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

It's Great And All, But What About My Privacy?

by Steven W. Anderson

One of Google's core missions is to catalog and categorize the world's knowledge. They are well on their way with their in-depth search products, real-time search, book search, product search and more. But now they want to make it easier for anyone with a camera and a cellphone to know more about, well, whatever is around them.

Introducing Google Goggles. In short, you take a picture of an object and the program returns search results. Want to know more about a restaurant? Take a picture and Google Goggles will tell you the menu, reviews and even automatically dial the number to make reservations. Found a book but want to know more. Take a picture of the cover and Google Goggles will return Amazon reviews and even tell you if you can find it cheaper somewhere else.

Here is the Official Video with some pretty cool examples...

Pretty cool huh?

One question...so what will Google do with all the images submitted? They will have a picture, your cell number (probably) and your location, not to mention other information about you.

Don't get me wrong, I love Google and most all of their products. I exclusively use Google Docs, Google Book search has saved me a few times and I am typing this blog post in Chrome. So Google already knows a lot about me. But do I want them to know more? They say they use the information responsibly and will not sell information or target ads but one has to wonder how long that policy will be in place?

Does all this even matter? With more and more people (myself included) living their lives on the Internet, is privacy even that much of a concern anymore? I could be "googled" and lots of information could be found out about me. So is anything that might be gathered from me using this application any worse?

What about for kids? We teach them to keep their information private, but then use services like Google Docs where Google can see exactly what is in the document (even though they say they aren't looking). This app has great potential in the classroom but shouldn't educators, instead of just taking it at face value, ask questions first?

What do you think?

Note- Google Goggles is only available on phones running the Android Operating System but there are plans to release versions for other phones such as Blackberry and iPhone in the near future.

Cross-Posted At The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom
Image from Google Goggles

Top 15 Education Posts: 11/5 - 12/10/2009

Director's Note: Here are the Top 15 Most Recent Posts (11/5/09 - 12/10/2009) at The Educators' Royal Treatment. It is a privilege to have the brightest US and International "New Names" in education, education technology, and the education marketplace guest posting at the ERT.

Recently, some outstanding administrators have begun sharing as well. The recipe for education change gets closer when all the chefs are on the same page.

• I Don't Understand My Colleagues Sometimes by Principal Patrick Larkin
  

• Technology Fosters Communications and Parental Engagement by uBoost CEO John Bower
  

• Student Research Used to Influence School Decisions by Principal Eric Sheninger
  

• Why Doesn't the System Adapt to the Student? by Principal Deron Durflinger
  

• Reflections on Today's Education by Education Professor Tom Whitby
  

• You Can't Get Too Much of a Good Thing (NOT!) by Kid's Eye View Editor Adora Svitak
  

• What Makes Learning Joyful? by ERT Director Ken Royal
  

• Nothing's Impossible (A Special After Thanksgiving Motivational Message) by Kid's Eye View Editor Adora Svitak

• Wild About Wordle by Principal Eric Sheninger

• 15 Things All Classrooms Should Have PK-12 by ERT Director Ken Royal

• Best Practices for Preventing Cyberbullying by Education PR Executive Kristen Plemon
  

• The Complete Personal Learning Network Series by Tom Whitby by Education Professor Tom Whitby

• 7 Education Points by ERT Director Ken Royal

• Leading the Movement by Principal Eric Sheninger

• Bringing Languages Alive Using Online Videos by Head of Languages Isabelle Jones

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?

Michigan Schools Reach Educational Technology Goals

By Colin Hussey

The Clarkston Community Schools in Michigan for years have been facing the challenges, like many districts around the country, of making technology available to all students while dealing with increasingly rigorous state academic standards, tight finances and a team of staff members that often wear many hats between technology deployment and curriculum integration.
The district has some computer teachers and media specialists, but for the most part, it relies on classroom teachers to integrate technology into lessons, said Matt D. McCarty, executive director of Technology Services for Clarkston Community Schools. “It’s very much a team effort,” he explained.

However, since 2007, with the use of PagePlus and PhotoPlus software programs by Serif, McCarty and his team have been able to more actively engage students in lessons and to better prepare them for future studies, all within their budget and current staffing levels. PagePlus enables students to create unique documents and learn desktop publishing skills, while PhotoPlus offers digital image editing to bring pictures to life in a remarkable variety of ways.

“It’s a challenge with any district to make sure the kids have enough time using all technologies.
Serif programs enable our students to become familiar with and master technology while they study core course subjects at the same time. Based on the software’s extensive creative features, ease-of-use and relatively low cost, purchasing Serif products was an easy decision to make,” said McCarty.

One of the first projects to use Serif software involved a sixth-grade class creating a brochure and a mini-passport as part of a social studies lesson. Students were invited to pick one or more countries they wanted to visit as the subject of their projects, and they then created their “travel documents” using PagePlus. Students benefitted from learning multiple lessons including civics (why you need a passport), geography (about the country) and technology (the software), McCarty said.

“We use Serif software to support projects. The programs help the kids learn about technology at the same time they are studying core course subjects,” said McCarty. “The idea behind many projects is that the programs help the students delve a little deeper into the subject of their lessons.”

