New Age Technology Educator

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 02:33:00 +0000

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

How the Blind Are Using the iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Wed, 30 May 2012 00:54:00 +0000

Just love this story! Who would have thought the iPhone could be helpful to the blind? Technology just keeps amazing me! There is no end to the possibilities for all.

How the Blind Are Using the iPhone

Tony Vincent's Learning in Hand - Home

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:16:00 +0000

Tony Vincent's Learning in Hand - Home

tags: technology ipod iPad web2.0 pbl

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Flipping Lessons with Ted Talk Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:52:00 +0000

This is just awesome! Lessons are provided as well as quick quizzes for understanding. You can also "flip" the lesson and customize it to your classroom. Gotta love Ted Talk Videos! I use them in my classroom often for quick writing/journal exercises. They stimulate the students, especially the auditory and visual ones.

My Teaching Philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:28:00 +0000

In preparation for an online teaching position with SNHU, I was asked to write my teaching philosophy. I feel as though if I am asking my students to post to their blogs, I should start writing in mine a bit more. So here it is....

Currently I teach middle school computer studies to 6th - 8th grade students. I also teach face to face as an adjunct faculty member for Southern New Hampshire University in the education department. I am also an online graduate adjunct faculty member at Plymouth State University, where I teach a graduate course in the computer education department. The focus of the course is the pedagogy of technology integration and incorporating Web2.0 tools into the classroom.

"He who dares to teach must never cease to learn" - John Cotton Dana

This quote is one of my favorite teaching quotes of all time. I believe as teachers, we are here to model the love of learning for our students. It is our job to show them that even though we may be the expert, we never will and never could know everything. We are human and I feel it is important to allow your students to know that truth about you. I also allow them to know that I make mistakes and that they are also allowed to make mistakes and admit them freely. Together we learn the most.

I hope to foster the love of learning within my students and to teach them how to become "self directed learners". They need to know how to uncover the answers to their questions on their own without me providing their answers. It is so important that students of today, whether they are in middle school or graduate students, become technologically literate. According to the ISTE-NETS standards for students, "Today's students need to be able to use technology to analyze, learn, and explore. Digital age skills are vital for preparing students to work, live, and contribute to the social and civic fabric of their communities." I believe through the use of technology, all students have the ability to learn. Technology breaks down the barriers and allows every type of learner a leveled approach to curricular achievement. Students of today need to be able to ask questions, find the answers and evaluate the validity of the resources they use. As the teacher of these skills, it is my responsibility to foster inquisitive learning opportunities.

One of my favorite professional development educational websites I use frequently, sums up technology integration perfectly.

"Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals."

Learning today in the world of technology has brought us to another level of teaching capabilities. Incorporating technology into the classroom is of utmost importance in education. The incorporation of sound pedagogy is also of utmost importance. By stating clear learning objectives and following through with clear expectations allows the students to freely focus on the formative and summative assessments throughout the classes. Reflective practice is also important for both the teacher and the student. As the teacher, reflection allows me to figure out how the lessons went, how I could have made it better and what I might need to adjust for next go around. Reflective practice for students allows them to think about the task and make real life connections to the assignment. It allows the student to see that there is always something different that could have been done and possibly improved upon. It is also important for them to know that it is impossible to be perfect and we are in a constant state of change.

I hope to foster a community within my classes, whether it is online or face to face. I believe in creating a safe learning environment where my students are free to explore and work together to achieve their learning objectives. The learning environment is based upon trust, respect and fun. All students will be allowed to play with different programs in order to best learn how to use them. They will then apply what they have learned to create the products required to meet the learning objectives for the assessment. Relevant and real time, immediate feedback is so important for the students to let them know they are on pace with the course expectations. It allows them to feel comfortable within the course and to move forward with confidence.

It is important to teach the students how to learn and think on their own without reliance on me. I encourage creativity and student choice. It is important to engage the learner and what better way to do that, than through something that appeals to the student. Choice with familiar topics for students enables them to activate prior knowledge and become an active participant with their learning. As the teacher, I am the most knowledgeable about my subject I teach, but I am also constantly learning. I learn new things every day and hope to foster that love of learning within my students. By providing as many hands on learning experiences for my students to learn or "figure things out", may seem uncomfortable for them at first, but in the end, they learn much more by doing than I could ever teach by demonstrating. It may create opportunities for failure, but through failure is when we learn our most important lessons. In the end, the struggle is worth it when they have a finished product that they then share with the class. It is most rewarding to hear the students say how difficult something was but how well it turned out in the end. It is my job to push them through the uncomfortable towards the excitement of accomplishment.

Above all, having a sense of humor while teaching. Life is too short to take yourself so seriously. Learning should be fun and at times can be funny. Keeping it light allows a free flow of learning to take place and lets my students know that they are safe to be themselves.

For SNHU the mission is delivering a quality online learning experience. For Kim Tufts ~ M.Ed., my mission is to deliver a quality learning experience for all students and to never cease to learn.

Works Cited:

"AlbertMohler.com." AlbertMohler.com. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

"ISTE | NETS for Students." ISTE | NETS for Students. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

"Quote - Who Dares to Teach Must Never Cease to Learn... on Quotations Book."Welcome to Quotations Book. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

"Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are ManyThere's a Place for Tech in Every Classroom." Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

Info-graphic Professors/Teachers & Social Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:23:00 +0000

I thought this was pretty accurate and I just love these! Yes, I do believe that blogs, podcasts, wikis and video are valuable tools for teaching and learning.
Courtesy of: Schools.com

Cultivating a Learning Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:46:00 +0000

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niclindh/1389750548/

After reading David Warlick's blog post this evening, I started to think about how schools can take this advice? I know we are focused on creating a Personal Learning Community. What does that mean? It can't mean just solely focusing on data driven instruction. It has to start somewhere in our classrooms. We need to make the connections to our students and create a level of trust along with nurturing them. Why not start by "Cultivating a Learning Community"? Why not celebrate things we learn and are good at? By asking questions and wanting to genuinely know the answers from those students, teachers, parents, administrators and who ever else we can find to ask, we will be creating a nurturing community of learners. If we listen closely, the kids want to tell us about their lives, their interests, and what they are most passionate about. We can the allow them to feel vested in their learning. We can then use these answers to create meaningful lessons for our students which support and encourage their passions. We should try to ask more questions and then listen carefully.

Test #2

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:28:00 +0000

test #2 (mp3)

Week 2 - Post 1 - Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:01:00 +0000

testing boo (mp3)

This is why we are teachers

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Sun, 08 May 2011 00:57:00 +0000

"Strive to make others greater than yourselves" ~ Steve Farber

Love This Video!

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Sat, 07 May 2011 23:23:00 +0000

Today I was reading David Warlick's blog and noticed this video. I have to agree with him. I wish more people understood the benefits of collaborative learning. In my graduate work, I was asked to create my dream classroom. My dream classroom looked exactly like the one in this video. Comfy seating areas, along with round tables. My tables were actually on wheels, but round too. If kids can see each other when working together rather than sitting in rows and rows, it would make such a huge improvement in their learning environment. If we could give those students technology to use in the classroom without worrying about "stranger danger" and showing their faces out on the internet, who knows what could happen within the school? I hope it happens in my day of teaching. I know it is happening in some schools but not nearly enough.

Take a look at the web page for this video. I love the comments. That is what it is all about. Great job!

10 Steps For Smarter Schools

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:10:00 +0000

10 Steps for Smarter Schools - Love these ideas..

Thanks for sharing Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach !

This is why we teach!

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:05:00 +0000

This is why we teach! "Mr. Callahan: Best Teacher I Ever Had"- Thanks for Sharing Cool Cat Teacher!

It is not always about the assessment, just plain old life lessons! You can't put a grade on them.

Why Great Teachers Quit - Does anyone have the answer?

