Photo: Science Lab at Smithsonian in DC. We need one of these.

I have really been struck with the idea that we have reached a plateau in new technologies. I realize that useful, new gadgets and sites will continue to come out, but what we have currently will help us provide so much more to our students than we ever have before. So, why aren’t we seeing the change we need at the pace we need it and the pace the kids deserve it?

The answer is us. It truly is us. We are the problem. We are the disablers. We are the barriers the students cannot break through. Don’t get me wrong. We are using new tools with students in some amazing ways. We are engaging them like never before. Yet, we do it in spurts. It is just a modernized version of our old, standby friend the poster project. The kids get all excited, not because it is a good project, but because it is not a text and worksheet. That’s just wrong. To quote my friend and mind stretching mentor Dr. Gary Stager, “The blame lies within the bankruptcy of our imaginations.”

Yes, it is a start, but what good are starts if we hit the brakes every single block. It takes us forever to get across town where we should really be at already.  We should be buried in the middle of local conversations about how we could be changing teaching practices to better fit the kids we see coming through our doors. Seriously. What progress is made if we only automate the same boring routines? What new level (notice I said level and not concept) of learning is achieved if we continually return to the old textbook and worksheet far more often than open ended projects? And, yes, tests can still be passed if we do things differently.

It’s not just the teaching style that needs change, though. Shouldn’t it also be about the learning space? It is for them.

We have so many places we need to start with this. ISTE is moving forward with a new initiative as well.  Consider getting involved with it. But for now, let me begin with the presentation below. It is a nice conversation starter sure to thrill some, confuse some, and tick off others. Which category are you in? Wanna talk?

Here is the entire post from the Google Docs blog:

New additions to the settings page

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:25 PM

Earlier today we made two additions to the Google Docs settings page. The first, “Where items open,” lets you pick if you want items to open in a new window (how it works today) or in the same window.

A couple weeks ago, we launched “New!” and “Viewed/unviewed” indicators in the docs list which allow you to easily spot brand new and updated items. Since not everyone loves these — shocking, I know – we also added an “Update indicators” setting, which lets you turn these indicators off.

Posted by: Vijay Bangaru, Product Manager, Google Docs

Earlier this year we began in earnest a push toward integrating electronic portoflios (ePortfolios) with staff and students at the middle school level using blogs and the intermediate level using USB flash drives. There is an article in T.H.E. Journal that cites studies from Gartner supporting our choice in this.

While we are in the infant stages of ePortfolios, we are indeed headed in the right direction. I feel we should consider expanding this program into more grades to further enhance our goal of graduating 21st Century enabled students under the direction of 21st Century enabled staff.

The article states:

White Oak ISD is at that point now. We have the technology tools in place and the training available to implement this at all grade levels.

Please read the article if you have a chance. While it focuses on several software solutions, it also shares what others are doing and the possibilities. We are still fully capable of handing EVERY graduating senior from White Oak High School a flash drive with their entire eportfolio on it to be used anywhere they would like. Imagine the power of that if they are starting those in their earliest years in WOISD and maintaining it throughout.

I am always willing to discuss our ideas and goals with anyone at anytime.

Slide Credit: Dr. Helen Barrett
I have had several inquiries as to how my poster session went that was centered on using free online tools (Web 2.0) in creating, organizing, and maintaining electronic portfolios for staff and students. Well, in a word, great! I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to speak with so many others trying to do the same thing we are. While I am in a better situation than most due to a technology department and curriculum department that plays VERY well together, we still have our struggles. Training is one of them. There is so much to building effective

Thankfully, someone I admire for her knowledge and ability to share and teach stepped up to my session. Dr. Helen Barrett appeared in the corner of my booth. Fortunately, I saw her arrive and noted to everyone there that she was THE one to talk to about all things eportfolios. Anything I have to share about eportfolios would pale in comparison to this wonderfully read and prepared professor.  Another awesome piece of luck was that my curriculum director walked up behind me about the same time. I put the two of them together quickly to schedule some training in our district. If/When we are lucky enough to get Dr. Barrett in White Oak, our staff and students will never be the same again. We will be fully on track to creating portable archives of learning and teaching that all should be proud of. Exporting the eportfolio from the Wordpress blog right to a flash drive will be a common happening for our students in the near future to allow them to take their representative work with them to college interviews, job interviews, competitions, etc. 