Other projects have included:

• Elementary students, in third and fourth grades, creating brochures in PagePlus to sell their “pet” dinosaurs
• Junior high students, in eighth and ninth grades, designing tri-fold newsletters, including a main story, a feature and a sidebar story, with PagePlus and PhotoPlus about turn-of-the-century historical events and issues
• High school students, in grades nine through 12, using PagePlus and PhotoPlus as integral tools in their graphic arts courses

Serif programs support the Clarkston Community Schools as it strives to meet the mandates of the Michigan Educational Technology Standards for Students. The standards provide educators with a specific set of learning expectations that can be used to drive educational technology literacy assessments. For example, by eighth grade students are expected to be able to apply certain technology skills in projects that require creative thinking, communications and collaboration, research and critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. They must also demonstrate good digital citizenship in knowing the positive and negative ramifications of their technology use and show an understanding of technology operations and concepts and how such technology can benefit their future professional and personal pursuits.

Administrators have also been using PagePlus to create newsletters with building or classroom news, announcement flyers, and room signs to highlight teacher shifts in the high school. Also, PagePlus enables staff to create PDF documents, perfect for posting online, McCarty said.

Previously the district used other, much more expensive software programs for design projects in some courses, but they often crashed, causing students to lose data. A simple Web search led McCarty to Serif, he said.

“In years past, we had not been using well behaved, stable programs, like Serif. We used to have all kinds of problems. Based on the solid features and it affordable price, it was an easy decision to go with Serif,” said McCarty.

More Classroom Polling Possibilities

I’ve followed a company called TurningPoint Technologies for some time. Their software solutions have extended and expanded classroom polling beyond a clicker device and a PowerPoint slide. TurningPoint AnyWhere can be use with existing applications, on computers, white boards, with Web browsers, PDFs and Word documents. And finally, a Mac version is available, along with the original PC version. The cool thing about this polling solution is the way the TurningPoint toolbar floats within any of the application you’re using. That’s teaching-convenient—no switching between tools and application during a lesson.

Find out more at Turning Technologies.

Technology Fosters Communications and Parental Engagement

by John Bower, CEO of uBoost

Technology Fosters Day-to-Day Communications and Parental Engagement

Communication, recognition, and motivation have long been challenges for educators. Parents often struggle to obtain day-to-day information to support their child’s progress while teachers strive to foster greater parental engagement. Although report cards offer specific performance information several times per year, most schools rely on students to be the main conduit of information regarding their daily performance, supplemented by periodic and often broad-based communications from the teacher or school. However, if we look at fundamental recognition programs in the business world, we see an approach that embodies a complete role reversal.

In professional business settings, most recognition programs are built on the premise that supervisors monitor employee work and recognize accomplishments in “real time” with praise for a job well done, and perhaps even provide rewards on a frequent, ongoing basis as an incentive for extraordinary effort. Imagine if, as an employee, you were required to communicate your progress and accomplishments to your supervisor on a daily basis. Not only would this process be tedious, but this kind of reactionary praise would have much less impact on employee attitudes and performance.

Consider what we ask students to do each day: in the absence of individualized, daily communications from teachers to parents, which are generally regarded as too time-consuming and not feasible, we’re essentially asking students to communicate their progress and accomplishments to their parents on a daily basis. Every parent knows how difficult it is to coax information out of his or her children with the question, “How was school today?” However, this has typically been, until now, our best source of information, thus limiting our ability to foster parental engagement.

Educational research has proven that parental involvement is one of the key elements in the achievement of academic success, with recent studies finding that family participation in education was twice as predictive of students’ academic success as family socioeconomic status. In fact, some of the intensive parental engagement programs studied had effects on students’ academic success that were 10 times greater than other factors.

According to the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS), in order for parent involvement to flourish, it must be meaningfully integrated into a school’s programs and community. Within its list of priorities for schools, the NNPS recommends that schools communicate with families about student progress through effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications.

Consistent with the research on this topic, the federal government has made parental engagement and effective home-to-school communications a priority as well. Several sections of the No Child Left Behind Act speak directly to the challenge of parental involvement as an area of focus, providing federal dollars under NCLB and Title I for programs that enhance the role parents play in their children’s education. Many schools are still unaware of the funding streams available for improving these crucial communications programs.

To address this challenge, a growing number of schools are using technology-based reward and recognition programs to improve student and parental engagement. Not only do these programs establish core programs for motivating students; they also close the loop in terms of involving parents in their children’s day-to-day progress.

uBoost is a program that can be used in tandem with a school district’s learning management system to help recognize individual students’ positive behavior and incremental improvement. Students receive recognition in the form of award points and performance-based honor badges, encouraging them to put forth their best effort. Points can be used to help feed a hungry child, plant a tree, adopt a whale, or support other charitable causes. Points can also be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, and other premium rewards that are shipped directly to the student’s home.

While the students receive recognition and rewards—often on a daily basis—parents are also included in this process. The uBoost system sends daily e-mail notifications to parents regarding the points their child receives, as well as the accomplishments and behaviors for which they have been rewarded. The system is customizable to the needs of each school, and can be used to recognize behaviors such as class participation, homework completion, and attendance.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has set a tone for educators to approach educational challenges with innovative solutions. Seeking new solutions to old challenges often requires one to look outside one’s own industry for best practices and to integrate technology when appropriate. The use of technology-based rewards and recognition programs is one of the ways that the education industry can bring an innovative solution to an age-old problem and foster strong school communities and greater parental involvement.

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.

Don’t Knock Netbooks—Think Education!

by Ken Royal

Don’t confuse consumer-computing needs with school-computing needs.

The consumer take on Netbooks can be different than the educator’s take on them. Consumers may like the pricing at about $300-$400, but criticize the small keyboard, screen, no modular drives, and lack of computing power—seeing them as a vehicle for nothing more than e-mail and getting to the Internet. Furthermore, consumers looking for light, think twice about upgrading to a more powerful battery—for extended use. But some of these criticisms make netbooks perfect for schools.

Why netbooks for schools?

The prices of netbooks make them very appealing. There are plenty of choices, so making deals can happen—that $300 price tag for consumers, doesn’t necessarily have to be the one for education, especially when quantity is part of the bargaining. Smaller keyboards are fine for smaller hands, and today’s 10-inch screens work just fine—not like the smaller ones we used years ago. Most netbooks come with some sort of word processing software—but what will make these more price-perfect is their Internet ability. That Web access allows for all sorts of Web 2.0 capabilities—possibly Google Education applications to start, but certainly Cloud Desktops will be the goal. Battery upgrades, with a little added weight aren’t concerns, and batteries that last a school day, and tilt the keyboard toward the user a little are good things.

Recommendations:

As with anything, there are poor, adequate, good, and best choices, depending on district needs. Testing a few, side-by-side, in a sort of “hardware shootout” is a good plan. And just don’t test them using tech personnel, educators, and other adults—make sure plenty of smaller hands get on them, too. At the end of the day, while you may not choose the netbook kids liked best, you need to know what they think, after all, they will be using them. Get plenty of little hand smudges on them. And, if you can pilot a netbook project, with company support, it might be worthwhile as well. Better to discover problems before a district-wide launch.

Considerations:

Always check what kind of support you’ll get from the netbook company. Many of these companies are used to and great with consumers, but don’t quite understand education needs and use. Many netbooks come with plenty of USB input, onboard digital Web cams, 160GB hard drives, and 1GB memory standard. Checking to see if you can upgrade memory on your netbook choice is a good plan, because with some netbooks you can’t. Not having a modular, or DVD drive is fine, and in many schools using regular notebooks, they are removed anyway. 160GB hard drives are more than enough, because with netbooks, you should be thinking online student and teacher desktops anyway. If you’re not, it’s time to recalibrate your school computing concept and plans.

Bottom line: Netbooks are better suited to student consumers and education needs. Search the many Netbook choices to see which best suit your education computing needs.

HP Covers New Education Technology Bases

by Ken Royal

I recently sat down with HP's Brian Becker, director of Education, in New York City, to talk about their new, three-pronged approach for interactive classroom solutions. It seems they have all the bases covered and may have an HP home run in the making. Partnered with Microsoft and Win7, this could be big for getting many more students at computers and giving a new definition to seat work.

Here are the 3 parts—MultiSeat, TeachNow, and SchoolCloud—that make up the complete HP package—as I understand them:

MultiSeat: This is really a thin client solution. Using one sufficiently prepared desktop, a school can connect and operate 10 computers as thin client users. This is a USB, plug and play solution, so you don’t have to be a tech guru to set it up. There’s no need to open a computer to install anything.

TeachNow: This is a server-based application for thin clients that just gives teachers and students what they need without software clutter and application power drain. It’s recommended for 30 users making it perfect for classrooms and computer labs. Teachers get lesson planning areas with plenty of teaching tools, and students get a view of their content and computer desktop. This OS streaming technology is mouse-click easy and safe.

SchoolCloud: This is HP’s entry into private cloud solutions. The idea is that a teacher or student desktop can be anywhere, and access anywhere. The best part of this is that all computing devices can be used. Certainly makes netbooks more valuable in 1:1 solutions. Companies providing these new options will make it possible for more students and teachers to gain computing access—at school and home.
This is the part that that is the most exciting, because companies providing these solutions have a handle on the future. Once the idea is understood, education Clouds, will be the center of our education conversations.

I believe SchoolCloud starts with 200 seats, includes professional development, and useful administration reports on technology usage. It’s nice to know that what the district is paying for is being used, and beyond that, the information backs administrators asking for more technology.

http://www.hp.com/go/virtualEDU

Director’s Note: There are other solutions out there that do each of these things, but HP has put them together for a complete solution.

AVerPen Product Review

Managing Moodle Forum Posts

by Carla Beard

(Director's Note: Carla Beard is The Web English Teacher)

I was talking to a workshop group about making lessons more interactive using Moodle. The teachers were very enthusiastic, generating lots of possibilities. I showed them how my students interacted using the Forum module in response to an activity involving Benjamin Franklin's project on achieving moral perfection.

On the main Forum screen student discussions are listed by title on the far left. The student who initiates that thread is listed to the right of the title, followed by an indication of his/her group (if the forum is organized with groups), the number of replies, and the date, time, and author of the most recent reply. We discussed how the number of replies can guide the teacher's response. An overabundance of replies on a thread might be good or bad but certainly indicates class interest.

One teacher shared her story about using the Forum module to build a community of readers. Each student posted and responded to at least 2 other posts. Since I was projecting from the main screen on my Moodle, I followed up her comment by showing the other participants how they could click on the student name from the main screen and then on the "Forum Posts" tab. From there they could quickly read the student's posts in chronological order, with the most recent first.

She blinked. "You can do that?"

