My Adventures in Educational Technology

Sanders Bobiash keeps passion for technology in perspective, Saskatchewan Bulletin, December 2011

2011-12-20T11:39:00.002-06:00

A recent article was published about me in the December issue of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation's newsletter, The Saskatchewan Bulletin after I received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence, Certificate of Excellence this fall. You can read the article on page 2.

Saskatchewan Bulletin, December 2011

View more documents from Joanna Sanders Bobiash.

Globe readers nominate innovators - teachers leading classrooms of the future - Globe and Mail, December 2, 2011

2011-12-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

To read the full story, please follow this link to the Globe and Mail's website: Globe and Mail, 02/12/2011

Excerpt from the Globe and Mail, December 2, 2011

Three Regina teachers nationally recognized

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Regina Leader-Post

Regina Leader-Post, November 22, 2011:
Three Regina teachers nationally recognized

Making Your Library Googlicious

2011-10-25T09:30:00.000-06:00

A joint presentation by Joanna Sanders Bobiash and Terry Pon, Regina Public Schools
RPSD, RCSD and PVSD Teacher-Librarian Professional and Learning Day
Regina, SK - October 25, 2011

Here is our presentation. (link) Please explore the links in the presentation and provide feedback using this form.

Regina TLs Day of Learning: Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone: Transitioning Toward 21st Century Learning

2011-10-25T09:16:00.003-06:00

Keynote Resources from: bit.ly/SaskTL

Anytime,Anywhere, Anyone (Resources) - #SaskTL

Dr. Alec Couros
couros@gmail.com
@courosa
skype: aleccouros
youtube.com/courosa

Websites in Order of Appearance:

SaskTL - Twitter search.

About.Me - Alec’s About.Me page (as an example).

Photo-A-Day Group - 2011/365 Group (mostly educators).

EC&I 831 - Open graduate course, “social media and open education”.
The Open Doctrine - My own personal attack ad (video).

The Digital Native: Myth & Reality - Selwyn (2009)
Debunking the Digital Native - Brown (2010)
Visitors & Residents - David White
Why Youth Heart Social Networks - danah boyd
Justin Bieber Chrome Ad - Summary of his career growth.
Maria Aragon - Sings born this way.
Amanda Hocking - Young fiction writer.
Connectivism - George Siemens
Smartphones Surpass Desktops - From Mary Meeker
Amazon Selling More Kindle Books Thank Print Books - From Amazon

Creative Commons - Copyleft licensing mechanism & search.

Sprint’s Now Network - Clever commercial from Sprint.

Teenagers Living with Social Media - Keynote (video) from danah boyd

David After the Dentist Description - Wikipedia article.
Antoine Dodson Description - Wikipedia article.

Best Job In the World - Top 16 applicants for the Best Job in the World.

Saskatchewanderer - Saskatchewan’s version of the same contest.

Saskatchewander Disqualified - From the Leader Post.

Stephen Downes - Downes’ wise commentary on the Best Job in the World.

Naheed Nenshi & Social Media - Social Media Analysis of Naheed Nenshi’s campaign.

Trip Advisor - Popular hotel rating site.
CouchSurfing - Find or lend a couch.

Young Me, Now Me - Collaborative photo project.

Dear Photograph - Collaborative photo project.

The Networked Teacher - Diagram of a PLN.
Visualizing Open & Networked Learning - Blog post.

PS22 Chorus - Grade 5 Chorus

Bow Drill Set - Young person’s networked learning.

Writing Prompts for Teacher Candidates - Post about a collaborative Google Doc.

Virtual Choir - Collaborative choir by Eric Whitacre.
Johnny Cash Project - Collaborative artistic music video.
Star Wars Uncut - Star Wars redone 15 seconds at a time.
Khan Academy - Featuring over 2000+ educational videos.

Twitter in 60 Seconds - From Jim Gates.
High School Teacher Loses Job - Facebook picture.

Thank You For Being a Friend - A tribute for my 40th birthday.

21st Century Literacy Framework - From the NCTE

Standards/Background:

The Typical Teacher Network - This diagram attempts to visualize the typical network of teachers.
The Networked Teacher - Increasingly more teachers are developing rich personal learning networks (PLNs) through the use of social media (sometimes called Web 2.0 tools).
PLE Diagrams - Scott Leslie has compiled comprehensive list of individuals who have visualized their personal learning environme
nts.
What Does the Network Mean to You? - I asked the question of my network, "what does the network mean to you?". As a result, dozens of people responded via Voicethread (through text, audio, video) to explain their thoughts on networked learning and professional development.

Examples and Information About Open Courses

Social Media & Open Education (#eci831)
Call for Networked Mentors (#eci831)
Call for Networked Mentors - Follow-Up (#eci831)
CCK08/09
Personal Learning Environments Networks & Knowledge (PLENK)
What is a MOOC (video)
Success in a MOOC (video)
Knowledge in a MOOC (video)
Digital Storytelling (#ds106)
CCK11 - Week 6 Readings

21st Century Learning in Practice (videos):

Welcome to my PLE (video)Enable screen reader
Why are some users anonymous? Learn more
The Networked Student (video))

Communication/Networking Tools & Tutorials

Twitter
Twitter for Teachers (list of tweeps in various categories)

Twitter for Teachers (another wiki with tools & resources)
Twitter Handbook for Teachers (online document with tools & tips)
Tweetdeck (most popular Twitter client, software download)
HootSuite (another Twitter client, web-based)
MapMyFollowers (easily map the range of your network)
List of Educational Hashtags (from Cybraryman)

Wordpress.com (a simple and free, hosted, blogging platform)
Wordpress.org (where you can get Wordpress software if you want to host it yourself)
Kidblog.org (Wordpress-based tool for hosting & managing student blogs easily)
Weebly (easy to use website creator and blogging tool)
Wix (free and easy, Flash website creator)
Edmodo (easy but powerful, classroom social networking)

Wikispaces (one of the most popular wiki tools, adfree for educators)
PBWorks (another popular wiki tool)
LinkedIn (important, career-based social networking tool)
Schoology (free learning management system, course communication/creation tool)
Posterous (very easy blogging/communication tool)
Tumblr (media-friendly blog platform)
Skype (most popular video/audio conferencing tool)
join.me (video/audio conferencing tool)

Tokbox (similar to skype but nothing to install, free for videoconferencing)

Chatzy (free private chat rooms)
TinyChat (live video chat rooms - beware of some inappropriate content)
Today’s Meet (easy to setup chat w/ tags)
WizIQ (virtual classroom for online teaching and learning)

Productivity & Collaboration Tools

Google (Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Sites, Reader, iGoogle, Trends, Analytics, Adsense, Others)
Open Office (Free alternatives to Microsoft Office)
Dropbox (free storage & cloud syncing)

AirDropper (works w/ Dropbox to extend functionality) - similar, DropItToMe
The Ultimate Dropbox & Toolkit Guide (great guide with many useful tips)

Evernote (a great notetaking tool) - EverNote Webclipper add-on recommended
Delicious (the standard for social bookmarking)
Diigo (advanced social bookmarking)
Instapaper (simple tool to save web pages for reading later)
Scribd (easy document hosting & management tool)
Learnboost (online grade management tool)
MapAList (create and manage address-linked maps)

Screencasting, Video, Photos, Audio

Jing (free software for screencasting and image capture)
Screenr (free, web-based software for creating screencasts)
Animoto (easy way to create engaging videos from your imagery)
Flickr (popular photo-sharing site, great for finding copyleft images)
Aviary (popular media-editing suite)
Jaycut (free video editing)
Handbrake (rip and pull DVDs (Mac)
KeepVid (download videos from Youtube & other sources)
Zamzar (online file conversion)
Lightworks (free video editing software for Windows)
PhotoStory 3 (story maker for Windows)
One True Media (create slideshows and share)
Soundcloud (audio hosting & embedding)
uStream (free live video streaming)
LiveStream (another free livestreaming service)
Blip.fm (social music service)
GrooveShark (social music service, allows shared playlists)
fd’s Flickr Toys (number of ‘toys’ for your images)

Presentation Tools

Prezi (popular alternative to Powerpoint)
Slideshare (great way to host slide decks & create screencasts)
Glogster (alternative presentation format tool)
280Slides (similar to Powerpoint, but online)
SlideRocket (another popular Powerpoint alternative)
PhotoPeach (easy, sharable slideshows)
Wordle (easy way to create word clouds)
Tagul (another way to create word clouds)
Stupeflix (another slideshow creation tool)
Dipity (timeline creation tool)
Voki (creating talking avatars)
Xtranormal (create movies via text)
GoAnimate (create cartoons and animations easily)
Voicethread (create interactive presentations)
VuVox (create great presentations)

Collaborating Thinking/Writing Tools

Quora (post questions & answers)
Dabbleboard (online whiteboard)
Skrbl (Super-easy whiteboard)
TypeWithMe (multi-author document creator)
Mind42 (collaborative mindmapping tool)
Webspiration (collaborative mind-mapping tool)

Referencing/Attribution Tools

BibMe (online referencing tool)
EasyBib (another online referencing tool)
Plagium (plagiarism detection)
Zotero (great research tool for organization, citation, bibliographies)
Mendeley (a free reference manager and academic social network)

Polls & Surveys

Doodle (easy scheduling tool)
PollEverywhere (polling tool)
Polldaddy (survey software)
Google forms (surveys)

Aggregators

Netvibes (personal, dashboard-like aggregator)
Symbaloo (another popular dashboard-like aggregator)
Weblist.me (easy way to quickly share links with visual interface- great for elementary)
Feedly (Browser plugin to aggregate RSS magazine-style)

Media Resources

Creative Commons (find & license copyleft material)
mgur.com (Quick and iEasy Image Hosting site)
CompFight (interface for Flickr photo search)
Behold (returns high quality flickr images, pictures “like” search)
FlickrStorm (another interface for search Flickr)
MorgueFile (public image archive)
CCMixter (a community music site)
Internet Archive (ultimate source for public domain and copyleft media)
The Open Video Project (community around shared video clips)
Wylio.com - Free embeddable images with citation

More Resource Lists to Explore

Toolkit A-Z (alphabetized resource list)
50 Ways to Tell a Story (great resource from Alan Levine)
TeachWeb (great resource from Wendy Drexler)
Web 2.0 Tools (great resource from CybraryMan - also see this)

Wrestling with Assessment in the Digital Age

2011-10-21T12:19:00.000-06:00

STF Conference, Finding our Way IV: Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability
Presentation by Joanna Sanders Bobiash and Erik Van Dusen

Here is our presentation from today's workshop about using digital tools for assessment. (Presentation Link)

Prime Minster's Awards for Teaching Excellence

2011-10-12T11:25:00.001-06:00

Receiving my pin from
Prime Minister Steven Harper

Last week, I had the honour of accepting the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence in Ottawa. I am overwhelmed and still in shock that I have been recognized with such a prestigious award. I love my job and I do the work that I do because it is one of my passions. I would like to thank my nominators and supporters for putting my name forward as I know preparing a nomination package for this type of award is very time consuming. For more information about my award, please visit my biography and award description from the PMA's website.

Receiving my award
at the PMA's ceremony

In the fall of 2010, a parent of one of my students approached my principal to nominate me for this award based on the work that I had done during the 2009-10 school year. They worked as a team to put my name forward by collecting numerous letters of support from various colleagues and statements from students. Reading a copy of the nomination package after it was submitted was an honour in itself. I wish all of my colleagues could have a similar document written about their work as it is something that I will always treasure.

Along with a cash award that I will get to spend on my students and my professional development, my prize included a 6-day trip to Ottawa for the awards ceremony, a meeting with the Prime Minister, a group dialogue session with the Governor General, a presentation from a Canadian Astronaut and other events. Part of my week in Ottawa was spent participating in a two-day exemplary practices session with the other winners of this award. Here is the presentation that I made to my fellow recipients:

Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence Presentation

View more presentations from Joanna Sanders Bobiash

The award recipient this year are outstanding and it was a real privilege to get to know them during our week in Ottawa. I invite you to visit their biographies to check out what they are doing at their schools. There is also a great resource on the PMA website that includes descriptions and ideas about exemplary practices from this year (will be posted soon) and for previous years. I think it is a resource that isn't as well utilized as it could be and well worth the time to check it out.

Finally, if you know an outstanding Canadian educator who deserves recognition, please take the time to nominate them. The nominations are now open for the 2011-12 award.

How video in the classroom helps digitally-savvy students learn

2011-09-08T18:29:00.000-06:00

Article from the Toronto Star
September 8, 2011 13:09:00
by Diana Mehta, The Canadian Press

Zara Cruickshank’s Grade 8 science class is a little different from those of yesteryear. Students regularly make mini films or podcasts for class projects, reams of notes are a thing of the past and video is an important part of learning.

As the new school year begins, a number of Canadian classrooms are increasingly implementing video as an educational tool to keep their digitally savvy students engaged and interested.

“It’s just easy to focus when it’s visual,” says Cruickshank. “You can be creative and have fun doing it because you’re putting your ideas together to make something for school, to make school easier.”

The 13-year-old at Regina’s Ecole Wilfrid Walker is talking specifically about Joanna Sanders Bobiash’s classroom.

Bobiash — who travelled to Seattle’s Google Teacher Academy this summer to brush up on her web and video skills at the first ever YouTube Teacher Studio — plans to use video a lot more extensively in her classroom this year.

“Everyone has different learning styles, they learn best in different ways,” she says. “Video provides the opportunity to almost deliver both (visuals and text) at the same time. You have visual, you could have written and you have audio at the same time and students can refer to them at their own pace.”

The days of classroom video consisting of a TV and VCR rolled in for a lengthy film students could zone out on are over. Bobiash, who teaches science and social studies, uses digital video to deliver information in short, interactive bursts and encourages students to make their own films for projects which can later be posted online through her YouTube channel.

“Before they could only express themselves in the written form, but now they can express themselves in different ways,” said the 35-year-old teacher. “They’re really drawn to video when doing research, it helps blend different learning styles better than just reading a bunch of text online.”
A concept that really struck her during her time at the Google Teacher Academy was what’s being referred to as “flip teaching.”

