MACUL Announces Free Memberships!

MACUL has announced that the organization will no longer charge a membership fee. The action was taken at a recent Board of Directors meeting in a unanimous vote that ended a 36 year history of charging members to belong to the organization.

“MACUL’s mission is to ignite learning through meaningful collaboration and innovation. In order to increase the opportunities for collaboration, the MACUL board chose to remove the barrier of fees for membership,” stated Board President Mike Oswalt, Assistant Superintendent, Regional Technology Services for the Calhoun Intermediate School District.

The free dues membership structure has been adopted by several organizations like MACUL who are affiliated with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), based in Eugene, Oregon. “Other organizations that have gone to a free dues membership have experienced tremendous growth. We feel that MACUL is well positioned to increase our membership and expand our impact in the Michigan educational community” said MACUL Executive Director Ric Wiltse.

Membership can be obtained either by attendance at MACUL events or applying for free membership online at macul.org. Events include regional workshops as well as Michigan’s largest annual education conference, “MACUL 2012” held March 7 – 9, 2012 in Grand Rapids. The total cost for the 2012 MACUL conference remains at the same rate as the past 5 years at $180 for a full conference registration.

For Frequently Asked Questions regarding the no dues membership, visit macul.org.

Infecting Students with "I Can"

This 9 1/2 minute TED Talk Video by Kiran Bir Sethi shows the power of empowering students to make a difference in the world.  It is inspirational! 

 

Reading in the Digital Age

I just finished reading an interesting article from the Nov 2011 ISTE Journal, Learning and Leading with Technology, titled "Reading Redefined for a Transmedia Universe" by Annette Lamb.  The ideas from the article are worth sharing.  Ms. Lamb calls for a new definition for the term reading, which traditionally is defined as decoding words on a printed page. She proposes a new definition:  Reading is the process of constructing meaning from symbols.

The popularity of mobile devices (smartphones, iPods, tablet pcs, netbooks, eReaders, etc), has made the downloading and sharing of electronic books possible, and reading electronic material is catching on fast for a lot of people.   This has turned on its head the idea of what it means to read a book.

What if you could access text and images like in a traditional book, but you could ALSO access reference videos, definitions, and audio if you wanted to?  What if you had more control over how you engage with the text?  And what if you read more simply because you have more opportunities to read because the content is always with you?

Digital reading devices promote new literacy skills that personalize the reading experience, such as digital note-taking, highlighting, bookmarking, and commenting.  Go ahead and write on the pages (yes, you can do it without getting in trouble!)  You can also change the size and style of font.

Have you heard of transmedia storytelling?  This involves multimedia participatory elements.  Resources connected to the story may include links to items such as documents, maps, web sites, mobile apps, video conferencing, games, and interacting with others on social media sites.  It is no surprise to me that children like it.

In his article "Transmedia Education: The 7 Principles Revisited," Henry Jenkins challenges teachers to actively involve students and put what they see, hear, and read to use.  Transmedia environments ask readers to seek out content, explore information in different contexts, evaluate ideas across formats, and interact with other readers.

Educators don't need to toss their current curriculum to make use of these new reading environments.  Instead, select those technology elements that enhance the learning experience.  Consider transforming the traditional reading workshop into an electronic reading workshop by exploring e-books, writing in electronic journals, holding online discussions, and using technology tools for publishing.

The author believes that educators will discover new ways to motivate digital age reading across the curriculum as digital content quality catches up with the explosion of easy-to-use technology, and I do, too.

If you are intrigued by the idea of transmedia stories, and want to check out some examples, here are a few:

• 39 Clues


• 3:15 by Patrick Carman


• Amanda Project


• Cathy young adult series


• Dark Eden by Patrick Carman


• Skeleton Creek series


• The Search for WondLa

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The Move From Print to Digital Content

I read an article from the October 2011 issue of THE Journal, titled "Driving Digital Change."  As a recent grad of the Educational Policy Fellowship Program and the current chair of MACUL's Advocacy Committee, I found the article very interesting and relevant.

