More on social bookmarking. This seems to be very much something that is a great resource for teachers. The bookmarking process is wonderful for teachers to share bookmarks. I like that it is easy to share links if you know someone else’s user name. The ability to tag and search for those same tags elsewhere on delicious provides some serendipity.
Again, I see this as much more useful for teachers and professional sharing and development. For those purposes, it is quite useful.
News and Information
NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1, 2008
Housing and Transportation updated on website. Make housing arrangements via their website for discounts on hotel rooms.
1. Students want more use of gaming technology in their learning. 64% of students report that they are gamers and consider that a must have in their schools. Only 15% of teachers see that as a means of effective teaching. Source: eSchool News.
2. DimensionM: Learn Algebra through a Second Life style interface and solve problems in the game that teach algebraic concepts.
3. Recommended game resources:
Online Insight: Challenges beat Cheerleading
Simply providing online discussion forums is not enough to keep students engaged in virtual courses, according to educators who are well-versed in online instruction: For real learning to occur in an online setting, virtual-school educators must establish clear rubrics and enforce rules for participation.
Check out the article for more information.
Wikis
Learn about Wikis and discover ways they’re being used. (Wiki-Waki-Woo!)
Wikis have great potential as an educational tool for both teachers and students because they encourage collaborative learning and resource sharing. Among the things they can be used for are:
– Collaborative writing
– Brainstorming
– Creation and organization of content and study guides
– Lesson summaries
– Group notetaking
– Dissemination of classroom information
– Literature circles
– Collaborative textbooks
– Resource collections
– Vocabulary study
Comparing Hemispheres – project between schools in NY and Australia
Westwood Schools Wiki – online space for Camilla, GA students
Welker’s Wikinomics – AP Economics class at Shanghai American School
Hanalee Book Wiki – 5th graders study of the novel, Turn Homeward, Hannalee
Arbor Heights Elementary School Wiki – wiki as a school web site
Flat Planet Wikispace – students in Canada and UK examine environmental issues
Photosharing with Flickr Workshop – wiki to provide resources for workshop
wikiHow – collaborative project to build world’s largest how-to manual
Create a wiki at WikiSpaces.
Good spot to find more information about a variety of technologies. Common Craft.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
News & Events
February 25 – February 28, 2009
McCormick Convention Center
Chicago, IL, USA
Schools of the Future: Sailing the Winds of Change
NMSA:
Innovative Practices Across the Curriculum
Lakeville, Minnesota
June 24, 2008
Putting the World into World-Class Education
Washington, DC
July 10-12, 2008
Institute for Middle Level Leadership
Colorado Springs,
Colorado
July 13-16, 2008
Charleston,
South Carolina
July 20-23, 2008
Best Practices for Student Success
Baltimore, Maryland
July 28, 2008
Fargo, North Dakota
August 6, 2008
NMSA Annual Conference:
Denver, CO
October 30, 2008 – November 1, 2008
Conference Blog —- Registration Information
National Teacher of the Year
Michael Geisen of Oregon
State winners:
Alaska
Raymond VoleyColorado
Seth BergHawaii
Pascale PinnerIllinois
Ruth MeissenKentucky
Chandra EmersonMaryland
April ToddMichigan
June TeisanMissouri
Eric LanghorstNew Jersey
John Kline, Jr.North Carolina
James Bell, Jr.Ohio
George EdgeOregon
Michael GeisenPennsylvania
David Woten, Jr.Wisconsin
Beth Oswald
Reading First is rated as Ineffective:
By SAM DILLON
Published: May 2, 2008
President Bush’s $1 billion a year initiative to teach reading to low-income children has not helped improve their reading comprehension, according to a Department of Education report released on Thursday.
Blogging
2. Learn about blogs and create your own – you will use your blog throughout this project.
3. Explore how educators are using blogs to support teaching and learning.
RSS
4. Learn about RSS and create your own Bloglines account.
5. Subscribe to blogs in order to keep up with new posts.
Photos and Images
6. Learn about online photo sharing and explore Flickr.
7. Share photos of your own on Flickr.
8. Have some Flickr fun with mash-ups.
9. Use an online image generator to create classroom resources.
A great little program that does a lot with pictures, graphics and words.
Our apologies for the tardiness. We’ve had some scheduling issues to address to get together to chat. We plan on being back on schedule this weekend.
We chat about a range of topics, including:
NMSA Annual Conference Launched (officially)!
Shawn and I discussed a project that I’m involved in that demonstrates where technology is right now. This project is a good overview of things that students are using and teachers could be using (at least some of them) currently.
Technology and Teachers:
http://resa-23things.blogspot.com/
Here’s the blurb for the project:
Over the next 10 weeks, you will complete 23 Things to become familiar with a variety of Web 2.0 tools. Everything you need is available here so that you can work on your own time, at your own pace.
