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

STEM Professional Development Academy Now Open

By Sandy Fash

The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the College Board are kicking off a new nationwide initiative, The Siemens STEM Academy.  The Academy is designed to advance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the United States by engaging educators across the country through hands-on and multimedia professional development opportunities.

The national Siemens STEM Academy encompasses the following four elements:

- Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs)

A two-week residential professional development and research immersion program for select middle and high school teachers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the country's largest multi-purpose national research laboratory, located in Oak Ridge, Tenn.  Teachers will have the unique opportunity to engage with top scientists and researchers on short-term research projects related to current topics of national interest.  Through authentic research, professional scientific collaboration and educational enhancements, the program offers valuable insights, resources and scientific contacts that educators can bring back to the classroom.  Applications are now being accepted through March 1.

- Siemens STEM Academy Institute

A week-long STEM immersion program that will enable 50 select teachers to gather and engage with today's critical science thinkers and other peers across the nation and visit leading institutions to see real-world applications of STEM subject matters.  In addition, the Institute also will include monthly professional development opportunities, support and additional tools and resources designed to further inspire student achievement in STEM education.

- STEM Academy Online Portal

A national portal and online community designed to foster STEM achievement by providing educators with a dedicated resource to collaborate, exchange and connect about all things related to STEM education.

- Brains of Science Connect Webinar Series

A monthly Webinar series that gives educators the chance to interact with today's eminent scientists, personalities and thought-leaders, and extend that experience to their students through customized, standards-based content.

For more information about The Siemens STEM Academy, check out www.siemensstemacademy.com. 

Why Have A Social Media Policy Anyway? Take 2...

by Stephen W. Anderson

I originally wrote this post in Sept. 2009. Since then I have done a lot of thinking about and talking about social media policy. I'm reposting it now because we are heading into that time of year when people are starting to ask me and the rest of the members of their PLN's about their best example of social media policies. Districts and district leaders are beginning to see how teachers are using blogs, wikis, Twitter and other tools to create really awesome classrooms and they are scared. Not that there is actual learning going on but what if a parent doesn't like all this. So they are meeting, often times behind closed doors, to draft draconian policies that they say encourage use of these tools but in reality limit their use. My question is why have a policy in the first place? I have spent a lot of time lately blogging, talking  and thinking about Social Media in the classroom. 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. And maybe, just maybe, we are beginning to change our thinking about how this thing called "social networking" can be used to educate. 

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? Often times I have seen no one really knows who is responsible to teach. Is it the classroom teachers or media coordinators or instructional technologist? Truthfully, we all know (or at least we should know) that all of us are responsible. 

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
Curriculums are great, but they are no good with out communication. We have to start conversations with our students, teachers, parents and the community about what we are doing and why we are doing it. If we are going to be using blogs in the classroom, have your parents in, with the students and explain why. Letters are great, but we know face-to-face is better. If you want to have a classroom Twitter feed or use it in some other way. Explain. The only way we are going to get all parties involved on board is to talk about it. And when you are talking about a blog or a class wiki or Twitter feed we can begin to have conversations about how we are keeping kids safe and how we are teaching kids to stay safe. If we are having these conversations and educating all involved then what is the point in having a policy?
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.Cross Posted At Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom

Guest Blogging: An Opportunity To Share More

by Isabelle Jones who blogs at My Languages.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Playing With Pixetell: Giving Students Feedback

By Isabelle Jones who blogs at My Languages

 

Thanks to Ken Royal from the Educators' Royal Treatment who offered me the opportunity to trial it, I have been playing with Pixetell.

What is Pixetell?
It is presented as an “on-demand software that enables you to quickly add voice, screen recordings and video to email and other electronic documents”. The twist is that Pixetell supports visual communication but also allows collaboration through sharing the multimedia messages-called pixetells-and allowing discussions to take place around it.

Although the product focuses more on business, it has undeniable potential for Education and both Ken Royal and Adora Svitak have already blogged about it and suggested ways it could be used in Education.

My vision of how it could be used relies on the need for teachers to develop a more structured approach to verbal feedback to students. So, I decided to test it out giving feedback to a first year student-11 years old-on a PowerPoint she had produced to learn basic animal words in Spanish. After trying out different microphones, it seems that a headset produced the best result.

What struck me the most is how uncomfortable I felt at first giving feedback that way. We always respond to the other person’s body language and always look out for paralinguistic responses when we are giving feedback. In many respects, feedback given that way is fairer but I suspect some training would be needed in order to ensure that it still feels personal. Saying the student’s name, using different turns of phrases for praising and offering positive and constructive criticism are all essential.

Used at the end of a short project, Pixetell would be a way to ensure that due praise is given to all the students that have put in the effort. I also feel that the impact on the student self-image as a learner would also be stronger than a well done note on paper. In addition, the students who feel that they are “too cool to be praised” could still get their pat on the back in private.

For the specific purpose of teaching languages, the benefit of including audio in teacher feedback is obvious. Students then have a model that they can use and replicate if needed. It is not an impersonal sound file that they have to listen to in its entirety before they reach the bit that applies to them, but it supports a personalised answer to their own work. Very powerful!