She had been going through each thread with a list, checking off each student name to make sure they had completed the requirements. It took hours, but she did it because she recognized how valuable that interactive component was to her students' learning. "If I don't get anything else from this workshop," she smiled, "that alone was worth the trip."

Moodle's learning curve can be steep, and it's good to meet people who can help us save some time. I want to thank Laura, who showed me that feature. I just passed it along.

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

TimeMAPS Personal Finance Software Helps Districts Prepare Students

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.

ePals LearningSpace Gives Educators Greater Control of Social Media

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:

• ePals LearningSpace enables the use of security technologies, including monitoring, language filtering and role-based permissions tools.  (It also is COPPA compliant.)

• Users can create, manage and organize a digital learning history, edit documents quickly and easily, and store a wide range of media.  Administrators and educators can track and view all activity for a given project, group or individual student, regardless of the publishing tool used.

• Students, educators and administrators can safely connect and collaborate with peers around the world through the ePals Global Community, used by millions of educators and students in more than 200 countries and territories. 

• ePals LearningSpace is built on the ePals Distributed Learning Platform (TM), which allows users to easily re-use core functions, integrate legacy systems and incorporate appropriate 3rd-party applications.  (This platform is the underlying technology for the recently announced International Baccalaureate virtual community.) 

• It's eligible for purchase through e-Rate funding.  

Check out ePals LearningSpace at  http://learningspace.epals.com/.

Pulse SmartPen: Education for Right Now

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:

• Students with learning disabilities could compensate for poor note-taking skills, because they could re-do notes later. They could either listen to the recording and fill in gaps, or they could import the recording into voice-recognition software and convert an entire lecture into text. They could then manipulate the text, highlighting, underlining, adding text boxes -- whatever helps them learn best.
• Students learning English as a second language could do the same, recording a lesson and playing it back later. The recordings could help them with pronunciation, as well.
• Students with ADHD would have additional support when it's hard for them to concentrate. (I have to admit, I've used it myself at meetings I expected would, um, fail to hold my complete attention. The information was downloadable when I was ready for it.)
• It supports visual learners by storing notes as searchable images. It supports auditory learners by storing what they heard, so they can listen to it again. And it supports kinesthetic learners who like to sketch by saving their sketches in the auditory context that produced them. It also allows users to create "bookmarks" to return them to specific sections of text.

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. 

Controlling Interactive Classrooms

by Ken Royal

In the old days you’d have to make sure the computer monitors could be seen, so computer labs and classroom configurations were somewhat limited. It was sort of like circling the wagon trains. And racing around the classroom to get a view of what students were, or weren’t doing, could also wear an educator out. So, looking at the classroom of today means looking at controlling it in a different way.

If you’re going interactive, there’s some help in the form of some great management software tools specifically geared to education and the classroom. NetOp MyVision, NetSupport School 10.5, and CrossTec SchoolVue 10.5 are just a few helpful interactive choices.

NetOp MyVision
www.netop.com

MyVision by NetOp offers easy to use, basic controls for classroom computer management that every teacher can handle. It works on Macs and PCs, can monitor one computer, or an entire classroom, and gives a teacher the power to control student Internet access, and if necessary, blank out a screen. There’s a low-cost version, but check the NetOp site for the free version, and while you’re there, check their Stimulus Funding guide.

NetSupport School 10.5
www.netsuportschool.com

NetSupport School is a helps interactive classroom management by letting teachers monitor, as well as interact with students in a classroom, or in a computer lab. Teachers can work with students individually, by defining a particular group, or with a class. Beyond Internet and application control, it offers a testing suite, presentation and annotation tools, automated lesson plans, and printer management.

CrossTec SchoolVue 10.5
www.crosstecsoftware.com

CrossTec’s SchoolVue version 10.5 can also be used to manage the new interactive classroom. The idea is to have the teacher spend more time teaching, rather than racing around the class or lab trying to monitor student on-task behavior. SchoolVue lets educators interact right from the teacher-station computer. It works on 1:1 or wireless computers. The software allows students to collaborate on lesson demonstrations as well. Students can ask questions and receive help privately, which is always an important goal for any digital classroom.

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.

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!

The Onboard Laptop Projector

by Ken Royal

Embed a micro projector in the laptop lid!

If you’ve presented anywhere, the most difficult part of the presentation isn’t the content—it’s the projection—finding a projector and getting it to work.

And if you’re an educator, the problem may be even worse—you may not even have a projector. You may have a laptop, notebook, or netbook, but need to stand in line to borrow a projector. Students with netbook cameras and projectors! We'd have to add more the the AUP, but oh, it would be so worth it.

So, I’m calling upon the technology wizards out there to do the same thing they did with digital cameras—embed a micro projector in the laptop lid—facing outward. I’d settle for a mini fold out one to start, but the ultimate goal would be a projector, facing front—towards the screen, and right in the laptop cover. That would be great. No more forgetting, or looking for projectors, and trying to get them to work. Presentations could happen anywhere, as geek-proof as the embedded digital camera is now.

I know that this may seem an ambitious request, but when I was using a bulky digital camera in class for all those years, I never imagined one facing me from a laptop chassis, so I don’t want to hear that a projector can’t be done.

I’m thinking some tech engineer in Taiwan will read this post and start working on, and perfecting it right away.

