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I was invited to NYC to see new Asus Win7 products, but the star of the day was the Asus Touch Skype Phone. It's not for education, but it certainly has a place for those who don't need a lot of tech, for the 50 and up crowd, as well as senior citizens, who want to call and see kids and grandkids. The Touch Screen is especially good of those who have lost dexterity, as well as those who will never get the hang of a keyboard or mouse. This could be big for holiday buying.
Check the video:
by Steven W. Anderson
Most schools and districts spend lot of time and effort trying to get
their teachers up to speed on technology and its use/place in the
classroom. And honestly that is where a majority of effort should be
spent; working with those on the frontlines of instruction. However,
rarely, if ever, is much time spent with administrators, working with them on
ways they use technology to enhance what they are doing. What can
administrators do?
I
have put together what I am calling The
Administrator's Technology Toolkit. (I really should find something more
flashy or fun. If you have ideas leave me a comment.) There are some
simple, easy to use tools that administrators can be using right now
to, just like teachers, integrate technology into what they do daily.
Tool 1-Twitter
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big advocate for educators to use Twitter for professional development and growth. The job of an administrator is a
tough one. Twitter can serve as a place to connect with other
professionals and see whats working in other buildings or districts
that might work in yours. There are tons of assistant principals, principals, superintendents and even a few school board members that I
interact with on a daily basis.
Check out this site for tons of resources on getting started and find a several lists of
Twittering administrators and other education professionals created by
a great friends of mine, Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) and Shelly
Terrell (@shellterrell).
Tool 2-Google Docs/Forms
Its
time to go paperless. Flash drives and external hard drivers are great
inventions. I carry at least two of them with me where ever I go.
However, neither of them have any documents or presentations on them. I
exclusively use Google Docs. Everything I need is there. I honestly
don't remember the last time I opened a Microsoft Office product. Even
if I get an attachment I open it in Google Docs because I know I will
have access to that document not matter where I am. No need to hunt
down a cable or USB port for my drives. I access the Internet and have
all my documents.
Part of Google Docs is a great feature called
Forms. As an administrator you are probably constantly giving and receiving feedback from your teachers, parents, colleagues, and
community. Again, go paperless. Create a Google Form that instantly
captures data and enters it automatically on a spreadsheet for
analysis. Having your faculty vote on an important issue? Use the
Google Forms. (Then you can create snazzy graphs to impress them at the
next meeting!)
Check out this site for some great
information on Google Docs. Be sure to watch the "Google Docs In Plain
English" and "Principals Talk About Google Docs" videos.
Tool 3-Social Bookmarking
I
crave resources. Its part of my job. However, the resources I collect
do no good if I don't share them with anyone. Social bookmarking
services like Diigo and Delicious allow me to share websites, lessons,
videos and more with anyone who wants them. Both these services allow
you to tag your bookmarks making it even more easy to find the resources you need.
Administrators can use social bookmarking in
one of two ways. If they are like my good friend Eric, they are
constantly on the hunt for teaching resources for their teachers. So
Eric spends time searching and sharing and making what he finds
available through his Delicious Account. The other way administrators
can use them is to just search. Sometimes these Social Bookmarking
services can be more efficient at finding what you need than a regular Google Search. Also, you can
search your friends' bookmarks, further enriching the experience.
There
are a couple of "must-see" tutorials that I have collected. The first
is another In Plain English Video, this time on Social Bookmarking. Either Delicious or Diigo
are great for administrators. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Here is a really good Delicious Tutorial and one for Diigo.
Tool 4-Google Reader
I
am willing to bet that there are certain websites you check everyday.
Perhaps you even have a blog or two that you read. Instead of wasting
time visiting each and every website in the hopes there is a new
article or post you can use an RSS reader. What is RSS you ask? —Really
Simple Service. Basically it is a web address that you insert into a
reader so all you need to do is visit one site (your reader) and see
whats new on all your favorite sites.
One of the best readers
out there is Google Reader. Its easy to navigate and add feeds. There
are also lists of feeds that you can add with one click like news,
technology and more. A new feature is Suggestions. Once you have
subscribed to a few feeds, Google Reader will offer some suggested new
feeds for you to check out.
