Kent Manning's Blog

Today our School Wifi is Live!

2012-01-20T17:14:00.006-05:00

Today was a memorable day.

At 5:00 p.m. yesterday our IT department flipped the switch and our entire school went live on WiFi.

The waiting started.

Today at about 2:00 p.m. a student asked me what the password was for wifi. He had his own iPod Touch. We have a BYOD agreement in our district. As I walked him through the process for access, a small crowd gathered and I stepped back and just watched and listened.

"Oh, cool". "What, we have wifi?"

The expressions on their faces. Priceless. I was able to snap a photo of the first group of students on. It will go in our year book.

Now the fun and learning begins. I'd really like to know what kinds of experiences you had at your school once they flipped the switch. Hope you'll let me know in the comments.

Can't wait until tomorrow.

Photo: I took this wifi photo above on a family vacation in 2006.

Teach Me Something

2011-10-17T04:37:00.004-04:00

Something quite remarkable is happening each week in my grade six classroom. But first of all I need to give credit where credit is due.

This isn't my original idea. It comes from the Island Movie Project in Hawaii. A project which doesn't run any longer but was a wonderful student produced movie project from about 5 or 6 years ago. Note: Hawaii has been a leader in many things for quite some time, but that's a different blog post.

As well, on many of our road trips with friend and colleague @aforgrave we talk about providing the opportunity for our students to think for themselves and this was one of the ideas we talked about.

Every week, as I mentioned, each of my grade 6 students provides the class with a "Teach Me Something" moment. They come up with something they can teach the class. Here's the list so far:

Making caterpillars out of plastic cord

A magic trick

Baking banana muffins - Yes the students actually brought the materials and baked muffins!

Using long strides when you run

Scoring a goal in soccer

Drawing airplanes

Making paper airplanes

Drawing cartoon faces

Making flat gimp

A card trick

Drawing animals

How to curve a soccer ball

Ice hockey goalie movements

How play Cricket

Painting flowers

Doing a cartwheel

How to do a crossover dribble in basketball

How to bowl

Painting Flowers

Playing a harmonica

We film each Teach Me Something on a Flip camera in 720p and I edit them in iMovie. We then have a viewing the following week (I only get the privilege of teaching this wonder group of grade 6 students once a week for the day).

To say this has generated some excitement is an understatement. Some students took a few weeks to come up with an idea. And in one case a student went away and learned how to play a song on the harmonica!

Note: To meet all needs of the learners in the class, some students neither wish to do their Teach Me Something in front of the class nor do they wish to be filmed. And that's O.K. I provide an opportunity for the students both off camera and not in front of the class. That way all students are included.

Harmonica Photo Credit - Stephen Depolo - Creative Commons 2.0 License

New Beginnings

2011-10-02T06:46:00.014-04:00

September was probably the fastest four weeks I can remember in a long while. You see, I have returned to the classroom after 12 years as a K-8 Education Technology Consultant.

By Friday of the first week I couldn't wait to get to school. The reason: excitement. Pure and simple. I felt alive!

It was like riding a bike really. Developing new habits and routines while at the same having that same feeling as 30 years ago when I started to work with children. The excitement of hearing your name, the wonder of children learning, the buzz of the schoolyard, the cries of new-to-school students as they wept when their mothers had to leave as teachers and students consoled them.

Septembers haven't changed in all these years. 400 or so new beginnings at my school. An opportunity for all to meet new friends and new teachers and learn new things. My friend @royanlee said it well in mid-September with this tweet in response to my excitement.

He's right.

Students give you energy as a teacher and keep you young. Their youthful enthusiasm never wanes and you can count on them to be ready and willing to learn.

I'm so fortunate to be a teacher.

Tools - Then and Now

2011-08-20T08:37:00.006-04:00

That's me with my twins. 12 years ago.

I remember the day our resource team was issued laptops. This particular one is a Compaq. Overnight it doubled my workload. I've since wondered why school districts haven't adopted this strategy more widely. Some are considering it. I mean, really, at the time I didn't seem to mind. Kind of like having a mobile phone issued from work nowadays. There is a felt-sense at the outset that one needs to be accessible all the time.

As a self confessed gadget guy, (I'm counting, at first glance on my desk here about a dozen or so technology gadgets smaller than my hand.) I blame my dad ever since he took me to his office in the late '60s and showed me his gadgets: a nifty one was a magnetic device of some kind that erased cassette tapes. Hold the tape against the device, rub it around a little and the cassette is wiped and ready to go again. Another was a large metal rotating drum. It was a fax machine where you had to plug the receiver end of the phone into it to send the fax.

My gadgetness was not lost on my kids. Notice the zen-like look on their faces. They're zeroed in. Every couple of years the district would refresh our laptops and phones and we had the good fortune to be able to purchase cameras, microphones, portable this and portable that. My kids were always playing around with the likes of some kind of gadget when they were young. And of course they had to test all the software before I tried it in schools. My son, although he doesn't remember, could beat Castle Explorer by the end of Grade 4. And my daughter drew the most amazing pictures in Kid Pix. Of course this was all before social media and Macs.

I'm not sure how my kids would learn and connect nowadays without their devices. Oh, they would struggle through. But I think of how having a laptop has helped with the writing process for both my kids. This alone is worth it. My two have been fortunate to have had ubiquitous unfiltered wi-fi access at their school since grade 7. And since the end of grade 8 have had 1 to 1 computing too. So they haven't had to "power down" when they go to school.

I spent my first summer in 12 years without a laptop the last two months. Was it difficult? There were times when I wished I had one. But until my new one arrived yesterday I had forgotten how much I missed it. I keep saying to my kids.. look what I have... their response is "Oh, that's nice dad". My friend Andy talks about how technology and the internet are like "oxygen". So I guess my trying to get a rise out of my teenagers is like trying to get a rise out of them by breathing. Not impressive. "Get over it, Dad."

So now the fun begins. Using our tools for learning during the school year that is almost here. I'm back in the classroom and hope to be able to use my laptop in my school. Wi Fi is on the horizon at my school and we have a bring your own devices policy. Can't wait. It will be exciting. And like my kids I don't want to have to power down when I get to school.

Here's hoping, if you've read this far, that your tools for learning help you out along the way during this school year.

They sure have for my kids and me!

Creating Stories

2011-07-20T06:59:00.006-04:00

On Friday of this week I will have the honour and pleasure of having conversations with dozens of teachers about creating stories with the help of technology. Original stories, stop motion stories. Stories that come from our students' imaginations and their hearts.

As a part of the Minds on Media team at OTF's Critical Thinkers in the Age of Media event in Toronto, I'll be holding court at my station about using Frames and Audacity to create stories.

Audacity, the free open source sound recording software has been good to me over the years. Our technicians have had in on our image for as long as I can remember and I've been using it for digital storytelling since about 2004. It has been the preferred method to "lay down a clear and concise voice track" for the many digital stories we've been creating. There is nothing more satisfying than teaching a group of grade 2 students how to record and edit their voices. Once they get over the fact that their voice "doesn't sound like me" they really cotton on to using the software. The cutest line from this year was when I was in a grade 1 class and after the student recorded her voice and heard the first segment played back, she stood up and said aloud, "Hey that's me!" What a terrific moment. The common factor in using Audacity has been student creativity. In the good majority of using Audacity to record voices it has been recording original student writing. Sometimes we'll splice in another sound or a music track but for the most part it has been original writing.

Frames was designed as a stop motion digital stills animation software and this is where I have had the most fun this year. (O.K. it was the students having all the fun, but I was there) Taking a page from my friend Dan Grant from York Region, I made it my mission to explore stop motion animation storytelling in the classroom this year. What I found was that students who would normally not be as engaged in the writing process came alive with stop motion. They worked in groups, it was hands on, there was a story to tell and they could use their lego and other found materials to tell the story. How could they not be engaged! I'll have a copy of an article I wrote about engaging boys in the writing process with me on Friday at my station. It is from the fall issue of Creative Educator.

So, if you are reading this and will be there on Friday, please drop by and say hello and let's start a conversation. I'd like to hear how you have been using Audacity and Frames with your students. We'll all share our ideas and be better for it. The possibilities for using these software titles are limitless when our students' imaginations are involved.

See you Friday.

Dear Papa

2011-07-12T19:30:00.002-04:00

Dear Papa

I’ve tried to imagine what it must have been like for you back then.

You left your loved ones behind, your home on St. Clair and traveled across an ocean not knowing what you would be facing when you got there or if you would ever come back.

Those were challenging times back then. Your dad had the foresight to send you to school. Would you miss your friends?

I wonder if you knew then what was in store for you during the war?

What were you thinking as you traveled across the ocean? Was your sleeping birth small? Close quarters? Did it smell? I can picture you out on the deck sharing a smoke and a smile with your fellow soldiers. Did you talk about your hopes and dreams, or just day-to-day things?

You chose a helping profession, just like your father did. You saved lives. Was there a stench of war in your Shoreham hospital? How did you cope with the smell, the illnesses, mens’ lives in your hands? Did you pray for them if they were dieing?

You got sick over there. “Dangerously ill” Did you hope and pray you’d get better so you could return to your family? Did you ever think you’d die?

How did you cope when you got home? Were you changed?

I’m having a hard time trying to imagine how you went from battlefield doctor to bringing babies into the world. Did you ever get flashbacks as you were delivering a child?

Did it take you long to get back into the swing of things when you got home, to start a family and feel normal again? Did you ever talk with anyone about what you went through?

One never knows one’s influence. You have influenced many. You’ve been a father, a son, a brother, a husband, doctor, soldier, and,

my Papa.

Last Foray - Stop Motion Animation Stories

2011-06-25T02:53:00.005-04:00

My last foray as a travelling technology integrator was yesterday. It was delightful. I'm heading back to the classroom in the fall.

I was asked to introduce stop motion animation to a group of grade 3 and 4 students. The teacher had prepped the students by having them plan a beginning, middle and end to their animated stories and had talked with them about what type of materials could be used.

Just as you see in this photo: Credit to Tim Clarke the students scattered on the floor of the classroom. You want to talk about total engagement. Students were in groups of 4 and had the opportunity to talk about their projects along the way. For the entire day yesterday, there were no discipline concerns, there was a high level of student engagement and the kids were having just plain fun!

Time and time again I saw students working together, problem solving, laughing, being excited. Groups would divide the jobs. There would be camera operators, animators, software and laptop experts. But what I noticed most was that all the group members were contributing to how the story was being told. Now that is huge. Each member with a voice on how the story will be told.

So if you haven't tried stop motion animation in the classroom, you may want to give it a try. All you need is an inexpensive web cam, some software a few found materials to create a story, and you'll be in business.

Update: Watch for my article on Stop Motion Animation Storytelling and Boys Engagement in an upcoming issue of Creative Educator magazine in the fall. The article will also appear in a special #iste11 hard copy next week.

A Random Act

2011-04-22T09:53:00.003-04:00

He looked over at my newspaper and said, "I can't read that" This was just before he handed me his card. On it was printed: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - President.

"But I was really good in math", he said. And I was in the two year Occupation Course in High School. He said this just after he mentioned his company grossed 1.5 million on a recent contract.

What struck me most was his gift for storytelling and his confidence. He mentioned he had two teachers who made an impression on him when he was a student and believed in him.

The little story above is a true one. It happened this morning at my usual breakfast spot. I'm not usually awake and ready for conversation at "oh dark early". I usually bring along a book or the newspaper to read. But this morning was different. I asked if this gentleman would survive the day after I heard a groan from the booth behind me. He said, "Yes, I think so, my arthritis has been acting up".

What followed was a conversation about life, really. All in just a few moments. You know the ones, those chance meetings where you exchange pleasantries with another person. It got me thinking. Especially the part about knowing by name (first names and last names) the specific teachers who had assisted him and believed in him when he was in school. It brought me back to this week when I met a young 2nd grade student, who just might grow up to have "President" on his card.

He was interested in all that I did the minute after I walked in to the classroom. He assisted, offered suggestions and just plain had an awareness of what I was all about during my visit.

Connections. We are all trying to make them as we navigate life's ups and downs. I made a connection this morning and one earlier this week and I was better for it.

As I was finishing my breakfast and reading the last article I had planned on reading, my server asked if I'd like another cup of coffee. I said, "No thank you" She added... " Oh, _ _ _ _ _ _ paid for your breakfast". After a pretty rough week I tried not to show that I was welling up a bit. Put the glasses back on and keep reading, I thought.

Then I thought about _ _ _ _ _ _ . He wouldn't be able to do what I was doing. Reading. But he is good at math and has "President" on his card.

Note: I took this photo of a man on a Penny Farthing at a rodeo parade in Deadwood, Colorado in 2006. It has absolutely nothing to do with this post, I just really like the photo.

It Could Be Me

2011-03-18T08:38:00.004-04:00

What struck me most was the look in his eyes. It was a lost, apologetic look. "Can you spare some change?"

