Look! A Squirrel!

Please welcome guest blogger, Janice Airhart

Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.  If you haven’t seen the 2009 animated film Up, you’re probably thinking I’m crazy about now.  If you have, then you’ll recall that the evil dog pack hates squirrels; they just can’t resist chasing them.   At a critical point in the story, Dug (the good dog) distracts his nemesis from tracking down his human friends by pointing out an imaginary squirrel.  It throws the whole pack off the trail.

While I generally have a healthy ability to focus on tasks, I admit to being easily distracted by technology.  Like Dug’s nemesis, I can be thrown off my trail by bright and shiny online toys: links to more blog posts or articles, web sites recommended by a friend, fellow blogger, or Tweeter, free account setup for an educational web 2.0 tool, another educator’s Pinterest board, and so on.  Sorry to say, I sometimes find myself chasing digital squirrels.

In an effort to reign in my addiction to chasing web links (seriously, they wouldn’t be there if you weren’t supposed to click them, right?), I enrolled this summer in the Eighth Floor class, What Now?  Mastering Technology Skills for Teaching and Learning.  Doesn’t that sound like a power trip?  Who doesn’t want to “master” technology? 

The first week of the class was entirely online on the Eighth Floor Moodle site (See? They already had us navigating the world of learning management platforms—very clever!).  The seven other class members and I watched the posted videos, read articles, completed activities, and interacted through class forums.  As we carried on our virtual discussions and shared goals, I discovered a process for first identifying learning objectives then creating a structure for the technology that supported them.  By the end of the week, I’d drafted a lesson plan for a problem-based learning unit.  But wait; there’s more!

In the second week of class, we met face-to-face for three days in a workshop atmosphere.  Each of us worked on our individual projects, and while we all had different goals, spending that much time together figuring out how to use various programs and tools sparked everyone’s creativity.  I was genuinely energized and inspired by the other teachers. 

The beauty of the course was that the eight of us had as much individual or small group instruction as we needed to complete our projects, no matter what tools we needed to support them.  Some of us wanted to learn about curating sites like Diigo and Delicious, so Linda gave us a mini-lesson.  Some wanted to produce video, and Scott introduced WeVideo.  Want to blog?  Lee Anne’s the go-to instructor.  Ed Hodge could help with logo design and assorted other essentials.   And if something wasn’t working the way you wanted, someone could help you troubleshoot.  I now have a fully developed project plan for use this fall.  In my opinion, this is the best kind of professional development.  Not only did I learn something, I produced something.  How great is that? 

To cap off the course, on Wednesday we presented our projects via a webinar that’s available on the Eighth Floor Wiki site.  Check it out, if you have the time.  I think you’ll agree that the quality of the projects is phenomenal.  Click here to watch the webinar video, but don’t forget to come back when you’re done.  You can’t spend all day chasing squirrels.

Janice Airhart teaches science and English at the Margaret Hudson Program/Broken Arrow Public Schools, and is a Freshman Composition adjunct instructor for Tulsa Community College.  She blogs at http://learningisthereward.com. 

Snappy Words

No I am not talking about a list of words to use for quick comebacks, although Snappy Words might help improve your word choice.
We all like free web tools that our students can use Free Technology for Teachers.com  provides teachers with free websites and resources that they can use in their classrooms.
Snappy Words is a free online visual dictionary and thesaurus. Enter any word or phrase into the Snappy Words search box and it will create a web of related words, phrases, and definitions. Hover your cursor over any word or phrase in the web to read its definition.
Check it out!
Linda Jones
The Eighth Floor

Teachers Love SmartBoards!

Our SmartBoard classes are among the most popular we offer on the Eighth Floor. Every semester, classes fill with long waiting lists. SmartBoards are just one of those kinds of tools that everyone can use. We have SmartBoards in two of our classrooms, and I find myself walking over to them when I want to REALLY show or discuss something on the screen. This is much better than making everyone's eyes jiggle when I shake the mouse pointer at whatever I think is so important. So, in order to get better at using the SmartBoard when I am teaching, I've been taking the SmartBoard classes we offer - I know, you guys think Scott and I already know everything, don't you. I'm gonna come clean, we don't. Well, actually, Scott might . . . I DON'T. The classes are fantastic and the teachers are fantastic!! Pam Burgess and Shaun Beard teach the bulk of our Smart classes.

Okay, so why am I tell you all this? SmartBoards are a deep and wide tool. Once you get a taste of what is possible, it's almost like you can't get enough! Sometimes, when you want more information on something, it can be hard to find a solid resource with a lot (not a little) for just about everyone. Earlier this week in the What About Blogs? class, Deana McCloud from Pryor shared a blog with us, and now I am going to share it with you. I poked around for a bit - it's cool. :-D

http://smartboards.typepad.com/ - called, Teachers Love SmartBoards!

It looks like the author posts about once a week - so not so overwhelming that you can't digest the ideas he shares. If you know how, I recommend subscribing, - if not, at least save it to your favorites and visit it about once a week. If you decide that you think it is a worthwhile resource, share it with others!

If you have a Smart resources that you just love, PLEASE share it with us!

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

How do you connect coffee with your online network?