There are about a dozen states that have changed laws or provided initiatives to encourage the use of digital content in schools. The driving force for changing policies having to do with digital content is saving money in a tough economic climate.

The Indiana State Board of Education changed the definition of "textbook" to include digital content. The state allows textbook funds to be used to purchase technology.  California, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Maine (there may be others) support and fund the use of open educational resources, which is free or low cost materials with Creative Commmons licenses.

The impact of the policies of these states and how they are implemented can provide some logical guidelines for other states. Policy makers should consider some key ideas when considering a move from print to digital content:  Instructional materials need to be included with any reform package, implementation must be included as part of policy, and the traditional concept of "instructional materials" needs an update.

If states and districts could work with internet and business-savvy experts to create a more modern, interconnected  vision for content, then related areas, like professional development and assessment, might become more cost-effective and efficient. Then and only then will policy for instructional materials reach every district.

The market is wide open for companies to develop and bring mobile technology with digital content to schools in our nation.  The "winner" will be a concept that includes device, content, and an easy management system for delivering individualized content to meet the needs of all learners.

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Teaching & Learning in the Cloud Conference, October 14, 2011

The 2011 Teaching and Learning in the Cloud Conference brings together
some of Michigan's leading educators to discuss how "Cloud-based
tools" and Web 2.0 resources can change your classroom and improve
student learning and motivation.  On October 14 in Holland, the
Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) is
following up last year's excellent inaugural "cloud" conference with a
new conference that promises to offer great insights, resources, and
strategies for you to take advantage of these online tools in ways
that can transform your classroom.

This year's conference features a keynote presentation from Steve
Dembo, a leader in online learning tools, and one of the favorites at
the MACUL annual conference.  Steve will look at cutting edge tools
that students are already using, and show how these tools can be used
to reinvigorate and enhance learning.  Then, dozens of presentations
and hands-on workshops from technology leaders across the state will
show you how to use individual tools for your classroom.  The conference organizers have hand-picked some of the most respected presenters from recent conferences to address the latest online tools for learning.  Jennifer Bond from Walled Lake will be facilitating a session on Edmodo. 

And, if you are looking for more, there will be a number of half-day
workshops the day before (Octover 13) for educators who want to get in-depth support for how to bring these tools, including Moodle, Google Docs, iPads and iPods, and several others, into your classrooms and schools to transform teaching and learning.  These sessions will allow you to get hands-
on support with these tools and leave with strategies and plans you
can use immediately in your schools.

Best of all, registration for the conference is only $80 for MACUL
members, and includes lunch along with this great program.  Pre-
conference workshops are $40 each.

For more information and registration, see a full list of sessions,
presenters, and details about this conference at:
http://techtools4teaching.org

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QR Codes for Teachers

A few teachers have asked me recently to explain QR codes.  Nobody can explain things as good as Lee LeFever at Common Craft, so I recommending watching his video; it is just over two minutes in length. 

Then start to think about the implications for a classroom teacher.  This post on the Teaching Happily Ever After blog may give you some ideas as well as provide some how-to information.

Try it out!  Here's a QR code I just generated in about 10 seconds on my computer using Kaywa QR Code Generator.  You'll need a QR code reader on your smart phone.  Go to the "Market" or "App Store" to find a free one to use.  I use an app called QR Droid on my phone, but there are lots of other options. 

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Coming Soon! Walled Lake Spice it Up Technology Conference

Walled Lake Consolidated School District in SE Michigan hosts an annual tech conference just prior to the school year begins; the Spice it Up Technology Conference.  I chair the event and it's coming up on Thursday, August 25.  It is sure to be our best yet!

Highlights: 

• Our keynote speaker is Dr. Rebecca Harris, General Motors' Social Media Strategist.  Dr. Harris will explain what GM does to communicate with consumers, stakeholders, and dealers to show how social media is a real medium that EVERYONE needs to understand to be successful in business and life today.  Our role as professionals in helping our students utilize social media in positive ways is critical as we help prepare them for success in their future endeavors.