If used for feedback, Pixetell would work great with private student/teacher platforms like Edmodo for responses to individual projects, but used tactfully, example of students’ work could also be presented on a class wiki/ VLE page with oral comments included. Examples of coursework at different grades from real or imaginary students could also be included for discussion.

Have a look at my example here.

You do not need Pixetell or to download any other software in order to access a pixetell.
The standard version allows for 5 minutes worth of recording but there is no limit on the more expensive pro version. There are other tools like Jing or Camtasia who offer some of the features of Pixetell, so a very useful comparison chart help the potential user assessing whether this is the right tool for them. I have also found the tutorial page very helpful.

 

Now waiting for an Education version...

Pixetell, Have You Met Education?

by Ken Royal

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

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

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

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

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

DEN Hosts Science-Focused Professional Development Event

By Stephen Wakefield

This January, Discovery Education is hosting a free, virtual professional development opportunity for educators and administrators, focusing on how to incorporate digital content and the latest ed tech into science instruction.  Scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, from 9 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST, Discovery Educator Network SCIcon 2010 will highlight best practices and new techniques attendees can apply to their science lessons.

Note: If you are unfamiliar, the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) is a community of more than 125,000 active educators.  Through the DEN, members have access to a wide range of technology training, as well as a resource library of teacher-generated projects and tools.

During Discovery Educator Network SCIcon 2010, sessions will address a variety of science-focused themes, including teaching global climate change issues, paperless instruction, hands-on activities, teaching with the MYTHBUSTERS, and fun, easy and effective science experiments.

The event will be delivered online and through in-person trainings hosted by Discovery Educator Network Leadership Councils across the country.  Those attending in-person gatherings will participate in online presentations, as well as breakout sessions presented by local STAR Discovery Educators. (STAR Discovery Educators are DEN members recognized for their efforts in sharing their insight and expertise with peers through activities such as trainings, workshops or presentations.)

Educators and administrators interested in learning more, or registering for Discovery Educator Network SCIcon 2010, can visit http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/scienceinaction/denscicon/. Sessions are expected to fill to capacity, so participants are encouraged to register for this event today.

For more science-related initiatives, online services and student competitions, check out:

• Be the Future 
• STEM Connect 
• The Siemens STEM Academy 
• Discovery Education Science
• Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
• Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge 

Gathering New Education Voices

by Ken Royal

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

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet...

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

Marketplace

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

Crazy and Realistic Goals

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

It's Good to be the Director

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

New Voices

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

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

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

Student Research Used to Influence School Decisions

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Authentic Learning Success:

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

Administrator's View:

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

“The Big Three in a K-12 Network Revamp”

By Dan Johnson, Network Administrator, Rochester Public Schools

Are you considering a rework to your district network?

Rochester Public Schools has just installed a new network and backup system for our K-12 school district. Let me share three big steps that were essential to our success.

1. Satisfactory network power / performance 
2. High levels of reliability and redundancy—we needed to keep our network up so we could always get to our data
3. The right equipment—we identified when to spend more instead of going for a band-aid fix or the least expensive option

The last was the hardest for us. After all, network administrators are always tempted to find equipment that meets minimum criteria and is inexpensive. But we’ve learned that you get what you pay for. “Value” and “good buys” may not translate into workable long-term solutions and often result in poor decisions that can ultimately backfire.

These are the lessons we’ve learned from revamping the IT infrastructure of the Independent School District 535, Rochester Minnesota Public Schools. To start off we reviewed our requirements and priorities. We are responsible for all of the district’s data—six terabytes total. This includes accounting and insurance data, office documents, e-mail files, and file sharing. We need to protect the data over the long-term, with weekly full backups and daily incrementals. We also need to be able to get at stored data. I receive several calls daily asking me to retrieve files that have been overwritten by high school students and staff e-mail messages that have been “lost”. This takes about 20 percent of my day.

After considering our workload and the big three, above, the Rochester network has upgraded and updated so that it now includes Linux and Microsoft Windows 2003/2008 servers, Cisco and HP switches, Lefthand/HP SASA and SATA disk arrays for primary storage, Legato Networker backup software and a new Spectra Logic T50e tape library with LTO-4 drives and tapes.

One reason we chose Spectra Logic is that a large hospital in our region runs the identical network configuration as we do at Rochester Public Schools— and they had a glowing recommendation for Spectra tape automation. The Spectra T50e library protects all of our data in a reasonable timeframe, and has the capacity to grow with our data over time. Its encryption feature is one our data absolutely requires. We are a self-insured school district, so we need to encrypt our insurance-related data to adhere to HIPPA regulations. T50e is encryption-ready through its LTO-4 drives and the library’s integrated encryption software.

We are preparing to open a disaster recovery (DR) site. At that point, we’ll replicate with our SAN at the primary site and set up VM clusters and cloning to bring snapshots from the primary SAN storage and backup data to tape. We’ll then rotate encrypted tapes from the T50e offsite.

We’ve been very pleased with our library and our entire upgrade. The lessons we learned? Strategic project planning and selecting the right products with the right features and performance provide rewards over time.

My final suggestion to K-12 network administrators is to track virtualization to stay ahead of the technology curve. Rochester has seen consolidation, centralized management, added redundancy and energy savings thanks to virtualization. We are currently migrating utility and e-mail servers into the virtual world to take full advantage of its benefits.

