I told someone last summer that I would never ride with him again; I would drive, because he answers his e-mails and texts while on the road. This student-created video gives the stats, and a local school mourns a student lost this way this fall. Be careful - you're not only taking your own life in your hands during that split second!
Find more videos like this on Flat Classroom Project
Video courtesy of the Flat Classroom Project.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Don't Become Obsolete!
Courtesy of the Business Insider, here's their take on things that are disappearing from our technological landscape:
Friday, December 4, 2009
Giving Your Students the World
For up-to-date, exciting challenges for students, I am so impressed with lessons using Google Earth and Google Maps. Google continually updates their resouces, adding great new features that keep learners engaged and enable them to create wonderful projects that demonstrate understanding of cross-curricular outcomes.
Their latest street-view updates are now including off-road visits to wonderful places around the world. Previously, you could only drop into street view at locations where the Google cars could drive to collect their myriad of photographs. Now, the Google researchers are heading into new territory on the Google tryke (not your baby brother's tricycle) to grab even more great information that is available to us for free! Check it out! There is more update news to be found at: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2009/12/more-street-view-updates-see-sea-see.html
Their latest street-view updates are now including off-road visits to wonderful places around the world. Previously, you could only drop into street view at locations where the Google cars could drive to collect their myriad of photographs. Now, the Google researchers are heading into new territory on the Google tryke (not your baby brother's tricycle) to grab even more great information that is available to us for free! Check it out! There is more update news to be found at: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2009/12/more-street-view-updates-see-sea-see.html
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Re-Ignite Your Fire!
I've had one too many conversations this week with discouraged educators. I would say apathetic, but that wouldn't be true about all of them. So, you out there in educator land, if you're one of those discouraged people, watch this. Think about what you really loved about learning when you decided to become a teacher. Re-ignite yourself! Re-ignite your love of learning! You are both obligated and privileged to be the very best LEARNER in your classroom. Listen to John Medina, author of the best-seller Brain Rules:
Friday, November 6, 2009
Another Reason We NEED Our “Social” Tools
Unless you live in a vacuum, you know what happened at Ft. Hood, Texas yesterday. Tragedy for those there, tragedy for all our military forces everywhere, as they are, truly, a band of brothers and sisters who normally trust each other with their very lives. Yesterday, that trust was betrayed.
News reports were as chaotic as the scene, as the networks struggled to fill the on-air time with every detail and rumor they thought confirmed. Telephone lines were jammed and cell phones could not get calls through. I tried to contact my family there and continually got the message, “No routes found,” spoken by a solemn robotic voice.
But the social networks did not fail. Twitter and Facebook lit up with messages, texting got through and the simple text, “ r u ok” was soon returned with a “yes”. Our daughter, our son-in-law soldier, their three children, all safe and accounted for. Our other family members, some also in the military far away, connected up and passed the news. Families across the country who were glued to the news and worried beyond understanding I am sure found the same thing – the Internet and the technologies that we sometimes condemn as being intrusive or not trustworthy, can provide us with the information we desperately need at the time we need it.
And so I have added another point to my growing list of reasons why I believe we have gone way overboard with our concerns on filtering, and are blocking our students and their parents from understanding exactly what is good and right about social communication tools. Sometimes, you just need to be able to go to the source and get the information you need, when you need it. It may be as simple as the response to the question, “r u ok”.
News reports were as chaotic as the scene, as the networks struggled to fill the on-air time with every detail and rumor they thought confirmed. Telephone lines were jammed and cell phones could not get calls through. I tried to contact my family there and continually got the message, “No routes found,” spoken by a solemn robotic voice.
But the social networks did not fail. Twitter and Facebook lit up with messages, texting got through and the simple text, “ r u ok” was soon returned with a “yes”. Our daughter, our son-in-law soldier, their three children, all safe and accounted for. Our other family members, some also in the military far away, connected up and passed the news. Families across the country who were glued to the news and worried beyond understanding I am sure found the same thing – the Internet and the technologies that we sometimes condemn as being intrusive or not trustworthy, can provide us with the information we desperately need at the time we need it.
And so I have added another point to my growing list of reasons why I believe we have gone way overboard with our concerns on filtering, and are blocking our students and their parents from understanding exactly what is good and right about social communication tools. Sometimes, you just need to be able to go to the source and get the information you need, when you need it. It may be as simple as the response to the question, “r u ok”.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Another Lesson on Learning 3
It’s at times exciting and at other times scary to know what fellow educators think about using technology to engage students in learning. The conversations can range from copyright scares to the idea that using technology is adding something more to what they are doing, when we know that it can actually enable us to focus on higher level learning and differentiating lessons so that all can reach high levels.
I was totally awestruck this week to receive a note from a teacher I’ve been privileged to mentor over the past several years. Here is the note; the names have been changed or deleted to protect both the innocents (the teachers, the student teacher, the students and the school) and the guilty (the college and the college instructor.)
