Edmodo - Secure Social Learning Network for Teachers and Students

You want to bring social networking into your classroom but Twitter and Facebook are blocked at your school. What can you do to bring web 2.0 tools into your classroom? Have you heard about Edmodo? Edmodo is a safe and secure location for students and teachers to get into Social  Networking. It is free to use and no one from the outside can see student names or chat with students. Teachers can create a class within Edmodo and have their students sign up and join their class group with a group id number. Teachers can reply and comment to students about assignments, but students cannot direct message each other. Assignments can be uploaded to the class group; these assignments can be documents, pictures, web links, etc.

Teachers create their accounts and then create a class group. By creating the class group, a code is generated. Students must use this code to sign up for Edmodo. Students do not need email accounts to use Edmodo. Teachers can connect with other teachers at their school, or invite teachers from other schools. We used Edmodo this summer in Boston at the Discovery Educators Network Summer Institute. We continue to use this site to share ideas, ask questions of each other, connect with each other, and share links. If you are not sure how to sign up for Edmodo, click on the Tour button or Guide button for further directions.


Why not try out Edmodo in your classroom this year? By the way, if you run into any problems using Edmodo, the support staff are great and get back with you right away.

"Race to the Top" Winners Announced Today

North Carolina is a Winner !!!

According to CNN the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island are all to receive a portion of the $3.4 billion remaining in the "Race to the Top" fund for education. The second round of competition began with 35 states applying and in July 19 states were listed as finalists. Each finalist sent representatives to Washington in August to present their case, according to CNN.

What did each state have to do to qualify for "Race to the Top"? Each state had to present a plan of school reforms in four main areas:

1. Turning around low performing schools
2. Adopting college and career ready standard
3. Effective teachers and principals
4. Using data systems to support student achievement

So how will $3.4 billion be divided between the states? There is a limit how much money each state can receive based on the student population and North Carolina will receive $400 million. For North Carolina the "Race to the Top" money will be overseen by Dr. Harrison and the State Board, and Superintendent Atkinson will be responsible for implementing the approved program according to Governor Bev Perdue's press release.


The link below gives the breakdown of money for each state:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2010/08/announcements_coming_on_race_t.html


Other related links

1. Charlotte WCNC.com
• http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/NC-to-share-435-billion-in-Race-to-the-Top-education-grant-101383384.html
2. North Carolina Race to the Top Website
• http://racetothetop.nc.gov/
3. Race to the Top Announcement from President Obama
• http://www.ed.gov/blog/2009/07/president-obama-secretary-duncan-announce-race-to-the-top
4. Governor Bev Perdue's Press Release
• http://www.governor09.nc.gov/NewsItems/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?newsItemID=1310&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Multi-Genre Project

When taking a reading class a few years ago, one of the assignments was to do research and create a multi-genre project. We got to choose the topic and the ways to represent the information we found. I was teaching 4th grade, so I decided to research the Orville and Wilbur Wright, so I would create something I could use when I taught NC Social Studies.

After finding lots of good information from a variety of resources, I decided to create a scrapbook that could have been kept by their mother. I added things and wrote a journal about them from her point-of-view. I included some funny drawings and stories about the brothers that I had never heard before. I have often said that I learned (and remember) so much more from that project than any other project I have done.

I know that the fact that I was able to choose a topic that relevant to me helped in my learning and enjoyment of the experience. Also being able to choose how to "display" my research helped me be able to use my talents and multiple intelligence areas for what worked best for me.I wonder how this project would be different if I did it now using the various web 2.0 tools I have learned about . . . .

I could create a blog or a glog the brothers might have kept or a digital scrapbook. I could use the images I found with animoto or photopeach. I could use xtranormal or blabberize to tell the story of why I chose to create certain things. I could put all the information and projects into something like prezi or livebinder for the presentation. Imagine how fast news of the first flight would have traveled using twitter and facebook? What would those messages have said?

So many ideas and options are available for things to create to show my learning . . .

Shouldn't students have opportunities of various ways to show their learning?

More information and examples of projects created with some of the sites linked above can be found in this livebinder: Presentations with a Punch!

image from http://langwitches.org/blog/

ActivExpressions – Handheld Formative Assessments

Student Response Systems (SRS) will be used in many classrooms this fall as a tool for assessment and to boost student participation. But what if you’re the student who knows the material and can easily answer the question? You have to wait till everyone answers the question before the teachers moves on to the next question and that’s time that could be used in a better way.


Promethean has developed a solution to this problem and has unveiled a new version of software that will take the SRS technology to a new level. The company calls it “real-time personalized intervention.” Basically the new technology will send a question directly to each students ActivExpression “clicker” device. The student will answer the question and immediately get a new question with no waiting time. The system can also hone in on each student’s abilities and deliver personalized questions that target certain abilities.

