How will you integrate technology into your curriculum today?

According to Meg Ormiston, the keynote speaker for the ending luncheon at NCTIES, it’s all about student engagement. She commented on the energy found at this conference and said that teachers need to bring that same energy back to the students.

She asked some of the students in her neighborhood to create a video about school:

Time is wasted with professional development if we’re not reaching the kids. She said that we actually need to re-educate our entire teaching force and stop abuse of technology. One example she gave was of a teacher using a SmartBoard but the students never touching it. In some situations, students simply move from desk to desk throughout the school day.

People need to touch and feel change. Help students make pictures in their heads. Mix up the projects we’re asking kids to do. For example: a teacher created and showed a video before beginning a difficult book to set it up

Let kids create book reports using slideshows, videos, etc. Focus on strengths of kids (especially those who are weak readers and writers.) We have to change what we’re doing. Their world is 3D. Worksheets are not.

Meg’s Wiki

Reel Disengagement Ning

More NCTIES Posts:

Opening Keynote
Photography Problems
Digital Tools for Digital Kids
Assessment with Technology
SmartBoard in Upper Elementary
Skype in the Classroom
More Than YouTube
Closing Keynote

Joanna Gerakios and Tim DeCresie of Pitt County Schools shared numerous links to video sharing sites that could serve as alternatives to YouTube. They said that kids are already creating and revising video and multimedia content, usually at home, and it would be beneficial to them to make video creation and sharing available to them for school projects. Then they can share their projects with an authentic audience. This would also give educators the opportunity to teach what students can do legally.

They created a slideshow that they shared during their presentation:

Be sure to check out the information in this presentation! As our students are becoming more and more comfortable with creating, editing, and sharing their own videos, we need to find more safe resources for using videos in education.

More NCTIES Posts:

Opening Keynote
Photography Problems
Digital Tools for Digital Kids
Assessment with Technology
SmartBoard in Upper Elementary
Skype in the Classroom
More Than YouTube
Closing Keynote

Kathy Beck and Linda Lerch from Iredell Statesville Schools presented a very informative session about using Skype in the classroom.  Skype is a free program that can be downloaded here, and it’s quick and easy to install on both Windows and Mac computers.

There are several sites to help teachers find other classrooms to connect with:

• Skype Other Classrooms Edublogger Post
• Using Skype at School
• Skype in Schools Wiki

Basic Information:

free pc to pc calls
free audio calls (can conference up to 25 people)
free video calls (just one to one)
group chat rooms
instant message
small fee for mobile phones and land lines
requires little bandwidth

high def speed 384 kb/sec
standard 128 kb/sec

Search for contacts – shows country and city so you can narrow it down

If web cam not connected, will only see ‘call’ button
If web cam is connected, can also choose video call

Classroom Ideas

• students can talk with each other
• send files to everyone in group to view and interject with text comments
• keep archives of text messaging conversations
• students can use video to practice for a play
• debates
• organize school events
• work on school newspapers
• collaborative research with students around the world
• learn about students and life in other countries
• learn a language
• ESL
• penpals
• have experts come to them
• hold a poetry reading in which actual poet reads to your class
• brainstorm teaching ideas with a mentor
• virtual field trip w/o buses and entrance fees
• include an ill student in daily discussions (child can unplug camera if he does not want class to see him)
• conduct a conference call for a club
• virtual substitute – monitor your class while you’re away
• quick connection to teacher
• traveling parent for child in midst of homework crisis
• assist children with special needs ~  describe the day
• skype conference with parents who cannot come to school
• hearing impaired could use the chat mode
• blind can use audio mode
• Read Alouds
• have an author read a story over skype
• other readers from local businesses
• local theater groups
• Collaborate with other teachers
• professional development

Need to teach Skype etiquette

dialing etiquette – let it ring once or twice
movement can be distracting while using a webcam (stand still)
have questions prepared
skype from a well lit room
think about time differences

Note: This reminds me of when IM was new and different. The young teachers used it for fun to connect with their friends and families used it to keep in touch. It took a while before teachers learned that these same connection and collaboration skills could be used for professional reasons. Quite often, a new tool begins with personal uses and then reaches out to the school and to the classrooms.

More NCTIES Posts:

Opening Keynote
Photography Problems
Digital Tools for Digital Kids
Assessment with Technology
SmartBoard in Upper Elementary
Skype in the Classroom
More Than YouTube
Closing Keynote

Another NCTIES presentation featured uses for the SmartBoard in the upper elementary classroom. Lynn Keith, Suzanne Blaszak, and Jennifer Keith from Providence Spring Elementary School near Charlotte shared numerous ideas with us.

They have shared their presentation here, and it’s full of ideas that can be used with older elementary students ~ well worth the time to download and explore. In addition to content ideas, they have demonstrated many of the advanced features of the Notebook software.

Some other items discussed during the presentation:

Daily uses for the SmartBoard

• morning routine
• calendar
• pledge, class rules
• weather
• number of days in school – place value items
• money
• use infinite clone for money
• homework
• attendance

They noted that the SmartBoard Notebook software is powerful, and it takes time to explore and find things.

One of the activities they shared involved numerous colored circles on the Notebook slide which were linked to other pages with math problems. Students tossed a koosh ball towards the board. When the ball contacted the board, one of the links was activated and then the students solved the math problem on that particular slide. You can download the file at the SmartBoard Exchange. (You’ll probably need to log in first.)

Create board games and use the dice from the gallery to play.

Use the built in camera to grab screenshots from other documents to use in your Notebook file.

Play Jeopardy. There are lots of templates online that can be used with the SmartBoard. Be sure to sure to check out Jeopardy Labs too.

More NCTIES Posts:

Opening Keynote
Photography Problems
Digital Tools for Digital Kids
Assessment with Technology
SmartBoard in Upper Elementary
Skype in the Classroom
More Than YouTube
Closing Keynote

Vicki Davis inspired all of the NCTIES conference attendees during her opening keynote. Here, I’m going to share some of the notes I took during her message. She began with the following premise:

“It’s not about the technology. It’s about what the technology lets you do.” ~ David Warlick

Most teachers are learners, and Vicki says we should all set a goal to learn three new things each year. Then we need to give ourselves the gift of 10 – 15 minutes three times a week to explore these new things. After all, if we are not exploring, creating, and learning, how can we expect our students to do the same?

Keeping with the conference theme, Vicki said that we have to decide that we WANT to make over our classrooms. Otherwise we won’t really do it. Don’t just say we’ll try; decide we will do it! Recognize the need for a change, and set goals for ourselves. After all, the world around us is constantly changing and there are new things to learn, both for teachers and for students.

She shared the following video which was scripted and created by Peggy Sheehy’s students at Suffern Middle School.  The kids are saying such things as…

“The future is ready for us. Are we ready for it?”
“The future is ours. You have to give it to us.”
“I can’t create MY future with the tools of YOUR past.” (ouch!)

Notice that the students are not asking for no homework, no work. They want to work and create! They are just asking schools to meet their future. These kids are on Facebook and other social networking sites. In the future, they may not be able to find jobs because they are not networking! Schools need to teach them how to safely use the internet sites that they are exploring on their own. (You can keep them safe and still teach them rock climbing.)

Schools have to be able to take acceptable risks. Otherwise, they will never innovate and move on. Schools need to consider allowing teachers to override the internet filter when they need to use a site that is currently blocked. Speaking of filters, she also asked why schools punish everyone because a few teachers do not properly supervise their students? Blocking should be a curriculum decision, not an IT decision.

Computers should not be considered babysitters, something to keep the kids occupied. Students should not be rewarded with a trip to the computer lab to play. Computers are tools that should be integrated seamlessly into the classroom instruction.

Effective curriculum constructs effective online spaces. Sometimes, kids are the best textbook ever written for each other! Did you know that in Finland, teachers actually choose their textbooks based on the needs of their students?

Teachers will innovate when someone is there providing assistance and giving them confidence. That person (that would be my position!) needs to provide little bites of information to help teachers become independent but not overwhelm them. Expect slow but steady improvement. Eventually, the teacher needs to own it!

Remember that technology is a tool, and what you DO helps you pick your tools. Are you ready for the future?

More NCTIES Posts:

Opening Keynote
Photography Problems
Digital Tools for Digital Kids
Assessment with Technology
SmartBoard in Upper Elementary
Skype in the Classroom
More Than YouTube
Closing Keynote

There were some amazing educators from the national educational technology community presenting at this conference including Vicki Davis, Will Richardson, David Warlick, Kathy Schrock, Meg Ormiston, Leslie Fisher, Tammy Worcester, and Howie DeBlasi, and I was excited to hear from these folks whose blogs I have read for some time now.

In an attempt to share the information I gathered, I plan to write several new posts about the sessions which will include my notes as well as links and occasional reflections.

So, keep reading and learning!

More NCTIES Posts:

Opening Keynote
Photography Problems
Digital Tools for Digital Kids
Assessment with Technology
SmartBoard in Upper Elementary
Skype in the Classroom
More Than YouTube
Closing Keynote

Another favorite of mine was a presentation showing how to incorporate Marzano’s strategies from Classroom Instruction That Works using Kidspiration, PowerPoint, and other readily available software in our schools. Here is a link to lots of templates that are ready for you to use. Many thanks to Sherri Miller with Gloucester County Schools!

We’ve talked quite a bit recently about internet safety, and I would like to remind you to discuss with your students the importance of not sharing personal information online. In one of the sessions I attended, the ITRTs from Hanover County generously shared several activities that they had created for elementary students. Check them out!

There were numerous other wonderful sessions. You can click here if you’re interested in exploring more of what folks are saying about the VSTE conference this year.

Have you ever wanted to attend conference sessions from the comfort of your own home or classroom? Well, now you can! The K12 Online Conference begins with a pre-conference keynote on October 8th. The sessions begin October 15th and end October 27th. Most days there are 4 sessions scheduled. You can see the schedule here. Here’s a description from their website:

The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2007 conference theme is “Playing with Boundaries”. This year’s conference begins with a pre-conference keynote the week of October 8, 2007. The following two weeks, October 15-19 and October 22-26, forty presentations will be posted online to the conference blog (this website) for participants to download and view. Live Events in the form of three “Fireside Chats” and a culminating “When Night Falls” event will be announced. Everyone is encouraged to participate in both live events during the conference as well as asynchronous conversations.

Most of the sessions will be stored as either podcasts or videos so you can watch them at your leisure. In fact, last year’s sessions are still online too, and you might find something there that you would like to explore further.