tuesdays with Karen

The Flipped Classroom

2012-01-24T19:54:00.000-05:00

Iron sharpens iron. I love getting together with creative teachers, especially at great conferences like FETC (Florida Educational Technology Conference) where I have already been blown away by creativity. It’s especially fun when those who have a great theory bring a practitioner, a teacher in the trenches, who has implemented theory into practice. Today I had the privilege of attending the pre-FETC DEN Day of Discovery where Dr. Lodge McCammon returned to share his energy, enthusiasm, creativity and love of education. Two years ago he taught us how to create paperslide videos that has been a hit with most of my teachers and this year he brought his theory of the “flipped classroom” along with Katie Gimbar, the teacher in the trenches, flipping her Algebra 1 classroom totally around. I just had to turn you on to his genius because his true art is making things simple. This “tuesdays” is all about the “flipped classroom” by Dr. Lodge McCammon.

A creative website

NC State’s Friday Institute for Educational Innovation hosts the FIZZ model of instruction brought to us today by Dr. Lodge McCammon. The workshop began with some storytelling about Lodge’s dad’s influence and I was struck by the wisdom he quoted from his dad, “Americans always do the right thing after trying everything else.” We may just be at that point in education where we can “flip” everything we’ve been doing for the sake of engagement. His solution is NO LECTURES IN THE CLASSROOM. Instead, flip classroom teachers record “one-take” videos of their lectures and then assign application activities for class time rather than homework. This style of learning engages. is more rigorous and touches all the multiple intelligences. It’s self-paced, differentiated and collaborative. Most importantly the students collaborate, create and publish their own videos in class which allows them to reanalyze their learning, refocus understanding and republish content. He certainly practices what he preaches because he has provided one-take videos on his website for all to understand. Make the time to check them out. They are so worth it:

FIZZ lecture to flip your classroom

FIZZ paperslide projects to differentiate

“Flipping with Katie”

Katie Gimbar’s Flipped Classroom series

Clintondale High School in Detroit

An image to share

Image of paperslide video designed by my husband, Jack and created by Bradford County teachers.

A proverb

"Teachers need to stop saying, “Hand it in,” and start saying “Publish It.”

Alan November

An encouragement

So many have asked why would you take the time to video your lessons when there is YouTube and Khan Academy? According to Dr. McCammon, we know that student success depends upon great teachers and that teaching is largely about having a personal relationship with the students. Students also need to trust their teacher. When students watch videos created by people they do not know, they may make connections to the content, but when your teacher takes the time to video their instruction, it sends two great messages: I care and I know my content. When we send our student somewhere else, we are actually outsourcing our teaching. I want to encourage you to watch the videos I have linked for you in the creative website section and consider the “flip classroom” as a model of engagement for your students. Let me know if you need some help. I would love to be a part of the process. (Katie Gimbar’s reason for doing her own videos)

How do you do that?

How can you ever make the time to create video content? First, recognize that you do not need tech skills or video editing equipment. All you need is a simple video camera, like a FLIP camera or digital camera turned to video mode and a tripod. You are going to deliver a lesson, so why not video it and have it for remediation, enrichment or review for absentees? Draw your lesson out on the board, SMARTBoard or paper and record it in one take. Don't worry about perfection. Pretend it’s first period (you know how we always practice on them!) The value of creating your personal instruction library is priceless. It may take time, but you will have a collection that your students and parents will treasure. How exciting. Kudos to Dr. Lodge McCammon for his creativity and tangible ways to make it all happen. Most of all, thank you so much for sharing, Dr. McCammon.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-17T21:22:00.000-05:00

I can remember when we first heard about Martin Luther King, Jr. yet it wasn’t until I heard his voice that I was captured by his message. His gift of the English language and ability to inspire is the reason generations will look to his legacy and message of non-violence and racial equality. I have been presenting “Pay It Forward” to students for years and one of my favorite parts is to ask the students to list persons of impact or influence. Even when I limit them to only 5 responses, 95% of the time Martin Luther King, Jr. is on the list. I also share three persons of impact in my life and he is one of them. (If you want to know the other two, let me know!) Although yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I wanted to dedicate this “tuesdays” to him and to all teachers who meant to do something with their students and didn’t get the chance. Don’t forget that we still have Black History Month in February and the resources I point you to today will be most helpful.

A creative website

Although much has been written about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the most reputable website is The King Center that was established by Mrs. Coretta Scott King in 1968 and now revitalized under its new president, Martin Luther King, III. Why go anywhere else? In fact, the website is so creative and high-tech that it maybe one of the best use of images and text I have seen. The website hosts a digital archive that was created by JPMorgan Chase & Co. with over a million documents associated with the life of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a scholar, a father, a pastor, a husband and great humanitarian. This website is so huge, I only began to browse the tip of the iceberg. If you don’t have time, expose your students to it. They will definitely be benefactors of one of the wisest men of our times.

An image to share

Wordle sample of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech

A proverb

"All men are brothers because they are children of a common father.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

An encouragement

Have you ever listened to the full 17-minute version of his “I Have a Dream” speech? I first head it on a free podcast from LearnOutLoud.com and was blown away by his incredible vocabulary. His ability to weave words into a melodic and visual memory are striking. I was so encouraged that I created a video with images and wrote the whole text of the speech out for the students to listen to and read. When we played it over the closed-circuit system three years ago, you could have heard a pin drop across the whole campus. If you have SMART Notebook 10, you can download the presentation for your students from my website. It is complete with the audio, the video and the whole text of his speech. I want to encourage you to do a vocabulary study of this most famous speech. It’s very emotional and well worth your time.

How do you do that?

How do you sift through this vast amount of information on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? You probably can’t. Fear not. I have compiled a few good resources around the “I Have a Dream” speech for you on my website. Most of your students have heard the 2-3 minute vignette of his full speech, but I am sure there will be few who have heard the full version. It’s a step back in a much more trouble time with the voice of a true peacemaker ringing out a challenge to America. If you haven’t heard it yourself, please make time to listen to it because it’s pretty humbling. His passion and grasp of the English language is phenomenal. The following items are available to you and your students on my website:

The full text of the speech
An online connection to the speech
A Glogster of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A video of “I Have a Dream” that I compiled with photos and text)
A SMART Notebook 10 version with images, audio and video

Let’s encourage our students to learn about great men like Martin Luther King, Jr.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

FIZZ

2012-01-10T21:21:00.001-05:00

I just love working with teachers. I often am the one who is supposed to be the trainer at a workshop or professional development session and I come out as the student. When teachers get together and share, sparks fly. This week I was in Ottawa with an amazing group of curriculum coaches who showed me so many great websites, techniques and integration ideas, but training partner reference a “flipped” classroom and gave credit to Lodge McCammon. I told her that I thought it was Kahn Academy that gave us the “flip” classroom, but tonight I revisit Lodge McCammon’s site and found his version of the “flip” classroom. Thanks, Clare! A flip classroom encourages the students to watch videos for at homework that introduce new concepts (the lecture) and then come to school to do the homework in class while the teacher is present to help. Lodge McCammon is the master at making video simple and I was especially excited to write about him tonight because he is the keynote a the DEN event at the pre-conference for FETC. Can’t wait!

