E^2 = Educating Educators

Learning Ideas with iBooks and iPad

2012-01-07T09:55:00.000-06:00

Did you know...
If you have the most current version of iBooks and iOS, you can now highlight text in iBooks using several different colors. Think about highlighting a main idea in one color, and then highlighting supporting evidence to that idea in another. Or, consider doing this for character development. Then, when you tap on the "Table of Contents" .. you have a great set of study notes!!

Did you also know that it is now possible to select a passage of text and have the iPad read to you? This works on web pages, in iBooks, and anywhere you can select text!! To activate the Speak Text feature on your iPad, tap on Settings > General > ... scroll down to Accessibility, and turn on "Speak Selection." (If you don't have this option, be sure you have updated your iPad ... you will be prompted to update when you sync in iTunes).

What's "new" for you in the New Year?

2012-01-06T00:16:00.004-06:00

The start of each new year provides us with an opportunity to begin anew: to start or to stop doing things that are good or bad for us or our families, our jobs, etc. This is the season for fresh starts, or perhaps resolving to change. And, as good as our intentions may be, it's not always easy to sustain that change, or "new" thing we have chosen to commit to.

This TED Talk video from Matt Cutts might help those of us who struggle with change, whether its major or minor. I believe that taking baby steps is a good way to embark on the journey. I also think that it's sometimes hard to take that first step, however small. So, if long-term lifestyle changes or resolutions don't seem achieveable in your immediate future, perhaps just taking a 30-day challenge would provide the kick-start you need. As Matt says, "30 days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit -- like watching the news -- from your life."

I think I can.... I think I can .... do you?

Ideas for providing non-written feedback on student work

2011-12-10T18:31:00.003-06:00

A teacher asks:
I would like to give each of my students oral comments rather than written ones for a paper they are working on. How can I create and then deliver these comments?

Here are 2 ideas that use iOS devices:

1. For audio only...
Using an iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone, and the free app AudioBoo, record your commentary and publish your audiboo using a indentifying "tag" that is unique to the student... such as their student ID and class period: 12345p6. Students would then locate their commentary files online at http://AudioBoo.fm/tag/12345p6 <-- using their unique tag word at the end of the address. This would also provide an aggregated list of all of their feedback you post using "their tag," which can be listened to on the web, or subscribed to in iTunes.

2. If you have an iPad2 consider the free app called ScreenChomp. You can load the the student's paper as a background image (it will need to be converted to an image file), or by using the built-in camera to snap a picture of the paper.

You can then provide some commentary, and use the tools to annotate items on the page. ScreenChomp saves your commentary as a movie. When finished, publish the movie to ScreenChomp and use the share button to "copy the link" which can then be emailed to the student.

Here's a sample of how it might look:
http://www.screenchomp.com/t/4pwB1BVPDp

For a nice comparison of iPad screencasting apps, read http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/2011/12/screencasting-apps-for-ipad.html

Or, if using a computer...
Some of our World Languages teachers are using Screencasting software (such as http://screenr.com) to provide assessments on digital products, which they view on their computers, and then speak about what is being viewed.

Here's a sample of how that might look when viewing and commenting on a word document:
http://screenr.com/JmLs.

Note that with this method, all of the screencasts uploaded to a Screenr account are visible online, so teachers might not wish to identify specific students. This would also allow students to view the work of their peers, and gain futher insight based on the teacher comments.

K-12 Online Conference 2011! Tune in to learn!

2011-12-04T18:25:00.000-06:00

The free K-12 Online Conference, now in it's 6th year, is entering its 2nd week!
K-12 Online Conference for 2011 – Purposeful Play, runs from Nov 28 – Dec 8, 2011.

The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This year, educators can also earn professional development (CPE) credit for participation in the conference (providing this meets with the expections of your work place). More info at: http://k12onlineconference.org/?page_id=821

These sessions provide great opportunities to learn new things or improve on what we already do.
Screencasting 101 may be one that will inspire you to create lesson assistance for your students who learn in a different way – http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=870

Here is the schedule:
Week of November 28, 2011:
Strand 1 and 2 (Storytime and Team Captains)
20 presentations already posted.

Week of December 5, 2011:
Strand 3 and 4 (Sandbox Play and Level Up)
Presentations posted (4 per day, 20 during the week Monday – Friday)

Monday, December 12th at 8 pm Central
Afterglow Live Event In BlackBoard Collaborate / Elluminate Live

Presenters, session titles and links for 2011: http://k12onlineconference.org/?page_id=824

Why not take your PD to go!?
Subscribe to the presentations as video or audio from the iTunesU Channel – here is the iTunes video link: http://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/k12-online-conference-video/id439104665

More information, and archives of presentations back to 2006, can be found on the website:
http://k12onlineconference.org/

K-12 Online Conference Keynoters Announced!

2011-10-22T16:31:00.002-05:00

Mark your calendars for this year's K-12 Online conference which begins the week of Nov. 28. The Pre-Conference keynote will be on Nov. 21.

The organizer team of the 2011 K-12 Online conference has announced an outstanding lineup of keynote speakers for this year -- including Illinois' own, Carol Broos! Check out their 2011 marketing flyer (PDF) which provides information about the dates of this year’s conference, it's theme, and keynoters. Selected presenters will be announced next week. Please share this marketing flyer with other educators you know! More info at: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=816

Testmoz = free and easy online test generator

2011-09-22T12:58:00.000-05:00

At yesterday's NICE meeting I learned about several great websites and tools for using technology in teaching and learning. These will be summarized and posted to the NICE Blog (http://ice.typepad.com/nice/) and the NICE website Resource page (http://www.iceberg.org/nice/resources) shortly.

But, until then, you may be interested looking at this... http://testmoz.com

Testmoz is a test generator that sports 4 question types (True/false, multiple choice, multiple response, and fill in the blank questions), automatic grading, a really simple interface and detailed reports (download as csv file).
Students get instant feedback on their score, and you can choose whether or not to display the correct answers.
Answers can be automatically randomized
Testmoz is free, and does not require you (or your students) to register.
You can build a fully functional test in about a minute.
Testmoz is a simple test generating application created by Matt Johnson, an undergraduate student at Washington State University, Vancouver.

Secrets to Success in Learning and Life?

2011-09-15T18:19:00.000-05:00

Paul Tough's article in the 9/14/11 NYTimes, “What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?” speaks about the development of character for successful learning, as well as success in life. Can character be taught? We have an SEL initiative ongoing at our school, and there are many discussions, and learning targets designed to reinforce students social awareness and interpersonal skills.

Educators at two venerable New York City schools, KIPP and Riverdale Country School, are forging a new frontier in character education.

Tough's article mentions Angela Duckworth’s research:

People who accomplished great things, she noticed, often combined a passion for a single mission with an unswerving dedication to achieve that mission, whatever the obstacles and however long it might take. She decided she needed to name this quality, and she chose the word “grit.”

"Grit” is one of 24 character strengths that are now evaluated on student report cards. What would it look like if we also reported our observations on the strengths of students' character?

Riverdale’s headmaster, Dominic Randolph, explained that, “The idea of building grit and building self-control is that you get that through failure. And in most highly academic environments in the United States, no one fails anything.”

Education: 10 years ago vs. 10 years from now

2011-09-03T18:54:00.000-05:00

The NY Times article "What Will School Look Like in 10 Years?" states that "Computers, electronic whiteboards and other interactive technologies are fundamentally changing American education. That’s the view of the experts whom The Times spoke with about what the classroom will look like ten years from now. Listen to excerpts from their predictions below, and share your own thoughts in the comments section." (Visit the link to hear audio interviews).

As I read this, I think back to 2001 -- the 3rd year of our PowerRanger Professional Develoment program, and the year we added 102 teachers (the pilot began in 1999). Laptops were 12" white iBooks, with the slide-out CD drawer and no floppy disk drive, and we were learning iMovie 2. There was no Google, no Facebook, and wikipedia was just beginning. Apple introduced the iPod and the first version of OSX. Stevenson teachers connected their computers to the TVs in the classroom to project ClarisWorks slideshows. Classroom webpages were created with Pagemill and Grades were posted online using an export feature in the Making the Grade program. (Setting up electronic gradebooks involved downloading student names from ClassXP and importing the names into the gradebook.)

How has instruction and/or student learning changed in the past 10 years? If you were teaching in 2001, are your student "products" much different today? What about the process?

Steve Jobs Made a Difference, How will you?

2011-08-24T23:51:00.000-05:00

Unless you are living under a rock, by now you have heard the news that Steve Jobs is stepping down as CEO of Apple.

This quote is from the "Think Different" ad campaigns when Steve returned to Apple's helm in 1997:

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

How will you make a difference today in the learning of your students or your colleagues? Are you crazy enough to think you can change the world? If the world is too big to tackle right now, think about the work you do each day that pushes the world further. What are you doing to inspire the people around you?

You ... can make a difference... "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." -- (author unknown).

A new school year begins.... time to think about applying that summer learning!

2011-08-24T23:30:00.004-05:00

What did you learn this summer? How will what you learned help your students in the coming year? Did you discover any new tools or ways to motivate your students to learn?

This summer I attended the ISTE Conference in Philadelphia. This conference draws more than 13,000 attendees each year. There are break-out sessions, poster sessions, spotlight sessions, workshops, keynote speeches and a huge vendor floor. Fortunately, there are many archived sessions available online so I can revisit and relearn and rethink how this new knowledge will help me teach others in the coming year.

The ISTE opening keynote address was delivered by Dr. John Medina, author of Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School: (fast forward to 29m40s to skip the ISTE opening comments).

Be sure to check out the ISTE Video on Demand page at http://isteconference.org/ISTE/2011/glance/video_on_demand.php for access to more than 50 recorded sessions!

When learning technology, don't be afraid to play and discover!!

2011-07-01T10:33:00.005-05:00

The main difference I see when students and adults are learning to use technology, is that students are not afraid to push buttons to "discover" what happens -- they do not care about ramifications at all. Adults, being the responsible beings that we are, seem to have a bit more "consideration" ... we often go for the "safe route" and try to avert "disaster" by taking less risks.

Here is my advice for teachers when it comes to learning new technology:

Please DO "throw caution to the wind" and PLAY and DISCOVER! -- there is nothing you can do that can't be fixed. Learning by "discovery" can be both frustrating and satisfying... and what a great journey it is!!

The hidden power of smiling! :-)

2011-05-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

I love TED Talks. Check out Ron Gutman's talk on the hidden power of smiling. Did you know we are born smiling? Or that, "one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate." The description states: "Did you know your smile can be a predictor of how long you'll live -- and that a simple smile has a measurable effect on your overall well-being? Prepare to flex a few facial muscles as you learn more about this evolutionarily contagious behavior."

:-)

Reports of "Scareware" targeted at Mac users

2011-05-09T18:18:00.001-05:00

This article from Computer World magazine last week shares information about "nuisance" or "scareware" software named MacDefender that may download to your computer when you visit certain websites. (A similar program called "MacProtector" downloaded on my computer over the weekend when I visited a site about textbooks.)

Here are several things you need to be aware of:
1) As "real" as the popup window seems, your computer is most likely not infected (especially if you have current anti-virus software).
2) You can prevent the installer from automatically launching by changing your Safari preferences to NOT open "safe" files after downloading.

and,
3) Remember that programs will NOT install unless you enter in your computer's password. (However, if you HAD allowed the installation, the program will not quit until you either pay for the software, or go through several steps to remove it).

Here's a link to a similar article at: http://techplz.com/2011/05/04/fake-rogue-anti-malware-programs-also-hit-mac-best-mac-antivirus-and-mac-defender/

Remember to keep your anti-virus software up to date, back up your files regularly, and practice safe computing by only visiting "trusted" websites!

What's trending? Check out Google's Realtime.

2011-04-30T20:22:00.001-05:00

April 29, 2011 was a historic day. It was "The Royal Wedding" day of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. A Google search today reveals "about 61 million" possible results:

Talk about information overload!! If you were to click one weblink every second, it would take over 700 days (non-stop) to get to every site (61 000 000 seconds = 706.018519 days).

There has been lots of media coverage of the event, and just about everyone is talking about it, both online and in person. If you want to pay attention to the online comments, just click the "Realtime" link on the left of the search results page to view a continuous "live" stream of Twitter comments (Google has recently added Facebook comments to the feed). You can "Pause" the stream, or use the Timeline to roll back and view older comments.

Here's more information about how Google's Realtime works:

Think about projecting a Realtime live feed of current events as students arrive to class each day.

Japan's Tragedy: How Technology Can Help

2011-03-14T23:43:00.000-05:00

Reports from Japan continue to show the unbelievable devastation from Friday's earthquake and tsunami. Rescue efforts are underway, and it will be some time before this country can pick up the pieces and move on.