Another piece of luck came along when I ran into Sue Waters from Edublogs. After a lengthy conversation with Sue in the Blogger’s Cafe, my chief of technology and I decided it was time to move our entire WPMU blogging system to Edublogs Campus Ultimate where it will get the care and support it deserves. James Farmer, Sue Waters, and company will do more to keep up our system than we ever could. We know that this will now be the Cadillac version of our goals that we have wanted and needed all along. I have already noticed an unprecedented increase in speed in initial loading and navigating within and between blogs. Thank you, Edublogs! Our staff and students are going to be overjoyed when they log back in.

Photo Credit: AJC1 (Hartnell-Young, E. et al. (2007) Impact study of e-portfolios on learning partners.)
Another advantage for me in the move to Edublogs Campus Ultimate is the ability to batch create blogs and users. This was a headache when our system was at SiteGround because having a class or two of kids hitting the server at the same time never ended with anything but timeouts and 404 errors. It was what pushed us into seeking out a better host of our system. Considering we went from a Gig of traffic a month to over a Gig a day by the end of the year, we had to do something proactive before it all crashed down around us. You can go read for yourself all the benefits of making the move to Edublogs Campus Ultimate, but I can see this relationship being a very good one for all of us in White Oak ISD.

Stay tuned as we ramp up our electronic portfolio process with training by Dr. Helen Barrett and implementation by our staff and students this school year.

With that being said, here are the “little copyright thugs.”

Can you see the engagement in the song that the kids had? It was not “hey we’re making a movie” or “watch me be the star of this thing.” It was a genuine expression of engagement brought out by an educator that we all hope to see in our classrooms (albeit, I never had poetry written or recited in my class with such passion as these kids shared). Oh, and the kicker is that these kids have been invited by Stevie Nicks after she saw this video on YouTube to sing it in Madison Square Gardens. Feel free to drop by the kids’ blog and let them know how great they really are: http://www.ps22chorus.blogspot.com/ Not bad for a campus where 3 out of 4 are on free/reduced lunch, huh?

Quick point here. Notice they blog. Notice that we now notice how great these kids AND their teacher both are. Enough noticing. Read on.

Now, let’s consider what Alec was getting at. This explicitily shows why we should be publishing our kids’ work. They are going to experience things because of this short 2 minute video that most of us only dream about. Why? Their teacher thought enough to show off what they can do to the world. Sure, it might all be a fluke that Stevie Nicks saw the video and invited them, but the fluke was not possible without that teacher making that concious choice to publish the work. Also, think of the lives this can touch with those kids. Already fighting their way out of a hole poverty-wise, they can now see they have value, skills, hope, and a teacher that obviously loves them very, very much. Did you catch his commentary at the end? It was three words: “That was goooooood.” I have not seen a bigger smile on any face than he had on his at that moment. Even Darren Kuropatwa zoomed in on that part of it. It just says so much.

So, let’s review here. The kids practice a Fleetwood Mac song. The teacher decides to record them singing it. The outcomes:
1. We are inspired by what these kids can do with a passion.
2. The parents obviously know their kid’s teacher loves his job and his students a TON.
3. Stevie Nicks sees the video via a social networking video site, cries, falls in love with the kids, and invites them to perform at Madison Square Gardens.
4. Ed tech guys and gals jump on the story as a way to motivate their own teachers to do such things as publishing more (any) student content.
5. The students see a new value in school and learning and that there is light at the end.
6. Teacher gets a book and movie deal and becomes Mr. Holland’s Opus II: The Modern Version (I made that up, but it could happen).

I hope Alec finds a way to weave this post and video into his time with us in White Oak on June 12th. Did I mention he is one of the keynoters and a featured presenter? Feel free to join us.

In the meantime, fire up your class blog and get your students’ work out there. The world needs to see just how good they (and you) really are.

My wife and I are very fortunate to have such a wonderful second grade teacher for our son this year. She, Mrs. Richeson,  finds great ways to bring the parents into the classroom via technology. We have had the chance to watch our son retell stories through readers theater video podcasts. Now, she stretches their writing abilities and has them share them with everyone in audio podcasts.

During our parent conference the other day, my wife (a 6th grade language arts teacher) commented how she was not sure how Mrs. Richeson was able to do all of the things she does getting the recordings made and posted. She just smiled and said it was no big deal with the MacBook. As the instructional technologist for the district, it was a good confirmation for me that we are headed in the right direction with the right tools. I taught first grade myself. Everything extra is a big deal. To hear her share how easy she found it was affirming. 

