November

Alan November is the senior partner and founder of a consulting business called "November Learning". This firm presents technology workshops for educators in addition to writing resource publications for school classrooms and district use. He is a former teacher and technology coordinator himself. His focus is largely on how to use classroom technology effectively. His presentations are meant to be energizing and he is said to be a highly creative and motivating speaker. Mr. November and his consulting firm associates look at global communication and collaboration for future learning in addition to development of 21st century educational skills. I think that the idea of a consulting technology firm for educators is a good idea especially for school districts interested in developing a state-of-the-art technology program. The workshops and presentations could assist teachers in keeping current on the newest technology available and how to use it effectively to bring their students up to the new 21st century standards. This company could also serve as an excellent resource for schools in the case of technology problems or questions. The publications provided by "November Learning" would be extremely useful for educators. (BG)

[] Alan also offers on-line courses to help educate people more.st

I first read about the November Learning review associates coming to the schools and helping them solve their technology needs,etc. I thought negatively that administrators and teachers have enough to do with passing state standards and keeping the school running. It seemed to be time consuming and probably costly. I was also surprised that these reviews would involve taking a survey of some members of the community. What sounded good to me was the workshops that are offered to teachers on how to instruct their students about safe use of the internet and how to be internet "detectives". There were also other workshops that helped students use the internet effectively for learning that included global learning. I had been thinking this kind of instruction is necessary in our school and wondering who is going to be responsible to do it. DM

In July, November tweeted that "Metadata has become more important than data." Talk about a paradigm shift. That's not just a technology issue -- that's an information issue. He also tweeted that "good pedagogy beats good technology." That is shockingly true coming from a technology guru. It's a relief to see that he understands that the most amazing technology is nothing without the educational wherewithal to use it wisely and well. EH

November's [|books]look interesting. Alan’s best selling book, //Empowering Students With Technology//, is an overview of various tools and strategies across the curriculum. His newest book, //Web Literacy for Educators//, is a practical guidebook that helps teachers and students effectively find, sort, and evaluate information on the Web. I'm not sure who has the money to pay for the workshops and conferences. JD

He seems like he would be a great resource for both students and teachers when they are looking to learn more about using technology. I think his firm would be very costly for most districts and they would not be willing to spend the money, however, some of the conferences might be be a good way for teachers to see what he has to offer. KG

I also think that he and his firm provide excellent resources for educators. I looked around under Resources and saw a coupole things that peaked my interest. The first was the fact that they offer online classes for educators. The topic was using the internet. There were three classes: Web Literacy for Educators, Advanced Web Literacy for Educators, and Blogging for Educators. I feel that the reason many educators don't use technology effectively in the classroom is due to their not being comfortable with it themselves. I'm sure this would be quite the investment for most district, though I imagine his book that Jan mentioned would cover the same topics. I also liked the Podcasts, though I wish there were more instructional ones. CNR

I was interested in the podcasts on November's page. There are some great topics listed here ([]). I was also interested in the conference, "Building Learning Communities" that is advertised on November's site ([]). It sounds like it would be excellent!. RL

I liked the interviews November has on his site. I listened to the interview he had with Bob Sprankle concerning podcasts. Bob talked about how he got started using podcasts with his students and he shared how the school reacted to his use of the new technology. He also has a web site where you can go to view his blogs, podcasts, tutorials, and much more. It is [|http://www.bobsprankle.com]. MP

I went immediately to "team" to connect with Alan November as an individual. I enjoyed exploring "My Bookmarks on Delicious". I was connected to Globalearners' Bookmarks saved on Delicious. I was unfamiliar with both of these resources, but there was a wealth of information to access from here. You can explore Teacher Tube, a great resource for teacher videos and connect with medialiteracy.com. CW