Introducing... the Student Innovation Team

Click here to to view the students' blogs!

Many of us rely heavily on the Internet for our professional learning... Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and - of course - blogs. I've found so many great resources out there, and learned much of what I know from clicking around in the middle of the night. However, amongst the myriad of voices and ideas floating around in cyberspace, there is one voice I see very rarely... and yet this is the voice that should be most heard: the kids.

As we explore digital learning, we are always talking about what we think is best for kids, or how kids will respond to x, y or z... but what better way to find these answers than going straight to the source?

So this year, I have created a group of students who will meet after school twice a week. They have dubbed themselves the "Student Innovation Team" or S.I.T. for short... not the most actionable of acronyms, but easy to say nonetheless.

As a focus, we have "borrowed" the four A's from the Apple Distinguished Educator program: Advocates, Authors, Ambassadors and Advisors. We spent our first two sessions discussing each of these concepts and how the students could fill each role. Surprisingly, they were most excited about becoming Advisors. Apparently, being able to tell a teacher how to use technology was an urge many had been secretly harboring for some time.

Yesterday, they began their blogs as part of this Advisor role (and also dipping a toe into the "Author" role as well). For the students' safety, they've all chosen pseudonyms and have taken on this avatar when blogging. After creating their avatar, their next task was to share a bit about themselves and to explain why they were invested in digital learning.

Please take a moment to read the team's blogs, and comment. They are so excited to interact with you: an authentic audience of adult learners. As "DigiEmani" said to me this recently, "I have something to say, and now people will finally listen."