So how do you get started? Well,
you need to see yet another In Plain English Video, this time on RSS. Next you will want to see
this great Google Reader Tutorial. Lastly,
every tech savvy administrator needs some blogs to follow. Here are
several great lists:
Tool 5-Ning
As
I mentioned before it is important for all educators, including administrators, to create networks of other professionals to connect
with. I previously mentioned Twitter. Twitter is great for real-time
discussion and resource sharing. However why not take the idea of
social networking one step further and enrich the experience with video
and file sharing, discussion forums, events and specialty groups. Ning
does all that!
Ning bills itself as the social network you
create. Nings are very popular among educators because there isn't lot
of the "junk" you will find on other social networking sites. Nings are
great because you can really customize the content and you can create
private spaces for your school or district.
Of course, I want
you to check out the Social Networking In Plain English video to get an idea on how
social networking works. Then check out this Ning tutorial for more
information on how to sign up and get started. You will also need some
Nings to visit. Here are just a few:
Five tools. That's it, just five to get started with. Of course that's
not all you will need to become a Tech-Savvy Administrator but its a
good start.
What do you think? What are some other tools or applications you would
recommend for administrators? Maybe you are already a Tech-Savvy
Administrator. What tools do you currently use or what suggestions can
you offer?
by Kristen Plemon
We are in the age of the “wild
Web” where anyone can easily publish content online for the masses. Students
not only need to know how to protect themselves online from predators and
scams, they must learn how to be good digital citizens and evaluate online
sources to detect fact from fiction.
While an Internet filter is important, it shouldn’t be the only line of defense. You can teach students how to search for appropriate information, sort through the clutter, and make wise online decisions. Your guidance will ensure that they not only use their Web time more efficiently, but that they are less likely to stumble upon something that's not meant for their eyes.
Students need to know that they are creating a digital footprint with everything they do on the Web, and that they may be judged by the content they create. Teach them to use the Web as a toolbox that contains tools that can help them further their goals and achieve success when mixed with effective communication skills. These tools, like any other, require practice to use well. The more practice, the more comfortable your students will become using these high‐tech tools.
A new eBook by netTrekker offers 10 tips for educators on teaching students how to protect themselves in today’s digital age (“10 Tips to Keep Students Safe in a Web 2.0 World”):
By monitoring the use of Web 2.0 tools, teaching by example and, when appropriate, controlling access, you will be better able to help your students succeed in the Web 2.0 world.
Generating online content and conversing via social media outlets are skills that are not only in high demand, they are becoming social norms. By educating students on both the benefits and risks of using the Web 2.0 tools, you are helping your students stay safe while honing skills that could impact their future level of success.
Teaching your students to be first‐rate, cyber‐smart citizens will open doors to a greater understanding of humanity, a deeper respect for teamwork and, potentially, a successful future. The Web has dissolved neighborhood boundaries and encompasses the global community, where team members work on projects from opposite hemispheres just as easily as if they were cubicle‐mates.
You can join the conversation with other educators in the netTrekker Village (www.nettrekkervillage.com).
by: Rebecca Dienger
According to a 2008 ‘Parents and Money’ Survey, only one-fifth of parents involve their teens in the family’s budgeting and spending decisions. Even fewer teach their teens how to balance a checkbook, and less than one-third explain how credit card interest and fees work. With this critical information not being taught at home, it’s vital that schools provide resources to address this financial literacy gap.
The TimeMAPS Money Management and Life Skills Program from Realityworks engages students in real-life financial lessons in the classroom. Covering topics such as managing debt and credit, living on a budget and planning for retirement, these lessons prepare students for successful money management as adults.
The TimeMAPS software provides districts with a cost-effective solution for teaching students tough personal finance topics, preparing them for life after high school. The program features 13 themes with 54 lessons and more than 140 interactive examples of personal finance concepts, meeting Jump$tart Coalition National Standards and graduation requirements in 20 states. It uses the most recent U.S. financial data provided by the federal government and is updated annually for all U.S. regions.
