Lagniappe for Learning

How in the world did it get to be May already??? I’m so behind - but ‘no stress’ here, right? Too much to do, so little time…but that’s a typical response, too? Well, here we go with a quick update…

I’m so excited to be a small part of the world-reknown Horizons Project 2008! This global group of students and educators, led by CoolCatTeacher, Vicki Davis, and her “partner-in-learning,” Julie Lindsay takes advantage of global human resources and collaborative skills, web 2.0 tools, and higher level thinking/learning skills via analysis of the New Media Consortium and Educause Learning Initiative’s Horizon Report 2008 to bring meaning to everyday education! This huge undertaking is a model for what can/will/should be the norm for secondary education now and in the near future. It reflects a strong commitment to curriculum, instruction, and assessment - the foundational triad. I’m also excited to see friendly twits (Tanya Gray and Ryan Bretag) involved with participating schools. More to share as this project evolves…

A much appreciated SHOUT OUT to Carol VanHook as she participated in my presentation to district Media Specialists (Google preso) and then invited me to chat with some folks from state leadership positions about web 2.0 and the collaborative impact on learning. My own experiences in meeting and working with Carol (she is in IA and I’m in FL - we met via a Discovery Educator Webinar about Second Life!) reflect the amazing connectivity and powerful collaboration that our world not only offers, but demands!!

Since the onset of 2008, I’ve (at least so far) committed to my pledge to take and write about “a daily image” - I didn’t officially join the 366 Day group, but I’ve been both frustrated and rewarded each day as I find a ’shot,’ post it on Flickr and write a description and/or reflection about that visual. Most of the time I relish the moments seeking out a good picture and making various attempts to capture it - and rarely, I struggle to find an appropriate inspiration and/ore reflective words to describe the photo. Overall, I’m not only thrilled that I’ve continued into the second quarter (!), but also that I’ve found different levels of meaning in the ‘exercise.’ In case you’re interested, here’s the link and here’s one to view…

Enough for now! I’m predicting a more consistent and regular posting - though, no promises!