Aug 03 2009
A Day at Skywalker Ranch with the Edutopia Team
Recently, I was invited to visit with the folks at Edutopia, (George Lucas Educational Foundation). Several PLN friends have asked begged for a detailed account of the day. Prepare yourself for a play-by-play. I’m still in awe of the experience!
I was accompanied by Alice Mercer, Larry Ferlazzo, Derrall Garrison, and Gail Desler. Spending the day with these four individuals who I look up to was a wonderful experience in itself! I have learned from each of them this year by following their blogs, as well as participating in discussions online and at conferences.
We arrived at Skywalker Ranch and were met by Elana Leoni (Online Membership Coordinator) and Betty Ray (Community Manager), who greeted us with smiles. I enjoyed a Skywalker Cappucino outdoors as we talked, while we waited for everyone to arrive. For security reasons, we were not allowed to take photos indoors, but were given permission to take this group photo outside. (Left to Right: Gail, me, Derrall, Larry and Alice)
Don’t you just love Yoda?
The day was spent with tours of Skywalker Ranch, a trip to the Ranch store, a fabulous lunch, and important discussions about education.
What I Took Away From the Day
We had the chance to meet many wonderful people at Edutopia, including Milton Chen, the Executive Director, who is also a member of the Board of Directors. Of course, it seemed like a wonderful place to work. Everyone we met spoke highly of their experience being part of the Edutopia team. Not only were the surroundings peaceful but the energy there spoke of innovation, forward-thinking, and collaborative teamwork. I saw in them a strong desire to support educators, administration and parents to motivate students to reach their full potential. It’s not just about the technology, though they applaud the innovative ways that technology and project learning can engage students. I took away a sense of this passion that Edutopia has, as they highlight inspirational teachers and students in their magazine, in the hopes of inspiring us.
The Tour
I loved touring the grounds. The scenery was so beautiful and calming. My favorite part of the tour was the main house. It was fun seeing various memorabilia, but what I fell in love with was the Frank Lloyd Wright design, the redwood walls, and beautiful craftsmanship. The table with skinny, extremely tall-backed chairs reminded me of something out of Star Wars. The view of the pond from the table was serene and peaceful. The library, where research is done for films, was breathtaking!
The grounds contain a guest house, the main house, fitness center, pool, restaurant, daycare, vineyards and a barn. They have a little farmers market for the employees during the week. I took home a container of lavender-infused sea salt. We heard that the honey and olive oil are amazing!
Each building we toured was completely different in style. I was intrigued to hear that Mr. Lucas wrote a fictional story for each building, upon which the architects based their designs. Isn’t that cool?
We had a fabulous lunch with Betty, Elana, Jen Fujimoto (Membership Support Representative), and Ray Hill (Product Manager), followed up by the most delicious berry pie.
Discussions
For the remainder of the day, we sat with Elana, Betty, and Ray, and were joined by Grace Rubenstein (Senior Producer), Sabrina Smith (Communications Manager), and Cindy Johanson (Chief Operating Officer). What followed was an exciting round table discussion about education, social networking, and the Edutopia magazine. We all had a chance to share some of the innovative experiences taking place at our schools. I was so proud to be in the company of four amazing educators, to hear the stories of their accomplishments in our field.
I loved talking about social media and networks, as well as the value of learning in community. We had so much to share on this topic and brought our unique perspectives to the discussion. We also talked about the George Lucas foundation, the principles that he values in education, and goals for the Edutopia magazine. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and spending the day with these fine folks!
Resources form Edutopia
If you do not frequent the website, you need to! Check out Edutopia online, What Works in Public Education. Here are a few things to take a look at:
Go Green: Education for the Ecosystem
The Digital Generation Project
How To Become More Tech Savvy This Summer
Many Thanks!
Thank you, Edutopia, for your hospitality and kindness in hosting us at Skywalker Ranch. The conversations were thought-provoking. It was exciting to hear how you are moving forward in innovative ways to continue being a leader in the education community.
Thank you to my colleagues, whom I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with at the ranch. I’ve learned so much from you this year. How neat to be able to spend the day with such amazing educators!
If you don’t already follow them, I encourage you to subscribe to these blogs:
Alice – Reflections on Teaching
Larry -Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day
Derrall – Cloudy Tag Thoughts
Gail – Blogwalker
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Donelle, I am so glad you that you got to participate in such a rewarding, once in a lifetime opportunity! Do you know how you were selected to visit the ranch? What an honor!
I must say I am so very jealous of this experience, but you and your colleagues are well deserving of this! I really enjoyed your write up and review of your time at skywalker ranch. The George Lucas Educational Foundation along with Edutopia have created a great forum for learning and technology. I hope that all teacher can learn from your experience and pass on their great experiences as vividly as you did!
Thank you both for your kind words. It was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. Not just for being at “skywalker ranch” but for the conversations with people I admire. The folks at Edutopia are doing great things to inspire us all in learning and innovation.
What a great way to spend a day! How lucky you were to spend the day surrounded by greatness. Thanks for sharing the day with us. As you know you, Alice, Derrall, and Larry are already in my PLN. I’m glad I got to “meet” Gail through this post. Thank you and keep on being innovative.
Thank you, Paula! So happy to have you in my PLN.