Kenneth Shelton, Walter Reed Middle School, with networking colleagues: Meg Griffin, Ginger Lweman, Sylvia Martinez, Lisa Parisis, Adina Sullivan, Paula White
The premise:
Networking, collaboration, making connections, and contributing to networks you build.
How would you define PLN?
PLN is a personal or professional learning network, which helps you grow both personally and professionally. (Twitter is a great example!)
What tools do you use to Connect?
Twitter is the easiest way to interact with others, who will help you with projects, workshops, ideas, etc.
Plurk (has limits, however)
Classroom 2.0 (ning network of people)
Skype
What are some of the networks in which you are a member/active?
(the following is a list from around the room:)
Apple Distinguished Educator
Discovery Educator
SMART educator
Twitter
Reading blogs, and making comments on other peoples’ blogs to develop relationships
Ed Tech Talk webcaster (edtechtalk.com) to use for webcasts every night, and there are also archived webcasts
With all of the above tools, there will always be someone out there who is like you, or has the same issue as you, that you can share experiences with, or solve problems with.
Free Tech for teachers blog, Richard Burns
Be selective about checking on Tweets or Plurks….might be too much information, but don’t give up! Know WHO you want to really follow, and look for them, or their ideas.
1-9-90 rule: when it comes to networking, there’s a rule. …1 person posts content, and 9 people repost it (the content)..then 90 people consume it!
Itweet.net (will auto update for you where Twitter will not)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Raising the Bar: Differentiated Learning with Stacy Bodin
Raising the Bar: Differentiated Learning
Think of this presentation as “confetti”--brush off what you don’t want, pick up what you want to keep, or just leave it on the ground...
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. (Henry Ford)---perfect quote for technology…you plan, prepare and are ready for teaching, and the next day something happens with technology that you can’t do it. Just walk away from it today and try it again tomorrow.
Goal of Differentiation:
1. To get away from lecturing 100% or the time or to alleviate children sitting idle, which many of us grew up with.
2. To meet the needs of the students which accommodate learning for all.
3. To touch on differentiated learning centers using computer centers and more.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Management is the biggest challenge for teachers. Try things, and rework as needed.
Have to model how to get kids to move from center to center in your room. What EXACTLY do you want them to do at each of their learning centers? You, as their teacher, must model expectations and procedures before they experience each learning opportunity.
Listening centers (slide 22)-hold kids accountable for the listening they are doing. Have them reenact their listening, or tell someone else about their center time.
What do you when they finish their center? Provide a list for kids so they have PLENTY to do! They need lists of what to do to keep them learning!
Independent centers at the technology centers
How do I do this?
1. Start slow. Be prepared with materials before class begins.
2. Have a routine that students can understand.
3. Get a cheap timer. Have students go to a center. Ring the time and have students move in groups.
4. Make sure kids are aware of tasks—printed directions in each center, clear expectations set, and of course MODEL those expectations!
Stacy Bodin, Vermillion Parish
16007LA Hwy 685
Erath, LA 70533
stacybodin@aol.com
smbodin@vrml.k12.la.us
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/smbodin
Think of this presentation as “confetti”--brush off what you don’t want, pick up what you want to keep, or just leave it on the ground...
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. (Henry Ford)---perfect quote for technology…you plan, prepare and are ready for teaching, and the next day something happens with technology that you can’t do it. Just walk away from it today and try it again tomorrow.
Goal of Differentiation:
1. To get away from lecturing 100% or the time or to alleviate children sitting idle, which many of us grew up with.
2. To meet the needs of the students which accommodate learning for all.
3. To touch on differentiated learning centers using computer centers and more.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Management is the biggest challenge for teachers. Try things, and rework as needed.
Have to model how to get kids to move from center to center in your room. What EXACTLY do you want them to do at each of their learning centers? You, as their teacher, must model expectations and procedures before they experience each learning opportunity.
Listening centers (slide 22)-hold kids accountable for the listening they are doing. Have them reenact their listening, or tell someone else about their center time.
What do you when they finish their center? Provide a list for kids so they have PLENTY to do! They need lists of what to do to keep them learning!