Think this is a far fetched idea? Check this Laptop Mystery

Naked Teaching: A Way to Reflect on Technology Use in The Classroom

By Isabelle Jones

I had a very interesting experience this week. My laptop suddenly became unusable and I had 50 minutes to prepare a lesson with no projected visuals, no recorded sound and no video clips.

What happened? Armed with a black bin liner bag turned into a “touchy feely mystery item” bag and feeling a little bit awkward, I suddenly realised how dependent I am on technology. Why? Ten years ago, it was not a problem—the technology was not readily available in schools and therefore not expected.

“Naked Teaching”can be a strategy to develop quality learning and teaching in the classroom, as advocated by José Antonio Bowen, Dean at Southern Methodist University in the United States.The only aim of using technology should be to develop teacher-students interactions, but this is not always happening. In fact, technology can push people even further apart, with the only interaction occurring between students and machines.

However, some new technologies can increase students' engagement outside of the classroom and prepare them for real discussions by providing access to lesson content and assessment before lessons. This turns a classroom into a place where content is being manipulated rather than passively received.
Current research (Crouch and Mazur, 2001) demonstrates that “students retain relatively little content from most lectures, but they do take away a lot about your attitude toward learning and your subject”.

“Technologies’ greatest gift is to release you from the tyranny of content. There is time for everything now. The real problem is that this now leaves you standing naked in front of your class wondering what will happen next. That is also the moment when the most real learning can take place. Be afraid, but take the risk”.

Sometimes, the teacher is ready to take the risk but the resistance comes from the students:
“The lecture model is pretty comfortable for both students and professors, after all, and so fundamental change may be even harder than it initially seems, whether or not laptops, iPods, or other cool gadgets are thrown into the mix.” (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

It is also a fact that ICT does not engage all students and “going naked” from time to time should benefit these students as well as widen the range of learning experiences of all students. My own experience was that a couple of students confirmed this at the end of the lesson by telling me: "Miss, we prefer it without the laptop”

I like the idea that class time should be used to manipulate and discuss content rather than passively receive it, but is it fair that not all students will have access to this pre-lesson briefing? The digital divide is still very present in many deprived areas and there is no quick and easy way to tackle this.

Would I use this as a management technique? I would not make it a permanent feature of the teaching in my Faculty-and certainly not interfere with equipment-, but I would particularly recommend that younger teachers try it to widen their teaching repertoire. More experienced teachers should also consider how they could adapt some old low-tech teaching activities to make them more relevant to the 21st century. After all, good teaching involves a wide repertoire of ideas to engage students-high tech AND low tech.

Tech Bridges 21st Century Ideologies

By Colin Hussey

Like most educators facing tight fiscal times, Dr. Thomas Gant is always looking to maximize his budget dollars while still providing students with the latest technology to enhance their learning.

As the supervisor of education technology for the Tabernacle (N.J.) School District, Gant has been in charge of the technology, its integration for both information and instructional needs and staff professional training among other areas. During the 2008-2009 school year Gant, now a consultant with the district, worked with his team to install the Serif Design Suite on every computer in the district. Teachers in the district, which serves approximately 900 kids in kindergarten through eighth grade, use the Suite, which includes Serif’s four leading design tools – PagePlus X3, WebPlus X2, PhotoPlus X2 and DrawPlus X3 – to add elements of the technology curriculum into every subject area.

“Technology will always be a means to reinforce the curriculum that is being taught. Technology is a tool to guide learning; it creates a bridge for 21^st century ideologies,” said Gant. “When students leave our district they are proficient in technology and ready for high school.”

The suite of programs includes applications to enable classes to integrate technologies such as bitmap and vector drawing, animation, desktop and web publishing into their lessons.

Some of the younger students at Tabernacle Elementary School create cartoon animations with captions. Older students at Kenneth R. Olson Middle School create web sites that are digital portfolios of much of their projects from throughout the year. Some students are even creating basic wikis, topic-based web pages akin to electronic encyclopedias that are editable by anyone with network access, and linking to each other’s projects. The projects help eighth-graders meet New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards for computer literacy and guide instruction into the 21^st century.

“The kids find it fun. I am experiencing first-hand that they are more excited in the lessons that use design and animation than previous classes have been with those same lessons,” said Gant.

Some teachers are also creating class web sites, hosted on a secure server, where students can find homework assignments, links to additional readings and teacher-authored blog postings.

“We look at technology as a means to bridge learning about a topic. It enhances what is being taught. Students might film and edit a movie, then import that video into a PowerPoint presentation and next post those slides on their web site,” said Gant. “In high school, for example, they have the option of taking more advanced web design classes.”

“Everybody’s got a specific amount of money to spend. In this economy today, you should look at the price and the quality of the program you are getting,” said Gant, who spent on Serif nearly a quarter of the amount he previously spent on a more complex design program in another district. “I don’t feel like I am sacrificing quality, and I would not feel right as a district supervisor putting that money toward a lesser program. But, I do want to get the most out of every dollar we spend and be able to spend money elsewhere for our children.”

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!

Give Teachers a Document Camera

by Ken Royal

What technology could you confidently give to all educators, and know they could use it?

In a recent online exchange, the topic was what technology teachers are actually comfortable using. Someone suggested that “there hadn’t been anything since the blackboard”, and another suggested the overhead projector. My comment was that teachers had plenty of practice with the latter for about 19 years in bowling alleys before it got to the classroom, so that was easy. There are mimeograph machines, actually broke one when I was student teaching—not a good start; didn’t get a job in that district, and of course printers and copiers, too.

