Technology Teacher 05/28/2014

• Learning Beyond Walls: 28 Resources for Your Students to Connect Globally : Teacher Reboot Camp

  • Creating successful global citizens should be a goal of all schools.
  • However, many students have not adequately learned a second language or learned to communicate effectively with their peers worldwide, much less collaborate with them.
  • We cannot afford to end conversations, because the consequences of miscommunication can be deadly and costly.
  • Where to Find Classes Worldwide to Connect

  • The Epals Global Community- With classrooms in 200 countries and territories, ePals makes it easy to connect learners locally, nationally or internationally.
     Voices of the World Ning- These global projects connect students with voice only in case you are not able to use student images.
     Around the World with 80 Schools Skype Group- @langwitches, Silvia Tolisano, started this group to get classes to Skype each other.
     Project Peace- Connect with other classes and make videos for peace!
     Find Educators to Collaborate with On Twitter!- This is the way I met Ozge Karaoglu who has been connecting her young learners in Turkey with my young learners in Germany.

     

    Internet Safety Information for Parents and Forms

     

    Accepted Use Policy Document by George Couros
     Internet Safety Information for Parents by Pernille Ripp
     Why the Internet is like the Mall: Internet Safety Lesson by Pernille Ripp
     Another Acceptable Use Policy Form
     Parent Release Form for Publishing Student Work Online
     Parent Release Form for Publishing Student Work Online PDF

  • Using Wikis to Collaborate

  • Wiki Tutorials and Tips for Educators
     Glogsters From the World Wiki- Join other classes worldwide in sharing their countries’ culture and traditions through interactive posters. Created by @abfromz.
     Celebr8UandMeDigitally Wiki- Join other classes worldwide in celebrating their countries’ holidays and traditions. Created by @evab2001 @alexgfrancisco.

     

    Using Blogs to Collaborate

     

    Blog Tutorials and Tips for Educators
     Young Clovers Blog- Young learners in Lebanon connecting with kids worldwide. They send their teddy bear to adventures in other countries. You can be one of the classes who gets the teddy bear and blogs about its adventures.
     Sharing Our Good News-Greta Sandler’s (@gret) class in Argentina connecting with others worldwide.
     Edublogs for schools
     Kidblogs for schools

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Connect your classroom to the World

As a Global Studies teacher, I know how important it is to be able to connect your students to the world. they will be interacting with the world outside of the US like never before. Some of them already do. The best part about the new world that is flat is all of the technology options that allow you to connect your students to the world around them and the people that live in these areas. Skype is a great way to bring speakers into your room rom other areas to bring your curriculum to life. One of my most rewarding opportunities as an educator was connecting my 9th grade freshman to a recent college grad living in Israel when we were talking about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The students asked such great questions and they really gained insight into the conflict that they would not get from just my curriculum.

I was able to do this because of a connection I made through one of my paras working in the classroom. It is easier now because of the tools available. Below are some notes from my Digo account from a article I recently read with links to help you bring the world to your students.


Learning Beyond Walls: 28 Resources for Your Students to Connect Globally : Teacher Reboot Camp

Quotes:

Learning Beyond Walls: 28 Resources for Your Students to Connect Globally : Teacher Reboot Camp

• Creating successful global citizens should be a goal of all schools.
• However, many students have not adequately learned a second language or learned to communicate effectively with their peers worldwide, much less collaborate with them.
• We cannot afford to end conversations, because the consequences of miscommunication can be deadly and costly. 
• Where to Find Classes Worldwide to Connect
• The Epals Global Community- With classrooms in 200 countries and territories, ePals makes it easy to connect learners locally, nationally or internationally.
•  Voices of the World Ning- These global projects connect students with voice only in case you are not able to use student images.
   Around the World with 80 Schools Skype Group- @langwitches, Silvia Tolisano, started this group to get classes to Skype each other.
   Project Peace- Connect with other classes and make videos for peace!
   Find Educators to Collaborate with On Twitter!- This is the way I metOzge Karaoglu who has been connecting her young learners in Turkey with my young learners in Germany.

   

  Internet Safety Information for Parents and Forms

   

  Accepted Use Policy Document by George Couros
   Internet Safety Information for Parents by Pernille Ripp
   Why the Internet is like the Mall: Internet Safety Lesson by Pernille Ripp
   Another Acceptable Use Policy Form
   Parent Release Form for Publishing Student Work Online
   Parent Release Form for Publishing Student Work Online PDF

Using Wikis to Collaborate

Wiki Tutorials and Tips for Educators

 Glogsters From the World Wiki- Join other classes worldwide in sharing their countries’ culture and traditions through interactive posters. Created by @abfromz.
 Celebr8UandMeDigitally Wiki- Join other classes worldwide in celebrating their countries’ holidays and traditions. Created by @evab2001 @alexgfrancisco.

 

Using Blogs to Collaborate

 

Blog Tutorials and Tips for Educators
 Young Clovers Blog- Young learners in Lebanon connecting with kids worldwide. They send their teddy bear to adventures in other countries. You can be one of the classes who gets the teddy bear and blogs about its adventures.
 Sharing Our Good News-Greta Sandler’s (@gret) class in Argentina connecting with others worldwide.
 Edublogs for schools
 Kidblogs for schools

Technology Teacher 05/23/2014

• Tutorial: Google Earth - Sketchup - YouTube

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Technology Teacher 05/21/2014

• http://www.genyes.org/files/staticcontent/downloads2.pdf

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  • • However, the legislation leaves it to each state to define technological literacy and to determine how proficiency will be assessed. According to a United States Department of Education technical guide “[t]he definition of ‘technologically literate’ is determined by the state. A state may determine whether students are technologically literate in a number of ways including through statewide technology assessments, course Page %|%1Title II, Part D of the ESEA is titled Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT). Section 2402(b)(2)(A) of Title II, Part D states that one of the goals of EETT is “[t]o assist every student in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the time the student finishes the eighth grade, regardless of the student's race, ethnicity, gender, family income, geographic location, or disability.”�completion, direct observation, assessments or criteria tailored by individual LEAs, or other means.”
  • • Constructionism is a theory of learning that holds that “[c]hildren don’t get ideas; they make ideas. Moreover, constructionism suggests that learners are particularly likely to make new ideas when they are actively engaged in making some type of external artifact…which they can reflect upon and share with others” (Kafai & Resnick, 1996, p. 1). Thus, if schools are to seriously pursue the advancement of students’ technological literacy, and if “doing” (i.e. having a hands-on capability and capacity to interact with technological artifacts) is central to technology and technological literacy, there is little doubt that constructionism is the theory of learning to guide those endeavors.
  • • A person cannot have technological capabilities without some knowledge, and thoughtful decision-making cannot occur without an understanding of some basic features of technology. The capability dimension, too, must be informed at some level by knowledge. Conversely, the doing component of technological literacy invariably leads to a new understanding of certain aspects of the technological world (Gamire & Pearson, 2006, 37-38).
  • • Constructionism is a theory of learning that holds that “[c]hildren don’t get ideas; they make ideas. Moreover, constructionism suggests that learners are particularly likely to make new ideas when they are actively engaged in making some type of external artifact…which they can reflect upon and share with others” (Kafai & Resnick, 1996, p. 1). Thus, if schools are to seriously pursue the advancement of students’ technological literacy, and if “doing” (i.e. having a hands-on capability and capacity to interact with technological artifacts) is central to technology and technological literacy, there is little doubt that constructionism is the theory of learning to guide those endeavors.

