Daniel, I am intrigued with your job and look forward to sharing thinking with you.

Good for you! I worked with inner city teenagers in the 70's but left because I didn't have the energy to keep up with them. Smile!

Check the video my daughter made on my site. She is very bright and very dyslexic. Her frustration with traditional schooling was a real eye opener for me about how schools can't/won't meet the needs of students who don't learn well in a text-based system.

Thanks for your introductions. I'm not sure how Classroom 2.0 or Ning are working. Can you tell me how having so many "friends" is helping you in your professional and/or volunteer work?

I host an information library at http://www.tutormentorconnection.org and I'd love to have friends from all over the world using this information in discussion on social network sites like this so that more disadvantaged kids can be part of non-school learning and mentoring programs that help them prepare for jobs and careers.

Are any of you having success at drawing friends into such thinking and actions?

Re: Hi Kevin, thanks for introducing yourself on my page. How successful have you been in drawing others to work with you?
Hey! I have met a few people but what is great is that the people are meet seem to be exactly the ones that I need to. It's cool finding other people who do or believe the same things I do!

I usually accept them and then look em over. If I decide I don't like em later, I remove em. So far I haven't removed any.

While I host an extensive resource library at http://www.tutormentorconnection.org I participate in spaces like this to try to draw people together who share the same concerns. If they will meet here some will go to the web site for more information.

I've set up a http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com page. If you meet people who are already volunteers, leaders, board members, business partners or foundations who fund these types of programs, please encourage them to join me there.

If you've set up a space for a related purpose, I can refer folks to you. If we can teach others to take this role, maybe our friends will really be people who want to help us accomplish something.

Thanks Mark, I think this forum has lots of potential and hope to connect with a few people who will work together to identify educators who lead innovative service learning programs, where students use technology to educate the larger community where they live about ways adults, businesses, elected leaders, etc. can do more to help kids have equal learning opportunities. My blog is just one way I express these ideas.

Hi Daniel,
Very interested in your work. Thanks for the note. I have upper-elementary kids; we do a lot of service work, especially with elders. Keep ideas coming my way! Thanks--

Connie on the T/MC web site I have links to many organizations that use technology to engage kids. I feel that if school leaders can create some sort of web quests strategy to teach some youth to learn what's in the web site, these youth can take on leader roles of engaging other students, faculty, and even community members. That takes practice, but as kids learn this habit, they can apply it the rest of their lives.

I love your diagrams. They are really great and got me thinking. Not a bad thing.

That's the goal. You can see more of these diagrams and concept maps at http://www.tutormentorconnection.org

The first challenge is getting one or two people to look at these and "begin thinking". The second is to encourage these first few people to reach out to their networks so that more people are invited to look at the diagrams and begin their own thinking and learning. Ultimately this will lead to a large enough group of people that we can begin to talk of ways to implement ideas from the diagrams in places around the country where kids need more help in order to succeed in school, and in life.

Hi Daniel, hoping to read more of your work and have some contact. Some great posts and I like your blog and website

Thanks Sue. I hope that through this space or others we can connect more people who understand the need to build programs in order to connect kids, technology, volunteers and learning, and to sustain those connections for many years. To build programs we need to attract business, philanthropy, universities and innovate low cost ways to use their resources of people, dollars, technology and jobs.

The people who join this type of forum can use the ideas in any part of the world, and can contribute to solutions that are applied in every part of the world. I look forward to learning more of you and your network.

I've created a link on the T/MC web site to many of the on-line forums where I meet people. It is at http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/TMLearningNetwork/LinksLibrary/tabid/560/rrcid/92/rrscid/120/rrpid/1/rrepp/20/Default.aspx

HI Daniel - I must admit to loving Chicago - I have visited a number of time, mainly for the night life and soccer rather than education.

I've seen some discussions on collaboration, using cMaps and other software. Do any of you know of groups discussing service learning, or voluteer service, with students using web 2.0 tools to collaborate with students in their school, or other schools?

Daniel - thanks for checking out the Map. I like what you've got to say here and on your blog.
Just out of curiosity, where did you leave comments on our site? I don't see them. The blog is the most active part of the map project right now; we just launched and I could really use some comments there.

Hi Eric,

I posted comments in the discussion forum on the Map web site. I've visited there about once a month, but there does not seem to be much interaction. I host a face to face conference in Chicago every six months, and a Chicagoland volunteer recruitment campaign in Aug/Sept. each year. These bring people together through the planning, the event, and the publicity, and that leads to relationship building between me and many, and between those who participate and each other.

For the past 3 years I've been trying to build an on-line discussion to that would parallel the conference time frame, with similar topics being discussed. These could be hosted from any place and any organization and linked together by a variety of web conference schedules and links.

My feeling is that the combination of face to face events in many cities with on-line events at the same time, would greatly increase the visibility for a cause and the number of people involved. You can read about the conference and find an econference link at http://www.tutormentorconference.org

Hi Daniel -

Thanks for information about your organization. We actually do have a volunteer program via City Year here at the specific charter school that I work with. I'm new to my position, and so far, I'm impressed with the level of support provided to kids at my school. I agree that volunteer program can really help out schools in need!

Lucy

What I'm trying to do is create an overview of the entire city, so we know what schools, and/or neighborhoods, have any form of tutor/mentor programs. With this information we can enlist colleges, professionals, businesses and others to be volunteers, donors, or take other roles to help each of the programs constantly improve, while helping new programs form in areas where there are too few, or no programs.

Using forms like this we can post information and ideas for many to see, and use.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday. If you're interested in volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring, or want to engage students in a service, learning and leadership project, introduce yourself here, or join at http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com

Actually, distance should no longer be a barrier to involvement. The knowledge anyone puts on the Internet can be used by people in any part of the world, if they have acess to it, if someone helps them understand it, and if someone helps them get the resources needed to put the knowledge to work. Since cities in Australia are dealing with some of the same poverty, racism and workforce development issues as we are in Chicago, and others are in other cities, there are plenty of ways for people using the concepts of Classroom 2.0 to serve as intermediaries in this process.

As you or anyone else looks at this information, think of people and organizations in your network who you might introduce, or who might add information of their own. That's an on-going opportunity. Those who have more time, or more specific self-interest, will find more ways to get involved.

Thanks for the info! It is a very worthwhile endeavor. Feel free to use any of the materials in the Maze, and let me know how we can help. I tutor students here in Buffalo and know how important it is to keep the connections alive.

Good Luck.

Sue

Sounds great. I'll check it out. I'm a bit tight for time these days with the Maze, but I may be able to help with resources. I'll check out the newsletter. Thanks.

Daniel,

A pleasure to meet you. I can pass along your contact information to our Community Service Learning Coordinator and the Prinicipal in our High School. I see you have already been in touch with people at the U of C center for Urban School Improvement, too.

Daniel,

Don't know if it is just karma or not, but a friend passed along this job description to me today and it made me think of our exchange yesterday. Visit https://jobopportunities.uchicago.edu

and enter requisition number 078773.

Seems like the U is getting busy on the agenda you outlined yesterday!

Thanks. I hope that once they get someone in this job they will take some time to learn from what we've been doing in this area, rather than starting from scratch in their own learning. If you know of folks working in this area please encourage them to connect with us via the conference in May and November.

I posted a message on my blog showing a flash presentation our interns did to show what happened at the conference. This week they created another presentation, this time about our 16th annual year end dinner celebration. You can find the link on the Cabrini Blog.

For organizations who are struggling for public attention, trying to recruit volunteers and trying to find dollars, you have an untapped resource in your students. If they create content and learn to distribute it, they can be a powerful advocate for your organizations.

In doing so they learn problem solving and communications skills that can apply for the rest of their lives.

Sorry for a delayed reply.

I will have a look at it soon.

Thanks

regards Alam

HI Daniel,

New changes within my district and office have changed our focus somewhat. I just got around to reading about your work. Sounds very interesting. As we move into the future here looking at ways to integrate these online tools with students connecting in other places, we might be able to come up with new ideas.

As we head into a new week of school, the conditions that some of our students live in are far different. Perhaps some live in the Houston area, where they have lost a home, or will be without electricity for a week or longer. Perhaps they lived in the areas near New Orleans destroyed by Katrina and their lives are still not back to normal. And maybe normal, like the neighborhoods of the 9th Ward of New Orleans, was never very equal to what the students of most people on this list face every day.

Of course, if your students are in Iraq, Darfur, and other parts of the world where the poverty and lack of resources is much more extreme than even what poor students in America face every day, tomorrow will be another day of struggle, fear, survival.

I write this wondering how many of the educators in Classroom 2.0 are using the technology we're all discussing to connect students from poor areas, with learning and opportunities beyond their current circumstances. Or, if the students in more affluent areas, are learning about those in more challenged areas, and beginning to learn of people who spend their whole lives trying to help make life better for the disadvantaged. Maybe some of these students will be inspired by what they learn and will be the leaders of the future who create bridges from poverty to opportunity for kids all over the world.

