Snapshots of Learning

Replace Completion with Creation

2011-05-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

Packets, Worksheets, Study guides…call them what you will, and yes we all have had them inflicted upon us. For years, teachers who were more concerned with “covering” material instead of “uncovering” passions relied on these excruciatingly tedious methods of “learning” that, in my opinion hold very little to do with learning. I cannot think of a better way of turning off students to great poetry than to have them write answers to questions posed my teachers, or look up and transcribe dictionary definitions to words that will probably never enter their lexicon.

I must admit that, yes, I too, passed out those packets in English classes. And like many gray-haired teachers, I remember a time when certain limitations did not allow us to do a whole lot more; the goal was to get them ready for the “test.” However, many educators are coming to grips with the fact that we owe our students much more than that.

The problem stemmed from a “completion” mind set. We thought that the primary purpose of an assignment was so students could show proficiency. However, as the “modified” Bloom’s Taxonomy shows ups, the pinnacle of learning and thinking is manifested through “creation.” When I began teaching, “creation” was limited to making posters, or for those few who had the means and the skills, creating a VHS video.

These limitations no longer exist, but many teachers are still operating in an “analog” world while kids can learn and create digitally. Right now. Don’t get me wrong; “creation” and “technology” are NOT fused together. Just ask any fine arts teacher… all they do is have their students create. However, a novel, student-centered, creation-based classroom can be more of a reality than ever before. This structural change allows us to assess Learning Targets in a more organic, realistic method. Instead of checking “completion” we can assess learning by how it is displayed in projects. This does, however require us all to rethink our original Learning Targets to reach beyond our original, short-sighted intentions. If not, and we begin using these slick applications available now, is yet another example of a “digital fix for an analog classroom.”

But how do we go about developing these “creation” opportunities for kids? One of the most important decisions is to avoid making the assignment “tool specific.” How often have teachers started a unit with “for this project, you will all create a Powerpoint.” First off, the introduction and the focus should be content related, and second of all, unless it is a tech course that requires proficiency in software, why limit your students? Your learning targets should focus on what you want students to do and should not be geared toward software. Perhaps a student likes using Prezi, or has had experience with Keynote. The bottom line is that tools need to be student selected. I use Photo Story 3 to create Digital Storytelling projects, but if a student has a Mac, why not use iMovie. What if another student has used Voicethread and has a comfort level with it? There are some limitations, however. The application must have the ability to achieve what is expected. Because of its emphasis on visual flash rather than story or content something like Animoto or Stupeflix would not be a good choice. Always be wary of “wow” tools that do not afford much learning for students. Here are my views on Animoto.

To illustrate here are some examples from my school of more “Creation” applications:

Health Class: Students select a non-communicable disease (diabetes, ALS, Alcoholism, etc) that has affected them personally. Create a Digital Story telling the struggles of a family member, and include research on the disease.

Digital Photography: Create a photo blog chronicling the photos you have created. Have students follow each other and comment on images. Later, this can be used a s a portfolio for college.

Literature class: Students select a poem and create a movie that focuses on themes motifs of poem. The only narration is the reading of the poem itself.

Chemistry: Students create a poster-sized document of research or an experiment they’ve done. Posters are then placed throughout the school. It’s done in college all the time, why not in high school?

Biology: Multi Needs Classes: Using something like Scrapblog, multi-needs students do research on specific animals and create an online scrapbook. These are then shared with classmates to learn about other animals.

Health class (yes, another one) Students studying Digital Citizenship, create an online poster to share with grade school students via Edmodo. The grade school then respond back and ask questions.
At this time it would be expected--no, cliché--to supply you with a list of “creation” tools. I will resist that urge. There are tools out there, and I trust you can find them. But before you do that, think about what you want your kids to do. Chances are, they can find the tools as well.

Practicing Digital Citizenship

2011-03-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

Like many states, here in Illinois students are required to receive a certain number of hours each year dedicated to Internet Safety. While the idea is noble, the parameters are quite sketchy. I have heard about schools having “Internet Safety Day” or some such “special” occasion. It reminded me of the Andy Hardy movies and the obligatory “Let’s put on a show, kids!” As many of you probably believe, shouldn’t every day be internet safety day? Too often these “occasions” serve no purpose other than compliance; very little learning occurs.

One of my duties is to develop our Internet safety curriculum here at my school. We have designated sophomore health class to focus on preventing and protection from Cyberbullying. It would be part of their “personal safety” unit. Since this topic is so important, I didn’t dare trivialize this with a mere dissemination of information. Instead I would like to explain what we are doing:

First, I replaced “Cyberbullying” with “Digital Citizenship.” I mean, do we call a reading class illiteracy? Next, we had to devise a lesson that would be meaningful to students and help make a difference. For the past couple of years I have been advocating that teachers develop writing situations that have an authentic audience and purpose. Let’s face it, most “audiences” are teachers (who have to read it any way) and the purpose is to get the grade, right? What we decided to do was have our students look at an essential question and research some foundation questions. Here’s what we came up with:

What does it mean to be a Digital Citizen?
What is Cyberbullying?
How can I protect myself from Cyberbullies?
How can I become a model Digital Citizen?

Using a variety of resources students would research these questions and create…something. But what? Before we decided on what, we had to decide on an essential element: audience. Wouldn’t it be great if our sophomore students could help younger kids understand how to safely navigate cyberspace? Imagine how a fifth grader would respond to tuteledge from someone a few years older…as compared to a teacher.

Through Twitter, I have fond nearly 20 elementary and middle school teachers who will participate in this endeavor. By using Edmodo, our students will write, Glog, and video messages to these grade school students. Then, the younger kids can respond or ask questions of their “cyber mentor.” The final step will be for the older kids to respond back to the younger ones dispaying Good Digital Citizenship.

Sure beats having an internet safety fair.

If you teach grades 5-7 and would like to participate, please fill out this form.

As the project continues, I will post how we are progressing. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to this.

Now More than Ever: Be a Teacher

2010-12-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

Let me know if this sounds familiar: A tech-skeptical teacher decides to sally forth into the world of technology and is less than pleased with the outcome of the lesson, and invariably blames the technology on the failure of the lesson. As a result, the teacher retreats back into the comfort of previous teaching methods, and will likely be even more hesitant about trying something new, despite the success of peers.

Ironically, the cause of this usually stems from the skeptical teacher giving technology too much credit, and frequently abandoning teaching methods they would otherwise use in a not-tech setting. Some of the best innovative teachers have learned that the outcomes and pedagogy are the driving force behind the lesson, and that the technology merely supports it. In other words, “Great teachers don’t need technology, but technology needs great teachers.”

Another misconception is that technology becomes a “distraction” and needs to be removed to get kids back “on task.” More often than not, what are perceived as “problems with technology” are really classroom management issues. Below are some examples of actual statements made by teachers along with some positive responses:

How can I do my lesson in class when kids are surfing to all these sites? We need to block more! If you are doing a bit of direct instruction, have kids turn off monitors. If they are still surfing for pleasure instead of working toward your learning targets (I am hoping you articulated the learning targets for them!) perhaps you need to rethink your learning targets. Do the students find the activity relevant? What can they gain by completing the task? Consider including your class on the decisions about what you will accomplish.

Why bother posting assignments on line. Kids just ask for the assignment. My first question is, “Why do you give it to them?” To change behavior and create more of a digital paperless environment, make sure that if you supply information on line, that you give them no other option. Obviously, extenuating circumstances exist, and we would never want to deny students, but those exceptions are few and far between.

These Digital Stories are just glorified slide shows. Most of the creation of TRUE Digital Stories can be done with virtually no technology. Focus more on powerful narration and sharing, selecting appropriate images, and working on the synergy between the story and the pictures. By the way…stay away from programs like Animoto and Stupeflix (Missing hyperlinks intentional).

These discussion boards are artificial…kids wait until the last day and just post whatever. To what is the discussion board leading? Are kids posting simply to receive points? A discussion is as artificial (or authentic) as the questions asked. Do the questions and responses help lead to solving a larger problem or creating meaning? Have you posted the questions to consider or do they start the threads? Did you spend time on forming discussion questions? Have you shown models of great posts?

I hate these wikis. All kids do is copy and paste, there’s no collaboration. Make sure the assignment lend itself to creation as opposed to regurgitation. How big are the groups? Cooperative Learning pedagogy tells us to ensure Individual Accountability the teacher needs to form small groups…say, 3 students, for example. Also, have you designated roles? One of the best way to infuse Positive interdependence is by assigning roles, and focusing on a goal for students. Here’s another idea: instead of the project merely being “turned in” devise a massive “jigsaw” so the information on the projects is something needed by the rest of the class.

These Powerpoints are awful. All kids are doing is reading off the screen…and they’re boring. The first mistake some teachers make is to begin by saying, “This week you are going to do a Powerpoint.” Instead, start with “You are going to prepare a presentation. The prep for a speech or a presentation should be done well ahead of opening Powerpoint. Too often kids (and adults) are so reliant on the Powerpoint that it serves merely as a teleprompter. Remember, speakers: YOU are the focal point, and the Powerpoint helps the audience, not you. The other suggestion is to use the Presentation Zen model, which focuses on the use of images and greatly reducing the amount of text on a the screen.

All kids want to do is go to Youtube. Can you blame them? Aside from the entertainment value more people are realizing what an incredible educational resource Youtube can be. Perhaps you can design a lesson that requires students to search for, or dare I say, create a movie that could benefit peers.

Clearly, a pattern is developing. First, what some people mistakenly view as “tech distractions” are actually classroom management issues. Second, without sound pedagogy, the technology itself takes center stage, and the lesson is reduced to functional literacy of the tool. Great teaching transcends beyond this and uses the tools and application towards attaining a higher goal. Third, students must see relevance in what they are doing. If we can devise those important “compelling why’s” for students, and give them the means to create, and eventually “own” their learning, then we’re on the right track.

Leaving the Office for the Cloud

2010-10-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

This fall, we have had more students, teachers and administrators use Google Docs in lieu of Word, Powerpoint and Excel. Two factors seem to be driving this migration—first, with a stronger emphasis on collaboration in most districts, Google Docs allows for a more seamless venue for multiple writers. Second, “cloud” computing, as we know, does not constrain us to networks, jump drives, or emailing documents—we can access them anywhere. Many of my colleagues see Google Docs as a great “addition” to their digital arsenal.

But what about a replacement?

I received a call from the tech director of one of our feeder districts who posed that exact question. She discovered that discontinuing their current Office contract with Microsoft would save her tiny district $20,000 annually. Instead, she proposed, they adopt the Google Apps for Educators and use Google Docs as their primary software for word processing, presentations, and spreadsheets. When she surveyed her district the response was explosive. “Absolutely not!” was the resounding cry. Although I empathized with the tech director’s frustration, I also understood the position of the staff. And thinking about it prompted me to ponder, “Could we do that here?” Could two high schools, 6,000 students, and 400 teachers live a digital life on the “cloud?”

Why go to the cloud (Google Docs):
• More cost efficient: no need to purchase additional software

• Reduce server dependence

• No limit of space

• Easy access from anywhere

• Collaboration and individual creation become seamless

• Simpler interface

Why Stay in the Office:
• More robust support

• More sophisticated applications

• More universally accepted

• Perceived improved security

• Not reliant on an internet connection
With regard to the cloud being more cost efficient, there is Open Office, which is, in essence, a free download of “Office-like” software, and if you want to collaborate with word there is Office Live, which uses existing Microsoft Office products in a collaborative environment. These “hybrids” can also be considered.
At this point I would like your feedback. Please respond to this quick survey. I will discuss results on my next post.

Is Powerpoint Still Killing Us?

2010-10-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

By now, many of you have seen the hilarious and oh-so-true Don McMillan video “Death By Powerpoint,” and, I must admit, presentations I have seen lately are noticeably improved. I have witnessed a decrease in the frequency of distracting transitions, complex graphics and row upon row of bullet points. Unfortunately, this practice has not seemed have filtered down into the classroom. While there are many great tutorials on what and what not to do in Powerpoint, I think we are missing the mark on some of the essentials we need to teach kids about Powerpoint--the most abused software in education. Here are six suggestions to get kids on the right track:

Model behavior If you are using Powerpoint to convey information to your students, hold yourself to the same expectations as you would your students. If you, as a teacher, make use of PowerPoints that are screen upon screen of microscopic text, I have one question: Is Powerpoint the best means to achieve this? Wouldn’t a Word file, web page, or PDF online achieve this better? If you do use Powerpoint make sure the slides are engaging, thought provoking and add to your message instead of become the message.

Call it a “presentation” not a “Powerpoint” We’ve all seen the assignments that begin with “You will create a five minute POWERPOINT.” Your students’ primary goal is NOT to create a Powerpoint, it’s to convey a message. Downplay (ignore?)the role of the software during the research and preparation phases. Have students focus on content and delivery first, then include the Powerpoint as a means to help convey the message.

“Post” a webpage, not a Powerpoint Keep in mind that a Powerpoint was designed to complement a live presentation. Unfortunately, many use it as a self-contained means of conveying information. If a Powerpoint can stand alone with lines and lines of text, chances are, when it was presented, very few people were paying attention to the speaker, and instead, were reading. If the purpose is to create a document for people to READ at their leisure, is Powerpoint the best method? I don’t think so.

Learn and Promote “Presentation Zen” Without a doubt, Garr Reynolds has had the most positive effect on combating “Powerpoint abuse” in recent memory. His emphasis on simplicity and incorporating powerful images has created a paradigm shift in multimedia presentations.

Put restrictions on text, not slides In an attempt to reduce reliance on the software, teachers place restrictions on the number of slides students use. This usually results in the cramming of data on to individual slides, which results in an even more confusing presentation. Instead, lift the restrictions on the number of slides and instead impose limits on text per slide. In keeping with Presentation Zen, a great image or graphic coupled with a phrase or even a single word can be much more powerful.

Teach visual literacy Recently, I saw a rubric for a project that included images as one of the criteria. The requirements were: “4 images=A, 3 images =B…”and so on. Unfortunately, some teachers want kids to incorporate images but don’t hold them as accountable as they do for text. Start with things as simple as placement of images on the page, positioning of text, and cropping images keeping in mind the “rule of thirds.” Then you can have students advance to artistic considerations including line, color, rhythm, contrast, and form. Here is a great video interview by Martin Scorcese on the importance of teaching Visual Literacy.

Note that these suggestions have less to do with how to manipulate the program and more to do with why it’s being used in the first place. We must emphasize that what’s on the screen should not upstage the person in front of us.

Embrace the Mess

2010-09-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

We like to use catch phrases in education. How far can you read without coming across these: collaboration, project-based learning, formative assessment, authentic audience, or student-centered classroom. It seems that for many, these phrases become empty vessels--elaborate and impressive, but containing little depth. Too often we talk in theory and assume that educators can fill in the details. I would like to share how I added flesh to these phrases in my sophomore English classroom (These methods can be applied to any discipline).

First, let me say that I am not a big fan of final exams in high school. Instead, I would prefer to see a Final Project. Assessing growth and learning is much more valid when measuring the development of a project over several weeks than on a ninety-minute test. Here’s what I did:

There were six weeks left of school, and one novel left to read: Lord of the Flies. Now, as much as I love teaching literature, Lord of the Flies is not on my top ten list to teach. Yes, I do realize the literary merit, but always struggled teaching the book. I decided to take this opportunity to try something different. Instead of a final exam, the students would complete a final project, where I would assess their skills on what I felt was important. I wanted them to do a project that would measure their success in:

· Cooperative learning
· Literary Analysis
· Inquiry Research
· Text marking
· Reading for purpose
· Peer teaching
· Literature circles
· Collaborative writing
· Creating a multi-media research project
· Proper documentation and citation

I began by placing students in heterogeneous groups of three, and passed out copies of Lord of the Flies. To each group, I gave a slip of paper with one of the following phrases:

· Freudian Psychology
· Biblical Allusions
· Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs
· Biography of Golding
· Allegory
These represented the five themes I would have “covered” in a more traditional teaching of the novel. I then told them that they were going to read the book on their own, with support from their group, through the lens of the particular theme or motif on the slip of paper. When they text marked (which they had done all year) it was to be from the perspective of that particular lens. Whenever they chose, they could meet to discuss issues in the book and help make meaning. There would be no study guide, no quizzes, and no vocabulary lists. The final product was to create a scholarly article online analyzing the particular theme and how it was illustrated in the text. We used a wiki as a vehicle to create these articles. Students were permitted to use whatever resources they could find, add appropriate, helpful images, and provide links to other related articles. In addition, groups were to supply two foundation questions relating to specific issues raised in the article. They were not to supply answers.
At first, the kids were a bit shocked. I had always tried to promote independence and developed activities that afforded them some autonomy…but not THIS much. As the weeks progressed, students read, discussed, researched, discussed some more and even consulted groups with the same theme in other classes via an online discussion board. They learned, struggled, disagreed, negotiated, and learned more; it was a messy six weeks. At certain times I gave them feedback directly on their wiki, suggesting ideas, praising good work, and posing questions, always posing questions.

The time came when the books were read, articles were written and foundation questions were asked. But what about a final assessment? Students needed to be well versed in all the themes. Students were to read the articles of the other groups and answer their foundation questions. What was created was a network of “experts” in one area who shared their expertise with the rest of a class; it resembled a “jigsaw on steroids.” The students were given three days to read, review, ask questions of each other via discussion boards or directly on the wiki. What I found was that during this phase, students had to defend their positions on the articles they wrote, which were often called into question by the other students. Of course I encouraged them to revise based on any new ideas they had. Yes, this was a messy three days as well. What a wonderful mess.

