contributions from over 100 educators and case studies featuring over 50 educators.

Read more about The Global Educator and find out where to purchase the hard copy and eBook/ePub versions. In addition, access other Case Studies in this series.

Julie Lindsay is the author of The Global Educator, and of this blog. 
Connect with Julie
 - Twitter @julielindsay
 - about.me/julielindsay

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

My PhD Journey - Musing #6 - 'To be' and other passivities

Since the Kathy Charmaz workshop recently I have continued to explore writing as a skill that can be improved with practice - and I do need the practice with academic writing!


Kathy Charmaz Qualitative Research Workshop in Brisbane, September 2017
Kathy has white hair, standing just behind the guy on his knees - I am behind Kathy, just to the right

Kathy talked a lot about the use of strong nouns and verbs and using them to build description. She stated we should reduce the verb 'to be' and passive constructions to about 10% of the page. So....the problem is...how do I identify a 'passsive verb or construction'?

Passive voice definition from From Dictionary.com
One of the two “voices” of verbs (see also active voice ). A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of the sentence is acted on by the verb. For example, in “The ball was thrown by the pitcher,” the ball (the subject) receives the action of the verb, and was thrown is in the passive voice. The same sentence cast in the active voice would be, “The pitcher threw the ball.”
Active voice definition
One of the two “voices” of verbs (see also passive voice ). When the verb of a sentence is in the active voice, the subject is doing the acting, as in the sentence “Kevin hit the ball.” Kevin (the subject of the sentence) acts in relation to the ball.
 ok....... so here's one trick......taking my revised memo (as shared in last weeks blog post)

I ran it through Expresso - a tool to edit texts and improve writing style.

Out of 130 words 16.2% are verbs - as shown by highlighting here. It also tells me that only TWO verbs are weak - 'happen' on line 4, and 'do' line 11.


There was no 'passive voice per sentence' -  yay!

This is interesting - rare words! (of sophisticated and intellectual quality?? I wonder?)

If nothing else, Expresso helps me to actually see the sentence and paragrpah structure through a new lens. Did I realise the word 'attitude' has been used in three consectuive sentences? Or that the word stem 'collabor' appears 3 times?

What other tools are out there? I wonder HOW I can effectively run larger sections of my thesis through this tool? I am thinking the more I do this, the deeper understanding I will have and good wordsmithing becomes second nature. I will not be passive about this :-)

Julie Lindsay
PhD student....'to be' advised

Sunday, October 08, 2017

Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Case Study 4.2: The Learning2 Conference

 The Global Educator - Case Study 4.2

The 'Learning2' Conference


Have you ever considered how to design a conference that is different? Many of us did 10 or so years ago. Tired of the typical 'sit and get' education events that were less than inspirational and did not leverage emerging technologies....boring! Change was in the air!

Along came a group of educators, mostly based in China at the time, who decided it was a priority to design a conference that focused on the user, on the conversation, and on the learning. Hence the Learning2 conference was born in 2007 and has gone from strength to strength since. Moving from it's home base in China it has spread to Europe, Africa and South America with plans for more. If you believe conferences should be about connecting, collaborating and 'unintended' learning outcomes primarily through unconference sessions and extended workshops, this is one you MUST take a look at.

In the words of co-advisor, Madeleine Brookes.....


Connect with Learning2
Twitter: @learning2 #Learning2
Website: http://learning2.org
Media: YouTube playlists of Learn2Talks 

DOWNLOAD the full case study

Although I missed the very first Learning2 event in Shanghai in 2007, I was there leading and presenting in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and in 2012 was also active on the organisation team. This year, 2017 I am excited to head to Shanghai again for the Learn2Asia 10th birthday celebration as a Learning2 Leader. Will I see you there?


Read more on the Learning2 website - https://learning2.org/


UPDATES!
The Learning2 story continues. This year the conference returns to the spot it all began: Shanghai, for the 10th year anniversary this November. Spots remain for those looking to take advantage of the diverse menu in motion: learn about the role that social media plays in a 21st Century classroom (more on that here), or build a culture of data-driven practice for your entire school (keep reading here), or help develop a program to better engage the parents in your community with best practice technology integration (click here for more). To register or find out what else is in store for to-be Learning2 participants this November, take a deep breath, get ready for a line-up of learning like no other and click here.

For those reading on the other side of the planet, you have more time to prepare to be wowed by Learning2 hosted in Luxembourg this Spring. Early Bird registration will officially launch in the middle of October, so watch this space for more.

The L2 Advisory of four has become an operational L2 Team comprising eight educators from around the globe. 
  • Simon is currently based in Poland at the American International School of Warsaw. He runs the L2Europe team, oversees the technical operations of L2 and sits on the L2 Board.
  • Madeleine is about to move to Brisbane, Australia having spent almost 10 years at the Western Academy of Beijing. She co-chairs the L2Asia conference and leads the educational vision for the conferences. 
  • Both Jeff and Kim are board members and will be L2Leaders in our L2Asia November conference. 
 


