Revolutionary Ideas

This morning you were given some time to think about how you would like to use some of the ideas from this workshop to revolutionize a lesson for next year. In a few sentences, please share a synopsis of a possible lesson and tool you will use to revolutionize that lesson.

**Please comment on this post rather than create a new post.

What equip. should I ask for because we are remodeling our school and I teach gifted so I can give a list to my principal? Thank you

Stowell's Reflection on The Flat Classroom video

I took away many good ideas and action items from The Flat Classroom Project video. The teacher is a coach and doesn’t know everything ahead of time, and that’s all right. Different teaching methods are needed for this type of collaborative learning. The teacher is online and learning right along with the students. And that’s more than all right. The flat classroom uses the power of the group to find solutions in a project based learning environment.

The idea that student collaboration is better when students can’t see their partners in the same room really surprised me. I’m willing to try it, but I never would have guessed it to be the truth. Trying collaboration didn’t sound so difficult when it was described as first, creating connections, then friendships, then working relationships, and finally cementing all these steps with face to face encounters. I agreed with one of the presenters when she said that communication and collaboration are such important skills and that everyone needs to start practicing and learning these skills when young. This is real preparation for everyone’s biggest and most important project – life.

I paid particular attention to the list of obstacles for teachers who want to create a flat classroom (hoping I won’t fall into these traps, if I’m not already in some of them). I was very impressed with what the students had to say about their experiences. One student said that he learned more doing this project in a relatively short time than he had learned in a year of school. These students had their view of what education is radically changed, and, in what I would like to pin hope on, learned not to make stereotypes. Yea! Now, if someone could just help some of us slightly older folks as easily. It could happen!

And, I loved the parting words – words to live by, in my book – “Look for what connects us, not what divides us.” I can start using that idea in my classroom right now.

Deborah Stowell's questions

1. Can more than two parties Skype at the same time?
2. Now that I have a Google account what blogs can I get into?

sheryl - question

Are there examples of assessments/rubrics for web 2.0 activities/projects "out there"? A starting point?

In ESE, quantification and accountability is doubly important, especially in an environment in which FCAT (apples) determines whether intervention for special needs kids (oranges) is effective.

A question how can I use the information I learned today to use with my phonics intervention classes. Last year some of these classed worked on blends such as the r blends (br words, cr words, crow) and the l blends such as fl (flag, flow,) cl blends (class, clever ))

Brenda Baker's Question

Is there a video camera that is also a web cam and does stills? I need something that is reasonably priced and has good quality.

Dave's Question

In The Revolution Goes Worldwide with Rita Oates, did you feel that too much time was spent on the details of the program?

Brenda G.'s Question

Since most of our teaching utilizes "visual learning," would podcasting become a powerful way to utilize the auditory learning for our students?

Karen's Question

When starting e-Pals in your school, is there an easy way to enroll many classrooms of students or even grade levels at one time, instead of having to individually enroll each child?

Valena's Question 06 2009

I have to ask myself "Which resource do I want to begin using right away?"

reflection-carole

Wow! I am a combination of overwhelmed and excited. I am overwhelmed because there was so much good stuff discussed today. I am excited because I am anxious to try the blog with my comprehension classes next year and I want to try epals with the vocabulary portion of the summer school Voyager work.

MJ's Question

I would like to know the steps in order to make this happen in my room.

Lynn's Question

I still have students whose parents do not allow them to use the home computer. How do we go about convincing parents that this is a safe and effective way to learn?

MJ's Relection

A lot of information to process! Hopefully, I will start small next year with my class to build my own confidence.

Kathy James has a Question

Hi,
I teach elementary music. I see every class in the school once a week for 40 minutes. I am somewhat at a loss to know how to proceed bringing this into my classroom. I know you have said - baby steps. So, I should probably start with just one class at one grade level. I would like to connect with a music teacher who has experience going global so that I can learn along with my students. Do you have any ideas on how I should begin finding that person?
Kathy

Laura's Question

My main question would be about security issues with the students using in Internet tools like skype and pod casts etc. Has anyone who has used these tools had a parent Not want their child to participate and if so, what does that child do while the rest of the class is doing the project etc.?