But if I had to think of a piece of hardware that I’d be confident teachers would use, it would be the document camera, sometimes referred to as the visualiser. Now, I’m not saying this is the only thing teachers need, that would be crazy, I’m sure the first thing they’d want is a computer, netbook or notebook. I’m just saying that if you asked an educator, who doesn’t have a document camera—they’d want one. Not only that, it’s something that a teacher can set up themselves, and start to use immediately.

Sure, there would be training beyond sticking a book, paper, or object under the camera, but those basic uses helps build for doing more, like snapping images, creating slideshows, as well as book and real life comparisons. It beats passing a bowl of fish around the room, or a precious fossil borrowed from a museum.

Today, the document cameras project clearer and more colorful images than in the past, and you can actually read the text. In the old days, some of my teachers would use that excuse to continue using overheads. It doesn’t wash today.

If you give an educator a document camera with video and audio capabilities, the sky is the limit. It opens the door for video of classroom activities, distance communications, stop motion animation, and more.

The software is the key. Most come with free, easy to use software, which allows a teacher to easily create, annotate, display or post Web lessons.

Let’s not forget that, today, all classroom hardware must communicate in order to create that interactive classroom everyone talks about, and most educators want. Connecting a document camera to a computer, projector, or interactive slate, or whiteboard doesn’t take technology genius, and most teachers are capable of doing it.

Economically speaking, document cameras are the best bang for the buck, and take up very little classroom real estate. Some fold down to nothing, and are light enough for a 5-year old to carry, not that I’d recommend that. Even the basic models, running under $500 have plenty of internal memory for images, and usually SD card slots as well. That’s something most teachers know from their own digital camera uses. There’s nothing better than prior knowledge.

I’m sure you will have your own ideas about what would make the best tech tool for teachers, but I have to say that I never had a problem with staff using a document camera.  Being creative with one, well, that’s another story, and the answer is patience, time and how to workshops.

An Administrator's Take on EdTech

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

The goal of any administrator is to improve instruction and increase student achievement.
As we progress in the 21st Century, innovation and technology have been evolving at exponential levels making these goals increasingly more difficult to achieve with our students.  Quite frankly, it is much more difficult to motivate the students of today. Most would even say that instructional techniques have not been adapted to best educate and meet the needs of the 21st Century student.

As society evolves education must as well. Today’s student must be actively engaged in meaningful learning.  The ultimate way to accomplish this is through the utilization of the many tools that they currently use on a routine basis and through specially designed activities that are interactive, integrate technology, foster critical thought, and can be connected to the real world. I strongly feel that this can best be the utilization of web 2.0 tools, iPods, and social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Delicious.

   
This summer has been one of the most exciting in my career as a high school principal. I have spent countless hours acting like a sponge, absorbing and learning as much as I can about the exiting ways to engage adolescents through a PLN (personal learning network). This is where social networks come into play. I don’t even look at Twitter as a social networking site anymore, but rather as a professional networking environment. 

Twitter allows committed educators from all over the world to collaborate, share ideas, engage in thoughtful discussions, and participate in continual professional development that is meaningful (now how often do teachers say that on a professional development day). There is no doubt in my mind that EVERYONE benefits from this type of communication, especially students. I can also state with confidence that my immersion in this arena has made me a better administrator and is allowing me to better prepare my students to be successful in a 21st Century global economy. 

   
Those of you reading my post probably feel the same way as I do. I find it exhilarating to browse through the many tweets using an application like TweetDeck each day knowing that I will be receiving a piece of new educational knowledge or learning about an exciting resource that my teachers can use in the classroom. This is where Delicious enters the picture. Through the use of a PLN, I have been diligently working this summer on creating the ultimate one-stop-shop for interactive, engaging resources that my teachers can easily access. 

I see the value in the plethora of technologies that can be used to motivate, engage, and help increase achievement in an authentic fashion. I also realize that I must model, inform, and provide teachers with the proper training in order for authentic learning to take place.  One of the first steps I have taken is developing teacher PIP (professional improvement plans) goals that incorporate the integration of educational technologies as well as a building-level goal where all freshman teachers must engage their students in an authentic-based cumulative project.

Wish me luck! Feel free to follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/NMHS_Principal) or Delicious (www.delicious.com/Esheninger).

Hot Potatoes - Brain food that's free and easy to prepare!

by Mary Cooch

Hot Potatoes is  a set of interactive exercises created by the  HalfBaked Software people based at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. From September Version 6 of these exercises will be entirely free to download and use in all circumstances -  and for any educator who likes to give their students tasks on an interactive whiteboard, or on a school or subject website or an LMS like Moodle, the exercises are a godsend. Not only are they simple to set up; they also give instant feedback to the student (an essential motivational factor, especially amongst the younger children I deal with) but if you use Moodle their scores can be recorded in the gradebook. They are hugely customisable, from the very basic word or sentence matching exercise demonstrated below  to  complex quizzes incorporating  embedded mp3 and video files When you open up HotPotatoes you are presented with the screen as in the image above. Each potato represent a different type of activity, with the Masher being a way of linking them altogether to upload a series to a website.

J-Quiz enables you to make multiple choice and similar type exercises. Here's one with added video  from UK Spanish teacher Jose Picardo's AsiSeHace.net site.