The new software will give teachers the ability to do handheld formative assessment in real time that adapts to the pace of each student according to Tony Cann, Promethean Director. Teachers are able to track the progress of each student, send questions to each student’s ActivExpression and allow students to work at their own pace. After each test teachers can review the responses to see strengths and weaknesses in the class to see areas to be reviewed and content that has been mastered.

Tony Cann says the system is capable of delivering 15,000 to 20,000 self-paced questions per minute and the software is a free upgrade for current ActivExpression users. This should be a great software upgrade for teachers who use the ActivExpressions.

To learn more about ActivExpressions go to:
http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.16332
http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.15997

To read this article from eSchoolnews go to:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/08/04/technology-takes-formative-assessment-to-a-whole-new-level/

Image from:
http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.16

Why do you use technology?

Lot of wonderful ideas were presented at the 2010 Reform Symposium, but I had to be careful not to get so caught up in reading the sharing of ideas in the participant chat window that I missed the message of the main presentation. As I look through my notes from the Symposium, it is many of the comments I wrote down from the chat window that are catching my attention.

One of those comments that seems to be jumping off the page at me is "Teachers want technology to make teaching easier .... Students want it to make learning easier." I saw this comment in the chat window during the presentation "Technology ... What's in it for my students?" by Alexandra Francisco.

As a district instructional technologist for my school system, part of my job (well, most of my job) involves training and supporting teachers. In many ways, technology can make creating lesson plans easier, quicker to find resources, provides opportunities for professional development, and enables people to make connections. While all that is true (easier for some than others I guess), I need to be focusing on how technology can be used to help students, not how technology can be used to help teachers. Any tool that a teacher uses, technology or not, should be in order to help students. According to Jaki Braidwood, "the goal should be about enriching the learning process."

What motivates you to use technology?

*I would also encourage you to see Alexandra's presentation that is linked above.

image from presentation "Technology ... What's in it for my students?"

Brainstorming and Mind Mapping

Lots of teachers use brainstorming as a way for students to share ideas and possible solutions to a problem. Always define the problem to make sure students clearly understand the problem. Make sure all ideas are written down.

There are four basic rules to brainstorming:

1. Focus on quantity – the greater number of ideas produced generates a greater chance of producing an effective solution.
2. Withhold criticism – focus on extending ideas and suspending judgment.
3. Welcome unusual ideas – help students to look at ideas from different perspectives and not make assumptions.
4. Combine and improve ideas – help students to combine ideas to form a single better idea.

Mind Mapping Steps:

1. Once all brainstormed ideas have been written down students will move to mind mapping. At this point students should begin identifying relationships between the ideas and key points by drawing lines, arrows, or using colors.
2. Students should begin finding contrasts/similarities, cause/effect relationships. These ideas can be written down beside the linking lines.
3. Students will use the map to arrange all the items into a logical order.

Here are some free tools for Brainstorming and Mind Mapping

1. Slick Plan – create sitemaps and flow charts
• http://www.slickplan.com/
2. Thinklinkr – fully collaborative outliner
• http://thinklinkr.com/
3. Webspiration coming this fall – map ideas and organize outlines – subscription
• http://www.webspiration.com/
4. Kidspiration and Inspiration software are used in our school system for all K-12 students.
5. Diagrammr – create and share diagrams by writing sentences
• http://www.diagrammr.com/
6. Imagination Cubed – draw mind maps online, can be used with whiteboards
• http://www.imaginationcubed.com/
7. Edistorm – real time mind mapping and sticky notes
• http://www.edistorm.com/
8. Education Eye – brainstorming with a search engine
• http://www.educationeye.org.uk/
9. Mind42 – collaborative mind mapping
• http://mind42.com/
10. Mindmeister – mind mapping that can be embedded into a site
• http://www.mindmeister.com/
11. Mindomo – detailed mind mapping site with web 2.0 features
• http://www.mindomo.com/

As teachers begin creating fall lesson plans check out these sites for ways to incorporate technology into brainstorming and mind mapping with your students.

To read this article please go to Tech&Learning:
http://www.techlearning.com/blogs/31158

What makes a great facilitator of learning?

For the past 2 days, we have been working with WSFCS principals on best practices with Classroom Walkthroughs, Reflective Meetings, and Data Feedback. As a district, we use Teachscape to gather data on instructional practice in our classrooms. For the past three years, we have done a great job at getting into classrooms but we have not used the walkthrough data with teachers as much as we would like in order to improve student achievement.

As part of the workshop, Leslie Baldwin asks the groups to develop a non-linguistic representation for a great facilitator. Each group worked on a list of characteristics that included:

• good listener (doesn't talk much)
  
• organized
• serves as a guide
• open minded
• respectful
• comforting
• energetic
• neutral
• asks guiding questions
• sees the big picture

Some of the groups had fantastic ideas for their non-linguistic representations. We had drawings of farmers, sherpas, big-earred heads, and much more. One group of middle school principals even came up with a song! In our first session, however, one of the groups developed a visual that I cannot get out of my head. So much so that I cannot say the word "Facilitator" correctly without really thinking about it. As part of my speech therapy, I developed an image to help others remember "Phyllis Tater," facilitator extraordinaire. Phyllis has eyes (for vision), ears (for listening), is comforting (who doesn't love mashed potatoes?) and when steering the boat with the oars, provides guidance to those around them.

