Sunday, June 17, 2012
Vision 20/20 Conference, June 2012 OKC
From http://newsok.com/national-education-experts-lead-free-conference-in-oklahoma-city/article/3683547
Some of the keynote speakers included:
Willard R. Daggett, founder and chairman of the International Center for Leadership
Adolph Brown, known as “The World's Greatest Edu-tainer,” and mathematics educator Cathy Seeley
Joseph S. Renzulli, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut and director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
Larry Tihen, author of the Florida Reading Model, and aerospace consultant Ben Robinson
Author and two-time national Teacher of the Year Ron Clark
Bill White of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Karen Chenoweth of The Education Trust and businessman Jay Martin.
Ray McNulty, president of the International Center for Leadership in Education
Literacy specialists John Wolf, Anna Shults and Trevor Packer, noon Friday.
The Vision Conference was free for Oklahoma educators from public, charter, and private schools.
Monday, June 11: The conference was for parents. I went to see the exhibits, pick up my conference packet and check where I was going to present on Thursday. The exhibit did not open until Tuesday. Downtown was like a zoo because of the first finals Thunder game. Parking was impossible and costly. $7 per day. I remeber when it was $3.00 per day. I love to see Oklahomas united for Thunder, but has Thunder make provisions to pay and have extra police, etc. I will never understand the craziness for sports and the apathy to end world hunger and violence.
Tuesday, June 12: Parking was a bigger problem. $10 until 4:30 after which, $40 because of the Thunder game. "Common Core," the buz word.
I learned about Common Core in English, but will that apply to Common Core in Modern Languages?http://www.corestandards.org/ ; http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf. The state of common core in Oklahoma was explained as "The Common Core Standards have been adopted by 48 states and will be the new Standards that all public schools must follow by the timeline their state decides. For Oklahoma we have to have full implementation by 2013 with certain subjects and grade levels starting next year. The Common Core Standards are much different from the PASS that we currently have. They are made to be more rigorous and supposedly higher level thinking. Unfortunately they haven't even been written for many subject areas and art and foreign languages are some of those unknown subjects. Oklahoma's teachers are running around in a panic because they have to fully implement something that is not even fully developed yet by next year. SO, that is why you heard the terms so frequently. All of the "tests" are being rewritten, all of the teacher evaluations are being rewritten and everything is changing."
The Art of Collage Workshop: Glen Henry and James Huelsman (artist). Sculpture-painting-and collage. The team explain their personal experiences and gave examples
of famous collage artists and the drive behind their compositions: Picasso, Schwitters and motivated us to look at artistic elements of collaging as we integrated images and words into our own creations. I was not please with what I created, but it was a nice experience. The reason why I took this worshop is to have some guidelines on how to approach collaging YAC's mission, the charter for compassion, entrepreneurship in peace and social change, etc.
I learned to have in mind:
a. Properties of the materials
b. Spatial Relationships
c. Shadows
d. Luminosity
e. Scale
f. Dimension
g. Equilibrium
h. Self reflection
i. Make simple and repeat!
I will see if Megan can collaborate with YAC in this important way of setting guidelines of interaction for YAC.
Digital Citizenship Workshop: Tammy Parks, video production teacher and IT person for Howe Public Schools
1. What is your digital dossier, your digital footprint?
Learn and teach proper use of technology because our students are wired
2. Blogs: Edublogs, Kids Blogs
3. My Big Campus
4. Gaggle: Student safe e-mail. PAID
5. Gaggle Tube: Filtered, differentiated filter. Safer YouTube
6. You Tube: Place "quiet time" to avoid unwanted connecting videos. I tried it with embbedding videos in the blog and I was not successful.
Her presentation is in Google Docs. I requested her to send me the link because from my notes this one does not work: http://wwww.bit.ly/TParksOC . I had to attend the Gala Opening of City Arts, Japanese Ceramic Women Artist Exhibit, therefore, I left after this workshop.
Wednesday June 13:
Exhibit Hall: Many health care plans being sold to teachers. A lot of technology and grounds needs exhibitors.
