Today's Document from the National Archives

Giving students the opportunity to examine history first-hand instead of always relying on secondary sources (interpretations of others) is so important as we strive to teach our students to think.   Comparing primary source material to what is available about the topic from textbooks and other materials requires critical thinking and analysis skills.  These skills require students to examine their current beliefs and knowledge in the context of the day in which the original document was produced.  What else was going on at that time politically, economically, geographically, culturally, and scientifically (is that even a word?)

If you believe, as I do, that the ability to analyze primary source documents is important for young learners, then you'll want to check out a new feature at the The National Archives called "Today's Document."   Every day, a primary source document is highlighted.  Supplemental materials are a click away. 

Yesterday's document was the reward poster for John Wilkes Booth.  Today's includes measurements from Peary's North Pole Expedition in 1909.  One day last week the document was a memo written to President Truman about the Manhattan Project.  All have elements of controversy.  Kids like controversy. 

The Library of Congress has published some excellent tips/ideas for teachers to help them learn to use primary source documents in the classroom.  Teachers must be ready to delve into the world of open-ended responses with no right or wrong answers, and be comfortable with fiery discussions of assumptions, stereotypes and belief systems.  Would it be possible for students to compare what occured in history to similar themed events of today?  You bet! And it will peak their curiosity, draw them  in, and help them learn to think.   Primary source documents are abound in all content areas; this type of engaging learning environment should never be limited to history teachers!

Math Curriculum Makeover

If you teach math, you'll want to see this 12 minute video by Dan Meyer. It has some simple and creative ideas of how to make math more relevant and meaningful to students by reframing questions and adding multimedia.  The suggestions will get your students talking and caring about math.

Learning Opportunity, Sat Apr 24

The Discovery Educator Network is hosting its annual Spring Virtual Conference on Saturday, April 24.  There are 20 "in person" conferences occuring all over the country.  If you live near one of the face-to-face events, you can attend in person.  If you live too far away, you can still attend virtually!  The sessions look fantastic:

• 9am (EST): Connections, Conversations, and Collaborations: Creating a Personal Learning Network That Works For You.  Learn to use online tools where you can reach out to connect and build your own Personal Learning Network, tailored to your needs.  Lee Kolbert, DEN Guru, Palm Beach County, FL


• 10am:  Homework Gone Digital.  Learn how to differentiate your instruction and connect with your students using the Discovery Education Student Center.   Matt Monjan, Discovery Education, Silver Spring, MD


• 11am:  When You’re Not the Smartest Person in the Room.  Using the Internet to open up you and your students to a vast world of knowledge, possibilities and connections.  Dean Shareski, Digital Learning Consultant, Prairie South School Division, Moose Jaw, SK, Canada


• 12pm: Cell Phones, Internet and Oprah:  How the US Presence in Iraq Has Affected Women’s Lives.  How the US Presence in Iraq Has Affected Women’s Lives.  Christina Asquith, Author of “Sisters in War: A Story of Love, Family and Survival in the New Iraq"


• 1pm:  Connecting Language Learners to the Curriculum through Digital Media.  Explore Discovery Education through the lens of Language Learners and see how digital media and technology can engage and benefit students from all backgrounds.  Lindsay Hopkins, Discovery Education, Los Angeles, CA


• 2pm:  Rock OUR World!  Global Collaboration; see how K-12 students have rocked their world by solving real problems while composing music, making movies and learning about each other in live video conferences.  Carol Anne McGuire, STAR Discovery Educator, Anaheim, CA


• 3pm:  DEN in Ten.  In this session we’ll explore all of the benefits the DEN offers and take a look at the many events planned for 2010.  Lance Rougeux, Discovery Education, Mechanicsburg, PA

Register NOW!  

To attend virtually, use this registration form.

To attend one of the in-person events, go here and click on the location you'd like to go to.

Videotaped Sessions from the MACUL Conference

The 2010 MACUL Conference was awesome this year.  If you’re interested in learning more about the positive impact of technology on teachers and students, you’ll want to see some of the videotaped sessions.  Speakers include:  

• Warren Buckleitner: Presenting the Dust and the Magic for 2010


• Hall Davidson:  1)Web 2.0 for Administrators and Others: Schools, Tools, and the 21^st Century, 2) The Teacher with 1,000 Brains, 3) Mash Media Marathon: New Web + Old Media = Your Own Great Stuff (I got to introduce him for this session!), 4) The Great Secret C’s for Content Creation: Chromakey, Curriculum, and Creativity


• Steve Dembo:  The Digital Native Lifestyle


• Leslie Fisher: Twitter Twitter Twitter


• Mike Flanagan: Connecting and Collaborating for 21^st Century Success


• Rushton Hurley:  1) Getting Teachers to Adopt Technology: What to Do and Not to Do, 2) Digital Video and other Projects You’ll Want to Do, 3) Hope for Teaching and Learning, 4) Free Tools from a Google-certified teacher


• Liz Kolb:  1) Developing Curriculum-Based Projects by Using Student Cell Phones, 2) Facebook for Learning


• Alan November:  Student as Contributor: The Digital Learning Farm


• Don Welch: Leverage Your State Network: Collaborate, Communicate, Create

 They are FREE and available on MI Streamnet and iTunes MI Learning. 

MI StreamNet:  http://www.mistreamnet.com/ and search for MACUL (scroll down to find the search box)

MI Learning: http://www.macul.org/milearning and click on "Visit MI Learning on iTunes U" > Professional Development > 2010 MACUL Conference

Enjoy!

Call for Speakers: SE Michigan Ed Tech Conference

Please consider sharing your expertise at the 2010 Educational Technology Leadership Conference, held at Thurston High School, Redford (metro Detroit) on June 21-22, sponsored by the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL).

Keynote presenters at the conference include Karen Cator, Director of Educational Technology for the United States Department of Education, and Jaime Casap, Google Education Evangelist.

Are you interested in presenting a 60 minute break out session on a topic of your choice that would be of interest to your colleagues?   Presenters receive a complimentary full conference registration, a value of $125.

Please submit your proposal to present by April 26 at this link , or follow the link from the MACUL web site. 

The conference will be a great day of learning and collaboration!

2nd Graders' Weather Podcasts

A team of second grade teachers from Commerce Elementary School, one of the 14 elementary schools in my district recently met with me during a district professional development day.  They were searching for ideas of ways to incorporate technology into their curriculum and differentiate instruction.  After discussing many possibilities, we landed on using podcasting as a way for students to demonstrate their learning about science, publish to an audience larger than their classmates and teacher, and develop communication and literacy skills.  I did a quick demonstration of Audacity, a free program for recording audio, and showed them where to find my video tutorials on the district technology integration website.  They were surprised at how easy Audacity is to use.

The teachers were anxious to get started.  In fact, the following week, I received an email from one of the teachers, Jennifer Farough.  She told me that the previous week her students created a "feature article" about the weather.  Articles were about  hurricanes, snowstorms, thunderstorms, and tornadoes.   She then had all the students who wrote their article on the same topic work together to plan the script for a podcast.  The students quickly became engaged in the process, anxious to share their learning and use technology in a new way.  The podcasts they recorded are terrific;  if I didn't know what grade the students were in, I would have guessed them to be older, perhaps 3rd or 4th graders!  Click here for links to their weather podcasts.

So here is an example of how technology can enrich learning.  Technology is used to allow and encourage application of knowlege, creativity, collaboration, present to a wide audience, and make decisions about the most important  information to be used in their final product.   Teachers do not have to be "techies" to facilitate projects like this; they just need to be open to possibilities, and be willing to give it a try.   The students deepen their understanding as they create their project and teach others, and are so proud of their accomplishments!