A post from Jan. 9th was called “It’s Not About the Tools. It’s About the Skills” where she reminds us how technology tools are only to assist in the learning and should not distract from it. This is a lesson that my colleague/blogger@ http://edulicious.com/reminds me often. She describes still having to explain to parents and ESPECIALLY administrators, that all the skills school is responsible/accountable to teach, can be done using technology. The kids get it!!! They are Prosumers. If we don’t give them opportunities to produce using technology at school, they will do it at home…where they control their learning. I recognize her struggle, because the closer I work with administrators the more I realize, they don’t get it.

Langwitches shared awesome visuals that promote all the skills used when using technology. These visuals/posters could help teachers, parents and decision makers realize that technology is not something ‘extra’, but what is need can be used to engage students while they learn/practice a variety of skills. I also love the fact that she created them and sharing them for free…Thanks.

Click on the images to link to larger/printable versions.

Glogster EDU is your original educational resource for innovative and interactive learning. Glogster EDU was conceived to imaginatively, productively, and collaboratively respond to the dynamic educational landscape and exceed the needs of today’s educators and learners. We value the participation of educators and strive to assimilate their contributions to Glogster EDU, Glogster EDU is yours! Educators from all over the world are integrating Glogster EDU’s resourceful platform to make traditional learning more dynamic, more interactive and more in tune with learners today. Most importantly Glogster EDU is FUN for teachers and learners alike!

While I explored the possibility of using this with a few of my classes, I create my own Glog. I had stumbled upon a great resource Discovery Education about Web 2.o. What made this site great? Video! I wanted to compile all these videos into one place, while using a Web 2.0 application that might peek some interest and inspire others to use it.

Also check out the Glogster Educator Resource booklet.

Check out my Glog on Web 2.0 and think about how you could use GlogsterEDU in your classroom. Share your ideas in the comments section.

Click here to see a larger version.

Resource Links
Teacher Tube
FCCPS’ TheVault
Discover Streaming

Videos Shared
Where the Heck is Matt?
Sudan 365

Want More:
Brain Rules

Tutorials:
TheVault

Embedding Video

Discovery Streaming: How to download video
Discovery Steaming: Basic Search
Discovery Streaming: Advanced Search

When planning a presentation I always spend time searching for similar presentations. My favorite place to search is Slideshare. On this site I find inspiration, information I can include in my presentations and slides I can use under following the creative commons guidelines.

I huge part of any effective presentation is the design. I have created many powerpoints that I would be embarrassed to admit were mine. In my search for great presentations I came across Ethos3 a presentation design company. Friend and fellow educator (Bochi23) also informed me that Ethos3 also has an iTouch/iPhone App (Click to launch iTunes Store). Here is a awesome presentation from Ethos3.

Talks Clay Shirky: How social media can make history
Talks Jacek Utko designs to save newspapers
Talks Evan Williams on listening to Twitter users
Gordon Brown: Wiring a web for global good

and I have used several working with graduate students @Marymount U.

I have always used TED for my own professional development, but I wonder if I could share it with my collegueges at school? Then I saw a recent Twitter from @TED_TALKS

TED_TALKS Free Technology for Teachers: 10 TED Talks for Teachers to Watch Before 2010 http://bit.ly/7xMwA6

These videos complied by EdTEch educators @http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/12/10-ted-talks-for-teachers-to-watch.html & @http://www.bachelorsdegreeonline.com/blog/2009/25-incredible-ted-talks-for-educators/ & http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pjGlYH-8AK8ffDa6o2bYlXg helped me realize the potential of sharing TED videos with teachers. Professional Development time is very precious to a teacher. It is time away from thinking directly about their instruction and all their responsibilities. So whatever professional development that is offered must be relevant to their needs and be worth the time. So, how would TED fit?

Using TED with teachers can look several different ways. One idea was presented @LTS Blogs http://ltsblogs.org.uk/connected/2008/08/09/lts-inspiration-sessions-run-your-own/. Any other ideas out there? How to do you use TED at school to start conversations?

Recently a third grade teacher (Amanda Morey) shared how she used the Flip Video to capture the product of culminating project for Economics. She also shared them on the LMS ANGEL for the class to watch again and again.

FLIP Video Resources:

What a way to end my first NECC Experience with a great BYOL on Digital Citizenship. Although the technology leaders have discussed Internet Safety and Technology Literacy this year…Digital Citizenship was not really part of the discussion….it will be and now I can chime in with something intelligent (doesn’t happen very much for me…but I love meetings!) because I was presented with resource after resource from three presenter that knew their stuff.

