I like all the tools but I am in love with the Visual Ranking Tool. I think if it were on an online dating site then its profile would look something like this…

Screen Name: VisualRanking4U
Tag line: The right educational tool looking for the right teacher
About me and who I am looking for: I am looking for someone who thinks for themselves, but not for everyone around them. Someone who is willing to drag and drop and comment when necessary or appropriate. My mate must love innovative ways to integrate technology into the curriculum or at least willing to give it a try.
Favorite Things: Ranking (of course), Commenting, Ordering, Prioritizing
Favorite Hot Spots: Classrooms across the World, Intel Teach website (http://www.intel.com/about/corporateresponsibility/education/k12/tools.htm), Engage site (http://engage.intel.com)

I have used Visual Ranking the most with students since it is the easiest to implement. I love the ability to create an activity on the fly. My last lesson with using the tool….hmmm…my students had 3 locations to research in a studies skills class. They had to find the best place for a summer vacation without using Google and then rank the locations from the best location to the worst with the Intel tool. They created comments on the first and last decision to compare with other groups after their research was complete. The tool provided a great venue for the students to voice their findings online in an organized fashion.

The Challenge:

Try a demo of the Visual Ranking Tool http://educate.intel.com/workspace/tryit/VRTryIt.aspx?LID=en Need any help then visit http://educate.intel.com/en/ThinkingTools/VisualRanking/VR_StudentHelp.htm How could you use this tool in your classroom? Do you see this tool as a supplement to verbal student decisions?

Do you blog? Do you blog with your students? Join Lee Kolbert, Karen McMillan, and me today at 6 EST for a free Webex webinar – Fear Factor: Taking the Fear out of Blogging. Register for this webinar by clicking here.

Lee, Karen, and I will be discussing our journey from being individual bloggers to blogging with our students. You will learn how to start with a paper blogging activity, how to teach quality commenting, how to host a blog commenting part, how to use #comments4kids to receive global comments, and so much more.

So if you blog, have ever thought about blogging yourself, or have ever thought about having your students blog, this is a webinar you won’t want to miss. Hope to “see” you there. You will also want to check out this site for more resources from the three of us. Happy Blogging!

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8 Rapides Parish elementary schools replacing science textbooks with interactive ‘techbooks”  by Karina Vailes (June 28, 2011)

School backpacks are going to get a little lighter for some elementary school pupils in Rapides Parish.

Eight Rapides Parish schools are replacing their science textbooks with “techbooks” — digital books created by Discovery Channel that offer interactive lessons, videos and hands-on projects, and are accessible to students anytime, anywhere online.

“Some of us are using our textbook money” to purchase access to the techbook, said Fred Moore, principal of Julius Patrick Elementary School, one of eight elementary schools planning to introduce the concept to science students beginning in August.

“We are excited about it.”

The other elementary schools are Acadian, Mabel Brasher, Horseshoe, D.F. Huddle, Martin Park, Pineville and Carter C. Raymond.

Carol Passmore, district supervisor of Rapides Foundation Grants and Magnet Programs, explained that the Discovery Education Science Techbook, as the book is called, represents a new trend in education that is transforming classrooms and getting students excited about learning.

In a traditional classroom, you may have a teacher lecturing based on a textbook. In the techbook classroom, you may have animals in a video delivering the information.

Teachers will be able to use video, encyclopedia articles, images, audio, sound effects, quizzes, games, science simulation exercises and other tools to engage their students.

Students will be able to access the techbook using a computer or simply via projection equipment such as Promethean boards.

No more heavy textbooks to carry, no more ragged pages, and no more outdated information.

“To me the biggest advantage is that the techbook is updated daily, and every time something new happens in science, Discovery updates the techbook. It’s not like a textbook that is outdated almost before is it in our hands because things change so rapidly,” Passmore said.

The techbook has been approved by the Louisiana Department of Education. It is based on a student’s grade-level expectations and will be less expensive than the regular textbook, Passmore said.

Each student license, which lasts for seven years, costs $38 compared to an average of $70 or $75 for the traditional textbook, Passmore said. Textbooks are also updated roughly every seven years.
The techbook initiative was also facilitated through a $40,000 grant from The Rapides Foundation, which will pay for Streaming Plus, a digital library service that will be available in all schools and is offered by Discovery Education.
Streaming Plus gives students access to a variety of information on various subjects, including physical science, chemistry, math, language arts, reading and social studies. The district also acquired a $14,000 license from Public Broadcasting Service.
Tera LaPrarie, a science teacher at Alexandria Middle Magnet School, said she has already introduced her students to the science module of Streaming Plus. Alexandria Middle Magnet was one of four schools piloting the science component.
“It’s bringing the world to the students” and is getting them involved in the learning process through hands-on projects, said LaPrarie, adding that she has seen dramatic academic gains among her students.
LaPrarie said Streaming Plus is converting her classroom into a 21st century model because it is exposing her students to modern technology.
“I had a student that was struggling and now is making A’s,” LaPrarie said.
Passmore said the initiative fits well with the national effort to boost students’ interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) sciences.

— Karina Vailes (June 28, 2011)

Click here to read the whole article.

