What are the rules for using your smartphone in a social setting

What are the rules for using your smartphone in a social setting?  Actually, a better question might be, what do you WANT the rules to be because apparently there are not currently any.  I do find it a little annoying when I go out for a meal or a social gathering and sit and watch someone else check their phone and/or carry on a text conversation with someone else – or several someone elses. What’s the point of being in the same place if everyone’s attention is on someone not there?

Beth Turner shared this article on Facebook.  It really struck an annoyed little nerve I seem to have.  What To Do With Your Smartphone While You’re Having Dinner

 “There is apparently a name for device usage while in places others might consider it rude: electronic displays of insensitivity, or EDI. And when author Joseph Grenny surveyed more than 2,000 of his newsletter recipients for a study, "Digital Divisiveness," they said these kinds of displays are getting worse. VentureBeat sums it up:”

So, EDI? Did you know there is a name for this behavior?  I’ve always felt there should be.

Just sayin’
Lee Anne

What are the Cool Kids Already Enrolling in for Spring?

Yep.  It's back to the grind.  No more dancing sugar plumbs.  No more, "one more snow day - geez it's so cold."  Put on your mittens and get on to work. 

Let's focus on the good news.  The days are getting longer. The temps are getting warmer. And, the best news of all . . . enrollment is open for spring classes on the Eighth Floor. Actually, enrollment was open before the holiday break, but it was hard to focus on with all those dancing sugar plumbs. 

So I was looking at what people are already enrolling in. I guess in more modern terms I should say, I was looking at what was trending on the enrollment site.  Here's what the cool kids are doing at the moment. 

• Online Learning Series
• Blended Learning - Is there a model for you?
• Anything to do with Excel (Geez - when did that get sexy again?)
• All of our SOL Trainings - those are so much fun for us. We hope you are liking them
• Technology in the Common Core
• Twitter
• Google the Next Step

Of course, those are not our only classes. We have TONS more - go see -   http://eighthfloor.org/schedule.html 

We have a whole new crop of SOL Trainings.  For those of you who are not cool or groovy like us, (snicker) that means Synchronous Online Learning . . . Trainings. Check out the whole list.  http://eighthfloor.org/special.html#SOL.  

If you have questions about the classes or enrollment, just ask. We know a lot of stuff, and what we don't know, we will make up. 918-828-5341  Just sayin'. 


Hope to see you in a class or two this semester!
Lee Anne

If you are still hoping for sugar plumbs, here ya go -- SUGAR PLUMBS! 

Teaching Writing . . . Online: Are we teaching old rules for a new game?

http://www.peanuts.com/

I've been thinking about this a lot. Writing for an online environment is just different than writing for “paper.”  Don’t you think?  Let me say more!

I have been wondering if I am doing students a disservice by insisting on rules that may not apply anymore to many of our newer writing environments – namely, anything that is online.  Some examples might be, discussion forums, blogs, wikis, Twitter, any social media really. You get the idea. Can we continue to ignore the internet?

Here’s another thought for all teachers.  Writing is a highly universal activity.  As much as we know that modeling is important to learning, are we modeling the best writing behavior/skills?

I really want to know what you think.  Are we willing to let go of the scholarly rules for a more mixed media world?  I agree that right now it may be easy to define a proper time and place for each.  But how long will THAT last?

Here are some of the points I want your thoughts on:

• Are bullet points okay in a graded discussion forum?
• Are emoticons okay in a graded discussion forum?
• How do you feel about hyperlinks?
• How do you feel about hyperlinks instead of a formal Works Cited?
• What about the more conversational style of online; is that okay for a grade?
• Can you have an online voice and a paper voice?  It’s kind of like inside and outside voices.
• What about the use of first and second person?
• Do we need a five space indent?
• The internet is meant to be interactive.  Are your online assignments addressing that?
• Is it okay to include video or images as part of your argument, instead of text or to take the place of quotations, summaries, paraphrasing?
• What if they really did write to their supposed audience and not their teacher? 
• Aren't we making some rather misguided assumptions about other readers? Do they care about a classic, five paragraph essay? Is that communicating in the 21st Century?

There are a number of issues that fall under the whole idea that reading online is just different from reading print:

• Screen size, lighting, being able to focus
• Are you familiar with the “F” pattern?  No.  That is not a new online swear word.  It’s the eye pattern for how we read a screen, not a “Z” pattern for a book or magazine. 
• Walls of words seem more like barriers than invitations to learning or conversation. Kind of like this blog post!
• How do you feel about blocking rather than paragraphing?
• Could you teach the inverted pyramid style verses the class five paragraph essay? The reader could quit reading at any time - click on a hyperlink or just get bored. 
• Do we have time to change all our rubrics? I guess the more important question is does anyone have a rubric for using emoticons I can borrow?

I know.  I hear you.  What does all this chatter have to do with the pursuit of excellent communication and writing skills? Most online writing is about persuading (and entertaining) a particular audience to make money.  What if you took the last three words off that last sentence? What’chu got now?

I am doing a short class on writing in online environments next semester, so I've been thinking about all this lately.  I am curious where you land, or if it is even on your radar.  

Just thinkin'
Lee Anne

What Does Woody Guthrie Have To Do With The Eighth Floor?

Yesterday afternoon Linda, Katy, Scott, and I were invited to visit the Woody Guthrie Center downtown.  WOW!  What a treat.  I am sorry I didn’t  to do this before.  I have attended many events at Guthrie Green – a good friend puts on a Sunday afternoon music series, Horton Records presents the Tulsa Sound.  Perhaps you have heard of it. Just sayin’.   Anyway, so it’s not like I am never downtown. Moreover, it’s not like I haven’t been right across the street many, many times. I honestly didn't even realize it was right there.  Did you?  Have you been?

Deana McCloud is the Executive Director of the center.  Some of you may remember that Deana use to teach at The Eighth Floor.  She gave us a tour of the facility and in the process shared her passion for the center and Woody Guthrie’s legacy.  This facility is something else, too.  Funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, this museum is the latest and greatest in presentation, preservation, technology, and resources.  Additionally, the museum was built with education in mind.  Deana and the Education Manager are both former teachers. They have created lesson plans aligned to the common core and are building a variety of workshop series.

One such workshop series is in partnership with Horton Records. Check out this Saturday’s workshop on Ownership, Licensing, and Publishing.  The next one is on Sept 29^th with Paul Benjaman and Wink Burcham, Songwriting Tips and Tricks. You don’t want to miss this one – two amazingly talented sons of Oklahoma.

Additionally, you will find short performances mixed with discussions, a partnership with Tulsa County Library, “One Book One Tulsa,” another partnership with the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers at OSU Tulsa, and just so much more. 

The Eighth Floor will also be partnering with the museum as part of our workshop series, “Now What? . . .  Mastering Technology Skills for Teaching and Learning.   We are still in the creative stages, but plan to do a blended workshop where the F2F time takes place at the Woody Guthrie Center.  Projects will revolve around the center – imagine the possibilities – writing, music, history, art, pretty much anything, really!  Our workshop last summer, Project Classroom, was a great success and so much fun. This is going to be even better.

As a special treat to our Advisory committee, Deana has offered to host our January Advisory Committee meeting at the museum.  How cool is that!

So, yeah.  You need to check this out.  Read a little about Woody, and see why this is such a shining jewel right here in the middle of T-Town.

Just Sharin’
Lee Anne

Last Fall . . .CLASSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ENROLLMENT

It's true.  Enrollment is open and there is a spot for you.  

Here's what you need to know:   

• If your school is a member of The Eighth Floor consortium, you can enroll
• If you work at that school - whatever your position, you are welcome
• You can enroll in as many classes as you would like
• You can take classes more than once if you want to
• You will get a certificate of attendance for each class you attend
• We have online and face-to-face classes 
• You are going to have fun AND learn something new
• Link to the PDF  http://eighthfloor.org/SchedulePDF/FALL13_8thFloor_16pgs.pdf

Stuff of Note!

SOL Training - (synchronous online learning) All new for the fall semester - The Eighth Floor's much cooler version of a webinar. Less than an hour of hands-free learning and relaxing.  Better than a massage, I've heard people say. No?  Prove me wrong.  

• Who is Jamie McKenzie?
• 21st Century Teacher
• Digital Citizenship
• LiveBinderss and the Classroom Teacher
• Google+ You
• Wikispaces Classroom
• Trends and Stuff and Things that Make You Go "Ahhh . . . !" 

For details, visit our SOL Training Wikispace: http://soltraining.wikispaces.com/home. You will also find archives of past SOL performances. 

Other New Classes This Fall

Blended Learning - Is there a model for you?  (fully online) 

Blended learning is all about mixing different learning environments. We will look at some of the different options or models for combining online and face-to-face content delivery. No approach is one-size-fits-all, and the beauty in that is the ability to differentiate and help students personalize learning. How do you think blended learning might look in your classroom?
This class meets fully online. (8 hours)
November 12 – 19, 2013

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-World environment whose elements are supplemented by sensory input such as sound, video, and graphics. Using a tool called Aruasma we are going to construct our own augmented world and take a look at many of the ways we can use this in the classroom. 

Sept 18 W 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Nov 14 TH 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Dec 4 W 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Special Offering

Jamie McKenzie will offer two classes: 

• Lifting the Bar for the Core Standards - Sept 24, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
• Questioning 101 - Equipping Everyone with Great Questioning Skills - Sept 25, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
• Visit our website for more information http://eighthfloor.org/ 

Online Teaching and Learning Series

Fall is a great time to take this blended course. This class meets online and F2F.  If you are thinking about teaching online, either fully or in a blended format, you will benefit from this class.  If you have questions about the Online Series, contact Lee Anne Morris at lee.anne.morris@tulsacc.edu. 

If you have questions about enrollment, please contact katy.hoppa@tulsatech.edu. 

Hope to see you in class this fall!
Lee Anne

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. 

Pop-Up Learning – Wave of the Future?

You guys have seen the pop-up shops, right, especially around the holidays.  These are great little establishments that pop-up on the side of the street or at a park or in small lobby fronts or wherever crowds may gather.  These are artist or business owners that are literally taking it to the people.

So, follow me on this, what about pop-up learning?  Pop-up teacher professional development?  What if The Eighth Floor were to pop-up just when you needed it? Learning with an entrepreneurial flavor. Are you curious? 

I know!  This all seems like crazy talk, but honestly, I can envision it.  I think it would be worthwhile AND fun. 

You can thank Samantha Reid and Edutopia for putting these goofy little ideas in my head. Check out this short article:   Five Future Trends That Will Impact the Learning Ecosystem

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-shifts-regenerating-learning-ecosystem-andrea-saveri

Here’s a vocabulary list to help you pick the more interesting ideas – can you figure out what they mean?

• FabLab – Did you know we have one in Tulsa?  We are quite lucky
• Learning Entrepreneurial Style
• High Fidelity Learning Environments
• CYOS – Create Your Own School
• Talent Clouds (love this!!!)
• Classroom/Student Projects that solve problems and change communities.

Are you at all intrigues by anything in this article?  I can’t stop thinking about it.

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne

Summertime.YourTime.FunTime

Summer time is your time for learning fun.  All year long it’s about the students – student learning this, student engagement that.  Am I right or am I right?  Now it’s your time.  Let us worry about the learning and engagement. All you need to do is enroll.

Here’s what we have going on this summer

For a full list of Eighth Floor classes, visit our website, http://eighthfloor.org/schedule.html . 

