sbisd early adopters

An app....A safe way for teachers to text message students and stay in touch with parents. Free.

Infographic showing the effects of cyberbulliying and what to do when you encounter it online.

"It's been around for a few years now and had plenty of interest from around the world already, but Mr G Online has only just discovered Maths Maps. From first impressions, I am absolutely blown away by the idea. The brainchild of leading UK educator Tom Barrett, (now based in Australia), Maths Maps uses Google Maps as the launching pad for Maths Investigations. Barrett's vision was for teachers around the world to collaborate on building Maths Maps, examples of some seen in the screenshots on the left. Here is a brief description of how it works from the Maths Maps website. Elevator Pitch Using Google Maps. Maths activities in different places around the world. One location, one maths topic, one map. Activities explained in placemarks in Google Maps. Placemarks geotagged to the maths it refers to. "How wide is this swimming pool?" Teachers to contribute and share ideas. Maps can be used as independent tasks or group activities in class. Maps can be embedded on websites, blogs or wikis. Tasks to be completed by students and recorded online or offline."

Powerful Learning Projects - networked sharing and learning

Ahh, Canada! Evil Socialists! But take a look at the project and the ONE thing that stands out is the willingness to and effectiveness in challenging and re-configuring the school structure! http://drjakericketts.weebly.com/future-forums-project.html

"We want a team to think about action research as a collaborative endeavor, where principals and teachers work together to improve something over time. It's not just about gathering data, it's about working hard to improve something. Maybe you see a need to improve writing in the building, and you're going to figure out whether there's a way to take a techno-constructivist approach to strengthening students' writing skills. Maybe you feel the culture of your school is very mired in antiquated approaches to teaching and learning, and you want to build a new culture of innovation and collaboration, so you're going to develop your project around that goal."

"where principals and teachers work together to improve something over time" HA! Techno-constructivist? Could this term be applicable to the age of chalkboard and chalk innovation? I just don't think research resultant data is going to lead the way to anything but more "initiatives". As learning facilitators, we are drowning in them and the learner targets are confused beyond measure. Maybe, the answer is as simple as priority setting AND the genuine wherewithal to put those priorities in place. If I were an instructional leader, rather than a innovative pariah or low tech Luddite, I might say that my campus community is going to tackle a learning fundamental, close reading. I form a committee, we plan activities, we go...in isolated boxes of 41 minutes x 7, while filing out reams of busy work paper & electronic documentation, while building character, fostering the whole child, honoring the best spitters of knowledge with assembly recognition and the rounds and rounds of testing - not a measure of learning, but a measure of the course and scope delivery of bloated curricula....all on a schedule determined and unchangeable by the number of buses owned and operated...that developed project is actually doomed to ineffectiveness not because of its inherent flaws, but because that leader is both structurally and functionally prevented from making it a reality. Study and Commission and White Paper away, the results are predetermined! The really sadness here is that we KNOW how to pull this off - High Tech High and New Tech Network Schools and others I can't think of that have freed themselves from structural inertia...but we wring our hands and continue to fashion work-around initiatives....that we know in advance simply will not work.

Miguel asks the right questions!

Occupy Wall Street and US Education: The BIG point America misses with regard to the Finnish system: Equity! An old article but brings up some interesting aspects of edu-reform...it's actually going to take societal reform...oops my left wing is showing again!

This seems right up the Early Adopters alley. It appeaars the fundamental concepts of this course are what Dan Pink would classify as "High Concept". The score regarding the astounding volume of what has been written, staff developed, and high dollar conferenced over the past two decades regarding technology integration seems to be a solid D. We focus our time, talent, and treasure on hardware, connectivity, applications, and platforms and mostly loose sight of THE question: To what end? What I see in my experience is still very much a knowledge acquisition based, "covering the curriculum" approach. I see it in my own practice even as I claim rebellion from it! Why? Pressure from every aspect of the edu-enterprise: from high stakes testing to pedagogy by bus schedule, to campus administration initiatives. No matter the innovative gift wrap, the message is the same: Cover the material and pass the test! Streamlining efforts in terms of curriculum don't streamline anything - they just rearrange chairs on the same size deck. "Every Second Counts" but we aren't going to change a single thing. Do not even consider the shape, size or capacity of the Edu-Plate, just keep piling new initiatives on top of the old and wonder why increases in nutritional value are static....Perhaps this course might allow us to take a real hard look at practice to get to the point, the end, the goal of creating critical thinking deep learners.I hope you'll join me!

Great information on personalized learning. This site is really packed with good reads!

Blog devoted to higher order thinking and questioning with good resources.

I gave a final exam designed to do just that - provide the opportunity for students to see, touch, and feel that information is cheap and freely available and therefore, there is little inherent value in finding it and especially in spitting it back!. Either my mission was flawed (no surprise), or the deck is seriously stacked against the effort. The result: MUST FIND ANSWERS! Wow, look at me, I have the answers....Couldn't apply it if my life depended on it, but man, just look at my answers! I was preaching the Problem Solver, PBL mantra in a recent conversation and was told bluntly, providing that opportunity in the real isolation of 1 45 minute period out of 7 is a complete waste of time. Man, that stung and I continue to resist it, but there is a very large kernel of CAP T Truth present there.

How do we engage more teachers in the conversation? We are doing it one by one...is that the only way? How do we get teachers to see themselves as professionals that need to be interested in not only their content but in their pedagogy as well?

You give me the chance and I will take it! Essential Quote: "If you want teacher buy-in, let the teachers buy!" - Damn straight, better-believe-it-buddy! What is this really saying? Give educators the chance to determine their own needs and allow them to create their own PD - WOW, democracy in the work place, professional autonomy, release of control...Stop right there Mister Radical Man! All this student centered, student owning the learning may be the cool buzz words of the day, and we may wave its flag high and proud, but we ain't goin' to apply it to the employee serfs charged with implementing that pith! Pahleese, teachers in control - teachers deciding how best to teach and facilitate learning? Chaos, Anarchy, Socialism! Dog and Cats living together, mass hysteria...Ain't happenin'...not now, not ever! I actually know this to be true. I designed, proposed, pleaded for a number of programs incorporating this approach and was rebuffed (vehemently and sternly) in two districts, ignored in two others in favor of completely top down, admin centered, and strictly dictated, carrot and stick approach of standard seat time, nothing required but attention or comment, 11, 23, (whatever) Tools! Shocking that we have the PD results we have? Hardly - Continuing to do the same things we have always done and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity - A. Einstein - what an idiot!

Depressing

Standardilzed tests and growth mindset... 

Great argument on why we place so much emphasis and credibility on letter grades. All of my students need more time, so this is a great article I will share with all my inclusion teachers.

"The iPad is not a PC. As obvious as that sounds, if the only computer you've ever used was mainly a box on a desk, or ran a desktop operating system with a physical keyboard attached, its only natural that the ways you attempt to use a new device will be dictated by the old paradigm. Instead of just sticking with such an approach, this book looks at the different ways that the PC and iPad have been designed to work, and then detail new ways that the iPad can be used for workflows not work. "

Reading it now...it is one of my most significant failures...the "proper" or effective use of the iPad as a creative workflow device in my practice. I have to admit that I have, and perhaps to a large extent still do, view it as a cooler PC. Only just recently have I been able to envision the possibilities via app smashing. A few dollars spent to provide some smashing possibilities, but not the vehicle or the time allocated to let students experience it for themselves. Onward, we endeavor to persevere!