"Within every school there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership, which can be a strong catalyst for making change." (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001)

Tag my doc

I was playing around on My Big Campus the other day and ran across a video from tagmydoc.com. This is a cool website that allows you to store your documents in the "cloud." Then people can upload those documents from their phone, rather than you bringing a million paper copies. They scan the code off your document and the document uploads immediately to their phone (or other device). It will also allow you to make changes at a later date, and they can rescan the original code to upload those changes. So cool!!!

Teacher Leaders Model Standards

Check out a cool article about Teacher Leaders at teacherleaderstandards.org. If you click on the standards and read the domains, you will find some very interesting information. Happy reading!!!

iPad Livebinder

iPads in Schools

A Story from Digital Natives

5 Dysfunctions of a PLC

http://whatworks.wholechildeducation.org/blog/five-dysfunctions-of-a-professional-learning-community/

Tweeting for Teachers

The following link has relevant informaiton, researched by Pearson, regarding how teachers are taking control of their own professional development by creating learning networks.


http://www.pearsoncpl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Tweeting-for-teachers.pdf

Cool Live Binder!

If It's Not Free! It's Not For Me!

Tweeting to Learn...Really??

Regardless if you already have a Twitter account or are simply curious what the hype is about this post is for you! The links below can help you understand and/or share the message regarding Twitter’s influence on the professional growth of educators and the learning of students.

Video – Assignment Education – Twitter and Education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s7yJmY71d4

Twitter as a PLN

http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/comment-page-1/#comment-1071

Tiny Bursts of Learning

http://chrisbetcher.com/2011/04/1483/

Using Twitter as a Professional Development Tool

http://www.sarahfischler.org/2010/03/twitter/

50 Ideas Using Twitter For Education

http://cooper-taylor.com/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/

Cool Tools

In the hands of students

http://www.toondoo.com/

                (student creating comic strips)

http://animoto.com/education
            (short video/photo presentation with music)

http://www.tagxedo.com/

                (similar to wordle, more teacher friendly)

http://penzu.com/
            (online notebook paper, free)

http://blabberize.com/
            (make photos talk)

http://www.storycenter.org/stories/

            (more in depth creating of digital story telling)

www.zooburst.com

                (easily create own 3D pop-up books)

http://storybird.com

                (short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print)

http://freerice.com/

                (combines on-line learning tools with World Food Programme)

Making Connections

http://edublogs.org/
            (creating student and teacher blogs, free)
https://www.gaggle.net/
            (online sharing between students and teachers)
http://www.everloop.com/
            (social network designed for younger children, “safer” than traditional FB and such)
http://www.shelfari.com/
            (social network/sharing regarding books, response to books, students and teachers)
http://edu.glogster.com/
                (interactive posters, collaborative class projects)
http://pbworks.com/content/edu-classroom-teachers
                (online workspace, communication tool for students, teachers, parents)

In the hands of teachers

 http://www.audible.com/
            (download “books on tape”, not free but less expensive than normal books)
http://www.teachersdomain.org/

                (online video, free)
http://testmoz.com/
                (creating a test, grades on line, post grades, free!)
http://www.lessonwriter.com/default.aspx
                (create lessons plans, help connect to standards, differentiation, scaffolding…free)

Could be students or teachers

http://www.diigo.com/
            (capture and store “favorites” in the cloud, access anywhere)
http://livebinders.com/

               (way to capture, sort store and share large amounts of information, without paper)
http://prezi.com/
                (alternative presentation tool)
http://www.polleverywhere.com
                (using text to poll audiences)

WHERE TO START: Education in General...

The Edublog awards - http://edublogawards.com/

50 Excellent Blogs About Education - http://www.onlineschools.org/2009/10/13/50-excellent-blogs-about-education-reform/

A List of Top 200 Education Blogs - http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/tips-and-tools/top-education-blogs

WHERE TO START: A few groovy edudorks or edugeeks

http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/

http://weblogg-ed.com/

http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/

http://onceateacher.wordpress.com/

http://theedublogger.com/

Blogs and Posts about Using Blogs

Below are some blogs to get you started reading and learning from Blogs.

http://edublogs.org/community/

                (list of blogs categorized into a blog directory)

http://www.technologybitsbytesnibbles.info/

                (news, tips, tricks & resources for integrating technology into teaching)

http://chrisbetcher.com/

                (Australian educator Chris Betcher, blogging about education, technology and ideas.

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/

                (website of the day…)

http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/07/21/50-useful-blogging-tools-for-teachers/

Top 100 Tools for Learning

There are significanlty more than 100 but these are the most widely used, especially in education.
The first link is a list from beginning to end.
In the second link the list has been divided into groups according to use.

Enjoy the search as you find those that are "just right" for you!

http://www.slideshare.net/janehart/top100-tools-for-learning-2010

                (shared in power point format, with description and links)

http://c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/2010binb.html

                (group by use)

Sometimes you gotta see it to learn it

Humans are hard-wired to respond to images...

