In terms of tools for collaboration, there are more options than most can keep up with and more are created every day. However, Google has created a tool that can't be beat in terms of simplicity: Google Docs. With this tool, you can create, edit and collaborate on documents (spreadsheets & presentations too) both synchronously and asynchronously. Check out this video:
If you would like to know more, or if you would like help with setting one up for your class(es) or your teacher team, let me know!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
How Does Your Team Stack Up?
Today, I read an article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education newsletter that made me think...and wonder. The topic of the article was the effectiveness of teacher teams with regards to improvement of teaching and learning. We all know that our focus for most meetings should center primarily on teaching and learning and that we should all be lifelong learners, willing to learn more and share our knowledge with others. However, the article was generally an indictment of teacher teams, because they often fall into "predictable pitfalls" when it comes to promoting our most important objective. The reasons are (as indicated in this article): poor use of common planning time, failure to pursue expert advice, a focus on issues that are peripheral to learning, absence of clear goals, or lack of team accountability for the success of their students."
In contrast, they described the five conditions that good teacher teams exhibit as follows:
* Task Focus- primarily on teaching and learning
* Leadership- all members are leaders. Instructional expertise, no matter how experienced, is valued and utilized.
* Collaborative Climate- Trust, communication (two-way) and synergy is always there. Conflict is welcomed and handled professionally and collegially.
* Personal Accountability- the primary goal is performance improvement for the members and for the group. Expectations are clearly articulated and shared.
* Structures & Processes- Are goals clearly defined and does the team adapt the processes for meeting these goals based upon student needs?
You can read the entire article by using the link below:
http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/519#home
My feeling is that there are many teacher teams at Ashbury College that meet these criteria and maybe even exceed them. How does your team stack up?
In contrast, they described the five conditions that good teacher teams exhibit as follows:
* Task Focus- primarily on teaching and learning
* Leadership- all members are leaders. Instructional expertise, no matter how experienced, is valued and utilized.
* Collaborative Climate- Trust, communication (two-way) and synergy is always there. Conflict is welcomed and handled professionally and collegially.
* Personal Accountability- the primary goal is performance improvement for the members and for the group. Expectations are clearly articulated and shared.
* Structures & Processes- Are goals clearly defined and does the team adapt the processes for meeting these goals based upon student needs?
You can read the entire article by using the link below:
http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/519#home
My feeling is that there are many teacher teams at Ashbury College that meet these criteria and maybe even exceed them. How does your team stack up?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Sweet Math Applets
Check out these math applets designed for interactive use on your SMART Board! Let me know if you find one you can use!
http://www.ronblond.com/M10/index.html
http://www.ronblond.com/M10/index.html
Save the Trees!
Last year, I was able to take a hard look at our copying habits and copier needs at this school. I was dumbfounded when I learned the facts about the sheer volume of copies that are made here (at a Green School). We average more than 2.5 million copies per year with some individuals copying enough to reproduce complete textbooks per student in the first three months of the school year alone! The numbers are staggering, not to mention the frustrations this causes when copiers are down largely due to incredible use. What's even more vexing is that we live and work in a day and age where it is possible to run a virtually paper-free classroom (and perhaps a largely paper-free school).
At our fingertips, we all have online tools that would ease our dependency on paper:
Wikis
Google Docs
Class Management Systems such as Moodle or the Podium
Blogs
Turnitin.com
Drop Box
Word processing & email
And the list goes on....
I decided to post about this topic today because I recently read an article proclaiming that paper (use) had a negative impact on students. Specifically, a negative impact on students' willingness to edit, rewrite or revise their own work. The article quoted Tom Whitby, college professor and education blogger, as saying, "Word processing enables kids to write at a higher level, and they are more likely to make corrections and rewrites when using a word processor. We write in a word processing world and our students should learn in the same way." Now, I'm not 100% convinced by that argument. However, the article went on to talk about how likely kids were to want to revise work that they spent hours writing by hand. The question was posed: When was the last time you wrote anything of any length by hand? How likely would you be to want to rewrite all of it because one part needed changes or in order to make additions to content? Why would our students be any more inclined to do so?
