The Educators' Royal Treatment

Lightning in a Bottle: My GTAdmin Experience

By Eric Sheninger, Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ.

As I sat in the Houston airport waiting for my flight back to Newark, I couldn’t help but to sit and reflect on my experience at the first ever Google Teacher Academy for Administrators.  The conference was held on March 5, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas.  This was by far the most intense, and rewarding professional development venture that I have ever experienced.   Brought together by innovative practices, and a desire to integrate Google educational tools with sound pedagogy.  I joined with 50 other exemplary administrators all on a journey that took our learning to levels not readily imagined; hence my analogy to “Lighting in a bottle.”

As I mentioned before, the day was INTENSE, which was right in my wheelhouse as a concrete sequential learner.  Each session moved seamlessly from one to the next within an eleven-hour time span.  During the session, I readily observed one of the most important attributes of an effective administrator – MULTITASKING.  This was visible in the form of simultaneously listening, taking notes while utilizing Google Docs, engaging in a Twitter backchannel, and of course, the sharing of ideas on how we as administrators could effectively and efficiently use the array of Google tools. 

The fact that backchanneling was encouraged was cool in itself! Anyone reading the tweets from #GTAdmin could feel the excitement, I am sure.  I found it particularly challenging at times to tweet what I felt was compelling information, due to the fear that I would miss something during the process.  That’s how good the Google Academy was; “Riveting,” is the word that immediately comes co my mind.

The atmosphere in the room was similar to Christmas where we as educational administrators were receiving all of the gifts stipulated on our lists to Santa Clause.  Who doesn’t appreciate FREE educational gifts (I know all of us involved with web 2.0 and technology do)? The energy in the room never dissipated as we learned how these gifts of knowledge could be used to establish collaborative, engaging, and transparent learning environments in our respective schools. You can view my notes for #GTAdmin by visiting GTAdmin Notes 3-5-10

My notes give a pretty good snapshot of our action-packed day.  However, another important take-away here was the presenters, or lead learners as Dr. Mark Wagner referred to them as.  Each lead learner facilitated passionate discussions on virtually every Google app that could be used in education.  They were extremely prepared, modeled effective practices, and applied the tools in a way that we as administrators could use them.  This Academy really was catered to and designed for administrators.  Each presenter’s dedication to ensuring that we fully understood how to implement the various Google tools was greatly appreciated by all.  At the conclusion of the day I was still craving more.  How many of us could honestly say that after a 3 hour professional development training, let alone 11 hours?  In a nutshell the blueprint developed for #GTAdmin was fantastic.

Learning did not stop for one minute at the academy.  In my opening paragraph I made mention to the educational leaders that I was fortunate enough to spend the day with.  Whether it was at dinner, the night before, during breaks, at meals, or late into the night after the academy, conversations on what we had learned and how we were going to utilize this, “Lightning in a bottle,” that was graciously handed to us never ceased.  Talk about bang for my buck!  The additional knowledge and insight that I acquired from my esteemed peers was priceless in itself.  Many of our conversations focused on which specific Google Apps we were going to implement first and how.  Administrators committed to change through innovation, collaboration, sustainability, and transparency were definitely underlying themes and catalysts for the intriguing discussions that took place.

I could go on and on about this experience, but I am just too exhausted and should probably get a nap in before I land.  My goal now is to return to my school and empower my staff to engage all learners, collaborate with each other, and take a more active role in the educational process using Google Apps for Education.  This experience, combined with my Personal Learning Network (PLN) serve as driving forces to provide the very best learning opportunities for the students and staff of New Milford High School.  Who knows, maybe now I will start an official blog using Google Blogger? Wait, I just did. I can’t wait to unleash this lighting in a bottle!

Cross posted at A Principal's Reflections

"Get Them on a Bus Mate!"

by Ken Royal

(Posted today at Scholastic Administrator. I feel this one deserves to be here as well. ~KR)

At about the turn of  this century, I was seeking ways to share “how to” technology with staff. Most of my innovative tech friends were still either in the UK, or Australia. Yeah, today, you’d call them part of my PLN (Personal Learning Network).  I remember asking for technology professional development advice, and the voice e-mail that made me start thinking out of the box. I can still hear his voice saying, “Get them on a bus mate!”

Turns out, my Aussie buddy was trying to get his staff to use digital cameras and software to enhance teaching. He actually offered incredible professional development courses throughout the year, but usually had difficulty filling seats. He discovered, by hiring a bus, offering a digital camera field trip, packing away a bit of a picnic, he had a captive audience. He could do some how to, share new tech news, and have a good joke or two. The carrot he held out didn’t hurt either—staff would get to take a camera back to class, and he would make sure they had the appropriate software to work with it.

Now, a bus trip didn’t work with all things then, there’s no way he’d do it with a huge desktop, and it was a time where wireless was still pretty much two cans attached by a string. The concept, though, of getting staff away from their usual surroundings, offering equipment and software to take back to the classroom, having some fun learning, and bonding as a group is what I took away then, and what I still believe to be valuable now.

I was reminded of that Aussie tech bus trip this week, when I met educators and administrators on my trip to cover eTech 2010 in Ohio. Offering individual educators a day at a conference makes sense, but planning to send a larger group makes more sense. And sending more than your favorite geek teacher makes the best sense. If that group is diverse, with elementary, middle, high school educators, at different levels and subject areas, joined by administrators—principals, curriculum heads, assistant superintendents and superintendent—you have the makings of a unified tech team.

All that said, I know the economic times are tough, but you need to weigh the value gained when more than one or two excited, enthusiastic teachers or administrators come back from a conference with ideas. What a great and simple way to get teams of teachers working together, rather than one rogue teacher doing the equivalent of a technological light show in his/her classroom. The former creates a solid plan, and the latter makes for a lonesome pioneer, sometimes seen as just the district’s tech show off.

If you can get groups of educators to FETC, eTech, TCEA, or local conferences—wonderful, but if you can’t, think about that bus field trip idea. Create a small conference of your own, possibly teaming with other schools or districts. If possible, have teachers take away some software or tech, and don’t hold the PD in the same building where teachers work. Get them away, get them to bond, and remember to take them on a field trip mate!

National Science Competition Searches for America's Top Young Scientist

 by Sandy Fash

Discovery Education and 3M have teamed up again to reward students for their science acumen and curiosity, while encouraging them to share that passion by creatively communicating their findings through a national science competition.

Today, Discovery Education and 3M announced the 2010 call for entries for the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a national science competition for students in grades 5-8.  Ten finalists will be selected to receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to compete in the final challenge in October, where the winner will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds, a tour of 3M's Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn., and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist."

Everyday, scientists around the world rely on communication to help solve scientific problems and transform creative ideas into innovative solutions.  For this reason, U.S.-based middle school students are asked to create a one- to two-minute video communicating the science behind a possible solution for one of the safety and security issues that are present in everyday life listed below:

- Preventing the spread of germs/diseases

- Food safety

- Sun protection

- Wind resistant structures

Evaluated by a panel of judges, all video entries for the science competition will be accessed on the basis of creativity, persuasiveness, classroom suitability, and overall presentation.  (Videos will not be evaluated on production skills and may be recorded on cell phones or simple digital cameras.)

All video entries must be submitted online at www.youngscientistchallenge.com no later than May 27, 2010.

Please share with your middle school-aged scientists!