There are ways that technology can help. It's easy to send money online to the Red Cross, either by visiting their website, or through various vendors, such as Apple's iTunes, Amazon.com, and American Airlines (where AAdvantage members can earn miles for donating $50 or more), and Unicef, just to name a few.

Google's Crisis Response page provides a "person finder" tool to help locate lost loved ones:

ICE Conference Wrap Up

2011-03-08T00:20:00.000-06:00

The 25th Annual ICE Conference (Feb. 22-25, 2011) may be history, but the learning continues. Wednesday's keynote speaker, Rushton Hurley provided a great resource to attendees, and I am now a subscriber to his Next Vista for Learning newsletter. (Sign up here.)

The following is reprinted from the March issue:

Google Goodies

Did you know there is a tool for recipes in Google search, allowing you to filter dishes by how many calories, how long they take to make, and which ingredients commonly go with whatever you searched on? Neither did I! Do a search on "lentils," look on the left, and click "recipes" to make your way to as calorie- and time-sensitive culinary delights as you choose. Or just click here. Culinary arts teachers, you are loved.

For the home economics teachers, give the Google wedding planner a look (I'm serious). Someone is apparently going to win a dream wedding on that page. Who'd have guessed?

You whose teaching includes coverage of current events, there's a YouTube tool you'll want to start following: CitizenTube. At the moment this includes loads of videos from countries across the Middle East - a rather amazing lesson on democracy may only be a click away.

Finally, if you're wanting really creative takes on how to use Google tools, turn off the TV and take in the Google Demo Slam. Be warned, though; this is one of those things that's hard to stop watching. It's been going on for a while, and Monday (today, probably, as you read this), you can find out who the "Slampion" is. I voted for the Japanese freefall skydiving-ish folks.

I echo Ruston's recommendation for the slam videos. They are great entertainment!
Spring, here we come!

Start the new year with "education-friendly" tech tools

2011-01-02T14:01:00.000-06:00

This just in...

There are several Internet tools and services that provide "education" versions suitable for classroom use. I've recently learned of an education version for one of my favorite tools for integrating images into instruction: BigHugeLabs... from the website: http://bighugelabs.com/education.php

Are you using BigHugeLabs in the classroom? Sign up for a free Educator account and get the following benefits:

Pre-register your students so they can sign in without requiring an email address.
View and download content created by your students.
Use the site advertising-free. And we absolutely do not try to sell anything to your students.
Ready to print ID cards for your students
BigHugeLabs is proud to assist you with your education goals.

Thanks to Cheryl Oakes for sharing this!

How to do more with less....

2010-11-13T11:30:00.002-06:00

The Northern Illinois Computing Educators (NICE), a Chapter of Illinois Computing Educators (ICE), rececently hosted a panel discussion on how to "Do More with Less" ... Learn how districts are using low-cost and no-cost solutions for technology integration and professional development. Click here for the notes.

On a similar note, Michael Fischer recently posted tips for classroom teachers on the ASCD/Edge blog. He provides ideas for designing motivating and engaging learning events using resources we already have.

New year, new tools? Or, revisiting favorites

2010-09-29T12:29:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year!

Looking for new tools, or reasons to revisit the old? Check out these links:

From online photo and video editors, to social bookmarking and networks for your classroom, check out this list of 20 websites to start your year off!
Visit: http://mrssmoke.onsugar.com/Top-20-Websites-Teacher-Should-Start-2010-2011-Year-Without-9213932

20 types of gadgets recommended by Google Certified Teachers
Visit: http://edutraining.googleapps.com/Training-Home/module-5-sites/chapter-8/3-1

Connecting with your Audience... Presentation tips

2010-07-31T14:18:00.004-05:00

I was extremely fortunate to have participated in an Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) Summer Institute several weeks ago. One of my favorite professional development sessions was by Michelle Hamilton, a professional speech coach.

Here are some of Michelle's presentation tips:

You have 8 seconds to connect with your audience; use eye contact to engage each person for several moments... don't just glance at a person, finish your thought/sentence while only looking at one person (one thought - one pair of eyes).
Always think, and say, "you ..." -- try to work in twenty "you"s to one "I." Don't open a presentation saying how glad you are to be here; the presentation is about them, not you ... such as "Today you are here to learn..." not "Today I am going to teach you..."
Start with the end in mind; ask your audience what they need to get out of your presentation.
Convince: Deliver only 3 main messages. Our brains are wired to remember in odd numbers (3 - 5 - 7, etc). But, stick to 3 key messages and divide your time equally. Focus on what your audience needs to hear or understand.
Whatever it is you need to advocate, be compelling, and engaging.
Walk around, touch the wall, sit in the audience to gain their perspective.
When answering a question, don't just repeat it, or say it's a good question. Elevate the importance by sharing... "I'll bet everyone would like to know...."
Turn your closing into a benefit. Don't apologize for "not getting through all of your information" ... rather, "I'm so glad that you could attend today. We could spend a lot more time on...."

Perhaps these few tips will help you to be, as Michelle stated, "incredibly effective" in your presentations, and your classroom.

Digital Divide = "Knows" and "Knows-not"s

2010-07-31T11:05:00.005-05:00

I've seen many reports about the existence of a "digital divide" in this country -- often referring to the "haves" and the "have-nots" -- where the "haves" are those possessing digital equipment, and the "have-nots" are, well, those who basically don't.

A recent commentary by Mario Armstrong about the 7/10/2010 Pew Research Report stating the digital divide is closing, suggests that this definition needs to change:

There's much more to the "divide" than having digital stuff. Even in a well-equipped classroom, (with access to modern computers connected to the Internet), the digital divide is more about what teachers and students "know" and "know-not" when it comes to using the technology to improve teaching and learning.

President Bill Clinton's 2000 State of the Union Address proposed a bright future for "knowing" ...

Connecting classrooms and libraries to the Internet is crucial, but it's just a start. My budget ensures that all new teachers are trained to teach 21st century skills and creates technology centers in 1,000 communities to serve adults. This spring, I will invite high-tech leaders to join me on another New Markets tour -- to close the digital divide and open opportunity for all our people. I thank the high-tech companies that are already doing so much in this area and I hope the new tax incentives I have proposed will encourage others to join us.

If we take these steps, we will go a long way toward our goal of bringing opportunity to every community.

It's 2010!

Are we are there yet?

Google Earth for Educators -- New Community!

2010-07-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

Are you an educator who wants to use Google Earth in the classroom? Now you can learn all the tips and tricks for using Google Earth as a teaching tool by visiting the new Google Earth for Educators Community. On this site, you can view lesson plans for a variety of grade levels and subjects, discuss Google Earth teaching tactics with fellow educators, see student-created work, and read how other teachers are using Google Earth in the classroom.

As posted 6/22/10 on http://www.google.com/educators/index.html

iPad ... therefore iExplore...

2010-05-09T19:28:00.006-05:00

I've been exploring an iPad since Monday. Like most users that have posted reviews, there is much to like! Having been an iPod Touch user since the 1st generation issue, the interface is familiar to me (no, I don't have an iPhone). The "intelligent keyboard" is a bit different than I am used to from the iPod (there's a shift key), yet, it's not hard to adapt to. I really appreciate the screen lock that prevents the image from rotating if I turn the iPad on it's side, which is great for reading in bed!

The physical size and weight seems a bit hard to hold "standing up" in my lap for a long period of time, although I appreciate the bigger screen, and it is light. I am hoping that once my "Apple branded portfolio-type case" arrives, that holding it will be a bit easier. For desktop or table top use, the keyboard/stand is probably a good idea. If all students begin to carry these instead of textbooks, I believe the keyboard/stand will be essential for classroom use.

Safari pages load quickly, however, I miss the ability to "find text on a page." When I have searched for information and want to locate the keywords on a resulting website, I haven't found a way to jump to the information. If you know how, please comment!!

My current journey and quest is to figure out how to create and publish content to be used with the iBooks App (that allows pages to curl as you turn them with your finger). The file type used for iBooks and other electronic book readers is "ePub." I've located several online resources for converting content, but have not yet found a resource that can produce an eBook that will maintain the page layout of a pdf or Word file. Since the underlying code appears to be html, I would imagine that software exists, or will soon.

If you haven't yet seen Theodore Gray's "The Elements" book for the iPad, check out this YouTube clip:

Imagine if all student texbooks contained content as dynamic and interactive as this!? I was inspired by this concept and emailed Mr. Gray to find out how "The Elements" was created for the iPad, to which he graciously responded:

The Elements was created almost entirely with Mathematica. Deployment on the iPad is with custom Objective-C code that reads configuration files and media assets created by Mathematica. It's not exactly a turn-key solution by any means: The Elements is an entirely new kind of thing and no existing system could just make something like it. Hence the use of Mathematica, which I like to think of as the ideal system for doing things for which there is no system for doing.

My new company, Touch Press, is actively working on multiple ebook projects that will use and extent the technology we developed for The Elements, and some day it may be fairly routine to create books like it.

Theo

Thanks! I look forward to learning more!

It's Time for the AP Govt. Review!!

2010-04-29T11:25:00.002-05:00

Stevenson High School's American Government teachers Andy Conneen and Dan Larsen, will be reprising their "Cram for the Exam" review show on C-SPAN Saturday morning, May 1. The pair will appear on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, bringing their unique spin to American government and politics. Students across the country will be invited to call in with their questions in preparation for the upcoming Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics exam on May 3.

Check out Larsen and Conneen's blog, CBS 2School, on the CBS 2 Chicago website. Throughout the month of April, they have been featuring "Cram for the Exam" posts that serve as a primer for American government and politics.

Free Google Guide for Educators

2010-03-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

Google offers dozens of free resources that teachers and students can use to improve their learning experiences. This 33-page guide by Google Certified Teacher Richard Byrne, is intended for teachers who would like to know more about Google Search, Google Docs, and Google Maps. This guide begins with an overview of advanced Google Search tools that can improve Internet search experiences.
See the detailed list below which includes information about using Google Gadgets for creating word clouds and checking readability levels (Pages 20-4) as well as...

Search Tools
An overview of Google’s lesserknown search tools. Google Books, Google Scholar, Google News.
Pages 2 - 3

Google Books
How to access Google Books advanced search. How to embed books into your blog or website.
Pages 4-6

Google News Widgets
How to put custom Google News on your blog or website.
Page 8

Google Docs
Nine uses of Google Docs beyond word processing and presentations.
Pages 9-11

Creating Quizzes in Google Docs
Step by step directions for creating a quiz and posting it online using Google Docs Forms.
Pages 12- 17

Google Maps
Six ways to use Google Maps beyond the Social Studies classroom. Directions for creating placemarks in Google Maps.
Pages 25 - 32

Visit: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/03/free-33-page-guide-google-for-teachers.html

You can view this guide electronically (consider the environment before printing!)

Film Your Issue

2010-03-30T02:03:00.002-05:00

Only a few weeks remain to submit films to the "Film Your Issue" competition. Check out winning submissions and jury and audience favorites from past FYI competitions published in the iTunes podcast channel:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/film-your-issue/id360749159

What's Your Issue? Competition... spreading the word...

2010-01-31T07:55:00.005-06:00

Are you familiar with "What's Your Issue?" -- "It's a global initiative and competition for the next generation of leaders and social entrepreneurs. The mission of What’s Your Issue Foundation is to provide a unique national platform for young adults to propose creative solutions to some of our nation’s most important challenges and for that voice to be heard, honored, and acted upon by leaders in government, the media, the private sector, and the nonprofit world.

The broader year-round mission of this dynamic and multi-faceted initiative is to encourage and support civic engagement by young adults – supported by an educational platform offering leadership and social entrepreneurial skills, as well as video-making skills."

Perhaps your curriculum includes units covering one of the eight issues listed below. Maybe you sponsor a club or activity that is committed to solving some of the problems in the world. In my years at Stevenson I have witnessed so many teachers, staff and students giving generously of their time and talents in support of a variety of local, national and global issues, whether it be working with the local senior citizens, honoring our veterans, or raising funds for victims of catastrophes, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Today's technology allows our young people to have a global voice!! This is an amazing effort to better our world through the creative thinking of those who, one day, will be our caretakers. I urge you to share this with your students.

The "Film Your Issue" competition is open now! From the website: http://whatsyourissue.tv/competitions/

We are seeking your innovative solutions to issues. We think that 14 to 24 year olds can offer a fresh, innovative approach to problem-solving. Specifically, we are looking for workable project ideas that can be locally launched that would tangibly tackle a problem. An example might be program or project in a city or town to deal with surplus cellphones, or with under-employed youth, or that would deal with national security or human rights.

Check out the eight front-burner issues we’ve listed on our Issues page. We’ve listed some considerations for each issue there that may get you started in thinking about your solution-project.

