Five years ago, I had a powerful learning experience that changed me as a person and a teacher. Today starts the 2009 Keystone Summit....I have been lucky enough to have been chosen to come back each year and work with teachers to help them understand how technology is more than a tool, but a powerful way to connect them to their students. The week long "boot camp" style of professional development builds a powerful learning community that is enhanced through their ability to communicate long beyond the week that they spend learning with and about one another.
This morning we will hear from Steve Sassman about ways to lead from the middle. I am sure this will be yet another powerful year.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Leading by Example
Scott McLeod put a call out for Leadership Day, so I thought I would reflect on the new NET*S standards for Administrators that were released at NECC.
2002 NET*S for Administrators
When I look at the 2002 NET'S for Administrators what stands out to me is
Learning Educational Leaders Support Technology Use...
The focus is on the support of use, not necessarily using it themselves.
Whereas looking at 2009 NET*S for Administrators I see so much more...
Educational Administrators Learning USE Technology
2009 NET*S for Administrators
The 5 key strands include:
ISTE recognizes that Administrators play a pivotal role in determining how well technology is used in our schools. The NET*S revision is designed to show what administrators need to know and be able to do in order to responsibly lead in the effective use of technology in our schools.
So how do we get administration to move beyond the fear of lawsuits, blocking key resources, and banning tools that kids have in their pockets to THIS vision....or do we become the administrators ourselves :)
Read more Leadership Day 09 posts...
2002 NET*S for Administrators
When I look at the 2002 NET'S for Administrators what stands out to me is
Learning Educational Leaders Support Technology Use...
The focus is on the support of use, not necessarily using it themselves.
Whereas looking at 2009 NET*S for Administrators I see so much more...
Educational Administrators Learning USE Technology
- Model effective digital tools use
- Promote resources
- Shared model
- Support digital age
2009 NET*S for Administrators
The 5 key strands include:
Wow...Do you see see Systemic Transformation is its own strand?
- Visionary Leadership. Inspire and lead development and implementation of a shared vision for comprehensive integration of technology to promote excellence and support transformation throughout the organization.
- Digital Age Learning Culture. Create and sustain a dynamic, digital-age learning culture that provides a rigorous, relevant education for all students.
- Excellence in Professional Practice. Promote an environment of professional learning and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources.
- Systemic Transformation. Provide leadership and management to continuously improve the organization through the effective use of information and technology resources.
- Digital Citizenship. Model and facilitate understanding of social, ethical and legal issues and responsibilities related to an evolving digital culture.
ISTE recognizes that Administrators play a pivotal role in determining how well technology is used in our schools. The NET*S revision is designed to show what administrators need to know and be able to do in order to responsibly lead in the effective use of technology in our schools.
"Integrating technology throughout a school system is, in itself, significant systemic reform. We have a wealth of evidence attesting to the importance of leadership in implementing and sustaining systemic reform in schools. It is critical, therefore, that we attend seriously to leadership for technology in schools." — Don Knezek, ISTE CEO
Read more Leadership Day 09 posts...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Supporting Reluctant Swimmers-or letting them drown?
Image by WoofBC via Flickr
I left this as a comment over at Duff's blog but I have really been struggling with similar thoughts. I have used the “pool metaphor” many times in the past but the more I thought about the post and the comments, the more I felt like I needed to expand my ideas about our responsibility for getting folks to "test the waters" to support our “reluctant swimmers” to start seamlessly integrating technology into their teaching process.
In her post Durff asks
How far are we to go with other educators? If we instruct on the technological skills, isn't our responsibility done? Isn't it the responsibility of individual educators to swim?...in the comments she says “I jumped in on my own,”I have to wonder how many folks would jump in at all if they were afraid of the water. As David Truss points out, "too many people fear drowning and never get into the pool” and that in most Teacher Ed programs the amount of technology skill they leave the program with seems to be optional... to me that's like throwing a non-swimmer into the deep end.
I have to be honest, the more summer professional development I do, and the more in-service workshops I do, the more I worry about this. I spend a day or two, sometimes a week “teaching folks to swim.” I give them the skills and we go SLOW. We work on voice threads, and wikis…easy entry points. I model (swim along with them) give them support (sometimes putting on water-wings) but at the end of our time together I feel like I am still throwing “non-swimmers” into the deep end. My greatest fear, is that without a guide swimming beside them, they may find themselves close to drowning and perhaps no longer want to go to the pool :(
Candace Hackett Shively explained this beautifully in her post The Swimmer’s Obligation
I do not recall figuring out that I could not swim. I do not remember discovering the power of water. I try to imagine how it felt. I could not get my feet to touch the bottom at the same time as I opened my mouth to gasp above the surface, and I had no idea what to do about it. But some kind parent or bigger person reached under my armpits and supported me, laughing and congratulating me for a great jump. He or she likely placed my hands on the pitted concrete of the pool’s edge and told me to “kick big kicks and blow big bubbles.” Trusting, I must have done so, because eventually I learned to swim.What happens when the support is not there? Unlike Candace, I DO remember the minute I figured out I couldn’t swim. I was 5 years old. I had just gotten my cast taken off that prevented me from having swim lessons all spring.. I was standing at the edge of the deep end and one of the older neighbor boys, thinking I could swim, pushed me in. I am 40 years old, but I remember to this DAY the fear I felt, struggling to get to the surface. I recall my fear and remember being pulled from the water barely breathing. Although I did go on to become a competent swimmer that experience had an impact on me that summer. I became, for a long time, very tentative around water.
There has been talk in the edtech community for a long time that we need to stop talking about the tools, but I disagree. You are always going to have those non-swimmers who finally find their way to the edge of the pool. Teach them what the water feels like and support them as they develop confidence in using the tool. When I share a tool like voicethread with a teacher, they can see so many ways it can be used in the classroom. They get excited about the potentials but they don’t understand the many concepts that go into it, embedding, and sharing, and privacy, and moderating comments, are so new to them…They are excited about being at the pool's edge, but it is like being thrown into that deep end for the first time.
