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The Udellian idea of Narrating the Work I Do, is what drives my blogging. It’s not to say “Here’s my new book”, “Here’s my slides” — it’s to be narrating as much as I can everything that leads up to that moment. Some of the things that are not complete, or may never will be (outtakes). Or how they got to that state (making of, director’s commentary). My Blog, my Life Extras.

I do it because it helps me think, understand, work through ideas. That’s it.

If we have never done this practice ourselves, “digital portfolios” become nothing more than digitized paper portfolios.

Digital portfolios are less of an endpoint and more of a beginning of what we can create for learning, but time is needed for support and play.

If it is truly “their portfolio”, then shouldn’t students be able to have ownership over the majority of the content and who has the ability to see it?

"What do you want the learning experiences at your school to be?" 

Learning spaces can impact school climate and student empowerment profoundly.

School climate was described as a tone or feel of the environment, while school culture is made up of norms, beliefs, and values.

The network is where the information has been found, but the ability to remix it for your own context is where innovation happens.

is essential that we not only share what is happening in our schools, but engage in true, two-way conversations with our communities.

Empowering our teachers to share their voice and open the doors to what they do in the classroom, also gives our community a new perspective on what it is to be an educator, and how we are willing to go above and beyond for our kids.

Sure preparing students for the workforce is a major role but so is developing the social aspects of our students, developing in them a morale compass, an appreciation of culture and history, and how to develop constructive and meaningful relationships. Students engage in leadership programs, work and play in teams, and participate in many other activities and programs for the sole purpose of social and emotional development. There is also a third aspect to the purpose of schools, that is, to develop students as unique individuals.

When we talk about teacher quality we can only do so ethically in light of what they and their school community believe about the purpose of school, and the weighting of the three roles of school. If we don’t properly understand the purpose of a specific school we cannot possibly determine whether an individual teacher is “good or bad.”

1. How do you learn best? What hinders your learning? How can this knowledge help you with future learning? 2. What are you proud of in your teaching or learning and what do you wish you could do better? How might you go about it? Who might support you? 3. What do you really care about? How might you make a difference? What steps could you take to start the process? 4. What are you fascinated by? How might you find out more about it? Who else is interested? Can you collaborate? 5. What do you dream of doing? How might you work towards that dream? Who might you share it with? What kind of support do you need? 6. What do you wish you could change? What small steps could you take towards making it happen? 7. What excites you? How might you make that part of your learning? Who might you collaborate with who shares your passion? 8. Who do you admire? What can you learn from them? 9. What are your strengths? How might you develop them further? How might you be able to support others in their teaching or learning? 10. Instead of asking someone to ‘set goals’, what would you ask them to think about that might take them beyond where they currently are?

It seemed the richest conversations happened on the way to a session so sometimes we just kept walking even if that meant we missed out on a session.

Can you build a conference around networking or do we need the sessions to amplify the conversation?

The best professional development requires giving, whether it be your opinion, your story or your skill. The more that I give to my PLN, the more I grow.

Over the last 30 years, we’ve systematically eliminated young people’s ability to participate in public life. They turn to technology as a relief valve, as an opportunity to have a space of their own. As a chance to be public. And, of course, we shoo them away from there too.

Traditional aspects of power are asserted through technology. It’s no longer the realm of the marginalized, but the new mechanisms by which marginalization happen

Technology is situated within a context of capitalism, traditional politics, and geoglobal power struggles.

Dissent is not negative, its a sign of a vibrant and healthy community