A creative website

This week’s creative website is FIZZ from the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University. Project Director, Dr. Lodge McCammon has created a simple, yet profound way of producing one-take videos he calls, paperslide videos. I have introduced them to many of my colleagues before and had the privilege of teaching the process. What an “ah-ha” moment for teachers when they see that creating instructional videos does not have to be a huge process with massive equipment and the time constraints of a classroom. Dr. Lodge has developed a teaching and professional development process called FIZZ which encourages and models best practices in implementing user-generated video and online publishing in the classroom to enhance standards-based lessons. He is also a studio composer who writes standards-based songs, with supporting materials, about advanced curriculum for K-12 classrooms. More information, user-generated videos, and songs can be found at Lodge's website (www.iamlodge.com). A wonderful little nugget that I found on Lodge’s website was an animated translation of a Sir Ken Robinson keynote called Sir Ken, Again. Hope you get a chance to check it out!

An image to share

Flip camera - This file is licensed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

A proverb

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world, indeed, it is the only thing that ever has!” Margaret Meade

An encouragement

Our students are hungry to be more digital in the classroom. We know it and seek ways to incorporate technology and engagement for a better learning environment. Lodge McCammon focuses all his energies on just that. I would really encourage you to check out samples of paper slide videos (I have one in the next section and you can “Google” paperslide videos to find many examples besides Lodge’s website. Most of all, I would like to encourage you to try them with your students. Stephanie did and wrote a tremendous blog (Simply Stephanie) on “Lesson Learned.” Be sure to read it before you start a project. She will save you tons and steps and time. Her steps are much more detailed than mine below, so be sure to check them out if you are serious.

How do you do that?

The basics of a paperslide video include groups of three: one narrator, one videographer and one paper slider. The object is to create a one take video that requires no editing in Movie Maker or iMovie that can be a digital story, instructional video or other educational tool. There are many wasy to approach this with your students. Show them samples, create one in front of them, allow them to create their own or prepare the script and paper “slides” for them. I highly recommend creating content samples for them the first time so that they get used to the process. Give them only 15 minutes to practice (with a timer displayed) and then give them only another 15 min. (at the most) for a final take. The end result is a classroom library of content in video format that your students have access to for enrichment/remediation and of course, differentiation. Like all good ideas, use it sparingly because even paperslide videos can become routine. When you get a chance, please check a sample paperslide that the Bradford County teachers using My husband created the “slides” and the narration and the teachers created the video within 20 minutes including practice. I’m really looking forward to what Lodge has in store for us at FETC!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Calculation Nation

2012-01-03T19:44:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! 2012 has begun. Typically we have great expectations for our students and ourselves. Stay challenged and excited about what you do. It’s so important. Teaching is, by far, the most important profession since we are the building block of every other profession. I know it’s hard to get going again, especially after such a great time of family and friends over the Christmas holidays, but starting a new year is a great excuse to refocus our dreams, hopes and intentions on student learning. How can we get them more engaged? How can we encourage them to be more intentional and more interested? This is no simple task, but the call to serve them with all our best is the whole reason we have become teachers. Be encouraged, be excited, be yourself for the sake of those students you have been given this year. In this week’s “tuesdays,” I would like to begin a search for ways to help students be more engaged in their learning and so I start with math because it is certainly the subject we want our students to practice a lot and is often one of the largest stumbling blocks. Please help me to share!

A creative website

Calculation Nation is the National Council of Mathematics (NCTM) resource for challenging students. Calculation Nation gives student the ability to challenge themselves by investigating significant mathematical content and to practice fundamental skills. The most engaging piece is that they can challenge others all over the world! This safe environment provides our students with a global perspective while building mathematical muscle. The content is built around upper elementary and middle grade mathematics including fractions, factors, multiples, symmetry and more while practicing basic multiplication and calculation. My favorite part is that they become a citizen of Calculation Nation and engage with other citizens around the world challenging themselves and challenging others. I found at least 10 interactive games and the one that received the most and a highest rating to date is Slam Ball, a fast-paced game of symmetry. Calculation Nation caught my eye right away because my favorite site for students when I taught 6-8 math was the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives also sponsored by NCTM. This is a site worthy of it’s own investigation that is not only awesome on interactive boards, but build around the national math standards.

An image to share.

“Math problem written on a chalkboard,

“Used with permission from Microsoft”

from Office.com

A proverb

“Black holes result from God dividing the universe by zero.” Author Unknown

An encouragement

Developing a love for mathematics isn’t always natural. For those students and parents who say, “I’m not very good at math,” Calculation Nation may be just the encouragement needed to build that confidence. Why not have a Calculation Nation Game Night at school where students and parents can play others from around the world live? The record day so far for Calculation Nation was 7,000 visitors in one day and over 56,000 in one month. It’s amazing to watch students with a gaming mentality because they become very competitive. They choose the hardest path and most advanced problems and become very skilled by playing. Now if we gave them a choice of math worksheets, do you think they would choose the hardest for the challenge of it? They even have two family guides available in the Parent section to help parents foster a successful environment at home. Even if you don’t have time to tackle Calculation Nation, please let the parents and students know about it so they can compete their way to better math scores.

How do you do that?

Calculation Nation requires a log in so that you can keep track of your scores and bonuses, but there is a Guest Pass that will allow you to try the games out with other Calculation Nation players. You can either challenge yourself to play against anyone who is online at the time (there were 5 when I looked this evening) or you can play against the computer if you don’t want to engage with a live player. There are no cameras or real names online which makes it very safe for school age students. It is backed by the National Council of the Teachers of Mathematics and Thinkfinity which automatically places it high on the list of excellence in mathematics. Please try it for yourself and then go let everyone know. It’s a gift to all. Kudos to Calculation Nation. Well done.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

The Open University

2011-12-13T19:10:00.000-05:00

For my last post of 2011, I thought it would be fun to give you some great FREE places to explore while you have a few weeks off. I am so intrigued by how much is freely available to us and yet we never seem to have enough time to take it all in. Yet, somehow, I will be adding to the pile of things you always meant to check out, but hope to give you only some of the highest quality. I will begin the 2012 “tuesdays” the first week in January, which will be my sixth year – hard to believe. Thank you so much for sharing with me. During the break, I hope you have time for your families, relaxing and catching up. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to you and your family.

A creative website

For the final site of 2011, I have chosen The Open University in iTunes. It’s incredible, it’s FREE and it’s loaded with easy to access video tutorials, “How To” ebooks and whole courses that you can use with your students. One example is the Digital Film School series in the iTunes Open University. One of the episodes features Chris High, showing how to get images from a digital camera, video camera and iPod to a Mac and a PC. It was very informative and easy to listen to. Other areas of The Open University include: Teaching and Education, Exploring Babies and Young Children’s Development and Learning, Growing Up with Disabilities and much more. Perhaps the most striking feature of iTunes U is the ability to download content right to a device (mp3 player, laptop, iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc). I would highly recommend that teachers introduce iTunes U to their secondary students because they have more time and opportunities than we do and who knows, you may just be encouraging the next Steve Jobs!

*Note, be sure to click on the links and then view the content in iTunes. It’s much more effective (iTunes works on Mac AND Windows)

An image to share

The Digital Film Institute in The Open University, iTunes

A proverb

"The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.”

Ralph Nichols

An encouragement

In schools we are quick to dismiss the use of mp3 players in the classroom because the “distraction” factor rises to the top. I believe that once teachers realize just how much is available in mp3 and small video format, the perception of mp3 players in the classroom will dramatically change. I would like to encourage you to take this challenge. Watch this short video, “An Introduction to iTunes U.” It is the power of content sharing FREE to anyone who is interested in learning and made accessible online and deliverable right down to those handy cell phones and small devices that the students have with them all the time. This is learning to go for anyone, at any time, at any pace and in any place. (Hmm - sounds ubiquitous to me!) It’s such an interesting time we are living in. The Internet has truly opened up horizons we could not have dream of. Kudos to iTunes University for making the world wide web even more accessible.

How do you do that?

How do you use mobile devices in the classroom? I would start with FREE podcasts from experts in the field. Find a pair of speakers and put the audio jack in the earbud hole and you have an instant guest speaker. Next, I would experiment with video through free podcasts from National Geographic, the History Channel and Discovery. My absolute favorite use of nano devices is for voice recording. To begin, find something that you can read, to develop your speaking voice. I committed to record the whole Bible and it has really helped me become very comfortable at recording with my iPod. I call my daily exercise, “The Word for Our Children’s Children.” There’s no telling which grandchild will hear his/her grandma’s voice, maybe even one I’ll never meet. Some classroom ideas include recording summaries of your lessons, explanations of concepts, messages to parents and anything of value that you want to pass on to your students. The students can record stories they have written, practice for fluency and leave messages to the teacher. Digitization of learning has made it possible to share far beyond anything we could ever imagine. Have a safe Christmas break. See you in 2012!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Oh that voice.

2011-12-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to return to one of my favorite schools in the world tomorrow, Conchita Espinosa Academy in Miami. This private school is a very special place and I have the privilege of working with the students tomorrow as I encourage them to record their voice. We are going to have 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders research topics that they will randomly pull from a hat on their present unit of study. They will work in a 2:1 (student to computer) ratio, and do a quick summary script of what they have learn. The part I am always the most jazzed about is when they manage to "Add A Voice" to their findings. We are going to record their findings and then splice together a class video on all the essential pieces of the puzzle. This is probably my single most favorite thing to do with students - digital audio. Most students dislike their own voice (as we do) the first time they hear it, but as they become accustom to it, the power of hearing their own voice explaining an instructional projects is awesome. It never ceases to amaze me how easy this is to do and yet how infrequently we are taking advantage of this FREE and uncomplicated technology. This week's "tuesdays" is design to plant the seed of audio recording academically.

A creative website

Besides Audacity and Garageband, I would love to recommend ReadtheWords.com. We spend a lot of time looking at data and develop techniques and strategies for building vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. If there is anything I’ve learned in my long career is that we have to mix it up, add variety and give the students time and opportunity. Read the Words has a unique interface that allows your students to experience the review of their own work in their own voice. It even has some silly avatars and a small variety of voices that will read what you have written back to you. The best part is that it is FREE and you don’t even need to sign up for an account if you don’t want to. You can however, pay for the subscription price of $69 a year and have access to all your recordings at anytime. FREE or paid, using the student's own voice is priceless.

An image to share.

Boldt, Katie. chooseadearbook.jpg. . Pics4Learning. 6 Dec. 2011

A proverb

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” Groucho Marx

An encouragement

If we are going to build fluency, we have to let students hear themselves and give them the opportunity to try again and again until they are satisfied with how they sound. ReadtheWords.com gives students the chance to write original stories and then type (or copy and paste) their story right on the site, click play and hear their own words read by an avatar of their choice. Do you know how powerful it is for a student to hear their own improvement with immediate feedback? I would love to encourage you to try this with your students and they let us know how effective it is in building confidence. Please share your thoughts about this simple form of recording in the comments below.

How do you do that?

The best part about Read the Words is that it is FREE and the students do not need to create an account. They can write an original story, type it on a computer and then copy and paste their story into the text box. By clicking a voice and avatar, they can hear their story told by the computer. For the teacher, I would recommend creating an account because you can personalize your avatar, record your voice and download it to your computer. No software, no settings, no hassle. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s fun.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Giving

2011-11-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

When I grow up, I want to be Bill and Melinda Gates, not because they have a lot of money because they have a lot of heart. Giving is probably the greatest experience we can have as human beings. I watched one of our pastors at a conference this summer run up the aisle throwing fifty $1 bills as she walked to the stage, giggling as she skipped. When she reached the mic she said, “I always wanted to do that! It felt so good. In fact, GIVE stands for Giving Is Very Exciting.” Giving is the reason I was attracted to becoming debt free through Dave Ramsey’s Baby Step Program. The 7^th and final step is – Build Wealth and Give! Bill and Melinda Gates have stepped out of the box and have introduced a way of giving that is admirable. If you get a chance, check out their guiding principles. They describe themselves as guiders and shapers, risk takers and advocates, ethical and mission focused. This “tuesdays” is dedicated to how technology have driven this incredible philanthropic foundation.

A creative website

All lives have equal value. This powerful statement is the introduction to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Foundation is totally a family foundation driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family. It’s hard to imagine any other single family that has reached more lives than the Gates. They have chosen to take on some of the toughest problems in the world. Fixing New York City schools is huge. The Foundation supported the “It’s Time to Fix Our Schools” problem in New York City. Large failing high schools were phased out and replaced with smaller high school academies with purpose. Graduation rates increased from 30% graduation rates to 78%. Grants have been given on all six continents: providing libraries and internet access in Chile; medical grants to find vaccines for major infectious diseases in Geneva, Switzerland; major grant to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in the South Pacific using anti-vector approaches that will impact dengue transmission and work on other mosquito-borne diseases; support for the International Rice Institute in Africa and support for the Bloomberg Initiative to reduce tobacco use in Asia. Closer to home, the Foundation will invest $100 million to support the Hillsborough County Schools, FL implemented groundbreaking approaches to ensure that all students have access to effective teachers in every classroom. Wow! That’s huge.

