Jason Ohler on Discovery EdTech Connect, Wed 12/17, 7pm EST

Jason Ohler is this month’s featured speaker on Discovery Education’s EdTech Connect.  I got to know him last March when he came to the MACUL Conference.  The Elementary Education Special Interest Group sponsored a digital storytelling pre-conference session faciliated by Jason Ohler and it was FANTASTIC.  He understands the importance of telling a good story, and sees technology as secondary to the writing process.  I watched him transform technophobes into digital storytelling masters within a few hours!   Register to attend the webinar now!

One-to-One Webinar

I am facilitating a webinar with Michael Gielniak and Kate Kennedy for the One-to-One Institute tomorrow (Dec 11, 2008) at 2pm EST on Wimba.  The topic is "Implementing a one-to-one program."  We'll be sharing info about 1:1 sustainability, best practices in the 1:1 classroom, and the latest regarding 1:1 evaluation/research. 

 

If you are available at 2pm and want to listen in, go to http://www.wimba.com/.  You’ll see “Implementing a one-to-one program” in the left column under the heading Distinguished Lecture Series.

Disruptive Innovation

I attended Michigan Virtual University's Online Learning Symposium at MSU yesterday.  Michael Horn, one of the authors of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns.  He was introduced by a high school student, Amanda, who is enrolled in an online class.  She spoke about how taking an online class let her learn at her own pace and in her own way.  She said: "We need a disruptive force to change the US educational system.  That disruptive force is on-line learning."

Michael Horn has a business background and studies the reasons businesses have come and gone over the years.  He explained how initially products that seem to have no merit (“disruptive”) grow to take over markets; thereby pushing out older established companies.   He argues that our educational system needs to find a way to reach students according to their interests, needs, learning style, and pace.  He believes that online learning will be used first to help keep kids in school and to provide assistance when they flunk a class.  Then, once it is proven that online learning can help students in danger of dropping out of school, then it will be explored for all students.

The number of online course registrations has increased at a steady pace over the past few years.  Only time will tell if Mr. Horn’s predictions will come true.  In the meantime, I’ll be working with teachers and administrators in my district so that we are ready!  Thinking outside of the box is in order.

I'll be buying his book.

Google Street View

Today's e-newsletter from Google, called the Sightseer (sign up here), highlights a cool new feature of Google Earth.  Street View is a layer now available.  Once you turn on the layer, you will see icons of cameras in several locations.  You can zoom in for a closer 3D look!  Street View imagery is now available in the US, France, Spain, Japan, Australia, and Italy.

You can also access Street View from Google Maps.  I just virtually traveled to the waterfront shops in Detroit.  Yes, there really are some beautiful areas in Detroit!  Wouldn't you like to take a scroll down this street? 

How-to directions for using Street View in Google Earth are available from Google Earth's web page. 

To access Street View from Google Maps, click and drag the yellow figure/man on the left side of your screen.

Cool 3D Design: Roxik

Check out this web-based tool from Roxic.  I drew a person, clicked a button, and it began to dance in 3D!  Next time, I'll take more time and add some color.  Hope you have as much fun trying it out as I did! How do you think this can this be used in a K-12 classroom?

Come to the MACUL Conference

This year's Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) Conference will be on March 18-20, 2009 at the Cobo Center in Detroit.  It is always an outstanding conference! Here is a short promotional video:

Home from 3-Day PBL Workshop

Project Based Learning is an instructional method that I totally "buy into."  It fits beautifully with technology (especially 1:1 learning).  I've spent considerable time helping teachers see the benefits of PBL. 

All of us who attended the workshop picked up some new ideas, design tools, and management strategies. The two 7th grade social studies teachers and I created a  project about the impact of human actions on the environment (called Messin' Up the Environment: How Humans Screw Up the Earth).  Not only did we learn about good PBL design, we learned how to encourage and teach cooperative learning, how to assess projects (both formative and summative), and how to mangage a PBL classroom. 

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to learn more about PBL assessment, specifically how to assess both individual and group work.  Mr. Ross recommends that teachers use several rubrics to assess content, presentation, critical thinking, and other 21st century skills.  Assessing skills with more than one rubric gives a truer picture of student performance.  The project receives a group grade, the other assessments are given to individuals. 

What I've learned and experienced over the past three days has helped me see more clearly how standards-based PBL can and should be used in today's curriculum-packed classroom.