LinguaFolio Assessment for World Languages: Desa Dawson
Documenting competencies and cultural activities. It will give a boost to s-l/entrepreneurship in social change. It is a program that they are at "talks" to obtain. It will help with Common Core.
World Languages Alignment with Common Core: Are in the Nationals Standards for learning languages-Communication Standards: Reading, Writting, Speaking, Listening and Language in the areas of Interpersonal, Interpretive and presentational. Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities support the Common Core to ensure students are college-career-and world ready. I need to follow-up with Desa and Hazel
Flipped Classroom Panel: Chari Stratton, Mariah Kennemer, Amy Amstrong, Helen Denman, Brad Sander from Putman City Schools. I asked them to consider coming to do a presentation for Casady YAC. Their presentation was why, how, and results of flipping classroms. I need to follow-up on this one!
Youth Voice: Joe Beasley and Janet Bullard: Meaningful intentional opportunities for participants. Choices: Supported in safe environment with right clarifying questions. Intentional, Scalfolded, Supported, Food, Tiny Baby Steps in Safe environment
In the frame of after school program, Joe and Janet demonstrated their ladder of empowerment of Youth Voice. I gave the book to Jean Warden and solicited her reactions. I feel that YAC and STUCO need this type of intentional empowerment.
Every one uses the step forward and backwards if....What they did skillfully is the sentences they use to find out our experience in Youth Voice in high school or college. It differed according to the generation you belong to.
Love their demonstration of choice and leadership. 3 corners. Corner one: Make a circle, clap, sing....teens following adult directions. Corner two: Adult gives a great variety of choices with a focus, choose one and become the voice on behalf of that object...great for youth leadership, choices based on preferences, entry point of leadership style and/or fear by way the group performed the task. Group three: Solve a World Problem by 2015...personal preferences, categorazing, choosing,
Teacher Effectiveness for Language Learning: (TELL) Products and processes to enhance effectivemess. Need to follow-up on this and ask Desa to have a PD for Casady teachers. I did not attend this because one of my students was interested in Human Trafficking and I know little about it.
Human Trafficking: Mark Elam
#1 way sexual predators find children is through online social networking.
Thursday, June 14
Casady in the morning to check mail box and deliver book to Jen Warden. Parking at a premium. $10 until 4:30 when it turned into $40 due to Thunder game.
11 Days of Unity: I presented. Felt I did a good job starting a peace dialog and connecting Pinwheels for Peace to personal, home, school, community and the world, but was very brief in the explanation of the 11 days of unity, which is at brainstorming stage until the new principal and students add their input. I will be pilot testing it at Boys and Girls Club at the same time as at Casady.
Do You Believe? 2012 Teacher of the Year Kristin Shelby gave a motivational presentation of the things we already do to develop relationships with our students. I was heading to my car and I heard motivation and I entered the room late and had to love early because I did not want to have my car in the parking lot after 4:30.
Boys and Girls Club Visit to explore piloting 11 Days of Unity and Green Schools.
Friday, June 15
Green Schools Meeting: 9:30: Will be asking Boys and Girls Club to be a pilot after school program with Salman and I as facilitators of their investigations.
Leadership in the 21st Centurry & College Board: Ray McNulty, International Center for Leadership in Education
Build our youth for the future
Work should not be a routine. Be an agent of change
WAKE UP Be Amazing GO TO BED
Me, Twitter, You Facebook: Christine Paradise and Regina Hartley
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Google+
Google Works
Follow: Manuel Scott, Jary Blumengarten
Must be more active on Twitter and check pinterest
Indiana Reading Story: Joan Wolfe and Anna Shults
State Mandate: 90 minutes reading
Scalfolding process to mastery. Promotion by mastery
Reading minutes are sacred
There is a framework, goals, researched based and operated at all levels
In place:
Goals
Instructional techiques
PD
Commitment
Leadership team works all year: If students do not pass the test, there is remediation time during the summer. Assessment mandatory, remediation summer school not
What Administrators Should Know About Technology: Tammy and Scott Parks
TECKY Standards for students, teachers and administrators
-BUY SCHOOL COPY
-BUY POSTERS
-WEBINARS INEXPENSIVE WAY TO TRAIN
-CONFERENCE THIS YEAR IN SAN DIEGO (August 25?)