• SB-CEUs are available for the first time!


• Over 50 sessions!


• Held in a beautiful school with wireless Internet access throughout, making BYOL sessions possible.


• Sessions for teachers, administrators, secretaries, and parapros.


• Lots of "buzz" in the air; people excited to attend and learn!

The conference brochure is available here.  Although the conference is put on by Walled Lake staff for Walled Lake staff, educators outside of our district can attend for a small fee.  Contact me if interested.

 

 

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Do You Understand Creative Commons Licensing?

As I work with teachers across the country, I find that very few have heard of Creative Commons licensing, and this is alarming to me.  Creative Commons is a non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share.  Educators MUST be aware of Creative Commons and teach students about it as they use images, sounds, and other multimedia components to help make up their own multimedia projects.

Creative Commons has been described as being at the forefront of the copyleft movement, which seeks to support the building of a richer public domain by providing an alternative to the automatic "all rights reserved" copyright.  When creators license their media with creative commons "some rights reserved" licensing, students (and adults) have the freedom to include the media/content in their own projects without breaking copyright laws.

For example, I take a lot of pictures and share them on Flickr with a Creative Commons license.  I welcome others to use my photos, as long as they give me credit and don't make money as a result.  My photos have a "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons" license.   The more people who copyright their own work with Creative Commons licensing, the better.  The creative collaborative culture of today depends on it!

There are six Creative Commons licenses.  Learn about them here.  It's easy to pick the appropriate license by using a wizard found here, answering a couple of questions about whether you are okay with your work being used for commercial purposes and whether you are okay with it being modified/remixed.

If you are looking for content to use in your own projects, consider going to the Creative Commons Image Search Webpage or Flickr's Creative Commons search page.

This two minute video created by Justin Cone, called "Building on the Past," was the winner of the CC Moving Images Contest.  It demonstrates what Creative Commons is, how it works, in a clever way.  Enjoy!

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Iowa, Did You Know?

 

Another version of the highly shared "Did You Know?" video has been recently published.  It's written to be used in Iowa, but as I watched it, I found that other states could be substituted with the same effect. The video is 7.5 minutes in length.  A facilitator's guide and other resource materials are available on Scott McLeod's Big Think Blog.

The video is aimed at Iowa policymakers, citizens, and educators and is intended to help them feel a greater sense of urgency when it comes to changing our schools. Right now there’s a fair amount of complacency; the average Iowan isn’t
coming to his or her school board or politician saying, “Hey, why aren’t you preparing my kids for this digital, global world we now live in?!”

Take a look at the video and see what you think. Even if you don’t live in Iowa, I think you’ll find it quite pertinent to your educational context too.

I live in Michigan, and it's pertinent to Michiganians for sure!

 

 

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Salman Khan on TED

I have visited the Khan Academy many times, but learned more about the student data collection features, the ability to track use of video, and the possibillity of students earning badges based on content mastery by watching this 20 min TED Video.

GRAND RAPIDS LIP DUB VIDEO

This isn't a typical Yes Tech! post, but this video gives me the chills and needs to be shared!  I think of all the planning for this video and the collaboration and technology involved and know that it was a HUGE undertaking.  The video was created in response to a Newsweek article that put  Grand Rapids, Michigan on the top ten list of "dying cities" in America.  Over 3,000 people participated in the filming and it shows off the beautiful scenery of downtown Grand Rapids.  I love the ending, videotaped from a helicopter  The video is almost 10 minutes in length, and is well worth your time.   Congratulations to the creators and the people of Grand Rapids!

DEN Geocaching Day

I hosted an event today in Milford, Michigan, as part of Discovery Educator Network’s Geocaching Day. Similar events were held all across the country (25 of them, I believe). It was a great day of collaboration, learning, and outdoor fun. My group gathered at the Milford Public Library and found seven caches along Milford Trail, a path that goes from the library to Kensington Metropark. The scenery was beautiful and sun was shining!

