Sunday, November 16, 2008

Brightstorm: Expanding the Reach of Great Teachers


Every wonder what happened to the eccentric star of the original Infinite Thinking Videos - Chris Walsh? Well he hasn't strayed too far from the world of "effective use of video" in education.


He's been busy recruiting rock star teachers that support his belief that video provides a powerful medium to help students learn and helping to build a new online learning network. The network, Brightstorm, has recently launched 19 video based courses lead by expert teachers helping high school students deepen their understanding of college prep content and skills such as Algebra II, Geometry, SAT Math, Writing and History.

Video based courses have been around for a long time, but this implementation aims to match the interest and learning styles of today's high school students with their digital consumptions habits. The countless hours that today's teenagers spend watching You Tube videos attest to their interest in online video as a medium. What Brightstorm had done is recruit stellar educators with a proven track record in instructional design and made their teaching style and expertise available to any student, teachers, and parents for $49 a year. Each 5-hour interactive video courses is broken down into 10-20 minute lessons, with interactive quizzes, challenges, study guides, and discussion groups.

Almost every topic includes courses offered by at least two different teachers. Watching free lessons allows the learner to find the teacher that best matches their learning style. The concept of student choice is key to the Brightstorm philosophy of learning. "Choice is the easiest thing you can do for personalization" states Chris as he describes how students can use the video medium to stop, start, zip through episodes, skip around, and chart their own learning path. "We give learners tools where they are in control and can get what they need when they want. They even have choice around who they get it from."

Helen Beethan and Rhon Sharpe's book "Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age" supports the impact that tools like Brightstorm can have by reporting that "Simply being able to study at a time, place and pace to suit them can profoundly change learners relationsip with conceptual materials."

But within a design that gives learners choice, Brightstorm puts the teacher at the center. Believing that teachers are the most essential ingredient to great learning, Brightstorm has put their energy in finding real teachers that have a proven track record at connecting content to the relevant tasks that kids are doing.

The video courses are not ONLINE courses that replace the 'for credit' course offerings. They don't pretend to offer the full scope and sequence of traditional courses; they don't offer assessments on student performance. Instead, Brightstorm assesses student engagement by reporting on the amount of time students interact with the materials. Brightstorm delivers their video courses directly to learners who could benefit from additional materials to engage them in a way that matches their learning style.

Although Brightstorm markets directly to students and parents, as a teacher, I immediately saw a value added for teachers. A service like Brightstorm can support teachers who are looking for ways to encourage active, independent learning, but find themselves with limited tools wthin the physical environment in which they teach. I could see a teacher using a tool like Brightstorm to "engage disaffected pupils, to allow them to take control of their own learning by enabling interactive, individualised learning at the pace and level appropriate for them." as recommended by Terry Lamb in his keynote address at the Independent Learning Conference (2003).

Any teacher interested in emerging pedagogical models seeks "access to an enabling suite of tools to support greater learner choice and self-direction" as described by John Stephenson's "Learner Managed Learning". Stephenson comments that "new media open up opportunities for different pedagogical approaches to be used. Moreover, they argue, the technology itself is driving pedagogical change towards a more learner managed approach." This along with
lessons learned from pedagogy research support the development of tools like Brightstorm.

Lessons Learned:

  • We need to provide multiple routes through the materials and allow students to make their own choices.
  • We need to communicate proactively with the students and provide structured formative feedback on achievement.
  • We need to allow the students to build on their existing skills and knowledge and to undertake learning activities that are relevant to their interests and learning needs.
  • We need to provide plenty of opportunities to communicate for those who are most comfortable in a community of learners, whilst allowing those who wish to plough a lone furrow to do so.

I look forward to see how all of those in the learning equation (students, parents, teachers) will benefit from lessons learned in using Brightstorm and other emerging tools that give our students access to resources meeting increased demands of differentiated instruction.


Friday, October 31, 2008

An Electronic Voting Machine: Turning Data Into Information

With only a few more days until the U.S. Election, I'm sure many American classrooms have been buzzing with election theme activities. Some schools will be collaborating and comparing data using programs such as the National Parent/Student Mock Election Project., [check out your state's ballot] while some classrooms will be tallying paper ballots.

Vermont middle school students from St. Albans City School will be doing a little bit of both. Class lists will be used as a voter checklist during lunch periods where students in Grades 5 – 8 will receive a paper ballot to cast into a ballot box. Kinesthetic learners will benefit from the physical act of going through these motions and touching a real ballot and ballot box.

Next, students will get a chance to cast an electronic vote using Google Forms. The following form will be available on a Google Site loaded on one of several computers located next to the ballot box. These votes will be automatically tallied into a Google spreadsheet that updates blue and red graphs immediately available for teachers to use with their students in Election debriefing sessions.




  • Some classes are deliberating the pros and cons of electronic voting.
  • Other classes are comparing their grade's results to the voting results in their community.
  • Junior high student using Google Apps for your Domain: Eduction Edition will be working with their teachers on the process of turning data into information.

They will examine the process by which each piece of data was collected, analyzed, organized, and presented into meaningful information.

  • In math class they learn how to create graphs.
  • In social studies class students are using data representation to discuss social issues. Google Forms allowed them to collect information from other students querying which issues were most important to teens. A core group of students analyzed this data and used Google Docs to organize research in preparation for a school wide assembly featuring their mock debate. The results from the actual mock election will be contrasted to the pre-debate poll data in analyzing the success of their debate.
  • In science class, students are preparing for a scientific inquiry project that will require the collection, analysis, and presentation of data. Being actively involved in the process of turning data into information gives students real experience as background when designing their own science projects.


Feel free to download this Google spreadsheet template to edit and use in your own school as an electronic voting machine, or simply as an example of how Google Speadsheet can be turned into a voting machine on any topic or issue you're studying.