Spoon Question day 1

Do we have the capabilties/equipment to do a video call with Skype and what is Mike, from England's, contact information?

Jennifer's Question

I am totally on board with all of this new material that I have learned today. My main question lies with the parents' concerns about some of these projects. What kind of disclaimer or protection do we need in order to utilize some of these sites? In my school, there are plenty of parents concerned that they don't even want their child photographed for the yearbook. What do you suggest we do with those children?

JP's Question

I did not understand the very last segment, "Flat Classroom". What is the value of that and how would that be used in the classroom?

Jeannette's Question

When you are beginning to set up blogging with your students is there some sort of format or questions (hints) to get student to post relavent posts rather than midless thinking?

Maria's Question

What are some Web 2.o tools for primary grade students?

Mandy's Question

How can the Flat Classroom Project be applicable to elementary age students? It seems that a lot of the material is geared towards high school age students. I'm a little confused about the Flat Classroom Project!

Julanne's Reflection

I was very interested to come to this class because I am looking for some new ideas and new ways to engage students. I think that I have a few new tools after listening to the information presented today. I am most interested in using blogs to engage the students. I teach reading at the middle school level, and my students are often disinterested in the material (and school in general!) that we have to use. Maybe if I incorporate a few of these ideas I can "reel them in"!

Brenda Baker's reflection

Wow! Learned alot this day. I've been trying to think of ways I can use this in my classroom. I'm excited about possibly using Skype to talk to a professional artist. I've used snail mail to exchange artwork with another country but there was no exchange of information. I think it would be great to blog with them also.

Jeannette's Reflection

I need to rethink how my students communicate. Think more globally than I have in the past. My thinking about collaborating was always face to face. I am so excited and want to go out in the world. I thought I was in the for front in technology and saw today that there still is so much more to engage my students. I have some new frontiers to work towards and I am excited.

JP's reflection

I was impressed by the "Global" implication of today's training. I see the value of starting by selecting a small project and forming a collaborative partnership, and then expand your own later on. This is such a neat way to engage students in writing and also expanding cultural knowledge.

I cannot wait start using SKYPE

Mandy's Reflection

I am excited to begin collaborating with other countries. I feel this will be a great way to ensure the love of writing for my upcoming fourth graders. I'm interested to see if our new ETF could order webcams for the computers so that we can see eachother visually and do a live chat.

Dave's Reflection

My reflection of today centers around Mike Kinnaird. I found it interesting that in the educational community that we have students with similar experiences and attitudes. I enjoyed seeing Mike's facial expressions as he shared his program. This gave me some authenticity to the fact that he truly believes in what he is doing in the educational world.

Maria's Reflection

Excellent Day! In just a few hours I have a better understanding of some simple tools that can easily be integrated into instruction on a daily basis. The ideas shared are both meaningful and motivating. I am excited to explore the revolution tomorrow.

Lynn's Reflections

I'm very excited, though somewhat overwhelmed. I can't wait to start a blog for Schooled, a 6-8 Sunshine State book by Gordon Korman. I also plan on using Wordle the first week of school to create a "cloud" about what our classroom will look like and sound like. "Bubbl" is also a great mapping tool that I'll experiment with this summer and brainstorm ways to use in my classroom.

As for some of the other ideas, I will likely wait until school starts and collaborate with my team to come up with an idea for an ePals project. I feel smarter knowing new terms and the latest ways technology is being used in classrooms across the world.

Jennifer's reflection

I've learned some great new resources for the classroom today. What a great way to bridge education and cultural gaps. The array of learning tools that can be used in the classroom is truly enormous. I cannot wait to hear what new things I can use tomorrow. Great presentation! I am sooooooooooo glad I signed up!!!!!!!!!

John L's Reflection

Today's lesson was challenging from when I first sat down to when I left. It seems to me that all the classes I have been taking are a continuation of one another and all the pieces are falling into place. The next class I will be taking is Digital Storytelling and I feel like I have been preparing all this time for that class. The instructors are great and some I have met before which is a plus.
The first two clips and interview with Mike set the pace for the course.
Question? My question is can I get a grant from Seminole County or do a wish list as my school is being remodeled at Spring Lake Elem School. I would like to give a list to my principal. Thank you.

Laura's reflection

This training has been great! I have learned a lot that I can actually use in the class! Very refreshing change! I am looking forward to learning more about the ePals program as well as blogging and how I can use it in the classroom. This class has made me feel a lot more comfortable about bringing my teaching up to date with technology - not so scary whenthere are simple things we can use like bubbl and wordle.

Valena's Reflection - Seen and Heard

I enjoyed Sean's presentations of using blogs and wikis for getting students interested in reading. Having a place where they can share their thoughts and answer higher level questions is an invaluable too. Great videos!

The webinar with Rita Oates using ePals was a resource that contained a plethora of information. A teacher could spend a year on that alone! I think teachers will love those projects.

The websites using bubbl and wordle will be tools that teachers can use now. As an ed tech leader I want to share that in early beginning of the year with teachers.

I liked the ISTE presentation of thr avatar meeting much better than just listening to a podcast--visuals with audio always calls for more retention.

Deborah Stowell's Reflection

I thought that the Skype session was fantastic. I could envision using this in my Architecture class to interact with a local architect who has worked with my class in the past. It would save some of his valuable time (he wouldn't have to travel); we might be able to work together more often; and my students would have to be better prepared before we actually sat down to Skype.

I loved the wordle web site. This might be an interesting way to make a new kind of word wall. I think my students will really love this.

I was very impressed with Wimba. I can imagine using this tool in my students' toy design project so that they might interact with real grownup toy design engineers.

I don't have any ideas yet for collaborating with other classrooms. I'm working on it.

Spoon Reflection Day 1

I used and learned about many useful tools like Wimba and Wordle. I enjoyed talking to Mike from England. He had a lot of great insights into how to reach middle to low students and how to foster creativity. Mike has a great philosophy on teaching, learning and making mistakes! Blogs, Wiki, Google accounts are all very familiar to me...thanks Diane for developing these workshops from last Summer. I look foward to working with Epals next school year and having students communicating with other students their age around the Globe! This was a great day and the time just flew. Now I am going home to research Epals in more depth!

Kathy James' reflection

Hi,
This was a very informative day. I enjoyed the skype presentation and the Rita Oates ePals walk through. Sean Capelle was a great addition to the day so that we could see that this is happening right here in Seminole County.
The WRDL was something new as was bubbl.com for brainstorming. Both of those have real potential for my classroom.
Thanks for making the 197th day of school so informative.
Kathy

Brenda G.'s Reflection

My reflection of today is we must be planning our teaching in the 21st century! We need to go beyond the four walls of the classroom and reach out to our global communities. As a teacher our lessons should deal with "real world problems and solutions." Our students become engaged when our teaching involves information sharing and collaboration. There is so much value in communicating with other students whether within the classroom or outside the classroom in different countries.

Karen's Reflection

My first impression of today is the expertise and willingness of the SCPS staff to share their phenomenal knowledge base with new learners in the global community. They have taken away our fears and opened the door of possibilities - empowering us with a whole new way to teach our students. It is exciting! I am so impressed with the examples shared today! Of course, my favorite part of the day was seeing Sean's extrordinary success in our classrooms. He inspires us all. I feel very fortunate to be a participant in this workshop - and look so forward to using these tools next year with our students. Thanks, to all of you!

sheryl's brain tsunami (aka reflection)

I am awash, flooded with the possibilities, but despairing of survival. My spirit is willing, but my students (self-contained gr. K - 3 severely language-/learning-impaired) are weak. So my dread thought is: I wanna do all this cool stuff, but can I?

My mind floated fairly quickly to the possibility of teaming with a gen.ed. teacher to collaborate. We could connect with them as well as with the "greater community," using them as a facilitation vehicle when the communication/processing breaks down.

Creating a hive mind kind of thing...kinda. Sort of where a few of my students will be when they move into the real world, finding ways to work with others to achieve personal goals. Those others who become able to achieve independently will also have the experience of working with others beyond their traditional resource group, preparing them for the world of work.

I'm ready. But as always, I haveta "translate" what's happening with normally-developing kids into the adaptations needed to make it happen for my group. Where there's a will....