Following are the 23 Things to complete in the order listed. Click the blue links to go to each Thing. You may complete the Things at your own pace, but we suggest trying to finish one topic area per week. Have fun!
What are the 23 Things? (This is by subject only. Most of these include 2-3 things each):
How many of these are familiar with? How many do you use regularly? How many do you use in your classroom?
Like a few other of my cohort, I jumped the gun for Part 5. I subscribed to many sites in Part 4 when that is supposed to be part of part 5. Anyway, I largely revisited some of my most heavily “traveled” RSS sites from NetNewsWire. (If you’re interested, check them out at: http://www.bloglines.com/public/MiddleSchoolMatters ) . RSS can allow you to gather a lot of information together. I think that it needs to be targeted though. I sometimes return to visiting web sites for a couple of reasons.
News & Events: The “Datey Thingys”
NMSA Annual Conference (NMSA08) October 30-November 1
Denver, Colorado
Hotel information coming soon on the website.
Conference focus on Technology this year.
Grade Configuration: Grade configuration was a hot topic early in the school year and is likely to come up again as we move into the summer and as next year’s schedules are being developed. Here is a link to research on grade configuration courtesy of NMSA.
What Makes Middle Schools Work: Some research out of New York Public Schools on their top ten performing middle schools and what elements can be replicated to produce success in other middle schools.
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Ohio Middle School Association Annual Conference:
Kalahari, Sandusky, OH.
February 21-22, 2009
First Annual Schools to Watch Conference
May 7, 2008
Mount Pleasant, MI
Michigan Joint Education Conference
June 25, 2008
Holt High School
Holt, MI
Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Grants – $1000.00
June 30 is the deadline for application.
Teaching Moments has a new goal setting presentation that is FREE!
eSchoolNews:
ATT – $100 million grant to stem dropouts. The AT&T Aspire program will distribute the $100 million over four years through a competitive grant process, said Eric Hausken, a spokesman for AT&T.
Why do we teach middle school?
1. We get to see our names carved into various places with colorful adjectives attached.
2. Up to date with current fashion trends.
3. Easier to teach those who know everything already.
4. Hormone therapy without the prescription.
5. Also qualifies for CIA spy training, FBI interrogation training, and local or State Police crime lab training.
6. With all the comments heard on hall duty and student responses, it would qualify as research for the next Broadway comedy show.
7. FREE PENCILS ON THE FLOOR IN THE HALLWAY!
Cool quote from the NMSA website: “Maybe the biggest reason some teachers love middle schoolers is the gap between what they know and what they do.”
—Nancy Feigenbaum, More Than I Ever Imagined
Mr. Devore’s Do-Over
Some Education Blogs from around the web:
Learning is Messy::Roll up your sleeves and get messy
http://learningismessy.com/blog/ –
The Dream Teacher:
http://thedreamteacher.blogspot.com/
Cool Cat Teacher:
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/ – Teaching content with new tools, enthusiasm and the belief that teaching is a noble calling!
Mathematical Musings:
http://mathmusings.blogspot.com/ – Thoughts of a middle school math teacher who is re-discovering technology.
Teaching in the 408:We must reject the ideology of the “achievement gap” that absolves adults of their responsibility and implies student culpability in continued under-performance. The student achievement gap is merely the effect of a much larger and more debilitating chasm: The Educator Achievement Gap. We must erase the distance between the type of teachers we are, and the type of teachers they need us to be.
http://roomd2.blogspot.com/ –
The Blurb: –The Blurb is a daily, weekly or sometimes monthly news show created and maintained by some seriously motivated students living in cyberspace! Check out our news and views regularly.
http://guysread.typepad.com/theblurb
Weblogg – learning with the read/write web
Really liked the article titled Believe What You Want to Find.
Teacher Magazine Blogboards: Compilation of blogs with a teacher eccentric viewpoint.
News & Information:
Innovative Practices Across the Curriculum
Lakeville, Minnesota
June 24, 2008
Featured Speakers:
Rick Wormeli
Bill McBride
Institute for Middle Level Leadership
Colorado Springs,
Colorado
July 13-16, 2008
Charleston,
South Carolina
July 20-23, 2008
Best Practices for Student Success
Baltimore, Maryland
July 28, 2008
Fargo, North Dakota
August 6, 2008
2008 Board of Trustees election
View bios and letters of recommendations for the candidates in your region. All ballots must be postmarked or faxed by May 9, 2008. (Troy as a ‘write-in’ candidate …)
The National Forum: To Accelerate Middle Grades Reform (Schools to Watch )
Annual Conference in Washington D.C. June 19-21
NMSA’s Annual Conference, Denver, CO October 30 – November 1, 2009: Watch this space for upcoming information.
Something coming up in your area? Send us information at middleschooleducators@gmail.com or www.middleschoolmatters.com.
Student Level Factors:
The biggest question for educators is whether factors outside our control are determinate or can we, as educators, make a difference in the lives of children regardless of those issues?
How about some good sites?
FranklinCovey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Randy Pausch “Last Lecture” – available from iTunesU
Mail Bag:
Letter from OpenEducation.net on internet safety and the stakeholders in technology in education.
Openeducation.net examines the report commissioned by Gordon Brown on internet safety and education. The report finds that educators, industry, and families need to come together to handle the plethora of transescents. Parental controls and opportunities to control are encouraged in the article. Parental controls do exist for some operating systems including restricted logins, setting restricted hours of usage, developing a “space” for students to work, and logging the contacts and activity of the student on the computer. Mac OS X has these features. I’d propose that parents aren’t aware these things are on their computers as internet immigrants.
News:
Failing Schools Show Progress with most of the Same Teachers:
Edweek.org
Much of the widely reported improvement in student achievement at eight inner-city Chattanooga, Tenn., schools seems to be linked to the rising effectiveness of teachers who had been at the schools when their students’ performance was dismal, a report from an education think tank concludes.
That finding goes against the way the elementary schools’ story has often been told by education reformers, many of whom have focused on financial incentives that were meant to lure better teachers to the schools.
This conversations is continued from last week. Please check out Podcast #28 for more information.
Teacher Level
* Note all of the work on Brain Based Learning & Gardner‘s Multiple Intelligences.
Universe: Visually searching the web.
Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a visual learner and you’re asking them to research in a verbal/linguistic environment. Imagine the internet as a vast expanse of solar systems and each topic are the stars and planets that orbit that topic. If you can do that, you can visualize Universe.
Universe gleans information from the web and organizes it into orbiting information. The first screen is constellations of stars flowing past the central star, which is your initial topic. There are different ways to see the results of the search and can be selected along the bottom of the output screen. The second option is to turn the star clusters in to constellations of words that float by the central star. What if your student just doesn’t handle the floating words or stars too well? Choose the third option for presenting the information, called “secrets”, and the words become stationary and in a grid with the larger print words being more related to the subject than the smaller sized words. Students can then select keywords based on relevance and correlation. Other options include statements, taken in your selected time frame, that can be viewed related to the topic, superstars, people related to the topic, and snapshots, photos related to your topic. These are the same people that also did “We Feel Fine” that looks for the key statement “I feel” and “I feel like” in people’s blogs and then pulls them together into an emotional assessment of the world. It relates it to weather and photos posted on the blogs it collects from and translates that into a graphical picture of emotion. They also have a website called Lovelines that does the same thing with just the statements Love and Hate, but probably not designed for a middle school audience since the search engine only looks for the emotive statement not the content related to it.
It’s time for me to work out our schedule for next year. My current goal is to establish a schedule which will allow for us to build in professional development right smack dab into the schedule. We are doing cost cutting, again, and one of the areas that is expensive is the cost of substitutes. This cost is actually doubly high, not only do we have the financial cost of a substitute, but the instructional value that substitutes bring is definitely lower than the scheduled teacher.With that in mind, we are looking for creative ideas. Here’s what we are discussing so far:
Do you know of a creative way to build in professional development? Any comments, please hit the comment button above and let us know what you think.
I’ve been kicking around Prensky’s book, “Don’t Bother Me Mom – I’m Learning!”, and he talks about computer simulations and their impact on learning (teacher sense is tingling … this might be a future podcast … or Troy is getting ready to spitball me …) and am reminded that there are physical simulations out there for middle schools as well.
Experientia provides a couple of simulations and encounters at facilities around the country. One of them is Exchange City. Students work through an economics curriculum (think Junior Achievement) in preparation for a day at Exchange City. Students man the shops, provide the labor, consume the goods produced, take out loans, pay for utilities, run a credit union, create and abide city laws, and exercise the franchise through City Hall. Some of the program is scripted, but the rest is a limited microcosm of Adam Smith’s invisible hand. Students experience the red tape of City Hall and the loan process, maintaining a checkbook, earning a “paycheck”, overdrafting (“Impossible, I have checks left!”) and the need to market as well arrange for supplies to produce. There are several goals for each student. Some are entrepreneurs and have to be concerned about turning a profit or at least paying back their initial loan. All have to worry about spending their paychecks without going over their limits. Students have to learn to manage their time and be back from breaks so that others can take theirs. If the entire shop goes on break, staff have been known to go into a shop and take supplies or inventory. They truly have to “mind the store.”
The curriculum includes a post-trip reflection piece that involves looking at the individual accounts for each student and each business. A post-trip business meeting yields interesting conversation analyzing each group’s business plan.
This is also an excellent community service project for high school seniors who are willing to be volunteers in each of the businesses assisting the middle school students as they work through their work day.
There are Exchange City locations in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Tennesee. You can view each state location here. I’m partial to Stacey Mehler. She’s always a great help. If you give them a hollar, mention you saw Exchange City on Middle School Matters.