21st Century Learning #87: Curt Johnson, co-author of Disrupting Class

21st 21st Century Learning #87

Curtis Johnson Co-author of Disrupting Class
December 4, 2008

This week, Curtis Johnson, co-author of Disrupting Class,  managing partner at Education Evolving and president of Citistates Group joined us to discuss the future of education.  The conversation ranged from psychology of high school students to recommendations for the education policy of President Elect Barack Obama.

Join us on December 11, 2008 for a conversation with Pat Bassett, President of NAIS.

<Click here for the Chat Transcript>

2008-12-04 13:36:41  Lorna ->  ho matt
2008-12-04 13:59:09  sarah h ->  Hi Matt, 2 eastern it is :)
2008-12-04 14:02:38  matt montagne ->  ahh...got it sarah
2008-12-04 14:03:03  matt montagne ->  I was actually signed in here b/c I was checking out a problem for a peer of mine in ETT
2008-12-04 14:06:41  alex.ragone ->  Hey Folks. 
2008-12-04 14:08:18  arvind ->  we're streaming, let us know if you can't hear Curt!
2008-12-04 14:09:38  alex.ragone ->  How are things sounding, folks?
2008-12-04 14:10:10  sarah h ->  I'm hearing everyone
2008-12-04 14:10:16  alex.ragone ->  Thanks, Sarah. 
2008-12-04 14:10:21  alex.ragone ->  WHere is everyone from?
2008-12-04 14:10:24  Bill Campbell ->  No audio over windows media stream.  Is that supposed to be working or do I need to use ustream?
2008-12-04 14:10:42  sarah h ->  iTunes working
2008-12-04 14:11:04  alex.ragone ->  Thanks.  You can use uStream.
2008-12-04 14:11:13  alex.ragone ->  Not sure what the steam issue is, Bill.
2008-12-04 14:12:02  cuevash ->  ustream is working
2008-12-04 14:13:15  alex.ragone ->  http://www.educationevolving.org/
2008-12-04 14:13:22  arvind ->  the chatroom keeps crashing my Firefox!
2008-12-04 14:13:38  arvind ->  hi jeremy, welcome
2008-12-04 14:13:39  Bill Campbell ->  ustream working fine for me.  I guess I'll give up on Windows media stream.   (In the past it was better quality than usteam, but it hasn't worked for me the past two shows.)
2008-12-04 14:13:56  jeremydavis ->  thanks, just retweeted the link to my pln
2008-12-04 14:14:32  arvind ->  that's great, thanks!
2008-12-04 14:14:52  arvind ->  iTunes might play the stream for you, Bill. You're right though, better quality, but a little delayed, time-wise
2008-12-04 14:15:48  arvind ->  hi all, welcome, we're broadcasting on Ustream or EdTechTalk A
2008-12-04 14:17:32  arvind ->  if there are questions for Curt, please let us know
2008-12-04 14:18:07  arvind ->  hi!
2008-12-04 14:18:28  dendari ->  What is your opinion on what Michelle Rhee is doing in DC?
2008-12-04 14:18:51  arvind ->  ouch, tough one, Michelle Rhee!
2008-12-04 14:19:32  arvind ->  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1862444,00.html
2008-12-04 14:19:35  arvind ->  Hi Peggy
2008-12-04 14:19:53  PeggySheehy ->  Hey there - just got this stream URL from Twitter!
2008-12-04 14:20:13  PeggySheehy ->  Still discusswing Disrupting Class?
2008-12-04 14:20:18  PeggySheehy ->  *discussing
2008-12-04 14:20:20  arvind ->  glad you made it Peggy. We're talking to one of the coauthors
2008-12-04 14:20:25  VinnieVrotny ->  Hey Peggy, we are still discussing
2008-12-04 14:20:26  arvind ->  so yeah, fire questions if you have them
2008-12-04 14:20:33  PeggySheehy ->  supah   waiting for sound
2008-12-04 14:20:45  PeggySheehy ->  gotit'
2008-12-04 14:20:57  arvind ->  great
2008-12-04 14:21:28  matt montagne ->  I disagree...I think the innovation is going to come from the broad community online...NOT a company creating a platform/product...   
2008-12-04 14:21:47  matt montagne ->  Companies can't compete with the online community...
2008-12-04 14:22:09  PeggySheehy ->  Heard of iNET?
2008-12-04 14:22:46  sarah h ->  something I wonder about is part time "schooling" for high school students where they take one or two classes in a physical building and the rest of their courses online
2008-12-04 14:23:27  arvind ->  Matt, almost nothing gets created in the network (imho), it's gotta be given in at least some form to the community, and then they build on it
2008-12-04 14:23:41  arvind ->  never heard of iNet, Peggy, what is it?
2008-12-04 14:23:43  alex.ragone ->  Interesting, Matt. 
2008-12-04 14:24:26  alex.ragone ->  One of the things that I think will happen is that 'we' will organize into loosely held organizations.
2008-12-04 14:24:51  PeggySheehy ->  http://www.ssat-Inet.net/whatwedo/personalisinglearning/presonalisinglea...
2008-12-04 14:25:06  alex.ragone ->  Check out http://plpnetwork.com
2008-12-04 14:25:20  PeggySheehy ->  haven't scoured it  but it came across my desktop earlier today and seems to be aligned with Disruptive Innovation
2008-12-04 14:25:49  PeggySheehy ->  I am FLIPPING OUT over this book!  Alrewady ordered multiple copies for my Supt, and administrators! 
2008-12-04 14:26:07  arvind ->  haha, alex, show Peggy your flickr photo
2008-12-04 14:26:10  dendari ->  I asked my wife to get if for me for christmas
2008-12-04 14:26:17  arvind ->  good idea, dendari
2008-12-04 14:26:26  PeggySheehy ->  It's good to be in charge of ordering books
