Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Going Google District Wide Hangout on Air TODAY



Going Google - District Wide
gplus.to/amollica

Description #eduonair
Implementing Google Apps for Education in your district means more than adding Gmail and using a few 'Docs'. Google Apps for Education can replace many processes, subscriptions, and software by taking advantage of Sites, Forms, Sharing and Collaborating, Templates, Docs and more.




We've got a great group in the hangout today - Eric Griffith, Andy Littlefield, Alice Barr, Andrew Stillman... 

Hoping to have a collaborative/share session that leaves everyone with a fresh thought or idea on their Google Apps deployment.  
Google Apps Training Center


Some resources to help you 'Go Google - District Wide'

Google Apps for Edu Lesson Plans
Google Apps for Edu Recorded Webinars

Please feel free to add resources here as well in the comments or your tip or trick for Going Google - District Wide!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

New England Google Apps for Education Summit November 3 & 4

A series of Google Rock Stars are lined up for this event including Google's Senior Education Evangelist, Jamie Casap,  as Keynote Speaker and Tina Ornduff of Google Earth Education Outreach who will be leading an entire strand of sessions devoted to the Geo apps.

 It will be held on November 3 & 4th (weekend so you don't have to take time off from school) and if you've attended Google events already you know that this is full of information, collaboration, energy and FUN!  You will be inspired with ideas and meet other 'googlers' including Google employees themselves.  http://ma.gafesummit.com/


I will be presenting -

Getting Going with Student Use of Google Apps - The One Stop Shopping Experience Learn how a variety of projects created within Google Apps for Edu and other online resources can be weaved into a portfolio using Google Sites.  This is an ideal way for students and teachers to fully utilize the GAFE Suite while exposing students to a rich 21st Century online learning environment based in Google!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Getting ready for the European Google Apps for Edu Summit

The First Ever -  Google Apps for Education European Summit, is next week...  Here is a preview of what I intend to share -

Taking Google Forms to the Next Level - I am hoping to share with my audience, user friendly and easily adaptable instruction on how to take Google Forms beyond the step of a basic 'survey.'  Google Forms are one of the most popular Google Applications and so versatile.  They play an integral role in the 'paperless classroom' and more.  This is not an intro to forms and I am not a script guru ... so this is perfect for someone who is 'intermediate'...   

Learn. Create. Share. Portfolios w/ Google Sites - I have a hard time give a 'title' to this presentation.  I want to share how the whole GAFE suite of apps can support project based learning and hit a plethora of targets at the same time.  By using the suite - email, docs, presentation, spreadsheet, forms, and site (to begin with) a teacher/class can learn, create, and share while becoming more proficient with Google Apps and developing ICT skills.  Some courses or units of study lend themselves to using more apps and the accumulation of such projects (created independently, collaboratively or both), can be presented and shared as a final product in Google Sites that students can connect to other portfolios and keep with them beyond.   Having worked for over a decade in technology integration prior to Google Apps I have gleaned a great appreciation for the limitless opportunities it offers for creating rich and engaging 21st century learning environments..  



Friday, September 14, 2012

Starting My Day with Porcupines & Wolf


 I have the most placid dog on earth.  Wolf is his name.  Ha!  He doesn't bark, he doesn't jump, he just looks at you with his soft, puppy dog eyes and asks you to love him.  He doesn't seek out adventure by chasing cats or birds or any other creature.  As a matter of fact we have turkeys, deer, and even coyotes visit our yard and he just observes their presence.  Wolf is mellow.


Wolf is also predictable.  Every morning, 'hours before you are even dreaming about rising' Wolf comes into our room and sticks his wet snout in my face and wags his tail so hard it bangs against the wall like a drum.  There is NO ignoring this greeting.  This means one of two things.  I need water or I need to go out.  Today was 'I need to go out.'  On those mornings, Wolf goes out and 'refreshes' and then finds a spot to lay down either at the front porch or on a blanket in the garage (first pick).

About 5:45am,  I went out to the car to look for something and he was just laying placidly on his blanket in the garage (a favorite spot).   I smiled because he is just so freaking cute.  So I went over to pet him and tell him hello and was overcome with sharp pain as my hand encountered a snout-full of porcupine quills.  Of course, I'm flipping out, but there's Wolf, same calm Wolf just looking at me with those same 'love me' puppy dog eyes.  Poor Wolfy would have stayed out there lying in a bed of quills had I not gone over to greet him.  He wasn't making a fuss, just dealing with it.

My first reaction was to call the vet, but it was too early.  I couldn't stand watching him lick his nose and hurt his tongue.  He tried to eat and drink and well, obviously that didn't go over very well.  So, I found my tweezers and decided I would try and help this poor dog out of his misery.

Wolf is a 115 lb German Shepard so he is difficult to 'manage' when he is not in the mood to cooperate (you should see me drag him down the hall for a 'bath' - a real comedy show).  Amazingly enough, however, the first quill I could attach to,  I was able to pull out fast.  There was blood and I knew it hurt like heck.   He certainly wasn't open to a second stab at it.  

So I've got him on the floor and I'm sitting on him trying to get at the next quill and he is shaking his head back and forth. 

 I stop.  

He stops.  

He looks at me. 

 I look at him. 

 'Wolf,' I say, 'I can do this.  I can help you, just let me.'  He shakes his head 'No.'  So, I make another stab and he is just not letting that happen.  I get up and regroup.  I saddle him like a horse and go in for the kill.  I am hugging him tight with my legs and he's backing up and now he's is starting to articulate his distress.  I back off but not without getting another quill.  

It is not like he had a hundred quills.  If that were the case I would still be down on the floor wrestling with Wolf.  I followed him to another corner of the house, and again, looked him in the eye and said, 'Just one more, ok?' and he just calmed right down.   I was able to quickly pull out a few more.    Then when he went to lick his snout he realized it was getting better.  I could tell that he knew then that even though it hurt I was helping him.

At that point, Wolf held his nose out and let me finish pulling out all the quills and some of them, like the ones in the actual nose rather than the skin/fur area, were really difficult to pull out and I had to make several attempts.  Last one.  Relief.

Wolfie had breakfast and is now resting peacefully.  :)  Funny way to start the day.  

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Many NH Schools Have "Gone Google"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Many NH Schools Have “Gone Google”

NH Educators Learn 21st Century Skills and Schools Save $$$

Contact:
Allison Mollica, NHDRC Grant Coordinator
603.340.0873 | allisonmollica@gmail.com

LOCAL EDUCATORS ATTEND GOOGLE EDU “BOOT CAMP” TO LEARN INNOVATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Pembroke, NH, July 2012 —This could be the summer remembered as (many) NH Schools “Going Google."   Sponsored by the New Hampshire Digital Resources Consortium - www.nhdrc.org - NH school technology administrators and educators were trained by Google Certified Teachers and Trainers to help with their deployment of Google Apps for Education.

The NH Google Apps for Edu Boot Camp, and NH Digital Resources Consortium, was made possible through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (Title IID) Program at the NH Department of Education. This program awarded SAU #53 in Pembroke a grant to manage and lead the Digital Resources Consortium project. The NHDRC’s mission is to develop professional development, training and provide tools to help schools reach their 21st century potential.

In July, over 250 NH educators attended NH Google Apps for Edu Boot Camp at one of four locations across the state: The Seacoast Professional Development Center, UNH Manchester, Keene State College, and White Mountains Community College. The event was organized by NHDRC coordinator, Allison Mollica, with support given by the Local Education Support Center Network. Each Boot Camp was an intensive, 11 hour training where teachers received hands-on experience with Google's products and technologies, learned about innovative instructional strategies, and received resources to share with colleagues. To further extend the reach of this initiative, each Boot Camp participant will host a professional development session in their school district or region during the 2012-2013 school year.

Almost 100 school district technology administrators participated in Google Apps for Education Deployment training in May and June. Clearly this is the summer that NH Educators are “Going Google!”

What may be the most interesting to NH residents and taxpayers is that Google Apps for Education is available to all K-12 schools for FREE! This includes, email, web hosting, and more - potentially saving districts thousands of taxpayer dollars!

For further information about Google Apps in Education - http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/edu/

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Governor Lynch Proclaims Digital Learning Day in NH

A litte late posting this!....
 
Governor Lynch joined 35+ other states in proclaiming February 1st as Digital Learning Day in NH and our Hanover Street Third Graders personally thanked him VIA Skype to celebrate.  