After finding all seven of the caches we searched for, we discussed plans for implementation in the classroom. A high school science teacher who teaches a forensic class (like CSI) plans to use geocaching as part of a problem-solving crime scene to catch a murderer. A middle school math teacher plans to use geocaching as part of her algebra class, creating a multi-cache scavenger hunt with a study of slope at the end. We brainstormed many more ideas as well!

We all appreciate the sponsorship by Discovery Education for events like this. Thanks, DEN!

EdCamp Detroit

Last Saturday, I attended EdCamp Detroit at Wayne State University, http://edcampdetroit.org/.  It was a conference designed to bring educators together to discuss technology that works.  The format was not typical; it was an unconference, a conference format quickly growing in popularity across the country.  You really need to experience it to understand it.  The organizers provide the basic framework, the people who attend decide what will be discussed.

The people who show up can volunteer to facilitate a session if they want to.  They write their topic and name on a piece of paper and tape it to the wall.  The conference organizers assign the sessions to specific times (session 1, 2, 3, 4)  and room numbers.  Attendees show up to the sessions they desire.  NO CONFERENCE BROCHURE.

What's neat about it is that the facilitators do not have to be experts on the topic.  The sessions tend to be more collaborative in nature with people sharing experiences and resources on the topic at hand.

I enjoyed a day of learning and collaboration.  I chose not to facilitate a session and it was nice for a change.  I am usually the one organizing, facilitating, and leading the conferences I attend.  I was able to go to this one with my learner hat on!

Sessions I attended:

Mobile Learning (Cheryl Lykowski):  This session was a great discussion about "Bring Your Own Devices," and many iPod/iPad apps were shared. Some apps I want to check out include SoundNote, QR readers, Discovery, Bluster, Inkling, and Teachers Assistant Pro.  Bookshare is coming soon!

Pseudoteaching (Steve Dickie):  I had never even heard this word, so it intrigued me.  This was another great discussion and it was all about effective teaching.  How do you really know if your students "got it?" Some lessons that seem to be perfect ones actually do not lead to student learning.  We discussed the use of video to help students understand.  Research from the Khan Academy has shown that sometimes using video that students can easily understand actually lead them to not attend to the content (they think they get it, and therefore do not pay attention).  The key is to keep it at just the right difficulty level (students need to be challenged, but not so challenged that they tune out). Keep the students questioning and active. Use frequent formative assessment techniques.

Edmodo, "Facebook" for Students:  This is an application I have used and like, and I'm hoping that it will be used by several teachers in my district next year. The teacher who presented (sorry, don't remember her name) uses Edmodo in place of a classroom website.  Her school is a 1:1 school, and actually the whole school uses Edmodo.  She said that students discovered that they could sign up for a teacher account on the Edmodo website and do naughty things.  To prevent this, they created a logon page that takes students directly to the school Edmodo site , not the main Edmodo site.  Good to know!

Last Saturday, I attended EdCamp Detroit at Wayne State University.  It was a conference designed to bring educators together to discuss technology that works.  The format was not typical; it was an unconference, a conference format quickly growing in popularity across the country.  You really need to experience it to understand it.  The organizers provide the basic framework, the people who attend decide what will be discussed.  Thanks to @thenerdyteacher and the other conference organizers!

The people who show up can volunteer to facilitate a session if they want to.  They write their topic and name on a piece of paper and tape it to the wall.  The conference organizers assign the sessions to specific times (session 1, 2, 3, 4)  and room numbers.  Attendees show up to the sessions they desire.  NO CONFERENCE BROCHURE.

What's neat about it is that the facilitators do not have to be experts on the topic.  The sessions tend to be more collaborative in nature with people sharing experiences and resources on the topic at hand.  People go away getting the learning they want and need.

I enjoyed a day of learning and collaboration.  I chose not to facilitate a session and it was nice for a change.  I am usually the one organizing, facilitating, and leading the conferences I attend.  I was able to go to this one with my learner hat on!