TimeMAPS is fully equipped with a variety of interactive curriculum resources. The program includes a curriculum CD and an online assessment tool that minimizes paperwork for educators, allowing more time for instruction. In addition, a student resource CD is available to extend learning beyond the classroom. The CD contains worksheets, reviews, quizzes and projects that students can use to reinforce financial literacy lessons being taught from the curriculum.
For more information on TimeMAPS software, check out www.teachingpersonalfinance.com.
By Stephen Wakefield
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), through a program partnership with Discovery Education, has developed free curricula and an awards program to promote honesty, respect, teamwork, and healthy lifestyle choices.
Available online at www.DiscoveryEducation.com/USADATrueSport, this program features free curricula for both middle
school and high school students that help educators and community leaders
impart the critical life lessons that contribute to the development of ethical
and healthy individuals. These curricula
are tied to national education standards, are implemented easily into classroom
or other youth group educational settings, and offer self-assessment tools,
teachers’ guides and student activity materials.
Those who teach, coach or influence youth groups in the middle-school age range should check out USADA’s 100% Me curriculum, which focuses on ethics and decision-making themes for student and athletic programs, into their classroom or other instructional activities. With these materials, educators can promote values-based decision-making, find facts on nutrition and dietary supplements, and help students make the connection between body type and body image.
USADA’s That’s Dope curriculum supports those who influence youth in the high school age range in teaching important ethics and anti-doping lessons. With this powerful resource, educators, coaches and others can teach students how to maximize athletic performance safely and ethically, and get information about various products and substances from dietary supplements and energy drinks to anabolic steroids.
In addition to offering free curricula, the USADA True Sport Awards program presents a powerful opportunity for educators and community leaders to win local program funding, other valuable support and prizes. The program recognizes individuals who take action to influence positive beliefs and behaviors in their communities. Applications for the USADA True Sport Awards program are being accepted through Nov.15, 2009, and award winners will be announced in January 2010.
For the True Sport curricula, or to enter the True Sport Awards program, visit http://usada.discoveryeducation.com or www.usada.org.
by Carla Beard
I was planning a lesson on Benjamin Franklin's project to achieve moral perfection. One discussion question asked students to identify the virtues they thought were most important and least important. I decided to use Moodle's Choice module for this. Partway through preparing the two modules, though, I paused to think it through.
In previous years I have used class discussion at this point, letting those who had something to say lead the way but also calling on quieter students. Sometimes we just raised our hands to vote for most/least important. It worked OK. What did I hope to gain by using technology this time?
This is a good question to ask now and then. Teachers who resist integrating technology do so partly because they see limited value added. In addition -- as they are learning -- they see time and energy lost, and they anticipate frustration when things don't go smoothly. They ask, "Why bother?" It's a valid question.
Let me respond from the point of view of my Benjamin Franklin lesson. After students vote, they will be able to see how others have voted. When everyone is finished, we can refresh screens and see a total, which I will also project to the front of the room.
In a class of 27 or 28 students, I can't work toward this level of engagement with each student with just class discussion. Too many students zone out; too many say what they think I want to hear. Some of that is still possible, I concede. But simple curiosity about the survey results will engage a few.
That engagement is definitely value added. The extra analysis is value added. Connecting 21st century students with the words of an 18th century scientist, businessman, and statesman on a personal level is definitely value added.
And that's why I integrate technology.
by Ken Royal
Very early in my teaching, an administrator, who had just observed me, said, “You’ve been following Renzulli’s research, haven’t you?” I had no clue what he was talking about. In those days, Google was the school librarian. She handed me some education journals and I began reading about Joseph Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad Model (1977) for gifted and talented students, as well as the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness. I was actually doing something similar with all my students—and didn’t have a clue about Renzulli—but I really liked knowing that I had stumbled upon a similar path.
In my mind, experiential learning worked for all my students—it wasn’t just for those classified as gifted. Giving all students a chance to actually be scientists, writers, or mathematicians made sense, and furthermore, giving them chances to meet and speak to experts for first hand knowledge was far better than the ancient books I was using. It was certainly a slower process then—with in-person invitations, phone conversations, and snail mail, but I stuck to it, and my students enjoyed learning—and controlling that learning—a little bit. I didn’t know it then, but that sort of teaching would be a perfect fit for computers and the Internet.