I hope this helps with your next network rework.

Independent School District 535 is located in Rochester, Minnesota, a growing city of 93,000 residents in the southeastern portion of the state. Rochester Public Schools has the seventh largest enrollment in the state. The District covers a large part of Olmsted County and extends into Wabasha County, drawing from a population of more than 100,000 people. The District’s pre-kindergarten through grade 12 program serves approximately 16,300 students in 16 elementary schools, four middle schools, and three comprehensive high schools. Dan Johnson is a network administrator at Rochester Public Schools and can be contacted at dajohnson2@rochester.k12.mn.us.

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.

Helping Students Understand the Science Behind Viruses and Vaccines

by Kristen Plemon

With the cold and flu season upon us, students have many questions about viruses and vaccines, which offers educators an opportunity to provide engaging science and health related lessons in the classroom. PBS Teachers® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators on Nov. 17 about “Helping Kids Understand Viruses and Vaccinations with Sid the Science Kid.” Educators will learn strategies and resources they can immediately use in the classroom to teach students about the critical topic of viruses, how vaccinations work if their families choose to get them, and how to stay healthy. The featured speakers are Dr. Cyrus Rangan, from the L.A. County health department, and early childhood education expert Moisés Román. They served as advisors for a special new episode of the Emmy®-nominated PBS KIDS® series SID THE SCIENCE KID that focuses on the science behind germs, viruses and vaccines using age-appropriate vocabulary and concepts.

Educators play an important role in helping students learn healthy habits and preventive techniques to stay healthy during the cold and flu season. The new SID THE SCIENCE KID episode, “Getting a shot: You Can Do It!,” provides teachers and childcare providers with helpful resources to handle questions children may have around getting sick, why their parents may want them to get a flu shot, and what they can do to stay healthy, while teaching science concepts. Educators can access on-demand video clips from the episode along with supplemental educational resources such as lesson plans, online games and student activities through PBS Teachers.

The webinar will take place on Nov. 17 at 8 p.m. ET.  Teachers can participate in the webinar after signing up for free membership in PBS Teachers. Membership provides preK-12 educators with access to the PBS Teachers online community, all of PBS’s educational services, and a searchable library of more than 9,000 free local and national standards-based teaching activities, lesson plans, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations. For more information, or to register for the webinar, visit www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar.

In addition to the webinar, PBS Teachers offers other free teaching resources such as the PBS Teachers Healthy Choices Activity Pack that provides resources and lesson plans on health-related decisions and a PBS Teachers Disease and Prevention Resource Roundup that includes a summary of related on-air and online resources.

The Complete Personal Learning Network Series by Tom Whitby

The Personal Learning Network—PLN Series by Tom Whitby, Professor of Education in Secondary English

Director's note: The PLN series posted by Tom Whitby could easily be put together and shared as a feature article, or series of articles anywhere. It is a great honor to have them posted at the ERT first.

• PLN Blueprint Part 1

• PLN Blueprint Part 2

• PLN Blueprint Part 3: The Twitter Component

• PLN Blueprint Part 4

• PLN Blueprint Part 5: Now What?

The Essential Tools For The Connected Teacher—Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

Here we go...

Week 1-Tools To Communicate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leading the Movement

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

(Director's Note: Eric Sheninger is The Web Tech Principal)

When I reflect on the past year, March really stands out. Sometime during the early portion of the month I was reading an article in the Staten Island Advance on Twitter.  It was a basic article about the site and how different professions were using the service to promote services, reach potential clients/consumers, and share useful information. A light bulb immediately went off in my head as I thought to myself how I could use this free service to easily and quickly disseminate information to the parents of New Milford High School. As I signed on to Twitter I never imagined the impact that it would have on me as an educator.  It is utterly amazing how much I have actually learned in such a short period of time as a result of 140 characters and a PLN consisting of innovative, dedicated, and caring educators from across the globe. Twitter, for many educators, has turned into a meaningful method of professional development and learning available 24/7.

I am writing this post as a result of a workshop I facilitated on 11/3/09 with 70 teachers in my district called Twitter for Educators. Many people in my “Twitter Universe” understand how the service is emerging in education and the positive impact it is having on the profession. This is a message that I felt compelled to deliver to my staff. It would not be an exaggeration for me to say that I have been chomping at the bit for months to convey to my staff the power of Twitter. This is ironic in that I had no clue about this social media site early in the year.  Throughout my presentation I spoke with passion about how my use of Twitter has evolved and is a form of intrinsic motivation steering me towards an unprecedented period of professional growth and learning. I spoke about web 2.0, presented reasons why teachers should use Twitter (global collaboration, sharing resources, building a PLN, professional development, etc.) guided them through the sign-up process, sent and actual tweet, and discussed acceptable use. You could feel the energy in the room and I grew confident by the minute that the educators attending this workshop were beginning to realize the potential of Twitter. My feelings were quickly justified when many of the staff present asked if I would provide more training on Twitter later in the year.