“The student teacher that is in our school was needing some help on her lesson plans. We both [two sixth grade teachers] helped her with how to integrate some technology into her lesson. Both of us thought, ‘This looks good.’ All we think is good, but then she [student teacher] e-mailed us later and said there was a problem with her lessons. Of course we offered for her to come in and we’d take a look at it.
“She arrived, saying, ‘My lesson is too hard.’ The college instructor had said that her assignments were at the top of the Blooms list. The instructor wanted her to "dumb" it down. She, [student teacher] said, ‘I told the professor that [name of school] doesn't do very much in the Knowledge areas of the Blooms list.’ The college instructor was looking for worksheets.
“I looked at her Blooms lists that she had, and it was incredible how simply we had taught students before the use of technology. When we design assignments, it was awfully interesting to look at what we expect of our students now. ALL of our students are expected to achieve at the high levels. We only use the lower tiers of Blooms for background and re-teaching items.
“When I actually think about how far we have come, with teaching, and how technology has helped, I am amazed. I think you should be very proud of what you have accomplished here at [name of school]. (I know we still all have a way to go.)
“We have always said that all students can learn, and I believe it is a pretty special mark when you believe that all students can learn at the top of the Blooms taxonomy. This could only be done with the use of technology in the classroom.
“Thanks again for all that you do, and remember it is always good to reflect on what our ultimate goal is.”
And that is our ultimate goal – all students can learn at the top of the Blooms taxonomy. The technology enables us to do that – we can differentiate instruction for every single student that comes into our schools. And we are incredibly proud of how we are learning to do just that!
I was totally awestruck this week to receive a note from a teacher I’ve been privileged to mentor over the past several years. Here is the note; the names have been changed or deleted to protect both the innocents (the teachers, the student teacher, the students and the school) and the guilty (the college and the college instructor.)
“The student teacher that is in our school was needing some help on her lesson plans. We both [two sixth grade teachers] helped her with how to integrate some technology into her lesson. Both of us thought, ‘This looks good.’ All we think is good, but then she [student teacher] e-mailed us later and said there was a problem with her lessons. Of course we offered for her to come in and we’d take a look at it.
“She arrived, saying, ‘My lesson is too hard.’ The college instructor had said that her assignments were at the top of the Blooms list. The instructor wanted her to "dumb" it down. She, [student teacher] said, ‘I told the professor that [name of school] doesn't do very much in the Knowledge areas of the Blooms list.’ The college instructor was looking for worksheets.
“I looked at her Blooms lists that she had, and it was incredible how simply we had taught students before the use of technology. When we design assignments, it was awfully interesting to look at what we expect of our students now. ALL of our students are expected to achieve at the high levels. We only use the lower tiers of Blooms for background and re-teaching items.
“When I actually think about how far we have come, with teaching, and how technology has helped, I am amazed. I think you should be very proud of what you have accomplished here at [name of school]. (I know we still all have a way to go.)
“We have always said that all students can learn, and I believe it is a pretty special mark when you believe that all students can learn at the top of the Blooms taxonomy. This could only be done with the use of technology in the classroom.
“Thanks again for all that you do, and remember it is always good to reflect on what our ultimate goal is.”
And that is our ultimate goal – all students can learn at the top of the Blooms taxonomy. The technology enables us to do that – we can differentiate instruction for every single student that comes into our schools. And we are incredibly proud of how we are learning to do just that!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Need a Booster?
It's end of the first quarter time at most of our area schools. Need some ideas to re-energize your class at the start of second quarter? Take a look at a few great ideas by going to my Jog-the-Web, Fun Sites to Re-Energize Your Classroom. Your kids will love the ideas, and you will love the creativity they put into their next projects.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Journeying with MapVivo
MapVivo is a terrific Google Maps Mashup site. You can tell the story of any journey by placing markers on the map, adding text, pictures and links to online videos to complete your story.
Here is a great educational example; it is the story of Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. Just click on the numbered tabs in the center of the screen to move to each location in the journey. http://mapvivo.com/journey/6290
If you click on the thumbnails of the pictures, they enlarge; click on the videos and they will enlarge and play.
I'm making one myself of the locations touched on in a novel students are studying. Easy and fun!
Here is a great educational example; it is the story of Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. Just click on the numbered tabs in the center of the screen to move to each location in the journey. http://mapvivo.com/journey/6290
If you click on the thumbnails of the pictures, they enlarge; click on the videos and they will enlarge and play.
I'm making one myself of the locations touched on in a novel students are studying. Easy and fun!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com
I picked up on this article by Gene Weingarten while reading a blog on Hotchalk today. A teacher wrote quite a response there. It’s a wonderful article and you should take the few minutes out of your life to read it. It just might change a thing or two in your own practice. It was published in 2007, but it could have happened yesterday, anywhere.
At the very least, read down through this part:
"There was no ethnic or demographic pattern to distinguish the people who stayed to watch Bell, or the ones who gave money, from that vast majority who hurried on past, unheeding. Whites, blacks and Asians, young and old, men and women, were represented in all three groups. But the behavior of one demographic remained absolutely consistent. Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away."
