Radio TICAL

In this Radio TICAL “double header,” hear Belinda Kittrell’s interviews with Tommy Tyler and Karen Eoff. Tommy talks about how Monticello School District is experimenting with podcasting to help meet the learning needs of more students. Karen describes Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative’s TechCamps.

Learn more about the programs in this episode:

• Podcasting resources in the TICAL database
• EAST Initiative
• Monticello School District
• Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative

Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally-renowned expert in creativity, shares his visions relating to educational reform following his keynote address at the 4th Annual TICAL Arkansas Conference. He discusses the importance of bridging practice, policy, and theory to help promote creativity in the schools. He provides anecdotes and analogies to help us better understand the approach to standardizing and customizing education. He also discusses his various experiences with educational systems worldwide.

In 2006 Sir Ken presented at the annual TED talks Conference in Monterey, California. You may want to view his talk titled Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Sir Ken is the author of The Arts in Schools: Principles, Practice and Provision (which discuses the place of the arts in the schools’ curricula) and Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (which, according to Arts Professional, “focuses on the widening gulf between academic institution teachings and the feelings, emotions and imagination that drive us as humans”).

Here are the resources mentioned in the TICAL Connection:

• Resources on Creativity
• Resources on International Education
• Integrating Technology in Standards-Based Curriculum Hot Topic

Hear Eileen Lento, K-12 education strategist at Intel, talk about some of the critical aspects of the planning process for moving to anytime, anywhere, anyway learning in a ubiquitous, one-to-one computing environment.

To learn more:

• K-12 Computing Blueprint
• Auburn City Schools
• More…

Dan Neville, Technology Specialist with Arizona’s Kyrene School District, shares how his district is using technology for more effective asset and data management. He gives examples that range from wireless devices that improve the accuracy of textbooks and equipment inventories to tools for collecting data from lots of sources in one place for analysis and interpretation.

in 2006, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) named Kyrene School District a ”Salute District” in recognition of its focus on technology to promote student achievement. 

Click here to learn more about the tools Dan mentions as well as other related products and resources.

Ceres USD superintendent Walt Hanline shares his passion for Jim Collins’ book Good to Great. Walt believes it is the best book related to his profession that he has ever read! In particular, he talks about the “hedgehog concept” and technology’s role as an accelerator.

“Technology is a tool,” says Walt. “Even in organizations that have the highest level of technology, it is a tool towards greatness; it’s not an avenue to greatness, but a tool to go down the avenue.” As you’re listening to what Walt has to say, don’t miss how he, himself, used technology to introduce Good to Great to his management staff (this section starts at three minutes 20 seconds into the interview)!

In November 2007, Walt was named ACSA’s 2007 Superintendent of the Year.

Click here for resources mentioned in the TICAL Connection.

In this first episode to feature members of TICAL’s Arkansas leadership cadre, Karli Saracini interviews Cathey Wilcox on the topic of technology literacy and the No Child Left Behind requirement that every student be technologically literate by the end of eighth grade. Cathey is principal at Fox Meadow Intermediate Center in Jonesboro and has been a cadre member for several years. Karli, principal at Harrisburg Middle School in Harrisburg, joined the TICAL Arkansas cadre just this year.

For further exploration:

• Resources in the TICAL database
• Discussion of 8th grade tech literacy in the TICAL Forum

“There is a gaping hole in our educational system for measuring those things that lend themselves less to immediate and direct measurement.” So says Certiport President and CEO David Saedi. In this interview with Michael Simkins, David describes a formative assessment tool his company developed for use with employees that might serve as a model for developing similar tools in K-12 education.

For further exploration:

• Certiport Monthly Feedback Form
• Other key resources on 21st Century Skills