Northwest

Well we have certainly had our share of snow in the Northwest so far this winter.  In creating my weekly Web 2.0 Challenge for my district, I created a challenge that I thought might be fun to share with my PLN as well.  This is fun because it is a mashup of both flickr and Google Presentations.  The idea is to add a slide to our collaborative presentation.  Your slide should have a snow photo and a six word sentence about snow. Please e-mail me at (t56linc at gmail.com)  if you are interested in adding to our presentation.  Once you have added to the presentation, it should show up in this post. So join us and share your snow.

Lisa Harpel, one of our wonderful science teachers has made it a mission to get rid of 4 and 8 sided paper snowflakes in our region. She wants students to know the science behind the snow. Each year about this time, she sends out a reminder about snowflakes and educates us on the Science of Snowflakes. I thought I’d share her message with you.

Decorative paper flakes and window paint flakes magically appear all over Mount Vernon at this time of year. Do you count the points or sides like I do? And hope the answer is six?

Of course, it is only iconic, perfect snowflakes which have six sides or points. The authors at this website . say they took over 7000 pictures to get the approximately 60 pictures in the website gallery. Obviously, perfect snow crystals are not common.

But in some things, perfection is the goal. We want our students to know that snow crystals don’t have four or eight sides. In fact, I have a dream that one year we will see only six-sided snowflakes everywhere we look in Mount Vernon.

By the time the students get to chemistry, I can teach them that the four electron domains in the water molecule are approximately evenly repelled and produce a molecule with a structural angle of just over 104 degrees. This, combined with the hydrogen bonding between the water molecules, produces crystals with a hexagonal lattice structure, which is the foundation for the shape of the snow crystal.

For your students, folding the paper correctly may be the appropriate focus. Here are some simple directions.

You can cut digital snowflakes at the SnowDays site or make a 3-D “snowflake” here

And here is another lovely image:

Out of the bosom of the Air
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Happy Hexagonal Snowflaking,
Lisa Harpel
MVHS Science Teacher

OSPI in Washington just came out with new K-12 Technology Standards. Links to the standards at each grade level band are listed below.  The focus is on two EALRs.  Integration and Digital Citizenship. They’ve done a nice job of not only giving the standards, but giving examples of how each standard can be integrated into the core curriculum.  The focus is definitely on integrating and enhancing and not just adding one more thing to our overflowing plates.

Here is an example of how the new standards are set up.

Today I was watching Ken Shelton present about the Power of Professional Learning Networks at the CLMS Conference via UStream. Ken did a great job of sharing how effective and broad reaching your network can become in just a short amount of time. Those of us who use Twitter and Plurk are very familiar with giving shout outs during presentations so that people can see the far reach of these types of learning networks. As Ken was sharing, he mentioned that he thought that he had people in his network from almost every state. That got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be cool to build a visual using Google Maps to show the far reach of the Ed Tech PLN? I have set up an editable Google Map where you can add your name, location and links to your website, wiki or blog and also your Twitter/Plurk name. The goal will be to see how many places we can represent in this way. Can we get all of the states? All of the Provinces? How many countries? Please share this link to our PLN map with as many of your connections as you can. Please also feel free to share this map, when sharing with others the power of our PLN.

Share this link with others.

View Larger Map

Click on View Larger Map and click edit to add your place mark.

All Students Meme

Recently I took part in a survey where I, and many other educators were asked this question.

” Do you believe that all students can meet standard?”

Hmm… this is a tricky question. Of course, as teachers, we feel like we should be able to answer yes. We believe in all of our students and have high expectations for them. But do we really believe that they all can meet standard? And what standard are we talking about? Perhaps I am naive, but I was shocked to find that a large percentage of educators answered this question no. They do not believe that all of their students can meet standards. In my naivete, I tend to believe that this is a lack of belief in how we measure students success and not a lack of belief in the students themselves. I want to believe that all teachers have high expectations for their students and hold them accountable for their progress.

This survey did not give educators and opportunity to share what they do believe about their students. This got me to thinking about that question. What do I believe about my students? Not just some students, or most students, but all students. I have decided to pose that question in the form of a meme. I am doing this for several reasons. One, because I feel like this is really an important question to ask of ourselves. It molds who we are as an educator. Also, I think that I need a little reassurance that this survey actually was measuring a lack of belief in how we measure students, not in the students themselves. And lastly, this seemed like a good way to meet the challenge posed to us by Steve Dembo in his 30 Days to Becoming a Better Blogger. This is a great way to invite conversation on something that I have great interest in knowing more about.