It’s when teachers film themselves explaining a concept, or assign an educational video and have the student watch it for homework so they’re actively thinking about the subject before it’s explored in class the following day.

Bobiash plans to implement more flip teaching at the start of her subject units because she finds students really benefit from the visual component.

“They’re not just being given text to memorize,” she says. “I would say they’re retaining the information better because they have to understand it.”

When that understanding is later demonstrated through class projects, Bobiash says her students often blow her away.

“They really get into what they want to know about and their ability to communicate that is phenomenal,” she says, adding that her students often produce videos she would have expected to see at a high-school level.

“It’s a big change in how education is being delivered,” she says of the video component. “It’s an actual shift in how we perceive education itself ... that more in-depth thinking is coming out in the curriculum more.”

Shelly Wright knows what Bobiash is talking about.

The high school teacher at Cornerstone Christian School in Moose Jaw, Sask., plans to use flip teaching in her classroom more extensively this year and says students respond remarkably well to video as part of their learning.

“My students really love it,” says Wright, adding that video really helps cater to multiple learning paces.

“You have kids who need to go over different pieces over and over, and for those kids, they can watch the video three or four times, they can stop it where it doesn’t make sense ... for students like that flip teaching is really powerful.”

This year, for the first time, her students will also have the option to hand in video labs in place of paper-based lab reports — the outlining of the hypothesis, process and evaluation will remain the same, but students can convey them via film if they want.

Students respond more enthusiastically to video for homework than reading a textbook, says Wright.

“You could have essentially world class experts teaching your kids, which is one of the exciting things about the flip classroom,” says the chemistry and biology teacher, adding that video also allows her to show students unstable experiments she wouldn’t be able to demonstrate in the classroom.

That’s not to say teachers are assigning videos for homework every night.

“You use it for very specific purposes and you don’t use it all the time,” Wright says. “Then you can take your time in class to do hands-on stuff so it actually makes sense to them.”

For Wright, video, when used in the right way, helps hone her students’ problem solving and negotiating skills as they grapple with concepts on their own.

“Video is the medium of the future,” she says. “With all the stuff there is today, there is the opportunity for school to be really exciting in ways that it hasn’t been in the past.”

The Flipped Classroom

2011-09-07T22:49:00.002-06:00

Here is an interesting infographic that explains what a "Flipped Classroom" looks like. The statistics are American, but I think the message is just as relevant in a Canadian classroom as it would be south of the border. What do you think of the concept? Have you considered using it in your own classroom?

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

Becoming "Google Certified" at the Google Teacher Academy

2011-08-05T23:32:00.075-06:00

Almost every surface at Google is
"writable" and adds to the collaborative
nature of the company. Share your ideas
anytime, anywhere! Another idea
for my classroom this fall!

On July 28 and 29th, I got to spend two unforgettable days at Google in Seattle at the Google Teacher Academy (GTA) with a fantastic group of educators and inspiring leaders in technology. You can read a bit more about how I arrived at Google by reading my previous post about "My Google Adventure". The schedule we followed and the list of resources can be found here if you want more detailed information. I have to say, my experience at Google was life changing and I have great pride in the fact that I am now a "Google Certified Teacher" (GCT). I can't wait to share with other educators everything I learned by giving in-services, working one-on-one and offering online help. My students will also be benefiting from my new found knowledge and expertise in my classroom through innovative approaches and a renewed perspective on integrating technology into my teaching. I can't wait to share with them this year and look forward to learning with them too.

One of the fabulous people I got to
know at GTA was Gwyneth Jones,
aka the Daring Librarian.

Although the offices in Seattle (where I attended GTA) and in Kincaid (where I attended YouTube Teacher Studio the day before) are different, they share the same philosophy as all the other Google offices worldwide. All employees seemed happy and productive as I walked around and toured the offices. They had easy access to items to provide brain breaks (games, books, kayaks), they had a peaceful (great lighting and comfortable furniture) and collaborative (writable surfaces everywhere) environment and they were always in close proximity to food and beverage. One philosophy we heard more about was the concept that Google employees spend 80% of their time working on their assigned projects and 20% of their time working on a project of their own choosing. What a fantastic idea to implement in the classroom. Think of the engagement students would be in their own learning by pursuing their own interests and passions while learning valuable project and time management skills. This is a concept I know I will be looking into further.

Learning about Google Sketch-up

We spent our day learning from accomplished Google Certified Teacher leaders who led us through sessions on Google Docs, GMail, Google Sites, and other Google Apps. Although these are all tools that I use on a regular basis, I learned a lot about how to use these tools more effectively myself and with students. I also greatly benefited from hearing stories and ideas from the other educators in my cohort about how they were using these tools in their classrooms.

The GTA Team

When asked on numerous occasions upon my return what my favourite part of my time at Google has been, I would have to say having the opportunity to share and hear from the group of educators chosen to be at Google with me. We spent time getting to know each other online before arriving and it is always fantastic to meet people you have gotten to know online face to face. I now have a wonderful resource I can tap into anytime when I have questions or ideas I need feedback on. I have always spent a lot of my time teaching other people how to use online tools like Google Apps, but I rarely get the opportunity to share ideas with people who are at the same level as I am when it comes to integrating technology into education. For me, it is not the tool, but the enhancement the tool brings to student engagement and understanding. Not everyone gets that and it was great to be surrounded by a fantastic group of people who do. Upon reflection, I actually compared myself to students in my class who likely feel like they need enrichment, or the chance to delve further into what we are learning about, but don't always get the chance to do so. I think after having had the chance to live this experience for myself and see how much I got out of it, I will spend more time trying to help enrich the learning experience for my students who need more of a challenge.

My fabulous "Gutenberg" group

After we were done our two days together, we were challenged to come up with our GCT action plans. These are plans we will implement over the coming school year. I have to give more thought to what I will be doing and also reflect upon everything I have learned before I share my action plan. I have to do the same thing for YouTube EDU so I suspect I will be doing a combined project between the two. I will be posting more about these projects in the days and weeks to come.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about Google or YouTube and how to use their many tools in your classroom, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I would love to work with you.

Some of my gifts received from Google

Finally, while I was in Seattle and upon my return, I did numerous media interviews about my experience. Here are a few links to only a few of the stories and interviews I did in case you want to hear more about my Google adventures in a different way. Like I said before, it was more than just learning about Google, but getting to know a fantastic cohort of educators I will be learning more from for years to come!

CBC Saskatchewan's Morning Edition - July 27, 2011
Regina Leader Post - August 1, 2011
Radio-Canada Saskatchewan, Midi-Plus - August 2, 2011

YouTube Teacher Studio

2011-07-27T23:08:00.096-06:00

I've arrived at Google!

Today, I had the honour of participating in the first ever YouTube Teacher Studio and can now proudly call myself a "YouTube Star Teacher".

Our sessions were held at the Google Offices in Kincaid. Just being inside the Google buildings was an experience in itself. Google treats their employees really well to ensure that they are the most productive they can be. As guests, we also got to experience some of their many perks. I can't go into much detail, but I do have to say that all the teachers were very envious of the cafeteria and the readily available snacks and beverages available throughout the day. We thought that we would be very productive educators if we could enjoy some of these many perks in our staff lounges.

During our day, our small group of 15 educators was treated to a number of presentations and smaller workshops. We learned so much I can't share it all in one blog post! I know I will be posting more about what we learned in more detail as I start to apply and use what I learned in my practice.

New Tools from YouTube

To start our day, we were lucky enough to receive three wonderful gifts, a YouTube Flip HD pocket video camera, a mini tripod and a Bamboo tablet. All these tools will help us produce our future videos that we will be hosting on our channels on YouTube.

During our first session with history teacher James Sanders, we learned about how to use the power of YouTube in the classroom to support instruction and engage students. We were saw numerous examples of how Sanders uses video to support his students and to differentiate instruction. One idea shared that particularly resonated with me was how to help students to dig deeper into concepts by providing them with YouTube playlists that support what they are learning to watch when they are done their assignments in class. Students who are done earlier than everyone else are often a challenge to keep engaged and busy in a classroom so I thought that this was a great idea to deepen their understanding and let them go further. I also really liked the idea of having a YouTube center where students watch videos made by the teacher that gives them the content they need and administers an assignment or quiz through the use of Google Forms. The other students are then working in a smaller group with the Teacher answering questions and getting further explanation and practice.

During our next session with chemistry teacher, Ramsey Musllam, we learned all about screencasting and the power of capturing direct instruction and assigning it as homework. This approach is know as flip teaching. Musllam demonstrated how to make screencasts of his explanations in chemistry and gave us examples of how he uses them in his classroom. His website, flipteaching.com has wonderful examples and resources anyone could use to try flip teaching in their classroom. This is an approach I plan to explore further in my classroom this year. We also got some hands on experience with our new Bamboo tablets and experimented with screencasting.

Our final presenter was Jim Sill who used to work in the TV and movie industry and is now a video production teacher. He showed us the basics of video production and gave us some simple techniques to ensure we are making quality videos. We also later had a hands on component where we got to practice what he had shown us and make short videos using our new Flip cameras.

The whole day was a fantastic experience to share with other educators how we are already using video in our classrooms, learn so new techniques and to brainstorm new ideas about how we will use video in the future. There is a lot more to come on this topic so please come back to read more about my adventures with YouTube. I'm so excited about the future possibilities of this new adventure.

My Google Adventure

2011-07-25T20:39:00.000-06:00

Last month, I applied to be part of the Google Teacher Academy (GTA) taking place in Seattle, WA. Google received over 4,000 applications from around the world and only 50 were accepted. I'm excited to say that I was one of the few chosen to participate in this exciting one-day professional development event. After I'm done, I will be a Google Certified Teacher.

Here is the video that I made as a part of my application to GTA:

After learning we were chosen to participate in GTA, the 50 participants were asked to apply for the first ever YouTube Teacher's Studio. Only 15 spots were available for this event that is taking place the day before GTA. I'm excited to say that I got chosen to attend this event as well. YouTube and Google all in one week! Wow!

I'm very overwhelmed to be part of this fantastic group of educators and can't wait for this adventure to begin. I leave tomorrow for Seattle and will be writing posts about my adventure while I'm there. Thanks to the power of social media, namely Twitter and Google+, I have had the chance to chat and connect with my fellow participants over the past few weeks. What a powerful way to get to know some of the other people that will be participating. Gone are the days where you show up in a room of strangers and have to begin making small talk to get to know each other. We have already broken the ice and are ready to learn!

One Day On Earth

2011-07-13T22:46:00.003-06:00

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada from Joanna Sanders Bobiash on Vimeo.

Last fall, my students and I participated in this wonderful project with people from around the world called "One Day on Earth". My Grade 6, 7 and 8 students all captured a short portion of their lives with still cameras and video cameras on October 10, 2010. They edited their footage into short documentaries of their own and shared them with the class. A number of my 68 students decided to contribute their footage, along with my own, to the main project and were delighted to hear that some of their footage had been selected to be included in the final documentary. We are not sure what exactly has been included in the final version of this film, but we were very excited to be included. Please check out the trailer for this project and consider contributing towards the final production costs. Seeing the pride and excitement in my students' by participating in this project made it a very worthwhile venture. I hope to participate in this type of project again in the future. Not many students can say that they contributed footage to a Hollywood documentary in middle school!

Can one video make a difference?

2011-06-12T16:02:00.001-06:00

Saskatchewan Teachers have been without a contract since August 30, 2010. Negotiations have been going on longer than that. We've taught almost a whole school year without it being settled. After years of settling for little to no increase in our wages, this spring, teachers voted 95% in favour of taking job action to help settle their contract.

You see, our province is experiencing rapid growth and unprecedented wealth. They are constantly promoting the fact that our province is booming. Is it not time to pay back the workers who took a hit in the 1990s when the province was not doing so well by rewarding them with fair wages and recognition of an increased cost of living in our province? What are Saskatchewan's Teachers asking for? They are asking for our province to pay them what they are worth. They want to be recognized for their valuable contributions to our communities. They want to ensure future generations enter the teaching profession because it will be a rewarding career and a wise financial decision. For more information on the contract negotiations, please visit the STF website: Saskatchewan Teachers Federation

On May 5th, 2011, teachers across the province walked off the job for the first time in 78 years. Job action like this had never been seen on a province-wide level by teachers. Teachers participated in study sessions, rallies and discussions. They finished the day feeling unified and determined to reach a fair deal with the School Board Association. The following day, teachers were invited back to the bargaining table.

Unfortunately, talks broke down not long after they started, and a second round of sanctions days were announced for May 25th and 26th. In preparation for these two days, the Regina Public School Teachers Association decided to organize a rally and march from the Provincial Legislature to downtown Regina. We wanted to invite other teachers from across the province to join us so we decided to make a video invitation and post it on You Tube. But how can one little video make a difference?

We expected teachers from Regina Public and perhaps Regina Catholic and Prairie Valley School Divisions to join us. As word spread, through the power of social media, our little video got thousands of hits.You see, during the month of May, Saskatchewan's teachers had been signing up for Twitter and had been connecting on Facebook. New networks and alliances were being formed and the video was shared and re-tweeted hundreds of times. By the time the rally and march took place, our the little video had been seen more than 3,000 times. You only have to listen to RPSTA President, Pat Maze's remarks at the rally to understand the enthusiasm and excitement generated by the video and the cause:

As a result of this video, the May 26th rally and march was one of the biggest demonstrations in our province's recent history. (Regina Leader Post) The police working during the march estimated the crowd of teachers and supporters to be approximately 4,000 people. This showed the provincial government that teachers were unified and strong in their resolve to obtain a fair contract. Thousands of people showing up on the government's doorstep took them by surprise. (Regina Leader Post)

I made a short video to document May 26th's events and posted it on the RPSTA's YouTube Channel. I encourage everyone to check out our channel and to subscribe. Even after this contract is eventually resolved, we hope to post more videos celebrating and demonstrating the importance of teaching as a profession. You never know what one little video and the power of social media can do to affect your profession.

IT Summit 2011 Cool Tools Duel/Mash-Up by Dean Shareski, Alec Couros and Hall Davidson

2011-05-10T15:17:00.004-06:00

Here's a link to last year's duel between Dean Shareski and Will Richardson: 2010 Cool Tool Duel

Cool Tools Duel by Dean Shareski, Alec Couros, Hall Davidson

Who is the winner of the tool duo? Poll Everywhere: bit.ly/itsummitvote
To submit your favourite tool - bit.ly/itsummitshare

Hall - Camstudio - Screen Capture Video

Alec - Tin Eye - Visual Search

Dean - ClassTools.net - Random Name and Word Picker

Hall - YouTube Mobile - Go to your youtube settings, mobile video uploader email address so you can email content right to your account or give it to others filmonthefly.org

Alec - WiTopia - To let you be from other states so that you can access stuff around filters. Costs $60

Dean - Google Search Stories Video Creator - Online video creator using live searching

Hall- Make the World's Best Webcam from Broken Camcorder by hooking it up to your laptop and it lets you zoom using the camecorder's more powerful zoom.

Alec- DropMocks or min.us - lets you upload photos and share them with others without creating an account.

Dean- MPEG streamclip - Squared 5 MPEG Streamclip lets you convert video into a useable format

Hall - Google Body - (TSA Camera using a bluetooth camera but only works in chrome) - bodybrowser.googlelabs.com

Alec - Storify- lets you see what is being said about anything you like and using the editor you can make it into a video. i.e. IT Summit - you can make it into a story

Dean - iPad App - Talking Tom - can be made into a video that you can upload and share

Hall - Blabberize - Lets you upload a picture and make them talk.

Alec - Synchtube - Lets you watch a video at the same time as others so you can watch it together

Dean - Let me Google that for you - Creates a video of you typing something into Google

Hall - Power Points into Movies - Save your powerpoint as a jpeg and then make them into a movie using movie maker or you tube. You can find power points from others using advance search and look only for .ppt files on a particular subject. Jamendo.com to add music

Dean - Stumbleupon - Lets you find interesting things that other people have tagged with things that you are interested in. Searching by tags.

Alec - crocodoc - let's you upload a document and add visual annotations

Hall - 45x Microscope with Camera A/B app (Lets you watch an iPhone camera on an iPad)

Dean - iMovie - lets you create a movie trailer that gives you a story board/shot list to help you figure out how to film your movie.

Alec - Aviary - Myna - lets you do online audio editing and provides some loops for music creation.

IT Summit - Tuesday Morning Keynote - Michael Wesch- Remixed Schools: Creating Learners in the 21st Century

2011-05-10T12:58:00.000-06:00

Tuesday Morning keynote. Micheal Wesch: http://mediatedcultures.net

Students are finding it hard to find a connection to the classes they are required to take. There's something in the air that allows everyone around the world to connect using a variety of web apps. Trying to find From knowledgeable to knowledge-able. How to we move students towards this making education relevant in their lives.

The world is on fire - we need students to work together to solve the dire problems of our world.

"Technology allows us to create connections without constraint. This has both positive and negative consequences."

Search out "Numa Numa" on Youtube for an example of world collaboration.

We express: individualism, independence, superficiality
But we value: community, relationships, authenticity
This creates a cultural tension- connection=constraint

Is learning only really all about acquiring information? What is learning all about? We only trust authority for good information that is beyond discussion because it is authorized information. Can authority be granted through discussion? example: Wikipedia

Transformations in Learning:
"Receptive knowers" - Just taking in information
"subjective knowers" - Don't just take in information but discuss and filter information that they are taking in.
"procedural knowers" - ability to dig deeper and knowing more about the topic - "seperate knowers" - distance themselves from the subject at hand vs "connected knowers - making connections to the topic
"constructive knower" - develop the capacity of "what is" thinking develop participatory thinking.
Other source to check out: http://transformativelearningtheory.com

Knowledge-ability is a practice - we need to create an environment where this is practiced through a cycle of communication, empathy, and thoughtfulness.

IT Summit - Transforming Digital Storytelling with the Infusion of 21st Century Skills

2011-05-09T11:14:00.000-06:00

Presented by representatives from Saskatoon Public, J. Byers, J. Berthelot, J. Salikin

Today's Meet http://www.todaysmeet.com/transforming

What a classroom has become. If you are doing what you always did before with new tools, then you don't need the new tools to do that. What we need to do is transform what we are doing and then support that with new tools.

Does using a word processor improve writing? Used Poll Everywhere to get audience input.
Link to handout to how to use word processors to improve the writing process: Techy Teacher

The learning spectrum - Literacy- learning the tools for the tools sake - level 1, Adapting the technology for learning sake (doing the same thing with new tools) - level 2, Transforming - We want the students to be producers - Level 3. Students go from being a consumer of information to a producer of information. Difference between open and closed questions. Quoted from Bernajean Porter.

We are moving from the "about" type questions to open questions. Students demonstrating that they understand the information and can present it in a new way that demonstrates deep thinking. More resources for Photostory.

It is not about the technology, it is about the learning. A highlight of ISTE's NETS for students. Teachers don't necessarily teach better just because they know technology. It is about the teaching.

IT Summit - Dean Shareski Keynote - Saskatchewan's Unsung Heroes of Educational Technology

2011-05-09T10:01:00.001-06:00

My notes from Dean's keynote. Dean's blog is called Ideas and Thoughts

Heroes don't call themselves heroes. Heroes are people who are passionate about trying new things. In the end, they really want to make a difference in the lives in kids. Those are real heroes.

Tinkering and Play- Story #1
Connaught School in North Battleford - Leslie and Jim
How can we get the kids to take control and get them to where they want to go? Demonstrated use of 1:1 laptops and the integration of a SMART Board in Grade 1. They created a new sense of play and of wonder. What are the things that our students really do need.

Gever Tulley "You can figure out things by fooling around" - Ted Talk to check out.

Collaboration - Story #2
Shannon Auramenko and Stacey Monet - John Diefenbaker School in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division
The Grade 2 Teacher working with the Tech specialist for the division in a co-teaching role. Integrating new technologies and ways of learning.

Reputation Management - Story #3
Ken Sogge, Horrizon School Division
Communications Manager for the School Division. Working to develop a network of school websites that connects schools over a large geographical expanse. Creating a transparent view into classrooms. They are letting people know what they are doing in their different schools.

"It is no longer enough to do powerful work if no one sees it." Chris Lehman.

2.0 Objectives for information officers: Create, Transform, Listen, Co-create, Provide, Accept.

Social Glue - Story #4
Glen Munro from Prairie South School Division, Network Administrator
Glen has a real online presence and has a passion for photography. When a school division is spread out, you don't get to know people the way you do when you all work in the same building. Online tools like Facebook, Twitter and Four Square can build relationships online between people who don't get to work together under the same roof. Getting to know your coworkers is important to being able to do a good job.

Social Learning and Inquiry - Story #5
Joanna Sanders Bobiash from Regina Public Schools
Demonstration of social learning in the classroom. Students working together to create a website that taught others about the disaster in Japan.

How did you contribute to the learning of others? What did you learn from others?

Teacher Librarians - Story #6
Carlene Walters - Saskatoon Public
Talking about good digital citizenship and what makes a good question. Carlene's role is to help students get to those deeper questions so that the synthesis and real deep understanding is there.

We have moved beyond a narrow version of "who to trust" from the news to developing our own "trust network" to know that the information we are getting is accurate.

Rethinking Learning - Story #7
Shelly Wright - Prairie South School Division
Shelly's blog - Has transformed her classroom to create a new role for herself as a mentor and leader. Her blog documents in detail the transformation of her teaching. We need to rethink the way things are done today to teach the students of tomorrow.

Personal Learning Networks - Story #8
Powerful Learning Practice - taking networked learning and bringing it into an in-school approach. Teachers from Saskatchewan and other Canadian provinces working together to talk about strategies and teaching online. Providing collaborative professional development. Creates opportunities to create openness and sharing amongst educators.

Technology will never replace teachers. However teachers who know hot to use technology effectively to help students to connect and learn will replace those who don't.

We need to become connectors and not just dispensers of information.

Become a narrative champion - tell others about the work of other teachers. Start sharing because they are too humble to do it themselves.

IT Summit Presentation - The Effective Integration of Handheld Devices into the Classroom

2011-05-09T06:49:00.004-06:00

This week, I'm attending the two-day Saskatchewan IT Summit in Saskatoon. It is a great opportunity to meet with, hear from and discuss the integration of technology into the classroom with educators from across the province.

This morning, I will have the opportunity to present my experience about the integration of hand-held devices into my teaching. Here is an embedded copy of my presentation for those of you that are interested.

Effective Integration of Handheld Devices into the Classroom

View more presentations from Joanna Sanders Bobiash

The two YouTube videos that I will show during my presentation are included in the slideshare. I am also showing this CNN video about the ongoing debate about the usage of cellphones in schools:

A presentation to North Battleford French Immersion Teachers

2011-05-02T00:29:00.002-06:00

Today, I had the pleasure of presenting to the French Immersion Teachers in North Battleford about how to find resources online and how to share them with each other. The goal of my session was to provide some insights and tools to teachers to make it easier to work together. Often we are spending our time searching for the same things. It is not always easy to find the best resources to support our new curriculum. Why not work as a team to accomplish this task? Work smarter, not harder!

Here is a copy of my presentation (in French):

La recherche et la collaboration

View more presentations from Joanna Sanders Bobiash

Here is the video I shared during my presentation that explains how Diigo works:

Diigo V5: Collect and Highlight, Then Remember! from diigobuzz on Vimeo.

School Tours: A visit to Massachusetts

2011-04-24T05:43:00.378-06:00

In April, 2011, I had the priviledge of visiting schools in Cambridge and Acton, Massachussetts on behalf of Regina Public Schools.

View Massachusetts School Visits in a larger map

(L-R) Blair, Simone,
Courtney and Joanna

Our team was comprised of representatives from two schools:

École Wilfrid Walker School: Simone Verville, Principal and Joanna Sanders Bobiash, Teacher Librarian and Specialist Teacher

École W.S. Hawrylak School: Blair Gullickson, Principal and Courtney Cornelisse, Learning Resource Teacher

Purpose of our visit:

First, a little background about the purpose of our visit. Regina Public Schools is currently undergoing a process called structural innovation in all of its schools (key innovations include: flexible teaching arrangements and instructional groupings, teacher collaboration, interdisciplinary and inquiry-based teaching and learning, and inclusive practices). I previously wrote about what we are doing at Wilfrid Walker in April 2011 and May 2009.

As part of this process, the division asked its schools to undertake an inquiry process of its own. We were tasked with the challenge of researching and visiting schools somewhere in North America who were practicing some of the key innovations themselves and then bring back ideas and proposals for our own schools after seeing them in action. What a wonderful learning opportunity.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

On the first day, we visited two schools; Graham and Parks Elementary and Haggerty Elementary in the Cambridge School District.

What we learned about the Cambridge School District:

There are 12 elementary schools in Cambridge. Students are admitted to the schools using a lottery system at the Kindergarten level called “controlled choice”. After a series of tours and meetings, parents select their top five choices. Priority points are given for location and family considerations, but it is rare to have students attend the school in their neighbourhood. The lottery system was developed to encourage desegregation and mix students based on socio-economics. As a result of the lottery system, students are bussed all over Cambridge to attend their selected school. This results in a staggered start for all schools so that buses can pick up students in waves depending on where they live and what school they attend. Schools in Cambridge offer very individualized programs but use state curriculum and stardized testing in all schools called MCAS in Grades 4, 8 and 10 in English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science & Technology. The district's funding per student in 2009 was $26,337. (Source: CPS)

Next year, elementary schools in Cambridge will change their structures to allow for four junior high schools that will be co-located in elementary schools. Students will attend elementary school from Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten to Grade 5 and junior high school for Grades 6-8. This decision was made due to small co-horts of students at these grade levels at some schools and will allow for students to be taught in subject groupings.

Graham and Parks Elementary School

What we learned about Graham and Parks Elementary:

No bells rang to mark the change of classes. There was no hustle and bustle in the hallways. These were my initial thoughts as I entered Graham and Parks Elementary School.

The old building was welcoming and full of light in its entry. Student artwork was displayed and the few students who were in the hallway smiled and welcomed us to their school. The school is built around a central court-yard that contains a community/student maintained garden and compost bins that are maintained through a school composting program.

The school layout itself is organized into classrooms, library, cafeteria, gymnasium, auditorium, administrative offices and computer lab. As a tech enthusiast, I was keen to observe a number of Smartboards and a couple of mobile laptop carts in addition to the computer lab. There were also computers in the library.

Graham and Parks has traditionally been a JK-8 school and is considered to be an "alternative school" because it was founded by a partnership between parents and teachers in 1981 to provide a student-centered learning environment in multi-graded classrooms. It's first principal of the school, Len Solo, authored a book entitled "Making an Extraordinary School: The Work of Ordinary People" about the creation of Graham and Parks. Solo served as Principal of the school for its first 20 years.

Parent involvement in the school was quite evident. While we were there, parents and grandparents were busy volunteering by reading with students or helping out in the classrooms. The parent council plays an active role in the hiring of the Principal and other staff, although the final decision is done by administration. They also provide input into school organization and programing through a steering committee which has elected representatives from parents and teachers.

Their 430 JK-8 students are organized into JK/K, Grade 1/2, Grade 3/4 (looped with same teacher), Grade 5, Grade 6. Grades 7 & 8 are organized into a junior high structure. They also have a sheltered English Immersion program (SEI) organized into 3 classes (1/2, 3/4, 5/6). Their classroom teachers are staffed by the school. Their specialist teachers are staffed at a district level (Music, Art, Library, Gym). Because the teachers are staffed at the school-level, they tend to spend their entire career at the school. Discretionary budget money used to hire assistants for every class. Teachers have weekly collaborative planning time (45 minutes once a week) for individual grades. Assistants take care of class or specialist times are scheduled in common

Due to the size of the playground, recess is done in rotation. Lunch is also served in rotation in a cafeteria. The menu is set by the district and some students bring their own lunch. There is also the option for some students to receive subsidised/free lunch but are not identified as everyone receives tickets.