2008-12-04 14:26:32  matt montagne ->  good point, Arvind...u r right...most open source platforms have their origins in a company...BUT, they flourished once they were put out to the community in ways that companies simply can't imagine
2008-12-04 14:26:38  VinnieVrotny ->  Also currently reading the Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner. Very interesting, although we are not as tied to testing
2008-12-04 14:27:20  arvind ->  A counter argument that was shared with me via Twitter was the video, "Learnign Styles Do Not Exist:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIv9rz2NTUk
2008-12-04 14:27:39  arvind ->  if learning styles don't actually exist, or matter, then the book loses some of its strength
2008-12-04 14:27:48  arvind ->  it's from a cognitive psychologist
2008-12-04 14:27:49  PeggySheehy ->  lose the digital natives terminology - they are kids with new tools that's all-and the new tools are driving shifted learning modalities
2008-12-04 14:28:04  matt montagne ->  good question , Alex
2008-12-04 14:28:11  alex.ragone ->  not really a question.
2008-12-04 14:28:19  arvind ->  i agree, not a fan of the digital natives. It's like saying that people who grew up speaking English are experts. I think many adults and students we know can prove that wrong!
2008-12-04 14:28:28  PeggySheehy ->  sounds like Stager Alex LOL
2008-12-04 14:28:31  sarah h ->  Arvind--I've seen those videos
2008-12-04 14:28:37  matt montagne ->  like Sir Ken said, everyone starts out as artists w/creativity, but we beat it out of them over time...
2008-12-04 14:29:06  dendari ->  natives are just people who grow up with a ting not necessarily experts
2008-12-04 14:29:07  PeggySheehy ->  YES!   We need to let them take risks
2008-12-04 14:29:15  PeggySheehy ->  and MAKE MISTAKES
2008-12-04 14:29:17  alex.ragone ->  Yep -- Integrate kids into the community early.
2008-12-04 14:29:19  arvind ->  I am really interested in this topic of teenagers/children being kept away from adults, and why this is
2008-12-04 14:29:30  alex.ragone ->  An argument for community based learning.
2008-12-04 14:29:39  alex.ragone ->  We wonder why they are bored.  Huh!
2008-12-04 14:29:48  arvind ->  dendari, right on, natives just local, not necessarily more skilled than non-natives
2008-12-04 14:29:53  PeggySheehy ->   and therein lies the intrinsic value of virtual worlds "psychosocial moratorium"
2008-12-04 14:29:59  arvind ->  community based learing, awesome term
2008-12-04 14:30:21  matt montagne ->  but if they take risks they won't get into the top colleges...
2008-12-04 14:30:34  matt montagne ->  just being devil's advocate there
2008-12-04 14:30:35  sarah h ->  immigrants can be wildly successful in a new land!
2008-12-04 14:30:37  arvind ->  ha ha, or do well in them, matt?
2008-12-04 14:31:13  PeggySheehy ->  and what exactly does getting into the top college afford?  anybody here not able to do what they want to in life cause you didn't go to a "top" college???
2008-12-04 14:31:15  arvind ->  danah boyd has an awesome presentation on how kids used to be "adults" when they were 12, but then mandatory schooling started, and that changed everything
2008-12-04 14:31:49  dendari ->  do you have a link arvind
2008-12-04 14:32:08  PeggySheehy ->  Amen
2008-12-04 14:32:28  matt montagne ->  Obama has yet to talk about a new direction from NCLB...I hope this changes...
2008-12-04 14:32:44  alex.ragone ->  @peggy: http://flickr.com/photos/alexragone/2986762550/ My stack of Disrupting Class.
2008-12-04 14:32:53  PeggySheehy ->  Obama is putting an AWESOME education team in place
2008-12-04 14:33:01  arvind ->  dendari, I've seen her give the talk, so I don't have a link, sorry
2008-12-04 14:33:04  alex.ragone ->  Hopefully it'll sink in.
2008-12-04 14:33:41  jeremydavis ->  Facebook, twitter - allowing students to become a part of the community learning
2008-12-04 14:34:23  sarah h ->  Has anyone read Ishmael (or My Ishmael) by Daniel Quinn?  He makes similar arguments about kids being separated
2008-12-04 14:34:29  jeremydavis ->  Love the point that education has never been a part of the Federal Govt.  Constitutionally it is a State issue. 
2008-12-04 14:34:32  PeggySheehy ->  best summation of NCLB I've heard yet!
2008-12-04 14:34:49  VinnieVrotny ->  @sarah h - boy read ishmail years ago.
2008-12-04 14:35:01  arvind ->  for sure, hopefully President Obama has Ed Tech Talk on his podcast playlist!
2008-12-04 14:35:08  arvind ->  President-Elect Obama, that is
2008-12-04 14:35:52  PeggySheehy ->  THank you -
2008-12-04 14:36:04  PeggySheehy ->  this was great
2008-12-04 14:36:09  sarah h ->  It's been coming back to me over and over lately
2008-12-04 14:36:15  jeremydavis ->  Thanks!!
2008-12-04 14:36:17  sarah h ->  funny how that happens
2008-12-04 14:36:21  cuevash ->  Thank you.
2008-12-04 14:36:32  sarah h ->  @peggy--yes
2008-12-04 14:36:57  dendari ->  that was the shortest 1.2 hour ever
2008-12-04 14:37:20  arvind ->  thanks for being here, everyone!
2008-12-04 14:37:31  sarah h ->  Great ep! thanks!
2008-12-04 14:37:51  arvind ->  come next week for Pat Basset, president of National Association of Independent Schools! Bring the tough questions :)