What I found is that through this process, students gained a much deeper understanding, asked more important questions, and spent more time researching than I had ever experienced before. Even after the assessments were collected, students still questioned, discussed, and defended views about the book, and human nature. When I surveyed the students afterwards, phrases like “hard work,” “on my own,” “worked to make,” and “I really understood,” kept popping up.
As I look back, I have never gotten such a response with using study guides, quizzes, and vocabulary lists. I will admit it was the hardest I had ever worked on an “independent” study project. What I found was that I was able to assess far more learning targets than I could with a timed test. Messy? Yes. Was it worth the mess? What do you think?

Lighting the Fire

2010-09-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

This week I was asked to speak to the District science teachers. The topic: "21st Century Collaboration." Hmm. A dilemma. I don't know about you, but I've had about enough of "21st Century" in the title of anything. I mean, what else should we be doing? We only have 90 years left in this century. "collaboration." OK...that's in my wheel house...Cooperative Learning trainer...wiki master.

The eyes of my audience were a kaleidescope of emotions. Anticipation, and excitement as well as skepticism and, yes, dread permeated. Can you say "Differentiated instruction?"

The faces turned to wonder, relief and intrigue as the conversation went on.

I spoke very little about technology. Instead we talked about "authentic audience," and "meaningful purpose." We talked about "inquiry" and "Positive Interdependence," and how learning science cannot be bridled by the walls of a school. We talked about "Wouldn't it be great to work with some kids near Ottawa, Illinois, who live on the banks of the Illinois river, infested with Asian carp, and get video, data, and first-hand experience on invasive species. How about getting in contact with professors and researchers from institutions around the country. Fermilab is right down the road...but why stop there. The excitement grew with the potential of how their classes could change. Then the moment I waited for arrived: "But how can we do this?"

THEN we talked about technology.

The Myth of Classroom Discussion

2010-09-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

“Class discussion on…” How many times have you written that on a lesson plan? Here’s another question: how many of those sessions are truly “discussions”? In real situations I know of no discussions that include one person directing questions to a large group of people who raise hands, competing to be the first to answer. True class discussions are rare. I have seen it done well by a few teachers in my school. The class is organized in a big circle, and more often than not, the teacher is outside of that circle, merely moderating. Discussion skills take practice too. If you circle the wagons and expect kids (at any age) to conduct a scholarly discussion on their own, you may be disappointed. While this scenario is closer to “discussion,” two problems still exist. First, only those who are socially assertive participate, and second, due to the competition to be fast, responses are often half-baked and brief.

So what’s the solution? Cooperative groups can encourage a higher participation rate—it’s hard to hide in a group of three. The problem is that often some great ideas are lost within the group and not shared with the whole class.

Enter discussion boards.

OK, discussion boards arent as sexy and new as some other applications discussion boards hold many advantages over class conversations. Since they are asynchronous, participants have time to respond; there is no pressure to “compete” with other students to answer quickly. Another advantage of asynchronous communication is that it often results in more thoughtful, thorough responses. A study done in 2006 revealed that asynchronous writing produced richer, morwe thoughtful responses than did synchronous writing (Mobrito). Also, because of the permanence, participants can read and reread posts to avoid misinterpretation.

Because of their egalitarian nature, discussion boards allow opportunity or all students. I was always pleasantly surprised to see some very thoughtful responses from students normally “quiet” in the classroom. Perhaps those students were not as vocal, or they preferred to have time to process the ideas to formulate insightful responses. Either way, the discussion board encourages thoughtful participation from everyone.

Using discussion boards allow teachers to assess social skills as well as the content. Give students a set of protocols for posting on discussion boards. Make sure when responding that they acknowledge the previous response and if they disagree, that they criticize the idea, not the person. It’s also a good idea that students are aware that they are to post using standard English; this isn’t a chat room (LOL).

Some teachers may argue that they don’t have the time to post, review, and respond to discussion board. True, if discussion boards are added on to an existing curriculum, time becomes very limited. Consider this: perhaps the discussion boards are replacing some other activities that are more teacher centered. Perhaps you can “selectively abandon” some other activities. (Translation: lose the worksheets).
Once you set up the discussion board the teacher include a few other structures to ensure success. First, you must determine your role in the discussion. Will you participate? Are you starting all threads and letting them respond? Will you assign student moderators for discussions? Ideally, the more students “own” the discussion, the more authentic, but you may need to be a presence at least in the beginning. Next you must determine the topics of discussion. Make sure that the focus is on open-ended questions that encourage debate, dissention, and controversy; the idea is to encourage students to support answers, and listen to dissenting opinions.

Equitable participation is often another caveat. One solution is to break down the discussions into smaller groups, that way each person is responsible for a larger percentage of the discussion. Another possibility is to require minimum posts for “credit.” While I am loath to do this, I did find the need to tell students to “start at least one new thread” and “post at least three responses.” While this is admittedly, a bit artificial, it was a good way to get students started. Ideally, the discussion leads to meaning that will be required for another project; the motivation stems from the idea that “I need this discussion board to learn X.”
If you are not sure where to start, many web applications contain discussion boards. Ning, Moodle, and Wikispaces each has discussion board capabilities.

Many forward-thinking educators preach the need to develop more student-centered classrooms. To do so, students need to “own” the learning and have the opportunity to use take advantage of learning spaces outside of the classroom walls. Purposeful use of discussion boards is one way to achieve this.

Four Faces

2010-09-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with technology.

Three years ago I was a sophomore English teacher. The significance is that for the first time in my career there are no students in the halls who know me as their current of former teacher. While I love my current position there is a bit of sadness in this thought. So last week, when I walked down the main hall I smiled when I noticed that in the pictures of the “2010 Seniors of the Year” the visage of a former student was smiling back at me. Josh was named the Speech and Communications Senior of the Year: no small task in a school with ten state speech championships in the last eleven years. I knew he was a talented speaker, and was a joy to have in class, and I must admit, my chest swelled a bit knowing that I was his sophomore English teacher. Then I came back to reality when I remembered that we were blessed with Jan Heiteen, one of the top speech coaches in the nation.

My eyes scanned the pictures until they met another familiar face; Casey was named top PE student. I remember Casey’s happy, hard-working demeanor as well as the accolades she received as a top cross country runner. But this wasn’t sports…it was P.E. Often times, athletes have a blasé attitude towards P.E.; their physical exertion was saved for their sport, not P.E. class. Yet here was Casey, recognized for her leadership and exemplary behavior. The same behavior she exhibited in my class--every day.

I scanned another row, and…what do you know. Roxana: “Student of the Year” for Family and Consumer Science. Like Casey and Josh, Roxana was also a “pleasure to have in class” (How’s that for a cliché). I did some work with Roxana’s senior Intro to Teaching class last year. It was rewarding to see her blossom into a poised, articulate, enthusiastic teaching candidate (She is thankfully majoring in elementary education now), after knowing her as an effervescent sophomore.

Wow Three of my students were “seniors of the year” unless…

There was Amanda. Shy, hard-working Amanda, named Special Services Student of the Year. My thoughts went back to seventh period sophomore “Skills” (always hated that term) three years ago. Amanda: always making eye contact, always pen in hand, always careful notes, always smiling when I said good bye at the end of the period.

Four. I had four students on the board. No small feat considering we have over 3,000 students, and nearly thirty English teachers. As I walked down the hall, my pride was tempered with two thoughts. First, while all receiving good grades, none of them were necessarily the best writers I had in class. Second, Could it be that perhaps I was the one who was fortunate to have them?

Please do not think that the purpose of this post is to gloat over something that, frankly, I didn’t earn. The point is this: we teachers, especially in the fragmented world of high schools, often look at our students through the lens of our discipline.After all, I wasn’t teaching honors sophomore English. I had two sections of “regular” and two of “Skills.” We have to remember, though, that an “average” math student might be a brilliant writer; a struggling history student might be an accomplished cellist. And the list goes on.

Josh, Casey, Roxana, and Amanda were part of the “last class” I taught, and I was fortunate to have these special kids. My only regret is that it took pictures on a wall for me to realize how talented and truly remarkable these kids are. We all need to keep that in minds with all of our students.

Bulging Pockets

2010-08-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Like most edubloggers, this post is sort of a “back-to-school” one. However, instead of offering a motivational charge, I would like to share with you an account of a very encouraging day I had last week.

Last Wednesday morning I led the annual new teacher training. I am allotted three hours to get new teachers up and running on our system at school. You know, logins, email, grade book…essentials, but not necessarily translating to student achievement. This year I decided to get through the mechanics as quickly as possible, and use our remaining time to work with teachers on how to develop a more student-centered classroom, and how to use some of our available applications to change the way our kids learn. The morning was the most successful session we’d had. Their eyes widened and their enthusiasm rose when they realized this wouldn’t be a “how to” tech session. Instead, once the group opened up, it became a sharing of ideas which would result in actual change. I was also pleased to see that many of these “new” teachers were quite adept at many of the applications we used. My confidence swelled when a show of hands revealed that many of them already had Google accounts, used social bookmarking, and some were already blogging. And the best news yet? Not all of them were fresh out of college. The age of the “new” teachers ranged from early twenties to, well, as old as I am. So much for “Digital Natives.”

After the meeting I was stopped by my associate principal. He was wondering if I could help staff with Learning Teams. Two years back, we adopted the DuFour model of a Professional Learning Community. He had said that teachers were frustrated with the limited time they had in meeting face to face with Learning Teams, and needed to know how to create some new “learning spaces” (HIS term) to allow access and promote a more 24-7 chance to work on sharing ideas and creating common assessments. He wanted to know if I could teach the staff how to utilize applications such as existing tools in our content management system as well as Google Docs, Forms, and Moderator. Hmm, a chance to do systemic training? Count me in.

Later that day, I met with a journalism teacher who, wanted to do what was best for her students, and develop a paperless, online school newspaper. She started with “I can’t, in good conscience, teach journalism in an archaic form.” She told me what she wanted, and we worked together to develop a way that her student staff could develop the school newspaper completely on line, including podcasts, and the ability to have the rest of the school comment on articles… all within our existing content management system.

This day just kept getting better and better.

Before I left, I decided to check my email. I saw a message from a teacher, previously on the technophobic side. She wanted to take all of the Effective Reading classes, put them in a group together that would allow them to write book reviews which other students could read, comment, and decide themselves whether they too wanted to read those books. She never mentioned the word “blog” but it didn’t matter. These kids would be writing for an authentic audience and purpose and would be responding, sharing and critiquing on line.

Someone pinch me.

Please understand that my purpose is not to brag about the teachers in my school; I am sure you have these same “pockets” of teachers who are doing great activities with their kids. The point is this: the pockets are bulging. I no longer have the same handful of trailblazers asking for assistance. These are the teachers who usually don’t seek me out for ideas. And what’s better, I no longer have as many people approaching me with a tool and asking me how to use it. Instead they have a vision, or design of a new idea, and are asking me how to do it. The ISTE NETS standards discuss “Systemic Change.” And while we are not there yet, we are nearing the Tipping Point of such change. Here’s to a great school year for all of us.

Pecha Kucha or Digital Storytelling?

2010-08-06T03:35:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know about my love affair with the process of Digital Storytelling as a means to create community and to give students an authentic voice to share experiences and life lessons. The idea of developing a personal narrative and adding images, voice, and soundtrack and then recording it in a “permanent” form has developed into one of the most engaging activities for students (and others) to do.

While conducting a workshop on DST last year, I had a teacher who was rather ambivalent about the whole DST concept. While he embraced the idea of melding words and images, he would have preferred an activity that incorporated a “live” presentation; he wanted to make sure that teachers did not substitute a Digital Storytelling assignment for a speech. I couldn’t agree more. There is no substitute for a live performance; an entire set of skills and learning targets come into play with any public speaking. I had told him that DST would “replace” something like a written narrative, not a live speech. But the more I thought about it, he had a point. Could there be another possibility that was as engaging as DST yet live (And no, I am not referring to a speech with never-ending, bulleted list Powerpoint slides)?

Then I heard about Pecha Kucha (Pronounced: puCHA kuCHA). First conceived as a Japanese bar game, (like Karaoke) the Pecha Kucha concept is deceptively simple: twenty consecutive images, each displayed to the audience for twenty seconds while the speaker presents live to the audience. For more information on Pecha Kucha and a sample from me (sort of) please go to my Digital Storytelling page. Actually, the inception of Digital Storytelling by Dana Atchley and Joe Lambert stemmed from live performances anyway!

Last year at a conference in Illinois, I was asked to try my hand at Pecha Kucha. As a Digital Storyteller, I must say that the experience was quite a departure for me. The live concept was both exhilarating and a bit intimidating. I mean, in DST if something didn’t sound right or my timing was off, I could re record. But with Pecha Kucha, I was out there. On the other hand, it was much more engaging for me the performer. I could respond to the audience and “ad lib” when appropriate. I performed it twice live and expectedly, each performance had its own subtle uniqueness.

True, there is not the “polished” feel of a Digital Story, but what it lacked in polish; it excelled in spontaneity and audience interaction. What I found interesting was how the audience’s attention went back and forth between the screen and me, as if watching a tennis match. At times, they needed to watch the image while listening to my voice and at particular animated moments the attention was all on me. The other new sensation was that clock ticking in the back of my head. Pacing and development of ideas were always on my mind, and the question always loomed, “Is it going to change…now?”

So where does this all fit for teachers? Is there a place for it in my classroom? Can kids do it? Does it need to be 20 images? First I think there can be a situation for students doing Pecha Kucha, or at least a form of it. Instead of a six-minute plus performance, maybe try ten images. I do like the twenty-second intervals; anything less does not allow for much development on the part of narration. The other point is that when assessing, I believe there needs to be a certain allowance for spontaneity. To me, a speaker engaging with the audience, for the sake of speaking in a “polished” manner should be rewarded. But maybe you feel think otherwise.

So your question may be “Which one should I have kids do?” My answer would be both. You can NEVER have too much student creation.

More Than Just a Spark

2010-07-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

August is rapidly approaching, which means more of our thoughts turn to the upcoming school year. For me, that means lots of staff development planning. In a three-week period I will lead a Digital Storytelling workshop, a Blackboard seminar, a new-teacher training day, and a “Technology for PLC’s" session.
I do have one more workshop that has been occupying a great deal of my time and efforts. In three weeks I will be leading a District-Wide Administrator’s Academy on the topic of Web 2.0 Tools for Educational Leadership. The audience will be all District and Building-level administrators, department chairs, and lead teachers.

Whoa.

Needless to say, I am thrilled with this opportunity, yet I also know the importance of this day. I must admit, that I did not want the focus to be on “tools” but at the same time, many administrators “don’t know what they don’t know,” so an “awareness” might be a good starting point for all of us. Like your district, we have a wide variety of “tech” abilities, and the last thing I want to do is leave some of those folks in the dust…especially considering the influence they have.

In developing the plan for the day, I have come up with a dozen ideas for creating powerful staff development sessions. Here they are:

Build on prior knowledge: Develop a system that allows participants to share and discuss what they already know prior to the first session. In the spring, I set up discussion groups who followed a handful of blogs of innovative educators, and had them comment on what they read. I must admit, priming the pump took a while; I discovered that several of the people had never read blogs and were apprehensive about putting their comments “out there.” In the last two weeks, with the encouragement of others, the discussion boards have really been picking up steam, and will give us lots to discuss next month.

Know your audience: In my case, I will be working with all of the district leaders. Since the focus is on modeling best practices, many of more examples need to be “administrative” rather than “classroom.” Also, since participants have such a wide range of abilities and prior use, I need to rely on the “power users” to help the novices to create a “differentiated” learning environment.

Start with home-grown best practices: Like all districts, we too have pockets of some great innovative teaching and leading going on “right here in River City.” What better way to model this innovation than to showcase our own innovative leaders. Two byproducts result. First, it draws attention to those who are doing great things, and second, it adds credence to what we are trying to accomplish, and anticipates the skeptics who think we can’t do it here.

Walk the walk…Go paperless: One of the criticisms I hear about using any sort of content management system is that “kids don’t use it.” The answer is twofold. First, design lessons that are more inquiry driven and less “drill and kill.” The purpose of Moodle or Ning is not just to have a place to put worksheets. Inquiry-driven experiences better lend themselves to a paperless environment. Second, make sure the ONLY place to get information is in the content management system…in other words, don’t give a paper option. Keeping this in mind, your staff development sessions should be paperless as well. NO HANDOUTS. Hopefully, you’ll avoid the situation I had. I was running a session entitled “The Paperless Classroom” and had a teacher ask me for the handout for the session. Seriously.

Root it in sound pedagogy: Make sure the delivery of the staff development session reflects the pedagogy and vision of your district. Our District requires all teachers to be trained in Cooperative Learning (Johnsons and Kagan), Assessment Literacy (Stiggins), and CRISS Strategies. Needless to say our workshop will infuse Positive Interdependence, Formative Assessment, and require the use of several graphic organizers during instruction.

Empathize: Many educators have been doing great work for many years, and may question “why change now?” In some respects, they may have many strong arguments. Also, there will be feelings of uncertainty, which leads to fear and rejection of new ideas. Rule of thumb: NEVER start with technology. Instead, begin with a product, or a skill, and work backwards to show how it can be done. A traditional teacher may use lit circles. Show a product of students creating a set of “Cliff Notes” for that book collaboratively. THEN introduce the concept of a wiki. Understand that those people have a great deal to offer, and using that expertise to bridge the gap can go a long way.

Embrace the “leaders”: By “Leaders,” I don’t mean formal leaders. In every educational culture there are those whom others follow. They may be the more vocal or most experienced members of a faculty. If you can showcase work by those people, you are well on your way to create a tipping pint for the whole faculty. Here’s an idea: if you have teachers who are embracing your ideas and also happen to be active in union leadership, definitely showcase their work.