Sure I can teach them the skills to use it, but I know from experience with my own children that I would not trust the swim lessons alone, nor the life vest for them to develop confidence in the water. I know just how far away from the wall I can move before my 7 year old gets frustrated. I knew that if I could just tread in the water beside him...on the other side of the lane…that my 9 year old could pass the test that earned him a green band allowing him the independence he was so desperately seeking. They need me as a coach and a guide continuing to support them, pushing them to take risks, and being to there to support them and pull them up when they go under or feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately teachers more often than not don’t have this. Sure, we give them the skills, but then too often we send them back to schools that don’t have the equipment or the support and ask them to “jump in.” The biggest piece of feedback I get in every professional development workshop I offer is…”I wish there was someone at my school that could work with me as I learn to do this with my kids” They are not lazy, or traditional, they don’t fear change, they are just reluctant to jump in the water- they are afraid of drowning…they don’t understand what that water feels like and want a guide to support them when they are struggling
There was also some talk in the comments on Durff’s post that administrators must make technology a priority if we are to get teachers to "take the time" to explore new things- it is one of the things that is driving me to complete my administrative certification. Provide opportunities for teachers to see what is possible (take them to the pool), Give them the skills they need (the swim lessons). Provide support for them and swim along side the teachers. Only then will you have competent swimmers.
My friend Marcie Hull from SLA talks about how technology at their school is like air. It is just always present and you don't even recognize it exists. This is because at SLA they are competent swimmers, surrounded with support when they are ready to try a new skill & test new waters. Until we can give teachers confidence in the water, I am afraid we may continue to see them simply sitting at the edge of the pool. I'd love to hear your thoughts...are we supporting reluctant swimmers or just pushing them in to let them drown?
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
More Power to the Unconference
I have to say that I haven't had much time to reflect during the conference, but I notice as I sit in the blogger cafe the number of folks who have been leaving sessions formal approved session, and coming to the bloggers cafe' to exchange information, share ideas. I left a byol session where once I took a minute to experiment with the tool, was left 5 steps behind the speaker frustrated and discouraged. The real learning at this conference isn't going on behind closed doors, seated in rows, with the speaker in the front shuffling their powerpoints--showing and telling. It is in places where people can get together in small groups share, converse, and experiment.
As I listened to the debate this morning I think we do need places for teachers and kids to go..to discuss..to learn...to research...to share, but it must be side by side not one to many.
As I listened to the debate this morning I think we do need places for teachers and kids to go..to discuss..to learn...to research...to share, but it must be side by side not one to many.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Can public schools fundamentally reinvent themselves?
I arrived a little late at this GREAT conversation led by Jon Becker and Scott McLeod about whether or not schools can reinvent themselves...
Below are my notes: reflections in italics- things that stood out to me in bold.
As I arrived at the session and sat down David Jakes made the statement If we were having this conversation in 1977 would my English class look the same in 2009 as it would in 1977....Do you think 20 years from now it will look the same...20 years from now you may STILL see rows of kids writing essays?
I am concerned that this just may be. I haven't seen many fundamental changes..perhaps this is why I am getting my admin cert, but I wonder if I (like many others) will get frustrated that I can't instill changes.
Collette Cassinelli brought up this point...what if the kids aren't there---drop out rates have been extraordinary. It was the feeling of the group that we are now at the beginning of the S-Curve there is innovation happening, but it is just not rapid change...
Sylvia Martinez made a great point...if you go back to 1878 there was a huge social movement that had nothing to do with education that forced the changes...that caused a movement that resulted in the public schools we have today...Sylvia seemed to feel that it will be a social crisis a social problem that will force the change.
Are we there yet? Are we in that kind of crisis? I don't think we should have to wait for another Sputnik
Tim Stahmer pointed out that in the 1800's the push was as a result of industrial revolution NOW we don't have a focus, it is spreading out it many directions. It was pointed out however that there is no market in our country for unskilled labor. There is a labor shift but as Tim pointed out it is not as focused as it was during industrial revolution.
Partnership for 21st c skills is doing that but how many of schools are having these converstations. Better question still how many are going beyond just talking about it and how do you get them to go there.
Scott Floyd asked whether dcharter schools is going to be the answer
Jon believed that there is an argument that there is a crisis and Scott pointed out that if you look at technology and the globalization that is happening as a result--maybe you could say that...after all, the internet is only a decade old and it is already destroying entire industries: newspaper tv just it may just take a little longer
One of the biggest hot topics that has been nagging at me was brought up by Doug Johnson and that is assessment, you can't have innovation in instruction without innovation of assessment (to which David Jakes pointed out that the curriculum then needed to change too)- Until we see a model that described an educated person in a variety of ways we are going to continue to have problems
Scott argued that the reason the conversations aren't happening are because the leaders don't get it one of my goals for becoming an instructinal leader...but as Doug pointed out we have never been about changing the status quo...to think that schools are an agent for change it fine in our little group, but that in the real world of schools that isn't the case. Parents are happy with the status quo and Karen Janowski repsonded that parents see school in a certain way we are all the early adopters but we need to influence our parents
Josh Paluch until we start to question the assessment we can't change: pedagogy, curriculum, instruction because administrators are still focused on AYP
David Warlick GREAT analogy of face puzzle there always seems to be something in the way of creating the whole puzzle Can't come from CHANGING things but doing something brand new. How can we move into new places not new WAYS new THINGS?
This is what I will spend this conference thinking about.
Adina Sullivan who I got to know last year at NECC reminded us that folks need to see success because they aren't willing to take the leap and take the risk until they see some sense of success.
One example of this was in Oregon where in their college of engineering they started partnering with STEM program to train teachers with tech, robotics partnerships with university can be very powerful because it is seen as OUR problem
Doug standardized tests are not about measuring student achievement they are about discrediting public education so there is more political capital for vouchers and private school: rich in rich schools and poor in poor schools.
BOOK TO CHECK OUT...How Lincoln Learned to Read
Talks about all the things that learned that didn't happen to school
Teaching as a Subversive activity
What other profession stands by and lets what they know isn't working continue to happen...WE have a responsibility.
I have to say the comment that struck me the most was made by a special Education teacher, Deven Black from New York who said
"The difference between school learning and outside learning- in school you get a grade for it. In school, we tell them what to learn, and how to learn it...and then fail them when they don't learn it the first time...
Outside they get a second chance..."
Wow..pretty powerful and exactly what I see with my own son's learning. He will fail over and over on a video game until he is successful
In what other profession do we neglect our clients? It all comes down to what the goal of education is...perhaps we need to come up with a better goal...
