KNOWLEDGE BUILDING CENTERS WITH DAVID LOERTSCHER Everyone please log on to: knowledgebuildingcenters/

Assumptions  Technology has changed everything; particularly Web 2.0 tools and cloud computing opportunities  Students have changed  Education must change to preparing kids and teens for excellence; not minimums  Libraries and computer labs must change

Problem  Specialists in the school have not often been in the center of teaching and learning  How can this change?  Assumption: teacher librarians and teacher technologists along with other specialists in the school have much to contribute to the classroom and to the quality of learning experiences.

A Simple Solution: Knowledge Building Centers: Environments Where Collaboration is a Natural Classroom Teachers SpecialistsStudents Better Teaching and Learning

Sample KBC – on your screens

KBC is Simple  A KBC is simple to construct on a variety of technologies:  Google Sites  Moodle  blog  Wiki  etc.

The Structure of the KBC Makes Collaboration a Natural  I feel like helping  Inviting  Engaging  Give and take Collaborative Intelligence YouMe Everybody Else

Specialists are at the Center of Teaching and Learning Classroom Teacher and Students Teacher Librarian Teacher Technologists Experts Other Specialists Parents

Personal Expertise and Collaborative Intelligence What We Know What I Know

KBC Characteristic Content Deep Understanding 21 st Century Skills The project promotes mastery of 21 st Century Skills that in turn drive deep understanding

KBC Characteristic  Sound Instructional designs are used:  Understanding by Design  Think models (Loertscher, Koechlin, Zwaan)  Active Inquiry  Differentiation  Note: Direct teaching of prescribed basic content does not usually work in a KBC

KBC Characteristic  The KBC is available to students and adults anywhere, at any time, and on any preferred device.

KBC Uses  Single-class explorations  Cross-class inquiry  Cross-district, community, state, world inquiry  School projects/initiatives  Professional development  Professional learning communities

KBCs Always End with a Big Think  Metacognitive Reflection  What I know  What we know  How I learn  How we learn  So what?  What’s next

Let’s Experience a KBC Together  You are all looking at our KBC on your computers…  Problem: What are 21 st Century Skills  Part one is finished for you – go to the workspace spreadsheet.  Table recorders log in: …etc.; password:  Your task as a Table: Synthesize a list of 21 st Century Skills from all the documents.  You have ten minutes… and probably won’t finish

Our Big Think (see Reflection Tab)   Post two responses on the wall.  Thanks for participating.  Keep in Touch: