Classroom in the Cloud

Building a Classroom Library

2011-11-20T14:52:00.003-05:00

This morning, Sarah Chattin posted an interesting survey on the English Companion Ning - she was interested in building a classroom library. I take great pride in the stacked bookshelves tucked in the corner of my classroom, so I decided to participate in the survey. Since the survey is a bit lengthy and I tend to ramble anyway, I decided to post my responses here rather than on the Ning reply thread.

Classroom Library Survey

What grades do you teach?
I teach 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts in a semi-rural district located near Niagara Falls, New York.

Do you have a classroom library?
My classroom library consists of about 150 books located on a bookshelf in the corner of my room. In addition, my school has multiple “book stops” located in the hallways. Students use an honor system to borrow these books.

How did you collect your books? And how do you get new ones? (Garage sales, gifts, bookstores, grants, school money, book fairs, etc.)
Up until a few years ago, I was fortunate to have a Scholastic Books warehouse located only minutes from my home. Several times a year, they would open it up to the public and liquidate inventory. In this way, I was able to purchase multiple copies of new titles for as low as 50 cents a book! Sadly, the warehouse was moved to another area, so I no longer have this as an option. Instead, I have been using online services like BookMooch to replenish and reinvigorate my class library (I wrote more about this in a previous blog post).

Do you make a point to continue adding to your classroom library?
Yes. I keep an eye on the popular book titles within my library and try to rotate out those that don't get much use. I also follow groups on Ning and Twitter to keep up-to-date with current young adult bestsellers.

What sorts of resources do you have in your library? Books (fiction, non fiction, graphic novels, etc), newspaper articles, magazines, music, movies, etc?
My library is entirely made up of books, simply because the funds are not available for subscriptions and other media. These books are primarily novels, non-fiction, and historical fiction. I try to have a selection for all my students – reading levels in my library range between 5th and 10th grade.

What materials do you wish you had?
I am currently pursuing a grant through Barnes and Noble for a class set of Nook E-Readers. I'd like to use these for independent reading as well as for books that we typically read as a full class. Not only are e-books cheaper, but they never become damaged or warn.

What books do you think should be in every classroom library?
I feel that a classroom library should establish and encourage reading enjoyment. Therefore, book topics should be diverse, of high-interest, and as current as possible.

Do you have suggestions for how a new teacher can build a library?
Keep an eye out for public library book sales. While these books usually aren't on the bestseller's list, they'll give you a foundation of materials from which to build on. For teachers looking for funding to purchase books, I would suggest Donors Choose. Many teacher have great success is securing funds for books through this site.

How do you use your classroom library?
My library is used for independent reading as well as for our school sustained silent reading (SSR) program. More info regarding SSR in this previous blog post.

Do you have a system for students to check out books or can they borrow them at will?
Students usually make a verbal request for a book. More of my books get ruined from overuse and wear-and-tear than they do from vandalism or theft, so I don't bother with a formal means of signing them out. As far as I'm concerned, students reading my books too much is a good problem to have!

What are the most popular books?
My students currently seem to be interested in trilogy or series books. The Hunger Games and Chaos Walking seem to be favorites right now.

Do you keep potentially controversial books in your library? Why or why not?
I do have books on more mature topics available to students, but I keep them tucked away in a drawer. I offer them to students who I know are responsible enough to read and enjoy them. These include copies of some of the more classic works – Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, Animal Farm, 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.

Do you require parental permission for students to borrow certain books?
No, I do not. I have never had a problem with a parent showing concern over what their child was reading. I try to read every book that I make available to my students. This way, if a student either misunderstands or misconstrues something, I can have a well-informed conversation with him/her about the book.

What do students think about your classroom library?
Middle school students by nature will never tell you that they enjoy anything that's even remotely academic. While my students certainly don't praise my shelves of books, they recognize that they are a resource for them when they are looking for a good read.

What do you wish this survey had asked, and how would you answer?
I would be interested to know more about teachers' recreational reading habits. So often we forget that we are role models and our students will emulate our behavior. I try to make it a point to have my student see me reading for fun, or at the very least share with them what I am reading at home. I think this helps make reading feel less like a chore for them.

Anti-Bullying Campaign

2011-11-19T09:22:00.006-05:00

In September, the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer brought the serious issue of school bullying to the national spotlight. Not only did his name and story become associated with the popular NoH8 movement, but it even inspired Lady Gaga to dedicate a song to Jamey, who was a self-proclaimed "Gaga Monster." These events hit my school especially hard since we are located only a few miles from Jamey's hometown.

To help combat bullying, yesterday was proclaimed Anti-Bullying Day in our school. Students wore blue clothing to support the victims of bullying, and hundreds of kids signed an anti-bullying pledge inspired by Dr. Phil. To help spread our passionate message against bullying, some of my students worked together to create anti-bullying public service announcements. In the first 24 hours, they have received hundreds of hits on Youtube, and were even featured on the local evening news.

Please take a moment to view the results of their hard work, and if bullying is something your school finds to be an important issue, feel free to share the links. Our goal is to promote the message that bullying cannot be tolerated. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

How to Make a Pop Screen For Podcasting

2011-11-07T21:41:00.007-05:00

For the past six months, I have been co-hosting a weekly podcast called The Tightwad Teacher. In addition to getting the opportunity to speak with all kinds of cool folks from around the globe, the experience has given me a chance to reflect on my own speaking skills. After each show is published, I listen back and grimace over every "um," "ah," and other lapses in good diction.

I also focus on the audio quality of the recording. Much of this is out of my hands as the sound is only as good as that particular Skype connection, but I recently became aware of the dreaded popping P and hissing S sounds that seem to plague some recordings. Keeping with the tightwad ethos of the podcast as well as some of my recent posts (like this one and this one), I decided to see if I can make a pop screen to remedy this recording problem.

Below is my easy tutorial for making a pop screen with junk you may have laying around your house.

Materials:

Plastic coffee can (I used Folgers, but any will do)
1 Pair of women's nylon stockings (I bought a pair at the Dollar Store, but an old ripped pair will work just as well)
A few rubber bands
1 magnetic clip
1 stand (I used an extra microphone stand, but you can get creative and use whatever you have that can serve as a base)

Step 1: Using a knife or sharp pair of sheers, cut the lip off the plastic coffee can. This will serve as the frame for the pop screen.

Step 2: Cut both legs off of the stockings. Slide the coffee can frame into the stockings and then twist both ends to make the nylon taught over the frame. Rubber band each end and then trim any remaining nylon.

Step 3: Attach the magnetic clip to your newly assembled pop screen. My base was metal, so the magnet held it firmly in place without much need for adjustment.

Alternative construction: If you do not have a magnetic clip or microphone stand handy, you can easily fasten the pop screen to a box using a few safety pins pushed through the nylon and into the cardboard. It won't look as pretty as mine, but it'll do the trick!

Once your pop screen is fully assembled, simply place it between you and your microphone. I've tested mine out, and there is a noticeable reduction in pops and hisses - I can't wait to try it out during my next podcast interview!

Making Connections with Blogging

2011-10-25T21:44:00.006-04:00

Something strange has been going on around here lately. I noticed the other night that blog subscriptions through Feedburner have risen nearly 30% since the beginning of September, and the number of folks following the site has also been increasing in small increments. About a week ago, @timholt2007 posted a video he created that was inspired by one of my previous blog posts. Tonight, I was even greeted by four new comments to various blog posts when I logged in to the Blogger dashboard.

It's hard for me to describe how humbling it is when someone tells me that what I'm doing in my classroom and then sharing via my blog or Twitter feed has value to them. It's quite motivating, actually.

This is what blogging is all about - making connections, finding (and sharing) resources, and developing collegiality that extends far beyond the physical boundaries of geographical location. There is so much value in reading and writing blogs - it's a shame that more teachers don't take advantage.

Below is the video post created by Tim Holt. Watch it, enjoy it, then feel free to take a look around his blog too. And to everyone who wilfully listens to my ideas and tolerates my ramblings - thank you.

The Best School Fundraiser

2011-10-21T21:06:00.004-04:00

Back in August, I had the pleasure to interview CEO and co-founder of Storybird.com, Mark Ury, on my podcast, The Tightwad Teacher. Storybird is a great site that fosters creative student writing, and I have enjoyed great success when using it in class (click here for my tutorial on the site... click here or here to see some student work). During the conversation, Mr. Ury mentioned that the site had recently opened up a fundraising option. I was intrigued and decided almost immediately that I would make a Storybird fundraiser a priority going in to the 2011-12 school year.

Fundraising with Storybird is simple. First, students create their books. Next, the teacher sets a start and end date for a fundraiser. Finally, when the fundraiser expires, proceeds are automatically transferred to the teacher's PayPal account and books are sent to the school for distribution. It really is that simple.

Students have the option to purchase soft or hard cover copies of their work and the cost ranges from $14 - $30 depending on the length of the book. For each order placed, the classroom receives $5. Compared to the thin margins of profit that come from traditional school fundraisers, this is a great deal. What's even more important is that students are selling something that is meaningful to them and also meaningful to the family members who are purchasing copies. It helps generate funds for the classroom and it gives students the opportunity to feel the thrill of seeing their names printed on a professionally published book.

Earlier this week, my students' books arrived. Simply put, they are proud as hell of their work. With the Storybird fundraiser, we were able to raise $180. We'll be using this money to help fund a lending project from a third world country - more about that here.

My Split Personality

2011-10-15T21:52:00.004-04:00

I'm currently enrolled in an online class in the Educational Leadership program at Niagara University. A few weeks ago, my professor assigned a "personal portfolio" project. It was essentially a getting-to-know-you activity with a 21st century digital twist. The only requirements were that the project share some personal and professional details with the class, and it did so in a way that was creative and entertaining.

Many of my classmates turned to presentation sites like Glogster, Prezi, and Sliderocket. A few went the more traditional (and boring) route and created PowerPoint presentations. I decided to be a bit ambitious. One evening after the kids were tucked in for the night, I cleared some boxes off an old couch in the basement and made a video portfolio.

I wanted to share my professional goals as well as my personal interests in a way that was memorable. For an hour spent in the basement and another hour tinkering on the computer, I'm happy with the result, so I thought I'd share it on here.

Enjoy!

Safe and Private Texting Between Students and Teachers

2011-10-13T21:49:00.005-04:00

Normally before dedicating an entire blog post to a single web tool, I spend some time playing around with it in my classroom to see how my students will respond. But earlier today a colleague forwarded me a link to a brand new service that is just so cool I couldn't wait to share it with the world.

ClassParrot.com describes itself as a safe and hassle-free way for teachers and students to communicate via text message. Conversations are managed through the ClassParrot teacher interface, but all student cell numbers are hidden, thus protecting their privacy and the liability of the teacher. Cellphone use in school is a hotly debated topic (of which I've weighed in on either side both here and here), so some may question why ClassParrot is even needed in the first place. After all, can't teachers use social networking sites like Ning and Edmodo, classroom blogs, or even traditional email correspondence to keep students informed? Technically yes. But ClassParrot leads off its FAQ page with a pretty powerful statistic – Open rate for email is 22%; open rate for text messages is 98%. A similar caveat is true about blogs and social spaces – they're only effective when students decide to visit them.

Pros of ClassParrot

Students can be instantly notified of upcoming assignments, dates, events, etc. in a way that is natural to them but also safe and private. Teachers even have the option to schedule texts to be sent out automatically.
All correspondence between the teacher and students in logged on site. This electronic paper trail is a nice CYA feature for teachers concerned about contact with students beyond the classroom walls.
ClassParrot also include a polling feature. Technically, the service could be used as a long distance student response system in reverse.

Cons of ClassParrot

If a student does not have a cell phone or a plan that allows text messaging, you're kind of out of luck. There is no way for a student to retrieve messages via the website. This may be an equity issue depending on the number of students without access and how the service is used by the teacher.
Students have the ability to reply back to messages. If this was an option that could be toggled more teachers might be willing to give ClassParrot a try.
The free account of ClassParrot only comes with 500 texts. This may seem like a lot on first glance, but every recipient counts as a credit; if you have a group of 100 students you can only text five messages before the free trial runs out. Plus, each returning student message counts against the 500 total as well. With that said, the plan with unlimited messages is only 9 bucks a month.

How to Make an iPad Stylus for Under a Dollar

2011-10-06T17:43:00.007-04:00

I recently discovered the joys of making Flipped Classroom-styled videos using my iPad and the free whiteboard narration tool called Show Me. When the iPad is connected to a projector (as I described in this earlier post), I find Show Me to be a great way to simultaneously provide notes to my class while also creating video review materials that can then be posted on the class website or blog.

There's just one problem - I quickly learned that producing legible handwriting with the end of my index finger is much trickier than expected. I did a quick search online and found that iPad styluses averaged about 20 dollars. Rather than blow the cash, I decided to make my own.

What you'll need:

A pen, highlighter, or marker (I used a highlighter that had recently dried up)
A sponge
A piece of wire (about 6 inches should suffice)

How To:

1. Disassemble the writing utensil. You can throw out the insides - you only need the casing.

2. Cut a strip of sponge off the pad (if your sponge was like mine, make sure to remove the green scrubby surface first!).

3. Expose some of the bare wire and twist it around the sponge.

4. Guide the wire through the end of the casing and then gently twist the sponge up and into the shaft. If it's not snug, cut a larger strip of sponge and try it again. Make sure you leave a bit of sponge protruding from the end of the casing for use as a contact point with the iPad!

5. Remove the coating from the remaining bit of wire and wrap it around the exterior of the casing. Your fingers must be in contact with this as you write for the iPad surface to respond to the sponge tip.

For some reason step five proved to be unnecessary for my stylus to function properly. Either because the iPad was so sensitive or because the plastic casing somehow served as an adequate conductor, I didn't need the wire, so I removed it. Here is my finished gadget. Pretty cool, huh?

The Power and Speed of Social Media

2011-10-05T20:39:00.005-04:00

About an hour ago, Twitter erupted with condolences for Apple's late innovator, Steve Jobs. The speed at which the sad announcement travelled amazed me. In addition to Twitter, it was (and still is as I'm writing this) in nearly every post on Facebook and Google+ too, not to mention a random chat message from a friend on Skype. It made me wonder how quick information travels on the web - so I conducted a quick experiment.

First, I went to Wikipedia. Educators frequently discourage students from using the social encyclodpedia, citing its alleged poor or inaccurate information. Yet, someone had already edited Mr. Jobs' entry to reflect the very recent passing. Below is the screen shot.

Next, I went to the Associated Press homepage. In the news world, I would consider this to be the undisputed key source for print and media journalists. I quickly found the Apple press release announcement confirming Jobs' passing. Below is the screen shot.

Take a close look at the two images. Notice something interesting? The AP release was issued at 7:50pm. The Wikipedia entry was visited at 7:52pm. That means - at most - it took just two minutes for contributors to update the entry.

I just glanced at the clock. I still have two hours before my local news station airs its first story about Steve Jobs.

How's that for the power of social media?