A little later on I attended a session where I didn't take many notes but there was a representative from the National School Boards Association who asked us tgh think about what we need in schools
what kind of policies do we have we don't have
what do we as a group do to push it forward
Penalty has to be more than
Jgates I want board that is knowledgeable, well read and URGENT
cippa coppsa understood
Making business with the public more transparent
Immerse them slowly into hot water and give them PD
Educational networking & social learning
http://nsba.org/tln
I am sure I have much more to learn and think about but I know that I want to be a part of the solution
Below are my notes: reflections in italics- things that stood out to me in bold.
As I arrived at the session and sat down David Jakes made the statement If we were having this conversation in 1977 would my English class look the same in 2009 as it would in 1977....Do you think 20 years from now it will look the same...20 years from now you may STILL see rows of kids writing essays?
I am concerned that this just may be. I haven't seen many fundamental changes..perhaps this is why I am getting my admin cert, but I wonder if I (like many others) will get frustrated that I can't instill changes.
Collette Cassinelli brought up this point...what if the kids aren't there---drop out rates have been extraordinary. It was the feeling of the group that we are now at the beginning of the S-Curve there is innovation happening, but it is just not rapid change...
Sylvia Martinez made a great point...if you go back to 1878 there was a huge social movement that had nothing to do with education that forced the changes...that caused a movement that resulted in the public schools we have today...Sylvia seemed to feel that it will be a social crisis a social problem that will force the change.
Are we there yet? Are we in that kind of crisis? I don't think we should have to wait for another Sputnik
Tim Stahmer pointed out that in the 1800's the push was as a result of industrial revolution NOW we don't have a focus, it is spreading out it many directions. It was pointed out however that there is no market in our country for unskilled labor. There is a labor shift but as Tim pointed out it is not as focused as it was during industrial revolution.
Partnership for 21st c skills is doing that but how many of schools are having these converstations. Better question still how many are going beyond just talking about it and how do you get them to go there.
Scott Floyd asked whether dcharter schools is going to be the answer
Jon believed that there is an argument that there is a crisis and Scott pointed out that if you look at technology and the globalization that is happening as a result--maybe you could say that...after all, the internet is only a decade old and it is already destroying entire industries: newspaper tv just it may just take a little longer
One of the biggest hot topics that has been nagging at me was brought up by Doug Johnson and that is assessment, you can't have innovation in instruction without innovation of assessment (to which David Jakes pointed out that the curriculum then needed to change too)- Until we see a model that described an educated person in a variety of ways we are going to continue to have problems
Scott argued that the reason the conversations aren't happening are because the leaders don't get it one of my goals for becoming an instructinal leader...but as Doug pointed out we have never been about changing the status quo...to think that schools are an agent for change it fine in our little group, but that in the real world of schools that isn't the case. Parents are happy with the status quo and Karen Janowski repsonded that parents see school in a certain way we are all the early adopters but we need to influence our parents
Josh Paluch until we start to question the assessment we can't change: pedagogy, curriculum, instruction because administrators are still focused on AYP
David Warlick GREAT analogy of face puzzle there always seems to be something in the way of creating the whole puzzle Can't come from CHANGING things but doing something brand new. How can we move into new places not new WAYS new THINGS?
This is what I will spend this conference thinking about.
Adina Sullivan who I got to know last year at NECC reminded us that folks need to see success because they aren't willing to take the leap and take the risk until they see some sense of success.
One example of this was in Oregon where in their college of engineering they started partnering with STEM program to train teachers with tech, robotics partnerships with university can be very powerful because it is seen as OUR problem
Doug standardized tests are not about measuring student achievement they are about discrediting public education so there is more political capital for vouchers and private school: rich in rich schools and poor in poor schools.
BOOK TO CHECK OUT...How Lincoln Learned to Read
Talks about all the things that learned that didn't happen to school
Teaching as a Subversive activity
What other profession stands by and lets what they know isn't working continue to happen...WE have a responsibility.
I have to say the comment that struck me the most was made by a special Education teacher, Deven Black from New York who said
"The difference between school learning and outside learning- in school you get a grade for it. In school, we tell them what to learn, and how to learn it...and then fail them when they don't learn it the first time...
Outside they get a second chance..."
Wow..pretty powerful and exactly what I see with my own son's learning. He will fail over and over on a video game until he is successful
In what other profession do we neglect our clients? It all comes down to what the goal of education is...perhaps we need to come up with a better goal...
A little later on I attended a session where I didn't take many notes but there was a representative from the National School Boards Association who asked us tgh think about what we need in schools
what kind of policies do we have we don't have
what do we as a group do to push it forward
Penalty has to be more than
Jgates I want board that is knowledgeable, well read and URGENT
cippa coppsa understood
Making business with the public more transparent
Immerse them slowly into hot water and give them PD
Educational networking & social learning
http://nsba.org/tln
I am sure I have much more to learn and think about but I know that I want to be a part of the solution
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Let's Get it Started...Edublogger Con 2009
So NECC for me is the one time each year that I get to connect with the folks with whom I "work" all year long. My favorite part of NECC is getting to connect --REALLY connect with these folks. I started the day u-streaming and coveringlive Vicki Davis's Web2.0 Tools Smackdown. There is SO much great conversation happening.
Here is a feed of the #EBC09 hashtag that I'm following on twitter: Should be a lot to reflect upon
Here is a feed of the #EBC09 hashtag that I'm following on twitter: Should be a lot to reflect upon
Friday, June 26, 2009
Remembering the VCR...Impact of On Demand Social Media
Yesterday I was running a workshop on Google Tools. When I returned from lunch at 12:45 I began to see tweets that Farrah Fawcett had died. She had struggled with cancer for some time, so folks new it was coming but the fact that I was sitting in a workshop and the information came to me. I announced it in my class-and the fact I had learned about it on twitter didn't seem to phase anyone...wow...Farrah Fawcett...I remember being the same age as my son heading into fourth grade and getting to stay up to watch the Angels on summer nights, WAITING for the episode to airt, hen trying reinact the scenes in my basement... Since I was teaching google tools I thought this was a great time to introduce google news to my participants. Instantaneously we were viewing thousands of news articles, video clips and pictures. Within the hour Wikipedia had been locked for editing by new users and by 5 pm even Encyclopedia Brittanica online had been updated with her life span. I was fascinated but not surprised at how quickly the news traveled. Pretty much everyone (except my husband who had been on a plane all day) knew the news before the nightly news broadcast.
As I getting ready to head home I saw this in my tweetdeck...are you KIDDING ME...Michael Jackson. I got in my car and as I listened to KYW news radio. I was intrigued that they were citing TMZ and that social media sources were getting (and reporting information about Michael's condition much faster than mainstream media sources). Wow...Michael Jackson...I remember being a sophmore in high school BEGGING my mom and dad to FINALLY get cable so we could watch the Thriller premiere. We had a VCR by now...I think I actually still have my original tape.
Then I find myself back in my basement thinking about how media and news is delivered is going to be so different for my three children.
This morning, still reflecting on yesterday's events, I was doing laundry and trying to get ready for NECC. Not easy to do when your toddler gets up at the crack of dawn so I did what all good 21st C parents do, I parked my 2 year old in front of an Elmo video. In our basement, we have have only a cable line (no fancy box for on demand) and a VCR (no DVD) on this TV (kind of like my life in the Michael Jackson era). After the Elmo's World episode we were watching was over, Emma chimed in with "watch it again mommy"...hmmm would I be able to hold my child's attending for the "rewind" process...? "watch it again mommy", watch it AGAIN mommy", watch it AGAIN MOMMY", "WATCH IT AGAIN MOMMY"- Apparently the VCR is not for her...
Social Media...On Demand...Connecting with others to process information. This post by librarybeth that Chris Lehmann retweeted makes me wonder what the impact will be one the world of media, news and broadcasting, and finding, evaluating information?
Of course the big thing *I* can't help thinking is "can't we come up with process to speed up my laundry."
As I getting ready to head home I saw this in my tweetdeck...are you KIDDING ME...Michael Jackson. I got in my car and as I listened to KYW news radio. I was intrigued that they were citing TMZ and that social media sources were getting (and reporting information about Michael's condition much faster than mainstream media sources). Wow...Michael Jackson...I remember being a sophmore in high school BEGGING my mom and dad to FINALLY get cable so we could watch the Thriller premiere. We had a VCR by now...I think I actually still have my original tape.Then I find myself back in my basement thinking about how media and news is delivered is going to be so different for my three children.
This morning, still reflecting on yesterday's events, I was doing laundry and trying to get ready for NECC. Not easy to do when your toddler gets up at the crack of dawn so I did what all good 21st C parents do, I parked my 2 year old in front of an Elmo video. In our basement, we have have only a cable line (no fancy box for on demand) and a VCR (no DVD) on this TV (kind of like my life in the Michael Jackson era). After the Elmo's World episode we were watching was over, Emma chimed in with "watch it again mommy"...hmmm would I be able to hold my child's attending for the "rewind" process...? "watch it again mommy", watch it AGAIN mommy", watch it AGAIN MOMMY", "WATCH IT AGAIN MOMMY"- Apparently the VCR is not for her...
Social Media...On Demand...Connecting with others to process information. This post by librarybeth that Chris Lehmann retweeted makes me wonder what the impact will be one the world of media, news and broadcasting, and finding, evaluating information?Of course the big thing *I* can't help thinking is "can't we come up with process to speed up my laundry."
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Fair Use is your FRIEND
I was alerted today by this tweet by Alex Curtis about American University’s Center for Social Media's video release Remix Culture: Fair Use is Your Friend. Sure enough, I got home and found this press release in my email.
The newest video is s a collaborative project of the Center for Social Media—a center of American University’s School of Communication—and the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property—a program of American University’s Washington College of Law—along with Stanford Law School’s Fair Use Project and Google provided funds to Tony Falzone's Fair Use Project at Stanford Law School for its creation. It is designed not only to promote the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use, but also to the video identifies six kinds of unlicensed uses of copyrighted material that may be considered fair, under certain limitations. They are:
- Commenting or critiquing of copyrighted material
- Use for illustration or example
- Incidental or accidental capture of copyrighted material
- Memorializing or rescuing of an experience or event
- Use to launch a discussion
- Recombining to make a new work, such as a mashup or a remix, whose elements depend on relationships between existing works
I think it is important to point out that the Code of Best Practices is one of a collection of codes that outlines best practices NOT just for librarians, or media educators, but for ANY educator who is using media or encouraging students to be media / content creators. Boing Boing's Cory Doctorow just blogged about it yesterday. (While you are at it, check out this Boing Boing Post as well) You can view the video on the Center for Social Media Channel on Blip TV, YouTube and variety of other sites.
The purpose of fair use is to protect a users ability to create and to prevent private censorship. Don't give up that right...Watch the video, and talk to your students about what fair means in a remix society. Take them through the reasoning process, and pass the word!
I will be part of a preconference session at NECC with Renee Hobbs, Mike RobbGrieco, and Joyce Valenza we'd love you to join our conversation.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Parenting the Internet
Whether you are a parent, educator, or work with children and teens, you have probably faced some challenges with children’s Internet use. Researchers of media and families are trying to understand how parents manage their children’s Internet use. Having a better understanding of parents’ perspectives will help advance resources available to them.
A colleague at the Media lab is doing a study that explores how parents guide their children’s use of the Internet. A survey is being conducted by Dr. Renee Hobbs and doctoral candidate Kelly Mendoza in the Media Education Lab at Temple University. The survey is for any parents or guardians in the United States who have a child aged 9-12 who uses the Internet at home. At the end of the survey you will have the chance to enter a drawing to win the essential book for parents, Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online, by Anastasia Goodstein.
The survey is online and will take about 15 minutes to complete.
If you qualify and are interested, please click on the link below
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ZSYPJpIIXpeInT8t8YZ31Q_3d_3d
A colleague at the Media lab is doing a study that explores how parents guide their children’s use of the Internet. A survey is being conducted by Dr. Renee Hobbs and doctoral candidate Kelly Mendoza in the Media Education Lab at Temple University. The survey is for any parents or guardians in the United States who have a child aged 9-12 who uses the Internet at home. At the end of the survey you will have the chance to enter a drawing to win the essential book for parents, Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online, by Anastasia Goodstein.
The survey is online and will take about 15 minutes to complete.
If you qualify and are interested, please click on the link below
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ZSYPJpIIXpeInT8t8YZ31Q_3d_3d
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
It's PSSA Week...
Check out this 2 part video / article investigation of Professionals who took the PSSA
Passing the PSSA PART1
Passing the PSSA PART2
I'm just sayin' :)
Would love your feedback
Passing the PSSA PART1
Passing the PSSA PART2
I'm just sayin' :)
Would love your feedback
Friday, February 27, 2009
Game On...