For a print version of our schedule, http://eighthfloor.org/SchedulePDF/SUMMER13_8thFloor_16pgs.pdf .

Stuff of Note!

SOL Training – The Eighth Floor's much cooler version of a webinar.  Less than an hour of hands free learning fun:

• Digital Collections
• Google Accounts – How They Work and Why You Need One
• Web 2.0 Tools for Engaging and Collaboration
• Evaluating Web Resources
• Trends in Technology in Education in The Classroom
• Promethean Topics
• 21^st Century Classroom Project Presentation – Project Classroom
• Smart Topics #1
• Smart Topics #2
• Things That Make You Go “Aahhhh”
• More info: http://eighthfloor.org/special.html#SOL

Now What?  . . . Mastering Technology Skills for Teaching and Learning

Featured program this summer is Project Classroom

This is a two week, blended course designed for educators who have taken classes at The Eighth Floor or already have some technology skills and are ready for classroom integration.  Your goal is to employ technology in a way that benefits student learning and/or your professional development.  Week #1 is fully online.  Week #2 if face-to-face.

For more on this program:   http://eighthfloor.org/special.html#now.

Other NEW classes include

• QR Codes for the Classroom
• Publisher 2010: Making a Calendar
• InDesign CS5: Making Calendars
• Promethean Level 3
• Promethean Marathon

Online Teaching and Learning Series

Summer is a great time to take this more extended blended course.  If you are thinking about teaching online, either fully or in a blended format, you will benefit from this class. If you have questions about the Online Series, contact Lee Anne Morris at lee.anne.morris@tulsacc.edu

Regular Online Courses

Don’t forget we have a handful of regular courses in a short, fully online format:

• Social Networking Tools for Educators
• Cyber Bullying
• Differentiated Instruction and the Technology Classroom
• Time Management Tools for Educators
• Crash Course in Copyright
• Grant Writing 2

If you have questions about enrollment, please contact katy.hoppa@tulsatech.edu. 

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

Rhizonomy and Learning 3.0

I learned a new word today!  Actually, I still wrapping my head around it and what it could mean for teaching, learning, the classroom, educator professional development, my job . . . you get the idea.  The word that could be changing my life is Rhizonomy. It is so new it's not even in Wikipedia yet. Imagine that. 

 

Steven Wheeler

I am discovering that this is what is behind the idea of learning analytics (see previous post) .  I think we are all familiar with the idea of a taxonomy - organizing, classifying information.  A term that came along with the web, and more specifically Web 2.0, is folksonomy.  A folksonomy falls out from a collective or collaborative method of classifying information on the web. It's more organic, in a way. You may have heard the term used in relation to the practice of tagging information on the web. Tagging is a way of developing a shared understanding or use of something. Am I being too vague? 

    Okay, so, think . . . 

    Taxonomy = Learning 1.0
    Folksonomy = Learning 2.0
    Rhizonomy = Learning 3.0

Shared from Steve Wheeler's blog post on Next Generation Learning  

Rhizonomy = Learning 3.0?  What does that mean? I found a blog post that may help us with this: Next Generation Learning by Steve Wheeler.  I like this paragraph: 

Learning 3.0 will be user and machine generated, and will in all respects be represented in what I will call  'rhizonomies'. The rhizonomic organisation of content will emerge from chaotic, multi-dimensional and multi-nodal organisation of content, giving rise to an infinite number of possibilities and choices for learners. As learners choose their own self determined routes through the content, so context will change and new nodes and connections will be created in what will become a massive, dynamic, synthetic 'hive mind'. Here I do not refer to any strong artificial intelligence model of computation, but rather a description of the manner in which networked, intelligent systems respond to the needs of individual learners within vast, ever expanding communities of practice. Each learner will become a nexus of knowledge, and a node of content production. Extending the rhizome metaphor further, learners will act as the reproduction mechanisms that sustain the growth of the semantic web, but will also in turn be nurtured by it. Learning 3.0 will be a facet of an ongoing, limitless symbiotic relationship between human and machine.