If you are leading and no one is following, you are only taking a walk!
WHY APPLE-but they did not say that that is the choice for all
-no viruses
-open filter
-parental control
Students want to be producers not consumers
TECH LESS, LEARN MORE
Connections are success
Every two weeks, how effective am I as a teacher. What can I do now that I could not do before
ADMINISTRATORS
You must have a network and infrastructure
Separate data from videos
Apagea Mac
YEARLY
-Parent buy in
-Required parent/student/teacher training
-Digital Citizenship
Administrators and Social Media
Should use these
Reflection
Today's meet
Back Channel
BYOD Bring your own devise
One on one learning
Poll every where
Gcouros
Moodle
One Net
Edmodo
E-Text Books
Schoollology
Google Docs: Balance calendar
Some of the keynote speakers included:
Willard R. Daggett, founder and chairman of the International Center for Leadership
Adolph Brown, known as “The World's Greatest Edu-tainer,” and mathematics educator Cathy Seeley
Joseph S. Renzulli, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut and director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
Larry Tihen, author of the Florida Reading Model, and aerospace consultant Ben Robinson
Author and two-time national Teacher of the Year Ron Clark
Bill White of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Karen Chenoweth of The Education Trust and businessman Jay Martin.
Ray McNulty, president of the International Center for Leadership in Education
Literacy specialists John Wolf, Anna Shults and Trevor Packer, noon Friday.
The Vision Conference was free for Oklahoma educators from public, charter, and private schools.
Monday, June 11: The conference was for parents. I went to see the exhibits, pick up my conference packet and check where I was going to present on Thursday. The exhibit did not open until Tuesday. Downtown was like a zoo because of the first finals Thunder game. Parking was impossible and costly. $7 per day. I remeber when it was $3.00 per day. I love to see Oklahomas united for Thunder, but has Thunder make provisions to pay and have extra police, etc. I will never understand the craziness for sports and the apathy to end world hunger and violence.
Tuesday, June 12: Parking was a bigger problem. $10 until 4:30 after which, $40 because of the Thunder game. "Common Core," the buz word.
I learned about Common Core in English, but will that apply to Common Core in Modern Languages?http://www.corestandards.org/ ; http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf. The state of common core in Oklahoma was explained as "The Common Core Standards have been adopted by 48 states and will be the new Standards that all public schools must follow by the timeline their state decides. For Oklahoma we have to have full implementation by 2013 with certain subjects and grade levels starting next year. The Common Core Standards are much different from the PASS that we currently have. They are made to be more rigorous and supposedly higher level thinking. Unfortunately they haven't even been written for many subject areas and art and foreign languages are some of those unknown subjects. Oklahoma's teachers are running around in a panic because they have to fully implement something that is not even fully developed yet by next year. SO, that is why you heard the terms so frequently. All of the "tests" are being rewritten, all of the teacher evaluations are being rewritten and everything is changing."
The Art of Collage Workshop: Glen Henry and James Huelsman (artist). Sculpture-painting-and collage. The team explain their personal experiences and gave examples
of famous collage artists and the drive behind their compositions: Picasso, Schwitters and motivated us to look at artistic elements of collaging as we integrated images and words into our own creations. I was not please with what I created, but it was a nice experience. The reason why I took this worshop is to have some guidelines on how to approach collaging YAC's mission, the charter for compassion, entrepreneurship in peace and social change, etc.
I learned to have in mind:
a. Properties of the materials
b. Spatial Relationships
c. Shadows
d. Luminosity
e. Scale
f. Dimension
g. Equilibrium
h. Self reflection
i. Make simple and repeat!
I will see if Megan can collaborate with YAC in this important way of setting guidelines of interaction for YAC.
Digital Citizenship Workshop: Tammy Parks, video production teacher and IT person for Howe Public Schools
1. What is your digital dossier, your digital footprint?
Learn and teach proper use of technology because our students are wired
2. Blogs: Edublogs, Kids Blogs
3. My Big Campus
4. Gaggle: Student safe e-mail. PAID
5. Gaggle Tube: Filtered, differentiated filter. Safer YouTube
6. You Tube: Place "quiet time" to avoid unwanted connecting videos. I tried it with embbedding videos in the blog and I was not successful.
