Living and Learning in Central Oregon

Today is a tech training day for admins. Up on our screen is a slideshow that asks the question “A day without technology…” Each slide has an answer to that question that highlights just how we use technology and don’t even think about it.

Example:

A day without technology is…

…a day without phone systems.
…a day without online learning.

What are your thoughts? Please add your comments below.

Last Friday we had a discussion among our district leadership around the concept what being a world class school district really means. It was one of those times where we could share our thoughts in a very honest, non-threatening way. We did not come up with an answer but generated many ideas that will be revisited over the course of the year. So what does world class mean? Here is one idea that a small district in TN:

• At Home with HomeLink: Free Internet Access Connects Families and Schools | Edutopia

  how one small town is trying to make their schools world class

  tags: BLPwordclass

  • The Greeneville City Schools system has a logo that features a compass, a globe, and two phrases that aren’t often uttered in the same breath: “small town” and “world class.” In this context, at least, the words aren’t a paradox. They’re an expression of a community’s commitment to educational excellence.

    The 15,500 residents of Greenville, nestled in the foothills of Tennessee’s Unaka Mountains, support their 2,726 K-12 students with uncommon fervor and focus. Parents, philanthropists, taxpayers, and teachers all pitch in to ensure excellent programs, top-notch instruction, and a state-of-the-art learning environment, despite the school district’s small-town budget.

  • “We honestly believe that if we’re not preparing our students to effectively use technology, it’s the same as if we’d never taught them to add, because the world of technology for them is like a hammer for a carpenter — it’s just ubiquitous,” says Larry Jones, the lead technician and network administrator for Greeneville schools.

My attempt at using text speech in the title of this blog post was probably pretty lame so sorry for trying to be bilingual. I just read http://www.edutopia.org/text-messaging-teaching-tool . It is about texting in the classroom and how some people are worried that it is having a negative effect on our kids.  I will admit that I cannot text. I do not own an iphone or a blackberry so my text messages take very long to compose with a regular phone keypad.  But my lack of text messaging skill doesn’t mean I don’t understand the popularity and usefulness of this tool.

Is text speak going to ruin the English language? Doubt it.  Especially if we can use it to our advantage as Cindy Rigsbee did. I would encourage you to read the Edutopia article and then consider if you are going to try to hold back the texting tidal wave or if you are going to try to use it to help further teaching and learning.

My opinion – Because we have so many kids owning and using cell phones I think we are missing the boat on accessing their teaching and learning potential.  Is there a way to use cell phones as personal response systems using something like Jott?  Don’t know the answer to that.  What are your thoughts and ideas.

This a cool little program that allows users to create a timeline and display it in many different ways – regular timeline view, list view, flipbook or map. Here is a timeline I found for the show LOST.

http://nets-implementation.iste.wikispaces.net/

I came across this wiki awhile ago and thought this was a great idea for teachers to share their ideas, lessons and strategies for the world to see. I have been checking back now and again but have not seen a whole lot of activity. I am hoping that this site will get some advertisement in San Antonio and that teachers will start adding to it. Which brings me to my plea, in order for web 2.0 technologies to work we need to give and receive not just receive. Pay it forward and add to this wiki.

This week I had the pleasure of passing out laptops to the high school teachers.  The freshman academy teachers were the first recipients and they were very excited.  I look forward to passing out the reset next week.  My only regret is that we could only take care of the high school this year.  Next year the middle level and elementary teachers are on my list.  We need to make all classrooms 21st Century Learning classrooms and this is a start. Below is the slideshowI used at my presentation.
[slideshare id=97042&doc=hs-laptops540&w=425]

I’ve been doing some surfing around on the web looking at resources for digital storytelling and came across three useful tools that teachers can use and kids can use:  Voicethread, Digital Storyteller, and Scratch.  I am sure there are many more, MS Photostory being one.  But no matter which is used I find the art of digital storytelling very appealing in the classroom and a process that supports, encourages, and teaches 21st Century skills.  Each of the sites above offer a different flavor to their digital storytelling method, approach, and service.  I was particularly intrigued by Voicethread because it seems very easy to use and is kind of like a audio blog to elicit comments from readers.

Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer is one of the blogs that I monitor regularly.  Wesley recently posted a draft of a presentation on 1:1 and School 2.0.  Being in the middle of a 1:1 project myself I took the time to listen to his podcast.  Everything he discussed and the visions he described are exactly what I am aiming for at my school.  We are a few weeks out before our 6th graders get the laptops and my biggest concern has not been handing thirty 12 year olds a $1600 machine.  Rather, staff development, or lack thereof has been my biggest concern. If our 1:1 project is going to resemble anything like what Wes discusses we are going to have to increase staff development dramatically. And if I want my school start moving toward School 2.0 the whole staff has to be trained. I think this is true for my school and all schools.  I find the tech literacy skills our teachers very lacking. In general they do not know what could be, they are too burdened with how things are and in the day to day regimine.  But it is not their fault.  It is the fault of school leadership (me included) and the lack of resources allocated to transform our school from 1.0 to 2.0.   Take a listen to Wes’ podcast.  It will make you think.

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/02/01/podcast122-the-case-for-11-and-school-20-draft/