5 Awesome Things You Can Do With an IPad and an LCD Projector

2011-10-04T21:07:00.006-04:00

I've always wanted a document camera in my classroom, so yesterday I made my own - using my iPad. Here's a quick rundown of how to do this:

Purchase a VGA Adapter Cable. You can pick one up online for around 20 bucks.
Create your iPad stand. For mine, I borrowed a ring stand from the science department and clamped it to a clipboard. It was sturdy and could safely accommodate the weight of my iPad.
Use a VGA cable to connect the adapter to the projector. You now have a fully functioning document camera!

Why might someone want to do this, you ask? I've only been experimenting with mine for two days, and I've already stumbled on five mind-blowing uses.

1. Use it as a document camera
Once the iPad is connected to the projector and "mounted" onto the ring stand, the most basic use of this set up is as a document camera. Simply open the camera app and you're ready to go. As an English teacher, this is a natural fit in my classroom. Today, for example, while students worked on rough drafts essays on examples of irony in O. Henry's The Ransom of Red Chief, I circulated the room and occasionally scooped up a paper and slid it under the iPad. It projected nicely onto the screen and I was then able to use these student papers to give suggestions as well as to have the group peer edit. It was far more efficient that having students line up at my desk to individually edit with me.

2. Record demonstrations
Switch the camera app to video mode, hit record, and you now have a work area capable of recording demonstrations and voice narration. This is an effortless way for teachers to kill two birds with one stone- while providing instruction in class, they are simultaneously creating a video "study guide" that can be posted on the class website or blog for students to review.

3. Real-time Kahn Academy
If you're not familiar with the wildly popular Khan Academy videos, click here to see what you've been missing. If you're already aware of the instructional potential behind the Flipped Classroom concept, then give it a try using your iPad. Similar to recording demonstrations, apps like Show Me and ScreenChomp allow the user to create a video that captures finger strokes as well as voice narration. Again, these videos can be recorded live in class and then used later as asynchronous review for students.

4. Hands-on mind mapping
I've always considered mind mapping to be a natural fit for tablet devices because brainstorming tends to work best when ideas can be easily manipulated, moved, and reorganized. Apps like Popplet and MindMash are great for doing just that, and the addition of a projector makes it possible for mind mapping on the iPad to become a group process rather than an individual or small group task.

5. Annotating Student Work
Let's take a closer look at using the iPad as a document camera. In addition to simply viewing student work, the iPad can also very easily snap pictures. From there, teachers can quickly load that image into an app like Doodle Buddy or Show Me to create an environment where the work can be easily annotated, highlighted, or otherwise marked up by either the teacher or other participating students.

I'm sure I'm missing all kind of fantastic ideas. What are your thoughts?

Respect

2011-09-12T22:04:00.002-04:00

"Respect seems to be like a boomerang in the sense that you must send it out before it will come back to you."
-Author Unknown

We have a young man on our team this year who has had a less than ideal middle school experience. He's a good kid, but his impulsive nature and short attention span often gets him into trouble (sounds like most middle school boys, right?), and he has also been on the receiving end of bullying more times than most. I have helped him out of a few tough spots during the past year and I'd like to think we have a pretty good teacher-student relationship because of it. He's well-behaved in my classroom and he works hard. In return, I keep an eye on him.

I keep an eye out for all my students. My team has always worked hard to build a strong community among our students, and it shows. We rarely have cliques form and every student can – at the very least – tolerate working productively with anyone else on the team. Discipline issues are also a rarity in our classrooms. I always tell students that we look out for each other, and I mean it.

Recently, my school hired a new music teacher who also happens to be a friend of mine. On the first day of school, I dropped by her room to take a peak at her roster and I noticed she started the day with this boy in her class. Knowing his track record in off-team classes, I decided to beat him to the punch and talk to him before trouble brewed. I started the conversation by reminding him about how I always say I look out for my team. I then explained that I also look out for my friends and this teacher happens to be a friend of mine.

I didn't have to say anything else – he understood that I'd be all over him if he caused trouble. And you know what? He has been excellent so far.

Does this boy suddenly love music class? Doubt it. Has he learned to control his impulsive nature? Unlikely. Instead, his good behavior is a testament to his respect for me and his understanding of my expectations.

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A Quick Note: If this post seemed like it was just me patting myself on the back, you're not far off. I recently joined Steve Hargadon's Teacher 2.0 experience on MightyBell and the first “experience” called for me to write about one thing I'm good at. For some reason, the situation with this student immediately popped into my head. If you would like to learn more about Hargadon's social assignments or perhaps want to join me, you can learn more about it here.

10 Ways to Makes This the Best School Year Yet

2011-09-06T21:36:00.006-04:00

The first week of school is always my favorite. I'm still motivated enough to iron clothes the night before, my wife is still making me courtesy bag lunches, and my students are still trying to impress me with a good first impression. Come June, my clothes will likely be wrinkled and lunch will consist of a banana and a can of Diet Pepsi, but that doesn't mean this year won't be a success. Here are my 10 suggestions for making this the best school year yet.

1. Start a Blog
I've mentioned in previous blog posts the advantages of keeping a blog and I think this is a great way to make this school year stand out from previous years. Not only does a blog provide valuable communication that narrows the gap between school and home, it also serves as an archive for all that you do.

