NECC 2009 Panel

I would like to put together a panel for NECC next summer about "Long Tail Learners". I'm looking for educators who want to share their experience with technologies that help them personalize and socialize learning. How do you help or encourage students who share an excitement about a topic find each other and motivate each other? How do you connect to other classrooms? Connect with other teachers? Find learning and teaching niches and expand them?

Let's create an exciting panel for NECC!

Tags: 2009, NECC, learning, long, personalized, tail

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Permalink Reply by John Thompson on October 1, 2008 at 1:09pm

Hi. I'll be at NECC in DC. I teach students (mostly K-12 teachers) in an ed tech graduate program, doing most of my teaching online using ANGEL, but I'm also doing a blended course this semester. I've been getting into Web 2.0 apps (e.g.,Wetpaint wiki). hat exactly do you have in mind?

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Permalink Reply by Karen Henke on October 2, 2008 at 9:15am

how have you encouraged students to engage with each other and to find experts beyond the class roster. What tech is required? How do policies/organizations have to change?

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Permalink Reply by John Thompson on October 2, 2008 at 9:41am

Sounds good. How would you like to proceed from here?

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Permalink Reply by Karen Henke on October 2, 2008 at 4:12pm

I'll draft something and post it tomorrow. Hopefully, we can find others to join the panel.

Karen

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Permalink Reply by Edwin Wargo on October 3, 2008 at 6:43am

Hi Karen,

I'd be interested in joining the panel. It's a fascinating topic! I teach K-8 Technology Literacy and also work as our school's Technology Coordinator in New Jersey.

If there's anything I can help with, please let me know.

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Permalink Reply by Brian S. Friedlander on October 8, 2008 at 4:03pm

Hi Edwin:

I will be at NECC hope all is well

Brian

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Permalink Reply by Karen Henke on October 7, 2008 at 5:04pm

Thank you all for your willingness to join the panel. Our deadline is tomorrow...sorry for the delay in sending out this description. Please let me know if you have any additions or changes. Also, I will need everyone's contact information: name, affiliation, mailing address and email address. Please email it to me at: henke@nimble-press.com

TITLE: Long Tail Learners: How Are You Teaching to the Niches?
SHORT DESCRIPTION: Teachers and tech administrators share how they use social networking and Web 2.0 to meet the unique needs of learners by teaching to Long Tail Learners.

PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES
Learn what the Long Tail means and how embracing the long tail will help teachers make the most of their talents and engage students in the joy of learning. Drawing from student opinion research and the experience of the panelists, this session will provide concrete examples of how schools and teachers can meet the needs of lagging and leading students using new technologies to create niches or learning communities of students. Administrators, technology directors, and teachers will find this session helpful in thinking about how schools and the education process is changing with emerging technologies and the demands of the global economy.

OUTLINE
10 minutes: Brief presentation of the Long Tail Concept and supporting student opinion research.
15 minutes: Panelist introductions in response to the question: What is the best example of learning and teaching niches you’ve identified in your school, district, or classroom?
15 minutes: Panel discussion on the following questions:
• How do you connect to other classrooms and with other teachers? Find learning and teaching niches and expand them?
• How have you used social networking, web 2.0 or other technologies to help connect students to each other and to motivate them?
• How does the concept of niches help you address the need for “response to intervention”?
• How did policies have to change to embrace anytime, anywhere learning enabled by technology within your organization?
10 minutes: Q&A from audience
5 minutes: wrap up

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Permalink Reply by John Thompson on October 7, 2008 at 6:04pm

Hi. Just sent you my info.

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Permalink Reply by Colette Cassinelli on October 7, 2008 at 9:01pm

Karen,

If one of my other proposals is accepted I would be happy to join you on the panel. I teach 7-12 technology and have embraced all kinds of Web 2.0 tools (like VoiceThread) and I use Google Apps for education throughout my curriculum. I occasionally blog about my experiences at http://www.edtechvision.org

I'll email you my contact information.

Colette Cassinelli

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Permalink Reply by Edwin Wargo on October 7, 2008 at 9:40pm

Hi Karen - I've sent you my information.

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Permalink Reply by Karen Henke on October 8, 2008 at 10:39am

I am really pleased. The panelists represent the full spectrum of the education technology integration process: John is an educational computing professor, Edwin is a K-8 Technology Literacy Instructor, Collette is a 7-12 Technology Teacher and Indigo is a systems administrator who has worked on school wide technology implementations.