WhyART

Another Busman's Holiday...

Here we go again...another summer conference! For 2 days the 2009 Games in Education conversations have been full of information and inspiration for educators and administrators: reminders of the importance in designing appropriate interfaces for our audiences, keeping authenticity front and center, and celebrating play as a joyful state with deep connections to internalizing learning. Want to learn more? Google Brock Dubbels, Peggy Sheehy, Tech Valley High School, and, of course SesameStreet.org.

This will be my last Busman's Holiday for awhile...I'm about to take off for a 2 week cross country fly and drive trip to the southwest and back. What do I hope to encounter during this extended journey? Well, I'll be visiting a variety of museums and galleries, so I'll get the chance to see some marvelous art in person. Also, as we drive back, Carol and I will take in the sites of an area of the US we haven't much experience seeing. And, I hope to return with some new stories to share. Not the same old same old, as Rob is fond of saying. Here's hoping that in your next few weeks you encounter some new stories too.

The More Things Change...

Bright and early this morning I spent an hour with educators and support personnel having a conversation about Building Community and Empowering Students. I expect that each participant arrived hoping that I would be providing them with tips on how to "de-silo instruction" and integrate community centered project based learning activities across/within curricular stands...but that's not what happened.

You see, the meeting took place at The Institute for Learning Centered Education's Constructivist Design Conference at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY...and it was my intention to have the group teach each other about the topic. All it took was a story to hook their interest, an empowering framework, and they took ownership of the process.

What did we all learn? That several components were critical to the process: authenticity, mentoring, service, social connection...and celebrating growth. Without authenticity there can be no buy-in; without mentoring, no inspiration, without service, no grounding, without social connection no emotional development, without celebration, no impulse to move forward.

What did I learn? How to use a digital camera, favorite book list, mystery readers and a paper bag to boost library visits 30%!

And, I was reminded that allegory is as true a measuring standard as statistical analysis...if you know the right story to tell...

A Busman's Holiday...

Hello from beautiful upstate New York! I'm spending the week at St. Lawrence University, which is the site of the Institute for Learning Centered Education's Annual Constructivist Conference. Why would a teacher spend part of the summer in school...without pay? Simple. Just as the proverbial bus driver takes a holiday by bus to experience something familiar in a new way, teachers immerse themselves in new learning experiences so that the new will inform, infuse and extend their previously internalized (and perhaps stale) skill sets.

This week I'll help out with technology related issues, and have some wonderful conversations with educators who love teaching. If I'm lucky, I'll have time to write about it as it happens. I hope that what you read here this week will inspire you to go on your own Busman's Holiday. After all, whatever you do, there is always something new.

Want to hear more..or maybe start a conversation? Drop me a line. I'm here, and I'm ready...to listen and to learn!