First, a little background to my son’s story. La Cucaracha is “cockroach” in Spanish.  He has loved that Spanish word ever since he heard Phillips, Craig, and Dean in concert in Tyler.  They had a children’s CD that he wanted. Needless to say, the song about the bug is his favorite.  So, according to his teacher, Christian took a long time to write his story. She wondered what was slowing him up, but she also was glad that he was writing. A lot. It wasn’t until the end of the story being recorded that it all made sense. He was writing a story around a song with the internal goal of getting the song into the story as the closing and it make sense.  Pretty high level, if I do say so myself.  Yes, I’m proud of him.  So have a listen to his creation. Make sure you hang in there long enough to hear him sing in the end. About a roach.  

Listen to the podcast of the story “The Rock Boy” by Christian.

Can it be that the pendulum is finally swinging back the other direction?  This just in from Charles at Off the Kuff:

TAKS changes coming

Stepping out of campaign coverage for a second, here’s a look ahead to some TAKS tinkering the Lege will take up next year.

Texas public school students could face less pressure on the TAKS test under a proposal that key lawmakers unveiled Tuesday to overhaul the state’s school accountability system.

Under the plan, elementary and middle school students would no longer have to pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test to advance to the next grade level.

Schools still would be held accountable for low test scores, but they would get credit for improvement — even if students fell short of certain targets.

While several parents and school leaders praised the proposed changes to the school grading system as being more fair, others expressed concern that Texas would be lowering its standards. The Legislature is expected to consider the idea, offered by a special House-Senate committee on school accountability, next year.

“What this proposal does is eliminate the high-stakes testing in elementary schools, and I think that’s a very positive development,” said Spring Branch Superintendent Duncan Klussmann.

[...]

The revamped school grading system, which would require extra help for the struggling students, also would base annual performance ratings on three years of test scores instead of a single year and would give credit for student improvement. Districts would get judged on their financial health, too.

Pasadena ISD Superintendent Kirk Lewis applauded the move to averaging scores, noting that under the current system a school could be stigmatized with a low rating if it barely missed the mark in one subject one year.

“I think it will be helpful in taking some of the pressure off the schools,” Kirk said. “I believe in accountability … but the tweaks they’re making, it appears it would be a positive improvement over what we’ve got.”

Legislative leaders concede weaknesses in the current system — which rates schools on TAKS scores, graduation rates and dropout rates — and they heard complaints from educators and parents during hearings around the state this year.

“We found that the TAKS was the main focus of a lot of our education efforts, and it’s a minimal-skills test,” said House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands.

Standardized testing has its place, but I think the consensus after ten years of it here in Texas is that it’s become an end rather than a means to an end, and that it’s high time some effort was made to scale it down a little. I think bigger changes than this are ultimately needed, but this is a step in the right direction. Kudos to Rep. Eissler for listening to the feedback from parents and educators.

My comments on this:
This could be good news for those with elementary-aged students who just might not need that kind of pressure. It is also great news for elementary teachers who have been forced to be a part of the pressure-packed system. I can say fairly confidently that this is in large part to the new leadership that the House Public Education Committee has found after the previous chair’s defeat during election time. While I have had the opportunity to testify before the Interim Committee on Accountability, I would not have expected much movement on our suggestions, yet so quickly. Glad to see it was taken serious. Thank you, Chairman Eissler. I look forward to working with you more in the coming session.

My post title comes from a quote by Carl Gustav Jung – “The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong”

Photo by Dean Shareski

I love being on this side of teaching. Don’t get me wrong. I miss my English and reading classes at the middle school, but now I get to work with all of the staff and students on every campus. Being able to see our brilliant teachers and their students expand their technology use and enjoy it makes it even better.

But I also get to network with some really great minds outside of White Oak. One of those great minds resides only a few hours west of us in Burleson ISD. Kim Estes has gone above and beyond what many people would do outside of their every day jobs in helping us. I will expand on her work with our ePortfolios after I finish the monument to her in my office, though.

As I was reading through her newly redesigned blog, I found what every tech-loving, literacy teacher dreams about: a course outline complete with 6+1 Traits standards (our ISD uses New Jersey Writing, but they are basically the same) seamlessly meshed with technology integration where the curriculum is driving the technology. She created the outline, and then she found tools that supported the work.

Kim, you are a jewel to share this with everyone. I honor you by reposting it below with credit to you for the hard work it took. Thank you for being so generous in so many ways to us. Everyone who uses any part of this: I would appreciate it if you would leave a comment below to let Kim know what a valuable resource this truly is for us.

This is my teaching outline for
my class Improving Writing With Technology.  You are welcome to take
it, use it, and share it with others. A link back here or a little
credit would be appreciated!