From the beginning of time, humans have used pictures and symbols to communicate and record ideas. There are likely few of us fluent in ancient languages, but we are comfortable interpreting IMAGES...

Fast forward to the 21st century...

The rise of electronic media and the "flattening" of the world has changed the way we communicate as humans... lucky for us, we went the "picture" route- the bathroom sign in China looks like the bathroom sign in Little Rock ( I know this from experience)

WHICH BRINGS ME TO "VISUAL THINKING" (sometimes lumped with "visual note taking" and "visual facilitation")

it is NOT necessary to be an "artist" or an "ar-teest" to do it!!!

Here's a link to "Sketchnotes 101" one person's explanation on how, you too, can learn to listen and respond in images- regardless of your art skills!!!

Here are some introductory thoughts:
http://www.core77.com/blog/sketchnotes/sketchnotes_101_visual_thinking_19518.asp

Some "nuts and bolts" for sketchnoting:
http://www.core77.com/blog/sketchnotes/sketchnotes_101_the_basics_of_visual_note-taking_19678.asp


There are also many resources for using visual tools with groups of learners (kids and grown people)

You Tube resource- Intro to Graphic Facilitation by Brandy Agerbeck (attended a session she conducted at the International Facilitators conference- she's great and shares great ideas and resources)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzfsCtOnERc


Book-
Visual Meetings by David Sibbet


SO consider the "visual"- even if it isn't your learning style, chances are at least some of the "learners" you work with think and respond in IMAGES

As always, share any resources you find or ways you use these ideas with student and adult learning in the COMMENTS section of this post!!!

More Resources for Your Summer Do-Over

If you aren't already checking out Edutopia.org on a regular basis, I encourage you to sign up to receive their emails. Edutopia is a rich resource for all things related to teaching and learning.

Here's a sample:

2011 Summer Rejuvenation Guide for Teachers
http://www.edutopia.org/summer-rejuvenation-classroom-resource-guide/?download=yes&subscribe=yes


Summer Professional Development Blog Series
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/professional-development-series


80 recommended resources for teachers
(this is filed under "high school", but the resources- many of which you smart Arkansas Teacher Leadership Institute teachers are already using- seem to work for any grade level)

http://www.edutopia.org/groups/technology-integration-high-school/57108


A few suggestions for managing your digital resources- some of them you probably know (Delicious, Diigo) and some you may not know. I would also suggest looking at Simbaloo.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/tools-manage-digital-resources-mary-beth-hertz

As usual, please share what you learn and continue to add resources by posting in the COMMENT SECTION!!!

As you think about next year...

Which is weird because it's _not_ "next year" at all- it's like almost next month that we'll be cranking up for another run at this school thing... For the few moments we have to dream about our annual "do-over" for teaching and learning, here are a few things that might be cool to think about for "next year"-

The Third Teacher- a site devoted to "collaborative exploration of ways design can transform teaching and learning"
http://www.thethirdteacher.com/

You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. They send out really great information and resources via Facebook. If after poking around their website you dig what you are seeing, "like" them on Facebook.

Here are a couple of interesting things from their recent Facebook postings:

Sketchnotes 101: The basics of visual note-taking
http://www.core77.com/blog/sketchnotes/sketchnotes_101_the_basics_of_visual_note-taking_19678.asp

Maybe Cornell notetaking isn't for everyone???

3-D Thinking with Paperfolding
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664114/paper-punk-teaches-3-d-thinking-with-folding-paper-building-blocks

Turns out "thinking with your hands" is a good skill to posess.

What cool resources have you added to your "Personal Learning Network" lately?

Please share in the comments section!!! (especially those of you going to great conferences and workshops this summer- let the rest of us stuck here in the Arkansas heat live through your learning experiences)

A new invention

If it was possible to make "mid-year resolutions"- like New Year's, but in June,  I'd resolve to be better about updating this blog... I think I will invent mid-year resolutions- right now... they now exist.

So, as my first official act of the mid-year, I recommend giving a look to this guy's work

Cal Newport
www.calnewport.com

I recently read an interview with him regarding his new book:

How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Withouth Burning Out)

These three points- particularly the last one- caught my attention:

• Why doing less is the foundation for becoming more impressive, and scheduling free time is critical to success.
• Why demonstrating passion is meaningless, but being interesting is crucial.
• Why accomplishments that are hard to explain are better than accomplishments that are hard to do.

Even if you aren't a high school teacher, what if we considered these ideas and worked backwards to consider how we approach teaching and learning from the time children begin learning- formally or informally?

How do these ideas influence the "messages" we communicate to students, concerned family members, community, etc. regarding how we structure the learning experience, in and out of the classroom?

The best thing a child can do with a toy is break it...

Meet Arvind Gupta...