About two years ago, I had a chance to actually interview Joe Renzulli, The Researcher, and Sally Reis, his wife, and whom I affectionately refer to as The Teacher. We hit it off immediately, as if I had known them for a very long time. I may have said something like that—and for me, it was pretty much true. I had followed Renzulli through reading, and when Renzulli Learning was launched, I checked that out as well. In my last couple of years as instructional technology specialist—I even ran a school pilot program for it. I taught teachers how to do student profiles, and use student appropriate projects. Sometimes life takes some ridiculously cool turns.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out RezulliLearning for differentiated learning it may be time. All kids are gifted, and should be taught that way. Oh, it is so much easier and quicker with today's technology.
Director's Note: Joe Renzulli has been awarded the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, which recognizes outstanding individuals, who have dedicated themselves to improving education in the United States, and whose accomplishments are making a difference today. ~KR
by Ken Royal
Seeking a Better Way
The next day, the principal again escorted me to his office—saying nothing. I was certain it would be for more of a tongue lashing, as well as an order to leave. Instead, in his office, he asked me to sit, and he was quiet. “I have to eat crow,” he said. I really didn’t know the expression, so he explained that after meeting with the superintendent and the board—they had decided to go in my individualized reading direction. “They want you to keep doing what you’re doing.”
I still remember that uneasy smile the principal gave me as I left his office. Again, my partner teacher wanted to know all. The next week, she collected her basals, and set up her classroom like mine. Not everyone in the building changed, but the ones that didn’t were now on the hot seat.
And I can’t help but believe that part of the change had to do with Robert Newton Peck, and A Day My Reading Program Didn’t Die.
by Emily Embury
WeAreTeachers announces a new microgrant, “Special Education: Individual Attention, Collective Impact,” sponsored by PCI Education, a provider of resources for students with special needs.
Share how your work, project or idea can make a positive impact for special education students. All the grant submissions will be published online, where members of the WeAreTeachers community will vote for their favorite project. The 10 submissions that receive the most community votes will be awarded a $200 cash microgrant and a Flip Video camera to share the project in action. Your project will inspire other teachers who collectively can make a difference in the lives of more students with special needs.
Grant submissions are being accepted through Oct. 31st. To apply for this grant online, visit www.weareteachers.com. Voting will begin Nov. 3rd, when the submitted projects will be posted online for community review. Winners will be announced Nov. 19th.
For more information about the partnership between WeAreTeachers and PCI Education, see WeAreTeachers Offers Special Education Teachers a Place to Connect Online.
by Sandy Fash
ePals, Inc., launched ePals LearningSpace, a controlled, yet flexible, online workspace that provides districts greater management of social media use. Through the platform, educators can conduct project-based learning opportunities, differentiate instruction and design curriculum in real-time.
Bringing together Web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, digital lockers, forums and more), ePals LearningSpace can help educators prepare students for the 21st century workforce, while also allowing administrators to review how these tools are used throughout the district.
Reflecting the real-world organization of schools, collaborative groups can be created to support activities across classrooms, schools and districts. For example, using the platform, a middle school science class can create a group to conduct a water conservation project, while a high school English department can create a group to write and share curriculum. Plus, ePals LearningSpace weaves in two other popular products from ePals - ClassroomMatch and SchoolMail - for connecting with other educators and students around the world.
"One of the key components of a project-based learning environment is to include activities that are collaborative by nature," said Ken Graham, Asst. Superintendent, Administration and Technology, from Hauppauge Union Free School District in New York. "The ePals platform offers our educators a collaborative learning environment in which students can participate in a wide variety of projects across the curriculum while using Web 2.0 technology - all within a school-safe 'gated learning community' insulated from the chaos and hazards of the public Internet."
A few more features and benefits:
by Adora Svitak
[Adora Svitak is the world's youngest teacher and the author of three books. She turns twelve on October 15th.]