I encourage you to view the maps at http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com to see how maps can be used to focus attention on places where kids and families need help, and will need help for many years.

This is a technology many of your schools might adopt to connect your students with places around the world where they can give help, or get help.

I'm sure many of you are already using technology to inspire your students to become involved in world events, and in learning. I encourage you to share your stories, or post links to web sites that illustrate what you do.

Thank you for your kindness. I only hope that I can give to people here and not just take (there are so many great ideas here).

We certainly participate in all efforts for assisting those at the poverty level in Aurora. Our focus is through our Family Literacy component and offshoots such as our Family Tech program here in the AELC. Giving the students the necessary tools to function in society is important to their eventual success. Let me know if I can help you in any way.

The Tutor/Mentor Conference in Chicago was last Friday, Nov. 21. On our ning.com page some participants are commenting and we have links to blogs with additional articles about the conference. I hope those of you who are interested will take a look.

Thanks Daniel. We are starting a wetpaint site called science21. We are hoping to share resources and generate discussions. I'll be flashing it up soon, so that it looks more interactive and useful.
Wardy

Hey there Daniel,

Thanks for the heads up and joining our community. Please spread the word and invite others in your network.

Hope to see you around the web and I am going over now to check out some of your links.

Cheers,
Rhys

Hi Daniel,

With your interest in online tutoring (I'm assuming since you're here) I recommend you take a look at Wiziq's virtual classroom and authorstream's web based power point presentation platform. Both are web based and offer a feature rich free basic service that, I think, will be helpful in your online work with your Chicago kids.

Daniel,
Thanks for the information. Please let me know if you think of a way for us to collaborate. I like what I see here.

Not yet. ePearl is the only application I have heard of to date.

donna

Hi Daniel,

Thank you for your note! I appreciate you adding us! I will communicate with my EDU team to have teachers contact you for content ideas, sounds fantastic. We often get teachers who are looking for help with new ideas, so I can send them to you as well.

I'll take a closer look at your site soon and see what else I can do to help and we can connect.

Thanks again. Happy New Year!

Andrew

That sounds really interesting. When I was in high school ( back when dinos roamed the earth), I worked at a summer camp through Urban Gateways that brought together inner-city and suburban teens as counselors for children from their neighborhoods. Perhaps we could connect on something like that. Just thinkin...

Hi Daniel,
thanks for the comment on my profile and Scribblar.com

I'd like to discuss ways in which your site could leverage Scribblar and would like to help your non profit site. Let's chat. stefan @ muchosmedia DOT com

Cheers

Stefan

Hi Daniel. I was wondering if any of your students would be interested in participating in a nationwide SAT Vocab Video Contest @ MIT university. If not, perhaps you have some other educator contacts you could direct me to. You can view contest details at BrainyFlix.com Please let me know. Thanks!

Daniel, I have great admiration for your work - congratulations on your remarkable program. Doyou have any affiliate program in Boston?

Daniel - Thanks for the prompt response. It's cool to see the use of technology in your program. By the way, Adobe has some cool, free, tools online now that might be useful to you: Buzzword, a collaborative word processor; ConnectNow a free web conferencing tool for up to three people; and acrobat.com where you can upload and share files - including converting PowerPoint to Flash-based preview. Sorry if this sounds like an ad - but it *is* free, and useful for educational purposes. I'd be happy to explain it more if you or your network are interested.

The Math Collaborative is just getting started, with a few pilot programs just getting underway, but it's focused on providing tutoring services (1-on-1 or small groups) through a virtual classroom. It seems to have great appeal to those tutoring many students and driving endless miles to connect. It should also be a boon to tutors trying reach more inner city students.

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your message. I know a bit about Mentors Inc and have heard that they are doing great things with DC area kids. I'm not familiar with the Tutor/Mentor Connection, but plan to check-out that website along with the maps. Will be in touch!
Cynthia

By chance, can you recommend any national conferences that focus on using new media in the classroom?

HI - It looks like you do amazing work. I definitely think there are great stories to tell about your program. My school year is at an end this week, so I can't recruit students to do stories. But perhaps next school year when I teach a writing class. Or maybe when I finish my book I can do a story! Thanks for getting in touch. Best, Lisa

Thanks for the link. This looks like a great resource.