Archiving images from the past...

Not sure what's available in your area, but if you live in Chicagoland, I found this as I was going through the weekly "ads" this morning. Time to get out your old photo albums and go digital!

From Kodak: Rapid Print Scanner Service, "Exclusively at Jewel-OSCO" -- prints to digital in minutes. You can archive up to 200 photographs on a CD for only $9.99...

Archive images from the past with their easy-to-use scanner.
1. Choose up to 200 images
2. Load 20 at a time (up to 8 x 10)
3. Scan in minutes
4. Create prints, photo gifts or store images on a Kodak Picture disk.

Perhaps this would make a nice summer project?

Build Vocabulary with Google Gadgets

Google developers will be gathering for their annual conference this week, which means information consumers (you and me) can look forward to some new Google tools or features, such as the Flash Cards, Word Study and Word Search gadgets recently announced on the Google Docs Blog:

If you are a user of Google Docs, open a new spreadsheet, and select "Insert > Gadget" from the menu:


Or, open a "Gadget-containing" document from the Template Gallery (New > From Template). If you have not yet browsed the many templates available for students and teachers, it's worth a look!

Wolfram|Alpha: Making the World's Knowledge Computable

Wolfram|Alpha came online at 7 pm CDT on Friday, May 15. I had first heard of Wolfram|Alpha from a NY Times clipping shared with me by a teacher at school this week. Until I actually "saw" it, I had no idea of the power of this new web resource, and the impact it can have for learners everywhere! Wolfram|Alpha was conceived by "Mathematica creator and scientist Stephen Wolfram as a way to bring computational exploration to the widest possible audience." From the website:

Wolfram|Alpha's long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone. We aim to collect and curate all objective data; implement every known model, method, and algorithm; and make it possible to compute whatever can be computed about anything. Our goal is to build on the achievements of science and other systematizations of knowledge to provide a single source that can be relied on by everyone for definitive answers to factual queries.

Take a peak at the sample topics and examples of data you can retrieve at http://www.wolframalpha.com/examples/ which include Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Astronomy, Weather, Socioeconomic Data, Health and Medicine, Food and Nutrition, Words and Linguistics, Places and Geography, Sports, Music, Money and more.

I would also highly encourage you to view Stephen Wolfram's 13-minute screencast "Introduction to Wolfram|Alpha" to experience the scope of information you can retrieve on the Wolfram|Alpha website or view this shorter version (Part 1) posted on YouTube:



And, for a bit of background .…
Stephen Wolfram introduced the Wolfram|Alpha project during a recent webcast from The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TIOH80Qg7Q

Learn more about Stephen Wolfram from this 2003 University of California lecture, "A New Kind of Science" available on YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eC14GonZnU

Wow!

A Twitter Journey reveals "2 Days to Launch!"

This morning's Twitter journey began with a post by @unklar (aka Mark Dunk, an educator from Houston) who tweeted, "@Astro_127 I was nominated to be in mission control for your flight! I'm hoping to hear something soon (hopeful that I'm "approved")" and also, "@Astro_Mike good luck! fix that hubble space telescope for all of us!"

Clicking on "Astro_127" in @unklar's update took me to the Twitter page of Mark Polansky, an astronaut who joined Twitter on May 7th. As of today, Mark has 2,200 followers. Mark shares some good advice on his Twitter stream, "You're never too old to study and learn."

Astro_Mike is astronaut Mike Massimino, a mission specialist for STS-125: Final Shuttle Mission to Hubble Space Telescope. Mike has been tweeting since the beginning of April and has 199,447 followers!

Although these astronauts have many followers, Polansky only follows NASA, and Massimino follows NASA and one other Twitterer. I appreciate the information being shared, and hope that they will join the conversations that are being "@"-ed their way!

Clicking through to the NASA Twitter stream, I learned:

"Countdown sign along the road shows two days until the launch of Discovery! http://tinyurl.com/phmavn" <-- this links to the Flickr page of NASA HQ -- currently 265 images posted from NASA.

I'm not sure what @unklar's tweet about being in mission control was all about, but it started me on a journey that led to the discovery of some great resources from the U.S. Space program. I think it would be exciting to tune in from your classroom and get the latest updates directly from the people involved in these missions! This is an example of how Twitter can be used for education... and if it's blocked in your school, your children are missing out.