Insert "countif" into the search box of this link to learn more about working with the countif formulas used in this spreadsheet. The spreadsheet template also models the concept of linking data between sheets where the original data collection worksheet was linked to other sheets to help aggregate data and turn it into information and graphs.

I'm hoping readers will use the comment seaction to share their own spreadsheets templates. Check out this tip on how to add &newcopy when sharing your own spreadsheets links to allow teachers to download a clean copy of your spreadsheets as a tempate in their down Google Docs accounts.]

Friday, October 24, 2008

Amplifying the Possibilities with K12 Online Conference



Are you looking for ways to amplify possibilities in your classroom this year? How about connecting and learning with other educators from all over the world by participating in one or more of the 40 workshops offered this year in the K12 Online Conference.

The conference started last week, but no need to worry. You can join other educators on this learning journey anytime, anywhere, by pointing your browser to k12onlineconference.org. No travel cost! No leaving your family behind! No lessons plans for substitute teachers! You can participate in your pajamas, on your commute to school, or even during your daily jog.


The K-12 Online Conference is filled with audio, video, slides, handouts featuring innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. The 2008 conference theme is “Amplifying Possibilities”.

Check out the pre-conference keynote or workshops that were posted from October 13 - 24, or join one of the upcoming live events scheduled October 27-31. The easiest way to see the conference offerings at a glance is to check out the Conference Schedule

Start by clicking on workshop titles that catch your interest. Approach the workshop using the methods you learn best.
  • Perhaps you'd like to scan the handouts?
  • Perhaps you'd like to explore the presenter's background?
  • Perhaps you'd like to watch the video or slides on your computers?
  • Perhaps you'd like to listen to the workshop while you're folding laundry?

    You decide.

My preference is to download all the audio clips in a k12onlineconference folder on my computer as they become available. I rename them starting with the date and abbreviated title and make sure my I-Tunes syncs that folder to my IPod. With the latest k12onlineconference workshop audio on my Ipod, I can pick up nuggests of knowledge or inspiration anytime I have some listening time -- while standing in line, on my ride to school, or taking a walk!

I like the fact that I don't have to be sitting at my computer to learn. I take note of the workshops that I want to revisit because the audio left me wanting to know more and "see" the rest of the story. I bookmark the workshops with handy handouts and tag them using my del.icio.us account.

This two week online conference provides me with enough learning material to last all year if I let it. But usually it just whets my appetite for more and leads me to new contacts for my personal learning network and a wealth of networked resources to explore and share.

But best of all, the K12OnlineConference models connected learning. It engages us in opportunities to walk the walk, not just talk the talk of Learning 2.0. Hope you'll amplify the possibilities in your professional learning this year by participating in the 2008 K12OnlineConference. I invite readers to recommend some of their favorite discoveries from this year's conference.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Freedom to Read

The Book Fair Safari filled our school library all week as it was the host to The Scholastic Book Fair - one of the most popular events in our school. Kudos to our school librarians and community volunteers for encouraging our students to Read, Dream, and Grow (this year's book fair theme). Today was also the the last day of Banned Book Week (September 27 - October 5) which

"celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even
if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the
importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular
viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can
exist only where these two essential conditions are met "
And if Doug Johnson's suggestion was adopted we would also be displaying Blocked Bytes Week Posters and be promoting the Freedom to Read more than just books. A year ago, Wes Fryer posted a chart comparing Internet content filtering he experienced in China, and the Internet content filtering he was experiencing in a U.S. public school district. And earlier this spring, Bud The Teacher, posted a request for designs for a 21st Century version of the “I Read Banned Books” buttons which yielded some wonderful designs and a campaign for reducing filtering constraints in our schools at NECC 2008. All you have to do is read the 90+ comments responding to Will Richardson's recent post - Filtering Fun, to realize that the freedom to read continues to be challenged in our schools today.

But filters are not the only thing limiting our childrens access to 21st century reading. In my work with teachers, I often hear that there is not enough time for using computers in the school day because the school's researched based curriculums mandate large blocks of uninterrupted time working with prescriptive strategies to improve reading and math scores.

When I suggest strategies for integrating technology into classroom literacy time, some teachers question whether these strategies would be "approved" activities. Many of the research based materials were developed around teaching students to read using print media. We need literacy specialists offering professional development in schools to also include strategies that integrate reading digital media. This year the Vermont Reads Summer Institute for teachers included workshops by reading specialist, Julie Coiro, that gave our teachers 'permission' to integrate technology into their literacy time. Our teachers came back from this summer institute with their own print version of Reading the Web by Maya B. Eagleton & Elizabeth Dobler which added credibility to the tech integration strategies I've been promoting for years. Thank you, Julie, Maya, and Elizabeth!

There are many strategies you can learn from these and other reading specialists that can give students the skills and access they need to read in a digital age. Here's one small step you can start with. Try allowing the computer stations in your room to be a choice during sustained silent reading time. Here are a few sites to get you started.


  1. http://storylineonline.net/
    The Screen Actors Guild Foundation reads stories aloud to children. This site includes videos,related activities and downloadable activities guide. What a great listening center activity.
  2. http://www.starfall.com/n/level-c/fiction-nonfiction/play.htm?f
    Give students access to some online fiction and nonfiction books with pictures for younger readers to read online from Starfall- a site full of reading resources targeted for early readers.
  3. http://www.roythezebra.com/
    Roy the Zebra.com includes guided reading stories, interactive whiteboard reading activities, literacy lessons, and resources that have been developed to help emerging readers learn to read.
  4. http://www.biguniverse.com/
    Big Universe is a web community devoted to beautiful children's picture books. READ hundreds of offerings from today's best children's book publishers, CREATE e-books with the help of an easy-to-use Author Tool, and CONNECT with other Big Universe members to share your creations and to learn what books they have read, created, or recommend. Parents, teachers, kids, authors, and others can share and learn while they enjoy this educational and entertaining website.
  5. http://www.gutenberg.org/
    Have you tried giving students print and audio access to books in the public domain?
    Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks. Look for Huckleberry Finn, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes… and many many more. For sites that offer audio versions of some of these books check out: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Audio_Books_Project
    Or how about having your students record themselves reading aloud and contribute to the project itself.

And don't forget students for whom increased access means having the ability to see and hear what they read online. Try using one of these free websites that read text aloud to students, or install a free utility like Zoom It for students who need help seeing the screen.

Thank you to all of you who are promoting increased access to reading materials for our students and those of you teaching our students the skills they need to read more than books! I've mentioned only a few here, but would love to hear from readers about more resources and strategies to give our students the access and skill to be 21st century readers.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

The Open Minds Momentum

Has Open Source in Education reached a Tipping Point-- “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable?” Anyone attending the K12 Open Minds Conference would be hard pressed to argue otherwise. “Let’s Declare Victory!” and move on to the next steps was certainly the tone starting with the PreConference Summit (lead by Bryant Patten and Donna Benjamin) and Large Scale Deployment (lead by Steve Hargadon) in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In his book, “The Tipping Point”, Malcom Gladwell, outlines what it takes for an idea, movement, or product to achieve a moment of critical mass: The salesman; The maven; The connector. The K12 Open Minds Conference was an opportunity to witness the incredible energy and synergy when those 3 forces come together in one place. Having students, teachers, tech directors, school leaders, who use open source software for teaching and learning converse and collaborate with the developers of those tools truly created an Open Minds energy throughout the conference. If you missed it, perhaps you can still pick up a few tips, tools, or resources with my takeaways from this conference.

  • I got a chance to meet teachers like Michelle Librach who lead sessions like Audacious Audacity targeted at teachers. While fellow teachers walked away with practical tips on how to use open source in their classrooms, open source developers got a chance to witness first hand the fruits of their labor.
  • I overheard NCOSE award winner, Eric Harrison, humbly admit that he sometimes thinks it's surreal that hundreds of classrooms are benefiting from increased access to computers using K12LTSP -- a project he helped develop.
  • I listened to open conversations about open standards between Walter Bender, developer of open source software, Sugar, and students from Illinois Math and Science Academy who started the first high school chapter for OLPC.
  • I got a sneak preview of the G-Phone which reminded me of of the authentic opportunity that projects like Google’s Summer of Code provide students to contribute to an open community as they develop authentic 21st century skills. “Let’s not stop with getting kids to work WITH open source… let’s get them to work ON open source development.” advocated Bryant Patten’s (director of National Center for Open Source in Education). “Can you think of any better assessment of the new ISTE NETS for Students than having a student contribute to an Open Source Project? “
  • [Photo credit: ISTE NETS for Students]

  • I applauded when keynote speakers reminded us of the the fact that we need to develop the spirit in inquiry in today's students.

    - Alex Inman, advised teachers to “Be quiet. Stop talking and give your students the opportunity to to experience the power of inquiry. Let them DO something. Let them create”.

    - Chris Lehman, also stressed the importance of inquiry at his school, The Science Leadership Academy – “a project-based environment where the core values of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation and reflection are emphasized in all classes”.
  • - Dr. David Thornburg, encouraged the use of Open Source (and Duct Tape) to promote creativity in K12 schools and challenged us to prepare the type of student who could repair a moon buggy with duct tape while wearing oven mitts.

  • I was inspired by those in the trenches like Randy Orwin (band teacher turned network administrator) who’s passion for student learning drives every decision he makes, whether it be “hardware purchases, open source adoption, or filtering”. While some open source evangelists get bogged down trying to decide whether to spend their energy on convincing commercial product developers (like Inspiration) to release a Linux version of their product or convincing educators to adopt a “pure” open source alternative like Free Mind, Randy asks “what’s the best decision I can make for 5th graders right now.” This approach gives Randy more time to develop truly pragmatic educational implementation of the open source products he believes are truly best for student learning. I can’t wait to try the “Nanogong” module that adds audio accessibility to Moodle or the other tips Randy shared such as how to turn a Moodle branded page into a bright, exciting, colorful, entry point for first and second grade students.
  • I learned a myriad of tips and tricks for supporting Open Office and other Open Source tools in real classrooms.

    Thank you , Randy, for the Open Office tip about adding clipart libraries such as (WP Clipart) and (Open Clip Art) to Galleries by categories instead of using the Insert Picture method. The ability to see clipart thumbnails and drag them into Open Office documents will remove one of my biggest barrier to Open Office adoption by teachers! And a big thanks for sharing Solveig Haugland's open office blog -- what a teacher friendly resource for anyone using Open Office.

    Also, thank you to Andy Mann and Laura Taylor for being willing to expand your session to include both free and open source software, but to also include lots of invaluable experience about which tools make the most difference in Real Classrooms with ReaL teachers. The enthusiasm and experience you shared from Indiana's InAccess is invaluable to us.
I think the diversity of the audience was one of the strengths of this conference. Yes, it offered plenty of ‘genuine geek time for those genius brains” to network and collaborate. I can’t wait to see what emerges from conversations between folks like those between Robert Arkiletian (developer of a K12LTSP app called FL-Teacher Tool) and Benoit St. Andres (from Revolution Linux). Watching developers collaborate to improve the tools we're excited to use in education has me looking forward to new products and updates.

