Between the Wires

Internet Manners

2012-02-17T11:37:00.004-04:00

Being a digital citizen is to simply conduct yourself appropriately while accessing the internet; conduct yourself as you would in public. Don't: whisper, make negative comments, shout out profanity, walk around naked, slander people, push people, provoke people, or cut people off.

Just as we train students to 'play nice' with each other in the classroom and on the playground, we have to teach them to conduct themselves appropriately on email. Netmanners.com is great site filled with all the E-mail etiquette one could possibly need to train students (and adults) on appropriate E-mail use.

Do you have an Elmo?

2011-11-02T11:09:00.005-04:00

ThenElmo document camera now has a slate. The slate is cool in and of itself, functioning as a remote for the document camera, but with the accompanying software, you can write on the screen with interactive board-type pens and highlighters.

The software is so advanced, ELA teachers can split screen and freeze one paper, then display notes or revisions on the other side. All you need to work the ELMO or document camera is a laptop or computer, the slate a screen, and data projector.

The software will also do screen recordings or experiments or revision steps, problem-solving, etc. I'm going to encourage my Science and ELA teachers who already use the document camera to get the slate now. They will not necessarily need an interactive board.

Using Blogs in the Classroom - Still

2011-11-02T09:13:00.004-04:00

So if you've been using blogs in the classroom, it is not passé. If fact, it is easier than ever before to keep a website going that is fresh and student-created.

Posterous is free online blogging software where the user can create more than one blog or space on every topic in the classroom. To differentiate, students can post to the blog or space associated with the group in your class, like a book circle based on their reading level or a project based on their interest level.

Vocaroo permit the user to go to a website and record their voice. No need to have an email account -students can send voice capture to a blog. It will show up as a link.

To make this recording into a podcast that will appear in the subscribers iTunes library simple post the link but change the http:// to itps://. When the subscriber clicks on the link from the blog, it will open in their iTunes.

More tips like the above from Tony Vincent @ tonyvme.posterous.com

Jog the Web

2011-10-18T22:42:00.004-04:00

I was just combing over my blog (that I haven't posted in for over a year) and found my old entry for Job the Web. I love this site. In previewing the home page, I noticed there are many 'jogs' through 'Professional Learning' land. There's one on differentiation, but it looks more like a PowerPoint to me. Jog the Web is designed for the presenter who have several websites to show his or her audience as a topic is narrowed down.

Let's face it, some days, you have to lecture. This application is a simple jog through your resources. Show the students where you are pulling the information, pull up the book's website, if you have to.

PSAs in Science, Health, and Humanities

2011-10-18T21:34:00.003-04:00

I'm working with an awesome teacher at Decatur High School, Jennifer Gonzalez. She is determined to reach every single student in her Psychology class. I love it.

What has inspired me most about this particular project and working with Jennifer is how technology really supports differentiation. The students have a week to create a plan for a Public Service Announcement (15 to 30 seconds of information to change public interest). Collaborating with other students one must agree upon a "parenting topic", determine the target audience, target a goal for the PSA (what is the message), storyboard it, script it, collect images, lay the voice track or film, pull it all together, proof it, provide credits, and export it for viewing.

These students are so engaged and you know what?! If they don't finish the actual product, no big deal, the script, storyboard/idea with psychology theorist facts to support it are enough to earn you a high score on the rubric.

Now we are not saying every group must have a GarageBand podcast, nor must they have a movie. Some are actually choosing to do a PSA flyer in InDesign, which has a higher learning curve. Students are actually making choices based upon the expertise in their group AND every student has something to do. Now the editing day might get a little crazy. We shall see...

21st Century Skills and IB

2010-03-04T10:45:00.008-04:00

So I received an email today from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills urging me to post my thoughts on a question from the White House: "What does a 21st century education mean to you?"

It's funny because I've been thinking about this very issue. As an Instructional Technology Specialist with City Schools of Decatur, it was my job to train and support teachers with the latest technology, so students would be exposed to using technology on a daily basis as tools of today. Much like a workshop class, where students would learn to use power tools to build or construct furniture. I did believe a 21st century classroom would have multiple desktops or laptops, and an interactive write board for students to use and build websites, webquests, create documents, etc. Students would use web 2.0 tools to collaborate with peers and possibly students of other countries. My vision was only the trough of water--there still needed to be a systematic approach to the "way we do school". A culture, a belief, and overall incentive for going to water to drink.

I now believe we will find our way to what a 21st century education means through IB, the International Baccalaureate umbrella. IB not only maintains we uphold our standards for content in the areas we teach, but it demands looking at the curriculum through the lens. The lenses are called the Areas of Interaction in the IB Middle Years Program, and they are Health and Social, Environmental, Community and Service, and Human Ingenuity. The student is not just looking at the life cycle in science from a textbook, but instead, reading articles about environmental problems around the globe as they relate to the life cycle.

It is the character building, collaborating with peers, and holistically thinking --Students working together at the real world, trying to solve problem with others. This is what a 21st century education is to me.

If all lessons fused together traditional content with these fundamental practices of then every individual student, and the student body as a population of people will begin sharing this world. Now, I do see more computer use and innovative projects utilizing web 2.0 tools. Only when students have a real thirst to drink, and only when teachers have a framework for justifying what "they really want to teach"---not teaching to the test. The teachers I work with really want to share with our young people. The pressure of standardized test has taken that joy away. Providing a framework for teachers, schools, and students to build character and work together. This is how we can and will discover a 21st century education.

Virtual School is Going to Take a Jump in Enrollment

2009-11-04T11:24:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting here at GaETC 2009 listening to Michael Horn, coauthor of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, is projecting online learning will take a jump among high school students.

We are looking at the non-consumption markets in education. Examples would include the following:

credit recovery
drop-outs
AP
scheduling conflicts
home-schooled and homebound students
small, rural and urban schools
unit recovery
disaster preparedness
tutoring
professional development
Pre-K
after school
incarcerated youth
in-school suspension
school bus commute
summer school

These markets will bring forth the value of technology in education.

Wiki for Mapping

2009-08-24T09:50:00.002-04:00

Someone started a wiki on all the various types of organizational maps, visual maps, or graphic organizers---whatever you call it, WikIT has it. When you find the type of map you want, click the Interactive PDF or the Interactive Flash to open and enter info.

Using Video in History

2009-06-29T09:43:00.005-04:00

Check out these notes from the National Education Computing Conference on video in history.

Movies in Social Studies Classroom

“I’m watching TV”
“Watch this!”
“Let’s watch this video” – this is passive, mindless, cognitive background is always an indicator for students to go to sleep or put the shade down.

Here’s what we should do before showing video:

We want students to contextualize (frame and/or re-cap)
· Engage (elicit input, questions
· Coordinate; supplement other media (maybe text-based)
· Identify learning purposes upfront
· Specify student behaviors

During the video:

Analyze: Use this video as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf8Ig2M3Zq0
Use these questions:

· Where was this?

· When was this? (team of people)

· Summarize what you saw.

Show 2^nd video and ask: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ScexNfYbBQ&feature=related

· What is the same?

· Is anything different? (driver gets off and is waiting and then a little push to get everyone on).

Different years, bigger train? More trains? OHHHHhhhh….the country offered flex time for workers. Small social change impacts HUGE impact on Japanese life.

Teacher can’t just get kids to watch this without questioning, etc.

Different approach to Analyze:

Hollywood movie: Midway shows the shift in Japanese American Life – last of classic WWII movies made. Just showing the trailer showing the sub plot of an American soldier who falls in love with Japanese American woman (in the movie she was arrested for her parents having literature). Charlton Hesston intervenes in the arrest, so his son can be with his girlfriend, because he believes in the relationship. Then show flashback of 20 years to US internment camps for Japanese (45 minute movie shown by the War department). Years later Hollywood’s interpretation and public sentiment for the issue.

Creating Video

Various software:

Primary[DS2] Access (free) – movie lives on the web, put students don’t own the copyright license for the images in the movie, so every time the movie gets played, it assembles it from where those images sit on the web; add voice over the images while they play.

VoiceThread - same thing

Use mainly still images, not video because it just becomes so time consuming.

Technology Stuff

· Age verification on youtube for some videos with controversial videos – you have to sign in again.

· Use Zamzar to download youtube videos at home.

· If you twitter, type in the hashtag for the event. In this case it was iranelection.

· Here is a site with all the hashtags on twitter as they come up: http://hashtags.org/

Sample videos:

-1936 (Depression Era – Episodic messages) Chaplin modern times; socialist message, industrialize, anti-drug message you can’t show this all the way.

-Revolutionary Guard – video footage of protesters in IRAN; ban on foreign media

· Because it was an event that had over 50 tweets per minute, people will use a code RT (retweet) to post something someone said again so more people can see it, getting the message out.

Resource for more information on this topic.

Use our ning (social community to share info) to add comments about this presentation.
Title: Teaching Digital History
Web address: Teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com (http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/)
Speaker: John hammond@lehigh.edu

Reminder: VoiceThread.com

2009-06-29T09:43:00.001-04:00

http://voicethread.com/#home

Put the image on voicethread and set up 10 debates at the same time. The kids can make comments on an image and hear each other's comments all on the internet. Voicethread is now charging to download the final product. You can always link a video created.

Twittering? or Tweet?

2009-03-11T05:45:00.003-04:00

Twitter is starting to catch on. Twitter is like a status update to people you know. I was first inspired to create a Twitter account when NPR utilized it to have people report their status in the voting lines. Once you create an account, you go look for your friends or colleagues. In my case I keep up with the latest and greatest from the various headliner speakers at my educational technology conferences. They are traveling the country and in some cases--the globe, and there is always new information to report. Some teachers or professors are twittering their homework assignments.

Very plainly put--it is a communication tool. If you could round robin call 20, 30, 40 people you knew--what would you say?

Must Have Bookmarked Websites

2008-11-11T22:04:00.003-04:00

These websites must be in your bookmarks---preferably on your toolbar:

Resource: ETTC National Science Center

2008-11-07T11:06:00.002-04:00

Each district in Georgia is assigned to a local college for educational technology needs. The ETC's provide professional learning in the latest technology instruction, as well as, serve as contract employees for research in technology or to ensure the state is implementing the National Education Technology objective as defined by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).

One such local ETC with the National Science Center has a wonderful web site packed full of resources, web sites, and information on teaching with the ActivBoards.

Georgia Society of Technology in Education (G-STE)

2008-11-06T14:52:00.006-04:00

The Georgia Society of Technology in Education (G-STE) is officially affiliated with ISTE. Jill Hobson, our President, held our annual meeting to share with members the status of our group. The mission of the society is to function as a "voice" in the state. The importance of technology in education is only as effective as the organization and support for it.

Already the ETC's reviewed the school keys for the Georgia GAPS review. Now coming in June, we should see technology integrated with the schools keys so the instructional technologist will be supported with this update. Jill emphasized our group functioning as a voice with the DOE and Ann Ware, the Instructional Technology Director at the DOE is a member.

The goal is to establish a common language with board members and principals so the formative assessment includes instructional technology. This will help all instructional technology specialist to have some advocacy as will move forward as a support group for the differentiation in teaching styles and formative assessment.

We went around the room to see how districts were impacted from the budget cuts. Many said their professional learning was being cut. It seems this is going to be costly cut for district who will have to meet those Georgia GAPS review.

Wendy from Douglas County told me about dimdim.com which is a free video conferencing software online. This will be great for professional learning problems as well.

G-STE needs volunteers. All members are encouraged to contribute with areas of interest. Another goal is to collaborate with each other and share information or knowledge.

Learning with Small Devices

2008-11-06T13:37:00.015-04:00

Tony Vincent started working with Palms in the classroom way back at the turn of the century. Now he goes around talking about all small devices and how students and teachers can use them in the classroom. In the GaETC session called I didn't know you could do that with an iPod! concurrent session.

Here are some free web sites that Tony recommends we utilize, so the digital file may be played back on an iPod:

http://www.spokentext.net/ - With this site the user may upload a .pdf, .doc, or any online text and read it. Then the mp3 may be downloaded to the iPod. Take the text and copy/paste it into the Lyrics under the song info in iTunes and while the song it playing on the iPod, the student can read the text.
http://zamzar.com/ - Use this free site to convert videos from teacher tube or youtube. It is very simple, copy/paste the URL into the field and then tell it what kind of file you would like. Tony says mp4 is the best for the ipod conversion. The user types in the email for a link to the coverted file and the link will be available to you for 24 hours.
http://www.ipreppress.com/ - This site offers free downloads of books for the iPod.
http://learninginhand.com/ - Tony's site has several downloads or templates for the iPod that were PowerPoints he exported to images. Tony suggests students create the PowerPoint for common facts like the state capitals, US Presidents, etc.
http://www.iquizmaker.com/ - This is a free download for Mac users. It will only work on certain iPods. This program could also run on a computer in your classroom.
Cool Games online - Brain Challenges is on iTunes store.

Videos downloaded from the internet may be dropped into the iTunes movies library, but .mov files will not sync with the iPod, so with the video selected go to Advanced from the iTunes menu bar and select create for iPod.

Tony suggests using the iPod as an external drive. When the iPod is hooked into iTunes, select Enable Disk Mode. Be sure to eject properly, before disconnecting. Carry the $9.95 key chain adaptor for the iPod.

Teachers can save notes in text files for students to put on their iPod. Many text documents are already available for you on ipreppress.com, like the Declaration of Independence.

iWrite is a program, about $30 for students to create stories that you can then download straight to the iPod. Or if you put the assignment on your web site, when users click your file, the iWrite installer will download so the user can see your file.

Some accessories for hiding your iPod: hymnal, Sony Walkman, thong, earbud speakers, and the toilet paper dock station.

Jog the Web

2008-11-06T10:36:00.002-04:00

Jog the Web is a web 2.0 tool for pulling together several web sites as a step-by-step presentation of material. Okay, now how do people come up with this stuff! Amazing! If you have several web sites that students need to use the features and then move on, this is the tool for you. The more advanced students or students needing an extension could use Jog the Web to create their research path.

Adding Flash Games

2008-11-05T16:57:00.002-04:00

Interactive Whiteboard users should definitely tap into the free web sites offering already created flash game templates. ContentGenerator.net is one such web site.

Georgia Movie Academy

2008-11-05T16:12:00.004-04:00

The ETC's in Georgia have taken the Mabry Middle Academy Awards to the next level. Students from all over Georgia are invited to submit a movie based on a theme, which is announced in January, and create a movie by March. The movie must be entirely student created.

Join the "TIE" Network

2008-11-05T13:51:00.007-04:00

Even if you are not too comfortable with some of the current technology tools, you should join GPB's "TIE" Technology in Education Network. Just as the acronym suggests TIE is a way to bring all teachers who use technology, together. Apply and submit a lesson and you are in...Teachers can blog, share lessons, share photos, etc. Check it out.

The Ron Clark Academy

2008-11-05T10:42:00.007-04:00

Ron Clark, is putting passion in the classroom. Check out Ron Clark's Academy. He is an advocate for technology, but a blend of the right strategies, innovative strategies with the technology. He uses what kids love ---music! to teach.

The man doesn't stop...

He has a list of rules called the Essential 55. Rules for what to do when you bump into someone in the hall. You have to be proactive, especially with the technology. The more specific you can be with the expectation for how you must use technology, the less problems you will have. Oprah is the one who encouraged him to write the book. The money he made from the book is what he used to create The Ron Clark Academy. It is a factory in Jonesboro. They have a tube slide!!! to get from their 2nd story classes to the 1st story classes. You get a sticker! They use the Essential 55 to establish the consistency in the building.

Ron Clark is a firm believer in making every kid know that you like him--even if you don't. To a ballroom full of Georgia teachers, Ron said, we have to stop just lifting up the kids we like. The kids you don't like---they need to know that you like them.

Teachers should find the smartest child in the class and teach all the kids at that level. Technology cannot be the only key. These kids need innovative techniques and teachers that can give it everything they've got.

Adding a Podcast to Your Post with iMovie HD

2008-10-21T10:29:00.008-04:00

Although blogging is essentially journaling, there may be an occasion when it is appropriate to actually have your voice on the post. It would be ideal if you were to say, recite a poem, quote or key summary. Perhaps you would like to share a dialect, slang or words from another language.

First you need to create your podcast with iMovie and then you export it to Quicktime. In your post, click on the media icon in your HTML editor and browse for the movie file. It may take "some" time depending on your network and the time of day.

So here is an example of a post from iMovie HD.

Racial Slurs

2008-10-16T09:49:00.013-04:00

Let's say you have a table or chart about racial slurs. You will want to type your description of the research, maybe how you came to these questions. Perhaps even describe some of your polling experiences. It might be more significant to point out your findings---did they meet your expectation?

Then you can write more....

Adding a chart or table to your blog entry

2008-10-16T08:54:00.003-04:00

It is simple enough to add a chart or table that is created in Word or Excel into your blog post. In the application, simply control+click on the object. Once the object (chart or table) is complete then save it as a .jpg.

In blogger, place your cursor where you would like the image to appear. Click on the image icon from the HTML editor at the top of your posting text box. When the new window appears, select your image, select where in the post you want the image to appear (Left, Center, Right), and select the size of the image (Small, Medium, Large). Then click the upload button. The HTML code will appear in your textbox. Uploading your image should probably be done at the end of the post.

Between the Wires

2008-10-01T15:39:00.001-04:00

I Want a Teacher Web Site - What is Available?

2008-09-09T16:10:00.001-04:00

Blogs, Wikis, and Google Pages.

"Educational Technology is like a workshop"

2008-08-27T12:16:00.002-04:00

My new favorite coined term--taken from Jim Vanides with Hewlett Packard. Jim says he is tired of that term "technology is just a tool". Well, it's not. Forever, I've tried to spread the word that we need to integrate technology with our curriculum for the kids' sake. So students will know how to function in a world without us. Students of today's generation increasingly rely on technology and computers specifically to get their work done. To manage their work, to create and publish their work---this would be using technology as a tool.

We are well beyond that now. Our students need to know that technology today is the space to be in while using all those tools. It is a large enough space where we can assemble a wide range of people and tools in order to bring an idea to life. And if we are taught how to be safe in the environment, how to organize that environment, how to fully stock that environment with the "tools" we may need, much life a workshop...then we are truly teaching our students "How to fish" and not just giving them the fish.

Zac Browser

2008-06-29T20:20:00.002-04:00

All special education teachers should know that they can download the Zac Browser for their autistic students. The browser will help eliminate frustration on the web with so many choices. eSchool News reports John LeSieur created the browser for his grandson. So far results are positive.

Highlight a Web Page for Your Students

2008-06-16T21:20:00.003-04:00

Thank you, Heather Newman, for showing us this cool site.

http://awurl.com/hvliic71358

IT IS SO COOL!!! Teachers can now post a page off the internet via data projector, through email, or as a hyperlink on their blog with HIGHLIGHTing on it. Just think---you can highlight the areas of the webpage you want students to focus on.

I can see this being used with ESS kids or students who simply have trouble focusing.

Online Professional Learning

2008-01-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

Any online learning requires the following:

Set time of day to work or "report" to class
Designated folder on your computer labeled with the course name to keep files
Word Processing application to type or copy/paste notes while learning

Online learning may be self-paced or may require projects and assignments turned in on at a certain time. Some require posting topics on a discussion board with fellow classmates and some require that you reflect in an online journal. Here are a couple of online opportunities worth the investment.

Knowledge Delivery Systems-Georgia (KDS) offers a variety of online courses for instruction. They are GaDOE approved and one can finish a course in two months. Teachers work at their own pace and turn in final "essay" directly to KDS for review upon completion.

PBS Teacherline offers a variety of online courses specific to content area or for general instruction. The courses have a built in discussion board and most instructors require the students to interact with others taking the course. Teachers will need to have a weekly committment to this course or otherwise risk getting behind. Even with that being said, the courses are still worthwhile for the content and resources.

Microblogging

2007-09-24T12:52:00.001-04:00

From the "Bloggers Café" column in Leading and Learning with Technology, Tim Lauer talks about Twitter and Jaiku. These are forms of "micro-blogging", which is exactly like texting---users write brief text updates of what they are thinking, reading, observing or blogging. They have a chat-looking interface and users may add on Twitteriffic, the OS X application that displays your Twitter presence stream on your desktop. Twitteroo is for Windows users.

Some teachers are starting to experiment with the micro-blogging to share what's happening in the classroom with colleagues or friends/family at home and at work. This year's NECC attendees used twittercamp as a digital bulletin board to share messages about interesting conference related topics or just to meet up for lunch.

As blogging evolves, people will use the web and mobile devices to communicate. Both Twitter and Jaiku have the capability to set up on your mobile phone. Check it out and twitterme...? Setup your twitter account and invite me as a friend using kboswell@csdecatur.net.

Blogging - Getting Started

2007-03-01T17:33:00.000-04:00

We have a new class Spring 2007. New bloggers! We have a variety of uses for our blogs today:

teacher web page
posting thoughts
class blog
information blog
blogs to support learning

I look forward to reading your posts.

"Sticky" Web Sites

2007-01-29T23:28:00.000-04:00

I think I first heard the term "sticky" while referring to web sites two years ago while attending the High Schools that Work conference. I really cannot remember who delivered the session. I felt bad not providing her name as a reference, but then I google searched "sticky" web sites. This is not exclusive to education. All businesses of every kind need to learn how to build a "sticky" web site. Teachers are no exception. Parents and students need a source of information to take them on a journey through the class and content.

What does "sticky" mean? A web site that can get visitors to stay longer and return often is known as a sticky web site.

A-ha! Patty Turbeville. It was FETC 2006. Here's Patty's advice for teachers:

Before you start, make a web of how your site will be used in Inspiration (webbing software).
Keep the information current.
How will you archive?
Publish student work
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Check your links
Check your spelling
Revise your pages often

Some other suggestions might be to review an article you recently read related to parenting you child or the latest research in your content area. Empower your parents. Share your joys of teaching their children. Be sure to provide links on your site that preview what the students are learning/seeing in your class. We want to encourage discussion about the content beyond the walls of your classroom.

Password Advice

2007-01-26T22:50:00.000-04:00

I can't say it enough. Make a strong password and change it every six months.

The best passwords start as a sentence you've created about a significant event. Then use the first letter of each word to compose your password. It is always best to have a date in your sentence as well so you can have numbers and letters.

Sample significant event sentence:
My son started using the potty January 2007.

Sample password from sentence above: mssutp0107

From Laptop Vandalism to Technology Management Policy

2006-03-15T10:31:00.000-04:00

Recent events have prompted me to re-evaluate how this pilot program is working. The question is, "How do we get kids to accept responsibility for the appropriate care & use of technology equipment and software?"

Throughout the year, I have been working hard to individually correct inappropriate behavior, and have regularly asked kids to reflect on technology and its use in class. We have regular class discussions about what is appropriate and not appropriate, and yet, two weeks ago, there was an incident where a student thought it would be funny to rearrange the keys on a laptop computer. That in itself shows me that the individual has a lack of respect for the property, but what really frustrated me was the number of students who stood by and watched & didn't do anything...not even get me... What does that say about the success of my current methods of helping students feel ownership & responsibility for the technology that has become a daily part of their lives?

To me it says that I've been mostly unsuccessful. So, again, I ask what can I do to help them get engaged in the ownership & care of technology? Well, with the help and advice of Dr. Esther Silvers and Kim Boswell, I believe we may have an appropriate hands-on, interactive, engaging activity, the final result of which could provide us with valuable teaching tools. Kim & I are designing a unit where the students are creating short "how-to" i-movies for different aspects of the care & use of technology and software.

We are currently in week 2 of the project, still brainstorming & organizing the group structure, but the students seem to have really taken this task to heart. We first told them that the movies would be used as instructional tools for next year's seventh graders, but after further thought & discussion, Kim & I realized that we could also use these i-movies to show the teachers the appropriate behavior they should expect from their students as they are using technology.

After all, the use of technology is no longer limited to a few classrooms. There are several of us who have been using technology long enough to make the management of the hardware & software standardized across the school. All we need is a creative way to share the standards. This may be it...At least we hope so.

Teaching Email

2006-01-19T15:31:00.000-04:00

Where and when should students receive and learn the etiquette for communication? How should we teach it? I was having a conversation with the Business and Information Technology teacher at the middle school today to get a better idea of what he teaches by grade level, and more importantly, what would he like to teach at each grade level.

Currently the 6th graders are NOT proficient with keyboarding --this we know and are trying to implement a plan to change status quo. Keyboarding should be proficient by 5th grade (or so the National Educational Technology Standards state). To raise the bar in our district, it is my hope and the wish of the our middle school business and information technology (keyboarding currently) teacher to have 6th graders get an introduction hardware and software and an introduction to the basic software. 7th graders would have a more intermediate knowledge set of the those same basic software applications and the 8th would learn the advanced features.

Originally I thought the high school students and the 8th graders should have email and begin working with and practicing email etiquette, but as I reviewed the QCC's for the Business and Information Technology I realized that the exact communication objectives we need to email already exist. As well, the teacher of that class felt he doesn't need to teach memo writing to the extent he did in the past because those days are obsolete--we send memos in an email.

It gets better...that list of objectives for communication is no longer present in the 7th and 8th grade!!! Meaning--we need to teach those communication objectives in 6th and move on (there's other stuff in the curriculum for 7th and 8th).

This would be so ideal for the middle school students to get their email address in the 6th grade as they enter the Bus & Information class. Then they would have it permanently until they withdraw. The registrar could enter it upon enrollment.

Teachers would know that a student has an email account and if they want to use it to communicate with a student, they simply need to provide them with access to their account within class.

From the knowledge that students are learning these technology skill sets in Business and Information Technology class, they could build upon it by assigning work that requires use of these skills.

What may change all of these thoughts (better or worse)is the state standards, which use to be the QCC's. I just went to the Ga DOE web site to pull those up so I had them electronically and noticed they are no longer the QCC's--the standards are in place.

Going well...

2005-12-13T14:18:00.000-04:00

The only problem Ms. Cantergiani is running into is students are not finishing during class and so the students are coming in afterschool--which is actually working out well, but the students need to make sure they catch up.

If it were regular work they may not be so encouraged to come in afterschool to complete the assignment.

Blogging today 11/29/05

2005-11-29T15:25:00.000-04:00

Every one is working hard today on their blog, doing a great job!!! Keep it up.

Almost December

2005-11-29T10:38:00.000-04:00

Goode's students are presenting their research projects starting Monday. I'm really looking forward to seeing them. I sense pride and confidence in the students so I can't wait.

Cantergiani is living her fourth "Technology Day" today. She loves the one on one she is able to achieve from the email, which is mainly being used by the students to turn in their reading letters. It is a lot of reading and writing to respond to the letters, but how else would students gets this kind of timely response from a LA teacher!!!

Technology Helps Behavior

2005-11-15T10:29:00.000-04:00

After a full week of illness and professional development, here we are. The 7th graders are excited today because Kiernan reminded them that it is "technology day". When I expressed that we really want to make the technology a seamless function of the classroom, she directly responded that it makes a BIG difference in their behavior. They are good because Kiernan has explained the behavior guidelines for using the technology, and she said, "they are just flat out excited [about using the technology]."

week 3

2005-11-06T01:06:00.000-04:00

I became very ill last week after Tuesday, but was able to sit in on Goode's 3rd period, our DHS pilot class. They were so quiet and busy at work. I believe some were working on their citations for the research project that Ms. Goode is supervising through their blogging (another very effective way to integrate technology).

We have some students at the high school thinking that the gaggle email is an email account they can use to enter a dating service site???!!! Hello! Besides, you are in high school-- surrounded by coeds, why do you need a dating service?

Anyhoo, we restricted the culprit to emailing administrator only or should it be taken away completely? Will that be like taking away the student's pencil? They are using the blog to comment on each other's work, but the email is use to confer or offer suggestions to students that are not posted to their blog.

I think we agree that at least one month restriction. Although the opportunity at the high school is more frequent because the lab is more available. Maybe we should try to step up the number of visits at the middle school? What do ya think?

To me, the entire incident above is just another excellent point for the record that students do need email at school so we can show them exactly how to utilize a "work" email. He would've gotten fired! Am I right?

email pilot week 2

2005-11-01T14:09:00.000-04:00

Well, we got a late start the beginning of the 2nd quarter for RMS and directly after mid-term for DHS, but better late than never. Entering the kids names into gaggle.net was not the difficult task. The gaggle people are wonderful and very responsive. The middle school kids have difficulty remembering passwords. It's just not part of their nature yet AND each step must be explained to them one by one.

Right away we had kids using the email for personal reason, so I'm trying to drive home the point that this is a "work" email and should not have any "personal" conversations--yet. That is not to say that in the end, once these kids become somewhat proficient with emailing that I wouldn't mind it. We had middle schoolers logging in over the weekend. Using gaggle made it easy to see what they wrote as the delete folder does not delete until after 30 days or the admin does it.