Think about it: How did you stop someone from learning today?
Here's the article, complete with video clips of what happened when the world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, chose to play his $3.5 million Stradivari in the Subway while Washingtonians hurried to work one September morning.
Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com
At the very least, read down through this part:
"There was no ethnic or demographic pattern to distinguish the people who stayed to watch Bell, or the ones who gave money, from that vast majority who hurried on past, unheeding. Whites, blacks and Asians, young and old, men and women, were represented in all three groups. But the behavior of one demographic remained absolutely consistent. Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away."
Think about it: How did you stop someone from learning today?
Here's the article, complete with video clips of what happened when the world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, chose to play his $3.5 million Stradivari in the Subway while Washingtonians hurried to work one September morning.
Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com
Wallwisher
I tried this site out last May, and thought it was a good tool. Now, I'm trying out Wallwisher again for a teacher. He's looking to find a great way to update his website easily with a widget feed from a site that will not be blocked by the school filter. Easier said than done - this is my try 15 I think! Nice site, though. I like it!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Vodcasting + Chemistry = Learning
Thanks to the generosity of ISTE, you can watch many of the presentations from the NECC Conference each year online. This has been such a help to me and to many other educators, because with all of the budget cuts in our state this year, travel is one of many things we are not able to do!
So far, this presentation is my favorite of all. Watch these teachers interact as they present their learnings from integrating vodcasting into their courses, and influencing other teachers to try it. This is great!
Here is the site info regarding the presentation:
"Explore how video podcasts can increase student achievement. Discover the simplicity of creating video podcasts and achieve mastery learning without sacrificing content. - Jonathan Bergmann, EducationalVodcasting.com with Ramsey Musallam and Aaron Sams Monday, 6/29/2009, 3:30pm 4:30pm."
Enjoy! It is WELL worth your time!
So far, this presentation is my favorite of all. Watch these teachers interact as they present their learnings from integrating vodcasting into their courses, and influencing other teachers to try it. This is great!
Here is the site info regarding the presentation:
"Explore how video podcasts can increase student achievement. Discover the simplicity of creating video podcasts and achieve mastery learning without sacrificing content. - Jonathan Bergmann, EducationalVodcasting.com with Ramsey Musallam and Aaron Sams Monday, 6/29/2009, 3:30pm 4:30pm."
Enjoy! It is WELL worth your time!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Using Wikipedia - and WikiMindMap
I often hear both the pros and cons of using Wikipedia, and I have to tell you that I lean toward the pros. Wikipedia can be an excellent source, providing you've instructed your students to use the linking that it provides, and then use the Wikipedia articles as ONE of SEVERAL resources in their projects.
Today, I've found a new site called WikiMindMap that enables you to mindmap using Wikipedia. This is really terrific! Take a look:
http://www.wikimindmap.org/viewmap.php?wiki=en.wikipedia.org&topic=Social_network
If you change my topic, Social_network, to a different topic, it will give you an idea as to how this works!
Today, I've found a new site called WikiMindMap that enables you to mindmap using Wikipedia. This is really terrific! Take a look:
http://www.wikimindmap.org/viewmap.php?wiki=en.wikipedia.org&topic=Social_network
If you change my topic, Social_network, to a different topic, it will give you an idea as to how this works!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
43 Things Site -
A neat site. Of course, it goes with the book by the same name - but you can use the site to make a plan and cheer yourself on without reading the book. As the home page says, "List your Goals, Share your Progress, Cheer Each Other On!"
And you can take the quiz and see what it says about you. I tried it - probably take exception with the term "organized" as I haven't felt very organized of late. But it's fun, nonetheless! Thanks to Mr. Byrne for bringing this site to my attention!
And you can take the quiz and see what it says about you. I tried it - probably take exception with the term "organized" as I haven't felt very organized of late. But it's fun, nonetheless! Thanks to Mr. Byrne for bringing this site to my attention!
I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a
Self-Improving Organized Extrovert
Friday, August 28, 2009
Glogster Goes Edu
Glogster, the marvelous online multi-media poster-creating tool, has gone educational. Teachers may now sign up for a classroom account, free, for up to 200 students at a time. You have got to try it out! What a great, creative way for students to show their understanding.
There is also a Glogster Edu channel on SchoolTube, the secure school video channel. Here's just one example:
You may need to login to SchoolTube to see this - but that's another gift! SchoolTube is free, safe, and another great resource for teachers and students. Check out both sites! Go have some FUN with your learning!
There is also a Glogster Edu channel on SchoolTube, the secure school video channel. Here's just one example:
You may need to login to SchoolTube to see this - but that's another gift! SchoolTube is free, safe, and another great resource for teachers and students. Check out both sites! Go have some FUN with your learning!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
I Believe - Do You?
It's a new year for all of us - teachers, students, administrators, families, communities. All of you mean so much to me, both as a person and as a learner. This video was created by the Starkville, MS school district for the start of this school year. Watch it, and reflect. Do you believe in the members of your learning environment?