This is the 12th post in what is a regular series featuring the 36 case studies from my book, 'The Global Educator: Leveraging Technology for Collaborative Learning and Teaching'. This book was published by the International Society for technology in Education in July 2016. The book contains contributions from over 100 educators and case studies featuring over 50 educators.

Read more about The Global Educator and find out where to purchase the hard copy and eBook/ePub versions. In addition, access other Case Studies in this series.

Julie Lindsay is the author of The Global Educator, and of this blog. 
Connect with Julie
 - Twitter @julielindsay
 - about.me/julielindsay

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

My PhD Journey - Musing #5 - Qualitative research with Kathy Charmaz

Last week I attended a 2-day workshop, Qualitative Research, with Kathy Charmaz. Kathy is a retired professor of Sociology at Sonoma State University. She is known for her research and writing, in particular her work on Grounded Theory.
"Constructing Grounded Theory" 2nd edition is available on Amazon.

The sessions I attended were focused on qualitative research and writing for an audience especially for journal articles.

Free writing
This is a technique to get ideas flowing. We were told we could give ourselves permission to write freely and badly, and without any real order. Just write. These pieces allow you to get ideas down quickly.

Time management for writing was discussed and how many of us have guilt trying to fit it into our schedule. It was suggested we develop a routine - 15 min of memo or free writing a day - maybe first thing in the morning would be best for me. If I am strong enough NOT to open email before a certain time, I can get a lot more done - I know it!

Clustering
Another activity we did was 'clustering'. This was visual - paper and pen. A cluster can become a diagram, a model, a presentation. It is good to photograph all stages, cut sections out and reorganise etc. You never know when you might suddenly have something usable.

This is the cluster I worked on - second draft - 
This is meant to represent 'practices of global collaborative educators'

I have tried to make the size of objects reflect their strength (not really achieved). I have tried to draw links between sections (some may work). I guess the main point of this is to start to view your data in different ways and for relationships to be more obvious. I am not good a this type of free-sketching, diagram creating - so I think it is actually good for me to do this. My goal is to have diagrams that reflect data analysis and recommendations in my thesis....eventually.

Memo Writing
One of the workshop exercises was 'memo' writing. It is important to give memos a heading, or perhaps a category, and treat them as personal data - not to be seen in the current format by others. They can be edited, split, rejoined and more to move your thoughts around and connect ideas. They can be used to support articles and sections in your thesis. So....we wrote a memo, and then we discussed how to edit and improve. This was a vitally important exercise for me. Dissecting sentences, aiming for clarity, use of storytelling, use of metaphors, similes, showing not telling - and more...so much to think about to create a well-written piece. We wrote, we dissected.....and I think we improved.

Changing verbs
Here is a modest example of the start of a memo I wrote and then added more active verbs.

Original - with not so good verbs
Data is showing that a characteristic of an online global collaborative educator is having an attitude conducive to doing things differently. This attitude may come through experience, however it is not typically ageist. This attitude may come about due to the current learning situation and then opportunity or not to expand as a practicing professional. There are two factors here - being able and being willing. Ertmer talks about 1st and 2nd order barriers to integrating technology with the former 'ability’ to connect, the latter 'willingness’ to connect. Ertmer’s work intersects with what I am discovering in terms of implementing global collaboration. The educators I have spoken to navigated challenges to do with hardware and software and access to the Internet. They then developed practices that embed collaborative learning into the curriculum, overcoming some or all barriers.

Second Draft - better verbs?
Data reveals that a characteristic of an online global collaborative educator is adopting an attitude conducive to implementing things differently. This attitude may transpire through experience, however it is not typically ageist. This attitude may happen due to the current learning situation and then opportunity or not to expand as a practicing professional. There occur two factors here - ability and willingness. Ertmer talks about 1st and 2nd order barriers to integrating technology with the former 'ability’ to connect, the latter 'willingness’ to connect. Ertmer’s work intersects with what I am discovering in terms of implementing global collaboration. The educators I discussed this with navigated challenges to do with hardware and software and access to the Internet. They then developed practices that embed collaborative learning into the curriculum, overcoming some or all barriers. 

Another short draft - bringing the argument forward
Two factors - ability and willingness - influence the adoption of new learning modes by educators. An online global collaborative educator can adopt a willing attitude conducive to implementing things differently. This is not ageist, but may develop through experiences and opportunity to grow as a practicing professional. This relates to the work of Ertmer (date) in terms of implementing online global collaboration, whereby educators are able to navigate challenges to do with hardware and software and Internet access but fall short of adopting real pedagogical change. 

OK.....still lots to do and think about. More next week.....

Julie Lindsay
PhD Student - It's only words, and words are all I have......
 

Sunday, October 01, 2017

Global Education Highlights (weekly)

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.