Digital Learning Day was initiated by  Alliance for Excellent Education, and refers to digital learning  as a broad array of topics and approaches where technology can help in school reform efforts. This may be in teacher preparation and continuing education, STEM and innovation instruction, broadband access for all, using data to inform instruction, personalizing instruction, increasing quality teacher time, online/blended learning opportunities as well as using robust digital content in high-quality lessons. The Alliance seeks to use Digital Learning Day to highlight these innovative teaching approaches and celebrate the potential of technology as a force multiplier in America’s schools.    Watch the 2012 DLD Town Hall Broadcasts.

Lebanon School District has also started a blog Educational Technology @ Lebanon School District to highlight and showcase the various ways technology is impacting learning in our classrooms!  Please check it out!  

Image:  Governor Lynch with Allison Mollica, Instructional Technology Facilitator, and Hanover Street Third Grade Students (via Skype) @ the State House on Wednesday Feb 1, 2012.

Digital Learning Day in the News:

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Google Apps for Edu Prague Summit October 2012

Looking forward to presenting at the Google Apps for Education European Summit in Prague - October 2012.

Learn, Create, Share - Portfolios with Google Sites for K12

In this session participants will see how Google sites can be used with students in a K-12 environment in two ways - as comprehensive academic portfolios that showcase student achievement over time and as project portfolios where students create a variety of projects using Google Apps and other Web 2.0 tools and build a portfolio in Google Sites to showcase their "constructed knowledge." The idea is to Learn, Create and Share. This can be applied to younger and older students - if you are interested in using Google Sites for portfolios and need to create a plan with a vision, the information shared here will help you.
@amollica
https://plus.google.com/u/0/116502499532003007487/posts
amtechnology.org

Thursday, July 12, 2012

NH Goes Google Week Day 3 Google Boot Camp Keene @ KSC

Another great day for Google Camping.  The crowd is ready and interactive - working collaboratively together to learn and share.  Our Power Google Team Leaders - Kern Kelley, Alice Barr, and Richard Byrne really know how to differentiate instruction.  Accompanying their fabulous lessons are a plethora of resources for advanced learning and further development.   

The NH Google Bootcamp at Keene State College (Southwestern NH Edu Support Center) was made possible through the NH Digital Resources Consortium (special thanks to Stan Freeda, Cathy Higgins,  SAU #53, Mary Rubega, Helene Bickford, Deb Boisvert et. al) in partnership with SWNHESC (thank you Bev Straneva) and the EdTechTeam (thank you Mark Wagner, Alice Barr @alicebarr - The View From My Window, Kern Kelley @kernkelly - The Tech Curve, and Richard Byrne @rmbyrne - Free Tech For Teachers).  A lot of preparation and collaboration went into making an experience like this happen!  #nhdrc #gafe
Please check out these upcoming Google Apps for Edu Events going on this summer!  Don't stop here - expand your knowledge, collaboration and expertise!  Hope to see you at one of these!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

NH Goes Google Week - Day 2 Google Boot Camp Manchester

What a fantastic day for Google Camping.  The NH Google Bootcamp at Manchester (UNHM) ...was made possible through the NH Digital Resources Consortium (thank you Stan Freeda,  SAU #53, Mary Rubega, Helene Bickford, Mary Rubega et. al) in partnership with EdCITES (thank you Jen Lowton), UNH - Manchester Campus, (thank you Ginger Lever) and the EdTechTeam (thank you Mark Wagner, Alice Barr, Kern Kelley).  A lot of preparation and collaboration went into making an experience like this happen!  #nhdrc #gafe

Please check out these upcoming Google Apps for Edu Events going on this summer!  Don't stop here - expand your knowledge, collaboration and expertise!  Hope to see you at one of these!


