Sioux City Schools Technology Integration Blog

What I've learned this week - 12/8/2011

2011-12-02T06:04:00.001-08:00

Exciting week! So many things learned this week, it's hard to put it all down. I started this last Friday and it's already Thursday. It shouldn't take this long to blog!!

1. SmartSync will work, but there is some weird permissions thing that is giving students an error (sometimes). What did I learn? When a problem is not defined clearly, it is hard to attack it effectively.
It seems that when students get the Windows updates that are pushing out district wide, the problems with Smart sync go away.

2. Windows updates can be a good thing.

3. The need for REAL-TIME or Right-on-time PD will NEVER go away. It's really the BEST model for improving instruction with technology integration (innovation). However, the practice of this really needs a continual process of problem definition and solution.

4. PILOT programs are GOOD!! I love to see the impact our pilot teacher is making with 30 ipads in his Lang. Arts course at NHS. Great Job, Mr. O!

5. Quickreads is an amazing product. I can't wait to see if it produces results for student's fluency in reading. The setup has been fairly painless, except for the fact that it won't work with NComputing setups.

6. Having the stomach flu is NOT a healthy way to lose 10 pounds!

Have a great weekend!

Windows 7 tips

2011-09-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

As a district, every computer (now almost 8000 staff and student computers) went to Win7 operating system. For some this has been a 2nd order change.
I ran across this blog post with some simple tips that almost everyone can learn from to navigate this new interface more effeciently.
http://bit.ly/n9NBMI

Have a great weekend!

Change has come!

2011-09-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have to give big props to our Teacher/Librarians in the Sioux City High Schools! They have started this year with a bang and really have shown us how important our library's are to the technology integration in the classroom.
With the 1:1 rollout now 3 weeks old, it is amazing to see how quickly students, teachers and library's adapt to change.
There is a post here: http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/2011/09/learning-should-be-messyright.html
about what NOT to do in your school media center. Our teacher/librarians have taken the opposite approach and reached into to the messy business of integrating technology and learning together. Neat and quiet doesn't describe our HS media centers. I don't think it should.

Getting ready for training at WHS July 18-21

2011-07-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

http://scteachwithtech.wordpress.com/
This will continue to be added too next week as we kick off our first week of 1:1 training at WHS.

Using Coaches for Technology implementation

2011-06-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Using Technology coaches was important or extremely important to our teachers as we rolled out classroom Dualboards, Mobi's, Responders, document cameras and laptops to our classrooms. In each scenario, more than 88% of our teachers surveyed agreed that the use of coaches was important or extremely important.
I can't say enough about how good Jamie and JoDee are at building relationships with teachers and focusing on student learning as they train teachers to use these tools and others to integrate technology into the classroom. The other chart shows how most teachers feel student engagement and productivity have increased by integrating technology into the classroom. Over 70% of our teachers surveyed said that they CANNOT go back to teaching without these tools in their classrooms.

What an incredible school year!

2011-05-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 14th "last day of school" in the Sioux City School district. This year has been a wild ride, looking back to where we were a year ago at this time.
Last year at this time we were getting ready to train 300 elementary teachers to teach differently while utilizing new classroom technologies like Interactive whiteboards, Mobi's, Document Cameras, and CPS responders. It's amazing to see how that training has made a huge difference in classrooms around the district. No matter what building I visit, I see teaching that integrates technology to engage, motivate and foster student learning. I cannot say enough about our Instructional Tech Coaches, Jamie and JoDee! They have been an inspiration to me and several teachers who made the leap and tried new things in the classroom this year. The real-time support and professional development they have provided has been the catalyst for excellent learning for students.
We completed 1:1 pilot projects with 3 different classrooms in 3 different high schools. These teachers did incredible things with students and we learned right along side them. Their experience has had ups and downs, but has led our district to a place that we can confidently bring 1:1 initiative to our 10-12th grade students starting next fall! Check out the press release here - http://goo.gl/Q2BAU
The opening of new science wings at 3 high schools was an amazing experience. Coming alongside our HS Science professionals was a huge treat for me. They adapted and adopted technology for teaching so quickly and effectively. Each day working with them was a learning experience!
In 2 of our 3 middle schools, we also worked to install classroom technology for instruction. Utilizing team planning time for training was a new experience. It worked well because it forced us to be precise in the delivery and allowed me the ability to coach teachers more effectively. For example, at NMS, I delivered a 45 minute training on using the Dualboard and Mobi. Then the bell rang and teacher's dispersed to their classrooms. I would then follow them in, show them in real-time, ways to apply what they had JUST learned the hour before. AMAZING results.
A new building called Liberty Elementary will open this year, which is always exciting and knowing that the teachers who are teaching in this new environment are prepared and ready to use the new technology is very exciting.
This summer couldn't be more busy with 5000 computers going from XP to Windows 7. Preparing HS teachers to have globally connected students in their classrooms. Migration of all email to the cloud, implementing Office 2010, and so much MORE!! Not to even mention the 3000 laptops that students will be using that are 3G Verizon network connected 24/7. I just got back from EHS where our 1st shipment Of 1000 was delivered! (See Pic)
The end goal is always to improve student achievement. These initiatives are all part of the greater idea of making our schools more effective and for each and every student.
Layne

Video Resources for Students and Teachers

2010-11-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to put out a post that tells all of the video resources available for students and Teachers in our district. It seems many students get frustrated when trying to access video for projects or learning because much of it is blocked by our districts filtering system (including http://youtube.com). However, there ARE many resources that ARE available to teachers, including youtube videos, you just need to know where to look!
en wanting to put out a post that tells all of the video resources available for students and Teachers in our district. It seems many students get frustrated when trying to access video for projects or learning because much of it is blocked by our districts filtering system (including http://youtube.com). However, there ARE many resources that ARE available to teachers, including youtube videos, you just need to know where to look!

LINKS WITH VIDEOS THAT AREN'T BLOCKED FOR STUDENTS!!

#1 SAFARI

#2 EDVIDEOS -- Here, teachers can login (your district Login) and submit video links from Youtube that fit into their curriculum, then students can go to edvideos and view the youtube video!!

DE Streaming -- You need to get the username and password from your Teacher-Librarian.

Brightstorm

NBCLearn

TeacherTube

SchoolTube

cnn.com/studentnews

Brainpop -- You need to get a username and password for this one, but students can get it from the teacher librarian.

MathTV

Khan Academy - Mission is to provide anywhere anytime user-paced learning. These are all Youtube videos, so refer back to #2

Video.pbs.org

Ted.com -- This one is great for getting students to react to some "outside the box" thinking!

Learn 360 -- You need to get a username and password for this one, but students can get it from the teacher librarian.

PRESENTATION SITES

slideshare

slideboom

authorstream

PREZI - You need to sign up for this one, but get on the education version and you still get lots of features for FREE!

Edu.Glogster.com -- This is a great one for student projects.

Voki in the Classroom

2010-10-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

A Voki is a speaking avatar that students can create on Voki.com. Use these avatars to re-create characters in a story, give a short speech or explanation, or even for ESL students. For many other classroom uses as well as a tutorial on how to create a Voki, CLICK HERE.

My Mini-Conference Presentation

2010-10-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

The goal here is the share in the 50 minutes we have together, 50 different websites that you could use in your classrooms for integrating technology with your students learning. Here we go:

Picnik

Picnik is a site that provides students with some really fun and powerful image editing tools for pictures. You can use pictures that you take with a digital camera, or even a document camera, and do some fun editing, or you can have students downloading pictures and do some creative stuff there. Ideas might be pictures of a place, landmark, monuments, pictures from a field trip, or a way to get students to write about something they did (you can add captions to pictures with picnik)

Picasa

Picasa is another site that is centered around photos. There is also a download on the site for doing some simple editing, but the powerful classroom application here is creating slideshows. Students LOVE to create slideshows of photos that relate to something they have learned. Using Picasa for creation of a picture collage, computer background or a screensaver. Another fun way to differentiate instruction with students using technology.

AVIARY

This is one that I haven't used that much, but it has six different tools all on one site. There is a bird theme here so stick with me:
Phoenix: this is the free photo editor. It's cool, but I like picnik better

Roc: This is the audio editor. You can do some cool stuff with music here, like mix your own ringtones (kids love that stuff!)

Talon: this is cool and easy, it's a screen capture tool. So if you have a picture of something on the web or your desktop, you can capture the screen as an image and send it off, or edit it with picnik.

Myna: another audio editor built into the website.

There are more tools here, but more advanced and we don't have time today.

Maps.google.com

Maybe you have all used google maps for getting directions to get to places or to find out how far it is from point a to point b. However, there are TONS of features here that you may not know exist. Use the My Maps button to build your own maps or have students build maps. You have to have a google account to do it. I first thought of how my daughter could do a walking map of what "used to be" for her Sioux City History project. There are also layers here for wikipedia, photo and real estate. Also check out Mapjack.com Cool stuff.

Timeglider
web-based timeline software for creating and sharing history and project planning. There is tons of potential for creation here with the ability to put in events as you go. Map your entire curriculum if you want, or you could have students creating timelines of their lives so far.

Mixbook

There are many sites that let you create photo collections. Mixbook is simple and lets you embed directly into your own website or wiki.

HippoCampus

This one is more for the secondary folks, but it has an amazing amount of resources and content built into it for several subjects. Our district and the AEA teamed up to purchase a subscription a year ago and many teachers are using it in creative ways. The content is correlated to several different textbooks, not just standards. So this is a tool that you can supplement your textbook material with.

JeopardyLabs
Jeopardy labs allows you to create a customized jeopardy template without PowerPoint. The games you make can be played online from anywhere in the world. Building your own jeopardy template is a piece of cake. They have a simple editor on their site and you can be up and playing very quickly. Let students create the games with your content and try to stump their peers. You'll trick them into learning!!

Readthewords

A great site that will let you type text and turn it into spoken word. You can make the person say what you need and also have it shared out on facebook. For example, you could make it say the assignments, and post it to your fan page then kids can listen to it instead of reading it.

Voki

An even more powerful text to speech tool. Teachers or students can create their avatar and use your own voice to make it speak. Check out Dr. McGrath on his Irving Wiki. http://irvinghawks.wikispaces.com/

Jigsaw planet

This is a fun site especially if you have an interactive whiteboard or a mobi for your classroom. You could use as team building exercise for group work or even an anticipatory set.

Pocket Mod

This site bills itself as a new way to stay organized. But I like to think of it as a way for students to create little books. Do you storyboards with students and then go to PocketMod to have them build a little book that you can print and share with others.

PhotoSynth

This is one of the more cool sites I've seen in a while. It allows you to upload photos and then stitches them together to create a really cool view of how the pictures fit together. There are several locations around the world listed, so it would be great for learning during the Rocks unit in third grade or in middle school geography when learning about a specific place in the world.

WikiSpaces

I haven't found a more simple, efficient and effective way for teachers to build websites than wikispaces. The interface is simple, it's great for communicating with parents and students alike. You can bring in videos, links, upload powerpoints, have student discussion threads. ALL FOR FREE! Amazing!

Makewee

I love the name of this site more than anything. My kids have been reading biographies of some great American heros. A fun thing for them to do is go on this site and try to make a wii dude that looks like that figure. You can also save them and make them your avatar for a wiki or facebook, twitter if you are not comfortable using your own picture. Also http://www.myavatareditor.com/

Wordle

Many of you have already used Wordle. This is such a fun way for students to look at how they use words. The more I use it the more I learn. Check out this post for some creative ways to use wordle http://techlearning.com/blogs/24518

Tagxedo

Tagxedo takes wordle to the next level, allowing you to create visually fun word and tag clouds that look like images. We'll do one with this presentation if we have time.