Talk less: As an Instructional Tech Coordinator, the whole school knows where I’m coming from before I speak. Sure, I will introduce ideas, but the more I have others present work, and the more I get them to discuss, question, and practice ideas, the more successful the day will be. I am invited to present at department meetings during the year to demonstrate tools and ideas. . I have learned that the most successful meetings occur when all I do is introduce other department members and let them demonstrate. My role is then to answer questions.

Inspire, don’t preach: We have all seen many videos that focus on how education has to change. However, the in-your-face, we’re-hurting-kids videos seem to do more harm than good. Instead focus on positive approaches that make people what to change. Will Richardson started with this great video a kid created, and his sole purpose was to solicit help on how to build a fire with a bow drill. Another one shows how a guy dancing on his own illustrates how a movement attracts followers. Both are non threatening to the viewer and inspire instead of wave a finger.

Make ‘em laugh: We all learn better when we’re happy, right? When my group is learning how to podcast, my intention is to give them lines from movies, and allow them to do a dramatic reading to share with others. Let’s face it, for the workshop, the content isn’t the issue, it’s learning how to use the tool. Right now I’m thinking lines from Animal House, Airplane, Caddy Shack, Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, and Dirty Harry… Am I showing my age?

Build in follow up: Yes, in my opinion, the last is the most important. We have all endured the “one and done” method of staff development. And we all know how meaningless it becomes. My District is making a commitment to transform our students’ education. I couldn’t be happier. We have already built in time during department meetings, institute days, and planning time to further explore thes ideas that will be introduced. Ongoing, formal and informal transformation is vital.

I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to these opportunities. But one of the first things I learned in my new position is that I can’t do it alone. I can ignite, answer questions, and bring people together. With the help of those people we can continue the exciting journey of doing what’s best for our kids.

Assessing Collaborative Writing

2010-06-26T08:20:00.001-07:00

Tools like Google Docs and a variety of wikis have spawned an explosion of collaborative writing possibilities for students. However, too often teachers are puzzled and dismayed when the results are less than expected. Questions I often hear from teachers are “How do I know all kids are working?” “How do I keep them from cutting and pasting?” In other words, “How do I assess collaborative writing?” Keep in mind that “wikis” and “collaborative writing” are not synonymous. The former is a tool, and the latter is a process. Many teachers have used wikis for massive collaborative data collection with the entire class participating in a single purpose; while this is a valuable process, it is not collaborative writing. Here are a few tips to ensure success in a true collaborative process

Create an Authentic Audience and Purpose Too often, we as teachers ask students to write or create for no other reason than to have them prove that they can master the skill. The teacher is the only audience. Why not create an activity that other students need to succeed in the course? In an English class, have small groups read Lord of the Flies, and each group read the book through a particular “lens” (Social Darwinism, Biblical Allusions, Freudian Psychology) and publish their interpretations for the rest of the class to read and analyze. A math class could take the same concept solve a particular kind of problem and share their findings. I got this idea from Darren Kuropatwa, who calls it his “Wiki Solutions Manual.” A French class could study regions of France and share those results. The idea is that someone other than the teacher will read the product, and more importantly will rely upon it for success. Also, students become “experts” in a particular field.

Form Small Groups For a collaborative writing task, I would recommend no more than four members per group, with the ideal number being three. The Johnsons and Spencer Kagan are two of the leading experts in Cooperative Learning, and both stress the importance of matching group size to the task. The first reason is that the larger the group, the more complicated the communication becomes. Simply adding one person to a pair triples the lines of communication. The second reason is that the smaller the group, the greater the individual accountability. It’s much easier to “hide” in a group of six than in a group of three.

Develop Precise Learning Targets Prior to the activity, develop a set of specific, measureable learning targets and share them with the students. Ideally you want to have students help develop these as well as the rubric you will use to assess the project. Rick Stiggins has done groundbreaking work in developing learning targets.

Assign SPECIFIC Roles When students are faced with a collaborative task, often their solution is to “divide and conquer.” “Linda, you write the first part, Thomas, you do the second, and I’ll do the third,” is usually what transpires. Unfortunately, Linda often never even reads parts two or three. Instead of a collaborative writing experience, we have a patchwork of individual ideas. Instead of a “quilt” we want a uniform “blanket.” During the first draft, it’s ok to parse out these segments, but to achieve uniform writing, and to expose all students to the entire document, assign revision roles that permeate the entire document. After the draft (and your subsequent comments) Linda can revise the entire document for support, Thomas for organization, and the third student for mechanics. Then the next time around you can assign “format” roles such as “images,” “hyperlinks” and “citations.” The key is that ALL students are responsible for the ENTIRE paper. You can assess students individually that way as well.

Offer Frequent Formative Assessment Stiggins also is an advocate for continual Formative Assessment (Assessment FOR Learning). Begin by setting target dates for steps in the process of the collaborative writing experience. As each date approaches, monitor the progress of the documents and offer suggestions for improvement. Make sure to offer suggestions ONLY on what is being measured for that segment. In other words, you should refrain from noting spelling errors during a brainstorming phase.

Consider Assessing More Than Just Writing As a former English teacher, my emphasis, of course was on evaluating the writing. However, even the NCTE recognizes “text” as more than just words. Consider images as being a requirement for the document. Using hyperlinks correctly can also be a valuable addition. Even embedding video or podcasts may be used to make the project multi dimensional, and as a result, more engaging. Also, this affords a great opportunity to teach ethical use of material and proper citation.

Be a Teacher All wiki tools have a History function, and some can even break down the “lines modified” by users to determine who added what to the document. While these can be handy as a guideline, I recommend that you avoid using these numbers as gospel. If students think you are looking at only the results on the history, two negative byproducts may result. First students will fight over who enters what so they get “credit” for writing it. Second, students will enter the editing mode of the document and leave without making changes, or merely add and delete a period. To discourage this, you need to schedule regular meeting times during class for kids to discuss, face to face, their progress. During that time, you need to be carefully observing their progress to make sure kids are on task. You can keep track of those kids who offer ideas in the process, but may not be doing the typing. Stress to your class that you will not be “nit picking” about who wrote what line, but are more interested in the entire product. The Johnsons offer many suggestions to ensure Individual Accountability.

Plainly stated, Collaborative Writing is difficult work. Assessing it can be just as hard. These tips can help raise standards as well as make the assessment task more manageable.

Ten Burning Questions

2010-05-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Lee Kolbert's Blog is subtitled "Ask lots of questions." And, true, most educators today know it's all about asking good questions. So I decided to walk the walk, AND encourage you to participate.

The last week or so, several questions have been simmering in my head. I have been observing instances that make me wonder "why?" I would like to share those questions with you and allow for a more interactive discussion.

http://tinyurl.com/burningquestions

Yes, after becoming a Google Certified Teacher I am making use of my new fave tool: Moderator.

Please click the link, check out the questions, my responses, respond on your own, add more, vote, whatever.

Staff Development Woes? Google Can Help

2010-05-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

This post also appears in the Digital Learning Environments blog.

Last week I had the opportunity to present at Tech Forum, Midwest. As always, it was a lively exchange of ideas with some of the more forward-thinking professionals in education. One of the recurrent topics was staff development. How do we accomplish our goals? How do we bring teachers together? Is formal training less important now than relying on PLN’s? Several ideas were discussed, but the two biggest dilemmas: time and money seem to loom large. Specifically, the biggest impediment stems from the inability for teachers to “connect” with colleagues to develop ideas.

As many of you know, I attended the first Google Administrator’s Academy last month. As I continue to process what I learned there, I would like to share with you a handful of Google applications that can transform staff development in schools.

Docs Google Docs contains word processing, spreadsheet, presentations and even draw on line. Google Docs enables you to create documents “in the cloud” and collaborate easily with others. Inviting collaborators is as easy as sending an email. New features include a more robust “word processor” interface, faster uploads, group folders, and the ability to upload virtually any document. Many educators (including me) are saving more documents on Google Docs, and fewer on a “hard drive.” The big advantage is if I need multiple people to collaborate, give feedback or just proofread, I simply invite them to the document, instead of sending multiple emails and collating responses.

Forms Let’s say you need to collect survey-type information from your colleagues. Sending out a Google Form is a great solution. Housed in a Google Doc spreadsheet, a Form allows the creator to choose from a variety of question types, create a survey (or quiz for that matter), send out the url, and allow participants to complete the survey on their own time. The data collection is simple; as the responses come in, the information is gathered on the spread sheet, and with one click, the creator can view results for each question in an easy-to-read bar graph. This is quite a relief for a spreadsheet-challenged user like myself.

Moderator This is quite possibly my favorite new application. Let’s say your staff development group has to brainstorm a list of resources to help teachers develop strategies in Assessment Literacy. Moderator allows the creator to set up a “series,” invite users, allow them to add links to sites, comment on the sites, and vote for which ones are most valuable. At any time, viewers can see the vote tally as well as the comments made by colleagues. This is a great brainstorming tool that allows everyone in the group to voice her opinion and be heard.

Calendar OK, so an online calendar is not new, but I have found the Google Calendar to be very powerful and easy to use. There are many, but my favorite feature is the ability to create multiple calendars, and overlay calendars with other users. This can do wonders to resolve possible conflicts. You can also sync your Google Calendar with Outlook or your phone.

Groups Increase your PLN in two ways. First, create a group including the people on your staff development team. Groups allows you to discuss and share ideas in a universal location. More importantly, browse Groups to connect with other teachers across town or around the world to ask questions or respond to others.

Wave Admittedly, I have used Wave on a limited basis. Several people I know have used this real-time collaboration tool with great success. Think of it as a cross between a wiki and Twitter. Please share any feedback.
Staff development is a continual, arduous process. We have a tough enough job developing the ideas to transform education. Getting together with colleagues should not impede our progress. These applications help take us in the right direction.

Fine Arts Teachers "Get It"

2010-04-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Scott Ableman

Yesterday I read about yet another school district possibly cutting fine arts programs in order to save money. I always cringe when I read this—the fact that many still view art, music, and theatre as “add ons” instead of an essential component in a child’s education. The preponderance of research that shows the correlation between fine arts education and student achievement is staggering.

But this post isn’t about that.

Clearly, many of the arts classes are not valued by some pencil sharpeners and belt tighteners. But what about the fate of those professionals who teach art, music, and theatre? I’m sure that most of them will migrate to a district that either values or can afford them, but I believe we are all missing out on something very special.

In today’s education landscape, change is in the air. We are looking to make classes more “student centered, ” projects more relevant, and assessment more formative. Some of these changes are met with less-than-exuberant responses by some more “traditional” teachers. Districts are spending thousands of dollars on staff development to teach “Project-Based Learning,” “Authentic Assessment” and “Collaboration.” Unfortunately, these initiatives are sometimes piecemeal, and too often fall on deaf ears. I have observed that sometimes fine art teacher seems to be politely passive during these sessions. Why? The reason is because fine arts teachers have been teaching this way all along.

Consider some of the pedagogical changes that visionaries are suggesting to transform our schools, and how fine arts teachers have already embraced them:

Project-based learning with specific goals: For the choir, it’s preparing the Hallelujah Chorus for the winter concert, the jazz band will perform at half time of the basketball game, opening night of Guys and Dolls is only two weeks away. For arts students, every action, every repetition, every procedure is geared toward fulfilling a very precise, focused goal: the performance.

Emphasis on formative assessment: The majority of assessment in a music class is formative. Daily rehearsals (not lessons) are met with continual scrutiny and suggestions. Groups work hours upon hours to prepare for the upcoming event. Missing a beat at the rehearsal can be remedied before the performance. Early in a semester, very few grades exist in the art teacher’s grade book because the teacher recognizes that the student is still working, experimenting, and learning... how can you put a grade on that? Isn’t the end result more important to evaluate? Because of this atmosphere, kids are more likely to experiment, fail, and try again, resulting, ultimately, in higher achievement.

Purposeful homework: The oboe player must practice on her own outside of class, the photo student must compose images in “the field” and Stanley Kowalski must practice his lines. Since students see a direct connection between the hours spent and the quality of the performance, they are much more motivated to spend extra time on tasks.

Professional Learning Community (PLC) Model: Whether it be planning the upcoming concert, coordinating the set, score, lighting, and direction of a musical, or putting together an art show, by definition, fine arts teachers must work together seamlessly to develop their performances and products. The fading notion of teaching in “isolation” was never an issue with teachers of The Arts.

Building a Collaborative Classroom: By virtue of the activities, fine arts students MUST work together; they develop Positive Interdependence organically. The first violinist realizes he needs the rest of the section as well as the other instruments to perform the piece; he can’t do it alone. Also, you probably find that in your school (like mine) music kids hang out together in the music hall because of the common bonds and interests that have developed. The culmination of this is that they trust each other.

Teaching Visual Literacy: Even the NCTE recognizes that “text” no longer is limited to words, but includes a variety of media. Who better to address visual composition than a 2-D art teacher? Have we tapped these resources to teach the rest of the faculty concepts such as line, contrast, value, vanishing point, and rhythm? What about the photography teacher to share expertise in lighting, framing, and the difference in effects of a low and high-angle shot?

Of course when you talk about Portfolio Assessment, and Authentic Audience…need I say more?

I consider myself very fortunate to work in a school that not only values The Arts as an essential component in education, but also is blessed with a talented, dedicated group of fine arts teachers who inspires, ignites, and, motivates students to develop their own potential. Perhaps some day everyone will “Get it” the way fine arts teachers do...and instead of cutting out programs, they can be expanded.

Or at very least, can share some of their teaching methods with the rest of us to embrace.

"Drink the Koolaid"? Not me.

2010-03-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

I don’t like buzz words. Nothing trivializes an idea more than the overuse of a phrase. Some of you have heard my rants on the wearing out of the word “amazing.” However, artfully constructed, a fresh metaphor can really harness a hurricane.

The phrase du jour seems to be “Drink the Koolaid,” which has devolved into simply meaning to “believe in something,” or “have faith in something novel.” Really? Of the last four people I heard turn this phrase, only ONE knew the origin. I always ask, “Have you ever heard of Jim Jones?” From many, I get blank stares. How about “Jonestown?” In 1978, cult leader, Jim Jones brainwashed his followers in Guyana to drink Koolaid laced with cyanide in a mass “revolutionary suicide.” Nearly 1,000 people took their own lives on the word of a charismatic sociopath when he told them to “Drink the Koolaid.”

Recently, I have heard some advocates of changing our educational system use the phrase “Drink the Koolaid” to get people to buy in to student-centered classrooms, inquiry-driven research, world-wide collaboration, and leveraging technology to facilitate learning.

Is this the phrase we want to use? Have we forgotten the sinister, diabolical connotation of this phrase? Charles Manson’s followers “drank the Koolaid,” Bernie Madoff’s investors “drank the Koolaid,” to a certain extent we all “drank the Koolaid” when it came to Tiger Woods’ perceived image.

And this is the phrase we want to use to help show fellow educators, administrators, parents, kids, and community members how we can change schools for the better? Especially in the wake of President Obama’s plan to transform education, is this the proper stance?

Perhaps we need another phrase. How about “See the light”?

A Perfect Storm

2010-03-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it just all comes together. And for me, that time is now. I have had three forces come together recently that have compelled me to action.

ONE: A couple weeks back my administration had approached me and my partner and felt that the time is now to make some changes in the way our kids learn.

TWO: Saturday, I returned from the first Google Administrator's Acadamy, (see last post) where after an intense day of Google, we were asked to create an action plan over the next few months.

THREE: Upon returning, I was made aware of President Obama's plan for Transforming (as opposed to Reforming) the American education system, with an emphasis on leveraging technology to, among other things, break down the divide between how students learn outside of school and how they (don't?) inside.

And this is after attending Educon in January, METC and ICE in February, where the resounding message was to have students "own" their education through student-centered, inquiry-driven purposeful learning experiences.

How can I NOT respond?

However, an initial reaction may be to boil with enthusiasm and quixotically, sally forth into the educational maelstrom.

But that won't last. I'll just end up wet, cold, and discouraged.

Change is hard, especially for an institution like American education, that still keeps an agrarian calendar.

So instead my plan is to purposefully make small changes, one at a time.

And I am continuing with a study of what I learned at the GTA. Sure I am a "Certified Google Teacher," but really, what Friday in San Antonio showed me is how MUCH I need to learn, on my own, from my colleagues at work, my PLN, and our students.

Here's what I plan:

I will select one of the applications I learned at the GTA, and spend an evening, approaching it from this perspective: "What sound uses of this help transform how my students learn?" (Notice the emphasis on sound pedagogy, not magical tools)

One every night? no way. Surely, one night I will have to drive kids to practice, move furniture for the carpet coming, or go pick up my daughter from college. THREE nights a week is reasonable, don't you think?

As I continue, I will collect my data via: this blog, my delicious page (jorech) and by posting questions and findings on twitter (again, jorech).

Tonight, I focus on searching with Google. I'm pretty adept at advanced search, using the "site:" strategy as well as the "Show Options" (Wonder Wheel and Timeline." Instead, I think I will focus on "Books" and "Square." Lisa Thumann, whom I follow on Twitter (and you should too) who did the presentation on Search, said she has my back if I have any questions. God Bless my PLN.

Now I'll ask for a favor. Keep me honest. They say if you are trying to lose weight, to tell someone else so you have a support group to keep you going. See? now I told you. Now I am committed. Here I go.

GTA: Now What?

2010-03-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I flew home from San Antonio, Texas where I had the privelege to participate in the first ever Google Administrators Academy, a FULL day (11 hours) of presentations, innovations, networking, and hands on experience. It's hard to pinpoint any one component that really stood out to me. I mean, during a fireworks display do you remember a single explosion? It's all powerful, right?

(Image:Flickr Contributor P.O.P)

I could go on about the events, speakers, and the energy of being with some of the most dynamic, forward thinking administrators around the country. But anything I would write has already been done by one of my GTA comrades, Eric Scheninger in his first (yes first! blogpost). An inspiring read.