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

NH Goes Google - 1st Day Google Boot Camp @ Exeter

Over sixty NH educators got up before the crack of dawn this morning to drive to Exeter's Seacoast Professional Development Center for the 1st EVER NH Google Boot Camp!  Richard Byrne, Alice Barr and Kern Kelley delivered an outstanding performance today!  Sixty educators from NH participated in this 11 hour training sponsored by the NH Digital Resources Consortium in partnership with our LESCN centers and the EdTech Team.    We covered Google Search, Docs, Drive, Voice, Books, Moderator, Sites, Calendar, Gmail, Video, YouTube, Forms, Scripts and much more!  The trick is now leveraging that new knowledge to positively impact how students experience life in their education.  Google Apps for Edu opens up a wide opportunity for collaboration and making learning fun and EASIER for both teachers and students.  We'll be doing this again in Manchester tomorrow, Keene on Thursday, and Gorham on Friday.  Thanks for a great day everyone!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

ISTE Take Aways & Resources

ISTE always has a variety of opportunities - for learning, sharing, networking, interacting, reflecting and more!  I always come back with more than I can do anything with but here are some of the things I discovered along the way that you might be interested in taking a look at.

Google In Education - offers 30 minute sessions at their booth - http://www.google.com/edu/events/iste2012/

Chromebooks with Hapara Teacher Dashboard  - www.hapara.com/chrome

Brainpop is an outstanding product that helps engage both young and older learners with curriculum topics and goals.  Don't tell me it is expensive - it is valuable. Of all the "subscriptions" I have experienced in education - this is one that not only directly impacts students - it gets used often by students, teachers, special education/support staff and even parents!  You can also get the app in the App Store for iPod, iPhone, and iPad as well as in the Chrome Web Store.     www.brainpop.com

iPad Cases -

  • Gumdropcases.com  - Nice protective cases for young hands!  (I like this one)
  • Tridentcase.com - Heavy duty protection but a little clunky to work with.  
  • MedgeStore.com - Supershell iPad case - most requested by our K4 teachers. 


iPad Apps -

  • www.nearpod.com  Synchronized use of ipads in the classroom to create engaging multimedia & interactive lessons!  
  • www.brainparade.com - Improve the learning experience for children with autism and otheer developmental challenges.   Powerful, portable, flexible, simple, intuitive, and KIDS LOVE IT!  
  • www.dexteria.net - Family of developmental skill building Apps.  LetterReflex (overcome letter reversals), Dexteria (improve fine motor skills) and P.O.V. (develop spacial reasoning skills.)  
Global Access to Knowledge of Life on Earth- Encyclopedia of Life - www.eol.org

Ebooks -
PD for Common Core & More! - www.pbsteacherline.org
  • Improve your instruction skill sand master new content!
  • Flexible, affordable, convenient
  • High quality, relevant and diverse course content
  • Aligned to local and national standards
  • Opportunity to earn Graduate Credit or CEU's.
Online Learning
Ok, now I have emptied the bag of fragmented materials that I brought home.  I do have a comprehensive list of iPad Apps for High School Special Ed.. I will share in my next post!






Tuesday, June 26, 2012

ISTE 2012 Day 2

Highlight Session Today

Growing Digital: Grassroots Google Integration for Staff and Students
Peter and Kristal started the session using a Google Form to collect information about the audience - role, Google level, etc.  Really great!    Here is a link to their Skyline site - https://sites.google.com/site/skylinecpi/

This presentation speaks to the "grassroots" initiative not a top down deployment.  

They shared a nice video that tells the story of curriculum and portfolio - of how they began creating online portfolios.  The deployment of portfolios has driven the use of GAFE in the district.    They reinforce the idea that using Google for portfolio allows teachers to leverage the use of Google Apps in their classes.  Students create their own portfolio pages/subportfolios for many class projects.  More and more teachers ask students to make a site for project work or competencies of the course, etc. 

Teachers have put Curriculum in Google Sites which helps facilitate the process of "modeling."  This also makes it so easy to share curriculum resources! 

Students learn how to create a portfolio in five easy steps.   Step 1.  Log in, Step 2. Create a Site Step 3. Create a Doc Step 4 Create a Link  Step 5 Post to the Site

Teacher tips!
#1 - Have student submit a form with their site address and email.
#2 - Teach them to share "anyone with the link" and then put the link in a form.  Google sites are shared anyone with the link.

We need to help students learn how to organize all their online world - with Student Learning Networks.