Then submit your three-minute video to the Film Your Issue competition that both articulates the problem and proposes a specific project to deal with the problem. Submission is open January 18 through April 12. When you submit your video, we will ask for a one-sheet outlining your project in more detail.

The more dynamic the presentation of the issue and your proposed project, the more you will capture our enthusiasm. While cinematic quality always helps, a great project idea will sway our hearts. Innovative thinking is as important as slickness.

Just remember that American and global leaders will be selecting the winning solutions that will be presented to senior officials in the Obama administration, broadcast on screens in Best Buy stores across the planet, posted on our iTunes tile and YouTube playlist. We will also fly U.S.-based Jury winners to Los Angeles for our Awards ceremony co-hosted by Sony Pictures.

The Film Your Issue competition is open to all global young adults 14 to 24.

Global submissions are eligible for all our Jury Awards, and all presentation platforms. Due to the labyrinth of global legalities of any competition, the Audience Favorite winner, as selected by the public on YouTube, is only eligible to U.S. residents.

The eight issues are:
Education
Environment
Economic Recession
Health and Healthcare
Pathway from Poverty
National Security and Defense
Public Service
Human and Equal Rights
Technology

Additional information on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/filmyourissue

A few recent finds....

2010-01-28T05:45:00.006-06:00

Over the past several weeks it seems I've found it difficult to make time for certain things ... such as posting to this blog. This has been partly due to the holiday season and end of semester/beginning of semester work, and partly due to my efforts on various committees (NICE Mini-Conference, ICE Educator of the Year, etc.), and extra-curricular activities (I'm now iLife Certified!)

Although I bookmark items as I find them, here are a few recent "finds" I'd like to share here:

100 Interesting Ways:

http://tbarrett.edublogs.org/2009/01/26/100-interesting-ways/#comment-3448

10 Teacher Development Tasks for Web 2.0 Tools:

http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/2009/11/10-teacher-development-task-for-web-20.html

What's Working in Schools (HOPE Foundation blog):

http://hopefoundation.org/hope/blog/

LoudLit.org -- Literature for your eyes and ears:

http://www.loudlit.org/

Do we know what good teaching looks like?

http://1to1schools.net/2010/01/do-we-know-what-good-teaching-looks-like.html

Technology Resources to Support the Struggling Reader (Meg Ormiston's wiki)

http://megormi.wikispaces.com/reading

Best Online Collections of PowerPoints for Teachers (Larry Ferlazzo's posts are always top-notch!!)

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/01/24/the-best-online-collections-of-powerpoints-for-teachers/

Web 2.0 for Speech Teachers

http://farroutlinks.net/blog/integration-muse/web-2-0-resources-and-web-links-for-speech-teachers/

What to Educational Innovators Really Do?

http://www.schoolnet.com/viewpoints/Customized%20Leadership/viewpointpost.aspx?postid=39&paged=true&page=1

5 Reasons Why Educators Should Network

http://www.convergemag.com/workforce/5-Reasons-Why-Educators-Should-Network.html

Enjoy!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-12T08:04:00.003-06:00

Google hosted another teacher academy in Washington D.C. last week, so there has been a bit of activity and discussion among the Google Certified Teachers. Kern Kelley shared some tips for using Google Gadgets on a Google spreadsheet, such as this "Word Search" gadget. (Read his blog for more tips.)

Enjoy this holiday word search (click and drag your mouse over words you find):

Here's more on how the gadget works.

Are you and your students blogging yet?

2009-11-30T12:01:00.009-06:00

Stevenson teacher Chris Salituro ("Sal"), has been interacting online with his Sociology students for some time. Several years ago Sal began extending his classroom discussions beyond the school day using an online discussion board. Web-based tools have improved over the years, and through that experience, Sal has transitioned his Sociology class discussions into a "Ways of Thinking" classroom blog. Sal recently shared his rationale for using a blog, and has granted me permission to publish his comments here.

My use of blogging was a long time in developing. I was always reluctant to simply use technology for the sake of technology. But as blogging became more popular and the technology became more available I decided that blogging would be a way of using technology to educate students in a way that was previously impossible.

First, the rise of blogging in general seems to necessitate, to me, a blogging literacy among students. A number of our grads have gone on to work in media and they have returned to school to emphasize the multi-media explosion of the last few years. For example, one student works for Fox and he is producer, but he also does on-air reporting and throughout the last presidential campaign he maintained a blogsite for Fox that would be updated throughout the day. Many other traditional news sources such as newspapers are turning to blogging as well. My first goal is to introduce students to this up and coming trend.

Second, I have been very aware of the change from a producer to a consumer society. We have become a nation of consumers. By creating a blog, it makes students producers again. The student-managed blogs are productive in that students are producing their own writing and thoughts. Blogging is unique in that it allows for a forum for students to produce something that reaches millions of people. The seriousness and meaningfulness of blogging changes the dynamics of what would be a traditional assignment. Rather than a journal that is turned in to a teacher and then discarded, the blog is something that can be accessed by the general public. One example from my own life recently is that I was googling an article that we read last year in class because I couldn't find my copy of it. The first few yields of the google search were my previous students' blogs about the article. Now I not only had the article I was looking for, but I also had the context with which we discussed it in class. Students are now helping to produce the content of the class, and content for anyone with the Internet to see.

Along the lines of being productive, the third point about blogging that I have found to be transformational is that it requires students to take the class content and apply it to their own lives. In doing so, and in sharing this application, the students become teachers for themselves. In other words, I am not the only one giving examples of our lesson to the students, but now the students are giving each other a lesson as well. I do not want students to be simple consumers of my sociology, but I want them to produce their own sociology that I can learn from as well. With the blog I am finding more and more that students have insights and stories to share that add to our understanding of the content, and these stories would not be available without the blogging.

One of the reasons that the student insights are available because of blogging is the limited amount of classroom time. The blog is an unlimited classroom where students can read as much as they want and are free to share as much as they want. On the blog, I never have to say to students, “Okay, we have to move on.” This virtual classroom allows motivated and interested students to be as involved as they would like to be, without dominating the class. Incidentally, this has been really useful in terms of absences. My classes have a notoriously high absence rate. When students return and ask, “What did I miss?” I say, “Check the blog.”

Lastly, I have always been wary of what we were measuring with our objective tests. The blog is a type of online portfolio that allows real assessment of a student’s grasp of the subject matter and the student’s ability to apply that subject matter to his/her real life.

If you are a teacher who is "still on the fence" about whether blogging is worth the time and effort for you and/or your students, I hope that Sal's comments help you decide in favor of allowing your students to move from being only consumers of content, into the roles of knowledge producers and contributors to the stories that "add to our understanding of the content."

K12 Online Conference starts this week

2009-11-30T02:57:00.004-06:00

The K12 Online Conference 2009 begins this week! This year’s conference begins with a pre-conference keynote by classroom teacher and international educator Kim Cofino (http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=394)

The 2009 conference theme is “Bridging the Divide.” K12 Online 2009 is a FREE conference, run by volunteers and open to ANYONE interested in integrating emerging technologies into classroom practice. A primary goal of the conference is to help educators make sense of and meet the needs of a continually changing learning landscape. Live events and twice-monthly webcasts will continue into 2010 via EdTechTalk, and Professional Development Credit is available.

The following two weeks, December 7-11 and December 14-17, over fifty presentations will be posted online to the conference blog ( http://k12onlineconference.org/) and Ning (http://k12online.ning.com/events ) for participants to view, download, and discuss.

Live Events in the form of three “Fireside Chats” are listed on the events page of the conference Ning and Facebook fan page, and live events will continue in 2010 through twice-monthly “K-12 Online Echo” webcasts on EdTechTalk. Everyone is encouraged to participate in both live events during and after the conference as well as asynchronous conversations.

Over 122 presentations from 2008, 2007, and 2006 are available, along with archived live events. Follow the K12 Online Conference on Twitter (http://twitter.com/k12online ) and Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/K12-Online-Conference/168872343206?ref=ts )!

To participate and begin learning, visit http://k12onlineconference.org/

Hope for schools of the future?

2009-10-21T00:14:00.005-05:00

My niece Katelin is a student at Illinois State University, studying to become a Special Education teacher. She is also a recent Golden Apple Scholar awardee. In her EAF (Education and Foundation) 228 class, she was assigned to write her reflection on the state of education in the U.S. ... and to be creative. She has written the following poem (which she has given me permission to share). I applaud her ideas about schools needing "positive attitudes, high spirits, hope, and caring people" as critical resources. It's her hope for schools of the future. What do you think? Please feel free to leave a comment for Katie.

The State of Education

Geoffrey Canada once shouted through poetry to take a stand
An equal education is all we demand
But is it really equal?
We claim that our education is free
But since we’ve enforced NCLB
All our teachers are paying with time.
Precious time, our teachers invest.
Just so their schools can pass a standardized test
And keep what resources they have.
I worry about it as a teacher in training
That when I get there, my time will be draining
And I’ll miss those teachable moments.
I worry about the state education is in
Its imbalances are practically a sin
Children don’t have the same opportunities
Students up in the wealthy suburbs
Get all that a student deserves
And then grow up to be a success
While on the other side of town
School enrollment is down
Teachers are in a state of distress.
Because their school doesn’t get
Brand new laboratory sets
Or books with fresh, crisp pages
They just want what every school needs
And hopes to exceed
Society’s expectation of them.
I worry with my peer, Mae
who had much to say
about the schools on the other side of town.
She said its ignorant to be color blind
For these poor students you’ll find
Are no different from anyone else.
They start off with hope, but it becomes hard to cope
In a neighborhood that deals with dope,
Alcohol. Gangs. Fear.
Everything I’ve seen and everything I knew
Cannot compare to what these students have been through
They’ve had to give their education to chance.
Mae agrees that they easily fall
Into statistics, and find it harder to crawl
Out of the labels they’ve been given.
How its always the minorities
Getting gypped by the authorities
Because they’re low income, low property tax.
Their test scores are skewed,
They’re wrongfully viewed,
All they need is a chance.
Mae’s father says times have changed
Plans must now be arranged
To have a concentration in school
And to go onto college
And expand that specific knowledge
To excel in today’s society at all.
Such wisdom was passed to Mae
Who had something to say
Growing up in a white middle class suburb
Although her neighborhood changed
And races were rearranged
She never found it strange to adapt to.
She feels you could have the best schools
And still educate fools
Resources aren’t the only factor
While another school could be falling down
Yet have the brightest kids around,
All it takes is a chain reactor:
Positive attitudes, high spirits, hope, caring people.
American education is doing its best
To teach students from east to west
Lessons of the world around them.
These are the words of Miss Mae
But my opinions must stray
From something which sounds so clear.
For I feel education is split
Into a wide open pit
And all that is seen is an achievement gap
That must immediately be closed
Despite those who are opposed
To spend their tax dollars on proper education for all kids.
There are those who are with me
And those who disagree
One day I hope to resolve
We must all lend a hand
And together take a stand.
To fight such a huge discrepancy.

- by Katelin Johnson

Wolfram|Alpha Homework Day, Oct. 21

2009-10-12T23:01:00.003-05:00

Last May I posted information about the debut of Wolfram|Alpha -- a website providing "free access to computable knowledge in nearly every imaginable subject area. Whether you're working on problem sets, papers, or projects, Wolfram|Alpha's algorithms compute answers that can help you not only complete your assignments but take your understanding of the subject to the next level." (Learn more about Wolfram|Alpha in this 12-minute screencast)

Now that school has started, Wolfram|Alpha is hosting a Homework Day on Wednesday, October 21, where "attendees" can:
*Learn tips and tricks to make schoolwork more fun,
*Chat with the experts behind Wolfram|Alpha, and
*Be a part of the webcast and win prizes

Wolfram|Alpha is soliciting homework questions or video clips showing how Wolfram|Alpha is being used in Math, Biology, Computer Science, Calculus, Chemistry, Finance, Physics, Astronomy, or ??? Visit the Wolfram|Alpha homework day website http://homeworkday.wolframalpha.com/ to submit your questions or videos... then visit the site on Oct. 21 to see whether your question or video is featured.

Your Vote Can Help Change the World!

2009-09-24T23:22:00.004-05:00

Last September, 2008, Google launched a contest called Project 10^100 -- it was a "call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible." Almost a year later, it's time to choose!