As a transformational leader it is my responsibility to lead the movement, in this case the use of Twitter to improve instruction.  This was the first of two presentations I gave that day, the other one being on Web 2.0. I was able to subdue any fears by modeling, including relevant examples for either classroom use or professional development, and making the content meaningful. Leading the movement is not just about providing ideas, information, and strategies about innovative technologies. This is just the first step.  Now I must support my teachers as they experience growing pains associated with learning and implementing anything new in the classroom. I must encourage risk-taking, provide feedback, make myself available for questions, develop follow-up workshops, and build the confidence of certain staff members so that they can become teacher leaders in specific areas and facilitate workshops themselves.  Leading the movement is an arduous task, but one of the most rewarding moments of an administrators life when teachers embrace the opportunity to improve their instruction for the betterment of students.

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

USADA, Discovery Encourage Good Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles

By Stephen Wakefield

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), through a program partnership with Discovery Education, has developed free curricula and an awards program to promote honesty, respect, teamwork, and healthy lifestyle choices.

Available online at www.DiscoveryEducation.com/USADATrueSport, this program features free curricula for both middle school and high school students that help educators and community leaders impart the critical life lessons that contribute to the development of ethical and healthy individuals.  These curricula are tied to national education standards, are implemented easily into classroom or other youth group educational settings, and offer self-assessment tools, teachers’ guides and student activity materials.

Those who teach, coach or influence youth groups in the middle-school age range should check out USADA’s 100% Me curriculum, which focuses on ethics and decision-making themes for student and athletic programs, into their classroom or other instructional activities.  With these materials, educators can promote values-based decision-making, find facts on nutrition and dietary supplements, and help students make the connection between body type and body image.

USADA’s That’s Dope curriculum supports those who influence youth in the high school age range in teaching important ethics and anti-doping lessons.  With this powerful resource, educators, coaches and others can teach students how to maximize athletic performance safely and ethically, and get information about various products and substances from dietary supplements and energy drinks to anabolic steroids.

In addition to offering free curricula, the USADA True Sport Awards program presents a powerful opportunity for educators and community leaders to win local program funding, other valuable support and prizes.  The program recognizes individuals who take action to influence positive beliefs and behaviors in their communities.  Applications for the USADA True Sport Awards program are being accepted through Nov.15, 2009, and award winners will be announced in January 2010.

For the True Sport curricula, or to enter the True Sport Awards program, visit http://usada.discoveryeducation.com or www.usada.org.

Top 15 Education Posts 09/09/09 - 10/03/09

Here are the top 15 Educators' Royal Treatment posts by date from 09/09/09 to 10/03/09:

• All Schools Should Skype (10/03/2009) by Eric Sheninger
  
  
• Yes, And...You Can't Control Everything (09/25/2009) by Stephen J. Moore
  
  
• Time for More than Maine: Get 1:1 Education Serious (09/23/2009) by Ken Royal
  
  
• Teaching Requirements (09/21/2009) by Ken Royal
  
  
• Moodle: Making the Most of a Digital Worksheet (09/20/2009) by Carla Beard
  
  
• PLN Blueprint Part Four (09/18/2009) by Tom Whitby
  
  
• RobberBaronBook: Moodle Teaching Idea (09/17/2009) by Carla Beard
  
  
• No More Moaning and Groaning (09/16/2009) by Adora Svitak
  
  
• PLN Blueprint Part One (09/15/2009) by Tom Whitby
  
  
• PLN Blueprint Part Two (09/15/2009) by Tom Whitby
  
  
• 1:1 Computing and Netbooks (09/14/2009) by Jennifer Roland
  
  
• Blogs, Wikis, or Nings? Part 3 (09/14/2009) by Tara Seale
  
  
• Moodle Icons Tell a Story (09/13/2009) by Carla Beard
  
  
• PLN Blueprint Part Three: The Twitter Component (09/13/2009) by Tom Whitby
  
  
• Two Free Virtual Professional Development Events this Fall (09/09/2009) by Stephen Wakefield

Preparing Teachers to Educate Students with Autism

By Ryan Reid

According to the United States Department of Education, more than 80 percent of children with autism are in general education classes for at least part of each day.  This means that approximately one in four general education teachers works directly with a student with autism, and nearly all school staff members interact with a student with autism on a regular basis.  Challenged by an increasing number of students diagnosed with autism in the school system, districts are struggling to prepare general education teachers and frontline paraprofessionals to educate and care for this growing population.

As an example of the issues districts are facing, in a recent analysis, Virtual Expert Clinics found more than 90 percent of surveyed educators are uncomfortable having a child with autism in their classroom.  Also, frontline paraprofessionals and teaching assistants who work with children with autism often have high turnover rates - every 9 months - which requires districts to train new staff on a consistent basis.

"Autism needs to be demystified for all educators, especially classroom teachers," said Kevin Custer, CEO of Virtual Expert Clinics.  "Districts can provide training that combines flexible online learning opportunities, visual representations such as videos, and examples that can be practiced first-hand in the classroom.  The smallest amount of training can make a huge difference in the education of a child with autism, and leveraging opportunities delivered online provides educators and administrators with a cost-effective and manageable professional development solution."

In addition, a study by the Special Education Expenditure Project (conducted for the U.S. Department of Education) found that special education classes, therapists, aides, transportation, and facilities for a student with autism cost on average nearly $19,000 per year, or roughly triple the cost of a typical student.  Providing cost-effective training and having autism-focused resources available to general education teachers and staff will help significantly to decrease these expenditures for districts nationwide.