JCloze is a gap-fill creator - just copy and paste a passage you already made or even one from the internet. Select the words you want blanked out, press Ok and you're done! This is great for differentiation as you can choose to provide no clues at all to the missing words; you can offer the words in a and students choose and copy the correct ones - or you can give them the words in a drop-down menu for them merely to select rather than type out themselves. This one on the impact of Cyclone Sidr requires the students to listen to interview extracts for the answers.

J-Mix is useful for jumbling up sentences - such as this -  handy for German teachers for teaching word order!

J-Cross is my favourite - it's the simplest way I have found of generating a crossword that marks itself. And again - you don't have to use only words. Here's one where the clues are actually images -it's for younger UK children , getting them to match UK map symbols to their meanings

J-Match, perhaps the simplest enables you to make matching pairs exercises that you can have finished and ready for your classroom, website or Moodle in under three minutes. Don't believe me? Watch this - with one eye on a clock!

Of course, you'd take a lot longer if you were going to include images or multimedia - but the point is: Hot Potatoes is free; it's easy to use; it can come in all colours, fonts and styles - and best of all, your classes will love it!

Ten Easy Interactive Whiteboard Ideas

by: Karyn Keenan

Here are ten “easy” ideas to incorporate the interactive whiteboard and improve your teaching with it:

 

1)   If you can’t access youtube videos in school, but want to incorporate them, visit kissyoutube.com. There you can download a youtube video into flash and incorporate it into your interactive whiteboard software.

2)   Make your kids pay attention by writing the page number or a word with the Magic Pen feature—they need to be looking or they’ll miss it.

3)   Start with one subject a day and commit yourself to using the interactive whiteboard. At a minimum, I am going to do Morning Meeting. Each day has its own page and it has links to the song, calendar activities, and morning message we’ll be using. I started with something that has the same format each day; so that I can just copy and paste the format and that adapt it for each day.

4)   Always google what you are looking for. I wanted to find a calendar to use during Morning Meeting and found www.thewrightroom.com. The resources here are incredible.

5)   Formatting makes any file look better. If you want the same color and font on each slide, create a theme so that you can easily reuse the same formatting on each page.

6)   To link one line, it needs to be typed in separately from the other lines of text. If you want to move everything on a page of individual items, select all and then you can move the items as if they were one large item.

7)   Tell your students it is a "magic pen." They hold the pen in their non-writing hand and it "flows" through to their finger. This also helps solve one of the biggest frustrations young children have with the board because it will give them only one contact point on the board. Often students rest another hand on the board or their whole fist and it creates lots of smudges.

8)   When you make a notebook file, sit where your students will to make sure that everyone can see. If the vantage point isn’t great, try a different color scheme or putting the font in bold.

9)   For review or a fun introduction activity, put lots of shapes that are links to other pages (with questions on them). Students can throw a koosh ball at the board and it will go to the page. I am thinking of this ready with math factsà can be used as a filler activity or as an incentive.

10)   Have a notebook file with a blank bar graph template. On the side, put a square that students will move to their choice on the bar graph. If you put Infinite Cloner on the square, all students can easily participate.  The shift key will create symmetrical shapes.

More Document Camera, Visualiser Ideas

by Ken Royal

Two lists to spark ideas for document camera use in your class or school, as well as a short video. The first list is for basic document cameras and the second list is for those with audio and video capabilities. My short video shows a simple claymation/animation idea. Don't forget to check my first document camera list - Document Camera Experimenting.

  

Ideas for Basic Document Cameras/Visualisers

1.     Comparing book images with live materials
2.     Sharing a picture book
3.     Dictionary work
4.     Flash cards
5.     Digital word wall - change the words easily
6.     Map skills
7.     Timeline work
8.     Puppet shows
9.     Sharing live animals difficult to pass around the class (mealworms and insects)
10.    Document daily classroom activities for Web posting
11.    Guidance counseling instruction and presentations
12.    Demonstrate Poetry styles, construction, and write as a class
13.    Demonstrate proper letters formation
14.    Share lesson rubrics and expectations
15.    Assemble a puzzle as a class
16.    Choose parts for a classroom play, or group students for projects
17.    Readers’ theatre – from playbooks, magazines, or student plays
18.    Investigate fossils - zoom in for all to see
19.    Demonstrate Sign Language and finger spelling
20.    Count money/coins together as a class
21.    Examine the parts of a camera, or other mechanical or technical equipment
22.    Litmus tests—acid/base
23.    Take a snapshot of a document to put online instead of scanning
24.    Cook/prepare favorite recipe in cooking class
25.    Sharing dioramas
26.    Art color wheel demonstration
27.    Owl pellet dissection
28.    Writing prompt starters
29.    Teaching organizational skills
30.    Checking homework

If your document camera has video capabilities try these:

1.     Podcasting
2.     As a video camera - turn to face the action
3.     For video conferencing - turn to face you - Skype away!
4.     Use for stop-motion animation
5.     Create and archive lessons and post online
6.     Lessons for homebound students—no lessons missed
7.     Fish tank, ant farm, bird feeder, or other animals observations
8.     Document capillary action
9.     Record your own narrated digital stories
10.    Create lessons ahead of time for learning centers
11.    Claymation slideshows - See my video example
12.    Record class participation -great anytime, as well as open house presentations
13.    Record Teacher Best Practices
14.    Help classroom aides, and paraprofessionals with lessons and training.
15.    Music to introduce new music/songs/composers, and learn notes

Move Over Kindle

by Sara Dobie

 

Sylvan Dell Publishing went LIVE last week with our next generation eBook, proving the company represents “so much more than a picture book;” we represent a full-fledged campaign for literacy in America, and I am very lucky to be a part of it.