More than 150,000 ideas were submitted from people in more than 170 countries, which has been narrowed down to 16 possible "big ideas" --

Community:
Create genocide monitoring and alert system
Create real-world issue reporting system
Collect and organize the world's urban data
Create real-time natural crisis tracking system
Make government more transparent

Education:
Enhance science and engineering education
Make educational content available online for free
Encourage positive media depictions of engineers and scientists
Provide quality education to African students

Energy: Drive innovation in public transport

Everything Else: Build real-time, user-reported news service

Environment: Work toward socially conscious tax policies

Health: Promote health monitoring and data analysis

Opportunity:
Build better banking tools for everyone
Help social entrepreneurs drive change

Shelter: Create more efficient landmine removal programs

When deciding how to vote, consider the following criteria:
Reach: How many people would this idea affect?
Depth: How deeply are people impacted? How urgent is the need?
Attainability: Can this idea be implemented within a year or two?
Efficiency: How simple and cost-effective is your idea?
Longevity: How long will the idea's impact last?

Google is committing $10 million to implement these projects, and their goal is to help as many people as possible. So remember, money may provide a jumpstart, but the idea is the thing.
Voting is open now, until October 8!

Here's YOUR chance to build a better world. Note... you may only cast one vote for the idea you think is best.

I just love "feel-good" stories!!

What are your technology goals this year?

2009-08-18T07:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to school! The 2009-10 school year is just getting underway. Each year, we ask teachers to reflect on their use of technology and to set personal learning goals (relating to technology integration) for the upcoming year. Often, teacher learning goals are "skill-based" or pertain to increasing productivity (learn to use Excel, Word, PowerPoint, or learn to manage email, or post assignments online, etc.). Although these technology "skills" are important, it is equally important to consider ways in which technology used by the teacher, will directly impact student learning, and consider what will "success" look like? For the teacher? For the student?

Once goals are set, the next step is to and locate resources to help teachers reach their objectives. Is there another teacher who can help? What is available online? What workshops or after school classes can be offered?

To borrow from a recent presentation, Information Literacy and the Internet– Managing the Change, by Lanie Rowell, here are some ideas to begin thinking about your professional learning goals for the coming year. How will you ...

Use technology to...
Create students who are information literate
Motivate students to learn 24/7
Provide students with reasons and opportunities to connect globally
Give students an authentic purpose and audience
Encourage creativity and passion by utilizing their strengths and interests
Engage the learner and allow them opportunities to become more actively involved in their education as well as develop critical thinking skills
Act as facilitators guiding students to choose the right tools, find answers, and make decisions

Successful integration of technology extends beyond "basic skills" -- as you plan, consider how technology can transform both your teaching and student learning.

Gear up for Back to School with an online calendar

2009-08-09T12:22:00.005-05:00

Scott Meech recently shared this article by Jon Wittwer of Vertex42* on "Embedding Google Spreadsheets Into Your Blog or Website."

As you gear up for back to school, consider Wittwer's examples of using a spreadsheet as a calendar for your class, sport, or activity schedule. And if you don't feel like creating your own, you are welcome to use any of their preformatted Google calendars:

*Vertex42: The Guide to Excel in Everything website provides a large library of free Excel templates for calendars, schedules, budgets, project management, loan calculators, and more!

Archiving images from the past...

2009-05-30T11:39:00.001-05:00

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

2009-05-25T19:53:00.002-05:00

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

2009-05-17T01:35:00.006-05:00

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!"

2009-05-09T13:42:00.016-05:00

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

2009-05-07T05:57:00.009-05:00

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:

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!!

2009-04-27T11:16:00.004-05:00

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!!

2009-04-25T04:08:00.003-05:00

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"

2009-04-23T18:20:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-04-03T15:05:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-04-03T14:57:00.000-05:00

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

2009-03-23T14:51:00.000-05:00

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)

How do you define/measure tech literacy?

2009-02-05T13:36:00.000-06:00

Tracy Murdach recently shared an article titled "Tech Literacy Confusion" by Andrew Totter, published online 1/21/09 at Education Week's Digital Directions. Trotter mentions the NCLB goal to promote technology literacy:

"Government efforts to promote technology literacy culminated at the federal level in a national goal, adopted seven years ago in the No Child Left Behind Act, that all students be technology-literate by 8th grade. The federal law left it to states, however, to define the concept and persuade schools to teach it."

The author mentions several companies offering technology literacy products, but not those offering literacy assessment tools. InfoSource Learning's free "SimpleAssessment" and Atomic Learning's subscription-based service are among online measurement tools to consider.

Please share 1) how are you defining technology literacy, 2) what you use to measure it, and 3) how is the data being shared within your education community.

Thank you for your feedback.

Web 2.0 Call for Lesson Plans Proposal

2009-01-22T01:46:00.001-06:00

Call for Proposals: Web 2.0 Lesson Plans
Deadline for Submission: March 1, 2009

Based on the success of Lesson Plans for Creating Media-Rich Classrooms, a 2007 publication of the National Council of Teachers of English, a proposal is being developed for a second book of lesson plans that would offer a range of practical activities for high school and middle school teachers to integrate Web 2.0 skills into existing English language arts curricula. These lesson plans will be connected by introductory material that defines the concepts of multimodal literacies and the emergence of Web 2.0 skills as essential to developing a fully literate student in a media saturated, technology-rich world. These lessons can, and will, range from basic entry-level activities to ones that require more advanced and mastery-level skills.

Refer to a copy of Lesson Plans for Creating Media-Rich Classrooms, edited by Mary T. Christel and Scott Sullivan, for examples of the lesson plan format.
[See http://www1.ncte.org/library/files/Store/Books/Sample/30483Chap19_x.pdf ]

Click here for lesson plan details and link for downloading a form for submission.

Documenting a historic day....

2009-01-20T23:36:00.000-06:00

Just in case you wanted to document this historic day....
From Popular Science comes this amazing photo of today's festivities in D.C.
http://www.popsci.com/content/inauguration-day

And for a closer view (on the ground), at this moment, nearly 3,000 Flickr users have uploaded more than 7,400 photos to the Flickr "Inauguration" group, http://www.flickr.com/groups/inauguration2009/

Hulu will be streaming Inaugural ... have a look..

2009-01-19T21:44:00.000-06:00

Some things you might not realize about Google searching

2009-01-14T22:13:00.000-06:00

In this 7+ minute video, Google Engineer Matt Cutts shares some of the "little-known" features of Google searching. Did you know that Google can track your delivery items, convert currency, define words, besides restricting your searches to certain file types or websites? Learn when to use quotes, dashes and asterisks to narrow your results.

Thanks to Scott Weidig for sharing this on his blog.

Google Releases Picasa Desktop Version for Mac!

2009-01-06T23:04:00.000-06:00

Reprinted from http://www.macworld.com/article/137912/2009/01/picasa_mac.html
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld.com

Google on Monday afternoon released a public beta of its Picasa for Mac desktop software for organizing, editing, and uploading photos. The software, which runs on Intel Macs with OS X 10.4 or later, marks the first time that Picasa has been offered for the Mac (it joins the Windows and Linux versions already available).

The free Picasa software is designed to help you organize your photos, regardless of where they reside on your computer. It imports (without moving or copying) photos from your iPhoto library and other folders on your Mac, including external hard drives if so desired (it's designed not to affect your iPhoto library, duplicating files as needed). It also includes many editing tools, such as those for straightening, text generation, create collages, and removing red eye, as well as Photoshop-like effects and adjustments.

I think the best feature of the Picasa software is the fact that my picture files get to stay where they are (since I have so many photos, and I do not keep all of them in iPhoto... I only add my favorites, or those that I will be using in presentations, slideshows, or movies.) And, Picasa scans and displays the photos in your 'iPhoto Library' as read-only files. If you try to edit or move these photos, Picasa will ask your permission to create a new editable copy. Learn more about how Picasa handles your iPhoto Library.

The editing features include the ability to add text and captions to images, as well as "combine your photos, videos, and music into a movie or use the editing room to trim your existing movies."

The "collage" tool provides slick rotating, zooming, background color and text options that make it easy to create a page for your digital scrapbooks, and Picassa automatically saves the file in a folder named "Collages" which resides in your "House > Pictures > Picasa"folder.

There is also a very "Photo-story-ish" movie maker, that will create slides (including title slides) set to music or just automatically moving through the images, complete with transition effects.

There are "easy-buttons" on the bottom of the editor to send your completed masterpiece(s) to your blog, email client, a folder, or to upload to the free online Picasa web gallery:

Download Picasa for your Mac at: http://picasa.google.com/mac/

Teaching and Guiding Networked Students Requires a Commitment to Learning

2009-01-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Wendy Drexler's video about the "Networked Student" illustrates not only the changing role of the student, but also the changing role of educators in 21st Century classrooms.

About this video: "The Networked Student was inspired by CCK08, a Connectivism course offered by George Siemens and Stephen Downes during fall 2008. It depicts an actual project completed by Wendy Drexler's high school students. The Networked Student concept map was inspired by Alec Couros' Networked Teacher. I hope that teachers will use it to help their colleagues, parents, and students understand networked learning in the 21st century."

21st Century educators need to make a commitment to continuous learning, and become networked teachers, so that our students will be prepared to handle the vast amount of information available to them, and be able to share their learning in meaningful ways. How can you be a learning concierge, a modeler, a network sherpa, change agent, or synthesizer of information for your students? Consider joining the conversations in an online community such as Classroom 2.0, a social network for educators, where you will find an abundance of resources, discussion forums and learning opportunities, such as live (and archived) web meetings.

Join fellow educators at the DEN Virtual Conference, online or at Stevenson, Saturday Oct. 25

2008-10-11T07:20:00.000-05:00

Join us on Saturday, October 25 for the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) Virtual Conference! Connect with educators from all over the country during this unique professional development experience where you can attend in-person, online or both! Learn powerful ways to integrate digital media and Web 2.0 tools into your instruction as well as discover an abundance of resources to expand your own personal learning network. And it’s free! (You can't beat free!) Educators who cannot attend our in-person regional event still have the opportunity to participate virtually in the full-day conference.

The day will feature presentations from Discovery’s own Hall Davidson, Steve Dembo, Jannita Demian, Scott Kinney, Matt Monjan and Lance Rougeux as well as a special spotlight session from STAR Discovery Educator Jennifer Dorman. These sessions will be broadcast to each of the regional gatherings. In between the virtual presentations, participants will attend breakout sessions presented by local STAR Discovery Educators (TBA). Session details are at: http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/files/2008/10/den-virt-con-session-times-and-descriptions.pdf

This is the second year of hosting for the DEN Virtual Conference at Stevenson. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please be sure to register so we have an idea of how much food to order.
Visit: http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/fall-virtual-conference

Come for all or part of the day.
Map to Stevenson: http://www.district125.k12.il.us/documentation/maps/map_to_shs.pdf

DIRECTIONS:
Tri-State, Milwaukee Ave. or Rt. 41 to Rt. 22, West on 22 to school. -OR - Rt. 53 North to Lake Cook Rd. East. to Buffalo Grove Rd. North on Buffalo Grove Rd. to Rt. 22. East on 22 to school.

Gear up for K12 Online!

2008-10-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

This is the third year for the K12-Online Conference -- a totally free and perpetual learning experience, delivered exclusively online, by volunteers who have a passion for education!

This year's conference will follow a similar format as in previous years, with a Keynote kickoff on Oct. 13, followed by forty presentations published over two weeks (Oct 20 - Nov. 1), each 20 minutes in length or less. This year's them is "Amplifying Possibilities" and contains presentations in four strands. In the first week, "Getting Started" and "Prove It," followed by "Kicking It Up a Notch" and "Leading the Change" in week two. See the full schedule here: http://k12onlineconference.org/docs/k12online2008schedule.html

I'm happy to report also that this is the second year I am actively involved. Last year I volunteered to facilitate during one hour of "When Night Falls" --a live, 24-hour open forum that culminated the two-week long event. It was there I met Dennis Richards, a superintendent from Falmouth, MA, who had been "newly baptized into all thing Web 2.0." Dennis had uncovered the learning made possible through the participatory, or "read/write" web when he attended Alan November's "Building Learning Communities" conference during the previous summer. Dennis has since become a loud voice in this "education conversation" by making it his personal mission to spread the good news, by starting his own blog, and collaborating on a number of wikis, and much more (as you will see when you read his blog).

This past year, Dennis and I kept "bumping into one another" online; such as the time we happened to strike up a conversation in the virtual world of Second Life, not realizing who each other was in real life. As we exchanged ideas, our conversation led to the K12-Online conference, and we then realized we had met while co-facilitating the same live "When Night Falls" session. Call it Kismet, or coincidence, we have now teamed up to present a session at this year's conference, in the "Leading the Change" strand. In preparing for our session, we were invited to create a "teaser" for our session. I hope you are enticed, and will tune in for our presentation: "There's Something Going on Here You Need to Know About..." which will be available on Oct. 31.

I posted information about the conference last year, and several of our teachers used the sessions as "independent study" toward advancement on the salary scale. Professional development and University credit is available for both 2007 and this year too.