Like the rest of the #gtadmin folks today, my head is spinning. So many possibilities, so many ideas...wow! But an exciting, yet intimidating question looms:

Now what?

I know we are all bursting to get back to share with our colleagues to share all we've learned. but how do we begin to even scratch the surface of passing on what we learned on Saturday?

I do have some ideas.

First, we need to walk the walk. Start by making some changes. This post is being created on a Google Doc using Chrome. OK so that's not a big deal, but if I am going to discuss these tools and end encourage others to use them, I need to start too, right? It's sort of like playing Christmas carols when decorating the tree. It puts you in the mood.

Did I say tools?

Yes, we were immersed with dozens of applications on Saturday, and I will be reviewing again and again the agenda which includes all the slide decks and ideas from the presenters (oops "lead learners"!). But I have three suggestions:

Take a breath: avoid the desire to go back tomorrow and try to unleash everything you learned in an email to your staff. More likely than not, many will not share your enthusiasm, and steamrolling all of these ideas will likely cause people to shut down. Share initially with those people whom you know will be receptive and let them be your connectors. As time goes on, reveal those concepts or ideas gradually as a means to solve educational problems and meet needs of students and teachers. The quicker these are unleashed, the quicker they will fade.

Choose wisely: One of the "Leading Learners" made the point that most educators will never utilize all these tools, nor should they. Think carefully about which applications are best suited for what your district wants to accomplish. One of the biggest decisions is whether or not your district will be utilizing the Google Apps (capitol "A") or not. Perhaps start with 2 or 3 ideas and go from there. Personally, I am starting with Moderator and Sites to fulfill some needs that currently exist in my building. This brings me to the last suggestion, which really needs to be the first implemented.

Start with LEARNING not TOOLS: My worst nightmare is that people use these tools as an "add on" to their existing curriculum. To me this is what I think of when I hear people talking about "integrating" technology. Never before have we had the opportunity, and the need to transform education. We need to start with student-centered, inquiry-driven, purposeful opportunities for kids to learn. On of my favorite sessions at GTA had nothing to do with computers. It was a session, early in the day when we shared an innovation that we were currently using at our school. Amy, who sat behind me, shared that she had kids who were able to explore and learn outside of their grade level and either explore something at a higher level, or get help on something that was difficult. That is just one of the many examples shared that focused on student learning. Let's all continue to embrace these ideas, make these changes...and THEN use these wonderful tools as a way to solve what we want to so. If we create the need and show what can be done, then teachers will be clamoring for the applications to reach goals.

Thanks for everything, GTA peeps! Go forth.

Educon Reflections

2010-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you need to beat me over the head.
Two years ago, I met Chris Lehmann at our Chicago area Edtech Conference. I was impressed with his fresh vision and his undying desire to do what’s really best for kids.He said I should come to Educon 2.1 held at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. I didn’t go. Then, last January, it seemed that the only hashtag I saw on Twitter was #Educon. Maybe I missed something. Oh well, there’s always next year. I saw Chris again at Techforum in New York. Again, he said “Jon, you should come to Educon.” I still didn’t sign up. Then while talking to my predecessor, Dave Jakes , he looked me square in the eye and said, “you need to go.” So I finally signed up.
I am so glad I did.
Educon breaks the mold of all “conferences” at so many levels. First there are the Axioms of the conference:
1. Our schools must be inquiry-driven, thoughtful and empowering for all members
2. Our schools must be about co-creating — together with our students — the 21st Century Citizen
3. Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around
4. Technology must enable students to research, create, communicate and collaborate
5. Learning can — and must — be networked
It doesn’t take a Wordle to figure out something is very different. Notice the conspicuous absence of the words: “Tools,” “Integration,” “Web 2.0,” and while it mentions “21st Century,” it’s referring to Citizens, not skills. The emphasis is on education, not technology. But the uniqueness does not end there.
Browse through the session descriptions (notice I didn’t say “presentations”) and two points jump out. First, the quality of presenters is jaw dropping. Usually, you get one, maybe two of these people delivering a keynote address to hundreds of people…and good luck talking to them afterwards. But here you get ALL of them in a classroom setting of twenty or thirty participants. Oh, and by the way, the “participants” are all really, really smart people. I was lucky to sit in a session on teacher training presented by Alec Couros and Dean Shareski that was informational, inspiring, and thought provoking. If those two weren’t enough, who else was in the “audience” but Jon Becker, Will Richardson, Jenny Luca, David Warlick, and yes, my pal Dave Jakes was there too to engage in the conversation. I guess what struck me the most was that THESE people were as eager to learn from us, as we were from them. And I guess that's what makes Educon different: the "us" and "them" just becomes "us."
Did I mention these are conversations? “Presenters” are very careful to make the sessions completely interactive, they are truly “conversations” not “presentations.” During the two days, there are several 9o minute sessions with 30 minute breaks (equally valuable for networking). The best thing is that no one feels intimidated to bring up questions and points. It was refreshing and encouraging to have these people talk “with” me and not “at” me.
Then there’s the school. The SLA is smack in the heart of Philly (my first time, and I thoroughly enjoyed the history, restaurants, and hospitality in the City of Brotherly Love) and is a “magnet” public school of about 475 students. So much of what is “wrong” with education is extinct here. Students focus on all problem-based projects as opposed to memorizing meaningless facts. Kids are in the hallways working with each other and their provided Mac laptops, and seem to be working “with” teachers. There is a comfortable, casual respect for this bright, innovative staff, as they create and discover together. Hmmm seems like the axioms of Educon are also present at the SLA. Students here have a large, genuine role in the Educon experience. From giving tours, to planning meals, to checking your luggage on Sunday to take to the Philly airport, kids are trusted with adult responsibility. And love it. And you read correctly, on Saturday and Sunday, there were many, many, SLA students in white lab coats there to help.
Time prohibits me to elaborate on everything I learned. Bet here are the recurring messages I heard again and again:
· The importance of building relationships with students
· The need for teachers to have an online presence in order to help our kids connect with others
· The critical need to evaluate the value and purpose of student assessments
· The power of tinkering to learn as opposed to a “scientific” approach
The final note is that I came home with zero papers. No handouts, yes is quite green, but also supported the notion of “conversations.” I mean, how many of you bring handouts to a conversation.
Educon was the most valuable conference I have ever attended. I highly recommend it.
Wait, strike that. If you all sign up for Educon 2.3, I might get nosed out. It wasn’t that great.

Are these Two Forbidden? Think again

2010-03-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

On more than one occasion, I have heard these phrases spoken by teachers:

“Do not use Google when searching.”
“Do not look at Wikipedia.”

Hmm. My first reaction is usually, “What are you afraid of?” But the bottom line is teachers are not afraid, they have their own concept of research and communication. Also, they see some of these tools and applications as distracting from learning. True, a quick, single word search in Google will return meager results at best, and Wikipedia is not always the best source, but instead of shunning these tools, teachers need to better leverage them to not just improve, but to transform learning. Here are five tools and ways that they can be utilized in the transformation.

Google: True, most kids type in a couple words or a phrase, hit search, and roll the dice. Instead, we need to educate students on how to get the most out of searching. First, as in any search tool, teach kids to use the advanced search feature to limit results. Also, teach them the purpose of quotation marks. A search for Chicago Bears may show results of a recent bear cub born at Lincoln Park Zoo, while “Chicago Bears” will result in information from my team that, yet again, did not make the playoffs. There’s also the “site:” search tool that can really help. Using this followed by a particular code can limit your search to a particular domain (“site:.org”) or results from a particular country (“site:uk” for results from Great Britain) Then there’s the Google options that enable the “Timeline,” “Wonder Wheel,” and other tools. (See my previous post on Google options). And then there’s the custom RSS feeds, Reader, Docs, and…well, you get the idea. The point is that we need to teach kids how to maximize their searching through this powerful search tool.

Wikipedia: Do kids rely too heavily on Wikipedia? Maybe. Do some teachers prohibit Wikipedia because of a perceived lack of credibility? Definitely. To some people, an online encyclopedia edited by the whole world is considered les reliable than a bound book. Here’s what I would suggest: challenge a teacher to find an error in Wikipedia. I have tried this several times, and I have yet to have a teacher find an error that Wikipedia had not already discovered. You will see the warning plastered on the top of a page. Conversely, students need to be aware that while Wikipedia can be a great place to get started, it is by no means the only source on the topic. I tell kids that they can cite Wikipedia once, the same way it would be for any other source. For those of you who really want to transform learning, I challenge you to have kids write a Wikipedia article on, perhaps a local notable. Now THAT”S writing for an audience.

It all goes back to LEARNING first. Neither of these resources is a panacea nor pariah. Teaching kids how to use these tools just gives them more ammunition.

Transform Student Writing

2010-03-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

I have heard from some teachers lately that “technology gets in the way of writing.” When you think about it, technology and writing are inextricable. Without a chisel, or pen and paper, printing press, or typewriter, or word processor writing cannot take place. Fittingly, with every new advancement in technology, we are also privy to new opportunities for writing, and more importantly, the teaching of writing.

So why have many not embraced the new opportunities available vie Web 2.0?

The National Council of Teachers of English in its “21st Century Literacies point out that student writers need to “Design and share information for global communities,” and “Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally.” Clive Thompson stresses “that students today almost always write for an audience.” In The Stanford Study, Andrea Lunsford stated that "I think we're in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven't seen since Greek civilization."

Clearly, with such a paradigm shift in writing imminent, the teaching of writing also needs to change. We must create authentic audiences and purposes in virtually all student writing. Now this notion may sound old, but have we really done this across the board? More often then not, the REAL audience of a writing assignment is only the teacher. And although a “simulation” may take place (“Students, in this assignment, pretend you are a lawyer and I am a judge.”) the audience is not real, nor is the purpose, which, in reality, is nothing more than proving to the teacher that the student can write in a particular manner.

To create authentic writing experiences, students must write for a real audience, with a purpose in mind that is valuable to the writer. These experiences can be divided into, what I call, “School-Bound Authentic” and “World Authentic.”

“School-Bound Authentic” refers to writing experiences within the school community that have genuine audiences and purposes within the school. Here are some examples:
· Book reviews by students that can be published on the school library page
· A student-generated textbook wiki for the purpose of assisting others (and one’s self) to learn material.
· Creating a collaborative “jigsaw” project where students research and become “expert” in a particular area of a unit, and share findings with peers.
· Student-generated screencasts that teach peers processes.
· Designating a daily “scribe” to take class notes and post them (Thank you Allan November).

“World Authentic” consists of writing experiences with an audience outside of school that have a genuine purpose for the writer; in other words, the writer hopes to accomplish something with the writing…other than a grade. Here are some examples:

· Twenty-five Days to Make a Difference What started as a young girl’s tribute to her grandfather, turned into a viral phenomenon.
· Write a Wikipedia article. Some teachers bristle at the mention of the word “Wikipedia.” So why not pick a local historical figure and create an article to add to the largest encyclopedia in the world.
· “Hire Me” Have students beginning a work-study program create a “digital resume” where they explain their qualifications on a video.
· “Convince Your Parents” Senior writers can research why a particular college is the best choice, and present findings to those who will foot the bill.
· “Dear Michelle” Students in Texas write the First Lady to share their stories and express genuine concerns.

Most of us are faced with writing opportunities every day. I know that if there is some outcome, other than the writing itself, I tend to write more carefully, and with much more purpose; as a result, my writing is better. If we want our kids to excel, shouldn’t we afford them the same opportunities?

Trading Places: Classwork and Homework

2010-02-28T05:56:00.001-08:00

Last summer at NECC I heard Allan November speak on the importance of students “owning” their education, and how teachers can structure writing experiences and lessons to make school more “purposeful” for students. One suggestion he had was that school work and homework should be switched. Traditionally, students receive instruction at school, and complete practice on the topic at home. Several problems are inherent with this model. First, if the student misses something from the classroom instruction, or needs clarification, there are no resources. Second, during the practice time, the student is on his own, and receives no feedback on his work. Finally, there is such a lag time between completion of the practice and subsequent feedback, that the payback is minimal.

This concept made sense to me, and with today’s technology, screen casts, IWB software and content management systems could make this a reality.

When I returned to school in August, I was excited to share this “concept” with colleagues. My counterpart at our sister school informed me of an initiative where a handful of math and science teachers were going to use Vodcasting to create lessons for viewing at home, and the practice or “homework” would be done at school. Talk about stealing my thunder! They had taken the “new” concept I had learned and were going to put it into practice.

Here’s how it works. Using a tablet PC ,SMART software, a microphone, and Camtasia video editing software, a math teacher records a mini lesson of direct instruction on a topic. He can go back and edit, rerecord, include a screen capture of a calculator, and talk through the topic while writing directly on to the “board” via his tablet pc. When the “Vodcast” is complete, he can download it to our content management system (we use Blackboard) which creates a SCORM file that automatically generates a short assessment on the topic that students complete after viewing the podcast at home. When they return to school the next day, they spend time “practicing” what they learned the night before in cooperative groups with the teacher right there to assist.

Several advantages become apparent. First, students can replay difficult segments of the direct instruction (Didn’t you ever wish you had a remote with a replay button when you were in a class?). Second, the feedback from the SCORM test is immediate. The student knows right away what needs to be improved in class the next day. When students complete the practice in class, they are able to discuss and teach each other subtleties in the lesson, and if stumped, the teacher can assist right away.

One question pops up: “what if students do not view the Vodcast?” For the most part, compliance has been outstanding since the students see the homework as purposeful: they need to complete it in order to succeed in class the next day. However, in the event of an absence or an, “oops,” the student may view the short lesson in class on the classroom computer, and then return to his group.

The teacher has noticed how this has changed his practice as well. He becomes more of a “facilitator” and remarked that on days like this (no, this is not done EVERY day, students are actually spending fifty minutes, reading, writing, and talking math.

Try doing that at home.

I'm Back Again.

2010-02-27T17:26:00.001-08:00

So I have been a slacker for a few months. Actually I have posts...I just have neglected to put them here. So what I will do is post one a day until I get caught back up. Then I will keep myself honest by posting at least once everytwo weeks..."fortnightly" for the hoi poloi.

The last few months have been quite busy. Aside from getting my younger daughter ready for college next fall, I had the Fall circuit of conferences (IETC in Springfileld, IL, Tech Forum in New York) then the holidays, now I just finished (almost) the winter circuit...Educon in Philly, METC in St. Louis, and just finished the local ICE conference right here in my back yard. Next week I am fortunate to attend a GTA in San Antonio...really looking forward to that.

Also since then I have upgraded my DST webpage to include a section called: "Digital Storytelling, Not Digital Spectacle," in response to people more concerned with fluff than substance in DST. I presented that at ICE along with "Are your Students Really Collaborating" and "Transform Student Writing. AND performed my first PechaKucha. I will blog about this later. Let me know what you think of it.

OK so i am back.

"The Role of Technology" PLEASE HELP!

2010-01-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

This goes out to my PLN:

Tomorrow I have the opportunity to teach a group of HS seniors enrolled in an Introduction to Teaching class. The topic: "The role technology plays (and will play) in education." My main focus with them is that the technology must me inherent, transparent, and ubiquitous, and that LEARNING must come first, and that HOW we allow kids to learn must change.

I will also focus on the importance of collaboration.

That's where you come in.

I am looking for your responses on this topic. Feel free to expound here, back on twitter, post links, pick a specific topic and roll...whatever.

What I am looking for is quality (Which will be a no brainer with all of you!) and quantity; I want to really wow them with the volume that can be created in a working, breathing PLN.

THANK YOU!

Internet Safety: Compliance or Education?

2009-10-09T09:16:00.001-07:00

Clearly, one of the most significant issues facing educators today is internet safety for our children. States, through the federal government, are now requiring that cybersafety be taught to all children from grades 3-12. As a result, districts throughout the country are scrambling to devise a cybersafety curriculum. Software programs and sites, both open source and fee-based are popping up on the web like mushrooms, and some forward-thinking districts, like Collinsville in Illinois, who already had a robust system in place are constantly barraged by the rest of us who need to catch up. Doing a Youtube on “cybersafety” can produce more instructional videos on the topic than you could ever use in a lifetime. Some are quite powerful. State governments are producing teen tip sheets, agreement “contracts” and a multitude of text to help protect our children.

The role of developing a curriculum for my district is, in part, my responsibility. I have attended conferences, read countless articles, talked to many experts, and reviewed many, many, software applications. In my research I am encouraged with the depth of information on the topic. However, I am concerned that three elements seem to be missing, or at best, an afterthought in the process.

1. Student-centered activities I have seen many ”lists” of do’s and don’ts, video presentations ranging from cute, to creepy, to downright disturbing, depending on the intended audience, Powerpoints, handouts, and brochures. I even saw one program that billed itself as a content “delivery” system (“delivery”? is this mail?). While these are good starting points, My question is this: What are kids doing? Activities need to be designed that require students to make, create, discuss, write, or speak about something. One idea we had is for older students to make the powerful PSA’s instead of merely watching them.

2. PARENTS Much of the curriculum in these programs is geared toward students. While this is essential, parent education needs to be as important, if not more important than the teaching of children. During school hours, the majority of internet time for students is supervised, many social networking sites are blocked in schools, (for better or worse), and for the most part, teachers possess an awareness of potentially dangerous situations. When students go home, however, the same is not always true. Perhaps the parents work while kids are home, or are not savvy enough to know what to look for. While a tip sheet for parents is helpful, it is not enough. At parent night last month, my role was to speak with parents on cybersafety, and to encourage them to come back in late October. During parent-teacher conferences, we are offering personal cybersafety conferences. Parents can sign up for them just as they would with a teacher. While this is not comprehensive, I believe we are on the right path.

