<![CDATA[Technology Integration Specialist]]>Freewebshttp://aprilweston.webs.com/blog.htm<![CDATA[IDEAL Train the Trainer - Topic #5]]>http://aprilweston.webs.com/blog.htm?blogentryid=40402212008-9-30T12:38:00-0100<![CDATA[IDEAL Train the Trainer - Topic #4]]>http://aprilweston.webs.com/blog.htm?blogentryid=40402022008-9-30T12:35:00-0100<![CDATA[IDEAL Train the trainer - Topic #3]]>http://aprilweston.webs.com/blog.htm?blogentryid=40401862008-9-30T12:32:00-0100<![CDATA[IDEAL Train the Trainer Topic #2]]>http://aprilweston.webs.com/blog.htm?blogentryid=40401592008-9-30T12:21:00-0100<![CDATA[IDEAL Train the Trainer - Topic #1]]>http://aprilweston.webs.com/blog.htm?blogentryid=40401502008-9-30T12:19:00-0100<![CDATA[NECC 2008]]> Find notes from the sessions I attended and a short video clip below.
MONDAY Open Minds, Open Education, and a View of Open Culture - David Thornburg
1 to 1 OPTIONS:
1-to-1 Mate (looks like Alpha Smart - full computer)
Koolu - Saves power, cheap
N Computing Box - up 2 seven “computers” from one CPU
Neo1973 - cellphone with open platform
Puppy Linux (OS to run off of jump drive)
Open Source -
Linux (2/3 of Indiana students polled didn’t know they were using Linux)
Easy to install (NOVELL)
Brazil - 36 million Brazillian students are using Linux ... (US is too proprietary - “strangle hold” on economy)
Global issues - seeing value in multiple cultures ... US is shutting down the exchange by building walls, 16 year Green Card waiting lists, etc. How can we open and share?
21st Century Learning - Chris Moersch LoTi (scale to rate level of integration)
5 Cs of Instructional Leadership:
Cultivation - High Expectations (Ariel foundation, Ariel Community Academy in Chicago - investment project)
H.E.A.T. Analysis - Higher order thinking rating system (pdf of score card at website: LoTiLounge.com)
Creative Solutions
Finding a way: 270towin.com - website for election history
Commitment to Best practices
Communication
Skoolaborate - Westley Fields An island/project in Teen 2nd Life - a brilliant answer to some things
Working globally with other teachers has created global understandings (bridging differences).
Must change perception of 2nd Life, so people see its usefulness. The Horizon Report - gages length of time to adoption of new technologies
Debunking Myths about virtual worlds:
Safe
Easy
A total solution
Game
Will engage all
Confidence gained In World translates to Real World (Emily’s story ... straight skirt, shuffling girl; changed to vibrant, colorful ... became more outgoing at school)
Our understanding is constructed through discussion and interaction with the content socially.
Video “Watch the World” by Robbie Dingo
Strategies for Dys function - Chris O’Neal chris.wikispaces.com
Overcoming Negativity: Speak their language. Be “devious” if necessary; create training with titles that appeal to their NEED and approach it from a tech perspective. Who’s my audience and what do I have to do to make what I want happen. Tell them what they want to hear.
Retention rate over time of students who used tech to create rather than read/handout was 50% higher (EduTopia)
Admins:
Approach: “Come to this session because in this school these students aren’t doing well in ...” (How can technology meet their problems???)
Pew Internet - stats and data about the “outside” world (great for grant writing and developing angles for principals to buy into tech) - go around the issue
Ex: kids are blogging, sharing pics, makin movies for MySpace ... if we use those same tools, they won’t skirt around the system to get to MySpace AND learn content
Teachers:
Who are they’re unengaged kids? Why are the not engaged? What’s the need? Dissect and Diagnose ... customize a response (may even provide some PD by sending YouTube/TeacherTube vids
Help them solve problems ... use student videos to communicate with parents (TeacherTube)
Board Members:
How does tech make the school system look? (They are concerned about image and PR)
How does it affect money? Use data and highlight trouble spots (ASCD - find research about specific topics)
SchoolTube (produce a video with a purpose ...)