2. Take on a New Responsibility
This year I am serving as my department chairperson. It's a big responsibility, but it has motivated me to look at my building from a different perspective and ask myself how I can best make a difference. It's easy to stagnate in the safety of your own classroom and taking on a new responsibility forces you to engage and act outside of your comfort zone.

3. Collaborate with a Colleague
Two heads are better than one. It's an old adage, but it's true. Find a colleague that you haven't worked with before and create a co-curricular project.

4. Become a Mentor
Being the new teacher in the building is no fun. Use your experience to help that person hone his/her skills as an educator. You'll probably make a new friend in the process... Maybe even someone that you can work on a project with at some point (see number 3).

5. Change and Old Unit or Create a New Unit
Everyone has safe, go-to units. Dare yourself to throw one out and try something new. Even if it's a miserable failure you'll still learn a lot from the experience and this will improve your teaching.

6. Join Twitter and Develop Your PLN
Some of my best ideas have been inspired by the folks that I follow on Twitter. Create an account and follow other educators (maybe these 57 to start). You'll be surprised by how valuable 140 characters can be.

7. Volunteer
Connect with your students at a different level by volunteering to chaperone a dance or field trip, or by becoming an adviser for a club. Seeing kids in these different contexts will help you to gain a greater perspective of your students' strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs.

8. Make Reading a Priority
Practice what you preach. Make it a point to find 15 minutes each day for recreational reading. Maybe choose adolescent fiction books that you can then recommend to your students, or find education-orientated "trade" magazines to inspire new ideas and teaching techniques.

9. Attend a Workshop or Conference
Take the initiative to find a workshop or conference that you actually want to attend rather than one that is required for you to attend. This is yet another way to foster new and innovative ideas.

10. Find Better Ways to Connect with Parents
Bottom line: if parents are on your side, you are going to have a better year. Make it a goal to call one parent each day with something good to say.

(When I was a kid my mom took my picture every year in front of our house on the first day of school. Now, my wife continues the tradition. Old habits die hard.)

5 Tools for Online Collaboration

2011-08-23T09:25:00.009-04:00

Yesterday I presented at Niagara's Exploration of Technology in Teaching conference on tools for online collaboration. Social media tools like Facebook and Twitter are either ignored or banned completely in education, so I thought this was a valuable topic to share with the 150 or so teachers in attendance. Our students are always-on creatures who do most of their communicating - and therefore collaboration as well - in an environment that most schools don't even consider.

Typically when thinking about online collaboration, two things come to mind - wikis and Google Docs. Both of these are fantastic resources for teachers, but my suspicion was that most of the teachers at the conference either already knew what these tools were, or at the very least knew how to independently find information on their uses. Instead, I chose to highlight 5 lesser-known tools that could be used for collaboration in the classroom. Below is a quick summary for each as well as the SlideRocket presentation I used at the conference.

Tool #1 - Edmodo

I wrote at the beginning of summer about how impressed I was with Edmodo, and the shine has yet to tarnish. Students find the Facebook-esque layout to be intuitive and teacher will find that Edmodo makes it surprisingly easy to manage multiple conversations with students online. Social networks are the epitome of online communication and collaboration, and Edmodo is an excellent and safe way to incorporate them in the classroom.

Tool #2 - BoostCam

BoostCam is a great alternative to video conferencing products such as Skype and Oovoo. While it is certainly more primitive, teachers will find appeal in the fact that it doesn't require registration or any software downloads. If you're looking to create fast, single-serving video connections, BoostCam is a great option.

Tool #3 - Etherpad

Etherpad is a synchronous collaborative workspace similar to Google Docs. In 2009, Google purchased the site and immediately shut it down (were they afraid of a little competition?). Fortunately, they also released the source code. There are now many derivative sites based on this code, all of which are excellent resources (iEtherpad, PrimaryPad, TypeWith.Me, for example) for teachers looking for ways of getting students to write collaboratively in an online environment.

Tool #4 - Crocodoc

Admittedly, this tool was just recently shared with me by one of my graduate students, but it's a wonderful resource for teachers looking to get quality editing out of students. Crocodoc basically creates a layer to any document uploaded to the site. There, students can mark up and annotate on the layer. This provides feedback to the author without giving the peer who is editing the ability to physically change the writing.

Tool #5 - WallWisher

There are other sites that create an online "bulletin board," but to my knowledge WallWisher was one of the first, so I felt it was notable enough to add to the list. Basically, it's an online wall where students can collaboratively post and arrange sticky notes. During my presentation at NETT, one teacher also suggested that it could be used for classification activities - the teacher populates the wall with notes, and then students have to rearrange them. A clever use for this tool!

57 Must Follow Educators on Twitter (Part II)

2011-08-19T00:43:00.011-04:00

Here is Part II of my essential list of educators on Twitter. To view the first 28 of the list and to read the rationale behind this post, read Part I here.

57 Must Follow Educators on Twitter (Part I)

2011-08-19T00:04:00.012-04:00

Twitter is possibly the source for meaningful and continuous professional development for teachers, but have you ever tried explaining that to an educator who is not familiar with the microblogging platform? Maybe you convince him/her to create an account, but then what? I've run in to this problem a few times, so I decided to spend the evening looking through the folks who I follow so I could create a list of essential members of my PLN. Feel free to share this list with fledgling Twitter users! (It felt like an act of narcissism adding myself to the list, but feel free to follow me too! @johnmikulski)

Click Here for Part II of the list.