But mostly this conference brought students, teachers, school leaders, network admins, and developers together to promote open resources, technology and teaching practices in education. And when visionaries like Australia's Donna Benjamin bring the spirit of The Cape Town Open Education Declaration and her incredible facilitation skills to such a group, then the mavens, connectors, and salesmen of Open Source in Education are tipping the scales. And perhaps the next step in this collaboration efforts the TRUST as described by our last keynote speaker, Dr. Brad Wheeler, "build the trust to get the leverage we need to enable greater things to happen on the edge." I am leaving this conference revitalized and hopeful that that our school and industry leaders and network administrators will continue to build the infrastructure and systems we need to leverage the great things that open source developers and teachers are making happen to continue the Open Minds Momentum.




Friday, September 19, 2008

Google Teacher Academy: NYC

The next Google Teacher Academy (GTA) has been announced! I've said this before, but I’m thrilled to be involved with this project - and to share it with you here on this blog. As with all previous GTA events, tech savvy educators and professional developers in the local area can apply to participate in the special full-day workshop. And as with the last two events, the application process is also open to anyone, including educators out of the area, out of the state, or even out of the country (with the understanding that Google doesn’t cover travel or lodging). In other words, any of you who feel you meet the criteria for application are invited to apply!

Below is the official announcement and invitation to apply:
Google Teacher Academy - NYC
New York, New York
November 18, 2008
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Applications Due: October 10, 2008
http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html
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We are pleased to announce that another round of Google's FREE training program for K-12 educators is coming to The Big Apple! Outstanding educators from around the world are encouraged to apply for the Google Teacher Academy taking place on Tuesday November 18, 2008.

The GTA is an intensive, one-day event (8:30am-7:30pm) where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, collaborate with exceptional educators, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, GTA participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region.

50 outstanding educators from around the world will be selected to attend the GTA based on their passion for teaching, their experience as leaders, and their use of technology in K-12 settings. Each applicant is REQUIRED to produce and submit an original one-minute video on either of the following topics: "Motivation and Learning" or "Classroom Innovation." Applications for the event in New York City are due on October 10, 2008. If possible, please use Google Video or YouTube to post these original videos. Participants must provide their own travel, and if necessary, their own lodging. Though we will give preference to K-12 educators within a 90-minute local commute of an Academy event, anyone may apply.

Learn more about the program and the application at http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

The GTAs have been a wonderful experience for everyone involved, with 97% of all attendees rating the GTA as "outstanding."

Here are a few quotes from GTA participants:
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"The academy was everything I hoped for and more! I can't wait to plan out ways to use the tools we learned about, to share my experiences with my colleagues and to re-connect with the other academy participants!"
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"The focus on innovation in education, and not just about the tools, was right on target."
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"I appreciate the opportunity to be connected to a group of educators that are passionate about preparing students for the 21st century. I feel inspired and able to meet the challenges that lie ahead!"
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"Until now, I had never attended a conference where I was so engaged and loving every minute of it."
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"This was easily the most important professional development experience I have ever had as an educator. World-class tools demonstrated by world-class people at a world-class facility. THANK YOU!"
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"I love [the Google Certified Teacher community] for the ideas and inspiration that comes flowing to and from it...folks share professional development strategies (technology or otherwise) that have worked. It's nice to have a variety of ways to assist others and having that variety also provides spice for those of us responsible for doing the providing."
----------------------------------------

Feel free to send any questions to "gteachers@gmail.com", and please spread the word to anyone who may be interested in joining us.

We're looking forward to another great event!

- The GTA Team

--------------------------------------------------------
Google Teacher Academy - NYC
New York, New York

November 18, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------
Applications Due: October 10, 2008
http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html
--------------------------------------------------------

I hope to see some of you in New York! Also, we hope to be announcing additional events and additional locations in 2009, so stay tuned.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Social Digital Tools with an Election Theme

Although your students may be too young to vote, they are never too young to become engaged in local, regional, and national politics. Whatever your content area or grade level, adding an election theme to your lessons is an ideal way to create high interest, add fresh content, and increase the level of critical thinking skills in your classroom.


A great place to start exploring the possibilities of using social digital tools with an election theme is by exploring Googlitics (a site filled with links and lessons to help students participate and learn about American politics with online tools from Google for Educators). Not only have Cheryl Davis and Kathlen Ferenz compiled a wealth of resources that will help educators infuse 21st Century tools in their classroom, they've also modeled a real 21st century approach to organize these resources - sharing these resources via an I-Google Tabs.

If you don't already have an I-Google account - this would be a great oppotunity to experiment with the power this tool has for sharing resources amongst educators. Create and I-Google Account and log in. Then


This will automatically add two new tabs in your IGoogle page that Cheryl and Kathy have created and shared with you using I-Google's ability to share Tabs with others. You and your students are now equipped with a compilation of election data for some higher order thinking (such as a gadget from the interactive website from 270toWin which provides the history of the electoral vote of your state from 1782 - 2008 and much more).


Check out Googlitics Lesson ideas for instruction on how to add your own gadgets, or other check out Googles Election Tools for Your Classroom for more tools and ideas that will engage your students in exploring the candidates and issues.



Google's Elections '08 Map Gallery and Google's Elections 2008 Gadget can keep you up-to-date on the 2008 election. These maps and gadgets can even be embedded in your own wiki, blog, or school web page.


Chris Pirillo provides a great tutorial (both print and video) on how to use Google Doc's new Form Feature to create your own polls or mock election.


Perhaps this would be an ideal opportunity to experiment with cellphones in your classroom by using Poll Everywhere Voting and Polling Website. You can set up polls and allows students to use either texting on their cellphones or any Internet enabled computer to vote. The results can be displayed on a Website or using Powerpoint.


How about getting your students involved in Letters to the Next President -- a writing and publishing opportunity co-sponsored by Google and the National Writing Project? Perhaps you can help your students experience the process and power of the voting process by getting involved in the National Parent/Student Mock Election Project.


