“I Learn, You Learn, We Learn” Blog

Once again, Steve Dembo made our heads spin with his expertise of Web 2.0 tools in last night’s webinar 50 Ways to Spin a Digital Story.

Before we began the formal webinar, Steve provided us the opportunity for us to see him facilitate this webinar by streaming a video of him through his cell phone through Qik.com. This added another dimension to the webinar for us visual learners. The space invaders on his “studio” ceiling added a special touch.

Steve provided an explanation of the difference between Web 1.0 and 2.0. It was great he reminded those of us who use Web 2.0 we may take for granted that others will know what it is all about. Not true; there are still many educators who don’t know what Web 2.0 is, let alone the power of some of those sites.  In a nutshell, the difference between the 2 is, Web 1.0  are those web sties that just provide information. You go to it, read it and take away what you want. On the other hand  the Web 2.0  sites are those sites on the internet that provide a level of interactivity, are free and allow some sort of participatory environment such as blogs, wikis, photo sharing and networking sties. Thanks for the clarification Steve.

On to the 50 ways……….

First , Steve took us to a site called CogDogRoo  developed by Alan Levine. It is a wiki which focuses on 50 of the best Web 2.0 sites. People can go in and add examples of how they use some of the sites. It’s a great resource.  Steve’s idea of 5O Ways to Spin a Digital Story came from this site.

Although an hour is just not enough time to get through all fifty ways, Steve did show us a few very cool tools you can use to enhance your digital stories or create them. Are you ready? Here are a few he mentioned:

1. Create biographies using DEstreaming images and Blabberize
2. Develop a family history using Toon Doo
3. Make a timeline using Our Story
4. Share PowerPoint presentations at MY Plick
5. Students can use VoiceThread to expand on a book read in class

Hopefully the webinar will be archived or posted soon so you can view the presentation at your leisure.

And speaking of webinars…… what a line up Discovery has for the upcoming school year! Check out my next post for an overview of what webinars are on their way.

What do you get when you add 20,000 DEstreaming images ,Gimp and Dennis Swain? 

You get a fantastic DEN webinar (hosted by none other than the northeast’s own Dennis Swain)full of practical, easy and fun tips for using images from DEstreaming.

Dennis showed the webinar participants how to search for, choose the correct size for your project and how to edit the photo chose with Gimp. Gimp is a photo editing software you can download for FREE. You can find it at http://www.gimp.org/. 

Gimp can be used to easily crop this photo of the Roosevelt Bridge. 

Dennis didn’t forget the Writing Prompt Builder in DEstreaming either. He showed us step by step how to incorporate one of those 20,000 images into a writing prompt: a simple way to incorporate technology media into your classroom.

Thanks for your expertise, Dennis!

Stephanie Throne & Grace Smith shared a multitude of ideas about differentiating instruction in the classroom.  Although their book, Differentiating Instruction with Technology in K-5 Classrooms, is intended for the elementary level,  many of the tips and techniques presented during the webinar could be incorporated at any level (I teach 9-12 and I can’t wait to try some of their ideas).

You can find many resources on their website at Everything DI  - http://everythingdi.net/.

Some of the online resources webinar participants shared were:

• ClassMarker.com - http://classmarker.com
• Accelerated Learning - http://www.acceleratedlearning.com/index.html
• MakeBeliefsComix - http://makebeliefscomix.com/
• ToonDoo - http://www.toondoo.com/
• Digital Game-Based Learning - http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/DigitalGameBasedLearningI/40614?time=1211412686
• Types of Learning and Game Styles - http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Types%20of%20Learning%20and%20Possible%20Game%20Styles.pdf
• VoiceThread - http://voicethread.com/#home

…….. and so much more.  If I forgot any, leave a comment with links to the ones you remember.

You can also find information about differentiated learning at DEstreaming….. and………DEstreaming is a great tool to use for differentiated learning.

 Wow!  The Discovery Educator Network is hosting so many webinars in April I can’t possibly list them all here. Click on this link to see a calendar of all the webinars offered in April.

However, just to wet your whistle , I ‘ll just mention a few:

April 1st - Teaching the 21st Century Student with Brad Fountain - Listen to Brad’s ideas on incorporating skills in our classrooms that students are going to be expected to know as they move into the working world.  

April 23 - David Jakes - An expert in the field of instructional technology, you can learn more about David at his blog, The Strenght of Week Ties, and at JakesOnine.org.

 Register for any of the April webinars at : https://discoveryed.webex.com/mw0304l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=discoveryed&service=6

Last night’sDEN webinar with Anastasia Goodstein, creator and author of yPulse Teen Blog, was a a terrific session focusing on what teens are actually doing on the internet. Turns out it’s not much different from years ago. They like to hang out, decorate their space, and socialize all in an effort to find themselves. What has changed is they are
doing it in a very different place - online. Think about it - malls and social hangouts aren’t as welcoming anymore, teens still have a lot on their minds (just as we did years ago), but they still need to talk with their friends. Social networking sites have become the “place” to hang, talk, decorate, and be a teen.