Ed Tech Day 2011

2011-08-17T16:43:00.005-04:00

In 2009, I participated in Ed Tech Day, an annual charity event in Western New York that aims to put technology into classrooms. I wrote this blog post about my experience and concluded it by urging others to take part in future Ed Tech Days. Two years later, and I finally got around to taking my own advice.

This year's Ed Tech Day took place on August 16th and installed more than 110 repurposed computers in 12 locations throughout Western New York. I helped set up a training lab and several workstations at GoodWill Industries. The equipment will be used by staff members and community members as they prepare for employment. Their need for this technology and the gratitude we received on site made it well worth the day spent plugging in cables and running system updates, and Goodwill's Director of Human Services, Dan Colpoys even bought us donuts and pizza - a much appreciated gesture!

Below is a slideshow of pictures that document the day's activities, and you can also re-live some of the event through the #edtechday hashtag. For more information on the fantastic events hosted by The Educational Technology Foundation of WNY, visit their website. And while you're there, sign up for next year's Ed Tech Day. I'll see you there!

Social Media and Why it's Important in Education

2011-08-17T15:48:00.002-04:00

This afternoon I had the honor of joining Tonya Hall as a guest on her radio show to discuss using social media in the classroom. In preparing for the interview, I found myself thinking about some of the essential advantages to social media and these ended up driving much of our conversation. I will back-link to the recorded show when it's posted, but for now, here are my 3 passion points for social media.

Social Media means Transparency
Transparency is a common buzzword in business, politics, and education and therefore is often dismissed as an overgeneralized ideal. But the use of social media, personal branding, blogs, etc. make it a powerful tool – especially for educators. Currently, there is a distinctly negative public perception of the education system in America. Transparency through social media can help dispel the myths that the education system is archaic and ineffective.

Social Media is the Power or We, not the Power or Me
At the #140edu conference in NYC, Edutecher founder Adam Bellow made an observation regarding the roles of teachers and students. He explained that teachers are no longer a well from which to draw knowledge and students are not vessels that need filling. Social media and the connectedness of the web have shifted the needs of education away from content attainment toward higher-level skills such as analysis and synthesis of information. Students need to learn how to harness and use the collective knowledge of all.

Social Media never Forgets
Google has become your resume and it never forgets. My 7-month-old daughter has an online footprint. How will she feel about the picture I post of her someday when a potential employer discovers my blog or Flickr account? Social media sites are a specific telling of your accomplishments, values, strengths, and ethics. Every professional – teachers included – must realize that personal branding on the web can mean the difference between hired or fired.

Fundraising Done Right

2011-08-09T17:38:00.006-04:00

Today I helped a man in Kenya buy a cow. I used a lending website called Kiva to perform this micro act of philanthropy.

I guess I’m a bit late to the party because Oprah included Kiva.org in her list of favorite things for 2010, but I have to agree with her. It’s a really, really cool idea. Kiva is a not for profit organization that works with lending agencies in developing countires. These agencies post brief profiles for borrowers, and then Kiva users choose to lend as little as $25 to the person. Projects on Kiva range from purchasing supplies and merchandise for shops to financing indoor pumbling for a family's home.

The great part about Kiva is that your participation is not viewed as a donation. Instead, each borrower profile gives a timeline for when the money will be returned to your account. This money can either be pulled out of the Kiva system or reinvested in other projects. Kiva’s return rate is impressive - hovering somewhere around 97%. Those are pretty good odds that you’ll see you money again.

I think there’s definite educational application for Kiva. Every year students get sucked into countless fundraisers. They sell candy bars, wrapping paper, candles, cookie dough, magazines, etc. The list goes on. The problem with this the focus of the fundraising becomes the act of generating the funds instead of the good cause that the funds are supporting. Kiva is different in the sense that students can see the face of the person being affected by their generosity. This is the crucial step that every other charity/fundraising activity in schools is missing.

This is Peter. I helped him buy a cow for his family.

Hello 140edu, It's me, John

2011-08-03T07:57:00.001-04:00

If you're reading this, chances are you're participating in #140edu 2011 in New York City. You may even be watching me at this very moment as I stutter through another response as part of a panel moderated by Shelly Terrell on alternative methods to the outdated educational model. So if you're new to my blog, or just new to me - welcome!

Yesterday was opening day of #140edu and it was an experience. I made balsa wood airplanes with Jack Hidary, watched in amazement as Adam Bellow managed to work both the Twitter Fail Whale and the Windows BSOD into his presentation, and was humbled by high school students who had the courage to sit in front of an auditorium filled with educators and explain what is wrong with education. But I had a problem. Every idea sounded great in the context of our happy little conference, but I struggled to see it realistically applied in my own classroom.

I made it a point to try and talk with some of the presenters, and many of them did help me visualize the key points of their talks. It helped to know their background, what they do, and most importantly, who they are.

So if you're watching my panel discussion right now, and you want to know more about me, here is a quick top ten list of random facts about myself. Hopefully they will either supplement my responses in some way, or at the very least give us something to talk about if you see me going for coffee in the schmooze lounge (yesterday I consumed 4 cups before the conference came to a close!).

1. I teach 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts in a semi-rural district near Niagara Falls, NY. I loop with my students so I have the same cohort two years in a row. It's a concept that, in my opinion, every middle school should adopt.

2. I also teach a graduate level course for Medaille College called Information Technology and Literacy. It's inspiring to work with pre-service teachers who are excited about educational technology. Plus, it's always nice to have a captive audience to talk nerdy to.

3. I am co-host for a podcast called The Tightwad Teacher. Past guests have included Shelly Terrell, Richard Byrne, William Chamberlain, and more. I am always looking for people who are invested in educational technology to come on the show and chat. Chances are, if we talk at some point during #140edu or you give me your business card, I'll probably solicit you for an interview at some point in the future!

4. I can play several instruments, including guitar, drums, clarinet, piano, and saxophone, but I really want to learn to play the accordion. Why, you ask? My wife asked me the same question and because I couldn't come up with a good enough answer, our house is still without the melodious sounds of a squeezebox.

5. I am a big advocate of open source software. We are living in a collaborative society, so it's amazing to me that we don't embrace the product of collaboration more readily. I'm also a fan of Linux, and if you're not sure what this is, I encourage you to read my post How to Try Ubuntu Linux for Teachers.

6. I have my masters degree from Buffalo State College in Educational Computing and I am currently enrolled at Niagara University earning a degree in Educational Leadership. I like the idea of becoming an administrator some day so that I can make a difference on a larger scale (although this won't be for another few years - I'm not quite ready to join the dark side yet).

7. I love typewriters. In fact, I have this crazy hypothesis that using typewriters in school could actually improve student writing. Read about it here. I have about 15 working typewriters right now. I just need a few more and then I can create a very noisy typewriter lab for my students.

8. I'm a big fan of punk rock. In fact, I kind of pride myself on having poor taste in music. The louder and sloppier, the better. I have two kinds of music on myiPod - the stuff I'll play when someone else is in the car with me, and stuff reserved exclusively as solitary listening material. I've played in punk bands since I was 15 (just think how cool a Sex Pistols or Ramones song would be if it were played on an accordion!).

9. My wonderful wife bought me an iPad for our fifth wedding anniversary. It's inscribed with a line from my favorite 80s movie of all time. Want to know what it is? Come find me at the conference and I'll show you.

10. I'm extremely proud of my students and what happens in my classroom. I love to share it with anyone who will listen, and I love hearing about the excellent work you do as well. Let's talk education!

So that's me. Hello.

I would love to know more about you too. Come say hi after the panel discussion, or leave me a not in the comments.

Public Relations Idea

2011-07-30T12:58:00.002-04:00

Almost every weekend, my wife and I pack up the kids and head to Buffalo's Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer's Market. We enjoy the fresh produce and it gives us an excuse to roam the city afterward in search of a local spot to grab lunch.

Today, I was intrigued by a new stand with a sign promoting the Wisteria Charter School initiative. Based on the conversations I heard while loitering nearby the stand and the flyer they handed me, the initiative is comprised of a group of teachers looking to establish a new Waldorf-inspired charter school in the city. Regardless of your opinion of charter schools, you have to admit that setting up a stand in a public and highly trafficked place in order to raise awareness is a pretty good idea.

It made me think. What if public schools did this too? What if they set up stands at local supermarkets, libraries, or malls as a means to connect with the community and share exciting things that are happening in the district? The social perception of education is quite negative lately, so I'm sure teachers would be willing to donate a few hours to staff the booth and help improve the district's public image. What an excellent opportunity to share upcoming events, highlight student work, and reinforce the district's commitment to the community.

Just a thought.

How to Quickly Create and Share Videos

2011-07-29T14:28:00.004-04:00

Next year, my students will walk through my classroom doors holding brand new netbooks as part of my school's 1:1 computing initiative. I am well aware that this is going to be a paradigm shift, so I am already trying to prepare myself for when this happens. As a result, I am quietly collecting resources that I will be able to use when the netbooks enter our building.

Every machine comes equipped with a webcam, and I have been brainstorming how to best use this in the classroom. Tools like Skype are certainly valuable, but a bit difficult to manage with a group of 100+ students. I want something simple that can create and share videos without struggling to upload to 3rd party sites like Youtube, or worrying that large files will cause my inbox to explode.

Mailvu.com seems to be the solution to these problems. Mailvu creates videos that can be shared via a link either copy and pasted from the site, or sent to an email recipient. There is also a free app for iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch that brings this video production to mobile devices.

Below is a student tutorial I made. Feel free to use with your own students!

How to Create and Send Video Messages

The ABCs of Educational Leadership

2011-07-15T14:37:00.002-04:00

While reading Terry St. Marie's (@starbucker) post How Four Little Words can Make or Break your Leadership, I noticed something interesting. Even though St. Marie was not speaking specifically of school leaders - principals, superintendents, etc. - I found value in what he wrote. Teachers emphasize often that education is not a business, yet I was intrigued to find that much of what St. Marie wrote holds true for education as well. He spoke of the dangers of words like I, you, and they and the disastrous effects they can have on the most important pronoun of leadership – we. Being cautious of singular or segmenting pronouns seems obvious, but it's something that many leaders fall into gradually without much acknowledgement (until it's too late).

