TTT#334 The Future of English with Andrew McGuire, Meenoo Rami, Bryan Loftis, Troy Hicks, Scott Shelhart, Chris Lehmann 01.30.13
Paul Allison - Wed, 2013-02-13 03:23
This episode of TTT is a conversation about the future of the teaching and schooling in general.The idea for this week's episode of TTT came about when +Andrew McGuire, a student of +Chris Sloan's who had graduated from high school last year, told Chris that he wants to be an English teacher. But he wants a different kind of education than a lot of what he has received. Chris writes:
He’s an education reformer at heart, and a lot of what he described as his ideal educational environment aligns with some of the people who’ve joined us on Teachers Teaching Teachers recently. He’s talking about connected learning in third spaces that involve a maker approach and is inquiry-based. So what would you tell an 18-year old who’s thinking about becoming an English teacher? Not only what Andrew and others like him should study, but how they should go about their teacher education?
Along with Andrew we are joined by these educators: Meenoo Rami, Bryan Loftis, Troy Hicks, Scott Shelhart, Chris Lehmann.
Enjoy!
Click Read more to see the chat that was happening during this live webcast.
January 30, 2013
21:02karen (@kfasimpaur): Greetings all! Stream looks good tonight.
21:02Chris Sloan: Hi Karen
21:03karen (@kfasimpaur): :)
21:03karen (@kfasimpaur): Hi Chris.
21:04Paul Allison: Hi all... We'll get started in just a minute.
21:08karen (@kfasimpaur): Hi to Meenoo! (I was just emailing her today. :)
21:08Bryan Loftis: I think I am here-- hello!
21:08karen (@kfasimpaur): Hi, Bryan.
21:09Chris Sloan: Yes you are here Bryan
21:10karen (@kfasimpaur): Hi, Christina.
21:10Christina: Yes, I am listening :)
21:10karen (@kfasimpaur): Wondered if that was you... lol...
21:11Christina: I'll post it now and you can add a comment or two later, how's that?
21:12Christina: Hi Karen!
21:13Christina: yup .. hee hee ... just got here for that comment too.
21:14karen (@kfasimpaur): good timing!
21:17Chris Sloan: Andrew is just getting out of class and is having issues getting on the wifi there.
21:18Chris Sloan: Hangout question: can someone just call in using a phone?
21:19karen (@kfasimpaur): Chris, not that I know of...but I'll check around.
21:20Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: hello, friends
21:21karen (@kfasimpaur): Hi Scott.
21:21Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: Hello Karen
21:21karen (@kfasimpaur): You're a perfect voice in this conversation too. U should join the hangout
21:21Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: ok
21:23karen (@kfasimpaur): Is it possible that the best way to affect "ed reform" (third spaces, maker, etc.) isn't to be a school teacher?
21:24karen (@kfasimpaur): Small scale vs. bigger scale issues and goals are a big consideration.
21:27Peggy George: Hi everyone! Sorry to be late! Got a phone call just when the show started.
21:27Christina: I was wondering that question too!
21:29karen (@kfasimpaur): Hi, Peggy.
21:29Peggy George: Hi Karen :-)
21:29Peggy George: that was a leading question :-)
21:31Peggy George: I wish the audio/stream had been better for the conversation at Educon. It seemed like a great conversation!
21:34Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: Not much productive to add, and little bandwith.
21:34Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I'll bow out and leave a spot for someone else.
21:37Peggy George: those are key points! start with a subject they care about
21:38Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I just volunteered to help teach a group of teen "hacker scouts" at a Chicago maker space.
21:38Peggy George: what fun @Scott!
21:38karen (@kfasimpaur): That's cool, Scott. (I was just off browsing maker space projects.)
21:39Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: we are going to teach soldering, raspberry pi, Python, and a few other skills
21:39Peggy George: how do you "teach" them-set it up for them to experience?
21:39Scott Shelhart @kd9sr:http://www.chicagogiftedcommunity.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1474371&eventId=619104&EventViewMode=EventDetails
21:40Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: More enable than teach. Give them the tools and the basic skills, then support them as they learn (and fail)
21:40karen (@kfasimpaur): I want to be Monika when I grow up.
21:40Peggy George: :-)
21:41Peggy George: an amazing panel tonight! need more time! just getting warmed up.
21:44Peggy George: anyone in the hangout who can share what's in the chat there?
21:46Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I pray this new teacher can find a place to teach in the way that is being described
21:46Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: ... and can earn enough money to live
21:48karen (@kfasimpaur): Those are real issues, Scott.
21:48Christina: that's a really interesting question ...
21:48karen (@kfasimpaur): ...also an environment where you could actually do that. A lot of hopes and prayers...
21:49Joel Malley: Great conversation tonight.
21:51Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: When I was job hunting I had a hard time finding schools that would let me teach "outside the box"
21:51Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I did find a few.
21:51Peggy George: that's always a challenge Scott!
21:51karen (@kfasimpaur): It's a real issue.
21:51Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I found none that would pay enough to let me change careers
21:52Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: So now I'm a freelance teacher
21:52karen (@kfasimpaur): The best opportunities like this (in formal educ) I've seen are overseas. Not something everyone can do though.
21:52Peggy George: good point Karen!