Two weeks ago, my sister Adrianna was sick, sometimes with abdominal pain. Worried about appendicitis, we went to the hospital to get her a CAT Scan. While Adrianna was getting strep swabs, samples to check for influenza, and a variety of other tests, her worried family (meaning us) waited the day away. As it happened, Adrianna had nothing serious, just a virus. It might have been an utterly pointless trip except for the fact that I believe firmly in the idea that no experience is a wasted one. My experience of waiting in the hospital turned into an idea for a personal narrative assignment I had previously been stumped on. When I talk to kids about using their own personal experiences in stories, they sometimes give me blank stares and skeptical looks. The reason? Many of them may consider their experiences too mundane. But even the most mundane of experiences—sitting around in a cramped exam room—can turn into an idea.
For teachers, some of your more memorable experiences are those you’d rather go without—maybe when a projector didn’t work or a computer crashed. This week, I was giving a presentation through video conferencing to an audience at the newly opened education center at the University of Montana in Missoula. Five minutes before the presentation, my PC still refused to open it. Every time, it would give me an error message. In desperation, one minute before I was set to begin, I grabbed my mom’s Mac laptop off a desk and—voila!—it worked. Another time, I was giving a video conferencing presentation to elementary students. The presentation opened fine on my computer, but they weren’t able to see it. So I resorted to using a whiteboard instead. These experiences, while stressful, difficult, and irritating, also forced me to be quick, resourceful, and innovative—the essence, I think, of a great experience.
by Carla Beard
I was talking with a group of teachers, trying to show them that technology integration is not the education of the future; it is the education of right now. I reached into my book bag and pulled out a netbook.
"It has a full-sized keyboard," I pointed out, "and it will fit in a student's backpack without any trouble. They cost around $300, but prices keep going down. Pretty soon they'll cost about the same as good pair of sneakers. Kids will be able to bring their own computers to school." The teachers smiled politely and passed it around.
I reached into my book bag and pulled out a Flip camera. "Remember all the TV upgrades we went through for that January deadline now that everything is broadcast in HD? Well, this little camera shoots in HD." I flipped open the USB arm. "This will plug right into your computer, and you can upload to YouTube something you just shot." I reminded them of the power of the pictures from the tsunami that hit Indonesia a few years ago. The earliest images weren't from professionals; ordinary people used readily available technology to fast-track relief efforts. The teachers nodded, but cameras were just not part of their curriculum. They passed it along.
I reached into my book bag and pulled out a Pulse Smartpen that -- full disclosure here -- the people at Livescribe had sent me for review. The Smartpen is a ball-point pen with built-in camera, microphone, playback speakers, and LED screen. It's a little thicker and heavier than, say, a Bic pen; but after a couple of minutes, the user won't notice that.
I showed the teachers how it works. As the user writes, the camera by the pen's tip creates an image, and the microphone records. Later, students just tap the paper at the point they had written something, and they can listen to everything that was being said at the time. If they forget to write something down, it will be there in the audio file.
Students can also download everything they record onto the computer that has the Livescribe application installed. The computer will store images of their notes and will create backup copies of the audio files.
As I passed the pen and its special notebook around the room, we discussed the potential:
I had the teachers' attention. In fact, I noticed that the pen moved around the room much more slowly as teachers tried it out.
I've used the Smartpen a lot myself. The sound quality is surprisingly good, even when used in a classroom, and the pen reads both my printing and my cursive handwriting well. Once the files have been downloaded onto a computer, my notes are searchable. The pen comes with ear buds, making playback possible even in a noisy environment.
Smartpen users can now focus on listening to the minilesson or participating in the brainstorming, knowing they can jot down a word or two now and then and still have all the information later. Notetaking can now be as simple as writing down keywords and then listening to the audio files later. Students can be more engaged in thinking, less engaged in writing things down. That sounds good to me.
The Pulse Smartpen costs about the same as the Flip camcorder, $150-200. It comes with a special notebook that works with the built-in camera, microphone, and speakers. The notebook also has a helpful manual bound into the front to help the user remember which guide controls which function.
Fellow teacher-blogger Tara Seale explained in more detail how to use the pen and even created a clever pencast as an introduction.
The Smartpen is technology integration that's easy to learn and reasonably priced. It doesn't require extra wiring or filters. It looks like something we know -- a pen -- and acts like something we are learning -- digital media. And it's ready for our classrooms right now.