Use sites as a base for the Student Learning Network - teach them how to organize themselves by putting their schedule on a page, the bell schedule on a page, embed feeds from their Twitter, Facebook, Evernote.  Create a Page for each course - the portfolio becomes a cog in the students learning network rather than independent of it.  So English 9, 10, 11, 12 are sectioned on the same page with a link to syllabus and competency assignments.  The portfolio is actually a useful document that they use all the time as a Student Learning Network.  Teachers tell the kids to create docs and pages that are part of their LN - they join flicker groups, embed you tube channels, etc. 

  • Make a template with your twitter feed and homework calendar embedded in it and have the kid make a page.
  • Evernote has a widget so you can take notes in evernote within the widget in your google site.
  • Project page - can include resources - such a RSS feeds etc.    pasque@aaps.k12.mi.usStudent
  • Portfolio - Use as a table of contents to the artifacts - with links rather than creating pages and embedding! :)  Good idea! 
Yes, of course I missed the EdTech Team presentation - which was full by the time I got there!!!  But here is a link to the presentation... http://www.edtechteam.com/iste12

OK, I'm in at the end.  People - set up a YouTube Channel with your Google Apps Account!  Add short videos to your playlist! 

YouTube for Teachers - www.youtube.com/teachers

8:30-9:45am



9:30 Google
10:00 Google
Global, Creative, and Entrepreneurial: Defining High Quality Education [Concurrent Session; Keynote]
Location: SDCC Hall B1

Quick and Easy Search Tips
Chromebooks for Education
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10:30-11:30am
Dispelling Myths about Google Apps for Education [Concurrent Session; Lecture]
Location: SDCC Technology Infrastructure Pavilion (Hall D)
Henry Thiele, Maine Township High School District 207 
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12:15-1:15pm

1:30 Google
Google to the Max: 2012 Power Users Guide [Concurrent Session; Spotlight]
Location: SDCC Ballroom 20CD Howie DiBlasi
Web Apps Slam (repeat)
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2:00-3:00pm


3:00 Google
Growing Digital: Grassroots Google Integration for Staff and Students [Concurrent Session; Lecture]
Location: SDCC 4 Peter Pasque, Ann Arbor Skyline High School with Kristal JaaskelainenRolling out Google Apps
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3:45-4:45pm
Google Certified Teachers Share: What's New from Google for Educators? [Concurrent Session; Panel]
Location: SDCC 8
Mark Wagner, EdTechTeam, Inc. 
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5:00-6:15pm
Chromebook Classrooms [Concurrent Session; Birds-of-a-Feather]
Location: SDCC 30CD
Donna Teuber, Richland School District 2 with Pam Hanfland, Jason Markey, Jon McGreevy, MaryAnn Sansonetti-Wood, Janine Sears and Dan Sitter
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Monday, June 25, 2012

ISTE 2012 - San Diego Day 1

I cannot believe it has been an entire year since Philly!  :)  The ISTE Conference has so much to offer (and so often at the same time, it can be so difficult to decide what to attend!  I've decided to focus on leveraging Google Apps for Edu to create student centered, technology rich, collaborative learning environments, learn how to help students create ePortfolios that will motivate and inspire them!   I am looking forward to Helen Barrett's presentation on using Google for Interactive Portfolios!  I find that this conference has become about rich and engaging learning environments and strategies with a common denominator of technology!  It is so great to be a part of this community!  :)




8:00 Lobby DE - Student Showcase and Posters

EdTechInnovators - Jared Mader
www.edtechinnovators.com
email: jared@edtechinnovators.com
Twitter@rlmaderj

Other Showcase and Posters:
Reading Across State Lines - Virtual Literature Circles
Podcast Power!  http://tinyurl.com/podcastpower1

Common Core aligned - Find, build, and share curriculum - http://www.classconnect.com
CUE Rockstar Camp Session Resource Pages



8:30  Ignite Session - Presenters have 20 images each showing for 15 seconds to share their passions, ignite yours.  Presentations include - with short "takeaways..."  - These went by FAST!

 Fast five for Infinite Thinkers -Chris Walsh
 Quick hacks for teachers -
1.  Have students advocate for themselves
2.  Two minute rule - if you can find it online in two minutes or less don't TEST on it! :)

 Publishing Kids Creative Podcast Stories Online Using Haiku -Mary Ann Domanska - 2nd Grade Teacher. Uses technology to inspire writing creatively.  Gives students an opportunity to write freely - long term spaces of time for creative writing.  End product is to put on a performance. 
 1.  Allow them time to write
 2. Conference with your Students 1:1
 3.  Help them REWRITE
 4.  Publishing - a celebration - make a big deal about this - have an "author's party.