Sessions I attended:

• Mobile Learning (Cheryl Lykowski):  This session was a great discussion about "Bring Your Own Devices," and many iPod/iPad apps were shared. Some apps I want to check out include SoundNote, DiscoveryEducation, Bluster, Inkling, and Teachers Assistant Pro.  Bookshare is coming soon for students with print disabilities!

• Pseudoteaching (Steve Dickie):  I had never even heard this word, so it intrigued me.  This was another great discussion and it was all about effective teaching.  How do you really know if your students "got it?" Some lessons that seem to be perfect ones actually do not lead to student learning.  We discussed the use of video to help students understand.  Research from the Khan Academy has shown that sometimes using video that students can easily understand actually lead them to not attend to the content (they think they get it, and therefore do not pay attention).  The key is to keep it at just the right difficulty level (students need to be challenged, but not so challenged that they tune out). Keep the students questioning and active. Use frequent formative assessment techniques.

• Edmodo - "Facebook" for Students:  This is an application I have used and like, and I'm hoping that it will be used by several teachers in my district next year. The teacher who presented (sorry, don't remember her name) uses Edmodo in place of a classroom website.  Her school is a 1:1 school, and actually the whole school uses Edmodo.  She said that students discovered that they could sign up for a teacher account on the Edmodo website and do naughty things.  To prevent this, they created a logon page that takes students directly to the school Edmodo site , not the main Edmodo site.  Good to know!

• Google Lit Trips (Cheryl Lykowski) - I've been meaning to learn more about Google Lit Trips for a few years now.  I found out that there are many that have been created and and ready to be used by educators.  They are indexed by grade level and book on Jerome Burg's blog.  Yes, they are ready to go!  You can also create your own and directions for making them are also on Jerome's blog.

I'd like to give the unconference format a try in my school district.  I know that we have built a culture of collaboration and that it would work for us if we set the stage right.  I can envision this format eventually being used on professional development days at each school, with teachers sharing and learning what they want and need to learn.

Technology Grant Opportunity for Michigan Educators

Each year, MACUL supports Michigan educators by funding grants of up to $1500 to support effective use of technology in the classroom.  Apply any time between now and June 8, 2011. 

Applications should include the outline of a project that focuses on an instructional use of a computer or related equipment which has the potential of being replicated in other settings.

To qualify, you must be a MACUL member.

Detailed information about the requirements is available on the MACUL website.  http://www.macul.org.  Go to the “Grants and Awards” page and click on “2011-12 MACUL Grant Information.”  Be sure to see the grant writing tips.  There are links to the application, rubric, and timeline.

Tech policies... Helpful or Hindrance?

Technology can provide the means for anyone to use, change, remix, create, publish, and share all kinds of content.  As a result, many people of all ages are finding that technology can provide the means for which they can make a difference in the world.  Some examples include establishing online fundraisers for friends in need, writing on websites, blogs, or social networking platforms to share ideas, and showing off creative talents in hopes that a future employer will see them.  However, sometimes the policies that schools have in place can prevent students from using technology in these kinds of creative ways to make learning meaningful and relevant.

 My district is working on revising our acceptable use policy, and I think we are getting close.   It is hard to write policy that is broad enough to include new technological advancements that have not yet been discovered, and not so limiting so that teachers won’t want to use technology because it is so much extra work.   From what I’ve found in my research, many districts across the country need guidance on how to update existing technology policies.

 Some districts feel they need to block nearly every site that involves any aspect of social networking  in order to comply with CIPA legislation (Child Internet Protection Act).  In my opinion, this is not the answer, as our students will not learn how to interact and be safe on these types of sites in a supervised environment; instead they’ll be figuring it out on their own, sometimes with bad consequences.  Another law to consider when creating policy is the Protecting Children in the 21^st Century, which requires schools to educate students about appropriate online behavior.  We can tell students how to act appropriately online, or we can help them learn to be responsible online citizens in an online environment.  It's not hard to guess which will work better.

 CoSN created a document, Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 and Mobile Era, A Guide for School Districts, that was very helpful to me as I worked to understand all the implications of updating tech policy.  This document outlines the laws which must be followed, and provides tips and links to good examples.