Check out the wealth of Interactive Games, Gadgets, and Tools at PBS Vote 2008 or use the full multmedia curriculum Election 2008: ACCESS, ANALYZE, ACT: A Blueprint for 21st Century Civic Engagement, developed in partnership with PBS Teachers and Temple University’s Media Education Lab to help educators develop middle school and high school students' understanding of the Presidential campaign process by harnessing the power of Web 2.0 for teaching media and information literacy, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and technology skills.


And there has never been such an abundance of primary source videos from the campagin trail on video sharing sites like You Tube and Google Videos. Adding Google's speech recognition technology makes for a powerful tool in differentiating instruction.







Even the well-respected Common Craft video series added its Simple and Plain English Style to help us understand the Election with this 3 minute video (Electing a US President in Plain English). You can even encourage your students to create similar videos on a wide variety of topics with these 'behind the scenes" instructions. And news programs like NBC have made their videos available with accompanying education materials through sites like Hot Chalk.

Whatever your content areas or grade level, the resources are as plentiful as the lesson ideas which you can find at sites like:




Or for a real global perspectives lesson, check out the You Tube tutorial on using The US Election 2008 Web Monitor which provides weekly snapshots of global Web coverage with results that reflect attention and sentiment towards the US presidential candidates from several different countries.


But don't limit your use of digital social tools to helping your students understand the U.S. Election, continue to use these tools to help students gain an increased global awareness by following similar elections and political events from around the world.


And please, please, please share your favorite tools and ideas on how to use these tools with other readers by adding them in the comments section. I can't wait to read them.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Call for Presentations on Open Source at CUE and NECC

Two educational technology conferences that have been SUPER supportive of Open Source Software and Open Technologies are CUE and NECC.  Both sponsor "Open Source Pavilions" with Linux labs, and both have speaker tracks on Open Source. 

If you are interested in speaking at either the CUE or NECC 2009 conferences on Open Source Software, Open Content, or Open Technologies, I'd like to encourage you to submit speaking proposals.  

CUE:  Due this Friday, September 12th!  http://www.cue.org/conference/present

NECC:  Due Wednesday, October 8th.  http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2009/program/

I hope you will consider participating!

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Wikis in Education Celebration September 11th, 2008

(Cross-posted from www.stevehargadon.com)

Wikispaces has given away 100,000 ad-free educational wikis, and has just announced they are going to give away 250,000 more. We're going to celebrate the general use of wikis in education and Wikispace's amazing milestone by having founder Adam Frey and the Wikispaces team join us Thursday evening, September 11, 2008, for an open Classroom 2.0 discussion of the use of wikis in education.

If you are using wikis in education, or if you want to learn why you might consider doing so, please join us at 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / Midnight GMT in our Elluminate room. We'll have lots of time for Q&A, which you are welcome to start beforehand in the forum discussion on Classroom 2.0.

If you haven't used Elluminate before,.you can use the following link to verify your system compatibility with their online meeting tool: http://www.elluminate.com/support/. If you are not in the US, here's a time-clock link.

Kudos to Wikispaces, and to all educators who are exploring the use of Web 2.0 in education!

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Live Web Meeting and Q&A with Creators of PBS Election Education Resources

On Wednesday, September 10th, at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern, the creators of the PBS multi-media AND social-media "Vote 2008" curriculum will take part in a Classroom 2.0 Live Conversation. You are invited to participate in this (free) Web event.

We'll first be given a personal tour of "Election 2008: ACCESS, ANALYZE, ACT: A Blueprint for 21st Century Civic Engagement", the latest multimedia curriculum, which was developed in partnership with PBS Teachers and Temple University’s Media Education Lab. The project is aimed at encouraging teachers to experiment with social media/Web 2.0 tools in the classroom in order to promote both civic engagement and critical 21st century skills. Educators will be able to help develop students' understanding of the Presidential campaign process by harnessing the power of Web 2.0 for teaching media and information literacy, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and technology skills. There are more than a dozen social media tools showcased in this curriculum to engage middle-school and high school learners in the political campaign process.

Following the overview of the resources available, there will be a question and answer session. You may want to preview the "Vote 2008" election resources at PBS by going to http://www.pbs.org/teachers/vote2008/. You might consider taking the quick political quiz yourself (see below)! A wiki for the project is located at http://21stcenturycivicengagement.pbwiki.com/.

To join the event on September 10th, check the instructions on the Classroom 2.0 Live Conversations page at http://wiki.classroom20.com/live+conversations/. This event will also be recorded and a link to the recording will be posted soon after.





Thursday, August 21, 2008

Hopes and Dreams

It’s almost that time of year again for many teachers – the time when eager little smiles will walk into your classroom outfitted with clothes and supplies from their back to school shopping trip. For some teachers with a different school year than mine, your back to school experience might not be this month, but hopefully it is filled with the same feeling of rejuvenated hopes and dreams. Many teachers I know actually build in a Hopes and Dreams student activity as part of their beginning of the year routines. I hope you do! Perhaps this student's hopes for her new classroom can inspire you to integrate some 21st century tools in your classroom.




Perhaps you can learn a new tool to help your student express their hopes and dreams. Perhaps you can help them expand the scope to more global hopes and dreams. Perhaps you can provide the next stepping stone to dream that will only be realized long after they leave your classroom.

Recently, I overheard a teacher tell a colleague “This year, I’m going to make sure that the kids write hopes and dreams that we can actually accomplish in our classroom”. I wanted to say “Oh, please don’t!”. Today’s technology puts tools in your student’s hands that will allow them to express their dreams in ways that were not possible only a few years ago. What about using Animoto or Voicethread to create a classroom hopes and dreams project? Perhaps start a list on a project like 43 things.

Today’s technology can knock down the walls and open the possibilities for you to reach far across the globe. How about using Google Maps, Google Earth or Google Sky to take a field trip that your students’ could only dream of not so long ago. Video’s available through You Tube, Google Video, or other video-sharing websites, along with other video services such as Discovery Education Streaming, Annenberg Media, or National Geographic Video can also help your students’ dreams reach far beyond their classroom.


Today’s technology makes it possible for you to connect with someone who can help your students achieve one of their hopes and dreams. Astronauts, authors, video game producers, Olympic athletes, visiting your classroom are more possible than they ever were through tools like email or video chat. Consider having your students use a service like Skype or GabCast to turn a phone call interview into a podcast of someone who has achieved one of their hopes and dreams.

Today’s technology allow you to collaborate with others who have similar hopes and dreams. Consider joining one of the many collaborative projects made possible by collaborative tools such as those featured at Global School House’s Project Registry, Taking IT Global, or Epals. If you’ve never experienced the power of global collaborative projects in your classroom, check out Jim and Mali's Keynote Address from NECC 2008 (two outstanding teachers whose practice was transformed through their participation in global collaborative projects)

But most importantly, today’s technology is available to you as teachers to be a tool that helps your students reach their hopes and dreams.

As teachers, we are in the fortunate position to help our students get one step closer to realizing their hopes and dreams. If for any reason, you need a little convincing of this, I strongly suggest you put aside an hour to watch “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. Randy, whose legacy includes ALICE, a program that helps kids learn the concepts of programming through storytelling and animation. In this inspirational video, Randy shares his childhood dreams with his audience during some of the last months of his fight with cancer. His lecture is filled with inspirational messages to today’s teachers, parents, mentors, and children about the people and events that helped him realize his childhood dreams.

May you be one of the forces in your students’ life that takes them one step closer to realizing their hopes and dreams. And please, please, share your Hopes and Dreams activities with other readers or simply add to the this Hopes and Dreams VoiceThread.

Friday, August 08, 2008

Google Teacher Academy: Chicago

The next Google Teacher Academy (GTA) has been announced. I've said this before, but I’m thrilled to be involved with this project - and to share it with you here on the this blog. As with all previous GTA events, tech savvy educators and professional developers in the local area can apply to participate in the special full-day workshop. And as with the last GTA, the application process is also open to anyone, including educators out of the area, out of the state, or even out of the country (with the understanding that Google doesn’t cover travel or lodging). In other words, any of you who feel you meet the criteria for application are invited to apply!

Below is the official announcement and invitation to apply:
Google Teacher Academy - Chicago
Chicago, IL
September 24, 2008
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Applications Due: August 24, 2008
http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html
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We are pleased to announce that another round of Google's FREE training program for K-12 educators is coming to the windy city! Outstanding educators from around the world are encouraged to apply for the Google Teacher Academy taking place on Wednesday, September 24, 2008.

The GTA is an intensive, one-day event (8:30am-7:30pm) where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, collaborate with exceptional educators, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, GTA participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region.

50 outstanding educators from around the world will be selected to attend the GTA based on their passion for teaching, their experience as leaders, and their use of technology in K-12 settings. Each applicant is REQUIRED to produce and submit an original one-minute video on either of the following topics: "Motivation and Learning" or "Classroom Innovation." Applications for the event in Chicago are due on August 24, 2008. If possible, please use Google Video or YouTube to post these original videos. Participants must provide their own travel, and if necessary, their own lodging. Though we will give preference to K-12 educators within a 90-minute local commute of an Academy event, anyone may apply.

Learn more about the program and the application at http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

The GTAs have been a wonderful experience for everyone involved, with 97% of all attendees rating the GTA as "outstanding."

Here are a few quotes from GTA participants:
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"The academy was everything I hoped for and more! I can't wait to plan out ways to use the tools we learned about, to share my experiences with my colleagues and to re-connect with the other academy participants!"
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"The focus on innovation in education, and not just about the tools, was right on target."
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"I appreciate the opportunity to be connected to a group of educators that are passionate about preparing students for the 21st century. I feel inspired and able to meet the challenges that lie ahead!"
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"Until now, I had never attended a conference where I was so engaged and loving every minute of it."
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"This was easily the most important professional development experience I have ever had as an educator. World-class tools demonstrated by world-class people at a world-class facility. THANK YOU!"
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"I love [the Google Certified Teacher community] for the ideas and inspiration that comes flowing to and from it...folks share professional development strategies (technology or otherwise) that have worked. It's nice to have a variety of ways to assist others and having that variety also provides spice for those of us responsible for doing the providing."
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Feel free to send any questions to "gteachers@gmail.com", and please spread the word to anyone who may be interested in joining us.

We're looking forward to another great event!

- The GTA Team

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Google Teacher Academy
September 24, 2008
Chicago, IL

Applications Due: August 24, 2008
http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html
--------------------------------------------------------

Note: Another GTA is currently being planned for New York City in November 2008. Sign up for the Google Teacher Newsletter on the front page of Google for Educators site to receive more detailed information soon.


I'm excited that Google has continued it's support for this program and that we've been able to announce another GTA so soon after the last one. (And, as you may have noted, there's one more coming before the end of the year!) Thanks goes to Cristin Frodella for making this happen at Google, and to the folks at CUE (particularly Mike Lawrence) and at WestEd (particularly Allison Merrick) for making this a reality. Thanks also go to fellow ITM blogger Lucy Gray for her role in planning the Chicago event.

See you in Chicago! ;)

UPDATE: By the way, Google for Educators announced two other cool projects today, Letters to The Next President and Google Elections Video Search.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Shining Eyes of Passion

School’s out for summer - yet for many --more learning is happening in shorter periods of time than happened during the 180 day school year. Having just spent a week with 22 girls during TechSavvy Girls summer camp and another week with 32 middle school kids during TechSavvy Kids summer camp, I started to think about what makes summer camp so much more engaging than school. Surely it takes more than replacing the word “school” with the word “camp”… to transforms the experience. Why is it that we would rather spend time at “summer camp” than “summer school”.

  • Is it because there are no bells that tell us it’s time to move to the next station and we have larger blocks of time to immerse ourselves into our learning?
  • Is it because there are no mandates that create solid boundaries about what will and will not be learned and how we should learn it?
  • Is it because there are no test and quizzes that try to quantify how much we remembered about what we learned?

No… I don’t think it’s the absence of something; but rather the ‘presence’ of an important element – PASSION!

A week long experience where talented passionate instructors focused on creating fun filled experiences that pass on that passion to others --– whether it be humanities camp, chess camp, outdoor camp—will yield lots of learning, lots of eager smiles, and lots of shining eyes.

And for those of you who think that this formula only works when learners themselves are passionate about the subject – think again as you watch the masterful Benjamin Zander create an understanding and appreciation for classical music amongst the unsuspecting audience of the T.E.D. 2008 conference.






Consider your role as a teacher as you listen to Zander describe his role as a conductor.

“The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound..
He depends for his power on his ability to make other people powerful.

My job was to awaken possibilities in other people..
How do you know if you are doing it
Look at their eyes.. if their eyes are shiny you know you're doing it

If not.. you should ask..
Who am I being that my players eyes are not shiny?”
What do you need to do this summer to come back to school in September ready to bring out the shine in your student's eyes?


Do you need to immerse yourself into a new experience that lights your fire? Do you need to do something new you’ve always wanted to try – and reflect on the parts of it that make your eyes smile as you do it ?

Do you need to immerse yourself into the powerful words of writer who allows you to escape into the passions of their experience? Perhaps escape to Italy, India, and Indonesia with Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray Love or to a village in Afghanistan’s with Greg Mortenson in Three Cups of Tea.

Do you need to immerse yourself into an experience that takes you out of your comfort zone? Every couple of years I try to learn something that I’m not naturally good at or perhaps even fear. In the past few years I’ve tried tennis lessons, swing dance lessons, and motorcycle riders classes. Each of these has helped make me a better teacher by helping me tune in on what it takes to bring a reluctant learner’s fear of failure to a state of confidence and success. Success doesn’t mean I’ll ever play in a tennis tournament, participate in a dance competition or drive a motorcycle in real traffic, but it means I gained an appreciation for those who have passion for each of these activities in real life.

Do you need to immerse yourself into a self study of some new technique or tool that might engage your students when they return to your classroom this Fall? Pay attention to the young people around you this summer and notice what they are passionate about.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Behold the clash of civilizations

In 1993 political scientist Samuel P. Huntington wrote an article in Foreign Affairs titled, "The Clash of Civilizations?" In it he wrote:
It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.

Fifteen years after he penned those words, they still offer both insight as well as challenges to many of the conceptions we maintain about politics and international relations. Just as cultural fault lines arguably divide much of the world in a geopolitical sense, cultural fault lines also define a growing chasm between the environment in many of our U.S. schools and the environments outside them. This chasm is readily apparent in the latest RadioShack circular delivered to my home mailbox in Oklahoma today.

Radio Shack

As thousands of K-12 students and teachers prepare to return to fall classes in a few weeks in the United States, commercial advertisers are carefully crafting messages to woo adults as well as young people into their stores to make purchases for the upcoming school year. In many cases, but certainly not all, students will be returning to school environments where cell phones are banned. In one of our Oklahoma districts northwest of the Oklahoma City metro area, students are fined monetarily on an increasing scale every time they are caught with a cell phone at school.

cell phones banned

Like a concealed weapon, cell phones are considered by many school board members, administrators and teachers as dangerous, inappropriate items to bring into the school environment.

Concealed weapons are strictly prohibited on these premises

If cell phones are brought to school (as they are and will be in many cases, of course) school rules may dictate they can only be used outside of the building. Rather than encourage students to learn responsible and appropriate cell phone use habits and etiquette, many schools this year will take what they perceive to be a more efficient and easier approach to the challenges posed by cell phones and continue banning them entirely. The suggestion that cell phones can and should be used as powerful learning tools would, in many cases, fall on deaf administrative ears unwilling to even consider such pedagogical heresy.

Contrast these school environments anathema to the presence of cell phones in the hands of teenagers to the following RadioShack advertisement from today:
ONE DAY THEY'RE TEETHING, THE NEXT THEY'RE TEXTING.
How can a kid survive these days without a wireless phone? Imagine how hard it would have been for you to get by without bellbottoms. Same thing. Don't let your child suffer, because during the school year, a wireless phone will be multipurpose. They're going to need to call you to come pick them up after school, or to bring them their cleats for soccer practice. Okay, they won't all be demands. Some of their calls will probably be filled with "I love you's" and "You're the best parent ever." Okay, stop laughing. Seriously, there are many reasons to come to RadioShack to get your kids a new wireless phone. Here are just a few.....


Behold, the clash of civilizations.

soldiers in riot gear

Behold the clash of civilizations




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Saturday, July 12, 2008

A Quest for NetFlix Plus Functionality for Books - for Young Readers!

I'm on a quest and perhaps you can help me. The young readers of the world need a free website which offers "Netflix functionality" for books and specifically caters to young people-- meeting COPPA, FERPA and other legal requirements for minors in the United States as well as other countries. No one wants to pay a $130,000 fine to the FTC like Imbee.com did back in January. To avoid legal problems like Imbee ran into, websites which collect and maintain personal information from children under the age of 13 must first notify parents and obtain their consent. I've noticed as my 10 year old son continues to utilize websites like Club Lego that he's had to ask for my email address and I've had to grant permission via an emailed link for him to have an account and profile on the website. Based on the Imbee FTC case, it appears key that a COPPA compliant website for kids must NOT maintain their account and profile without parental consent. According to the FTC:
The FTC complaint alleged that the defendants [Imbee] violated COPPA and the COPPA implementing rule by failing to obtain verifiable parental consent before any collection of personal information from children; failing to provide sufficient notice of what information they collected online from children, and the site’s information use and disclosure practices and other required content; and failing to provide sufficient notice of the types of personal information they had collected from children prior to obtaining verifiable parental consent.


I know of three websites which offer functionality similar to what I'm looking for, but I am not sure if any of these sites "do it all" in terms of NetFlix functionality or in terms of COPPA compliance. The sites I know about which offer the ability to write book reviews and share recommendations are:

I will admit at the outset that I have not registered for any of these sites yet to give them a test drive, but do have several friends (including Bob Sprankle and Tim Kane) who are using some of them very enthusiastically. I'm writing this post not because I am an "expert" (yet) on these sites and how they compare, but rather to fully respond to Susan Ettenheim's tweeted question today, "What do you mean by 'NetFlix functionality' for books?"

When I say I want free "Netflix functionality" on a social networking site for young readers, I mean the site should offer the following features:
  1. The website should be free for anyone to register for and use, but minors should be required to obtain parental consent to comply with COPPA and other relevant laws as described above.
  2. The site should permit users to RATE books they've read, from one to five stars, just like NetFlix.
  3. The site should let users write book reviews and recommendations that can be public and/or sent directly to friends, just like NetFlix.
  4. The site should let users maintain lists of friends, and view what those friends report they are currently reading, as well as their friends' recommendations for books to read.
  5. The site should use AI technologies (or whatever you call the technologies that can do this sort of thing) to dynamically generate book recommendations for an individual based on the books s/he has already rated in the system.


This is an example of what this looks like today on NetFlix. I've rated 398 different movies I've watched in the past. Based on those ratings and the ratings/preferences of other NetFlix users, when I click the button MOVIES YOU'LL LOVE at the top of the NetFlix website I am presented with the following screen which shows some of the 1279 movies the website's intelligent advice engine thinks I'll like:

Netflix: Movies You'll Love

The movies I've rated which generated the recommendation are shown to the right of each recommended movie. The book rating/review/recommendation and social networking website I'm describing in this post would/will offer this same functionality.

This feature (the ability to get dynamically generated book recommendations) is the most valuable aspect of the current NetFlix rating and social networking website, in my view, and would make this website I'm searching and hoping for of TREMENDOUS benefit to young people / students around the world. As an example of why this is the case, the recently released 2008 Kids & Family Reading Report by Scholastic found that kids commonly report they can't find good books to read and that is why they don't read more books. From page 4 of the report's "Key Findings:"
Trouble finding books they like is a key reason kids say they do not read more frequently. Mom is the top source for book suggestions for kids age 5-11, and friends are most influential among kids age 12-17, who also turn to the Internet.

A website which offers "NetFlix Plus Functionality" for young people about books could help take away this VERY common excuse. I'm certainly not saying social networking technologies can or should replace the role of librarians, classroom teachers, parents and others in supporting young people in their personal journeys of reading and literacy acquisition, but I AM seeing a huge opportunity for those technologies to provide powerful new tools to fuel individual motivations to read.

I've described so far "NetFlix Functionality" for this book-focused social networking site. I next want to describe several important features NOT currently included on NetFlix for movies which would make this hypothetical website possess "NetFlix Plus Functionality." The site should additionally:
  1. Include not only books with official ISBN numbers and available in analog/atomic printed forms, but also include all texts in Project Gutenberg. I do love print books, and even though the Kindle is cool I still see myself curling up with paper books more than an eBook reader in the years ahead. My personal feelings aside, however, it is evident that eBooks are going to become increasingly important in the years ahead. This website needs to therefore include eBooks in the catalog of books which can be rated, reviewed, and recommended.
  2. Users should be able to add links along with ratings and recommendations for other books on other websites which they like and recommend. This is potentially controversial, of course, because "What if one of our students links to a book that is inappropriate?" I think it is essential, however, because many kids LOVE reading stories on Fan Fiction websites like FanFiction.net and KidPub. As an example, if a student loved and wants to recommend the KidPub published original novel "Alone in the Middle" (written by a student I interviewed for a podcast recently) they should be able to do this on the website. Yes, traditionally published books can be fantastic for reading and we should continue to support young people's reading of print books. Electronic books are already here in great numbers, however, and those numbers are certain to dwarf our meager imaginations as people born and primarily educated in the 20th century.
  3. Teachers, librarians, and principals (as well as any other user) should be able to create their own "community groups" within the website to share recommendations and favorites.

The current NetFlix site does permit users to select others with similar movie tastes and add them to their personal "community," but to my knowledge the site doesn't permit people to create their own groups in the way users can on many Ning social networking sites (like Celebrate Oklahoma Voices or the NECC 2008 Ning) or on Diigo.

Netflix Community

As a final requirement for this book networking website, I'd like it to include ZERO advertisements (for individuals, families, or schools which pay a small and reasonable annual registration fee) and include both MINIMAL and student-appropriate advertisements for people who are not paying for no-ads. I'm thinking here of advertisements like we see on Facebook, NOT like those we see on MySpace.

That's a long answer, but I think some specific details were/are needed to adequately respond to Susan's question. (Susan, btw, is an "art/media/library/technology" teacher in New York and a contributor/participant to/in Teachers Teaching Teachers. MANY thanks to Susan for challenging me via Twitter with this question. :-)


Here's are my closing requests:
  1. If you've used one of the sites I've mentioned above (Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, etc) please comment on what you like and don't like about the current site's feature set. Also please comment on how the site addresses COPPA issues for minors, if you can, and your experiences with young people (your students or your own kids) using one of the sites.
  2. If I've left out a book review/recommendation website that you've used and recommend, please share the name and link as a comment.
  3. If you develop or alter a book review/recommendation website based on any of these ideas, please don't be shy with your linktribution. :-)





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