IN - te - Gr8?

YES !

We Must.

WHO
....great opportunities to collaborate, teachers as facilitators, students as teachers, teachers as learners, colleagues as teachers, colleagues as students, administrators as facilitators, learning together, occasionally failing together, media specialists as angels, tech integration specialists in demand, IT coordinators as overburdened mechanics. All of these are possible 'who's who' in the world of technology integration in public education.

WHAT
....taking small steps, trying one tool at a time, collaborate and investigate what colleagues are doing...join in.

WHEN
.......NOW, or sooner. Just one step, at the least - educating ourselves, reading, working, use tutorials.

WHERE
...pick a class to start in, reflect, tweak, reapply, look for other opportunities. Just don't get stuck on one tool, and use it to surrender...it gets boring for kids, and limits learning and possibilities. If we work in a team teaching approach and expose our students to a variety of tools and give them some latitude of which to apply to what, AND WHY...then we are facilitating some higher order thinking skills.

HOW
....with an open mind, acceptance of some failures, trial and error...reflection.

The biggest shift for me has been from thinking

 I had to be the expert, 

to learning alongside my students, 

trading knowledge with them, 

expanding both our bases. 

Still haven't met the perfect PLN...haven't given up...just...TIME

This picture is kind of why I haven't gotten my PLN going....

I feel like I am going to be hit by that wagon, and that little bluebird is taunting me......

I can barely keep up with the Diigo, it's a great idea....I have added lots of content, I like the tagging so I can find stuff....I do still want to know if there is a way to move my mass of bookmarks over to it?....and now, imagining the time it would take to tags a hundred or so bookmarks.....back under that wagon.

Blogger is great....and I have become much more proficient, although not typical, I guess. I use it more in my classes. One measurement of how far I've come with this is that previously, when I searched, I would skips past all the blogs....bad attitude, I guess. Now, many of them are in my Diigo.

Twitter is my roadblock now. I just can't imagine figuring that into my life. I don't want to spend any more time on keypads, reading screens, swimming through the vast amount of content. Twitter is one of the three pillars of PLN as described by Miguel Guhlin.  

Now, I know....he mentioned the panic attack, the overwhelming amount of content, and all these similar fears.  I understand the notion of 'grab the wheel', direct how you interact with all this content, I do.  I guess I am just at a slower pace. Some days, I just dread having to come in and blog, or write a paper etc....I tend to compartmentalize my life...priorities are fluid but my children, home, getting outside, happiness, friends, pets, work, students, grad work, 2nd job, projects.....I want to keep up on things, but in perspective, in balance. I guess I am working to get there. 

Work is a bit out of balance right now, more of a looming mountain...Student Council has a lot going on, my GSA is back up and running and needs a lot of front loading, NEASC accreditation committees, who knows.

It's NOT About the Tool.....

We can't help it....
       it's NEW....
               it's FUN...
                     the students are PSYCHED
                                                                 ...Let's Do It!!! 

Then it happens, you pour too much time on the tool...the objective gets a little lost..and you are not sure about the product.

Front loading can not be underestimated in my mind... no matter what you call it:

"Start with the end in mind"

"Let the Essential Question drive the project"

"Don't loose focus...Stick to the Standard you are addressing"

Take one lesson, or one project...keep it all except, in one step add the blog, the wiki, whatever. Maybe it's the brainstorming session, instead of using class time, ask students to do a quick blog about ideas as homework. then move to the next step as you usually would. Maybe it's the collaborative rubric...this is where I started...usually we do on the SmartBoard, or even the whiteboard, what would the ideal finished product look like? Then move the descriptors into categories (criteria), weight the criteria, polish and print. Perfect job for a wiki!! 

The point being, we are just switching mediums to start. As we do, we see the abilities of the students to collaborate, and the potential of that. BOOM, we are on our way to facilitating, leading students to uncover, discover, and question....and away from being the limiting factor in the front of the room dishing out content.

Assessing...I believe that infusing the technology pieces in, is a great place to get into formative assessment. I like a skills checklist for these sections...I want to know if they were able to get through the process of infusing it which isn't usually a problem for students. I am hoping to develop a rubric, that has a large part that is consistent no matter the assignment because it will assess the 21st Century Learning Objectives. Once we have educated the students fully about what they mean, they can be written in a global format that may require all of us to critically analyze, and apply the content to it???? IDK....that's where I am at right now.

