What a Difference a Year Makes

Birthdays are naturally times for reflection. A year ago I was an excited 3rd grade teacher. I was about to embark on a new adventure, a trip to a technology summit as a Keystone Technology Integrator. During one week last July my life changed in ways I can't quite articulate. For a week I was immersed in learning about learning and technology integration with a group of people just like me. I was no longer an oddity. There were 100 other people just as excited about making learning come alive for children.

Perhaps the most exciting outgrowth of the week was that I developed a Personal Learning Network. I have stayed connected to most of the people that made incredible impressions on me. We have stayed connected on a daily basis for nearly a year now via skype, twitter, wikis, eduwikius, google docs, elluminate, and wimba.

So now I have made connections to some fabulous people all over the world! When I have questions, need support, want to share, I head to my computer. I am also able to offer suggestions/advice, collaborate, and share in the lives of so many special people!

This summer I look forward to teaching some district level courses on technology integration, facilitating a study group for my high school CFF teachers, moving my classroom to a new building, co-presenting at the Governor's Institute (STEM) and just being a mom and wife!

Phoenix Lands on Mars ( ustream.tv )

Around 7:30 pm EST I saw a link on twitter pointing me to a link on the internet with live coverage of the Phoenix landing on Mars. Immediately I began channel surfing on tv looking for live coverage. While scouting out MSNBC, NBC, CBS.... I could not find any sign of this breaking news. Finally, FOX news showed portions of the story. Let me tell you about the internet coverage.

Spacevidcast used a medium called ustream.tv to stream the event live. Not only was I able to see the event, I was able to interact with the other 1,000 people also watching. People from all over the world were watching and chatting simultaneously! So, not only were people from all over the world able to chat with each other, the internet audience was also able to ask questions and get them answered by a scientist!

I had questions but did not feel comfortable voicing them in the chat room so I found one of my
KTI technology mentors online and skyped him my questions. We were able to chat and share the experience as well.

This is what web2.0 is all about! The internet is no longer just a read only medium, people can interact and create!

Fish! Catch the Energy & Release the Potential

For some strange reason I stumbled upon a quick read which really packed a punch! The idea of capturing energy intrigued me so I purchased it used from Amazon. The key concepts in the book are worth sharing, no, shouting! I will refrain from sharing the parable, besides I could not do it justice. This is one of those, "you just have to read it for yourself," things!

Here are four key concepts that anyone can implement, in their work and personal lives, in order to get the most our of every moment:

1. Choose your attitude. Not every task in life is enjoyable, but the attitude you bring to the task is paramount.

2. Play, and include others. By having fun and including others, the day will be more enjoyable. I can't help but draw a connection to Daniel K. Pink's A Whole New Mind where play is a crucial element in survival in this new age that he calls "The Conceptual Age."

3. Make their day. This book clearly pertains to the world of work, so making the customer's day is what is meant. I would like to broaden it to include the popular concept of performing a random act of kindness.

4. Be present. In this fast paced, multi-tasking world, it is important to give people the time and attention they deserve. I am soooo guilty of not doing this! When my son goes on and on about how we is going to use his play tractor to excavate the sand pile, I need to stop what I am doing and give my time and attention to him. This will help reinforce how important he is to me.


So, with these four nuggets of wisdom swirling around in my brain, I am going to look for ways, at home and at work, to implement these concepts! I would love to chat with anyone who has read this book or just hear what you have to say!

Wikipedia, Teaching Kids to Think

There has been a controversy brewing in the academic world about Wikipedia. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales sends a message that Wikipedia should not be used for serious research. So, should it be blocked in schools?

Wikipedia has been unblocked in our district and, because of teacher request, is now blocked. There was mixed reaction among the high school faculty. Most were relieved because students are now forced to go beyond a google or wikipedia search for content. Many were frustrated because wikipedia was a good place to get the gist of something. They also liked that primary sources were often linked as well.

So, is it better to block this tool? What happens if they still insist on using wikipedia as their "one stop shop" for research? Or... this this an opportunity to teach students how to verify information, or how to utilize Wikipedia as a springboard to primary sources? Food for thought.

For additional background information on Wikipedia I highly recommend Wikinomics.
The book focuses on the concept of collective intelligence. What do you think?

Digital Natives?

Today I had the honor of presenting Audacity (open-source audio recording software) to students attending an area HS computer fair. To my surprise the majority of the students had not heard of podcasts. As my presentations concluded I had extra time so I thought I would open up the discussion to web2.0 tools. As I began to talk of blogs and wikis I got many blank stares. With everything I have been reading and discovering within the last 9 months, students have been referred to as "digital natives." Suddenly I realized that I had to back up and punt. For most of the students I was speaking a foreign language.

This helps to clarify and intensify, for me, the need to address 21st century learning and NOT to make assumptions. Many of my teachers are discovering that they need to teach basic computer skills before they can begin to use the computer as a learning tool. Perhaps the digital divide was larger than I thought!

I am truly curious... is anyone discovering this, or is our situation in northeast PA unique. (We are quite rural and many families are still on dial-up internet.)

Dangers of Skype

This cannot be tweeted because there is no way to condense it to 140 characters. So think of this as a long tweet and a warning.

Tonight I was teaching a class to other teachers. We were learning to create wikis and exploring Discovery Education Streaming. I decided to break things up a bit and started a skype chat with my friend behind me. We were playing with various new skype icons and were complaining about sitting so long.

I got up to go help someone with a download and my friend called me back to the computer. All of a sudden, under my login, I read, "Aren't you guys supposed to be in class?" I did not type it. No one in the room got up, went to my computer and typed it. AHHHHHH

We waited for another response. nothing Finally my friend got an idea, she types back into the chat and asks if this is my husband. It was and then he continued to antagonize us.

The warning for all skypers out there.... never leave your home computer logged into skype when you are not home! You never know what will happen. The only saving grace is I had just shut the projector off!

Blabberize

I have been trying to come up with a solution to this issue:

Some parents don't grant permission for their child's photo to be online. (Which I totally respect.)

So, how do you still include that child in activities online?

Blabberize allows you to upload an image, create a mouth, and record voice. The mouth then moves as the recording is played back.

Hmmmm, a child could draw a picture of him/herself, draw the mouth, and record their own voice.

Think of the possibilities. If you are recording your students doing an activity, like a book review, this child could now participate.

Click here to see what I mean.