With an ipod the students do a "dramatic" reading of their stories - fun to watch and listen.  Stories are recorded and placed into Haiku - mdomanskas2ndgrade.blogspot.com

In Record Time: Disruptive Innovation to Say the Least...Traci House, DOT Joplin Schools
Joplin Disaster - review of the damage from the tornado.
Tornado in May School began in August.  Visioning Days - Fast forward a 21st Century Plan.  Textbooks are GONE.  Textbook free.  Intense PD - they don't even use Digital Textbooks.  Put school in a mall.  thouse@joplin.k12.mo.us


How Digital Video Changed One Teacher's Life - Rushton Hurley, NextVista.org
With a larger audience they want it to be GOOD!  With just a teacher audience they want it to be "good enough."  Free software and free webtools - allow teachers to make videos/students.
  • Challenged kids to creatively describe something they have learned in school in 90 seconds or less as part of a contest.  
  • "Kids can disconnected because they lose confidence..." "Kids create share and celebrates eachother's things..."
What If? David Jakes
"The opposite of What if is Yeah But..." -
Create a communication culture to support change.  Ask questions and challenges your thinking.  Say What if rather than Yeah but...


The Evolution of Learning, Past, Present, Future - Vince Leung co founder of mentor mob
Standardization came as a result of the industrial revolution.  Teachers are trying to engage with children of the future with methods from the past!  Physical access is not an issue anymore.  "The amount of data that is created in 48 hours is equal to the amount of data created from the beginning of time to 2003."  Our education system was born in the 1800's and while transportant and medicine has changed education has not.  Chilren today are advanced problem solvers, interactive, and critical thinkers.  Use real world examples like sports and video games - because those are the areas that they are willing to fail and continue to try to succeed.  Knowing what motivates children to learn is just as important, no, MORE important than knowing what they need to learn.    Top 10 problems of humanity over the next decade can be greatly alleviated by improving education.


Jump off the Testing Train - Lisa Parisi
"Testing is a runaway train - out of control.."The data collection is there to bring more money into the district.  In addition to 18 hours of testing they have to teach them how to take the test!  Weeks and week preparing for tests!  "Erase to the top..."  Not all kids test the same regardless of their knowledge and skills.  Lisa is going to teach to the common core - her way - in an engaging way without regard to the test.  She is not going to worry or have her students worry about the tests.    "If we teach well they will do well enough on the test..."  "I am going to keep connecting with other countries..."  "Testing is not teaching..."


Will Free Benefit the Rich? Justin Reich  @bjfr - edtechresearcher.org
"As technology innovation goes up, learning goes up..."  "Teachers will use tech with their higher level classes more than lower level classes"


19 Bold Ideas for Change - Will Richardson, Powerful Learning Practice
  • Forget open book, open phone - JUST GIVE OPEN NETWORK TESTS! 
  • Roll your own text - make your own wikis and build upon them
  • Google yourself - google your kids as well
  • Flip the Power Switch - 
  • Change the World- Do work that changes the world - we can do that now!  Publish.
  • Stop telling kids to do their own work - encourage collaboration!
  • Learn First. Teach Second
  • Stop giving workshops to teachers for PD - come having learned first and talk when you get there!
  • Share Everything!  
  • Ask questions when you don't know the answers!
  • I want to be found by strangers on the Internet!  
  • Unlearn what you know about teaching!  Relearn how to teach!
  • Resume Smesume...  Get an online presence - a PLC....  
  • Get a Network - Twitter, etc
  • Go free and open source!  
  • Create and Uncommon Core!  :)
  • Don't Deliver the Curriculum!  Discover the curriculum!  Engage them!
  • Disrupt the system!  
  • Tell people that Education is about Doing What is Best for Kids! 
Igniting Creativity with Movie Making - Selena Ward @thetechtiger
Selena finds students who find their passion through creating movies and more and more students are there.    Give them the first few lines of a script - start with a joke.  Theatre games - students come up with a variety of roles and expands creativity.  This is not about creating "hollywood films" - you get all sorts of things.  They are not good camera people or actors - and don't judge them for that.  Do they convey and idea or a can they persuade or guide?  Can they use their own tools, make their own decisions, come to a consensus working in a group?  If they can do this the job is well done.  There will be epic fails.  Crash and burn is not out of the realm.  The minute you tink of giving up, think of the reason why you held on so long!  When doing PBL don't look for perfection.