• Assessing the Role of Online Technologies in Project-based Learning | Project Based Learning | BIE

• Why PBL? | Project Based Learning | BIE

  • Why Project Based Learning (PBL)?
  • PBL is an effective and enjoyable way to learn.
  • In PBL, students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds, and provides real-world relevance for learning.
  • After completing a project, students remember what they learn and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction.
  • 21st century workplace, success requires more than basic knowledge and skills.
  • learn how to take responsibility and build confidence, solve problems, work collaboratively, communicate ideas, and be creative innovators.
  • students
  • Common Core and other present-day standards emphasize real-world application of knowledge and skills, and the development of the 21st century competencies such as critical thinking, communication in a variety of media, and collaboration.
  • With technology, teachers and students can connect with experts, partners, and audiences around the world, and use tech tools to find resources and information, create products, and collaborate more effectively.
  • PBL allows teachers to work more closely with active, engaged students doing high-quality, meaningful work, and in many cases to rediscover the joy of learning alongside their students.
  • More rigorous and effective models of PBL, such as BIE’s, have been refined and tested in recent years in a variety of settings, subjects, and grade levels.

• What is PBL? | Project Based Learning | BIE

  • What is Project Based Learning (PBL)?
  • Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge.

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    •   Significant Content - At its core, the project is focused on teaching students important knowledge and skills, derived from standards and key concepts at the heart of academic subjects.
     
    •   21st century competencies - Students build competencies valuable for today’s world, such as problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity/innovation, which are explicitly taught and assessed.
     
    •   In-Depth Inquiry - Students are engaged in an extended, rigorous process of asking questions, using resources, and developing answers.
     
    •   Driving Question - Project work is focused by an open-ended question that students understand and find intriguing, which captures their task or frames their exploration.
     
    •   Need to Know - Students see the need to gain knowledge, understand concepts, and apply skills in order to answer the Driving Question and create project products, beginning with an Entry Event that generates interest and curiosity.
     
    •   Voice and Choice - Students are allowed to make some choices about the products to be created, how they work, and how they use their time, guided by the teacher and depending on age level and PBL experience.
     
    •   Critique and Revision - The project includes processes for students to give and receive feedback on the quality of their work, leading them to make revisions or conduct further inquiry.
     
    •   Public Audience - Students present their work to other people, beyond their classmates and teacher.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Animoto has stepped up their game

Animoto has been a technology tool that has been around for a long time. It started as a 30sec video maker thats created a polished product with little effort. It now has many templates, common creative music and better user interface. Teachers can apply for a 6 month pro account for free so their videos do not have a watermark. This allows for teachers to use their promo code to connect 50 students to Animoto pro. Below is an example of digital signage for our school's senior banquet using Animoto made by my Modern Media Class.

Google Apps in Education

I am lucky to work in a high school that is willing to try new technology. My school gave teachers the opportunity to use and integrate Google Apps for Education. Every teacher and student in the school has a google account and e-mail. This has been a great tool in school. This allows teachers to create surveys for formative checks, have students blog, provide real time feedback with google docs and schedule meetings or schedules with google calendars. I have used google apps for education many times in my classroom. My honors students are currently researching the crisis in Ukraine and filling out a backgrounder using a google form. This is the first step in having a world summit on the issue. All of the assignments are created in google docs and shared with the students. The whole project is paperless. Google forms is a great way to have students answer formative questions and then submit them so the teacher can look through them. I think that every school should have their students and teachers have google accounts. The money saved in paper could help any school alone and the benefits of all people in the school being able to share and collaborate should make it a no brainer. I have used google calendar to have students sign up for presentation days and to track deadlines. Currently my modern media class is using "you can book me" allowing teacher so sign up for times to film their video about a senior and all of this links with their google calendar. I think google apps can help schools struggling financially and educationally. I could not image my class without google docs.

Google Apps can help schools grow professionally as well. My principle is always using google forms to receive feedback from teachers.  Our PLCs use forms and docs to collaborate on lessons and other tasks. Currently, we use google docs to track and present our flex classes for students to sign up. All of the teachers type in their flex offerings into a google doc and the students select from it. Our school also uses them to collect data for data cycles. Last year, myself and the other social studies teacher conducted a cycle on best grouping practices. We had the students fill out surveys and used the data to inform our teaching. Below is a graph from that study:

Google docs are a great asset for professional development. Recently, my PLC just completed professional reading on a rubric book with each teacher being assigned a chapter and sharing their notes in a shared google doc. Google Apps for Education have a lot of applications in a school. IT Personnel need to be aware that with Cloud computing is the need for bandwidth and internet access. Our school did upgrade our bandwidth to account for the data being used. We also installed Aero hives around the school to increase wireless connectivity. Our technology department was able to get iPad carts with textbook money and more laptops. They also allowed student to have their own devices be able to connect to the network. This all allowed our school to be connected and use google apps in any area of the school.

All schools should use Google Apps and train their teachers and students to be able to use them.

Technology Integration into Lessons

• Technology Integration Matrix - Goal-Directed Spectrum

  • Goal-Directed Learning with Technology 

      
     The Goal-Directed attribute describes the ways in which technology is used to set goals, plan activities, monitor progress, and evaluate results. This characteristic focuses on the extent to which technology facilitates, enables, or supports meaningful reflection and metacognition.
• Technology Integration Matrix - Authentic Spectrum

  • Authentic Learning with Technology 

      
        The Authentic attribute involves using technology to link learning activities to the world beyond the instructional setting. This characteristic focuses on the extent to which technology is used to place learning into a meaningful context, increase its relevance to the learner, and tap into students' intrinsic motivation.
• Technology Integration Matrix - Constructive Spectrum

  • Constructive Learning with Technology 

      
      The Constructive attribute describes learner-centered instruction that allows students to use technology tools to connect new information to their prior knowledge. This characteristic is concerned with the flexible use of technology to build knowledge in the modality that is most effective for each student.
• Technology Integration Matrix - Active Spectrum

  • Active Learning with Technology 

     
      The Active attribute makes the distinction between lessons in which students passively receive information and lessons in which students discover, process, and apply their learning. Student engagement is a key component of active learning.
• Technology Integration Matrix - Collaborative Spectrum

  • Collaborative Learning with Technology 

     
      The Collaborative attribute describes the degree to which technology is used to facilitate, enable, or enhance students' opportunities to work with peers and outside experts. The Collaborative attribute considers the use of conventional collaborative technology tools as well as other kinds of technology tools that assist students working with others.
• AZk12 - Professional Development for Educators
   
  •   Entry    The teacher uses technology to deliver curriculum content  to students.   
        Adoption    The teacher directs students in the conventional use of  tool-based software. If such software is available, this  level is recommended.   
        Adaptation    The teacher encourages adaptation of tool-based software by  allowing students to select a tool and modify its use to  accomplish the task at hand.   
        Infusion    The teacher consistently provides for the infusion of  technology tools with understanding, applying, analyzing,  and evaluating learning tasks.   
        Transformation    The teacher cultivates a rich learning environment, where  blending choice of technology tools with student-initiated  investigations, discussions, compositions, or projects,  across any content area, is promoted

                    Active - Students are actively engaged in using technology as a tool rather than passively              receiving information from the technology.

• New ‘Digital Divide’ Seen in Wasting Time Online - NYTimes.com
  • “If you just buy the computer and don’t guide them on the computer, of course it’s going to be misused,” Ms. Ross said.
  • “If you already have a child who feels like anything goes and you put a computer in his hand,” she said, “he’s going to do the first negative thing he can find to do when he gets on the computer."
• • As access to devices has spread, children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to watch shows and videos, play games and connect on social networking sites, studies show.
  • growing time-wasting gap
  • is more a reflection of the ability of parents to monitor and limit how children use technology than of access to it.
  • “Digital literacy is so important,” said Julius Genachowski, chairman of the commission, adding that bridging the digital divide now also means “giving parents and students the tools and know-how to use technology for education and job-skills training.”
  • 65 percent of all Americans have broadband access at home, but that figure is 40 percent in households with less than $20,000 in annual income. Half of all Hispanics and 41 percent of African-American homes lack broadband.
  • “Not only does it not solve problems, it mirrors and magnifies existing problems we’ve been ignoring.”
  • Kaiser Family Foundation found that children and teenagers whose parents do not have a college degree spent 90 minutes more per day exposed to media than children from higher socioeconomic families. In 1999, the difference was just 16 minutes.
• http://theactiveclass.com/files/2010/07/ISTE-Web2.0-talk.pdf

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.