Her presentation is in Google Docs. I requested her to send me the link because from my notes this one does not work: http://wwww.bit.ly/TParksOC . I had to attend the Gala Opening of City Arts, Japanese Ceramic Women Artist Exhibit, therefore, I left after this workshop.
Wednesday June 13:
Exhibit Hall: Many health care plans being sold to teachers. A lot of technology and grounds needs exhibitors.
LinguaFolio Assessment for World Languages: Desa Dawson
Documenting competencies and cultural activities. It will give a boost to s-l/entrepreneurship in social change. It is a program that they are at "talks" to obtain. It will help with Common Core.
World Languages Alignment with Common Core: Are in the Nationals Standards for learning languages-Communication Standards: Reading, Writting, Speaking, Listening and Language in the areas of Interpersonal, Interpretive and presentational. Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities support the Common Core to ensure students are college-career-and world ready. I need to follow-up with Desa and Hazel
Flipped Classroom Panel: Chari Stratton, Mariah Kennemer, Amy Amstrong, Helen Denman, Brad Sander from Putman City Schools. I asked them to consider coming to do a presentation for Casady YAC. Their presentation was why, how, and results of flipping classroms. I need to follow-up on this one!
Youth Voice: Joe Beasley and Janet Bullard: Meaningful intentional opportunities for participants. Choices: Supported in safe environment with right clarifying questions. Intentional, Scalfolded, Supported, Food, Tiny Baby Steps in Safe environment
In the frame of after school program, Joe and Janet demonstrated their ladder of empowerment of Youth Voice. I gave the book to Jean Warden and solicited her reactions. I feel that YAC and STUCO need this type of intentional empowerment.
Every one uses the step forward and backwards if....What they did skillfully is the sentences they use to find out our experience in Youth Voice in high school or college. It differed according to the generation you belong to.
Love their demonstration of choice and leadership. 3 corners. Corner one: Make a circle, clap, sing....teens following adult directions. Corner two: Adult gives a great variety of choices with a focus, choose one and become the voice on behalf of that object...great for youth leadership, choices based on preferences, entry point of leadership style and/or fear by way the group performed the task. Group three: Solve a World Problem by 2015...personal preferences, categorazing, choosing,
Teacher Effectiveness for Language Learning: (TELL) Products and processes to enhance effectivemess. Need to follow-up on this and ask Desa to have a PD for Casady teachers. I did not attend this because one of my students was interested in Human Trafficking and I know little about it.
Human Trafficking: Mark Elam
#1 way sexual predators find children is through online social networking.
Thursday, June 14
Casady in the morning to check mail box and deliver book to Jen Warden. Parking at a premium. $10 until 4:30 when it turned into $40 due to Thunder game.
11 Days of Unity: I presented. Felt I did a good job starting a peace dialog and connecting Pinwheels for Peace to personal, home, school, community and the world, but was very brief in the explanation of the 11 days of unity, which is at brainstorming stage until the new principal and students add their input. I will be pilot testing it at Boys and Girls Club at the same time as at Casady.
Do You Believe? 2012 Teacher of the Year Kristin Shelby gave a motivational presentation of the things we already do to develop relationships with our students. I was heading to my car and I heard motivation and I entered the room late and had to love early because I did not want to have my car in the parking lot after 4:30.
Boys and Girls Club Visit to explore piloting 11 Days of Unity and Green Schools.
Friday, June 15
Green Schools Meeting: 9:30: Will be asking Boys and Girls Club to be a pilot after school program with Salman and I as facilitators of their investigations.