Once we have our Acceptable Use Policy (which may be called a Responsible Use Policy) in place, we will work on providing recommended practices for staff as they use the Internet for personal reasons.  The purpose of this document will be to educate. 

I've been studying educational policy as part of my work as a Fellow in the Educational Policy Fellowship Program.  I have been doing a lot of work and study about all matters relating to educational policy.... politics, legislation, needed changes, funding, attitudes, stakeholders, and more.  I didn't know that policy could be so fascinating!   I feel fortunate to be able to apply what I'm learning to the real world, working to update our district tech policy!

Take-Aways from Washington DC Trip

I attended the Educational Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) Washington DC Seminar the past four days. EPFP is a a 10-month in-service leadership development program sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership.  The  program is designed to provide a forum for exploring public policy issues, link participants to key figures who shape and influence the process, and develop new leadership skills for education and community leaders. 

The Washington Policy Seminar I just had the pleasure of experiencing focused on key issues and policy initiatives that are being heavily debated at this time. It couldn't have been a better time to be in DC to get a glimpse of how the government works as government officials work to agree on the budget to prevent a government shut down.  We heard opinions from a wide variety of perspectives (Democrats/Republicans/Senators/Representatives/DC Staff/Political Analysts) about what was actually occuring from minute to minute, and it was fascinating.   I will certainly read/listen to and watch the news from a different lens from now on.   There are so many factors our legislators must consider when making their decisions... and I believe that the general public is basically unaware of many of the hidden intricacies of any given issue and doesn't really understand the need for give-and-take to make the best decisions as the founders of our nation intended.   I have a new appreciation for the work that our legislators do and  have a better understanding of all the steps that are necessary in order for any work to get done.  I also believe that my voice is an important one that needs to be heard, and  I have established connections that will enable me to do this.

From the top-notch EPFP Washington Seminar speakers:

• Alan Berube, Brookings Institute:  "Educational leaders must confront the demographic data from metropolitan areas."  Metropolitan areas that are growing at a fast pace are ethnically diverse and embrace the needs of other cultures.  They also have the greatest percentage of people with 4 year college degrees.


• Norm Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute: "When looking at areas to reduce government spending, we must separate spending that is an investment in the future from those that can be reduced."


• Stan Collender, former staffs of the House and Senate Budget Committees: "One of our biggest problems is that people believe that education only benefits the person educated."


• Judy Schneider, Senior Analyst, Congressional Research Service: "Congress is not driven by policy alone; instead it is driven by policy, procedure, and politics."

I appreciate the opportunity to be involved with EPFP.   Thank you, MACUL, for sponsoring me.  Count on me to volunteer for the advocacy committee!

On a Techie High

The annual MACUL Conference was held this past week.  The word on the street is that the conference was the best ever.  This is good news to me, because I'm on the Board of Directors and helped plan and carry it off.   :)    There were over 4,000 attendees and I could feel the high level of energy and enthusiasm among those who were there.  I kept really busy with organizational tasks throughout the conference, and was only able to make a few of the sessions, so I look forward to keeping my own learning going; there are many ways to do this:

• Check out the awesome resource materials posted by presenters on the Speakers' page of the MACUL website.


• Browse through the #macul11 tweets. Conference attendees posted quotes, links, ideas, questions, photos, and more.


• Follow the discussions going on at MACULSpace.  I just added a forum for sharing your "best of MACUL" stories.


• Read the posts on the MACUL Conference Blog.


• The keynotes and some of the featured speakers were videotaped.  The videos will soon be available on Michigan Streamnet.

