It was fascinating seeing my own students through a different lens.  Groups of students came in front of my panel, some in suits, and some in the tuxes they perform in for orchestra, to present their websites.  The theme this year was “Actions and Legacies: Individuals in History.”  We saw websites about everything from Rockefeller to Ho Chi Minh.

The students for the most part used either Google or Synthesite to develop their free websites, which in regards to a competition is a little bit of a concern in that many competitors use more elaborate, paid-for sites that look far sexier.  But our kids did what they could with what they could and the sites, for the most part, look good.  And considering that they probably taught themselves how to create the site, the students should be commended.

We evaluated everyone’s site based on the visuals and the content.  In general, there were notes that we gave that were universal.  For one thing, the use of visuals to highlight specific points was an important concept the students needed to understand.  Without multi-media, for instance, a website might just as well be an essay.  It’s the visuals, the links, and the multimedia aspect of them that make them websites.  Timelines, for instance, that combine both primary sources and links, are a great opportunity for visual impact.

In regards to content, there seemed to be an overarching lack of commentary.  For middle schoolers, writing personal response can be hard.  But what we’re trying to emphasize is that just delivering the facts is not an analysis.  And if we’re looking to teach high-level thinking, there must be present that next step of information delivery – the evaluation.

Many of the students delivered the facts, but added no judgment.  They were missing the higher levels of Bloom’s.  They neglected the commentary.

When teaching history, it is vital that a teacher not just teach the facts, but give guidance in pulling back the lens and evaluating the bigger pictures.  How did this figure fit into history and amongst their contemporaries?  What is the impact that they made on those who followed them?  What is your opinion of their contributions given your expertise in their accomplishments?

Commentary comes in many different ways, but including it is the difference between information regurgitation and true, deep comprehension.

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Post tags: blog, Character Education, commentary, competition, CUE, digital natives, history day, internet literacy, k-12, k12, Language Arts, online, teaching, Title I, tween, UCI, Writers Project

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“Charming, excellent, quick paced, funny, irreverent, spot on – everything you want in a presenter.  PLUS, content is so accessible.  Great job.  Provided what is often missing @ CUE – practical, hands on, how-to of what tech looks like in day-to-day classroom.”

“This was the best presentation of the conference.  Thorough, articulate, motivating.”

“Very useful information!  Enthusiastic and informative presentation.  Thanks for sharing your expertise in an easy to understand format.  Great!”

“Great, fascinating, well-organized, excellent presentation!  Nice job!”

“Very practical and real world.”

“Excellent presentation!  One of the best I’ve been to!  Creative way of incorporating multiple strategies to achieve student success.  Great teacher presentation!”

“Good use of visuals, good energy in presentation.  Excellent presentation and materials.”

CUE is a “brain spa” for three days.  In that time, you can go (as I did) from tech-tentative to a tech enthusiast.

I am once again a proud presenter, but more importantly, I can’t wait to learn from my colleagues and audience as well.

Hope to see you all there.

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Post tags: CUE, Ed Tech, education policy, ELA, ELD, k-12, k12, middle school, podcasting, technology, Title I, TLN, tween

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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 21^st 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.

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Post tags: blog, classroom management, CUE, Ed Tech, education, ELA, k-12, k12, learning, life long learners, metacognition, middle school, project based learning, rubric, writing

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I deeply believe that unless we as educators take ourselves out of the boxes of lessons that made up our own educational backgrounds, and learn the technology that will be our current students’ futures, then we are not preparing them as we should.  Our job is to prepare them for the “real world,” and that world is different than the one we grew up in.  For that reason, I jumped into the uncomfortable deep end, where I not only learned to swim, I grew gills.

Teaching with technology has enriched my Language Arts program and has allowed me to do something that we all should do sometime in our career: create an elective (see Step IV in my “How to Take Control of Your Teaching” post).  

