The Eighth Floor

Plan your Learncation with The Eighth Floor

admin@eighthfloor.org — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:50:56 PDT

So, where are you vacationing this summer? For so many educators, hanging out at The Eighth Floor is a vacation in itself. We like to think of it as a "Learncation". We are free, close, and easy.

Check out our summer schedule online. (Print schedules will hit the streets on May 1st.) http://eighthfloor.org/

Remember that summer classes fill up quickly. If there is something on your "must take" list, enroll early.

Enrollment is open NOW!

See you this summer - bring your floaties.
Lee Anne

50 Web 2.0 (iPad) Sites for (iPad) Schools

admin@eighthfloor.org — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:42:10 PDT

With all the hubbub and bustle around iPads - or as some folks call them, this year's SmartBoards - we are forgetting about the many, many other tools FREE out there for both teachers and students.

Here's another buzzword . . . Common Core Standards. The good news is it's more than just a buzzword. I have heard so many teachers say how much better this is going to be and that they will be able to get back to really teaching. I agree. This seem so much more realistic. As many of you may have noticed, there is a technology component to the CCS at every level. I hope that for some of you, Web 2.0 tools will make your curriculum and student learning a little more efficient and engaging.

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

Even Culp from ORU shared this post from David Kapular's blot, so I am sharing it forward.

Recently I've been experimenting with a number of curation sites that are beneficial for creating and sharing lists. While exploring these tools, I've been "fine tuning" my Web 2.0 list for schools. I created a list of 25 Web 2.0 sites for education over a year ago -- but a lot has changed since then. More sites have been developed and more tools are available to students and educators than ever before. This list is in alphabetical order.

50 Web 2.0 Sites for Schools

19 Pencils - 19Pencils is the easiest way for teachers to discover, share and manage web-based educational content with students. A teacher can create quizzes, websites, track students, and more.
ACMI Generator - This is a great site for older students for digital storytelling and creating a storyboard scene with a script.
Animoto - Create wonderful looking slideshows that includes, video, images, music, and more.
Aviary Education - A safe private environment to use Aviary's suite of online tools for: audio, video, and image editing.
Boom Writer - BoomWriter is a supremely engaging creative writing website that has students reading, writing and assessing content in ways they’ve never done before!
Classtell - A nice site for teachers to create an educational website.
Diigo - Social bookmarking for teachers where they can create free student accounts.
Dropbox - A great way to share and collaborate on documents on a number of different electronic devices.
Edmodo - A wonderful safe/secure learning environment for teachers and students. A nice all-in-one solution for education.
Educaplay - A excellent way to create interactive multimedia educational activities.
Every1Speaks - A learning platform where students learn through collaborative enquiry-based learning.
Gaggle - A excellent suite of online learning tools for filtered: emailing, messaging, forums, and more.
Glogster - Creating collaborative and interactive posters in this safe environment. A wonderful and very popular web 2.0 tool.
GoAnimate - A terrific way to create custom animations with an educational portal.
Google Apps for Education - Does it really get much better than this?
Gnowledge - A wonderful site to create collaborative online quizzes, share resources, view others quizzes, and more. Excellent tech support and tutorial videos as well.
Grockit Answers - A great teaching tool to create a Q/A session for any YouTube video.
Kidblog - A fantastic way to create a safe environment for students to blog in. Everything is controlled by the teacher as a moderator.
Kerpoof - Lots of educational activities can be found here such as: make a movie, draw a picture, and more.
Kubbu - A free site for teachers to create games, quizzes, or crosswords and then share them with students and view/analyze their results.
Little Bird Tales - A wonderful free site for digital storytelling that allows kids to record and narrate their story.
Live Binders - Is an excellent site for creating an online binder to collect and share resources with others.
MentorMob - One of my favorite new sites for curating the web into learning "playlists." This is an innovative way to teach a lesson, unit, or any given topic.
Mixbook - A great site for digital storytelling in a safe environment. Educators get a discount on printed books.
Musicshake - Legal, copyright, free music for every student in your school - created by students, right from a browser.
Myths & Legends - One of the best free sites around for digital storytelling in a safe environment with lots of characters, themes, and objects to choose from.
PhotoPeach - An excellent site for creating slideshows and creating and managing student accounts.
PikiFriends - A fun safe environment for online pen pals for middle school and high school students.
Pixton - A great way to motivate students by creating digital stories using this comic creator.
PresentationTube - A nice windows app for creating presentations out of PowerPoint slides.
Prezi - A excellent site for creating zooming slideshows and presentations.
Primary Access - A free suite of online tools for students and teachers to create digital movies, storyboards, and other activities.
Primary Wall - A real-time collaboration tool that allows students and teachers to create a page of online sticky notes. Great for mind mapping and brainstorming!
Skype in the Classroom - A great collaboration tool for classrooms to video or audio chat with other educators and students.
SideVibe - Turn bookmarked web content into blended classroom lessons.
SlideRocket - All you need is a Google Apps account to use this free tool to creating stunning presentations.
SpellingCity - One of the best sites around for teaching and learning Spelling and Vocabulary. A very user-friendly and engaging site to use.
Storybird - A fantastic site to inspire students to read & write through the use of digital storytelling.
StoryJumper - A great site for digital storytelling where students can incorporate their own art, publish online, share with others, or order a print copy.
SymbalooEDU - A wonderful way to organize educational sites into one location for students.
Triptico - A great free tool for teachers to help create, share, and edit interactive lessons.
ToonDoo Spaces - Create a private and safe environment for digital storytelling through the use of an online comic.
VoiceThread - One of the most popular web 2.0 sites around for creating dynamic and interactive slideshows and presentations. Also, another great tool for digital storytelling.
Webspiration - From the creators of Inspiration comes this excellent web portal for creating mind maps, brainstorms, outlines, and more.
Weebly - Create a free class/student blog or website.
Wolfram Alpha - There is now an educational portal for Wolfram's computational search engine. This portal contains dynamic textbooks, lesson plans, widgets, interactives, and more.
Yacapaca - A nice free all-in-one solution for schools for creating quizzes, surveys, assessments, and more.
YouTube for Schools - Access 1000s of YouTube videos in a controlled environment without having to worry about comments.
Zimmer Twins - A great site for digital storytelling with an educational portal.
Zoho Wiki - A nice site for educators to create online interactive content.

David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com.

What Has Changed about Web 2.0 in the last Seven Years?

admin@eighthfloor.org — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:10:18 PST

I taught a Web 2.0 survey class the other night – one of my favorite classes to teach. Discussing a yummy buffet of Web 2.0 tools with them, it occurred to me that this discussion has really changed since the first blogging class I taught seven years ago. I was so excited about that first class. I saw great potential for web tools. However, within the first 10 minutes of that class, I realized I had come to my own lynching. The folks in the room were not there as educators. They were there as parents, and they were mad and steeped in fear. Were they wrong to be fearful? Had every single pedophile moved from the playgrounds and the malls to the internet? Of course not, but the media sure had us going. Now that parents have their own Facebook accounts, I think all but a reasonable amount of fear has melted away. So, no more fear, or I guess a reasonable amount of fear – that’s a change I have noticed. What else?

I asked Linda what she thought had changed about Web 2.0 and she said sharing and collaboration. Web 2.0 Tools are focusing more on collaboration, instead of being used as stand-alone tools. Additionally, I see students being much more willing to contribute to the conversation both face-to-face and online. They have found their voice and don’t feel as awkward hearing it. I also see people taking on a greater degree of responsibility along with their confidence. You know the saying: what happens online, stays online.

I asked Scott what he thought had changed about Web 2.0 over the years. He said nothing has changed. The technology is still the same, but how we use it has changed. We are more likely to define how it is used as opposed to the other way around. Well said. I agree! (Yes, I just agreed with Scott.) We are definitely more savvy.

What else do I think has changed? Personally, I am learning to let go of the need to read everything that passes me. It’s okay to click on by – but I still have an extraordinary amount of information I want to see/know. So here’s what has changed.. We are learning to consolidate information in manageable formats by using a variety of web tools to aggregate so, so very much information. And, because we have so, so very much information constantly at our fingertips, we don’t pay all that much attention to a majority of it. We don’t need to – do we?

Here’s why I ask; I came across a tool the other day called BigThink.com. Check it out http://bigthink.com/ . It’s cool. This group distills the “big thinks” that are out there down to their essence using a variety of multimedia tools. According to the website, this process promises to help us “move from the information era to the knowledge era.”

Hmmmmm . . . . So, let me get this straight. They are taking a large amount of information and presenting the bits and pieces that they think are most important, most worth knowing, into one size fits all snacks. I like that BigThink.com relies on multiple world views to create one that can be easily understood. This supports the idea that information comes from multiple sources, not just one. But does it get us any further in really knowing? Is the desire to “read” information gone, or just the need to “read”? What about the desire to think?

All things considered, being as busy and uninvolved as we are these days, this should be sufficient knowledge – the nugget kind. Just get to the point – that’s all we want. Bullet points. Boil it right down for me and don’t waste my time. But wait. Somehow I feel like I am being cheated out of real knowledge, and I am letting it happen. So, here’s what I took four paragraphs to say, how we interact with information and what we call knowledge have changed. Yes? No? Yikes?

Oops! And here I am writing whole paragraphs. Big Mistake! Ask Scott what he thinks about people who write whole paragraphs. He will say they are wasting his time. No one wants to read anything longer than a bullet point.

In the spirit of bullet points, Scott, here's what . . . naw. He quit reading this a long time ago.

There are more changes. Tons. Some are great, and some are a little scary. But I feel for the most part, these changes are good, and all in just seven fast years, too.

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne

Welcome to a New Semester on The Eighth Floor!!

admin@eighthfloor.org — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:32:34 PST

I have lived my entire life by the semester. Not by the year, not by the month, and not by the yard, but by the semester. I get to start anew three times a year. AWESOME!! Well maybe. I think what that really means is that instead of experiencing the “circle of life” – you know each year has a beginning and an end and the usual landmarks in between – I am experiencing the “roller coaster of life.” There is a lot of energy that goes into starting anew three times a year! Luckily, I like roller coasters.

We have certainly had our challenges the last 6/7 months. We spent August – November as refugees after storm damage closed our floor and stopped normal operations. Even though we couldn't have classes in our classrooms, we found ways to have them anyway – TCC and TTC really helped out sharing space. We can’t thank them enough. During the month of October we offered a “Scratch ‘n Dent” sale. We had NO idea how popular that would be. Although it was challenging taking our show on the road every day, we learned a lot about our consortium members, and we hope they know us a little better.

Here we are again at the start of a new semester on The Eighth Floor. We are back in our offices and no longer sitting on top of each other in one room. The good news is we can now go back to our quirky work habits and personal tastes in music. The bad news is Scott doesn’t read us our horoscopes in the mornings anymore.

We are really looking forward to our regular classes starting next week. We are ready for a familiar routine. I am excited to check our enrollment numbers every morning to see what classes are filling and which are NOT. If you are not enrolled, do it. http://eighthfloor.org/schedule.html Come ride the rollercoaster with us!!

Just ready,
Lee Anne

Digital Tattoos

admin@eighthfloor.org — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:24:15 PST

As you read the title “Digital Tattoos,” what do you image? Are you thinking of a tattoo that is easily removable from your body because it embodies the mythical and ethereal traits of all things digital? Something you can change on a whim? OR . . . do you think of something you have put on the internet (or has been put on about you) that you can never remove, no matter how hard you work, there will always be a telltale scar? Where did your mind go?

