Elizabeth Helfant from MICDS in St. Louis, MO has an amazing post outlining their school's transformation. Julie and I spent time there this summer giving them a "crash course" in flat classroom. The teachers are impressive as is the leadership of Eliza
Elizabeth Helfant outlines the changes at her school as they implement 1:1 laptops. The change and plans are comprehensive and stunning, from altering the work day and school year, to integration of technology.
Best Practices
Tips on effectively integrating and using clickers in the classroom
Best practices are lessons learned throughout our first year using clickers. The following information was created by input from faculty, faculty development, and support.
This is precisely why more of us should be implementing the "23 things" pd program with our teachers. Estie Cuellar from Houston Texas did an amazing job discussing her learning journey and did an amazing job blogging it as well.
This is very impressive and displays the transformational nature of becoming immersed in these tools. I look forward to seeing what happens in her classroom!
Again, I believe that embedded PD (professional development that is in pieces as part of our day) rather than binge PD is much more transformational! This is proof!
An amazing teacher who uses Google Calendar to manage her classes in the library. This is such a helpful tool to use. I want to share what many are doing. Take a look!
What if you have students that have no computer lab, no headset/mics in the library, and no recording devices at home? Let them podcast using their cell phone. GCast, Gabcast, and Dropio make it possible. I have also included a handout with screen shots telling students how to create, edit, and embed their podcast.
Discussion of why Generation X is inundating Second Life and why Gen Y is so underrepresented.
I will say that my students LOVE Second Life, but you also have to remember that I teach students who, for the most part, grew up playing outside and have engaged in free play all of their lives. Perhaps this is also a function of the presence of free play in the lives of children. How many Gen Y kids truly had free play as part of their childhood? We've sort of structured and organized everything for them in many cases.
Joyful learning can flourish in school-if you give joy a chance.
JOY 1: Find the Pleasure in Learning;JOY 2: Give Students Choice;JOY 3: Let Students Create Things;JOY 4: Show Off Student Work
JOY 5: Take Time to Tinker;JOY 6: Make School Spaces Inviting;JOY 7: Get Outside;JOY 8: Read Good Books;JOY 9: Offer More Gym and Arts Classes;JOY 10: Transform Assessment;JOY 11: Have Some Fun Together
Learn how to view primary resources as a historian. Download the "Six C's of Primary Source Analysis" developed by the UC Irvine History Project. Watch/Listen to the podcast video interview of using the 6 C's to see how it is done.
Nice Blog Post from Edwin Wargo about vision and leadership. I particularly like this phrase about school culture:
"No matter how cool the technology tools, culture, I believe, will win the tug-of-war. There still may be a few trailblazers but systemic buy-in is likely to be minimal. I believe culture ensures the sustainability that Michael Fullan talks about."