Central Office (assumes there’s a “coordinator” for each area):
Tend to be focused on own content area.
In what ways can tech connect to them or their initiative? Personalize it.
TPCK theory - Technological, Pedagogical, Content, Knowledge
Parents:
Parents want to know what’s going on ... effective communication
Reinforce their commitment to school
They will begin requesting techie teachers after a year or two --> increases need and pressure to bring tech
Use digital calendars, blogs, etc. to communicate with parents
IDEA for training strand: EZ ways to communicate with parents without leaving your desk or making copies ... online tools and tech to improve your communication with parents.
I’m the hub. How can I bring them?
Get TIME in healthy order. What issues are there? Ask teachers what they need time help with. Take care of self, so can be effective.
Google Calendar - use to set up automated reminder using txt messaging and/or email for projects, etc. Can add attachments too.
Lifehacker - ways to use tech for other uses, time saving tools, etc.
Technology and Differentiated Instruction - William Dalton
The proper goal of DI is to harness and cultivate differences, to maximize learning for all students including engagement, efficiency, and better learning through confidence and self-awareness, curiosity, a love of learning, and appreciation of the contributions of others.
Why technology for DI? Tech provides varied experiences, opportunities for access outside of school, and range interest. Provides opportunity to enhance DI with variety of tools, taps into interests and skills. Project based learning, multimedia, creativity, interactive, collaborative web 2.0 tools.
Read recommendation: Tomlinson, Carol Ann. Smith, Grace E. and Stephanie Throne. Benjamin, Amy. (Understanding by Design highly recommended.
Second Life as Professional Learning Model - Scott Merrick secondlifegrid.net/programs/education
Read: Here comes everybody by clay shirke
knowclue.com
sloodle.org
2nd life fieldtrips sunday morn.
TUESDAY Keynote - TakingITglobal, iEarn, see program booklet and add notes.
Funding your dreams - Dr. Sheryl R. Abshire sheryl.abshire@cpsb.org - will answer a quick question
FFurousFFank on YouTube - video - looking for “free money” won’t get much.
Keys to great grants:
Integrated program elements
Aligned components - how will the idea fit in with everything else going on
High quality and continuous improvement, PD, evaluation
HQ = spelling, grammar and syntax, SVA
not a one shot deal, this piece does this, takes us here, then here ... what difference does it make
how will people be trained? who will do it? how will it be payed for?
evaluate for every goal of the grant (sign in sheets to show % of involvement, pre and post assessments, etc.)
Funders use proposal to get to know you ... the proposal is the stand it, may never meet the people with $
Tied to standards - how the program/project will elevate learning according to standards; how will it impact the overall learning project
Innovation - sizzle, edgy, different, creative (“kick it up a notch” - find an innovative way to do the idea or add to the idea that’s anchored in real world learning and bring relevance
Coordination of resources - in-kind, support, scaffolding ... how will it all come together and who will be involved and how; partner with a U/college (let them publish it, help with evaluation, use the data) ... printing costs, refreshments, any resource will be supplied ... by whom? Internet, network, tech support
Program ties to local needs - does it fulfill a need the district has? what about school improvement plan? workforce development? What are the needs of the community? industry? commercial community? Show your thinking is coordinated. Use data to develop information.
Buy-in - what other people have bought into the idea? Principal? Super? Other teachers, parents, comm. members, school board
Top Ten ?s Reviews ask when reviewing prop:
Tie in to schools plan - team effort, support within school/district/county
How will tech be used? vision for improving student learning (not just gimme some computers ... gimme some computers and our math scores will rise)
Will it impact student learning? - whats the plan to improve learning beyond the norm - what’s the existing pattern? how will program change it? Help the kids?
What are desired outcomes - specific indicators, how might curr development/delivery change (clear, concise - what difference will it make?)
Is there potential to be replicated or outreach to a larger community? - far reaching impact
Does the proposal tap creativity in tapping other resources available in community? community service, other organizations
Is the budget clearly defined? - why should private funding be used? what other funding is used? why do you need private $? details! get quotes. model numbers. do the homework. funders know prices change ... still have details. have someone else check it.
Who will benefit from this initiative? be very clear
How well does the proposal replicate what the funder is looking for? know the funder, what have they funded before, know the corporate goals. Look for funding that supports what you want to do. Request copies of funded grants, get info and absolute priorities.
How committed are you? passion for proposal. what have you already done toward this goal/project. They want to be partners and have a success. Hiring a company might seem like a good idea - will likely not get funded. Write i yourself. No “formula”, no grant template.
A grantwriter should ...
Be a Gambler - take chances; don’t give up.
Be a masochist - get over rejection and resubmit over and over again (ask for reader comments and make changes)
Be a diplomat - support and encourage the grant team to “re-think” and “re-work” over and over. Give it to someone outside of the team and/or education to read it.
Be a squirrel - save very article about grants and scrap of papers just in case it might be useful (scan and categorize)
Be an inventor - new ways to solve old problems (raising scores) and locating research to support and back up ideas
Be a rhinoceros - be tough, let rejections bounce off your hide
Be a magician - craft a proposal that appears to meet EVERY requirement of RFP an what the funder wants. MEET each requirement - exactly! Follow the “rules”!
Be a Butcher - cut, cut, cut ... make it concise and to the point (let someone else edit if necessary). Less is more.
Be a financial wizard - stretch every dollar, do more with less, get matching funds from every imaginable source. “show skin in the game”
Be a night owl - meet all deadlines. NEVER miss a deadline. (Get support from admin.; a sub for a few hours will be great help.) Send it in early! Try to get it in 2 weeks early.
Be a party animal - celebrate!
Other hints:
Write for “every man” - if you don’t say it, they won’t know it
Apply to be a grant reader
Always back up ideas with research
Create an email JUST for grant stuff
Resources:
www.cpsb.org/Scripts/abshire/grants.asp
www.schoolgrants.org - Bring home the bacon listserv (join the grantwriting community $25/year; newsletter comes monthly); look at sample proposals
www.quinlan.com
Best Practices in Second Life - Peggy Sheehy MetaVersEd Ltd. Virtual World Education Consultant metaversed@mac.com SL: Maggie Marat Skype: maggiemarat 201 693 0169 Maratsade on Sisters of Elune in Wow
Ramapo Islands - Teen Second Life - “A New Dimension in Learning”
“shifthappens” movie
Muves - Virtual Worlds Ramapo Islands
Second Life:
Building tools
Scripting for complex simulations
100% user created and owned
Purchasing an island - 16 acres=15,000 prims; private island is $700; maintenance $147.50 monthly; can be public or private. Private. Can lock students into island. If no adult on the island, students can’t get in.
How they did it:
Teachers created “Main Grid” accounts and did orientation
edit appearance (shopping)
communication options
tour ed locations
joined groups to develop network
created Ramapo island avatar
Students introduced - given rules in Ramapo (dress code)
Core group made peer mentors (trouble students)
Created avatars, trained, edited appearance, joined group, explored, built
Asked teachers: “What are you doing right now ...”
Brought in science (made telephone and plane models with info)
Brought in math (geometry - created 3D models of geometric principles)
Brought in Social Studies (build Ellis Island museum)
Brought in Lang Arts (of Mice and Men - mock trial after reading, assigned roles/responsibilities, research, conduct trial, reflect)
Health class did self portrait avatars; then media beautiful; then switched gender, each time with discussion about avatars - www.campaignforrealbeauty.com
Developed “pods” where teachers posed questions, chat answers, teacher was emailed transcript of chat
Year 2: added an island, began considering if they were using best practices or just using the virtual world to extend real world
Added 3 islands (foreign lag, multimedia (with voice) and Science
1000+ students, 35 formally trained teachers, teachers using it without kids
Use Poinkeys Pods
Multimedia Island with music stage, soundstage, music story, and storyworld
Science island
Foreign Lang - cultural investigations, voice immersion, authentic artifacts, shared experience
What’s Working:
Structure
Encourage feedback
Setting boundaries
Clear xpectations
Teacher Training - Peggy doesn’t have to help as much now
Teaching with Cellphones - Hall Davidson Teach42 - Hall’s blog (live feed from cellphones - CISCO) Look up HallDavidson on YouTube
Set up youtube acct to receive video from my cellphone
engadget - pushes video to cells
www.myspace.com/sidekicknation - video uses
Teacher captured Autisic child talking for first time on cellphone cam and sent to parents (David Mendell, PA)
Gcast - call Gcast, record audio to Internet
Polleverywhere - poll and text messages
Text 34381- fast food data
466453 - Google
48368 - Google Calendar
“Jail break” iPhone - what does jail break mean? Make iphone do non proprietary?
