The Illinois News-Gazette recently reported an increase in second career teachers. But, really, aren’t we all second-career teachers? I mean, unless we bopped from high school to a BA to an education program and landed directly into the teaching field, surely we “were” something else in our lives before teaching…and surely this past civilian life contributed to who we are now in the classroom.
I have two sessions that I will be presenting at CUE in March this year. I thought I’d share a little of what I sent to them to give you a little preview of what I’m going to be talking about. CUE is a brain spa of three days where you get a chance to be inspired. I am always honored to be amongst those presenting, because it was at CUE in 2005 that this Language Arts teacher was first bitten by ed tech. CUE gives tech-tentative teachers access to ideas, lessons, knowledge, and bravery.
I’m presenting the following sessions:
“Podcasting with 50 Middle Schoolers - RU Crazy?!” - I’ve done this session in the past to great success, so I won’t go on too long about it. But I will say that this session will cover beyond the question of ”What is Podcasting.” It will take it to the application level. It covers how to create a Standards-based podcasting class, across multiple curriculum strands, for a diversity of learners in order to reach and inspire an entire community. Podcasting can be not only educational for those students involved, but can also be educational and unifying to an entire district community. Bulldog Radio demands high-level thinking and problem solving from its students, with the goal of communicating with families of many different backgrounds and learning levels.
You also come away with great strategies on student-created rubrics, project-based learning, and student management and organization in both the classroom the computer lab.
“Collaboration-Blocked by a Firewall Near You” - We know about the success of collaboration and peer-feedback in the K-12 classroom. We talk about the need to bring our students into the 21st century by teaching them Internet literacy and responsibility. But what happens when what we know we should be teaching is blocked by firewalls and a fear-filled district Internet policy?
In the session, I will teach educators how to get around this issue using XWiki Workspaces, a Free and Open Source program that allows a classroom to become its own World Wide Web. Using XWiki Workspaces, a teacher can easily set up a student blog, wiki, photo album, etc…that can only be read and commented on in the secure environment of a school site, classroom, or lab.
While there are some programs available out there (i.e. Echalk) that provide teachers with similar abilities, these options come at a cost: a high district price tag and dependency on tech coordinators and web builders. Using XWiki Workspaces, a single teacher without tech experience and without educational red tape can use a single computer, desktop, laptop, Mac or PC to act as the server for their projects.
The key is that the program runs behind the school’s firewall. That is why it is not blocked by it. Also this guarantees that there is no access to the sites you create outside of that firewall. Therefore, a district with fears of posting student work online doesn’t have to worry about the work being compromised or preyed upon.
We know that student online transparency important, but the fear that dictates district firewalls block student collaboration. We need to find a way around such fear. With XWiki Workspaces a teacher can address the literacy and responsibilities that need to be taught while still following district policy.
Down the line, of course, by showing a district how successful online collaboration can be, a teacher may open the doors to greater online transparency. Sometimes it just takes showing the more nervous administrators the benefits before they buy-in to the future.
Hope to see you all in Palm Springs in March.
I’m being stalked by two of the tiniest, cutest 7th graders I’ve ever seen. Big eyes. High voices. You know the type. They are apparently the heavies for Yearbook, sent out into the wilds of 8th period to swing open classroom doors and announce, “You owe Yearbook $12.50.” Yes, the Yearbook Mafia Family is after me.
Welcome, citizens to the Carnival of Education #197. The transition should be smooth…Enjoy.
Where were you when? It’s a question I asked my readers and my classes the day after the election, and you know what answer I heard the most often? Ironforge.
So, please, somebody tell me how this scenario is best for the child:
Recently, I received a student, a full quarter into the school year, from our ELD classes. That’s not the problem as much as the fact that she doesn’t speak English. So I asked our counselors what the history was and what they could tell me about the reasoning for the move.
Man walked on the moon. JFK assassination. Shuttle explosion. 9/11. Obama elected president. Where were you when history was made last night?
Clearly, not all of these rank quite as high as the memories from last night, but there are those events in life that stand out for us as events of united memory.
Tapping into those united memories in the classroom and making students feel like they were present for history will help their own unity and comprehension. Think Aloud about this moment. Even if their families voted for McCain, remind them that they should feel pride for being present during the making of history, whether it be is the unprecedented voter turn-out, the possibility of a female vice-president who may even run in 2012 to become president, or the reality of an African-American president. It happened here, now, during their lifetime.
Remind them too that there are children once again in the White House. This is an opportunity to discuss Point of View, Tone/Mood, and Figurative Language. Have them write from the Point of View of the Lincoln Bedroom. Maybe it’s going to be Malia’s? What history has it seen? Write from the Point of View of Sasha seeing The East Wing for the first time. There are so many possibilities. So much hope.
Where were you last night?
OK, I admit it. I’m a Dances with the Stars Fan. Although I do believe that the series has jumped the shark with the group hip-hop number two weeks ago (did we really need to see Cloris Leachman in short-shorts?), I still need to see this one season out to its end, if only for my own compulsiveness.
Anyway, had I not stuck with it, I would never had heard a wincing grammatical error by the Pashma Lakshmi of the dance floor, Carrie Ann Inaba.
The scenario: Susan Lucci, in yet another stunningly stiff and impassionate contribution to the ballroom, is told by the judges that her paso doble is wonderful. Everyone’s looking to help Susan “break out of her shell” so they all congratulate her for what, I don’t know, and at the end of it, Carrie Ann demands that Lucci turn around to the camera, own her success, and announce to the millions sitting at home, “I did GOOD!”
In my world, there’s a pause and Tom Bergeron (cool guy, funny, smart, I used to watch him on Fox’s Breakfast Show co-starring with Bob the puppet) whispers, “Well…I did well.” Maybe, it’s even cued by the producers in his earpiece. But no...
…in Susan Lucci’s grandiose vapidity, she turns to the camera, glazed smile of pride on her face, and declares to the world, “I did GOOD!”
Carrie Ann Inaba gave Susan Lucci an 8, but I give Carrie Ann a 0. And I don’t think Susan Lucci did very well, either.
This week’s carnival is hosted by Leading from the Heart. Enjoy!
-TT
I’m not sure what one can say about this latest story. AP reports that a number of students at a St Louis middle school are facing suspension for a spirit day gone awry. But how “Hug a Friend Day” de-evolved into “Hit a Jew Day” is beyond me.
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