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Digital Generation
At the end of last May, Edutopia launched a new addition to their web site, The Digital Generation Project. If you've not visited it, you should! This site has an incredible number of first person accounts by students regarding their education and their digital lives. Take a look, you will not be sorry!
Here is just one video from the site as an example. Called "Educating the Digital Generation", this video comes from the site's Educators Tab. Click on it to find more great ideas and comments to challenge your thinking!
Here is just one video from the site as an example. Called "Educating the Digital Generation", this video comes from the site's Educators Tab. Click on it to find more great ideas and comments to challenge your thinking!
Engaging Students in Reading and Storytelling
This article by Brenda Dyck from Education World fit right in with a discussion I had with some teachers yesterday.
Education World � Technology Channel: Brenda's Blog: Using Digital Place-Based Storytelling To Teach Geographical Thinking
We were talking about using Google MyMaps and Google Earth in digital storytelling and in following stories we read in class. What a great example she has created! See her map at: http://www.communitywalk.com/calgary/alberta/my_first_neighborhood/map/140666
Education World � Technology Channel: Brenda's Blog: Using Digital Place-Based Storytelling To Teach Geographical Thinking
We were talking about using Google MyMaps and Google Earth in digital storytelling and in following stories we read in class. What a great example she has created! See her map at: http://www.communitywalk.com/calgary/alberta/my_first_neighborhood/map/140666
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Use your Cell Phone!
Wiffiti is another tool you can use with your cell phones! Try using this to engage an audience - or a classroom!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Farewell to a Friend
Yesterday, I briefly attended a reception honoring the director of our service center, Dr. Rita Cook. Rita leaves us to become a school superintendent in Kentucky, moving her closer to family. I got to thinking about how quickly time passes, and how in the course of our careers in education we move in and out of other folks’ lives, sometimes unaware of the impact they have had on us and vice versa.
Not so with Rita. I have never forgotten the words she spoke to me the day she invited me to come and work here. No other time in the course of my life has an employer said anything that had such an impact on my professional life. I hope I have begun to live up to her expectations in the six years we’ve worked together. And true to her way of working with people, she was the one who encouraged me again when the tears welled up as I said goodbye. Thanks Rita. The school district that enticed you away from us has no idea (yet!) how lucky they are to have you.
☺
Not so with Rita. I have never forgotten the words she spoke to me the day she invited me to come and work here. No other time in the course of my life has an employer said anything that had such an impact on my professional life. I hope I have begun to live up to her expectations in the six years we’ve worked together. And true to her way of working with people, she was the one who encouraged me again when the tears welled up as I said goodbye. Thanks Rita. The school district that enticed you away from us has no idea (yet!) how lucky they are to have you.☺
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
More Ways to Show What You Know!
Here are two great new sites for you to explore! Capzles lets you upload pictures and video to create a great multimedia presentation - a Capzle in Time! Click here: Capzles to explore.
The next one is Museum Box. This one takes a bit more of a learning curve, and you have to join up and wait to be accepted. Teachers can create logins for their students, and be notified when students submit a project. Quite nice and will hold huge variety of content - photos, sound files, video clips, text files, links. this would make a wonderful social studies or literacy project. I'm working on one right now! Click here: Museum Box
The next one is Museum Box. This one takes a bit more of a learning curve, and you have to join up and wait to be accepted. Teachers can create logins for their students, and be notified when students submit a project. Quite nice and will hold huge variety of content - photos, sound files, video clips, text files, links. this would make a wonderful social studies or literacy project. I'm working on one right now! Click here: Museum Box
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wireless Signal Boosting - or How to enjoy working in your backyard, too!
My network configuration at my country home is wild, or wierd, depending on how you look at it. I run a LAN between three buildings, one of them with 20-inch deep rock walls. Wireless transmission across the area can be, at the least, challenging.
Believe it or not, I've solved the problem with cardboard, scissors, aluminum foil and a glue stick. No kidding. The final result looks like this:
Now, when I want to use the laptop in the office, in the living room, out in the backyard with the dog for company, no problem. What to know how to 'do it yourself'? Take a look at this video:
Believe it or not, I've solved the problem with cardboard, scissors, aluminum foil and a glue stick. No kidding. The final result looks like this:
Now, when I want to use the laptop in the office, in the living room, out in the backyard with the dog for company, no problem. What to know how to 'do it yourself'? Take a look at this video:
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Podstock!
On Friday morning, bright and very early, I'll be heading out to Wichita to be one of the guest presenters at the first annual Podstock Conference. I can hardly wait! It is such fun to share with educators about the power of giving students and teachers voice through podcasting.
My presentation Friday afternoon is called, "Yakity-Yak, DO TALK BACK!" I have lists of ideas for topics across all curricular areas, including vocational classes and the arts, lots of web resources, and classroom examples to share.
So many thanks go to Kevin Honeycutt for including me in this event!