There is an extended school day for SEI and students who failed the MCAS as extra tutoring time. Students are included through “special invitation” and are transported home at a later time. There are also Harvard students who volunteer their time 1:1 during this tutoring time.

Other programing notes include French as a second language in Grades 5-8 (5/6 – 60 mins/week & 7/8-135 mins/week). They also have a Band program which is mandatory in Grade 5 where everyone plays the same instrument and after Grade 6, the band period is mandatory, but students can belong to the chorus or play an instrument.

One evaluation piece that I found interesting was the use of portfolios at the Grades 7/8 level. The portfolios are developed by students and then are presented at the end of Grade 8 year to parents and teachers. This takes the place of report cards.

Haggerty Elementary School

What we learned about Haggerty Elementary:

Haggerty is PK-6 and has approximately 250 students. They run an inclusion model and many of their classes are team taught with a general educator and a special educator with one assistant per class. Class PTR is 1:20 (PK/K) and 25 (1-6) under teacher contract.They have a full day Kindergarten that is a looped class for Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten.

Upon arriving at the school, we received a very warm welcome. Our visit was short, but very interesting. We began our visit with a tour. We observed classrooms that were very structured and expectations and rules were posted around the classroom and on desks. Students's desks were organized into groups or teams.

We also observed co-teaching in action in two different classrooms. One educator took the lead on the lesson while the other educator supported the lesson by adding in during the discussion and explanations and circulated to ensure students remained focused. Both teachers were in charge and did not focus their attention on any student in particular. They were both there to help all students. We later learned, during our meeting with the staff who was the general educator and who was the special educator.

In addition to the teams of teachers (general and special educators) at the school, they also have a principal, an assistant-principal, a literacy coach, a math coach, an English coach and an inclusion coach, a tech specialist, an art specialist and a gym specialist. They also have a site-based substitute teacher in the school for the year who is reassigned to help in classrooms if not needed.

Literacy Coach: does reading recovery, work with students who are below grade level, works with students who are not on Ed. Plans but create interventions, works with kids who are struggling but not on Special Ed. Program.
Math Coach: is helping teachers assess what the math challenges are in their classrooms and how to address them.

One teacher shared her experience with a program offered in her district called the Aspiring Leaders Program. It a volunteer group of approximately 15 teachers who are working together and talking about teaching. They discuss problems of practice and discuss solutions. They then observe a teacher in action and propose solutions. The teacher found it to be a very rewarding experience. They meet monthly to observe a teacher in the classroom and discuss issues of concern that they want to work on. The administrators are supportive of the program and offer coverage to ensure the teacher can be released to participate.

Friday, April 8, 2011

On the second day, we visited two schools; Merriam Elementary and McCarthy-Towne Elementary in the Acton Public School District. These schools are unique because they share the same building, yet maintain separate programs and philosophies.

This building was designed to house both Merriam (right)
and McCarthy-Towne (left) Elementary Schools.

What we learned about the Acton Public School District:

There are 5 elementary schools in the district. Each one has their own philosophy and practice. There is also a junior high school and a senior high school. The school district uses “School Choice” lottery system to determine what school student will attend Kindergarten. Process consists of parent tours/information evenings/meetings and then ranking their choice (1-5) of the 5 schools in Acton. 90% get first choice. When a new family moves into the district, they are sent to the school with the lowest number of students in that grade and that is where they stay. Staffing is done by the school district and school. The control of hiring practices makes it difficult to move between schools and districts. Under contract, there is a cap on PTR – 22 in primary and 25 (Grades 3-8). The PTR is higher in high school. The district uses standardized testing, MCAS and under "No Child Left Behind", each school must have a report card that shares testing results with parents. These report cards are available on the district website: Merriam and McCarthy-Towne. In Acton Public Schools, funding was $11,256 per student in 2009-10. (Source: APS)

The two schools we visited were located in one building designed to accommodate the two schools. They share a gym, library, and cafetorium but maintain separate computer labs and meeting rooms which are all located in the central/middle part of the school. Classrooms are located in hallways branched off the main part of the building. They share an assistant principal who splits his time between both schools as required.

Coordinating the departure of over

1000 students by bus every day can be

a challenge for the two schools. We

observed two different systems that

both worked well for coordinating

this complex task.

The two schools may be located in the same building, but maintain their own programs and philosophies. It was really interesting to see how unique two schools can be, yet they are located under one roof. We received a very warm welcome from both schools during our visit and enjoyed our day immensely with everyone.

What we learned about Merriam Elementary School:

Merriam is a K-6 elementary school with approximately 550 students. Programs of note at Merriam include a project-based curriculum with looped classes. They have ELL and a Before and After School enrichment program. They also feature a community service learning program. More information can be found in their School Handbook: Merriam School Handbook. They also have an explanation of their unique programs listed on their website.

To help build a sense of community in the school, there are approximately 40 “Family Groups” in the school with about 15 students in them (K-6). They meet regularly and stay together the whole time students are at the school (same group starting in Kindergarten until done Grade 6). They also meet every Monday morning, at an assembly in the cafetorium to establish a sense of community. There is also an end of day assembly on Friday afternoon during the first three months of the year and during the last three months of the year. This allows students to have a positive start and end to the school week and usually allows opportunities for students to perform in front of an audience.

There is a paid Educational Assistant in each classroom that is funded through fundraising money provided by the parents.Kindergarten is half days with an option for parents to have an additional half day at their expense. There is a Teacher Council comprised of an elected representative from each collaborative cohort that meets with the Principal every other Tuesday morning for an hour before school.

They have looping in Grades 1-6. The students spend two years together as a class with the same teacher. During a meeting with teachers, we heard about the pros and cons/challenges of looping:

Pros of looping classes:

Great relationships and connections with students and parents.
No start-up at the beginning of the second year because you already know your students
Can make links from previous year when teaching new material.
Less stress because if you don’t finish everything before June, you have one more year to get it all covered.

Cons/Challenges of looping classes:

Some students can be challenging to have for two years straight
Knowing two years of the curriculum.
Long-term projects that last both years can pose a problem for a new student entering the school.

Merriam has also divided its staff into collaborative teams (1/2, 3/4, 5/6). They meet for 1.5 hours on Fridays and briefly throughout the week over lunch to plan and discuss issues together. While they are not in their classrooms for these meetings, the classroom assistant covers the classroom. During their team meetings, they follow a TRIAD model where they have a chosen facilitator for their meetings that rotates week-to-week. They spend part of the time meeting in a grade specific meeting and the other half meeting as a cohort. They find it an advantage that there are others who have taught the grade the previous year whom they can consult with. Just because the staff/classes are organized into cohorts, they don't always do the same things in individual classes. Sometimes they mix the themes. Sometimes they do the same projects, sometimes they do different projects. When asked what this looks like, they said that sometimes they share a project idea during the meeting but then everyone returns to their individual room and rolls it out in their own way. Other times they all do the same project and work together to get it done. During their meetings, they also map the curriculum out in the spring for the fall ahead and sometimes they benchmark student work or compare results to plan for student success.

What we learned about McCarthy-Towne Elementary School:

McCathy-Towne is a Kindergarten to Grade 6 elementary school with approximately 500 students. Programs of note at the school include ELL, an integrated arts program called SLOYD, a before and after school enrichment program, and two Concord Area Special Education (C.A.S.E.) classes. More information can be found in the McCarthy-Towne School Handbook: School Handbook

Currently, classrooms are straight grades located throughout the school. At the end of this year, staff will be voting on clustering grade groups together to allow for better collaboration next year. They have the SLOYD art program in place at their school and an art inclusion specialist that works with teachers to integrate art into instruction. The artwork around the school was spectacular. From original works of art displayed near the art room to the intricate and creative projects displayed near classrooms that integrated art into other subjects. The integration of art was evident and well displayed around the school.

Teacher collaboration continues to pose a challenge for staff. They do their best to meet on their own time and currently use sub release time to allow for groups to meet for 1.5 hours every other week. This is under review for next year. Their principal prided himself on having a dedicated staff who are in constant evaluation and reflection mode to find out how to service the learning needs of their students and to allow for more collaboration time. They are looking at the schedule for next year to increase collaborative prep time when common grades are with specialists to allow for meeting time in grade specific groupings. They are also considering establishing a block of instructional time where there is no pull-out because constant pull-out is a problem (30-40 times/week/class) at their school.

There is one mandated staff meeting a month after school. Common prep-time not mandated (3 x 45 minutes prep periods a week/teacher) but staff feel working collaboratively is important so they often try to meet on their prep time. There is also early release in their districts on Thursdays for PD (School ends at 1:00 and teachers have PD until 3:30) where one a month is local PD others done by district. To accommodate this in their schedule, the district increased length of time other 4 days so that instruction time is not missed.
Not driven by MCAS for instruction. They teach test writing skills but do not teach to the test. They are an inquiry driven and project based school.

We had an interesting discussion about assessment with staff representatives. McCarthy-Towne does not issue traditional report cards, rather they use a skills checklist with portfolios for evaluation. They have 3-way conferences twice a year and celebration of learning evenings. Goal setting by students starts at 3rd grade. Assessments are typically done using rubrics, comments and checklists. There are some grades given on certain assignments at the 5/6 level to prepare for Junior High School. Checklists for year-end assessment are grade specific and help indicate if child is at grade level. They are presented at the end of year conference and are attached to the student portfolio. They are not sent home prior to the meeting with the parents.

Final thoughts for potential ideas to implement in Regina Public Schools based on our school visits:

Evaluation: I found it very interesting, that despite the use of high-stakes testing at these schools, there was more emphasis on the use of portfolios and skills assessment than on test scores. It could be that because their students have higher than average test-scores, there is no need to focus on these tests. However, as we change the way we teach in our own division, I have begun to realize more and more the need to develop other forms of reporting to parents than the traditional report card. I am a big fan of portfolios and believe that this method could be used by schools here in Regina to demonstrate students learning. Paired with student led conferences, presentations and teacher completed checklists of skills at the end of the year, this type of assessment would be a more accurate and informative for teachers and parents. It will be challenging to implement, as many parents will have a hard time accepting an assessment report that doesn't contain letter grades. Moving beyond traditional report cards is an important step in the implementation of new ways of teaching in our division.
Looping: I liked the idea of implementing this practice. Having experienced first hand the ability to work with the same group of students over a number of years, I know first-hand how beneficial it is to the students and the teacher to know the needs and abilities of the students to support them on their learning journey. Being able to see them grow and learn in a supported way is a reward for the teacher. The sense of belonging and team dynamic that develops amongst the students in the group is important and contributes to a positive learning environment.
Teacher PD and team support: In both districts, there was supported learning for teachers in some form both inside and outside of the classroom. I really like the idea of the formation of groups of teachers who work and learn together. Whether it is the district-wide version described in Cambridge or the collaborative-team support observed in Merriam, I believe that a version that works for Regina Public should be developed. Giving the chance for teachers to see each other in action in the classroom is some of the best professional development an educator could experience. Working collaboratively to solve problems and reflect on practice would be a great opportunity for teachers of any level of experience to have. I also liked the model in place in Acton for weekly PD opportunities. There was a mix of local, district and teacher choice PD opportunities available on a weekly basis. This wasn't offered after school or on weekends, but during the day on a regular basis. Implementing this for the division would allow the opportunity for all teachers to receive the regular in-servicing required to remain current in their practice.
Inclusion: We observed very similar practices for diagnosing and identifying special needs in particular students in Massachusetts, that we already have implemented in our own division. A tiered approach to intervention was used there and here. Supporting student success is just as important to us as it was evident in the schools we visited. A big difference in the level of support is the number of human resources available to the students in both Cambridge and Acton. From district funded support staff in the form of classroom assistants, school counselors, school psychologists, literacy and math coaches, and special educators teamed with general educators, it was rare to see only one adult in a room with 25 students. This is a big ticket item for our division and for our province who is looking at cutting the number of educational assistants in the classroom. If we want full inclusion to work, we need to put the human resources in place to ensure its success.

Being able to visit and learn from other educators was a very rewarding experience. I am very grateful to my division for allowing us this opportunity. This visit gave me the opportunity to see other teachers in action, learn about their challenges and reflect upon my own practice. I have also turned into a much "bigger picture" thinker after these visits. I am now constantly thinking and brainstorming new ideas not only for my school but for my division as a whole. Knowing that we are all experiencing similar challenges was important for me to see. We all have student improvement and learning at heart. How we approach that job is perhaps a bit different, but we are all doing our best to meet the individual needs of our students with the tools and resources we have at hand. We left Massachusetts with the hope that some of the relationships we built while we were there will continue. We still have a lot to learn and share with each other.

Using Google Sites in Second Language Instruction (Guest Blog Post)

2011-04-23T08:05:00.004-06:00

This post is cross-posted from Free Technology for Teachers where I appeared as a guest blogger this weekend.

I am a Canadian French Immersion Educator at École Wilfrid Walker School in Regina, Saskatchewan. That means that I teach students whose first language is English, in French. Students in a French Immersion program are taught all subjects in French starting in Kindergarten. By the time they reach middle years, they have strong oral, reading and writting skills in both languages.

As a second language instructor, I often find it a challenge to find relevant resources for my students that are both at their reading level and at their interest level. I teach Social Studies and Science to students in Grades 6/7/8. These subject areas are often a challenge at this grade level in French Immersion as most resources for middle years in French are written for first language readers in Quebec which means that the vocabulary and verb tense can be difficult to understand. Having students read a text and fully comprehend it can be a frustrating experience. Being a small market, publishers who create fantastic materials in English to support our provincial curriculum often ignore the Saskatchewan French Immersion market, as it is not profitable for them to produce the same resources in French. As a result, I have come to rely on online resources to support my instruction of our curriculum. How to present, share and utilise these online resources with my students is always a challenge.

As an avid user of technology in my classroom, my students and I have experimented with numerous sites and applications over the years to enhance our learning experience and to showcase our deeper understanding of curricular outcomes.

Our school division uses Google Apps for Education. All of my students have their own accounts that I can control. This has revolutionized how I teach and interact with my students. Through one platform, my students can access their work at school or at home. I can share documents and presentations and decide if they are public or private. They can email me their questions and comments and I can reply anytime I choose from my computer or even my phone. They can also build collaborative documents and presentations with their classmates. We have also cut back on printing costs because my students simply share their assignments with me for evaluation. No need to waste paper in my classroom.

Google Sites has become an easy way for me to share links and resources with my students. This year we have used this platform in numerous ways in both Social Studies and Science. Being able to easily create a site and have numerous editors has empowered my students to become responsible authors who are excited to learn about the world around them and share their knowledge in a second language. Knowing their site has the potential to reach a global audience adds an extra level of engagement.

My first experiment with Google Sites was to create a site to frame a project my Grade 8 students were working on about the ownership of water. Le GRAND Débat linked resources and presented the steps each group had to follow to prepare for our class debate. It was easy for me to embed video tutorials and explanations into the site. Groups also created podcasts using their iPod Touch and Sonic Pics to introduce their arguments. Using Google sites for this project was very well received by my students. It was easy for me to create a site, use a template and add resources.

Other ways I have used Google Sites in my classroom include:

Building sites to showcase student projects: Grade 7 Mining project and Grade 6 First Nations Legends and Constellations project.
Coordinating virtual literacy and numeracy centres where Grade 6 and 7 students work with Grade 1 and 2 students on different skills: Centres 1 and Centres 2
Students building their own sites to present their Science projects (modelled after Google Virtual Science Fair): La Foire de sciences virtuelle
Building collaborative inquiry driven projects. My students wanted to learn more about the recent disaster in Japan. We built this site in groups (Une catastrophe au Japon) based on questions we had about the disaster in Japan and making connections to our lives in Canada. We then used the site to promote our student council's efforts to raise money for the relief effort in Japan and to educate other students in the school about the disaster. They were rewarded by raising over $1000 for their charities of choice in a school with less than 250 students in two weeks.

The more I use Google Sites in my classroom, the more I love it. I would be interested to learn how other educators are using this tool in their classroom with their students.

Joanna Sanders Bobiash is a French Immersion Middle Years Educator and Teacher Librarian in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Joanna maintains a blog entitled My Adventures in Educational Technology. Joanna is also on Twitter.

Cool Tools for Successful Collaboration

2011-04-21T20:58:00.002-06:00

This morning, I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Erik Van Dusen to high school teachers from Winston Knoll, Balfour and Thom about ways that we can use online tools to share resources and collaborate.

Despite working for the same school division, Erik and I have only met a few times in person. We have had many interesting discussions and shared many resources online through Twitter. In the expanse of a few short months, he has become a valuable member of my PLN. Our presentation itself is a great of example of how the tools we presented today can easily be used for online collaboration by anyone. In fact, our entire presentation was built online using Google Presentations and discussions were had using Twitter to finalize what we were going to say and how we were going to present it.

We gave the same presentation three times as the teachers from the three schools were organized into similar subject groupings. It was really interesting as an outsider from the elementary level to hear about some of the innovative ways teachers at these three schools are integrating technology into the classroom.

Unfortunately, if you didn't attend our presentation live, you missed out on our witty dialogue. But fortunately, if you would like to view our online slide-deck and see what we talked about, please check out one of two options:

A link to our presentation built using Google apps with easy to follow links: http://bit.ly/iejumk

An embedded version of the presentation here for your viewing pleasure:

Cool Tools for Successful Collaboration

View more presentations from Joanna Sanders Bobiash

Talking about Google Sites

2011-04-03T18:38:00.001-06:00

On Monday, April 4, I will be sharing some of my experience with Google Sites with the Teacher Librarians in my division. Here's the guiding presentation I will be using, however, most of it will be hands-on and live demo from my sites' menu. There are some good links here if you want to learn more about Google Sites.

Link to the presentation in Google Presentation Format (easier to follow hyperlinks): http://bit.ly/hzYnYd

I'm also embeding it here from Slide Share if you just want to view the slides without leaving my blog:

TL Session on Google Sites 04-04-2011

View more presentations from Joanna Sanders Bobiash.

Cross Post - A New Structure for Learning

2011-03-22T15:54:00.002-06:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been participating in an online book study being hosted by the Calgary Science School (CSS). The book we have been studying is called: Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching can Transform Education by David Perkins.

I had the pleasure of being the guest blogger for Chapter Six, "Learn From the Team". In my post, I decided to talk about my own school's structure and weave in the concepts discussed in Perkins' chapter. I believe that it is an example of inquiry in action!

To read all of the discussion about this book, please visit the book inquiry study site at CSS. If you get the chance to read this book, I strongly recommend it. It is a great read.

Here is a cross post of what I posted about Chapter Six from the CSS professional blog:

Chapter 6: Learn from the Team

Guest Blogger: Joanna Sanders Bobiash

I am a French Immersion Middle Years Educator and Teacher Librarian in Regina, Saskatchewan. I received my B.Ed. from the University of Regina. I am passionate about the integration of technology into the classroom to enable students to think and work together in new ways. I have documented my journey through my blog entitled “My Adventures in Educational Technology” . In 2009, I won the $20,000 “Best in Class” award from Best Buy for the use of technology in my classroom. This award enabled me to purchase many new tools for my classroom, including iPod touches and netbooks, which have allowed my students to learn in new ways.

You can follow Joanna on Twitter here.

I chose this chapter to write about because of its title, “Learn from the Team”. Collaborative learning is a key component to the current environment in my classroom and in my school. Many aspects of this book really resonated well with me because I’m fortunate to work at a structurally innovative school that allows me the opportunity to put many of the seven principles in this book into practice. In fact, after reading Perkins book, I felt that it will be a useful tool to help explain some of the structural changes and practices we are currently implementing at my school. Please indulge me as I share a bit more about the structure I have helped develop at my school while reflecting on Chapter 6 of Perkins book.

First off, let me tell you a bit about my school and our structure, as it is far from traditional. École Wilfrid Walker School is a public, K-8 French Immersion Centre in the suburbs of east Regina. All instruction and interaction occurs in French, which is the second language for the majority of our students. Other than a couple of hours a week devoted to English Language Arts instruction, our entire curriculum is in French. In fact, students don’t receive any instruction in English until they are in Grade 3.

In this chapter, Perkins begins by explaining the importance of the “Social View of Learning”. In French Immersion instruction, social interaction is crucial to second language acquisition. The premise of this practice is to “immerse” the learner in a new language environment. Students come into the program with no knowledge of the language, but are actually forced to learn and interact using the language before they fully understand it. They rarely receive translations for what they are learning, but instead their comprehension is supported through images, gestures and social interaction to learn new vocabulary and grammar.

French Immersion students in fact explore the same concepts other learners in the same grade are learning in English at other schools. In a short amount of time, they become fluent in the language as they are challenged to think and learn in new ways. Perkins begins this chapter by talking about Vygotsky insights into concepts like “social scaffolding” and the “activity theory” and their impact on internalized learning.

I believe that learning in French Immersion is successful because students are learning through physical actions and conversations that help internalize the new language that they are encountering. I believe that students would not experience the same successes if they were not exposed to the social aspect of learning through a “social scaffolding” of supports from their peers.

What makes my school different from other French Immersion schools across Canada? Social learning is not a new practice and has been important to the success of French Immersion since the beginning of the program more than 30 years ago. The difference at our school is that we have taken social learning to the next level.

In 2009, Wilfrid Walker was one of the first schools in Regina Public to experiment with a new structure under our division’s initiative called “Structural Innovation”. Our structure is founded on the principles of flexible groupings, team teaching, student choice, inquiry and project based learning. It is rare to walk through our school and see students sitting in rows listening attentively to a single speaker in front of the room. Usually you see students working together in pairs or in groups on hands on learning tasks or projects. From the early days of Kindergarten, students are “playing the whole game” when it comes to learning French.

At Wilfrid Walker, most teachers teach only a few subjects, which is rare in elementary school. This focus allows teachers to become masters at what they do and allow the students the benefit of receiving quality learning experiences from educators who are specialized in the subjects that they teach. Our student body of approximately 250 has been divided up into three grade specific pods (1-2, 3-5, 6-8). Students have a homeroom, but are otherwise grouped and re-grouped during the day depending on the subject that they are studying. These groupings change throughout the year as our calendar has been organized into eight, six week blocks.

Although our schedule is blocked into more traditional subject headings, teachers plan as teams to ensure that similar themes are covered through many subjects at once, ensuring students work in cross-curricular situations. They are able to solve problems and apply language skills in math class then later use those same skills to investigate world issues and propose solutions to today’s problems in social studies, science and health.

Ideally, students would have exposure and opportunities to work with real experts in their fields. Just like how most educators in Saskatchewan learn to be teachers by doing lengthy internships, we learn best by observing and working alongside veterans in their field. Education students get to apply their knowledge by practicing their skills in the real world and learn to reflect and try again. That is how they become master learners.

I think that the next level of Perkins’ described “Communities of Practice” in this chapter would be in the form of team teaching at my school. Not only do we host and mentor our share of university students but being able to plan and teach alongside our colleagues in the same room allows us the ability to see each other in action, to reflect on our own practice and to have opportunity to become better educators.

This brings me to the section of the chapter devoted to “Studio Learning.” I feel a particular attachment to this part of the chapter because my classroom does not actually have a number like most others in our school. Its “room number” is actually a name and is called “Studio 1”. It is a place where I spend most mornings teaching social studies and science in mixed grade groupings of students in 6/7/8. Students in my classroom follow the studio model explained in this chapter (demonstration-lecture, students-at-work, process of sharing and critique) to learn about the required curricular outcomes in social studies and science for their grade level.

But what does this look like? I start each block modelling and demonstrating what we will be learning about to give students an idea of what it “actually looks like”. Students then use problem solving methods similar to the “Pair Problem Solving” method described in this chapter to work on specific learning tasks to get more familiar with the topic at hand. They collaboratively draft questions and propose hypothesises about the topic.

Finally, students choose to work independently, in pairs or as teams to attack larger problems, which are either student or teacher constructed, through lengthy project-based learning periods or student focused work periods, culminating in a peer critiqued sharing event or presentation at the end of the block.

The culture of constant feedback and reflection are woven through my classroom. Students have been taught how to give constructive feedback to each other and how to effectively reflect on their own learning. They teach each other how to approach problems in different ways. They also mentor each other to see past what is happening in the classroom and to try to apply their ideas in a real world context. Their journey is documented through learning journals, exit cards and block end reflections. This is my form of “Extreme Team Learning” and is evolving every day and we re-evaluate and try new ways of learning at our school.

This type of learning wouldn’t happen if we hadn’t already developed a culture of understanding at our school where students feel supported and listened to, not only by the teachers, but by their peers as well. An open and caring environment is necessary for students to experience success.

Finally, my latest experiment is the concept of “Cross Age Tutoring”. Traditionally, this method is used in our school in the form of “Reading Buddies”, a time where older students read to younger students or vice versa. As we focus more and more on the acquisition of 21st century skills, I have developed literacy and numeracy centres where older students work with primary students on acquiring new skills through the use of ipods, laptops and Smart Board.

Nothing is more rewarding then hearing older students give feedback or instruction to younger students using the terminology they have learned to use in the “Studio”. The older students often comment in their reflections that they really enjoy teaching younger students new things. This experience gives them confidence knowing that even if they are struggling with concepts and skills at their own grade level, they have come a long way since Grade 1. They also say that they have become better learners themselves watching how younger students learn.

I’m not sharing our school’s journey to say that we are the best out there. We have come a long way and have a long way to go. We are constantly learning and growing along with our structure and make changes and improvements all the time. We have developed a structure that works for our students and their needs. As their needs evolve, so will our structure.

I’m curious to hear how you interpret “social learning” or “learning from the team”. I hope by sharing a bit about my school, you will share a bit about yours. I am always looking for new ways to approach learning in my classroom and in my school.

I look forward to hearing more from you.

Joanna

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 in San Francisco, CA

2011-02-20T07:19:00.069-06:00

San Francisco as seen from Alcatraz

From February 17-19, 2011, I was given the wonderful opportunity to attend the Learning and the Brain Conference in San Francisco, CA, on behalf of my school division. As an avid reader, it was fantastic to be able to hear first-hand from many of the authors that I have learned so much from through their books. I hope that some of the speakers I was able to hear from at this conference will come to my province in the future as I believe that their thoughts and ideas are important messages all educators need to hear and consider.

I have posted something from all of the sessions that I was able to attend. They are written in the form of notes taken during the sessions, rather than reflections on what was said so that you can see some of the ideas discussed at the conference. I have tried to include book links, videos and websites as much as possible.

The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from Alcatraz

For those of you who are reading this blog and are are in my school division, I have ordered the sessions on MP3/synced Power Points so that we can watch and learn from all the wonderful presenters at the conference at a later point in time. Let me know if you are interested in viewing any of these presentations.

Before leaving San Francisco, I had half a day to visit the island of Alcatraz. During my tour of the island and former prison, I couldn't help but feel sorry for those who were sentenced to serve their time on the island. The city sparkled against the blue water. After spending three days walking to and from the conference in the rain, we finally had a beautiful, sunny day to enjoy.

As I enjoyed the view of the cityscape from the island, I couldn't help but wonder if students might be feeling trapped in schools where they are only learning by traditional means. They might also feel somewhat unengaged and isolated at school from the more advanced world that they are living outside of the school day. Increased efforts need to be made by all educators to improve our own skills and teach content and skills in new ways that are relevant to the students of today and prepare them for their futures.