Yes, there has been a lot of press lately about Twitter: "It's a waste of time... Who cares what I am doing?" For those who have been "Tweeting" for some time, we appreciate the value of Twitter. We love the connections that Twitter provides into the "happenings" of those we follow -- our chosen "network" of friends and associates (who often become our friends). It's so much more than "what are you doing?" In Twitterverse we "tune into" to the thoughts, ideas, discoveries, successes, disappointments and failures posted by our colleagues -- and we share in kind. We stumble onto websites, learn of new books, review movies and TV shows (sometimes during the broadcasts), find deals to be had and contests to enter. We congratulate one another, offer hugs, encouragement, and ask questions -- our Twitter network is our lifeline. It's something you have to experience, to really "get it."

Social Networking and Teens: What Parents Need to Know

Today I am presenting a session on "Social Networking and Teens: What Parents Need to Know" as part of a 5-week Parent Breakfast Series at Stevenson High School, hosted by Jerry Franklin, academic counselor and Lisa Franz, school social worker. The goal of these meetings is to provide a forum to "discuss some of the challenges parents raising teenagers face during adolescent development. This group will provide information, strategies, mutual support and resources for parents who would like to gain an increased understanding of their children while improving their parenting approach."

Here are links to resources mentioned:

Project Tomorrow
http://www.tomorrow.org/

Digital Youth Project
http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/report

Danah Boyd, Researcher
http://www.danah.org/

Danah Boyd on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mzctKajhI0

PEW Internet Report: Social Networking Websites and Teens
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Social-Networking-Websites-and-Teens.aspx

Five Years of Free Friendship – Facebook commentary
http://www.pewinternet.org/Commentary/2009/February/Five-Years-of-Free-Friendship-Online.aspx

10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/

Readers Digest May 2009 Report
http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/parent-alert-teens-and-porn/article125454.html

New NSBA Report on Social Networking
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/08/new_nsba_report_on_social_netw.html

Digital Dossier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79IYZVYIVLA

CyberSmart Curriculum

http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/

And the slides from the presentation

Special thanks to Steve Dembo, of Discovery Education for his help and sharing his resources.

Additional websites shared during the presentation:

• http://www.zabasearch.com/
• http://isafe.org/
• http://www.spectorsoft.com/products/SpectorPro_Windows/
• http://imsafer.com/
• http://www.spamino.com
• http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/

And, for more information about the Illinois Internet Safety Act, please visit: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=095-0869

AP Government Exam Review!!

High school students around the country who will be taking the Advanced Placement Government and Politics exam on May 4 are invited to take part in two live, call-in review programs featuring a pair of Stevenson teachers. AP Government teachers Dan Larsen and Andrew Conneen will appear on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” program from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Central time) on Saturday, May 2. They will take questions from students preparing for the annual exam. Students can call 202-737-0001 with their questions.

Larsen and Conneen also will be on Chicago radio station WIND-AM (560) with a live AP Government review call-in show from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Central time) Sunday, May 3. Students also can listen live online at http://560wind.townhall.com. Students can call in with questions at 312-642-5600.

Students unable to get their calls answered during the programs can visit the teachers’ blog at www.cbs2chicago.com/school, where Stevenson AP teachers, students and alumni will help answer last-minute questions.

Present at the 2010 ASCD Annual Conference!!

From Dennis Richards for the Learning Beyond Boundaries Team:
ASCD is now accepting proposals for the 2010 Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, March 6–8. You may submit proposals for concurrent or research sessions. Proposals are due May 1, 2009. ASCD has invited the Learning Beyond Boundaries network to work with the conference planners to shape the technology infused education sessions. Even though you have to apply through the ASCD proposal site, entering your proposal on this matrix will ensure that your proposal is given due consideration.

We have already "seeded" the matrix with some topics, some of which we know should be covered in session proposal submissions, and we encourage you to feel free to enter session proposal information for any of the topics that you feel comfortable addressing. Or if you have suggestions for topics / presenters, let us know those as well.

You're invited to be a "virtual school board member"

I came across this blog post today from Karl Fisch at Arapaho High School in Littleton, CO. and I wanted to share it for several reasons:

1. It showcases authentic learning and student collaboration on a "real-world" problem (book selection), and how students will be presenting their findings and seeking input from a "real" audience (school board members).
2. It is a great example of how technology is being used for instruction, learning through collaboration, and sharing beyond the "4 walls of the classroom."
3. Karl Fisch has invited "YOU" to participate.... virtually...