Flu Trends

I love showing people this because it really brings home how powerful the data we collect really is.

Skype

So many of you know about skype. It's a popular site tool among millions of people everyday. However, do you know that you can use skype to get help on your computer? There is a feature in skype called "share your screen" and you can skype your friend who is good with computers and ask them how to do stuff you can't figure out. (I know this because I have to show my mom about once a week how to attach a photo to an email). Also, the new version (5) of skype lets you video conf. with more than one person at a time.

delicious.com

Everybody should have a delicious account. Delicious allows you to save your favorite websites to the web and then tag them for their subjects. In this current world we all go between 2 or more computers daily. If i didn't have delicious, I would never be able to find that very important site that I need!

Alice

Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Alice is a teaching tool for introductory computing. If you want to motivate kids to do storytelling in a creative and fun way, this tool is for you!

SlideShare

Another great web tool for sharing slide presentations and letting students create for differentiating your instruction. Create and account and away you go. You can share to almost anything on the web.

EdHeads

Amazing, deep thinking games here for kids. There is problem solving here and the content really makes you think. There's links for lesson plans for teachers here too.

Glogster

Another great tool for allowing students to create online. In school you have to use http://edu.glogster.com so you can use the education version. It's basically a web 2.0 tool that allows you to create an interactive poster. - with text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds, drawings, data attachments and more.

TeacherTube

Ofcourse you have heard of youtube, but have you seen teachertube? All videos centered around educational content, so it keeps things safer for you and for your students. It used to be slow and not very exciting, but more and more content seems to be showing up and adding to the value of this site. Not to mention the connection now with Pearson and Teachervision.com

Teachervision

Tons and tons of classroom ready resources here, just waiting for teachers and students to dig deep into for more and more learning!!

http://www.gliffy.com/
Finally, Finally! I looked for years for a free alternative to Inspiration software. Gliffy IS the answer! Of course it is not as robust, but it does what you want it to do for idea diagramming, venn diagrams, flowcharts! Teachers, have fun with this one!!

Google Sketchup
No, i didn't just spell ketchup wrong. It's google's free drawing tool and it is MEGA powerful. It is a free download. If you go to the gallery, you will be blown away but what can be created in this simple tool.

You Send It

Have you got a HUGE file that won't go through email. Use this simple service to get it there. Send up to 2gb files. But make sure the other person is ready to receive it, because it gets deleted after 7 days.

Google Books

If you are a book lover or just an avid reader, you NEED to know about google books. Create your own bookshelf, find reviews of books you want to read and browse by subject. Take your students to this site and help them find books they might be interested in, great for unmotivated readers!

PsykoPaint

It is photo editing meets paint and it allows for tons of creativity and artistry coupled with extreme ease of use. Let your students run wild with it. Give them each a picture from a story and let them transform it into their own artistic genre, or have them create their own original work. Be creative. Have a blast!

EyeFi

Great gift idea for that person who never downloads the pictures off of their digital camera. It's a memory card with wifi built in. You don't have to clumsily mess with wires, just use a wireless connection and post your pictures to picasa, flickr, or whatever.

Blogger

I love blogger because it is so simple and integrated with google gives it tons of features. There new template creator is WAY cool. If you want students creating blogs, they will catch onto this quick and you can make them completely private from the rest of the WWW.

zamzar

How much do i love this site! change any multimedia file you find into the format you want with zamzar. completely free and so simple. They email you the link when finished. Want the song from the background of the video? Just pump it into zamzar and change the format to MP3. SWEET!

VideoAnt

Super cool site that allows you to annotate on a video while watching it. Powerful if you have a Interactive whiteboard or a Mobi.

Animoto

Simple and EASY way to make really cool video from pictures. My kids are young and it took them almost no time to figure out how to create and then post these to a website.

Voicethread

You cannot deny the coolness of this tool A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate slides and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too.

Freeplay

If you have students creating video or slideshows, you know there is always a need for background music. At http://freeplaymusic.com/ you will find TONS of loops and styles. Really motivate kids by letting them know that they can create their own ringtones from these loops too!

vlc player

this one is a download, but I don't think any computer should be without it. It plays everything and it's fast! I used to get really tired of wanting to hear a song and having to wait for itunes to open or windows media. Now, with vlc, I don't wait and it always works, video and audio!

Einstruction Workspace
Another download, but the tool in workspace for recording your screen is incredible. Very simple and you can have students explaining to other students with a video recording how to create a blog, or wiki or voicethread. This is a great way to differentiate for students. my tutorial

Google Reader

Let's say you are really getting into the technology thing and you have your student's start blogging. However, you don't want to visit each of the students blogs and read every post. You can use google reader and have all the blog posts come to one place where you can read them all at once. Cool, huh?

Twitter

If you are not on twitter, you should start today. Not because you are so interesting to follow. Because there is SO VERY MUCH information out there. It's a great place to get ideas, throw out questions and get feedback from others around the world. Twitter is a place where there really IS no such thing as a dumb question!! Also check out http://search.twitter.com. Better than google for up to the second news!!

Garfield Cartoon creator

Who doesn't love this fat cat and his crazy personality. Engage students with this game to help them learn about parts of speech, conversation building and all kinds of word games. Have students create a conversation between the characters about how to stay safe online.

comic strip creator

Another fun comic strip creator that can be a VERY engaging way for students to have conversations about subjects you want them to discuss. They love to create and create with a purpose. This is a great tool for doing just that!

BrainPop
Curriculum based content in a fun and animated form. This is not normally a completely free site but our district subscribes so we get to use it for our students! It's a great resource for all ages and it has some really great content that is well organized. There are even standards associated with many of the videos available.

PREZI
Create visually engaging presentations or have students using prezi to build presentations that cut the fluff and puts information in a different look than what powerpoint can provide.

youtube addin for Powerpoint

Have you ever struggled to put a youtube video into your powerpoint. Check out the youtube addin for powerpoint. You have to have an internet connection for this to work. Makes adding video very simple for ppt.

Newseum

Want current events? Check out this site sharing front pages of over 800 newspapers from over 80 countries! Amazing conversation starters here.

Posterous

Set up posterous account and they give you an email address. You send your blogposts with picture attachments, files, whatever to that email and they make it appear on your blog. Almost magical!

Bacon

i can't wait to show you this one. This is strictly for amusement, but I love it. Who doesn't?

The Technology Mini-Conference is HERE!!

2010-10-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have been working feverishly over the last few weeks preparing for our technology focused Professional Development day. Doug Johnson will be our keynote and there are 15 different sessions for teachers to attend. We will truly be "differentiating" our professional development by allowing teachers to choose how they will learn for half of the day!
Check out http://scteachwithtech.wordpress.com for the list of sessions, downloads of peoples presentations and the schedules for the day!

Post comments here if you need more information. It WILL be a great learning experience for all of us!

Layne

A New School Year Begins With Facebook & Twitter

2010-09-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't contributed to our blog since the end of the school year last year. Although our Microsoft Settlement is progressing much more slowly than we had hoped or even planned, I'd say it is a blessing in disguise. We have had a chance to start a partial install of our projectors, DualBoards, responders, Mobis, and document cameras, which has enabled us to work out some technical issues as well as touch base and work with those classrooms. (And, I would have to say that E-Instruction has been quite helpful in working out some of our technical issues this week).

Another exciting step our district has taken is to open up Facebook and Twitter on our network so teachers can work on their class pages. In fact, I have experimented with my own Coaching Fan Page. I have it so I can post updates via phone texts which also feeds into my Twitter Account. AND...this blog feeds directly to the Facebook Page.

To take it a step further, I have opened up my Google Bookmarks and Google Reader and linked them to my Fanpage. So, it is like one stop shopping.

-Jo Dee

Tech Training

2010-06-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

We are in our second full week of training elementary teachers starting today. We are getting some really good feedback. I think the best part of having this training is to see the teachers become more comfortable with the tools and really start to see the benefits to them in the classroom. In this short amount of time, our goal is to have teachers not only learn the tools, but to create a comfort level with our tech coaches, build relationships within their buildings for support and also see the benefits of integrating the technology into their teaching.

Some of the best feedback that we've gotten is that teachers love the time we give them to play and they love the book we created for them.

Starting Wed and Thurs. I'm going to video the training (using 2 different cameras). This will allow us to post the training sessions on line using Creation Station from SAFARI-MONTAGE.

The fun continues.

Layne

Leadership Academy Presentation

2010-06-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Technology is Good, but people are better!!

Technology does not make students learn better!

What we (teachers and students) DO with the technology is more important than the technology we use!
The hope is that teachers will harness the technology to do things in the classroom that better connect them to their student's learning!
STUDENT LEARNING IS KEY!!

Story of Rich Wilmesherr: 8th Grade Science Teacher at West Middle School. Rich was selected by his principal to participate in Differentiated Instruction with Technology added to his classroom. After 2 weeks, Rich was determined to try at least 1 piece of technology with the differentiated strategies he had learned. Several weeks after school started, I was in WMS to work with some teachers in the 8th Grade pod. I saw Rich in the hallway. He grabbed me by the arm and looked me square in the eye and proceeded to tell me that I was dead meat if I ever made him go back to teaching without the equipment we put in his classroom.

{Sorry, I had to remove student videos}

Think-Pair-Share: HOW HAVE YOU HAD TO ADJUST WHEN USING TECHNOLOGY?? INSTANT FEEDBACK.... Is that a problem??

Story of Tina Mulvihill:
Mrs. Mulvihill teaches math at East Middle School. She was not a user of technology nor a proponent of using technology with her students. She had the same training that Rich received. Tina walked cautiously into using Diff and the use of technology. Throughout the year, Tina walked carefully into differentiating her instruction by taking 1 section of pre-algebra and adding student choice. She eventually used all of the technology available to her in different ways and the students did as well. Tina wrote on the ning to share what her year was like:
TINA'S NING POST

{Sorry, I had to remove student videos}

Think-Pair-Share: What have you experienced in your classrooms when trying to do things with technology that you couldn't do before?

Gwen Brewster:
Project Based learning with same training as the Rich and Tina:
Gwen Teaches Language Arts -

{Sorry, I had to remove student videos}

Forester's students after 30 minutes with the board...
{Sorry, I had to remove student videos}

Jayse talking about why he likes Mrs. Foresters class!
{Sorry, I had to remove student videos}

Jane Warren Story:
Mrs. Warren taught the gauntlet last year, from English 1 (every student in one section had their own computer) to English 4 and AP English.
A VERY stressful year, but some of the work students did was INCREDIBLE!

Metamorphosis Video
The PingNguyens sing "Take AP!"TAke AP english video

LOOKING AHEAD -

How will students having email effect your teaching? students learning?
Would you use social media to connect your classroom more effectively with students?
Using Pinnacle Analytics INSIGHT - How will you use this REAL-TIME data to direct your instruction?
What one piece of classroom technology would push you into differentiating instruction more effectively?

RESOURCES!!
The Internet

Garrison Sites

food fight video

Brain Pop

DUDE!

What do I do on here??

2010-05-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

I must apologize first and foremost. I haven't blogged on here in so long that I really had think about what my password was to log on. That is not a good sign. I haven't been lazy, stop laughing, I have just been so caught up in the preparation of training for this summer and the training we are doing in the month of may that everything else gets put aside.

Currently in the month of June, we have about 280 teachers signed up to take our training on the 21st Century Classroom tools that will be rolled out this summer to their classrooms. I couldn't be more pleased. 280 represents about 70% of our Elementary Staff. I think that is an amazing number considering everything that goes on during the summer.

Before we train the teachers, we have decided to train all Administrators and Instructional Coaches. If those 2 groups are not on board with what we are doing. We should stop now. Principal feedback so far has been wonderful.. They need to relay to their staffs the importance of what we are doing. If that message doesn't get relayed, some teachers will struggle to see the value in what we are doing.

I have a very positive feeling about what we are currently doing and also our plan as we go forward. We will always have a few bumps in the road, but it's how we respond that will make our venture a success.

Random is Good

2010-04-23T13:20:00.001-07:00

I have found myself in quite a random mood today. I have jumped from CPS-Interwrite installs on laptops (for our training next week), to dealing with CSP equipment issues, to tweaking our Presentation, to visiting the student I mentor, to Tagxedo, to creating a Blog Help Video, and now to my blog...

I supposed that is why I have been so fascinated with Tagxedo today. Similar to Wordle, and Word It Out, it takes chunks of texts and randomizes the words according to the # of times it appears in the text. Except this allow you to change the shape of the text. (I've blogged about the possibilites of using this technology in classrooms earlier this year.) You do need to have the free download of Microsoft Silverlight, though.

Quick Post

2010-04-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Met with the installers for the technology for our FIRST school this am. We gotta get this school installed because all of our training is happening here. There are so many little nuances to think about for each room. From cabling to mounting to screen size on the wall, how it mounts over a regular whiteboard, where is the doc. camera going to sit and be convenient for teachers, should they run their cable TV through the projector? What cables do running cable TV through the projector? How do I get installers access to the buildings, is there power in the ceilings?

ARGHH...

an educational conversation

2010-04-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today, Glenn Beck had a conversation with Stephen Dubner (author of Freakonomics) regarding the idea of getting rid of the U.S. Department of Education. Below is a portion of the conversation:

BECK: How do you mean? What needs to change?

DUBNER: Well, you could argue a lot of things need to change. There's a program in New York City right now. So same school system that brings you the rubber rooms, New York City, public school system — where I live, in New York City — also brings a pilot program called the School of One, which I think we'll be hearing a lot more about in future. It's a very small pilot program right now.

What it does is it takes all the students in a classroom and instead of having one teacher up there individually trying to teach 30 kids
— now, kids learn differently at different paces in different ways.

What this does is it uses technology to figure out what each kid is learning every day. They take a test at the end of every day. It goes in the computer. There is an algorithm that essentially determines a playlist for each kid.

Instead of the iPod playlist, you have a workstation playlist. Every kid is being taught every day in a variety of modalities — meaning, sometimes it's a teacher with a large group. Sometimes, it's a small group of kids. Sometimes it's one kid with the computer.

We're in the 21st Century. We're surrounded by wonderful technology. And it's time that teaching and the art of teaching and the science of teaching are kind of brought up to that.

We really need to rethink who that person is in the classroom.

View the whole article HERE:
I thought this was VERY interesting in light of the recent conversations I've been having at the Iowa 1:1 conference and also working with teachers.
Leave your reactions in the comments. I'd be interested to see what people think regarding the 21st Century learner!

Tech PR

2010-04-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure today to share a little of our tech PR to a group of retired citizens during a luncheon. First, I am humbled by the amount of knowledge and wisdom congregated in that room. The questions we were asked were insightful and at times, quite direct. I'm glad Layne was there to handle some of them.

We were able to model the use of the responder system by presenting a quiz and demonstrating how teachers can use that information to focus their instruction. We used the Mobi and Workspace software as well.

Just by a show of hands, nearly everyone in that group used a cell phone--which always just amazes me, because in their lifetime, technology has changed so drastically, and yet they are so willing to embrace it. One gentleman, probably in his late 70's & a former physician, shared how he loved his Kindle and how it allows him access to so many texts. Another asked about SecondLife and how we can use that for instruction. Wow...it made me realize that even this generation "get's it" and how important it is that we continue our effort to put this in the hands of our students and structure our teaching accordingly.

Go Time!!

2010-04-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

With the Microsoft Settlement finally signed off on and orders being pushed through. It is an exciting time in Sioux City Comm. Schools. We have been working very hard to organize and finalize our training for this summer. We have a very ambitious goal, 450 + teachers, trained just in the month of June alone. Sound like a fun challenge?

There is so much excitement around here it's awesome!! have we had our issues, oh yeah. Will we continue to have issues? Yes. But our vision is so bold and exciting it is easy to look past out struggles.

It will be a very interesting summer and even next school year for that matter. Getting teachers to buy in. To believe that what we are doing is for the betterment of kids. To look past the initial work it might be to set up this technology. they need to see the broad picture.

Check us out on Twitter!!! sccsdtechjamie

Whiteboards-Waste of $$$...What do you think?

2010-03-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

In an acticle titled "Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards" by Bill Ferriter he writes that they are "basically useless" and an "underinformed & irresponsible purchase." (Even with time and training.) He argues that "they do little more than reinforce a teacher-centric model of learning" and "are nothing more than vain attempts to buy change-& rarely paired with a clear vision..."

Hmm...he does have some valid points. In fact, when I was adjucting at a local college, I was involved in an effort to put IWBs in each classroom. (It was actually a similiar product run from a podium rather than a mounted board). The sales rep showed us both the mounted board and podium version, and I noticed that as soon as he stood at that "interactive" podium, he lost his connection with us--the audience. Considering that, along with the typical lecture delivery of instruction, I just couldn't support that huge expenditure.

Whenever I look at new technologies, I take a cue from Clifford Stoll and ask "What is the problem to which this is the answer?" And, when I asked that at our local college, I didn't hear the response I would have liked...Enrollment, PR, and Updating were among the answers. Pedagogy wasn't even in the sites. A fancy way to lecture.

So now, once again, I am involved in an initiative to place these IWBs in our school district. And once again I ask myself the question "What is the problem to which this is the answer?" If you take a look at our SCCSD Technology Plan, you will find that our "goal is to empower teachers in new ways with technology tools that help more easily adapt curriculum to a wide variety of needs and student learning styles. They will have new resources and training that they may use to help manage differentiation or construct lessons in new ways. At a high level, this plan focuses on the concept of differentiated instruction, formative assessment, and data analysis used to help raise STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT."

Now, how are IWBs going to raise student acheievement? No tool alone is going to accomplish that goal. But it is a piece of the bigger picture...differentiated instruction. The IWBs our district has purchased allows for multi-users. Students are not interacting with them in isolation, especially combined with the portable tablet. These boards (and the software) allow for all three learning modalities. I was just commenting to my husband about my serious deficit in American History. Being a visual learner in a primarily auditory learning environment certainly had contributed to this.

Even Ferriter admits that students "think they are nifty." There has something to be said about students' level of engagement. This reminds me of a 2nd grade vocabulary lesson I recently observed. Students were using the IWB/Tablet to sort their words into 5 columns using a PowerPoint template that I created earlier in the year. The students had to analyze the word structure and place the word in the appropriate column. (Or should I say drag the word). All 18 students were engaged in the lesson, in fact, they were begging to be the next one to sort the word. (I sincerely doubt I would have seen the same level of engagement had this been done on a whiteboard with dry erase marker.) And, the teacher didn't have to spend prep time writing the words on the board...allowing for more efficient use of her time.

I suppose Ferriter has experienced schools in which stocking the classrooms with the lastest technology has been the goal. Technology should never be the goal. Technology is a means to a goal. Our district has the vision and plan to implement IWB (and the software) along with many other critical pieces to support Differentiated Instruction. Our district is committed to providing the training and support.

Great Week!

2010-03-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

With all that is going on, I felt this last week was one of the best weeks that I've had in quite some time. On Monday afternoon, I did some training on document cameras at Leeds. I went over the use of the software and how you can use that during instruction, and the basics of setting up your document camera.

That was very easy. The thing that made the week great was that every day this week I have been at Leeds for a few hours every day, checking in, doing a little re training, going over uses in the classroom etc... Many times with training, you do the training and struggle to get back and check in and see how things were going. It was great to answer questions immediately and get people excited and interested in what we were doing.

As for the Microsoft Settlement, things seem to be progressing finally. I have said that before and bam!! Another road block. We have all the training sites secured and we are ready to start putting dates and groups together for training. About time!!! I'm excited about it!

This week in Instructional Tech.

2010-03-01T05:39:00.000-08:00

Spring is a approaching and new life is in the air. We could actually make it to 35 degrees today! Happy to see frosty melting!
I am excited about this week because I get to meet with principals and tell them how we are going to outfit their school with the latest and greatest technology. Things that will engage students, allow teacher efficiencies and breathe new life into some subjects for students. It's really something that you dream about being able to do in my position, so finally being able to see it coming is very exciting! Last week, J&J knocked the summer training schedule out. It's all scheduled and teachers will be able to sign up through mylearningplan.com. I'll be writing purchase orders all week to get these elementary buildings outfitted by the end of summer!

I'll be in some classes at the high school and middle schools helping students with video projects this week. It's really fun to see how they take a online tool that I show them and build projects by mashing things together. Students have been using Picasa and movie maker together. They make picture collages in picasa and then add them to a movie in movie maker.
Stuff on the very near horizon...

Student email and student logins to computers... This is imperative to our newly improved Middle School Technology Curriculum

Additional video resources from Safari-Montage

Statewide Consortium for Online learning

New software for Family and Consumer Science in HS

Keyboarding software for the elementaries

Online discussion board for Library/Media website.

New fluency software in the elementary schools called Quickreads

New computer labs at Irving and at West Middle School.

Quarterly Teaching with Technology award....

Layne

2010-02-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I will have to say that this week has certainly ended better than it began. Not to get into all of it, but all coaches were required to complete a task (aka "Log") to compile individual information from the beginning of the school year--which has shown to be a tedious use of time (7 hours for me). I guess I'll just deem that one another "hoop."

Speaking of hoops, it seems the Microsoft Hoops have been cleared and are well on their way to becoming a reality. We have our schedule set, and Jamie and I got to meet with Amanda (from AEA) to plot out our training strategy for all of the teachers this summer. It was encouraging to see that this is becoming a reality. I love working with both Amanda and Jamie--it seems like we complete each others' thoughts. With Layne involved, we are an awesome team!

And...next Monday is MARCH 1st...what more could I ask for??

Flying High

2010-02-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

It's been an excellent week, and here are a few examples why:

I met with MS Science teachers about CPS Responders & had some nice feedback about using them in the classrooms.

I've enrolled another elementary teacher with the CPS Responders & she is soooo excited and motivated.

I've passed my new CPS software upgrade woes off to e-instruction.

Fourth grade Tag students and I have successfully experimented with Google Sites.

All my Standards, Benchmarks, and Core Indicators for the Middle School Technology classes have successfully been added to Pinnacle Global Scholar.

Learning.com has re-surfaced & has been a wonderful way to enroll more teachers...I just need to get a little more "solid" with it. (Weekend plans)

And finally, the State Accreditation team stated that the Technology Instructional Coaches were highlighted as a district area of success! Wow! What a great ending to the week.

Feeling Good!!

2010-02-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

It always feels good when people recognize what you do. I'm not in this gig to seek out pats on the back, but when you applauded, it feels good. My posts over the last few weeks haven't been the most positive.
This week our school district had state accreditation visits. Through interviewing teachers and administrators, technology in curriculum was highlighted as a district area of success. What does this mean?? It means that teachers see and appreciate the help we can offer to implement technology in to their classroom instruction.
We are only going to grow from here. With more technology being pushed out soon, more and more teachers will have access to the tools some teachers are enjoying right now. This is a great end to our week!!

Online learning at it's finest

2010-02-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

Seeing this story is what makes our jobs so exciting.

Good News...Bad News...Good News

2010-02-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

Okay...good news first:

Just within the past 24 hours I received two really nice compliments about our Tech Coaching. The first came from a principal who said he has been hearing some very positive things about what we are doing. The second came from a teacher this morning who called me a life saver--not that I actually fit that description, but she told me that she trusted me because I was a teacher and not just a tech--otherwise she would have been turned off. I loved hearing that because when Layne and Neil opened this position, that was one specific requirement---had to have classroom experience.

Now these two compliments couldn't have come at a better time because, well, here is the bad news:

Our 21st Century Classroom roll-out has now been pushed back for at LEAST a month. Microsoft red tape is the issue, but this endeavor is one of the main reasons why we were hired as a Technology Coach. I've certainly been busy--even swamped--with many other issues, but it is so frustrating knowing what is coming, what is possible, and just barely out of reach. The look on some teachers/principals faces when we have to say "it will be a little longer"--sometimes I think they think I'm joking around. I wished I was... I'd love to take our extra set of equipment and model in some of the classrooms that lack technology, but it reminds me of that Ally Bank commercial where the little girl is given a bike, but told she has to ride it within the 3-foot rectangle. We could use the equipment for an hour or even a day, but to have any sort of impact, it needs to be a part of the classroom...and that's going to take a while.

So, what's the good news embedded in all of this?

I would say that the time I have spent so far this year has been great in helping me learn the ropes of this new position. I feel solid in the software/hardware. (I couldn't have said that last fall) I feel I've made some wonderful teacher contacts. I've written middle school S&B for next fall--which will be a great change for our MS tech program. I now know my way around every elementary, middle, and high school. I've found my way around our new administrative building. And I've learned that change is not something that happens automatically or quickly.

Where do I begin....

2010-02-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been another crazy couple of weeks. We are trying desperately to get this Microsoft settlement figured out. We think we have it and they change the rules on us. We keep getting pushed back further and further. I know eventually it will happen, but I am tired of telling teachers and principals, "soon". "It's still full go, we just have to be patient." I don't know how many more times I can go out and get excited about the technology roll out before teachers tell me to leave.
I know we are doing everything in our power to get this going. It's not our fault we keep getting pushed back. It's just frustrating. I keep coming back to a few blogs I have done in the past. We find it very difficult to get in to classrooms and co-teach and model, when the teachers can't use what we have shown them. It's a tease. It's like teaching your 15 year old kid to drive, but you never let them get behind the wheel to use what you have talked about and shown them.
We'll get to where we need to be soon enough.

Interactive Pictorial History of the World

2010-02-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I blogged about the benefits of RSS feeds, and well, today one of them really came through for me. I've found this really interesting technology blog which sends me 10-20 feeds a week--and oftentimes have little gems...like this one by Mr. Byrne at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/02/explore-history-of-world-through.html

"The BBC and the British Museum have partnered to create an interactive timeline called A History of the World. A History of the World presents images of artifacts from various eras in world history. The objects are displayed in rings arranged to match each era. Click on any object in the ring to see a larger image and to read about the significance of each artifact. You can browse the collection by clicking through the rings of images or you can browse by location, by historical theme, or by dates."

I've created a video that shows you this site.

Another Snowy Monday

2010-02-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a while, but just a quick update.
Things are rolling along quite quickly now and with Microsoft settlement.
We will have one school up to speed quickly to test how quickly reimbursement comes and then roll the plans out for the other schools accordingly.
Excited about getting out in the buildings today.
I'm setting up a skype communication first thing today for a girl who is traveling to Kenya and will be working with her teacher to keep up while she is gone.
Also, will be working with a mass-comm class at WHS to get some video posted online.
Online learning is progressing nicely and I will have 12 more teachers in tomorrow writing curriculum all day.

I can't let that snow get me down!!
layne

Hmmm????

2010-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Well once again I have not been very good about my blog. Imagine that. I have been busy over the last week or so working on different aspects of the Microsoft Settlement. I have been going around to all the Elementary Schools with our rep showing him the classrooms and creating a more concrete list of what we need to order. I have also been working with Jo Dee and Neil on our plan for the use of technology so we can get that approved by the state. I need to get out in to classrooms more. It's very hard.

I find it very hard to get our in to classrooms to discuss technology and to model lessons with technology when the teacher doesn't have the technology. I know I have blogged about this before. I feel bad I haven't been out as much as I should, but that will be changing. Once the roll out officially begins, I will be out all the time. i have so many good things to share, but it's not worth my time to share unless a teacher has the technology to try what I am sharing.

Aside from working on the Microsoft plan, Jo Dee and I have gotten our fair share of PR this last week or so. In these tough times, PR is great. We have presented some ideas and what we do to a couple of committees. Jo Dee also presented at a board meeting. The more exposure, the better off we are as Technology Coaches. Gotta love it!!

To Mount or Not to Mount Projectors

2010-01-22T12:48:00.001-08:00

It has been an active 3 weeks since I've last posted. Things are starting to pull together as our roll-out of the 21st Century Classroom equipment will begin in one of our buildings next month. It is an exciting yet frustrating time. This plan evolves and revolves, so something that I may have told a teacher last week is different this week. At least I always preface my statements with "this is not set in stone & could possibly change."

I totally understand the reasons why this changes...in fact, I really appreciate the vision we have to be flexible and not just stick to something because that was the original plan. That being said, one of the issues on this teeter-totter is whether to mount or not mount the projectors, and I just have to add my 2 cents worth...

I acknowledge that it will initially save money, but we just HAVE to mount those projectors. Without mounted projectors, I can totally see my coaching time being spent in the classrooms re-orienting boards that lose calibration due to a tiny bump to the projector cart. (By the way, we are not purchasing carts) I have talked to many teachers during my time in the buildings who are eagar, yet apprehensive for this technology to be in their classrooms. I often hear, "This will be so neat--but I don't know if I'll be able to learn to use it." (To which I reply, "I'll be by your side.") I personally know from having a non-mounted Smart Board and non-mounted projector in my classroom how frustrating the calibration issue is. One bump of the board or projector stopped my lesson in its tracks. We waste precious class time re-orienting the board...or we just quit using the board. Lose-lose situation in either case.

Destination 2010

2009-12-31T18:28:00.001-08:00

As I watched the morning news programs on this final day of the decade, one segment that caught my attention was New York Magazine's "Items Rendered Obsolete in the Last Ten Years." Among that list were answering machines, floppy discs, the Rolodex, phone books, cassette tapes, checks, and postage stamps.

Now that I think about it, I rarely write a check and my book of stamps now lasts for months. Google is my preferred choice when looking up a phone number, my cell phone carrier takes care of my voice mail, and I sold all of my cassette tapes on a rummage for a quarter a piece--(Yes, I even sold BonJovi). I haven't touched a 3.5" floppy for a couple years, except maybe to throw them out.

My personal techie life in this past decade has changed gradually, subtly, yet drastically. Skype is now my answer for long-distance calls, I cut my land-line cord in 2008, and I cannot remember the last time I actually dialed 411. My dial-up Internet connection lost out to broadband cable sometime in 2002, Google Maps & a Garmin replaced my Rand McNally atlas, and I'm quite certain I misplaced my PDA--either that or my Blackberry had an app to vaporize it.

What really strikes me, however, is how the tech in the classroom has changed since the year 2000. I remember absolutely begging my principal for a Gateway Destination system for my 1st grade classroom. He had ordered one for a 4th grade room, but couldn't see the lower elementary applications. Now, this baby had it all: MMX technology, 31" monitor, wireless keyboard, remote thumb mouse, 32 mb of RAM, 2.5 gig hard drive, and combined PC/TV for the shocking price of $2999. I could even hook my new-fangled laser disc player to it...even thought the AEA only had a small selection of titles. And, when my students weren't creating our class alphabet book using KidPix, they could use one of the Apple IIes with the 5.25" floppy disc to practice race-car math.

We didn't blog or wiki, and because YouTube wasn't around until 2005, we didn't post our alphabet book to the web. We did, however, e-mail "The Tree That Wouldn't Die." Surprisingly, it replied. The mind-set of the time was to use the Destination System as an instructional tool, but I tried at every turn to put it in the hands of my 6-7 year olds.

May of 2000 was the year I took my leave of absence, and no, the many "Y2K" meetings were not a catalyst for my leaving. I knew I'd miss the students as well as my co-workers, but as I closed my room for the final time that summer, I wondered how I'd ever convince another principal to get me my own Destination system. I couldn't possibly teach without it.

(On a humorous side-note, when I returned to teaching in 2005, my middle school classroom had a Destination System which accumulated mounds of dust thanks to the SmartBoard I had convinced my principal to let me permanently check out from the media center.)

In 2000, I didn't imagine streaming video for our students let alone publishing their works on the web. Receiving the e-mail from the "Tree That Wouldn't Die" was cool, but Skyping it would have been amazing. In my 2000 classroom, Responders were defined as the students who consistently raised their hands. Who would have ever imagined the formative assessment these little clickers could provide?

Now, on the verge of 2010, the mind set is not only focused on an instructional tool for teachers, but a learning tool for students--allowing them to be producers of their own learning. Just think in 10 short years how different our ed tech landscape looks...and what another 10 years has in store.

On the Move!!!

2009-12-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

This week and next week are going to be absolutely crazy. We are in the middle of our pack and move to our new admin building. Boxes are a mile high and if I needed something I have no idea which box I put it in.
Besides the move we had a day and a half off because of snow. So in other words not a lot of coaching went this week. I spent some time on the phone with the wonderful people from e-instruction. I seem to spend a fair amount of time on the phone them for some reason. My Christmas wish is that someday I can just load a computer with the software from e-instruction and it works perfectly. That's all I want. Not a new car, not all the money in the world, just for the product to work like it is supposed to. That's not too much to ask.

Wordle.net

2009-12-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a very short post because we are under a deadline for our move to the new administrative building at Jackson Plaza & there is still a lot to pack!

Layne mentioned Wordle.net in an earlier post, but since I have been spending some time trouble-shooting our network issues with it, I thought I'd spotlight it. The picture above is our 6-8th grade Technology Standards and Benchmarks after it has been processed by Wordle. The more often a word is used in a text, the larger it appears. Think of how you can use this in a classroom. I know of one middle school teacher in our district who uses this for her current events in her social studies classes. Students type in the article and they analyze it for main idea, why certain words appear larger, etc.

Check out this slideshow on 43 ways to use Wordle in the classroom.

Now...not to be pessimistic, but our network is having some issues with this. It works fine for me. It works fine in the middle schools. It even works fine on ONE of the computers in an elementary lab...but not the other 26. It says something about our firewall not allowing JAR files, but if this was the case, I assume it wouldn't work for ANYONE. (Mamma always says not to assume anything though). So after trying every possible solution I can think of, I have dumped this into one of our tech's lap. But, give it a try...it is well-worth it!

Give it a chance!!!!

2009-12-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

Are we going about this the right way? Are people understanding what our intentions are??

You are always going to have people who question what you are doing and why. This job is no different. As more and more technology is rolled out, and being talked about, half are excited and half are really questioning why. What is the purpose of this technology? Who is going to make me use it? What's in it for me? I am not being negative, I'm just repeating the questions I always hear. I understand not all people are comfortable with technology, but I wish all would give it a chance before the negativity consumes them.

I received an email the other day from a 2nd grade teacher in our district who has come to really embrace the technology in her classroom. It has truly changed how she goes about her business. The email stated..."I created a class game using the CPS. My students love it! My students don’t even realize these are the same questions from worksheets we have recently done. You should see the smiles and hear the “yes” when their group gets the question right. They are so motivated to help each other and to solve the questions. This is truly awesome!! These are the moments the public, school district members, and other nah sayers should see!"