It didn't matter that we were deep inside the eating establishment and he saw us sitting at the back and walked back to ask. He asked, twice. But that look in his face.

I can't help but think that it could be me. What if I hadn't had a supportive family, an education, or a loving wife to support me all these years. What if my ancestors had settled in the U.S. where there is no socialized medicine. What if?

It is in the family. But nobody talked about it. An uncle. After WW II. Homeless. My other Uncle: George, used to try to keep track of Tom I was told. But I never met him.

There is some "at home" feeling for me in Toronto. After all I'm 4th generation Torontonian even though most of my growing up was in a small town. We walked a lot yesterday. There is so much to see, so much of life going on as we walked by. You could spend an hour at each moment given the time. Queen West was alive. The sun was shining, folks were out and about on St. Patrick's Day. There was Spring in the air.

But there is just something I feel deeply as I walk by the homeless folks in this great city. I just feel it. And I know I need to do more to act on my thoughts. And I will.

After all, it could be me.

Feels Like Home

2010-11-14T08:06:00.006-05:00

My first ECOO conference was back in the mid-90's. My oldest "ECOO Bag" dates back to 1997. It, according to Geoff Day was the only one with a spelling mistake on it. A collector's item.

I learned a lot back in those days, then something started to happen. I really wasn't learning anything for a while. There seemed, back then, to be only introductory lessons and most I had already mastered. So, I presented a few sessions for a couple of years, and that got very old quickly. It wasn't until a couple of years back that this all changed. The day I was introduced to social media.

I remember it well, it was two years ago next February and I had this fellow named Doug Peterson sit next to me on day two of the session. Many of us were introduced to Twitter that morning by an out of town presenter. I noticed that this out of town presenter was following the guy next to me. Hmm, I thought, this guy must be a player. It wasn't for a while that I realized what kind of a guy Doug Peterson really was. Encouraging, helpful, thoughtful and an all around great guy.

But it didn't stop there. I met about 15 or so folks "in real life", followed them on Twitter and then began probably the best professional development I've had in years. We started an on-line real-time discussion about teaching and learning that has been unparalleled.

I also noticed that most of the "real life" folks I had met a couple of years ago were now attending ECOO. I thought, why not give it another chance? So last year was my first return to ECOO in years. Now it feels like home.

Where else (I know there are other places:) can you arrive at a conference and immediately meet three people you've met before? Or within two hours of arrival be sitting with 15 others, some of whom you have met and others you are now meeting after following them on Twitter.

And it did not stop there. I didn't have a chance to join the official and unofficial tweet-ups this year, but every room I entered or corner I turned I would bump into someone I would know. This happened time and time again. There were embraces for new faces, smiles from across the room and waves from passers-by. The theme: "Where's the Flock" was a terrfic tag line for this year's conference. Even if I had to have it explained to me that there may be another meaning to this phrase.

So hat's off to the organizers of this year's ECOO2010. My best experience yet!

I'm really happy to have that "Feels Like Home" feeling back again.

See you next year.

The Summer of '75

2010-07-14T06:46:00.005-04:00

I can count on one hand the few defining moments I had as a teen.

Spending the summer of 1975 as a very young 16 year old on a Sugar Plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii is one of them.

What vision and thoughtfulness my parents had back then to plunk me on a jet out of Toronto, by myself, only to land in Honolulu and be picked up by "Uncle Jack." Uncle Jack was one of my father's best friends from his days at the U. of T.'s Faculty of Forestry in the early 1950's. My dad had continued with forestry and Jack Hewetson had followed the agriculture stream. After a stint with a rubber plantation in Africa Jack managed Ka'u Sugar Company which was based in Pahala, Hawaii.

We'd rise at 3:30 am, and I remember the rice cooker had been on a timer and we'd make our lunch in the plantation house kitchen. Our lunch consisted of various levels of rice with vegetables. This was no small plantation house. The manager's house in 1975 was quite something to see. We'd be in the cane fields covering sugar cane seed by 5:30 am. Good, hard, honest work. Just the thing for a teen.

We'd finish by 2:30 pm and be at Punalu'u Beach by 3:00 pm usually each day. Not many tourists had discovered Punalu'u back then so the beach was mostly locals. And one Canadian in a speedo.

What I remember most about the two months I spent on the Big Island are the people. The kids I hung around with during the summer. I learned how to listen and understand Pidgin English in

about 2 weeks. I had no idea what the kids were saying for the longest time. My biggest compliment was from one of the other summer students when he said, "Hey, you sound like a local, brau".

But most importantly it was how the local teens socialized.

Back home in small town Ontario, the idea of a good time at 16 years old, at least in my town, was to head over to someone's home, usually when the parents were not in and have a party. Not the case in Hawaii. The teens would all head over to someone's home and a spread of food was laid on and the 10 or 20 kids would talk, listen to music, laugh and eat some of the most amazing food I have ever eaten. This was very different from the way Ontario teens, at least the ones I knew, were conducting themselves.

Well here we are 35 years later and I have my own teens. Just about the same age as I was in 1975. So guess what? I'm not putting my son or daughter on a jet all by themselves, we're going as a family! Yes, that's right, next month we're all heading to the Big Island.

There will be swimming with sea turtles, black and green sand beaches, and of course the Mahalo of the people to look forward to.

Maybe a trip to Hawai'i will be a defining moment in life for my teens.

I know it was for me.

Appealing Work Culture

2010-06-17T16:53:00.002-04:00

This 2 minute segment of the recent D8 Steve Jobs interview caught my attention.

Mr. jobs explains the work culture at Apple in response to the question, "What do you do all day"? His response was to meet with various groups each day to talk.

You may be surprised to learn how many committees there are at Apple.

I couldn't help but think it would be great if some of the things they do at Apple could be tried in the public sector.

Say, education, perhaps? Just a thought.

Note: This blog entry was created on an iPad using a wireless keyboard. You should be able to view the video on iPad. Just click on the picture of Mr. Jobs.

Recipient or Producer?

2010-05-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

"Are students recipients of information or producers of information?"
~ Marco Torres

Auditory Receivers | Visual Producers

Visual Receivers | Kinesthetic Producers

In only a minute's time, Marco Torres explains that in order to empower our students they need to create not just receive. How many of us live by this each and every day as we work with staff and students?

I'd like to say that each and every day I try to find ways to use open ended creativity software and web environments to encourage and support the creation of original content by teachers and students.

Let's take this past week for example:

Student Blogging Project

On Wednesday of this week for an entire morning a team of teacher blogging "guides" led about 20 middle school students through the steps required to create student blogs. Producers? Check. The students started with a "blank screen" by default the blue banner in Wordpress. About three hours later each and every student had created an original welcome message, personalized her or his blog with a template and changed the banner title and image with either an original photograph or one from a creative commons website. The students were quite proud of their morning's work.

Audacity - Music Mood Assignment

On Friday of this week I worked with a music teacher. Her goal was to have her students use a creative commons licensed piece of music. The assignment is to use the tools in Audacity to change the mood of the particular cut. Brilliant! Producers? Check. The students will need to explain both the reasons why the particular modified track conveys to the listener a particular mood and expression. As well they will be required to explain the functions and tools used to create the modified track.

So does this mean all classroom work needs to be on the production side? Not quite. In both examples above many hours of instruction have taken place in order for students to create the skills necessary to produce. In the case of the bloggers the students spent the better part of four months commenting on the teacher's blog and learning to be a good global citizen when using on-line environments. And in the case of the music students hours of instruction have taken place to learn about the musical terms tempo, beat, rhythm, genre, etc.

I do, however, believe that to maintain student engagement and motivation the creation side of things in the classroom is very important and cannot be omitted. It would be like traveling to the science centre and just listening to lectures all day and not being able to mess around and create.

Until next time.

NMC video clip: Creative Commons 2.5 License.

What is an Expert?

2010-04-25T06:21:00.012-04:00

"Don't ask questions you can look up" ~ Albert Einstein

I had an interesting experience on my train ride home this week from a Learning Connections gathering of educators in Toronto. I missed my train and had to catch the next train an hour later. These things happen for a reason. Beyond the fact that I read the time on the ticket incorrectly, riding the next train was an experience. Let me explain.

My window seat assignment was next to an older english gentlemen who immediately after I sat down started to begin a conversation. Well, I was tired, I'd just missed my train and I hadn't had time to get my book out just yet. Opening a book is a common signal to your seatmate that you'd rather just be by yourself. So I engaged in what I thought was small talk. Little did I know.

After a little sharing back and forth the questions usually get around to "What do you do?". I use the word "educator" because when I say teacher most folks ask, "Oh, which grade?" and I'm not in a classroom in my current assignment.

Once he knew I was a teacher, the conversation seemed to change. He started to share with me facts about history and wine making. Just facts really, not much about the people in the facts or their stories. Just the facts. It felt a little like Dragnet, "Just the facts, Ma'am." - Joe Friday.

Then came the question which began, "So, you're a teacher, you should know this."

!~~> Arggh, I dislike pop-quizzes after a long day and just because I'm a teacher. The question: "Do you know which year people could travel from Montreal to Toronto by rail?".

Well, I paused, and thought about when I had read Pierre Burton's "The Last Spike" years ago. I thought it might be in the 1850's some time. My seatmate's answer: 1855. He was thrilled that he knew the exact date.

I sat quietly for a moment and thought, I'd like to read more about that time period. So I fished for my handheld internet device and searched with the question: "What year did rail service begin from Montreal to Toronto?" And this website popped up. I scrolled down and noticed that it was actually 1856. My seatmate had been off by a year. I showed him my tiny screen and he asked, "Oh, did you get if from Google"? "The Via Rail site", I replied.

Well, the journey continued. I tried my best to weave in stories and anecdotes, you know, the stuff people mostly talk about rather than facts and figures. Then I remembered what the gentleman did for a living. He's a banker. Facts and figures are important to him.

So when I was watching Marco Torres today and he got to this topic, I made a connection. What is an expert? Well, definitions may vary. But as Marco mentions in this clip, don't ask a question you can look up, especially when facts and figures can be retrieved in a moment's notice.

Note: I marvel at the people we meet in our travels. There are so many people to meet and so little time. I enjoyed my time with my train companion this trip. But it really didn't dawn on me that I had enjoyed it until today.

The NMC video clip in this post, has a Creative Commons 2.5 License.

What is Media Literacy?

2010-03-27T06:05:00.007-04:00

It started a little over a year ago when I was asked by @timisusually to speak about podcasting at Expanding our Boundaries.

First it was the people I met. Second, they all had laptops.
Since then, I've had the opportunity to work and network with the usual suspects at two or three more BYOL events.

I know that all PD events can't be BYOL, I get that, but it is what goes along with the laptops and gagetry I can't do without. Let me explain.

At our usual suspects events there is a synergy, a connectedness, that is hard (for me) to put in to words - I just experience it. It is as if we are speaking the same language, nod heads at similar things, agree to disagree sometimes and generally we all "get one another". There is laughter, mostly at ourselves, and fun. We try not to take ourselves too seriously as we troubleshoot or find a new nifty technology integration.

Yesterday was different. I had the opportunity to attend a Media Literacy event in a local city. I thought great, super topic, should be fun. Perhaps I would start a discussion with few folks at my table and maybe even start a backchannel. I did have a wonderful conversation with the person sitting next to me. A person who gets it. And I did end up having a back channel conversation with two of the usual suspects.

@mikemcilveen put it all in perspective for me mid-way through yesterday's session. He chimed in with "History of media technology - retrospective" and that was the hook for me. You see, I thoroughly enjoy watching film and video. In fact probably too much. And if "history of media" was yesterday's topic, I was quite enjoying myself watching film clips from the 50s, 60s and 70s shown on a small screen VCR and DVD player attached to an LCD projector. Don't get me wrong, I like all that stuff. But, in my humble opinion, that was not yesterday's topic. The topic was billed as "Media Literacy" I suppose this is a general topic but my thoughts and ideas on "What is Media Literacy?" did not have the "usual suspects connectedness" that I am used to.

As has become our custom (many of the usual suspects anyway) we have a backchannel going during most of the events we think others might be interested in. So I thought I'd share a few of the discussion points from the session with my PLN.

I had no idea so many from my PLN would chime in. There were some witty and clever comments from @timisusually @danikabarker @zbpibe @barbaram @digitalnative @dbeylerian @mikemcilveen @windsordi @ron_mill during the backchannel and later on Ron and Diane and I had a continued conversation about a question Ron had asked: "How do we break the "sphere" or "bubble" that surrounds these staff developments that ignore the power of technology? Diane offered a few suggestions.

So, I have to ask myself what did I learn from yesterday? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon. Again, I like film. Older film too. I managed to have meaningful discussions with the folks at my table. The conversation was extended to the folks from the province and resulted in a very interesting "after school" discussion.

So what is Media Literacy? Was this question answered at yesterday's session? I think so, but not in the traditional sense perhaps.

I think I have a new topic for my Spotlight Session at ECOO 2010. Now if I can just think of a title? How about: "Extending the Conversation with the Usual Suspects"

Until next time...

The Story Beyond the Still - Video Story Starter

2010-01-26T07:27:00.004-05:00

The Story Beyond The Still: The Cabbie from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

I came across this great concept this morning and just had to share it.

1. Take an ordinary still photo
2. Write a movie chapter by chapter based on the still image
3. Shoot the movie and watch the story unfold

I think this takes the 365/2010 photo idea to the next level.

This would be a terrific project for students from the junior division to high school. If you get a chance to watch the first chapter above, then you'll see what I mean. Yes, the videographer is a professional and the camera angles and lighting are superior, but what really makes it is what happens just before the end of the segment. I won't spoil it, but during the first few minutes of the chapter, I was wondering: now what can you do with a teddy bear. Then wham, just near the end of the chapter you are hit with the possibilities.

The challenge and fun of a project like this is that it is collaborative. Other film makers will write and shoot the next chapter. Sounds like fun.

So, here's my challenge. Find a classroom full of students and a willing teacher to take a project of this type on. What an adventure. Makes me miss being in the classroom because I'd like to try this project with my own class!

Anyone?

Grow Your Own PLN - by Kim Cofino

2009-11-30T08:50:00.008-05:00

I've just finished viewing Kim Cofino's K12 On-line Conference Opening Keynote.

Kim suggests sharing her presentation with others so I've posted Kim's 3 and a half minute clip on how to create your own international personal learning network in 6 steps.

Kim's clear sequential explanation of how to create a PLN will be helpful to anyone wishing to create a learning network.

1. RSS - Learning by lurking.

2. Social networking - Join the conversation.

3. Start a Blog - Express yourself.

4. Use VOIP connections to continue the conversation.

5. On-line conferences - Virtually there.

6. Twitter - Constant connection.

Joe O'Shea - A Don Tapscott Story

2009-11-16T19:03:00.005-05:00

If you have a spare 4:24 on your hands, Mr. Tapscott's story about Joe O'Shea is one that every teacher should hear. He introduces us to Florida's only Rhodes Scholar, who doesn't read books.

I remember when Don Tapscott was a guest speaker in my 1998 OISE On-Line ABQ then called Computers in the Classroom. Our assignment was to invite a guest speaker in on our threaded discourse. I didn't know who Mr. Tapscott was back then. Most Ed-Tech types know who he is now.

I blogged about Joe O'Shea a year ago just after I had heard the story on the CBC.

Get ready to be inspired.

Remember

2009-11-11T06:22:00.004-05:00

Today I remember my Grandfather.

Oh, that's not to say that I don't think of our present day heros. I think about them too. In fact I live just a short distance from where our modern day heros are repatriated at the Trenton CFB.

I just can't imagine what it was like to travel by ship from Halifax in 1917 and then spend two years of your life patching soldiers up to have them return to battle or go home. Two years. Two years, surviving war.

So thank you Papa for all you and the other men and women of your day did to make Canada free for us to live as we do.

I remember you today.

Photo: Dr. H. Kent Manning, Captain, Canadian Expeditiary Force.
Stationed at the No. 4 Canadian Hospital in Basingstoke, England.

NFB - Filmmaker in Residence

2009-11-08T10:44:00.003-05:00

The National Filmboard of Canada, as a part of Media Literacy Week here in Ontario, held a very informative workshop recently.

Katerina Cizek and Heather Frise conducted a free small group seminar about the 7 intervention films which were created over a period of four years.

This was an inside look at both how the movies were made and the social change methods which were employed during the process.

These are documentaries with a difference.

Each of the 7 interventions were thoroughly researched by researchers at the University of Toronto. Ms. Cizek spent four years working with St. Michael's Hospital. Each and every documentary story tells of a particular group of people and how they interacted with a part of the population of Toronto served by the hospital.

All 7 documentary movies are available in a boxed set: Filmmaker in Residence - The Complete Collection

The National Film board has an Education Arm which offers workshops, resources, films and study guides to assist teachers and students.

Working Together in Real Time

2009-11-03T06:20:00.008-05:00

Jenny Ashby, who lives in Bendigo, Australia tweeted out a request to collaboratively work on a Google Doc presentation about Comic Life this morning.

Well actually, it was an evening tweet for her as I'm half way across the world in Ontario, Canada.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that stuff like this happens nowadays.

After all I remember my first on-line collaboration with a teacher from Oz. It was 14 years ago! I was teaching a 5/6 split back then and made contact with our only internet enabled computer, which was in the library. The 14 400 baud days. Remember?

It took me two weeks to find someone to collaborate with and we connected once a week and decided to do a weather study, what else. The kids were thrilled that the seasons were opposite and we posted chart paper on the wall to compare. Those were the days.

Now, just this morning (and evening across the world) Jenny and I were able to start collaborating instantly. Not only that, but it is really neat to see the document change right before your eyes.

It is as if Jenny and I are sitting next to each other in the same room working on the presentation. We conduct our "side bar" conversation by DMs on Twitter.

Anyway, I don't think I'll ever get tired of collaborating with other teachers on projects. Especially when we can work with each other any time and any place.

Thin walls, flat classrooms, call them what you will, but count me in!!!

Update: @brettelockyer was in on our first collaborations today. Thanks to @aforgrave for edits to this post.

Blog Birthday

2009-11-01T03:11:00.003-05:00

I've been keeping a blog now for 7 years.

It has gone through various incarnations. From a photo blog a day to a one post a day blog to what it is now. A collection of thoughts and ideas about daily happenings in and around the classrooms I visit.

I write mostly because it feels good to write about what, to me, is an exciting event. The occasional person leaves a comment. There were no comments for the first 5 or 6 years or so. But that's O.K. I still liked to write it.

Who knows what the next 7 years will bring.

Google Earth - Gr. 3/4 Communities Study

2009-10-28T17:10:00.005-04:00

Today I had one of those lessons we all like to have during the week. One where student engagement is at its zenith and you really know that learning is going on.

I had a request for a session on Google Earth from a Gr. 3/4 teacher. They were studying communities and the teacher wanted the students to experience the hierarchy of communities from Earth on down.

Earth, Continent, Country, Province, County, Community.

Well, Google Earth is well suited to do this. We used the school's SMARTboard and the students had a blast using a pointer and spinning the world to the next continent and then identifying Canada and then our province and at last our community. We even toggled to Streetview in Toronto. The kids were thrilled at seeing this view.

You should have seen the students' faces. Not a dull face in the room! Engaged, amazed and asking questions. So, if it has been a while since you've used Google Earth, try it.

You'll like it and so will your students!

Stuart McLean - Storyteller

2009-10-22T05:24:00.003-04:00

Last night my wife and I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours listening to Stuart McLean live at The Empire Theatre.

For me, listening to Mr. McLean live, watching his gestures as he tells a new Dave story and hearing the amazing voice of musical guest Jaime Hawkins made for a wonderful night on the town.

There's something about the way Mr. McLean works the room. It's as if we're all in a living room together playing music and telling stories. The theatre was packed. 700 loyal listeners. If you have yet to have the Stuart McLean experience you can tune in to CBC on the weekend or download the Vinyl Cafe podcast.

Better yet, look for a live show in your area and go. You'll be glad you did.

Photo Credit: Vinyl Cafe Website - Stuart McLean and Musician Jaime Hawkins.

Digging a Little Deeper - Top 4 List

2009-09-08T10:13:00.008-04:00

We harvested our family garden on the weekend and as my beloved and I were undertaking this task, we talked about how her parents' carrots pull out with no problem as the soil is sandy. Not so in the clay encrusted Prince Edward County shoreline. We need to dig a little deeper.

Here's my attempt at digging a little deeper.

4 Suggestions for Getting Educators to use Technology in the Curriculum

1. Embed technology within the Curriculum

My most successful sessions with teachers during the last school year were when we planned together how the software would work specifically within a 3 week unit plan.

2. Familiarize Teachers with the software Ahead of Time to Built Confidence

It may not be always possible, but if software sessions could be planned ahead of time that would be great.

I managed to arrange a half day where two intermediate teachers got a chance to create the magazine cover of their choice. The confidence level of the teachers soared during the 2 days where we co-taught the magazine cover session to the students in the computer lab.

4. Spread the Wealth - Learning Team Meetings

It is all good to get one or two teachers going with a particular software or Web 2.0 environment, but my most successful schools last year had me join learning team meetings. From here the sky was the limit. Once the teachers could see how the software worked within the curriculum area, they were more likely to go to the next steps.

5. Get the School Principal Involved

Include the Principal in the process. We all have schools where the Principal is the catalyst for technology change.

My Big Six - NECC 2009

2009-09-04T17:00:00.003-04:00

At our Educational Technology District Level team meeting this week, I was asked to share my experiences about NECC 2009.

Knowing that time was limited, I shared about 1/6th of what I really wanted to say. Just the highlights.

My standard response was, "It's about the people". The sessions were amazing, but it was the many folks from my Twitter PLN and others I met along the way who made the trip to D.C. all worthwhile.

As I was finishing my comments about the conference, our Senior IT Officer, and meeting team leader, asked me to present the "Big 6 ideas" from my experiences at our next meeting. "I'd be happy to, I responded". Now what?

Well, for the last 48 hours I've been thinking, "What were the big 6 ideas I took away from NECC 2009". Although it wasn't easy, I have narrowed down my choices and identified 6 people from whom I'll draw my ideas.

Here is my list. The links are the istevision recordings of the presentations. You'll need to sign up to view the sessions.

1. Alan November - Designing Rigorous and Globally Connected Classrooms

2. Erin Gruwell - Freedom Writers

3. Malcolm Gladwell - Digital Citizenship

4. Bernajean Porter - Grappling's Spectrum

5. Tom Carroll - Transforming Schools into the 21st Century

6. Will Richardson - Here Comes Learning

O.K. , now comes the difficult part. Synthesize the words and ideas from these speakers into a short presentation.

I'll try.

Teaching the New Writing - Book

2009-07-31T06:25:00.005-04:00

Technology, Change, and Assessment in the 21st-Century Classroom

Tara Seale, a high school english teacher just southwest of Littlerock, Arkansas made her twitter learning network aware of this book this week. She has shaped one of her proposals for the upcoming school year on the research and examples from the book.

I'm always looking for writing resources and wanted to learn more about this book so after a little digging I was able to find the Teachers Teaching Teachers Blog on the EdTechTalk channel.

Talk about added value! The 3T folks have produced a three part podcast series about the book. It only took me listening to the first episode to convince me to buy the book. The book has a few editors [interviewed in episode 1] but basically the book is written by teachers all over America.

The writers are teachers who use technology in some interesting and clever ways to enhance writing in the classroom.

Episode 1 - The New Writing Listen | Download 42 minutes
Episode 2 - Collaboration Listen | Download 62 minutes
Episode 3 - Audience in Writing Listen | Download 56 minutes

For the Canadian readers of this post the book is available at Amazon.ca. Many of the teacher/writers have blogs and websites and are on Twitter.

Here are some links to a few of the editors and authors to save you having to look for them.

Episode 1

Anne Herrington - Editor
Kevin Hodgson - Editor
Charles Moran - Editor

Episode 2

Glen Bledsoe - Chapter writer
Jeff Schwartz - Chapter writer
Paul Allison - - Chapter writer

Episode 3

Dawn Reed - Chapter writer
Troy Hicks - Chapter writer
Bryan Crandall - Chapter writer

4 R's

2009-07-15T07:46:00.003-04:00

I read Doug Peterson's blog post this morning and noticed that he "tagged" me and other Canadian bloggers with a task.

I guess this is the 21st century "chain letter". I've never been a follower of this type of thing but, I really respect and like what Doug writes and how he thinks, so I'm jumping into the fray.

Rant

I don't think I'm much of a ranter, with this blog anyway, but I guess I go on at length about Boys in our classrooms and their writing. So much so that I created an entirely new blog devoted to the conversation. So without singling out one particular post, I'll link to the blog in its entirety. Geesh, what a way to start.

Resources

This is an easy one. I like to share the many resources our teams of teachers create. Probably my favourite resource post this year was my last post. One about a Non-Fiction writing initiative we finished during the last week of June. Lots of goodies there if you are a junior division teacher.

Reflections

Another easy one. I crossed into new territory after the Expanding our Boundaries conference in Toronto during February of this past school year. This gathering of amazing educators was a personal favourite of mine and probably was the most amazing conference I've attended in years. Here are my thoughts and reflections. My PLN just grew.

Revelations

My "aha" moment came this past school year. I suddenly realized that most of the experts I had been reading and learning from have come to the conclusion that it is in the relationships we nurture in the classroom - - in this case boy learners - - [what else?] that produces the best results. So here's my revelation blog post: Building Relationships.

So there you have it! Thank you Mr. Peterson for including me in your list of educators. I think a mid-July reflection and post is just the ticket! I feel better already.

And now, back to summer...