Like the prisoners who spent time on Alcatraz, our students will eventually leave the island known to them as school. They will need to solve real-world problems and demonstrate that they possess the collaborative and communication skills necessary to gain employment in the future. The experts who presented at this conference left the participants with a lot of food for thought. It is now up to the participants to help lead the way to help make the changes necessary so that learning in the 21st century will be effective and engaging for all students. If not, we will become obsolete as a profession.

Here are my notes from the sessions I attended:

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Friday, February 18, 2011

Keynote #1 - Tony Wagner
Keynote #2 - Linda Darling-Hammond
Keynote #3 - Marc Prensky
Breakout Session #1 (PM) - Kenneth Kossick (coming)
Breakout Session #2 (PM) - Kurt Fisher (coming)

Saturday, February 20, 2011

http://www.learningandthebrain.com/Event/iGeneration/Program

Learning and the Brain 2011 - John J. Ratey

2011-02-19T23:59:00.002-06:00

Keynote III: Countering the Cyber Life: Getting in Touch with Our Hunter-Gatherer Genes
John J. Ratey, MD
sparkinglife.org - author of Spark

Plato: we need a meeting of educational and physical self

Hunter Gathers - If you did not run, you did not eat
These are activities that we need to force or think about now.

Evolution teaches: sitting, sitting, - the person at the computer

Adaptation, Moving, Learning - the front part of the brain grew to help us move. The evolution movement - that which we call thinking is the evolutionary internalization of movement.

Our genes made us do it - they drive us to load up on calories and take it easy - they want us to only use what we need and conserve the rest for later.

Children who are normal weight, are 30 points smarter when they are older than children who are obese at 4 years old

Resilience is just a silly word - helicopter parents take care of everything for their children - they blame or excuse everything for their children.

You are 7% smarter when you stand up.

You can get that resilience next year - parents who blame play time or physical activity time and excuse them from participating.

Imagination playgrounds that promotes active play at recess

In schools with more fixed playground equipment, children were less active.
In schools with more portable equipment, i.e. balls and tricycles, children were more active because children have to be more creative and come up with their own games.

Everyone gets a trophy - just for showing up - You need to learn how to fail, to learn from your mistakes, adjust the rules, solve the problem and get up and play again

Stuart Brown's book - Play

Play and Exercise a way to develop resilience, tenacity, persistence and commitment.

brain chemistry - exercise is like a mix of Ritalin and Prozac at the same time.

PE4Life - mandated PE and are to become more physically fit to help get the brain working - 45 minutes a day of fitness driven PE

For more information and presentation slides visit:
johnratey.com
sparkinglife.org

Learning and the Brain 2011 - Jane M. Healy

2011-02-19T23:36:00.014-06:00

Keynote II: Different Brains, Different Learners: Rethinking "Intelligence" and "Learning Disability" for the 21st Century
Jane M. Healy, PhD

Author of Different Learners - Identifying, Preventing, and Helping your Children's Learning Problems

Learning and the Brain Conference
San Francisco, CA
Saturday, February 19, 2011

There is a misfit between the learning style of the child and the evaluation of the student's learning. (i.e. standardized testing)

Points to Ponder:
Brain Crisis: Culture, kids and schools - the mismatch

Learning Difference the pain, the potential

The Educator's Response

Are we teaching kids to be masters of their tools or tools of their tools?

We need to put students in the position where they can rise above computer intelligence and in control - master of tools or tools of tools?

But some things don't change:
-Physical health issues
-Developmental stages (waves) - is it right for every age group for the cognitive development stage that they are at? How do we know?
-Individual differences - collaborative problem solving needs of future careers - there needs to be room to allow for individuals to work by themselves if they work better that way. (Behavioural needs)
(Learning style, temperament, rate of maturation)
-Need for human connections (F2F, teacher as leader, mentor, etc)

Brain crisis - a child being born today in the US has a 30% chance of being diagnosed with some type of learning problem.

Learning problems may include:
academic skills - reading, math
behavioural skills - ADHD
Social-emotional skills - Asperger's, NVLD, etc.

Pop Quiz -
1. 60% of the most popular educational apps for the iPhone are for preschoolers - what kind of effects will they have on them when they reach school - how will it change their brain?

2. Kids 8-18 spend 8.5-23.5 hrs/day with some sort of media, of which are .5 hrs with books (Kaisers Foundation stat)

3. New research shows that background TV in preschoolers' home impairs their own inner-speech (that helps them speak) and to manage and plan their own play activities and manage their own behaviours.

4. A new and fast-growing learning disorder diagnosis is executive function (hint: think frontal lobes)

Who's brain is really in charge? This child's or the programmers? (Cover of the New Yorker)

5. A recent study of highly successful entrepreneurs found that close to 50% of them were dyslexics.

6. Michael Barry, the financial whiz who read the financial statements and sold short the sub-prime mortgage market has Aspbergers.

Take-away - the environment of childhood has changed, and it has significant effects on growing brains. These effects may exacerbate certain learning challenges.

Human evolution may have preserved certain neurobilogical differences for reasons that are as yet unknown.

Our challenge: Honour the talents but ease the learning process.

All students need reflective teaching to become masters of their teaching to become the tools of their tools.

Learning difference
The pain
The potential

Cerebrodiversity - No two brains are alike and no one has a perfect brain

The Brain Thinking - If everybody was the same and someone had a thought and it was wrong then everybody would be wrong. Isn't it better to have different thoughts? - A disproportionate number of CEOs are dyslexic. Thinking differently creates opportunities.

Dyslexia - Talent or Liability?

The ability of Dyslexics to interpret impossible figures makes them good at visual requirements for future careers.

A.S.D. - Talent or Liability?
-we see a different reaction of young children's exposure to electronic faces (which don't react the same as a human face)- this could exacerbate A.S.D. because they lacked the ability to see details in human contact (facial features and details that show human emotion)

A.D.H.D. - Talent or Liability?
Impulsive response - not being able to manage their own mind, they are just stimulus bound - some video games train this kind of response.

It is not nature or nurture but it is nature and nurture.

Epigenetics changes to the genome as a result of experience - environments shape genes and brains.

The dance of nature and nurture.

Culture Changes Brains - The Dyslexic Brain Changed by Teaching (showed brain scans)

Brain Disruptor - Stress - We need balance between technology and playing in the environment with others face to face.

Intelligence for a digital age - an educator's response
-time uninterrupted, concentrated thought may prove to be most important skill that one can hone - John Brockman
Are we doing this in school? It might be the only place to get it.

What is worth preserving?

life in the real world
nature
interpersonal skills
childhood

intelligence for a digital age
symbolic reaction
....

Tools of the Mind - self regulation that needs to be taught or implemented in schools

What is right for a 16 year old is probably not right for a 6 year old. Consider that difference can be an asset so don't neglect the brain builders...

Learning and the Brain 2011 - Gerald N.Tirozzi

2011-02-19T23:27:00.001-06:00

Keynote I: Faulty Connections: How School Reform Ignores How the Brain Works
Gerald N. Tirozzi, PhD

Saturday, February 19, 2011
San Francisco, CA
Learning and the Brain Conference

The Brain Rule - a book to check out

It is important to understand how the brain works before you make decisions about how school works. Why does school start at age 5 when the brain is developing the most prior to this.

Educational taxidermist - stuffing students uniformly with little or no understanding of how children learn.

Why does the day end at 3:00? Is that when the brain stops working? Why does school not happen in the summer? Poor students do not have access to summer programing that give wealthier students rich experiences that help them when they come back to school.

Why do high school teachers mostly lecture? Students need to see images, graphics, etc to learn from a lecture. We do not see with our eyes, we see with out brains.

Why do we offer foreign language in high school when it is best to start in elementary?

Why do we start high school at 7:30 AM when adolescents learn better at 9 or 10 AM? This is simply to accommodate bus schedules and coaches' schedules not in the interest of learning.

Waiting for Superman - depicts charter schools as the holy grail of education reform. We want a level playing field for all students (ELL and Special Education students, access, etc.)

Standardized testing does not recognize the different learning styles or background knowledge or learning context. They are marked on how well they fill out a bubble. Students are marked incorrect when they are actually giving correct answers. They are just not giving the answer we want to hear.

Gardner - the bell shape curve should be 3 dimensional to reflect the 8 multiple intelligences. Students are failing because they excel in areas that are simply not assessed.

Point: Parenting programs, voluntary school for 4 year olds, voluntary all-day kindergarten programs. Extend the school day and the school year doing things differently (not if we are doing the same thing). National childhood literacy policy - make sure they are reading before they are leaving the 3rd grade.

"If we teach students today how we did yesterday, then we are robbing them of their tomorrows." - John Dewey

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 - Marc Prensky

2011-02-18T22:06:00.034-06:00

Teaching Digital Natives - Partnering for Real Learning
Marc Prensky, MBA
http://marcprensky.com/
Games to Train (Develops software)
Author of Teaching Digital Natives
Keynote #3 - Learning and the Brain Conference 2011
February 18, 2011
San Francisco, CA

Look at life from the perspective of students - what do they want and need?

"Brain Based" Learning? - Learning vs Teaching

Neuroscience - has potential to steer educators in wrong directions. What is the right mix of learning strategies and the Right Motivation to learn? The context of education has changed - don't try to bring back what has worked in the past. Previously, for students, the past was similar to the future. Now, for students, the future is different from the past.

"The perfect storm of change"
In our student's lifetime, technology will become one 1 trillion times more powerful.

groenbrothers.com - The Multi Uses for a Cell Phone

Verbs vs Nouns = Skills vs Tools

Presenting - Powerpoint
Communicating - email
Learning- wikipedia

Verbs stay the same but the nouns change rapidly.

The digitally wise person requires digital tools because there are things our brains do well but that machines do better. Wisdom in the 21st century is a combination of both.

Where we share the work
- Students do what they do well: use tech, create, finding content
-21st Century teacher is the coach, guide, partner by being able to ask good questions

Better pedagogy is needed in the form of partnering between students and teachers. Teachers are tools in education. We need to implement 21st century tools by focussing professional development on changing pedagogy first. We need to create an environment where students are teaching themselves with their teachers guiding and coaching them along the way. Leturing and technology as a combination does not make sense. It is like a runway crossing a highway. (airport in Gibraltar)

Final point: We need to change how we teach and what we teach because the context around the kids is changing.

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 - Linda Darling-Hammond

2011-02-18T19:02:00.003-06:00

Linda Darling-Hammond
Transforming Teaching Learning and Assessment
How Can We Prepare Learners for a Flat World?

Morning Keynote #2
Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 - San Francisco, CA

Author of The Flat World and Education

Key points: This keynote was very interesting but mostly spoke about the need for reforms in the American education system. She used PISA scores and spoke about the need to evaluate 21st century learning skills through task-type/problem solving type assessments as opposed to testing based on memorization. Used Australian examples of assessment.

The Need for More Powerful Teaching - Loved the clip from Ferris Buller's Day Off. Anyone? Anyone?

More knowledge has been created between 1999-2003 than in the history of mankind preceding it.

Expectations for Learning are Changing:

The new context means new expectations. Most studies include:
communicate, change teams, problem solving, etc. list by Chris Wardlaw (Improving on Being First in PISA)

A Rich Task: Science and Ethics Confer (Queensland, Australia)
an example of an assessment requiring the skills in the above list.

Worldwide Reform Initiative Generally Seek to "Teach less and learn more" giving the time for the analysis of problems, develop critical thinking, etc.

Tests for learning, not high-stakes "punishments"

What does the score mean and what are we measuring?

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 - Tony Wagner

2011-02-18T18:36:00.005-06:00

Overcoming the Global Achievement Gap: Learning, Leading and Teaching in the 21st Century
Tony Wagner, ED.D.
Innovation Education Fellow
Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard
tony_wagner@harvard.edu
www.changeleadershipgroup.org
Author of: The Global Achievement Gap

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011, San Francisco, CA
Morning Keynote #1 - February 18, 2011

What is the "crisis" in American education really all about - what's the "problem"?

The rock: New Skills for work, continuous Learning and Citizenship in a "knowledge society" for All Students

They are skills we don't teach and don't assess

This Net generation is differently motivated to learn

Reform vs. Reinvention
- we need new structures, different ways of teaching and testing and new ways of evaluating (reinvention)

-The seven survival skills for careers, college and citizenship
1. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving - demands of employers today for its employees to be able to do. The ability to ask really good questions and the right questions.
2. Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by Influence - lead by peers.
3. Agility and Adaptability
4. Initiative and Entrepreneurship
5. Effective Oral and Written Communication - kids can write because they don't know how to think and they don't know how to write with voice. This makes them not very persuasive.
6. Accessing and Analyzing Information - question curriculum that requires memorization. Move beyond textbooks.
7. Curiosity and Imagination - 70% of US Economy is consumer driven and the savings rate was -2% - People are spending money they do not have on items that they do not need. We need young people who are going to be innovative and solve the worlds problems.

Learning walks - see how people are teaching and propose change (evaluation of practice - spend as much time debriefing as you spend observing)

The only curriculum in American schools is test prep.

What is the Global Achievement Gap - it is the gap between what even our best schools are teaching and testing versus the skills all students will need for careers, college and citizenship in the 21st century.

What motivates the Net Generation- accustomed to instant gratification and always-on connection
use the web for:

extending friendships,
interest-driven, self-directed learning and as a tool for self-expression,
constantly connected,
creating and multitasking in a multimedia world-everywhere except in school

The Net Generation has less fear and respect for authority accustomed to learning from peers wants coaching but only from adults who: don't talk but do, want to make a difference and do interesting things.

Rigor - guess who?
- not content driven but give them the 21st century skills - need to know how to write, research and form an effective study group (peer group learning)

Focus on Timeless learning that has stood the test of time:

Rigor is content mastery (getting more right answers)
studying existing content by disciplines
learners working alone and in competition
motivated mainly by extrinsic rewards (grades)
taught by isolated content experts through memorization/recall
assessed mainly by multiple choice, computer scored tests

Focus on using content to master the competencies of "Just-in-Time Learning"

Rigor is figuring out the right question/problem to be solved, exploring questions and new problems within and across disciplines

Habits of Mind - learning to ask the right questions - copied and re-posted from www.missionhillschool.org - Habits of Mind section of their website:

Five Habits of Mind

The Mission Hill Habits of Mind are an approach to both the traditional academic disciplines (math, science, literature and history) and the interdisciplinary stuff of ordinary life. They are what lead us to ask good questions and seek solid answers. They are our definition of a well-educated person.