This session featured more “Backchanneling” with a resource called – http://www.chatzy.com/. I loved it, but did I hear what the presenters were saying…somewhat…no, not really! Although this could be a helpful tool in the classroom…maybe! I was impressed how the presenters would answer questions,  via Chatzy. While the other presenters were presenting. It was also cool to have everyone in the room have the ability to share links of what they are doing with Internet Safety & Digital Citizenship at their schools.

I did walk away with a lot of stuff I plan on using as a teacher and plan to share with others who see the importance of preparing our kids (no matter how young or how much social studies they need to learn) to members of a global online society.

BTW-I also Twittered all the links that were shared and freaked out a few of my twitter followers…I twittered more in that hour then usually twitter in a month.

1-      Diigo (http://www.diigo.com/) – Delicious who?!?! This social bookmarking resource rules. You can create groups and share out your llinks…Please join my EdTEch Group @http://groups.diigo.com/groups/fccps_ed_tech

2-      Woogi World (http://www.woogiworld.com/) – Like Club Penguin (Social Network for kids) without the Disney vibe. Still need e-mail accounts register (so a site to promote with fams).

3-      SecretBuilders (http://www.secretbuilders.com/) – Second Life/Worlds of Warcraft  for kids – Soon will have a education version where accounts can be created.

4-      Dizzywood (http://www.dizzywood.com/) – Virtual world for teens…free to start by then they get with monthly fees to get the cool stuff

5-      Adina’s Deck (http://www.adinasdeck.com/) – Great DVDs for middle and high

6-      Digiteen Project (http://digiteen09-2.flatclassroomproject.org/) – Awesome resource for middle schools working in a global collaboration. Lists the 9 Digital Elements of Citizenship

a.       Access

b.      Communication

c.       Literacy

d.      Security & Safety

e.      Etiquette

f.        Rights & Responsibilities

g.       Law

h.      Health & Wellness

i.         Commerce

7-      DigiParent (http://digiparent.ning.com/) – A great way to promote social networking with parents…making them join and social network.

8-      http://sites.google.com/site/vcisresources/Home/resources-for-students/ru-cybersafe – A great poster for the lab and classroom-I hear that Sparrgrove has a great poster printer!

9-      Teacher Wiki – http://southozsue.wikispaces.com/Digital+Citizenship – great stuff

10-   Teacher (from Illinois) Wiki – http://mrsa.wikispaces.com/Internet%20Safety%20Curriculum%20Resources – VA required Internet Safety to be taught in all schools in 2006…Illinois in 2009

11-   Teacher Wiki – http://ad4dcss.wikispaces.com/ -

12-   Okay…Okay, who is going to weed through this stuff for the good stuff?!

I love sessions that make you think and give you work to do…highlighting these resources with the right teachers at the right time is now the challenge.

Exciting time…are our students ready for this type of news…YEP! So we need to be!

As you might have noticed, I am a bit of a Scott McLeod fanboy…totally awesome that he posted on my earlier blog post.  I find his blog and twitter to be very helpful as a future administrator and current edTech leader. In my opinion one the biggest challenge edTech leaders have is effectively communicating the need for change to District and School Administrators. Resources like Dr. McLeod help that conversation.

Dr. McLeod’s presentation (many key points are taking from the book Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns by Clayton Christensen) details that ‘Personalized Learning’ is K-12 Education’s disruptive innovation (As compared to another example of a disruptive innovation – Cell Phones to Land Line Phones). What are we doing now that allows students of FCCPS to personalize their learning to meet learning goals? Do we give them the freedom to explore/extend assignments? What tools and resources do we make available to them at school and promote for home use? McLeod and Christensen suggests starting with underserved students groups to pilot digital technologies that foster personalized learning (disruptive innovation)…do you know any?

Check out the presentation (although the one @NECC on Monday involved more discussion) for more information.

Wow…Looking forward to my first NECC. I am looking forward to meeting the bloggers I follow on Twitter and their blogs.

Scott McLeod (Twitter – mcleod )@ http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/

Lecture -  Effective Leadership in an Era of Disruptive Innovation

Vicki Davis (Twitter – coolcatteacher) @ http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

BYOL – Digital Citizenship: Tools, Resources, and Best Practices

John Hendron @ http://www.johnhendron.net/digest/

BYOL – Best Practices for Teacher Blogging

Susan Jinks (Twitter – sejinks)

Poster – Moving Mainstream Technologies into the Classroom

Just to name a few sessions I look forward to.