Tomorrow's Ignite 3:45pm 6A

9:30 - Exhibit Hall or Sails Hall Playgrounds
Brief stop at Google and Haiku! -

Special note!  My DAD just completed a surgery successfully and is in recovery!  THANK YOU GOD!!!!

10:45-12:15 - 33C CUE Rock Star Session "May the Forms Be with You (and Flubaroo Too!)  Google Forms for quizzes, surveys, rubrics and assignment drop boxes.  Then use Flubaroo to grade your quizzes and provide student feedback.  https://sites.google.com/site/rockstarteachercamp/isterockstar/google-forms

Create a Google Quiz with a Google Form....The trick is to create a page break with the answer after every question.  Then they pick the answer and when they click on Continue, it gives them the correct answer and records what they put.  Good for a study guide!  :)  Check out the quiz I just made!  

Tips:
  • With a Google Apps Domain, you can choose to record their name upon starting the quiz, if not make sure you ask for First, Last,
  • Ask for Email - With the Flubaroo Script it will email them their score.
  • Class / Period (make it multiple choice) - so you don't have it spelled different ways for the same.
  • Flubaroo needs to skip essay and short response - use it for selective response.
CoPresenter - Jennifer Roberts - English Teacher - Draw evidence from literature, use technology.  Prepare theme and mood in both books.  She had a series of text questions in a form - she published the spreadsheet on her blog, hiding the column with the kids name.  So the Doc is online, names gone, and they reviewed the input together.

With Flubaroo - you can have it score immediately, send email with results, you can regrade when you get more input, it will also highlight questions that a lot of people get wrong.

Ways/reasons to use Google Forms!  :)
  • Create a Wordle - from all of the responses in a specific column - text, etc.  
  • Drop Box - Turn in Work in a Google Form - name, period, URL (put it in your portfolio or website or make the doc public and paste the link).  Make sure they change the share settings!
  • Survey  Recommended - anyone with the link.
  • Create folders in your Google Drive for Quizzes, Surveys, DropBoxes, etc...
  • Publish Student Work - English - Name of Story, First Paragraph and Link (can be anonymous)
  • Rubrics! Use the Scale.
12:15-12:45 Find Lunch (this did NOT happen)

12:45 - 1:45 Student Centered Interactive EPortoflios with Google Apps (HELEN BARRETT!) SDCC 8
Simon Sineks - Underlying motivation for doing eportfolios...

From the National Tech Plan - regarding digital portfolios
  • Set their own learning goals 
  • Express their own views of their strengths, weaknesses and achievements 
  • Take responsibility for them!
What are Interactive Portfolios?
  • Use Web 2.0 
  • Allow for reflection in multiple formats 
  • Showcase to multiple audiences 
Student Centered - FOCUS on student interests, passions, and goals! Give them choice and voice in their portfolio and reflection. A tool to support lifelong learning!

The WHAT of Portfolios... Electronic Portfolio; Digital Repository; Showcase ; Collection of Artfacts - artwork, investments

The WHY of ePortfolios ... Reflection, Assessment, Identity, Learning, Guidance, Accountability
Employment  THE PURPOSE DRIVES THE CONTENT.

Suggestion for schools:  Write your vision statement. Determine what do you want to achieve with a particular portfolio.   Create an Online Portfolio Handbook. 

Helen talks about "passion..." Students need passion - they need to develop passion for things throughout their lives. She references Lisa Nielsen's Blog Post - Preparing Students for Success by Helping Them Discover and Develop Their Passions

Process and Product.  Social Networking Relationship.  There are many similarities between Portfolio and Social Networking processes. Technology has added value for archiving, hyperlinking, collaborating, and publishing. Students are drawn to friending/commenting - and we need to leverage this more in ePortfolios to make them interactive.