Districts should also look at Calypso Systems, Extron, Troxell, and Crestron, as well as local contractors for help making all technology in a classroom work together—at a button's touch, so teachers can spend more time teaching, and less time figuring out the tech orchestration.
by Stephen J. Moore
As much of a tech-minded, Twitter-using, blog-reading, RSS-feeding
kind of guy I am, I still have trouble calling people I've connected
with online "friends." There needs to be a word (besides the
giggle-inducing "tweeps") for our net connections--this is my cue to
all of you out there to tell me if there is one I'm not mentioning.
Titles aside, over the past year or so since I've been actively
building my PLN, I have connected with many great educators around the
country and quite a few outside of it. One in particular, Connecticut-based middle school history teacher Paul Bogush, has made an impact on me consistently first through his blog and then on Twitter.
As a pre-service teacher, I felt continually frustrated by being cut-off from the profession for which I was preparing to enter. Yes, there were practicum requirements that got me into a classroom for a few hours every other semester, but largely my only experiences were with college professors and my peers. My real "education" was developing through correspondence with teachers whom I had met along the way. Some of my older friends were already teaching; I could sense their collective fear, exasperation, and occasional joy through their emails and Facebook statuses. It was nice to have my ear to the hive even distantly, but I felt that something was missing.
I didn't know what it meant to be a teacher. When I was a chemistry student, It only took one day of lab on my own to understand the substance of what being a chemist involved. Education was proving to be more nebulous. What did teachers really do all day--or all Summer for that matter? What did teachers talk about when they were unsure of their plans? What I was missing was the connection to a community. The Education corpus academia was not exactly cohesive at Missouri State. We were scattered singles rather than a connected collective. I wish I would have found out earlier that
Teaching is all about community.
I believe learning is, as I've written many times on this site before, socially constructed. It takes other people to help build knowledge. Making connections with other people, therefore, is a vital step to learning. In my classroom, I try to encourage a relationship-building atmosphere, but I also need to connect to other teachers just as students need one another. I have good rapport with my fellow teachers because we've shared stories of success and failure with each other. The more ways that teachers can find to build community, the more powerful their knowledge base will be.
What aspects of community I don't get in my school building and district meetings, I can find online through my PLN. Not all teachers are comfortable with the concept--some mistakenly think of it as only a trendy excuse to use expensive toys or waste of time "looking busy" in the guise of productivity. Twitter is very popular right now. The name buzzes around in our ears from our television and radio speakers, it jumps out from web pages and profile sidebars. Tweet tweet TWEET! I'm sure many of you are users, but I know there are just as many reading this that don't "get it" and don't care--that's okay.
The most important thing you non-tweeters need to understand is this: regardless of what athletes and celebrities "tweet" about (I don't care what Shaq and MC Hammer ate for lunch either), you can be assured there is a community of educators online at your beck-and-call if you choose to join in. After you've connected with a few people, typing a question into Twitter becomes like shouting out a window over a field where a bunch of teachers are eating lunch and playing kickball: you never know what will fly your way!
Sharing stories, commiserating, encouraging, suggesting new ideas, following conversation threads in new directions--these are all things you can do online through Twitter. Aren't those all things you do with friends, colleagues? Titles escape me and I refuse to say "tweeps" out-loud, but I've read Paul's personal thoughts just about every day for nearly a year now and It sort of feels wrong to call him anything but "friend."
Take a step out onto the ledge. Follow me. Find a friend.
By Eric Sheninger, Principal, New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ
When it comes to effectively integrating technology into the classroom there is no bigger proponent than myself. As an administrator, I see my role in technology integration as a crucial component in getting new means of teaching embraced and used properly during class instruction. First, I must constantly tweak the budget and make a commitment to purchasing technology that can be utilized with proper pedagogy to engage students. Second, I must support my staff as they develop new lessons involving technology and web 2.0 applications by modeling proper use, providing meaningful professional development, and actively touting the benefits this will have on our students. Another key factor that I have to take into consideration is making sure the technology is easily accessible during the school day.