Continue the learning!!

Apple Launches ACOT2 Project: Challenge-based Curriculum

2008-09-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

Building upon the research from 1985-1995 and released as the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT), Apple has launched ACOT2. http://edcommunity.apple.com/acot2

From the website:

ACOT identified effective models for teaching and learning with technology, developing the professional lives of teachers and diffusing innovation.

The goal of ACOT2 is more targeted: to help high schools get closer to creating the kind of learning environment this generation of students needs, wants, and expects so they will stay in school.

The ACOT2 strategy is to offer a simple approach that focuses on the essential design principles for the 21st century high school-rather than a more prescriptive school reform model. While the design principles themselves are not new, what is new is that the complexity that characterizes most education reform models has been cleared away, enabling immediate action and results.

Explore the six design principles and their related project pages on Apple's website:
* Understanding of 21st Century Skills and Outcomes
* Relevant and Applied Curriculum
* Informative Assessment
* Culture of Innovation and Creativity
* Social and Emotional Connections with Students
* Ubiquitous Access to Technology

Google Teacher Academy Application

2008-08-24T16:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I've submitted my entry to the Google Teacher Academy:

As I was preparing my required 1-minute video (the topics were to be on either Motivation and Learning, or Classroom Innovation), I came across a sound-byte from the Library of Congress American Memory Project. It was a recording of a quilter, named Lura Stanley, who spoke about her desire to become a teacher. (http://memory.loc.gov/afc/afcqltbr/audio/a013/a0135.mp3). What impressed me the most about Lura's story was the fact that teachers did not need degrees to teach when she first started at the age of 18. She did, however, obtain a degree later in life at the age of 51 (this was in 1957). I wonder whether teacher preparation of "yesterday" has some bearing on the old saying, "Those who can do. Those who can't, teach."

Teaching is certainly not the same profession it was, even 10 years ago. New mandates around NCLB, the advent of new technologies and Internet safety concerns, research on learning and the brain, and the ability to diagnose and document learning disabilities has contributed to the many facets of being an educator. Desire is no longer enough. And, in the end, all the time and resources dedicated to educating our youth must yield a future for them that will provide a decent standard of living, along with the ability to live and work in a now truly global society. Our future also relies on what we sow as educators.

Google Teacher Academy Comes to Chicago!!

2008-08-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

This just in....

This notice was posted today in the Google Teacher Center group:

"the Google Teacher Academy (GTA) is coming to Chicago on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008. The GTA is our free training program for K-12 educators. It's an intensive, one-day event (8:30am-7:30pm) where 50 selected participants get hands-on experience with our free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, collaborate with exceptional educators, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, GTA participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local regions. We're now taking applications and encourage educators from around the U.S. and the world to apply. Applications are due Aug. 24, 2008. Our next GTA will be in New York City in November 2008, so if New York is more local, you may want to hold off till the next application is announced in September. To learn more about how to apply for Chicago's GTA, visit:
http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html"

Good luck to all who apply!!

What will you do to educate your students today?

2008-08-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

"The World is Flat" Giveaway from Thomas Friedman

2008-07-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

From the website:

The World is Flat Audiobook Giveaway
With the No. 1 bestseller The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman helped millions of readers see and understand globalization in a new way. Now you can have it for free.

From now until August 4th, you can download the audiobook version of The World Is Flat and receive an exclusive audio preview excerpt of Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

Visit http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/giveaway
to sign up for yours!

Enjoy!

What, Where, How -- You Can Learn from NECC

2008-07-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

The 29th Annual National Education Computing Conference (NECC), held June 29-July 2, in San Antonio, provides educators everywhere with many learning opportunities! This annual conference is presented by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). "For more than two decades, NECC has been the premier forum in which to learn, exchange, and survey the field of educational technology."

Here are a six resources you won't want to miss!

1. Start by visiting ISTE's NECC website at http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2008/ -- be sure to peruse the list of speakers and the sessions and follow the links to blogs, photos, or other resources listed by the speakers' names.

2. Check out (and join) the NECC Ning -- http://www.necc2008.org/ -- an online community supporting the conference. You will find specific session details, speaker handouts, photos, videos and more!

3. Visit the "EdStream Live" wiki for links to many sessions that were streamed live, and are now available online as recorded broadcasts: http://necclive.wikispaces.com/

4. More than 30 sessions will soon be provided on the "NECC 2008 Conference Connections" podcast channel, produced by Apple Distinguished Educators. Sixteen episodes are available now!!

5. Once again, KZOWebcasting will be providing streaming video for about 20 sessions, including the keynote presentations and sessions such as "Podcasting and Podcatching for the Absolute Beginner" -- view the complete list at http://www.kzowebcasting.com/necc/

6. Finally, visit eSchool News at http://www.eschoolnews.com/conference-info/necc/ for "Live from NECC' reports, session reviews, video reports, such as this report on "Online Safety: Dispelling Common Myths."

It's amazing how quickly these resources have been made available online. Take some time to learn how technology is supporting the learning of adults and students!! Enjoy the ideas presented from both local and international speakers. How can you and your students become part of the conversation? Start here!!

I'm a Member of NECC 2008

2008-06-27T01:01:00.000-05:00

View my page on NECC 2008

NECC, the National Education Computing Conference gets underway this weekend in San Antonio. This will be the 4th consecutive year I've been able to attend. I am also "presenting" for the first time. Although I have led a variety of sessions for educators at our state ICE conference (Illinois Computing Educators), and have facilitated a number of local workshops, I am excited to be able to share with like-minded educators on a national level.

My presentation is a "BYOL" (bring your own laptop) session titled "Off Task: Websites and Webtools You Didn't Know You Needed." It will be a fast-paced sharing and discovery session where we will explore a variety of free resources to help educators increase their productivity, and/or develop themselves professionally. I'm looking forward to learning from the attendees as well.

Everything is being provided in a wiki, which I hope will continue to be developed and expanded upon as time goes on. I will also try to live broadcast my session via uStream, or perhaps Mogulus. In any case, I will record the audio and post that to the wiki.

Yee haw!

The Power of the Imaginative Mind: Sir Ken Robinson

2008-06-01T16:35:00.000-05:00

From Edutopia comes this 15 minute presentation recorded at the Apple Education Leadership Summit on April 10, 2008 in San Francisco. Sir Ken Robinson talks about how we need to think differently about education. The issue is not to reform education, it's to transform it into something else.

Sharing by Shareski

2008-05-22T10:43:00.000-05:00

Enjoy this slideshow from the ultimate sharer Dean Shareski:

| View | Upload your own

How many of us learned everything we needed to know in Kindergarten too?
Thanks Dean!!

Pangea Day today!! May 10 LIVE!

2008-05-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

If you happen to be online this afternoon, click on over to the Pangea Day broadcast that began at 1 pm (CST) and will continue until 5 pm.

Pangea Day is a 4-hour program of short films, live music and visionary speakers. Coordinated live from 6 locations worldwide, the program is being broadcast in 7 languages to millions of people via the Internet, television and mobile phones.

From the website:

Pangea Day is a celebration of the power of film to unite us all. Today, you'll experience films that are funny – sad – gorgeous – stark – powerful. Voices that have never been heard before. Things you've never seen. Scenes from worlds you've never been to. What you'll see here today is a cross-section of our amazing, complicated, noisy, beautiful world.

And what you'll see here – besides four hours of pure entertainment – is a view into other lives. Once you've lived inside so many other heads, we hope you'll be moved to act. To become involved in a pressing issue – to share your own video or photos – to join a discussion that might move the world just a little bit further toward understanding.

The 20 or so films in this program were chosen by Pangea Day's panel from more than 2,000 submissions and a long roster of curated suggestions. Together, they will move you, scare you, make you laugh and make you smile, and help you feel closer to the world.

View the line up at: http://www.pangeaday.org/eventGuide.php

View Pangea Day films at: http://www.pangeaday.org/pangeadayFilms.php

Enjoy!!

SHS Teachers Helping Students Study for AP Exams

2008-04-26T15:13:00.000-05:00

Stevenson’s “2 Regular Guys,” Advanced Placement Government and Politics teachers Andy Conneen and Dan Larsen, will appear on CBS2’s “Eye on Chicago” at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 27. They will be offering their takes on the latest political news, including Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The pair also will host their annual AP Government “Cram for the Exam” radio review session at 9 p.m. Sunday, May 4. This year’s live show will be broadcast on Chicago’s WIND-AM (560), and streamed nationally at the station’s website, http://www.560wind.com. Although geared toward AP students as they prepare for their May 5 exam, anyone looking to tune-up his civics literacy is encouraged to listen. The show will have a call-in format. If you can’t wait to see the 2 Regular Guys on TV or hear them on radio, you can check out their blog at: http://cbs2chicago.com/school.

Last year, Andy and Dan's students created a study wiki for AP Comparative review at: http://apcomparative.wikispaces.com.

Social Studies teacher Dave Elbaum, uStreamed his 4/16/08 AP Government review. Tune into the recorded session at: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/354287

And for students studying for the AP Psychology exam, Social Studies teacher Laura Brandt recorded a review last week, which is posted as an audio file at: http://www6.district125.k12.il.us/~lbrandt/podcasts/reviewsession.mp3

Kudos to these 21st Century educators for enhancing their students' learning via the power of technology!!

StoryCorps from NPR, collecting America's stories

2008-03-29T14:23:00.000-05:00

Those of you who are avid listeners of National Public Radio (NPR), are most likely aware of NPR's StoryCorps Oral History Project, which began in 2003, and is still going strong! This post is for the everyone else....

From the StoryCorps website:

Since 2003, almost 30,000 everyday people have shared life stories with family and friends in our StoryBooths. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to our broadcasts on public radio and the web. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind.
Everybody’s story matters. Every life counts. Help us reach out to record our history, hopes, and common humanity—and illuminate the true character of this nation.

As an example, Martha Conant, one of only 13 unscathed survivors in the 1998 crash landing of a United Airlines flight in Sioux City, Iowa, reminds us of the importance of expressing gratitude and having no regrets as we meet each day:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18007783

With free and easy Web 2.0 tools such as GCast, which provides a toll-free "800" number for recording by phone, or Evoca, which provides a web-based voice recorder (see the Evoca "comments" link on the left side of this blog), this would be an easy project for any level social studies, English, or world languages classroom! Tips and sample questions to use for a story interview can be found on their Great Questions page with an extensive list at: http://www.storycorps.net/record-your-story/question-generator/list

If a classroom project is not in your immediate future, your story can be among the voices of America being recorded at the StoryCorps Mobile Recording Booths located in New York City and Nashville. There are also two trailers traveling across the country that might be worthy of incorporating into your summer vacation planning. See the 2008 schedule at: http://www.storycorps.net/record-your-story/locations

"By listening closely to one another, we can help illuminate the true character of this nation—reminding us all just how precious each day can be and how truly great it is to be alive.” -Dave Isay, Founder, StoryCorps

Passion: What is most beautiful and sacred to you?

2008-02-12T20:11:00.000-06:00

"Passion: What is most beautiful and sacred to you? What would you feel incomplete without? When you have identified that which brings you complete joy, your own unquenchable desire to achieve that goal will become your passion — the inner drive that turns your dreams into a shining reality."

The Academy of Achievement website (http://www.achievement.org) welcomes visitors at the Introduction to the Keys to Success with this quote. The Academy of Achievement mission is to "bring students face-to-face with the extraordinary leaders, thinkers and pioneers who have shaped our world."

If you or your students are looking for career ideas, or want to be inspired by some of the world's great achievers, this website is a must visit! The Keys to Success include Passion, Vision, Preparation, Courage, Perseverance, Integrity and the American Dream. Through video and text, you will learn from individuals who have shaped history, in their own words. There is also a teacher link to "Achievement TV" — a library of videos that can bring achievers from The Arts, Business, Science and Exploration or Sports (just to highlight a few) to your classrooms!

Imagine if the technology was available to capture reflections like these from leaders of our past. Challenge your students to compare a contemporary leader from this website to a historical one. How would Abraham Lincoln have described his passion? Or, how did Alexander the Great's courage compare with that of General Norman Schwarzkopf, who walked among battlefields that contained hidden explosive mines?

Visit the Achievement Gallery and discover a role model, explore a career, be inspired!!

(photo credit: http://flickr.com/photos/rangerholton/1449884129/)

Thinkfinity.org (formerly Marco Polo Education) warrants revisiting

2008-02-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

From the Thinkfinity.org brochure: "Thinkfinity delivers top-quality, standards-based, K-12 lesson plans, student materials, interactive tools ... and gives teachers, instructors and parents the tools they need to increase student performance today and create the lifelong learners of tomorrow."

