At the 2008 BSN Conference–Our Learning Space, I gave this presentation:
Strategies for Fostering Social Intelligence to Increase Creativity and Achievement
Our refocused mission at blendedschools.net is to provide robust, engaging learning environments. We want your students to be competitive in our challenging global economy, so we are integrating a new, standard-based curriculum with state-of-the-art technology and instructional design that fosters students’ creative thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, computer and technology skills, communication skills and self-direction. To provide engaging learning opportunities, we added wiki, blog, journal, RSS and podcasting technologies, and increased authentic experiences, project-based learning and service learning in our new high school curriculum.
Web 2.0 technologies have brought a new learning culture. Where we learn has changed. How we learn has changed. This presentation will share strategies for fostering social intelligence, including methods for leveraging blendedschools.net’s technologies and curriculum to facilitate student acquisition of social facility, social cognition and attunement, and other interactive communication skills. By facilitating social interactions for teaching, learning and assessment, we will foster creativity and achievement, and better prepare our student for the global workforce. You will leave this session with ideas for transforming your school and enhancing your students’ learning experiences.
Download a copy of the Social Intelligences presentation (1.7 MB PDF)
The Social Intelligences presentation was a follow-up to my 2007 BSN Conference presentation:
Educating the Digital Native
More than 60 million American youth socially network on the Internet. They go to My Space, Facebook, You Tube, my Yearbook, metacafe, Ning, hi5, slide, photobucket, Quepasa and other online communities to hang out with their friends. And it’s not just our teens and tweens. Elementary students are digitally social, frequenting Club Penquin, imbee, Whyville, Habbo and many others.
So what are the most engaging instructional methods for teaching digital natives? What skills should we be teaching digital natives? What technology should today’s students be using? What are some exemplars of using technology to deliver blended, 21st century instruction? As 21st century educators, what do we need to do today, next year, and beyond to ensure our students are prepared for their 21st century lives?
I do not claim to have all of the answers, but I am determined to steer blendedschools.net toward the open waters of opportunity for your schools and students. I believe we need to create Digital Native methodologies for all students and all academic areas. In this presentation, I take us on a tour of the future of teaching and learning by examining: trends in uses of technology, predictions of educational futurists, innovations in marketing, wisdom of new leadership strategy, discoveries of deep exploration, a new mindset and techniques for morphing legacy classrooms. You will leave with strategies to transform your school for educating the digital native.
Download a copy of the Digital Native presentation (7.1 MB PDF)