An image to share

I, the copyright holder of this work,

hereby publish it under the following

license: This file is licensed under

the Creative Commons Attribution-Share

Alike 3.0

A proverb

“I absolutely believe in the power of tithing and giving back. My own experience about all the blessings I've had in my life is that the more I give away, the more that comes back. That is the way life works, and that is the way energy works.”  Ken Blanchard

An encouragement

Be a giver. Be involved. Giving is not always monetary, you know. Teachers are some of the most incredible givers of time and energy. Teachers spend more time with students than their own parents in many cases. Giving extra energy and time to that struggling student is as huge as changing the New York City School System. On those days when you are totally exhausted, look back at the times you were a giver. It takes your mind off your issues and allows you to pour into another human being: a student, a colleague, a parent. If any group of professionals understand the Foundation’s vision (All lives have equal value) – it is teachers. We live it each day. Who else is responsible for every child that passes through their doors no matter what their background may be? Teachers are the greatest givers. Let’s just be a little more deliberate about our giving and encouraging.

How do you do that?

How do you get involved in something so large? Just start viewing videos available on their site, reading vignettes of success stories and give them credit for their amazingly bold efforts. One way you can learn more is to join the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at TEDxChange: The Future We Make. This event is co-hosted by The Gates Foundation and TED on the 10^th anniversary of the Millennium Development Goals. The TEDxChange are satellite events happening all over the world that can be viewed as webcasts. You can even RSVP by Facebook. You really can get involved with your students too! Discuss the Millennium Development Goals with the students, download and print the sign – In our Future, and personalize the message. Take pictures of your students with their signs and joint the conversation on their community page. (Disclaimer: do not add your student pictures to the foundation’s Flickr page without your district’s approval!) Use the pictures, instead to create a sense of purpose and proof that one person truly can make a difference. Thank you Bill and Melinda Gates for your giving power.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Thankful for Finances

2011-11-22T18:06:00.000-05:00

It’s Thanksgiving Week and we are so blessed to actually have the whole week off! Naturally, I began thinking about the things I am most thankful for in life and God, family and health are definitely tops. However, if there is one thing I am most passionately thankful for besides the ones I already mentioned, it’s being debt free! May 1^st was our 1-year anniversary and there is just nothing like it. I was also inspired today by an article about teaching students finances at a very young age and came across an old TED Talks by Joachim DePosada and the “Don’t Eat the Marshmallow Yet” video. It’s hilarious to watch little 4 year-olds trying to delay gratification. I am so thankful to Dave Ramsey for teaching me to spend less than I make, delay gratification and use common sense principles for handling our money. I yearn for the day when our students will understand sound financial principles. In times like these, it is even more important that school districts address this critical need to train our students how to handle money.

A creative website

Finance in the Classroom is Utah’s Go-To website in which the Utah State Board of Education and the Legislature have taken bold steps to empower their students. Beginning with the class of 2008, ALL Utah students are required to pass a ½ semester Financial Literacy Course. (Yeah!) Curriculum throughout the grade levels will be offered beginning in kindergarten! Students can earn an Economic Passport by completing coursework online. Their entire curriculum is available in their Lessons/Activities K-12 section, enhanced with an extensive reading list and vocabulary terms. Barnes and Noble even offer a 20% discount for teachers, too. Kudos to the state of Utah for this outstanding initiative. Another fine website is the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy which provides great resources and reasons for empowering our students. They have written national financial standards and benchmarks for students and teachers. It is my passion to see the next generation live within their means and become debt-free!

An image to share

http://www.freefoto.com/images/04/28/04_28_50---US-Dollar-Bills_web.jpg

A proverb

“ A penny saved is a penny earned.” Benjamin Franklin

An encouragement

I don’t know about you, but I really didn’t have anyone teaching me how to make sound financial decisions when I was in high school and college never mind kindergarten. My parents were excellent examples of money managers and modeled the value of hard work, but we never talked about money. The first time I really heard about handling money was in church. After decades of paying for things on credit, I finally learned about the miracle of compound interest, but that it was working against me. We stopped borrowing money and slowly worked on removing debt, but it wasn’t until we heard about Dave Ramsey that we became “gazelle intense.” We paid more off in 8 months than we did in 8 years. We now have NO mortgage, NO car payments, NO credit cards and NO payments. Be encouraged. If we can do it, anyone can. And just imagine, if we set the next generation up from the beginning, they will never even struggle through the debt removal trials. Making financial literacy a requirement for all students will do more than any standardized test score and will turn our nation around. Can you imagine a generation of givers? If our students never go into debt, they will be savers who not only support themselves, but help those who are less fortunate. It doesn’t matter what tool is used, it only matters that we give them the wisdom to never go into debt.

How do you do that?

How do you make financial literacy a high priority in our high schools and even middle schools? Get Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace School Curriculum for your school if you want turn-key, DVD driven, fast-paced, standards-based lessons, his curriculum is second to none. I hear that Fifth Third Bank is sponsoring schools who are looking for his curriculum. If you have no budget or sponsors, Utah’s Finance in the Classroom site is loaded will free resources for teachers. To begin, go to their Professional Development section and be nosey. I found webinar archives, PowerPoints to download, national conferences I had never heard about. The PowerPoints included lessons on bankruptcy, bulletin board ideas, budgeting, giving, entrepreneurialism and much more. I thought the music section was fun because they created financial songs to the tunes of old songs. They even had a Money Menagerie with the history of money, money as art, and fun facts like:

How long do bills last? The Federal Reserve System lists the following life spans:

$ 1 - 22 months 

$ 5 - 2 years 

$ 10 - 3 years 

$ 20 - 4 years 

$ 50 - 9 years 

$100 - 9 years 

Coins usually survive in circulation for about 30 years.

How we handle our finances will determine our lifestyle and quality of life. Doesn’t it make sense to train our children? I just wish I knew what I know now when I was in school. Let’s make sure our students are financially literate.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“tuesdays with Karen” is a weekly newsletter/blog designed to encourage, equip and empower teachers to be creative with educational technology.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

QR codes

2011-11-15T20:52:00.000-05:00

Innovation is exciting. I love when creativity becomes something tangible. Innovation is defined as the introduction of something new. When I think of innovators, I immediately think of Steve Jobs and the many new devices and ways of thinking he introduced to us. Classroom teachers who innovate on a daily basis also inspire me. Technology is innovation and it seems that every time we turn around there’s a new device, a new way to communicate and share, a new way to create and a new way to be new! A fairly recent technology has been fascinating me for the last few months and I thought it would be great fun to share it with you in this week’s “tuesdays.” You’ve seen them popping up all over and they have surely peaked curiosity. Now that I know what they are and what they can do, I want to encourage teachers to think about their classroom capabilities.