So, are there ways that we could do more things online or using the tools that not only support our efforts to be a Green School, but are more conducive to revision and learning than hand written work and reproducibles? Let's challenge each other to find one innovation that we can use in our daily work to reduce our paper consumption and support 21st century skill-building during the 2012 calendar year!
At our fingertips, we all have online tools that would ease our dependency on paper:
Wikis
Google Docs
Class Management Systems such as Moodle or the Podium
Blogs
Turnitin.com
Drop Box
Word processing & email
And the list goes on....
I decided to post about this topic today because I recently read an article proclaiming that paper (use) had a negative impact on students. Specifically, a negative impact on students' willingness to edit, rewrite or revise their own work. The article quoted Tom Whitby, college professor and education blogger, as saying, "Word processing enables kids to write at a higher level, and they are more likely to make corrections and rewrites when using a word processor. We write in a word processing world and our students should learn in the same way." Now, I'm not 100% convinced by that argument. However, the article went on to talk about how likely kids were to want to revise work that they spent hours writing by hand. The question was posed: When was the last time you wrote anything of any length by hand? How likely would you be to want to rewrite all of it because one part needed changes or in order to make additions to content? Why would our students be any more inclined to do so?
So, are there ways that we could do more things online or using the tools that not only support our efforts to be a Green School, but are more conducive to revision and learning than hand written work and reproducibles? Let's challenge each other to find one innovation that we can use in our daily work to reduce our paper consumption and support 21st century skill-building during the 2012 calendar year!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
True Technology Integration: A Clear Description
Most of us (even though we are digital novices in many respects) spend our lives completely immersed in technology and would not know what to do if we didn't have our "tools". We check email multiple times per day, we send text messages, make phone calls via wireless technology, surf the web, conduct research, look up phone numbers, get directions, communicate and stay connected, make presentations, compose letters, keep lists, create memories through digital photos, read newspapers, and the list goes on... No one has to remind us to integrate technology into our lives. We just do it...we have to. We don't do all of the things from this list as a way of "looking" like we are members of this century. The irony is that so many teachers have to be prodded and urged to ensure that their students are required and have the access to the very same "life tools" that we use without thinking. Suddenly, when it comes to using technology in the classroom, the tools are reduced to slightly more than gimmicks or attention grabbers in order to appeal to the optics of technology integration. It's funny, really.
So, what does real technology integration in the classroom look like? I recently read this description in a blog post and, to me, it's the ideal. Teacher, Andrew Marcinek, writes, "At the beginning of most units, I present a concept or idea through a video, image or article that leads to a discussion, provokes their thinking and drives further inquiry into the subject at hand. They present understanding through a video, a presentation, and by creating a website or posting to their blog. They're employing critical analysis and critical thinking by seeking out the answers to the questions they generate. They are discerning between credible and bogus information and understanding how to properly cite, organize and share their findings. They are creating surveys to elicit quantitative data and creating support for their assertions. They are building relationships and making connections. In every scenario, their questions and curiosity motivate their learning, while the technology tools available give them the opportunity to connect, share and promote their work a wider audience." http://www.edutopia.org/blog/PBL-digital-citizens-andrew-marcinek
What Mr. Marcinek has figured out is that he starts with the end in mind. What does he want his students to learn, create, understand, etc? Then he allows them the access to the tools that they would need in order to meet those goals. They just happen to be technological in nature. However, the technology does not drive the curriculum, the curriculum drives (and is dependent upon) the technology.