Here's a podcast mashup of clips from students' and teachers' podcasts in my podcast library, and a short video about "Why I Podcast!"
My presentation Friday afternoon is called, "Yakity-Yak, DO TALK BACK!" I have lists of ideas for topics across all curricular areas, including vocational classes and the arts, lots of web resources, and classroom examples to share.
So many thanks go to Kevin Honeycutt for including me in this event!
Here's a podcast mashup of clips from students' and teachers' podcasts in my podcast library, and a short video about "Why I Podcast!"
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The 21st Century Learning Environment
What characteristics should a 21st Century classroom hold for our students? Take a look at these videos, courtesy of istevision, the ISTE digital storytelling site:
What about YOUR classroom? Have you tried taking any steps to move your classroom forward into this type of learning environment? I hope so! Your students depend on you to care about their futures!
What about YOUR classroom? Have you tried taking any steps to move your classroom forward into this type of learning environment? I hope so! Your students depend on you to care about their futures!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Time for some FUN!
Courtesy of one of my favorite bloggers, the Grumpy Old Teacher, I've been sent to a new 'fun with photos' site. It's called PhotoFunia, and here's an example of what you can do with your picture:
Give yourself a short break and give it a try! Kids will love it, hands down. Here's where to find it: PhotoFunia
Give yourself a short break and give it a try! Kids will love it, hands down. Here's where to find it: PhotoFunia
Jogging the Web
Here is a simple and simply great web tool to use in your classroom. It's called "Jog the Web" and is found at http://www.jogtheweb.com. Creating a 'Jog' puts you in control of your sources for a class. Suppose you are teaching 5th grade social studies, and you want your students to do some research on the great explorers. You only have a 40 minute class period to complete this project, so sending your students on a great Google search is just not possible.
Your answer? Create a webquest using this great resource! You can include as many - or as few - links as you wish, put your discussion questions in the Discussion tab in the left bar. This works similarly to the older-style tracks we've used in other web-based programs, but it's easier! Students easily figure out the navigation - the arrows in the upper left corner of the left bar.
In addition, you can download the toolbar button to your Firefox browser (you do use Firefox, don't you? I guess that's a topic for another day!) By using the Jog the Web button, I can create and add to 'Jogs' on the fly. Makes it so easy to organize a class or a presentation or a webquest!
Try it - you'll like it! You can search by author on the site - my 'Jogs' are created by "lloutback", my fam nickname.
Here's one of my 'Jogs' for you to try! Click here: MACE 2009
Your answer? Create a webquest using this great resource! You can include as many - or as few - links as you wish, put your discussion questions in the Discussion tab in the left bar. This works similarly to the older-style tracks we've used in other web-based programs, but it's easier! Students easily figure out the navigation - the arrows in the upper left corner of the left bar.
In addition, you can download the toolbar button to your Firefox browser (you do use Firefox, don't you? I guess that's a topic for another day!) By using the Jog the Web button, I can create and add to 'Jogs' on the fly. Makes it so easy to organize a class or a presentation or a webquest!
Try it - you'll like it! You can search by author on the site - my 'Jogs' are created by "lloutback", my fam nickname.
Here's one of my 'Jogs' for you to try! Click here: MACE 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Scotty - Beam Me Up!
For years, I've told my students and teachers that I intend to live long enough to see the 'Star Trek' computer and holideck a reality in our teaching environments. Things have been changing so fast, that day is not far off. Take a look at this TED Tech Talk posted last month:
WOW! I can't wait!
WOW! I can't wait!
Monday, April 6, 2009
How do you send big files?
Ever been in the situation where you want to send a file to another teacher, and the file exceeds the maximum size allowed by your e-mail server? Happens to me all the time!
Here's a great solution: You Send It. This is a web service that allows you to send files up to 100 MB in size for free. Paid services for larger file transfers are available. I used it today to upload three large FlipChart files to my Promethean trainer, and it was easy. Give it a go!
And thanks to Katheryn at Promethean for the tip!
Here's a great solution: You Send It. This is a web service that allows you to send files up to 100 MB in size for free. Paid services for larger file transfers are available. I used it today to upload three large FlipChart files to my Promethean trainer, and it was easy. Give it a go!
And thanks to Katheryn at Promethean for the tip!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Treasures from PBS Teachers
Did you know that among its treasures, PBS Teachers has a great resource called Activity Packs. According to their site, "An Activity Pack is a set of educational resources focused on a theme and packaged in a widget-format that you can embed in your own class or social media web page. Each pack includes links to PBS web sites and a set of activities by grade level."
Here's an example in the right column of my page - I just clicked on the Pack and followed the instructions; it posted itself right to my blog! I love this idea! Click on Activity Packs and see what's available for you to use with your students.
Here's an example in the right column of my page - I just clicked on the Pack and followed the instructions; it posted itself right to my blog! I love this idea! Click on Activity Packs and see what's available for you to use with your students.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Summer's Coming!