Objectives guide the lesson.

Technology is a tool to bring out student potential.

Formative assessment can be useful for measuring skills application.

Summative assessment focuses on meeting the objectives.

About Podcasting...

As for my foray into podcasting....hmmmm...searching for a topic.

Here's what I came up with after watching the two Project Based Learning in Hand videos.

Maybe it is because I am so very visual, but I have had a difficult time joining in on the Podcast arena. I do listen to some, they are mostly missed segments from NPR. I have even used a few in my upper level classes. 

I like it when I can find a series of podcasts on a particular Health topic. then I can have students listen to individual ones, and bring them together to report out on the varying aspects they heard, to the larger group. 

Sometimes though...I find students have difficulty

 ....just listening. Since the mode of delivery is the computers at school with headphones, they end up having several windows open, multi-tasking, and only partially listening. I can relate to this, it's hard sometimes. 

My love affair with all things NPR is because I am in the car, driving, and require another outlet or I will daydream five miles past my exit!!!

Here is a link to my favorite one-time podcast. It is my older son Jake's. 

A little background. 

First: He and his friend Hannah are trying to impersonate an NPR 'tone'. They are both very knowledgeable about NPR.

Second: It is not meant to demean religion, it is just their quirky sense of humor.

Third: It began one night when they were walking to town, found a stick, held on to it, and got silly. They were broke and hungry (for food other than the college car which they both had access to!!!). Outside the local place, the aroma's were intoxicating, they asked their stick, as if a magic wand, for some delicious pizza, ...out came this large biker dude and girlfriend, arguing over how they were going to ride with a pizza box of leftovers...they saw the kids, gave them their pizza and ....these two decided then and there, to begin a faux philosophy called 'stickism', complete with quasi-comandments, and the embedded podcast from their Tumblr page. 

Listen at Your Own Risk!!!

As for my foray into podcasting....hmmmm...searching for a topic.

Here's what I came up with after watching the two Project Based Learning in Hand videos.

Project Based Learning in Hand

listen to ‘Project Based Learning in Hand’ on Audioboo

My Aidan In Motion

My Aidan In Motion

Here's my Animoto video about my younger son Aidan. I have used Animoto in the classroom before, mostly with my middle school students making Wellness Models a few years ago. It has changed a bit but still super easy to work with.

I can't wait to show Aidan this video tomorrow!!

Webinar: Sex Etc

  

DID MY W E B I N A R !!!!!....and I'm glad I did ;)

I have tried webinars before, with mixed results.It is important to know the format, depth of discussion, and level of interactivity, and this information is not always given, or can be misleading. I have learned to pay close attention to the intended audience, if it includes students, then it is going to be very basic!

Teaching with Sex, Etc Magazine

Teaching With Sex, Etc. Magazine WEBINAR LINK & INSTRUCTIONS

Dear Workshop Registrant, This serves as your confirmation for the workshop (PLEASE READ THIS E-MAIL IN ITS ENTIRETY): Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012 Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. (EST) **Please note that the workshop begins promptly at 3pm Eastern Time.

The link to log into the Webinar is: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=783&password=M.9C3D8E674766B5BB97A437C3B1BA84 Please log in to the webinar using your first and last name. Technical Information: If this is your first time using the Elluminate program it is highly recommended that you visit their online support and computer testing center before the webinar to insure that you have all the recommended software installed.  You can visit the site at http://www.elluminate.com/Support/?id=62/.   It is also recommended that you log into the program at least fifteen minutes early. If you work at a school or organization that uses internet filters, you should contact your IT personnel or system administrator to assist you in getting access to the program.  You can connect your IT personnel with me by having them call 732-445-7927 x227.  Please do this ahead of time if you work in an organization with internet filters.

Questions? Contact Todd or Amber at 732-445-7929.

This one was a good one. It started shaky, technical difficulties, but they were very interactive, even during that. I had my kindle near by in case it was a snore-fest.

There were ten of us from mostly the mid- to north- east coast. Several teachers but also people who worked with youth in hospital, homeless, and other public facilities. This webinar was well-organized, with a concise agenda, and clear objectives. Once they got past the audio difficulties, a repeating request for an access code, they asked a few questions that allowed us to get to know a bit about each other. The Elluminate format had several buttons for participation, happy face, confused face, thumbs up, applause, as well as the input window that could be directed to the presenter, certain participants, or all. The presenters were very practiced and able to add in all of our questions and insights.