Now, imagine you are a teenager who is still developing a sense of permanency and thinks tattoos are super cool – the more the better – especially the one on the side of your neck.

I have so many things I think about the whole idea of a digital tattoo, that I’m not sure where to start. Making comparison and contrast to an ink, body tattoo brings some tangibility to it – and may also open up some unusual perspectives.

INK TATTOO	DIGITAL TATTOO
It’s art, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Tattoo artists do some amazing work – it’s crazy. What better way to celebrate art than to put it on your body.	What one person thinks is a disaster, another may see as a success. Perhaps you want to be remembered as the girl with too much teenage angst. People have made millions by it. There are some things we put out there that we WANT to stick to us.
The Hollywood myth is that tattoos usually result from a drunken whim. I suppose that happens, but most people I know with body tattoos have thought long and hard about it.	“Tattooing” yourself on the internet is so easy that most people don’t even think about the possibility. Posting a picture or making a blog post takes very little forethought. In fact, there is basically no ceremony at all.
Something you chose to do to yourself. Few people are tattooed without their permission.	A by-product of a hasty or thoughtless action – either by you or someone else.
Most people realize the weightiness of a body tattoo and put much consideration into their message. You don’t see a lot of tattoos of people puking on themselves at a party.	Although it seems hilarious at the time, you don’t see a lot of people think about how NOT funny a puking picture looks to a potential employer.
A body tattoo may seem like a good idea at the time, but people change. Neck tattoo guy may want to be a judge or spiritual leader later in life – will our society change that much?	Most people are willing to forgive/overlook adolescent or just plain stupid mistakes. We are all human, after all. But the reality is, the impression is already made.

I don’t want to beat a good comparison to death, but I may have. I’ve run across the phrase “Digital Tattoo” several times, and it has made an impression on me. But, I am an adult. Do you think the idea of a Digital Tattoo would make an impression on someone who is not yet an adult?

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne

100+ iPad Apps Perfect For High School | Edudemic

admin@eighthfloor.org — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:18:23 PST

As the presence of iPads in the classrooms increase, educators are looking for apps that enhance education. It is time consuming to hunt for apps, preview apps, and then decide if they are worth the effort to install to the iPad. Edudemic.com has posted a list titled, 100+ iPad Apps Perfect For High School | Edudemic, on their website. These apps were recommended by educators in the Palm Beach School System who have giving their stamp of approval.

There is also links to apps for middle school and elementary school as well. I love getting teacher tested great ideas! Thanks, Shawn Beard for sharing the link!

Paying it forward!

Linda Jones

The Eighth floor Technology and Learning Center

Learning with Passion vs. Custodial Education

admin@eighthfloor.org — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:07:46 PST

Linda shared this article about online education with me. She knew it was timely as I am in my last week with the group of Eighth Floor participants going through the OnlineLearning Series – this is a class that helps educators learn how to teach in an online environment. I want to pull out a few points to share as I feel this is timely for everyone, every educator, not just my class. I encourage you to read the article in its entirety: Clayton Christensen: Why online education is ready for disruption, now.

The first point that really, really, really caught my eye was this: “Human beings with the best education tend to do best in the marketplace.” My first thought – besides human beings, what living being even gets an education, and furthermore, takes it to a marketplace? I will give you that I am a bit of a wiseacre, but come on. Second thought – I totally agree. When an education counts, those with the best have the best chance. Third thought – those who learn online are more likely to get the best. They participate far more deeply in their own learning than those who learn in a face-to-face class. Online learners have to participate in every part of the class and their learning – they have to contribute to the discussion forum, they have to participate in group work, they have to make comments on a peer-review, etc. In a F2F class, it is far too easy for most students to sit in a chair and passively observe the goings on in a class, whether that be lecture, group work, class discussion, etc.

Next point: “The internet has changed how we interact with time.” Ummmm . . . yep. We have treated learning like work, 9-5, for so long. Thus, the word custodial sits with us. Nothing about the term custodial education sounds interesting. Nothing about being told I have to learn between the hours of 7:45 am and 3:30 pm sounds like it will encourage me to be a passionate life-long learner. With access to the internet, I can be learning all the time and anytime, basically whenever I feel a passion for it.

I also agree with another point made in the article: “We will still need teachers, but the skills necessary for success will be very different.” Like many workers who have been replaced with “automation” in past centuries, teachers have been concerned that this technology will make them redundant. Absolutely not. (I also absolutely would also not call a teacher a ‘worker.”) But here’s what can/will/should change, we no long need to be consumed with lecturing or delivering content over and over and over. Students can engage in a variety of ways with content at the speed and level they feel comfortable. They need the teacher to help them understand it and apply it. We will need to build deeper relationships with students. We will need to know even more about our subject matter and how “human beings” learn.

I know most “human beings” don’t care to deal with change, especially if it is uncomfortable. I am one of those, too, sometimes. But, to me, this all seems exciting. I would like to think that I am contributing to a passion for learning and not a custodial education. Am I just crazy?

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne

iPodsibilities

admin@eighthfloor.org — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:58:58 PDT

Today while doing some background research for an upcoming conference, I stumbled across a fantastic website called iPodsibilities. The site's creator is Megan Wilson a Special Educator, and an Adaptive Technology Specialist, who has been recognized by Apple as a Distinguished Educator. Megan is an advocate for Mobile Learning particuliarly for special needs students.

iPodsibilities focuses on using ipods and ipads in the classroom. Megan's site includes app reviews, resources, adaptive technology, as well as lesson ideas. If you are serious about integrating iPads or iPods into the learning environment check out iPodsibilities.

