"I Learn, You Learn, We Learn" Blog

“By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” ~ President OBama

What do you think?  Visit this site to review the plan.  Lot’s of comments here as well.

Excerpt from the executive summary – “Just as technology is at the core of virtually every aspect of our daily lives and work, we must leverage it to provide engaging and powerful learning experiences, content, and resources and assessments that measure student achievement in more complete, authentic, and meaningful ways. Technology-based learning and assessment systems will be pivotal in improving student learning and generating data that can be used to continuously improve the education system at all levels. Technology will help us execute collaborative teaching strategies combined with professional learning that better prepare and enhance educators’ competencies and expertise over the course of their careers. To shorten our learning curve, we can learn from other kinds of enterprises that have used technology to improve outcomes while increasing productivity”

 
I was never a big fan of poetry when I was in school probably because I never understood the poems the teacher picked out for our class to read and decipher. When it came to writing them, the best I could do was the old standard “Roses are red, violets are blue…..”.  It was painful! I would bet I’m not the only one.  Are any of you willing to admit the same?

Still, at this stage in my life, my first choice of something to read wouldn’t necessarily be poetry; however,  I’ve learned as a teacher some kids (more than I actually would think) enjoy various forms of poetry and  there are some good poetry sites out there for students and adults as well.

As a Family and Consumer Science Teacher, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate literacy within the realm of the curriculum I have to teach.  A few weeks ago I came across this site, POETS.org.  I learned it was National Poetry Month and started my quest to incorporate some fun poetry into my lessons.

My seventh grade students have recently finished a  Special Person Cinquain Quilt. This was part of a lesson in interpersonal relationships and an introductory lesson on quilts and community service. This particular quilt is made of paper and each quilt block has a Cinquain Poem on it created by students about special people in their lives. The quilt will be displayed on a bulletin board (a picture will be posted later).

POETS.org is a site containing poems for just about everyone. You can find poetry events to an iPhone poetry App! Check it out at http://poets.org/. 

Of course DEstreaming has many resources to teach poetry and images such as this one for students to create poetry about.

 Here are some additional sites of poetry resources:

EETT Instant Poetry Forms – http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm

The Poetry Zone – http://poetryzone.woodshed.co.uk/index2.htm

Giggle Poetry – http://www.gigglepoetry.com/

Have Fun!

I came across this saying today that relates to the stresses many of us are going through as we, here in upstate NY,  had the official start to our school year today. Although we had just district and building meetings and no students until Tuesday, the stress of  some major changes in building structures and building construction (which is not quite finished) are taking their toll on some.

So the quote goes like this ” INCH BY INCH, LIFE IS A CINCH. YARD BY YARD, LIFE IS HARD.” You can obviously draw the conclusion that having small realistic, attainable goals is going to be  more of a success to you than big,  impractical and unreachable goals. 

So to all my friends and colleagues as we start a new year with students and families who are counting on us: take things in small, manageable and realistic chunks. Reap the benefits from those small things, because in the end they will add up to a huge success for both you and your students as you progress through the school year.

For more inspiration on success, view a short movie clip at http://www.simpletruths.tv/store/movies.php?movie=TNOS.

If you are still questioning the validity of digital media in our schools,  read and watch the video below.  I have had the awesome opportunity to be a part of the Discovery Educator Network and I’m appreciative and grateful Schenectady continues to offer the DEstreaming service to our schools.  I use the materials from Discovery every single day in my classes and I can honestly say I don’t know what I would do without this invaluable resource.

I encourage any of you or your colleagues to become more acquainted with DEstreaming and if you’ve had a chance to view Discovery Science or Health, let your coordinators know how much you LOVE them.  In addition, if you are interested in becoming a member of the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), let me know. It’s a fantastic opportunity and I will be happy to assist you in the process!

Two days ago, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine how technology, innovative education tools, and digital content are transforming and improving education in America.  The DEN’s very own Scott Kinney, Vice President of Outreach and Professional Development for Discovery Education, served as one of seven panelists who testified as to how technology and digital content can improve American education in the future.

Citing recent research, Scott illustrated that students use technology profusely at home, while most are unable to use that same technology in the classroom.  Today’s tech-savvy students function by consuming, processing, and learning from media, in many forms simultaneously.  Scott asked the committee to envision an educational system that supported the use of technology in the classroom, therefore, supporting how students learn naturally.

30 Twitter Tips for Teachers

Our district had the fantastic opportunity to host Will Richardson for his presentation of A Web of Connections.  During an informal chat session for about 40 educators before his presentation, Will mentioned and showed a little about Twitter.  The mention of this tool sparked quite a bit of interest in this group of teachers. Many of them  set up accounts and are busy tweeting with each other and have found others around the country to tweet with. I know a couple have found some interesting people to collaborate with professionally about the content area in which they teach. Some even have some interesting ideas of how Twitter can be used as a classroom tool by their students.

The problem is it is blocked in our district(surprise, surprise). Twittering by our professionals has to take place after school hours away from our district network.  In time, I think Twitter might be something that teachers might eventually have access to. In the meantime, for those teacher who wish to begin using it, here is an article I learned about that might help some beginners get started: 30 Twitter Tips for Teachers

To find teachers using Twitter who teach in the same content area as you, check out: Twitter4Teacher Wiki

A  few weeks ago, a group of about 12 teachers from my district started a “book” club focusing on technology and literacy. To make a long story short, the books have not arrived yet so for the past few meetings we’ve been reading articles about emerging technologies in education.  Diane Wilkinson , the group facilitator and technology instructional specialist extraordinaire, chose some great reading to get our brains thinking and the discussions rolling.

Last night’s topic was cell phone usage in our schools. We have been a bit behind in talking about the issue in our district, but yes, we do have the “ban” policy.

Some of the questions that came from our discussion were:

1. Cell phones have tools that can take the place to tools districts are not providing for students.  Cell phones that students have have calculating and organizing capabilities not to mention built in photo and video tools. Web 2.0 applications readily available on the web can be downloaded for little or nothing onto phones .  Do we as educators have the obligation to tap into the tools the students already have and show them how they can be used for more than socializing or should we  deny students the use of the tools (they might have) because we don’t have them as resources to give to our students?

 2. The cell phone is a staple in our student’s world. Are  we doing them a disservice by not allowing them  and showing them how that tool can be used appropriately from 8am to 3pm while in school?

See excerpts of what Hall Davidson had to say at last year’s National Educational Computing Conference at http://ubiquitousthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/necc-2008-july-1-hall-davidson-on-cell-phones-in-education/.

Here are a few more articles or blog posts to ponder:

Making the Case for Cell Phones in Schools from Vicki Davis Cool Cat Teacher

Get Cell Phones Into Schools from Business Week

Cell Phone Curriculum - Wes Fryer

And for those of you who are still on the flip side:

Teens, Nude Photos and the Law - Newsweek

Explosion in Teen Texting May Have Unexpected Costs

Post your thoughts as a comment.

Meredith Bernadt, the newest Schenectady City Schools STAR, has been working on  a special project with her 4th grade students: Podcasts. 

 After participating in the Northeast Regional Event in Troy, NY; Meredith will never be the same. She’s off and running with some great ways to integrate technology in her classroom. nr=1&&s=144961871

Look for more from Meredith at the Howe International Magnet School.

Website: Howe 10 Podcast – http://www.gcast.com/user/MsBernadt/podcast/main?

 In the Teacher Tools section of  DEstreaming you can find themes to fit just about any topic.  Each theme includes video segments, lesson plans, discussion guides, related resources and student activities for each grade level.

* Before clicking on the link below, open a new window and log in to your DEstreaming account.

Knowledge of form and function is as important to writing as it is to the visual arts. Examine the structural conventions of a range of genre, from contemporary songwriting and screenwriting to classic satire and horror.

Here’s a list of books listed by grade level about the election process and government.

Website – http://community.epals.com/groups/elections/blog/archive/2008/10/20/recommended-election-reading.aspx.

…………..just ask Anthony Cimino a 4th grade teachers at  Pleasant Valley Elementary School in Schenectady. Congratulations to Anthony for winning a DEN duffel bag just for commenting on the DEN Stream-a-thon blog post!

 Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Here’s a really great resource for learning about the 8 strategies for reading comprehension:  Using Prior Knowledge, Making Connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing, Evaluating and Synthesizing. There are activities, lessons, audio clips, videos and professional development videos. 

Although the site is geared towards K-4, teachers who teach literacy at any level can get some really great ideas. 

Website: http://reading.ecb.org/

Literacy is one of those ‘hot topics’ in the realm of education today.  Here’s a site you can add to your list of links to help students with writing and grammar. For you teachers, check out the drop down list  of PowerPoint presentations you can use with your students.

 Here in Schenectady, we are lucky to have the best of both – DEstreaming and PowerMediaPlus.  I don’t know what our teachers would do if they didn’t have access to DEstreaming. However, in all fairness, Discovery’s other video on demand product, PowerMediaPlus, is worth some time to browse the content contained within.  Here is a listing of what is included in PowerMediaPlus.

• 3,300 full-length, up-to-date, curriculum-based videos (and growing!)
• 23,000 core concept video clips
• 6,000 curriculum-oriented audio files
• 25,000 high-resolution photographs, illustrations, and clip art images produced for the classroom
• 5,000 print resources, including teacher’s guides and worksheets
• 4,000 online resources related to specific titles
• 15,500 quiz questions and 1,100 pre-made quizzes
• Podcasts and episode publishing tools
• Programs correlated to state and national standards
• Current content for all K-12 subject areas: social studies, science, language arts, literature, math, guidance, health, professional development, and more—plus the largest collection of music, art, and children’s literature titles in the industry

Learn More

If your district doesn’t have PowerMediaPlus, it may be worth talking to your administrators about.

Did you know Discovery has another media on demand service called PowerMediaPlus?  Schenectady receives PowerMediaPlus from WMHT, our local public television affiliate; and the NY Lottery.
I know there are other districts across the country that have access to PowerMediaPlus as well. In an effort to share features of PowerMediaPlus, I will be posting entries every so often about the product and how it can be used in your classrooms. Please feel free to comment on how your district uses PowerMediaPlus  and what you like about it.

Until the next post, learn more about Power Media Plus by visiting http://www.discoveryeducation.com/products/PowerMediaPlus/.

Cross posted from Nicole Brondum’s Blog
Have you received a document that was created in Microsoft 2007 that you couldn’t open?  The solution is simple.    Go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads .