Anita Foster

FETC - Session 5

Using Cross-Curriculum Web 2.0 Technology to Increase Learning Outcomes

Presenter: Laura Ketcham

Web 2.0 Technology website link for presentation. (This site was made using Google Sites! I love that!!) She used this with 7th grade students.

Students used Google Sites to bring the project together. All of the research was completed within the Reading, Science, Social Studies and Math classes. The students had to work together and communicate in order to complete the project. 

Google Sites allowed the students to show their teachers, peers and parents by adding them to their collaborators. However, it is not public to the world. The teachers could also see when people added content to see who was working on the project at the last minute and who was working on it for the entire project. The teacher needs to be added as an owner so they have full access to the site.

Blogger - She had the students comment on her blog questions and create their blog and comment on each others blog. (My concern is the NEXT BLOG button. You don't have any control over the next blog and it may contain inappropriate content.)

del.icio.us - She used not only her delicious account, but all students had to set one up. 

Voice Threads - Discussion threads on images, videos or documents. (FREE for 3 min of audio and 10 images.)

Picasa and Photo Sharing - Allows you to organize and share your pictures with others. The great thing is you can keep the album private and share with only those you want to share with. Also, if someone gets to your album, you can only see their public albums and it will not take you to others that might be inappropriate. It is also very easy to embed into Google Sites (or via HTML into anything on the web).

Google Maps, My Maps - It will allow you to create a map customized for your needs. At this time you can not fully integrate with Google Sites. 

Google Video - Google announced last week that they are no longer supporting Google Video (they own YouTube and will continue to support that resource). 

Art Pad - This is an online tool to paint on the computer. This is a cool site!!!

Survey Monkey - Online survey site that is free for 10 questions or less. (I have used this, but I really like using Google Docs and creating a form for survey results.)

FETC - Session 4

Cyber Cafe: Students and Teachers Collaborate for Increased Learning

Presenter Martha Green from Collier County, Florida

One to one initiative for fifth grade classes. Taught not only responsibility, but also classroom behavior. Instruction also improved and motivated not only students, but also teachers. Online assessment has also been a key to student (and teacher) success.

Students are using Higher Order Thinking Skills with the technology in the classroom. Web 2.0 tools have brought a new dimension to the classroom and the technology that the class uses.

Voki is the animation tool that the students use to bring things to life. They choose an avatar and record their voice for the avatar to speak.

FETC Session 3

Creating a Personal Learning Network with Web 2.0 Tools

Presenters Michelle Bourgeois, Colleen Glaude, Katie 

Morrow (Apple Distinguished Teachers)

http://budurl.com/buildapln

Professional Development - Traditional model is time consuming and costly. 

With Web 2.0 we can change how Professional Development looks.

Professional Development as a restaurant or buffet and fits our diet, budget 

and needs the best.

Appetizers - Little nibble of learning. Twitter and Plurk. Both of these are 

microblogging tools that allows you to stay current and connected.

Main Course - Meat and Potatoes - Blogs, del.icio.us and iChat

Side Dishes - Podcast and Webinars, Wikis and Nings, Apple Learning 

Interchange

Desserts - Flickr, Second Life, Nike+

Apple Classroom of Tomorrow Today ACoT² This is new and in development.

FETC Session 2

Teaming + Technology + Transormation = Digital Education 

Presented by Broward County Public Schools

Angela Coluzzi, Director of Network Integration

Dr. Jeanine Gendron, Director, Instructional Technology

Charles McCanna, Principal Elementary School (NovaSchools.com)

258,905 Students

284 Schools

23,477 Instructional Staff

Implementing Technology Goals and Plans into the schools.

First question, "What does 21st Century learning look like?" They brought in all stake holders to develop a strategic plan. Moves the district forward in 4 areas

1. Infrastructure
2. Professional Development and Curriculum Integration 
3. Instructional Resources
4. Engage in the classroom

They looked at their struggling schools to see what could technology do to improve the AYP scores. Then they teamed a low scoring school and teamed them with a school that was succeeding with high AYP scores. They also adopted the NETS so that everyone was on the same page in regards to technology standards.

They are updating their technology resources to help teachers, students and schools succeed. 

Digital Classroom Tools

1. They refreshed the Teacher Laptops - Rolling refresh (4,000 laptops last summer) 
2. Teachers requested not only a Help Desk for technology, but also Teacher Help Desk for teachers to call for help with applications and support teachers in using the appropriate technology for the desired outcome. 
3. 2,200 classrooms have been equipped with projector and Interactive white board (attached or to the ceiling), Audio system,  control panel to allow flexibility and is stationed by the teacher's desk (teachers were trained on using the control panel), Amplification system (teachers have their own microphone), Document Camera, Video and Digital cameras (in each classroom). Some schools have Interactive Tablets rather than Interactive white boards. Each school was also given several Interactive Response Systems.    

Digital Curriculum and Instructional Electronic Resources

1. All textbook adoptions must have textbook online. 
2. Nettrekker DI 
3. Renaissance Learning 
4. Tabula Digita 
5. All was tied to a portal for easy access. 

  
Teacher needs were assessed and had three levels of learning 

1. Entry level skill development with Hands on Workshops and Online Tutorials 
2. Intermediate with Hands on Workshops and Online Tutorials
3. Advanced Hands on and Blended Workshops and Online Tutorials

Charles the principal is talking about using iPods and podcasting in the classroom. They have 180 iPods on 9 carts that moves around the school. The principal said it was easy to get teacher "buy in" for the project. Students focus on the assignment podcast. Critical Thinking skills are utilized on assignments. EVERY assignment since this project began in the 2007-2008 school year through today has been turned in. Students teach the teachers more than teachers teach the students. Students are excited and anxious to get to school and start working.

Integration Benefits to the Classroom

1. Motivates students (and teachers)
2. Differentiation
3. ESE students can self-remediate at their own pace
4. Teachers can connect with parents via podcasts
5. Parent Teacher conferences are more convenient for parent's schedule 
6. Parents are refreshed on content along-side students 
7. Back-ground knowledge built prior to field trips 
8. Extension of learning from field trips 
9. 100% of iPod related assignments completed 
10. Build a level of student responsibility  

On their websites they have examples of teacher and student podcasts. They used Pulp Motion (not free, but cheap) to add movement and transitions to the podcast.

One problem...they have ran out of storage space for the podcasts.

Using Digital Videos and Other Interactive Tools in the Classroom

Featured Session: Thinking Big as the World Gets Small with Hall Davidson

He began talking about the use of video communication through Discovery Networks among teachers and students around the world. 

He also gave an example of the students around the world doing the same experiment and getting different results because of location on the globe. (ie. Shadows at the same time of day.)

Cool Iris - At a scan you can see pictures and find the right one faster!

He is now talking about Google Translate. My caution here is translation software is not always exact. You may want to have someone who does translate that language to verify before using. It has been my experience in the past that the person that translates for you, will tell you that they will do it and not to run it through the software.

Now he is talking about blogs and historical blogs. 

Voice Thread - People can leave video and voice messages. Looks really cool and I will need to check it out. 

For the first time in history, more people get news from the Internet rather than newspapers. 

1. TV

2. Internet

3. Newspaper

He wants everyone that will to go to Film on the Fly and subscribe. You will also need to set up a You Tube account if you don't have one and set it up to accept video from your cell phone. He will send a writing assignment to the phone tonight that you are to complete and upload it to your You Tube account.

Very informative session and he completely embraces Web 2.0 tools!!

GaETC - Google Apps for Education to Collaborate as a School System

A colleague just asked me why was I attending a Google Apps session, when I know everything about Google. NOT TRUE!! Although they have dubbed me The Google Goddess, I have never claimed to know everything about Google...As a matter of fact, I don't know if Google knows everything about Google!! Besides, Google, just like any Web 2.0 technology is always changing and doing something else...so, maybe they can teach The Google Goddess something new...it has happened before!!

Google Apps are free and the first thing to do is set up an email account. IF this is used with students, then that is a decision that the county level will have to make.

Google Apps that this county used or have access to:
GMail - Not currently using, but could transition to in the future.
Google Calendar
Google Talk - Chat
Google Video - NOT the normal one, this one allows you to securely share videos with your school.
Google Docs
Google Sites

One school is using Google Docs and Calendar to prepare for a SACS visit.

Google Apps is a great way for teachers and district level employees to collaborate. There is a lot of discussion as far as widgets and such that might be inappropriate for student use within the district network.

CAUTION: Kids at Play Podcasting in the Classroom

Students today...
need to be taught in a different way than how we learned. Students are thinking outside of the box at home to put things up on the Internet, are we teaching them out of the box in the classroom? We are using Atari to teach the Wii generation.

*Teachers began to allow students to create writings based on their experiences
*Students were and are often surprised to find out the ideas they develop are interesting.
*Students must write to develop their podcast before they can create their podcast.

Pre-Writing process was the same as before the podcasting was used. Then the class voted on the best script or play to create.

Again, as with everything else, what you do in the classroom needs to be connected to the GPS.

The Process
Brainstorming Session
Pre-Writing - Students use a Wiki for this step
Writing
Self and Peer Editing
Performance or Activity (Video or Image Collection)
Editing in Garage Band

Three Things
Students write on a sticky note "Three Things I Like About My Story" and "Three Things I Would Change"

Students rotate and are working at their own speed on the project.

What motivates a good writer?
*Believing they have knowledge to share
*Knowing that their writing will be published for others' enjoyment.
*Knowing that mastery of a skills leads to further development of their writing.

Creativity has increased by allowing students to learn the "way that they play."

Why Should We Podcast
*Deepen the level of understanding
*Transfer knowledge from one group of students to another
*Serve as culminating activity
*Increased student engagement

She is a classroom teacher who began podcasting with her 5th grade class, and is now using it with her 3rd grade class.

Three Qualities of an Effective Flipchart

Today is the last day at GaETC...It has been great...but I am exhausted!!

I am in a session for ACTIV Flipcharts and found out that ACTIV has their own web browser that you can use when you are using the flipchart. It looks pretty cool and easy to put in a link.

With any thing, when we build a lesson or a flipchart, we need to build it with the GPS.

We also need to make learning Interactive! This helps student engagement, student involvement, helps them remember things better.

Using the ACTIVote helps with Assessment

Before Learining
*Prior Knowledge
*Appropriate Level
*To plan instruction

During Learing
*Formative
*Oral Question
*Check List
*To differentiate and modify a lesson

After Learning
*To see the knowledge gained
*If skill was mastered
*To see if the standards were met
*To modify and differentiate more

Herman and Mo - Google Earth & Sky

Two of my colleagues presented about Google Earth & Sky at GaETC.

They did a great job working with their website to put in how to videos and resources that you can use when you start working with Google Earth. So, I am going to jump in and participate in the session and know that you can contact me for assistance or visit their site linked above for the tutorials.

PS...They did a great job!!

ACTIV eXPRESSION

The ACTIV vote now has a new "brother" or has been beefed up to become the ACTIV eXPRESSION. The interface built in to the Promethean software on the computer appears to be very easy to use. The remotes, I wish were not black text on a gray screen (old eyes).

He is now pulling up a Brain Pop and is going to design a unit around the website www.brainpop.com

A new edition of ACTIVStudio is coming in January that will combine both version 2 and 3 into one edition.

Tips for Making a GREAT Flipchart

1. Select the standards you will teach.
2. Be flexible. Know that you can always improve and make changes if something does not work.
3. Use resources that are already created for you.
4. Keep your flipchart clear and simple.
5. Make your flipchart engaging.

Great Websites

1. Galileo and Galileo Kids
2. eThemes (eMints)
3. WebQuest.org
4. Scholastic
5. Discovery Education Streaming
6. BrainPop
7. Promethean Planet