The engagement and learning that is going on in her classroom is amazing. The kids truly do love the technology. I understand being uncomfortable with technology. As a teacher whose job it is to make sure kids are succeeding and growing, I believe it to be a small price to pay to add some amazing tools to your tool box. Eventually you will be as comfortable with the technology as you are with brushing your teeth.

This email really reassures that we are doing the right thing. It's a good feeling to get an email like that from time to time explaining the positive impact that our job and the technology has delivered.I hope that most go in to this venture with an open mind. I am willing to do everything in my power to make sure teachers know how to use the technology and that they are as comfortable as can be.

Atomic Learning

2009-12-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

This week I opened up some new software for data gathering & analyzing. (It's called InspireData.) We thought it would be neat to use for gathering data about our roll-out with our new equipment. Even more so, it would be a wonderful tool in the classroom. So as I was flipping through the manual, browsing through the .pdf, and just "jumping right into" the software, I just couldn't seem to find the answer to one of my questions. That's when Jamie said "Why don't you just check out Atomic Learning?"

Ahhhh....Atomic Learning. Have you ever checked it out? I don't know why that didn't occur to me in the first place. I used it in the classroom with my middle school students all the time. It was such a great resource for any software question we had. It was a tool to help students easily teach themselves the specific skill they needed. (No need for a whole-group lesson on how to insert a video into PowerPoint--the students who didn't know how could simply go to Atomic Learning.)

Here's how it works:
1. Go to www.atomiclearning.com
2. If you are using a SCCSD networked computer, it should recognize you. Otherwise you will have to use your AEA credentials to log in.
3. When you click on the Home button you will see a menu of choices. You can choose to find an answer to a tech. question or a particular product.
4. Each product has a tutorial broken into 1-2 minute clips.

So, as I logged into Atomic Learning, I was skeptical as to whether they would actually have any video tutorials on InspireData. But, to my pleasant surprise, 35 mini-clips were available for the watching. And sure enough, my question was answered within two minutes.

I think being able to teach yourself to learn is such a valuable skill that we all want our students to do, but as adults sometimes escapes us. Maybe it is the time constraints or simply the work overload that causes us to place new software programs on the back burner or simply throw our hands up. But, that is the beauty of Atomic Learning--you don't have to sit through a 30 minute video just to get to the part that concerns your issue.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

Wow I think it has been 3 weeks!!!!

2009-11-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Alright..... Where do I begin. I forget to blog one week and it turns in to like 3 weeks of no blog. It's not to say nothing is going on, it's that too much is going on. I need to get out in the classrooms more and see what is happening. The days of teachers reporting to me all excited are not happening anymore. Our technology roll out is ever changing. This piece is being taken away, this piece is added, now this piece is back.... It is a very exciting time around the schools right now. We are in the process of moving to a new office building, the technology roll out is getting closer and closer, and all my stuff is packed in boxes.
With my position change this year, I truly am beginning to understand things in a different way. I think it would be great for all teachers at some point in their career to be able to go around to other buildings and see how things are done and truly understand why they are done that way. I have also learned that I have more patience than I ever thought I did.
OK. So I will try to be better about the blog. I promise I will have an update by the end of the week.

Thankful

2009-11-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

As we approach this Thanksgiving Holiday and break, I thought I'd take some time to share what I am thankful for in our district.

Before I took this position, I really didn't realize the hard work that occurs behind the scenes. I've been able to witness first-hand what all of our techs do to make our classrooms connected yet safe. I am so very thankful we have such talent.

I am thankful for our teachers, especially our risk-takers who think outside of the box and who are so very patient with the frustrations that come along with taking those risks.

I am thankful for our "Laynes" & "Neils" out there with such a great vision for this district. The focus on technology in curriculum is beyond anything I've seen before.

I am thankful for being in this coaching position and for the great working relationship I share with my "co-coaches."

I am thankful for our eager students who so intrinsically embrace what we (adults) consider new and innovative.

I am thankful.

It's About Time

2009-11-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

...there never seems to be enough of it, especially if you are a teacher. I often say, jokingly, that I want to work at Google. (My credentials wouldn't even get me in the door.) But one aspect of that company that intrigues me is what they call "Innovation Time Off"--or 20% Time. All Google engineers are encouraged to spend one day a week on a project that interests them. (G-Mail and Google News are a product of this time) Think of what a teacher could do with 20% time! In a recent interview with David Warlick, when questioned "What's stopping teachers, what are the challenges they are facing?" he replied

I think one of the biggest challenges facing them is the lack of time. Surgeons don't spend all of their time in surgery; lawyers don't spend all of their time in front of the jury. There's a lot more to teaching than just teaching. It's about collaboration, research, and materials development. There's a lot to teaching today that wasn't part of the job a few years ago. We have to understand that and somehow restructure the day. What we need is for teachers to work eight hours a day: four hours in instructional supervision, four hours in professional planning. Just think what a classroom could be like if every teacher had four hours of planning every day! Just think about the learning that could take place. Isn't that the kind of classroom that our children deserve?

Now I know the answer isn't simple or even something we all can agree upon. But I truly believe that what we are intending to do as a district--the responders, document cameras, projectors, 1 to 1 laptops, technology coaches, etc--can make a dent in that precious lack of time. I totally understand that the prospect of this equipment is exhilarating for some yet intimidating for others. Of course, the student use of technology, information, and learning is our ultimate goal, but if we can demonstrate how this "equipment" can ultimately save a teacher time, I think we will have everyone on board.

This time factor brings up a story I was sharing with Layne earlier. One night, during my first year in my leave of absence as a first grade teacher, my ten year-old son said "Wow, this is the first movie you ever watched with us." (It wasn't, of course) When I protested, he replied, "It's the first movie when you didn't have work on your lap." And, he was right.

Oh...if only I had a set of responders...

Digital textbooks and students with laptops

2009-11-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
The article below was published in 2003, but has gotten recent attention due to California’s digital textbook initiative:

http://www.edutopia.org/maine-laptop-initiative

http://www.micdl.org/

It took almost two years for success stories to start flowing.

Click the link to read the article and watch the video.
Excerpt from article: The laptops have spurred a host of projects that often cut across disciplines and allow students to go more deeply into subjects, in contrast to "mile-wide, inch-deep" instruction. Such projects, says Ship Bright, executive director of the Maine Lakes Conservancy Institute (MLCI), help answer the question: "How do we make these laptops more than a $2,000 pencil?"

What I take from this article is that it takes a huge, long-term commitment of more than a few people to make a project like this successful.

Another Digital textbook resource: http://ck12.org/flexr/

Comment below with your reactions!!!

The Beginning of Change

2009-11-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

I recall last spring during my interview saying that I believe our district is at the tipping point when it comes to instructional technology, and the majority of my work this past week is the beginning of this "tipping."

If you recall from one of my previous posts that I had a "fire in my belly" about the new direction this district has committed to by requiring technology classes in the middle school, then you will see what a HUGE step this is. I'm a little jealous of the middle school technology teachers, because that was the position I left behind; but to be a direct part of this paradigm switch is the reward. So, my work this week consisted of reviewing our standards, benchmarks, and core indicators and updating them to reflect the 21st Century skills our students need, yet are currently lacking. Then...we had to take these core indicators to create our NCLB 8th grade technology assessment. With some awesome feedback and input from our very talented and knowledgeable middle school tech teachers, we have a nice draft to present in an upcoming meeting.

I was also able to land in a first grade classroom this week. My goal was to see how doable the CPS responders were with the little ones. I built a patterns activity/quiz using CPS for PowerPoint. For a lot of people, PowerPoint is a familiar application, and is kind of a natural starting place. It is a nice feature of CPS. I intentionally created this lesson with only two answers per question (A or B)...just to eliminate some of the confusion. I also set my lesson up to automatically send the answer, rather than having the student have to press"A" and then "send." (BTW...I am not a fan of the design of the new responders, the undo and send buttons can be confusing for some) But I eliminated this concern by bypassing that button.

The first graders did wonderful with this, and the reports that CPS generated provided nice feedback about each student's understanding of patterning. Working with these little ones was another reward for me, but perhaps the biggest reward of the week came when the teacher told me I had renewed her interest in using these devices.

This week was a big win...

RSS Feeds

2009-11-05T17:36:00.001-08:00

I have been working (in the evening) this week to ensure the information I am interested in reading searches me out rather than the other way around. Using Google Reader as a gadget in my iGoogle page, I have subscribed to my favorite sites and blogs (including this one).

What is so neat about this is that because I have set iGoogle as my home page, my information appears everytime I open my browser...no matter where I am in the world--as long as I have a computer with the Internet, I have all my "stuff." (Yes, I did subscribe to The Sioux City Journal's feed) but I also have Alan November, David Warlick, and ISTE's feeds. So...tonight when I opened my browser, Layne's latest blog about his T&L Conference stared me in the face. I didn't have to go out to the WWW and check to see if anything new was posted to this blog. Time saved...and admittedly I probably wouldn't have searched it out on my own tonight.

Think of what we could do in the classroom with this. Students could filter and direct information on any topic to come straight to them...and from many different sources with different perspectives. Just think of how differently our own network news programs can present an issue; how would the same compare to a more worldly view? Subscribing to these RSS feeds can pull in that information to compare and contrast. And we all know that a lack of information is not an issue in this age. How to sort, organize, evaluate, and validate is, however. Rather than reading/regurgitating information a textbook, students are required to use higher order thinking skills. And it's free!

Another article that so magically appeared on my iGoogle home page was a neat analogy of Differentiated Instruction to how the National Weather Service presents its online info. Check it out:
http://novemberlearning.com/maybe-i%e2%80%99m-the-slow-kid/

Jo Dee

T+L Conference Report

2009-11-05T05:19:00.000-08:00

I recently attended the National School Board Associations Technology and Learning (T+L) conference in snowy Denver, CO. It was my first National Tech. Conference and it was an excellent experience. It was really the best of the best coming together for 4 days to network and share information about this mystery of efficiently and effectively infusing technology into teaching and learning. They setup the breakout sessions in tracks. This was helpful, because it provided continuity to the information I was taking in. I tried to stick to the track of "Digital-Age learning culture". However, I did stray some because there were some excellent sessions outside my chosen strand.
I heard about several things, but nothing "breakthrough" that I had never seen before. The biggest "buzz" topics, in my opinion were:

online learning, using moodle/blackboard with the classroom instruction. Cited.org

1:1 computing, giving every student netbooks or macbooks to use for school instead of textbooks.

Google wave. Some people were saying that this is the next facebook. I was able to score myself an invite to wave, so I should be waving by the end of the day :)

Finally, just using all the tools that are already there in a more effective and efficient way. The two Keynotes were exceptional, Frans Johannsen (book link) and Marc Antonio Torres [website]. Both spoke about being innovative and allowing students to be PRODUCERS of information instead of consumers of information.

Overall, I feel like we are in a very exciting place in Sioux City. The next 3- 4 years, implementing new technology, new buildings and differentiated instruction will prove to create huge learning opportunities for students and for adults!

Teacher Web Pages

2009-10-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'd have to say that this has been the week of teacher web page training. I've thought long and hard of how to present this so it makes sense to everyone. While I was out sick a couple weeks ago, I was able to create a teacher handout with step by step instructions and screen shots. I also created a storyboard just so our teachers had a visual representation of all 27 of Socs "Teacher Page" templates. For the most part, I'd say things ran pretty smoothly. My biggest recommendation for teachers beginning a web page is to start out small and work into something more dynamic. The problem occurs when a teacher get students and parents hooked into their site, and then he/she doesn't have the time to keep up with it. It very quickly becomes outdated, and once users decide the information is not fresh, they will not return. So when you do have some time to update, you will no longer have an audience.

I'm not advocating that teachers create a static page, because that is exactly why we had to change our website format. I suggested to some of our very beginning website creators that they just maintain the "main" page for a while before hyperlinking other pages. While long, scrolling pages are not desirable, using just one page for information is a good first step.

I'd say the most confusing and frustrating thing our teachers are facing with this website creation is the fact that although the web-editing software looks like a word processor, it is still an html creater...which sometimes takes on a life of its own. The best solution to this is to create an "invisible table"--a table with the border set at zero--that way you do have some control of how your page will appear.

Speaking of confusing and frustrating...CPS--student paced--responders--WHS...not even going to get into it now because it has been blogged about before, but we need to have some serious conversations about this. This CANNOT happen when we roll this out, or we will have people shut down & turn away.

Week 12 Oct. 26- Oct. 30

2009-10-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

The main thing I got out of this week....... Expect the unexpected. I will leave it at that.

This week was a very challenging week. So much going on and so little time. On Monday I went to Nodland and explained the new websites to their teachers. It was fun and challenging at the same time. Only one of me, but many teachers at different levels so it was hard to keep on track. Eventually I just threw the script and plan away and I ran around like a chicken with their head cut off. :) It will work out. It is a long process and we will get there, we need to be patient and work within the boundaries of what the website actually allows us to do.

The rest of the week was just training here and there, modeling the technology to teachers as I taught a class, plenty of troubleshooting, and putting out fires. We continue to have some issues with CPS even though we have installed the new CPS Pulse. Are the CPS responders working as seamlessly as we had envisioned, not even close. We are still having too many issues that shouldn't happen, and it's not user error.

I also continue to be bust going around to classrooms in our district recording teachers use of anchor activities. I do have to say we have some awesome things going on in our district. Keep up the hard work and more technology will be in your rooms before you know it.

D. Warlick on Technology, Information, and Learning

2009-10-24T18:25:00.001-07:00

This is a very insightful article...don't let the title turn you off, though. This is actually from an interview he did a few months back--he didn't choose the title. He even wrote about that choice of the title in his own blog 2cWorth.

Anyway, here is the article about using technology for information and learning:

http://www.interfacemagazine.co.nz/articles.cfm?c_id=21&id=262

Week 11 Oct. 19- Oct. 23

2009-10-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

This week was loaded with meetings. On Monday, we started off learning about our ESC's move to a new building. It was quite interesting, I learned a great deal. It's an exciting time.
Tuesday and Wednesday we had Jeff from learning.com here. He showed us how learning.com works as well as we spent some time aligning our curriculum to their product.

As a district we are putting this program out first at Clark and Sunnyside. This is a great program because there are directed lessons in these units, as well as games and skill builders. It is easy to set up and easy to run and navigate through.

This week also had a bunch of the same stuff. Trouble shooting, going out and talking with teachers about technology, and also issues I have no control over :) This job continues to evolve. It gets more and more exciting all the time. I hope with all the budget concerns, they continue to see the value of this position and what we bring to the teachers in our buildings. We have definitely seen the shift in teaching styles with this technology integration. We are beginning to see the shift we have been looking for.

A Little of This and That

2009-10-23T12:52:00.001-07:00

That just about describes this week of Instructional Coaching. Monday was my very first Professional Development that I personally planned for as an instructional coach. The topic was on the basics of using the Flip camera as well as classroom applications. Fortunately, I had to address the PowerPoint issue last week (see previous blog), so I was prepared for that. Some had the Flip Ultra, and others had the Flip Mino--which I would highly recommend purchasing the Mino because it can be charged through the USB, while the Ultra goes through batteries like candy. (Unless you buy the rechargeable batteries from Flip which cost $24.99) So, the cost is ultimately about equal. Layne did show me some of the features of the iPod Nano (which also records video) and stores music, pictures & records voice. I think I like that even better.

Tuesday and Wednesday was spent with Jeff from Learning.com reviewing their products (which we have purchased) and how we can map this into our language arts & media curriculum. Compared to our current Plato product, I prefer this much better. It is more user-friendly and has so many different components in a web-based format. I recall thinking on Tuesday, if I was still in the classroom, I'd totally create all my plans in their "My Curriculum" section. The ability to differentiate with this is there as well.

I worked on a "lesson plan" for next Monday's Professional Development involving teacher web pages. My goal was to create a PD session that modeled everything we are asking for in our own teachers: infuse our technology, strong content knowledge, rounded out with differentiated instruction & sound pedagogy.

Friday brought me back into the classroom & I must say I love the engagement with those first graders. We worked on Plato Focus in the lab. Amazing how tech-savvy those little babes are! Even more amazing was watching them interact with Emma Reedwell (the teacher on their monitors). They were counting syllables, words in sentences, and engaging in lessons that reinforce basic phonemic awareness. Good stuff.

One Thing On My Mind

2009-10-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back after two days of ITEC conference & two days of illness and I have just one thing on my mind...David Warlick's Keynote Address. His main focus was on "Literacy & Learning in the 21st Century," and how lack of information is certainly not an issue any longer. Students need to know how to sort through the never-ending deluge of information to be smart consumers. They need to have the ability to "mine" the information fields and be able to search out and discern reputable information. He noted that WikiPedia often takes an educational hit because of the nature of a wiki---anyone can edit it. It often posts warnings that material may be biased or incomplete, yet how often do text books post that warning?

We are now in an age in education which we are preparing learners for a future we can hardly imagine. It is not like that of our "factory" past. As educators, we need to adjust our very pedagogy. What worked 25, 10, or even 5 years ago is in the past. Warlick states we should not teach from our pasts, but for the future of our learners. We are now in an era where if a child cannot figure how to advance to the next level in a video game, the answers are only a mouse click away. Warlick even cites a personal example where he was in the middle of our country, looking at an unmarked pyramid & was wondering what it was...so he tweeted on Twitter. From across the globe, in Austrailia, an answer came back. The gal on the opposite side of the world saw his tweet, Googled the information, and tweeted him within a matter of minutes. Not only do we have this world of information at our fingertips, we can now harness it and direct it to come to us through things such as RSS feeds, iGoogle, Twitter, etc...

As we prepare the Sioux City Community School District with the 21st Century Classroom equipment, I think having David Warlick speak to our troops is vital to the success of this project. Equipment is just equipment. Just as overhead lighting is now ubiquitous, so must the "tech. stuff." This equipment is not the magic bullet...our wonderful educators are, and I am so very lucky to be able to work along side them in this endeavor.
http://davidwarlick.com/wordpress/?page_id=2
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

Week 10 Oct. 12- Oct. 16

2009-10-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm back..... I didn't have the chance to blog last week because I wasn't at work. My wife gave birth to daughter number 3, so I figured it was a reasonable explanation as to why I wasn't at work. But man alive, coming back to work after taking a week off stinks. Emails to catch up on, appointments to move around, meetings that popped up, but most of all, just getting back in the swing of what is going on.
I spent some good time this week trying to figure out the elementary web sites. How can we improve them?? How can we make this easier to use?? Our solution..... looking at different companies. We need something that is more user friendly. Teachers time is valuable and don't need to be wasting it updating a website that takes 5 steps to complete a process that should take 2 steps.
Also this week, we received our new CPS Pulse response system. So far I like them a lot and are very easy to use. I hope they are more durable than the previous type we had.
Unfortunately at times this week I ran myself in 2 directions at once and had to bail on a couple of appointments. Teresa I will make it up I promise!!!

Where There's a Will...

2009-10-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

...there's a way when you are dealing with technology--at least that has been my experience. While passing through my office, Layne mentioned that the Flip videos are not working with PowerPoint. Sure enough, dragging a Flip video into PowerPoint, or even going to Insert>Movie>From File, didn't work. Help files on Microsoft.com indicated that if a video plays in Windows Media Player, it will work in PowerPoint. Unfortunately this wasn't the case when dealing with the Flip .avi files.
Of course, that was enough to pique my curiosity. After trying several ideas with no results, I was in the middle of writing a help ticket to the Flip Product Support site, when I remembered that Flip allows videos to be posted on FaceBook & MySpace--which means a different file conversion. Ah Ha! That was my last hope...but I didn't close that help ticket yet. Sure enough, it worked. I happily exited the help request and shared my triumph with Layne. Now Layne, being the creative thinker he is, used our Interwrite Workspace to record a tutorial on this whole process. I experimented with my own tutorial and posted it on YouTube...Click Here to Watch.

A main focus of this week, however, was training teachers on the new SOCS Teacher Pages. This is a really a user-friendly template system which allowes teachers to create their own site within our Sioux City Community School's site. After my first meeting, I realized we really needed a couple graphic organizers & handouts. So I created those--which were a big help. For the most part I am very pleased with this program, with one minor objection. Once a teacher logs into Socs and clicks on My Teacher Pages, it automatically creates 27 templates that are ready to go. The problem occurs when a teacher decides to edit their profile--maybe changing their name or fixing a typo. Socs then creates a duplicate set of templates under the new change. With 54 templates available, a teacher must be very careful to choose the correct name, or the Teacher Page will not appear. And sometimes when CAREFULLY choosing the correct name, it doesn't appear. I need to contact SOCS about this, but for right now, I'm clearing them out & re-adding them as a new user. Moral of that story...carefully type in the correct user name & don't change it.
Finally, I am heading off to the ITEC conference this weekend. I am so excited about this & will post what I learn next week!

Week 8 Sept. 28th-Oct. 2nd

2009-10-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Once again this week flew by. This week was a week in which no two days were the same. On Monday, I started off my week by walking through some classrooms and observing what technology was in use and how it was used. I find it really fun popping in to classes that I have helped in the past to see the growth with technology. Also on Monday, we had out first coaches meeting with Mary Jo. We discussed things that we have been doing so far and the importance of relationships, as well as discussed a way to document everything we are doing in the classroom.

On Tuesday, I had a very busy day out and about. I went to a first grade room at Nodland and discussed technology with the teacher, I went to East middle and helped trouble shoot CPS responders with a couple teachers, I stopped by Whittier and sat down with the principal to discuss technology in her building and where she wants to go with it, I went to Irving and trained Mr. Koch in SOCS, and finally I spent some time at Roosevelt working through some issues with Mrs. Bigbee. We got her squared away and her technology is good to go. Sorry for the run on sentence, I was busy!!!!

On Wednesday I went to Unity and trained a teacher in PLATO. We set up classes, assigned assignments and set up for me to come back on Friday during lab time to help out and teach the kids PLATO. I also had some training of my own in PLATO Focus, I need to buckle down and learn that....

This Thursday was my first ever CADRE. I am part of Sunnyside/Nodland. I had a good time meeting new faces and trying to help them out in anyway I could. I feel awkward giving them advice until I learn more about how they do business. Great connections though.

Finally on Friday, I started out my day going to Whittier to talk their principal and a BLT member about a NING that I built for them. They decided they wanted a way to share information, thoughts, and ideas on a NING. So I built one and showed them how to use it. I look forward to seeing how it is being used. I also spent some time Friday playing with equipment and learning more about why things happen the way they happen. I finished Friday co-teaching PLATO at Unity in Ms. Flewelling's room.

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

2009-09-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

I was almost giving up hope that I would actually get to go to my desk this week and answer some of the email that has been piling up in my inbox. However, I was redirected on an all day meeting Friday and I was able to spend some time meeting with Mrs. Weltz and Mr. Lang.
Early in the week, I met with the middle school technology teachers and we worked all viewed a presentation on a free tech-assessment that can be given to our students. We also heard about a net-safety curriculum and an online technology skills curriculum from the same company. Pretty spendy stuff, but very good! The website is http://www.infosourcelearning.com/education if you are interested.
I also attended a meeting with J. Wibbels from the AEA and A. DenBeste, discussing how to really utilize the coaching model for bringing real-time help to teachers integrating technology in their classroom to support instructional practice. With a clear and consistent vision, we can make huge progress in this district. J and I also discussed the rollout of our initiative for online learning with a subscription to NROC. More to come on this topic! Later that day, an incredibly excellent meeting with teachers who have the complete 21st Century classroom package in their classrooms. This meetings are excellent because we get to work out issues, share celebrations and really refine the focus and goals of using technology in the classroom. This was just our 2nd meeting, but we are really getting good at using differentiated strategies, formative assessments and technology to make it all efficient and effective. The teachers all agreed that using the responders really changes how you can react to student learning quickly. Our next meeting isn't until October 20th and we'll get to introduce the Pulse responder, with full text answer capabilities!
The audio enhancement was another piece that was getting great praise!
I was able to address some issues out in classrooms on Wednesday and then I did a training with our Health Occupations teacher who received all of the 21st Century classroom tools through a grant. We both benefited from this!
The final touches on the week were mostly centered around planning for the full-scale rollout of 21st Century classroom tools in grades K-8. How it's going look, when it's going to start and what funding sources are going to be used for each piece. From software to hardware, up and down, the classroom of tomorrow is coming to Sioux City Schools in full force!! What an exciting time to be a student, teacher, parent in the Sioux City Schools!
Here's a few websites I'm curious about and wanting some teachers to try: edmodo.com - it's supposed to be a twitter-esque thing safe for education.
Also, Aviary.com, this has photo-editing potential!

It's All About the Memory...

2009-09-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Several of our issues this week were solved by a simple memory upgrade. At one of our schools, our board would not stay callibrated. In fact, at one point, I'd move my pen down the board & the cursor would move to the left. It was like watching a mirror image. I thought to myself, "Self, I would not have the patience to deal with this in my classroom on a daily basis." (Kudos to our very patient Mrs. V!) The software really wasn't the issue, & after brainstorming with L & L, we concluded it was the memory. Memory was installed; I checked it out today, and all is well.

Speaking of memory...a good tip with our CPS responder software is to remember NOT to delete your database. Everything you've ever done will be gone. (Sorry we couldn't recover it Mr. W!) :)

I worked on Skyping this week. We have two middle school and one elementary room that I am using Skype to communicate. The two middle school classes are social studies classes and are looking to contact classes in other countries. I got the audio to work perfectly, but tried to use our document cameras as the webcam. I know it is possible, but am just about ready to go out and buy a webcam--the doc cams aren't the greatest for Skyping anyway.

Heard a great story about responders this week. One of our teachers (Mr. W) was watching the results as the students took a quiz using the responders. He noticed one student who really didn't put much effort in--he was just pushing the same button for all his answers. Typically the teacher wouldn't have known this until later that evening or the next day when he checked the quizzes. But the responders allowed him to immediately redirect that student. He also noticed that as they finished the quiz, one student did not pass. Before that child ever left the room, he was able to show him his results and schedule a time later that day for reteaching. That student was awe-struck. That teacher said instead of always trying to "catch up" he was able to be proactive and make an immediate difference. He compared it to coaching on the field & how he is able to give immediate feedback and direction on the spot and have the player make the proper adjustment. What these responders are doing is allowing the teachers to teach, coach, & guide rather than checking & grading.

The one thing I've made my goal and tried to follow emphatically is when a teacher is needing assistance to get out to that classroom immediately, or at least as soon as possible. I just know that as a teacher who wants to try new things to enrich my teaching & student learning, if I had a technical issue, the waiting, waiting, waiting is the what would frustrate me the most. So I make it a priority to at the very least get some help if I cannot solve the issue. I want to make a difference for those teachers. I want them to feel supported.

Week 7 Sept. 21st-Sept. 25th

2009-09-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

This week was truly a better week. On Monday I was out at Leed's and spoke with a teacher about using video in her classroom. I also was at Joy for PD on ITPDP. Some teachers discussed using technology in their plan. On Tuesday we had our monthly AEA coaches meeting. We had a great discussion and continue to outline our mission. Tuesday after school, we had our monthly Diff and Tech meeting. We discussed the highs and lows of our project as well as saw demonstrations with the equipment.

Wednesday was the best day of the week. Jo Dee and I finally finished up moving all the elementary websites. Some of the websites took just a few minutes, while some took a few hours. It was a great relief to finish this project. It was like a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. On Thursday, I went out to Longfellow and talked to some teachers about downloading an E-book they needed for PD on Monday. Solved some basic issues and went about my day. Finally on Friday, Brad from Office Elements, Jo Dee, and I went around to our buildings and met with teachers answered questions, and did some demo's. It was a well needed trip with Brad and reassured with many people our commitment to making this initiative a success.

As you can tell, I was very happy with his week. I know next week will be the same. Right......

Week 6 Sept. 14th-Sept. 18th

2009-09-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wow this week went by fast. I guess that is a good thing. This week was trully a mixed bag of things to do. We had training from Joyce at SOCS to learn how to move the elementary websites over, Skills Iowa training, got back in the classroom and taught some math lessons using technology, met with Rick from Red Cat audio and took him around to different schools, and finally met with our group to discuss the importance of changing the middle school technology classes and curriculum.

Every week I learn so much more about not only technology itself, but the importance of my job position. Helping teachers one on one, fixing issues, discussing how to use this technology we now have to create differentiated assignments, and now looking in to the future of our middle schools and helping to create a curriculum to teach technology skills our students now lack.

I don't have alot to say this week, but it has been a great week. Maybe it's the new job, but I now enjoy my Monday's....

I'm Moving....

2009-09-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not actually moving, but I am in the process of merging the elementary sites into our district's main site. This small step will save our district quite a few dollars as well as streamline our elementary sites. My worry right now is that we have some "go-getter" teachers who have their objectives, word lists, etc... already posted for the month of Septemeber and once I transfer their pages, any updates they do before the end of the month will not show up. My plan is to e-mail each teacher who regularly updates a page to let them know. (As soon as I finish this blog post.)

I had a meeting earlier today which really put a fire in my belly. As a district, we did not do very well with our annual 8th grade technology assessment. One of the main reasons is that we do not have a technology course that each student is required to take. For one reason or another--specifically scheduling--only about 50-60% of the students have some sort of deliberate technology instruction. It is possible for a student to graduate without ever having a technology class. This HAS to change! We do know this--so that's not where the fire in my belly comes from. Today we discussed several ways to address this & my favorite way (by far) is to require keyboarding in 6th grade, a general tech. class in 7th, and then infuse the technology into the 8th grade core class with the help of a technology coach. We came up with some other alternatives, but I really favor the infusion of the technology into the classroom in 8th grade. That will allow us to use the technology tools in a sound, meaningful, & engaging curriculum. This is not to say it cannot be infused in 6th or 7th grade core clasess, but we will have a specific curriculum which ensures all students will have access to 21st Century Classroom instruction.

Week 5 Sept. 7th-Sept. 11th

2009-09-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It gets to be very frustrating when things begin to break down and you can't fix it. Ever called tech support and spent 2 hours on the phone and get no where.... Ever felt like you know more than the person you called for help??????? Yep. That sums up my week. This week was full of ups and downs.
I finally had the opportunity to get back in to the classroom, work with kids, and introduce topics all while using technology to do so. My first class Friday morning went very well. I was excited, the kids had a good time learning about stem and leaf plots and the technology worked wonderfully. Then...... the afternoon came. My rf receiver for my CPS response system quit working. Reboot.... Reset..... 4 times..... all the while my pen for my MOBI rolled off a kids desk and fell apart and broke... Well no more dual board today..... Put in a new rf receiver that worked OK after 45 minutes...... After that, I had a good time. I introduced some technology to some third and fourth graders and they seemed to love it. I know Murphy's Law won't creep up on me next time......

Back in the Saddle...

2009-09-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

The highlight of my week was the ability to get back into the classroom. I spent some time in a 5th, a 3rd, and a 4/5 combination room. Although I've experiemented with our new equipment and software in the past, the ability to actually use it with a class has been an invaluable experience.

I took a statistics lesson that focused on data gathering/organizing, line plots, and bar graphs, and then infused our technology into appropriate places. I was able to use the CPS responders to check for background knowledge and to check for understanding. The data we gathered was # of letters in the students' first and last name. (We decided this as a group). As an anticipatory set, we discussed how we were named. The "Pick a Random Student" part of CPS was a wonderful tool in helping choose which students to tell their story.

The document camera proved useful while we compiled our data in cooperative groups. I used the Interwrite Workspace to create a class T-chart of what "Working Together" behavior looks and sounds like. (I had made the template earlier.)

When I instructed the fourth and fifth grade students to organize their data "any way they choose," a look of bewilderment appeared on their faces...until I showed them just one example I saved in Interwrite. What was really cool about this part of the activity, is that each group came up with a different way to compile and organize the data. We saw word-webs, tables, and a couple orignial graphic organizers. We were able to display these on the doc. camera so the entire class could see the different strategies for organizing the data. They then had to create a statement about what they noticed in their data. The Audio Enhancement microphone was a great way to allow the entire class to hear and stay attentive to each group as they presented their findings.

This led us into line plots and bar graphs, and how that is another way to organize the data. I like that CPS gives specific feedback to each question in the form or a bar graph, so that part was a very easy and natural part of this particular lesson.

We created a class line plot using the Mobi and an Interwite template I had previously created. It was really interesting to watch the hand-eye coordination with the Mobi, and students quickly found the "undo" button! Students then created either a line plot, a bar graph, or both on graph paper. It is my hope to return and be able to transfer their paper graphs into an Excel Spreadsheet...which would require a lab setting. And, now that they have complied this data, it opens the door for many future lessons--mean, median, mode, etc...

The biggest thing I noticed while teaching this lesson was that EVERYONE was engaged. No one was off task. Everyone worked together in their cooperative groups. And I absolutely loved the microphone. I didn't have to project my voice at all.

Frustration Begins...

2009-09-04T12:37:00.001-07:00

This was the week where issues really started to pop up that challenged my frustration level. My administrative permissions temporarily didn't work...but I did learn how to force gpupdate. That worked on Wednesday, but by Thursday--I was denied. I found a way around it, but a simple software installation which should have taken 15 minutes ended up to be 45 minutes. To top it off, I fell into the baby blues on Tuesday night because I missed my students and having my own classroom. That minor depression prompted me to set up some half day classroom visits next week. I also got my West Middle kid "fix" by stopping by to install document camera software in four classrooms. Depression adverted.

On a positive note, we were able to meet with several principals this week & the excitement for our initiatiave is evident. It's going to be difficult to wait an entire year to roll this out. We also got to touch base with the Tech. Coaching Staff from the AEA and set some of our goals. Neil sent us a version of the Technology Strategic Plan; although not finalized, it is impressive. It affirms my excitement for this district's direction.

We also now have our username and password for Brain Pop which is a site that creates animated content to be used in whole group, small group, or one-on-one lessons. It would be a perfect way to introduce & teach a lesson using our whiteboards, mobis, and responders. There is also a section of lesson plans and video tutorials. Good Stuff...

Week 4 Aug. 31st-Sept. 4

2009-09-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

WOW........ This has certainly been a week of firsts. I am really getting in to solving issues with the new equipment. I have had to do so many things I never thought I would ever no how to do. I am getting better at "letting go". Not letting the problems that aren't fixable right away get top me. The problems this week compared to last week seem much more complex. It is frustrating when I'm on the phone with tech support for 2 hours and they can't even fix it. All I can do is keep plugging away at the issues i know I can fix and keep making connections with people on the problems I need help with.

Tuesday was a great day. We had a meeting at AEA with Amanda Den Beste and Jon Wibbles. We met to discuss goals for tech in curriculum coaches so that we share the same goals when we are out in the classroom. we have decided to meet monthly to discuss what we are doing in the tech in curriculum field.

This week I also had the opportunity to talk with a few more principals about what I can do to help in their school. Great feedback, they are all on board so far. As the weeks go on, I will be int the classroom even more. Although this job is difficult at times, I really enjoy dealing with the issues that arise.

Week of 8-24-09

2009-08-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

I actually have to look at my Outlook calendar to remember everything from this week. It has been so busy.

One of my main goals this week was to put some help files for CPS & Workspace on our webpage for our teachers who are piloting the 21st Century Classrooms. We have .pdf files and online video tutorials. Eventually I'd like to post videos of some of our brave teachers using the equipment.

Jamie and I were able to make several more connections/introductions & it seems the more we make, the busier we get. We had to troubleshoot quite a few different issues...so I am always learning new things. I can't even believe how much I've learned since a few weeks ago.

One highlight this week was my observation of Plato Focus at Bryant Elementary. I love how this program begins with explicit, direct instruction & then allows the students to reinforce their learning through the computer application. I am anxious to get this going with a couple new teachers, but I just need some brief training of how to enroll them as users. I plan to return to Bryant once the students are practicing independently on the computers.

Another highlight was a meeting I had with a teacher at Crescent Park Elementary. What enthusiasm! The idea of TSF came up. (TSF is a password protected folder system for students created by one of our own very ingenious MIS specialists. It is used primarily in our High Schools and Middle Schools.) Our elementary students really need to know how to manage files & this is a key component to this. Well...after talking to our TSF guy...he said it's a go! Woot! Woot!

And...I did read that article that I promised to last weekend. The main thing that I got out of it is that a turnaround in producing significant achievement gains requires dramatic changes in a short period of time (2 years) followed by a longer period of sustained improvement. The change needs to be "people focused." And one of the 9 elements is "Personalization of Instruction"--which is now where our school district is in hiring the instructional coaches and focusing our PD on differentiation. The personalization of instruction requires frequent formative assessment, immediate analysis/feedback, and instruction adapted quickly. Our initiative with the CPS/e-instruction responders is just the ticket for this. In short, I think we are on the right track.

Week 3 Aug. 24th-28th

2009-08-28T12:21:00.001-07:00

This week was filled with all sorts of different tasks. Meetings with principals, PLATO training, CPS Responder training, trouble shooting technology, figuring out why "O" drives didn't work, visiting classrooms to check progress and comfort level with the new technology and also researching ideas and best practices for our new technology.
I have really enjoyed this week because it has been a week where I could really get out and start putting some of my understanding of technology to work. Being able to train people in different pieces of technology and then actually see them use it and enjoy the technology is awesome.
This job really gets you out in to the buildings, the way it should be, being there helping out right then and there and not responding with a fix after the fact. The only way this 21st Century classroom initiative is going to be successful is if we go out personally help and make sure each person is comfortable with what they are doing. Once they are comfortable, then we will see the magic with differentiation and technology. We need to have everyone understand that just because you have the technology, that isn't what is going to make the difference. It's how you use the technology to increase student engagement, differentiate your instruction, and you use it to allow students to be producers of work.

New learning for everyone

2009-08-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is my first post to our blog in a new place.
If you haven't noticed, This blog is replacing the former "Layne's Blog" on the Sioux City District Site. I hated to leave the SOCS page, but this gave us more leverage and the ability to train teachers on using blogspot for their classes.
I've dedicated my first few weeks of school to working with staff and students at West High School in getting a pilot project off the ground. The project has been a learning experience, not only for teachers and students, but for myself. 28 students in the freshman class were chosen to have mini-laptops for using in the classroom and OUTSIDE the classroom. The main thing I've learned is that we REALLY need to teach students computer skills to students. We spent alot of time with students in the first week just teaching some basic computer skills, like saving, opening, copying, pasting, and basic internet and searching skills. With a project like this, it seems to expose even more how much we need to be INTEGRATING the technology into all parts of a students learning and into our curriculum.
A cool site that was discovered out of this was something for the Biology students:
http://www.biologycorner.com/ It goes right along with the book and it has many great activities both online and offline for students. Check it out!
Also, our teachers are using Moodle, and hippocampus not to mention the blogs and wiki's they have created.
I'm brewing up another post about all the other new technologies we have implemented into the classrooms across the district!.

Students & Teachers Return This Week

2009-08-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well, this week was a big implementation week! Each classroom at Roosevelt now has their Audio Enhancement up and running. Check this site (need speakers) for a tutorial & rationale of this device:

http://www.lightspeed-tek.com/tutorials/redcat/player.html

Several other K-12 classrooms in our district also have the system. I am excited to see how this one small piece of technology can make a difference. The research certainly supports the use of this.

I was able to touch base with my four 21st Century Classroom piloting teachers on the first day of school. We were able to get those responders out & put them to use on the first day. Jamie and I decided we definitely need to take some time Monday morning to put together a short manual on the CPS software/responders.

Speaking of software...uggh...had a few install issues--some took longer than others. Thanks to Ron we were able to bypass some of that "ugliness" and get the job done so it functions properly. My worry is that the next time our teachers log-on, we'll have an issue. Crossing my fingers on that.

A new question arose today... while at EMS we realized that the new software prefers laptops over the desktop computers. Does that mean new laptops for everyone next year??? Yikes!

This weekend I plan to read a very thick article on "The Turnaround Challenge--Why America's best opportunity to dramatically improve student achievement lies in our worst-performing schools." It was actually in my backpack to read last weekend, but it remained in their for the whole duration. I'll post what I learned next week. (Now I actually have to read it--public accountability).

Week 2 Aug 24-28

2009-08-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Where to begin. This week has been a great week, yet sometimes frustrating. I go out to classroom get them set up, everything is great, works for a coulpe days, then boom. It's not working anymore. The best thing about this week is troubleshooting the equipment and learning why and how things happen. I feel much more comfortable with the E Instruction Boards. I do have to say it is a great feeling when I go out to a room and see everything in action. It validates in my mind what we are doing. The first day of school I watched a teacher totally rock the new equipment. The teacher had a CPS response quiz going, with her dual board and Mobi and Red Cat Mic all at the same time and they did an awesome job!
This week I have been doing some quick re teaching from what we learned this summer, getting the teachers more comfortable with the new technology. It is great to see the excitement on a teachers face with this new technology. On wednesday, we did a short presentation at Roosevelt on the Red Cat Audio Enhancement that is being implemented in their classrooms this year. I also enjoyed spending a few minutes with Ron. He showed us a few short cuts and tricks of the trade. It made some installation of software a little quicker.

2009-08-14T13:24:00.001-07:00

Instructional Technology Resources

by Layne Henn

http://www.ohiotreasurechest.org/
Here is a website with a wealth of resources for instructional technology. There is even a link to a podcast and to a blog where you can hear about and find even more ideas for your classroom students.
The Ohio Treasure Chest is put together by teachers and tech. support staff at North Canton City Schools in Canton, OH.

2009-08-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Blogging in the classroom
writing and critical thinking!

by Layne Henn

Here's an article posted last week on a blog I read regularly about starting blogs with students in your classroom. He has attached links on how to get started, and setting the purpose with your students. He's found that bloggers aren't just writers, they are critical thinkers and put their mind to reading what other bloggers have to say. The author also makes suggestions about having blog-read-alouds with your class.
http://www.techlearning.com/blog/2007/12/getting_started_with_blogging.php
wikis are another great way to get your students writing and responding critically to writing.
A blog is pretty easy to setup with the SOCS system we are currently using here in Sioux City. Free wiki's are available at pbwiki.com.

How do we stack up...evaluating our technology integration

2009-08-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

by Layne Henn

I received some good feedback from the last article about not going to "gadget crazy" in our classrooms.
It raised a couple questions for me. What is good? How do we interpret if what teachers/kids are doing in the classroom with technology is really making a difference.?

Below are a couple of good articles that help to ask some simple questions about how and why are we integrating tech.http://www.techlearning.com/blog/2008/03/evaluating_technology_use_in_t.php http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt

Here's a excerpt from the Jeff Utecht article on the TechLearning Blog:

I remembered a Marc Prensky article in Edutopia in which he talks about the typical process of technology adoption:

Dabbling with technology
Doing Old things in Old Ways
Doing Old things in New Ways
Doing New things in New Ways

What if we turned these stages of technology adoption into questions that an evaluator could use during the evaluation process?

Is the technology being used “Just because it’s there”?
Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in Old ways?
Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in New ways?
Is the technology creating new and different learning experiences for the students?
This could be a simple list that any evaluator can use to decipher how the technology is being used in a particular lesson.

My First Week as a Technology in Curriculum Coach

2009-08-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Excited, nervous, eager...describes how I felt Monday morning as I drove to the ESC to begin this new position. I don't know if I've ever been so excited for the first day of school since my first teaching position.

First thing on Monday, Jamie (the other coach) and I divided our school assignments. I have the Westside feeder elementary buildings along with Clark & Bryant. We brainstormed how to effectively meet our building's BLT goals and will touch base with each principal to discuss how to proceed with this. I'm really excited about that, but am waiting a bit because I know it is such a busy time of year. We rounded out the day with a presentation from learning.com & how their web-based program can help our district in differentiating activities. I especially liked how the teacher lessons can be used with our new e-instruction interactive whiteboards, Mobis, and student responders.

On Tuesday I uploaded some of our .pdf files for the language arts curriculum to our website. When we went to West Middle to adjust the projectors, I was able to test my links to see if they worked. (They didn't) While troubleshooting, I discovered that my permissions didn't allow me to install Java, which is just a small hiccup, but noteworthy. I was also involved in a conference call about the upgrades to Pinnacle--which is an awesome step for our district. (BTW...I'm a big Pinnacle fan--it totally made my life easier when I was in the classroom & helped the students to keep track of their progress as well as missing assignments.)

Wednesday morning was an IT/MIS meeting...which I am very glad to have been a part of. I am amazed at the knowledge of these "techies." Jamie and I spent the rest of the afternoon in some of the elementary buildings. Getting out into the field and troubleshooting was HUGE for me! We were able to address several technical issues which are sure to arise as we roll out this 21st Century Classroom initiative.

Thursday brought us to West High School for the Netbook pilot. Kudos to the teachers for all their investment into this project. Moodle is an awesome tool, but definitely takes some effort to learn. I worked during the afternoon to create a Jeopardy PPT game for the North Middle Staff to use with the responders. I didn't realize how difficult it is and how creative you must be to "state your answer in the form of a question." I guess I'll still be working on that Friday morning before I head off to the new teachers' meeting.

Week 1 Aug. 10-14

2009-08-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

This week was a good week. I have had a great deal thrown my way but I am learning every day. Spent a great deal of time on Monday learning about learning.com. Seems to be a great piece of technology for our district. Tuesday we spent some time learning about the new pieces of Pinnacle we will be bringing on board. Awesome solution that is very needed for our district. i also spent some time building a remote quiz that will be used during the New Teacher Orientation. Also built a ppt. for the Red Cat presentation we will be doing at Roosevelt. On Wednesday we spent some time going out to buildings and setting up and trouble shooting some of the technology. We set up and played with the Red Cat Audio, and also the dual board. While we spent quite awhile at our first school, it allowed us to only spend 5-10 minutes at the following schools. Much needed time to figure out what was going on.On Thursday we spent time at West High to discuss the Netbooks, moodle, etc.