I subscribe to the 'Sex Etc.' magazine. It is a magazine (and website) written by teens for teens, and overseen by Rutgers University staff, especially Nora Gelperin. I have seen her at a couple conferences and she is great.

This webinar highlighted the accompanying lesson plans. I have used some of them but not recently. The best part was that the presenter had all the participants participate in the lesson, which brought out a lot of discussion, and gave me ideas of how to tweak it for my teaching, and my students. I usually use these issues on Fridays during the Sexuality Unit. I get the hard copy of the magazines because, due to many of the topics sensitivity, I want to be sure kids had personal access to read them. A lot of parents have blocks, in fact at school I have to get IT to unlock the site. I also have to warn the students to be careful of the domain, go to the .org site, the .com one is VERY different! Now I want o use the on-line resources for the major article as a group project. I think I will continue to get the hard copies but give kids the option...

The standards this experience relates to:

Establish a core personal learning network of technology leaders to follow. Utilize this 

new network of educators as personal professional development.

As I mentioned, I respect Nora Gelperin. I have seen her before but it is hard to go to these 

workshops since she is based in NJ. This webinar assists by allowing me to participate within the 

budget and time constraints necessary.

Use knowledge of digital tools and technology applications to facilitate experiences 

that advance learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual 

environments.

I now know how to access these lessons on-line, have experience on how to run them, and ideas 

on how to make them more meaningful for my classroom.

Establish a core personal learning network of technology leaders to follow. Utilize this 

new network of educators as personal professional development.

I am now, finding their blog, and adding to my diigo!!!



Course Objectives this webinar assisted:

Provide instruction and modeling regarding digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

Promote and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources. Familiarize students with Web2.0 tools that may be used professionally or within the classroom environment to establish deeper learning experiences through proper curricular standard driven development.

Become familiar with current technology issues, trends and technology use within the K- 12 environment. Discuss how technology use impacts student learning outcomes.

Establish a core personal learning network of technology leaders to follow. Utilize this new network of educators as personal professional development.

Week Five: Midterm Reflection AND FINAL REFLECTION

Course Objectives:

• Provide instruction and modeling regarding digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

I believe we have touched on this. With adult learners, it is more about the modeling. Since we are all educators, I hope we are all aware of the need, and have the ability to be, responsible. I think we have explored this quite a bit. I know that I have become much more adept at keeping assignemtns and questions more open and challenging so that copy/paste isn't really an issue.

• Promote and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources. Familiarize students with Web2.0 tools that may be used professionally or within the classroom environment to establish deeper learning experiences through proper curricular standard driven development.

Working all this into the standards is my major task here. I have gained a lot of confidence using these tools in this space. The challenge is working it into my classroom, and keeping focused on the content and using this as a new tool.

• Become familiar with current technology issues, trends and technology use within the K- 12 environment. Discuss how technology use impacts student learning outcomes.

I want to meet my students in a way that makes them WANT to learn, don't we all? It's obvious that when students can apply learning to real life, right now, or they experience an authentic audience for their work, not just a grade book, they work 'up' to the opportunity. Don't we? These tools give them methods of learning that they can 'see' how it can be applied. it makes it exciting again. Again, my big 'a-ha' is not feeling that I have to be the expert in front of the assignment.

• Design and implement digitally-based learning experiences with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments

We haven't really practiced this yet. I have read quite a bit, and it is all getting clearer but I still have a lot of work to implement this into my teaching to the degree that I feel is needed. This turned out to be easier than I thought, as I have stated, I feel that a lot of my technology integration has been a boost to my formative assessment strategies.

• Establish a core personal learning network of technology leaders to follow. Utilize this new network of educators as personal professional development.

Work in progress. I see the potential. i just haven't been able to devote the time to really get a meaningful conversation, or ritual going on. Here, I am still just getting it together. I have not put the time into making it a meaningful, rather than cluttered experience, i just haven't gotten there.