So here is my Meme:

1. Share three things that you believe about all students.
2. Reflect on your thoughts in your blog. (If you do not have a blog, you can share your ideas in a comment from this post.)
3. Be sure to link to this post and to where you were first tagged.
4. Tag your response with AllStudentsMeme
4. Invite others to join the conversation by tagging them to be a part of the meme.

I tag:

Teryl Magee
Christine Southard
Robin Martin
Sylvia Tolisano
Carol Daunt Skyring
Ken Shelton

(I tried to tag some people I have not tagged before. All are welcome to join in the conversation.)

3 Things I Believe About All Students:
1. All students come to us with experiences and knowledge.

No child comes to us as a blank slate. As a teacher, it is up to me to make connections, even if I am not familiar with the knowlege or experiences of a particular child. I need to learn and then connect.
2. All students learn best when the learning is made relevant to them.

It is important that students know why they are learning what they are learning and that they can connect their learning to a real need in their life. (Why do I need to know this?)

3. All students learn best when their basic needs are met.

Students who know someone cares, who feel safe and well fed are able to focus on learning.

Note: The survey mentioned in this post has not been published at this posting, so I only shared it in generalizations.

This was cross posted on  Opening Doors To Digital Learning

Since starting my new job in August, I have been anxiously awaiting my space on the web. Our district has committed a server for me to use to set up a collaborative space for teachers. The idea is to have a place that is not only links to resources and information, but a place where teachers can discuss ideas and share best practices. Teachers can upload resources, participate in forums, respond and create polls, reflect using a blog and collaborate with others on projects using a wiki. Almost like a mini DEN.  I know the power of my PLN and I am very excited about the possibilities of fostering the kind of open sharing of ideas and resources that I experience through my online Professional Learning Network.

I am thrilled that we are very near launching this interactive collaboration site. But I am also aware that this is not going to be an easy road. Teachers aren’t just going to jump in and start participating in this new and dynamic way of collaborating. There are many reasons for this. The big one is time. I hear it all the time. I don’t have time to be “surfing” the web. Another issue will be that the site will only be strong if it is truly a community of learners. If teachers pose a question on a forum and no one responds, they will probably not return. And one last reason that I think that the interactive parts of the site will be a tough sale at first is the fear of sharing. I ran into this issue a few years ago when we suggested that teachers post their story tests online or in a shared drive. I heard from several different buildings that teachers didn’t want to share with other buildings because they didn’t want to do all the work and then let others just have it. It was really important that this information be locked away and only those who they knew had worked hard to contribute should be able to take part in the sharing.

This idea of hoarding knowledge is part of our culture. It sounds very counter intuitive that teachers would be hoarders of knowledge. But there is perceived power in having exclusive knowledge. An idea that if everyone has the resources and access to the knowledge that they might not be needed.

Will Richardson recently wrote a blog article on just this subject. “The Less You Share, The Less Power You Have”. In this era, when it would be so easy for teachers to share and collaborate with each other and not be continually creating the wheel, there is still this culture that doesn’t want to share in this way. In part, it is a fear of their material (and hard work and time) being used by someone else and then losing value for themselves. For instance, if you share a great idea with a 2nd grade teacher and they use it in their class, then you, the 3rd grade teacher with the great idea will not be able to use it again in your class. In part also, I think it is a fear of putting themselves out there. When you publish your work, not only can people adopt your ideas and take advantage of your thought and hard work, they can also critisize your work. This is a scary idea for many. This fear of feedback is evident on many levels. I even heard someone ask me if they could disable the comments on their blog because they were afraid how people would comment.

This comment by Jason Levy puts a new spin on the idea that modern sharing is power.

Comment by Jason Levy
2008-11-18 16:18:17

I agree that modern sharing is power, but I think it is a non-traditional power.

Power 1.0 was the ability to hoard information, to own the process, to make a killing off of the initial public offering. That bubble busted.

Power 2.0: the power to influence practice, ideas and the world at large through the relentless sharing of tools, methods and insights.

If we really want to change the world, don’t we need to put our best ideals and resources INTO the world?

I love this idea of Power 2.0. The power to influence practice, ideas and the world at large through sharing. I am going to make this the theme of our new teaching and learning site. Power 2.0. The power to make a difference by sharing what you know and think with others.

