CTAP Siskiyou Web 2.0

Excellent use of public domain video clips and voiceover to communicate "Creating Great Things Through Collaboration". Part of the #ETMOOC course I'm involved in. 

Evernote - the secret weapon for managing all kind of things. These videos helped me to take my use of Evernote to the next level. Whether you are a teacher, admin., student, or businessman, Evernote has something for you.

Interesting read on College & Career prep. Looks at what college is and discusses accessibility, literacy levels as barriers, & other important topics. 

The fear of failure keeps us from moving forward in an age of rapid change. This quote below summarizes some of the feelings teachers have as they face this change: "As I read this morning's daily post from Seth Godin's blog,  the concerns of people who are anxious about the transition we will be undertaking as we move to becoming a 1:1 school are forefront in my mind.  One of the biggest fears I hear from some people is that they are concerned about losing control control due to the fact that they will not know how to best utilize all of the tools that they will have at their disposal.  They are afraid that their students may know more than they do in regards to using the new tools that they will be trying to implement." 

Although the first paragraph can be a little grating for ITs/Tech. Coordinators to read, I think it is a perception we must address. Here is my response to one IT whose view of teachers was low. Joe, I can hear the frustration in your reply. I can appreciate some of it. However, I think that the first paragraph,  I think, reflects a perception that we as IT's/Tech. Directors/Coordinators need to address honestly, but respectfully. So when I read the first paragraphs, I asked myself, "How is this true for me?" I think we need to honestly assess that in our practice.  Next, the points that follow were written to be more general in scope to give each reader a chance to explore how they might fit for them in their unique situations. Patronizing? I think they are points of practice we can all reflect on. That's the purpose I see in the blog post. In regards to filtering, we all live with it. It's coming to terms with how much filtering is necessary and how to manage the filter. I get frustrated not having the ability to filter content the way I would like. I didn't hear the author say things like "Get over it," but instead "Consider....". I think a helpful approach for IT's, teachers, and admin. is to form a partnership/relationship that allows each to better understand the needs/challenges each faces to provide the best for students. That's the goal. As a tech. coordinator, I proactively work at that. I taught for eight years, but also was instrumental in helping press into tech. integration and perhaps that has helped me to be more balanced than some in my approach to IT and embrace change. I think also we have to expect failures along the way as we feel our way through new approaches, methods, and devices. Right now, I think most IT's are a bit intimated by the level of change and diversity of needs we have to address. I know I am! Let's become more a part of the dialogue and abstain from labeling and finger-pointing. We're in this together. 

A great post for newbies on Twitter. The point is that Twitter is about developing relationships and they take time to build. 

My response: Patrick, thanks for bringing the issue to us to consider. No matter how we see it, it is a discussion that is important to have. It does mean we have quite a responsibility to use the tools we have well. On a Classroom 2.0 Live webinar today, there was a discussion of the technology needing to be transformative, not just a substitute for paper/pencils/books, etc. or just an electronic version of the same curriculum. That brings us to the pedagogical approach of each teacher. If they just place their old methodology on top of the technology, nothing much different will occur. BUT...if they see their method of how students will interact with them and course material differently, the technology can be a tool both the teacher and student can enjoy and in the process they can become more creative, collaborative, and communicative.

"Thanks to the Internet and the technologies we use to access it, we've move from a world where all of these (information, knowledge, teachers, learning, getting an education) were relatively scarce to one where they're absolutely abundant…" - but how are we at accessing it? How about our students? Seems like a call to train learners with literacy skills

"Here is a collection of 12 free online quiz making applications. These apps will help you make quizzes for online use for free."

"Beginner or Pro, bossjock studio is the tool you need to create and publish rich audio productions on iOS." $10.00

"I often begin my workshop on personal learning networks (PLN) for educators by asking these questions: Who is in your learning network? Who do you learn from on a regular basis? Who do you turn to for your own professional development?" Read 10 great tips for expanding your PLN

This blog post will get you to ask yourself, "What is the role of a teacher?" Some of the comments show the wide diversity in views among educators - those who would abandon schools if they could (LIsa Nielsen), others who have the paradigm of the student making the instructional choices and the teacher just floating around and helping students, and those who see the teacher as embodying many different skill sets and who work out of a strong relationship with their students. The current educational shifts in pedagogy and goals in education have had a profound impact on teaching. Reading this post will help stimulate and hopefully clarify you own views.

Larry Ferlazzo gives us a start at a nice collection of resources for implementing the Common Core. In the blog post, comments, there are more that are offered.

"ThinkB4U offers interactive videos to educate viewers about things like protecting online reputations, avoiding scams, research and critical thinking, and responsible text messaging."

"students turn to when tasked with an assignment. Whether it's for research, real-time results, or just a little digital exploration … it's important they know how to properly Google." Here are some helpful lessons to do that

"As educators, we aim to be connected to advance our craft.  On another level, we hope to teach students to use networks to prepare for them for a changing job market.  But what is the best way to approach PLNs?" This blog post has some great tips for developing your PLN and transforming your own learning.

Perhaps this will be a solution for many teachers - the IPEVO Point 2 View Document camera for $69. Check it out!

Fun look at the impact of media on telling/reporting stories. Certainly what you wouldn't expect with the traditional story of the Three Little Pigs

Blog post that lists with a description four outstanding resources for educators interested in strengthening their grip on educational technology. 

Teacher Vicki Davis speaks out on how to organize your habits to become more effective - "What are the habits that are going to help me be the kind of person I want to be in this life?" - using "Home Routines" - http://www.homeroutines.com/ - an iPhone/iPad app that helps set up routines to build those habits. Very helpful!