Other: Wordle.net
WebQuest - Bernie Dodge
WebQuests:
Dictionary, Schmictionary
Touring Antarctica
radio play
Sites:
WebQuest.org
Teacher Web
Teach-nology.com
Freewebs.com (search for webquests)
webquest.ning.com
Book: WebQuests Bernie will post to ning
SMART Board 101 - Brett Gensburg
F7 and Shift F7
“Pick up the pen and teach” - know that there’s a line tool, when you’re ready, etc.”
Control 1 = pen up/pen down
Recommend going back to page sorter if using other tab.
Set fill and tap to change fill.
The 23rd Student - teach all students (use color to indicate steps)
“Harvest” - not steal
Zoom in on rulers to read (view, zoom)
Free yourself from the way you used to teach. Open your mind. (Use I have a dream.)
"Awesome" ... website for movies Alien Song Ray Mouse
SMART Board 202 - Bret Gensburg
“Let them teach you technology and they will allow you to teach them content.”
“Don’t look what it is ... ask yourself, how was it made.”
Short cuts = “A cheaper way”
Swoop into tray to switch back to pen when pen is in hand.
Use my content ... build frequently used things and put in my content to use over and over.
Digital calculator?
Layer squares over squares over picture to create a reveal game.
MP3 play IN Notebook; wavs and others link out. Touch speaker to pause and restart.
Short cut: grab file I want to associate with something, drag to the task bar onto the Notebook file, up to right file, then onto the object to be linked.
Use audio to reinforce content ... blu, blu, bluuuup example. Use the sound to remind students of that content.
SMART Video Player located in task tray.
SMART Recorder also located there. (Remember to change setting in menu, options, video - set to bottom choice - will only play on computer with Notebook. Saves faster.)
Draw attention with highlighter, then undo in video.
SMART BUGS (Building User Groups)
The Coming Mobile Disruption Implications for Education Cathleen Norris and Elliot Soloway and David Whyley and Jill Purcell from Wolverhampton, UK
Cellphones will allow a REAL 1:1 Schools must employ ed software and PD to make it successful.
$100: Cellphone $300: HP iPAQ and Asus A626 Windows Mobile $500: Nova and Classmate PC (Intel, with handle) $700: HP Mini-Note PC
Affordable tech is sustainable tech.Tech must be integrated into the daily fabric of the classroom.
Kids in Singapore begin with cellphones project next year.
PD - leads to success, increases teacher use; scaffold (Early adopters 10%, to mainstream teachers 80% - need samples, need to be shown, Conservatives 10%)
Early success is important! They need to be successful to take the next step. UK has wifi (mobile broadband) throughout country. Google: British education 2020 for report on UK tech plan
Mobile connectedness is standard in business, but banned in schools.
Learning2Go.org - Brit inititative to put mobile tech in the hands of every students Parents contributed for own child and donated for poorer students (parents pay weekly. After 2 years, student owns device). Still and video - critical Ed software - robust See photo of VISION slide ... developing a vision
Blue Pizza?
Gold Star Cafe - secure social network, hot seats, earn power crystals, must help/coach another. Tech scores “going through the roof”
Sustainability - $0 solution: every child brings their own device
Machinema - Bernajean Porter, Peggy Sheehy, and others
Shaharazad (Story keepers) BJP island in SL. TP into Ramapo activity.
“A story that needed to be told.”
Record and record until it sounds the way they want. Don’t just accept first take of audio as “good enough”.