So although I continue to tell my friend Zac Chase that I can't help him solve the world this week, he has issued a really valuable challenge that I can't help but start to think about.
Here’s his charge:
Here’s his charge:
Blog or comment with the three shifts, changes, movements we should demand at the national level to move education somewhere. These should be basic, actionable, transparent steps that are taken or not taken. Don’t just blog it, though, talk about it. Bring it up in department meetings, faculty meetings, podcasts, dinner table discussions, the dog park. Take the conversation outside of the echo chamber. Talk about it with people inside and outside of education (we’re all inside, btw). If you put it online, tag it 3steps4ed. If you like, re-post this to your online space, do that.
Follow the tag, write about what feeds your reader. From there, we’ll move forward. If you’ve already written your three down, go back and re-tag it.
It is no surprise that SOMETHING has to be done about what standardized testing is doing to public education. We talk about that all the time. I created this picture and have had some ideas about standardized testing rumbling around in my head since the Message for Obama Group pool on Flickr. In talking to Zac, it's a start, but I would argue not necessarily definite and actionable. So it is something that I need to continue to ponder and develop as an action...I am sure the more folks I talk to the more the idea will formulate and the closer I can get to something that is actionable...
Recap:
- Think of the three actionable steps that need to be taken at the national level to move education.
- Talk about them with others. Ask for others’ thoughts first.
- Post, tweet photograph your thoughts and tag them 3steps4ed and see where it takes you~
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Is it a question worth asking?
Yesterday morning I saw this tweet from fellow Keystone Chris Champion
.
Intrigued, I quickly google searched on my mobile web phone and send him a DM in twitter, knowing it would go straight to his phone, but I also noticed that within MINUTES he had gathered this series of responses on twitter. His objective in sending the message was to prove the power of PLN and how quickly information can be shared or gathered in a collaborative manner. I am sure additional folks send him messages via DM so that he could receive it on his sms phone making his point to his audience.
However, I had a real, ah ha moment when thinking about this example....
With the $99 iphone coming this summer- it is getting easier and easier to find information at one's finger tips. Karl Fisch recently wrote an post called Twitter Me This where he describes how he used twitter to help a student find "experts" to help a student with a difficult assignment. It dawned on me as I thought about the "immediacy" of answers that kids can get...that we MUST start changing the questions we are asking, the things we are requiring kids to know. I remember the only "C" I got in High School was a class were I was asked to read a book, find an answer, fill out the study guide, take a test...mind you, this was LONG before google even existed. I remember the class, but I remember NONE of the content. I did a lot of work in that class, but I didn't LEARN a thing. Information was presented that today I could have easily found by googling...I wonder however if I wouldn't have learned more given the opportunity to google and find...discussion boards, blog posts, different thoughts and ideas from different perspectives...
I am not saying that Chris's question was a bad question, it met the objective of what he was trying to teach, but it proved to me that what we are asking students to do with the answers they find is much more critical then finding the answers themselves. We must be asking ourselves...if a student can easily find the answer by googling it, is it a question worth asking in a classroom?
At the end of the day...it is not about what kids were taught, but about what they learned.
.Intrigued, I quickly google searched on my mobile web phone and send him a DM in twitter, knowing it would go straight to his phone, but I also noticed that within MINUTES he had gathered this series of responses on twitter. His objective in sending the message was to prove the power of PLN and how quickly information can be shared or gathered in a collaborative manner. I am sure additional folks send him messages via DM so that he could receive it on his sms phone making his point to his audience.
However, I had a real, ah ha moment when thinking about this example....
With the $99 iphone coming this summer- it is getting easier and easier to find information at one's finger tips. Karl Fisch recently wrote an post called Twitter Me This where he describes how he used twitter to help a student find "experts" to help a student with a difficult assignment. It dawned on me as I thought about the "immediacy" of answers that kids can get...that we MUST start changing the questions we are asking, the things we are requiring kids to know. I remember the only "C" I got in High School was a class were I was asked to read a book, find an answer, fill out the study guide, take a test...mind you, this was LONG before google even existed. I remember the class, but I remember NONE of the content. I did a lot of work in that class, but I didn't LEARN a thing. Information was presented that today I could have easily found by googling...I wonder however if I wouldn't have learned more given the opportunity to google and find...discussion boards, blog posts, different thoughts and ideas from different perspectives...
I am not saying that Chris's question was a bad question, it met the objective of what he was trying to teach, but it proved to me that what we are asking students to do with the answers they find is much more critical then finding the answers themselves. We must be asking ourselves...if a student can easily find the answer by googling it, is it a question worth asking in a classroom?
At the end of the day...it is not about what kids were taught, but about what they learned.
Art Turned Ugly: A lesson in Fair Use
I know that the question of Copyright and Fair Use and use of media continues to come up over an over again...so I thought it was important to share this article my assistant superintendent pointed me to regarding a case over the Obama ‘Hope’ poster...go ahead google image search it...you know the one I mean. The article is mainly about how the AP is filing suit to the artist of the poster who is claiming fair use is at the center of a copyright battle that the article states “goes to the heart of how media is made, remixed and mashed up.” It references a PA women who’s 29-second video of her toddler dancing to Prince's song "Let's Go Crazy" is ongoing in a case claiming fair use..29 seconds...less than what the traditional fair use guidelines say IS fair with no reference of transformative use. Check out the examples in the article... AND most importantly this message
What do you think about this case is the poster a transformative use of the original image?
IMAGES HERE
Courts determine if a new work is fair use by asking the following questions: Is the new work transformative - does it add new meaning - and not just replicate the original? What is the nature of the work? (Creative or fictional works generally get more protection than purely factual ones, legal scholars say.) How much of the original work is used? Does the new creation use the "heart" of the original? And how would the new work affect the market for the original?And then ask yourself...what messages are we teaching our kids? Are we strictly teaching them to follow the guidelines...or are we teaching them to think about transformative use? Are we thinking about media literacy skills in all content areas as we redesign curriculum?
What do you think about this case is the poster a transformative use of the original image?