• Use knowledge of digital tools and technology applications to facilitate experiences that advance learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

I am enjoying bringing in new topics and tools to the classroom, and I am much more open and willing to experiment where as before this class, I was more concerned with mastering a tool before implementing it....now, I see using and learning it together as integrating technology. I can learn to avoid any pitfalls with this kind of real-time teaching/learning by using my professional networks, gettting tips, hints, and ideas from others who have already done it. Sweet. Ditto, Sweet! Still on this path...

• Evaluate, adapt, and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature.

Work in progress........probably always will be. REFLECT, REFLECT, REFLECT !!!

Week Four: PBS and Digital Learners

As I see it....

Literally, love the Thinking Maps, so I can visualize all this!!! 

I want to be a part of all this...those schools and students they portrayed, are where I want to be but I am NOT confident that I am qualified to be their facilitator. I am comfortable learning from them but I feel, at least at our school, and with the being highly qualified push, we are expected to be the expert 'in front' of the room still.....
We are at such a crossroad in education....

I continue to think about some of the thoughts expressed...

"Standardized Testing is holding kids back"

"21st Century Learning Literacies...Death of Education...Dawn of Learning"

The most profound..."What is School?"

...and the conversations are endless...below, from my Facebook:

To bad our archaic public school system can't figure out what this means and apply the theory

Like ·  · Share

• 2 people like this.
• 

  
  

  October 22 at 11:00am · Like
• 

  Christine  Not likely mike considering Einstein regarded the idea of a personal god as a "childlike" idea

  October 22 at 11:14am · Like
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  Lori McGinley .....when the people of our communities, states and nation, care enough about public education to bring it up to date, to put all the brain and learning research into practice, demand change, then it will change...meanwhile the people who care deeply about educating youth will continue to do so, even under the constraints that are our current system.....

  October 22 at 5:46pm · Like

It seems evers 

Education is changing, or about to, or revealing the need, and everyone has a view about it

...so often though, it is that

that what works ten, twenty, thirty years ago, is still relevant. 

I understand it....I do...it is easier, these changes leave wondering what the hell is school?

here's a recent post from my facebook page, even the clothing is an issue:

Question for friends/family who work in education, what do you think is appropriate attire for teachers and school staff? Casual? The same as students?

Like ·  ·  · Share

• 

  Lori McGinley these days, the increased scrutiny demands a higher standard....I think it's ridiculous...our super wants us to look like bank tellers...I want to be able to get on the floor and work with groups of students, today I took a group out in the woods on a gps challenge, then there are the kitchens....we are professionals, if someone is not adhering, that's an exception, admin should deal with that, not make a new 'rule' for everyone...but def not the same as students, that's a whole different issue!!

  Thursday at 8:41pm · Like
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  Cindy  I think they should have a higher standard. The principal should be in a suit.

  Friday at 7:09am · Like
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  Julie  I recall asking my Dad why he still wore a tie to school every day when all the other teachers had stopped years ago. I will never forget what he said, "I want the students to know who the teacher is." Now I'm not saying that there aren't times when common sense dictates casual wear for some activities, but in general teachers and the Principal should dress in a manner that commands some respect.

  Friday at 8:39pm via mobile · Like
• 

  Lori McGinley Clothing does not command respect....and even if it did for one generation, it may not apply to the current one...and today, learning does not happen in the same way, a teacher led classroom, it's more real world, facilitated, ...in short, the students are different, the objectives are different because they are entering a different work force that demands different skills, and there are different tools, they can access content anywhere, anytime, it is more skills based...the teacher as facilitator needs to adapt, demonstrate, 'get dirty' (symbolically) with the content....for me, the clothing does not make the teacher, professional yes, disconnected to the audience, skills, and content, no. It's more of a a 'do' environment now, less of a 'tell' environment. My 4 cents ;)

  Yesterday at 9:32am · Like
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  Julie  What bothers me is seeing our local Principal dressed in jeans and crocs. It's just not the image I expect or think is appropriate for his role.

  Yesterday at 11:01am via mobile · Like
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  Lori McGinley I know it's hard...at that level, principal, the community is a large part of his audience and community expectations should play a role. Admin, superintendent, and school board all balance between school and community. As teachers, our audience is our students, and their learning, is our audience. We need to be able to model professionalism, and connect with the real world roles they will enter....imagine working at Apple...lots of crocs and jeans there.....lots of money, expertise, and forward thinking too. New order.

  Yesterday at 11:09am · Like
•