And it's not too early to plan your summer learning experiences! We have a great slate of workshops planned - both face-to-face and online or combinations of the two venues - and I'm excited about the possibilities.
My favorite class to teach this summer is Geocaching. You should learn about GPS, Google Earth and Google Maps, and all the great ways you can uses these technologies for learning for kids of all ages - from three to 90+! I'm not kidding! Kids of all ages love to learn using GPS - you will, too!
Dates for these classes are May 28-29 or July 30-31. An extra day of online work is also available, and completion of the online unit in conjunction with the two days of practical experience will land you two hours of college credit. What better way to learn some cool technologies and get credit for it? Enroll in the class today! Listen to the CourseCast for more information:
My favorite class to teach this summer is Geocaching. You should learn about GPS, Google Earth and Google Maps, and all the great ways you can uses these technologies for learning for kids of all ages - from three to 90+! I'm not kidding! Kids of all ages love to learn using GPS - you will, too!
Dates for these classes are May 28-29 or July 30-31. An extra day of online work is also available, and completion of the online unit in conjunction with the two days of practical experience will land you two hours of college credit. What better way to learn some cool technologies and get credit for it? Enroll in the class today! Listen to the CourseCast for more information:
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Spring Break
We're spending spring break in a southern state, visiting grandchildren. We're experiencing beautiful weather, and all of the children are out and about, riding scooters and skateboards, enjoying the free time.
This one, however, chose to take a break, sit on the sidewalk and put in some more screen time playing a game. At least he's outside? Maybe. The teenagers in the neighborhood are spending more time texting than talking, although they too are outside much of the time.
Why do I comment? not sure; just another revelation of the changing generations.
This one, however, chose to take a break, sit on the sidewalk and put in some more screen time playing a game. At least he's outside? Maybe. The teenagers in the neighborhood are spending more time texting than talking, although they too are outside much of the time.
Why do I comment? not sure; just another revelation of the changing generations.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Celebrate the MACE Conference
I always enjoy the MACE Conference. Sponsored by one of the hardest-working volunteer organizations that I know, the Mid-America Computers in Education group always sponsors a great get-together, with teachers and tech coordinators, curriculum specialists and instructors, from across the state attending and presenting.
This year's featured speaker, Hall Davidson from Discovery Education, was so fired-up that we came home trying all kinds of new things. He was encouraging and challenging, reminding me again that the kids are what it's all about.
I've tried out three new things already this weekend: Plurking (which distracts me to no end so I'm not so sure I should be leaving it on at the office all the time), drop.io - which allows on-the-fly file sharing and can be password-protected, and xtra-normal - a text-to-movie web2.0 app. What fun!
This year's featured speaker, Hall Davidson from Discovery Education, was so fired-up that we came home trying all kinds of new things. He was encouraging and challenging, reminding me again that the kids are what it's all about.
I've tried out three new things already this weekend: Plurking (which distracts me to no end so I'm not so sure I should be leaving it on at the office all the time), drop.io - which allows on-the-fly file sharing and can be password-protected, and xtra-normal - a text-to-movie web2.0 app. What fun!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Pirate's Dilemma - or, To Use or Not to Use
Even as we are all facing tremendous budget cuts, we still face that dilemma - how do we teach 21st Century Skills and discuss intellectual property rights with students and teachers? Right when we are truly tempted to borrow rather than purchase a few things ourselves.
This is an interesting presentation about this issue. Enjoy - it's great food for thought as we struggle with making good decisions about using dwindling resources.
This is an interesting presentation about this issue. Enjoy - it's great food for thought as we struggle with making good decisions about using dwindling resources.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Another Lesson on Learning 2
Ha a nice chat with grandson #1 last week. An online chat. He's also a fan of Skype, and he has over 600 contacts - mostly from his 'other world' - that of online gaming. He had to put the 'do not disturb' flag out so they'd let us finish our conversation as he was getting annoyed at the interruptions.
I asked him how he got so many contacts, and he admitted, "I'm kind of like the world's diplomat... 'Tribes' recruit me just for that :)" and "I just have a way with words that make people want to do things for me." I of course responded, "that's called charm..."
Got to thinking about the conversation, though, and I realized that he is a leader, at 15 years old. He really does have the ability to work with groups, collaborate, come to a consensus, and move on. Some of those skills he's learned through school, some though family, some through teaming, some in his online worlds, some from being a student in many different schools as part of a military family. He's a true 21st Century Learner. I wonder if his teachers have noticed.
I asked him how he got so many contacts, and he admitted, "I'm kind of like the world's diplomat... 'Tribes' recruit me just for that :)" and "I just have a way with words that make people want to do things for me." I of course responded, "that's called charm..."