And, intervention for children with autism is no longer a "one-size-fits-all" answer.  This places a great deal of pressure on district leadership to design and implement differentiated instruction plans that meet the expectations of all parties.

There are technologies available that can help districts address these growing concerns.  For more information about one viable online solution, visit www.AutismPro.com.

Why Go It Alone?

by Steven Anderson

Yesterday, as I was relaxing and catching up on some Tweets, when one entered my stream and really "spoke to me."

Glenn's statement struck me on so many levels. I thought back to my most early days of teaching. I was fresh out of one of the best teaching schools in the southeast, Western Carolina University. I was full of new ideas and techniques that I was ready to try out in my classroom. But I was also primed to learn from those who had been in the profession for much longer than I. I thought to myself, these teachers have so much to offer me and I have so much to offer them. We can work together, all for the kids. The first month of teaching was a wake up call. Many teachers, once the bell rang, closed their doors, never to emerge until the bell rang again to change classes. When I tried to reach out for advice or ideas I was quickly turned away. But for what reason? I was seen as the "rookie." What could I possibly know? I hadn't paid my dues yet.

Teaching is not an "island" profession. All of us; those that have been in 30 years and those that have been in 30 days, all have unique skills to offer each other. Remember, sharing is caring....ok...that was cheesy but you get the point.

Many do not see the value in Social Networking sites like Twitter, Ning, LinkedIn, Facebook, and others. I place most of the blame on popular media. In the US we have a fascination with celebrities. So when one is in competition with another to get to 1 million followers on Twitter, the value of the tool is somehow lost in the message. Most of the stories that show how useful these tools are stay within the education circles and never make it to the mainstream.

I have said before that schools and districts need to embrace the tools that students are going home and using. Yet many districts, again, only see the negatives. So instead of saying, these are the tools students are going to use and educate parents as to their use, we simply block their use, never to see the light of day classrooms across the country.

The ones that can push for use of these tools in the classroom, with the students who need to use them, are the ones on the front line. Teachers. If teachers can embrace these tools and use them, they can understand why our students need to use them to learn.

How do we do this? Simple. A PLN? What is a PLN you ask? A Professional Learning Network. In the days before social networking a PLN may have been built around who you taught with in your school and district. You may have even reached out to those you met at meetings and conferences. With the advent of email we had the listserv (which still survives today) that allow you to connect with others via a daily digest of messages. Now we have the "Real-Time" web where we are instantly connected. Let's, as Educators, use that to our advantage and learn from each other!

If you want to use social networking tools to grow and build your PLN, great! If you don't want to use Twitter, don't. If you don't want to use Facebook, you don't have to. Nings not your thing? Fine. You don't have to use the computer or any technology at all. Building and growing your PLN can be as simple as opening up the door to your classroom and sharing what you do with your kids with your staff. If you are an administrator or school leader, set up a time during your faculty meeting to highlight some amazing teaching you have seen. Encourage teachers to share with each other. Most importantly, give them the time to share. If you have to get subs so all the English teachers or 5th grade or PE teachers have to be out, do it!

Remember, teaching is not about isolation. We leave our homes everyday, and head to school, prepare lessons, do paperwork, serve as teacher, counselor, psychologist, referee, and sometimes waiter/waitress all for what? Test scores? Curriculum? Technology? Glory? If you are teaching for those reasons it might be time to consider another profession.

We do it for the kids. Plain and simple...

Teaching Requirements

by Ken Royal

Education Entrepreneur

Think a little bit like a cross between the Artful Dodger and the Scrounger in The Great Escape. If you see an interesting education product, software, solution, or book—contact the company. It’s easy to find the corporate link at their Website. Share your interests, and share what you’re doing, or would like to do with students. There are no guarantees, but the company just might be interested in you, too. Bottom line: It never hurts to ask—nothing ventured—nothing gained.

Digital Images

There is no excuse, today, for not having a digital camera handy, and one that takes video is even better. Keep your eyes open, even when off duty, because you are surrounded by lesson enhancers every day. The image example (left) shows two leaves on a Japanese maple. An insect pulled them together into a leaf-clam shell. Inside, safe and sound is the cocoon. If that’s not a science starter, I don’t know what is!

Write About It

Whether you keep a journal, Wikki or blog it—write about it! What you do, and what you learn about teaching—has value. Keeping your ideas and hoarding them is just as bad as hoarding school supplies. Share what you know. Don’t think you can write? No excuse. Write the way you talk, let the auto correct do it’s thing, share it with someone you trust to edit and give suggestions. And it won't take a lot of time to do it.

Talk About It

Find a way to talk with others about what you’re doing in class, and find out what others are doing as well. Don’t have a group? Organize a group if you need to, but you will certainly find groups online if you can't put one together around a coffee. Right now, Twitter offers some great Education Chats, and some incredible education experts. All you have to do is follow.

Committees

Get locally involved in a committee that interests you. Most likely, you’ll be assigned one, but no one says that you should only have one interest. Get as far away from the faculty room warriors as you can—and get involved professionally.
Warning: Committees can be slow moving, and sometimes frustrating, especially when you feel the outcome is a forgone conclusion, but it is the best way to have a constructive voice. Don’t listen to grumps, who say that joining a committee is a waste of time. Grumping in the faculty room is the real waste of time.