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:28:00 +0000

Today I came across this book - "Why Great Teachers Quit, and how to stop the mass exodus". Why do teachers, who are passionate, loving and notoriously care givers want to leave the profession they trained 4-6 years of their lives for? This blog author said after reading the book, "..... left me convinced that teaching is not a family-friendly profession".

If you have been following any of the news lately, especially surrounding the many budget cuts and tenure discussions, it is difficult to see your profession being thrown around as though it can be put to paper so easily. It is also difficult to see others who do not know the "real" work teachers do, bash the profession, and make teachers out to be lazy people who are taking advantage of the town or city they work in. I have worked in the private sector for half of my adult life. I know how hard it is to fight for promotions, reach targets, work collaboratively with others and gain your superiors recognition for a job well done. I chose to leave that world with over 5+ weeks of vacation, bonuses and recognition to become a teacher for almost $20,000.00 less a year in salary.

Why? I actually wonder some days, but I do know why. It was because of days like today when I returned after being out for the last day of the trimester and seeing all of my students left me notes all over my white board about how they will miss me and they love me! It is because they threw me a birthday party last week with cupcakes, cookies and juice for everyone in the class along with a card they all signed before they even came to class. It is because of the student who seems to be different than most, doesn't really fit in, becomes agitated easily, yet I never once saw that in him. I saw an engaged boy who was eager to learn new things using the technology I put before him. When I read over his website and saw the meticulous amount of work he put into that project, I could not help to be proud and emotional all at the same time. This was "his" venue! I could not help but gush to another one of his teachers about what an amazing job he did all on his own, with great care and pride. Never once did we have to have a confrontation. Never once did he become agitated. He was content. He knew he was coming to a safe, loving, and empowering environment where he mattered. It is because of the other boy who hides behind his long hair so no one will see through him. He does not want to be seen. Yet he writes on his website that someday he wants to be a doctor and he really does care about his grades. It is because of the kids, the ones who I may or may not make a difference in. The ones who were so happy to see me today. That is why I keep coming back. It is certainly not because of the "red tape" that comes along with teaching. It is the children.

The education system itself is not created like the private world. It does not always appreciate the one who speaks out for change and looks to make improvement. It seems as though that is why we (the education system itself) are in the predicament we are in today. The world is changing so quickly but education is stuck. The ones who are making the decisions are stuck. Why? Is it scary? Will things not work out 100% as planned? It is the same as teaching with technology. Everything is scary at first try. It doesn't even work sometimes. It is OK to fail, OK to make mistakes, and OK to be human. It is OK to admit that there were mistakes made. Why push good people away when all they want to do is make a difference in children's lives?

According to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, it is the cost of turnover that is the largest factor of why schools are not performing well. According to the executive summary of the research study done, "Low performing schools rarely close the student achievement gap because they never close the teaching quality gap – they are constantly rebuilding their staff. An
inordinate amount of their capital – both human and financial – is consumed by the
constant process of hiring and replacing beginning teachers who leave before they have
mastered the ability to create a successful learning culture for their students. "

Unraveling the teacher shortage trys to figure this out in this 17 page report.
"In general, the turnover rate among teachers is significantly higher than for other
occupations.1 The fact is, an alarming and unsustainable number of teachers are leaving
teaching during their first few years of teaching. The No Child Left Behind Act has
stimulated a national effort to find highly qualified teachers for every classroom. But no
teacher supply strategy will ever keep our classrooms staffed with quality teachers if we
do not reverse the debilitating rate of teacher attrition. We need to balance our efforts to
prepare high quality teachers with strong strategies to support good teaching in our
schools."

HOW CAN WE REDUCE HIGH TEACHER TURNOVER? (according to article above)
To fix the problem we need to understand the cause. Four major factors are
especially prominent influences on whether and when teachers leave specific schools or
the profession entirely:
· Salaries
· Working conditions
· Preparation
· Mentoring support in the early years of teaching

These are just a few items that would help to retain teachers. I would be more than happy to discuss any one of my days in a middle school with anyone would would like to talk!

This made my day today...

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Sometimes I admit I get down on myself and reexamine all of the many different directions I pull myself in each and every day. Today I read this blog post from one of my graduate students and it warmed my heart... I know that I can make a difference and it is a great feeling ... thanks so much for acknowledging me and the course I teach in your final blog post D... I truly appreciate it more than you know!

There has been no class graduate or undergraduate that has influenced by teaching style and environment more than Plymouth State University's, Teaching and Learning In a Network Classroom. Having coursework that can be used in the classroom immediately has lifted many frustrations and provided hope that tomorrow will be better. Technology really lends itself well to project based learning which, I think we all appreciate for its deeper and enduring understanding.

This Quote is worth reposting - Love it!

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 02:56:00 +0000

"At the end of the day, the biggest disruption brought on by technology has nothing to do with the youth themselves, but with the way in which it forces us to reconsider our position of power as adults. We cannot simply tell it like it is; we need to re-learn how to learn and how to evolve with the changes all around us. " - Dana Boyd -"Living and Learning with Social Media"

Some Interesting Posts I have read lately

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Just a few posts, videos and articles I have found interesting lately.

Thoughts by Jen

Digital Textbook Adoptions - Curriculum Mapping Example

We Must Change the Narrative about Public Education

Formative Assessment Done Right

Digital Media - New Learners of the 21st Century Video - PBS

Comprehensive Assessment - A NY City Success Story

October is National Anti-Bullying Month - Did you know?

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:02:00 +0000

Today while reading over Angela Maiers blog posting, Stop the Cyber Bully - A Conversation with the Experts It reminded me of the blog post I wrote last year around this same time about bullying and cyberbullying. Take a look and please join the conversation. Try to discuss this with your students and your children. Let them know what a serious issue this is and the many unfortunate results it can have.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Bullying - What can we do about it?

According to Inside the School - Bullying by the Numbers -

In the classroom, so much of the bullying happens covertly and is tough to see -

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2007), about one-third of middle and high school students reported that they’d been bullied in the last six months.
The American Medical Association estimates that two-thirds of students think that schools don’t respond well to bullying. That same study found that 25% of teachers think that bullying is normal behavior and just 4% intervene on behalf of students.
Bullying victims are sick more often. They suffer from the common cold, from stomach cramps, headaches, sore throats, and sleep problems (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Bullying victims miss school. According to the National Education Association, 160,000 students stay home every day because they’re too afraid to come to class.
Students who bully in elementary school keep the bullying pattern throughout their school years. (Scientific American Special Edition)
Bullies don’t suffer from low self-esteem. They’re usually dominant kids and pretty popular, too. They rise to the top of the social order by picking on others. (Scientific American Special Edition)

Bullying hurts. Bullying can take many forms. We all need to do our part to watch for it and stop it at all costs. This is a very important part of our digital citizenship lessons we teach our students. Our kids are connected and using technology more than ever. Children today are now able to bully each other through many online technologies. Whether it is through a text message, an email, an instant message, a comment on a social networking site or another medium, the ease of cyber bullying is scary. There are no face to face interactions between the children, so it is so easy to gang up on other students. It is a lot easier to tease someone or send nasty messages when you do not have to see the other persons reaction.

I encourage you all to please have these conversations with your students, your own children if you have them. Let them know it is OK to tell an adult, a teacher, or a trusted friend. It is nothing to be ashamed of. These children should not have to live with this burden.

Educate them. Tell the kids in your lives that it is not OK to call people names, send inappropriate messages, forward inappropriate messages, taunt someone, gang up on another child, etc. There should be serious consequences for these behaviors.

Read this interesting interview with Jodee Blanco who was bullied her entire life and decided after Columbine, she would become an anti-bullying activist.

We can make a difference - one child at a time.

Watch this powerful public service announcement - found on Teacher Tube about bullying -

Sir Ken Robinson Is At it Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:26:00 +0000

Some interesting thoughts here. What do you think?

Passion... Something you really love.. What is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 02:57:00 +0000

This evening, I was reading over some blog posts and I came across Angela Maiers most recent posting of the TedxRedmond Ted-event run entirely by children. How inspiring! As a middle school teacher myself, I really am interested in figuring out how to connect with my students and nurture their inner interests. I then saw that one of the children presenting was Bob Sprankle's daughter Zoe. I follow Bob Sprankle through my PLN as well as Angela. Not to mention, Bob is right in my back yard in Maine. Ok, not exactly since I live in southern NH, but close enough! I found them through the class I now teach for PSU, Teaching and Learning in a Networked Classroom, which was originally taught by my guru Jeff Utecht.

So, where am I going with this? Well, I watched the video of 12 year old Zoe. All I can say is Wow! Wow, what a well spoken, brave, passionate, smart, driven, compassionate, talented little girl. Seeing a live performance of one of her favorite musicals Rent led her to write the cast a letter to let them know just how much it meant to her to see them act and perform. She was heard, she had "impact", she made a small difference that day in the lives of the actors and actresses who may not hear how appreciated they are by the audiences who come to see them. One little girl, one big impression! Watch for yourself and you decide.

How can we foster this passion, this drive, the love for anything in our own children and the children we teach? I will keep trying! Oh.. and I can't wait to show this to my own students as a way to let them know they too can do something this amazing!

Love this Quote...

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 20:21:00 +0000

This is where I want to go.....

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:15:00 +0000

This morning, while reading over my Google BUZZ updates, I came across a posting from Darren Draper, who linked a post from Wesley Fryer about Passion-based learning in action. (Side note, Wesley Fryer will be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming 2010 Christa McAuliffe technology conference ) I am currently working on a course with over 30 teachers from my school, and we have been talking about standards, unpacking them, and not narrowing the curriculum for the tests sake. What a better way to show real, authentic learning experiences, with any population of students. Anything is possible. We know poverty exists, we know some of our students are underachievers, we know some of our students have family problems, yes.. we know.. now what?

I watch this video and say YES! I say YES Brian Crosby, you are amazing and inspirational! This is what I see. This is the futre I want for my students at my school. This is real, this is now, this is amazing and so very, very authentic. I am sure you will agree.

Please be open minded when viewing, as there are always many barriers as to why things like this may not work in your school or your classroom. Starting small - a blog, a wiki, a skype, connecting with other teachers / students is just one way to begin your amazing journey with technology. I encourage you to just try. Baby steps. The more comfortable you feel, the braver you become. I know I feel really brave today after watching this, how about you?

I'm Here

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:22:00 +0000

Please click here to read more...

Thank you to Ryan Bretag for sharing this video on his blog - Metanoia.

"This short film, based on an original story and art by Peter H. Reynolds and produced by FableVision, movingly conveys the loneliness a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder often experiences, and the life-changing effect each of us can have in breaking through that solitude. FableVision created the film for SARRC (Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center).

FableVision CEO Peter H. Reynolds, NY Times best-selling children's author/illustrator, illustrated the film. The film includes a powerful musical score by Ruth Mendelson. "I'm Here" is the precursor to the film and book "Wings of EPOH." Both products are co-published by FableVision and SARRC." From Youtube

What Motivates Us? How about in school?

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:50:00 +0000

The notion of motivation for individuals in the work place was always thought to be monetary. Not so true according to Daniel Pink. According to the latest research, money is not the end all be all we once thought it was. Watch this video to see what really motivates us. Do you think this can work in education?

Amazing stop motion video! Really keeps your attention and engaged! Kudos to the artist!

Cute Video - Based on Black Eyed Peas Song and dance from Oprah Show

noreply@blogger.com (Passionateteach) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:04:00 +0000

Found this video today when reading Lisa Thumann's blog. So cute! Gotta Keep Reading!