St. Marie's post made me think about other important words associated with leadership. Below is my list of adjectives needed for strong leadership. How does your principal/superintendent measure up?

The ABCs of Strong leadership

Advocate
BOE-supported
Community member
Delegation
Ethics
Fiscal
Goal-oriented
Humility
Integrity
Jovial
Knowledgeable
Liaison
Mission-based
Negotiable
Organized
Progressive
Quick response
Role model
Strategic
Transformative
Us
Visionary
We
Xenial
Yielding
Zealous

It Must Be Nice

2011-06-20T18:32:00.001-04:00

Tonight after dinner, I sat on a lawn chair in the garage and watched the kids color the driveway with chalk. They were quite absorbed in the activity, so I decided to use the time to catch up on some work. Here's a quick summary:

First I emailed the school secretary regarding a lost textbook. I received a call earlier today from an embarrassed parent who had accidentally donated it to Goodwill.

I followed that up with a reply email to the parent. Since I had my contacts up, I emailed a few other parents to give a heads up on final averages and the upcoming report cards being mailed home.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am using Edmodo to facilitate online book clubs over the summer. I logged into my account, replied to a few kids' questions, then posted links to book excerpts courtesy of Google Books. I also did a few quick comparisons and posted links to sites where the books were most affordable should they wish to purchase a copy.

Next, I realized supply orders were due today. I headed over to Staples.com, ordered pens, pencils, folders, and other supplies for my students, and sent out another email confirming the order.

I still had more to do - a parent letter to be sent home regarding Edmodo, final averages to be entered into the school data software and a mix cd I had promised to a student who had bonded with me through our shared interested in punk rock music - but at this point, our neighbor interrupted my progress. She called out a greeting from across the street and asked if I was done yet with school. I told her this was my last week but there was still a lot to do before wrapping up. She shouted back, "it must be nice only working nine months out of the year."

It would be nice. But don't ask me about it. I wouldn't know.

Using Edmodo in the Classroom

2011-06-20T14:22:00.004-04:00

This year my school decided to implement a summer reading program, and I think it’s a fantastic idea. I’d like to naively assume that all my students read on their own during the summer, but the annual September regression suggests otherwise. The summer reading program is simple – students read two books, one from a list of “required” readings and a second of their choosing. Then, they complete a brief assignment for each book as proof of reading. It’s not a punitive program, so I do think it actually encourages reading outside of school.

My only concern, however, is that once the students leave school for the last time before break, I will have no opportunity to engage them in conversation about what they are reading. So I had an idea.

Several years ago, I discovered the educational social networking site called Edmodo. It functioned similar to Facebook, but had a lot of education-specific features and teacher controls that made it an excellent tool for online discussion and facilitation. At the time, I had no use for it, and the biggest mistake with technology is to use it just for the sake of using it, so I quietly tucked the site into my mental suitcase. But I thought of Edmodo while mulling over ways to promote the new reading club. What if I set up groups for each required book and then used it to facilitate online discussion over the summer? It’s just crazy enough to work.

I’m sure I’ll be posting on this more throughout the summer. It could be a tremendous success or an abysmal failure (although my suspicion is that the project will land somewhere in between), but itll be an interesting experiment in the ways students learn online and how teachers can further extend the school day beyond the agrarian calendar.

Here is the quick how-to I used with my students to get them set up and logged in to Edmodo. Feel free to use it with your own classes.

Edmodo Tutorial

Playing the Game of School

2011-06-18T17:05:00.012-04:00

This year, I had a group of 10 8th graders as part of a special team designed to help at-risk students before they move on to high school. When describing the goal of the program, perhaps my principal put it best – Our job was to get these kids to buy into school.

The year was not without its challenges, but I enjoyed it. At night while eating dinner with my family and sharing stories of our day, the group affectionately became known as “the bad kids” by my four-year-old daughter. And by the standards of school, that’s what they were. They were always in trouble. They swore. They fought. They were late to class (if they even bothered to come to school in the first place).

Last Tuesday, we loaded the group onto a school bus and headed to a nearby state park for a field trip. We spent the day geocaching, fishing (yes, we let the “bad kids” handle sharp hooks), and cooking hotdogs. And you know what? It was the best field trip I have ever been on. The kids were an absolute delight. They were patient while we bushwhacked our way through the woods in search of hidden caches. They were supportive of each other while fishing – taking turns with the poles and helping each other get their catches off the line. We even let one girl who aspires to attend culinary school someday man the grill and cook for us.

While playing Kanjam with the group, one of the kids joked that he never realized that his teachers were actually normal people who fish and play games, and eat hotdogs. I don’t think he realized how insightful the comment was. Because it wasn’t until that moment that I realized that this wasn’t a group of bad kids. It wasn’t a group of at-risk, attendance problems. It was just a group of kids.

So what if they aren’t good at school. That doesn’t mean they aren’t smart.