The document summarizes key lessons and takeaways from the 7th 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong. Several speakers discussed topics like building cognitive flexibility in students, marketing new educational ideas, and using the SAMR model to integrate technology. Cultural observations from visiting Hong Kong included that families generally have 1-2 children, they drive on the left side of the road, and signs are in both Chinese and English. International teachers have varying views on using technology in the classroom.

1. What I learned in Hong Kong
Take-Aways From the 7th
21st
Century Learning Conference
Ruth Valle

2. Judy Willis
• Build cognitive flexibility-Cognitive
Flexibility and Control is the ability to
change what you are thinking about, how you are
thinking about it and even what you think about
it – in other words, the ability to change your
mind. Cognitive flexibility is required in multiple
ways throughout the school day.
• Being able to multitask is not a bad thing
• Lower the barriers not the bar

3. Michael Boll
• Go entrepreneurial: a start-up approach to bring
change or a new program to your organization
• What is your new idea?
• Why? (What’s your story?)
• Mission statement
• MVP- minimal viable product (donut)
• List assumptions
• Pick your team
• Always work to reduce friction (learn from
resistance)

4. Michael Boll
• Everything is marketing
• Develop the “about me” section
• Get people to spread your story
• Find early adopters
• Publicize the adopters

5. Brenda Petersen- National History
Day
• Nhd.org

6. Bryant McIntyre
• http://intlbob.com
• International Battle of the Books

7. Ruben Puentedura
• SAMR Model
• An Introduction to SAMR

8. Hamish Clark- The future is now
• http://www.hamishclark.com
• Born to learn

9. Kevin Duncan
• Big Time Presentations
• Time- 3-5 minutes, then build up to 8 minutes
• Set high expectations
• Goals
• Develop a rubric
• Planning and research
• Outine
• Practice/feedback
• Videotape the speeches for review

10. Kevin Duncan
• Allow to use the front of a 3x5 index card
• Dress up for the speech
• Provide for a venue that’s classy
• Branding- in the videotapes, have identical
beginnings and endings
• Practice answering questions about the speeches

11. Angela McFarlane
• If you expect to be able to use technology in the
classroom then provide hardwired connections
rather than unreliable WIFI- no serious business
would depend on WIFI

12. Cris Turple
• Chrome Extensions
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qeb8VN
quOmD_PKQaKwN32fZAiS3e41fiUt9qhwbjnjE/
edit

13. What I learned in Hong Kong
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Hong_Kong

14. What else I learned in Hong Kong
• Families really only have one or at the most two
children
• They drive on the left side of the road
• They don’t believe in “ladies first”
• They won’t open the door for you
• The food is horrible- really
• Starbucks is everywhere
• They play Christmas music and decorate
buildings

15. What else I learned in Hong Kong
• All signs are in Mandarin Chinese and English
• After a while you learn to decipher the signs
• It’s very clean- n0 trash anywhere
• Restrooms, called toilets, are everywhere
• People don’t walk on one side in each direction-
anything goes
• Most men and women wear black
• They bow by slightly inclining their necks

16. What else I learned in Hong Kong
• Asian parents are very involved in their child’s
education- they are constantly at school
• There are lots of American teachers in Asian
countries on 3-5 year assignments
• Some of the international teachers, esp. the ones
from Germany refuse to use technology and believe
that they should teach the way they have been
teaching for 200 years- why change what works?
• The international teachers are not too concerned
about their retirement- job
advancement/satisfaction is their goal

17. 7th
21st
Century Learning Conference
Hong Kong
• Some Pictures
• Question?
• Comments?
• Feedback- use QR code