Flickr photo by http://flickr.com/photos/creativecommons/

This morning I participated in a state wide video conference on Internet Safety. New legislation says that we must be teaching children about internet safety and internet etiquette. We reviewed several different programs that are out there and available for us to use. I was a little disheartened that all of the resources seemed to be designed to scare kids into doing the right thing. I know that there are predators and cyber bullying is a huge issue. I do think that we must address these issues to keep our students safe. I just feel that there also many positive lessons for students to learn about being a cyber citizen. I think that students have the opportunity to build their web presence in a positive light. This is an opportunity for students to shine and share their very best with a world audience. If students think of the Internet as a clandestine place with evil lurking around every corner, they are more likely to participate in that type of CyberWorld. If students are taught how to share their work and ideas, have thought provoking conversations and build the presence they would like the world to see, I think not only will the students be safer, but the Internet would be a safer and friendlier place for all. I once heard Will Richardson talk about a student who “Googled Well”. This student had a presence on the web. She had created a website with a focus on doing one good thing each day. Her website had really taken off and her ideas were having an impact on the world of others. Vicki Davis shares that she tells students to give everything they publish on the web the “President Test”, how would what you are sharing look if someone found this when you were running for president. And recently, Steve Dembo challenged us to think about what we would like our Wikipedia page to say about us. Helping students to see their place on the Internet in this way is, I feel just as powerful and important and helping them know how to stay safe on the Internet. Citizenship isn’t about fear, it is about being responsible, thinking before you act, and making wise and powerful choices.

Here are some of the resources I gathered today. Powerful stuff, but please remember to share the positive side as well.

Resources: (Free)
http://www.esd101.net/edtech/cybersafety/index.htm

www.Netsmartz.org/education

http://www.isafe.org/

http://www.adcouncil.org/ PSAs

http://www.staysafe.org/ parent and family focus

http://www.safekids.com/

http://mysafesurf.org/

www.delicious.com/istep101

www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/sipa.org

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons L’espace internet du musée de la Communication (Berlin)

The Northwest DEN is hosting a live event during the Discovery Educator Network second annual Virtual Conference on Saturday, October 25 in beautiful, Mount Vernon, Washington.

The DEN Virtual Conference provides a unique opportunity to learn powerful ways to integrate digital media and Web 2.0 tools into your instruction as well as discover an abundance of resources to expand your own personal learning network.

Last year I attended this event at home in my PJs. This year I am looking forward to the opportunity to share the day with other Northwest educators.

The event will feature virtual sessions from nationally known speakers (see schedule below) and face-to-face sessions with experienced technology leaders. (including a geocaching activity if the weather permits). Attending is FREE and lunch will be provided! All teachers are welcome, although space is limited.

Register here to attend the local event in Mount Vernon, WA. If you can not attend the event in person, make sure to join in via the internet for the Virtual Conference.

Date: Saturday, October 25, 2008
Time: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Mount Vernon School District Office 124 Lawrence St., Mount Vernon, WA
From Bellingham         From Seattle
Lunch will be provided.

Mount Vernon Schedule of Events
8:30 am Arrive and enjoy breakfast with your fellow educators.
9:00 am: Power Up Your Professional Learning Network
Jennifer Dorman

10:00 am: Moving Beyond the Information Age
Scott Kinney

11:00 am: It’s in Your Pocket: Teaching Spectacularly with Cellphones
Hall Davidson

12: 00 Noon: Raise You’re Hand if You’re a Rock Star
Steve Dembo (Lunch)

1:00 PM: No Mind Left Behind: Using Media to Reach Your Students (encore)
Jannita Demian and Matt Monjan

Break out Session: Geocaching

2:00 PM Understanding Your Students’ iBrain
Brad Fountain

Break out Session: Becoming a DEN STAR

Information about the sessions.

42 days ago, we purchased a Wii Fit. I know the exact number of days since I have not missed a day of exercising on the Fit since we got it. If you are not aware of what a Wii Fit is. It is a series of exercises to be done using a balance board as a part of the Nintendo Wii video game system. Well, I have never been into video games, but I kept hearing people talk about how much they love playing games such as Bowling and Tennis on the Wii and then when the Fit came out, I started hearing great success stories about motivation to exercise. So, I would have never dreamed that I would be the one in the family that we would by a video game system for, but there we were, searching all over for the elusive Wii. Aparently, I wasn’t the only one who wanted to give it a try.

