Promethean ActivBoard – ActivEducators Users Group – Houston, Texas

Saint John’s School January 16th-17th

Keynote Tony Cann, – Vice Chairman Promethean – January 16, 2007

My Notes from Tony Cann’s Keynote:

Taking a risk today – will new tech he is demo-ing work today?

Had us use Activotes to tell whether we were from Texas or somewhere else. Years taught, age, grade level.

“Only a small part of learning is in the Classroom”

Part that parents used to teach kids while eating meals, hiking, etc. not happening for most students anymore – This makes the job of teachers more complex and wider because of lack of parental teaching. Spotlight is on teachers. Constant upgrade of skills.

Another suggested read – Preparing Teachers for a Changing World by Hammond – Bransford

Asks what will raise student achievement – answers 40% Teacher Development 25% Something Else – no one voted for Tech out of 300 – Tony agrees.

If there was more money where would you spend it – 60% voted for Elementary education – Tony agrees that it needs to be spent in elementary first.

3 Points About Tech – 1) Isn’t a magic wand, needs people to use it 2) Results driven by what happens in classroom – not administration based – but at teacher pupil level., we need to give tools they need. – 3) Use tech in ways that stop putting more burden on teachers.

Participation by teachers is important – but more important is participation by learners. Learners are our most underused resource.

Teacher demand has driven UK schools – 50% use whiteboards but usage was poor – now it is getting better.

When Activotes were first introduced – a teacher asked him “Why would we want that?”

Collaborative classroom allows teacher to listen and respond.

Videos on how Promethean improves participation – 2 students writing on board at the same time and using different colors. Next video shows software that allows student to write a word that character in video acts out. Next takes a picture and splits it into sections and separates it.

Tony announces that new software allows 2 to write on ActivBoard at once. Applause.

The next vote Tony has us participate in shows that audience feels that most found school not engaging when thinking about HOW OTHERS see their school experience – Then vote was taken about what we thought about our own schooling the results were slightly more positive.

NOTE TONY is running ActivStudio software on screen but not using an Activboard.

The experience of school affects your life.

Promethean is about inclusion

Question – What percent of human capacity is from genetics? Most vote 50% or less – Tony agrees.

Inspiration or perspiration??? – He feels that Inspiration is more important and will change the world.

The Nature-Nurture Debate – Book by Ceci and Williams – Feels this is important read.

Raise the level of everyone. How you feel about what you are teaching can’t be hidden from your class.

We can take average people and make them giants. We have to raise the standards of the middle.

An ignorant manager is one that doesn’t listen – we must listen.

In Viet Nam they spend more than 2 X Gross domestic product on education.

What is stopping schools from adopting tech? Most attendees pick money over 50%. Tony says it isn’t the money that is stopping tech integration it is vision. “It absolutely isn’t the money.” He gave some examples and stats that I couldn’t type fast enough.

Happiness is a by-product of activity, doing things.

Teachers help learners do things well.

Only the educated are free.