1. Evidence: How do we know what’s true and false? What evidence counts? How sure can we be? What makes it credible to us? This includes using the scientific method, and more.

2. Viewpoint: How else might this look like if we stepped into other shoes? If we were looking at it from a different direction? If we had a different history or expectation? This requires the exercise of informed “empathy” and imagination. It requires flexibility of mind.

3. Connections/Cause and Effect: Is there a pattern? Have we seen something like this before? What are the possible consequences?

4. Conjecture: Could it have been otherwise? Supposing that? What if...? This habit requires use of the imagination as well as knowledge of alternative possibilities. It includes the habits described above.

5. Relevance: Does it matter? Who cares?

None of these five habits stand separately. And the way we use such habits differ if we are studying a mathematical proof, a scientific hypothesis, an historical dispute, a debate over economics, the appreciation of a piece of art, a critique of a novel, the telling of a myth or narrative, or the settling of a playground dispute.

The Mission Hill Habits of Mind are supplemented by Habits of Work: the habit of meeting deadlines, being on time, sticking to a task, not getting frustrated quickly, hearing out what others say, and more.

Both sets of “habits” are developed in the process of gathering appropriate knowledge and skill in school and out. The best test is whether students use such habits in the course of their work. And again, not just in school. Knowing “how-to” is no substitute for having good habits. Who cares if you could drive well, if you’re not in the habit of doing so? Who cares if you could be on time, if you never are?

Redefining District Organizational Excellence: Accountability
Hold ourselves accountable for What matters Most (AYP vs Attainment)
Track cohort graduation rate and how well students do once they are in College (www.studentclearinghouse.org)

1. Use the College and Work Readiness Assessment to assess analytic reasoning, critical thinking, problem-solving and writing www.cae.org

2. Academics - Doing the New Work: teaching and assessing the skills that matter most - the 3 Cs (Critical and Creative Thinking, Communication and Collaboration) in every class and at all grade levels. Pilot interdisciplinary courses around essential questions that require all students to have digital portfolios, work internships and a service internship project

3. Collaboration: Doing the New Work in New Ways
-every student has an adult advocate
-every teacher on teams for collaborative inquiry looking at student and teacher work
-Transparency: videotape teaching, supervision and meetings (lesson study vs. evaluation)
-Digital portfolios for teachers and leaders

4. Policy implications for REAL Innovation
Accountability 2.0 Systems: Tracing read grad rate
School based Research and Development - creating lab schools - pictures of what 21st century schooling can be like New Tech High and High Tech High; videotape exemplary lessons and teacher team meetings.

5. Performance standards to license and re-license educators.

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 - Linda Jackson

2011-02-17T22:00:00.002-06:00

Linda Jackson
Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 - Breakout Session (PM)
Internet, Video Games and Children: Relationships with Academic Performance and Creativity
https://www.msu.edu/~jackso67/
https://www.msu.edu/user/jackso67/CT/children/index.htm - Children and Technology Project

What is IT doing to our children? Is it helping, hurting or having no effect on a multitude of developmental outcomes?

Academic Outcomes?

HomeNetToo Project 90 Families in Michigan were given computers and Internet for 16 months.

Frequency of Children's Internet Use - Mostly spent on websites and playing games.

No effects on psychological well-being
no effects on social involvement
positive effects on academic performance (GPA and MEAP reading scores)

By using the Internet, they were reading to figure out where to go. They weren't hanging out with their friends at the mall or doing other activities that wouldn't require reading (testing out this hypothesis right now).

Summary: (finding on the Effects of IT Use, 2005)
Internet use: suggestive evidence of benefits to reading scores and GPAs of under achieving children. Children Claim it is important to school performance

Communication Using the Internet: Mixed in the larger literature, there is evidence of positive and negative effects (e-mail, Instant Messaging) on social connections.

Cell phone use: very little research, especially on children's cell phone use.
Videogame Playing: Evidence that playing violent video games is also related to lower GPAs and in adults, to better visual-spatial skills.

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory of Development Applied to IT Use:
Person & Context (graphic to look up online but took photo)

Children and Technology Project:
482 children from 20 middle schools in Michigan

Results:
Internet use predicted reading skills
communication using the Internet predicted nothing
Cell phone use predicted nothing
video game playing predicted visual-spatial and negatively predicted GPA.

Students who are low benefit the most from video game use and Internet access.

Conclusions:
Internet use increases reading skills but this relationship may be limited to children who are initially low in reading skills.
Video game playing increases visual-spatial skills but this relationship maybe be limited to children who are initially average in school performance.
Cellphone use increase reading skills but the nature of this relationship is unclear. Cell phone use was infrequent in this sample of 12 year olds.

Communication using the Internet has no effect on any gender.

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011: Don Massaro

2011-02-17T21:59:00.000-06:00

Universal Literacy: The Digital Age Engages the Learning Brain
Dom Massaro
University of California, Santa Cruz
http://mambo.ucsc.edu/dwm.html
Learning and the Brain breakout session (PM) - February 17, 2011

Late Intervention
Multi-sensory Pattern Recognition = Speech
Perceiving Talking Faces: Value of the Face importance in vocal recognition

Baldi - See What I'm Saying
(http://mambo.ucsc.edu/psl/svs.mpg)

Vocabulary Knowledge is important to understand what we are teaching. Baldi was developed to help teach vocabulary.

Used to teach students that are hard of hearing to learn vocabulary successfully because he shows face movements, not just hearing a voice. The articulation is important.
Early Intervention:

Cost of illiteracy is $240 Billion because 75% people on welfare don't know how to read.

Goal is to have universal literacy at an affordable cost.
Theory that Reading can be learned just as naturally as speech. The current dogma is that speech is naturally learned and reading is learned artificially.

Critical Periods:
Auditory System
Visual System
Language System(s) (Speech, Sign, Reading)

What's Needed for Literacy? Written Language (See Things, Signal analysis, learn categories)

Have words projected as the caregiver speaks (incorporating a virtual learning environment) similar to closed captioning on TV. So that reading becomes natural from an early age.

Funding for early childhood literacy would help offset the literacy deficit.

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011: James Paul Gee

2011-02-17T21:58:00.000-06:00

Keynote#3 - Language and Learning: From the Age of Literacy to the Digital Age
James Paul Gee, PhD
Learning and the Brain Conference 2011
San Francisco, CA

Next book to be released soon: Language and Learning in the Digital Age on Amazon

Also author of Good Video Games and Good Learning (2007) and a few more: List on Amazon

Good learning and teaching consists of the following:

Emotion
Goals
Reflection on Action
Copious Feedback
Cognitive Load
Interactive - Inside and Outside
Experiences

Video Games are very good teaching/learning tools because they can incorporate all of these things.

Good teachers design good opportunities for learning and allow for social interaction. This is a well designed activity or program.

Language is what we learn first - being able to cope what the language is going to be to learn in a formal educative setting.

Humans learn from experience. To learn the language necessary for learning, they need to learn it from experience.

Video games allow images and experiences to be connected to language and makes it memorable. It puts words into action.

YuGiOh (Card and Video Game) - It teaches language that is highly technical because each word is connected to an image, action or dialogue.

Learning and video games:

Problem solving
Clear Goals
Copious Feedback
Well Designed Experience
Mentoring In game and in Meta-Game
Performance Before Competence
Failure
Well-Ordered problems
Cycle of Expertise
SMART tools

Teaching through problems lets people to be good at what you are teaching because they work on all the skills necessary to solve the problem.

It has got to be challenging but doable.

Assessment: integrate learning and assessment, copious information, multiple variables, growth across time, trajectories across time, preparation for future learning, informative=evaluative

Gamers purposely submit their data to compare themselves to other gamers. A very complex form of assessment because it is multi variable.

Learning and the Brain Conference 2011 - Dr.Gary Small

2011-02-17T21:57:00.000-06:00

Dr. Gary Small, MD
Director, UCLA Center on Aging
Cornell Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
Co-Author of iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind

Keynote- iBrain Technological Alteration of the Student Mind
Learning and the Brain Conference
San Francisco, CA
February 17, 2011

Relationship with Technology:

It's Personal
Let's do an experiment
Turn on your cell phone

When you turn it on, you feel connected and excited to find out what is going on. Now swap with a stranger. You are likely feeling anxious right now.

We need to find time to disconnect.

Network Organization - Specialized Brain
Perception of Image or sensation. Intense emotional reaction, connection or memory.

Our brains our very plastic. They are very much like a computer.Our brains have neural circuits/synapses that will strengthen as we use them.

Malleable Young Brains

When you are young, learning is fast (language and instruments)

Our brains adapt based on the environment we live in.

Is the environment really changing. Young people between age 8 and 18 total of how much tech time each day - 11.5 hours. A lot of this time is multi-tasking.

Digital Natives:
Born into technology.
24/7 use and access
Instant gratification - wants the newest technology as soon as it is developed.
More technology, less direct, face-to-face social interaction

Brains still developing
Empathy, complex reasoning skills

Technology and Addiction- When does it become a problem?
Email follows an exercise in operand conditioning. You keep checking and checking in order to get that one "happy face" email in amidst all the spam.

Does Technology Affect Face-to-Face Social Skills?
Study of 197 students, aged 17-23 years.
One study suggests that playing games, removes the ability to recognize face expression.

Everyone loves to be connected and kids who text feel the connection.

Learning to listen and maintain eye contact.
Usually the conversation is back and forth so it is hard for the listener not to respond.

Technology and Attention Deficit

Computer use is associated with ADHD in elementary school children. Some pediatricians have recommended that very young children not have access to technology.

Is Technology making us Less Productive? Search engines, social networking, etc.

Components of creativity:

Predictors of creativity
Tendency to be open to new ideas

Positive and a Negative
Pros:
improved reaction time
instantaneous access to information and communication

collaboration, online discussion

cons: disconnected and interact in person less

Learn technology later in life
older brains may be slower
resistance to innovation

Do you Remember?
Colour TV
first mobile phones
typewriters

Use of computer technology according to age:

Less than a third of 75 year olds use technology

Is Google Making us "Stoopid"?
Study comparing those over 60 who were Tech Savvy and those who had never searched online

When the Internet savvy people searched online, use all parts of their brain. Their brains are more active.

Healthy Lifestyle Strategies Associated with a Lower risk for Dementia

You can train the brain to remember things better using a healthy lifestyle program.

You see the big picture more quickly and have the ability to solve problems.

Look - SNAP - CONNECT
Activity observe what you want to learn, Take a mental picture of it and make a connection

Video - WHoDUNIT? Did you notice the 21 changes?

It is easy to miss details - you can train the brain to be more perceptive to remember things because you make visual connections to help us remember.

Technology can Train our Brains
-surgeons who play video games make fewer errors because you can develop better peripheral vision and better motor skills

The Future Brain
Computer Interface Technology
Thoughts will be wirelessly transmitted to other devices.

Is Search the end of Memory or is it the opportunity for Collective Wisdom?

Action items:
Reach consensus on nature and extent of problems
Be aware of multitasking and make time offline
Twitter: @DrGarySmall
www.DrGarySmall.com
www.aging.ucla.edu

iBrain: Surviving the technological alteration of the modern mind

Thought provoking video from New Brunswick

2011-01-27T22:18:00.000-06:00

I came across this video thanks to a tweet from @Nunavut_Teacher tonight that included this list of "12 videos to spark educators' thinking". The post is located on a blog called Dangerously Irrelevant by Scott McLeod and contains an interesting list of videos. McLeod is the co-creator of the popular "Did You Know? Shift Happens" video that is now in its 4th edition. He and Karl Fisch definitely got everyone talking with their video a few years ago about reforms required in education to meet the needs of today's learners.

Most of the videos on this list I have seen before and highly recommend taking the time to watch them if you haven't seen them already and to share them with others.

One video in particular on this list I hadn't seen yet from the Government of New Brunswick. I think it would be a great conversation starter for any PLN or staff meeting. I hope that it is something that is shared across Canada in all provinces as we discuss education reforms.

Creating your own PLN - How can I become a better teacher?

2011-01-20T22:21:00.002-06:00

I have spent a lot of time lately taking to fellow teachers about the power of creating your own Personal Learning Network (PLN) and the benefits of having an online PLN through Twitter. Thanks to Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers, I have three embeded items to share with you to help you find other teachers to network with online. I hope you will consider adding me to your PLN when you get started @bobiashj. What are you waiting for?? No time like the present to get started. Don't forget to download Tweetdeck to help manage your tweets. To help you find conversations you might like to follow and contribute to, don't forget to add columns with hashtags (the word with a # sign in front). Here's a list to help you find some topics of interest (List of hashtags from HP Teacher Exchange).

A PLN is a great way to share resources, ask for help or celebrate accompishments. Here are a few things to help you geet started. Thanks Richard Byrne!

Presentation to DMTH Class at the University of Regina

2011-01-20T11:37:00.001-06:00

Today, I was invited as a special guest to make a presentaion about the integration of technology into the teaching of Math. Here is my presentation that I made (in French) to the 3rd year undergrad students in DMTH class at the University of Regina. Hopefully the students found it useful and discovered some new tools or ideas to add to their tool kits.

The links for this presentation are located here: http://fur.ly/4dog

Here are the slides from my presentation:

DMTH Presentation - Maths et Technologie

View more presentations from Joanna Sanders Bobiash.

Here is the poll we started out the presentation with:

Create interactive meetings at Poll Everywhere

Please leave a comment with your ideas, tools or resources for integrating technology into math instruction.

iPod Touch and iPads in the Classroom - List of Resources and Ideas - Part 2

2011-01-17T23:24:00.003-06:00

photo © 2007 DerkT | more info (via: Wylio)
It has been almost a year since I have had these powerful devices in my classroom and boy has life changed for all of us. Here's an update to my previous post about iPods in the classroom.

