Clif's Notes

One of My Professional Pet Peeves

THINKING OUT LOUD
Episode 008

• What Do You Want in Professional Development?
• Announcing “Thinking Out Loud”
• AudioBoo in the Classroom (Thinking Out Loud #3)
• What Is Your Aim for Classrooms?

Webinar: Web 2.0 in K-12 Classrooms

The Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) has a webinar coming up that I think many of you will find interesting.

“Dr. Judy Duffield of Lehigh University and her Education students will present on a series of Web 2.0 tools they have been exploring for use in the K-12 classroom. Come participate in a brown-bag-type Webinar where you can learn creative ways to use Web 2.0 tools to improve your own classroom experience.” (Source)

The webinar is Friday, December 11, 2009, at 2:00 EST. Full details are available here.

• Free PBS Webinar: Copyright and Fair Use in the Art World and the Classroom
• Interesting FREE Online Workshop
• Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom: Valuable or Distracting?
• 1 Thing Teachers Should Know about Teaching with Technology

It’s Good to Be Back, Again!

I’m excited to be working with Kannapolis City Schools again. I spent 4 weeks here last summer and I’m back for the 2nd time this summer. I’m helping provide professional development for part of their grant funded technology integration initiative called IMPACT. I’ve been asked to facilitate the following workshops:

• Instructional Design and Higher-Order Thinking in the Digital Age
• Telecollaboration in the Classroom
• Web 2.0 in the Elementary Classroom
• Educational Podcasting
• Wikis for Kannapolis City Schools

Please share any resources, information, cases, scenarios, etc. that you think will help teachers learn more about these topics by clicking on the session titles above and adding your contribution to the Notes and Resources from My PLN section at the bottom of each wiki. Rest assured that I welcome your input in this endeavor.

Together we all learn more!

• It’s Good to Be Back
• Planning District-Wide Technology Professional Development
• Greetings from North Carolina
• Summer Wiki Challenge

What Is Effective Technology Integration?

I developed the following activity for one of the educational technology courses I teach. We talk about the below scenarios and questions during the beginning of the semester. I would appreciate hearing your answers to the questions and I’m sure the teachers in the class would find it helpful.

Consider the following scenarios.

A. A teacher keeps attendance and grade records on the computer.

B. Students use concept mapping software to help them organize information for a research paper.

C. A first grade class practices math facts while playing Number Munchers in the computer lab.

D. Students use the classroom computers to check their email and read the news at ESPN.com during their free time.

E. The teacher includes video clips of scientific principles in the real world that can not be easily replicated in the classroom during the lesson.

F. Groups of students work together to produce a podcast (audio) or vidcast (video) in which they critically analyze the events that led to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

G. The teacher types and prints worksheets for students to complete for homework.

H. Pairs of students develop interactive games related to the Middle Ages using PowerPoint.

Please share your thoughts about these questions.

1. Which of these scenarios are examples of integrating technology with learning and instruction? Provide rationale for your responses.

2. What are some of the characteristics of effective technology integration in educational settings?

• U.S. Secretary of Education Requests Feedback on Technology in Education
• Multiple Representations of Understanding with Technology
• Technology in the Classroom
• 1 Thing Teachers Should Know about Teaching with Technology

Ning for Teacher Educators

Technology Integration Teacher Educators is a network of teacher educators with an interest in educational technology. It is a growing network with some big plans. I encourage you to join if this sounds like a useful resource for you.

• Together We Learn More
• Using Facebook Pages
• Newsletter on Educational Technology
• EBC and NECC Preparations Underway

Teachers’ Online Identities

Miguel Guhlin has once again pushed my thinking. This time its about the issue of personal content that K-12 teachers post online. I’ve spent a lot of time researching, thinking about and discussing this topic, but it struck me that this issue is actually a lot hairier than I’ve previously realized. There are a lot of different aspects that need to be considered.

Here are a few points from Miguel’s post. I encourage you to consider each question twice asking yourself Do.. the first time and Should… the second time.

• Do/Should school districts have any say about what a teacher does after hours?
• Do/Should school districts have any say about what a teacher posts online?
• Do/Should teachers represent the district after hours?

Rather than commenting on the discussion at this point, I hope to further it by asking a few more questions.

• Do/Should schools districts have any say about what staff members (Secretary, custodian, cafeteria staff, bus driver, mechanic, maintenance, etc.) do after hours? Post online?
• Do/Should parents and the community have any say in these matters?
• How does this translate to higher education?
• If the answers to these questions are “yes” then is the same true for individuals in other professions (Nurse, news reporter, radio DJ, police officer, elected official, unelected government employee, or store clerk)?

• 1 Thing New Teachers Should Know
• Review of Frontline’s “Growing up Online”
• Do You Believe in Me?
• 1 Thing Teachers Should Know about Teaching with Technology

Educational Technology Certificate

You can earn a certificate in educational technology with our 4 online courses. Visit http://idt.memphis.edu/certificate for full details and assistance.

• Interesting FREE Online Workshop
• EBC and NECC Preparations Underway
• NECC Buzz Has Begun
• Free Apple Seminar for Educators

Knocking Down the Walls of the Classroom

Using Web 2.0 Tools to Create a Global Classroom Experience
Kristy Conger and Clif Mims
Instructional Technology Conference

The term Web 2.0 is certainly a popular buzzword. Other than hype, what do Web 2.0 tools really have to offer? Is it possible for educators to effectively use these tools to engage learners? Kristy will share specific tools and strategies we’ve found successful in hopes that these will help you begin implementing Web 2.0 technologies in your courses.

Presentation notes and resources

The Ustream will go live at 11:00 AM CST. Join us!

• Technology Integration Showcase
• Knowledge-able
• Developing Educational Technology Courses
• Integrating 2.0 Tools Meaningfully

President Advocates Merit Pay and Charter Schools

President Barack Obama called for tying teachers’ pay to students’ performance and expanding innovative charter schools Tuesday, embracing ideas that have provoked hostility from members of teachers unions.

His solutions include teacher pay and charter school proposals that have met resistance among members of teachers unions, which constitute an important segment of the Democratic Party. (Source)

Read the full article

• Technology in the Classroom
• It’s about Learning and Not about Technology
• Teachers’ Online Identities
• Lowe’s Toolbox for Education

A Look at Today’s Students

Discussion
How does the picture painted by this video compare with your personal experiences locally?

• More Favorite Children’s Books
• No Words Needed
• Helping the Starving [VIDEO]
• WOW Your Students