A creative website

QR codes are a two-dimensional barcode designed originally the DENSO WAVE company in 1994, but it wasn’t until the Japanese began experimenting with communicating with QR codes did they reach their tipping point. Basically, QR codes are barcodes on steroids! They are popping up on billboards, magazines, websites, TV and more. They are typically used in business, but they are incredible possibilities for the classroom. For a super graphic and simple explanation of QR codes, check out the Common Craft video explanation. To get an idea how a teacher in New Zealand is using QR codes with their student check out this classroom video and notice that SMART phones aren’t even necessary.The little girl does an outstanding job demonstrating QR codes! I had a small PLC session about QR codes yesterday and knew that I had to share this info. A pdf. of some great links and images is available on my website. Feel free to share and please let me know if you are using QR codes in the classroom.

An image to share

There’s a tasty treat waiting for you!

A proverb

“An innovation is one of those things that society looks at and says, if we make this part of the way we live and work, it will change the way we live and work.”

Dean Kamen

An encouragement

I would really like to encourage you to think about classroom use of QR codes. To date, teachers have told me that they use them for Open House and post the code in their classroom window for parents to scan and have all the information about the upcoming year right on their phone. Others have created QR codes for art shows that display the artist’s name and background information. Some are embedded the codes in worksheets with a message or even the teacher’s contact information. How do you think they can be used? I am not saying that SMARTphones need to be in the classroom for this experiment, but instead QR codes could be used as follow-up to classroom instruction from home. Oh, the possibilities!

How do you do that?

How do you get started with QR codes? First, download a SMART phone app. I recommend RedLaser or QRafter. Next, practice scanning QR codes and then try to make your own. You have the option of linking your QR codes to a website, a video, a text , Google Map, email address, your contact information and even social networking websites. You can create QR codes from the app or use an online generator. There are tons of them! (Scan the image above for four online generators). One of the best pieces of advice I received when I went to my first presentation on QR codes was to make sure you put a label or hint on each code because over time, you will forget which is which and after the novelty wears off, a label with help the scanner. Most of all, experiment ideas for classroom use and share, share, share. I love when FREE innovations are also so simple.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

7 BILLION

2011-11-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

Since I’ve been aware of world population, we hovered in the 6 billion range. However, the predictions have been made that we would reach 7 billion this year and sure enough, it’s official. There are over 7 billion people on the face of the earth now! What does that mean? What impact does it have on all of us? What a great topic to discuss with our students! As we become increasingly more global in our communications, it is essential that our students have a sense of diversity and the uniqueness of the human race. On a worldwide level 19% of the 7 billion are Chinese, 17% are Indian and only 4% are Americans. Do you think our students have any awareness of our smallness in the world? This “tuesdays” is design to start a discussion on world population and to share some amazing tools that are FREE and wonderful.

A creative website

National Geographic is hosting a year-long series on 7 Billion. Through their magnificent magazine, website and now FREE app for the iPad, they are asking the deep questions, comparing languages, nationalities, religion, livelehoods, literarcy and much more. I highly recommend that you watch the 3 min. video on the 7Billion website with your students. It’s engaging, thought provoking and filled with “ah-ha” moments. For instance did you know that if all 7 Billion of us stood shoulder-to-shoulder, we would only fill the city of Los Angeles! That’s unreal. So, it’s not a problem of space that we are taking up, it’s balance. There are just too many people on earth who don’t even have proper drinking water. National Geographic has taken on an exemplary crusade to help us all become more aware of the needs posed by our 7 Billion milestone. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the site for great graphical representations of what 7 Billion people really means. Great job, National Geographic!

An image to share

This screen shot is an image of the iPad app that National Geographic is making available FREE for a limited time. I downloaded it tonight. It’s beautiful, interactive and amazing. Don’t miss out.

A proverb

“Although children are only 24 percent of the population, they’re 100 percent of our future and we cannot afford to provide any child with a substandard education.” Ed Markey

An encouragement

On October 31^st, the world population reached 7 billion. Obviously, there are many challenges that come with such a vast number, but I would like to encourage you to look just a little deeper on the National Geographic site because they are taking a most interesting proactive move to help with awareness and opportunities to make a positive difference. 7 Billion Actions is the sister site to 7 Billion where people are being connected in word, song, stories and tweets. Try to watch the original anthem that was recorded all over the world. It’s beautiful and inspiring. Share it with the students and have them make their own recording. What fun would that be! Even if you can’t orchestrate a song, everyone has a story. The site includes stories from all over the world and is encouraging us to “Add A Voice to It” also. Want a global project for the students? This could be just the global movement that could make a difference.

How do you do that?

How do you grasp a concept as large as 7 Billion? It’s the old adage: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Try to take one bite out of this huge concept. First, give the students the link to investigate at home and to discuss with their families. Next, poll them to see what they think the pressing issues are. Group them according to their responses and have them brainstorm solutions, possibilities and ideas. Next, introduce them to the 7 Billion Actions website and challenge them to share a story, submit a film, remix the anthem or even to join the conversation on Twitter. We all have a responsibility to make a world of 7 billion people a better place. Who knows? One of your students may have the answer!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Library 2.0

2011-11-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

When was the last time you visited your public library? Do you take your students to the media center for research or to take out books? I began wondering about the state of our libraries today and found some great “Quoteable Facts About America’s Libraries” from the ALA – American Library Association. Did you know that students make 1.5 billion visits to the school library media centers during the school year? That is 140 million more than attendances made to movie theatres in 2008. Did you know that research shows the highest achieving students attend schools with a well-staffed and well-funded library? However, it is also true that Americans spend over 20 times as much money on home video games ($21.3 billion) as they do on school library materials for their children ($1 billion). Libraries are the real lifeblood of our nation and the number one point of online access for people without internet connections at home, school or work. This “tuesdays” is dedicated to our faithful librarians in our public schools and public libraries as they compete with a media rich world.

A creative website

The future of libraries in a digital world is being discussed in a great new Ning community – Library 2.0. This worldwide network is for librarians and others interested in Library 2.0. The beauty of a Ning is that you can form small groups within the larger Librarian group that fit your interest. What really caught my eye this week was their Worldwide Virtual Conference (Library 2.011) that begins tomorrow and continues through Friday across all time zones. San Jose State University and the School of Library and Information Sciences are the founding sponsors of this FREE global virtual conference. There are already 5,500 participants from 151 countries signed up. Steve Hargadon, the founder of Classroom 2.0 and the Global Education Conference is the founding co-chair of the Library 2.011 conference. Steve hosts the popular FutureofEducation.com interview series, and has consulted on social media and education for PBS, Intel, Ning, Microsoft, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, CoSN, MERLOT, the U.S. State Department, the and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology. That’s a lot of advocacy for libraries all in one place. Wow.

An image to share

The National Library Symbol/Library Highway Sign –

Free download for everyone

A proverb

“Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest..” Lady Bird Johnson

An encouragement

With the increased use of school libraries and decreased funding, I would like to encourage you to thank a librarian today. One of the least appreciated positions in our school system is the media specialist/librarian. Many librarians have felt the economic crunch deeply with little or no new funding for books and a cut in staff. Tragically, many librarian positions are being removed with only a clerk to check out books. How sad. Crayola even has a certificate that you and your students can make for your school librarian! Random House asked their Twitter followers to show their librarians some love and tweet a thank you to the librarians that helped shape the readers they are today. Comments included: “Thank you for showing me how to research smarter and teaching me that I am capable of learning ANYTHING”, “Thank you for not judging me when I head to the children's section for some light reading.” and “Thank you for reading to me about Ralph S. Mouse and The Borrowers. You made my childhood magical.” Have you thanked your librarian today?

How do you do that?

How can you be part of the Worldwide Library 2.011 Virtual Conference? Go to the main conference site and first join the Ning community. It is a particularly safe and secure area and you will have to be approved before becoming a part of the conference and community, but it should only take a day. The conference is FREE and begins at 6:30am in California PST tomorrow. They are experiencing a most wonderful and unexpected consequence of this popular event. Blackboard Collaborate can only handle up to 700 participants in one session at a time. If you get “locked out” just know that all sessions will be recorded for viewing after the event. Some of the topics include: Being a library and information professional in the age of Twitter, iPhones and Facebook, Making and Sharing Book Trailers, and High School Book Clubs in a Digital World. Sign up, log on and enjoy the conference ubiquitously!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Edmodo

2011-10-25T21:04:00.000-04:00

Being a part of a community is so important. Think about the communities you have been a part of since you were little. Family, is obviously the most important, but so many other communities mold and shape us: our schools, our churches/youth groups, sororities/fraternities, Mom’s groups, Bible study/prayer groups and PLC/PLNs today (Professional Learning Communities/Professional Learning Networks). Learning to live/work within a community takes character and perseverance. The benefits are huge. When we bounce ideas off others or create works of art or presentations, the sense of accomplishment is heightened. The largest community today is Facebook which gives us the ability to reconnect and stay in touch in a most unique approach. So why is it that when our students come to school, our natural desire to live in community is so often discouraged? How can we take advantage of social communities without compromising the safety of our students. This “tuesdays” I would love to share an answer to this dilemma with enthusiasm and caution.

A creative website

Three years ago, Nic Borg and Jeff O'Hara, believed that they needed to change their school environment to reflect the connected world in which they lived by creating a tool that closes the gap between how students live their lives and how they learn in school. Their creation is Edmodo, a safe and easy way for classrooms to connect and collaborate, share content, and access homework, grades and school notices. I had the privilege to sit in on a presentation of the school district side of Edmodo this week and was very impressed with the ease of use and the intuitive interface (so Facebook like, which I’m sure they can’t say themselves). Edmodo promotes anytime, anyplace learning. Teachers can post messages, discuss classroom topics, assign and grade classwork, share content and materials, network and exchange ideas with their students and colleagues. Students are even able to upload homework, take part in discussions, earn badges and rewards and share their learning. Wow, what a concept! They have really done a great job creating a safe environment for learning.

An image to share

niallkennedy. "Community | Flickr - Photo Sharing!." Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. .

A proverb

“ It is vain to talk of the interest of the community, without understanding what is the interest of the individual.” Jeremy Bentham

An encouragement

Before I get you all excited to sign up for Edmodo, I want to encourage you to find out if your district supports it. Edmodo should only be used under the umbrella and permission of your school district because it is in that setting that you receive support and encouragement. Edmodo has a complete school district area of it’s FREE product that can be found at http://www.edmodo.com/institutions. It is critically important that you comply with the COOPA – Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act as a teacher or school personnel. Each district is held to a higher standard and all teachers needs to be compliant to online social interaction that is both safe and private. Edmodo for school districts is the way to go. I would encourage you to ask around in your district to see if they have signed up yet and if they have go for it! If they haven’t, begin the conversation because this tool can revolutionize learning in the classroom without a doubt. There are hundreds of school districts using Edmodo and thousands more considering its powerful impact.

How do you do that?

How do you get started with Edmodo? Let’s assume that you have done your research and have found that your district has authorized its use. Each teacher will receive a code to connect their account the district and then each student will receive a code from his/her teacher once they have created their class. Only those students who are in the class will see the postings and interactions of that class and only the teacher and student will see assignments, grades and comments. Parents can even have an account to see how their child is doing where they would have access to the interactions of their child and the teacher only. The best part is that it is ubiquitous – any time, any place and any pace real time learning. Schools are also able to manage and track usage and measure adaption and engagement. I recommend checking out their high quality introductory videos on their home page. Edmodo was made by teachers for teachers and has the potential for true student engagement, interaction and learning. Kudos to Nic and Jeff!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

LiveBinders are SO helpful

2011-10-18T19:56:00.000-04:00

Do you remember back in the 80’s and 90’s when our students had Trapper Keepers? It was a teacher’s dream-come-true because these wonderful binders helped students be organized and be cool at the same time. Just having a place to put your stuff and actually being able to find it again was one of the greatest middle school skills attainable. (I realize some of you were the students at the time – don’t laugh.) Being organized in our school life and home life make such a difference in our success rate. I’ve always been a three-ring binder girl until I went almost totally digital, but even with digital projects, one of the most important skills is to teach the students to put their creations in a folder system. Being digitally organized is a moving target online. We moved from saving bookmarks and favorites on our computers to online hosts like Delicious and Diigo to Symabaloo, but this week’s “tuesdays” I’m excited to share the best digital and visual organizational tool ever. Although I have featured LiveBinders before, I was very exciting to do a “train the trainer” model today for a teacher workshop this Friday. They are going to create school wide Binders and their principal is going to create a Binder of all their Binders in one place. What great insight.

A creative website

Like Back to the Future, LiveBinders has revitalized the Trapper Keeper system ubiquitously. In this increasingly paperless world, LiveBinders is the answer to those who need a “tab” system to get organized and those who really understand intellectually the reason not to print, but still print. LiveBinders will help anyone, any age to make that leap to a more paperless collection of information. It can easily be made into a TechBook for your students because not only does it contain a “tab” and “subtab” system for saving and organizing websites, you can even put your pdfs, jpgs, PowerPoints and Word documents in a Binder. I had been watching a few of my colleagues create some LiveBinders for their handouts after a presentation or to do an online class and thought it would be really fun to try. However, like all new programs, it seemed like a large learning curve at first so I didn’t feel I could take the time. This weekend however, I had the charge to create a website with my favorite resources for one of my schools and that gave me the motivation to try a LiveBinder. To my delight, it was amazingly simple and gave me the best platform ever for sharing resources. I liked how their Binder turn out so much that I duplicated it and made one for you. Please feel free to pass this Digital Resources LiveBinder along and let me know if you would like to see anything else added to it.

An image to share

Trapper Keeper by Mead (and still available for sale)

A proverb

“ A place for everything and everything in its place.” Benjamin Franklin

An encouragement

Now I know I encourage you to try new sites out a lot, but this one I am ecstatic about. LiveBinders is the ultimate Web 2.0 tool for teachers professionally and personally. I am writing about LiveBinders again because they has been more widely used over the last six months giving us many more samples to choose from. Please consider spending some time experimenting with the potential of LiveBinders. The most important aspect of LiveBinders to me is the richness of sharing. You can make your Binder private or public and even collaborate with another LiveBinder user. If you make your Binder public, you are also allowing others to copy your Binder. Imitation is the greatest compliment. I sure hope you make the time to try it and if you create a LiveBinder, please let me know so we can share.

How do you do that?

The best advice I can give you before you create your own LiveBinder is to use their sample Binder as a sandbox. Play around in it and once you become used to the tab system, then you are ready to make your own. Before you create a new one, it is worth your time to storyboard your framework and foundation of the basic Binder. Click around in other Binders available on the site to get an idea of what is possible and the unique layouts that others have created. I’m finding it so easy to add “just one more thing” that I had to quit. It was getting addictive. Spend some worthwhile time building your own LiveBinder or feel free to copy mine and tweek it to make it the foundation for your own resources. Kudos to the ladies who created LiveBinders and have made it FREE to us!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Science 360

2011-10-11T21:49:00.000-04:00

Science teachers are amazing. I have been working closely with six high school teachers in my district as a part of the Florida Digital Educator grant. We coordinate digital projects as part of their pacing guides and curriculum maps. Two of my six teachers’ students have just completed incredible original digital works. Most projects tend to be culminating activities to see how much the students understand, but our most recent effort was to introduce a unit on states of matter for Physics and cell structure for IB Biology. The students did the research, created citations downloaded editable clips from Discovery Education, muted the original narration, wrote scripts and then voiced over student understanding while creating an instructional video. What a great experience. The students were excited, they learned a lot and were totally engaged for 5 days. This is one of samples that blew me away – Cell Structure. This “tuesdays” is dedicated to everyone who loves Science teachers.

A creative website

One of my sharing colleagues, Debbie, sent me this great site today and I just knew I had to share it with you. Science 360 is where science teachers can get breaking science news from around the world and in-depth reports. Science 360 focuses on the latest developments in scientific research on a daily basis and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Each day a new “Chalk Talk” video is featured that could be easy used in the classroom. They are graphic, easy to understand and engaging. Today’s was on infrared and even I could understand it through video. I like the way they literally use the look of “chalk” in the short vignette. The site is organized into news from journals and magazines, picture of the day, The Discovery Files videos, breaking news, recovery stories and blogs to follow. It is brilliantly designed and easy to navigate. If you don’t teach science, please send this great site to your favorite science teachers today!

An image to share

Picture of the Day – Ice Waves

Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey

A proverb

“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.”

Edwin Powell Hubble, The Nature of Science, 1954

An encouragement

I really see this compilation of science news and resources as an opportunity for science literacy. Students need exposure to real-world studies and real science. They get excited about science in the real world and all of these breaking news articles can be springboard to challenge-based learning. What if one of these hot topics became a class project that the students could actually solve. Not only would they be engaged and interested, they may actually be able to make a difference. Even if the teacher felt they did not have time to address these issues in class, exposing students to this material could possibly open a door of opportunities to countless new scientists. This site could take the place of a weekly reader or other supplemental materials and the best part is that it is FREE! It’s the perfect place to combine science investigation, reading, writing and curiosity. I would like to encourage you to share this site with your students and put a little carrot out there for extra credit. In Social Studies, current events have been a natural part of investigating history. Science 360 makes it just as natural for the scientific mind.

How do you do that?

How do you use Science 360? Keep clicking. I was surprised to click on the Knowledge Network (a very tiny link next to Today’s Videos that is easy to miss). This area of the site is dedicated to the curious who are interested in the latest wonders of science, engineering, technology and math. It’s the perfect STEM initiative complete with tons of FREE videos that can even be embedded on personal websites, blogs and social networking pages. Science 360 is proud to engage the general public, science junkies and students alike in the cutting-edge discoveries and big science stories of the day. Although most of the resources are public domain the terms of use does state that some multimedia and images may be subject to copyright so please be sure to check on each digital asset separately. Thanks so much Debbie for sharing. Please share with your colleagues and, of course, your students!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

We love FREE!

2011-10-04T20:12:00.000-04:00

Teachers love FREE! At times it seems that there is no limit to teachers’ willingness to spend money on their students and their classrooms yet, as we all know, money is finite. It’s estimated that the average teachers spends $500 a year of their personal money on a variety of items in the classroom. Since it’s an average, there are far too many who spend much more than that. I love how the Florida Legislature recognized how liberal teachers are with their limited salary that they passed The Florida Teachers Lead Stipend in 1998 that gives $250 to each classroom teacher to help off set some of the expenses of classroom management. This is such an awesome gift to generous classroom teachers everywhere. We are most grateful to the Legislature for this gift. This “tuesdays” will highlight another great way teachers can take advantage of a generous gift - FREE resources.

A creative website

Studyladder is a FREE multi-grade, multi-disciplinary interactive website for elementary and middle school students. It covers mathematics, literacy, science, music, art, languages, culture, health, safety, citizenship and mastering numeracy. Studyladder has over 100,000 registered teachers and has made a commitment to teachers that their site will remain free to them. It has been created by teachers for teachers. What began in Australia with just 21 lessons has been expanded and adapted to over 20 countries. Studyladder has a plethora of video lessons, interactive games, worksheets, assessments and whiteboard activities for interaction in the classroom. Teachers can sign up for a free account that gives them the ability to track student progress and report success/deficiencies to the parent. It makes the perfect Homework Helper. Students love it because of the immediate feedback, bright colors and rewards/certificates. It is online learning at your fingertips.

An image to share

Berlin Metropolitan School classroom

A proverb

“Even after all this time,  

The sun never says to the earth,  

"You owe me."  

Look what happens with  

A love like that.  

It lights the whole sky.”

Hafiz of Persia

An encouragement

Studyladder is one of the fastest growing FREE resources available. I loved watching their LIVE statistics boasting 2,734,655 members and growing. Students have answered 599,573,253 correct questions. I would like to encourage you to introduce this site at an Open House or Parent Night for that eternal question from parents, “How can I help my child do better in school?”

Studyladder is the perfect answer because it is intuitive, interactive and easy to use because the kids think they are playing and the parents don’t need a manual to figure out what to do. It’s one of the great gifts teachers can give to parents without having to spend any money out-of-pocket. There is even a Mathethon Community Fundraiser section that helps schools to raise funds that actually remain at the school. Studyladder is a gift!

How do you do that?