Some time ago, I attended a workshop on using "Marco Polo Education" website resources in the classroom. It was a terrific resource for locating quality lesson plans and information for teaching and learning. The MCI Foundation launched the Marco Polo Education Foundation (MPEd) in 2002, and when WorldCom went into bankruptcy, Marco Polo was in danger of disappearing. Long story short, it is now known as "Thinkfinity.org" and is funded by Verizon:

This free, comprehensive digital learning platform is built upon the merger of two highly-acclaimed programs well-known to educators Verizon MarcoPolo and the Thinkfinity Literacy Network. Thinkfinity is designed to improve learning in traditional settings and beyond the classroom by providing high-caliber content and professional development needed to improve student achievement anytime, anywhere, at no cost.

Thinkfinity partners with great content providers such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of English, National Geographic Society, and soon the Smithsonian-National Museum of American History, just to name a few.

Especially of interest is the free professional development provided to help educators make the most of the resources. The success of the program relies on a "train the trainer" model in which educators attend face-to-face sessions, and then facilitate workshops in their schools or districts. I'm looking into workshop opportunities offered in Lake or Northern Cook County. In the meantime, check out the "self-guided" tour, which takes about 20 minutes.

PBS Frontline Series: Growing up online

2008-01-24T17:49:00.000-06:00

If you missed this program Tuesday evening, note that you can view it entirely online!!
Description from PBS - FRONTLINE: Growing up online:

Just how radically is the Internet transforming the experience of childhood? FRONTLINE looks at the impact of the Internet on adolescence through the eyes of teens and their parents and what does it mean to be the first generation of coming of age via the Internet.

There are views presented from teachers, researchers, parents, and students, as well as information that parents need to know to begin or continue to teach Internet safety at home.

Note, there is a "Teacher's Guide to Growing Up Online" scheduled to be posted in February.
Visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/ The website also provides in-depth interview with educators, click the "Inside the Revolution" link on the page, or here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/inside/

Do you think we are doing all we can? Look for the "Join the Discussion" link at the bottom of the FRONTLINE page to the post your opinions for the producers, or leave a comment on this post to express your views relating to our community.

Library of Congress and Flickr Unite!

2008-01-18T03:05:00.000-06:00

This week, the Library of Congress blog reported a new pilot project with Flickr:

"If all goes according to plan, the project will help address at least two major challenges: how to ensure better and better access to our collections, and how to ensure that we have the best possible information about those collections for the benefit of researchers and posterity. ... Out of some 14 million prints, photographs and other visual materials at the Library of Congress, more than 3,000 photos from two of our most popular collections are being made available on our new Flickr page, to include only images for which no copyright restrictions are known to exist.
The real magic comes when the power of the Flickr community takes over. We want people to tag, comment and make notes on the images, just like any other Flickr photo, which will benefit not only the community but also the collections themselves. ... "

To view the photos on Flickr, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/Library_of_Congress. Two sets of digitized photos are available: 1,600 color images from the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information and about 1,500 images from the George Grantham Bain News Service. More about the project can be found here: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/flickr_pilot_faq.htm

These pictures are available without copyright restrictions for educators and students! If Flickr is blocked in your district, remember that these images are available from your Library of Congress Reading Room! The powerful aspect of this pilot, is that now citizens, as Flickr users, can contribute to the information about the photos by entering comments and annotating images as they choose. This is the power of "Web 2.0" -- anyone can have a voice. Educational possibilities are endless!

TED: Ideas worth spreading in your classrooms

2008-01-04T22:11:00.000-06:00

The first TED Conference took place in 1984. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design -- where great ideas come together. I first learned about TED from David Pogue, NYTimes Circuits author/technology columnist, when he was a keynote speaker at the IL-TCE Conference last February. (Pogue was a TED speaker in 2006.) Over 150 talks from the TED archives are now available online at http://www.ted.com, with more being added each week.

"TED is devoted to giving millions of knowledge-seekers around the globe direct access to the world's greatest thinkers and teachers.

If you're a teacher, consider incorporating TEDTalks into your classes. They are distributed under a Creative Commons license, and are freely available for such use, so long as you credit the source and do not distort the speakers' intended meaning."

Explore the TED Talks website by theme, talk title or speaker. Talks are usually 20 minutes or less, and can be downloaded in full resolution video, MP3 audio, or embedded on your website, or class Edline page. You can freely subscribe to the TEDTalks Podcasts in iTunes in either the video or audio format, and watch many of the talks on YouTube.

Here are just a few that would be great for your classroom:

Social Science: Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, explains how we are all born with the capacity for empathy -- but we sometimes choose to ignore it.

Hans Rosling's presentation at the TED-conference was an Internet success. His 2007 TED talk, "The Seemingly Impossible, is Possible" shows that a good world is possible.

Math: Ron Eglash talks about his work exploring the rigorous fractal math underpinning African architecture, art and hair braiding.

Science: Watch medical animator David Bolinsky's 3 minutes of stunning animation that show the bustling life inside a cell. Tune into environmental scientist David Keith's talk about a cheap, effective, shocking solution to climate change. Juan Enriquez offers a glimpse of some ground-breaking research to explore the potential of bioenergy. UC Berkeley biologist Robert Full explains his goal of creating the perfect robotic "distributed foot." Nobel Prize winner Murray Gell-Mann drops some knowledge about particle physics, asking questions like, Can the fundamental law, the so-called "theory of everything," really explain everything?

Communication Arts: Lakshmi Pratury talks about the lost art of letter-writing, and shares a series of notes her father wrote her before he died. This short talk may inspire you to set pen to paper too. Steven Pinker looks at language, and the way it expresses the workings of our minds. By analyzing common sentences and words, he shows us how, in what we say and how we say it, we're communicating much more than we realize.

Applied Arts: Seth Godin's views on "Sliced bread and other marketing delights" spells out why, when it comes getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones.

Wow.

2007 in Review -- You have learned 100 things!

2007-12-27T14:56:00.000-06:00

2007 is coming to a close, and as I looked at my Blogger Dashboard today, I noticed this is my 101st post. So, if you have been reading this blog since it's inception, you have (hopefully) learned 100 things! And, if you are a recent subscriber, the great thing about blogs is, that the archive is there, so it's not too late to catch up!

Some of the bloggers I have been reading (see the "More Blogs of Interest" list from Bloglines on the lower left side of this blog) are posting their "Top 10 Lists" and "End-of-the-Year" reflections for 2007, so I thought perhaps I would do the same.

I am typically not one to write deeply about issues or my personal views. The main reason I began this blog was to share information about using educational technology, that I formerly distributed via email. Blogging has also been a great "back up" for my brain. If I find a useful tool or application and write about it here, I never have to look very far to retrieve the information. And, sad to say, as I grow older, these tired brain cells seem to drop information from the memory banks much more quickly than I would like to admit.

I would like to point out, however, this has been a great year for me personally and professionally. I find it hard to put into words the gratitude and great respect I have for those who were instrumental in nominating and supporting me, as I received two incredible peer-recognition awards this year: the 2007 Outstanding Technology Using Educator award from the Illinois Computing Educators (ICE), and the 2007 Outstanding Leader award from the International Society for Techology in Education (ISTE).

I am reminded of a quote (reportedly in a letter to Robert Hooke on Feb. 15, 1676), from Sir Isaac Newton: "If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." There are truly some gigantic shoulders that have provided me with a fantastic "view" of the possibilities for reaching and teaching each and every child, and in my position as a staff developer, the adult learners in schools. I continue to be amazed at the learning made possible by technology in our very "wired-world." And, yet, with all of the tools available, I still read stories about educators who remain disconnected. How sad for them and their students. We still have a long way to go, or do we?

The good news is that we, as educators, do not need to fear attempting innovation in isolation. If I am inclined to try a new approach to teaching a topic, unit or problem, there are literally hundreds of like-minded educators available and willing to assist, only a few keystrokes away. Research has shown that in order for professional development to be successful, it must be ongoing and embedded into daily practice. I truly believe educators must model lifelong learning so that our students can witness the value of learning firsthand. Establishing professional learning communities can help make this happen. It's important to note that communities of like-minded folks can exist in-person or online. Tools commonly labeled as "Web 2.0" provide connections and collaboration in ways not possible just a year ago.

This year, I have made numerous "connections" by networking with educators using Twitter, most recently being introduced to my very generous Secret Elf (online), who I can't wait to learn more about and from. I have "attended" virtually-hosted conferences using Elluminate, and dropped in and participated in informal sharing of topics via UStream.tv, and have shared in kind. I have pondered why educators teach, and have attempted to pay attention to the continuing evolution of technology, and its possibilities, so that I can find the best tools for learning and teaching to share with the adults in my school. I often think of The Three Princes of Serendip, the fairy tale in which the heroes “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.” I wouldn't quite place myself in the "hero" category, although I'm amazed by the amount of valuable "learning" information I continue to stumble upon each day, thanks to the generosity of the educators in my sphere.

I can hardly imagine what the new year will bring. My hope is that learning will be great in 2008, for me, and for you and yours. Happy New Year!

XO = Great Learning Tool!

2007-12-21T22:00:00.000-06:00

My OLPC XO was delivered two days ago. When I ordered the XO as part of the One Laptop Per Child's Give 1 Get 1 program, I had little idea of the learning potential of this device. The concept of providing a laptop for a child in a developing country had great appeal. The wiki supporting the XO is a great example of the learning that is possible with this device: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activities

This is my first experience exploring Linux as an operating system. Several Linux-based programs (referred to as "Activities") such as the TamTam Jam, Turtle Art (logo programming) and Pippy are preinstalled.

Some of the keyboard keys and other hardware components are not yet functional, such as the ability to write on the trackpad with a stylus, however, many Activities and upgrades are in the works. It will be nice to have the ability to "sleep" the laptop.. a feature that reportedly will be coming soon in 2008.

The ability to fold the screen flat, and use the hardware buttons to navigate through the content is an interesting feature that is useful for reading eBooks. I have yet to explore the recording features and I am looking forward to the possibility of collaborating with other XO owners.

I had a bit of trouble connecting to the Internet using our school's visitor access point, since the browser could not authenticate the certificate, but our network manager was able to grant the access needed. Adding the device to my home network was relatively easy.

Will I use the XO for daily computing tasks? Probably not. I'm not that accustomed to the small keyboard, and I feel somewhat limited by the speed (it's not the fastest device I have used). For a child, however, this is one powerful learning tool. Kudos to the XO dreamers and developers who's mission "is to provide a means for learning, self-expression, and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education."

I love "feel good" stories!

2007-12-09T19:31:00.000-06:00

I love "feel good" stories, and it seems that at this time of year, many folks devote their time to finding ways to spread a bit of "holiday cheer." While reading Will Richardson's blog today I learned about a 10-year-old child's effort to make a difference by performing random acts of kindness during the 25 days leading up to Christmas.

This might be thought of as a typical activity many youngsters engage in as part of their Sunday School lessons about Christmas and gift-giving. What is different in this instance is that Laura is sharing her efforts on a blog (with Mom's help). And, in the 9 days since Laura began her blog, she has gotten over 8,300 hits and almost 2 dozen children joining her in a commitment to making a difference too!

Follow Laura's progress at Twenty Five Days to Make a Difference -- maybe you could post a comment about how she truly is making a difference! It might make you both feel good.

Please speak up!

2007-11-28T03:35:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again - time to Speak Up during the National Speak Up event, brought to you by http://www.tomorrow.org.

Last year at this time, teachers and students at Stevenson joined the national dialog by completing the Speak Up Day survey. This is the 5th year of the Speak Up, facilitating the inclusion of student voices in national and local discussions on education and technology.

This year's question themes are: Learning and Teaching with Technology, Web 2.0 in Education, 21st Century Skills, Science Instruction & Global Competitiveness, Emerging Technologies in the Classroom (Gaming, Mobile Devices, Online Learning) and Designing the School of the Future. Also new this year: the parent survey is available in English and Spanish.

This annual event is now open for K-12 students, teachers, parents and new this year -- school leaders. The Speak Up surveys will be open through December 21, 2007. You may preview the survey questions at: http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_surveys.html

Speak Up, a national online research project facilitated by Project Tomorrow^SM, gives individuals the opportunity to share their viewpoints about key educational issues. Each year, findings are summarized and shared with national and state policy makers. Participating schools and districts can access their data online, free-of-charge.

All districts and schools, in the current NCES database, are automatically registered to participate in Speak Up. To participate in the survey and obtain free, online access to your school or district’s aggregated results, your registration must be activated by an adult at your school. If your school has not yet joined this effort, there is still time! Browse on over to http://www.netdayspeakup.org/

ComicLife Meets Curriculum and other great resources ...

2007-11-21T00:39:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday I hopped on board the Amtrak express from Chicago to Springfield, to attend and present two sessions at the IETC (Illinois Educational Technology Conference). My session on Google Tools for Educators was filled to capacity. I also presented on using Wikis -- one of my favorite Web 2.0 tools. I recorded both sessions and have posted the audio files on the websites. After listening to myself (doesn't everyone hate hearing their own voice?), I think that I need to work on slowing down a bit. However, by providing the audio from the session, at least the attendees can rewind and play back anything that I zipped through.

One of the sessions, "Comic Life Meets the Curriculum," was presented by Marilee Sarlitto from Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96, and Judith Epcke of Northbrook School District 28. Although I couldn't attend, I was able to review the resources on their website, which is a goldmine of information on this very engaging software. I would encourage you to check it out.

Check out the handouts and weblinks from other sessions: http://www.il-edtech.org/Handouts07_Thursday.htm and http://www.il-edtech.org/Handouts07_Friday.htm

'Tis the Season to Help the Less Fortunate

2007-11-12T22:37:00.000-06:00

Today you have two opportunities to help those less fortunate in our world. One way will cost you nothing but time, while the other will require that you dig a little deep into your pockets.

1. Feed the hungry and feed your brain!
FreeRice.com will donate 10 grains of rice for each word you get correct in the online vocabulary challenge. ("WARNING: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance...") Rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good. Visit the United Nations World Food Program to learn more about their successful approach to ending hunger.

2. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)'s "Give One Get One" program starts in the U.S. and Canada today (Nov. 12), and ends on Dec. 31st.
During this time, for a donation of $399, you can donate the revolutionary XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and also receive one for the child in your life (or the child in you) in recognition of your contribution. $200 of your donation is tax-deductible (your $399 donation minus the fair market value of the XO laptop you will be receiving). For all U.S. donors who participate in the Give One Get One program, T-Mobile is offering one year of complimentary HotSpot access. Wifi "HotSpot" access can be used with any Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as your laptop computer or a Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phone.

Live Netcasting Casts Large Net

2007-11-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

Time Magazine's cover story in Dec. 2006 told the story "about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before" due to the "new" Web, which has become a "tool for bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter." Here's a small contribution for you to consider.

On Tuesday after school, members of the Northen Illinois Computing Educators (NICE) met after school to learn about teaching with interactive white boards. Two teachers compared the features of Promethean ActivBoards and SMARTBoards and shared their classroom experiences. The meeting was attended by several dozen local educators as well as educators across the country. How? Live netcasting!

Websites such as UStream and Operator11 allow anyone the ability to reach far beyond their in-person audience, by providing the means for live streaming. Users can broadcast themselves "live" using a webcam and an Internet connection, as well as record it for later viewing. There is also a live "text chat" window for discussion during the broadcast -- a technique that has been called "back-channeling."

And you should know, it's free. Is it safe as well? The Read/WriteWeb blog reports that with Operator11, "because everything being streamed over the site is taped, and because the users know that, they are far less likely to break the rules or do anything inappropriate."

Credit to Steve Dembo for taking this one step further and setting up a wikispace for educators (EdTV) to post their broadcast links. What's on? We are! You can be too! You are invited to tune in, and learn from our presentation.

Bookshare.org now funded by U.S. federal Dept. of Ed

2007-10-21T07:50:00.000-05:00

In my quest to find a scanned version of the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, I browsed to Bookshare.org, and learned that on October 1, 2007, the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. federal Department of Education made a major five-year award of $32 million to further the objectives of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), by supplying high quality textbooks and educational materials to students with special needs.

This funding is designed to fully support all schools, and students 26-years-old and under, with qualifying print disabilities in the United States, K-12 and post-secondary. Bookshare.org will provide these students with access to the entire collection of accessible electronic books, and to software for reading those books. Bookshare.org's website reports they also expect to add over 100,000 new educational titles in high quality DAISY and Braille formats over the next five years, getting students the terrific quality textbooks they need for academic success.

This will save countless hours of scanning and reworking print material for our students with learning and physical disabilities.

By the way, Speak is not yet in the Bookshare.org library. If you have a scanned version that you can share, please contact me.

Amazing Street View in Google Maps

2007-10-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

Check out some new views in Google Maps using the amazing "you are there" tool called Street View. Google posted this intro 4 days ago on YouTube and it has already been viewed more than 130,000 times (wonder why they didn't post it on Google Videos?)

Street View is currently available in six U.S. cities: Chicago, Portland, Philadelphia, Tucson, Phoenix and Pittsburgh. And, it's not just the cities themselves, but out in the suburbs as well. The "blue" indicates where Street View is available:

Street View provides a 360-degree view at a given point on the map. Here's a look at our school, if you were driving by on Rt. 22:

Google Maps Help says: "To navigate along a street, click one of the white arrows overlaid on the street to move in that direction. You can also use arrow keys. Street names display within the info window. You can navigate on to another street once you reach the center of an intersection."

I grew up in the city of Chicago here:

The neighborhood is still looking pretty good. I wonder how often these views will be updated. Take a virtual walk!

K12 Online Conference -- tagged!

2007-10-10T14:17:00.000-05:00

Vinnie Vrotny tagged me with a meme to help promote the K12 Online Conference, which "opened" this week with a pre-conference keynote by David Warlick. How appropriate, since announcing the K12 Online Conference was to be the subject of my next post.

What is the K12 Online Conference?
The K12 Online Conference could be described as an open source conference, you can choose when, where, how, and at what level you will participate -- AND, there is no cost to you, other than your time!

Congratulations to its conveners, Darren Kuropatwa, Wes Fryer, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, and Lani Ritter-Hall who have voluntarily organized this year's 2007 conference, and in the process, have gathered 40 volunteer presenters who will provide information on topics they are passionate about. Add to that: four live events, three fireside chats and one 24-hour culminating gathering that will allow educators from all over the world to connect and share ideas, thoughts, and experiences with each other during the two weeks of presentations, and beyond.

If you don’t have time to "tune in" during the conference dates (October 15-27), you can visit the presentations anytime, which will be available in perpetuity, or when the technology evolves, which ever comes first.

K12 Online Conference Meme Rules
To share either three (3) reasons to participate based on your experience from last year or (if you didn’t attend last year) three (3) things you hope to gain from the experience this year.

My Responses to the Meme

I continue to learn and re-learn from last year's presentations. Since I subscribed in iTunes, I only need to dial up David or Wes or Mark to review the information.
I am grateful for what I have learned, and that I have been able to teach others at workshops and conferences throughout the year.
What better way to "meet" like-minded educators! You do not have to innovate in isolation! These folks genuinely care that you learn -- and they don't even know you yet.

Who is next?

I tag: Lucy Gray, Joe Brennan and the TechChicks (Anna and Helen)

Technorati Tags: k12online, k12online07

Great new tool from Google!

2007-09-24T23:28:00.000-05:00

Each week in the Staff Development Lab, we offer a "Power Lunch" learning session that focuses on ways to integrate technology. Faculty and staff members are invited to "learn as they munch" -- they bring their lunch to the lab, and we provide a short demonstration (about 20 minutes) and a beverage and treat (cookies, granola bar, etc.).

Last week's topic was "Google Tools for the Classroom" which focused on using "Google Docs" -- word processing and spreadsheet files that can be shared, co-authored and edited in real time, on the web. Documents can be public or private, and can be shared as "view only" or with editing access. CommonCraft has recently published a great introductory video called "Google Docs in Plain English" -- see: http://www.commoncraft.com/video-googledocs

As I was preparing for the session, I created a handout to share with the attendees, along with several sample files for the demo. However, as I was sharing the process for uploading files, I was surprised to see that in addition to uploading Word and Excel files, Google now provides an online presentation tool!

Users can upload PowerPoint files, which can be edited using a web browser. Similar to the Docs and Spreadsheet tools, collaborators and viewers can be invited, and the final presentation can be published for all. There is a even a feature for presenting "live" across the Internet and the ability to interact with the internet-based audience.

There are about a dozen background templates for creating a presentation without first uploading a PowerPoint file. Limitations are: not more than 10mb in size, and unlike Docs and Spreadsheets, presentation files cannot be downloaded for further editing in PowerPoint.

What a great educational tool for students who are given "group" projects. No worries about who had the most recent copy of the presentation. No worries about file incompatibility. Yay Google!!

Helping Educators Become Technology Literate

2007-09-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

There are many considerations in helping educators become technology literate. I think it is especially hard these days, given the amount of information we and our students are exposed to on a daily basis. Not to mention the fact that technology, both hardware and software, continues to change and evolve at a rapid pace. It seems that as soon as you become comfortable with a tool, a new and improved version is released. As much as I embrace the use of technology, and how it can enrich students' experiences in the classroom, I sometimes find it challenging to "keep up."

I was clearing out some old email messages and came across a discussion I had with an Instructional Technologist from Texas about trying to help teachers become more technology literate. My response to her inquiry included the following questions:

What are the "technology" expectations for your teachers?
Are technology goals defined at the local level by the stakeholders, or are they state mandated?
What is the teacher's mission for integrating technology?
What are their frustrations?
Do the teachers have access to reliable technology tools?
Do they understand where or how technology can improve learning?
There are always beginners, adapters and innovators when it comes to using technology, yet every school seems to have a few teachers willing to take risks with technology, does yours? If yes, these teachers need to be your evangelists! They need to spread their excitement!
How can the technology innovators in your school, help those still struggling?
Can you enlist the innovators in your school to share their best practices and success stories? Often, one teacher doesn't know what another is doing, and some very awesome things could be happening in your own backyard that should be showcased!
Time is a precious commodity that teachers never seem to have enough of. If your evangelists can show how they have overcome the time obstacle, it may inspire others as well.
How do you allow teachers to experience, and most of all celebrate, success? There is nothing more frustrating than going to an inservice day, or training session, and come away feeling they will never "get it," or "this will never work in my class."
As an instructional technologist, what is your biggest challenge in integrating the technology?
Do you offer assistance in the classroom?
Are you designing technology-rich lessons or are the teachers expected to create them?
Who teaches the students technology literacy? Do you have a computer "person" who does, or is this the teacher's responsibility?
Can you show teachers how technology can make their lives easier?
What kind of information in small bits can you offer, that will show teachers how technology supports learning? Or, help their students to learn better?

Perhaps you are in a position to provide support to educators and have asked (or answered) these questions? I would love to learn your tips.

Whew! We're rolling now.... hmmm... what to learn?

2007-09-09T17:28:00.000-05:00

It's been a bit of a hectic start to the school year. There is always a flurry of things to get done, and most everyone has questions, even though we hadn't changed many things over the summer. One major undertaking was that our campus became totally wireless this year. Since so many of our teachers are using laptops, this is a welcome upgrade! It has somehow affected our ability to iChat in BonJour though. We just don't "see" each other anymore.

So, now that things are settling in, it's time to set our goals for the coming year. In our professional learning community, we are committed to life-long learning. So, what will our learning consist of? What tools will we use in our classrooms? Will we risk trying something new? How will we learn? Who will teach us?

The web is a wonderland of both useless and useful information. I love the fact that so much information is online and freely available. So much to learn, so little time. But, here's something to get you going. Check out Common Craft, where complex items are explained in plain English -- "their product is explanation." Confused about Web 2.0 tools such as Social Bookmarking, Wikis, and RSS? The Common Craft videos are great starters to introduce you to these concepts.

Happy learning!

Your Mission: Keep Learning!

2007-08-22T06:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to school!
As we begin to gear up for another year, we have spent the last several days working with staff and teachers to "get them up to speed" on the changes and improvements that have occurred during the summer.

In our back to school "learning" sessions, we provide a brief overview of the web-based services for which we are fortunate to have subscriptions. Being a "technology trainer," I am most appreciative of the wonderful online tutorials at Atomic Learning.com. If you have never visited this website, (or haven't visited it lately), make some time to go there soon.

There are many free tutorials available without a subscription, such as the beginning-level tutorials in each topic, AND, for a limited time, visitors have access to a workshop series on how to use pbwiki (a super easy to use wiki site -- free for educators).

Atomic Learning has also recently aligned their offerings to State standards, and have provided a search tool to find topics or lesson accelerators by State, subject and grade.

Our local ISTE affiliate, the Illinois Computing Educators (ICE), provides all members with a subscription to Atomic Learning. The cost of ICE membership is less than an individual subscription to Atomic Learning, so you might want to take a look at joining ICE -- which provides additional benefits, and the opportunity to connect with like-minded educators!

Keep learning!

Apple Releases iLife 08 !

2007-08-11T23:36:00.000-05:00

I've just spent 20 minutes viewing highlights of Apple's newest release of iLife 08. iPhoto has been updated with some great features, such as the ability to organize photos by "event." iPhoto automatically sorts photos by events according to the day photos are taken. All the photos from one event can be skimmed through in a small preview window. When viewing the photos in a single event, iPhoto provides a "hide" feature for pictures that you just don't want to throw away, but you might not want to view all the time.