Improving Writing with Technology  6 + 1 Traits

1. Ideas – A clear, focused content packed with details
   • Mind Mapping and Brainstorming
     • http://www.mindmeister.com/
     • http://www.mindomo.com/
   • Gone in 30 seconds
     • image slideshow to inspire and encourage ideas
     • can be a daily activity or used at each stage of the writing process
     • Email me if you’d like a copy of the HS Version I’ve already created.
       
   • Get Great Prompts
     • http://writingfix.com/ – an interactive plot creator
     • http://writingfix.com/Classroom_Tools/dailypromptgenerator.htm – prompt generator
     • http://writingfix.com/writingfix_for_kids.htm – interactive writing games
     • http://writingfix.com/right_brain.htm – Right Brain prompts
     • http://writingfix.com/left_brain.htm – Left brain prompts
     • http://www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/imagination.prompt.html
   • Create and record songs to help students remember their traits – http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/Idea_song.pdf
   • Use websites that have everything you need in one place – http://writingfix.com/6_Traits/Idea_Development.htm
2. Voice – Writing that is active and engaging for the reader (a specific audience)
   • Using your voice to give your writing voice – use audacity to record your writing and help you hear the voice in a work
     • Play examples of speeches and audio books that demonstrate clear voice
     • Students write a piece and then record their own (or mix it up and record someone elses)
     • Students then review the works and critique with a rubric
   • Literary Theatre/Readers Theatre
     • Students create melodramas from literature read in class with a special focus on voice and characterization
     • Works with their own original scripts and poetry as well
     • http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/RTHOME.htm – Reader’s Theatre Basics website
   • Using Movies to Teach Voice – play famous scenes from
     movies AUDIO ONLY and have the students listen for the voice in the
     script writing. (How was it achieved – word choice, tone, sentence
     fluency, etc.)
   • Create and record songs to help students remember their traits – http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/organization_song.pdf
   • Use websites that have everything you need in one place – http://writingfix.com/6_Traits/Voice.htm
3. Word Choice – Choosing the right word or words to convey a message, idea, or feeling
   • Dead word funerals
     • photo story or video http://youtube.com/watch?v=kQODcdUtmH4
     • Students choose the words, write eulogies, put tombstones on the walls as reminders
   • Use websites that have everything you need in one place -http://writingfix.com/6_Traits/Word_Choice.htm
4. Sentence Fluency – Sentences are clear, concise, and various lengths
   • http://youtube.com/watch?v=Db-YgMac7Uo – student video on sentence fluency
   • Use websites that have everything you need in one place – http://writingfix.com/6_Traits/Sentence_Fluency.htm
5. Organization – The order makes sense, including strong transitions words and a clear beginning, middle, and ending
   • SMART Lesson
     • getting things in order (elem) kjahdfssdfldflksdl;f
     • Literature game (ms)
   • Create and record songs to help students remember their traits – http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/organization_song.pdf
   • Use websites that have everything you need in one place – http://writingfix.com/6_Traits/Organization.htm
6. Conventions – Proper usage of grammar, punctuation, and spelling
   • http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e5b854ffad5f70a516c8
   • Create and record songs to help students remember their traits – http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/conventions_song.pdf
   • Use websites that have everything you need in one place – http://writingfix.com/6_Traits/Conventions.htm

   • Grammar Blast (elementary) – http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/quizzes/

7. Presentation – Neatness, appealling to the reader’s eye
   • http://poster.4teachers.org/ – create writing posters
   • http://toondoo.com – make comic books
   • Create a publishing center in your classroom – http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4385&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3FNtt%3D%253cand%253e%2528%2528audience%2B%253ccontains%253e%2Bteachers%2529%252c%2B%257bTechnology%257d%2529%26query%3D%3Cand%3E%28%28audience%2520%3Ccontains%3E%2520teachers%29%2C%2520%7BTechnology%7D%29%26Ntk%3DSCHL30_SI%26Ntx%3Dmode%2Bmatchallpartial%26N%3D0%26Nty%3D1%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EAll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E+%26gt%3B+Grade+3+-+5

All -

1. http://senior.billings.k12.mt.us/6traits/index.htm – interactive reading selections that students rate.
2. http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixtrait/sixtrait/handbook.html – list and handouts for a student binder students can create their own to use all year
3. Introduce each concept with a short infomercial! http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=bbc0d17a4f8d4324cc8e
4. http://readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp – interactive flash based games and activities
5. http://writingfix.com/traits.htm#lessons – Free lessons on each aspect of the 6 traits
6. I-pod and lyric inspired lessons – http://writingfix.com/ipod_prompts.htm
7. Self-Assessment/Teacher Feedback Post-it notes – http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/post_its.htm