Non-Fiction PSA Writing Pathway - Resources

2009-06-25T21:11:00.007-04:00

One of my favourite projects this year was a group planning project involving 4 schools from our district. We developed a 3 week plan for students to learn about Public Service Announcements.

I learned so much and it was great working with a group.

We just rapped up the final project this week with one of the grade 3/4 classes. Here are the steps and resources just in case you are interested in giving some of these resources a try. We used them with junior division students but the resources can be used in the intermediate division too.

1. We met as a group of about 12 teachers, resource teachers and administrators for a full day and decided that we would create a pathway for learning (3 weeks) which had as the BIG idea: Writing Non-Fiction Public Service Announcements . We wanted the students to write for a purpose and audience.

2. During the morning of our first meeting day, we looked at diagnostic writing samples and talked about the writing the students had done. Students had written sample public service announcements.

3. After the discussion of what writing samples look like we developed a three week plan. This took the better part of the afternoon.

4. We decided on a common rubric that we would all use.

5. It was my task to collect appropriate public service announcements on various topics in order for students and teachers to be able to deconstruct the PSAs [during Week 1 and 2] before they constructed their own. [Gradual Release]

I had to...

a) download appropriate PSAs,
b) type the scripts for each one and,
c) storyboard them [Thank you Comic Life]

Here is the complete package of materials. Download the Complete Set of PSA videos, Scripts and Storyboards [17.5 mb]

6. The next step [during Week 3] the students planned, scripted and created storyboards for their own PSAs based on their new found knowledge of what a PSA looks like and sounds like. The students used a PSA Characteristics chart and a glossary to assist them in writing their own PSAs. Teachers incorporated critical literacy in their lessons as they talked about creating a meaningful message.

7. Once the PSAs were written and storyboarded, then it was the teacher's decision whether to invite me back to assist with filming and editing the PSAs.

So, there you have it, an amazing project where all the pieces came together and although the task seemed daunting, we all worked together to pull it off.

Definitely a hard one to top!

Literacy, Numeracy, and Inquiry in the Arts

2009-06-11T13:48:00.010-04:00

"Literacy is defined as the ability to use language and images in rich and varied forms to read, write, listen, view, represent, and think critically about ideas".

Source: Reach Every Student: Energizing Ontario Education (2008) p. 6.

A team member made me aware of the new Ontario Curriculum - Arts Revised Edition for grades 1 to 8.

For those of you, "out of province" this is the curriculum that will be followed by Ontario teachers in the fall of 2009 for all students from grades 1 to 8.

I was very encouraged to read the Considerations for Program Planning segment which begins on page 36 of the document.

You see, as an educational technology teacher, I'm always looking for ways to integrate technology within the Ontario Curriculum. The following segment headings, I believe, are written just for this purpose.

1. Literacy, Numeracy, and Inquiry in the Arts - Page 51
2. Critical Thinking and Critical Literacy in the Arts - Page 53
3. Multiple Literacies in the Arts - Page 54
4. The Role of the School Library in the Arts - Page 55
5. The Role of I.C.T. in the Arts - Page 56

I'll be looking for technology connections as I read the document. Here's a good quote from the Multiple Literacies segment on page 54.

"these include the...

visual [still and animation, layout, design, hypermedia, 3-D]
oral [timbre and tone of voice]
gestural [body and kinesthetic movement]
aural [music and sound effects]. "

When I read these 4 inclusions, I can imagine digital storytelling, film, and animation playing a big part in my technology integrations next fall.

The Equity Project

2009-06-09T06:22:00.002-04:00

"Motivated to help every student succeed"

The New York Times has been following the story of a new Charter School which is slated to open this fall in New York City.

I actually missed the first article which appeared on the front page of the NYT on June 5th. What I did see were the responses in the Op-Ed section of this morning's paper with the heading, "A Dream Teacher, on Many Levels".

The article describes how teachers were recruited for The Equity Project - Charter School (TEP). Newspaper headlines are written to grab our attention. Fair enough. The headline has the teacher salary as the grab. The article talks about how 600 teachers applied, the list was narrowed to 100 and the top 35 applicants had visits to their home schools to be observed.

What struck me the most were the characteristics the hiring team was looking for:

1. High student engagement factor.

2. The ability to re-direct potential behavior concerns.

3. Contagious enthusiasm.

I like this list.

My favourite is the one at the very top of this blog post. I'm a real believer in the fact that every child can learn and succeed. My belief is that every teacher thinks this way. It is certainly supported by any reading I've done.

So, I'll leave the rest of the story out there on the web and in the newspapers, like the salaries of the staff, their responsibilities, the dismissal policy and all the rest.

I just wanted to point out that in my way of looking at it, all teachers should have these qualities - - or be working towards them.

Edutopia - Digital Generation Project

2009-05-29T09:52:00.005-04:00

This week Edutopia.org announced the Digital Generation Project.

I've been following the updates on Edutopia.org for years now and I'm looking forward to the latest installment of next level showcasing that Edutopia has to offer.

The press release says that for the last year, Edutopia has researched the digital lives of 10 students ages 8 to 18. Here's a quote:

"Edutopia uncovers the new behaviors and trends and how digital technology has forever changed the way kids learn, socialize, and play."

Call me a sap for liking the rather corny 2001 opening which uses:

"old to new" sequence
black and white film to colour,
student emotional change of state and more.

Looking forward to the conversation.

Vicki Davis - Connects to the World

2009-05-29T09:37:00.004-04:00

I just thought I'd share the one of the latest Edutopia.org video about Vicki Davis and her students in rural south Georgia. I'm not going to say much here. You'll see what I mean when you watch the 5 minute video.

Here's Vicki's Blog: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
Vicki is: CoolCatTeacher on Twitter.

Finger Painting

2009-05-25T06:05:00.012-04:00

Source: The New Yorker Magazine
Artist: Jorge Colombo - Cover for June 1st, 2009

As teachers we are always trying to find new ways to engage our students.

I read an article in this morning's New York Times about New York artist Jorge Colombo. He is this week's cover artist for The New Yorker magazine.

Now, this might not seem newsworthy, but what is different about Mr. Colombo's art work is that he created the cover on his iPhone with the Brushes application. He calls them isketches, what else?

So, here's to all the teachers like @digitalnative who have class sets of iPod Touch devices. Can you imagine conducting an art lesson where the canvas is handheld and digital? Perhaps some of you reading this are not imagining it -- it is already happening.

I can see entire classrooms full of students finger painting their masterpieces. Can you see it? I guess this is the future, or the present.

I remember, vividly, finger painting as a 5 year old in my Kindergarten class at Silver Creek Public School in Toronto. It was messy but great fun! 45 years ago I could not have imagined sitting in a classroom of the future with a tiny device finger painting.

Here's hoping I get the opportunity to see this happening in a classroom nearby soon. Anyone?

Note: I understand Brushes has been around for a while, I just think it is terrific that someone using the app gets a cover for a magazine.

Doug Martin - Mentoring Artists

2009-05-24T07:30:00.004-04:00

"Because I wasn't talented in math and reading skills, I figured I wasn't smart." - Doug Martin

I just read a short article about Mr. Doug Martin in the April/May 2009 edition of Edutopia Magazine.

The article, written by Owen Edwards, begins by explaining how Mr. Martin didn't feel smart enough in the traditional subjects. He explains how he envied the students in the gifted class as school seemed easy for them. He feared standardized tests. He said they made him feel inferior.

Mr. Martin is a visual arts teacher in West Virginia. He now makes it possible for students to showcase their visual arts in digital portfolios, and he assists his students to obtain scholarships in the arts.

Here's a longer article on how Mr. Martin assists his students in developing their own digital portfolios. Here's a great quote from that article.

"I always wanted to teach students that were like me, the students that teachers overlooked because they weren't the type who excelled in traditional classrooms and who maybe thought they couldn't survive the rigors of a college education."

Thank you Doug Martin!

Ubiquitous Laptops

2009-05-15T09:18:00.003-04:00

The state of Maine made history this week.

In a press release on the evening of May 11th, the Deparment of Education announced that it would be expanding its laptop program to include all high school students. If you remember, the state of Maine was one of the first states to have middle schoolers use laptops in a 1:1 initiative. Now, all students in grades 7 to 12 in the state of Maine's public school system will have a laptop.

I like the quotes on the press release by Governor Baldacci and Commissioner Gendron.

Governor Baldacci:

“Every night when students in seventh through 12th-grade bring those computers home, they’ll connect the whole family to new opportunities and new resources.”

And here is my favourite because it is about how research has shown improvement in writing.

Commissioner Gendron:

“Laptops have been shown to engage our students, and initial research shows they improve student achievement, particularly in writing”.

Student engagement and writing, two of my favourite topics. Congratulations Mainers, we'll all be following along.

Future Shock - Future Schools

2009-05-01T06:40:00.005-04:00

One of my PLN Twitter folks tweeted this morning about a web post featuring Alvin Toffler on Edutopia.org.

How many of us either knew about the writings of Mr. Toffler back in the '70s and '80s? or perhaps we may have flipped through some of his writings or even read a book or two! Certainly, "Future Shock" was on our bookshelf when I was a teenager.

The Edutopia folks interviewed Mr. Toffler and as always, did an excellent job. As I skimmed the article just now, Mr. Toffler's list of "Schools of Tomorrow" characteristics caught my eye.

Even thought this Edutopia blog post/article is two years old, I thought that by blogging about it here I could do my part for keeping the idea of a 21st century school environment for our children alive.

Here's to promoting schools of tomorrow!

Toffler's School of Tomorrow
Source: Edutopia Magazine: February 2007

Jian Interviews Ken Robinson

2009-04-27T20:27:00.004-04:00

Don't be fooled by the Album Art.

This post is really an overview of Jian Ghomeshi's 17 minute interview with Ken Robinson on CBC Radio - Q today. More about the album art later.

The interview was to be about the arts and music in particular but as Ken Robinson's intellect eventually reveals, the interview was about a lot more.

Jian begins the interview with the question, "Why is creativity so important to you?" Ken Robinson begins his response by saying that "most people just bump along not knowing what they are good at."

He talks about imagination being the underpinning of intelligence and creativity and the most powerful capacity that we have. He goes on to give a definition of creativity: "Creativity is about having original ideas that have value."

Ken Robinson thinks that policy makers have become obsessed with standardized testing. He says that testing has a place and does not want to get rid of tests like this. He makes the example of a cholesterol test. He wants to know the value. Then he goes on to talk about specific examples. "Education is a personal business." He talks about Canada's 30% drop out rate.

"Education has to be personalized. You have to engage how people think and how they learn."

He says that students need to be engaged and that is the skill of great teachers. "The culture of standardized testing is depriving teachers of the essential freedom they need to do their job properly."

Jian then moves on to talk about music and a study at Harvard in 2000. Ken Robinson makes the point of having arts for the arts sake - - in their own right. In Canada, the arts are falling more and more down the hierarchy and he feels this is a shame. He talks about diversity being important and not conformity, the way schools are being forced to promote.

The last 4 minutes are devoted to talking about Ken's book but the most important points have already been made in the interview. The fact that the arts in schools need to be revived.

Oh, and the album art. Most people may not know that Jian Ghomeshi was a member of a "social consciousness" Toronto '90s band called Moxy Fruvous. Great sound and terrific message. Just like Ken Robinson.

Bloom's Other Taxonomy - Character Education

2009-04-21T09:30:00.004-04:00

While preparing for a number of upcoming digital storytelling sessions in our school district I stumbled upon Jason Ohler's take on Benjamin Bloom's other taxonomy.

Most educators are familiar with the traditional Bloom's Taxonomy, but what I didn't know, or had forgotten from my EDUC 101 days is that Mr. Bloom developed a taxonomy for the affective domain as well.

Let me explain.

Our school district has a "Growing with Character" system goal so when I happened upon Bloom's Taxonomy of Affective "Transformation" it caught my eye.

It goes like this:

Level 5: Internalizing Values

Character acts on value systems as an individual, rather than in response to group expectations; uses teamwork effectively, values others for their intrinsic merit rather than external qualities.

Level 4: Organization

Character prioritizes values, resolves conflicts, develops personalized value system; balances freedom and responsibility and accepts standards of moral behavior.

Level 3: Valuing

Character demonstrates belief in a value system that manifests itself in solving problems for others and in valuing cultural and individual differences.

Level 2: Responding to Phenomena

Character participates in solutions, works with a team, helps others.

Level 1: Receiving Phenomena

Character listens to others respectfully.

Source: Bloom, Krathwohl, & Masia, 1964.
Reproduced on page 111 of Jason Ohler's book.

I think Mr. Bloom's affective taxonomy can be of use to students and educators in our schools. I can begin by aspiring to level 5 myself. I'll be re-reading this taxonomy in days to come. I could use a plan like this.