Got to thinking about the conversation, though, and I realized that he is a leader, at 15 years old. He really does have the ability to work with groups, collaborate, come to a consensus, and move on. Some of those skills he's learned through school, some though family, some through teaming, some in his online worlds, some from being a student in many different schools as part of a military family. He's a true 21st Century Learner. I wonder if his teachers have noticed.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Stop the Motion! Fun Videos for Students and Teachers
Last Friday, I spent the day with a group of students and teachers from a local school district. All of the participants, belong to my I-Team at their schools (Instructional Technology Empowered Academic Mentors). Students and teachers in this group dedicate themselves to learning new ways to use technology to improve learning for themselves and their fellow students and teachers.
What a hoot! We had a great time - and we learned a lot about using this "easy-hard" way to create a video.
Here's the sample video I created for the class:
The school teams chose to create their videos over little kids' story books and made videos appropriate to show to the Kindergarten and First Grade students at their schools. When they have completed editing their soundtracks, they will show the videos to their schools, and they will write letters to the authors and publishers of the books, in hopes that they can get permission to display their videos on their web sites and upload them to SchoolTube and TeacherTube.
We'll also be sharing the fun we had creating the videos; we took about four-hundred photos of our teams creating the videos!
What a hoot! We had a great time - and we learned a lot about using this "easy-hard" way to create a video.
Here's the sample video I created for the class:
The school teams chose to create their videos over little kids' story books and made videos appropriate to show to the Kindergarten and First Grade students at their schools. When they have completed editing their soundtracks, they will show the videos to their schools, and they will write letters to the authors and publishers of the books, in hopes that they can get permission to display their videos on their web sites and upload them to SchoolTube and TeacherTube.
We'll also be sharing the fun we had creating the videos; we took about four-hundred photos of our teams creating the videos!
Another Lesson on Learning
Here we are, year 2009. Eight years past 2001, the year made famous by the movie 2001 A Space Odessey.
And here we are, many of us, still educating our children in the same way, with the same content, that we experienced in school. For some of us, that means teaching children in elementary school in the same way we experienced school FIFTY YEARS AGO! What are we thinking?
Last week, I was traveling to a meeting with two younger (OK much younger) male colleagues. They sat in the front, and I freely eavesdropped on their discussions about the TV series Lost. What did I learn?
That their discussion involved plot, theme, characterization, conflict, foreshadowing, setting, point of view, ideas about the writers, speculation about where the plot would go next, problems with the writing from one season to the next, and so on and on… I was pretty fascinated. All of this literary-style criticism, from two young men discussing a television show.
It struck me that if I were to go back into the classroom again, I would do so many things in reverse order from the way I taught before. For instance, if I were teaching a tried and true novel, take The Grapes of Wrath as an example. Instead of starting with the book, Id start with the screenplay. How does a staff of writers take a great novel and turn it into an equally great, compelling movie? What is involved in doing this? We’d watch the movie, then go back and deconstruct the movie. We’d use the Internet to research screenplay writers. We’d answer questions about theme, plot, characters, and lighting, and scenes. We’d talk about the decisions involved in writing a screenplay. Obviously, not every single detail in a great novel can be transferred to a movie. What about characters’ thoughts? Why do they sometimes combine characters? Why do some parts of the novel end up being left out? And so on . . .
After we’d deconstructed that movie, then we’d break out the book. And as we read, we’d compare and contrast that novel and that movie. We’d have created a great entry point into the story, and we’d capitalize on that until every student had a way into the book.
This, to me, would be a great way to help our students link various forms of literacy into their learning. And the LEARNING is what it’s about, isn’t it?
And here we are, many of us, still educating our children in the same way, with the same content, that we experienced in school. For some of us, that means teaching children in elementary school in the same way we experienced school FIFTY YEARS AGO! What are we thinking?
Last week, I was traveling to a meeting with two younger (OK much younger) male colleagues. They sat in the front, and I freely eavesdropped on their discussions about the TV series Lost. What did I learn?
That their discussion involved plot, theme, characterization, conflict, foreshadowing, setting, point of view, ideas about the writers, speculation about where the plot would go next, problems with the writing from one season to the next, and so on and on… I was pretty fascinated. All of this literary-style criticism, from two young men discussing a television show.
It struck me that if I were to go back into the classroom again, I would do so many things in reverse order from the way I taught before. For instance, if I were teaching a tried and true novel, take The Grapes of Wrath as an example. Instead of starting with the book, Id start with the screenplay. How does a staff of writers take a great novel and turn it into an equally great, compelling movie? What is involved in doing this? We’d watch the movie, then go back and deconstruct the movie. We’d use the Internet to research screenplay writers. We’d answer questions about theme, plot, characters, and lighting, and scenes. We’d talk about the decisions involved in writing a screenplay. Obviously, not every single detail in a great novel can be transferred to a movie. What about characters’ thoughts? Why do they sometimes combine characters? Why do some parts of the novel end up being left out? And so on . . .
After we’d deconstructed that movie, then we’d break out the book. And as we read, we’d compare and contrast that novel and that movie. We’d have created a great entry point into the story, and we’d capitalize on that until every student had a way into the book.
This, to me, would be a great way to help our students link various forms of literacy into their learning. And the LEARNING is what it’s about, isn’t it?