Exercise is not really my thing. Not because I mind the hard work, but because I am a clumsy doofus. I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of other people. Walking is about the biggest adventure I would take in exercising in the public. So the Wii Fit seemed like a great deal for me. I could exercise in the privacy of my own living room, practice new skills and and improve my coordination. Then maybe I wouldn’t feel like such a doofus, exercising in public.

So… I set out on this adventure. Each day, I do a body test to measure my progress. I spend at least 30 minutes doing aerobic exercises like boxing, step aerobics, jogging and hula hoop. I then do either strength training or yoga with a virtual trainer. I’m not very good at balance, and should spend more time in that area, but I save balance for a treat and motivation because it seems more like a game instead of work. For me, it is all about getting fit and working on coordination. For my husband Erik, it is about beating records, either mine or his own. He is already fit, so he doesn’t have to think about the other.

One day, as I was doing either Yoga poses or strength exercises with the virtual trainer. I realized that there were teaching lessons to be learned here. Some things that the Wii does are great and others….. not so great. So here are my thoughts.
1. Goal setting and monitoring is extremely important.

At the beginning, I was asked to set a goal. I set a goal to lose a certain amount of weight over a certain period of time. Each day, when I step on the Wii Fit, I check my progress toward that goal. I have a visual reminder of how I am progressing. The Wii graphs changes in weight and body mass, changes in my fitness age and the amount of time doing different exercises each day. This is really motivating to me. I want to make sure that I am on the Wii exercising each day, because it shows if I don’t. I also know that my weight will be recorded each day. This helps me to make wise choices about what I eat and how much activity I do.

As learners, it is important to have a clear picture of where we are going and see the progress at each step. Another thing that the Wii does is it ask you to reflect when things are going well or not so well. Do we know why? Regular monitoring of learning is important too. Along with a chance to reflect on what is working well and what isn’t working so well. How else can we make positive changes.

2. Positive feedback is good, but only when sincere.

Sometimes the Wii is brutally honest telling me that I am unbalanced or a couch potato. This stings a bit, but actually helps motivate me to get better so that I don’t have to hear comments like that. Other times, when I am really struggling and I know I am not doing well, the Wii will say “Great Job” or “You have amazing ab strength”. As I am trying to catch my breath and my balance I argue back that I know that it wasn’t a great job. I know we want and need motivation, but when you get praise and you don’t deserve it, it is pretty empty. Praise and encouragement are different. When we are struggling, we do need to hear cheers to help us keep going, but “great job” when it wasn’t, doesn’t really help.

As learners, I don’t think we need to be showered with what we are doing wrong all the time. I think being aware of our weaknesses and our strengths is very important. Encouraging words without empty praise are very valuable.

3. It is great to mix it up and try new things.

As I mentioned earlier, I try balance games like walking the tight rope of slalom skiing when I get bored with other things. Most Wii Fit activities are only a few minutes long. This gives you the opportunity to really mix it up and keep things interesting.

Reading Brain Rules this summer, I learned that our brains attend best to one thing for about 10 minutes and then we need new stimulus. Keeping activities and information dump short and intentional leads to greater success. We are not doing less, we are just doing everything more efficiently.

4. New and harder challenges make great rewards.

The Wii Fit rewards progress by unlocking more challenging activities.

What a great way to reward learners. Keeping learners challenged, keeps them engaged and not bored. Perhaps instead of rewarding good work with free time, we should reward good work with greater and more engaging challenges.

5. Multitasking does not lead to success.

John Medina says that our brain functions in a linear way. We can not multitask. I always thought that I was pretty good at it until I started trying to activities in the Wii Fit. If I am not thinking about what I am doing when I am boxing or doing the step aerobics, I most surely will mess up. It really is quite amazing to me. I really can’t walk and chew gum at the same time…:) I think that the more automatic the activities are, the more you are able to multitask. But if something is new and challenging, it really does take all of your attention as a learner.

Life and learning lessons from the Wii Fit.

I figure that the NorthWest blog is a great place to share this information.  We definitely have our share of “BeanHeads” around here.

Each Monday, in the month of September, teachers can get a free tall brewed coffee at Starbucks.  All you have to do is show some kind of identification that shows you are a K-12 educator.

Not a coffee drinker myself, but know that many of you can’t start your day with out it.