Have a listen as Susan van Gelder interviews Neil Stephenson with his presentation from 2009.

http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=459

Neil Stephenson believes in the power of technology to bring the past into the future. Empowered with 21st century tools, Stephenson’s Grade 7 students reinterpret events from five periods that have shaped Canada’s current historical landscape. Called the Cigar Box Project, Stephenson’s students collect and analyze historical images and artifacts, and then use graphic design principles to digitally assemble new cigar panels, each one revealing a unique, visual perspective of an historical event or time from Canada’s past. At the end of the year, students physically build their wooden Cigar Boxes, creating their own historical artifact that pulls together the story of our country. Along the way, students encounter a variety of assessment practices, create mini-documentaries about their artifacts and meet a number of experts who support their historical learning.

Check out Neil's blog at: http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.com/

In this edition of the K12Online Conference Echo, we are joined by Monika Harding and Jim Folkstad presenters for the student voices strand of the K12 Online Conference 2010. 

We believe that education is the vehicle to social change everyone craves. We believe that personalization is now possible in public school, because of the connections to people and info the web now allows. We believe that the process of learning how to learn, amped by the personalization digital equity allows is the new standard.

In the lab, we are experimenting with ways to facilitate personalized learning and ownership. We believe learning and self-constructing is natural, but most people need to break out of habits focused on following rules. Experimentation means doing, and doing breeds mistakes. Risk of failure blinds many to their potential. We believe playing it safe today is a greater risk.

http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=656

Tim Tyson shared his 2010 K12 Online presentation, The Classroom Teacher as 21st Century Instructional Leader. He elaborated on his ideas and encouraged all to get involved and speak out. The original video is above. The audio of the show is below with audio from the video included.

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