Here are the details:

Anne Smith and Maura Moritz are having their ninth graders choose a book, read it, and then discuss it in small groups. That’s not all that different than what has been going on in Language Arts classrooms for quite a while, but they’re extending the idea just a little bit. The students chose books that are somewhat controversial (1984, The Fountainhead, I Robot, Little Brother, Anthem, I Am the Cheese) and have either been challenged or banned by school districts around the country (to be clear, not necessarily our school district). The students will read and discuss the books and then have to prepare a presentation for the school board arguing either in favor of approving the book for use or defending blocking its use. They’ll follow our district’s process for book approvals (pdf). In Anne’s case they are also using a Google Site with integrated Google Groups to help organize their thinking and collaboratively plan their presentations.

When the presentations are ready, the students – for their final exam – will actually make the presentation to selected members of our own school board that we’ve invited to hear the presentations. The school board members will listen to the presentation, ask questions, make them defend their positions, and generally be – well, school board members.

There’s only one problem with this plan. Some of our school board members already have commitments during our final exam times (pesky little things like graduation ceremonies for our sister high schools, for example). Hmm, what to do? I know, invite other folks in to be “school board members.” What other folks, you ask? Well, you, for example. ......

IF YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS POST AT... http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2009/04/looking-for-virtual-school-board.html

No Future Left Behind?

Kudos to these students for articulating what they would like to see in their future.

This video, created as the Keynote for Net Generation Education Project: http://netgened.wiki spaces.com, was written and performed by the students. Editing was done by educators Peggy Sheehy, Suffern Middle School and Marianne Malmstrom, The Elisabeth Morrow School.



Are you ready?

Spring into Action on April 25!

Saturday, April 25, 2009 - 8 AM to 3 PM (CDT)

Spring Into Action with the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) and join thousands of educators who are passionate about integrating media into their instruction and collaborating with each other to improve student achievement. During this unique (and free) professional development event you have the flexibility to attend online (from any Internet connection) or in-person at Meridian Middle School in Buffalo Grove.

The day will feature a special presentation from Chris Lehman, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in the School District of Philadelphia. Entitled Building School 2.0, Lehman's presentation will examine ideas of constructivist pedagogy and the use of 21st century tools to create schools that are engaging, caring and relevant places of learning for everyone involved.

Come for all or part of the day. Breakfast and Lunch will be provided at Meridian. (You'll have to provide your own meals if you attend virtually.)

Here's a sampling of the sessions to be presented virtually in the webinar room. There may be local breakout sessions planned as well.

8-9: Keynote / Benjamin Button Effect - Lance Rougeux
9-10: Virtual Breakout / Turning Data Into Action: Exploring the reporting features of Discovery Education streaming - Matt Monjan
10-11: Virtual Breakout / Sowing Seeds of Success Part 1 - Projects, Ideas and Tips from STAR Discovery Educators
11-12: Keynote / Building School 2.0 - Chris Lehmann
12-1: Virtual Breakout / Closing the Global Achievement Gap: Beyond Test-Prep, Toward Life-Prep - Brad Fountain
1- 2: Virtual Breakout / The Impact of IT in RTI - Hardin Daniel
2-3: Virtual Breakout / Sowing Seeds of Success Part 2 - More Projects, Ideas and Tips from STAR Discovery Educators

Register online for either the virtual or in-person event:
https://den.dabbledb.com/page/denvirtualconferencersvp/NvAHYoyH

Marzano on Student Achievement and Technology

From the (California Computer Users in Education ) CUE 2009 Conference on March 6, 2009, Dr. Robert Marzano addresses the question "What do we know about the effects of technology on student achievement?"

Dr. Marzano speaks about several areas of his ongoing research.
1) Interactive whiteboards (Promethean) and "voters:"
Findings show that when good instruction and technology is combined, a typical student could realize more than a 30 percentile gain in achievement, if that student is in a classroom with an experienced teacher who has been using this technology for 2 years, uses it about 75% of the time in class, and has had enough training to be confident in using it. Marzano also talks about effective questioning techniques when using handheld voters.

2) Formative assessment and record keeping using technology:
Marzano shares the effects on different types of feedback provided to students, to help them improve their learning. He also talks about considerations when designing formal and informal assessments and rubrics, and the importance of not relying on what the "computer" calculates as a final grade.

Part 1: (24 min)


Part 2: (12 min)