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A learning network with some fantastic Google hangouts- Julie and I were on this week talking about how to connect your classroom globally.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Monday, 5 November 2012
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Manitou Technology - Flat Classroom 12-2a 400
A fantastic example of how a teacher takes his students through the video creation process for Flat Classroom along with some wonderful handouts. If you teach video, you will get some ideas here. Students will also benefit from it.
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| elevator (Photo credit: Jose R. Borras) |
"So this is your elevator pitch?"
I said,
"No, that implies I'm selling you something. I'm not. Either you get that students need to understand how to collaborate or you don't."
and then quietly went to reading over my notes for my speech again.
"I'm so sorry, did I interrupt you?" He says.
"No problem, it isn't for everyone, but it is transformational in the classroom."
We both went on reading and doing our own thing. But later, I pondered how often this happens.
I was talking to a teacher who is doing FANTASTIC things in STEM while I was waiting for the plane in Tallahassee last Wednesday. (Hopefully he'll guest post here and share his story soon.) After listening about all the cool, amazing things he's doing, he stopped and said,
"You know I've reached out to others about this but all I got was a sales pitch, a kind of feeling like I was invading their territory."
Like bulldogs in a junk yard, there are many who think their transformation is the only one happening and no one better dare invade their turf. Their collaboration is the only one. Their exciting classroom experience is the only thing. It isn't.
There are exciting things happening around the world. It is great to share your story with your enthusiasm but when you become territorial and refuse to share great best practices or when you're so interested in your own elevator pitch that you cut people off, you're missing out.
Get out there and read and find out what others are doing. There are some fantastic ideas and best practices happening NOW. Also realize that some things that started off viral have now gone very commercial and there are many trying to sell you things.
Flat Classroom Projects has two arms - a for profit and a not for profit side. Different projects go into each depending upon what is happening. But if you're around us long you'll understand that part of what we do is celebrate excellence in global collaboration ANYWHERE it happens.
We want to educate and inspire a new generation of global collaborative excellence from the classroom up as we train and teach Flat Classroom Certified Teachers. It is our goal that they will be the best in the world as they start their own projects. We want to help inspire a movement and we want our projects to be the pinnacle of what global collaborative excellence looks like with true Global Collaboration 3.0 (cocreation) excellence happening (see our book for more on that.) But we also celebrate excellence in global collaboration everywhere it happens. It means a lot to me that iEARN retweets our projects and we retweet theirs. Taking IT Global and Flat Classroom has co-planned and created webinars together for Connected Educator month. Working together is what we do.
Maybe it sounds like an elevator speech, but it is a passion. Some want to hear about it and others have no clue what is really happening - that we are merging classrooms to cocreate for 6-10 weeks at a time from kindergarten to college. It is powerful and exciting.
But it is always the best strategy to work with the willing. You can't push anyone up a ladder. Yes, I'm completely passionate about Julie's and my book Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds. We wrote it to be a guidebook and manual for transforming yourself, your school, and your classroom in ways that prevent burnout and help you connect with the world in powerful, meaningful ways.
We share more than 50 projects (besides our own) and stories and poured two years of our lives into making that book, what we believe, is the best book on global collaboration in education in the world. We're currently struggling with our publisher to make sure the book is as internationally syndicated as it needs to be - it is a lot harder to get in some countries than it should be -- but it is intended to be an international guidebook.
So, yes, maybe I am over the top passionate.
But never let me be so passionate about my own classroom and projects that I'm blinded to the passion and excitement emerging from the classroom of another.
- May we all be a willing listener and a positive encourager.
- May we all build a network of friends who help each other move forward.
- May we all be encouraged to be your best and share your story in your way and not cut off by those who think they have a monopoly on excellence.
Any time you are passionate about something, you (and I) will be accused of being in "sales." If that is what it takes to keep Flat Classroom going, then, I guess it will have to be some of that. But I also think you can tell a lot about a person if they can turn it off long enough to listen to, help, and encourage others.
There are a lot of educators getting started out there and if the silos of self promotion are already so entrenched, who is going to be helpful?
I believe with all of my heart that unselfish listening, empathy, and encouragement will help you do more to build up your passion than a single-minded, self-promotional diatribe about how you are God's gift to education. Education is much bigger than any of us and we are fortunate if we can play a small, humble part in moving things forward.
Arrogance and ego are a big part of what many do in this field, but those things don't make many friends. But remember that even if you are humble and helpful, if you have anything to sell -- a speech or a book, you will be accused of "selling" in some way.
Perhaps so many are so jaded that it is hard to believe that real people are trying to make a living being helpful. There is no glamour in being poor - having some money can help you do good things as well and is not a bad thing. I think that helpful people deserve to make some income, but sadly, most of that money, I'm finding, is squarely in the hand of publishers if it involves writing a book.