Leadership in the 21st Centurry & College Board: Ray McNulty, International Center for Leadership in Education
Build our youth for the future
Work should not be a routine. Be an agent of change
WAKE UP Be Amazing GO TO BED
Me, Twitter, You Facebook: Christine Paradise and Regina Hartley
Google+
Google Works
Follow: Manuel Scott, Jary Blumengarten
Must be more active on Twitter and check pinterest
Indiana Reading Story: Joan Wolfe and Anna Shults
State Mandate: 90 minutes reading
Scalfolding process to mastery. Promotion by mastery
Reading minutes are sacred
There is a framework, goals, researched based and operated at all levels
In place:
Goals
Instructional techiques
PD
Commitment
Leadership team works all year: If students do not pass the test, there is remediation time during the summer. Assessment mandatory, remediation summer school not
What Administrators Should Know About Technology: Tammy and Scott Parks
TECKY Standards for students, teachers and administrators
-BUY SCHOOL COPY
-BUY POSTERS
-WEBINARS INEXPENSIVE WAY TO TRAIN
-CONFERENCE THIS YEAR IN SAN DIEGO (August 25?)
If you are leading and no one is following, you are only taking a walk!
WHY APPLE-but they did not say that that is the choice for all
-no viruses
-open filter
-parental control
Students want to be producers not consumers
TECH LESS, LEARN MORE
Connections are success
Every two weeks, how effective am I as a teacher. What can I do now that I could not do before
ADMINISTRATORS
You must have a network and infrastructure
Separate data from videos
Apagea Mac
YEARLY
-Parent buy in
-Required parent/student/teacher training
-Digital Citizenship
Administrators and Social Media
Should use these
Reflection
Today's meet
Back Channel
BYOD Bring your own devise
One on one learning
Poll every where
Gcouros
Moodle
One Net
Edmodo
E-Text Books
Schoollology
Google Docs: Balance calendar
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Medicine with the Experts
The first presentation in the Casady School “Medicine with the Experts” Science Lecture Series began at 7 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 4, in the Middle Division Community Room on the Casady campus. Dr. David Lee Gordon expounded on neurological diseases. I found every aspect interesting and his presentation style engaging. His explanation of what is a migrane was fascinating. Dr. Gordon joined the Department of Neurology at the OUHSC as professor and chairman in January 2007. He founded and directed the Acute Stroke Unit at the University of Mississippi Medical Center from 1991-1999. He has also received the American Heart Association’s Award of Meritorious Achievement in 2000.
Other medical professionals a part of the lecture series include Physical Therapist Rene’ Daman, who will speak on autism on Dec. 5; Dr. Robert Mannel will share a presentation on cancer on Feb. 6, 2012; Dr. Joseph Waner will talk about viruses and viral diseases on April 10, 2012; and Dr. Mark Anderson will close the series on May 1, 2012, with a discussion on keeping athletes injury free.
Other medical professionals a part of the lecture series include Physical Therapist Rene’ Daman, who will speak on autism on Dec. 5; Dr. Robert Mannel will share a presentation on cancer on Feb. 6, 2012; Dr. Joseph Waner will talk about viruses and viral diseases on April 10, 2012; and Dr. Mark Anderson will close the series on May 1, 2012, with a discussion on keeping athletes injury free.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
OFLTA Conference, Stillwater, Oct 1, 2011
“Motivating and Organizing the Unmotivated and Unorganized” – Ellen B. Shrager http://home.comcast.net/~mrsshrager/site/?/home/: Students from chaotic households frequently perform academically below their ability and need help with motivation and organization. Poor habits prevent them from completing school work. Guide students to a future vision of themselves with these habits, and help form one new positive habit at a time. Where are you know, where do you want to be...good habits and discipline. What is the problem? Parents do not equate sucess with skills and discipline, but with admission to a university. ...Although you can use that dream to get them to help parents and their child pointing out how good habits will help the college common application and will provide them life skills of the 21st century.
Service-Learning bought her books for 6th and 9th grade and how to deal with the unmotivated and unorganized. I have some of her cards and her learning balls which I already started to use for reviewing purposes with bodily-kinesthetic children. They do work. I will read the books I have purchased and place them at the library.
I also learned that by being more proactive at organizing children, I have discovered problems with writing sequence which I had not seen before. To be very honest, it is also helping me personally to be more focused and organized in my daily life.
Elle states in her website, "focus on the changing roles of children, parents, and neighborhoods in society and the profound impact of entertainment, advertisement, and individual rights on a student's sense of self. ...From my observations, I learned that students’ unacceptable classroom behavior is a logical, albeit unintentional, consequence of the society that we have created!