From Sylvan Dell publisher and co-founder Lee German: “These are the most technologically advanced eBooks in the world today, featuring Auto-Flip, Auto-Read, and Selectable Language. There is nothing even close to this on the market. Amazon/Kindle and Barnes & Noble eBooks are not even in the same category. I encourage parents and teachers to take a test-drive and see for themselves. Let the children play with these for a few weeks, and you’ll be amazed at their excitement and improved reading performance. For children wanting to learn a foreign language or ESOL families learning English, these are phenomenal tools.” 

Below is a link to a 90-day trial of all 45 Sylvan Dell eBooks. Use the link! Share it with everyone you know, because we’re not going to do it again:

http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooktrials.php?e=MSBL9J Code expiration date: 10/31/2009

(Guided directions: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/documents/eBookOperatingInstructions.pdf)

 

“Whether in Auto-Flip or Manual Mode, switch back and forth between English and Spanish text and audio (more language choices on the way) and remain on the same page,” said German. “With the addition of Auto-Flip and Auto-Read features, our Sylvan Dell eBooks are powerful literacy and language learning tools to complement our mission of teaching ‘Science and Math Through Literature.’”

We at Sylvan Dell aren’t new to literacy education, and we’re no strangers to technological advances. Since the company’s founding in 2004, co-founders Lee and Donna German have been ahead of the picture book publishing curve. Last year, Sylvan Dell awarded free eBook site licenses to over 2600 elementary and Title I/III schools nationwide through their School Resource Grant Program. For eBook Resource Grants: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ResourceGrant.htm.

What’s next? According to German, “We want moms, dads, and grandparents to be able to record a reading of our books and add that audio to the language selection list. This is especially important for military families with a parent overseas. We are also developing an iPhone, iPod, and iPod touch application so that our eBooks will be available on handhelds and an online data capture system to allow teachers to track student reading and quiz performance.”

Sylvan Dell eBooks are available on our company website, http://SylvanDellPublishing.com, as are an array of free educational resources, which include Teaching Activities and Interactive Math and Reading Comprehension Quizzes. For more information about the eBooks, visit http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooks.php.

Look to the Education Private Clouds!

by Ken Royal

If you are not looking at private cloud solutions, you need to be. Web-based, anywhere—student, faculty, school, and district desktops make spending a few hundred on a netbook worth it, especially if the private cloud set up only costs between $5 and $10 per student. 

A company called Stoneware has been moving in this direction for about ten years, but the time is here to have it really happen—in a big way. They’ve teamed up with Dell to make it happen, but the beauty of the solution is that you can enter your private cloud desktop environment with any device, from smart phones to thin clients, so the hardware truly makes way for the learning environment without getting in the way.

Something for Everyone

This is amazing news for 3rd party providers as well, because they can be a part of the desktop environment, too. Have a special supplemental program—no problem, it has a space on the private cloud desktop. Google, moodle, ePals, whatever—no problem.You can put whatever you need or want on that desktop. The technology question "What do you want to do?" overrides all the geek talk few understood. Answering that one question just got easier.

And there’s room for everyone in the private clouds—students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community. It’s easy to include all in this Webnetwork—district network and hosted Internet application’s place.

Other companies are getting up to speed as well. While I was at NECC 09, I interviewed president Jonathan Bower, and marketing director, Arne Bergby, for a company called it’s Learning, and their solution is very similar to Stoneware’s.Believe me, there's plenty of room in this space for K-12 competition, as well as at the higher education levels. Just thinking about the whiteboard possibilies for this, gets me fired up.

I have to credit my recent conversation with Mark Weston, Dell’s education strategist, an amazing individual, for enlightening me about private cloud possibilities, beyond my own limited thinking. It is far too easy to get stuck in yesterday’s solutions, without thinkers who understand shifting paradigms.

Less than a week later, at NECC 09, I had a similar private cloud conversation with Anthony Salcito, general manager for Microsoft Education. It is funny, how fast what I learned became part of the way I think about education solutions—Now.

Education Need to Get Into the Clouds!

This private cloud idea has to get in front of educators, administrators, and school technology movers and shakers. Regardless the company involved, the idea is bigger than all of them, and it can be done now. Can you imagine what this would do for building student digital portfolios—throughout school life and beyond?

There is so much good in all this. 3rd party education marketplace vendors should be thrilled, anyone with anything that can get to the Internet wirelessly, should be ecstatic, and districts with ever-tightening budgets and no idea how to make technology plans work today, have an easy-to-understand solution to consider.

So, if you are still looking at technology solutions the way I did, when I was a technology specialist, and just dreaming a solution in the clouds. It’s no longer a dream—it’s here for real—in the form of a private cloud.

I recommend trying the pilot demo at Edu4U.

Steve Kaye, CEO of eInstruction at NECC 09

Caught up with Steve Kaye, CEO of eInstruction at NECC 09. I had done an interview some time ago, but wanted a refresh. I had also been seeing a lot of eInstruction all over NECC. Getting info from the company CEO is always nice. Check the video: