Jog the Web

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

During the video:

1. Analyze: Use this video as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf8Ig2M3Zq0
2. 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

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?

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

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

• http://gpb.org/education
• http://georgiastandards.org/
• http://www.thinkfinity.org/

Resource: ETTC National Science Center

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.