As Megan states in her Blog, "Imagine the Possiblities!"
Until next time!
Linda

The Innovative Educator: Five Reasons I'm Not Flipping Over The Flipped Cla...

admin@eighthfloor.org — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:13:27 PDT

Up for some lively discussion? Check out the discussion regarding "The Flipped Classroom". If you are not familiar with the term "flipped" classroom this blog will help you get up to speed. After reading the discussion, what are your thoughts????
The Innovative Educator: Five Reasons I'm Not Flipping Over The Flipped Cla...: If you've read my thoughts about the Flipped Classroom in USA Today this week, you probably are either in agreement with my caution over...

7 Good Screen Capture Tools for Teachers

admin@eighthfloor.org — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:29:04 PDT

Have you ever been frustrated while training students or staff on some new technology tool? Need a new screen capture tool for your technology toolkit?
Richard Byrne author of "Free Technology for Teachers" discusses 7 Good Screen Capture Tools for Teachers in his latest blog .

We Video - Collaborative Online Video Editor

admin@eighthfloor.org — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:44:15 PDT

We Video - Collaborative Online Video Editor

In the video editor you can upload your own media clips or use stock media clips to produce your video. The video editor provides tools for trimming the length of display and or sound of each element you add to your video project. What makes We Video collaborative is that you can invite other people to create and edit with you. Check it out!

Linda Jones
Eighth Floor
Coordinator/Instructor

You Tube for Teachers

admin@eighthfloor.org — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:28:21 PDT

Good news for teachers! You Tube has launched a You Tube for Teachers. A slight variation from teacher tube
and School Tube, You Tube for Teachers will give teachers tips that show how to organize videos as well as offer discussions on how to help struggling students through the use of videos.

Why use You Tube in your Classroom?
1. Increase student engagement
2. Free access to thousands of high quality educational videos
3. Use videos to lengthen in-class instructional time
4. Expand your impact by reaching a larger audience.
Check out the article titled Five Reasons Why You Tube Rocks the Classroom if you need more reasons.

Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions

admin@eighthfloor.org — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:30:00 PDT

Came across this article in the Harvard Education Letter The title caught my attention, as an educator who oftened struggled to design thought provoking questions for my students. The article,Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions by Dan Rothstein & Luz Santana offers a different if not new perspective on learning, by having students design their questions using a Question Formulation Technique (QFT.) This technique helps students learn how to produce their own questions.
Teachers use QFT to introduce students to a unit, assess knowledge and to conclude a unit. The article includes all the steps you would need to understand and implement the process.
Love sharing!
Linda

Snappy Words

admin@eighthfloor.org — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:58:28 PDT

No I am not talking about a list of words to use for quick comebacks, although Snappy Words might help improve your word choice.
We all like free web tools that our students can use Free Technology for Teachers.com provides teachers with free websites and resources that they can use in their classrooms.
Snappy Words is a free online visual dictionary and thesaurus. Enter any word or phrase into the Snappy Words search box and it will create a web of related words, phrases, and definitions. Hover your cursor over any word or phrase in the web to read its definition.
Check it out!
Linda Jones
The Eighth Floor

YES WE ARE OPEN - From Construction to Destruction to Instruction

admin@eighthfloor.org — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:16:03 PDT

CONSTRUCTION

We had a record breaking summer. We offered the most classes we ever have. We had the most teachers we’ve ever had. We had the most enrollments we’ve ever had. And we had the most fun we’ve ever had. I would say the only dark cloud was all the construction in this area. Although presently inconvenient, it is much needed progress. Perhaps the most common remark people made as the rushed into class feeling late was that they could see the build for the last 20 minutes – they just couldn’t get here. The good news is it is getting better and better all the time. Participants who come for classes this fall will find it a little easier to get here, but should still expect some construction. Your patience and humor were much appreciated this summer. Finding the secret way in from week to week really was a challenge.

DESTRUCTION
In early August a storm tore the roof of our building. Being the top floor, we bore the brunt of the damage – losing 3 classrooms and all the equipment in them. Even though our offices we not seriously damaged, they moved us off The Eighth Floor until repairs can be made. We are now ALL sharing a large, open room on the Fourth Floor. It has been a month and we are still alive and speaking to each other! So far.

We have been told we should be back in our offices and up and running by the middle of October. (Hmmm . . . . sounds like the “two weeks” answer. All renovation takes two weeks, right? ) In absolute faith, we scheduled classes to be held ON the Eighth Floor starting in November. Still, we couldn’t wait until then to have classes. TTC and TCC both we able to find us some space here and there. So we are able to do some classes in October.

INSTRUCTION
Even though we were able to find some classroom space, we didn’t think we would be busy enough, and we didn’t want to lose the momentum from summer. So, we came up with our “October Scratch n’ Dent Sale.” The idea is that for the month of October, we would do District Requests for free.

OMG!! We had no idea how popular this would be. Between the classes we had scheduled and all the District Requests, we can’t put our finger on a blank spot anywhere on the calendar for the month of October. No Vacancy.

This is great news! I see a number of bonuses: we don’t have to worry about these classes canceling, we get to spend some time in new and different learning environments, we can meet consortium members who might never get to take a class on The Eighth Floor, and we can engage in more specialized and informal instruction. It has been so popular that we are trying to come up with a way to do something like this on a more regular basis.

Hopefully we will see you at your location or ours at some point this fall.

Just sharin’
Lee Anne

Three Things I am Thinking About

admin@eighthfloor.org — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:16:45 PDT

Three things I am thinking about as the summer semester comes to an end.

ONE: Summers are a blast at The Eighth Floor. I wish we could get that level of enrollment in the fall and spring semesters. *sigh* Maybe we can . . . ?

During the fall and spring semesters I miss the large classes and teaching every day, but in all actuality, we need that slower time so we can do research and learn new skills ourselves. But, as great as learning is, it’s still not as fun as teaching a class to a room full of fabulous teachers. Just sayin’.