Arvind Gupta is an Indian toy inventor and popularizer of science for kids. Creating simple toys out of trash and everyday goods, he illustrates principles of science and design in a memorably hands-on fashion. He works at the Children's Science Centre in Pune, India.
He's the author of numerous books available in English, Hindi and other Indian languages, including Little Toys, Science from Scrap, and Science Skills & Thrills: The Best of Arvind Gupta. His Low-Cost Equipment for Science and Technology Eduction is available as a PDF download through UNESCO. Many of his toy designs are explained in one-minute films >>

Here's a TED talk by Arvind

http://www.ted.com/talks/arvind_gupta_turning_trash_into_toys_for_learning.html

And (if you haven't gone there already) is his wonderful website where he shares his ideas-

http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys.html

Enjoy!

So when you don't have access to books...

Try to imagine a day when we finally get "smart" about the potential of smart phones...

Stories delivered by cell phone raise the interest and literacy of African youth.


http://www.changeobserver.com/feature/yoza/25038/

Some Ponderables to Ponder

Wouldn't want anyone to be bored over spring break :) When you read/view any or all of these, please leave a comment. Conversations are one of the perks of blogging!

"Teaching to the Text"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/opinion/20selsberg.html

"Career Counselor: Bill Gates or Steve Jobs?"
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/03/20/career-counselor-bill-gates-or-steve-jobs/rival-philosophies-both-compelling

"Let's Use Video to Reinvent Education"
http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html

"How to Learn? From Mistakes." (Amanda's note: this is a good example of sharing "message" but many, many, many of you could have made this same video from your own experiences!!!)
http://www.ted.com/talks/diana_laufenberg_3_ways_to_teach.html

"How Web-Video Powers Global Innovation"
http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html

PLN Technology Resources Forum 20

PLN Web Resources used by Forum 20 Participants:

http://www.delicious.com/

http://www.toondoo.com/

https://bubbl.us/

http://testmoz.com/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/

http://www.tagxedo.com/

http://animoto.com/

http://penzu.com/

http://edublogs.org/

https://www.gaggle.net/

http://blabberize.com/

http://www.shelfari.com/

http://www.everloop.com/

http://www.audible.com/

http://www.diigo.com/

http://www.storycenter.org/stories/

A couple of recent TED talks

Gaming to Re-engage Boys in Learning
http://www.ted.com/talks/ali_carr_chellman_gaming_to_re_engage_boys_in_learning.html

Some pretty general, but interesting, information and ideas. Good example of how to present data at the start of the talk...
I'll be curious to see what our elementary teachers in particular think about some of her ideas.

Math Class Needs a Makeover
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html

As someone who has actively avoided math her entire life and is convinced that if 4 math credits were required in the mid-eighties to graduate high school, she'd be the oldest high school junior in the history of public education... this guy made me want to know more about math.

So, discuss... how do the ideas presented by these people intersect with YOUR view of teaching and learning?

Generation R

I heard this on National Public Radio's Marketplace program this morning- (this is an excerpt from the transcript of the audio) an interview with a researcher who is studying "Generation R"- young people who are trying to find jobs in our current economy...

Hobson: Education in this country has often been touted as a ticket out of the social class you're born into. After having gone through college, do you think these kids feel some kind of faith still in the education system in the country?
Kefalas: Working class kids said to us, "Listen, we're going to be the first generation of Americans to do worse than our parents." One young woman said, "I just feel burned. My friends who didn't go to college, they don't have debt and they're making more an hour than I am."
Hobson: She actually wanted to have not gone to college?
Kefalas: She actually said, "I don't even know why I spent the money." The middle class kids were saying, "It's very tough, I am filled with anxiety. I can't sleep at night, but I still believe in a college degree. I'm just going to have to work harder and it's going to take longer." And those ellite kids said, "Is there really a recession? It's more like -- it's just harder for me to get a job." And they're sitting out this recession in a lot of ways.

Caused me to think about some of the conversations (like Rebecca Vinzant's comment in the post below ) We've all likely had regarding the role of "post secondary" education plays in our world today...

In one of his first speeches about education, President Obama asked all Americans to commit to pursing some form of education, training, etc. past high school. As we look at the reauthorization of NCLB and the implementation of the Common Core Standards as well as the messages coming from the Federal Dept of Education, business and industry, etc. How is theory aligning with practice? Preferred state with actual reality?

So, as educators, how are we helping students and their families make wise choices informed by what we know about the student, their abilities, their interests, potential based on their performance so far? Is it only the responsibility of the guidance counselor when a kid is a senior in high school?

What do "high expectations" really mean? Are we pushing kids towards a definition of "being successful" based on OUR life experiences or what THEY will face in the world we do and will live in after they leave us?

I'm not suggesting that we should ever tell a kid that they aren't "college material" or that we as humans lack the capacity to continue to learn and grow after we leave high school but, are we preparing kids for a "differentiated" life experience?

Why do I keep hearing the words of Ken Robinson in the back of my mind?

Here's a link to the whole interview-
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/01/06/am-recession-gives-rise-to-generation-r/