3. How NOT to be the “bad guy” Much of the emphasis on cybersafety seems to be on protection from potentially dangerous situations including predators and cyberbullying. The problem is, we are not addressing the predators or bullies; they come from somewhere, right? Instead, emphasis needs to be placed on teaching students ethical, considerate behavior, in other words “Make sure YOU are not the ‘bad guy.’” I am reminded of what Roger Johnson (As in “Cooperative Learning” Roger Johnson) said about trust: “In order to build trust, you must be first be trustworthy.”

I guess what it all comes down to is what your learning target is. If your goal is to stay in compliance with state and federal mandates, feel free to have an “Internet Safety Day,” (Shouldn’t EVERY day be internet safety day?), hand out the pamphlets, and watch the videos. If your target is to keep your kids safe, do all of the above, plus have kids make something, include the parents, and teach them to be responsible, ethical users of technology.

"Why Technology?" A True Story

2009-09-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

The other day I received a request from my Linkedin account from Scott Bolzan, a college football teammate of mine back in the early 80’s at Northern Illinois University. Scott was a friend, a fellow offensive lineman who, I heard, had an accident which resulted in a brain injury that stripped him of all his memories. All 46 years worth. Here was a man, captain of our Conference and California Bowl Championship team, NFL player, pilot, and, most importantly, husband and father, stripped of his past.

I hadn’t talked to Scott in 25 years.

In his contact with me, he had described his situation and hoped that I could help him by sharing some stories about our days playing at NIU. I also found out that it was his wife, Joan had requested that he begin reaching out to former teammates. My heart sank as I thought about what she was going through, too. I remembered when she and Scott met, dated, and then were wed.

Quickly, I began rewinding the years and jotted down snippets from the past…how we got nicknames, memories from other players, games, triumphs and toil, that is college football. He then sent me to his website that includes his tragic story, television interviews, pictures of Scott and Joan and their biographies—all serving as a means to get the word out about this rare unfortunate situation. I noticed that on his site he is also a Twitter user, and immediately logged on and followed @scottbolzan, and then immediately tweeted to my PLN about his story. Then I remembered a wiki I started last year for our team on the 25th anniversary of our championship season called “Cal Bowl ’83.” , which I sent to him as well. He emailed me back saying how much he enjoyed looking at the pictures, then and now, of his teammates.

So why am I writing about this in an educational blog?

Many educators, including myself feverishly write and speak about the digital disconnect between school and home. Kids are connected to all levels of technology outside of class, but are often denied it in school. For those skeptics, who resist the available technologies, I invite them to study the role of technology played Scott’s dilemma. He found me again through Linkedin, we emailed, I sent him digital images from the past from a wiki we made about our bowl appearance, visited his website, (PLEASE visit) and originally heard about his situation from a site called Mallorymen, a social networking site for former players of our coach, Bill Mallory from Miami, Colorado, NIU, and Indiana.

I don’t know if Scott will ever regain his memory. My impression is that instead trying to “remember” he is on a quest to “relearn” through his family and friends. So where does technology fit into this? These sites and tools serve as a conduit for his regaining at least some of his past. Social networking sites, blogs, wikis, twitter, and email all bring us a little closer. They have enabled Scott to reach out for help, and for us to reach back.

Try doing that with paper and pen.

I Hope

2009-09-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

As a parent, it is a mixed blessing being a teacher. It’s like the chef who goes to a restaurant; sometimes knowing the workings of the restaurant can inhibit the enjoyment of the meal. So, as a parent of three…and a teacher, I sometimes know “too much” as I am often reminded from time to time by each of my children.

As this school year starts, my youngest begins his high school career. His first day was inauspicious, very “freshman.” He could not open his locker, got lost in the massive building a couple times, and, somehow, lost his lunch. And that’s not a euphemism, he literally, could not find his lunch. As heartbreaking as that may be, I know those things will work out with developing his routine. What concerns me more is the hope I have for the learning experiences he has in front of him. I would like to share those hopes:

I hope his teachers provide clear expectations and constant feedback.

I hope his teachers use grades to measure progress, not to sort, reward, or punish.

I hope his teachers provide opportunities for him to work collaboratively on problems that matter.

I hope he is able to write for authentic, real audiences other than the teacher.

I hope he is encouraged to read a wide variety of literature, and be able to select some of his own readings.

I hope he is permitted to redo and rework projects.

I hope that he is asked to “do” more than he is asked to “listen.”

I hope he is asked to create and express himself in many different modes.

I hope he is asked to develop a position, and then defend it.

I hope he smiles and laughs often.

I hope he is asked to regularly reflect on his work and the work of others.

I hope he is asked to think deeply instead of respond quickly.

I hope he is asked to tell and listen to stories often.

I hope he has opportunities to create, discuss, and solve issues with students across town or across the country.

I hope he is able to teach, and learn from his peers.

I hope his teachers NEVER offer extra credit for behaviors that have nothing to do with his learning.

I hope his teachers use technology to extend learning .

I hope that his homework is purposeful.

I hope he is allowed to make lots and lots of mistakes; that’s how he’ll learn.

I hope he takes responsibility for his own learning.

I hope he values learning over point-gathering.

I hope his teachers spend less time on test prep, more time on life prep.

I hope he never says “school is boring.”

These hopes may seem idealistic to some. That may be. But I am a teacher. Optimism and idealism are givens. As you begin this school year, always remember that every pair of eyes and ears out there belong to someone.

Someone who hopes.

Have a great year.

Digital Storytelling and Animoto are Mutually Exclusive.

2009-06-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

I have commented here and there about my opinions of Animoto. It is time that I post an official statement on here. This is a response to a blog I recently wrote. I welcome your comments.

While Animoto is a very slick, flashy tool that creates eye-popping results, it really isn't a suitable tool for Digital Storytelling, in my opinion. I guess the first thing is to define "Digital Storytelling." For many, it has morphed into virtually any movie making, visual and sound project. However, ther term coined by Joe Lambert and the late Dana Atchley refers to a personal sharing experience rooted in narrative. What animoto creates is what Lambert refers to as "Digital Spectacle." The emphasis in animoto is visual effects...not story.

The second thing I question is exactly what kids learn by dumping pictures and music into animoto? Even the intro says, "No two movies WE make are the same." Wouldn't we be better off having kids do the creation?

Here's the thing: I guess it has to do with expectations. If the teacher's goal is to create dazzling visual spectacle, then, yes, animoto is a great choice. However, if the focus is on developing a story with a point, dramatic question, containing emotional content through the fusion of story, carefully-chosen images, voice, and soundtrack, then perhaps another platform might serve better. I use Photostory 3, I have seen great stories done in iMovie, Movie maker, Adobe Premier, Pinnacle Studio, and even Voice thread. The difference is the control of the student.

Academic Integrity: Do You Walk the Walk?

2009-06-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

Do you like this picture? I didn't take it. It was shot by flickr contributor "Daviddesign." I did some searching, and I found that it fit the tone of this post. But did I really need to post his name? I mean, it's just a picture.

Image by Flickr Contributor, "Daviddesign"

Every year of teaching English, it seemed that at some time we had a discussion on “hypocrisy.” I liked to use identifiable examples to illustrate for students. “Hypocrisy is the health teacher who smokes, the overweight PE teacher, or the drivers ed teacher who gets a DUI.” While these are blatant examples, there is another realm of hypocrisy a bit more subtle but equally destructive to our children.

That realm relates to how we, as educators approach plagiarism.

Most teachers expend tremendous energy and spend countless hours instructing students on the particulars of summarizing, paraphrasing and appropriately citing material. Programs such as Turnitin and SafeAssign help monitor student work and serve as excellent learning tools to assist students in proper synthesis of material so they can honestly call it their own (I am always puzzled by teachers who use these tools as punishment devices…the “gotcha” strategy is not exactly sound educationally). I applaud those teachers making such efforts. Today, with information so readily available, our method of instruction has drastically changed. Time spent on “searching” has been replaced with evaluating sources as well as emphasizing the importance of honesty and integrity. “Cut and Paste” has become far too easy.

At the same time, we all need to look in the mirror to make sure we are modeling those same behaviors that we so value for our students.

I’m not suggesting our profession is riddled with ne’er-do-wells, instead, I would like to suggest a checklist of common practices by teachers today that need to be scrutinized for their ethics: intentional or otherwise.

Lesson plans or Worksheets: We all have favorite “go-to” websites when we need that one lesson we just don’t have created. A quick search and, “voila,” we have fond an instant lesson. Copy and paste in Word, hit the Xerox machine…and good to go. Question: did you cite the source on the bottom of the page?

Images: We know the power of a thought-provoking image. With Flickr, Cooliris, and other search tools, we have virtually any image we want at the click of a mouse. Have you identified the photographer on the bottom of the picture as you displayed it to your class? Have you selected imageswith the appropriate Creative Commons attribution?

Music: Let’s say you are teaching the role that protest songs played politically in the late sixties. To make it come to life, you put together a montage of images from Life Magazine,from the Google/ Life archive, accompanied by a medley of songs from the time period. You gave credit to Life Photographers, but did you mention John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, and Barry McGwire?

Powerpoint presentations: Slideshare has kept me from reinventing the wheel and I am sure it has saved you as well. For those of you not familiar with slideshare, it is a collection of Powerpoint presentations on hundreds of topics, many of which are free to use. I wonder how many teachers have used one of these presentations and just changed the name. Don’t get me wrong, if somebody did it better, fine…just let your audience know too.

Staff Development: Many of us have had the opportunity to present information, strategies, or techniques to our colleagues. Do we always give credit to those whom we have adapted? Ironically, this mentioning of credits adds validity to your presentation.

Blogging or posting articles: I hope this goes without saying, but if we preach to children about giving due credit on published information, then clearly we need to do the same, especially when we open up to the whole world as audience. Please give credit to those who have inspired and taught you.

Many of you who know me know that I am a Digital Storytelling evangelist. I do workshops, speak at conferences, write articles, and blog on the topic. As much as I have made it my “own” I cannot go more than a couple sentences without mentioning Joe Lambert, the man who created the genre, or people like Bernajean Porter or Jason Ohler who have advanced DST to the realm of education. See? I just did it.

No, the intention of this post is not to discuss the legal details of plagiarism or documentation, although every educator should have as much of a working knowledge of the term “Creative Commons” as they do “Tort Liability.” The point is this: if you present something with only your name on it, you imply that it is yours. I hope that the next time you create a lesson, presentation, or write an article, you just do the same as you would ask your students to do. Remember, they are watching and learning more from your actions than your words.

Google Options? What's That?

2009-05-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Google has added another feature to their arsenal of search tools. After you do a search, you will notice the “Show options” link (which toggles back to “hide options”) on the left side below the Google logo. When you click this link, you will have access to a variety of alternate search features that may make your life easier. As I review these, think about not only how it will help you, but how it will help students as well.

1 All Results: If you leave this button alone, “all results” remain. However, under this option, you will see “videos,” “forums,” and “reviews.” Depending on your search, one of these might be a handy tool to expand your understanding of the topic. Clicking video might help if you are researching a musician; with one click you can listen to a performance by Yoyo Ma. The next tab, forums can put you in touch with blogs and discussion boards on the topic. Today we are constantly telling kids to “collaborate;” this makes connecting just a bit easier. Reviews is self explanatory. Clicking this tab searches for reviews on a product of your choice. Perhaps a consumer education teacher might like this feature. I myself am in the market for a new MP3 player and found the reviews quite helpful.

2. Any Time: This button works in conjunction with the “All Results.” If any choice other than “videos” is chosen, you can select items by how recently they have been posted; “recent,” “past 24 hours,” “past week,” or “past year.” If videos is selected, the time choices refer to duration of videos: short, medium, or long.

3. Standard Results: With 1 above set at default, this button offers two features for your current search. First, Images from this page displays thumbnails of pictures on this site. I can see an advantage here for students researching to create a digital documentary. More text adds text from the webpage so viewers can quickly get a better understanding of what the page contains. The advantage of Standard Results is that searchers get a bit more information about a site and can compare it head to head with others before opening.

4. Standard view: Probably the slickest feature, the view can be changed to Wonder Wheel or Timeline. Wonder Wheel takes your current search and creates a web (concept map) of alternate search possibilities. And yes, each one of those is a live link that, if clicked, creates another wheel, and another, and another. Each time a link is selected, a new, refined set of links appears on the right. For students who have difficulty researching related topics, this can be quite a help. Historical searches can greatly benefit from the Timeline view. Clicking this will display an appropriate timeline. Below, will be significant years for the event which are links to more sites related to the topic. I can hardly wait to show this to my social studies teachers.

Clearly, you would never use all these features in a search. But as always, it isn’t about the tools, it’s having them available to know when to use them. Thanks, Google.

View the introductory video here.

Why Technology?

2009-05-11T12:49:00.001-07:00

My colleague, and DST pro, Ben Grey asked me to consider a very basic question in our field, “Why technology?”
Why technology? This is akin to asking Tom Brady, “Why football?” or Frank Sinatra “Why sing?” or, closer to home, an English teacher, “why read?” Each asks us to look at the essence of what we do: sometimes that question is hard to answer. To begin, here is an excerpt of my summative professional growth plan for this year:
“I feel that we are at a critical cross road at this school. The idea of technology being an “add on” must become obsolete. We must embrace two truths: first, technology is no longer optional in education. Second, we must build curriculum with technology inherent, ubiquitous, and transparent to improve achievement of our students. This stems from developing sound learning targets, including formative assessments, and allowing students more autonomy in their own learning. At the heart of this, Content, Pedagogy, and Technology must play equal roles in the development of what, how, and why we teach.”
This idea of technology having the same “weight” (TPCK model) is nothing new. For years, we designed lessons keeping in mind paper, pen, chalkboard, overhead, and word processor. Clearly, today there is more to consider.
We must keep in mind that “Technology,” per se, is NOT a panacea for all education woes. Tied with sound content and pedagogy, skillful use of technology improves achievement. A study done by Passig and Schwartz in 2007 supported that on-line collaborative writing resulted in richer communication than did face-to-face collaborative writing. In other words, kids write better (in this case) with the technology.
Especially for our disenfranchised students, judicious use of technology pays off. A teacher in my school uses blogging as a means for recording ideas and giving feedback (Assessment FOR Learning) on writing assignments to a group of Emotionally Disabled (E.D.) students. The teacher is receiving more and higher quality writing than he did using paper and pencil. ELL teachers find that Digital Storytelling, especially for their first-year students greatly improves pronunciation and articulation when recording voice over. MN students create “video resumes” to submit to prospective employers. Business owners have said that students have been hired, in part, due to this powerful method of introduction.
So why do we have such an uphill struggle? Clearly, some teachers are just not confident in their abilities using technology; no teacher wants to look stupid in front of kids. But I think it is deeper than that. One of my colleagues said it best:
“Perhaps the people who are resistant to [technology] use are the ones who believe they are the fountains of knowledge and students can't learn unless they're in the presence of a teacher.”

This, I feel, gets to the germ of the question “Why Technology?” We need to remember than in using technology wisely, we must focus on developing autonomous learners. This requires teachers to loosen the grip of control in the classroom, while at the same time nurture the skills and ethics needed that stem from such privilege. As we all know, change can be very difficult.
Today’s technologies, if used to support the teaching of a fundamental literacy, foster student autonomy as never before. But we must choose our tools wisely to support that autonomy, and teach a whole set of approaches we never dreamed twenty years ago. To diminish the current disconnect kids feel between school and “life” we must make the technologies as useful and pervasive in here, as they are out there.

Collaboration: Old Meets New

2009-03-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

“Collaboration” seems to be one of the buzzwords in education today. Even the esteemed N.C.T.E. identifies one of its “21st Century Literacies” as the ability to “build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally.” Couple this with the explosion of Web 2.0 tools including blogs, wikis, podcasting, social networking and all the other “cool tools,” and you have a formula ripe for collaboration. But to call collaboration “new” is forgetting our roots. There is no topic more researched in the history of education than the value of “working together.” Leaders such as the Johnsons of the University of Minnesota, and Spencer Kagan, have researched and developed programs that have fine-tuned Cooperative Learning to a science. The problem, however, is that oftentimes, the connection between Cooperative Learning and technology is overlooked. Unfortunately, some teachers get so caught up in the excitement of the tool, that they may lose sight of the learning. Also, turning students loose on a wiki does not guarantee that any “learning” occurs. The philosophy of “If you build it, they will come,” should be changed to “If you build it, they will come…but they may not do anything.”

Enter Cooperative Learning.

A way to ensure learning in a tech-based collaborative activity is to structure the Positive Interdependence and Individual Accountability into the lesson. Let’s take for example, a collaborative writing assignment using a wiki. The “typical” wiki involves a large number of students adding text, images, and links to a rather substantial document. Many successful projects have been created this way; however I would like to offer another possibility. We must first realize that the terms “wiki” and “collaborative writing” are as interchangeable as the terms “stove” and “baking a cake.” The former is a tool, the latter, a process.

Many times in wikis, students add, but are reluctant to edit the work of others—and rightly so. When collaborating on a Google Doc with fellow presenters, I would not consider editing or deleting work of my colleagues. As a result, most wikis take on the look of a patchwork quilt, with each “panel” reflecting the ideas of a single individual. Don’t get me wrong, the quilt model can fulfill some great objectives; however, for a true collaborative writing process, the final product needs to resemble, not a quilt, but a blanket. To achieve this, teachers, once again must embrace those Cooperative Learning structures in cyberspace, that they did in their classrooms.

Positive interdependence: We are better together than alone. Johnson and Johnson identify twelve types of Positive Interdependence, and further go on to state that for a lesson to succeed, at least three need to be present. A wiki assignment constructed properly can have at least four. Goal interdependence relies on the teacher creating a challenge for the students to create a compelling document. A unified vision of that goal is essential. Role interdependence is achieved by assigning specific, unique roles to individuals in the group. Each may be responsible for drafting a particular section and revising another. Environment interdependence becomes inherent within the wiki itself. If students have a part in creating a unique space they tend to take more ownership; therefore, I encourage student to select color schemes, titles, and images to “dress up” the assignment…that is, after the text is completed. Task interdependence relates closely to “Role.” “Task” is the idea that one portion may not be completed unless another’s task is completed. Veronica cannot edit the segment unless Jonathan drafts it, and so on.

Individual Accountability: EVERYONE learns One of the common criticisms of “Group Work” is that an unequal distribution of work and learning often results. In order to ensure that everyone participates, contributes, and learns, the teacher must structure several layers of individual accountability. First, wiki groups should contain no more than four members, and two or three is actually more desirable. Identifying roles and assessing is much more realistic in a group of three. Furthermore, “hiding” among three people is very difficult. Also, teachers must assess the project at various times during the project. Teachers need to assess and give feedback at the outlining, drafting, revising, and publishing stages. Also, since most wikis have history features, teachers need to continually view the participation of each member.

Admittedly, even though these technologies are relatively new, these concepts are not. When I first attempted a collaborative writing project via a wiki, the results were far below what I expected. Achievement soared only when I applied Cooperative Learning strategies.

Image courtesy of Thomas Hawk

A Department Meeting to Remember

2009-02-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet with our world language teachers. They had invited me to talk and share some “technology” with them. I decided to solicit some of the WL teachers who are already on the edge to share some of their successes. Fellow department members have much more street-cred than I do. This was important since (like many groups of teachers) there was a wide range of ages, experience, and tech know-how.
I gave these volunteers one “rule”: Show the success, NOT the tech.
What followed was an incredible sharing of learning successes I have not seen in a long time.
Bob, a Spanish teacher, and a fellow tech guy, shared wikis that students created on Aztec and Mayan culture, complete with text, images, multiple pages, and hyperlinks. Bob went on to tell how the research generated by students was then used by the entire class. Yes, that’s Jon’s fist pumping in the back of the room. Another teacher commented, “Wow, it looks so professional…like a real web page!”
French teacher Isabelle showed “group blogs” where students wrote stories in French, then commented on each others’ grammar, diction, and syntax. One observer noticed “Reading this is like getting inside the kids’ minds.”
German teacher Trish uploaded segments of a story her kids are reading as mp3 files. After listening in class, students can go home, log on, and replay the segments in case they missed something. Next step? Download the files on the iPod…so they can listen to it again, and again.
Sarah shared how her students used goanimate to create simple stories in German. The advantage was that kids had to sync movements with words, thus demonstrating their vocab skills. Sure it is a “fun” tool, but colleagues were impressed with the level of sophistication of diction.
Jennifer shared how her ELL kids complete a Digital Story using Photo Story 3, describing a “real” or “make believe” vacation and classmates need to decide if it was real or not. Aside from the obvious creativity unleashed, Jennifer was impressed with the way that kids have the ability to speak, listen immediately, process, and rerecord better. All of this can be honed without fear of embarrassment, since there is no other audience during creation. Then when the final product is finished, it’s a matter of hitting “play.”

The buzz that these presentation created was palpable…excitement, confusion, and clarity permeated the room—not to mention the pride that the “expert” teachers clearly had.
I gave the group a single charge: make the effort to use ONE technique this year, just one.

From the reaction, I think they will.

Global Awareness and RSS

2009-02-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

RSS. At first glance, most people recognize this as an efficient method for channeling information directly to the consumer. But, is that all there is?
Creating RSS feeds for students is not brand new either. For a project, researchers can not only get feeds to news sources, but can create “custom” feeds as well. Let’s say two students are researching Global Warming and decide to get a news feed from a national source. Miguel gets his from Fox, Ashley, from CNN. Needless to say, these two students are going to receive considerably different information on the topic.

The problem? The information is coming from a single source. Solution: Create a custom RSS feed through Google. Here’s how it’s done: After a typical search (hopefully, using advance search features), click the News link on the top left. Then click the sort by date link. This will show the most recent news hits on the “news” web. From here, click the RSS link on the bottom left, and copy the new URL in your Google Reader. You now have a custom feed on the topic from a variety of sources.

But there’s one problem.

Chances are, these news sources, although varied, will reflect a very “American” view of the situation. Many forward thinkers have stressed the need to create “global citizens,” and a sense of empathy and awareness of cultures, beliefs, and attitudes world wide. Unfortunately, history tells us that Americans have an especially egocentric view of the world. One way to increase understanding is to add another step to the creation of the custom feed by including a “Country Code” to the search. To do this, add to your search words “site:” followed by the two-letter country code. This way, you will get returns ONLY from news sources in that country (Just one of many advanced search features on Google).

Imagine the possibilities.

Today I did staff development on RSS, and when I mentioned this technique, the light bulbs went off. Imagine reading the news on topics from the other side. Here are a few ideas for “localizing” searches:

“Nuclear” from the perspective of North Korea

“Satellite” from Iran’s point of view (I did this, actually…very eye-opening)

“The Gaza Strip” Doing not one but two separate feeds and comparing. You can guess the countries.

Now, what can students do with this information? At very least, some ignorance will be snuffed.

But think of the discussions:

“What would cause them to believe this?”

“What does this information suggest about the culture?”

“What is their opinion of our country?”

“How much can we trust their news sources?”

And, therefore, how much can we trust ours?

Hopefully, all of these questions can lead to some reflection

and maybe, some empathy, tolerance, and compassion.

Image By Flickr Contributor poederbach

Seduced by Novelty

2009-01-31T09:13:00.000-08:00

It’s a new year, and with it comes more and more tools for teachers to use in the classroom. In my Twitter group, I still hear about more and more ideas that I can barely keep up with. Perhaps keeping up isn’t what it’s all about.

It never fails, I will be at my desk, doing research on bleeding edge technology, bookmarking sources, cross referencing…and the phone rings. A teacher wants to know how to set up a blog so other students can see posts, but not comments she makes to the students.Some may sigh and think, “A blog…that’s so last year.” However, my reaction is this: “This teacher didn’t even know what a blog was last year, and now she’s tweaking it to help her students…yes!”

The point is this: we sometimes get seduced by the novelty of a new tool or idea and want to do it faster than our colleagues. Well, perhaps instead of faster, we can do it better. I can honestly say that in 25 years of teaching I have stolen far more ideas than I have created. However, those ideas I have stolen I have tried to adapt and refine to best meet the needs of my students. The goal is not to be the quickest to apply new strategies, it is to wisely select the tools that create meaning and extend student learning.

Often, teachers learn that a tool exists, try it, and unfortunately move on.It’s one thing to say “I am doing a wiki with my kids,” and yet quite another to use the wiki tool as a means to extend the learning beyond what could have been done without it. Perhaps we need to revisit some “old” technologies (meaning older than this week) to make sure we are getting the most out of them.

Microsoft Word More than just word processing, Word contains literally dozens of features that enhance learning. One of my favorites is the comment feature which allows teacher or peers to neatly add comments in the margin. The viewer can read, revise (or ignore) and then quickly delete the comments for the final draft. Auto summarize allows the reader to have Word “highlight” key points. This is great to make sure topic sentences are truly topic sentences. Using the thesaurus wisely (yes, teaching is involved!) can increase a student’s vocabulary by recognizing subtle differences in connotations and select just the right word. And the list goes on.

Microsoft Powerpoint Clearly, the most abused software in schools, can be a powerful visual aid. However, too often the slides upstage the presenter, and at worst, become a teleprompter. Teaching students basic visual literacy through Powerpoint can be quite valuable. Color awareness and using as few words as possible on screen greatly enhance presentations. I have gone so far is to allow a maximum number of slides (5?) and words (say, 15 in the whole presentation). This puts the onus back on the star of the presentation: the presenter, not the software.

Digital Storytelling True, I do have a soft spot in my heart for DST, but that doesn’t diminish the power that it can create in the classroom. Focus on story and revision instead of flash and effects (in other words, avoid programs like Animoto). I find that the constant viewing of images along with listening to words enables students to greatly improve their writing. Encourage students to use images that metaphorically represent emotions rather than only literal representations. I picture of a lightning bolt may serve better than a one of “mom angry.”

Screencasts The value of using screencasts as a “how to” is undeniable. But here’s another idea: Why not have students create the screencasts? They could be used as a meta-cognitive tool to allow students to reflect on, say, a research project, and demonstrate for the teacher (and themselves) how they may have discovered a source, paraphrased a passage, or revised their thesis. Viewing these could give teachers a snapshot of what’s going on inside their brains (Thanks to Scott Meech for inspiring me to think about this).

Blogs OK, everyone reads them and more and more people seem to be writing them. But what role do they play for learning? Here are two ideas: First, we need to embrace some professional blogs as credible resources for supporting research. Professionals are constantly referring to colleagues’ blogs, so why aren’t students? And there’s a bonus: Students can actually ask the experts questions…and possibly get a response! I wish I would have been able to do that 30 years ago. Of course, we need to teach students to evaluate credibility of sources, as well as bias. The second idea (again, not new) is to set up individual blogs for every student, which are used as a means to record the writing and thinking experience of the entire course. The best feature is that it creates a means for continual communication between student and teacher allowing for a substantial “Assessment for Learning.” Teachers can even copy rubrics, highlight and comment on work, and view multiple drafts.

Wikis In an earlier post, “Turbo-Charged Wikis” I stress the important of Positive Interdependence and Individual Accountability. One of the best ways to achieve this in a collaborative writing experience (a rather sophisticated process) is to: limit participants to three or four per group, assign specific roles, and assess the work frequently. This will overcome the two biggest problems associated with wikis in school which are inequitable work distribution and the “quilt phenomenon” which occurs when students write their own section with little regard for what their collaborators have written. And here’s another idea: research supports that when students take a role in creating their own rubrics, they achieve more. How about a wiki that enables students to collaborate on the rubric itself.

Google Clearly the most conspicuous presence on the web, some educators shy away from this Goliath, or write it off as passé. Nothing could be further from the truth. Google has embraced education and offers more tools for student (and teacher) learning than you could possibly use in a career. If you don’t have an account, get one, and start looking. My new fave is the Life photo archives on Google. Try it! Also, if you get the opportunity to become a Google Certified teacher, I highly recommend it.

Creation software, Blogs & wikis, digital storytelling, and Google are entrenched in our lexicon so deeply, that it is hard to imagine a time when they weren’t. But just because they’ve been around for a while doesn’t mean their importance in the classroom has diminished. On the contrary, the acceptance of these tools in the mainstream has gotten us past the novelty concept where the tool du jour becomes the driving force. Now we can get back to “What do I want my students to do?” and use the repertoire of tools when the time is right.

So what are some "old" tools you're utilizing better than ever? Please share!

Image courtesy of Flickr contributor aaronfreimark.

The Wisdom of Finals?

2009-01-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

With semester exams in full swing at my school, I have been rethinking the wisdom of finals. Ah, finals week: altered schedules, sharpened pencils stacked like cord wood, reams of scantrons, review sheets, kids frantically calculating—but not trig formulas—instead they are calculating how well they need to do on the final to get, or maintain a particular grade. (Are those students concerned with learning?)

My first question is this: What is the purpose of a final exam? I believe there is a theory and a sad reality to this. First the theory: A final exam can measure the cumulative growth of a student and evaluate the “total package” of what he has learned. Also if the final is a school-wide or district-wide final, it can measure how well the course is being taught, and whether or not students are meeting standards. In this respect, a final exam is a critical step in ensuring a guaranteed and viable curriculum.

The reality: One of three scenarios usually occurs: One, sometime in the last week of class a teacher frantically pieces together questions from previous unit tests and writes a smattering of questions based solely on her memory of the class. Two, the teacher is prescribed to give the “department assessment,” and spends the first ten minutes of the final period telling students which questions to skip because the topics weren’t covered. Finally, there is the “District Assessment” that teachers administer, scan the results, see that given the current scale, many would fail and “curve” the results to get their nice, neat bell curve.
Are these finals doing what we want them to do?

Writing a reliable, valid final examination is difficult work. Developing an assessment that measures all learning targets of a course can be done, but often isn’t. Also, the assessment needs to be written before the class commences (Wiggins, Understanding by Design) If it is created after, it tends to be “reactionary” as opposed prescriptive. One of my colleagues gives students the final on the first day of class, so they know what to expect. Kudos to her! Some may argue, “yes but then aren’t we just teaching to the test?” If the test accurately measures the targets of the class, then yes, we should absolutely be teaching to that test, BUT how often are tests that valid?

Standard final exams in high school usually represent something like 20% of the semester grade, which is equivalent to 4 ½ weeks of course work. Personally, I have a hard time quantifying this inequity.

We talk about the “student-centered classroom” “project-based learning” and “collaborative learning” yet our biggest assessment of the year is done in a timed, isolated setting with a student completing primarily recall questions in a passive, non-creative fashion.
Often times, the justification for administering final exams is to prepare students for college. If the theory is to give them practice at high-stakes tests, I think we have that covered even without finals. From the Iowa Test of Basic Skills all the way to SAT, ACT, and state NCLB requirements, students get more than their share of “big tests.”

Teachers may feel the need to administer a final because it’s “always been done” and may argue that in order to fully assess students, they need a “big” grade at the end. This gets me to my alternative solution. Instead of a timed final exam, I prefer a culminating “project” as the final assessment.. Here is an example of what I did in one class:
In my sophomore English class, I focused on the following skills:
• Literary analysis
• Text marking
• Inquiry-based research
• Proper documentation of sources
• Structured collaborative learning skills including writing
• On-line research skills

For the “final” project, study of Lord of the Flies I placed students in groups of three, and gave each group a particular “lens” for studying the novel. The students were to read, discuss, and research the book with an emphasis on that lens. Then they were to create a scholarly article (via a wiki) with an analysis of that lens or theme, and write two discussion/ analysis questions on that theme. For the last assessment, students read each others’ articles, and answered the questions posed by the students. They had all read the biook, but were only expert in one theme. This allowed them to learn from each other while mastering all the major foci of the book. I found this to be a much more valuable assessment tool for my students since it allowed them to display their skills in virtually everything we worked towards.
Most importantly, the project allowed students to demonstrate what they can do, not what they can’t.

I’m not sure all final exams do that.

(Photo courtesy of flickr contributor sashamd)

Turbo-Charged Wikis: Cooperative Learning Embraces Technology

2009-01-12T18:19:00.001-08:00

When teachers first embraced wikis in the classroom, they met less-than-ideal outcomes. Usually students were disinterested in the topics or were not familiar with the technology, or were not adept with collaborative writing. The results usually consisted of disproportionate work distribution and copy-and-pasting: in other words, very little learning. Even if the work was evenly distributed, it resembled a “quilt,” with each student stitching in his own panel with little regard for what his partners wrote.

What was missing was a sound pedagogy for learning. By infusing structured Cooperative Learning strategies (Johnson and Johnson, University of Minnesota http://www.co-operation.org/) student-generated wikis become a much more productive activity.

Some of the more readily usable wiki interfaces are http://wikispaces.com/ and http://pbwiki.com/. A slick website that evaluates wikis head to head is http://wikimatrix.org/. Try it!

First, a teacher must establish a collaborative environment from the beginning of class. A wiki-based project should not be the first time students work together. Collaborative projects work well, but only if an environment of cooperation already exists.

The assignment of the project must possess two qualities. First, it must be an authentic problem or situation which must be solved collaboratively. Second, the final product must be utilized by another audience, preferably classmates to advance the learning of the entire class. In other words, the wiki cannot result in an assignment that is merely "turned in." Also teachers need to remember that the wiki is only the tool to enhance learning; the problem solving is what drives the project.

One example of this is an assignment I have recently given to students. While studying Lord of the Flies, students are placed in small groups (no more than 4 students) and read the book through a particular "lens" which guides their study and discussion. As they read, they research sources that analyze and support their particular lens. Since they are the ones becoming "experts" in their lens or theme, it becomes their responsibility to share their findings with classmates. To do so, they create a collaborative article analyzing the specifics on the theme complete with links to authoritative sources. The final step is to create two "foundation questions" (Inquiry Research) related to the theme and make them available. As a final class assessment, students read the analysis of themes done by classmates (total of four) and answer the foundation questions using the novel as well as their peers as sources to support their answer.

To make sure this project progresses, teachers need to instill the five components of Cooperative Learning: namely, Positive Interdependence, individual Accountability, Face to Face Interaction, Group Processing, and teaching small-group social skills. The most important of these are Positive Interdependence and Individual Accountability. These two seem, at first glance, mutually exclusive; a further look reveals that they are two sides of the same coin…somewhat of a “Yin-Yang” philosophy.

Positive interdependence: We are better together than alone. Johnson and Johnson identify twelve types of Positive Interdependence, and further go on to state that for a lesson to succeed, at least three need to be present. A wiki assignment constructed properly can have at least four. Goal interdependence relies on the teacher creating a challenge for the students to create a compelling document. A unified vision of that goal is essential. Role interdependence is achieved by assigning specific, unique roles to individuals in the group. Each may be responsible for drafting a particular section and revising another. Environment interdependence becomes inherent within the wiki itself. If students have a part in creating a unique space they tend to take more ownership; therefore, I encourage student to select color schemes, titles, and images to “dress up” the assignment…that is, after the text is completed. Task interdependence relates closely to “Role.” “Task” is the idea that one portion may not be completed unless another’s task is completed. Veronica cannot edit the segment unless Jonathan drafts it, and so on.

Individual Accountability: EVERYONE learns One of the common criticisms of “Group Work” is that an unequal distribution of work and learning often results. In order to ensure that everyone participates, contributes, and learns, the teacher must structure several layers of individual accountability. First, wiki groups should contain no more than four members, and two or three is actually more desirable. Identifying roles and assessing is much more realistic in a group of three. Furthermore, “hiding” among three people is very difficult. Also, teachers must assess the project at various times during the project. Teachers need to assess and give feedback at the outlining, drafting, revising, and publishing stages. Also, since most wikis have history features, teachers need to continually view the participation of each member.