TWO: My paycheck doesn’t make me feel like this class evaluation comment does.

“I really enjoyed all I learned in this class. The information and your modeling answered many questions for me, helped me develop a more critical eye for evaluating online courses, afforded me the opportunity to read the best research, and experience first-hand the best practices both as a student and teacher.”

If someone said that to me every day, I’d likely teach for free. I know a lot of teachers feel the same way. In fact, I am spending the summer with a whole bunch of them. There is something about being around these people. They love what they do and are inspirational simply by nature, I think. Here’s why I say that: they are spending their summer learning and no one is “making” them; they take time to share what they know with the people around them; they are constantly looking for ways to improve student learning; they love their students.

THREE: Technology has changed me as a teacher. I’m not even sure where to begin on this – which is why it is something I am thinking about.

I know that number one and first and foremost, I would otherwise be teaching English. Love teaching writing, but it has been an amazing challenge to learn to teach something completely new.
I have learned more about teaching in the last six years than I did in the twenty before them.
I look at students differently, and I see my role for them in the classroom differently - facilitator or manager more so than “teacher.”
I don’t prepare for class as precisely as I use to. I have to go with the flow and be ready for most anything and any student.
I spend more time getting to know what my students are focused on so that I can make their class time relevant to them and less time on what I think they don’t know but need to.
I am more connected to learning networks than ever. My influences expand beyond the building I teach in.
I learn most everything from people on the internet. (not college professors – Yikes!)
I don’t lecture so much as I have a conversation in class. How we consume information has changed – who can even listen to a lecture anymore.
I never teach the same class twice – I can’t! Students’ needs change and so does the technology.
I am connected with my students on multiple levels – social media allows for this.

These are SOME of the things that technology has change about me as a teacher. Technology has made me keep on my toes. Sometimes, paying attention at that intense of a level can wear me down. Most times, I love it. I am particularly curious how technology has (or has not) changed other teachers.

So, not that there is even a grand point to this post – but these are three things I am thinking about today.

Just Thinkin'
Lee Anne

Thinking About Rethinking it all . . . but I really just want to be playing.

admin@eighthfloor.org — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:23:40 PDT

It’s that time of year . . . meaning the time of year I try to take a few weeks off before the chaos of we call summer on The Eighth Floor! Unfortunately, it’s not looking like I will get to be entirely work free. I have a new class I am going to have to create during my time off, but hey, I don’t have to drive into work to do it, right. Someone suggested the other day that I just rely on the book this first time around . . . really? Show me a book on this stuff, please.

Whatever. I have some things I want to talk about because I have to get them out of my head and into someone else’s so that I can concentrate on my task at hand and get this darn class finished so I can golf and enjoy my time away from work! If I am nothing else, I am a sharerer.

So, here’s the stuff: In my research, I have run across many interesting ideas about where online education and technology integration and digital literacy are going, but I don’t feel like I can afford the time to really investigate and think about it right now. So, I thought I would take it to the tribe for conversation. (Love that word – check out this Seth Godin video if you want to know how ideas move these days http://blog.ted.com/2009/05/11/why_tribes_not/ )

First topic – Online Education. Recently, I commented that we are better at online education now because we know better. We have learned things like self-paced and one-size-fits all computer based training blows. (Let’s call a turkey a turkey, okay – I’m short on time.) We now subscribe to the idea that community in an asynchronous learning environment is a must. So, now I am wondering what we will learn next about online learning. Will we learn that putting content in a virtual environment and creating community around it isn’t really all that great? Can we be using online space better? Will we ever get a handle on blended learning? Will we ever quit calling it blended learning – maybe just . . . learning?

Second topic – Rethinking the definition of teacher, learning, classroom, education . . . you get the idea – just rethinking. There is so much talk about rethinking our educational system. Okay. There are some seriously compelling arguments to be made. But, no one seems to have any answers that don’t, in the mean time, harm the “learner. “ Many argue that schools as we know them have reached their limits in terms of real student learning. Are we producing “knowers” and nothing even close to actual “learners”? Is that likely truth a result of our blind focus on standardization?

I’m trying to see into the future – crazy, I know. But I thought I’d see if there was any conversation.

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne

FYI – many of my questions come from Will Richardson’s blog, Weblogg-ed.

Is Social Media Just About the Bandwagon?

admin@eighthfloor.org — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:41:48 PDT

The other day I responded to a discussion on Linked-In on the topic of social media – the questions was, should employees be allowed access to social media during work hours. Here is my comment: “It depends on what they are using it for. The same could be said for using a phone or a copy machine or the internet - what are they using it for? Most employees, at one time or another, use these tools for personal reasons. If there is a problem, it is usually centered on that employee, not the availability of the tool.” (It kills me that I ended two sentences with prepositions!!)

I do a great deal of my learning via social media. I would likely not be able to do my job effectively without it. So, I am of the mind that social media is a good thing. But, as you might imagine, there are many who do not agree. That’s okay. Not every situation calls for social media or even any technology at all – if you have been in one of my classes, you have heard me say that technology is not always the best tool to use for the job, it’s just one. I say this to show you I think I have a practical view of where technology and social media fit.

I have actually been thinking quite a lot about this whole social media topic recently. I am researching a new class I am doing this summer on digital portfolios/social resumes – NOT your mother’s eProtfolio – and the class is all about leveraging social media. Several thoughts are banging around in my head, such as:

What do we think of social media?
Do employers take digital resumes seriously? (I have seen a lot of evidence that they do, but . . . )
What the heck is social media?
Do schools need a social media policy? (Most businesses have them . . . )
Many feel that educators should be developing curriculum, not pop culture, and that is all social media is.
Why do we think the only use for social media is pop culture?
Is social media in schools too much of a distraction?
Can we help students learn to use these tools professionally - cuz they are all over them personally.
Can we ignore something that is so ubiquitous?

So, that’s what’s going on in my head right now. I am trying to visit many sides of the topic. Invite me over!

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne

Are We Any More or Less Comfortable With Technology?

admin@eighthfloor.org — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:35:01 PST

Are we any more or less comfortable with technology? I have been asking myself this question for the last couple of weeks. I like to think as educators that we are, that we have seen enough and been exposed enough that we no longer fear the unknown, that it is not unknown. I also like to think that as educators we understand that it takes time to learn something new. But, gosh, I am not sure. Or am I mistaking fear for frustration – or is it the same thing? Where is the “negative” about technology still coming from?

Recently I did a couple of workshop sessions on social networking tools. They were short sessions, 45 minutes. So there was not an opportunity to get into the meat of the tools (plus they didn’t have computers), but we would certainly be able to talk about the possibilities and what other educators were doing. The first session went great. There was much discussion and sharing. The questions were positive and insightful. We laughed. We cried. I was blown away. Really. The second session, however, was not so great – at least I didn’t think so. I don’t know. Maybe they were hungry since it was right before lunch or they were just over “technologied” or something. But there was not much about this group that was fun or positive. It was pretty clear that they were frustrated and kind of angry. But why? I had only just walked in the room – been with them maybe 5 minutes. Surely I had not had a chance to make them angry, yet.

It all started with the first comment after we watched a short video on the power of technology. I can’t remember the exact words, but it was along the lines of, “Technology is not necessary and takes up a lot of time.” I agreed that sometimes, that is the case. I don’t always need a pen or a book or even a chair to learn. Think of it as just one tool that is available to you and your students. Trying to get the conversation back to social networking, I mentioned Facebook as a jumping off point. Pretty much everyone in the room had an account or knew what it was. Facebook is an example of the power of social networking. Imagine having just a part of that energy in a classroom or a school? They looked intrigued. Yeah! We were on the right track.

One participant, however, was not okay with going past this point. He did not have Facebook and felt that this conversation could go no further until he fully understood. No definition or quick look or description was “okay.” At one point he commented that if he has one student that doesn’t fully understand, he goes over and over it. That’s wonderful! I applaud him, sincerely. I do that, too, if I can. But, this is a workshop on social networking on a Saturday morning, and it’s almost lunch time and we are quickly running out of time to talk about social networking tools for educators. I suggested that this class might be a great way to get familiar with terms and start to build a foundation and big picture for this topic. Other students chimed in that understanding all this can’t happen in a day. (Thanks to those wonderful people.) I could see his frustration building, but without completely turning the class into a Facebook lesson for him, I just couldn’t seem to find a way to get him to relax and just let some things stick to him. I could not convince him that he didn’t need to be able to use this particular tool right now to benefit from the discussion. There were more, similar sticking points. In fact, he had a whole pocket full of them, such as they just didn't have time for this in class and there was no practical application for them. Anyway, you get the idea. This teacher was not happy. And, I don’t think he’s alone, I also want to say.

I am still thinking about this whole event, obviously, and trying to make some sense of it. I am trying to figure out why this wonderful teacher (and I know that he truly is a great teacher) needed to essentially hijack this workshop to find release. Maybe this was a cut and dry combination case of poisoned well syndrome and too much technology for one day. The first comment was negative and everyone just went rogue from there. That is the LAST time I do a workshop right before lunch!! Toward the end of the workshop, one participant shared about an article he read that said schools won’t be able to afford technology soon and they will have to make a choice between teachers and technology. Talk about a slippery slope! How did we get from technology is time consuming to integrate to that machine is taking your job and there is nothing you can do about it. Kill the machine! Okay, so they weren’t screaming “Kill the Machine” at the end, but you get the idea.

So I am back to my original question: Are we any more or less comfortable with technology?

Just Wonderin'
Lee Anne

Quality Matters on The Eighth Floor

admin@eighthfloor.org — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:59:48 PST

Have you heard of Quality Matters? That’s okay, many have not. If you teach online or think you might be teaching online or work with people who teach online or do absolutely anything to do with anything teaching online – you definitely will be hearing about it.

Quality Matters is a nationally recognized program that is designed to certify that online and blended courses meet researched design standards as defined by the QM Rubric. http://www.qmprogram.org/about

Mere Mortal English Translation: These people got a wicked big grant and did a lot of research and came up with some design standards that can be used to build and shape online courses – to make them work really good. They created a rubric that is periodically updated to make the whole process easier. http://www.qmprogram.org/rubric . What I like is that this process is faculty/peer-centered – meaning the conversations and evaluations come from your peers. This is not an evaluation of the teacher or teaching methods. This is a set of standards we can apply to the design of online courses. The focus is on alignment of learning objectives with activities and assessment. Additionally, I don’t feel that the rubric crushes creativity, individuality, or spontaneity. Double additionally, schools can evaluate classes internally or invite external QM trained peer-reviewers for a stamp of approval from QM. I’m a fan!

Until recently Quality Matters has focused primarily on Higher Ed. There is now a Grades 6-12 Rubric. http://www.qmprogram.org/g6-12-rubric-standards-0 . As more and more K-12 schools offer online alternatives and standards based classes, this is available none too soon.

Through the Eighth Floor, I work with many of the Higher Ed and K-12 institutions in the Tulsa area. As online teaching and learning grow out of the early years, I see these institutions now looking for ways to find consistency online and a set of standards that will hopefully improve learning and retention. This is a struggle similar to face-to-face classes, but the online environment presents as many unique challenges and it does unique opportunities. We have learned that we can’t teach exactly the same way online that we teach F2F. The same goes for best practices in course design. We had to come up with a new way to look at online classes that guarantees more successful.