Observe

Educators should never look for themselves in other classrooms. Walking down the halls and seeing what others are doing, can sometimes be a bit scary, and give cause for second guessing yourself—that said, you need to take it all in. Take what works for you and leave what doesn’t. Never lose yourself. Your worst teaching days will be the ones where you weren’t yourself. It will happen, but keep those days to a minimum if you can. Be yourself—but observe.

Read

Read everything you can, and have time for. Read online a lot, even if it’s just Googling education news, When time permits, check some great education books. Corwin Press, ISTE, and Linworth Press offer great lists.

PLN

Today, no one should be without a Personal Learning Network. You get to create your own, with people you want to have there, and you can do it online. Share your ideas, and keep your teaching-mind active. The varied expertise of members is professional development knowledge you can’t buy. And the topper is that your PLN members will become your friends. Can't find members? Check Twitter for this, too.

Pack Rat

If you’re in education for the long haul, prepare to save a lot of stuff. Most teachers save things naturally, so after 10 or so years your treasures could fill an attic. People, who don’t teach may think you no better than someone who collects string, but believe me, you will never know when something you’ve saved will come in handy later. The worst thing that can happen is if you get toss of something—because you’re switching grades—only to find yourself—down the road, teaching the same grade again. I’m not saying to keep everything—use common sense. If it’s outdated and useless—get rid of it—but be a little bit of an education pack rat, too.

PLN Blueprint Part Three: The Twitter Component

by Tom Whitby

(Please check PLN Blueprint Part One and PLN Blueprint Part Two.)

Like many people my entry into Twitter was at the invitation of a friend. Like many people I was connected to a few folks who were recommended upon my registration. Like many people I tweeted out nonsense, got no response, and left the application not to return for several weeks. Unlike many People I returned determined to figure out what Twitter was. I knew from my Linkedin connections that folks were getting funny looking abbreviated links to very helpful blogs, posts, wikis, Videos, audio files, PowerPoint presentations, and websites. Twitter by appearances held a virtual Treasure Trove of educational information and I needed the map to get to it.

I used my Linkedin connections to find out who was Twitter connected. I quickly followed those who I knew and trusted as serious educators. After that source was exhausted the process became simple. I looked at who each of those folks were following and I ripped them off. I followed everyone who even looked like an educator. However, the call of celebrity was a little too much, as I began to follow Regis Philbin. I was sorely disappointed in Regis’s tweets. They were non-existent.  Regis does not get computers. With this devastating discovery Regis taught me that someone who has nothing to offer in education was not part of the goal that I had in mind. I refocused on Educators. If there was nothing educational in someone’s Twitter bio I did not follow. Since I needed information provided to me I realized that, who I followed was more important than, who followed me. The people I followed were the information providers. It is not possible to even see what followers tweet. Thanks Reg.

With my focus clear following became second nature. Now I moved on to the next thing. What do I tweet? I learned very quickly that RT meant Retweet. This was a key discovery. All I needed to do was recognize a tweet with value to an educator and I could pass it along to others. This is the neat part. Not only does the original Tweeter get credit, but so did I. I couldn’t believe it. Other very smart people could make me look smart on twitter and I did not have to go back to school to accomplish this. I could be an expert on the backs of others. It was imperative to RT the right stuff if I was to pull this off. I started looking at every tweet with promise before I RTed it (that is Twitter talk). I built a whole reputation as a great educational tweeter based on other’s tweets. This was my kinda media.

Now came the challenge, what do I do if someone asks a question? This is considered an original tweet. As I looked at my followers list I discover that I had over 500 followers. I could not believe it. I put a few thoughts together and carefully worded them heeding the 140 character limit. It is very much like writing fortunes for cookies or facts for Snapple caps.

I sent out a few things about technology in education and much to my surprise, I received many tweets of agreement with my opinions. My educational philosophy was being taken seriously by other educators. After 34 years of teaching and saying this stuff, I now find people who agree. This was fun. What I came to realize over time was that I developed this PLN and many of its members are forward thinking educators who are all seeking the same sources that I am seeking. That fact makes them different from many educators in the system today. It is like preaching to the choir. That doesn’t mean that what I had to say was not accurate and noteworthy, but it is important to keep a perspective. The same arguments would be lost on educators who do not even understand the discussion.

Now I have all of this information flowing. I have educators listening to me and even hanging on my words. Questions are coming over the Twitter Timeline for me to answer every day. I have 1,500 followers. In addition I have my Linkedin connections discussing and collaborating. It is time to develop a plan to use and coordinate all that is the digital social network for my Personal Learning Network. The plan begins its formation in PLN Blueprint PT 3.

Blogs, Wikis, or Nings? Part 3

by Tara Seale

(Please read all of Tara Seale's Posts.)

This blog post will be my final installment regarding the question, should students use Blogs, Wikis, or Nings when publishing to the World Wide Web?  I focused on Nings and Wikis in earlier posts, so if you are interested in using either Web 2.0 tool, please click on the links to read my posts. 

Blogs

Blogs happen to be my favorite medium for expressing myself and communicating with the world, so it is not surprising that I saved this post for last in my three part series.  Although I stated earlier that I think students enjoy the Ning because it is most like Facebook and other social networks, and I think teachers most like using a wiki for creating a quick webpage to get information to students, I believe a blog is still the most relevant way to communicate with the Web 2.0 culture and to express individual ideas in a way that encourages feedback and promotes discourse.