But wait... there's more!  The day after the MACUL Conference, my district hosted the Stir it Up with Discovery Education Conference.  It was sponsored by Discovery Education, and it was like a "mini MACUL Conference."  Many educators who were not able to get away for the MACUL Conference came. There were 75 attendees from at least 15 SE Michigan school districts.  We were lucky to have Discovery Education's Mike Bryant, Matt Monjan, and Porter Palmer there.   The Michigan Discovery Education Leadership Team planned and presented at the event: Cheryl Lykowski, Eric Strommer, Gina Loveless, Lisa Wickman, Cindy Carson, and me.  Walled Lake educators who presented included Mark Lada, Randy Micallef, Jennifer Bond, Rob Osterman, and Mark Hess.  Support for technology integration by the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools administrative team was apparent, as many attended:  Superintendent Gutman; Assistant Superintendent Barry; Director of Technology & Data Analysis, Mark Hess; Director of Community Relations, Judy Evola; and the hosting school's principal, Brad Paddock.  AWESOME!   You can check out the conference wiki for session handouts and other electronic resources.

I'm tired physically, but am intellectually energized!

Return to Sender

I was browsing through the electronic version of The Journal this morning. The cover story, "Return to Sender" by Dan Gordon, is a thought-provoking article about the role of technology in educational reform.

"Work readiness is no longer just about the three R's; now it's also about turning information and knowledge through web sesarching and vetting. It's about developing effective multimedia presentations.  It's about seamlessly using digital tools to collaborate and problem solve."

Almost all decisions we make are impacted by persuasive digital media:  what to buy, where to go on vacation, who to vote for, and what to think about current events and issues.  Graduating students who can use digital media to deliver a message have a much better chance of landing a job in the workplace. 

"If the United States is to stay economically powerful in this global economy, we have to develop the next generation of STEM professionals - young people who are not only good at math and science, but who think creatively and work in teams.  The platform for doing that is technology."  We cannot fix our schools by using the technology that we have to teach students the same way we always have.  We need to be brave, take risks, think outside of the box, don't try to do it alone, and provide learning opportunities for students that are interesting and based on real situations and problems.  Figuring out a way to do that on a systemic level is the challenge.

Unintended Uses of Twitter

Twitter is everywhere.  I started using it in March of 2007, when it was a communication medium that I used with other ed techies out there (I still use it for this purpose).  I learned quickly how it could benefit me... My position was/is unique in my school district, so I often did not have colleagues who I can collaborate with on many of my projects. Twitter helped me get connected to others all across the nation (and the world) who I could turn to for support and encouragement.  I'm now connected with others who know what I'm talking about when I ask about such things as codecs, applets, and glogs.  Sharing and learning is what I do with Twitter.

I recently saw a 8 minute TED-Talks video featuring Evan Williams, one of the co-founders of Twitter.  He talked about how Twitter originally was created as an experimental broadcast medium, and that the growth of Twitter came as a result of unexpected uses invented by users.  Examples:  Users invented a way to respond to each other by using the @ symbol.  Users also invented a way to search for posts about a topic by other Twitter users (#hashtags).  Twitter has been used during times of disaster and political unrest.  Mr. Williams had no idea that his little experiment would end up being such a valuable tool.  He ends his speech with this remark:  "Follow your hunches, but never assume where they will go."  Enjoy his 8 minute TED Talk.

Student Access to Discovery Education Videos

Discovery subscribers:  Do you know that there is a way for students to view Discovery videos on their own computers?  Perhaps you have found some excellent videos you would like students to watch as homework.  Maybe it would be helpful for your students to have access to videos about the same topic, but at differing levels of difficulty/depth.   Sharing videos with students is possible with Discovery’s Builder Tool.

It is easy to set up.  Save the content (videos, images, podcasts, etc) as you normally do.  Then open the assignment builder wizard.  Just follow the prompts and fill out the required information.  After three steps, you end up with a custom URL to post on your web page or Moodle site. 

Get started by logging on at http://www.discoveryeducation.com, and then go to “My Builder Tools.”  Go to the Assignment Builder section and click on “Create New Assignment.”



If you have any difficulty using the wizard, a step-by-step guide is available on the Walled Lake tech integration website:  http://www.wlcsd.org/files/457499/discovery%20builder%20tools.pdf

Superintendents Get Schooled in Social Media

Porter Palmer delivered the keynote address to Michigan school superintendents at the MASA Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan last week.  She demonstrated six super tools for lifelong learners:  Facebook, Twitter, the new and improved MASA website, RSS, Blogging, and the Discovery Educator Network Administrators’ Academy.  See her presentation and all shared links here.  Enjoy!