So . . . in rides the Quality Matters gang on their gleaming white rubrics. Yeehaw! I jest, but the reality is they really are almost super heroes. I have been running across this QM Rubric for years – encountered it in several courses I have taken in my quest to know more about the online world and have included it at a certain level in the Online Learning Series. The more I know about it, the more it makes sense to me. By the end of this month, I hope to be a certified QM trainer. I say “I hope” because the courses for trainers are HARD and not for the casual learner, not even a little bit.

This begs the question, why am I even getting certified . . . and I hope you are also asking what this has to do with you? There is now a growing statewide Quality Matters consortium here in Oklahoma, started by Dr. Dana Lindon-Burgett from Rose State – you may remember Dana as one of the facilitators in the Online Learning Series here on The Eighth Floor for several years. If you want to know more about the Oklahoma Consortium, contact Dana, dlindon@rose.edu . AND, she’s great at explaining all this stuff.

Here is our list of current (and growing) affiliates in alphabetical order:

Francis Tuttle Technology Center
Northeastern State University
Oral Roberts University
Rose State College
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Tulsa Community College
Tulsa Technology Center

I am getting certified as a QM trainer so we can offer training here on The Eighth Floor for QM consortium members in this part of the state. Some of the Higher Ed institutions are looking at offering online faculty a six hour training course on using the QM rubric. I imagine, without being required, that many faculty will be interested. I’ve taken it and it was worth the time. This short course was not challenging in the way I describe the trainers’ courses. I found this course to be quite enlightening. It helped me understand the QM rubric and get some practice applying it.

If you are teaching online, especially if you have been doing it for several years, Quality Matters will likely pique your interest. It has helped me see online instruction and course design from a variety of different perspectives. Plus, it’s got a good beat and it’s easy to dance to.

Here is a current list of QM Rubric Training courses this spring semester. Classes are open to members of the statewide consortium. These are all day workshops – but it goes quickly. If there is interest, we are happy to add more classes at The Eighth Floor! Contact Dana Lindon-Burgett for enrollment information dlindon@rose.edu .

Jan 11 Rose State
Feb 11 Rose State
March 4 Rose State
March 25 Eighth Floor
April 8 Rose State

Just Sharin’
Lee Anne

WHO IS 'HOGGING' THE INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD IN YOUR CLASSROOM?

admin@eighthfloor.org — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:09:09 PST

This article from Tech & Learning got me to thinkin'. (That is not so easy at this point in the semester.) http://www.techlearning.com/blogs/34792 .

The author, Daniel Rezac, discusses the issue of teachers "hogging" the interactive whiteboard in their classrooms. Students rarely get to touch them.

"Think of it: how often did teachers let students actually write on the chalk board? The overhead projector? The fact is, there's only one Interactive White Board per classroom, and there may be 25 or more students. There is never going to be enough time in one class period to let everyone have-at-it on the white board. Nobody ever heard of a 1-1 white board environment. That would be awfully expensive. Maybe we're going about this all wrong."

Rezac is not all talk. He actually offeres up some solutions for this "hogging" issue.

On the Eighth Floor, we are all about the integration of technology. It's what we do. I wonder if we are sometimes so focused on the teacher that we forget about the student. And by that I ALSO mean, I wonder if we are forgetting to let our Eighth Floor students "touch the board."

Just thinkin'
Lee Anne

When we say “Online Class” – What does that mean to you?

admin@eighthfloor.org — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:14:46 PST

Eight Floor Moodle Site

There are so many possibilities for the structure and format of a class, both online and face-to-face. When it comes to the Eighth Floor, you pretty much know that when you come to a class, you will likely sit at a computer and participate in active learning. Some of our classes are closer to a lecture/workshop format, but most are hands on a computer. But what about an online class? Besides knowing you are going to use your own computer, what do you think you are going to do in a class that meets online?

Although we have been offering the Online Learning Series for several years (a class that teaches teachers to teach online), we have just begun offering some new regular Eighth Floor classes online, such as Grant Writing 2, Crash Course in Copyright, Cyberbullying, Strategies and Tools for Delivering Online Content, and a new one for spring, Building Learning Communities. We are finding that each person comes with his or her own expectations and that is probably because no one knows exactly what to expect. Fair enough. Online learning is still in its “pre-teen-hood,” so there is room for variety, change, and growth still to come. Many of our consortium members have not taken an online class before, and some who have did not take very good ones. That means many people are not familiar with this kind learning environment. Again, fair enough. Let’s talk about it.

We like to think we have the whole teaching/learning online thing down. The reality is we learn something new with every attempt to teach an online class – just like we did when we were new to the F2F classroom.

We have decided on a general format for our Eighth Floor online classes.

Most online classes earn 12 hours of professional development. We design our classes to be about a week and a half long since we figure most people can find about an hour a day to participate in the class (this would be equal to attending a six – ten hour F2F class).
We want participants to be active participants in their own learning – it’s best that way!
Classes are meant to be interactive – NOT self-paced. That means you will be involved in class discussions and projects.
We try to provide a variety of information. This gives participants the opportunity to explore the topic further or drill deeper depending on their interests.
We try to keep content delivery simple and concise.
To earn a certificate of completion, participants need only participate with interest in all discussions or activities for that class – you can usually count on a new topic every couple of days.
We try to make sure participants have 2-3 days to complete each discussion or activity.

For some people, this sounds like a big time commitment – really, it’s not! Do the math. What it is is an opportunity to learn at your own speed but at the same time as others so that there is an exchange of information and resources. This allows for a real learning community!

Moodle Meets the Eighth Floor!

We are using our own Moodle site now for our learning management system. http://mdl01.eighthfloor.net/ . Having our own Moodle site means we can share! If you are interested in testing or holding a class or course component for your students in our Eighth Floor Sandbox, let me know.