I blog on the Educators' Royal Treatment created by Ken Royal, but I also have a teacher blog that I use to discuss what works and doesn't work in my classroom called Enhanced English Teacher.  I decided to use edublogs because it is unblocked in most school districts, and I appreciate the support provided by Sue Waters, the Edublogger.  Also, just the fact that edublog is in the website URL already emphasizes to my students that I expect a tone consistent with educational goals, and all posts should be classroom appropriate.

So far, I have only blogged with students in the English elective I teach called Read the Net.  Read the Net focuses on using web 2.0 tools to teach students how to publish and create a web presence. 

I also teach 9th grade English.  The standards and curriculum I cover limits the time I have to demonstrate to students how to publish and communicate with the world using web 2.0, but I have recently decided that the time invested in teaching students how to publish on the web is relevant and instrumental in helping my students succeed in the future.   This summer I read Teaching the New Writing by Herrington, Hodgson, and Moran.  Chapter 1 addresses how 21st Century technologies have changed the writing process.  The world is producing non-traditional writing because of the web 2.0 culture, but yet schools are still using paper and pencil to assess student writing.  The shift towards web publishing is occurring and educators must not only be aware of the shift, they must address it in the classroom.  I cannot consider myself an effective 21st Century English teacher unless I provide my students with the skills and opportunity to publish their writing on the web.

But why use a blog?  My students could simply link the papers they write in class to a wiki page.  My students could also use a Ning to informally blog which would directly link the students with the other students in our class; I prefer using a blog because I am not sure who will read my students' writing which is exciting and embraces the "world is flat" paradigm that is changing the way the world educates all students.  Additionally, my students will have more control and ownership over their words and ideas if they blog.  A blog allows my students to create an individual web presence unconnected to me.  The blog can exist long after my students leave my class, and my students can continue to post and promote their web presence. 

The blog works because it not only engages the student in his or her own education, but also encourages the student to take control of his or her own education. 

You can follow my 9th grade student blog at Mrs. Seale's 9th Grade English Class.  We are just beginning to post, and my students and I would appreciate comments and feedback.

PLN Blueprint Part Two

by Thomas Whitby

(Please also see PLN Blueprint Part I)

My early entry into the digital Personal Learning Network world came through necessity and dumb luck. This may have started out as a whim, but now it takes up serious time during the day. It is a challenge. This is the history of the development for the first level of my PLN and it provides a depth in discussion and collaboration that is often needed to accomplish success.

I am a retired secondary English teacher. I started working as an Adjunct Education professor at St. Joseph’s College in New York. Going from secondary to higher education was a little intimidating and very different. After 34 years of teaching English, I thought I could walk on in and teach students everything they needed to be successful teachers. In fact I was the one who needed the education.

I have an MS in Educational Technology from 1991 and I did not know what I did not know. I was emailing and Googling and I had mastered PowerPoint. I was even able to get by in Blackboard, but beyond that, I had a million questions as to what to do and how to do it.

Faculty members are usually tech savvy, or tech shy. Since I was new to the staff, I was still learning names with little regard as to who knew what about technology. It was at that time that I was getting involved with Linkedin. Before I knew it, I had a number of Education Connections. Since these people were on a social network, they had at least a modicum of tech savvy, so I began asking questions of them. I had more questions than sources, so I determined that I needed more sources, but I had a limited network.

I thought that if I started a group of technology-using professors, I would have a virtual cornucopia of sources. Not only would I have my own posse, but, if I was selective, they would be really smart sources. My goal was to involve only Higher Ed professors at any level. After all, I was only a lowly adjunct and I did not want to create a group that would exclude me. I was only interested in the opinions of those who are really teaching people. Vendors and consultants serve a different audience, so I limited the membership to educators only. It was totally self-serving, my group, my rules.

The restrictions took up more time than I imagined. Profiles vary so much in job descriptions and institutions that it is sometimes hard to tell what someone does or for whom they work. Another consideration was that Email on Linkedin costs money, so I needed a cheaper way to contact people. Messages from member to member of groups are free. Learning that, I started joining groups. I recruited twenty-five members on my first sweep through the groups. At that time I only belonged to about five groups, so after soliciting membership from those groups twice, I needed to join more groups to hit other people. Any group where one could find professors was a group I targeted. It did not take long to belong to 30 groups.  

As people joined I sent them a welcoming message. I had become a “group-joining expert” by this time and determined that most groups sent nothing. Others sent me a do’s and don’ts do list. I wanted to be more welcoming. After all, these people were to be my personal group of technology advisers, my Personal Learning Network. It was easy to develop personal relationships.

As a child, when I sent away for free stuff, I checked for the mailman every day until the stuff arrived. As an adult, I found myself checking my computer constantly for new arrivals to the group. The best part about my group was that the people involved are already intellectually curious and damned smart. Since they are educators, most have a sharing quality built into their personality It always helps to personally thank those members who continually add to thoughtful and provocative discussions.