In addition, teachers need to supply a structured system of expectations, due dates, and a constant flow of feedback throughout the development of project (Stiggins). Also, teachers must build in time for students to meet during class to negotiate meaning in the planning and revision stages. Assessment must be a collaborative endeavor, with students having input on the rubric criteria prior to the completion of the project, as well as an opportunity to self assess. Adherence to these strategies will ensure greater learning.

Additional Sources for Wikis in Education

The Cooperative Learning Center at the University of Minnesota

http://www.co-operation.org/

"Examples of Educational Wikis"

http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis

"Ideas for Educational Wikis"

http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/wikiideas1.cfm

Nielsen, Jakob. "Participation Inequality." http://www.useit.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html

"Wiki Etiquette for Students." http://educators.pbwiki.com/Wiki+Etiquette+for+Students

Orech, Jon. “Wikis Make Learning Wicked Fun.” Tech Learning E-Zine http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196605118

Schroeder, Barbara. "10 Best Practices for Using Wikis in Education." http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/10-best-practices-for-using-wikis-in-education/

"Seven Things you Should Know about Wikis" http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf

Stiggins, Richard J, Judith A. Arter, Jan Chappuis, and Stephen Chappuis, Judith A. Erter. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it Right, Using it Well. Assessment Training Institute, Jan Chappuis, Steve Chappuis, Educational Testing Service. Published by Assessment Training Institute, 2004

ISBN 0965510158, 9780965510158

"Using Wiki in Education." http://www.wikiineducation.com/display/ikiw/Home

Advanced THINKING in DST: "Less is More"

2008-12-15T12:35:00.000-08:00

When word processors first came on the scene, teachers were happy to get typed papers from students and were willing to overlook minor transgressions in technology and writing. However, word processing has become so efficient that expectations have significantly risen. The same phenomenon is occurring with the production of digital stories. Initially, the concept was so thrilling, that any product was viewed as a “masterpiece.” But now, teachers and students are becoming more savvy in the teaching and creation of digital stories.

(Image courtesy of Flickr contributor Cayusa )

Advanced Thinking DOES NOT mean more technology. The creation of superior digital stories lies more in metacognition than in manipulation. Most editing software comes equipped with a plethora of transitions, visual and audio effects, background music and text styles. When turned loose on all these choices, many students cram as many effects as humanly possible into their three-minute story. When asked why, students usually shrug their shoulders and respond “They look cool.” I have adopted two theories that have greatly enhanced the quality of stories. First, my students can use effects, as long as they understand and can justify why each effect is used. The second is simply “Less is more.” Developing awareness of each effect is the key.
Movement (panning and zooming) can add dynamic movement to still shots and can aid in developing plot, revealing character, or creating a dramatic effect. Since I only allow stills in DST projects, I encourage the use of movement judiciously. The first step is to teach the effect of each movement. Next, is to create an awareness of the interplay between movement and narration. Usually, most student-generated movement is far too fast. Subtle and slow is the way to go. Slow zoom out gives an object a sense of place or setting. It also gradually reveals information that can be intriguing to the viewer. Slow zoom in gently focuses the viewer and draws attention to a particular object or person. Carefully coordinating the zoom with narration is critical.

Occasionally, a quick zoom in can add a dramatic effect that abruptly jerks the audience to pay attention to something on the screen. Panning has a different effect than zooming. A pan creates an illusion of a storyboard, revealing information as it coincides with the narration. Again, slow is usually better. One note: most times, a left-to-right pan is preferred. Use right to left only to create an “uncomfortable” effect for the viewer. This phenomenon stems from the fact that our eyes have been trained to move left to right from years of reading. Right to left is unnatural to our eyes. Of course the variety of movement is endless. Always have students reflect on the purpose for each movement.

Transitions can be a real trap. Remember those Powerpoints with a different transition for each slide? The truth is, most transitions are distracting. The key is teaching the purpose of the “Big Three” and show students how to choose. I tell students to think of transitions as punctuation marks. A cut (or no transition) is like no punctuation, or at most, a comma. A dissolve (or a cross fade) is like a period. A fade to black is closest to an “enter” or a new paragraph, suggesting a change in thought or time passing--the longer the black, the longer the ellipsis. One the rare occasion, a more complex transition can be effective. I saw one story, where a student used vertical bars coming down to transition to someone ending up in a jail cell. The key is, he had a reason for doing it, and, incidentally, it was the only other complex transition he used; he was aware of the meaning the transition conveyed.

Decisions about sound range from voice over considerations to soundtrack and yes even sound effects. One of the first areas I focus on with regards to voice over is the avoidance of redundancy. I have students spend time editing stories to make sure that they eliminate words that convey meaning that is already conveyed with an image. There is no need to describe the color of the ocean if the picture is there. The other consideration is pacing. First students need to slow down to allow viewers time to process images. Second, nothing adds more to meaning than to start the voice over at least one full second after the image appears. Again this allows the viewer time to process the information. I tell students, “You know your story, but your audience does not.” Soundtrack first rule: instrumentals only. Lyrics tend to distract away from the narration—the heart of the story. One thing to keep in mind: it is not essential to have music throughout the story. A break in music can add drama to a piece, especially at the turning point in the story. Students also want to know if it is beneficial to use several different songs in a story. Once again, I go back to asking them why and to emphasize the “less is more” philosophy.

Other factors such as titles, text, split screens, and image augmentation (sepias, negatives, etc) are other considerations. Keep in mind, that true digital storytelling is a writing experience bolstered by images and sound. If we focus more on good writing and the essence of sharing the story, then the technology becomes a tool and not the focus.

Tools, Schmools

2008-12-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

Last week, I stumbled upon an on-line discussion about classroom Digital Storytellling. For me, it couldn’t get any better! I mean here were teachers who were going to be sharing strategies for writing, developing character, ways to mine for stories, using figurative language, discussing shot duration, panning, transitions, soundtrack, voice inflection…the nuts and bolts for developing Point, Dramatic Question, and Emotional content. Instead, here’s what I found:

What Digital Storytelling program do you use?

What followed was a software discussion, comparing the benefits of iMovie, PhotoStory, Pinnacle Studio, and Adobe Premier. There was even a plug for Animoto (yikes) Needless to say, my heart sank. As I thought more, I realized that this situation happens over and over among ed tech people; the discussion of tools often outweighs that of learning.

It happens elsewhere too. Mac and PC users argue about platforms, and everyone wants to use the newest Web 2.0 tools out there. We can show students that blogs, wikis, RSS feeds exist, and how to use them, but unless these tools support some fundamental literacy, it’s all just a hi-tech smokescreen. Joe Lambert refers to high-tech flashiness to compensate for a lack of substance as “Digital Spectacle” (See Animoto). Unfortunately, we do get caught up with the seduction of the tools.

After a presentation last month, a teacher approached me asked me, “Jon, which works better for kids to create, blogs, wikis, or web pages?” I didn’t know how to answer her. So I thought, and asked her back, “What do you want your students to do?” The point is this: a plumber doesn’t prefer her pipe wrench over her power-rodder. She uses each of these tools when she needs them. Blogs and wikis each are great tools if used to extend the learning of a fundamental literacy, and are rooted in sound educational pedagogy.

We do have some great examples of technology used for learning in our school (and probably yours too!) Several teachers use individual student blogs as a means to enable constant feedback on papers from the teacher and peers, promoting extensive revision. Another teacher uses wikis as a place for students to prepare and share collaborative research findings, and, in turn, devise student-generated assessments that their peers use as final tests. Our library has created a “Reader’s Advisory” wiki to enable students to share opinions on books they’ve read. Junior English teachers use custom RSS feeds for students to have time-sensitive articles delivered to their front door to enhance research on their advocacy projects. And of course, we have the myriad applications of student-generated movies ranging from pure Digital Story to documentary, to public service announcements. The difference with all of these applications is that the technology supports the goal, not vice versa.

The bottom line is this: it isn’t about the tools, it’s about skill building and learning. Purchasing the finest set of power tools would not compensate for my gross ineptitude at carpentry. The same holds true for the thousands, yes thousands, of free, inexpensive, and, even costly tools available for educators (and students). Unless these tools are utilized appropriately to extend learning, they are worthless.

Don’t get me wrong, in the hands of a master, web 2.0 tools and other applications can bring about superior results. I can catch many more walleyes using a sensitive (and expensive) graphite rod than I can with a bargain-basement fiberglass one. Then again, I am much better at walleye fishing than I am at carpentry. The same holds true for the master educator who embraces and uses the tools appropriately.

What I Have Learned as a Tech Coordinator: So Far...

2008-12-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

I have been at this job officially now 3 months and 18 days. People ask me how I like it...do I miss the classroom...definitely yes to both of them. I think I have been here long enough to reflect on what I have learned. Here goes:

You can't get to everyone When I finally realized that I can't get to EVERY teacher about EVERY now innovation, my life became better. Teachers are very busy people, and not everyone wants everything...NOW. Instead, I am relying on my connectors. the ones who want to find out how to do an RSS feed, the ones who want their kids to do a collaborative paper...and I let them spread the word.

Never do anything too fast Last week I inadvertently deleted literally hundreds of blog entries on a teacher's Blackboard page...thinking I had copied them. I was in such a rush to get it done...well, you can figure out what happened.

Move them up the ladder...no matter what rung they are on. Every other week I have a "Tech Tuesday" where teachers come in on their free periods. I have one older teacher who (and she says this) is very technophobic. but she comes to EVERY Tech Tuesday to learn. 1st period I was woking with only her. My agenda was to talk about slick tricks and tools in Word. What we did instead was talk about saving a file on the H-drive at school and how to make folders; she had never done either. She left with a smile and a sense of accomplishment.

Am I a Leader or support person? YES! Going to conferences and bringing back ideas materials and resources is one of my favorite parts of this job. Last week I was planning this sophisticated idea for revamping the research project for our junior English classes...really cool stuff. The phone rang. A math teacher had viewed her weekly eligibility report, and her grades were not calculating correctly. Here I was involved in planning this paradigm shift for research...and she needs me to fix her grade book? Of course. And that is precisely what I did. As excited as I was about the research project...it did not diminish the importance for that teacher to have her grade book function correctly. So I went and fixed the grade book...happily.

Listen, Listen, Listen The idea of cornering teachers with tech ideas to infuse in the class can guarantee you one thing: sitting alone at lunch. Talk to teachers about what they are doing. Have you ever known a teacher who doesn't like to beam, or vent about classes? Then you listen. Listen to the goals, listen to what the teacher wants to do. Then, that's when the research, the saving-to-delicious, the reading, the conferences, and the twittering pay off. Apply what you know to what they need. Give them ideas and tools for what they want to do. That way you become the solution, not the problem.

Always Keep Learning This may be the easiest part. I mean, it seems like the more iIfind out about this gig, the more I expand my PLN, the more humbled I become, and the more I realize, "Man, I have got a lot to learn!"

Changing research

2008-12-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

This morning I met with a PLC team at my school, as an observer, while they discussed a research project our juniors do: It is an advocacy project, where thay take a current event, view both sides, and "advocate" for one side. Their method of research is to view articles from library data bases and synthesize the information. The idea is to gather info throughout the semester and have the project culminate in a major research paper.

Needless to say, I have other ideas for them.

Everyone today is talking about "21st Century Skills." I still am not sure what those are, nor how they really differ. I would hope that we have been trying to Create, Collaborate, and Connect for some time now. If anyone comes closeto explaining, it's the good people at The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. However, there is no denying that the big change is in "21st Century tools," which can help create much more meaningful, authentic outcomes. Here is what I suggested to the teachers. All students should:

Get a Delicious account. Social bookbmarking has incredible advantages. Not only can kids save, access, and organize their web pages, they can also include each other on their networks, especially those who are researching similar topics. Diigo, another social bookmarking tool, is more robust, allowing you to hi-lite text and place virtual "sticky notes" on articles; however, it can also be a bit cumbersome for new users. Now, when students search the web, they can save their resources and access them wherever you go (Hint: have your IT person install the Delicious shortcut buttons on your computers).

Create a Google account and go to Google Reader. OK any RSS aggregetor will do, but I found Google reader to be very intuitive, and, let's face it, there is a certain familiarity with Google... especially for kids. At this point, students need to create an RSS feed from the blogs etc., to the aggregator. The great thing about RSS feeds is that they continually send you updates on recent posts to the blog. Checking all your sources together is much quicker.

Do a "custom RSS" search. In Google, type in a keyword for your current event or controversy. When you get your returns (probably a bazillion hits) click the "news" icon on the top. This will reduce your hits significantly and limit your hits to news articles. Then, click "date." This will organize your articles to show the most recently published hits first. Finally, locate the "RSS" link on the left. Clicking this will give you a new URL. Copy this URL and follow directions below for "Linking your RSS feeds to your Google Reader."

Do a Technorati search Many folks are not aware that blogging is more than just personal journaling. Many experts in most fields blog as a means of both publication and connection. Technorati is in essence, a search engine for blogs. For this project, students would be wise to select a blogger from each side of the issue, read their posts, and eventually comment directly to the experts. What a bonus to be a student, and to pose pointed questions to those experts. (We from the "Reader's Guide Generation" anre in awe of this concept.) Technorati offers an "authority" rating to determine the reliability and credibility of the author. In my field, someone like David Warlick, or Will Richardson, as a much higher rating than, well...I do. And rightly so! Decide on two bloggers with divergent (even polar) perspectives.

Link your RSS feeds to your Google reader Linking your feeds consists of going to your desired blog, clicking the orange semicircle icon to get a "feed" URL. (Sometimes, there will even be an icon that says "add to Google reader." Click that, and you're done) Then, copy the new URL and go to Google reader. Follow directions for "adding a new subscription." Now you will have automatic updates from that source.

Do an "Invisible Web" search. Many valuablepages on the web are not accessible through ordinary search engines. Complete Planet is one such tool that searches the Invisible Web. Make sure to include an "Invisible" web search in your research. When you find good sources, add them to your Delicious account.

Now you are ready to, over time, gather information, organize ideas, tag valuable sources, and even contact those people you are following to ask more questions.

Next: What do I do with the research.

The "STORY" of Digital Storytelling

2008-12-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

I learned a great deal from Joe Lambert about the art of storytelling. I took what I learned and applied it to what already knew about narrative writing. After teaching DST to students and colleagues, I have formulated three building blocks for superior story writing.

Precise verbs drive story. First off, action verbs create much richer meaning and appeal to senses better than linking verbs do. Instead of “The cat was relaxed,” a better choice is “The cat lounged on the couch.” (That example was inspired by Sunny, who right now, is “lounging” next to me.) However, just using action verbs is not enough. Verbs with “narrow” meaning always surpass words with “wide” meaning. “Walk” should be replaced with “saunter,” “stroll,” “stagger,” “stomp,” or “strut” (like the alliteration?) Finally, never rely on adverbs to carry the load. “Dart” is always preferable to “run quickly.”

Effective writers must observe carefully. From those observations, readers infer meaning. One of the ways we cheat our audience is to make inferences for them. “He was mad,” tells the audience. When I read that, my thought is, “I don’t believe you, show me he’s mad.” Instead I would rather read, “His nostrils flared, his teeth clenched, and his eyes bulged like Ralph Kramden’s.” (If you don’t get that last allusion, ask someone over 45). The key here is to rely on sensory observation and let the audience create the picture in their minds.

Many writers feel the need to dilute stories with background. This phenomenon stems from politeness. “So I don’t confuse my audience, I need to set up the entire scene with background information,” is the thought of many a storyteller. However, a carefully written first sentence can take us right into the story, and we will figure out what is happening based on what we bring with our own experience. I had one student who wrote about an incident at dance camp she attended. The first paragraph explained the location, how she got there, when she went… and so on. After some revision (and reassurance) she opened this way:

“My legs tensed as I waited for my cue; after all the sweat at camp, it was Showtime.”

The tone, Point, and Dramatic Question are clearly established with this single sentence (OK, it’s a compound sentence): she is a dancer, at a camp, and has prepared for this moment intensely. Now she can tell her story.