In addition to some new printing templates, I was most impressed by the new Web gallery for sharing photos on .Mac ("dot Mac"). Photos can be published/uploaded with a single click and viewed on any web browser in a variety of ways -- (reminds me of viewing photos in Flickr) and high quality downloads for printing are available as well.

The best feature is that others can add or upload to your gallery!! I have been a .Mac subscriber since it was first given away free (currently $99 per year) and now .Mac subscribers are being given more webspace, increasing it to 10GB combined storage for mail and web publishing! Yay!

iMovie has been totally recreated to allow "super-fast movie creation" using a built-in library of video clips that you can skim through to select sequences as easily as selecting text. Drag and organize sequences in the new project window and share your finished masterpiece in your .Mac web gallery, reportedly in higher resolution than DVD. Or, publish directly to YouTube is also an option in the Share menu. Among the formats the iMovie now accepts is DV, HDV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and AVCHD.

Of course, iWeb is still available for publishing websites that include blogs, podcasts, and photos in creative albums. However, now iWeb also provides web-widgets for adding interactive content such as embedded YouTube videos and "interactive Google maps." Google's Ad-Sense program is also available as a widget, if you choose to use this (I hate ads on webpages).

GarageBand 08 has a new feature for musicians. Take the "stage" with a hand-picked virtual band, (just turn on and off instruments) to create music using your own instrument, voice, etc.

Check out iLife at http://www.apple.com/ilife/. Upgrades are $79.

Be sure to note the system requirements: iMovie requires OS X 10.4.9, and an Intel processor, a Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0GHz or faster), or an iMac G5 (1.9GHz or faster). iMovie HD 6, previously distributed with iLife ’06, is available for download for those who have purchased and installed iLife ’08 at http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html

8 Random Things Meme ... I've Been Tagged...

2007-08-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, a bit of fun before we begin the new school year. A blogger meme has been circulating and I've been tagged by Lucy Gray.

Here are the Rules:

* Post these rules before you give your facts
* List 8 random facts about yourself
* At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
* Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged.

My random facts:
1. I was a Bleacher Bum in 1970 (left field of course).
2. ... it was easy because I grew up on the north side of Chicago.
3. I married my high school sweetheart (30+ years ago)
4. ... we met working in a fast-food restaurant.
5. I'm left-handed.
6. I bake the most awesome-ist apple slices!
7. I'll drive to Milwaukee for Leon's custard on 27th Street.
8. I can spell and say the longest word in the dictionary: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconeosis

I am tagging:
1. Vinnie Vrotny
2. Wes Fryer
3. Scott McLeod
4. Miguel Guhlin
5. Bud Hunt
6. Eric Langhorst
7. Sharon Peters
8. Dean Shareski

Have fun!

Becoming a Digital Educator in the 21st Century

2007-07-26T20:52:00.000-05:00

For the last several weeks I have been leading an online workshop through the ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) Summer Series, titled "Your Guide to Becoming a Digital Educator." We are reading and reflecting on the many facets of "teaching digital" -- from learning about digital natives, digital immigrants, and the importance of 21st century literacy, to exploring Web 2.0 tools such as blogs and wikis.

I am impressed with the conversations taking place. Some concerns have been brought up regarding Internet safety:

Teacher "S" writes: My K-6 students don't take it seriously at all, and we even had a police officer come in to talk with them about Internet predators. At my school we had some particular issues with student MySpace accounts, and it turns out that one is supposed to be at least 14 to even open an account. My oldest students are 12 and many of them already have accounts. I don't know how to get them to take safety seriously.

Teacher "L" (High School AP teacher) responds: My students think they know what a "weirdo" looks like on line...they don't think that a 32 yr. old could be posing as a student at a local high school! The kids at my school say that nobody really uses My Space anymore and that Facebook is more popular. When our Principal sent a letter warning parents about the dangers of myspace the kids mocked it in the school newspaper.

Are these concerns widespread? What about resources such as CyberSmart, iSafe or NetSmartz? Are parents and schools on the same page? If not, why not?

Tweet Me?

2007-07-25T23:21:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I am a little late... but I am now fully "Twittered."

I learned about Twitter a while back, and created my account, but never took much time to really set it up. I wasn't really sure why anyone would really care what I was up to. Today, however, I needed to get a hold of Steve Dembo, who is presenting the luncheon "keynote" at our Summer Experience workshop next week. I wasn't sure about his email address, and even though he was showing up as available on my IM list, he wasn't responding. Well, I knew Steve was a Twitterer, so I dug out my info and logged in. At first I wasn't to sure how to add him to my Twitter list, or post or send a message that he would see, but in a few minutes I figured it out. I was surprised to get an almost instant reply from him in his car!

Of course I then spent the next hour culling through his 180-plus contacts to locate mutual acquaintances, and their mutual "Twitterees" and so on -- and I began building my Twitter list. I've added 34 to my list so far, and (just a few hours later) 10 Twitterers have already responded in kind. What is intriguing is the conversations that occur. It's somewhat like a "live listserv" -- post a thought, question or comment, and someone is back atcha in no time. I have also discovered Twitterific for monitoring the postings.

I'm there!

Prepare to learn!

2007-07-22T12:15:00.000-05:00

Last fall, an amazing group of educators convened online for the first ever K-12 online conference. This event was presented to anyone and everyone at no cost, and included an option for receiving graduate credit. The 2006 presentations are archived and available 24/7 at: http://k12onlineconference.org/docs/k12online06-agenda.html

This coming fall, it will happen again. From the website (http://k12onlineconference.org/):
"This year’s fantastic line up of keynote presenters will create an inviting and welcoming introduction in which the sharing of ideas among diverse learners working in diverse contexts continues. These distinguished folks will not only extend the conversations, but also invite each of us to stretch and grow as they share their expertise and wisdom in their respective strands."

This year's conference strands are, Classroom 2.0, New Tools, Professional Learning Networks, and Obstacles to Opportunities. Check out the list of presentations planned, and mark your calendars now!

This year’s conference is scheduled to be held over two weeks, October 15-19 and October 22-26 of 2007, and will include a pre-conference keynote during the week of October 8. This year’s conference theme is “Playing with Boundaries.”

Sometimes you just need to "see" it...

2007-07-14T09:01:00.000-05:00

Here's a website to help you visualize vocabulary: http://www.visuwords.com/
From the website:

It's a dictionary! It's a thesaurus!
Great for writers, journalists, students, teachers, and artists.
The online dictionary is available wherever there’s an internet connection.
No membership required.

Visuwords™ uses Princeton University’s WordNet, an opensource database built by University students and language researchers. Combined with a visualization tool and user interface built from a combination of modern web technologies, Visuwords™ is available as a free resource to all patrons of the web.

I think a major strong point is the color coding (nouns are blue, verbs are green, etc.)!

The Best Experience You'll Have This Summer!

2007-07-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

Calling all Northern Illinois educators!! Don't miss this awesome opportunity to enhance your skills for integrating technology in your classroom, and beyond!!

When: August 2 & 3
Where: Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Cost: $100 for both days! Earn CDPUs!!

Visit: http://www.wiu.edu/otep/summerexperience/

Register early for the best selection!!

WHY do YOU teach?

2007-07-03T03:17:00.001-05:00

Tell us WHY you teach!
Originally uploaded by charlenechausis

One of my favorite things at NECC this year was the random placement of these acrylic boards, with grease pencils in a cup, inviting participants to share WHY they teach.

Here are some of the comments written:
* For the aha moments!
* For our children.
* To help a child see opportunities!
* To learn more myself.
* Because I love children.
* Making a difference can't be beat.
It just inspires me.
Because I want to change the world.

How about YOU?

Visit NECC in your PJs!

2007-06-30T12:16:00.000-05:00

How can you visit NECC in your PJs? Virtually, of course. There are numerous resources online sharing NECC experiences in pictures, videos, blog postings and podcasts. Here are some places to begin your exploration ...

Gearing up for NECC

2007-06-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

In just a few days I am off to Atlanta to attend ISTE's National Education Computing Conference (NECC). I am looking forward to connecting with educators that I previously have only met online, as well as, catch up with others that I met last year. The best part of NECC is being able to learn from like-minded colleagues -- those who are all passionate about teaching and learning, and infusing technology in the process.

There will be wireless access available at the conference center, so I will be blogging and sharing info as I learn it. And, to make it easy to follow all the blog postings, ISTE has created individual blog tags or labels for each session (and presentation, meeting, lecture, showcase, etc.) to help keep track of all the blog posts and tagged photos from a specific session. Check out the list that Steve Hargedon has assembled at:
http://www.stevehargadon.com/2007/06/necc-2007-session-tags-and-feeds.html

So, you too, can attend NECC virtually!

Your opinion matters to U.S....

2007-06-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

I know many educators who work hard to integrate the tools of technology in their professional practice. Now is the time step forward and let your voices be heard!! U.S. Dept. of Education Secretary Spellings would like to hear your ideas on the integration of technology in education, and has posted the following 4 questions on the Dept. of Education website:

1. In what ways has technology improved the effectiveness of your classroom, school or district?

2. Based on your role (administrator, parent, teacher, student, entrepreneur, business leader), how have you used educational data to make better decisions or be more successful?

3. In what ways can technology help us prepare our children for global competition and reach our goals of eliminating achievement gaps and having all students read and do math on grade level by 2014?

4. What should be the federal government's role in supporting the use of technology in our educational system?

Please take a moment to provide feedback on these (there is a 1,000 character limit for each answer) -- click here to enter your opinions!

Do you need to send or share large files???

2007-05-16T01:30:00.000-05:00

More and more I run across email systems that have file size restrictions for sending attachments. While this may be good for email traffic, it can present a challenge when users want to share large files, such as "giga-pixel" images from the newest digital cameras. The good news is that FREE online options are available.

Of course, before you attempt to send any large file, it's always good practice to use a utility to compress the file (or folder). On the Mac, this is easily accomplished by "zipping" the file or folder:
1) Click once to select (highlight) the file or folder icon
2) From the File menu, select Create archive of "selected_file"
3) The archived file is created, (look for "selected_file.zip")

If the compressed file is still too large for your email system, check out: Openomy.com, dropload.com or yousendit.com. (credit and thanks to the wonderful "techtips" posted by Miguel Guhlin).

Of these, my favorite is YouSendit.com, a free service that's as easy as 1-2-3:
1) Pick who you want to send a file to (anyone with an email address - and multiple addresses can be entered).
2) "Browse" to select the file on your computer (up to 100 MB in size) -- it can be music, photos, documents, or anything. Your file will be stored by YouSendIt without ever filling up your recipient's mailbox.
3) Click the Send It button. YouSendIt will automatically email your recipient a link to your file stored on the YouSendIt server.

* Files automatically "expire" in 7 days.
* No sign-ups, no passwords required, although signing up provides additional features.
* Advertising supported (this is why it is free).

Another company, 4shared.com provides a 1 GB virtual drive (with individual file size limits of 50 MB). Once loaded, you can set files to be public or private. Note that if you do not login for 30 days, your account and all files are removed.

AP Government Review Goes National!

2007-05-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

Adlai E. Stevenson High School Government teachers Andy Conneen and Dan Larsen are taking their Advanced Placement Government Review Show to a national audience on Sunday, May 6. After hosting the country’s only AP Radio Review show on WAES-FM (Stevenson's local radio station) for the last four years, the “2Regular Guys” will take their radio review to Chicago-based WLS-AM 890. The nationally syndicated radio program “Beyond the Beltway” with Bruce Dumont will team with the Stevenson teachers and dedicate its entire program on Sunday (from 6 to 8 p.m.) to helping prepare students for the AP Government test on May 7.

The program also will feature Stevenson seniors Michael Levine and Megha Shankar, who will help a national audience of students prepare for the exam by discussing the political news of the week -- and explaining how the current issues relate to exam topics such as federalism, separation of powers and executive authority. Vanessa Lal Steinkamp also will be an in-studio guest.

Students can contact the show with questions about exam topics by calling 800-723-8289, by emailing BTB@museum.tv, or by joining the online review community at http://citizenu.org. Students will find an excellent online U.S. Constitution Review guide on the blog, and each Friday, these "2Regular Guys" publish the CitizenU podcast, available through iTunes at: pcast://feeds.feedburner.com/CitizenU

Beyond the Beltway with Bruce DuMont is a live, weekly program that takes America's political pulse and provides a fresh and balanced perspective of national politics. The program is produced every Sunday night from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. The radio version of Beyond the Beltway is heard on more than 60 stations from coast to coast. The audio also is streamed live every Sunday at http://www.beyondthebeltway.com.