Day 1-Wednesday, January 16, 2007, Moscone Conference Centre, SFO

It is a beautiful sunny day in San Francisco, and I feel as though I've died and gone to heaven. Well it's not that dramatic, but standing in line at the Starbucks adjoining the Moscone Conference Centre early this morning I couldn't help but salivate over the iPhones everyone in line seemed to be sporting. Since they have yet to make their way to Canada, it is still a novelty item for me. The Aussies I've met feel the same way, though they claim their network is far superior to the U.S. making the iPhone a less than ideal purchase. Speaking of Aussies, there are plenty here in addition to Kiwis (New Zealand), Canadians (ran into Julia Leong from SFU's TLITE program--a worthwhile self-directed technology learning initiative for K-12 teachers), Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Thais, etc. Tens of thousands of individuals are all here to ooh and aah over the latest Mac products as well as learn, network and share resources and ideas. I'm attending the MacWorld Educator Academy conference for the next two days and I plan to post as much as I can to this blog to share ideas, impressions and opportunities for our students to learn and grow in this new digital age.

This morning's keynote speaker was John Couch, Vice President of Education for Apple. He focused on three areas: NEW CONTENT, NEW COMMUNITIES, NEW CONNECTIONS. Never before have students been so immersed in the digital age. When you consider that 70% of today's 4-year olds have used a computer, educators have to accept--whether we like it or not--that students' worlds are inextricably linked to technology. Young people today are text messaging, SMSing, podcasting, social networking and digital movie making. In fact, many students consider email a mode of communication for old people! The challenge for educators is how do we meet the needs of this generation? How do we prepare them for a world that is becoming increasingly flat? (Side note: Did you know that the #1 English-speaking country in 10 years will be China? How about that 100% of college graduates in India speak English?)

As far as Apple is concerned, the goal is to create learning environments to meet the needs of students and to provide a digital learning environment that supports the way students live and how they want to learn. In the past, a student's work went up on the fridge at home. Now, a student's work has the potential and capacity to reach a worldwide audience! Educators need to begin thinking about the personal computer as an amplifier of clarity of thought as it allows people to express themselves in so many different ways. This is something we should not fear--but embrace--as for the first time in history learners of different capacities, capabilities, and interests can have their needs met. This is quite unprecedented and an amazing opportunity for educators.

Since technology is so fast-paced, it is impossible for us to stay current--and we don't have to! Educators need to facilitate and allow for the learning to happen by supporting the exploration of alternate forms of expression as well as making the tools available for this to happen.  

Whether watching the "Science of Waves" through a free video download from iTunes, listening to a lecture on quantum physics from MIT (again a free download), or seeking content rich lectures on Facebook (yes, some universities are beginning to build learning communities on social networking sites), opportunities to expand one's mind and the modes of learning abound. Problem is, schools remain stagnant institutions and impervious to technological innovation. Universities are slowly coming around (case in point: iTunes U), but K-12 schools largely remain untouched. Many teachers who taught 50 years ago can pretty much pick up where they left off. Would we allow a brain surgeon who practiced half a century ago to do the same? Of course not, because the technology has changed. We cannot say the same for schools. It is incumbent for us to play catch up if we want to connect to our children's worlds and make their learning meaningful and relevant. (Side note: check out iTunes and all the amazing free resources available--in both audio and video formats. You don't need an Apple to download the iTunes application.)

Textbooks, too, are starting to catch up to all the changes. A professor at Concordia University in Montreal has uploaded both a Greek and Hebrew language textbook to iTunes. The prediction is just as music has gone digital, textbooks will eventually be distributed through laptops and the paper format will become obsolete.

Speaker John Couch concluded his address by reiterating Apple's vision for education: "A world in which all learners are empowered to discover their own special genius" (and, I would add, a world where the playing field can be leveled as technology creeps into the lives of all people the world over. It is predicted over 50% of the world's population will have cell phones in the next few years. With cellphone technology encompassing far more than traditional communications, learning is going mobile and reaching an ever wider audience. The implications, I hope, will mean that one day the differences between the educational opportunities for rich and poor, developed and developing, will diminish as classrooms will extend far beyond brick walls.