Independent centers at the technology centers
How do I do this?
1. Start slow. Be prepared with materials before class begins.
2. Have a routine that students can understand.
3. Get a cheap timer. Have students go to a center. Ring the time and have students move in groups.
4. Make sure kids are aware of tasks—printed directions in each center, clear expectations set, and of course MODEL those expectations!
Stacy Bodin, Vermillion Parish
16007LA Hwy 685
Erath, LA 70533
stacybodin@aol.com
smbodin@vrml.k12.la.us
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/smbodin
Keynote with Erin Gruwell
Erin Gruwell's father scoffed when she decided to become a teacher. His words for her were
"Please don’t eat the apples!" (Which was how she began her presentation!)
On Erin's first day on the job, her very FIRST teaching job, she found the following:
No textbooks
No technology
No enthusiasm for learning in her students
No love of reading
Derius, a student who came in first that day, came from a horrible background. Had already buried two dozen friends who died from violence. Derius' father had died when he was five. His brother was killed by a gang. Really good rapper, though! (In the Freedom Writer's film, he is known as "Marcus".)
Maria also entered the room, with an ankle bracelet and a probation officer with her! (She is known as "Ava" in the film.)
Erin knew that her year was going to be a tough one. Shortly, she asked her kids to write about something, to give them a voice. She strayed from her syllabus. Maria wrote about hating Erin Gruwell, her teacher!
So Erin decided to ask them to tell about their journeys thus far in their lives because of what she saw in their early writing.
Maria wrote about her journey with her background…dad in and out of jail, mom who did all sorts of jobs to make ends meet. Her mom quit school at the age of 7! When Maria went off to Kindergarten on her very first day, her cousin got shot 5 times right in front of her that morning. Right there she learned that the good guys don’t always make it! But she went off to school that a.m., even after the event, but she was different. Her teacher laughed at her that year. So she gave up on school. Her father became her teacher when he got home from prison. He bought her boxing gloves so she could get up swinging…and he taught her to never cry, never give up…..to be a woman warrior. She learned to make more money in one day on the streets, so she became a gang member. And she loved it, even though she was beaten, abused, treated terribly….because her father in San Quintin was her model. She thought it was her fate! Maria thought this kind of life was her fate as well.
Erin had to figure out how to tell this little girl how to live a ‘regular’ life. So she had a success toast day. She bought champagne glasses to toast, and Maria said, "I don’t want to be pregnant by the time I’ve 15 like my mama, and I don’t want to be in jail like my father. I want to change!"
Erin realized Maria wasn’t so tough after all……..
At this point, Erin showed a video clip of her old classroom, Room 203, and The Anne Frank video with Maria and Erin.
Derius realized the power of writing, just as Anne Frank did, which was the focus of Erin's study with the class. They learned that a legacy can be left behind through writing…that even though Anne died, they didn’t have to! They can leave a legacy and live on.
Derius found out the librarian from Anne Frank was still alive, and he wanted to write her. And they hoped she would cometo the U.S. if they wrote to her, telling her how their lives were like Anne's. They wanted to know what the librarian was a witness to!
Derius put coins in a jar and asked others to put coins in to raise money for the lady to come……but they had very little money…..and Erin told them that if she DID come, their lives would NEVER be the same. They sent 150 letters to her! And the woman planned to come!
This little woman saw hope, and likenesses to Anne. Derius organized food for the woman’s visit, with their families made goods! The community center they were to use was graffiti covered, so Erin and Maria told two of their graffiti artists at the school to make the room beautiful. It was an incredible experience of hope. Maria told Erin that she wanted to order Anne Frank in Spanish. Maria's mother wanted to read it--the book that changed her daughter’s life. The librarian told of the journey...and Derius cried….and told her she was his hero. And the librarian said, "No, I’m not a hero…..I did what I had to do…I delivered hope to Anne’s attic. I never gave up."
So never give up!! Never ever give up!
Here is Erin's website:
http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/site/c.kqIXL2PFJtH/b.2286935/k.AD6E/About_Erin_Gruwell.htm
"Please don’t eat the apples!" (Which was how she began her presentation!)
On Erin's first day on the job, her very FIRST teaching job, she found the following:
No textbooks
No technology
No enthusiasm for learning in her students
No love of reading
Derius, a student who came in first that day, came from a horrible background. Had already buried two dozen friends who died from violence. Derius' father had died when he was five. His brother was killed by a gang. Really good rapper, though! (In the Freedom Writer's film, he is known as "Marcus".)
Maria also entered the room, with an ankle bracelet and a probation officer with her! (She is known as "Ava" in the film.)
Erin knew that her year was going to be a tough one. Shortly, she asked her kids to write about something, to give them a voice. She strayed from her syllabus. Maria wrote about hating Erin Gruwell, her teacher!
So Erin decided to ask them to tell about their journeys thus far in their lives because of what she saw in their early writing.
Maria wrote about her journey with her background…dad in and out of jail, mom who did all sorts of jobs to make ends meet. Her mom quit school at the age of 7! When Maria went off to Kindergarten on her very first day, her cousin got shot 5 times right in front of her that morning. Right there she learned that the good guys don’t always make it! But she went off to school that a.m., even after the event, but she was different. Her teacher laughed at her that year. So she gave up on school. Her father became her teacher when he got home from prison. He bought her boxing gloves so she could get up swinging…and he taught her to never cry, never give up…..to be a woman warrior. She learned to make more money in one day on the streets, so she became a gang member. And she loved it, even though she was beaten, abused, treated terribly….because her father in San Quintin was her model. She thought it was her fate! Maria thought this kind of life was her fate as well.
Erin had to figure out how to tell this little girl how to live a ‘regular’ life. So she had a success toast day. She bought champagne glasses to toast, and Maria said, "I don’t want to be pregnant by the time I’ve 15 like my mama, and I don’t want to be in jail like my father. I want to change!"
Erin realized Maria wasn’t so tough after all……..
At this point, Erin showed a video clip of her old classroom, Room 203, and The Anne Frank video with Maria and Erin.
Derius realized the power of writing, just as Anne Frank did, which was the focus of Erin's study with the class. They learned that a legacy can be left behind through writing…that even though Anne died, they didn’t have to! They can leave a legacy and live on.
Derius found out the librarian from Anne Frank was still alive, and he wanted to write her. And they hoped she would cometo the U.S. if they wrote to her, telling her how their lives were like Anne's. They wanted to know what the librarian was a witness to!
Derius put coins in a jar and asked others to put coins in to raise money for the lady to come……but they had very little money…..and Erin told them that if she DID come, their lives would NEVER be the same. They sent 150 letters to her! And the woman planned to come!
This little woman saw hope, and likenesses to Anne. Derius organized food for the woman’s visit, with their families made goods! The community center they were to use was graffiti covered, so Erin and Maria told two of their graffiti artists at the school to make the room beautiful. It was an incredible experience of hope. Maria told Erin that she wanted to order Anne Frank in Spanish. Maria's mother wanted to read it--the book that changed her daughter’s life. The librarian told of the journey...and Derius cried….and told her she was his hero. And the librarian said, "No, I’m not a hero…..I did what I had to do…I delivered hope to Anne’s attic. I never gave up."
So never give up!! Never ever give up!
Here is Erin's website:
http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/site/c.kqIXL2PFJtH/b.2286935/k.AD6E/About_Erin_Gruwell.htm
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Best Practices for Encouraging Learning 24/7: Models that Work
Monday, 6/29/09
Michael Searson's Best Practices for Encouraging Learning 24/7: Models that Work
Using cameras on field trips to connect their learning, AND to go back to the classrooms to write about their learning.
Audio books for kids with dyslexia, to improve their motivation and learning.
Using Read Naturally and Lexia, where teachers are seeing huge results from both programs.
Robotics: available to students from early elementary through high school—offered in after school program. Middle school students can take these as an elective.
Entrepreneurs in Residence: kids meet with other kids as mentors for projects, and they are required to work with others, and it is up to them to schedule times to work to carry out goals of the project(s).