My podcasting class is an offshoot of my Speech and Debate team.  It has exploded as a standards-based, broadcasting network that is entirely student written, performed, produced, and publicized.  

As always, at any tech ed conference, I look forward to seeing the other sessions as well.  Hopefully, I may even see some of you there too.

Long Live CUE!

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Post tags: CUE, Ed Tech, education, ilc, innovative learning conference, integration, k-12, san jose

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So, I had my online training.  I met the Whiteboard sales guy in my classroom to discuss where the board is to be mounted.  I talked with my principal to develop an interactive whiteboard presentation during our first staff development in an attempt to drum up excitement amongst the somewhat less-than-tech-enthused staff.  I spent time over my summer developing my own curriculum for the first quarter: pulling out my books, pacing my units, and choosing those individual static lessons that I will expand into Interactive board lessons.  

It wasn’t long, however, that I began to suspect I had wasted my time.  The odor of bullshit was in the air…

 (...)
Read the rest of Hurry up & Wait – My New Interactive Whiteboard: Part II (737 words)

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Post tags: 2008, blog, carnival of education, computers, critical thinking, CUE, curriculum design, curriculum development, digital immigrants, integration, interactive whiteboards, internet literacy, teaching, technology, Title I, UCI, writing

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These questions and many more are explored in today’s The Opening Bell.(...)
Read the rest of My new Interactive Whiteboard: Part I (807 words)

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Post tags: 2008, achievement gap, blog, carnival of education, critical thinking, CUE, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, digital immigrants, digital natives, Ed Tech, ELA, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, middle school, Title I, UCI, writing

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Post tags: 2008, achievement gap, assessments, blog, collaboration, computers, credential, critical thinking, CUE, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, digital immigrants, digital natives, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, equity, integration, internet literacy, jobs, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, matthew needleman, middle school, professional development, research, technology, test, test prep, Think Aloud, Title I, UCI, writing

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Post tags: 2008, achievement gap, assessments, blog, book review, btsa, budget, Careers, carnival of education, character, Character Education, classroom library, collaboration, computers, concrete, contract, CORE, credential, critical thinking, CUE, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, Ed Tech, education policy, ELA, electives, essay, essay starters, jobs, k-12, k12, Language Arts, life long learners, merit pay, metacognition, middle school, NCLB, new teachers, online, peer teaching, performance pay, PI, podcasting, powerpoint, professional development, Proficiency, school accountability, school funding, speeches, standardized testing, technology, tenure, Title I, TLN, top 10, union, voice, websites, Writers Project, writing

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Just imagine the even wider achievement gap that would occur if schools had to pay for their Internet packages.    

If it’s true, we need to get more media attention on this attempt to stomp out the global communication that we have all come to know, love, and support.  

I can’t say I know a lot about this subject, but it’s definitely worth looking into.  Of course, there’s no way Google’s gonna let this happen, of course.  After all, they’re a juggernaut in the business of universal information access.   

Have you heard any updates on this topic that our Ed Tech community should be aware of?  What steps should we take to ensure that it doesn’t happen?   

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Post tags: 2008, assessments, audit, blog, CUE, data, digital immigrants, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, free, fundraising, integration, internet literacy, iPods, k-12, k12, learning, middle school, online, PI, podcasting, teaching, Title I

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For one, McCain doesn’t even mention Ed Tech as factor in his education policies.  For another, Clinton doesn’t either.  Obama mentions it, but only in regards to the maths and sciences.(...)
Read the rest of Ed Tech is the new Home Ec and Shop (596 words)

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Post tags: achievement gap, CUE, Curriculum, data, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, equity, k-12, k12, Proficiency, school accountability, school funding, teaching, technology, Title I

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I am going to be presenting up in the Bay Area at the FETC/CUE conferencethis fall.  My seminar is called “Podcasting with 50 Middle Schoolers – Are You Crazy?!” Six years ago I went to CUE for the first time on the lower tier of the tech savvy ladder.  There, I was inspired.