So, what does real technology integration in the classroom look like? I recently read this description in a blog post and, to me, it's the ideal. Teacher, Andrew Marcinek, writes, "At the beginning of most units, I present a concept or idea through a video, image or article that leads to a discussion, provokes their thinking and drives further inquiry into the subject at hand. They present understanding through a video, a presentation, and by creating a website or posting to their blog. They're employing critical analysis and critical thinking by seeking out the answers to the questions they generate. They are discerning between credible and bogus information and understanding how to properly cite, organize and share their findings. They are creating surveys to elicit quantitative data and creating support for their assertions. They are building relationships and making connections. In every scenario, their questions and curiosity motivate their learning, while the technology tools available give them the opportunity to connect, share and promote their work a wider audience." http://www.edutopia.org/blog/PBL-digital-citizens-andrew-marcinek
What Mr. Marcinek has figured out is that he starts with the end in mind. What does he want his students to learn, create, understand, etc? Then he allows them the access to the tools that they would need in order to meet those goals. They just happen to be technological in nature. However, the technology does not drive the curriculum, the curriculum drives (and is dependent upon) the technology.
Tech. Tuesday- December 13th
I'm keeping it light today. Here's a really fun web2.0 application that you might want to use with your classes. It's called Blabberize. You may have seen stuff like this via e-cards or on the Conan O'Brian Show. In a nutshell, you upload a photo, outline the mouth, record a sound, and presto......you have "Blabberized." Check out my little demo above!
You can then download to your computer or simply keep it in your Blabberize account. Accounts are free and it is simple to sign up. For more information, go to: http://blabberize.com/
Some teachers are using this to bring Discovery Ed. images to life, for Readers' Theater, for student presentations, etc. Can you think of something you could use it for? If so, let me know and I'd be happy to help you get ready!
Thinking "Appy" Thoughts!
Here are some iPad Apps that you might like:
Story Patch: Students can create their own picture books. http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/story-patch/id388613157?mt=8#
Strip Designer: Allows teachers or students to create their own comic strips using their own photos.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/strip-designer/id314780738?mt=8#
The Elements: A Visual Exploration: With this app, students can actually see all of the elements from the periodic table. http://itunes.apple.com/app/the-elements-a-visual-exploration/id364147847?ign-mpt=uo%3D6&mt=8
Shakespeare: This app includes the complete works of Shakespeare as well as a glossary, portraits and searchable content. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shakespeare/id285035416?mt=8
If you would like to use one or all of these with your classes, let me or I.T. know and we'll set the iPads up.
Friday, December 9, 2011
How Innovative Are You?
Not long ago, I came across a post by Bill Ferriter about one of the key characteristics of innovative organizations. Based upon The Innovator's DNA (2011), the most important feature is the commitment to hiring innovative people. From that notion, Ferriter composed 5 suggested interview questions. I plan to keep these questions to go along with others that I like to use when conducting interviews, but I thought I would share them with you (condensed version). Ask yourself:
1. Think about a lesson that you have tinkered with over the years. What did the lesson originally look like? How did you change it over time? How did the changes impact your students? What did you learn about teaching and learning from those instructional successes and failures?
2. How do YOU learn? Reading? Writing? Practicing? Who are the most important people that you currently learn with? What have they taught you and what have you taught them?
3. What well-established professional practice are you skeptical about? Why do you doubt it? Can you give tangible examples of times/places where this practice has let you or your students down?
4. What is the most interesting idea you've learned outside of education? Can you find any connections between that idea and your work in school? Can that idea change any of the work you are doing with your students, colleagues or peers?
5. What other profession are you most curious about? What about it captures your imagination? Would working in that field keep you energized? How does that profession compare to education?
I'd love to hear your comments!
1. Think about a lesson that you have tinkered with over the years. What did the lesson originally look like? How did you change it over time? How did the changes impact your students? What did you learn about teaching and learning from those instructional successes and failures?
2. How do YOU learn? Reading? Writing? Practicing? Who are the most important people that you currently learn with? What have they taught you and what have you taught them?
3. What well-established professional practice are you skeptical about? Why do you doubt it? Can you give tangible examples of times/places where this practice has let you or your students down?
4. What is the most interesting idea you've learned outside of education? Can you find any connections between that idea and your work in school? Can that idea change any of the work you are doing with your students, colleagues or peers?
5. What other profession are you most curious about? What about it captures your imagination? Would working in that field keep you energized? How does that profession compare to education?
I'd love to hear your comments!
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