Is Your School Like a Glow Stick?

by  Stephen J. Moore
While reading this post on The Student Affairs Collaborative, a blog on higher education, I got a very vivid image in my head. The title, Break the System to Remake the System, made me think of a glow stick instantly. I like this image analog for several reasons. First, I relate to the idea that what we need to shine, as schools, is already inside of us. To me, that's an idea that just about every teacher already embraces. Yes, you need to hire well, but you'll almost never be in a situation where you get to replace every teacher in a building; training and cultivation is the best answer to improvement.

How does a glow stick work? Well, if you've never been to a fair or theme park (or a rave I suppose) then you need to know about glow sticks. They are clear plastic tubes with two luminescent chemicals trapped inside, but separated by a thin artificial membrane. When you "break" the tube by holding it between your two hands and bending, you cause the chemicals to mix, thus causing a safe exocharmic (exuding excitement and entertainment) reaction which makes the stick glow fluorescent.

Now that I've made you relive a time when you were overwhelmed by large crowds of children wielding cheese-filled pretzels, I'll get back to idea of education I'm trying to get at. The glow stick: you need to break it in order for it to work. Is public education the same? More specifically, what can we define as "breaking" education? Will Race to the Top "break" it? Did NCLB already break it (or will it be revealed as broken in 2014)? Will it break slowly over time or instantaneously? Are you risking breaking your school by providing new ideas? These are all questions worth considering.

I can't pass up a good diagram. Haven't you always wondered about glow sticks?

Second, if we do "break" education and all the evident faults and possible strengths are fluorescently illuminated for us, how do we act in response? Is there something contained within the action that broke it, or is it still external and unknown? Before I veer off into a metacognitive or philosophical cliff, I want to focus this topic into one coherent question:

What does a "broken" education system look like?

When any large change is brought about in a system, it could very easily be seen as broken in the pejorative sense of the word, because it is no longer preforming functions as it did previously. Change can be a scary thing if you fixate on the unknown; you have to  look inward and concentrate on what goodness is hiding inside your school that can't be let out until you break the tube.

My answer to what a broken system looks like: noisy, shifting, luminescent, radiating light and energy. I want my school to have such energy and I want us to visibly share it with the world. We should hold our glow stick up to illuminate the darkness and understand that even though it will not last forever (a dying glow stick is a traumatic realization for a small child) we know how and why we must break another one if we expect to see.

I'm interested in hearing from you: Is your school like a glow stick? What is waiting to shine through? Is a system broken from outside forces or made from what's inside?

The Value of Brand in Education

by Eric Sheninger is Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ.

The following is a guest blog post that I did for Trish Rubin's EdVentures in a New York MINUTE .  Trish wanted to know my thoughts on whether or not branding has a place in education.  Below is the entire blog post with Trish Rubin's comments italicized:

Several months ago, I posted an article about a New Jersey principal named Eric Sheninger whom I had seen on the CBS news conducting the business of "BRAND ed" in his school by introducing social media to his History curriculum. I've followed him through the social media, and learned so much from watching him in that element. I asked him to be a guest blogger today on the topic of Branding as a strategy for educational leaders to improve culture and student performance. I will meet with Eric next week to see his school, meet him in person and continue the Brand Conversation as I develop my book. With thanks to this dynamic leader, here's Eric's response to a few initial questions I posed regarding his understanding of branding.

What Does "Brand" Mean to you?

To me a brand promises value through the evolution of a unique identity that relates to a specific audience or stakeholder group. Value can be defined in many ways. Some brands promise durability, health, style, safety, taste, convenience, or savings. Brands are designed to stand out and ultimately influence the consumer in a fashion that builds trust in the product. Sustaining a sense of trust is an integral component of a brands ability to promise value.

( I like that and see the key words as TRUST/PROMISE to be as important in schools as they are to business!)

How Do you see its Value in Education?

In the field of education schools are considered a brand. They promise value to residents of the district in terms of academic preparation to succeed in society. Many families will chose to reside in a specific district if the schools have a track record of academic success. Specific variables that are ultimately embedded into an educational institutions brand are state test scores, curriculum, teacher/administrator quality, number of AP courses, college acceptances, and extracurricular activities. By establishing a school’s identity or brand, leaders and other stakeholders can develop a strategic awareness of how to continually improve pedagogical and management practices that promise, as well as deliver, a quality education to all students. As a high school principal I feel that it is my responsibility to continually develop and enhance my school’s brand through innovation, risk-taking, building of relationships (students, teachers, parents, community stakeholders, institutions of higher education, businesses/corporations, etc.) and a commitment to the community. In my opinion this vision can assist all educators in establishing a brand for their respective schools that not only promises, but delivers value to residents of the district.

( Nice! This response speaks to starting the conversation, to introducing the concept, and sharing the language and processes that will put BRANDING in the center of a school reform plan!)

Do you have a Personal Brand?

I think everyone has a personal brand, but either does not realize or take it seriously. What you do in your professional and personal life does have an impact on how you are perceived and if you can be trusted. As a principal, I feel that my personal brand should reflect my commitment to the academic success and social/emotional well-being of the students of New Milford High School (http://www.newmilfordschools.org/NMHS/hs_main_page.html). It is equally important the my “brand” reflects to my staff a determination to cultivate positive relationships. It should resonate with them idealistic principles such as support, modeling, listening, innovation, shared decision making, consensus, risk-taking, and life-long learning. I do my best to lead my example and sustain a personal brand connected to these principles. For more on this please see my latest blog post entitled “Innovation Through Effective Leadership” at http://www.educatorsroyaltreatment.com/2010/01/innovation-through-effective-leadership.html. Communication is extremely important in establishing one’s personal brand and social media has become the premier outlet for packaging and creating an identity. My personal brand from an education standpoint is constantly on display for the world to see. In my opinion, these outlets clearly illustrate my commitment to professional growth, learning, innovation, and student success. Listed below are some of the social media sites I utilize:
Twitter
LinkedIn
The Educator's PLN Ning
ERT Blog

(Great point. Eric knows about using the BRAND concept as a part of management plan. Integrity is part of that, and Communicating that through a personal brand is part of developing as a leader.)

Could Schools use this Brand model?

Schools can definitely use this brand model in order to focus efforts that continually address ways to improve teacher quality, curriculum, instructional practices, facilities, and professional development. All of these factors play a crucial role in increasing student achievement and engagement. The bottom line is that all schools should ultimately be able to promise value in terms of delivering a quality education while adequately preparing students for success in the 21st Century. A brand model can help to achieve this noble goal.

( I couldn't have said it better!)

I would like to thank Trish Rubin for the opportunity to share my thoughts.  You can follow Trish on Twitter @TrishBIH.

Meeting Tweet Faces at FETC 2010

by Ken Royal

I was really busy at FETC with back to back meetings, but the brightest spots for me, personally, were meet-ups with three Twitter followers—maybe a better word would be colleagues. I was fortunate enough to meet assistant superintendent, teacher advocate, and seeker of appropriate technology, M. E Steele-Pierce (@steelepierce, sorry didn't think to take a pic! ), as well as Alfred Thompson (@alfredtwo, talk about a set up pic, left ), K-12 Computer Science Academic Relations Manager for Microsoft, computer science teacher, author, and blogger.

Alfred and I met for a few minutes. Not sure who asked whom about what stood out technologically or educationally at FETC 2010, but I do know that we were off in conversation immediately, like two kids in a candy shop with more than a dollar to spend. We hope to meet up at TCEA to continue our conversation video-interview style.

