I compiled a “Top 3” list for 2010 (here), and am thinking of turning the “Top 3” into an annual tradition. Many of my 2010 choices could have held for this year, but I wanted to highlight new people, blogs, resources, etc. These year-end lists are a great way to raise topics, discussion and debate, and shine some light onto areas that may have received less attention than I thought they deserved as the year went along. I look forward to your own “Top 3” thoughts for 2011.
Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts – these posts have generated the most traffic this year:
2. Preparing and Supporting Teachers to Integrate Technology in the Classroom
3. A Little Bit About Mrs. Caffrey
Top 3 BC Teacher Blogs I Follow:
1. Keith Rispin, West Vancouver
2. David Wees, Vancouver
3. Starleigh Grass, Lytton
Top 3 BC Edu-bloggers (not current teachers or school administrators) I Follow:
1. Mike McKay, Surrey
2. Brian Kuhn, Coquitlam
3. Tom Schimmer, Penticton
Top 3 Digital Learning Trends in Schools:
1. Everyone has a blog — students, teachers, administrators, district staff. From a few dozen to a few hundred (or more) in B.C., in just one year
2. Personally Owned Devices — more jurisdictions are including PODs as part of their digital-learning strategy
3. iPads — from school pilots to being one of the most popular presents at Christmas, they are finding their way into more and more classrooms
Top 3 Professional Development Events I have Attended:
1. GELP – Global Education Leadership Program
2. West Vancouver Opening Day with Stuart Shanker
3. MindShare Learning 21st Century Canadian EdTech Summit
Top 3 Used (and often overused) Terms in Education for the Year:
Top 3 Books I have Read this Year that Influenced My Thinking:
1. Nurtureshock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merrymen
2. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey
3. What Technology Wants by Kevin Kelly
Top 3 School-related Videos from West Vancouver (that I bet you haven’t seen)
1. Students at Cypress Park talking about their project with the Obakki Foundation – Kids for Clean water
2. Caulfeild Elementary sharing the story of their iDEC Program
3. Students at West Vancouver Secondary and their lipdub from the spring
Top 3 School-related Videos from B.C. (that I bet you haven’t seen)
1. Students from School Completion and Beyond reflecting on the BC EdPlan
2. An introduction to Learning Commons in BC
3. Delta School District Vision Video
As I finish my first full year as Superintendent, I continue to love using my blog to reflect, share and engage. I like David Eaves‘ notion that the blog is a great place to work out the mind. I look forward to continuing to connect in 2012!
Chris Kennedy
cultureofyes.ca 
I have two kids in the West Van schools and am a newcomer to your blog, but I just saw Salman Khan’s TED talk and am blown away. Would love to hear your thoughts on this and other programs like it;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/23/video-learning_n_1167574.html
Thanks, Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog. I have previously posted the Kahn video here in this post: https://cultureofyes.ca/2011/08/31/my-pechakucha-adventure/ and since we shared the video with our administrators it has been getting a fair bit of attention in our schools. There is clearly an explosion in the use of video. The idea of a “flipped classroom” has grown since the Khan videos came out. In this model, students would review videos at home and then engage in the content at school (it is a flipped classroom – instead of getting the lecture at school and then doing the practice at home the reverse happens). Where I have seen Khan videos and other similar videos most successful is with reviewing and previewing concepts. I know two parents in our office who have children who struggle with math, and they use the Khan videos with their kids to review key ideas. Please check out the Khan site at: http://www.khanacademy.org/. There are over 2700 concepts to review. I think we are just seeing the beginning of this in K-12. Many universities have all course lectures available online and I suspect this is part of the future of our system. I don’t think this replaces “school” but does allow students to learn and review from another teacher, and an instant opportunity to connect to ideas that they are struggling with. I would love to hear your kids experiences with the Khan videos if they give them a try. I think they are great for what they are – but they should not replace the interactive classroom.
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