Digital Storytelling: My Passion

2008-12-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me probably associate me with DST...and I will talk to anyone about it who will be polite enough to sit still. I thought I would "catch up" here by posting a series of items I have written on DST. More of my resources can be found at http://jonorech.wikispaces.com

Here's the first installment:

Down and Dirty With DST

There was a time, not too long ago, that very few educators had ever heard the term “Digital Storytelling.” Last month I attended a conference that featured over a dozen presentations on the topic. While many educators are now aware of the theory and concepts, a number of people are apprehensive about taking the plunge into DST because they are not sure about the specific “nuts and bolts” of coordinating a project for students. Through trial and error, I have found a set of strategies that streamline the process and permit students to achieve the best results.
“Classic” DST focuses on seven elements for creation: Point (of view), Dramatic Question, Voice, Pacing, Soundtrack, Economy, and Emotional Content (Lambert). While most teachers easily recognize these elements, the true challenge emerges: how to get students to display them in their own stories. The first step a teacher must take is to develop a sequential set of steps, and promote specific expectations for each step.
Developing Story topics: “You do have something to say. Most young (and old!) people feel that they have nothing extraordinary to tell. Showing students several examples, and having them participate in cooperative sharing activities allow them to gain confidence in sharing their own experience. Certain prompts can elicit ideas: A time you had to grow up, making a friend, losing a loved one, a “bike” story, the story of your name, a tribute to a family member—these all can inspire students to begin thinking about their own experiences. Often times, a popular topic is a sports story. A word of caution: If the story merely consists of “winning the big one,” another idea should be considered. Sports stories usually work only if two conditions are met: one, if the person gains or learns something from the experience; and two, if the story focuses on a specific moment or person. Students should be discouraged to explain the whole season, or else all we have is a highlight film.
Writing the story: “show, don’t tell!” Economy is one of the most important elements of DST. One of the best way to write economically, and at the same time vividly, is to master the skill of showing, as opposed to telling. Simply put, encourage students to write using “observations” instead of “inferences.” We experience the world through our senses, and effective storytelling is achieved through creating vivid pictures with words. Instead of telling the audience, “I was scared” an effective narrator shows fear with observations such as “sweaty palms,” “shaking knees,” and “trembling arms.” Once again, peer revision is critical at this stage.
Images: “quality, not quantity” When students begin collecting pictures to accompany their story, emotion often overtakes them, and they come to class with dozens, and dozens, and dozens of pictures that all have sentimental value. If all the pictures are used, the result is a digital scrapbook, not a story. For a three-minute story, limit students to a maximum of fifteen images. This achieves two goals: first, it forces students to make value decisions on the photos, and results in only the “best of the best.” Second, it focuses the attention back to the story. Students must rely on the story driving the images, instead of the images driving the story. A word about video…
Digitizing: “Size does matter” To supplement their own pictures, students can search for images on line. Several of the standby search tools work, such as Google or Altavista. However, I recommend Flickr.com for vivid artistic images. No matter where images are harvested, make sure the size exceeds 640x480 pixels. Any smaller, and the images look like a scene from Cops. This is especially true is pans or zooms are utilized. Also, if the story is to be published, make sure to emphasize ethical use of artistic property, and always adhere to copyright laws.
Storyboarding: “the visual outline” Storyboarding allows students to “structure” their story and “sync” images to words. One advantage, is that it enhances revision of the story once students see how the words work with the images. At times, it is wise trim, or even omit narration altogether if the image creates enough of an impact. Several methods of storyboarding are effective. Powerpoint can render a quick and easy version, or a template from Word using text and image boxes can also suffice. All students need to do is insert images in order, and copy and paste the corresponding narration. Storyboarding “software” is also available. However, I have found these to have a few too many options, thus complicating the process. The most important advantage of storyboarding is that it creates an efficient blueprint for the movie once students finally get to the lab; and if your school is like mine, days in the studio lab are precious.
Digital editing: “more power?…not necessarily” There is a balancing act when selecting video editing software. On one hand, students need the freedom to utilize a variety of effects; however, they also can’t spend an entire quarter learning software. Adobe Premier is one of the benchmarks of professional editing software. The price tag and complexity make it a poor choice for students. On the other end, Windows XP comes loaded with Moviemaker. It’s free and easy, but only allows for one audio track (bye bye soundtrack). Two of the better mid-priced programs are iMovie for Mac users, and Pinnacle Studio 9 for PC. Both offer a good combination of flexibility and ease of use. New on the front: Microsoft Photostory 3. Get a load of this: pan and zoom, transitions, two soundtracks, “packaged” background music, visual effects, all presented with a step by step wizard to render stories very efficiently. Oh, and it’s a free download from your friends at Microsoft (Thanks to Guy Ballard, et. Al from Niles for the hot tip!)
Recording voice over: “Sloooow Dooooown” We all get nervous when we speak for an audience. When we get nervous, heart rate and blood pressure rise. Imagine what this does to a student’s rate of speech. To get students to slow their rate of speaking, I will record an excerpt from a documentary containing narration. Next, I transcribe the narration and ask students to read it aloud while a partner watches the clock. Then we play the actual excerpts. Students are amazed to hear the voice over take at least twice the time to read. Explain to students that their audience needs time to process images, and that a slower pace (most of the time) is much more effective. Also, blocks of time with no narration can be even more poignant at certain. times. At first, students will resist the slow, deliberate, articulate pace of narration.. However, with practice, they will improve
Choosing a soundtrack “Instrumental vs. lyrical” A carefully chosen soundtrack can have a dramatic impact on the entire story. Pacing, emotion, point, and dramatic question are all enhanced with appropriate music. Imagine Jaws with out its signature “du-dum.” Conversely, a poorly chosen soundtrack can be distracting and confusing. The question remains, “What makes a powerful soundtrack?” The first rule, is that lyrics during narration is usually ill-advised. However appropriate lyrics with no narration can be very powerful. Many editing software titles contain “packaged” music that can be easily dropped into the story. Often, however, students want to bring in their own favorite music, which is fine, as long as the tone is appropriate. Movie soundtracks are excellent places to look. A word of caution: encourage students to select only one piece of music. Abrupt, frequent changes do little more than confuse the audience.

Effects: “Less is more” With students, I use the metaphor of salting food. A little bit improves taste, too much just makes food salty and raises blood pressure; similarly, too many effects raises my blood pressure! The rule of thumb, is that if an effect is used, there must be a reason for it. Transitions between images help tell the story. Students need to know what different transitions imply. I use a punctuation metaphor to teach transitions. A“cut” or no transition is like a comma or no punctuation mark, and serves to quickly move between two closely related ideas. A “dissolve” resembles a period, and suggests a change to a related idea. A “fade” is like a new paragraph and suggests a change of topics or passage of time. A particularly effective technique is the use of a black screen for several seconds: with or without sound. Beyond these, most transitions are superfluous and distracting and should be discouraged. Pans and zooms can add movement to static images, focus the audience, or give a sense of place for an object. In most cases, slow movement is best so as not to distract the audience. Text as art:
An effective method for focusing the audience on a particular line is to actually use text on the screen. Select lines that are particularly important and use a plain font. Text can be used in lieu of narration or in addition. Printed words can also be used to emphasize song lyrics. Remember that each of these techniques creates a different effect. There are of course thousands of other effects such as manipulating color, contrast, lighting, use of split screens, overlays, green screen animation. However, less is more. The common denominator is that effects should enhance the story instead of dominate it
Production and presentation: “ show time!” For a story to be a story, it must be shared. At minimum, classmates should view all stories created. I tend to make quite a “production” of the whole experience. Students spend a moment introducing the story, and after the film and a hearty round of applause classmates give positive feedback to the storyteller. DST is also a great medium for presentations to literary clubs or even at an all-school assembly. The people at Niles District 219 have created http://www.digitalstories.org/ as a venue for viewing and posting digital stories. This allows students to post their stories to the world. Give it a look; it’s quite impressive.
For educators new to DST, the task can appear daunting. Following a few strategies will help students get started. Once they get the idea, there’s no stopping them.

Future Classroom: What are the Barriers?

2008-11-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

Meet Elizabeth. The 17 year old junior wakes early so she can get a start on today’s tasks. After she logs on, she first looks to see if there is any feedback on her latest paper. Miguel likes her comparison of the bird flu to the flu pandemic of last century. Elise has a source that may help with her section on medical evidence. Elizabeth then looks to see if there are any new news items on her topic. Three since yesterday. Two look promising. Before she signed off she made a quick check to see if either of her partners found anything. Veronica? no. Hmm, Jonathan got one new source yesterday at 6.

After breakfast, she gets to school and goes to chemistry. The lab report is almost done, but she needs to verify a few facts. She logs on to the FHS Chem. custom search engine and quickly finds the information needed. Also, she sees another source that might help a friend of hers. She saves it to the search engine and notifies her friend. Before she leaves, she looks at the rubric for the lab and notices there is not a criteria for graphics. She knows that quality images can seal the deal…so she adds the category, knowing full well that her friends will undoubtedly fill in the criteria later today.

In US history she finishes recording the last narrative for her time line of the Mexican American War. She’s really proud of this, especially the two video clips, and talking to that woman from the Smithsonian didn’t hurt either.

Art class: She was curios as to what Amanda and Steve meant last night about the Dali painting. She had recorded her views last night and heard theirs, but was not sure what they meant. She couldn’t wait to get to class to talk to them.

English: Elizabeth already saw what Mr. Sloan said about her literary analysis on Sunday, and knew what revisions she had to make. At times, though reading the story to herself was difficult. Before she left class, she got the story from Mr. Sloan…she would listen to it on the bus home. Then she would get another article on the author. She could generate a list of keywords instantly to help her complete her research. She could hardly wait until tomorrow to talk to the Alabama kids about “background” in To Kill a Mockingbird, and she could let them know about the significance of Esperanza moving from Keeler to Paulina in House on Mango Street.

Algebra 2 found her completing exercises on line. She thought the activities were ok, (she liked getting feedback and answers right away) but Mom was really happy that her textbook fee was almost zero this year. Whatever she couldn’t finish in class, she could complete at home. And she was so happy not to have to lug that backpack all around; her laptop was no more cumbersome than a notebook.

After school found Elizabeth at her NHS meeting. They were working with three other schools in the county to create a film that would raise awareness of the need for a homeless shelter in town. Since she missed the last meeting, and didn’t know how to edit transitions, she clicked on the tutorial that showed her how to do it step by step. Fortunately, she was able to play that one hard part until she got it. She checked with her staff before making the new version available to the kids at the other school. She would have to wait until tomorrow to see what they thought.

After dinner, Elizabeth went to her room and made a few more checks around the world, made a few updates, touched bases with some friends. And then she came across that great presentation she made last week. Proudly, she clicked, and thought, “Maybe someone else can use this.”

Tech-savvy people will realize that EVERYTHING Elizabeth did can be done right now. Did you recognize all of the applications? In one day, Elizabeth blogged, used social bookmarking, used RSS, utilized custom-created search engines, contributed to a wiki, pocasted, contacted an authoritative source, contributed to a voice thread, downloaded an audio story to her mp3 player, Skyped with kids in another part of the country, used an open-source textbook, viewed a screen cast, and collaborated with other kids to create a movie…not for a grade, but to bring about change.

So why aren’t we doing this now?

Clearly, not everyone is privy to all of these tools. Undoubtedly, by the time this is published, several of these tools may be obsolete, and replaced by something better. So how do we get these tools into the hands of teachers, and most importantly, into the hands of students?

We all know that all teachers lie somewhere on the “tech continuum.” All schools have the “bleeding edge” and “technophobic” faculty members. Also, while districts make opportunities available, compulsory technology is perceived by many as an invasion of professional discretion, whether intended or not. Clearly, “Thou shalt use technology” is not the answer.

There are some answers though, I believe. First, more districts (including my own) are adopting a cooperative learning model for teachers, often referred to as “PLC’S” (Professional Learning Communities) which foster sharing among professionals. Last month I explained to a French teacher how blogs can be used in a classroom. She adapted and applied the skill to work for her own learners. When her colleagues saw her students’ results, they wanted to do the same. Without the collaborative environment, no one else would have known what great things that French teacher was doing. When I read Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point I never realized how true his theories were until I became a Tech coordinator. In a school of 230 teachers, there is no way to get to all of them. You need to trust your “Connectors,” like my French teacher.

The other way to get teachers to embrace these tools is to build a “compelling why” for the teacher. I witnessed one of my teachers poring over dozens of student emails, opening and saving attachments, and frantically writing comments. When asked, he told me that he had his students writing a collaborative paper…via email. Student one made an addition, passed it on to the next student, all the while copying the instructor…

After I defined “wiki” for him, his relief was palpable. The teacher had the idea, had the concept…he just didn’t have the tool.

And we must remember that they are just tools. Teachers are more likely to embrace these tools if we focus on the objective first. You don’t build a house because you just bought a table saw. You get a table saw because you need it to build the house. It’s about the learning…not the tools.

Don't Reinvent the Wheel

2008-11-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

Teachers work hard. Because of this commitment, I have noticed that that some teachers are reluctant to expand their use of technology because “they don’t have the time.” A great way to get these tech-hesitant people on board is to show them tools that will SAVE time by using existing tools instead of creating their own. Here’s four:

Slideshare: A teacher decides to create a Powerpoint to introduce mitosis. So she goes through her notes, types up her Powerpoint, finds images, makes great transitions and, voila her presentation is done. BUT she could have saved herself hours and, perhaps gotten even more information had she gone to Slideshare, opened an account and searched for existing Powerpoints in their huge collection of presentations. Suggestion: use the advanced search feature to look for only “downloadable” files; that way you can modify the presentation to suit your needs. You will need to weed through some “student-generated” presentations but you will find some good presentations in there. Feel free to post some of your best.

Screencast-o-matic: You know those lessons: the ones where you take kids through the steps of how to format a paper or harvest images off the web legally. Instead of repeating the steps over and over, create a screencast so kids can watch ant listen at their own pace. After registering, all you need is a microphone and you can create a professional screencast that can be linked to a web page and viewed…whenever.

Rubric Gallery in RCampus: Generating rubrics is a painstaking, yet necessary process for teachers today. Chances are, that rubric for the upcoming project has already been made. Rubrics in RCampus are organized by subject and grade level. Several great features include: space to keep all your rubrics in their data base, the ability to modify existing rubrics, HTML source codes to embed a rubric into a webpage, AND the ability to actually enter the grades for the rubric on line.

Classroom 2.0: Created by Steve Hargadon. Think of it as “Myspace” for teachers. Create your own main page so others can “follow” you…post your webpage, blog url, delicious tags, and twitter name. (I’m jorech!) Classroom 2.0 allows you to join existing groups of like-minded educators on a variety of topics, or you can even create your own. I am involved in Digital Storytelling, Photostory 3, Digiskills, Open Source and I have started the new “Research 2.0” group. Discussion forums, blogs, and a site wiki are also included in this great networking tool. Also, participate in free webinars conducted by colleagues. This is a tremendous resource that is building as we speak. Hey, add me as a colleague!

Ok so do thse directly result in student learning? Maybe not. But if these tools can increase productivity for teachers, and make their lives easier, then the transfer to students is inevitable. Email me if you know of any other similar tools!

It's alive...

2008-11-23T04:55:00.000-08:00

OK so it's been over a year since I created this and NOW I'm doing my second post. At the time I thought I wanted to do this, but I wasn't ready. Now, I hope, I am. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I have a new job. I am now the Instructional Tech Coordinator at Downers Grove South, a position created with the departure of Dave Jakes. I took this job in August and, my, has it been a whirlwind.
In July, I attended Blackboard World in Vegas, learned a great deal more about Bb, and won a grand at the Blackjack tables. My school year began with the pains of adopting a new grade book program. Much of my first month was putting out fires and helping the staff get used to the new system...and learning my new job...which, I am guessing, will never end.

MORE TRAVELING This new position affords me the ability to a bit more on the road. So here was the schedule:

September:
1, Did a workshop at Crystal Lake District 47. Had a lot of fun helping elementary teachers work through DST and get to know PhotoStory 3. Also had the chance to talk to Annette Lamb a bit...wow, what a powerhouse!
2, Cross Lutheran School in Yorkville. Spent the afternoon with a great group of teachers, helping them identify and use some free Web 2.0 tools.

October:
1. Did a workshop at the University School in Milwaukee. WOW, what a facility; what a staff. I felt like I was in Dead Poets Society. Did DST all day...my only regret is that I couldn't see all the other great presentations. This is where I learned about creating personalized search engines from Alan November.
2. Attended T+L in Seattle...Great conference, GREAT city. David Warlick introduced me to Tag Crowd...what a great little tool! Ate a ton of smoked salmon...and threw one at the Pike St. Market.

November:
1. Tech Forum Austin. Judy Salpeter ALWAYS puts on a great conference, and she gave me the opportunity to present with David Warlick and Meg Ormiston (After all this time I FINALLY get to get to know Meg) on examples of 21st century skills. Then she hooked me up with Juan Orozco from TX and we did a "DST Showcase." It's always great to meet another passionate educator who really "gets" DST. Then I got to do my own thing in "Turbo-Charged Wikis." At least I got to listen to Sheryl Nussbaum Beach do the keynote...very inspiring.
2. And just last week, I got to attend and present at IETC in Springfield again. Did "Turbo-Charged Wikis" again, but more important, I had the opportunity to reconnect with many great people at the conference including (but not limited to) Jim O'Hagan, Beth Burke, Ben Grey, Scott Meech, Kathleen Molloy, Scott Weidig, Bob Small, Rena Shiflet, Danielle Brush, as well as the good people from DEN. I also got to make some new friends as well.

The Tipping Point: The more I talked to people throughout my travels, the more I realized I I needed to "Walk the Walk" as a tech coordinator. So I am now Blogging for DLE, I am now on Twitter, and, yes, I am back here. If I am going to be a tech leader for my school, I need to do a better job tapping the innovative intelligence out there. Also I need to do a better job putting what I know out there.

So, now that I have it out there I ask two things:

Be gentle.

Keep me honest.

Why "Digital Quill"?

2007-11-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

A little nervous here, be gentle, kind readers. I guess the first order of business is to explain the title of this Blog. I live for contrasts. What would you expect from a guy who was an English major and a football player? Professors furled eyebrows at this jock in a literature class. Coaches scratched their heads as they saw Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Chomsky spill out of my bookbag.
So here I am now, and English teacher for 23 years with a prediliction for technology. I still believe that there is no substitute for "old-school writing." Developing ideas, crafting words, making meaning. In this "cut and paste" world, we must remember that the tools available to us are that. Tools.
(Pardon the above fragment)
However, I have witnessed, like many teachers the ease in editing that stems from word processing. Simple? Yes, but effective. To take that to the next level, I realize the power of Digital Storytelling, Blogs, Wikis anf the plethora of tools available for us students. (We should ALL be students all the time, shouldn't we?) Unfortunately, some have embraced the tools, and lost sight of the goals: creating meaning, learning, growing. As my tech mentor, Dave Jakes points out, a tech tool or strategy must first advance literacy.

Here is my charge, my battle cry. Embrace the technology (Digital) while adhering to my English roots to build a solid writing foundation for my students (Quill).

So I take the plunge. After a couple years of blog-phobia, here I am diving in with the rest of you swimming when I can, steering clear of sharks, hoping the water is warm, not too deep, and not too salty.