NECC: The Wisdom of Crowds

James Surowiecki>Image via WikipediaMy wife and I are currently in San Antonio, TX attending the 29th annual National Educational Computing Conference, or NECC, sponsored by the International Society for Technology in Edication (ISTE). This is our first time at the NECC, which I soon discovered is pronounced "neck"!

I have to say I was thoroughly engaged in what the opening keynote speaker,
James Surowiecki, had to say and what it means for the classroom. It was also refreshing to hear someone speak about something fundamentally human at a technology conference!

The first part of Surowiecki's address was very similar to a creative radio piece called "Emergence", which I first heard on WNYC's Radiolab. In fact, he was one of many experts interviewed for that show. Surowiecki, a journalist and historian, argues, quite simply, that a collective of human beings is often much wiser than any individual person. Smarter than the smartest person in the room or even an expert in a particular field.

But what was even more interesting to me were the specific circumstances and structures that allow this to occur. The crowd can become 'wise' when the following factors are in place, for example:

  1. Cognitive diversity
  2. Thoughtful (and creative) grouping strategies
  3. Careful placement of "devil's advocates" within groups
Obviously, collaborative technological tools (like blogs, wikis, and social networks) can facilitate this process. This is an example of where technology can truly enhance instruction, and not just function as a bell or whistle.

Yet the implication for everyday classrooms is momentous. Consider the leveling philosophy and practice in our own school, New Trier High School. Students are grouped (levels 2, 3, 4, and 5) according to their "abilities", so that they will feel successful given a certain curricular challenge. But we are also fortunate to have 9-level, which purports to be a mixing of ALL of the other levels. This particular grouping of students has the potential to produce something far beyond what is accomplished by their peers in the most advanced levels. Is it true that we only need to apply the lessons of Surowiecki's The Wisdom of Crowds, either using technology, or perhaps, just our brains?

The Google Teacher Academy

Yesterday, I was fortunate to be one of 50 educators worldwide picked to attend the Google Teacher Academy (GTA). After an almost 12-hour workshop on June 25th, including a tour of the famed Googleplex (in Mountainview, CA), I took away the following:

  1. Look at the educational applications for Google Earth. Try out the "layers" function. By the time you read this, you will be able to embed these earth maps on webpages as easily as Google Maps.
  2. Try out the newest features of Google Maps, eg., measuring distances and areas.
  3. Use the comment feature of Google Docs, and these annotations, helpful to students and colleagues, won't be seen when printed.
  4. Try the "fixed-width page view" (to show the borders of a Google Doc page).
  5. Look at some curriculum-specific applications of these tools by grade level.
I could honestly add much more to this list, but five items seem enough for now. Throughout the rest of this school year I will act as a Google Certified Teacher, so feel free to pick my brain on other uses for you and your students.

If you're interested, here is the 1-minute video I created (featuring the work of my 2007-2008 American Studies students) that supported my application to the GTA.



UPDATE (August 2008): The Google Teacher Academy is now accepting applications for GTA Chicago! Deadline is August 24 for the September 24th conference.

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