Global Challenge Project (David Gibson)
www.globalchallengeaward.org
Kids register with a partner (team of 2) and an adult (parent/teacher/sponsor, etc.) who they are core units for challenge. Trying to reach HS students world wide, using global teams with a problem to solve. “Save the World” with global warming before they graduate college.
What to expect on this site:
-use open-ended problem solving
-study together in teams
-spread awareness-take action/design a solution
-schedules, collaborators and products
-game and simulation-based online learning experiences
****ALL of this work is evaluated by scientists and educators
This site also offers:
Curriculum enhancement (easy to implement with flexible units of study)
Elective courses (Interdisciplinary: Natural Science Social Science, Entrepreneurship, Economics, digital arts, communications)
Independent studies (self-directed, open-ended, problem=based, guided inquiry)
Productivity Centered Service Learning )action oriented, authentic, community, engagement)
The great thing about this site is that it goes along with standards!
Andrew Gardner (Northern Manhattan) Game Design and Social Networking—Learning outside school walls
Content: what interests students?
1) PLAY!
2) New Media tools (Gamestar Mechanics, a web-based video program that teaches you about game design)
Andrew wanted to use this for after-school classes
Skoolaborate (virtual worlds and learning across the globe)
Develop ‘stuff’ that works globally such as units on drinking/driving, etc.
Ning.com for doing a T-bird Times newsletter to express kid’s personalities and thoughts
tbird times.org (an after school club)
Wix.com (building interactive websites) that kids can do on their own—kids erupted with creativity
Presentation: http://tbirdtimes.wiwispaces.org, kevin_jarrett@yahoo.com
Michael Searson's Best Practices for Encouraging Learning 24/7: Models that Work
Using cameras on field trips to connect their learning, AND to go back to the classrooms to write about their learning.
Audio books for kids with dyslexia, to improve their motivation and learning.
Using Read Naturally and Lexia, where teachers are seeing huge results from both programs.
Robotics: available to students from early elementary through high school—offered in after school program. Middle school students can take these as an elective.
Entrepreneurs in Residence: kids meet with other kids as mentors for projects, and they are required to work with others, and it is up to them to schedule times to work to carry out goals of the project(s).
Global Challenge Project (David Gibson)
www.globalchallengeaward.org
Kids register with a partner (team of 2) and an adult (parent/teacher/sponsor, etc.) who they are core units for challenge. Trying to reach HS students world wide, using global teams with a problem to solve. “Save the World” with global warming before they graduate college.
What to expect on this site:
-use open-ended problem solving
-study together in teams
-spread awareness-take action/design a solution
-schedules, collaborators and products
-game and simulation-based online learning experiences
****ALL of this work is evaluated by scientists and educators
This site also offers:
Curriculum enhancement (easy to implement with flexible units of study)
Elective courses (Interdisciplinary: Natural Science Social Science, Entrepreneurship, Economics, digital arts, communications)
Independent studies (self-directed, open-ended, problem=based, guided inquiry)
Productivity Centered Service Learning )action oriented, authentic, community, engagement)
The great thing about this site is that it goes along with standards!
Andrew Gardner (Northern Manhattan) Game Design and Social Networking—Learning outside school walls
Content: what interests students?
1) PLAY!
2) New Media tools (Gamestar Mechanics, a web-based video program that teaches you about game design)
Andrew wanted to use this for after-school classes
Skoolaborate (virtual worlds and learning across the globe)
Develop ‘stuff’ that works globally such as units on drinking/driving, etc.
Ning.com for doing a T-bird Times newsletter to express kid’s personalities and thoughts
tbird times.org (an after school club)
Wix.com (building interactive websites) that kids can do on their own—kids erupted with creativity
Presentation: http://tbirdtimes.wiwispaces.org, kevin_jarrett@yahoo.com
Sliding into 21st Century Learning: PD for Administrators
Red Clay 21st Century Leadership Academy website:
https://redclay.schoolnet.com/outreach/rccs/cla
What's Needed: Superintendent and Board commitment
Mission
To deliver a quality education in a safe and secure learning environment where instructional services and programs meet the needs of our diverse student population.