Taking toll of my Linkedin connections or the Linkedin segment of my PLN I find that I have 230 direct connections. I founded seven groups and one subgroup. I have joined over 60 other groups and I have maintained membership in 46 of them. The Technology-Using Professors Group now numbers over 1,500 members. I have direct messaging capability to thousands of educators.

The discussion within the groups started to be sprinkled with funny looking links which lead to additional sources. My curiosity got the best of me and I began inquiring as to what these were and where they were coming from. TWITTER was the answer. That led me to a digital journey which took me to the second tier of my Personal Learning Network and the subject of my next post.

 

Moodle Icons Tell a Story

by Carla Beard

(Please read all of Carla Beard's Moodle Posts.)

I was helping a new colleague with a student's account. I looked over her shoulder as she opened her class Moodle, and I was glad she couldn't see my face.

Her page was nicely organized, and each link was well described. But I was startled -- almost all of the icons running down the left were the same. She was using the assignment module almost exclusively.

It is entirely understandable that her baby steps in Moodle replicate digitally something she knows well, assignments. When we are learning something, we start by comparing it with something we already know.

The danger is that she and other Moodle users might stop there. They create assignments, a digital version of the handouts they used to give in class. They link to useful Web resources, where before they might have marked chapters in reference books. They might learn to upload and link to Powerpoint presentations, a digital version of chalk-and-talk. And then they stop.

The Moodle page looks good, but it doesn't harness any of the interactivity that Moodle makes possible. How about a choice question as a pre-reading activity? How about a student-created glossary with a sticky block on the home page for reinforcement of concepts? How about a forum to respond to a post-reading question? How about some digital flash cards as review? Databases, wikis, lessons for differentiation:  among the standard modules alone, there are lots of possibilities.

If all we do with our computers is the same thing we did without them, then we do a disservice to our students. They understand that a handout on paper and a handout on Moodle represent the same pedagogy, even if they can't put it in those terms. Schools will have wasted a lot of money going digital unless we find ways to improve our classroom practice using these powerful tools in innovative ways. 

PLN Blueprint Part One

by Tom Whitby

(Director's Note: This is the first in a series of PLN posts by Tom Whitby. Read Part Two)

One of today’s educational buzzwords, or fad terms is the PLN.  For my purposes it stands for Personal Learning Network. Others call it a Professional Learning Network or Community or even Environment. That would be PLN, PLN, PLC, or PLE. Many educators today are involved understanding and developing their own PLN’s. Everyone has one, and each is different and as unique as a fingerprint. Some employ technology, and others dwell in faculty rooms across the country and around the world.

The history of my PLN began back in the late 70’s. It was formed not through the technology of the computer, but rather about the technology of a 27 foot sailing vessel. It was merely a sailboat, but in my mind, being my first boat, it was truly a vessel.

I live on Long Island in New York. It is a place where boating thrives for about five to six months a year, beginning in June and ending in October. As I grew up, I always went on others’ boats, but never owned my own. Working in a school district of a community on the shore of an island, I found many of my faculty friends were avid boaters. More specifically they were sail boaters , or more accurately, sailors. It was at this time of my life that I made a big decision to become a boat owner. I purchased a brand new 27 foot O’Day sailboat. There was only one small drawback to this major purchase and commitment, I had no idea how to sail.

I took a Coast Guard Course and read a bunch of books. I ordered several catalogues and every sailing Magazine subscription I could get delivered. As my purchase was being readied for delivery, I determined that my preparation might be lacking. That is when I developed a plan out of desperation. This was to be my first organized development of a Personal Learning Network.

The plan was simple and bordered on genius. It was based on knowing that sailors are a breed of boaters who love to sail at every opportunity. I informed the Yacht dealer that I wanted to take delivery of my vessel in the water and ready to sail in April. This was unheard of, since boating season did not really get going until June. That, however, was the genius part. I had two months before all of the sailors that I knew would have their own boats in the water. I on the other hand had a spanking-new Sailing vessel at their Beckoned call. They only needed to take the owner along for the sail. I had about ten experienced sailors teaching me all that they knew in my Personal Learning Network. I was golden.

 I also recognized that I stumbled upon a real plan for personal learning. I did not want to make any other major purchases to test my assumptions, but I did pay close attention to what I had accomplished and how I did it. I took note of what I needed to know and how I gather those who knew it around me. With the advent of the Internet I have expanded my reach for those who know what I need to know. I have developed a PLN beyond the faculty room and to Educational experts literally around the world.

Two Free Virtual Professional Development Events this Fall

By Stephen Wakefield

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Rock On—In TI's Math World—and Win!

The Texas Instruments Count Me In! pledge, encourages students, and challenges them to take math to a higher level, with courses that will broaden their college and career options.

In signing the pledge, students have a chance to win a TI Math Rocks! guitar autographed by the Jonas Brothers and back-to-school prize packs, which include
TI-Nspire graphing calculators. Teachers also can sign the pledge to win free TI classroom technology and professional development.

Through October 15, 2009, teens, their parents and teachers can sign the pledge at www.countmeinpledge.com to support math literacy and be registered for a chance to win the student, or teacher grand prize packages, as well as one of 84 daily prize-pack drawings for students and teachers.

Follow Texas Instruments on Twitter @TIEdTech #CountMeIn for back-to-school news and winner updates, TI will announce the grand prize winners in October 2009.