Be a part of the excitement!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The 2nd annual ASSET Educator Institute… EXPERIENCE PBS for PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 Educators and early childhood care providers! 4 Strands… LITERACY… SOCIAL STUDIES… STEM… ARTS… NATIONALLY recognized programming… NATIONALLY researched resources… LOCALLY aligned/standards-based resources. SPACE is LIMITED! TEAMS of staffs encouraged to attend. Professional development hours provided for participation.
After speaking at the annual TED conference in Long Beach, California, twelve-year-old teacher, speaker, and author Adora Svitak wanted to bring a TED-like experience home to Redmond, Washington. “I had such a great experience during my first time at TED, but I realized that not everyone had such an opportunity,” she explained. “Through TEDxRedmond, I’m hoping to share the magic of TED in an independently organized event.”
Institute of Education, University of London just published a new study that says:
“Children do better in their exams when their teachers focus on learning, rather than on test results.”
Chris Watkins believes that schools have two challenges:
- To recognize that passing tests is not the goal of education, but a by-product of effective learning.
- To recognize that even when we want pupils to do their best in tests, pressure and performance orientation will not achieve it.
Read more at: IOE – Focus on results can make children do worse, study finds. The study doesn’t seem to be online, but this article is worth reading. I am going to walk out on a limb here, I believe we need leadership that shares this perspective and research finding. AND changes in educational leaders at state and national levels who have the courage to stand up to the destructive educational policies of the NCLB. NCLB, No Child Left Behind seems to be leaving many children behind!!
Darren Cannell (http://twitter.com/dcannell), an assistant principal in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada. He and his family will be embarking on a worldwide trip, traveling to 35 countries starting in September, and that as part of his travels, his 2nd grade son will be blogging about it.
His son’s blog can be followed 
http://daxjournal.darrencannell.com/
His blog had a Google map showing all the places they will be visiting. What a trip, wish I was going, but I am looking forward to following his adventures on his blog. A 2nd grader blogging, wow and Kudos to Mom and Dad!!
Daxtin’s Travel Journal
Starting on September 2o, 2010 Daxtin and his family will be travelling around the world this journal will be about this eight month journey.
By Bob Lenz, Edutopia
I am writing this blog post on the new Apple iPad while on a plane returning from the Newschools Venture Fund Community of Practice and Summit in Washington DC. There, at the nation’s capital, a gathering of education entrepreneurs from across the country explored the themes of technology and innovation.
We learned about strategies, about people, and about organizations that are trying to leverage the use of digital technology to improve learning outcomes for youth — particularly those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
Higher-ed students, faculty can legally ‘rip’ portions of DVDs for use in media studies
By Meris Stansbury, Associate Editor
A new ruling from the U.S. Copyright Office will affect how higher-education students and teachers can use digital material in the classroom, thanks to the efforts a university professor who says that increasing students’ digital literacy is a responsibility educators can’t afford to brush off.
The change is part of a new interpretation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a U.S. copyright law that criminalizes production and dissemination of software, devices, or services intended to circumvent the digital rights management (DRM) technology that controls access to copyrighted works. The U.S. Copyright Office, a branch of the Library of Congress that meets to discuss exemptions every three years, oversees management of the DMCA.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
A Massachusetts school district is using educational software and iPad tablet computers to help at-risk students make up school credits and stay on track for graduation. Students can complete a learning module on a district-owned iPad — and attend a weekly meeting with a teacher or mentor — instead of attending a traditional summer-school course. “We want to see if this interface is more engaging,” one school’s principal said. North Adams Transcript (Mass.)
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
At least two Texas districts have eased school policies to allow students to use cell phones and other electronic devices in the classroom if they are being used for educational reasons. “The students are expecting immediate answers and, if we don’t always have a room full of computers and they do have answers right there in their pockets, it’s sad for us to say, ‘I know it’s there and you can’t [use it],’” said Jennifer Faulkner, a director of instructional and information technology. San Antonio Express-News
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
Twenty-seven states have said they will adopt the recently unveiled national education standards, and several other states are expected to sign on in the next two weeks.
The Obama administration has pressed hard for the speedy acceptance of the so-called common core standards, arguing that the establishment of centralized norms replacing those in 50 states will raise the achievement of students who most need help.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
Wesley Fryer has am amazing thought provoking post about Digital Citizenship on his blog Moving at the Speed of Creativity. It is worth reading!!
The actions of Florida 11 year old “Jessi Slaughter” (Jessica Leonhardt) on YouTube as well as her father provide a case study on digital citizenship both sad and instructive to witness. The following seven minute segment from Good Morning America back in July 2010 provides a partial summary of the incident and situation.
The YouTube version above of this clip may be taken down at some point. The following ABC News website posts from July 22nd provide insights into the escalating series of events which led to this extreme and distressing situation:
Viral Cyberbullying: Who’s to Blame for Jessi Slaughter’s Online Infamy
‘Jessi Slaughter’ Says Death Threats Won’t Stop Her From Posting Videos on the Internet
Jessi Slaughter’s Cyber Bullying Nightmare
Jessi Slaughter Breaks Down, Father Steps In
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
What is Teachers TV?
Through engaging videos, practical resources and an active online community, Teachers TV supports the professional development of anyone working in school, enabling them to widen their skills, develop their practice, and connect with others in the field.
Instant access to up to date professional development videos and resources
Learn from other education professionals by going inside their classrooms and into their schools
Save time with practical tips, lesson ideas and classroom resources
Help across the year to meet classroom targets and achieve personal goals
Keep informed with content covering the latest developments in the education agenda
In addition to the website, Teachers TV programmes are available on the TV Channel on Sky 880, Virgin Media 240, Freesat 650 and, most recently, through iTunes U.
Rick Rees, and Apple Professional Development trainer recently conducted a workshop in Tupelo. The teachers that he worked with were introduced to iLife & iWork and would you believe they started school this week, first week of August. Braden Bishop, one of the workshop participants contacted Rick to share his iMovie that he made to introduce himself to his students.
This is the scenario:
Braden connected some big desktop speakers with a subwoofer to his computer and had everything set to go. After his new high school students came in to his Economics class on the first day of school, he shut the door, didn’t say a word, turned out the lights, and turned the video on. He said “they were kinda floored.” and that “three of my six periods stood up and clapped…and DIDN’T EVEN know me!”
Thanks Rick for sharing Braden’s project, it is simply amazing. What a creative way to use iMovie too! Check out Braden’s work. When you watch it you’ll know why his students were excited. What a great way to start the year. Although, starting school the first of August, oh my!!
As Kansas City, Mo., students return to their age-assigned classrooms this fall, they will begin to take assessments in math and reading—tests that will determine their mastery of specific skill sets and, ultimately, where they will be placed.
Instead of simply moving kids from one grade to the next as they get older, Kansas City schools will begin grouping students by ability. Once they master a subject, they’ll move up a level. This practice has been around for decades, but was generally used on a smaller scale—in individual grades, subjects, or schools. Kansas City is believed to be the largest U.S. school system to try grouping by ability.
To read the full story, CLIC K HERE
Students at eight Victorian Government schools including those battling illness at the Royal Children’s Hospital won’t have to wait long to get their hands on Apple’s latest gadget – the iPad – thanks to a groundbreaking trial. Visiting the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in Southbank today, Premier John Brumby announced an Australian-first trial of iPads in Victorian schools.
Mr Brumby said the Victorian Government would distribute more than 500 iPads, each worth $629, to eight schools so students can continue to learn with the latest technology.
“Education is the top priority of this Government and our Australian-first trial of iPads in schools will ensure our students remain one step ahead when it comes to emerging technology,” Mr Brumby said.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
Guess I will need to hook up with these folks too for my ipaod pilot in my class at Kansas State University.
There are plans to create a National Learning Registry to collect digital educational materials and help teachers and students find the resources they need, according to Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Such a registry could be available within 18 months. In his speech to the National Rural Education Technology Summit, Duncan offered the example of digital footage of the first moon landing, saying those archives can be found across several websites and that the National Learning Registry would make the data easier to find. Read the full story at Education Week/Digital Education blog
OK, I hate to be sarcastic, but is this a surprise to anybody? Gee whiz, staff development does work!! Ok, I know it has to be the right professional development and it has to be QUALITY, but come on , really!!
In Birmingham, Ala., teachers are participating in workshops to help prepare them to teach using laptops. Teachers begin by learning about the low-cost computers provided through the One Laptop Per Child initiative. Workshop organizers say the success of such programs is dependent on how comfortable and familiar teachers are with the technology. “Some participants weren’t even using them in class because they didn’t know what to do with them,” said the University of Alabama at Birmingham associate professor who developed the training. Read the full story at T.H.E. Journal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEHNhcdyMtc
Do we know what we are doing? Does society know what it wants? Are we still working towards reform… Ask yourself…
Who seriously believes that locking 25 students in a small room with one adult for
several hours each day is the best way for them to be “educated”?
Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.
– George Evans
Why do we think every 6 year old is going to be at the same place in math, english and all the other subjects so we clump them together.
We already live in a time of disconnect, where the classroom has stopped reflecting the world outside its walls. The classroom is born of an industrial mode of thinking.
Greatest hurdle in ed reform is that society doesn’t have a clear vision of what school is for
“If you put a doctor of 100 years ago in today’s operating room, she would be lost, yet if you placed a teacher of 100 years ago into one of today’s classrooms she wouldn’t skip a beat. ”
Molebash 1999
Moving from the one-room schoolhouse to the one-world schoolhouse is now a reality.”
Cisco Systems
“If we don’t focus on the experience dimension of learning, we run the risk of mistaking the publishing of information for learning and training”
Elliott Masie
In education the Use it or lose it rule may mean If you don’t use tech for learning , you may lose relevance. An educator must be relevant.
Teachers need to exist in the spaces the students exist, understand their culture. You have no credibility if you are not where they are.
“Because the generation of students that I am teaching is an instant pudding, drive-through, microwave, download-it-from-the-Internet, media-driven generation, I know that I must be innovative to keep their interest and to inspire in them a creative curiosity.”
Doug Martin
Do I create lifelong learners.
Am I preparing students for my age or theirs?
by Wesley Fryer, Moving at the Speed of Creativity
This morning on The Today Show, hosts interviewed a San Diego family which was challenged to give up cell phones, computers and TV for an entire day. In addition, Tony Schwartz (author of “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance” addressed the need we have to take proactive control over the technology devices which seem to direct many of our lives.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The statistic from this segment which really got my attention was the following, from Tony:
7 out of 10 families do NOT set limits for text messaging.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
Education Nation: Six Leading Edges of Innovation in our Schools (Jossey-Bass) by Dr. Milton Chen, senior fellow and executive director emeritus at the George Lucas Educational Foundation. In it, he poses this challenge: “Imagine an Education Nation, a learning society where the education of children and adults is the highest national priority, on par with a strong economy, high employment, and national security.”
In Education Nation, Dr. Chen has curated and organized the Edutopia.org collection of films and articles according to what he sees as the six “edges” of innovations redefining K-12 schools, teaching, and learning. They are:The Thinking Edge
- The Edge of Curriculum
- The Technology Edge
- The Edge of Time and Place
- The Co-Teaching Edge
- The Youth Edge
Education Nation is the book for information about the most innovative learning environments, addressing Edutopia’s core strategies of project-based learning, cooperative learning, technology integration, social and emotional learning, comprehensive assessment, and teacher development for implementing these practices.
Education Nation embraces a new age of 24/7 learning, with students at the center, supported by teachers, parents and community members.
Read more and order your copy of Education Nation today!
Register for an upcoming webinar (8/26) with Milton Chen on Education Nation. Read more about this webinar.
Follow Milton’s blog on education innovation on Edutopia.org.
I teach a technology class to future teachers (5 sections of about 30 students each + 1 small honors class) at Kansas State University in the College of Education. In fact, every education major has me for this class, I am the only one that teaches it. Good or bad, it does make for consistency.
Anyway, in the fall, I will now teach an Honors section and I just learned (yesterday) that my request to have an iPad for each of the students in my Honors class has likely been granted. Yippy Skippy! I am so excited. These students will have the iPad checked out to them for the entire semester. How cool is that!
Of course, there is a catch, first, I have to include information about how they will be utilized in my syllabus (by tomorrow) as well as, the fact that my students and I will be doing lots & lots of digging, playing and experimenting on how they can be used productively in the classroom by teachers, students, and administrators as well as personally. Ultimately I hope my students can write an publish an article about he experiment and even present at a conference.
So far, this is what I am thinking for my syllabus, I have begged and borrowed from many sources. It is too long, so looking for help in condensing it into something very concise. If you have suggestions, ideas, thought, please comment below.
Very, Very–ROUGH DRAFT
As we move education toward the future, there needs to be a balance between past, present and future, it is essential. Each student in the honors section of DED 318, fall 2010 will receive an iPad to use during the fall semester. Clearly, the iPad is poised to revolutionize the classroom in an abundance of ways. The iPad is likely change textbooks, note taking, turn classrooms paperless classroom, studying and reviewing, student interest level, and may help to individualized curriculum. The iPad will provide the chance to move into becoming 21st century as learners and teachers. The iPad will be in your (my students) hands 24/7 and you will experience “living” with the tech.
There’s an app for every student, every learner, any minute of the day. Ken Robinson and his book “The Element” comes to mind when I think of having students discover their gifts and specialties…..finding…”their element.” And, the iPad is a tool that can do just that…help students/teachers find their element.
The iPad is so new that we have more questions than answers at this point. Our research during the fall semester will try to answer the many, many questions about iPads in the Classroom.
- Where does the iPad fit in education? i.e. K12 and higher education
- Where does the iPad fit in each grade level and content are of K-12 classrooms?
- What is the iPads potential to change education?
- What are the stumbling blocks for school, students and teachers?
- What can the iPad be used for in the classroom? Is it a better method or not?
- What apps are available for use in the classroom?
- How will iPads have an impact on reading or the way we teach reading? Or any content area?
- Can the iPad move us forward to a paperless environment?
- Can the ipad move us forward in meeting 21st century skills?
- How about Project Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction?
- Is it cost effective and could it help save money in a school?
- Is the iPad constructed to hold up to the rigors of use by elementary students?
Resources for additional information
apptivities: Its applications of apps for learning: This website is the response to our challenge at the ADE Summer Institute 2010 at Full Sail University, Orlando, Florida. Our Challenge: Support teachers in using mobile applications effectively to improve student learning. Our Solution: The apptivities website at http://www.apptivities.org/ We ask our ADE (Apple Distinguished Educators) colleagues to contribute your apptivities, a specific learning activity using apps on mobile devices. A key part of our vision for apptivities is to provide media resources that give a “view” into best practices in the classroom. apptivities: Models for successful instructional practices with mobile devices
It’s the application of apps for learning.
This blog is from a teacher who began using ipad in their classroom last April when they first shipped. There are links to the previous post about the experience. 7 Reasons Why the iPad is Going to Change Education
iPads in Education 1:1 with first through 5th graders
Measuring the Potential for iPads in Education
Where does the iPad fit in education? from Ed Galaxy Blog
iPad in the Classroom, a running discussion on Classroom 2.0 site
The Potential of the iPad to Change Education
Wired Educator: An iPad in Every Classroom: First Impressions of Apple’s Tablet in Education
iPad in the Classroom All things related to the iPad™ in schools