Vision
Red Clay's administration, faculty and staff work every day to put our vision and mission into practice, providing the best education for our students. That all students will acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary to live rich and full lives as productive and enlightened members of society. The key to this vision is the belief that all children can learn, including those who are in special programs of any nature.
https://redclay.schoolnet.com/outreach/rccs/cla
What's Needed: Superintendent and Board commitment
Mission
To deliver a quality education in a safe and secure learning environment where instructional services and programs meet the needs of our diverse student population.
Vision
Red Clay's administration, faculty and staff work every day to put our vision and mission into practice, providing the best education for our students. That all students will acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary to live rich and full lives as productive and enlightened members of society. The key to this vision is the belief that all children can learn, including those who are in special programs of any nature.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Technology Velcro: Tools and Techniques to Make Education Stick!
Technology Velcro: Tools and Techniques to make Education Stick!
Lynell Burmark, Thornburg Center
****New version of Hyper Studio
Humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. So images can do the job 60 times faster.
Made to Stick Chip and Dan Heath wrote—NYTimes bestseller with:
Connection
Humor
Images
Music
Emotion
Story
Senses
Clouds with pics in them—find out what the kids know by connections to prior experience.
Teaching words in pairs-Grande-pequeno
Video of guy playing violin in the subway (Joshua Bell) didn’t get much $ by playing, but was playing on a $3 million violin! Played the week before in a concert at $100/plate, to a sold out crowd. The only people who actually sat and watched in the subway were children…sad that no one recognized that he is a famous and amazingly gifted young man!
Humor is important for teachers. Lynell used a rat cartoon about Cinderella and every one laughed because we have a background already about the story. Some kids may not have. Children laugh an ave. of 400 times a day. Adults only 15. ☹ Need to find humor!
Pixcetera.com website has animal pics that are adorable!! Gives adults in your classes laughs and energy to get through presentations!
Comics:
Peanuts: www.snoopy.com
Internet Public Iibrary kidspace: www.ipl.org/div/kidspace
Hyperstudio 5.0
School Tube video for math teachers with the ratio on dating (Fish story with girl dating guys who either talk too much, or not enough!)
http://www.schooltube.com/video/10256/Matrix-Learning--Bad-Date-by-NMSU-
Give a picture to your class to focus on as they come into the classroom, and that becomes the focus for the first few minutes of instruction.
The History Place to show pics of Lewis W.Hine with the child labor laws. http://www.historyplace.com
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor
Give 4 pics to people and have them put them in a time line in a discussion.
WHAT AM I:
Give clues and use a puzzle pic to give them idea with each clue! The kids can create the clues, and picking the proper picture in puzzle format from HyperStudio 5.0. Using illustrated materials, Recall and retention increase over 43% when there is an overlay of narration with visual representation. It goes up 89% with transfer and application. (Richard Mayer, Multimedia Learning research)
MUSIC
BB KING sings The Letter Y (www.schoolvideos.com)
“Annie’s Song” (You fill up my senses…) from John Denver
EMOTION
You Tube ---The Mean Joe Green commercial (Coca Cola)
Create a photowall, similarly to a word wall (or web-based gallery) of kindness, love, and other Words worth 1000 pictures
**each week is a new focus---one week compassion, one week love, one week caring, etc.
Gerald Grow, journalism professor at Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL has a list of words
STORIES
We remember teachers who told us stories and the stories they told us….
From image to story—What’s the event? Who are these people? What is their relationshp?
“We don’t see things as they are;we see them as we are.” Anais Nin
Progressive story--groups of 3, koosh ball toss, worm balls (www.orientaltrading.com) used pictures of beautiful scenes, and whoever had the squish ball had to tell a story about the picture when they got the ball. Then she went back and put John Denver’s music to it.
The images are so powerful and can bring their own story to pictures, but with the music/narration, it brings more to the connection.
SENSES
We use our (multiple)sense to enrich experience, such as multimedia, multisensory experiense of the California Adventure- Soarin’ Over California (Disney World)
Sight…visuals!
-multi-colored classroom in 1995 Disney film: Matilda
-“One of the Family” painting-Frederick Cotman
Hearing…voiceovers, music!
-“I am lonely” to Selen’s No Me Queda Mas
Touch!