I had the pleasure of working shoulder-to-shoulder with superintendents as they set up Twitter accounts & Facebook pages for communicating with their communities.

Wolphram Alpha, Your Expert Assistant

Are you tired of researching a topic using Google, which returns thousands of documents and websites that may or may not have the (correct) information you need?  If so, you will want to check out Wolphram Alpha, an online system for computing answers to questions.   Your questions are answered with words, data, charts, graphs, and images.  What is the difference between a search engine like Google and Wolphram Alpha? 

Google = finding information that has been published online.  

Wolphram Alpha = answering questions about what people know collectively.  It’s like having an expert assistant nearby.  And yes, there's an app for that.

You have to try it to believe it!  http://www.wolframalpha.com/. See what happens when you enter text such as:

• Weather in Walled Lake, Michigan


• 1/6 + 5/12 + 3/4


• Life expectancy


• Carbon


• Polar Bear


• 10 M&Ms

Added February 6, 2011:  This post is part of an Ed Tech Blog Carnival, organized by Danny Nicholson, a UK educator.  Lots of interesting topics were submitted.

Simple Strategies to Help Students “Get it”

 

Dr. Betty Garner recently came to my school district to work with elementary teachers, who have asked (via online surveys) for help as they facilitate small group instruction during math and readers’ workshop.  Dr. Garner spoke about some simple strategies that may help students who seem to be unwilling or unable to make academic progress.  These are my notes from her workshop:

 

Many students are not able to make connections that would seem to be obvious.  They need to be taught how to collect and be aware of sensory data.  How might you teach this? 

•  Show an image and ask two questions:  1) What do you see? 2) What do you notice? (involves interpretation).  Discuss.


• Ask open-ended questions.


• Do not answer your own questions.


• Ask “What part do you know for sure?”


• Start a lesson with something hands-on.  Ask what the students notice. Do not tell them what to notice.  Make them do the work.


• Ask students to draw what comes to mind when they hear a word.  This is powerful.


• Provide an open-ended structure to a writing assignment.  Four paragraphs:  1) Summarize what you learned about _____.  2) What sense do you make of it?  3) How will you use it?  4) What questions come to mind?


• Ask “Which words do you wish you knew better?”

 There is such pressure to raise test scores and cover material as quickly as possible.  However, it works much better to invest teaching energy to help students learn how to learn.   These strategies will work for all grade levels and content areas.

Making an Impression: Your Digital Footprint

This video was posted on The Educator's PLN Ning and was created by Steve Johnson.  If you have children who use a computer or work with kids in an educational setting, watch this together and discuss it! 


Find more videos like this on The Educator's PLN

Kindle e-Book Review

I received a Kindle as a gift for by birthday in October. I thought I would share my thoughts and experiences after having used it for the past few months. Overall, I am very happy with it!

What I like about it:

• It's light to carry.


• I can make the font larger so I can read in bed without glasses.


• I can access any of my books on my iPod Touch using the free Kindle app.


• I can look up words in the built-in dictionary.


• Many books have a text-to-speech "read to me" feature (and the electronic voice isn't too bad).


• Lots of books are available for free and/or low cost (Amazon, Project Gutenberg, Open Library, Many Books, and Internet Archive).


• I can preview a book before purchasing it.


• LONG battery life.  I've only charged mine twice.

What I don't like:

• I cannot share the books that I purchase with my family and friends, even those who own their own Kindle. (NEW 1/3/11: a big thank you to Grace Kat, who shared info about sharing Kindle books in her comment below.  Many books CAN be shared one time for up to 14 days.  See info on this page of Amazon's web site.) 


• I enjoy reading blogs that are free on the Internet.  The blogs that are available for viewing on the Kindle cost $5 a month and most are not updated regularly.

I think it won't be long before e-readers catch on in the K-12+ education market.