What do you think makes a great facilitator?

Your Contribution ...

This came from one of the wonderful presentations at the Reform Symposium this weekend (see #rscon10 on twitter). I can't wait to go back and listen to the presentation by Angela Maiers again. You can find the archive and several of her other presentations on her biography page. I have so many ideas for future blogs that I feel overloaded but in a good way. I wanted to share this because these simple words had a big impact on me. Think about the impact these words could have on students.

Moving on up!

The administrative staff for WSFCS recently listened to Chip Madera talk about coaching employees. He shared that leaders/coaches should work to develop people up, over, or out. We should be growing leaders and helping them become highly effective.

One of the best things about my job as Director of Instructional Technology is working with the fantastic people in our department and in the schools. In my first year, our team hired two great technology facilitators from within our district. For the past two years, they worked with the team to build our instructional technology integration and training in the schools. Both focused on implementing long-term, sustainable technology integration staff development in over 20 schools (about 25%) and building our Online Learning PD Environment in Moodle.

Their efforts and talent are not going unnoticed. Although WSFCS is losing two leaders in instructional technology, they are moving up to higher education to affect more educators, staff, and students. I wish them both the best of luck and know they will do WSFCS proud!

We will begin the hiring process again this week. If you or someone you know are interested in joining a fun, hard working team in instructional technology, be sure to check out the Employment link at the top of the WSFCS website (http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us). It will be posted by the end of the day today.

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordon_mckinlay/

How did I use Twitter to build my PLN?

Let me start off by saying that I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the Reform Symposium this past weekend, I have pages and pages of notes (I know .... paper). I did recognize many names from twitter. There were also many that I did not recognize or follow (and some that I do now). That got me thinking about how I created a Personal Learning Network for myself. When I first started Twitter, I looked for some people that I knew in person (like the people in the Instructional Technology Department for my school system ... which I was not a part of but I am now). To figure out who else to follow, I looked at who some of those people followed. I read bios and recent tweets to see if I might want to follow them also. I made up my mind that I was going to use Twitter for "educational stuff" so I don't really follow people who tweet stuff other than that. Just like you learn more from reading when you set a purpose, I feel I have learned more from Twitter because I have a purpose for it.

I started by reading the tweets from the few people I followed, but most of them lived in the same area as me and I wanted to see what was possible on a bigger level. So I started looking at the people writing the tweets that were getting ReTweeted (RT). I again looked at profiles and recent tweets to see if I felt they might add value to my "Twitter time." Most of those people fit my "requirements" for being followed. If I follow someone on Twitter for a while and then decide I am not finding their tweets very useful (especially if they have a lot of 4square), then I just unfollow them.

I also find more people to follow by sometimes participating in things like edchat. If someone asks a question that I respond to, I also look at the other people who have responded to find more people to possibly follow. The same goes with people who use certain hashtags (that is when you "tag" you tweet with a number sign and certain letters ex. #wsfcs). I also don't necessarily follow everyone who follows me (I have "requirements").

Now, at first I did not think I had a PLN since that was, in my mind, for people who had been on twitter longer and connected with more people. I have come to understand that for me, anyone who contributes to my learning is a part of my Personal Learning Network, whether online or not, but Twitter has allowed me to learn about so many things from so many different people.

I am thankful for all that learning and for all those people! :)

In the future, look for more WSFCS Moodle classes on Twitter for Teachers (just not any in August).

The Growth of WSFCS Online Learning

Sometime in June, WSFCS Online Learning had it's 600th participant receive credit for an online technology course since October of last year. If I'd planned ahead I would have had confetti and balloons falling from the ceiling and a shopping spree for the lucky teacher.

Although I think 600 is a huge number, and we'll exceed 700 almost immediately in the new school year when courses again open for enrollment, I think the numbers are only important in that they show the growth and the prospects for the future.

The real story is the way our district has changed the ways we offer professional development to better meet the needs of our educators. Teacher's time is at a premium, and while I think it will always be important to offer face-to-face workshop in professional development, teachers appreciate having the option of taking some courses and some coursework online. Courses can be self-paced and participants can choose when to take the courses. This can be a important factor for teachers who need more time in workshops or educator's whose schedules don't always allow them to attend the workshop when scheduled at their schools. There is tremendous value in allowing educators in our district these choices.

So what does the future hold for WSFCS Online Learning? The site and course catalog has grown exponentially over the last year, and there will be more and more professional development in many different areas for interested educators. We'll continue working with the great folks in our instructional department to make sure all professional development has a place on our site, and we hope to build programs that help new teachers in our district. So we're growing and hope you'll take the time to experience online learning for yourself. You might find the time and ownership it affords you is exactly the ingredient you need in your professional development in the new school year.