Challenge Based Learning

2009-04-18T19:14:00.003-04:00

Challenged Based Learning

The New Media Consortium has recently published a report on "Challenge Based Learning". The video above, created by the talented Alas Media folks, steps you through the process of C.B.L. It reminds me of Jeff Wilhelm's inquiry model as it uses terms like "Big Ideas" and "Critical/Essential Questions."

The difference, at least from my way of looking at it, is that technology is integrated throughout the process from the social networking idea to accessing the technology 24/7.

I'd like to learn more about how their C.B.L. methods teach the process of transforming traditional curriculum into an inquiry based one. Jeff Wilhelm does a fine job of explaining the process of transformation beginning on page 43 of his book "Engaging Readers and Writers With Inquiry."

You can learn more about Apple's involvement in Challenge Based Learning here. Or for a more in-depth discussion from the pilot project writers and participants you can listen to Katie and Michelle's Always On Podcast - Episode 4.

Video Conferencing - With Jeff Brown

2009-04-16T10:37:00.003-04:00

I am sitting in a session with Jeff Brown, Video Conferencing guru from our contiguous school district - Kawartha Pine Ridge School District.

He's speaking my language. Already references to Dan Pink, ACOT2, Wordle, VC sessions with Africa and Quebec, Alan November, The World is Flat, blogs and wikis and lots of Web 2.0 stuff.

Right now he is talking about the weekly VC sessions he holds in his district with a group of hearing impaired students. Doesn't get better than that.

We're navigating to the C.I.L.C.org. The centre for Interactive Learning and Collaboration. Jeff is talking about the social-emotional connection with these projects. He is currently talking about a VC session his students from Apsley, Ontario had with a classroom in Japan. At CILC there is a collaboration centre where you can register to work on a VC project with anyone in the world.

I'm looking forward to starting the ball rolling with VC in our district in an academic setting. For now, we've only been using our 9 VC set-ups for admin. purposes. Please comment if you have some experiences with academic video conferencing. Looking forward to learning more!

Public Service Announcement - Deconstruction

2009-04-06T11:02:00.003-04:00

Source: Youthforhumanrights.org

As part of our junior division non-fiction public service announcement writing task, I've created frameworks to assist in deconstructing this 50 second ad.

1. Characteristics of an Effective Public Service Announcement. Source: Teaching Matters
2. Deconstruction Framework 1 - Component Parts - .doc file
3. Deconstruction Framework 2 - Content - .doc file
4. P.S.A. Script - The Right to Education - .pdf file
5. Storyboard Deconstruction - .pdf file
6. Storyboard Deconstruction - .comicdoc file

By making deconstruction of an existing high quality PSA like the one above part of the writing process, students will gain a better understanding of the steps which are necessary in crafting a public service announcement. This will allow students to better understand the complexities of telling a compelling story in a very short amount of time.

T.L.C.P. - Junior Division

2009-04-02T15:12:00.008-04:00

We're here at V.P. Carswell P.S. today with a learning pathway team of Junior Division teachers.

Pathway - Non-Fiction Media Integrated Writing

Questions to consider:

What assessment and instructional practices will we continue to use?
What assessment and instructional practices will we change?
How will you know that what you are doing is working for our students?

1. Moderated marking of baseline samples brought along by teachers.
2. Use of 6 + 1 Traits Writing Rubric for Grades 3 to 6.
3. Using Moderated Marking Notes framework.

The Task

The sample diagnostic writing task is as follows: "Write a story about how your group created and presented a television commercial". This writing task is from the grade 6, Spring 2007 E.Q.A.O. test samples. The teachers are discussing the fact that this is a difficult task. The task asks to write a story, not write a script for the commercial.

As this is a very difficult writing task for most, [we've only had 1 or 2 level 3s so far out of 7 samaples] a suggestion was made to have a look at the ministry sample anchor texts, or exemplars for this writing task. We decided to look at these samples after our moderated marking session.

Data Wall Recording

Each school is now recording on a large data wall chart which is hanging on the front board. There is a method for recording:

X = actual score
P = predicted score
A = actual 2nd sample score

Class Data Wall/Performance Technique - Fluidity

Class data wall. Class performance wall. Number your students, go through the same process for your class. Student self assessment. Performance wall. Students self assess own work. Arrows are next steps for students to move from level to level. Students are motivated by the data wall [Photos to follow]

School on the Move - SIP

2009-04-01T01:14:00.016-04:00

SOM = School on the Move
SIP = School Improvement Plan

Yesterday I participated in my first "Teaching Learning Critical Pathway" with a group of 16 teachers from 4 elementary schools. Several things struck me during the day that I'd like to share with you.

School on the Move

A School on the Move is a designation given by the Ministry of Education. It is recognition for a number of teaching learning indicators, one of which is improvement on EQAO scores for 3 consecutive years. Our session was conducted at V.P. Carswell Public School in Trenton, Ontario - a School on the Move.

Moderated Marking

After very brief introductions around the table these amazing teachers, literacy partners, consultants and principals started a moderated marking session on diagnostic samples they had brought along which continued for 90 minutes without interruption. Amazing. Each teacher had 3 student samples of work and the group used media rubrics to level the writing. The discussion was engaging as the group talked about the student samples, what made them great, and improvements that could be made.

Planning Together

The group planned a non-fiction media writing pathway that is based on persuasive writing and will allow the students in grades 1, 2 and 3 to learn about how posters, [we decided on an Earth Care theme] influence us when we look at them [all media are constructs]. The 3 week plan culminates with an assessment. The students will create their own persuasive poster.

Next Steps

The group will now implement the learning pathway in their own schools for the next 3 weeks and then we'll meet again in 4 weeks to de-brief. At that session the teachers will bring along samples and we'll have another moderated marking session.

All in all an amazing day of learning!

Teaching Learning Critical Pathway - Live Blog

2009-03-31T09:23:00.014-04:00

10:30 to 10:45 -- BREAK

10:30 a.m.

Current Sample: Gr. 2 "Cool Schools" Sample 10

Animated discussion about this sample. Sample was "scribed" by teacher. Initially had to look for the message. Message kind of hidden. People outside - - what are they doing? Title of school "really stands out".

Next steps: Poster features, specific modeling of what implicit and explicit message is. Stated that "teachers are awesome" but does the message match what is being illustrated.

10:23 a.m.

Current sample: Gr. 2 "Cool Schools" Poster Sample 9

Discussion:

Effective title. Good spacing. "Different Yards for all the grades" is a focus for the message. Can infer from the illustrations. Pictures in non-fiction text are important for students. Use speech bubbles to capture what the people in the poster are saying. Comic Life? Clearer word choice and more ideas needed.

Level: 2+

10:20 a.m.

Grade 2 "Cool Schools" - Sample 8

Question: "Is this a boys writing sample?" Word choice limited. Great graphics. Well organized. Neat. Bump up the word choice.

Next steps: Better word choice. Title is across the bottom. Somewhere else for the title. Not the bottom? Perhaps the use of "sections" in the text. Level 2 or 2-

10:12 a.m.

Current Sample being discussed: Grade 2 Cool School Poster

Discussion: Layout good. Sample is not advertising the school. Illustration has balance and is a strength. The message and purpose is not what was required. Level 1+

10:06 a.m.

Current sample: Gr. 1 - Cool Schools Poster

Contact phone number on poster. [Grade 1!!!]. Graphics match text. Next steps: Add border all the way around. Bold the title -- different font? Change font. Change the colour. Red vs. Black.

Publish it on the computer then you could change font. Sample uses the word "cool" more than once for emphasis. Level 3+ to 4- is the consensus for this sample.

10:02 a.m.

What are the components that we need to discuss to be able to get students to "get there" in the 4 week pathway? Conversation continues about leveling writing sample.

There is some discussion about what level the current sample is. The component parts of the piece are being discussed. Colour and contrast were used in the sample. Gender skew in student sample being shown. There are 5 girls and the remainder boys in this class.

9:54 a.m.

Current Sample being discussed:

Grade 3 - Writing Sample. Using rubric to evaluate. Group is taking about the rubric construction. Do you show the students the rubric ahead of time? Students may not be able to understand teacher created so create a student version.

Talking about how rubrics are developed at one school. Gradual release model, anchor charts, amount of support.

Looking at writing sample as a "baseline" so it is a "diagnostic".

9:45 a.m.

Current Sample: Grade 1

Comments: "Look at the perspective". "Strong voice". Clear that the student is writing for an audience. Talks about what is happening in and outside of classroom. Balance of message. Illustrations include a "birdseye" view of the classroom.

Level 4: [3+ 4-] Group consensus for this writing sample

It has it all: ideas, drawings, descriptions, labels, title

9:40 a.m.

Discussion about 6 + 1 writing traits for this written form. Word choice and main ideas are part of the discussion. In the task it says use "pictures and words". Talk now about parts of the writing piece. Components of the writing. What was the purpose in choosing the symbols in the writing sample. There is a patterned border around the sample. Is this deliberate?

Group Comments:

"I just love the word choice". Current sample is from a writer that did not want to write when she first joined the class. "It is good to be a risk taker"

9:35 a.m.

16 participants are right now discussing their evaluation of Non-Fiction writing samples. The three samples being discussed are a grade 1, 2 and 3 writing samples. Next steps for all the writing samples are being talked about.

Task: Create a poster advertising your "cool school". Use pictures and words to show why your school is cool.

Mentor Text: Cool schools power point [link to follow]

9:23 a.m. T.L.C.P - Moderated Marking Session V.P Carswell P.S. - Trenton, Ontario

Coming to you live from a Teaching, Learning Critical Pathway Session taking place at V.P. Carswell P.S. in Trenton, Ontario. 19 stakeholders, Teachers, Consultants, Principals, Literacy Partners.

Our focus at this minute is Moderated Marking as a group - - Topic - - "Cool Schools" Non-Fiction writing. Discussion is happening about what level the writing is. Media Rubric is being used. Grade 3 Non-Fiction writing.

Non-Fiction Writing - T.L.C.P.

2009-03-24T11:45:00.008-04:00

I've been looking forward to next week's learning adventure since before March break when I was invited to be a part of a Teaching Learning Critical Pathway. In our school district one of our goals is improving Boys Non-Fiction Writing.

So next week, a group of teachers, resource teachers and administrators from 4 schools will have a "first meeting" to begin the dialogue about non-fiction writing in the junior division.

We'll be using the LNS series on Non-Fiction writing as one of our guides. In particular the "big idea" will involve media literacy, so we'll be viewing the amazing Royan Lee in action [video above]. Mr. Lee teaches his students how to deconstruct, construct, co-construct and reconstruct media texts in this 16 minute video. You'll notice a number of technology integrations in Mr. Lee's class: an interactive whiteboard, laptops, and software Smart Ideas, Photoshop Elements and MS Publisher. Mr. Lee uses technology to engage his students and to provide a scaffold.

My part in the TLCP will be to advise the group on technology integrations for writing which could include the use of visual media and ICT. I'll be updating this post after next week's first session to let you know our progress.

If you would like more information on the TLCP learning team model we use here at the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board, please contact me: kmanning at hpedsb.on.ca

Screencast.ca - Two Years Old

2009-03-15T07:59:00.004-04:00

"I'm really a visual learner."

I hear this a lot. In fact, it is the most often heard comment by teachers when we're sitting together learning a new web 2.0 environment or navigating through a newly discovered O.E.S.S. software title. I guess that's why I created Screencast.ca a couple of years back.

I kept getting [and I still receive] the same questions. Like, "How do you create an internet link and place it on the shared drive so students won't need to type in the URL" or "Geesh, my photos are huge, is there a way to resize all 200 photos from our class trip in one process?"

Previously I would create elaborate step-by-step, screen-grab enhanced, multi-page documents. Oh, I still create the odd one these days, but there is an excitement I have when it is time to create a new screencast. Mostly because I create them right after I've been in the classroom with the students and the teacher working on a project - - that's the hook. It is fresh in my mind and it only takes about 30 minutes or so to create and post the cast from start to finish.

So, in two years there have been almost 1,300 downloads. It sounds like a huge number but it really only works out to 1.77 downloads per day. Not many really, but it provides encouragement to me that a particular teacher, who is a visual learner, can benefit from a particular cast.

At last count I'm up to 30 original casts and when I looked last, Screencast.ca ranks number 6 on the Educational Technology - Video Podcast segment of iTunes. It has been as high as 3 and as low as 56.

The real wonder of how technology can assist educators is the "repeat" factor. Now when someone says, "I'm a visual learner and how do you..." - - I smile and send them a web link.

Electronic Portfolios

2009-03-10T14:54:00.004-04:00

@danikabarker and I had a brief few tweets the other day about Electronic Portfolios.

I remember when E.P.s were a passion of mine. Just recently I had a staff member request to investigate the possibilities for her students. I've noticed my PLN mates discussiong this topic lately and remember teaching students and teachers how to create "electronic file cabinets" using Dreamweaver MX a few years back, having given absolutely no thought to what the research might be saying about this important topic. Let me explain.

If we just post our materials to an electronic holding tank, we had better be thinking about what our purpose for doing so is.