Late last year I became enamored by the Mac Book. I had always been a PC guy, but soon realized the power of the Mac during a training session that integrated iPods and podcasting into instruction. As a result, I utilized funds generated through a television show I participated in to purchase a mobile cart with ten Mac Books. As I became more knowledgeable about using a Mac and Web 2.0 tools from my Professional Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter, I began to encourage my staff to use this technology in the classroom.
Last week my vision became a reality. Joe Andolino, one of my music teachers, approached me about signing out the Mac Book cart for his Applied Music Theory Class. He informed me that the students would be using the Mac Books to create music based on the course content covered up to this point using the Garage Band software found on all Mac Books. What I later discovered is that Joe will also be integrating a web 2.0 tool into the project. Joe provided me the following description of the project:
Musically, the lessons leading up to this project were some basic music theory note placement as well assome discussion regarding music arranging. One should be creative but selective. My analogy was a comparison to painting with colors; if you mix every color together on one canvas what do you get? - muddy brown. One must decide which recorded sounds work well together in "layers". The musical layers are the key to spacing out the final sound product that makes sense to the listener. This procedure gives new music students a sense of accomplishment early on, since later we will be discussing how to write original parts through notation only.
These sound tracks were not even mixed and still sound pretty good. We could also send these tracks electronically to the larger studio if desired. Technically, a fair amount of searching for the right host site was performed by myself and the class using delicious.com and other means. Many sites were either not user friendly or appeared to be intended for the lower grades. Others were too professional in nature and charged fees for distribution. The site I decided on can hold up to thirty tracks, is visually and user friendly, can add viewers and listeners as groups.
The students created original music on Garage Band using some loops. The idea was to create a genre that fit each student’s personality. After creating the music, the next step was to get these tracks live and start building a page that others can view online. As time goes on they can edit the profile and enhance the page. The site that Joe decided to use is called JukeboxAlive (http://www.jukeboxalive.com). This is a wonderful web 2.0 application that allows students to listen, share, and enjoy music online. Listed below are some examples of what the students created:
by Kristen Plemon
Did you catch Ken Burns' highly acclaimed six-part documentary series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" on PBS? Now, you can bring "The National Parks" into your classroom to create an engaging tour of the nation’s historic and natural treasures while teaching students core curriculum lessons and 21st century skills.
Filmed over ten years, “National Parks” is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. Using archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, and stunning cinematography, the film traces the birth of the national park idea and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years through the stories of the people who helped create and save them.
Complementing the film project is a collection of new digital education resources that are designed for middle and high school grade levels and cover art, language arts, science, and several social studies disciplines, such as history, geography, economics, and civics. The resources include online video clips, standards-based lesson plans, day-trip activities, and discussion guides for the Untold Stories mini-documentary series, and several digital storytelling modules. All of the resources are now available through PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org), the Web portal to PBS’ preK-12 educational services and its searchable library of more than 9,000 local and national standards-based instructional resources, including on-demand video, lessons plans, student activities, and games.
One of the highlights among the unique resources are the place-based digital storytelling modules, which provide video screencasts along with printable quick-start guides to demonstrate how you can use the latest technologies to create digital storytelling projects. The modules cover basic to advanced level technology skills, such as uploading photos to Flickr, using Google Earth, geotagging, video editing and special effects, sharing stories on the “National Parks” site to a part of a public collection, and more.
PBS Teachers and Classroom 2.0 are also hosting a webinar tonight, "Teaching with Ken Burns' 'The National Parks: America's Best Idea,'" which will focus on digital storytelling and other free resources and tools, like ArcGIS. If you miss it, an archive of the webinar will be made available here.
Janet English, award-winning teacher and blogger for PBS Teachers, offers tips on using the “National Parks” resources with VoiceThread, an online tool that allows users to create and share collaborative, multimedia slide shows, on the Media Infusion blog.You can learn more about the "The National Parks" documentary series and accompanying resources, which were produced by WETA and Florentine Films and funded by several companies and foundations, at pbs.org/nationalparks.
by Ken Royal
I’ve been thinking a lot about Internet longevity—what lasts and what doesn’t. I started by wondering what the life span of Twitter might be, and if bing even has a fighting chance with Google, or if its Wave could change the way we get our news. That led me to think of education sites—where it’s no different—here today—changed, or gone tomorrow.