21:52karen (@kfasimpaur): I'm looking for opportunities in informal ed.
21:53Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I have high hopes for this hacker scout / maker space adventure.. Maybe I'll be inspired to open a maker space near my home
21:54Peggy George: there will always be opportunities to be involved in inspired projects but whether you can live on the pay is another question.
21:55karen (@kfasimpaur): Scott, here's another interesting Chicago maker person...@lili_czarina
21:55Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I could have lived on a public teacher's salary if I was 23 and single... but not 45 and a kid about to enter college
21:55karen (@kfasimpaur): Every once in a while, I miss living near a city.
21:55Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I'm sort-of near.... 60-80 minutes to downtown
21:56karen (@kfasimpaur): I have an idea to do a mobile rural maker space thing...
21:56karen (@kfasimpaur): not too bad...I'm 2.5 hrs from a place big enough to have an airport
21:56Chris Sloan: mobile rural maker space school?
21:56karen (@kfasimpaur): but rural folks need this too!
21:56Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I thought of that also. Maybe enlist some local groups.... ham radio, RC flying clulbs, etc
21:56Peggy George: clever @Chris! good thinking!
21:57Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I wish public libraries had 3D printers
21:57karen (@kfasimpaur): Chris, mobile maker space (van? or something) that would go out to schools, 3rd spaces, churches, etc.
21:57karen (@kfasimpaur): Scott, soon they will!
21:57karen (@kfasimpaur): I did start a seed library here. First step maybe.
21:57Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: Not a van - a trailer. Leave it for a week.
21:57karen (@kfasimpaur): Scott, I keep thinking about 4H.
21:58Peggy George: get a corner at Starbucks or McDonalds where they have free wireless internet beyond the school day :-)
21:58karen (@kfasimpaur): Leave-behind trailer. I like it.
21:58Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: 4H here is so commercial, but it can work in a virgin environment.
21:58karen (@kfasimpaur): Peggy, needs more space for equipmt.
21:58karen (@kfasimpaur): There are starting to be a lot of these makerspace things around.
21:58karen (@kfasimpaur): I don't know much about 4H...except that it's big here.
21:59karen (@kfasimpaur): Re: 4H, I keep thinking maybe...but then I see stuff that makes me thing maybe not.
21:59Peggy George:http://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/finance/news/deprived-study-mcdonalds-034800420.html?.intl=us&.lang=en-us
21:59Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: Look into hacker scouts
22:00karen (@kfasimpaur): I will, Scott. Thanks.
22:00Peggy George: very interesting Karen!
22:01Peggy George: Great links!
22:01Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: Yes, that is one of the most popular. NPR did a story on them
22:01karen (@kfasimpaur): Maybe I should start a maker space franchise (but not a franchise)...."Start a maker space" kit
22:02Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: recycle plastic into 3D printer raw material
22:02karen (@kfasimpaur): Scott, you could be our east coast (midwest?) arm. :)
22:02Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: @karen... maker space in a box... I like it.
22:03Christina: I love the connection to jazz/music! A beautiful place to start from.
22:03Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: just add geeks and stir
22:03karen (@kfasimpaur): We're kind of having our own session here, huh? :)
22:03Peggy George: seems like it--inspired by the conversation though
22:03karen (@kfasimpaur): Filabot looks awesome!
22:03Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: yeah... sometimes it is difficult to stay with the hangout. It makes good background music
22:04Peggy George: Paul is so funny! "Be free now" :-)
22:04Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: Can you imaging filabot, and a 3d printer in a 3rd world location? so many possibilities
22:05karen (@kfasimpaur): Usually, I stay with it, but I think I need to think + talk more about my maker space aspirations. Thanks for indulging me.
22:05karen (@kfasimpaur): Scott, yes! (I feel almost developing work here. WOuld be so awesome to be able to print new parts of stuff, etc.)
22:06Peggy George: Great "words of wisdom" from everyone! :-)
22:08Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: Karen, we should get together for coffee sometime
22:09karen (@kfasimpaur): Yes, let's. :) In the meantime, I'm going to set up some kind of curation space for all this maker space stuff. Any idea for a tool? (I forget which ones we liked so much in the p2pu curation group. Maybe scoop.it?)
22:09Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: perhaps... maybe livebinder
22:09karen (@kfasimpaur): that's one I already know at least :)
22:10Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I'm ok with Diigo
22:10Peggy George: I personally like Livebinders because they are so easily organized into topics and subtopics
22:10Peggy George: Symbaloo is another great curation tool
22:11Chris Sloan: I've been using Gooru with my students lately
22:11Peggy George: hooray Karen! next week?
22:11Peggy George: I'm just learning more about Gooru and we're going to have them on Classroom 2.0 LIVE sometime soon.
22:11Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: I'll be sure to watch next week
22:12Peggy George: Good night all!
22:12karen (@kfasimpaur): yep (I'm more interested in talking about Paul's work than badges exactly...but something like that.)
22:12karen (@kfasimpaur): Thanks, all.
22:12karen (@kfasimpaur): Good night.
22:12Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: OK karen. Ill get some new tires on the mike this spring and plan a drive for coffee.
22:13Scott Shelhart @kd9sr: tires on bike
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