I caught Alfred hanging out at the Microsoft room, I'm sure tweeting away, and M. E. at Adora Svitak's Kid's Eye View Early Bird Keynote. Why is it, that I feel that I've known these two forever. There might be something to this Twitter, PLN thing. Love to get more together, in the same place, to talk Ed tech—face to face.

At the keynote, it was my privilege to introduce Adora (@Adorasv) to a audience, that made up mostly of Florida educators. After my bit, I tweeted away what was happening, along with others at the keynote. Adora suggested we do that right from the start. After locating all her presentation tools—she began and then picked up the pace. Later, we compared my slow and deliberate with her firecracker style. We also caught up for a short video interview. I love a smart kid who lets me joke around, and then dishes it right back. Hope that gets to the Scholastic site, but if it doesn't, I'll post it here at the ERT.

I noticed something. Many teachers, for the first time, were using and most likely seeing the ed tech devices that Adora used seamlessly in her talk. She had teachers voting and responding using those tech devices throughout. At first the texting clicks were few, and then like an old-fashioned typing room. Beyond a lesson in how to do a presentation, brainstorming, Adora had taught many how to use a tech device.

The reality struck, though, during one of a few times Adora gave us time to chat with neighbors. Two Florida teachers next to me said that they didn't have any of the tools Adora was using, although they ask for them regularly. I asked them to contact me to continue the conversation.

If you didn't get to FETC to see Adora Svitak's keynote, check the recorded stream below to get a flavor of it:

Innovation Through Effective Leadership

by Eric Sheninger, Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ.

Lately I have been pondering about what themes educational leaders should embrace in order to initiate and sustain change.  Educators from all corners of the globe have discussed through blogs and Twitter (i.e #edchat) the need for a fundamental shift in how students are instructed and assessed.  Although most would agree that the traditional "chalk & talk" and "sage on the stage" are sometimes needed as information dissemination techniques, these types of instruction should not be the focus of lessons. They should support a more authentic form of learning.
 

The common vision of effective instruction now centers around student-centered, authentic learning experiences that properly integrate technology and foster critical thinking skills.  Specific pedagogical strategies that come to mind include cooperative, inquiry-based, problem-based, and self-directed learning as well as differentiated instruction, assessment, and supervision.  As discussed in “Shift Happens” we need to prepare today’s learners for jobs that don’t even exist yet.  Is your school or institution moving in this direction? 

Educational leaders need to be catalysts of innovation.  We can no longer accept the “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” cliche.  A climate that cultivates innovative thinking, instruction, and program development needs to be established and maintained.  Too often in education we hear about great ideas and are told to implement the flavor of the month only to see it replaced by another fad a few months down the road.  The following is a list if themes that I feel all educational leaders should emphasize when developing a culture of innovation within a school:

1. Vision
2. Collaboration
3. Risk-taking
4. Support
5. Listening
6. Outside-of-the-box thinking
7. Consensus 
8. Building of relationships (students, teachers, parents, stakeholders, higher education, businesses, media)
9. Shared decision making
10. Technology integration including Web 2.0 
11. Reflection
12. Establishment of a PLN
13. Communication
14. Professional Growth
15. Follow-through 

In my opinion the list above contains the necessary seeds for innovation.  By no means am I an expert in leadership, but I believe that each of the above themes is a critical component in the development of a innovative learning institution designed to meet the needs of today’s learner.  I encourage all readers to add your comments to this list whether you are a teacher, parent, student, IT specialist, or administrator.  We all have the capacity to lead in our respective positions and together we can develop a framework to help other leaders become agents of innovative change.

Building Learning Power In The Classroom

  by Isabelle Jones who blogs at My Languages

(Isabelle Jones is Head of Modern Foreign Languages)

I started reading about Building Learning Power some time ago, but although I could see  how this may be applicable in a Primary school concept, I wondered how the principles of Building Learning Power might be applied in my Language classroom. As a result, I attended a BLP course run on 26th November 2009 by Steve Watson, Deputy Headteacher at Alderbrook School and consultant for TLO.

What is BLP?
According to its official website, Building Learning Power is about:

Developing young people’s ability to become better learners
Developing their “portable” learning power –as a personal skill
Preparing young people for a lifelong learning

To reach these aims, Building Learning Power:

Provides a clearer version of the Big Picture-What does a good learner look like/do?
Is a good language learner someone with a good memory, someone who can deduct meaning and re-apply it, someone who can communicate effectively, someone who is always confident speaking, someone who can use reference documents ... ?

Builds on previous learning-to-learn ideas and takes them further
How can you use what you know to understand new things? Patterns, suffixes, prefixes etc...

Develops the appetite and ability to learn in different ways
Languages ARE real-life materials-you can learn in many different ways, using a textbook does not make it more effective for the learner.

Works at a deep level on classroom culture and schools’ climate for learning:

Shifts responsibility for learning to learn from the teacher to the learner
Students will plateau quickly if they are not actively involved in their language learning. They will also have to deal with identity and emotional issues that are not linked with any other subjects. (That is why I found the mapping out of BLP/ SEAL on Coventry Learning Gateway so relevant to what we are trying to do)

Engages teachers and students creatively as researchers in learning-teachers no longer to be seen as “the fount of all knowledge”

Effects witnessed in some BLP schools are:

raised achievement
improved behaviour
increased motivation
supple learning minds
increased enjoyment in learning
established habits of lifelong learning
enhanced
creativity

What is effective learning?

Although Reading skills appear to be better now than before, the habit of reading is not as developed as it used to be. It often also appears that students are more independent learners at KS2 than they are at KS3-KS4. The difference between good students and good learners is most obvious at KS4 and some good students appear later to be fragile learners that struggle to cope at College or University. Although the exam and assessment system is partly to blame, teachers do have a duty to develop skills like “knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do” (Piaget)

Guest Blogging: An Opportunity To Share More

by Isabelle Jones who blogs at My Languages.

As we are approaching the end of the year, I have been thinking quite a lot about all the benefits I have derived from guest blogging this year.

OK, I am not a prolific guest blogger but contributing to The Educators’ Royal Treatment and the latest MFL & Technology series on Jose Picardo’s Box of Trick has been both enjoyable and profitable from the point of view of my own personal development.

First, it is great for confidence and developing a stronger blogging voice. It helps you to express all those thoughts, mixing the personal and the professional.
And apparently... It shows! I am no longer hiding behind my avatar and very willing to discuss my blog posts and change my mind if I want to... I feel I have definitely moved on from sharing information to sharing ideas and opinions about the information I share.

Second, it makes you reflect on what you are doing. You get to understand better how to get there, why and what the way forward could be.

Third, it gives you an opportunity to read other people’s blog posts and get tempted to comment more than you would normally admit to have the time to do (excuses excuses).

Fourth, it strengthens your relationships with the different members of your PLN, making subsequent exchanges and conversation even more meaningful.  Twitter is also such a wonderful tool to support this.

Fifth, it makes you open up to different approaches and ways of “doing things” in different countries and educational sectors. This is the ultimate Let’s-Think-out-of-the-box toolkit!

So, Languages teachers, get inspired and also check out some of my favourite posts on The Educators’ Royal Treatment whether you teach languages or not...

Are You Kidding? Reward School Innovation!

By Deron Durflinger, Secondary Principal at Van Meter Schools in Van Meter, IA.

The state of Iowa recently divvied out approximately $60 million from a total settlement $179.95 million dollars to schools from the Iowa School Microsoft Settlement Program. The lawsuit was a result of Microsoft overcharging Iowa consumers and schools for certain products. According to a press release (http://www.governor.iowa.gov/index.php/press_releases/single/223/), 3 out of 4 schools will receive a portion of the money. Why aren't all students in Iowa going to see the benefits of the money you ask? Great question.

For decades, we have done a great job of putting money into the existing structure and hoped for a different result. Are you kidding me? More money isn't the going to help, a better system is the answer. Albert Einstein once said that "Insanity: is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Giving schools money to buy more technology won't change the way schools do business. However, putting more money into our current model of teaching and learning is how we have always done things, so why change. We must like the results I guess.

Shouldn't the money be given to schools that are being innovative and creative? There are schools in Iowa that are willing to take risks to improve the quality of education our students receive. There are schools that are thinking differently and that have been innovative.

I am all for schools with greater challenges being given an equal or even better opportunity to receive funds. However, when the only criteria for getting the money is the number of students the building has that qualify for free and reduced lunches, we restrict schools, and more importantly deserving students from districts that don't meet that criteria from this money that could potentially help recreate the educational system. Not only is this flawed thinking, it is wrong.

The main criteria for the funding should have been schools that are already thinking differently. It should have included stipulations for doing something innovative. It should have strings attached that clearly stipulate that if you don't do something with the money that is innovative, creative, or better for learning, you have to pay the money back. I guess what I am saying, is the funding should have gone to schools where the leadership of the building/district get that we have a flawed system that requires an overhaul in how we do business. I am afraid that we may have created a funding source for schools to keep doing things the way they always have, but now they will have some neat technology to go along with it.

Leadership is the key to improving our educational system, not money. If we want to see different results, we must start doing things differently. I hope in the future, the powers that be consider rewarding those that have shown innovation and districts that are willing to make the changes necessary to help our kids succeed in today's world, not yesterday's. 

Pixetell, Have You Met Education?

by Ken Royal

I know that Pixetell is geared to a business model, but one look at it, and it shouts education. I've been playing around with this easy to use video, audio, documents, drag and drop collaboration solution all morning. It uses regular e-mail to send a URL to your video, audio, or typed communication. The link opens in any browser. It completely takes away the challenge of piecing together two or more tools to do the same thing.

They're working on a Mac version now, and it should be out soon, but I was able to run it using Parallels, so any other Virtual Machine should do the trick, too. My Mac is older, so I haven't tried bootcamp. On a PC it worked like a charm – actually tried it on a netbook–very cool. I did video and audio without mic or headsets (screen grab image above), but using them will only make the sound quality crystal rather than good.

Off the top of my head, I'm thinking professional development, inter-school, parent/teacher communication, as well as project collaboration locally. I think it would be wonderful for parallel international studies, and communication across time zones. You can password protect, as well as lock or open the discussion feature.

My recommendation, is for the company to create an Education section at their site, and let teachers get this for a minimal fee. In other words, have a teacher or education price for this. If you can do e-mail, you can do this. Just so easy! The download and set up was under a minute as well. Looking forward to some educator feedback on this.

Take a look for yourself, and try it for free at http://www.pixetell.com/, and be sure to check the video there.

Gathering New Education Voices

by Ken Royal

I began The Educators’ Royal Treatment with an idea that didn’t seem valuable to anyone but me—at the time. The idea was to bring together educators making a difference in their schools or districts—and amplify those ideas further. I naively thought that just by asking, educators from bottom to top, and top to bottom to share new ideas, or repost at the ERT—they would.

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet...

It was very slow at first, and I was posting—mostly everything. I feared the ERT would become just another I, Me, My blog, and that was what I didn’t want. And then something really crazy began to happen. It had a lot to do with Twitter. I began to notice others Tweeting similar ideas, and conversations developed—it became easier for me to suggest guest posting at the ERT. I was a little amazed—but not entirely, that almost everyone I asked wanted to post—and the asking seemed to be get easier. Having so many new voices sharing is amazing. The posts could easily be features, articles, columns and how tos if published elsewhere. That has something to do with a goal I'll mention later in this post. 

Marketplace

I also wanted to hear from education marketplace experts, and have them post as well. In my experience, getting  away from press releases, and form-like best practice studies made sense. After all, educators want to know what a product will do for kids, for them as teachers, and how it worked—without trying to decipher a press release. Some marketplace people jumped right in, and recently Wednesday has started to click. I think many were surprised that I've invited them to post.

Crazy and Realistic Goals

My crazy goal was to have the ERT become like a Huffington Post for education, but my more realistic goal was to further publish what authors posted—in other forms and places. At this point, the crazy goal is in my dreams, and the realistic one hasn’t gone too far either. I don’t intend giving up on the latter, and if I fall over a bag of money with my name on it, I’ll make both happen.

It's Good to be the Director

Personally, the best part of it all is connecting people who wouldn’t normally connect, as well as supporting those who didn’t know that what they thought was valuable to others. It’s amazing how much confidence a few words can create. It’s no different with kids—is it? Each day, I ask educators to share, and hope others will ask to share at the ERT. It’s good to be the Director.

New Voices

I believe it’s time to listen to new voices. While I’m aware that the old voices, (and I count myself as one of them) still have some good thoughts to share—it really is time for new energy. Take a good look at the Educators and Administrators joining forces to discuss change. While it's easy to say the same thing for another thirty years, it won't happen. And having one or two rogue technology educators in a school, or district will become history. Too many are share—and too many are listening. The education stars are all around you, and we don't have to look to just a few—anymore.
I, Me, My is being replaced by group sharing—PLNs if you will—and educators are sharing in in organized groups—on Twitter, in Nings, blogs, and who knows what else—will be next.

What an amazing time—and to be part of a movement that is so much bigger than one voice!

Living Change: Mixing Education, Technology, and Life

By Bonnie Frampton Faust

Once Upon a…

In 1995 I jumped at the opportunity to take an online college course. It would allow me to continue working full-time while studying when it was convenient for me, usually late in the evening after a very long commute. The fact that it was Business Law, not exactly the most engaging of topics, was only part of the issue. The fact was, I was alone. I read my epic, $175 textbook alone. I wrote my papers alone. And every few nights I would faithfully log onto the course site with my dial up modem and reply to the questions my professor posted. Alone.

I don’t remember having access to other student’s posts, but if I did, it was not in a format that encouraged any dialogue. For all I know, I could have been the only student in the class. After the first few weeks, I dropped the class, and swore off online classes. Learning, I decided, should take place in a classroom.

Six Years Later…

When I was expecting my daughter, I stumbled upon a bulletin board forum on the iVillage website. I was searching for advice to treat my severe morning sickness, and somehow found this small community of women who were all expecting and posting information, support, encouragement and advice. Within a few days I had ‘met’ several women across the country, and two overseas, who were eager and willing to share what they had learned. Online friendships developed quickly. I found myself asking for their advice and input as easily as members of my own family and friends I had known since childhood. I had discovered my own Personal Learning Network (PLN) of experienced and new mothers who were willing to help me along as I navigated the uncertain and challenging territory of pregnancy and motherhood.

Some may argue that my second experience was more successful because the topic was more relevant to my interests, or even question the quality of my sources. However, what many teachers and education pioneers like Albert Bandura have discovered, is that social learning—the process of learning from one another, sharing ideas and welcoming feedback, can be a critical component to learning.

Now…

Today’s social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter easily provide the collaborative model today’s students are accustomed to. The earliest models of social learning included groups of students working together in the classroom. Today, with technology that can connect individuals across time zones and language barriers, we see social learning and social networking on a global level. We are no longer limited to the student sitting at the desk next to us; we can connect with peers and professionals alike all over the world.

