iLearn

The embarrassment of riches offered on the K12 online conference site, a NYC heat wave that just won’t quit and the difficulty in finding 20 minutes of uninterrupted time (a precious commodity) have all contributed to the delayed posting of thing 13, “a conference to be enjoyed in your PJs.”  I was relieved to discover that the lectures are also available as video and/or audio podcasts on iTunes. So as I traveled home on the A train this afternoon, I enjoyed one audio and one video podcast from the conference.

The presenter of Using Computer Games as a Context for Learning and Social Interaction described a Scottish school’s use of the X box computer game Guitar Hero as a means for students to collaborate and therefore help their transition to High School. Students worked together to create a band, rewrite song lyrics, create a logo for their band, and perform for the entire school community.

I was very impressed with The Digital Writer’s Workshop, in which a teacher in Boise, Idaho described her use of multiple tools and strategies to engage her elementary school class.  The assortment of tools used to encourage creativity and explore plot, character and setting, addressed the needs of a variety of learning styles. Collaborative writing was also an important part of her project. She quoted an American Indian Proverb: “It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story.”