Friday, January 23, 2009
YouTube videos inside SlideShare
I just received an e-mail with this information. You can now play video clips from YouTube inside of your Slideshare presentations. Very nice additions! Check out this SlideShare Presentation for all the details. I'll be trying this out for sure!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Lesson on Learning
I have a grandson (actually, three grandsons and three granddaughters, but I digress already...) Grandson in the middle attends school in a large city district in another state. He called his Grandpa and me last Friday night on his own initiative; I don’t think his parents even know that he called us. He was just missing us, he said.
During the conversation, of course I had to ask how school was going. The boy just sighed. “It’s OK, but it’s getting hard. We’re practicing for the (____) test, and after that we have to take this new (____) test and then the (____) test. It’s boring and it’s hard and I’m scared I won’t do so well and then I will not get to be in the (___) program anymore.” ** Of course we did the standard grandparent thing, reassuring him that of course he will do well and he shouldn’t let it worry him.
But the child is in the THIRD GRADE! Someone has already managed to scare half of the love of learning out of him already, at the age of eight. Someone has him worrying he’ll be taken out of the gifted program that he’s been in since he started school, because of the marks he may or may not receive on one of the many standardized tests his state administers every year.
The more I thought about this part of our conversation over the weekend, the madder I got! What are we doing to our children? What are we doing to our future?
We have got to stop scaring the love of learning out of our children. Children are born to learn. They don’t walk into our front doors at the age of four or five already scared to learn new things. We’ve managed to scare that out of our children ourselves.
Take a look at the spark the Pre-Ks and Ks come to school with in the fall, and then take a look at your school’s third graders. Do they have the same excitement, the love of something new? Or are they already running – or rather sitting there - scared? Listening to a teacher who is tense and scared him/herself because of the pressure of the testing program?
ENOUGH ALREADY! If I have one more teacher tell me they don’t have time to help their students stay happy and engaged because they have to teach to some test, I may have to run for the door before I say something that will get me fired. I want to be fired – fired-up about Real Learning and Real Engagement! If the kids - and maybe we educators - learned to love learning for learning’s sake, those tests would be nothing more than a slight inconvenience. Instead, we educators are allowing tests to become a deterrent to learning for both our students and ourselves. We need to quit feeling sorry for ourselves and start paying attention to Learning.
** Please excuse the (____) as the names of the tests and programs would tell you what state my grandson lives in. Fill in the name of your own local tests and gifted program – you’ll still understand what I’m talking about!
During the conversation, of course I had to ask how school was going. The boy just sighed. “It’s OK, but it’s getting hard. We’re practicing for the (____) test, and after that we have to take this new (____) test and then the (____) test. It’s boring and it’s hard and I’m scared I won’t do so well and then I will not get to be in the (___) program anymore.” ** Of course we did the standard grandparent thing, reassuring him that of course he will do well and he shouldn’t let it worry him.
But the child is in the THIRD GRADE! Someone has already managed to scare half of the love of learning out of him already, at the age of eight. Someone has him worrying he’ll be taken out of the gifted program that he’s been in since he started school, because of the marks he may or may not receive on one of the many standardized tests his state administers every year.
The more I thought about this part of our conversation over the weekend, the madder I got! What are we doing to our children? What are we doing to our future?
We have got to stop scaring the love of learning out of our children. Children are born to learn. They don’t walk into our front doors at the age of four or five already scared to learn new things. We’ve managed to scare that out of our children ourselves.
Take a look at the spark the Pre-Ks and Ks come to school with in the fall, and then take a look at your school’s third graders. Do they have the same excitement, the love of something new? Or are they already running – or rather sitting there - scared? Listening to a teacher who is tense and scared him/herself because of the pressure of the testing program?
ENOUGH ALREADY! If I have one more teacher tell me they don’t have time to help their students stay happy and engaged because they have to teach to some test, I may have to run for the door before I say something that will get me fired. I want to be fired – fired-up about Real Learning and Real Engagement! If the kids - and maybe we educators - learned to love learning for learning’s sake, those tests would be nothing more than a slight inconvenience. Instead, we educators are allowing tests to become a deterrent to learning for both our students and ourselves. We need to quit feeling sorry for ourselves and start paying attention to Learning.
** Please excuse the (____) as the names of the tests and programs would tell you what state my grandson lives in. Fill in the name of your own local tests and gifted program – you’ll still understand what I’m talking about!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Google This!
Google's tip of the day today led me to this new Google resource. Google has partnered up with LIFE Magazine to host an online searchable database of their photo archives. You can search these millions of photos, many of which have never been published. Here is the address of the announcement:
http://images.google.com/hosted/life
You can force a Google image search to search only these LIFE photo archives by using the site search. An example would be to type:
Vietnam War source:life
in the Google image search field.
http://images.google.com/hosted/life
You can force a Google image search to search only these LIFE photo archives by using the site search. An example would be to type:
Vietnam War source:life
in the Google image search field.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)