IMAGES HERE
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Dan Pink Keynote
Live blogged in CoveritLive
After the Keynote I sat in on a Q & A with Dan Pink trying to soak it all in. Arts, creativity, what is going to happen as we move forward. Will the greatest opposition come from parents? How do you make changes in educational system when people expect kids to be schooled. Upper Middle class parents who did well on their SATs want their kids to get into college. Ask the parents who is the top performers at your work...are they the ones who do well on the test? I keep thinking back to all of the assessments we expose our kids to...foresight on a quarterly basis. Is having kids repeatedly taking these tests teaching them math and science in a whole mind way. If we want them to think mathematically and not just to do well on the test- is giving them mores tests helping them to get there? Why
THere is a TOTAL correlation between the principals who know the name of every kid in their school and how well they (those kids) do in school
When asked if I could design a school...what would I do is recruit best teachers and ask them to design the school.
Great list of questions for Superintendent
Thanks to Lee Speers, there is actually a recording of Dan Pink’s 10:30 Q&A chat with PETE&C attendees.
After the Keynote I sat in on a Q & A with Dan Pink trying to soak it all in. Arts, creativity, what is going to happen as we move forward. Will the greatest opposition come from parents? How do you make changes in educational system when people expect kids to be schooled. Upper Middle class parents who did well on their SATs want their kids to get into college. Ask the parents who is the top performers at your work...are they the ones who do well on the test? I keep thinking back to all of the assessments we expose our kids to...foresight on a quarterly basis. Is having kids repeatedly taking these tests teaching them math and science in a whole mind way. If we want them to think mathematically and not just to do well on the test- is giving them mores tests helping them to get there? Why
THere is a TOTAL correlation between the principals who know the name of every kid in their school and how well they (those kids) do in school
When asked if I could design a school...what would I do is recruit best teachers and ask them to design the school.
Great list of questions for Superintendent
what tech do you use in your daily lifeWe need to teach our kids adaptability...they will need to teach themselves how to shift-wondering about the types of things they are current.
when was the last time you were in a classroom to teach
when did you actually have to stand in front of room of 11 year olds and get them from point a to point b.
Communication is KEY
Thanks to Lee Speers, there is actually a recording of Dan Pink’s 10:30 Q&A chat with PETE&C attendees.
Monday, February 09, 2009
PETE & C Presentation: Conquering Copyright Confusion
Huge thanks to Tracy McGrath who ran the live blog for this session and Chris Champion who streamed the session. Although we were hard wired, ustream did cut off the last5 minutes. Thanks to all who attended Keep the conversation going am exercise YOUR rights to fair use.
Live Video streaming by Ustream
Live Video streaming by Ustream
Google Earth Globe
Didn't open a coveritlive for this session...since I have my laptop set for my session at 3:45 but wanted to be sure to capture some notes and ideas
All italics are my thoughts and ideas...please excuse choppy wording
http://ktiadam.wikispaces.com
Will have all kinds of examples on the site
Google earth has layers to study transportation and demographics
Can link video, audio, images and websites including blabberize and glogster
Great for differentiated instruction
Can create a builder in Discovery education and put link into description box--need to spend some time learning this...would be great PD for summer
Centers in the classroom...in the writing center they have to write a letter to King George -student turned it into a photo story upload to TeacherTube and then embed HTML code into the placemark
Uses different colors for different paths...Safari live Montage, Discovery Educator
Now Traci Sharing her tours that she has created using glosters...
Examples on the wiki....WOW...talk about engagement!
Kids listen to a video introduction (blabberize) activities built in Discovery Streaming
I get that google earth is a huge bandwidth hog.. but listening to Adam talk about what is students are doing is AMAZING...tour of soccer stadiums around the world
Now sharing how he uses Nettrekker and embeds the read aloud right into his google earth tour
WOW!
Do the images and eyewitness accounts tell the same story
GREAT link for Boston massacre to check out
All italics are my thoughts and ideas...please excuse choppy wording
http://ktiadam.wikispaces.com
Will have all kinds of examples on the site
Google earth has layers to study transportation and demographics
Can link video, audio, images and websites including blabberize and glogster
Great for differentiated instruction
Can create a builder in Discovery education and put link into description box--need to spend some time learning this...would be great PD for summer
Centers in the classroom...in the writing center they have to write a letter to King George -student turned it into a photo story upload to TeacherTube and then embed HTML code into the placemark
Uses different colors for different paths...Safari live Montage, Discovery Educator
Now Traci Sharing her tours that she has created using glosters...
Examples on the wiki....WOW...talk about engagement!
Kids listen to a video introduction (blabberize) activities built in Discovery Streaming
I get that google earth is a huge bandwidth hog.. but listening to Adam talk about what is students are doing is AMAZING...tour of soccer stadiums around the world
Now sharing how he uses Nettrekker and embeds the read aloud right into his google earth tour
WOW!
Do the images and eyewitness accounts tell the same story
GREAT link for Boston massacre to check out
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Technology isn't something special-it just IS
So I have been thinking a lot about the conversation on Will Richardson's reflection of educon. The post started out as a reflection of a powerful learning culture but quickly turned into a conversation (stemmed mostly by Gary Stager) surrounding the idea of whether or not technology is something that should be referred to separately to the curriculum. In his comments to Will's post, Gary asks...
BTW...when I watched this video with my kids
my 6 year old's response...that's cool...
my 8 year old's response...Emma could do that...
my 2 year old's response..."I play you pone?" ..."Mommy, where you ipod?"
What was the last time you questioned the investment in Algebra II or D.A.R.E. or football or health class?
As someone who was there at the beginning of laptops in education, I implore you and your colleagues to stop referring to 1:1 program. What is the program? Does your school have a desk program or a bus program or an annoying public address system program?
Back in October of 2007, Karl Fisch wrote a post called Digital Native Post of the Day. Where he described his daughter's introduction to Webkinz and use during a family vacation...Fisch wrote..She doesn’t think it’s fantastic or outrageous, cool or amazing – it just is. She just thinks this is the way the world is – she can connect pretty much effortlessly to others across space and time - and she’s right. We are in the process of bringing an au pair to come live with us from South Africa--We have been able to instantaneously share pictures and emails...my children have the expectation that they can get to know her via skype before she even arrives. Like Gary I too wonder why we continue to treat technology as something that we have to "teach" the kids so when I watch things like it becomes glaringly apparent--Techonology isn't something special...it just IS! When is the world going to start treating it that way and start creating more powerful cultures? Isn't THAT what we are all really talking about anyway?
BTW...when I watched this video with my kids
my 6 year old's response...that's cool...
my 8 year old's response...Emma could do that...
my 2 year old's response..."I play you pone?" ..."Mommy, where you ipod?"