The Dilemma…

Ironically, most schools and libraries, places you would expect social learning to be embraced, block social networking sites or simply do not understand their value. The faculty and administration of many schools have not caught up with the technology that their students integrate seamlessly into their lives. Some simply perceive it as entertainment while others fear it will blur the lines of academic integrity. In 2008, a student at Ryerson University in Southern California faced charges of academic misconduct for moderating an online chemistry study group on Facebook. First year student Chris Avenir was threatened with expulsion for inviting others to the group, where 146 classmates shared tips and strategies for solving homework questions that counted for 10 percent of their final grade. His student union advocate pointed out that discussing strategies and ideas on Facebook is no different than using a study group working together on homework in a library. Avenir himself argues that, "If this kind of help is cheating, then so is tutoring and all the mentoring programs the university runs and the discussions we do in tutorials."
 
Future…

Today I am navigating my last few months of college, working late into most nights after my daughter is fast asleep, researching information much like I did when I was pregnant. The differences are not as great as one might imagine. As I learn more about collaborative technology and its practical applications in the classroom, I make the connection between what I am studying and what I instinctively searched out in the past.

What does surprise me, and what might surprise other students of my generation, is how strong a role social networking plays in my education. My cooperating teacher is one of my Facebook friends, and it’s often the easiest way to connect with one another in the weeks leading up to my student teaching assignment with him. I belong to several educational groups on Facebook, and enjoy it because I can browse for ideas and information while catching up with my family in Norway, a friend who moved to Italy, and a college roommate who now lives in Bermuda. Yet it wasn't until about two months ago that I was introduced to Twitter and began to understand the professional collaborative application of social media.

I actually had signed up for an account over a year ago, didn’t ‘get’ it, and largely ignored it. Enter Tom Whitby, my Methods of Teaching English professor. He ‘gently’ insisted our entire class join Twitter and something called Ning. Moaning. Groaning. Eye rolls. Yet in only a few short weeks, several of us have built a network of educators on Twitter and The Educator’s PLN with whom we feel comfortable and confident asking for and giving advice! Imagine that…college students who have yet to teach in a real classroom, not just learning from these cutting edge professionals, but adding to the dialog as well! Not only have I learned a great deal, I have developed a network of some of the top education and technology professionals in the world who I can continue to reach out to long after I receive my degree. By far, this has been the most valuable part of my education.

Reflection and Revelation…

Today, the iVillage bulletin board where I met those women who helped me navigate a challenging part of my pregnancy has changed, and a new crop of new and expectant mothers have taken over. Yet over the past nine years, several of us ‘graduates’ have met face to face and stay in touch through Facebook, email and holiday cards and continue to look to one another for support, advice and friendship. We have seen each other through divorce, illness, death and relocation. We are a group of women who would never have met otherwise, yet we have learned so much from one another.

30 Students Win Students Speak! Countdown to Copenhagen Contest

by Sandy Fash
Countdown to Copenhagen Winners!

Illustrating their passion for addressing climate change issues, 30 elementary, middle and high school students from around the world have been named winners of the Students Speak! Countdown to Copenhagen Contest, hosted by ePals and Conservation International’s "Team Earth" campaign. The winning submissions will be hand-delivered to world leaders attending the Copenhagen Climate Conference this month.

The Students Speak! Contest was designed to provide world leaders, scientists and other influential dignitaries a representation of what students think about climate change. The contest asked students to address these leaders in the form of a song, poem, speech, presentation, or video, and encouraged students to answer questions such as: What would you say to world leaders about climate change? And what actions would you ask them to take?

Ten winning entries were chosen in each age group category (ages 5-10, 11-13 and 14-18).  Of these 30 winning entries, 15 were chosen as overall winning submissions. To view a list of the top 30 winners, including the top 15 winners overall, and their submissions, visit www.epals.com/teamearth/climatechangecontest.

Earlier this fall, ePals joined national consumer brands Dell, SC Johnson, Starbucks, and Wrigley, and three non-profit organizations, Conservation International, Rocky Mountain Institute and Prince’s Rainforest Project, to announce the formation of "Team Earth," a global sustainability movement.

The Team Earth Focus Area on the ePals Web site (www.epals.com/teamearth) offers an interactive, safe focus area for students worldwide to engage in competitions, voice their opinions and get involved. The Students Speak! Contest encouraged students, parents and educators to countdown to Copenhagen with the help of free resources on sustainability efforts available on the ePals Team Earth Focus Area.

Outside of the contest, students can get involved by joining "Team Earth," getting their classrooms on the map, reviewing resources about important environmental issues, and uploading user-generated content to highlight ideas about how they will help save our planet. To date, students from more than 115 countries have signed on to be a member of "Team Earth."  Have your students?

Student Research Used to Influence School Decisions

by Eric Sheninger, Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ.

As educators, it is imperative that we provide learning experiences that are meaningful and relevant to our students. The words, “Authentic learning,” have now become synonymous when developing activities that accomplish this goal. I have been fortunate to observe many lessons over the course of this year that truly exemplify the concept of authentic learning. A few weeks back my vice principal and I were discussing a change in the enforcement of the district’s smoking policy with John Coviello, our administrative intern and a History Teacher at New Milford High School. John thought is would be a great idea for the students in his Sociology class to develop and conduct a research project to assist the Administration in making a decision. 

Below is the unit plan referred to as, “Smokiology,” developed by John Coviello:

This unit should be utilized in order to properly instruct students on how to carry out proper quantitative research.  Students will have no prior knowledge or experience with research methodologies. This is an introductory sociology course and therefore students will have very little terminological background as well. This unit should take approximately two weeks with flex time to account for unforeseen variables. This is an authentic unit in which students are, “Hired,” by the school administration to research a social issue for the purposes of making a policy decision.  In this case the school administration has to make a decision as to whether they should implement a new smoking policy that would not allow anyone to smoke tobacco products within one thousand feet of the school building.  The research team, (sociology class) will function just as an actual research team would be utilized in the field. They will also operate just as a real research team operates as closely as possible,  given certain situational constraints (they are not really getting paid and they only meet for forty-eight minutes per day).

The students will utilize a quantitative, or multiple quantitative research tools of their choosing based upon choices they are taught by the instructor to collect data concerning a social issue.  It will be their task to distribute the quantitative research tool, collect and collate all of the data, make a critical analysis of the data as a team, collaborate upon and debate what the appropriate recommendation should be to the school administration, create a formal research report, and present and defend their findings to the school administration in person. Students will be assessed using a holistic scoring rubric.  

 

This unit is interdisciplinary (math and social studies) being that students must also utilize statistical analysis to some degree.

Authentic Learning Success:

Successful authentic learning activities should be relevant to the learner, contain a real-world context, result in the production of a product, and have an audience. In my opinion, this project had all of the necessary criteria.  The students presented the findings of their research this past Friday (12/4/09) to the Administration. The students were professionally dressed and presented the research that they had conducted on student smoking and enforcement using a PowerPoint presentation. During their presentation they reviewed the purpose of the study, data collected, analysis of the results, conclusion, and suggested alternatives to the proposed enforcement by the administration. The students opened our eyes to other means of deterring smoking that we had never even thought of.  As an Administration we fully plan to take the suggestions and feedback from the students as we make our decision. 

Administrator's View:

As Principal, I could not have been more proud of my students or the amount of work put forth by John.  There are so many effective instructional components contained in this project, which include self-directed learning, critical thinking, public speaking, cooperative learning, quantitative research, interdisciplinary connections, authentic assessment, etc. Obviously I am just providing a quick snapshot of the project that John developed, but I think that I have been able to convey the magnitude of this learning experience.  Schools should promote this type of environment where students and teachers feel that their efforts are making a difference and that their voices are being heard. Throw learning into the process and you have a recipe for success!

Why Doesn't the System Adapt to the Student?

by Deron Durflinger, Principal, Van Meter Schools, Iowa

Why Doesn't the System Adapt to the Student, Instead of the Student Adapting to the System?

Recently I read a great blog post from Doug Johnson,who wrote in response to a post from Scott McLeod on his Dangerously Irrelevant Blog. As much fun as speculating what education might or ought to look like in 2050 (I'll only be 98 years old, after all), I'd suggest energies are better spent in realizing the potential of the technologies and opportunities we have available to us - TODAY.

These would be my questions for Will ...

• Why don't we now have an IEP for every child (and every teacher), with tech facilitating this today?
• Why doesn't every child have a laptop or netbook with 24/7 access to tutorials, information, and productivity tools for all learners with genuinely differentiated approaches and resource for each student TODAY?
• Why is not every teacher taking advantage of challenging/engaging game environments and MUVEs TODAY?
• Why is every teacher not taking advantage of a nearly unlimited number of resources to allow the creation of relevant assignments based on personal interests for every child TODAY?
• Why do teachers and students not have 24/7 access to information professionals (librarians) TODAY?
• Why do there only seem to be a few teachers in every school that make creativity, problem-solving and global interactions a priority TODAY?

Why are these things not the norm, but the exception TODAY? It would take no extra funds, no revolution, no scientific breakthroughs, no visioning. Just work.(And I'll bet these things are not universal even in the districts of the administrative geniuses Scott describes.)

Doug talks about changes that need to happen in education TODAY. I couldn't agree more with the questions Doug is asking.

• With the resources that we have available today through technology, all students and teachers could and should have a plan based on their needs that will help them improve and learn at the highest level.
• Laptops for every student, in every school would truly empower students to learn 24/7 about their PASSIONS in a way that will allow them to THINK, LEAD & SERVE in this global, digital community we all live in.
• Kids have grown up on video games and love to dream and live in this virtual world, and yet most teachers have no idea the amount of learning that could take place in their classes if they harnessed the power of gaming in their classrooms.
• Kids have access to so many tools that would allow them to create and develop products to demonstrate their learning on a level, no textbook, notepad and pencil could ever do.
• Students should not only have access to their school librarians, but to all of their teachers 24/7 so they can learn when and how they learn.

We need students that can create, students that are globally connected, and students that are problem-solvers because they will be the leaders of our world in the not to distant future. All students should have opportunities to develop these skills on a daily basis.

As Doug described in his post. All of the questions he asked about schools today could happen easily for free, but he forgot one important question. Why do we expect every kid to adjust to the system instead of the system adjusting to the kid?

We live in such a diverse, connected world, begging for people that are:

• Adaptable
• Creative
• Innovative
• Risk Takers
• Collaborative
• Problem-Solvers

But our current educational system wants all students to develop the same skills, at the same rate, taught in the same manner, to each individual. ALL educators know that this system is not conducive to true learning. We know all people are different. We know all kids develop differently. We know every student has different strengths & different weaknesses and different likes & different dislikes. We know that all students learn differently. We know that for a student to be passionate about learning and to become a life-long learner, we have to help students find what works best for them, which may or may not be what works best for everyone else, especially the adults.

The current educational system needs to change. We have known it for years because so many efforts to reform education have been attempted. The problem with reforming the model we currently have is it somehow morphs back into what it always was. The system will always become what it always was because the focus has always been on what is best for the adults, and not on what is best for the students.

For the system to change in a way in which meaningful learning is the norm instead of the exception, we will need an entirely NEW system. The factory model needs to be replaced with an educational system that is more similar to the world in which we live in. It needs to be:

• Adaptable
• Creative
• Innovative
• Willing to take Risks
• Collaborative
• Full of Problem-Solvers

The system needs to be what we expect from the kids. We are trying to create this type of system at Van Meter. We are excited about the direction we are going, but we are only one small school in Iowa. For these needed changes to take place throughout the U.S, we are going to need educational leaders who are willing to BE what they expect our students to become.

The Essential Tools For The Connected Teacher—Part 1

by Steven W. Anderson
(Director's Note: Anderson is @web20classroom — twitter.com/web20classroom)

First, a little background. In my role of an Instructional Technologist my goal is to help teachers understand that there are some really awesome tools out there to take their teaching to the next level. I get asked all the time about what tools should teachers be using in the classroom or for professional development.

A few weeks ago I posted my Administrators Technology Toolkit where I wanted to give school administrators some simple tools to get started with to really understand what it means to be a Tech Savvy Administrator.

But I got lots of questions about teachers. What tools do teachers need to use to be Tech Savvy Teachers?
So was born the List of Essential Tools For The Connected Teacher. Of course these are not all the tools teachers need. Nor are the tools in each category the only tools perfect for that category. They are just a jumping off point. A way to get started.

So for the next 4 Fridays I will be posting a different category of connectedness and several tools.

Here we go...

Week 1-Tools To Communicate

Part of being a Tech Savvy Teacher is communication. Communication with students, parents, community and other education professionals is a must today. Here are several tools to get you started.

Class Websites-They are a perfect way to get your classroom message out. Post homework, projects, class photos, videos, lessons and more. Think about it. You do a lesson. Johnny is out of school because of Swine Flu. No need for Johnny to fall behind because he can go to your website and get his lesson and homework for the days he is out. The parent doesn't even need to come to the school to get the assignments because you have taken the time to post your information to your website. I am sure you can think of 100's of other ways to use a class website.

Some schools now provide a website space for teachers. If you are not using it you should! If your school doesn't provide for one, get one! There are lots of great, free, services to have a class website if your school doesn't provide one for you:

Google Sites- Very easy to use, and easy to link to Google Calendar for homework and other important dates. You can also post lots of 0ther gadgets that really provide for a lot of flexibility when putting up lessons.

Webs- Another easy to set up and use website service. The only drawback is their are ads on your pages and there really isn't any control over what ads are shown.

Wix- Has to be one of the best website design programs out there, and the best part, its free! You can create some really slick, Flash-based, pages with no programing knowledge really. Very easy to use but when done, looks like a pro made it.

Blogs- So maybe a website just isn't for you. Or maybe you are looking for another way to keep up the communication. Introducing the blog. There are a couple of ways to use them. It could just be a place to summarize what kids did in class that day and to post your homework. It could be a place that is an extension of the learning. Some teachers will post a question or a reflection that they then have the students go in and comment. Or it could just be a place for you to reflect and talk about what it means to be a teacher...

The Administrator's Technology Toolkit

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:

• SupportBlogging Educational Blogs

• Moving Forward Educational Blogs

• Educational Blogs You Should Be Following

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:

• Educational Administrators Ning

• The Educator's Personal Learning Network Ning

• More Educational Nings

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?

Cross Posted on The Tech and Learning Blog and Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom

Titles Escape Me, Friends Don't

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.