-Swimming with the stingrays (Cayman Islands); their bellies feel like________________used a custard pie to show how the sting rays skin felt
-Hands-on learning toys for younger children
-Click and drag on interactive whiteboards-Fred Armisen, Saturday Night Live (had the Obama/McCain voting pieces with voting)
Lynell's site:
http://www.tcpd.org/Burmark/Burmark.html
Lynell Burmark, Thornburg Center
****New version of Hyper Studio
Humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. So images can do the job 60 times faster.
Made to Stick Chip and Dan Heath wrote—NYTimes bestseller with:
Connection
Humor
Images
Music
Emotion
Story
Senses
Clouds with pics in them—find out what the kids know by connections to prior experience.
Teaching words in pairs-Grande-pequeno
Video of guy playing violin in the subway (Joshua Bell) didn’t get much $ by playing, but was playing on a $3 million violin! Played the week before in a concert at $100/plate, to a sold out crowd. The only people who actually sat and watched in the subway were children…sad that no one recognized that he is a famous and amazingly gifted young man!
Humor is important for teachers. Lynell used a rat cartoon about Cinderella and every one laughed because we have a background already about the story. Some kids may not have. Children laugh an ave. of 400 times a day. Adults only 15. ☹ Need to find humor!
Pixcetera.com website has animal pics that are adorable!! Gives adults in your classes laughs and energy to get through presentations!
Comics:
Peanuts: www.snoopy.com
Internet Public Iibrary kidspace: www.ipl.org/div/kidspace
Hyperstudio 5.0
School Tube video for math teachers with the ratio on dating (Fish story with girl dating guys who either talk too much, or not enough!)
http://www.schooltube.com/video/10256/Matrix-Learning--Bad-Date-by-NMSU-
Give a picture to your class to focus on as they come into the classroom, and that becomes the focus for the first few minutes of instruction.
The History Place to show pics of Lewis W.Hine with the child labor laws. http://www.historyplace.com
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor
Give 4 pics to people and have them put them in a time line in a discussion.
WHAT AM I:
Give clues and use a puzzle pic to give them idea with each clue! The kids can create the clues, and picking the proper picture in puzzle format from HyperStudio 5.0. Using illustrated materials, Recall and retention increase over 43% when there is an overlay of narration with visual representation. It goes up 89% with transfer and application. (Richard Mayer, Multimedia Learning research)
MUSIC
BB KING sings The Letter Y (www.schoolvideos.com)
“Annie’s Song” (You fill up my senses…) from John Denver
EMOTION
You Tube ---The Mean Joe Green commercial (Coca Cola)
Create a photowall, similarly to a word wall (or web-based gallery) of kindness, love, and other Words worth 1000 pictures
**each week is a new focus---one week compassion, one week love, one week caring, etc.
Gerald Grow, journalism professor at Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL has a list of words
STORIES
We remember teachers who told us stories and the stories they told us….
From image to story—What’s the event? Who are these people? What is their relationshp?
“We don’t see things as they are;we see them as we are.” Anais Nin
Progressive story--groups of 3, koosh ball toss, worm balls (www.orientaltrading.com) used pictures of beautiful scenes, and whoever had the squish ball had to tell a story about the picture when they got the ball. Then she went back and put John Denver’s music to it.
The images are so powerful and can bring their own story to pictures, but with the music/narration, it brings more to the connection.
SENSES
We use our (multiple)sense to enrich experience, such as multimedia, multisensory experiense of the California Adventure- Soarin’ Over California (Disney World)
Sight…visuals!
-multi-colored classroom in 1995 Disney film: Matilda
-“One of the Family” painting-Frederick Cotman
Hearing…voiceovers, music!
-“I am lonely” to Selen’s No Me Queda Mas
Touch!
-Swimming with the stingrays (Cayman Islands); their bellies feel like________________used a custard pie to show how the sting rays skin felt
-Hands-on learning toys for younger children
-Click and drag on interactive whiteboards-Fred Armisen, Saturday Night Live (had the Obama/McCain voting pieces with voting)
Lynell's site:
http://www.tcpd.org/Burmark/Burmark.html
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