Students are learning differently and school districts such as Rapides Parish in Louisiana, Center Grove in Indiana and Collier County in Florida are pioneering new avenues that focus on strategies and resources that work for improving student academic performance in science. As a science and technology educator, I am a true believer that this is the path true education must be on for improving education across all curricular areas, no matter the demographics or backgrounds our students come from or the barriers they face. Education is about life long learning and reflection for continuous growth and as educators we must lead our students along a path that will take them further in knowledge, innovation, and creativity. So “Hats Off” to Rapides Parish and all other educators who strive to increase access to resources and opportunities for all students.

On Saturday July 9th on the campus of UNO the first Louisiana unconference will take place. As one of the organizers, I proudly present edcampLouisiana. What, no thunderous applause? Oh, you don’t know what an unconference is and you’ve never heard of an edcamp. Well, not so no ago I stood right where you are standing now – with the same confused look on my face too.

Unconferences like edcamp and TeachMeet have been springing up all over the country. I had originally thought I would host a TeachMeet in New Orleans, but when Valerie Burton, another STAR in my district approached me and asked about organizing an edcamp I decided to join her efforts. The rest of our team includes: Brian Mull, Director of Innovation with November Learning; Tiffany Whitehead, Teacher Librarian in Baton Rouge; and Carl Gaines, a high school teacher from Violet.

I will be updating this blog as edcamp draws nearer, but today I just wanted to get your gears turning. I am starting out with a little history quiz. Do you know where the first edcamp was held? Do you know who the co-founders were? Better yet, do you follow any of them of Twitter? Oops, that’s not a history question. Well just head on over here to get the answers.

Oh, and don’t forget we have a date. Mark your calendars for July 9th. It will be an experience like no other.

Spring has sprung! There are so many exciting DEN events springing up that it is almost impossible to keep up will all of them. First remember if you a a DEN STAR in Louisiana and want to take a more active role, sign up for the Leadership Council. Applications are being taken until March 28, so you still have time to jump in. You can access the application form here.

Next up is Spring Training. Find out what you need to do to earn a single, a double, a triple, and a home run by reading this blog.

I am excited to announce the LC of Louisiana is working on hosting two in-person events for the Spring Virtual Conference “Thinking Outside of the Book”. One with be located in the greater Baton Rouge area, hosted by Susan Gauthier, and the other one will be located in the greater New Orleans area, hosted by Paula Naugle.  We are busy getting our final plans ironed out so stay tuned for the details on how to register for these events.

Yes, this means that they can use textbook funds to purchase a digital solution instead. Each edition of the Discovery Education Science Techbook series is built from the ground up to address individual state standards and is intended to serve as the new primary instructional resource for Indiana and Louisiana elementary and middle schools. The dynamic, interactive resources included in each state’s edition support the 5E model of instruction. A real-time assessment component that measures students’ progress and recommends individualized resources that reinforce classroom instruction is also included.

That’s 3 down… which states should we go after next?

I am so excited to let you know that I have been invited to present on the K12 Online Conference Echo series. My Skype buddy, Jan Wells(from Kansas), and I rolled out our K12 Online Conference presentation on October 27. Shortly after our session went “live” we were invited to be the first presenters for the Echo series this year.

The one hour webinar will take place on November 22 at 8:00 pm CST.  Our recorded presentation will be shared with the participants and that will be followed by a question and answer period. Click here for all the information.

I hope you will be able to join Jan and me for this live online event.

Please fill out this form for Susan  so she can make sure we have an accurate headcount. Come meet your Louisiana Leadership Council as we share with each other about the DEN and hear from our LPB guests! LPB is a vital part of the DEN so we want to express our gratitude to them for all the wonderful resources they provide for us such as streaming video-on-demand, PBS Nova, and Learner.Org.

Susan will send you a confirmation email a few days before the event.

Shucks on the Levee
Thursday, December 2, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Casual attire
Dinner is compliments of Discovery Communications, Inc.

I got to meet the top using educator from the state of Louisiana. That honor is held by Tina Johnson of Evangeline Parish with over 11,000 hits to the material offered by Discovery. Tina, a fourth grade teacher, and her principal, Marie Therese Janice, were on hand to receive kudos for attaining the distinction of the highest usage of the services offered through the LPB portal. During the VIP reception, Johnson and Janice, were awarded a plaque and had a photo opportunity with environmentalist extraordinaire, Philippe Cousteau.

Cousteau was on hand to present all the award winning schools and teachers their plaques. He visited two schools in the Baton Rouge area earlier in the day to talk about the impact of the BP oil spill in Southeastern Louisiana. He said he was moved to see the fire and passion displayed by the students at the schools he visited with regards to the recovery efforts.

My evening was topped off when Justin Kralow and Jennifer Dorman, both from Discovery Education Network, arranged for me to do a one-on-one interview with Philippe Cousteau. Philippe and I discussed the impact of the oil spill on the Gulf Coast region. Then I asked him how I could get my elementary students involved in the clean up efforts. Stay tuned and I will share the link to the interview when it becomes available.

I would like to thank everyone involved in tonight’s event. It is an evening I will always cherish.