All Schools Should Skype

by Eric Sheninger
Principal, New Milford High School (NMHS), located in Bergen County, NJ

Last fall I was at a workshop and was intrigued to learn how schools were using Skype in the classroom. Needless to say I was sold immediately on the educational possibilities. Upon returning to school made it a mission to pass on this information thinking that all of my teachers would be as enthusiastic about it as I was. I had never used the program, but all I heard was how easy it was to Skype. I soon developed this vision of walking around my building and seeing multiple classrooms using Skype to engage our students like never before. So I sent out a very detailed email to my entire staff explaining how easy it was to set up Skype and ways in which it could be used during instruction. With these step by step instructions I was sure that it would only take days before teachers began to use this Web 2.0 technology as a free video conference tool.

Weeks and months went by and I heard nothing about Skype. If this wasn’t bad enough, I then did some investigating and found that none of my teachers had used it at all. So where did I go wrong?  Some pondering led me back to knowledge acquired during my administrative training. If I wanted my staff to buy into using a type of technology, no matter how simple it is to use, I had to model how to use it for educational purposes. Now I had a plan! So over the summer I learned how to Skype and trained a few of my staff members. Using Delicious I collected links on how Skype was being used for education. My passion and excitement became contagious after engaging in a few discussions with staff members.  Finally, my vision of teachers using Skype in the classroom was about to become a reality.

At this point, I cannot take any credit for what I am about to write about. One of the teachers that I had Skype discussions with was Colleen Tambuscio. Colleen teaches a Holocaust course at NMHS and takes 10-12 students on a Holocaust Study tour every year to Europe. The following is some background information on the program taken from the NJ School Report Card Narrative:

New Milford High School offers students a comprehensive Holocaust/Genocide education program. This program is run by Colleen Tambuscio, the 2005-2006 Bergen County Teacher of the year. The course includes an instructional component both within the classroom setting and beyond. Activities include the following:

• an elective course entitled The Holocaust and Human Behavior
• a two day educational seminar to The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, DC
• a day-long symposium with Holocaust survivors
• a funded overseas experiential learning opportunity to study the Holocaust at sites in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland.

The goal of the program is to provide students with educational experiences that help foster an understanding of the value of all human life and that challenge students to examine their personal attitudes and behaviors while grappling with the historical complexity of the Holocaust era.

Colleen was already familiar with Skype as she had used it for personal reasons, but was now excited to utilize it in the classroom. Let me tell you, she had some fantastic ideas.

On Monday September 14th, Colleen “Skyped in” a guest speaker, Shalmi Barmore, from Israel for her Holocaust class. The topic of the lesson for the day was to define the term "genocide" and analyze this definition as it related to the term "Holocaust". Mr. Barmore was able to give historical insight into the creation and use of the term "genocide" and the history behind labeling the genocide that took place during WWII as "The Holocaust". Mr. Barmore shared scholarly information on the use of these terms from his years of experience in education at Yad Vashem - Israel's Holocaust memorial.  Students were able to interact directly with Mr. Barmore in real time through a vibrant discussion. Colleen also plans to Skype to her Holocaust classes from Europe this spring when on the Study Tour!

 

In a recent email this week, Colleen explained to me other ways that she plans to use Skype in the classroom. I have included these below:

 

“Last night I had dinner with a friend of mine from USHMM who is the expert on Latin America and the Holocaust. She was in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay for a month working with local schools and teachers. She worked with a teacher and students in Uruguay on a survivor project. Their local survivor stories were not documented anywhere. Through the registry at USHMM she set up an opportunity for the students to document their local survivor stories which were not in the database at the Museum. This is exactly what we will be doing this year in Trsice, videotaping and writing up the stories of local survivors in the Trsice/Olomouc region that have not been documented.

So as you can imagine, we will be documenting these for the registry at USHMM.  Prior to this initiative, she is going to set us up with the students in Uruguay so we can SKYPE and have a conversation about the process involved in this project. They don't speak English so I asked Lisette Morel this morning if she could interpret for us and she was thrilled to help out." 

LOTS OF POTENTIAL HERE!

 

“Today in Holocaust class first period and as a result of a discussion in my 8th period yesterday, we emailed the author of a book we are reading on the Armenian Genocide some questions about Armenian survivor understanding of the Holocaust.  What did they think after their ordeal about the Holocaust?  Why is there such Armenian discontent in their culture against the Jews?  Does this stem from their time in Turkey or is religious indifference? etc.  Lots of great questions.  I know the author because he has spoken at our CHE (Council of Holocaust Educators) conferences in the past.  He will respond to the kids.  Then, we asked him if he would SKYPE into our class next week so we can discuss these issues !!! I'll let you know.”

 
Simple, free technology such as Skype can add a whole new dimension to the learning process.  As educators we can now easily move beyond the walls of the classroom and provide authentic-learning experiences for our students that are relevant, meaningful, and engaging. With this being said, it is teachers like Colleen Tambuscio that make this happen in classrooms across the globe.  Bottom line is this: I am so glad that I learned to Skype!

WeAreTeachers Offers Special Education Teachers Online Place to Connect

A new partnership offers special education teachers online access to community support, idea sharing and product recommendations.  PCI Education, a provider of resources for students with special needs, has partnered with WeAreTeachers, an online social and business network that brings together teachers, learners and content in the education industry, to provide community members with special education expertise.

Through the PCI Education home page on WeAreTeachers, special education teachers can connect with one another, share best practices and interact with one another, as well as with PCI Education, to create a classroom culture that is up-to-date with the latest and best in teaching techniques and products.  Teachers can also access the PCI Education blog titled Special Education and Learning Differences for more support.

In addition, WeAreTeachers offers members the opportunity to rate PCI Education products to help colleagues make informed purchase decisions.  Teachers can write and share reviews and implementation recommendations on products they are using in their classrooms.  Each review provides members with points that can be redeemed for charity contributions, gift cards or other classroom supplies.

PCI Education offers more than 7,500 instructional materials for a wide range of students with special needs, including significant or developmental disabilities, as well as products for English language learners and students performing below grade level.

To access the online community, visit www.weareteachers.com/web/pcieducation.

Two Free Virtual Professional Development Events this Fall

By Stephen Wakefield

This fall (2009), Discovery Education is hosting two free, virtual professional development opportunities for educators and administrators – the Fourth Annual streamathon and the Fall 2009 Virtual Conference.  Focusing on how to incorporate digital content and the latest educational technologies into classroom instruction, both events showcase best practices and highlight new techniques attendees can apply to their classroom lessons to improve student achievement.  

The Fourth Annual streamathon has been scheduled for Sept. 23, 2009, from 9 a.m. EST to 9 p.m. EST.  During the 12-hour streamathon, experts will present information-packed sessions designed to help educators learn how to integrate digital resources into classroom instruction.  Among the topics slated for presentation are an introduction to Discovery Education services, tips and tricks for integrating Discovery Education streaming content into science, social studies, language arts, and math curriculum, and strategies for increasing student engagement through the integration of Discovery Education’s digital media into classroom activities.

In addition, educators worldwide are invited to join online and in-person on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, for the Fall 2009 Virtual Conference.  This October’s virtual conference theme is Tech or Treat.  These professional development seminars will focus on providing an overview of how Discovery Education content can be used in conjunction with the latest educational technologies, including Audacity, Glogster, Google Earth, and other Web 2.0 applications.

Both professional development opportunities are presented by the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), a community of more than 100,000 active educators supported by Discovery Education.  Through the DEN, members have access to a wide range of technology training, as well as a resource library of teacher-generated projects and tools.

The streamathon and the Fall 2009 Virtual Conference will be delivered online.  Those attending in-person gatherings of the Fall 2009 Virtual Conference will participate in both online presentations, as well as breakout sessions presented by local STAR Discovery Educators.  (STAR Discovery Educators are DEN members recognized for their efforts to share their insight and expertise with peers through activities such as trainings, workshops or presentations on how to integrate digital media and the latest educational technologies into classroom instruction.)

Educators and administrators interested in joining any portion of the Fourth Annual streamathon should register at http://links.discoveryeducation.com/streamathon09.  To register for the Fall 2009 Virtual Conference, interested attendees should visit http://links.discoveryeducation.com/virtualcon.  

Ode to the Blog

 By Adora Svitak
[Adora is the eleven-year-old published author of three books and the world's youngest teacher.]

I wanted to expand more on the topic of blogging, which I discussed somewhat in my post, “Power to the Students.” The weblog is, according to the Encarta Dictionary, is “a frequently updated personal journal chronicling links at a Web site, intended for public viewing.” I think that this definition needs some modification for education.  I think that a blog is more than a journal. As I talked about in “Power to the Students,” the blog offers students the chance to publish work, gain recognition, and—admittedly, in a slightly backhanded way—pressures them into improving their writing when they know they have an audience.  

But I do know that blogging isn’t allowed in a lot of school districts, probably because of safety concerns. However, school blogging tools like ePals, and even mainstream blogging services like Google’s Blogger, offer you the ability to make a blog private—viewable only to certain people. Those “certain people” should include other students, teachers, and administrators. For centuries student work has been traditionally viewed only by the teacher, the student, and maybe the student’s parents. A blog, if you’ll excuse the comparison, is like a school newspaper on steroids. It offers kids the chance to circulate and distribute work and get feedback, while incorporating multimedia tools like pictures, video, and sound.

At the beginning of the school year (which it is for me here in Washington), blogging can be a great way for teachers to learn more about students and students to learn more about their classmates from topic  choice, writing style, and opinion. It offers a teamwork aspect, too; when everybody collaborates over a common goal (to make the blog as good as possible), the classroom learns lessons in cooperation and working together.

All this is very fine, you may say, but what are the students actually supposed to write about on a class blog?
Here are four of my favorites:

10 Events of the Day: This activity is good practice for personal narrative; it can be used as a brainstorming activity to help students write. The title of the activity is fairly self-explanatory. Students list ten events of the day using descriptive skills.

Point of View: This activity can be used in a variety of ways. It works especially well with historical events. For instance, your students are learning about the American Revolution. Have students write from both the point of view of the American soldiers and of the British. Or you could have students write about George Washington from the point of view of one of his horses. This is just an example of writing to learn in history. If you were doing it as a purely language arts activity, you could make it simpler—for instance, write from the point of view of the bird being hunted and the cat who is hunting.

Vocabulary Poems: After teaching students vocabulary, have each student secretly select a word from the vocabulary list, then write a poem based on the word they selected. Post the poems on the class blog and have readers guess in their comments what the word means. For instance, I wrote a poem, Insolent, based on the word:

She would not listen, simply screamed
While others stared in shock;
She put her mother in the pantry
Locking every lock;
She did not do her sums at all
She made fun of her aunt
Whenever asked to do something,
Her favorite word was "can't."
She would have continued
If she hadn't packed her trunk
And set sail on a caravel
Which promptly sunk.

Becoming an Expert: Have students select a topic which they would like to become an expert on. You could have a list of topics for students to choose from, or have them decide on their own. Students will conduct research on the topic and write at least two blog posts about new things they’ve learned. It helps students learn research skills and skills for expository writing.

Honestly, I think that just looking at what the great things the Educator’s Royal Treatment has done with blogging should be persuasion enough for you to start your own classroom blog. Looking forward to seeing you in the blogosphere!  

Why Have A Social Media Policy Anyway?

by Steven W. Anderson

I have spent a lot of time lately blogging about Social Media. Whether it was trying to provide resources for getting the school year started off right with Social Media or providing you with tips for Social Media Leadership in schools. I really do believe that we are seeing (and some of us a part of) a revolution in education. For too long we have been teaching 21st Century Students with 19th Century methods.

All of this talk about using blogs, wikis, Twitter, Facebook, Nings, and others in the classroom always leads to a discussion on policy. People ask me about examples of good Social Media Policies. What they don't like to hear is that I don't have one. Ok, well, that is not entirely true. I do have examples of school policies that mention Social Media and Social Networking. Here are a few examples:

East Lothian Council Self-publishing and Social Media Guidelines: Pupils
Arapahoe High School Blogging Policy
Laramie County School District 2 - Safe Blogging Policy

Those are some well-crafted policies as it pertains to blogging and Social Media in general. But, when someone asks me about my best example of a Social Media Policy I have to say that, I believe the best policy is probably one you already have in place.

Why is there such a push by school districts to rush and have a policy in place for teachers and students? Look at what the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) did. Over the summer they redrafted their email policy which said, in a nutshell, that all communications with students had to be done through official CPS email accounts. Basically, the policy outlawed blogs, wikis, Twitter, etc, which was odd because a week earlier CPS was all over the media explaining how they were going to leverage the power of Twitter to keep the community updated. They have retracted a bit and are going to examine the policy to make more Social Media sited available.

My point here is that CPS and other districts around the country are knee-jerking and realizing they don't have a blogging policy, or a Twitter policy, so they create the blanket policies that, while hoping to give the appearance of openness in education and progressiveness, actually limit a teachers ability to use New Media in their classroom.

Most schools (because they have to) have an Acceptable Use Policy that covers general computer and Internet use. If schools and teachers are are doing a good job of teaching their students about responsible Internet use why create a whole new policy that just prevents progress?

How do you teach kids responsible Internet use? There are several free curricula available. Here are a few examples:

Digital Citizenship Curriculum
Digital Literacy
A Digital Literacy Curriculum from Microsoft
Technology Literacy Curriculum

I get asked all the time about my districts' Social Media Policy. You will be disappointed to know that we don't have one. Not because we haven't thought about it. We have spent a lot of time discussing what would work best for our kids and our teachers. We decided that what we have in place works. But it works because we spend a lot of time talking about responsible Internet usage.In my mind why limit a teacher use of Social Media or punish a student for an inappropriate comment on a blog (which should be moderated by a teachers anyway). Take the time to educate!

If you are a school leader, principal or administrator in district that is considering a Social Media policy, I encourage you to look at the computer usage policies you have in place and examine how you are teaching your students Digital Responsibility.

What do you think? Does your school or district have a Social Media Policy? Does it limit what you can do? Is your school or district considering a Social Media Policy? I look forward to the discussion!

iMoot: Uniting the Global Community in Enhancing Learning & Teaching

by Mary Cooch

Just a couple of days after the birthday, both of Martin Dougiamas, founder of the Open Source LMS/VLE Moodle and of Moodle itself,the first ever online Moodle Moot has been announced. There have been many "Moots" - the Moodle name for conference - over the years, in many different countries. I am a real newcomer, only having attended one Moodle Moot this April, in the UK  but I sensed immediately the community atmosphere and  desire to collaborate amongst hundreds of European Moodlers. So imagine just how much more valuable, educationally - and socially - an online Moot will be? As it states in the image here: 31 Timezones - 210 countries. The event itself will last for 4 days and run 24 hours to enable participants from all over the world to speak, listen and basically immerse themselves in Moodle whatever time their clock says. This is not an event for Geeks - although they,  like all, are equally welcome :) It is for educators from all sectors, developers, students, E-learning professionals and interested amateurs to come together and share ideas.
Anyone can sign up here. I'll see you there!