This understanding has relieved me of the burden of judging and inspired me to confront these differences so that my classroom once again reflects my beliefs. I focus on five differences in students’ upbringing that create disruptions to learning in my classroom. I use to respond to these disruptions in the moment with ‘pop-up’ lessons on manners. Now, in an impersonal and loving way, I pro-actively introduce the differences between the way students are accustomed to behaving and the way students will behave in class. Thus, when impulsive students act out, I remind them that we have already discussed this, and the consequence is not perceived as a personal attack. Surprisingly, even rebellious students respond to this impersonal authority. I suspect that many are secretly relieved that there is a true adult in charge who affirms that their actions have consequences; otherwise we are reinforcing the students’ most inner fear that they and their actions are meaningless. Most days, my students respond to this classroom behavior code and the moments of sarcasm, drama, and tension are minimal. In “Successful Dialogues with Enabling Parents”, I help teachers to interact better with today’s parents, by discussing:
Five recent changes in parenting.
Five crucial steps to protect teachers’ authority.
Six common parental illusions.
Teachers will practice T R I A L – the process for responding compassionately and appropriately with difficult parents, without teacher burn-out! Additional discussion will include managing electronic grades, e-mail contact with parents, and student cheating. Teachers will practice discussing these sensitive issues with parents via role playing in groups of two. Teachers will be able to discuss sensitive issues with parents leaving both sides intact with their dignity. This will ultimately lead to more parental support for teachers and programs.
In “Successful Dialogues to Motivate and Organize the Unorganized and Unmotivated," I share my experiences with my successful “Seven Club.” Without specific help, children from poverty struggle to negotiate schools’ middle class value system. I started an after-school ‘club’ to help students whose actual grades were significantly lower than their intellectual ability. I use an assortment of products to foster the dialogue that will help the student to bridge the gap between home values and school values. What surprised me is the number of referrals from middle class families operating with poverty values. My conclusion is that between more parents working outside the home and the intense pressure to be well-rounded for school applications, many middle class families are running chaotic homes and their children need the same support as students from poverty.
Together we can inspire our students to believe that learning is inherently much more interesting than acting out.
MEDIA: Consumerism and socialization lessons
- Only comment on the effort and how they treat others not on the clothing they are wearing (Spend, spend spend)
- When something is said that they are just repeating from TV, etc. find the source
_ Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse...Unmotivated child by Natalie Ratchvon .Get them
PERSONALIZATION of impersonal corrections
- Structure without being perceived as criticism
4years old.......future car..... Teachers are the bridge of the future we are never going to see
postpone responsibility for education... Have pencils, do not let them disturbe others learning
Increase non-diagnosed Asper...High Functional Autism
What you look at, but do you see?
Emphasis on IQ instead of self-discipline and skills
Lack of adult in charge
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“How to use Internet Sources in the World Language Classroom” – Audrey Nelson: She focused on demonstration of videos, seemed unprepared, and had technical difficulties. She did not provide exercises, assessments or strategies as advertised. The weakest presentation of my day, but I want to get the video of I love Lucy to promote language learning. I think we need to be very careful about our choices of videos and the intention with which we pick them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Time Management and Classroom Activities to Achieve Observable Performance vs. Assumed Knowledge” – Lilli Lyon Ms. Lyon explained that attention span, according to research = age with maximum of 28 minutes. She manages classroom with a systematic set of activities that keeps the kids engaged by movement, songs, games. All vocabulary is present and surrounds them to the point that they start to create with the language. To be acquired, a word needs to be repeated 75 times for children without learning challenges, 150 times for learning disable people. The more they repeated the greater the acquisition. She motivated to use more songs, have 2 minute reviews, like play with numbers, write as many things in the classroom you have in your head in one minute, etc. “focus on what the students can DO with the language: OBSERVABLE PERFORMANCE VS. ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE.” Inspiring! She uses 80's music and creates her own.
Repetition
70 times in context in your brain
150 times if learning disable
Allow errors
Are you teaching bell to bell: 12 minute increments, 5 minute units
Rubric of performance Excellent: Hamburger with all the fixings, Needs Improvement: Hot Dog, Good: Hamburger
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Edmodo.com: Safe Social Media for Students” – Caleb Allison Social media is widely used by most of our students. http://www.edmodo.com/%20is a user-friendly network that is made by educators for educators and that is safe and secure. After this session, I placed my 5th graders in Edmodo. I was surprised to see kids who are challenge by homework, actually going to the site and having a small conversation. Here is a guide to every question you may have in Edmodo http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1rhw8/EdmodoAguidetoeveryt/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http://www.edmodo.com/community/professional-dev
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Digital Booth Camp: July 13, 2011
I signed up to make a 2 minute creative video and decided to go for the digital booth camp instead. I expect to learn how to promote my program in covergence with YAC students and community organizations.
In class, I will create the story and then decide how to distribute it, according to the intended audience and adapting the distribution methods to the times!
From the introduction yesterday, we will create a website that is interactive with all current digital forms in real time. We will be working with a word press site that is free. The interest will be in direct relationship with level of creativity, brevity, and inmediancy of the information. Basic Elements: Writing, pictures, videos.
Blog: One sentence...one paragrah...during the event
Web: 3-4 paragraphs...two hours after
Mediacast: one-three minutes...one day after
Follow-up: 3-4 paragraphs...weekly
Newspaper: 250-500 words ...once per issue ( Rolling Stone without music) quaterly and in color
Wrap-up: 350 words, post event, print or web
Yearbook: Tells the story...event end..flash drive, dvd, digital video soon to be added.
Make students personally accountable for what they will generate in class and do not blame the bread, blame the breadmaker if people do not come to your site!
Booth Camp Class
FTP File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server.[1] FTP users may authenticate themselves using a clear-text sign-in protocol but can connect anonymously if the server is configured to allow it.
The first FTP client applications were interactive command-line tools, implementing standard commands and syntax. Graphical user interface clients have since been developed for many of the popular desktop operating systems in use today.
My Conclusion: FTD software... It is a way to share, it is a host I guess for your website. WS.FTP is $29 http://www.ipswitchft.com/Products/Ws_Ftp_Pro/Evaluation.aspx?k_id=bingpro; http://www.ipswitch.com/
Fetch installer is free for mac's http://fetchsoftworks.com/
Cheapwebhost news.com hosted by linux: http://cheapwebhostnews.com/. http://www.linux.com/ 150 G is enough
2 sites org and com 500 e-mails, $6.99 to $89.00
Can have subdomains like mysummerwork.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A HOST IS NEEDED: Word Press.com: Costly, do not use. Word Press.org: Great support. USE IT. 1n1.blue is another. Do not place this host in the district server. Word Press.org is free, has good support and has built in a mobile component
My workshop guardian angel was pedrameh@hotmail.com. Mitchell Franz offered to help with videos: m.a.franz@gmail.com, mitchellfranz.com. My teacher was Jake Palenske http://palenske.net/portfolio/Welcome.html. Jake's task was to empower us to create a website like http://cspa2010.mysummerworkshop.com/?p=1249.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class process: Jake created the FTD for us and helped us input all the database information to create our own. then he taught us how to get fetch. Finally he gave us the directives to create a subdomain in his clay.mysummerworkshop.com.
Breakout sessions information
All websites produced at the booth camp will be available at cspa2011.mysummerworkshop.com. issuu.com might be a good source for printable books. Word Press, Vimiu and Picassa were recommended, but Picassa uses flash which does not work with mobile devises well yet.
Instagram, photogene, half tone, photo stickers were mentioned
Everything can be done in real time with the best duo combination: Ipad and Iphone News from everywhere at anytime!
Snapseed $4.99
PICFX
DROP BOX, simple and Free
In class, I will create the story and then decide how to distribute it, according to the intended audience and adapting the distribution methods to the times!
From the introduction yesterday, we will create a website that is interactive with all current digital forms in real time. We will be working with a word press site that is free. The interest will be in direct relationship with level of creativity, brevity, and inmediancy of the information. Basic Elements: Writing, pictures, videos.
Blog: One sentence...one paragrah...during the event
Web: 3-4 paragraphs...two hours after
Mediacast: one-three minutes...one day after
Follow-up: 3-4 paragraphs...weekly
Newspaper: 250-500 words ...once per issue ( Rolling Stone without music) quaterly and in color
Wrap-up: 350 words, post event, print or web
Yearbook: Tells the story...event end..flash drive, dvd, digital video soon to be added.
Make students personally accountable for what they will generate in class and do not blame the bread, blame the breadmaker if people do not come to your site!
Booth Camp Class
FTP File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server.[1] FTP users may authenticate themselves using a clear-text sign-in protocol but can connect anonymously if the server is configured to allow it.
The first FTP client applications were interactive command-line tools, implementing standard commands and syntax. Graphical user interface clients have since been developed for many of the popular desktop operating systems in use today.
My Conclusion: FTD software... It is a way to share, it is a host I guess for your website. WS.FTP is $29 http://www.ipswitchft.com/Products/Ws_Ftp_Pro/Evaluation.aspx?k_id=bingpro; http://www.ipswitch.com/
Fetch installer is free for mac's http://fetchsoftworks.com/
Cheapwebhost news.com hosted by linux: http://cheapwebhostnews.com/. http://www.linux.com/ 150 G is enough
2 sites org and com 500 e-mails, $6.99 to $89.00
Can have subdomains like mysummerwork.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A HOST IS NEEDED: Word Press.com: Costly, do not use. Word Press.org: Great support. USE IT. 1n1.blue is another. Do not place this host in the district server. Word Press.org is free, has good support and has built in a mobile component
My workshop guardian angel was pedrameh@hotmail.com. Mitchell Franz offered to help with videos: m.a.franz@gmail.com, mitchellfranz.com. My teacher was Jake Palenske http://palenske.net/portfolio/Welcome.html. Jake's task was to empower us to create a website like http://cspa2010.mysummerworkshop.com/?p=1249.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class process: Jake created the FTD for us and helped us input all the database information to create our own. then he taught us how to get fetch. Finally he gave us the directives to create a subdomain in his clay.mysummerworkshop.com.
Breakout sessions information
All websites produced at the booth camp will be available at cspa2011.mysummerworkshop.com. issuu.com might be a good source for printable books. Word Press, Vimiu and Picassa were recommended, but Picassa uses flash which does not work with mobile devises well yet.
Instagram, photogene, half tone, photo stickers were mentioned
Everything can be done in real time with the best duo combination: Ipad and Iphone News from everywhere at anytime!
Snapseed $4.99
PICFX
DROP BOX, simple and Free
Monday, January 3, 2011
World Creativity Forum
Two things I want to remember
1. Mission: Converge, Connect, Collaborate, Create (I love this process)
2. Pink's FEDEX Time and autonomy, mastery and purpose
Other memorable moments: There were many
a. Proud of seeing Native American leadership
b. Admiring and questioning oil leaders
c. Way the lunch was served: Efficient and green
d. School kids from England and headmaster contacting us to continue conversations.
1. Mission: Converge, Connect, Collaborate, Create (I love this process)
2. Pink's FEDEX Time and autonomy, mastery and purpose
Other memorable moments: There were many
a. Proud of seeing Native American leadership
b. Admiring and questioning oil leaders
c. Way the lunch was served: Efficient and green
d. School kids from England and headmaster contacting us to continue conversations.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
A speech to remember
Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
Last month, Erica Goldson graduated as valedictorian of Coxsackie-Athens High School. Instead of using her graduation speech to celebrate the triumph of her victory, the school, and the teachers that made it happen, she channeled her inner Ivan Illich and de-constructed the logic of a valedictorian and the whole educational system.
Erica originally posted her full speech on Sign of the Times, and without need for editing or cutting, here's the speech in its entirety:
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
Last month, Erica Goldson graduated as valedictorian of Coxsackie-Athens High School. Instead of using her graduation speech to celebrate the triumph of her victory, the school, and the teachers that made it happen, she channeled her inner Ivan Illich and de-constructed the logic of a valedictorian and the whole educational system.
Erica originally posted her full speech on Sign of the Times, and without need for editing or cutting, here's the speech in its entirety:
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)