Do we spend time teaching our students about goal setting, and the uploading of materials within those goals? Can we write reflections about our uploaded artifacts? Can students comment and receive feedback in a secure environment? These are all questions I had not considered back then.

It wasn't until I started to read Anne Wade's research and others that I realized, I had it all wrong. I had focused on the technology and not the pedagogy. Electronic portfolios should be web-based, bilingual, learning process and self directed thinking tools. Thinking, motivation and behavior should be keys in establishing the portfolio.

ePearl is one solution that will allow me to rest easy, knowing that it is based on research and has been tested with students and teachers in real classrooms.

Blogger Profile - Number 1

2009-03-08T09:49:00.003-04:00

If you don't know this man that's O.K.

He looks a lot different now. Why?, because this is a photo of Evan Williams back in his Pyra days and way before Google took an interest in Evan's blog tool.

I got thinking today, as I was watching Evan talk about one of his other inventions, just how long have I been blogging? I couldn't remember so I took a look at my Blogger profile. November 2002 - - geesh, could it be 7 years in November? No way.

I remember discovering Evan's tool way back when. He had one of those silicon valley start-ups back in the beginning and I think I found it by accident. At first, I basically just posted for an audience of one - me. Back in 2002, blogging wasn't even a verb yet. Then I followed some of the trends on the web. Photoblogging was popular in 2004, so I photoblogged.

Then I got the bright idea to connect my domain name to blogger. That was an interesting process. I've since been able to load the php and mysql databases on my domain in Word Press but I've never left Blogger. Oh, there are a ton more features on Word Press, EduBlog and Typepad, etc. but Blogger just seems like an old friend and it is very easy to use and keeps it simple. Yes, the templates are from 2004 thanks to Doug Bowman, but I still like it because the real appeal of having a blog is the social networking aspect. But if you are reading this, you already know that.

See you in the comments sections! And thanks for reading. It's better than talking to myself....

Retro Link: You can check out the very first Blogger Profile here - Circa 1999: 1

Follow You Follow Me

2009-03-04T05:33:00.005-05:00

I had the great pleasure this past weekend of speaking at the Expanding Our Boundaries conference in Toronto.

While I didn't quite get to what I was supposed to talk about very quickly, I did get a chance to tell a story about how my son's middle school coordinator takes a personal interest in helping her students find their passions.

You see, 6 short months ago, my son didn't know he was a thespian. In fact, he had no idea that theatre would be one of his passions. That's all changed now.

What Ken Robinson does in his book "The Element" is explain all this by telling stories. Simple stories, really. Ones about how Mick Fleetwood started drumming or how Aaron Sorkin really didn't start out as a writer. That's what makes it a good read. Stories about people and their incredible potential.

So I'm following Ken on Twitter. Quite simple really. In his book Ken uses simple illustrations and sentences to tell stories about how people found their passions. Perhaps by following Ken and others on Twitter I can interact with my learning community and we can enrich each others lives, 140 characters at a time.

So, Follow You, Follow Me.

My PLN - Just Grew

2009-03-01T07:22:00.013-05:00

More than anything, this past weekend's Expanding our Boundaries conference in Toronto was about the people.

I mean, really, the crowd I was hanging out with for two days already knew how to do at least 95% of the things Will talked about. We've known all those things for quite some time. [although it was great to finally meet Will - - he's so real, eh?]

I have not been to a conference in years where the interaction was so "personalized". Let me explain by writing about the many folks I had either personal f2f conversations with on the weekend, or spoke with electronically.

First and foremost - - Tim Hawes, Shannon Smith , Barbara McLaughlin and Bruce Summers who I met via Twitter before the conference started and with whom I had my first Twitter meet-up. Now that was cool. Check out their blogs and tweets lots of good learning there.

Brenda Sherry who spoke about all the wonderful things she is doing for teachers. We had chats about project based learning, iPod Touch applications and our professional websites. Ann Shilolo from the Near North who spoke about her blogging and then stopped me in the hallway on Saturday afternoon to tell me that she had a tear in her eye after my story about how my son found one of his passions. Do you see what I mean? This conference was personal!

Nathan Toft and Jane Smith - - such amazing Canadian talent -- they demoed their podcast and after the talk Jane came over and gave me a fridge magnet - - it doesn't get any better than that. Jane then showed me their latest book and Nathan and I talked about a tech glitch which didn't allow their latest episode (6) to download properly.

Then there were the newbies Cathy and Mabel both of whom are brand new to the word of Web 2.0 -- and they are why I have a job. Delightful ladies. Cathy was at our table and kept plugging away until she got it. At one point I heard her say as Will will was explaining how to set up a Blogger account, "I didn't know how easy this was" - - followed by, on Saturday - - "This is amazing". I met Mabel before the Saturday session and helped her to open a G-mail account and create a Spec. Ed. blog. Mabel, if you are reading this, your smile and warm nature are amazing.

Geoff Day and Peter Skillen were on Tim's tech team. I talked with Geoff about how he was coordinating the AQ courses at OISE back in 1998 when I first started on this road. He reminded me how folks at the time were scared to death of taking the requirements course. Back then you had to pass a "technology quiz" to get in. Can you imagine doing that now-a-days? I had seen Peter at various events over the years but couldn't quite place him. When we talked he said that he is retired but saw a nifty job in the paper to work at an alternative YMCA school on Charles St. in Toronto. He's the Manager of Computer Applications and Teacher there. Now how cool is that? Good on ya' Pete!

There were many people sitting at nearby tables that I had brief but terrifiic conversations with about meaningful things. Doug Peterson, who sat beside me on Saturday lent me two sets of batteries, what a guy. I owe him a beverage of choice or two at NECC 2009. Doug, if you are reading this, I love your wacky sense of humour. David Weightman popped over to talk about screencasting. Rick Budd had Mac difficulties but was able to get it going again. Danika Barker, who is doing amazing things with Boys Writing and Amy Coupal who just took over as Executive Director at Curriculum.org had some terrific tweets and resources during the conference.

And I couldn't end this post without a shout out to Derek Potts, my SETS teammate who put up with my snoring on Thursday night.

Expanding Our Boundaries - Saturday 2pm

2009-02-24T05:30:00.006-05:00

We're all looking forward to this weekend's Expanding Our Boundaries conference with Will Richardson. Tim Hawes has me slotted to mini-present on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and has asked that we post a little blurb about what we'll be talking about.

Topic: Web 2.0 - Staff Support Tool
What is it?: Video Screencast
Website: Screencast.ca
Feed: http://screencast.ca/atom.xml
Impact: I was getting a number of requests both during staff inservices and after the sessions for "how to" documents from session participants. For years we have offered the paper and "screen grab" step by step tutorials. We still offer those but now we offer "visual tutorials" as well. When requested, I just flip the particular screencast to the participant via an e-mail link and they can choose whether to watch the cast by itself or subscribe to others.
How: I use TechSmith's Camtasia 5.0 - educational version [it is up to v6 now] to record the casts and export the original in .avi format. Then I use Handbrake to compress and re-encode to h.264 - ipod - hi resolution.
Hosting: I have [for now] ftp access to our district's servers so everything is hosted in-house.
Vehicle: I use Blogger because it is easy to use and I didn't want to take a lot of time during the process.
Obstacles: Although the casts are encoded for the video ipod, the screen is perhaps a little too small for this type of tutorial. Great for a netbook though. Also, since there is no "flash" version of the casts, I usually have to give a quick lesson on subscribing to the cast and using Quicktime or iTunes to view them. Oh, one more: it takes about 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish to create, re-encode and post a cast and I create them in my "spare time".
Next Steps: Have started to incorporate best practices on projects from classrooms where I work with the students and teachers. The most recent being a 4 Part Captain Canuck - Fiction Writing Unit we did in Grade 5 just before Christmas. Folks seem to be appreciating the curriculum connections.

O.K. that's it.

See you on the weekend...
looking forward to meeting everyone.

Magazine Covers - Photoshop Elements 5

2009-02-21T09:12:00.003-05:00

Look real? You may not be able to tell the difference.

The sample to the left was designed by an 8th grader, yesterday. Amazing isn't it?

What's more amazing is the quality of the 24 other magazine covers from the class. The classroom teacher and I spent the morning working on this task which was a culminating graphics/media literacy assignment for the magazine articles they had written in cooperative groups. What better than to produce a professional looking cover to bound their written material.

We started by having the students find and cite a creative commons photo that matched the content and theme of their articles. Then, the classroom teacher [an accomplished photoshop - er btw] and I, assisted the students to create their masterpiece. All in all a very creative morning.

At the end of the session I showed them how to make a quick magazine cover in a minute or less. There wasn't one complaint about having to spend the morning working on their covers after they saw the "quick way". The students [at least in my observation] were proud of the work they had to put into their covers to get it ... just right.

Jeffrey Wilhelm

2009-02-14T12:43:00.003-05:00

The highlight of the Reading for the Love of it conference for me has to be Jeffrey Wilhelm's talk on boys writing on Friday afternoon. He spoke about a study he did with a number of boys and related the information to the audience by telling stories.

Great stuff.

Boys Literacy - Peg Tyre

2009-02-11T11:19:00.008-05:00

Peg Tyre 's book arrived today.

I've been skimming through Chapter 11, Boys and Literacy and have come across Peg's list of outstanding researchers on boys and literacy. Here it is:

Thomas Newkirk - University of New Hampshire
William Brozo - University of South Carolina
Jeffrey Wilhelm - Boise State University
Michael Smith - Rutgers University

I'll be attending Jeffrey Wilhelm's presentations tomorrow and Friday at Toronto's Reading for the Love of It conference.

Innoteach 2

2008-12-18T08:48:00.005-05:00

I'm looking forward to joining a 6 member team in the new year to develop technology enhanced curriculum related multi-media learning objects.

Read more about ETFO's Innoteach project.

Rhodes to Enlightenment - No Books!

2008-11-19T13:55:00.005-05:00

Donald Tapscott and Nora Young had a terrific converstion today on Spark. If you haven't discovered the Spark Blog/Podcast yet, check it out here: http://cbc.ca/spark

Mr. Tapscott talked about how children of the brain development years of 8 to 18 yrs. are interacting, collaborating, authenticating, searching and scrutinizing.

Don's latest book is "Grown Up Digital". You can read the first chapter here.

The best part of today's podcast, imho, was when Don talks about a conversation he had with Florida's only 2008 Rhodes Scholar - Joe O'Shea. This part of the conversation begins at the 8:21 mark of the interview. It may just change the way you think about what type of individuals are selected for a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford.

Update:

Here are Don's 8 Characteristics of the Current Net Generation. [From Chapter 1]

They....

1. .....prize freedom and freedom of choice.
2. .....want to customize things. make them their own.
3. .....are natural collaborators who enjoy a conversation, not a lecture.
4. ......scrutinize you and your organization.
5. ......insist on integrity.
6. ......want to have fun,even at work and at school.
7. ......think speed is normal.
8. ......innovation is part of life.

Related link:

60 Minutes: The Millenials

Will Richardson - Webinar

2008-11-14T01:53:00.010-05:00

Here is the 30 minute presentation portion of a live 1 hour webinar with Will Richardson recorded November 6th, 2008. Will shows a number of websites and refers to Clay Shirky's "Here Comes Everybody". You can watch and participate in live webinars of this type by joining Edutopia. Learn more at the Edutopia website. The webinars are free for members.

The GLEF wiki for this presentation is here: http://glefwebinar.wikispaces.com/
The Ontario wiki for today's session is here: http://ontariowebinar.wikispaces.com/

Suggestion: To watch the video make sure you have the latest version of Quicktime installed and use the Firefox 3.0 web browser. Then, when you click on the image above the movie of the presentation will play automatically in your browser.

EOSDN - Michael Schmitt

2008-11-13T09:57:00.037-05:00

- - Opening Address Live Blog

12:01 p.m.

Mr. Schmitt finished off his talk this morning with an amazing video. The words engage, rigour and create are words that rang true during Mr. Schmitt's preparation for this session.

Leadership = Relationship = Presence - - Duignan

Video: "Learning to Change, Changing to Learn" - An amazing "who's who" of technology visionists including Greg Whitby from down under.

11:45 a.m.

New Literacies

The ability to read, edit, and think critically. Our students will need to be literate in the ways of publishing. Everyone has a voice. Developing new communication and processing skills. Will Richardson talks about the New Literacies.

Alan Luke talks about this as well. Mr. Schmitt is referring to the Alan Luke video on the Ministry Webcast. I have the 6 minute clip of Alan Luke lower down on this blog.

Video: Here is the link to the 53 minute long Alan Luke webcast on New Literacies.

And here is the podcast feed to the Alan Luke materials if you would like to subscribe with iTunes.

11:44 a.m.

The current slide comes from "Commoncraft.com" a website that creates video explanations in "Plain English". The clip being shown is about Blogs. This is wonderful! Commoncraft does a terrific job at explaining all the wonders of Web 2.0.

Current fact: Since 2003 there have been 7 million blogs created.

You can search blogs here: http://blogsearch.google.com/

The current Commoncraft video being show is Wikis in Plain English. By the way, Wiki means "fast" in Hawaii.

11:32 a.m.

The current slide shows: "The New Frontier of Collaboration/Interaction"

The discussion is about the "Remixing" and "Changing" of what we say. The remixing of society and the society of authorship. The ideas will be expanded upon and we all become co-creators of knowledge.

Our role as teachers is changing. What do we do with the knowledge?

Three Key Ideas:

1. Relationships
2. Critical Literacy
3. Authorship of Knowledge

11:30 a.m.

The discussion has resumed and some amazing comments are coming forward:

- technology is expensive
- students don't have the critical literacy skills to filter on-line materials
- where is your comfort level?
- what does the product look like? -- timed test - - printed materials - - posters
- the product is not "there yet" - - do we hand things in digitally

11:15 to 11:25 - - Break

11:12 a.m.

Video: A Vision of K-12 students Today - 16 Digital Natives - B. Nesbitt

The current video is now showing. The video is similar to the one that was made famous by Michael Welsh at Kansas State.

It shows a number of children holding up signs as to how they spend their time and the dissonance is that the signs list items about technology enhanced learning - - but the signs themselves are chalkboards and whiteboards - - not electronic!

Here is Michael Welsh's original version.

11:02 a.m.

Mr. Schmitt is now reading from the current edition of MacLean's magazine. He is talking about the article "Dumbed Down".

Some of the studies have looked into young people and how their brain image is starting to change. It is just another proof that we are "re-wiring" our brains.

10:58 a.m.

The current video clip is called, "24 Hours in the Life of a Digital Native" and the slides are showing what a typical modern day teenager goes through in his/her typical life as a digital learner and participator. A Marc Prensky quote just appeared. He is good.

Comments: Questions and Comments from the Audience about this video

The person in the video was physically all alone.
Real life relationships?
Gaming on-line.
Are relationships changing due to technology?
Comment that our Kindergarten children are arriving in our classes with fewer words.
Parents. Are they there?
Some of the technology can be used for good. How?
As educators we need to meet our students part way?
What leadership role can it all play?
We're now talking about how teenagers communicate.
Text messaging. Is it faster than across the room?
Person to person relationship building is an important point.

10:50 a.m.

The current slide now shows Social Networking and Mr. Schmitt is talking about interest, engagement and rigor. Does it mean that our roles as educators will change?

10:47 a.m.

Mr. Schmitt is now talking about how a "whole generation of people" can be engaged in the technologies.

The current slide showing is "Digital Learners" and how the newer generation is a multi-tasking group of individuals. They do things, engage and produce things that have never been seen before. The web was: "about eyeballs" and now is about "hands". The use of co-creating, Wikis, and implications for educators.

10:42 a.m.

Further comments to the "Pay Attention" video revolve around how some of the words and vocabulary is new for people in the audience. "Remix" was a word discussed as new to at least one audience member.

10:40 a.m.

The "Pay Attention" video has now ended and people are responding to it. There were some chuckles as the video was playing but mostly silence. Mr. Schmitt is now taking questions and just had me up in front of the audience to explain how the live blogging is occuring as the presentation proceeds.

10:31 a.m.

Still re-booting the P.C.

Laura Kearse is viewing the Pay Attention video on her Blackberry from this live blog session that was shown during the presentation here. The P.C. is now up and running and the Pay Attention Video is now showing again. No problems viewing it this time.

10:21 a.m.

The windows update just invoked on the presenters laptop and has prevented the audience from viewing the video. The computer is now being re-booted. A teacher is making a connection to the classroom in that this stuff happens all the time. Another teacher just said that, " the students will be assisting and troubleshooting items like this".

Laughter.... as people wait.

10:16 a.m.

The video "Pay Attention" is now playing. You can view it here. I remember the first time I showed this video to a staff in HPEDSB. It caused an emotional response I had not come across before.

10:13 a.m.

The first slide on the presentation says how the presenter's daughter [16 years old] does all here technology after 3pm! He is talking about how the current generation is learning differently. He is now going to show a series of short video clips

10:07 a.m.

Now talking about how Barack Obama is the youngest baby boomer President at 47. Just think, Clinton is at the other end of the Baby Boomer scale having been born in 1947. Mr. Schmitt is now referring to how technology is changing, how social culture is changing and the way we behave.

He talked about how "Mo-blogging" Mobile Blogging created a stir in front of the White House on election night. Text messages were sent to people to converge at the White House to celebrate Obama's win.

10:06 a.m.

Mr. Schmitt is talking about how the "language" that young people use is changing. "Sick" means something different than what it did when he was a boy.

9:58 a.m. - November 13th, 2008

We're coming to you live from the EOSDN conference at the Four Points Sheraton hotel in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Right now Mr. Michael Schmitt, the Director of Education for the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, is being introduced.

Communication & School

2008-11-11T05:50:00.003-05:00

Will Richardson recently spent 45 minutes listening to George Lucas speak about education. I've been following George Lucas and his "George Lucas Education Foundation" for about 10 years now.

The Edutopia.org website which has undergone a re-branding of sorts during the last two years has been an inspiration to me for a long time. I thought I'd include one of my favourite G.L. videos.

Here is my other favourite interview with George Lucas which is part of a collection of videos I have about amazing men and their troubles at school.

Media Literacy - At Home

2008-09-28T11:24:00.003-04:00

Here's a short 2 1/2 minute clip from the Discovery Channel which shows how parents can assist their children by working on:

writing and revising skills,
public speaking skills,
interviewing skills,
research skills, and
by watching T.V. with their children.

Technology Anchor Charts

2008-09-23T15:54:00.002-04:00

This film is from eWorkshop. It describes many of the processes needed by teachers and students in today's world of technology. In particular, in segment 3 of the film, anchor charts are developed with a media literacy - critical literacy connection.

Update: This film featuring Colin Harris' classroom was written by a friend of mind from Innoteach 2 - Chris Prefontaine

"A House is a House for....."

2008-09-17T09:06:00.003-04:00

At this Friday's N.I. Day in Marmora, I'll be introducing staff members from grades 2 to 4 to a method of Non-Fiction, technology enhanced multimedia. In this 1st grade example students were studying habitats in science class and made a literacy connection to the book "A House is a House for Me", by Mary Ann Hoberman

Their teacher then had them write a sentence in response based on some personal connections. We then scanned all the illustrations, recorded student voices with Audacity and then stitched it all together with Movie Maker.

I'm told that there was a line-up, particularly among the boys, to record the sentences.

Student Self Instruction

2008-09-02T10:46:00.004-04:00

Sugata Mitra explains and shows video of an amazing project in New Delhi where a working computer was placed in a part of town.

Children then taught themselves how to use the computer. Children learn in groups. They learn by watching.

Watch for yourself.

Here are his 4 basic statements about the project.

1. Remoteness affects the quality of education.
2. Ed-Tech should be introduced in remote areas first.
3. Values are acquired, doctrine and dogma are imposed.
4. Learning is a self-organizing system.

iCan 2008

2008-08-29T09:30:00.005-04:00

Marco's team from Alas Media has coached the students at San Fernando high to produce the latest iCan offering.

Hopefully the iCan 9 films will be up soon. The festival took place on August 2nd.

Alan November at NECC 2008

2008-07-07T16:36:00.006-04:00

Alan November's talk has finally been uploaded to the kzo innovations NECC 2008 videocasts.

Alan begins his talk with a story about his son and an excursion to China. He then talks about how social networking stuff is blocked in most schools.

He then uses a Promethean Clicker system to pole the audience about "Who Owns Learning?" This clicker system allows users to immediately give "in real time" their answers to questions he asks. I remember using this system at NECC 2006 during one of the keynotes.

The rest of his talk is mediocre at best. He spends a great deal of his first half hour is self promotion plugging his book, name on the internet, his conference. Not the usual A.N. stuff. Oh, well, even the greats have days which are not their best.

NECC Live 2008

2008-07-03T04:22:00.006-04:00

Our Students, Our Worlds

David Warlick, in this lunchtime session, gives a passionate talk about "World is Flat" concepts and how we should be making efforts to keep the arts alive in schools.

He talks about what digital students are all about. Most importantly he talks about how kids these days are all about technology in a different way than we were, back in the day.

Here is the link to all the NECC Live 2008 presentations.

Michael Wesch

2008-07-01T16:27:00.002-04:00

George Seimens, who Keynoted at this year's Leading and Learning Conference in Toronto, has posted a link to the Michael Wesch lecture at the University of Manitoba. He talks about the skills that are really useful. And to think, he has only been teaching for 3 years. Remarkable!

Here is Professor Wesch's Youtube channel.

Extending the Boundaries with V.C.

2008-07-01T08:46:00.004-04:00

David Jakes , Will Richardson and Ewan [Uen] McIntosh explore the possibilities of USTREAM.TV in the classroom. It is Video Conferencing for the masses.

David showed screenshots of several collaborations using ustream. He asks -- How does this change the nature of a classroom. Publishing and extending. Bringing learning to students. "Classroom permeability".

Ewan talked about a new student production Channel 4 television in the U.K. A project called "YearDot" which is an example of a 10 part documentary which includes 15 young people who have film crews follow them around for 1 year and then publish the finished documentary on channel 4 at that time.

Ewan talked about student productions and the care it takes to produce films. He talks about the reflective nature [or not] of conversations which happen after the fact. He talks about the quality of production and illustrated by talking about Ken Robinson's Ted talk, Marco Torres ican stuff. Ewan also talked about how people want to watch video on their own terms these days. He concludes by saying that the web streaming technology is about allowing people to have a conversation.

NECC 2008

2008-06-28T12:19:00.003-04:00

Well, so far this morning, I've discovered "Live from 1-35", how to download the Blog and Twitter NECC opml file to my newsreaders and downloaded NetNewsWire for Mac and found the Virtual NECCers group for those of us not fortunate enough to be attending NECC in San Antonio. I think that is enough for one morning.

Still don't get the Twitter thing though. Maybe this afternoon. :-)

Sir Ken Robinson - RSA Speaker

2008-06-23T20:47:00.004-04:00

One of my most favourite speakers is Sir Ken Robinson. He has been an advocate for Creativity and the Arts for years. One of his more recent talks was his "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" talk at TED in 2006.

His most recent lecture was part of the RSA Edge Lecture series on the 16th of June 2008. In this talk Sir Ken talks about public education. He talks about how school curriculum is divided into two categories: Useful and Useless. He sprinkles his lecture with humour and lambastes "No Child Left Behind" in the U.S. which he describes as the same program introduced in Britain in 1988.

He talks about how most school jurisdictions around the world are reforming their version of education. The problem, as he sees it, is that education was first conceived around the time of industrialization. He talks about "twin pillars" - educated people and non-educated people.

The most amazing part of this talk starts with these quotes:

"I believe the changes taking place on earth now are without president in terms of their character and implications. And our best salvation is to develop a capacity for imagination and to do it systematically through public education and to connect people with their true talents. "

"I believe that there is a parallel climate crisis. I believe there is a global crisis in human resources. I believe that the parellel with the crisis in the natural world is exact. The costs of clearing this up are catestrophic. eg., State Government in California spent 3 billion on education and 9 billion on prison systems last year. "

The reason we're not getting it right in education is because we are not fundamentally changing the underlying assumptions of the system which have to do with intelligence, ability, economic purpose, and what people need. " We still educate people from the outside in". "We figure out what the country needs and then try and get them to conform with it". Rather than build education system around "personhood".

Sir Ken has a new book to be published in January 2009 about how people discover their talents and how people can be productive. People do their best when they are in their element. The evidence is persuasive that when people discover what it it that they can do then they will thrive.

Non-Fiction Writing - Glossy Ads Pt.2

2008-06-21T19:11:00.004-04:00

Here is the 2nd part of Ronan Lee's Glossy ads lesson. He begins with a shared read followed by various instructional strategies in order for his students to get the most out of the lesson on deconstruction and construction of media.

Non-Fiction Writing - Gr. 4 Web Pages

2008-06-21T13:55:00.005-04:00

Here 4th grade teacher Bridget Scime from the Halton D.S.B. explains how she uses quality media, text form immersion, content, and the connection between reading and writing. At the 1:08 mark she explains how she and her students co-create anchor charts for her classroom.

Rubrics and checklists are collabortively created and she explains how the writing process works in her classroom including whole class and small groups.

Deconstructing and constructing websites is a focus for the last part of the clip. Ms. Scime guides the students in the construction of anchor charts for creating web pages.

Non-Fiction Writing - Glossy Ads

2008-06-21T13:27:00.006-04:00

In this clip grade 5 teacher Ronan Lee leads his junior students through an exercise in deconstruction of Glossy Car print ads.

Non-Fiction Media Texts - P.S.A.s

2008-06-21T12:10:00.006-04:00

Here Dan Grant from York Region explains the process from beginning to end for what it takes to create an original Media Text. This is a Ministry of Ed. webcast from April 2008 on Non-Fiction Writing.

Here are the steps:

1. Generate topic ideas
2. Establish a specific focus
3. Identify the audience
4. Select the text form [eg., 30 second P.S.A.]
5. Text form Immersion
6. Deconstruct the text form
7. Practice with the form
8. Construct the text form

Non Fiction Reading & C.O.R.I.

2008-06-03T14:58:00.003-04:00

With one of our district goals next year being non-fiction text, I thought I had better begin to get my head around the text connection to technology. John Guthrie's work with Concept Oriented Reading Instruction makes a lot of sense. Why not have students gain a deep understanding of a subject area, like science by reading about it. Lots of possibilities for shared reading here.

Jeffrey Wilhelm

2008-06-02T14:32:00.003-04:00

In speaking with my favourite Principal this morning, he mentioned Jeffery Wilhelm's book: Engaging Readers & Writers With Inquiry.

We spoke about how at this time of the school year students and teachers are engaged in Summative Assessment tasks.

On pages 38 and 39 Jeffrey Wilhelm has a section entitled

Next Practical Steps: Three Key Moves

Identify an essential question and associated enduring understandings
Identify a final project
Create a "backwards plan"

The most interesting was the final project discussion I had with the Principal this morning. He spoke about how J. Wilhelm talks about identifying projects kids can do a the end of the unit that will demonstrate their understanding - - their mastery and use of the enduring concepts and tools for dealing with the essential question. He talks about needing to know where you want your students to go and how you will know they have arrived. How will they demonstrate their mastery.

He suggests options such as writing dramas, museum exhibits, video documentaries, Web sites, and social action projects. In talking about this type of design with an office colleague just now he remembers going to a workshop last fall which talked about not introducing too many "new learning" frameworks during the summative evaluation. I get this, you wouldn't have a student "just go make a movie" as part of a summative without experience making movies. Anyway, this was my aha moment(s) for the day.

A.D.M. & Technology

2008-05-29T05:49:00.004-04:00

Had the opportunity to listen to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Education at yesterday's Director's Address and he had some interesting comments on using technology.

Learning Cultures

He spoke about e-learning being huge and had a story about appropriate use of Smartboards. His final statement is the most powerful: "It is about helping to improve pedagogy and the support for learning."

Listen to this segment of his talk here:

Assistant Deputy Minister of Education on Technology and Pedagogy.

What is Learning?

2008-05-26T08:16:00.004-04:00

Alan November has a discussion with Elliot Washer Ed. D. Mr. Washer talks about how children learn and how students develop themselves. How do we create an environment for learning? We all have objects we hold dear. He illustrates his discussion by describing an example of how a boy was "drawing cellos" in his home without cellos and the learning that follows.

He talks about people learning in small communities and in one-to-one environments. Mr. Washer is part of a group of people who started "The Big Picture Company" which is dedicated to designing smal break the mold school communites around the world.

Listen to this podcast here: Alan November & Elliot Washer

The Horizon Project

2008-05-25T11:44:00.003-04:00

The 2008 Horizon Project is a Global, Multicultural learning project. This project analyzed the future of College education. Here Vicki Davis explains the project and its benefits to her students.

Flat Classroom Project

2008-05-25T11:33:00.003-04:00

In 2006, The Flat Classroom Project was a collaborative project between Julie Lindsay's Grade 11 class in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Vicki Davis' 10th grade class in Camilla Georgia.

The project was based on Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat. The classes focused on the 10 "flatners" that Mr. Friedman talks about in his books.

In 2007 the project expanded to include 7 schools from around the world.

Networked Learning

2008-05-23T13:39:00.005-04:00

Here Canadian and middle school teacher Clarence Fisher, a Prime Minister's Award winner from Snow Lake Manitoba, speaks about learning and how it is networked .

He talks about how teaching and learning is a collective effort and not an individual accomplishment.

Personal Learning Networks

2008-05-22T09:09:00.003-04:00

Personal Learning Networks. Here, Will Richardson talks mostly about connecting. How do you build a network and start learning about what you are passionate about? The context is an on-line environment. Students are already engaged in their own personal on-line environments Our responsibility is to guide and instruct students in how to use them responsibly. How do we get teachers and other educators to respond in this environment?

The best way is to create our own personal learning network. Fortunately, we are not far off with the introduction of our Sharepoint environment which offers teachers a safe and secure way to start building their learning network.

These P.L.N.s can have profound impact on how we learn. So, educators need to participate and then encourage and support each other and students to help them understand the potential of these types of networks for learning.

Read-Write Web - 2

2008-05-21T09:23:00.003-04:00

In part 2 of the Will Richardson interview the discussion begins with Will speaking about what the future of students and learning will be like. Collaboration, ownership and copyright are discussed.

Students now and in the future will need to be flexible and responsive as they work with people around the world in their careers.

The term "organizational literacy" is introduced and is tossed around as a new method of how teachers and students will organize their lives. There will be more working with others around the world - - collaboration and networking.

What will the school system look like in 15 or 20 years? Florida virtual high school. Virtual learning. There are global models which are starting this process. Finland, Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand have started to allow technologies to change the face of learning.

We attended Leading and Learning a week or so back where Professor Dr. Roger Austin from the University of Ulster in Belfast spoke as a keynote on how collaborative Video Conferencing was helping to build student communities as students connect in Northern Ireland with students from the Republic.

So, how do we get schools to change? Will has some ideas on how this process can be started. He ends off with a talk about "Thinly walled Classrooms" - Clarence Fisher. He talks about what it is we do in both physical space and on-line space.

The ends with a quote from Alan November on Classrooms - "Media Centres to the World"

Read-Write Web - 1

2008-05-21T08:32:00.004-04:00

In this clip, Will Richardson talks about the Read-Write web. He does an amazing job at explaining how the web is now more about collaboration and interactivity than "back in the day" when we only went to the web to receive information.

There are 3 main sections to this clip:

a) Write/Create content and Publish Widely - Implications
b) Implications for Professional Learning
c) The Role that Writing plays in Reading

Here are a couple of additional articles you may wish to read on the topic.

1. An Educator's Guide to the Read-Write Web - Will Richardson
2. Chapter 2 The Read-Write Web - Oreilly.com

Alan Luke - Digital Learning and Multi-Literacies

2008-05-20T17:50:00.008-04:00

Dr. Alan Luke speaks about writing and webpages, writing music, video games and other new technologies in this May 2007 Ministry of Ed. webcast. He talks about pathways to the new economy. He talks about the "generational exchange" which should occur in staffrooms.

To hear the full 53 minute talk and other topics from Dr. Luke, you can subscribe to the RSS feed here.

Rosa & Elizabeth Ruvalcaba

2008-05-19T16:57:00.008-04:00

If you are unable to watch the clipped version the direct link is here: Interactive Innovations

Two of Marco Torres' former students Rosa Ruvalcava and Elizabeth Ruvalcaba presented in Nelson B.C. last year. In this video of their presentation, they explain how their experiences at San Fernando H.S. helped to mold them into who they are today. They describe how it was really not about the technology. It was about students using multimedia to tell stories about their community and who they are within that community.

During their presentation Rosa and Elizabeth showed two of the videos they produced while at San Fernando H.S. I've edited them out of their original presentation but have included them as links here:

1. Ham and Eggs - A very touching film about one of their Uncles and his adjustment to life in San Fernando.
2. Digital Students - A passionate film about the disconnect between and among anolog teachers and digital students.

Also, here are their slides. Amazing photography.

Grandparents on Skype?

2008-05-17T06:51:00.004-04:00

One of my favourite people in education is Alan November.

Here, Alan discusses [at NECC 2006] how Kindergarten teachers can create a community of Grandparents using Skype. He explains how books can be read by Grandparents. Now, here at home we will just invite grandparents in for a visit and they can read with our students. Or in some cases "Grandfriends" programs exist to fill the grandparent void. What Alan speaks about is more about when communities may not have the opportunities that we have here.

This really illustrates what our learning environments [read classrooms] can be like these days. As we discussed in our meeting the other day, this Web 2.0 thing it is about people and how they make connections with one another. The technology just helps us to get there.

Web 2.0 History Classroom

2008-05-16T14:35:00.007-04:00

I discovered history teacher and Missouri Teacher of the Year Eric Langhorst's blog/podcast a while back. He is what we would all like our history teachers to be like.

Click on the image to view a .pdf of parts of his most recent slideshow.

Class Web Sites - L & L

2008-05-16T13:38:00.006-04:00

The May 2008 Leading and Learning with Technology journal arrived in hard copy today at the office.

One of the articles has an excellent overview of a topic we were discussing yesterday in our team meeting -- Classroom Websites.

Elizabeth Baker PhD., examines and presents cases for three methods:

1. Web Site Providers
2. Blogs, Groups and Wikis
3. Be Your Own Developer

You can download and read the article here.

Edspeak - Australia

2008-05-16T10:56:00.004-04:00

Marco Torres has released his latest films. He's calling them EdSpeak. EdSpeak is a collection of voices from around the world on what it is to be learning with technology. Here, the Executive Director of Schools, Greg Whitby, in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia explains his vision for education.

Click on the image to view the 18:43 movie. Or if you would like to view the movie in segments subscribe to Marco's vidRSS here.

Psychology of Social Networking

2008-05-15T19:26:00.003-04:00

One of my favourite podcasts I've been listening to for a long time is Michael Krasny's KQED Forum out of San Fransisco.

In this episode Michael has two experts on and he discusses the psychology of Social Networking. Near the end he has a call in.

Why it Works

2008-05-13T15:35:00.004-04:00

Here the Director of Education Don Cansul talks about why the laptop project in his school board works.

View the slide show here. Also the Director of the IT department showed an overview of the inner workings of the technology side here.

1000 Students - 1000 Laptops

2008-05-09T03:35:00.004-04:00

Meet Randy MacLean.

He is the Principal of Massey-Vanier High School in Cowansville, Quebec. The man just next to him is the full time repair technician at Massey. His job is to repair any and all laptops which become damaged at the school. He has a loaner collection of 30 laptops. Here's how it works. Students bring in their laptops, [about 15 of the 1000 laptops from the school are in the depot per day]. Students receive a loaner for the time theirs is down.

As we walked from classroom to classroom at Massey, we saw all students either were working on their laptops or had it nearby. Here is Principal MacLean's PowerPoint presentation he showed during our visit.

Magog, Quebec 1 to 1

2008-05-08T17:59:00.005-04:00

Hello from the Eastern Townships of Quebec at the 4th annual 1 to 1 laptop conference.

To say I'm in heaven would be an understatement. The students in the class pictured here have just returned from a field trip to Montreal. Pictured is a student showing the guests her slide show of the many sights she saw at one of the field trip stops.

Every student in this grade 5 class has a laptop on her/his desk. Wait, it gets better. They are allowed to take them home which extends the learning day. When one student wants to present her/his project they just waltz up to the projector and connect the laptop and they are ready to go.

That's a Smartboard they are presenting on. In this picture the student completed the project in iMovie and another student presented her project on Monarch Butterflies using Smart Notebook software. Or here is the same project in .pdf format.

There is an Air Port express on the ceiling and many more things like a home brew docking station at the side of the room.

And are you ready for this. It is not about platform here, folks. If you are still reading then you will think I'm a little off but really it is about the students/teachers having 21st century tools at hand to assist and transform their learning.

For more photos have a look at my Flickr pix. Oh, and we checked for privacy info before we all took pictures and all students in the photos have been cleared.

More soon.

L and L - Twitter on Blackberry

2008-05-05T19:53:00.005-04:00

Today is day one of the Leading and Learning conference at the Delta East in Toronto. A really good day. Went to a session this afternoon with Rodd Lucier who was demonstrating at light speed all things "Social Software". Everything from wikis to twitter.

Since I'm new to Twitter I thought there had to be a mobile twitter app. for Blackberry. Sure enough there is. It is called Twitterberry of course.

Now all I have to do is learn how to twitter.

Intelligencer Goes Mobile

2008-01-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

Keep up with the local news. Click here to go to the site: http://m.intelligencer.ca

iGoogle

2008-01-22T10:13:00.001-05:00

Just developed, with the release of more applications for the iphone is iGoogle - Mobile. Set your preferences in iGoogle and then point your mobile browser to iGoogle Mobile to have the entire page format perfectly for your hand held. Pretty neat.

Blackberry - Small Sites

2008-01-17T06:58:00.000-05:00

Here's an amazing link listing websites which are formated for the Blackberry and other mobile devices.

Download Google Apps

2008-01-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

You may wish to download the various Google Apps directly to your Blackberry. This will place the Google icons directly on your Blackberry desktop to easily access all the Google Apps. You will need to sign up for a G-Mail Account here first if you do not already have one.

Using your Blackberry just click on this link and follow the screen instructions after you have signed up for a Google account.