Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Google for Educators
Are you interested in using Google tools as part of your curriculum for next year?Curious as to HOW to use Google tools in your class?
Here is a link to the agenda from the Google Workshop for Educators that was held at Brooklyn Friends School, Wednesday, June 24, 2009.
Lisa, Cordenia and Kerri attended the workshop. We're all happy to work with you to use any of these amazing Google tools in your curriculum!
How can we help?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The iSchool Initiative (an 18 year-old shares his thoughts about the future of education)
The iSchool initiative HD
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Back to School deals from Apple
It is that time already- have a recent graduate heading to college?
Going back to school yourself?
This is for you-
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Simple Tech Integration
Here is a resource that some might find helpful in thinking about meaningful integration of technology into your curriculum for next year. This site also provides an opportunity for you to see how others have integrated technology into their curriculum at various age levels in disciplines.Tuesday, May 19, 2009
100 Most Inspiring and Innovative Blogs for Educators
Where do I find the resources?Where are these conversations happening?
How do I know where to look for blogs to read that my help me with technology integration?
Where are people talking about the 'netgen' and how they respond to various educational methodologies differently?
How do I adjust my curriculum so that is engaging for my netgen students?
Where do I start?
Here.
Start here with the 100 Most Inspiring and Innovative Blogs for Educators.
Online University Reviews : 100 Most Inspiring and Innovative Blogs for Educators
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
100 Most Inspiring and Innovative Blogs for Educators
Where do I find the resources?Where are these conversations happening?
How do I know where to look for blogs to read that my help me with technology integration?
Where are people talking about the 'netgen' and how they respond to various educational methodologies differently?
How do I adjust my curriculum so that is engaging for my netgen students?
Where do I start?
Here.
Start here with the 100 Most Inspiring and Innovative Blogs for Educators.
Online University Reviews : 100 Most Inspiring and Innovative Blogs for Educators
I Hate Technology
Do you hate technology? it is okay to admit it here- no one is listening.For the teacher who feels passionately about their 'hate' for computers I ask you to consider the following open letter to the teacher who said "I hate technology."
Open Letter to the Teacher who said “I Hate Technology.” « Chalkdust101
Monday, April 27, 2009
One-to-One Laptop Programs: What does the research show?
Research shows that schools with one-to-one laptops programs often see the following positive results:
Learning environments are transformed - Educators involved in laptop programs overwhelmingly promote collaborative learning and at the same time provide individualized instruction.
Students are highly engaged - Like teachers, students also show improved technology skills and sophistication.
Productivity increases - Students develop better organizational skills because they now need them to keep track of what's on their computer and to accomplish complex project work in a timely manner.
Attitudes toward writing improve - In a recent survey measuring students' attitudes about writing, 76 percent of students said they enjoy writing more on the laptops than on paper; 80 percent indicated the laptops make it easier to rewrite and revise their writing; and 73 percent said they earn better grades for laptop work.
For more information please visit http://www.techlearning.com/article/640
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Technology in Washington
So what's our new governments take on technology you ask...
Our current administration has focused on a few key points when it comes to technology in the 21st century.
Here are a few:
* Encourage Diversity in Media Ownership: Encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation's spectrum.
* Protect Our Children While Preserving the First Amendment: Give parents the tools and information they need to control what their children see on the Internet in ways fully consistent with the First Amendment.
* Safeguard our Right to Privacy: Strengthen privacy protections for the digital age and harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy.
For more information visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/technology/
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Great Resource for Parents
Common Sense Media is a national organization led by concerned parents and individuals with experience in child advocacy, public policy, education, media and entertainment. Media is fun and kids love it. We also know that kids now spend so much time absorbing its messages and images that it has become "the other parent" in their lives. This organization started because families needed trustworthy information to help manage their kids' media lives.
Visit www.commonsensemedia.org today!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Spring 2009 Faculty Inventory
Please take a few minutes to fill out our Spring Inventory.
The inventory allows us to get an accurate accounting of what has been issued, what has been damaged/lost or grown legs, what is no longer in service and what is needed for the coming school year.
Games: Not Just For KIDS, anymore!
The NYU Game Center, an independent multi-school center at New York University for the research, design, and development of digital games, established in fall 2008, has announced its first series of guest lecturers. The lecturers represent scholars, creators, and thinkers in the field of games. The talks will take the format of a discussion and audiences are encouraged to join the conversation.
The lectures are as follows:
- Thursday, April 2, 6 - 8 pm Jonathan Blow, creator of the creatively ambitious, highly acclaimed game Braid.
- Thursday, April 16, 6 - 8 pm Warren Spector, influential game designer who is presently working with Disney Interactive.
- Thursday, April 23, 6 - 8 pm Marc “Mahk” LeBlanc, creator of the MDA framework, a powerful conceptual approach to game design.
- Thursday, April 30, 6:30 - 8 pm Eric Zimmerman & Katie Salen, co-authors of the groundbreaking book on game design, Rules of Play.
- Friday, May 8, 6 - 8 pm Clint Hocking, pioneering game designer whose work explores new directions for blending narrative and gameplay.
The series will be held at the Tisch School of the Arts, 721 Broadway, Room 006, lower level. Refreshments will be served. The talks are free and open to the public; advance reservation is required. Please RSVP: gamecenter@nyu.edu
Monday, April 13, 2009
EdTechTeacher
Visit this website for ideas, tutorial and a waelth of resources about meaningful technology integration.This site also has a list of tutorials that you may helpful such as 'iGoogle & Building a Personal Learning Network' and 'Google Tools for Teachers.'
EdTechTeacher
Horizon Project
Are you interested in the power of the network and/or group collaboration online? Would you like to create an online learning opportunity that involves collaboration with students from all over the world?Take a look a the website for the Horizon Project:
horizonproject2008 » home
Flat Classroom Project
Are you looking for an idea for meaningful technology integration for next year? Why not consider a project that connects your classroom with students in another country?Take a look at this website for the Flat Classroom project for inspiration-
flatclassroomproject » home
Several BFS Teachers will be Presenting Best Tech Practices at Packer!
NYSAIS Education and Information Technology (NEIT) presents Teaching with Technology: Best Practices from Classroom Teachers. This day-long conference will let you attend teacher-led sessions that show you how to use technology in your classroom. There will be groups organized around a variety of subject matter, by grade levels, and by teacher comfort with technology (from beginner to advanced).
The conference is designed to let teachers who use technology well share it with the greater teaching community. There will also be designated time for teachers to meet with others in similar positions from different schools to exchange information on how they're utilizing technology.
Click here for more information:
New York State Association of Independent Schools: Conferences and Workshops
Fwd: [Forum] Summercore 2009 (2 sessions July 2009) ** our 25th anniversary year
This year we are offering one week of Summercore in the NYC area at Horace
Mann School July 13-17 and one week at Shorecrest Preparatory School in
St. Petersburg FL July 27-31. Summercore is a unique computer training
workshop for K-12 teachers of all ages and all stages: from novices to
administrators to skilled users to computer coordinators. As Steve Taffee,
Director of Technology writes "arguably the best faculty inservice program
we've had at Castilleja since I joined in 2002."
-- Summercore 2.009 meets Web 2.0. Do you want your faculty excited about
blogs, wikis, Google docs and RSS? How about creating links in Delicious?
Or working on digital storytelling with bubbleshare, flickr, and jumpcut?
Or using Voicethread for a classroom project? What about creating a
journey in Google Earth or acquiring strategies for incorporating YouTube
into the curriculum?
-- Summercore 2.009 will include all these Web 2.0 skills, plus strategies
for using the Smartboard and the notebook software, laptops in the
classroom, and searching for the best web sites available. The key theme
for Summercore 2.009 is how to create a Classroom 2.0. Our focus will be
on revolutionizing the dynamics of the use of technology. There is nothing
more exciting than integrating the world of Web 2.0 into every grade level.
-- Summercore 2.009 is a unique 5 day marathon journey through hardware,
software and humanware. It is different from virtually any other computer
workshop you have ever attended. The only way to get a sense of this is to
read quotes from those who have come or even better talk directly to any
of the over 2600 Independent School teachers and administrators who have
attended Summercore since we began in 1985, exactly 25 years ago.
Please tell your faculty--all grade levels and all skill levels--about
Summercore 2009. All details are posted on our http://www.summercore.com
Web site. Thanks in advance for sharing this e-mail with your faculty and
administrators.
Steve Bergen (sbergen@cstorefront.org)
co-Director of The Original Teaching Company
Fwd: Special Report: How do you teach your kids to be safe online?
| Sage Advice: The Wisdom of Crowds For an upcoming Edutopia special report on the Digital Generation, we seek parents' responses to this bonus online-only Sage Advice question: "How do you teach your kids to be safe online?" (Please specify your children's ages.) Send your 25- to 100-word response to digitalgeneration@edutopia.org. (The deadline is April 20. Please include your name, title, affiliation, and location. Responses may be edited for length and clarity.) See some of the many replies to previous topics at edutopia.org/sageadvice. We look forward to hearing from you Forward this email to a friend The George Lucas Educational Foundation, established in 1991 by filmmaker George Lucas, is a nonprofit operating foundation located in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to publishing Edutopia magazine, Edutopia.org, and Edutopia video, the Foundation publishes a free e-newsletter, Edutopia News. |
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Fwd: iSummit scholarship link enclosed
Below find info about a summer technology conference and scholarship opportunity.
The application deadline is April 17, and funds are awarded on a first come/first served basis.
Thanks.
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~
Sarah Sweeney-Denham
Associate Director
Friends Council on Education
www.friendscouncil.org <http://www.friendscouncil.org
-------------------------------
Dear Irene,
During our sharing time at the CAPE board meeting, I mentioned that each organization had received an invitation for their schools to apply for scholarships to iSummit '09. This is a 3-day conference tailored for private school personnel who want to learn more about integrating technology into learning through 1:1 programs.
The conference provides strands of participation for faculty, technology staff, and administration / leadership
The iSummit scholarship covers:
• 3 nights hotel stay
• 7 meals
• 1 ticket to the Memphis Redbirds Baseball game on Thursday night
Complete information about iSummit '09 can be found on the web at:
http://www.lighthouseschools.com/isummitscholarship.html
I hope you will pass this information on to your schools. It is a great professional development opportunity for private schools. The application deadline is April 17, 2009.
All the best,
Martha
*******************
Martha Rolley, Ed.D
Director, K-12 Marketing ?
Apple Inc.
Gaming Festival April 24th & 25th
Keynote Speaker - Chris Crawford
Chris Crawford, the noted computer game designer and writer, developed a number of important games since the 1980s, founded The Journal of Computer Game Design, organized the Computer Game Developers’ Conference, wrote De Re Atari and The Art of Computer Design, and, most recently, developed the authoring tool Storytron and its beta development system Swat.
2009 Game Festival & Symposium - GSAS Program at Rensselaer
From PopTech- Conversations, people and ideas shaping the future
"I consider myself a digital native, but when I say that, it feels a bit like when we all had to watch Pat Boone sing heavy metal songs. My children, however, are born digital. What does that mean? For the shiny-seekers, it’s not all that scary, but what does it mean?"
Click the link below to continue reading...
Envisioning digital kids | The Pop!Tech Blog | Accelerating the Positive Impact of Worldchanging People and Ideas
Fwd: [Forum] June Smart Board Conference
You are invited to join fellow educators for a Smart Board one-day
conference on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 hosted by Rye Country Day School. We
have planned an information-sharing day focusing on the use of interactive
white boards.
Following a continental breakfast, the morning will be comprised of lesson
sharing sessions organized by either grade level (for lower school) or
subject, and the afternoon will be arranged by topic using an unconference
format. Our vendor, Colortone, will be present to demo a Smart Table, the
Senteo Interactive Response System, and the Smart Document Camera. And of
course, lunch will be provided.
We are asking for a modest fee of $25 per attendee, the total proceeds
which will go to funding the folks who facilitate the day's sessions. Each
subject session will have a faculty facilitator who will share some of
their lessons, encourage you to share your lessons, and facilitate
discussion on lesson planning. Afternoon sessions will be organized based
upon your feedback on the registration form.
We are hoping for a strong turnout but, knowing we should be careful what
we wish for, we reserve the right to limit registration so that the
numbers are manageable and people get the most from the sessions.
We encourage you to bring at least one of your Notebook lessons to share
with others. To that end, please bring your laptop or, at the very least,
a Flash memory pen. If you do not have a laptop, a limited number will be
available to borrow during the conference. Also, if you are interested in
facilitating a session, please note that on the registration form.
Looking forward to seeing you!
SCHEDULE
8:30-9:00 Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:00-9:10 Welcome
9:15-11:30 Subject Sessions (with breaks as needed)
11:45-12:45 Lunch
1:00-2:45 Unconference Sessions
If you have any questions, please contact me via phone or email:
Laurie Bartels – 914-925-4562 or [ mailto:laurie_bartels@ryecountryday.org
]laurie_bartels@ryecountryday.org
REGISTRATION
Registration consists of two parts.
(1) Please visit this link to submit your registration:
[
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cHVpamJkRnVaTTJacnFlQkk0NGxJZHc6MA
]http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cHVpamJkRnVaTTJacnFlQkk0NGxJZHc6MA..
(2) Please send a check for $25 payable to Rye Country Day School, to:
Laurie Bartels
Rye Country Day School
Cedar Street
Rye, NY 10580
If multiple faculty attend from the same school, it is fine to lump each
person's fee into one check.
For directions to RCDS please see our school site at:
[ http://www.ryecountryday.org/page.cfm?p=21
]http://www.ryecountryday.org/page.cfm?p=21
Social Media is here to stay-
The article is called "Social Media is Here to Stay' Just no in the classroom, please."
There are some links to the original post/presentation by Dinah Boyd as well.
Recommended reading for those interested in social media and rethinking 'school' in a Web 2.0 world.
Weblogg-ed » “Social Media is Here to Stay.” Just Not in Classrooms, Please
Have you forgotten?
Over the long weekend and holiday if you have time this is a good opportunity to back-up your laptops.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Online learning- a spark from the Academic Affairs Meeting
As I came to pack up to leave for today I realized that in our conversation we were not all working from the same definition of the phrase 'online learning.' There were at least two variations:
Online Learning- all learning is done online and the brick/mortar school & classroom are no more.
This was the image that came to mind for some. The idea that students would be sitting affixed to their computers in social and intellectual isolation from one another behind a row of screens. In my opinion I don't think that is what was the intention of the topic nor would this be an idea I support.Human beings are inherently social animals. Although there are great discussion online about online learning and there are many opportunities for studetns of all ages to learn at their own pace, at a time that is comfotable to them by taking courses online I don't think at this point in time anyone is advocating a move away from "school" being both a place and a process. School as a a communty center (center for community) and gathering place still has great use in the structure of our soceity. School as a physcial location and gathering place serves an essential function in the development of human beings- socialization and the building of community (or network). Manners, values, civility and citizenship are human social skills and these, I think, could not be taught online. We need to sing, paint, dance, eat, discuss, laugh, talk and play together as human beings face to face.
Online learning- an augmentation to the classroom.
This is the place where I think BFS could benefit- learning online as an augmentation to the classroom. There were some good points brought up at the meeting about the positive contributions that can happen if we as a school approach online learning this way.
-As a small school our students could have the option to take classes online that we cannot offer here due to a scheduling or staffing constraints
-Adding an online component to an already existing class could encourage students to have deeper engagement with the material being studied in that learning online requires engagement as opposed to passivity
-Adding an online component to an already existing class would allow the faculty member to truly practice differentiated instruction- presenting the class material in various ways that would speak to multiple learning styles
-Adding an online component to an already existing class would allow for greater 1:1 attention in that a faculty member can focus and address the needs of each student without the constraints of having to do in a given class period and for the student they could get the attention they need academically without having to 'compete' for the teacher's attention during class time
There are many pros and cons to online learning. I encourage you to gather as much information you can for yourselves as you enter this conversation.
The conversation is already happening in many places. Visit the Independent School Educators (ISED) website to join the community and a conversation about the value of online education.
The conversation about learning online, also called distance learning, is happening here among our students as well. For example-
A few weeks ago a few 11th grade students at BFS came to my office to chat- these are regular visitor. As one he entered he said he had a very serious question to ask me, something he said he'd been discussing at home with his parents. I pushed back from my desk to give him my full attention.
He dropped his bag on the floor haphazardly, planted his feet firmly and used his Public Speaking voice in my very small office-
"WHY do I HAVE to come to school EVERY day at 8:00 in the morning-" he said, with an emphasis on the earliness of the hour, "-when I can learn anything I want anytime I want with this!" he finished holding his well-used, slightly beat-up laptop out in front of him in a huff.I smiled broadly, offered him a donut and a seat. Our conversation lasted almost 90 minutes as he explained his latest scientific exploration- string theory. We munched and shared resources on sting theory on the internet. Before he left we shared our favorite new applications for the iPhone/iTouch, too.
I did not think he was planning to drop out of school, our conversation included a good deal of things he enjoyed about coming to 375 Pearl Street/55 Willoughby and interacting with the people in the community. I completely understood his delimna...school as process and school as place.
There has been a great discussion about online learning happening on the Independent School Cooperative (iScoop) website that was started by Fred Bartels, Director of Technology at Rye Country Day School. The introduction to the website reads as follows:
community comprised of independent school educators committed to
collaboratively exploring the design and construction of excellent
online learning communities for independent school students."
If you interested in furthering your readings about online learning and participating in a discussion between and among Independent School educators who are committed to exploring the possibilities of online learning then I encourage you to sign up for the website and join the conversation.
This afternoon it was very hard for me to sit through this conversation without bubbling forth the well-spring of information that I have been wading in for the past few years in various communities about the transformations in education and learning that are taking place in our society now. I just get so excited by the possibilities! I believe that education is the most powerful change agent in society.
These conversations I'm particiapting in have grown quite organically but most trace their seed back to the advent of laptop programs and the idea of anywhere anytime learning.
Now there are new buzzwords like "21st Century skills" and there are positive and negative implications in the new buzz but the underlying concepts are the same. These conversations are influenced by the rapid growth of a media infused society, expanded research into brain development and the realization that our interaction with information spurned now by technology has a direct impact on brain development, voracious developments in technology which have led to an increased production of and access to a variety of information and the relationship between societal innovation and the nature of our school systems which are often still following the model of education developed when we were an agrarian society.
The conversation was *very* exciting.
I've been waiting for this conversation to come to Brooklyn Friends, I just did not want to be the one to introduce it.
So, to add to the conversation (um, online...) and get you started, wading in slowly, here are a few resources:
International Association for K-12 Online Learning
Here is their mission statement from their website- "iNACOL strives to ensure all students have access to a world-class
education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them
for a lifetime of success." I highly reccomend you visit this site for further information.
SLOAN-C A Consortium of Institutions and Organizations Committed to Quality Online Education
On the website is a PDF of a nationwide survey from 2005-2006 reporting on the frequency of online or blended courses in school districts across the nation.
K-12 Online Conference Website
A resource that discusses blended courses using Web2.0 materials and classes taught fully online.
K-12.com
Here are some resources and white papers on online learning in a K-12 enviroment. I reccomend "Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills."
November Learning
Alan Novemeber's website. Mostly a consulting company there are also links to some useful resources and further reading.
Florida Virtual High School
I mentioned this school during the meeting
Virtual High School Global Consortium
Accrediated by Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, 2008 Distance Learning Award Winner
NAIS Article from the Winter 2009 Issue "Teaching in a 2.0 World"
I highly reccomend if you are interested in this topic that you take a look at the entire Winter 2009 issue.
Do you have other resources to add to the conversation?
How can DIMS help?
Sync your GoogleDocs Calendar with your iPhone or iTouch
You can now sync your GoogleDoc calendars with your iPhone or iTouch.Read this article very carefully to set this up.
Posts