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

The Eighth Floor is Building a Cyber Cafe

admin@eighthfloor.org — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:35:34 PDT

The Eighth Floor is building a cyber café. Scott has been chronicling the construction progress on our Ning site. http://eighthfloor.ning.com/ Check out the pictures. It should be finishce by the start of classes on September 20th. We are pretty excited about it, but I bet you are saying, “What does that really mean and how is this good for me?” Good questions! And, guess what? I have some good answers.

What does this really mean?

We won’t be serving lattes or muffins, but you can always find coffee on The Eighth Floor and sometimes Norma brings in some amazing baked goods she is more than happy to share. You will have a place to enjoy our epic view of Tulsa. You will be able to work on a laptop at a counter in a comfortable chair that Norma took great care in picking out. (She test drove A LOT of chairs!) You will be able to visit with others, either from your school or other districts or learning levels. Essentially, you can just hang out. You might even see an impromptu technology slam. (Are you trying to imagine what that would look like? Geeks don’t write poetry.)

Why is this good for me?

Okay, so, why is just hanging out good for you? On the surface it may seem like wasting time. But assuming that would be a mistake. Consider what you know about informal learning. In my estimation, this is where the lion’s share of learning happens – between the lines of formal /structured education. I have seen more problems solved, more ideas shared in the 2 minutes at the end of a break than sometimes in a whole day of “class.” Some call this just in time learning. In a culture where we want only the information we need when we need it, what better place to throw together an on-the-spot learning community.

And I care about learning communities because . . . .

The Eighth Floor is the perfect hub for your professional learning communities. Notice I said “communities” – plural. The reality is we can’t survive with just one learning community anymore, the one that for many teachers only consisted of the other teachers in your hallway or those who office around you. Now, you can create communities online for your whole school, your district, your state, for a specific subject, specific project . . . you get the idea. We have been relying on learning communities (or networks) all our lives. So really, we have been relying on informal learning all our lives. Learning communities might even be more important than food. Go ahead. Try to get through a day without a single instance of informal learning.

Please don’t starve yourself or vow to spend the entire day interacting with only inanimate objects. Just trust me on this one and come up the Eighth Floor and simply hang out. It is quite possible you will learn something.

Just Sayin’
Lee Anne

Best Summer Ever!

admin@eighthfloor.org — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:23:20 PDT

I must say, this has been a very good summer at the Eighth Floor...and it's not even over yet. We've seen 1000+ teachers, support staff, and administrators roll through our offices since the Summer session began. The virtual email bag was bursting at the seams with enrollments. As a result, we had to add offerings in August to accomodate the load. With less than two weeks left in the session, we are looking at a record attendance for the consortium.

Out of this group we have seen many returning (we don't want to say old, do we) faces and new. The Eighth Floor has welcomed many new districts into the fold this Summer. You may have noticed this when you turned to the teacher next to you in a class. The result of this is that many of you were able to network with old and new friends and in the process gain knowledge from not only what we have to offer, but from each other. In my opinion, informal learning is a very beneficial part of the experience here. Regardless of whether you are a K-12, Tech, or Higher Ed educator, there is always something new to learn from your peers.

Hopefully, this summer has been a chance for many of you to re-charge. I remember taking classes before I became an instructor with the Eighth Floor, and in addition to the new information I gained, I remember that feeling - that somehow I had been rebooted and was ready to go again in the Fall. There is always something new on the Eighth Floor to help you re-charge.

We have been fortunate that we have been able to add many new classes to our offerings this Spring and Summer. One favorite is the SMART Subject-Specific class we now offer. If you get a chance, check out our Teacher Spotlight showcasing some of your fellow teachers and the SMARTBoard lessons they created during these sessions. The Google Workshop had a great turnout, as Scott and Lee Anne covered "everything Google". Cyberbullying, Ed Tech II, Tech Tips for National Board Certification, Grant Writing - all of these classes as well as the rest were full and had great things to offer.

If you missed seeing us this Summer (we missed you) we still have several classes and a few special offerings (Teaching All Kinds of Minds, Teaching with Moodle) left this Summer. We'll also see some changes occurring to the look of the Eighth Floor, so stay tuned....

Citizen Journlism is Growing Up!

admin@eighthfloor.org — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:47:18 PDT

For years I have been fascinated by the opportunities the read/write web affords the average citizen – the greatest of that being a voice. I know I say this all the time, but think about it. Really. ANYONE with access to the internet can make a difference – locally or globally. And, it looks like YouTube is making this seriously easier, and still again even more easier, perhaps even the most easiest.

(Have you noticed an image change for YouTube since they are now a Google tool?)

So, check this out. I was, of course, attracted/distracted by this shiny article at Social Times called YouTube and the Future of Citizen Journalism. What’s happening is the world of citizen journalism is being validated and slightly formalized in what looks to be a respectable way. Did you know there was a CitizenTube? http://www.citizentube.com/ I did not. I think I may have heard/read about it somewhere, but it didn’t stick. Here’s how they describe themselves on their site: “CitizenTube is a feed of the latest breaking news videos on YouTube. If you've uploaded or discovered news footage, please tweet it to us (@citizentube) with as much context as you're able to provide.”

YouTube has also launched YouTube Direct. You can submit videos, interviews, digital pictures, etc. Here’s how they explain themselves on their site: “ [YouTube is] a great opportunity for organizations to leverage this online activity for video campaigns, coverage, or programming initiatives - but many find it difficult to connect directly with YouTube's community in a simple, effective way. We've just made that a lot easier with YouTube Direct.” My first thought is school news station that runs on the website. Could that work?

Anyway, bottom line as I see it is, things are happening in the area of citizen journalism that I see as a boundless arena of opportunity for our students and us. Whatever it is you are teaching – or whatever it is your students are learning – could be making the news. Additionally, being able to report on what is happening around them can help students see their connection to their local community as well as the whole big wide world. What do YOU think?

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne