Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
"YOU"-ranium
Friday, February 13, 2009
Not Really Technology Related today...
I was really saddened to read about the North Tonawanda Common Council member/teacher who had such a negative view of the school district he both represented and taught in. You can read the original article here.
Calling attention to a problem and helping to find solutions to a problem are vastly different things. He referred to himself as a lightning rod, and I’m surprised that he would pick a metaphor dealing with light as I saw no revelation in his comments, only shadows.
Sometimes the most vocal folks among us see themselves as leaders, or trailblazers, or martyrs calling attention to problems. The unfortunate thing is that those same people are never part of the solution, in fact, they seem to revel in the fact that they’ve identified a problem out loud that no one is surprised to hear about.
His declaration that he “has a pulpit and wants to say ‘something is wrong here’” was ostentatious at best and clearly showed the public that he has little regard for his constituents or their children.
I’m also concerned that anyone in that district would take anything he said seriously, as he seemed to base his opinions on an observation that the district was in decline and cited only a ranking from Business First that indicated “the high school was in the bottom half” compared to other high schools. Business First’s rankings, while widely touted in the area as the barometer for school success, are much like the nation’s AYP and NCLB goals and sometimes represent snapshots of information that may or may not paint a school or district in its’ most positive light. Data is meant to be objective, but when broken apart and reformatted with a particular frame can cause data to appear more positive or negative depending on that frame. It’s a poor basis for deciding to give up on your students.
The people that live in that district and especially the children that attend school in that district deserve leadership that has their best interests at heart, not a “lightning rod” rogue who only has the capacity to identify problems, not help find a solution for them.
I don’t think his intended message was “the district is too poor for me and my family to continue living and working here,” but it’s hard not to see that message from what was written. Perhaps the district would be better off without him.
I do agree with his assertion that the district is chock full of teachers that are “incredibly talented and dedicated.” Those talented and dedicated teachers deserve someone in a leadership position that can say those words without setting him or herself above and apart with a graceless sense of entitlement that comes off as nothing more than a pompous and arrogant ball of hot air.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
New Web Stuff 02/13/2009
Chart Chooser by Juice Analytics: Download Tufte-compliance Excel and PowerPoint charts
Prairie Rose Online Courses: Login to the site
enter as guest
PWN! YouTube - Easiest way to download YouTube videos for fair rights use
Digital Fiction: examples and ideas for the classroom | Literacy Resources
ClassTools.net: Create interactive flash tools / games for education
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!
Eighteen Interesting Ways to use Twitter in the Classroom - Google Docs
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Nice Day Today...
I did a workshop today with local teachers on how to use their Classroom Performance System. (Clickers)
The teachers had had a previous workshop, but got a new set of clickers in and wanted further instruction. I went over the basics, showed them some of the web resources I have collected , and then let them "play."
As workshops go--this one was pretty flawless. Even with multiple levels of comfort, everyone created content and felt confident by the time they left.
I was talking to one of the participants, who happened to be a student teacher, and was saying how great it was that the school system was letting her participate in staff development. She said that the district I was in today actually encouraged her to do all kinds of staff development as they valued the opportunity to "practice" her craft rather than be just a student (or victim, perhaps?) of theoretical knowledge. I thought that was really cool. That's the kind of proactive stance that invigorates the badly needed shift in education today. The fact that it was also a technology workshop was bonus!
If schools are serious about being a part of the shift , then change has to occur over the whole system, from brand spanking new folks to those on the edge of retirement. In fact, there was a teacher there today who was a year or two from retirement and who held her own against the younger, more digital native types in the room.
When I looked at the evaluations for workshop, the common thread was an appreciation for alloted "play" time. What most would call independent practice, I frame as "play" time and tell participants in workshops that I do that "playing is the new competency." Without the ability to play effectively, the internet and technology applications can quickly become overwhelming. Likewise, workshops that are all informational with no engagement time are not likely to shift anyone's pedagogical stance. People need time to let their brains absorb and construct, rewire and reframe--and playtime during a workshop does exactly that.
It was just a nice day, with nice folks, and nice conversation.
I like these days...
The teachers had had a previous workshop, but got a new set of clickers in and wanted further instruction. I went over the basics, showed them some of the web resources I have collected , and then let them "play."
As workshops go--this one was pretty flawless. Even with multiple levels of comfort, everyone created content and felt confident by the time they left.
I was talking to one of the participants, who happened to be a student teacher, and was saying how great it was that the school system was letting her participate in staff development. She said that the district I was in today actually encouraged her to do all kinds of staff development as they valued the opportunity to "practice" her craft rather than be just a student (or victim, perhaps?) of theoretical knowledge. I thought that was really cool. That's the kind of proactive stance that invigorates the badly needed shift in education today. The fact that it was also a technology workshop was bonus!
If schools are serious about being a part of the shift , then change has to occur over the whole system, from brand spanking new folks to those on the edge of retirement. In fact, there was a teacher there today who was a year or two from retirement and who held her own against the younger, more digital native types in the room.
When I looked at the evaluations for workshop, the common thread was an appreciation for alloted "play" time. What most would call independent practice, I frame as "play" time and tell participants in workshops that I do that "playing is the new competency." Without the ability to play effectively, the internet and technology applications can quickly become overwhelming. Likewise, workshops that are all informational with no engagement time are not likely to shift anyone's pedagogical stance. People need time to let their brains absorb and construct, rewire and reframe--and playtime during a workshop does exactly that.
It was just a nice day, with nice folks, and nice conversation.
I like these days...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tech Trepidation...
Are you Network Nervous? Do you suffer from Web Worry?
Do you have anxiety about privacy in the 21st century in the wake of all the connectivity and collaborative experiences?
And last, but not least, does your decision about what you share on the internet have more to do with your level of technology proficiency or just a natural desire to keep every part of your life as private as possible?
I'm certainly not going to challenge anybody about their beliefs, especially when I'm working with teachers who have different views of collaboration and connections. But I do think it's important to start considering just how "dangerous" being connected is.
The fact is, a lot of what people believe about internet safety is rumor and/or urban legend. While it may be hard to change the minds of the most die hard "island mentalities," the fact remains that publishing a blog, being seen on Twitter or Facebook, or using other Social Tools are not too much of a stretch beyond what is already known about a person. Phone numbers are published, street addresses are published. Without your knowledge, ANYONE can log onto the internet and get turn by turn directions to your house. (And an aerial map!) They can find out virtually any public information that may have been published. In fact, you should "Google" your name in combination with your hometown or address right now and see what's out there!
People are more transparent than they think. The web is making things easier. The more you know, the more you "play" with the available tools, the more apt you are to appreciate the breadth of its usefulness.
That doesn't mean that posting pictures of your car with a blatant license plate square in the front is a good idea. Likewise, you may want to think twice before posting pictures of yourself in a skimpy bikini by the beach or chugging down bottles of Pinot Noir with your friends. Professionalism and good judgment are not meant to be suspended when you decide to become a contributing web citizen.
All I'm saying is Don't Be Afraid. Consider the Pros and Cons.
What do you have to gain by having a strong internet presence?
Classroom ideas? Resources? A Support System? Think all of this and more. Miracles happen in classrooms when we step "outside the box." Remaining an island in a land of interconnected continents can't work for much longer. You can shut the door, but how long will technology stay out of your world before you plug yourself in? How long will the "what-ifs" keep you in the dark? There's a whole universe of positive connections and possibilities and resources and applications right at the tip of your fingers. All you have to do is be willing to jump in and try it out!
What do you think about being a contributing member of the Internet at large? What are the roadblocks you deal with when deciding how you'll maintain your web presence? What would help you be more confident about using the internet as a networking tool?
Do you have anxiety about privacy in the 21st century in the wake of all the connectivity and collaborative experiences?
And last, but not least, does your decision about what you share on the internet have more to do with your level of technology proficiency or just a natural desire to keep every part of your life as private as possible?
I'm certainly not going to challenge anybody about their beliefs, especially when I'm working with teachers who have different views of collaboration and connections. But I do think it's important to start considering just how "dangerous" being connected is.
The fact is, a lot of what people believe about internet safety is rumor and/or urban legend. While it may be hard to change the minds of the most die hard "island mentalities," the fact remains that publishing a blog, being seen on Twitter or Facebook, or using other Social Tools are not too much of a stretch beyond what is already known about a person. Phone numbers are published, street addresses are published. Without your knowledge, ANYONE can log onto the internet and get turn by turn directions to your house. (And an aerial map!) They can find out virtually any public information that may have been published. In fact, you should "Google" your name in combination with your hometown or address right now and see what's out there!
People are more transparent than they think. The web is making things easier. The more you know, the more you "play" with the available tools, the more apt you are to appreciate the breadth of its usefulness.
That doesn't mean that posting pictures of your car with a blatant license plate square in the front is a good idea. Likewise, you may want to think twice before posting pictures of yourself in a skimpy bikini by the beach or chugging down bottles of Pinot Noir with your friends. Professionalism and good judgment are not meant to be suspended when you decide to become a contributing web citizen.
All I'm saying is Don't Be Afraid. Consider the Pros and Cons.
What do you have to gain by having a strong internet presence?
Classroom ideas? Resources? A Support System? Think all of this and more. Miracles happen in classrooms when we step "outside the box." Remaining an island in a land of interconnected continents can't work for much longer. You can shut the door, but how long will technology stay out of your world before you plug yourself in? How long will the "what-ifs" keep you in the dark? There's a whole universe of positive connections and possibilities and resources and applications right at the tip of your fingers. All you have to do is be willing to jump in and try it out!
What do you think about being a contributing member of the Internet at large? What are the roadblocks you deal with when deciding how you'll maintain your web presence? What would help you be more confident about using the internet as a networking tool?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
New Web Stuff 02/04/2009
Wildlife Filmmaker, Video Mashups, Animal Videos, Wildlife Footage - National Geographic
protagonize: interactive fiction & collaborative story writing community
Writing Fun by Jenny Eather- helping kids write using text organizers. - Annotated
WritingFix: Interactive Writing Prompts & Lessons for Teachers, Students and Writers
Order Reviewer's Copies of Young Adult Books
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
More on DLN's...
After yesterday’s post, we had a lively conversation on Twitter about a DLN (Digital Learning Network) and a PLN (Professional or Personal Learning Network.)
There’s no doubt that both are useful and necessary, but where do you start, and which is the most important? I thought a lot about this yesterday afternoon, because right now I’m more interested in my DLN as it offers so much to me at this moment. A PLN would be in addition to the Digital Network, whereas I know that others value their PLN first and to branch it out digitally is overwhelming.
One of the things that I’m saying over and over to teachers is that it’s never about the tool. It’s about collaboration and connections. For many, that needs to be real time, real people. For others, a virtual network is adequate—even preferred.
Which do you prefer, and why?
There’s no doubt that both are useful and necessary, but where do you start, and which is the most important? I thought a lot about this yesterday afternoon, because right now I’m more interested in my DLN as it offers so much to me at this moment. A PLN would be in addition to the Digital Network, whereas I know that others value their PLN first and to branch it out digitally is overwhelming.
One of the things that I’m saying over and over to teachers is that it’s never about the tool. It’s about collaboration and connections. For many, that needs to be real time, real people. For others, a virtual network is adequate—even preferred.
Which do you prefer, and why?
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