Anastasia, along with a number of webinar participants,agree the issue at hand  is we (parents and educators) need to begin a serious campaign on educating our students about the correct way to use computers, the correct way to socialize online, and what to do when a teen reads something disturbing to them.  Computer Ethics, Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety must become a staple in our education system and in our conversations with our children.  Computers and the Internet aren’t the culprits (contrary to what most school officials think) it is the people using them in the wrong way that is.

Here are Anastasia’s Top Ten things you can do to become a “Totally Wired” educator (and Parent)

1. Survey your teens - Find out where they go online, what they like to do online and how they use their phones and the internet

2. Lean on them - Not a computer wizard? Identify a teen who is and let them help in your class. It is empowering and validating.

3. Join a social network - Learn to use the tools your students are using

4. Be their guide - Help them learn to evaluate and find credible internet sources. Help them become information “literate”

5. Talk about and model appropriate use - No hidden camera photos of their friends,  what’s appropriate to post in a public forum and why, not using texting acronyms in English papers

6. Teach teens cyberethics -Incorporate ethics into any computer course and classes using computer labs,emphasizing what’s different about bullying online, the public nature of the internet, plagiarism and cheating

7. Identify the trailblazers in your field - Read their blogs, ask them to tell you what works and what doesn’t

8. If you are a trailblazer,spread the gospel. Find ways to get your positive experiences with technology out to others.

9.Support efforts to unblock appropriate social media - Educate your administrators on ways social networking can be educational and how some can be privatized

10. Practice Active Reputation Management- student blogging, portfolio sites, active use of privacy settings.

Here are some sites to help get you started:

• Google Tips forOnline Safety
• TenCommandments for Computer Ethics
• NS Teens
• AddressingCyberbullying in Classes
• Online Activity about Digital Citizenship
• WebWiseKids

 Cross posted from the DEN National Blog

Next week, the EdTechConnect series is going to feature Anastasia Goodstein, author of the book Totally Wired and the Ypulse weblog. She has been featured in newspapers, interviewed on various news broadcasts and a national presenter. We spoke on a panel together at the Office 2.0 conference, and I can tell you that there are very few people who truly understand the ‘internet generation’ better than Anastasia.

On Wednesday, March 26th, she’ll be sharing her experiences and ideas with you! Come hear first hand what teens and tweens are REALLY doing online, and what we as educators should be doing about it. Based on hundreds of interviews and memoirs, Anastasia can speak with authority about where the line between digital safety and digital citizenship should be drawn and how to speak to both sides of the issue.

Click here to register for the webinar.

Check out these webinar opportunities. 

In addition to learning about Discovery Education products, and the Young Scientist Kick Off, grad a favorite beverage of choice and tune in to check out some DEN favorites:

Hall Davidson - the funny man of the DEN
Joe Brennan - the story man of the DEN

To register, go to https://discoveryed.webex.com/ec0509l/eventcenter/event/eventAction.do?siteurl=discoveryed&theAction=listevents_date.

Wondering about the red arrow? Stay tuned…………………

What Does Your Desk Look Like? If you are a follower of Viki Davis, AKA CoolCat Teacher,  it might begin to look like this:

In a recent DEN EdTechConnect webinar, Vicki Davis talked about her Flat Classroom Project based on The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.  What is a Flat Classroom? To ‘flatten’ or lower the classroom walls so that instead of each class working isolated and alone, 2 or more classes are joined virtually to become one large classroom. Vicki spoke of the 7 steps to attain a flat classroom and how each step represents part of a teacher’s toolbox to encourage virtual connectedness. For more about Vicki you can visit her blog at http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/.  To listen to the EdTechConnect webinar, watch for it to be posted at the DEN Webinar Archives.  

Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008 
DEN Virtual Conference Presentations 

Keynotes:
Lost in Translation, presented by Lance Rougeux
Revenge of the Digital Immigrants, presented by Hall Davidson

Virtual Breakouts:
Building a Bigger Builder, presented by Matt Monjan
The Bionic Lesson, presented by Mike Bryant
50 Ways to Spin a Digital Story, presented by Steve Dembo

Bonus:
DEN in Second Life demonstration, presented by Lori Abrahms of the DEN Second Life Leadership Council

Mark your calendars, now!
February proves to be another fantabulous month of webinars from Discovery Education.  This month’s EdTech Connect on Feb. 20 will feature Vicki Davis, author of Cool Cat Teacher Blog and winner of best blog in 2006. She is an educator and co-founder of Women of Web 2. This will be one of those webinars not to miss.  

Vist https://discoveryed.webex.com/ec0509l/eventcenter/event/eventAction.do?siteurl=discoveryed&theAction=listevents_date to register for any of the webinar offerings.

Mark your calendars to participate in these great January webinars. They’re free! Visit https://discoveryed.webex.com/mw0304l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=discoveryed&service=6 to get a description of the webinar and to register.

Discovery Education WebEx Enterprise Site via kwout