If you know me, then you know I am nothing without my morning half dozen cups of coffee, so I can make coffee connect with pretty much anything! But seriously. How DO you make a connection between coffee and your online communities? Biggby Bob makes it look pretty darn easy. A good friend of mine owns a chain of coffee houses, mostly in the Michigan area down to the Florida area called Biggby Coffee. No, I'm not trying to promote a friend's business here! I want to use one particular blog post from the Where is Bob? blog to exemplify the breadth and depth of social media and Web 2.0 tools - their use in business, as well as why our students might need to know a little about them . . . and why you might want to know, too!

In the post, a recruiting manager is interviewed about what job seekers can do to set themselves apart. View the short video on Bob's blog. Can you count the number times the Internet, social media, or web 2.0 tools are mentioned? (I get about a dozen.) Does this give you any ideas how you could build your professional network online?

FYI - There is a Biggby Cafe on Facebook. Not only has Biggby Coffee created a face-to-face community of people who come in and BUY their yummy coffee, but they have a hugely populated community online. (check them out on Twitter, too!) This totally fascinates me. How are coffee and online communities connected!!

Just sayin'
Lee Anne

Patricia Galien - Educational Blogger Extraordinaire

I have many friends, colleagues, and students "out there" that are doing some really great educational blogs. You know me, I'm a sharerer. I wanted to share Patricia's newest blog, A TESOL ESL File Drawer (Higher Ed.), because I think there is a little something for everyone here. She discusses the different tools and resources she uses in her classroom. REAL examples and REAL resources.

Here's a taste of some of her posts.

Using Respondus (clickers) with her students

Links to Grammar Exercises

Fact or Opinion - two ways to use this PPT lesson plan

Patricia Galien was a student of mine in an online Web 2.0 class I teach occasionally. She teaches English as a second language for a community college in the Mid-West. If you subscribe to blogs, put her on your list and add her to your learning network! She is amazingly creative - and not surprisingly, well educated. (smile)

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

TeacherFirst.com

I am trying to squeeze in a little blog reading. To some, that may sound too much like work. To others, that may just be the most boring thing EVER. But, to me, it is inspiring, and dare I say, a fun part of my job. "The Blogs" is where I find all the juicy stuff! A colleague of mine, Mindy Lower, always finds some of THE best stuff out there on the web. Check out her post about TeacherFirst.com.

Here's a little blurb from the TeacherFirst website:

Welcome TeachersFirst is a rich collection of lessons, units, and web resources designed to save teachers time by delivering just what they need in a practical, user-friendly, and ad-free format. We offer our own professional and classroom-ready content along with thousands of reviewed web resources, including practical ideas for classroom use and safe classroom use of Web 2.0. Busy teachers, parents, and students can find resources using our subject/grade level search, keyword search, or extensive menus.

Let me know what you think of this as a resource. Does sharing get any better than this? Be sure to add this site to your online learning network!

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

What do you think is the future of education?

According to Steve Hargadon, Web 2.0 is the future of education. Yeah, I kind of looked twice, too. Really? Web 2.0? Blogs, wikis, podcasting, all that? But you know me, I'm a devoted Web 2.0 enthusiast - so of course, I read the article.

He discusses 10 compelling trends. But even more fun is that he goes on to discuss what they look like in education and what we should/could be doing. Here's a tasty morsel:

I believe that the read/write Web, or what we are calling Web 2.0, will culturally, socially, intellectually, and politically have a greater impact than the advent of the printing press. I believe that we cannot even begin to imagine the changes that are going to take place as the two-way nature of the Internet begins to flower, and that even those of us who have spent time imagining this future will be astounded by what happens. I'm going to identify ten trends in this regard that I think have particular importance for education and learning, and then discuss seven steps I think educators can take to make a difference during this time.

Have a look at the post. What do you think? Will the Read/Write Web have a greater impact than the advent of the printing press?

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

Google has a Blog for YOU

Hey HEY Hey!

Did you know? Google has a blog for educators with ideas to help teachers and students thrive in the 21st century. It's called the Infinite Thinking Machine. Sure wish I had thought of that name. I suppose if I were that clever I would be working for Google - vicious circle.

Thanks!
Lee Anne

Can a Blog be a Primary Source?

I subscribe to several blogs, and I try my best to read them with some dedication. Some of the blogs I read are written by past students, and one in particular, by a recent Eighth Floor scholar and graduate of the Online Learning Series, Dana Sterling. Her blog is called, SterlingLikeSilver, http://sterlinglikesilver.blogspot.com/. So, okay, great blog, and it’s just like her: smart, energetic, and insightful.

In a recent post, We're only as good as our sources, Dana discusses the idea of blogging – more specifically, what is it and its value. Her discussion has to do with blogs and their place in journalism. For example,

“There are some stories that are best told via TV. But. As a viewer, I didn't want Diane Sawyer to show me what happened after the tsunami in Indonesia. I wanted the reporter to step out of the frame and let the people that were actually there when it happened speak to me. I didn't want Ms. Sawyer's over-interpreted version of the event, or her emotional response. I wanted her sources.”

In the world of education, this becomes an even bigger question than that of style or palatability. I think Dana is taking us here - certainly challenging us to think about it. Right now, not in the future, now, educators are tasked with being AND helping our students become critical filters of information. (Explore this “filter” idea more in Will Richardson’s post “A Publish Then Filter World”). There are a lot of new resources out there, and not all of them come from “traditional” sources. How do we deal with that?

So, here’s an essential question: How DO you deal with these non-traditional sources? Would you allow or even encourage your students to use a blog as a primary source? What about a secondary source? What are your “filters”?

Thanks!
Lee Anne