So, onwards and upwards here in Camilla, back to my classroom, where airports will fade into memories -- at least for a while.
Meanwhile, take time to listen to what others are doing in their classrooms this week AND share your story as well. The more current examples we have from the classroom, the better off we will all be.
Each story written, blogged, and tweeted is a gift and I hope you'll take time to share...and to listen.
- Written on my iPad using Blog Press by Vicki Davis, author, Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds
Saturday, 3 November 2012
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The Global Education Conference will be from November 11-16 - online - and runs 24 hours a day. Julie Lindsay and I will just do one session this year so that you can hear the many stories. This will be held on Monday November 12 at 10 pm EST -- (Julie will be in Qatar and it will be 6am Tuesday) You can check your time zone here - http://www.globaleducationconference.com/page/2012-sessions-and-schedule We want to share the most important stories from the Flat Classroom. This semester we have around 3,000 students from kindergarten through high school collaborating and merging classrooms - we've openly shared the pedagogies and best practices to make this sort of thing happen in our book Flalttening Classrooms, Engaging Minds but there is a need to tell up-to-the minute new stories that comes from a massively large project. So many projects are starting to emerge that are amazing. Whatever you're doing in your classroom, are you flattenning it? Is global competency part of what you're doing. Students are the greatest textbook every written for one another - but are you opening the book? Join us. "This session is brought to GEC by the original teachers, Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis, who flattened their classroom walls way back in 2006 using Web 2.0 and other emerging technologies. In January 2012 their book, 'Flattening Classrooms. Engaging Minds' has emerged as not just a pedagogical way forward for teaching and learning, but as a journey and a collection of stories from educators in many parts of the world who have witnessed and directed the powerful outcomes of collaborating beyond the classroom walls. The learning legacies from connecting with real world topics and real people have propelled teachers involved with Flat Classroom projects to innovative heights. You are invited to join co-founders, Julie and Vicki, along with other global collaborative teachers who are out there redesigning curriculum to go 'beyond the wow' to hear stories about strategies, challenges, opportunities, and successes that emerge through global interactions. Hear about enlightened digital citizenship ideas and realities as well as how teachers in K-12 implement and sustain a flattened classroom within their school."
Friday, 2 November 2012
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| The Wemo is a smart phone enabled motion sensor and/or switch to help you manage your life that can be controlled by iphone or some very cool ways using if this then that. |
What is a WeMo?
There are two “flavors” of WeMo which can work together or separately. One looks like an outlet and can provide power or turn off power to whatever is hooked into the device. Another looks like a white burrito with a purple center cut in half and senses motion. Both have added cool new enhancements to my life in different ways.My WeMo story
I struggle with balance. Getting up at 5 am each day is important to me, but I often trip over things including the cats and whatever was left out the night before. I’ve set up my WeMo plug into the light in the den and have it do the following using if this then that:- Monday - Friday the light is turned on in the Den at 5am
- Saturday - the den light is turned on at 7am
- Any day I go to school (as seen on my Google calendar by the event marked school), the WeMo is turned off when I leave for school. It uses an interface with my Google calendar so that otherwise, the light stays on until the sun comes up.
- Every night, the WeMo turns on the light at sunset. This uses a channel on If-This-Then-That which keeps up with sunrise and sunset. I’m usually in the den and I can keep working without getting up.
- Every night, the WeMo turns the den light off at 9pm so I’ll have a cue to STOP working. One of my biggest problems is that once I start I don’t stop. When the light goes off, I have set my limit and say - OK, now I’m going to decompress before crashing.
Some people hook these devices into the family tv to turn off the TV at a certain time and establish other limits. It can also log when it is turned on and off so if you use the plug to turn things off and on, you can track this activity. You can have it log to a google spreadsheet when the WeMo switch comes off or on.
Long distance light switch.
As a funny story, when I first got it and used the remote control on my iphone to turn it off and on, I called it a “daughter control” - when I’d turn the light off and on, my daughter would groan from the den and say “Mom, stop.” Now, when I’m on the road and know everyone is in the den, I’ll actually flick the light and they know I’m thinking about them. I don’t do it a lot, but it is kind of fun to be in New Jersey, Dallas, and Chicago and control the light in my den. ;-)WeMo Motion.
My motion detector is in the kitchen. I have teenagers that I love dearly. My big problem is that I’m a heavy sleeper but I do want to know when my kids are up and about and not sleeping so I can help guide their schedules, etc. I have the WeMo Motion log the motion in the kitchen after there has been one hour of inactivity -- it writes it to a google spreadsheet so I can check up on things.I have it by the kitchen door, so it is a handy way of keeping up who is coming and going and when. I sleep better at night knowing it is there. ;-)
Note: In this post, I share how I use Wemo, but please, scroll to the bottom and apply to GET YOUR OWN from two students of mine who are working with Belkin to put Wemo's in the hands of at least 10 USA students to test them. This is part of their 20% project for me and I'd appreciate any retweets and spreading the word to help West and Matthew talk about the Wemo! Their google form is embedded below.
There are so many ways we’re going to be able to automate our homes and schools and this is just one of them. The fact that you can control via social media and all kinds of triggers is very cool.
Because these switches can interact with social media - tweets can turn on lights. Football scores can automatically trigger alarms -- so many things can be done with these devices.
So, I’ll let the students share information on the contest in their own words below, but you have until November 1st to apply to be a WeMo Wonder and get your free wemo.
Note: In this post, I share how I use Wemo, but please, scroll to the bottom and apply to GET YOUR OWN from two students of mine who are working with Belkin to put Wemo's in the hands of at least 10 USA students to test them. This is part of their 20% project for me and I'd appreciate any retweets and spreading the word to help West and Matthew talk about the Wemo! Their google form is embedded below.
Think about visual cues to help you manage your life
I’m a visual person. I know I need to stop working at 9pm but time means nothing to me. I have no internal clock that tells me what time it is and have been known to work until I collapse with exhaustion. Visual cues are perfect for me. I wish I had a dozen WeMos and am asking for another one for Christmas! I also like the fact that I’m usually on my ipad and can just hit a button to turn off the light when I’m done if I want to finish before 9pm.There are so many ways we’re going to be able to automate our homes and schools and this is just one of them. The fact that you can control via social media and all kinds of triggers is very cool.
WeMo Wonder Contest: Can your students invent cool uses for the WeMo?
Belkin had reached out to me through my initial tweet and I have 2 students who wanted to do something innovative and cool. So we discussed and pitched the idea to Belkin who was eager to do something innovative and different to get the ideas going for their WeMo line of products.Because these switches can interact with social media - tweets can turn on lights. Football scores can automatically trigger alarms -- so many things can be done with these devices.
So, I’ll let the students share information on the contest in their own words below, but you have until November 1st to apply to be a WeMo Wonder and get your free wemo.
Students must have a mentoring teacher although the devices can be tested at home or school. We want you to share what you’re doing on Social media.
Belkin decided to have a contest to name the best of the WeMo Wonder competition (see terms and conditions) and will be tweeting out to the hashtag #WeMotivate This is going to be a lot of fun and I hope you’ll apply with a student or two..
(See what my students are doing on tumblr blog.http://wemowonders.tumblr.com/ or their twitter @wemowonders - Note that my students are not affiliated with Belkin in any way but I appreciate Belkin’s willingness to do something cool and different and let my students have a fantastic project to learn about social media and a very cool new gadget. Please retweet and reshare and ask your students to apply.)
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The Future of Teaching? « Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch has a very balanced interesting article on the state of education in the nation based upon some current research. Half of the nation's teachers have now been teaching less than 10 years. "But a matter that should concern us all: Current “reform” policies are driving experienced teachers out of the nation’s classrooms. This cannot be good for anyone. It is certainly not good for the young teachers, who need senior teachers to help them improve. How can a profession become “great” by demoralizing and ousting those who know the most? Who would go to a hospital in an emergency and insist on being treated by an intern, not a senior physician? Who would want their legal affairs to be handled by a lawyer who just graduated law school if they could get a senior partner instead? When will President Obama, Secretary Duncan, Bill Gates, Eli Broad, and all the other people driving current policy realize that they are inflicting harm on the nation’s education system?"
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Tony Baldasaro just unfollowed 5,000 people on Twitter | Dangerously Irrelevant
Lots of discussion about how people follow on Twitter. My reply to Scott McLeod's post: "I follow real educators and tend to stay away from foundations and PR junk sites who aren’t real. I like real teachers no matter how many followers they have because I’d like to be able to message them and them message me back. I also like to follow people who are engaging in conversation and have interesting things to say. Sometimes if people don’t follow me back and I know I won’t need to message them or them me, I’ll unfollow and put them on a list instead. " My list is half happenstance and half just who says something online.
Monday, 29 October 2012
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EVPD Google Sites & Global Collaboration! - YouTube
In this YouTube video ( a recorded Google Hangout) Theresa Allen and Janet Barnstable talk to two teachers in Siberia about how they use Google Sites in education. If you're not doing it, you should listen to this, it is a great tutorial but will also wake you up. IF they doing this in Siberia, what is your excuse? Those of you caught in the storm might want to use this opportunity for some teacher PD.
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