I observed an exemplary use of differentiating instruction with mobile technology today and have to share!

This was in a middle school math class. The textbook series the teacher was using had an online test that produced a report for students with a list of skills they were proficient in and what they hadn’t mastered and needed more practice with.

At the beginning of this class (a short 45 min.), the whole class went to the lab to take their test. Then, as they finished, they gradually returned to the classroom with their reports. There they were told to look at their reports and identify a skill they needed to do more work on. We had a set of mobile devices there (they were handhelds, but laptops or other resources could also be used) that had a library of math instruction and practice materials loaded on them. Students were directed to resources that fit their needs and given some choices to get more instruction and/or practice.

This worked wonderfully! Here are some reasons I think this was so successful:

• The assessment was easy to administer and produced immediate and useful results.
• The mobile technology tools lent themselves to use in the lab or in the classroom and were easy to use.
• There was a rich library of curriculum resources (both instructional and practice opportunities) that fit the skills and were easy to access and use.

The students were engaged in this, because 1) the technology was appealing to them; 2) they had choices; and 3) they could (and did) control their own learning. Fabulous!

Each year at NECC, the team of Saul Rockman, Michael Jay, Heidi Rogers, and Elliot Soloway present a humorous session called “LOL @ NECC.” This year’s session was filled with many laughs.

Here is one of my favorites…a look at the history of ed tech and the beginnings of the Learning Company.

We had a great time at the Web 2.0 All-You-Can-Eat Buffet workshop in San Antonio.

All of the resources we shared are available for anyone to access, share, and use in any setting in the Web 2.0 All-You-Can-Eat Buffet wiki.

Here is the “roadmap” and some quick start guides for the workshop.

Enjoy!

Over the past year, I have been working on strategies for differentiating PD. I am more convinced than ever that a great way to provide meaningful, hands-on, inquiry-driven PD is with a wiki and a “road map” that lets people work at their own level. I am trying to do less and less presentation at my workshops. I sometimes get a few comments from people who prefer a slower, step-by-step walk-through of each thing we’re doing, but most people like what I think is a more authentic and meaningful approach to PD. Here are some comments people have made about this:

“I liked being able to work at my own pace. ”

“[The wiki] was great! Everything you need to know or to have for review will be available in one easy location anytime I want it!”

“Great hands on approach. I learn best when I can do it myself.”

“These kinds of topics need time for exploration and right-at-the-time questions.”

“I liked the break up of overview and hands on. This allowed participants to play and ask questions when needed.”

“Great balance and I did not feel guilty when I was working on the laptop.” [Presenter's notes: I didn't see anyone doing email or other "off-task" things during the copious hands-on time. This made me feel good!]

For those interested, I’m liveblogging Edubloggercon at the NECC ning.

Technorati Tags: ebc08 edubloggercon

I woke up this morning with my head buzzing with energy, ideas, and anticipation. Like many others, I’m heading off to NECC today. This year’s conference promises to be a goldmine of ideas, conversations, and interactions.

If you can’t attend this conference, there are lots of opportunities to participate virtually. A list is below. In fact, I suspect that those who take advantage of these online resources will gain far more than those who just sit in sessions. I know that I’ll be digesting all this stuff for weeks to come.

• NECC ning (social network)
• NECC Live (streaming video
• Edubloggercon
• Hitchhikr feed (aggregated blog and photo feed)
• Twitter stream (If Twitter can get it together, that is. It’s been a tough week.)

Technorati Tags: necc08 necc necc2008