I should also add that I purchased an iPad in June and it has really influenced how I interact with my iPods. I now have a control centre for running all of the apps my students have on their iPods, but with a bigger screen. Much easier to show groups of students how to use an app as everyone in the group can see it in action. I even use an app called Planbook to access my lesson plans. I simply sync it using my Dropbox from the fabulous desktop program I was already using on my Mac to the app on my iPad. Genius! It has increased my productivity immensely.

I am a fan of Google Apps and use the Google Mobile app to access my docs, forms and presentations. My students all have Google accounts through Google Apps for education and we have essentially eliminated the need to print in my classroom. I get instant feedback or collect assignments from my students using Google Forms that they can complete on the iPods.

I discoverred that I can use my iPods as clickers using the eClicker Host on my iPad and eClicker on their iPods. They work like the SMART Response system you can purchase for your classroom, but instead of purchasing and storing more devices, you are using tools you already have in your classroom. I make up quizzes or feedback forms online before class and then activate them during class. I can check for understanding and get feedback during instruction or have students complete quick quizzes to see what they already know before starting new concepts.

A must have for any set of class iPods are little microphones that plug into the headphone jack of the iPod. You can find them for next to nothing on Amazon for about $2.00.

We have used them for voice recording in a number of different ways. From recording the Grade 1 and 2 students reading their books to practice fluency, to Grade 6, 7 and 8 students recording podcasts, conducting interviews and creating videos, these little microphones are an invaluable tool when paired with the iPod Touch. The best app I have found for voice recording and being able to use the audio elsewhere is called iPro Recorder because you can download the recording over a wireless network onto a computer and re-edit it in a program like Garage Band or Audacity. I found that Audioboo is a great site to host podcasts and share them with others. You can also easily embed them on your blog, wiki or website.

After watching Tony Vincent's Learning in Hand video on the K12 Online Conference, I had my Grade 8 students used Sonic Pics to create videos to introduce their team's position for the debate they held about the sale of Canadian water to the US. Using screen shots of photos they located from websites I had linked on our class website, they edited and narrated short videos. They also used PS Express, Comic Touch and Doodle Buddy to re-work their images to fit their argument. (You can watch the final product of their videos by following this link.) I also used Sonic Pics to create "how-to" instructional videos using screen shots from my iPod to explain how to use the apps for this project. They were referred to often by the students during the project.

One project I would like to try before the end of the year is an iPod/iPad band or musical performance after being inspired by the North Point iBand. I saw their video over the holidays and I have started downloading instrument apps and will share what works best once we've successfully set-up our "band".

Some of the other resources I have come across since my last post that you might find useful are:

Apptivities - A great website with reviews and activity ideas for the use of apps by educators organized by grade level.
Math Apps - Top 10 Apps to use in Math class on the iPod Touch.
Apps for Educators - Top 200 iPad Apps in the United States for Educators
Digital Storytelling with the iPad
38 Interesting ways to use the iPad in the Classroom
28 Interesting ways to use the iPod Touch in the Classroom
iPods, iPhones and iPads in Education
Teach with your iPad
The Best iPhone apps for Kids, 2010
50 Must Have Educational Apps
iPod and iPad Usergroup Wiki

Please leave a comment with your favourite resource, website or story about how you are using these devices in education. I would love to hear from you!

Twitter Explained

2011-01-16T21:15:00.000-06:00

Here are two good short videos that explain what Twitter is and why you may want to consider joining. Most of my colleagues don't understand why I spend time on this network. I find it to be some of the best PD I could ever have. The network I have built up these past few years is invaluable and I have become a much better educator because of the dialogue and the sharing I have experienced on Twitter.

TEDxSaskatoon

2010-12-26T23:45:00.005-06:00

I can't think of a better way to spend my Sunday evening on the day after Christmas (aka Boxing Day here in Canada) then watching TED videos on my new laptop. Lucky for me, all the videos from TEDxSakatoon (held November 13, 2010) have been uploaded to You Tube so I had a lot of great presentations to watch. Hopefully I will be able to go to a TED event sometime in the future. I sure wish I had been able to go to this one. Here's a playlist of all of the TEDxSaskatoon presentations for your viewing pleasure:

Project Based Learning Explained - Common Craft Style

2010-12-14T00:37:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist sharing this video. I love the Common Craft Style video and use them often in my classes. Here's a new one from the Buck Institute for Education that does a great job explaining the concept of Project Based Learning.

A new way to get your news

2010-12-14T00:15:00.001-06:00

I've been noticing on Twitter that people are posting "their daily news" using a site called paper.li. I decided to try it out and discovered a new way to read the news coming through in my Twitter feed. You can also set up your own "paper" based on a search for a topic or to follow a group. This "paper" can also be set up to read your Facebook feed as well. I know that it won't replace my Tweetdeck, but I thought it was an interesting way to read what is going on today in your network.

Here is what my personal "paper" looks like based on my Twitter account:

2010-12-13T21:35:00.002-06:00

Here's a great e-book for educators to check out when wanting to learn more about how to use technology in the classroom. A great place to start if you are just beginning to integrate technology or a great refresher for those who are more advanced.

Thank you to all of the contributors who made this book possible and to Steven Anderson for hosting it on his blog: Web 2.0 Classroom.

Super Book Of Web Tools For Educators -

RSA Animates Changing Education Paradigms

2010-11-27T10:28:00.000-06:00

I wish I could animate my lessons like this. A great message from Sir Ken Robinson illustrated by RSA Animate.

Cell Phones in the Classroom? The Classic 21st Century Debate

2010-11-14T00:05:00.004-06:00

Photo: Dru Bloomfield, Flickr

How do you feel about the use of cellphones in the classroom? Should these devices be banned? How can they be effectively used in education? In the ever-evolving world of technology and its place in the classroom, this debate is still quite heated.

At my school, cellphones are turned in by our senior (Grade 6-8) students every morning to the office and picked up at the end of the day. This practice was put into place when students were caught texting inappropriate messages to each other and also phoning parents without the teacher's knowledge. This in turn caused a problem when a student was being picked up at recess by their parent (without informing the office or the teacher) and the student then being thought of as missing. This extreme case might make one question the need to collect all the phones on an on-going basis, but the measure was put into place to prevent future problems.

I would be interested in finding out more about how these devices are used "for good" in schools. Do educators use sites like Poll Everywhere and Wiffiti to gauge student interest or to get feedback on lessons? Do you let students phone into their online persona such as a Voki to leave feedback or leave thoughts. How can these powerful devices be used effectively in education?

I was busy marking and doing other report card related tasks Saturday morning, and missed the Classroom 2.0 live session. Thanks to my PLN on Twitter, Lisa Nielsen, the Innovative Educator's blog was shared with me. (Thanks @parentella for the link.) On her blog, I found an interesting article from November 3, 2010 about the use of cell phones in the classroom that was co-written using Google Docs by George Engel, Rob Griffith, Scott Newcomb, Lisa Nielsen, Jason Sutter and Willyn Webb. In their article "10 Proven Strategies to Break the Ban and Build Opportunities for Student Learning with Cell Phones", a comprehensive guide is shared outlining the steps to use cellular devices in the classroom. I also appreciate the number of research articles that this group has shared in their article and will be checking out their list. If you are interested in the use of these devices in your classroom, you should check it out.

K-12 Online Conference 2010

2010-11-13T22:32:00.001-06:00

This year, I was busy juggling too many projects at work and home to attend the wonderful K-12 Online conference live. As I received emails and tweets during the conference, I saved them for a time when I could spend time watching, learning from and thinking about the many ideas shared by the many presenters at this year's conference. If you use iTunes, you are able to look at the sessions as podcasts, which I find quite handy, given my new love for the iPad. There are far too many wonderful presentations to mention. Check out the speaker list and schedule here and discover for yourself the numerous learning opportunities this online conference has to offer.

Here are a few that I found interesting:

Presenter of interest #1: Pre-conference keynote: Dean Shareski, The Moral Imperative
Shareski questions and presents the need as educators to share. Isn't that the moral foundation of being a teacher? He questions: Is sharing an obligation? Does my institution see the value in sharing? How will it help my students? After watching this video, I would like to know what you think. Obviously, if you are a reader of my blog, you will see that I am a very open educator who likes to share what I know and learn with others and provide as many opportunities for my students to do the same. This opportunity to make learning real and connected has made learning authentic for my students. I would love to know the opinions of others on the importance of sharing in education.

Cool tools I learned about in Dean's video that I need to check out were how to use my iPad as a teleprompter using iPrompt Pro and the around the neck microphone.

Presenter of interest #2: Tony Vincent, Project Based Learning in Hand
This video was very inspiring to me. As a user of the ipod touch in my classroom and a frequent creator of authentic project based learning opportunities for my students, I couldn't help but be inspired by Tony's presentation. He managed to bring two topics together that I'm passionate about and inspire me to pursue new ways to use these devices with my students this year. This is a must see:

Presenter of interest #3: Britt Gow, Teaching Science to 21st Century Learners
As a Science Teacher to students in Grades 6-8, I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. In her video, Britt showcases how she integrates Web 2.0 tools into her lessons and includes student perspectives on the use of these tools.

There are many other speakers and topics to explore in the K-12 Online Conference. Check it out! I know you won't be disappointed.

Some Reading and Viewing to add to your To Do List

2010-11-12T22:42:00.019-06:00

I have had these tabs open in my Firefox for awhile (actually since the summer - yikes!) and have been meaning to post them on my blog for others to check out. Here are some interesting blogs and videos to check out when you have a spare moment. If you have others to share, please do!! Post your links in my comments.

8 Must Read Ed Tech Posts from SimpleK12:

Elizabeth talks about Jing, PLN's, Classroom Blogs, Firefox, Evernote, Empowering Students, Learning Styles and Online Communities. What more could you want?? Take a minute to check out her list.

Top 10 TED Videos for Educators (via Parentella):

I love TED videos. I could watch them all day if I had the time. Here are a few any educator can appreciate. Maybe you will be inspired too. This list was generated by the blog Parentella. If you have other suggestions or ideas for a Top 10 TED video list for educators, please comment. Maybe we can make our own list!

7 Videos all Educators should watch (via Free Tech for Teachers):

Some of these videos I've posted about before but I had to include this in my list of things to watch when you have time. Richard Byrne has done a great job compiling videos that I've seen in different venues or on different blogs around the web. Here they all are in a handy collection. Do you have one you would like to add to the mix?

Inquiry Learning at the SSLA Conference

2010-10-25T10:02:00.001-06:00

Presentation by Carol Koechlin
http://sslalearningcommons.pbworks.com

The renewed Saskatchewan curriculum has inquiry-learning in the middle of it. The chance for students to wonder, reflect, evaluate, etc.


Saskatchewan Curriculum Aims & Goals

Inquiry is a lot more than assigning a topic. If students are engaged in their inquiry, they will construct knowledge for deeper understanding. They are involved in the discovery of new knowledge and encounter differing ideas. They will also transfer new knowledge and skills to new circumstances. (Saskatchewan Curriculum)

The metacognative piece also needs to be added so that students understand that they are learning to be better learners. The collaborative piece and the power or potential needs to be added as well.

Carol Kuhthau, Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century

Carol Kuhthau, Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century "Inquiry learning is a social process in which students learn from each other in a community of learners."

Shifts to Watch:

Information seeking and reporting to indivudual and collective knowledge construction
Teacher directed learning to self and participatory learning
classroom learning to networked and global learning
Standards driven to exploring big ideas and concepts
Teaching to Facilitating process and active learning

Resources to consult:
SSLA Learning Commons Resources

Steven Johnson's video on Ted.com about Where Good Ideas Come From

A new year and a new role

2010-09-14T18:19:00.001-06:00

The new school year has begun. Students have been back at school for two weeks now and Teachers for a few more days than that. This year is a new adventure for me as my role in my school has been redesigned. I'm now serving as half-time Teacher Librarian and half-time Social Studies and Science Teacher for 6/7/8. I'm thankful to still be in charge of my inquiry studio where I deliver my classes for Social Studies and Science. I'm hoping that my new role will compliment my teaching and give me more opportunities to work and share with other colleagues.

Although my role has changed, my interest and passion for integrating technology into my teaching has not. This week, my library will open up to students for the first time to do book exchanges. Instead of preparing a formal presentation on the dos and don'ts of the library, I made an orientation video. I was fortunate enough to work with a fellow teacher librarian, Terry Pon, five years ago on an orientation video for his library at the time. I revamped some of his video and made it current for my students and situation. (Thank you for the footage Terry!) Now that we are a French Immersion Centre, I had to make the video in French. I still need to find some copyright free music to re-edit the music track, but I will post if for now and replace it when I have a final version. I hope you enjoy the draft version of my video. Welcome to the Resource Centre at École Wilfrid Walker School.

Twitter for Educators

2010-07-07T22:37:00.003-06:00

There is a lot of chatter and sharing on Twitter right now about how to use this social media in education. I have noticed a number of lists of ways to use it in the classroom being shared on Twitter so I thought that I would share a few of them here with my readers. Some links and ideas are better than others but you may find some of these ideas useful:

Twittercure - Kathy Schrock's Presentation at ISTE 2010 on Twitter
The Ultimate Twitter Guidebook For Teachers - a blog post found on EduDemic
50 ways to use Twitter in the classroom - a link sent to me by Samantha Miller
Twitter for Learning - 55 Great eLearning Articles - by Tony Karrer at eLearning Technology

What is Twitter? - Animated Explanations

Science Apps in an Inquiry Classroom

2010-07-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

I had a great comment left on my blog tonight by Marshall who gave me a link to his recent post on iPod Touch apps for use in a Science inquiry classroom. The list is very well done and Marshall did a very good job evaluating these apps and providing his recommendations. I just had to share: http://getrealscience.com/marshallh/?p=47

Thanks Marshall!