  

I kind of like the idea that not only do we sustain the growth of the web as users, but we also become nurtured by it. 

Do you think this is possible? 

Just Wonderin'
Lee Anne

What’s Your Geek IQ – Eighth Floor Quiz

Here's your chance to find out your Geek Quotient. Are you a perfect candidate for Eighth Floor Classes? 

Who invented the internet?

1.   Ward Cunningham
2.   Al Gore
3.   Seriously? Check Wikipedia, you dweeb
4.   A company called the Pony Interpress

When you book a hotel, you are most concerned about  . . .

1.   The breakfast buffet
2.   Sites and restaurants in the area
3.   Free WiFi
4.   The closest public transport

If you were a technology device, which would you be?

1.   PC/Mac
2.   iPad
3.   Cellphone - Android, of course
4.   Laptop

When you set the table for dinner, how do you arrange the utensils around your plate?

1.   Spoon, fork, knife
2.   Fork, knife, spoon, cellphone
3.   Knife, spoon, fork, cellphone never leaves your hand
4.   Phones aren’t allowed at the table

Your best friend just got a brand new iPhone 3.  You . . .

1.   Show her your old flip phone and tell her you are worried people will listen in on your calls with a phone like hers. 
2.   Are impressed she is starting to catch on to the whole “phone thing.”
3.   Tweet – Instagram – Facebook about it because that’s just too funny.
4.   You compare it to your original iPhone and think about updating

Your best friend just got a new iPad.  What app do you recommend first?

1.   eHarmony – JDate – Match.com– it’s a toss up
2.   FlipBook
3.   Your favorite JailBreak or QR code
4.   Angry Birds

When you share a document with someone, your preferred technique is . . .

1.   Print it out for them
2.   Email
3.   DropBox or Google Drive – just depends
4.   One of those sticks you put in the hole - what are they called again? 

When you can’t figure out how to do something in a program or application, you

1.   Just give up – you don’t have time for this.
2.   Ask the techie type person at work
3.   Click on the help button or Google/YouTube the information
4.   You phone the application at home.

You use your phone most for . . .

1.   Phone calls
2.   Checking your Facebook
3.   My phone makes calls?
4.   The clock – it’s huge and you don’t have to put your reading glasses on to tell time.

How many Eighth Floor classes have you taken in the last few year

1.   0
2.   1-5
3.   6 or above
4.   I sign up but never show up – so I am now afraid to show my face there.

Add up your points!

For each #1 answer give yourself 1 point

For each #2 answer give yourself 2 points

For each #3 answer give yourself 3 points

For each #4 answer give yourself 0 points.

0-9 points - Egghead

Technology is just not your thing, is it.  You never hear from your kids or younger relatives because you don’t know if your phone can text. You keep deleting your contacts from your computer and you don’t know how you to it. You better be enrolled in several Eighth Floor classes.  You need us!

10 – 19 points - Dweeb/Nerd

It’s not all bad – you have some game. Your kids have made sure of that. You can conduct a little business, but beyond that it’s a phone and it’s made for calling people. After all, when was the last time you saw an actual payphone? You use your computer at work, but only for those things that must happen on the computer. Oh, and also to check your Facebook and Pintrest, of course! You need to take your sprouting technology skills and help them grow by taking classes at The Eighth Floor

20-30 points - Techie/Super Geek

Look out Lewis Skolnick and Gilbert Lowell!  There’s nothing nerdy about you, and you feel no need for revenge.  Technology just dances for you. Your only drawback is that you have no tolerance for eggheads and just don’t get dweebs.  You also know too much about technology to suffer integrating it into your classroom. You need to take classes at The Eighth Floor to get over your own self.  Just sayin’.