Types of Writing

1. Narrative
   • http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/marshs/movies/index.htm
     - March Movie Madness. 8th grade students write scripts that can be
     chosen to later be turned into short films. Students must base all
     short stories to demonstrate the plot diagram. (you could specify any
     content)
   • Radio Theatre
2. Persuasive
   • Political Speeches from candidate sites used to identify aspects of persuasive writing
   • Video and Audio commercials for a product or service that target a specific audience
   • http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7f6788918f03c42b123c
   • Create videos or audio or photostories to teach the elements of this type of writing
     • http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3f745343bab61a5f8aee&page=2&viewtype=&category=
3. Comparative
   • http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/igo.htm – Interactive Online Graphic Organizers – Highlight, type, and print (or save and put on website)
4. How-To
   • Photostories and video on How-To subjects (written by one group – recorded by another)
5. Research
   • Netrekker
6. Poetry
   • Song Lyrics
     • Research them for figurative language (metaphor, simile, personification, allusions, poetic devices)
   • I Am Poetry
     • http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8c621d4e83cb0ec9616c&page=2&viewtype=&category=
   • Share your favorites
     • Encourage kids to read their favorites to the class
       • Record their readings
       • Turn it into a poetry SLAM, a beatnik coffee cafe
       • Have your students record other teachers and administrators sharing their favorite poems
       • http://www.favoritepoem.org/
   • Interactive SMART Lessons
     • Father’s Day Poems
     • Easter Poems

Editing

1. Google Docs
2. SMART tools
3. Gaggle.net

Feedback and Peer Review

1. Gaggle.net
2. blogging

Learning is Fun

1. http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/word_game_for_writers.htm

Professional Development & Teacher Tools

1. http://readwritethink.org/lessons/index.asp?grade=0&strand=0&engagement=0&display.x=40&display.y=13 – Lesson Plans
2. Writing across the curriculum…a grassroots movement…. http://writingfix.com/WAC.htm
3. Involving parents in writing – http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/family_write.htm
4. Mini-lesson of the month – http://www.unr.edu/educ/nnwp/Mini_Lesson_of_the_Month_Club.html
5. Art and Writing – http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/art_and_writing.htm
6. Help with the writing process for teachers – http://www.mwp.hawaii.edu/resources.htm

7. Elementary Integration Ideas – http://www.cyberbee.com/intclass.html#LanguageArts

More

1. SMART Lessons on Writing http://education.smarttech.com/EdCompassCMS/Template/LearningActivity/FileActivitySummary.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b0A5EF2A4-15A2-4F78-983D-8643D7EFAC0C%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fste%2fen-US%2fEd%2bResource%2fLesson%2bactivities%2fNotebook%2bactivities%2fBrowse%2bNotebook%2fUnited%2bStates%2fdefault%2ehtm%3fsort%3dSubject%26search%3d&NRCACHEHINT=Guest&sort=Subject
2. Great site by a real teacher – http://corbettharrison.com/index.html
3. Dena Harrison’s site is a great resource – http://denaharrison.com/
4. United Streaming – One Place -
   • http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/tools/writingPrompt/index.cfm? – writing prompt builder home page
   • Assignment builder
   • Quiz builder
5. http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/School_Time/English/ – Helpful site for interactive resources

Bring the political process to life in your classroom

It’s back-to-school season in the U.S. and social studies teachers everywhere are excited about the November elections and all of the ways that politics has evolved since even just four years ago. Technology is advancing. Internet fundraising has brought all kinds of new small donors into the political process, social networking is helping campaigns and citizens organize themselves in new ways, and YouTube, which didn’t even exist four years ago, has swept the political dialogue.

With technology producing such dramatic changes in American politics, we want to make sure it’s easy for teachers to bring some of the best Internet tools into the classroom to help students get engaged. Working with the National Student/Parent Mock Election, we’ve pulled together a site called Elections Tools for Teachers where you can find descriptions and suggested learning activities for tools like YouTube, Google Maps, Elections Video Search and Power Readers, which we announced here yesterday.

We want students to walk away from their engagement in this election with a sense of excitement about our democratic process and with the belief that their voices matter. As Gloria Kirshner, president of the Mock Election has said, “In the classrooms of today are the Presidents, Senators, Congress members and, most important, the voters of tomorrow. Whether we are sending these children to the White House or to the polls, we hope to send them with a deep understanding of ‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people.’”

Please let us know if you find Elections Tools for Teachers helpful in your teaching, and we hope you’ll enroll your students in this year’s National Mock Election on October 30th.

As always, if I can assist you in implementing this in your classroom in any way, I am more than happy to help out.