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Embracing Writing with Bud the Teacher...
http://educon21.wikispaces.com/308-2
I must say I am sorry that I didn't catch this session from the beginning. It looks like Bud gave the folks in the room some quotes about writing to think about and write about and then spent some time reading and talking about it. At the end of the session time was given to write, so I am going to take advantage of that time and I am going to hit the publish button when I am done. You can feel free to leave me feedback.
One of the biggest problems I have with writing is that it really forces me to reflect on my thinking. All through school I spent a good amount of time writing to record information, but not necessarily writing to record my thoughts about that information. I saw it as important to get down the knowledge but not to think about it once I was done. In talking to Bud at the end of the session he stated something that I believe to be true as well. Writing is inquiry and I think I put a lot of pressure myself to keep up with everything....all that I am reading and thinking in my administrative certification program, all I see on twitter that strike deep thoughts, all the things I read online and comment to but want to thing about deeper. I think about it, I ask questions and yet I struggle so much to get these thoughts down, because I am afraid I am going to miss something in the process. I feel like my writing needs to be DONE before I publish. I need to start focusing on writing as a process in order to continue the conversation.
I must say I am sorry that I didn't catch this session from the beginning. It looks like Bud gave the folks in the room some quotes about writing to think about and write about and then spent some time reading and talking about it. At the end of the session time was given to write, so I am going to take advantage of that time and I am going to hit the publish button when I am done. You can feel free to leave me feedback.
One of the biggest problems I have with writing is that it really forces me to reflect on my thinking. All through school I spent a good amount of time writing to record information, but not necessarily writing to record my thoughts about that information. I saw it as important to get down the knowledge but not to think about it once I was done. In talking to Bud at the end of the session he stated something that I believe to be true as well. Writing is inquiry and I think I put a lot of pressure myself to keep up with everything....all that I am reading and thinking in my administrative certification program, all I see on twitter that strike deep thoughts, all the things I read online and comment to but want to thing about deeper. I think about it, I ask questions and yet I struggle so much to get these thoughts down, because I am afraid I am going to miss something in the process. I feel like my writing needs to be DONE before I publish. I need to start focusing on writing as a process in order to continue the conversation.
SLA...Where you go to learn!
WOW! I am sitting here in Philadelphia reflecting on the beginning of my Educon21 experience and what an event it has been so far. I arrived at SLA too late to visit classes, but as I sat in the library looking around something that Kevin Jarret said to me the other day REALLY struck me...
SLA is a place where people go to learn....
As I watch the kids I saw individuals who are not afraid to engage in conversations with adults about what they are learning, how they are learning, WHY they are learning. They ask intelligent questions and they do so with genuine curiosity. During the panel as they were talking about the purpose of schools, and what schools should be one of the students turned to Chris Lehamann and said something along the lines of....wow, they are talking about our school. While I took my notes at the panel "old school" with a pen and paper...and will post them at a later time the thing that really struck me was that all of them described schools in whe the atmosphere infused creativity, collaboration, and learning with courage and confidence. Schools that build community, allow students to generate ideas...not regurgitate information. That foster creativity and are idea harvesters and make school a part of the global community. Schools shoud be based on inquiry and model the world that the students will inherit...and the SLA kids model this at every opportunity!
YES! SLA is place where folks go to learn....but when I say this, I am NOT just talking about the kids!
Folks like David Warlick, Gary Stager and Will Richardson who make their living talking about educational change, come to SLA to learn. Bud Hunt who I followed yesterday on twitter describing his experience in Mr. Chase's english class...comes to SLA to learn. Learning by collaborating, and building community. I have so enjoyed getting to spend some face to face time with my network and know this is going to be a great weekend of learning for us all. I want to thank Chris Lehmann and all of the teachers and students at SLA for opening the doors to their school, for inviting us ALL to continue to be learners there and to think about teaching and learning, and I look forward to the learning I will do at Educon this year.
SLA is a place where people go to learn....
As I watch the kids I saw individuals who are not afraid to engage in conversations with adults about what they are learning, how they are learning, WHY they are learning. They ask intelligent questions and they do so with genuine curiosity. During the panel as they were talking about the purpose of schools, and what schools should be one of the students turned to Chris Lehamann and said something along the lines of....wow, they are talking about our school. While I took my notes at the panel "old school" with a pen and paper...and will post them at a later time the thing that really struck me was that all of them described schools in whe the atmosphere infused creativity, collaboration, and learning with courage and confidence. Schools that build community, allow students to generate ideas...not regurgitate information. That foster creativity and are idea harvesters and make school a part of the global community. Schools shoud be based on inquiry and model the world that the students will inherit...and the SLA kids model this at every opportunity!
YES! SLA is place where folks go to learn....but when I say this, I am NOT just talking about the kids!
Folks like David Warlick, Gary Stager and Will Richardson who make their living talking about educational change, come to SLA to learn. Bud Hunt who I followed yesterday on twitter describing his experience in Mr. Chase's english class...comes to SLA to learn. Learning by collaborating, and building community. I have so enjoyed getting to spend some face to face time with my network and know this is going to be a great weekend of learning for us all. I want to thank Chris Lehmann and all of the teachers and students at SLA for opening the doors to their school, for inviting us ALL to continue to be learners there and to think about teaching and learning, and I look forward to the learning I will do at Educon this year.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Video Contest: Flix for you Brain...
Check out the nationwide vocabulary contest that the MIT Alumni Association is sponsoring. Students compete by producing fun, creative videos that teach SAT vocabulary vocabulary in context. It was created as a community service project as a more fun way to prep for the big test. They are encouraging students to produce a video defining a standard SAT vocabulary word for a chance to win up to $600. The more videos created the greater the opportunity to win!
Visit Brainyflix.com to learn more about this project.
The rules are HERE
Word list HERE Try to pick words that don't already have a video submitted.
Students can submit entries until March 16th, 2009 but I'd do it soon...iTunes downloads available for first 1000 videos submitted.
Visit Brainyflix.com to learn more about this project.
The rules are HERE
Word list HERE Try to pick words that don't already have a video submitted.
Students can submit entries until March 16th, 2009 but I'd do it soon...iTunes downloads available for first 1000 videos submitted.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The age of Citizen Journalism has arrived
is a historic day in the United States of America...a country built on it's diversity. Gone are the days were we must depend on mass media for news about what is happening around the world. Today tools such as ustream and cover it live give people the opportunity to take part in Tuesday’s events in Washington D.C. in ways never before possible. Wes Fryer pointed me to The “Voices Without Votes” project live inauguration coverage via CoverItLive which begins at 10 am EST.
