Meet the Jetsons

Recent emphasis has been on Jetson's children in Fintstone's schools. Many, many 21-century educators, though, are eager to bring their classrooms into the 21st Century, but they are limited by what their districts will provide or allow. Those teachers are waiting. Patiently.

Remember that a recent Department of Commerce study found that education ranked 55th (last in the study) in IT intensiveness . . . behind coal mining.

Director's Blog: Is Your World Open?

I had the pleasure yesterday of hearing Curt Bonk, Indiana University Professor and author of the World Is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education at the SREB.org teaching and learning symposium in Atlanta, GA. In addition, I was able to film Curt over dinner on a high definition flip cam in 2-3 minute shorts that will soon appear on our interactive book study site here: http://sites.google.com/site/ncvpsgolive/book-study-world-is-open.

Next week, I’ll also post the shorts on our weekly videocasts in the upcoming series on our main web site at www.ncvps.org. To say that I learned a lot from Curt in Atlanta would be a huge understatement. So, instead of writing my usual blog this week, I wanted to give you some highlights of free open source links, tweets, and “approaches” with annotations that will hopefully draw you to our live, free, and open book study this week that goes live on Monday night at midnight.Our World is Open book study is asynchronous and free. Use it with your staffs, start the journey, and open the web to impact your district. This study is not about “cool tools”. It is about different thinking for different times. It is time to look up from the budget spreadsheets and start to think about “opening your world” to innovation. This is not the first time our country, our state, and/or schools have had it tough. And if you believe that necessity is the mother of invention, then now is the time to “open your world” and learn how to do things more effectively and efficiently with web 2.0 technology and the power of www.ncvps.org and www.nclearnandearn.gov.

Enjoy the open links and start using them with students and staff today:

NCVPS in Second Life

NCVPS Staff prepares for the North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) presentation in Second Life. Just us on the NCVPS Second Life Island on Thursday, March 4, at 9 a.m.


Follow this SURL to join us:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/North%20Carolina%20Virtual/228/184/24

Director's Series: Are You a Gifted gatekeeper?

This past week, I spent some time in Washington, DC at the Virtual K-12 Public Schools Forum focused on students with disabilities. Several themes emerged from the forum, and our national group crafted recommendations for the United States Office of Special Education Programs. As the group was comprised of administrators, agency members, educators, and parents, I could not help but think of a consistent theme over the three days - Adults are often poor gatekeepers of opportunities for kids. Some adults "hem and haw" over policy, procedure, and roll out while kids every day are denied services to virtual education. Other leaders are "gifted gatekeepers" who continue to "learn by doing", "pilot", and ultimately just take risks if there may be a chance to reach a kid a different way.

As you read through this week's key themes at the forum, pay particular attention to the gifted gatekeeper strategies to make virtual opportunities a reality for kids with disabilities and for all kids in North Carolina as many of the themes cross over to why or why not "all kids" are being served with www.ncvps.org and www.nclearnandearn.gov.

Learning to Change - Changing to Learn

"The U.S. Department of Commerce ranked 55 industry sectors by their level of IT intensiveness. Education ranked 55th, the lowest, below coal mining."

"The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." --Alvin Toffler

Onlline Learning in Gaston County

Check out Chris Hall's online learning page for Gaston County!

Online Fair at Cuthbertson High School in Union County

Read about the online learning fair at Cuthbertson High School in Union County!

Director's Blog: Are you ready to GO LIVE?

21st Century Leaders and Learners:

We are pleased to announce our new Website for "Getting Organized to Lead Virtual Innovation" (GO LIVE) @ http://sites.google.com/site/ncvpsgolive/. This site is shaped by the wonderful efforts of local districts in North Carolina over the past two and a half years, as well as our trips to Alexander and Halifax counties this Fall to sharpen the message. We also include best in class resources for you across NCVPS classic, modular, mobile, and blended solutions for student success. In addition, we have listed resources of forward thinkers of our day such as Tom Vander Ark’s Five Learning breakthroughs of the next 10 years http://www.varpartners.net/?p=1457.

An introductory vidcast is provided on our website at www.ncvps.org, and we encourage you to contribute to the site by clicking our "solutions form" https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDJfVDZ0Q2N3Z25yN0plUGhuODhId3c6MA or by following the discussion this week on twitter using the hashtag #golivemcs.

In addition to these channels, we will be face-to-face in Montgomery County, North Carolina for a live session this Thursday with their district presenting solutions and challenges across the topics of leadership for innovation, curriculum and instruction for blended learning, 21st century systems and technology, and change management and leadership for 21st Century Professionals and Environments.

Much of the site is inspired by North Carolina school districts’ and schools’ contributions toward leading "blended learning". We invite you to join us to continue the collaborative wave of the virtual advantage of NCVPS, www.ncvps.org, and Learn and Earn Online, www.nclearnandearn.gov!

Dr. Bryan Setser
Executive Director

Tweeting at the Mid-Year Retreat 2010

NCVPS Mid-Year Retreat - Part 1

Dr. Bryan Setser discusses how Leadership for Innovation and Curriculum & Instruction impact virtual learning in North Carolina.

Invitation to "Blended Learning Solutions"

21st Century Leaders and Learners:

NCVPS and Learn and Earn Online will be hosting a "blended learning solutions" parade next week in Montgomery County, North Carolina with Dr. Donna Peters and her team at Montgomery County Schools. Due to travel budgets, you are welcome to register virtually for the event here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDV0b0JHUV9sSnpNSzdRbWhNODRLSUE6MA

or send an email to dlourcey@dpi.state.nc.us with your:

Last Name
First Name
LEA/District
School
Position
Which sessions will you attend?
Who will be attending virtually with you?

The agenda is as follows:

9:00-10:00: District and BOE Solutions Parade Kick-off--Leading for Innovation
10:15-11:15: Professionals and Environments with Learn and Earn Online integration
11:15-12:30: Lunch and Networking
12:30-1:30: Curriculum and Instruction
1:45-2:45: Technology and Systems
3:00-4:00: Breakout Session: Q & A with Respective Stakeholders

You can also follow along on www.twitter.com at hashtag #gomcs

Here's hoping you'll join us next week on the web!

Director's Blog: Are you a thrasher?

Are you a thrasher?

Once a fashion model and prankster on the television show Punked, Ashton Kutcher is leading the social media wave called "thrash". The definition of "thrash" is the wake of a moving target, and I can’t help but think of the term’s applications for educators after the time I’ve just spent with many of the best in class "thrashers" in our business in Austin, Texas.

I am also compelled to compare these leaders and learners with how we work and “thrash" in North Carolina. Many leaders in our state talk about creating a legacy, but thrash is a perpetual legacy created on the waves of Google, Face book, Twitter, Four Square, Linkedin and various other electronic communications channels. It does not wait for the right conference to network, the right demonstration to come to a district and/or school, or for a final center or building to be built in your honor. Rather, it assumes that the “thrasher" learns, works, and leaves many legacy tentacles across the expanse of the net.

The wrong conversation is whether or not to block social media at the workplace and/or school site. The right conversation is how to capitalize on the "thrash" that these amazing tools create for educators. Teachers can follow a hash tag on Algebra I best practices throughout the state. Superintendents and principals can follow gurus who plug them into solutions for their schools and districts on Face book. Yet, most impressive about this past week, CTOs and CIOs can follow the delicate balance between innovation and security and come up with some amazing learning management, social media, data warehouse, and learning strategies that open safe, secure, and innovative doors for students.