How do you get started with Studyladder? You will need to sign up for an account and be a true classroom teacher. It will ask you for minimal information, but it will ask you to identify your school to verify giving a FREE account. There are paid subscriptions for private and homeschool use, but the cost is as little as $88 a year for a whole family of homeschoolers that it’s so worth it. Once you have created your account, you can enroll students and begin challenging them to earn rewards and certificates. The teacher account can run reports and statistics that can be shared with parents. Studyladder’s main goal is to supply students with a safe learning environment that can be supervised and monitored by parents and teachers. I am always so amazed at what is available to us on the Internet today. Great job, Studyladder!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Digital Projects

2011-09-27T20:02:00.000-04:00

Working with students in an inquiry-based setting is amazing. One of my teachers and I are doing a great “hands-on digital” project that has given them (and me!) the opportunity to make deep connections between atoms, molecules and their structure. Vonnie let them choose a molecule randomly and I taught them how to research, paraphrase and create citations. Today, they got the chance to build their molecules by hand and take 30-50 stop-action images from above, around, below and any angle imaginable. I have never been a scientist, but I have learned more science in the past three days than in all of my life by building and digitizing my creation. Thanks, Vonnie. This “tuesdays” is dedicated to teachers who LOVE to pass the gift of curiosity, exploration and reasoning on to their students and share with others.

A creative website

This is probably going to sound strange that I chose Facebook as my creative website of the week, but I got more suggestions from teachers in FB than email, blogs and other websites. About three weeks ago, I posted this: "Need some help for my science teachers. Does anyone know how to create digital 3D models of molecules that high school students could make?" What fun. I got lots of comments and great ideas. Thanks to Rick and Glen because I combined their ideas for our project. “Hands-on digital” is a phrase that Patti coined for us and a great way to describe this project. The students are building their molecular structure with some cool kits that Vonnie had and then “digitizing” them. The images will be imported into Movie Maker to create an adaptation clay animation with a voice over narration of their findings on their molecule. Vonnie will have a class library of instructional videos of over 30 molecules! Sharing ideas in Facebook has been an incredible way to stay creative and connected. Teachers, ask for ideas from your peers. It’s fun to see how willing everyone is to share.

An image to share

Fructose molecule created and digitized by Karen C. Seddon

A proverb

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs

An encouragement

I completely understand the dilemma that teachers are in now to make sure they are working within the pacing guides, working around testing windows and having curriculum prescribed. Yet, the irony is that when being observed, teachers are supposed to show students doing inquiry-based-lessons with hands-on interaction. It is my greatest hope that teachers will embrace digital projects like the one we are doing now that not only fulfills the requirements of the pacing guide, but helps students develop their own learning through inquiry, research, respecting intellectual property and creating a product. The model of molecules project was already a great project, but by stepping it up a notch with digitization, the teacher and students have a video library that can be preserved. Students who were absent or are unable to do this project can watch the videos for enrichment or remediation. If you want to try a digital project and have never done one before, please get help and seek advice from those who have had successful experiences. You can avoid a lot of pitfalls by asking for systems and management techniques. Anything that is worth it, takes time and energy. Students creating digital projects is worth it!

How do you do that?

How do you celebrate the inquiring mind? Find a local issue in your community. Introduce the problem to your students and challenge them to solve it. This means of personalizing learning is called Challenge Based Learning. Students will take the challenge when they believe that what they have to say matters. They are more than capable of solving some of our major environmental and political issues because they are neither emotionally involved nor bureaucratically immersed. Can you imagine how powerful it would be if each class or school took on a local issue and help our communities solve the problem with a fresh, youthful solution? Standards can still be address, curriculum can still be met and problems can be solved. Students involved in this type of project-based learning remember the experiment as long as they live. Probably, the best advice I can give it to have a plan for x amount of days (with the flexibility to extend one more day because it almost always takes longer than you think) and start small for the first one. Instead of having each student present in front of the room, make the videos or presentations available and have them peer review in small groups or gallery walk style. The best case scenario would be to make them available online for a much wider audience and the quality of the projects will definitely become much more excellent. Thanks to all of you would helped mold this project idea for Vonnie and her students.

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,

Go2Web2.0

2011-09-20T22:42:00.000-04:00

It is always fun to work with educators in other districts because no matter where I go, teachers love to share. I think that is what makes ours such a unique profession. Why not help another teacher with content or an activity or website that will impact their students? What is particularly wonderful to me is that even when we use something that some one else has given us, we almost always have to “tweek” it to make it our own. Today I was in a very progressive school district in the suburbs of Houston and they are some of the greatest sharers I have ever met. Their district has encouraged them to try new programs, Web 2.0 tools and even Facebook and YouTube to help make learning more meaningful. They have even implemented policies for students to use their own digital tools (laptops, iPads, cell phones, etc). With so many options available to them, it can be overwhelming, but one of their instructional specialists shared this great directory with me that I just had to pass on to you. Thanks, Julie!

A creative website

There are so many search engines that organize sites, but today was the first time I saw Go2Web2.0. This very intuitive website let’s you go click crazy and create combinations of search possibilities to examine what some of the newest, most popular and little known Web 2.0 sites are available. Go2Web2.0 works a lot like a directory in the sense it has a layout for all its matching records. What makes it so unique is that it is dynamic giving the “clicker” an opportunity to interact with its endless search possibilities. I could get really lost in here because there are just SO many Web 2.0 sites that I never heard about (and I’m always looking!). This is so typical of what is happening to teachers because the good news is that we have SO much to choose from and the bad news is that we have SO much to choose from. What’s the solution? K.I.S.S – Keep It Simple Sweety. Just try a few, in fact, just try one. There is no one who can keep up with it all, but it sure is fun to try new interactive opportunities, especially if it will help our students to engage in their learning more. Give Go2Web2.0 a try. It’s free, it’s fun and it’s engaging.

An image to share

The World Wide Web Around Wikipedia

A proverb

“Good designers can create normalcy out of chaos; they can clearly communicate ideas through the organizing and manipulating of words and pictures.” Jeffrey Veen

An encouragement

What have you shared lately? What idea, lesson plan or new website have you shared with a colleague? One of the greatest compliments in teaching is having someone want to replicate what you are doing. It’s really a great feeling, too. I want to encourage you to find one thing that you do in your classroom that has worked well with your students to share it with someone else. It could be a teacher on your team, a colleague in another grade level or even a total stranger. Sharing ideas helps us step out of our comfort zone and affords us the ability to give back. Who knows? You may be helping just the right person at just the right time. If you can’t think of anyone in particular, put your idea in the comments below. Although you may never know who uses your idea, sharing is one of the greatest outreaches we have as teachers.

How do you do that?

How do you use Go2Web.20? There are just a few simple steps:

Go to the main website where you will find the directory.
Click the side panel for suggested searches, or
Type in a key word (writing, reading, math, etc)
Click on any of the thumbnails to visit some of these intriguing sites.
Click the blog tab if you are interested in learning more
Join the membership role (or not!)

I know, for sure, that I will be returning to Go2Web20 often for fresh ideas and websites to share. Thanks again, Julie!

As always, I am

Ubiquitously yours,