Citizen journalists can submit media to CNN’s iReport website which provides an interactive map with geo-tagged photographs for the inauguration events today. If you are among the 3-5 million estimated folks lucky enough to attend in person, you can email your photos and videos to ireport@cnn.com and they may appear linked on the official CNN iReport website.
I encourage you today to use the tags obama, inauguration09 to look at the news from different perspectives, not just what you see on the major network. I recently blogged about a student journalist project http://shsinaugurationproject.blogspot.com/ but was AMAZED this morning when I tuned in at what I saw--background on inauguration day, the oath of office in other languages, student perspective interviews on their first election...and up and coming...LIVE from the mall
Just think...these tools didn't even exist 4 years ago...AMAZING
Citizen journalists can submit media to CNN’s iReport website which provides an interactive map with geo-tagged photographs for the inauguration events today. If you are among the 3-5 million estimated folks lucky enough to attend in person, you can email your photos and videos to ireport@cnn.com and they may appear linked on the official CNN iReport website.
I encourage you today to use the tags obama, inauguration09 to look at the news from different perspectives, not just what you see on the major network. I recently blogged about a student journalist project http://shsinaugurationproject.blogspot.com/ but was AMAZED this morning when I tuned in at what I saw--background on inauguration day, the oath of office in other languages, student perspective interviews on their first election...and up and coming...LIVE from the mall
Just think...these tools didn't even exist 4 years ago...AMAZING
Technorati Tags: inauguration09, obama
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Student Journalism: Covering the Election 2.0 Style
I know it has been a while since I posted, but when I came across this large scale Inauguration project I just needed to give a shout out and share this as one of the most exciting projects I have seen in a while. It is being conducted by a fellow CFF school has already received recognition as it is going to be monitored for content by NBC news on both a national and local level. Knowing that learning like this is happening, well... I can't be more PROUD to be a part of this CFF Initiative.
So what is this project all about?
Ten students from Springfield Senior High School will be traveling to Washington D.C. for Inauguration Week and blogging to provide first-hand accounts of this much anticipated event. These students will interview their peers from all over the country who have traveled to Washington from all over the country to witness this historic Inauguration and, conditions permitting, stream live video back from the event in Washington D.C.. This video will show a student perspective of the Inauguration and also provide a grassroots “on the ground” commentary that may not be seen on the major news networks. All interviews will also be streamed live and archived as well for later viewing should anyone wish to do so.
The good news is not matter where you are from you TOO can participate in this exciting project! Simply visit this site http://shsinaugurationproject.blogspot.com-this is definitely going to be one blog I am monitoring over the next few weeks.
In addition to the ten students in Washington, as crew of five Government students and a group from the Broadcast Journalism and Journalism classes at Springfield will take the stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia right before and right after the Inauguration Ceremony, these students will be interviewing visitors to the Constitution Center to gain their perspective on the day.
The anchor of the project is a blog which has been included in the official PA Department of Education lessons plans for Inauguration Day. The students in Washington and at the National Constitution Center will assist in facilitating the discussion on the blog. This blog will pose questions and encourage commentary from all of the schools in Pennsylvania and hopefully even further. When you go to the blog you will be able to read a the students' postings that asks a questions or encourages a response. The teachers are hopeful that PA Governor Ed Rendell and Judge Marjorie Rendell may be able to participate in the discussion with the students as well as others throughout the Commonwealth and the Country. I am encouraging all teachers who read this post to visit the blog and have their students leave their thoughts. Please note, all comments are moderated there will be a delay before you can read them.
The Broadcast Journalism students at the school will be working to complete a set of short videos that can be used as reference materials during the week. These videos cover Science, Math, World Languages, Social Studies, and provide ties to Language Arts the videos will be archived on the internet (a link will be provided as soon as it is ready).
The only thing missing from the project right now is you!
Want to start now??? Visit the blog and comment on the January 12th posting and while you are there please take a moment to visit the blog and view a message from Judge Marjorie Rendell as check out this project which has already made local news.
Help make this project a success and show that student voice does matter!
So what is this project all about?
Ten students from Springfield Senior High School will be traveling to Washington D.C. for Inauguration Week and blogging to provide first-hand accounts of this much anticipated event. These students will interview their peers from all over the country who have traveled to Washington from all over the country to witness this historic Inauguration and, conditions permitting, stream live video back from the event in Washington D.C.. This video will show a student perspective of the Inauguration and also provide a grassroots “on the ground” commentary that may not be seen on the major news networks. All interviews will also be streamed live and archived as well for later viewing should anyone wish to do so.
The good news is not matter where you are from you TOO can participate in this exciting project! Simply visit this site http://shsinaugurationproject.blogspot.com-this is definitely going to be one blog I am monitoring over the next few weeks.
In addition to the ten students in Washington, as crew of five Government students and a group from the Broadcast Journalism and Journalism classes at Springfield will take the stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia right before and right after the Inauguration Ceremony, these students will be interviewing visitors to the Constitution Center to gain their perspective on the day.
The anchor of the project is a blog which has been included in the official PA Department of Education lessons plans for Inauguration Day. The students in Washington and at the National Constitution Center will assist in facilitating the discussion on the blog. This blog will pose questions and encourage commentary from all of the schools in Pennsylvania and hopefully even further. When you go to the blog you will be able to read a the students' postings that asks a questions or encourages a response. The teachers are hopeful that PA Governor Ed Rendell and Judge Marjorie Rendell may be able to participate in the discussion with the students as well as others throughout the Commonwealth and the Country. I am encouraging all teachers who read this post to visit the blog and have their students leave their thoughts. Please note, all comments are moderated there will be a delay before you can read them.
The Broadcast Journalism students at the school will be working to complete a set of short videos that can be used as reference materials during the week. These videos cover Science, Math, World Languages, Social Studies, and provide ties to Language Arts the videos will be archived on the internet (a link will be provided as soon as it is ready).
The only thing missing from the project right now is you!
Want to start now??? Visit the blog and comment on the January 12th posting and while you are there please take a moment to visit the blog and view a message from Judge Marjorie Rendell as check out this project which has already made local news.
Help make this project a success and show that student voice does matter!
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