Balancing the Two Faces of Eportfolio - Working Portfolio and the Showcase Portfolio. This is where the Google comes in. Helen references Google Docs for the Digital Archive and Google Blog for Reflecting, Commenting, Collaborating. Sites can be used for the Showcase.

Reflection & Commenting - Use the Blog to post and get feedback and then link those posts on your showcase portfolio.  Reflection - Taxonomy of Reflection

Why Google?  Integrated EcoSystem  |  Single SignOn  |  Walled Garden  |  Transferable


NOTE: Make sure you use a GAFE account in your school - don't use individual Gmail accounts! (email me- allisonmollica@gmail.com if you want to ask me about this).
Level 1. Storage - Google DocsLevel 2. Reflective Journal - Blogger or Announcement page in sitesLevel 3. Showcase - Use Google Sites  
Quick tips!  Grade 12: Use Sites for Senior Project with Announcement Style page as a journal of entries... with project updates.  |   Use the Announcement Style Page to Embed a series of Artifacts throughout the year.

AHA!  Portfolios should be a conversation about learning...rather than just a presentation!

Even More!  TEACHER DASHBOARD! http://hapara.com/teacher-dashboard-for-google-apps $250/year for classrooms or $4 per year per student

Finally - Reflection and relationships is the heart of the ePortfolio. Conversations about learning. Helen says portfolios can help learners find their voice.

Further your knowledge while you still can... Helen has a poster tomorrow at 10-12 Table 36. REAL ePortfolio Academy... See the Dual Skill Development Slide.

PS.  The best way for teachers to learn how to teach Portfolio is to do their own.

4:30 - Google Chrombook Apps SmackDown - Google Booth - I am going to check this out again, I didn't realize there were so many apps and extensions!

5:30-6:45 - Room 4 Helen Barrett, Electronic Portfolios for Student Centered Learning Room 4

Advantage of EduBlog - tags, categories, reverse chronological order.  Can search on key words.
Advantage of Blogs - can transfer data from one blogging platform to another.
Wiki - (wikispaces, google sites, etc are a series of pages without the classification abilities but more control over the presentation).  Can set up a template.
Mahara - ePortfolio tool built in New Zealand - transitioned into K12 - was not originally built for K12 schools.  Integrated with Moodle makes it easier.  More time involved with Mahara.

7:30pm Google Meetup - for Certified Trainers/Teachers

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Join Me for PD in Your PJ's!


Google Sites - The Perfect Portfolio Venue

Session Description
No matter what your portfolio need, the Google Site has something to offer. Schools have struggled with portfolio issues such as storage, presentation, customization, access, and transfer of ownership. Not only does Google Sites offer a solution to those ongoing considerations, it is easy, fun and allows the user to gain many 21st Century Skills in the process! If schools have deployed Google Apps for Edu - "sites" can be used for comprehensive portfolio, competency portfolio, project portfolio and more!

Audience
  • Suggested audience: Students, university and lifelong learners, Educators, primary and secondary, Educators, university
    and continuing education, IT leads, School and district leaders, People who support educators , People who support students
  • Prior experience or knowledge: Beginner (very new to this topic), Intermediate (have some familiarity), Advanced (I am an expert in this topic, but always up for more learning)
Logistics
  • Time: 12:00 pm Eastern
  • Session hashtag: #portfoliosites
  • Conference hashtag: #pdinpjs
Presenter
Name: Allison Mollica
Position: Instructional Technology Leader
View live here or Sign up below to be a guest panelist for the session
  • If you simply wish to view the live presentation of this session, simply come back to this session page at the time of
     the presentation to view the live stream.
  • However, if you wish to be a part of the live Hangout for the session, please fill out this form.  The sessions will be
    conducted using a Google Hangout which can include up to 10 people.  The presenter for this session may choose
    several people to be in the live Hangout, allowing these participants to ask questions and offer comments as part
    of the live broadcast.  The presenter will contact people with more information later.

Haiku LMS - A Great Partner for GAFE


Our school piloted Haiku Learning Management System last year and every teacher who used it was immediately impressed and able to easily create an online classroom using it.  Using Google Apps for Education, Haiku is an easy add-on from the marketplace.  It has a great sync tool with GAFE so there is no user management other than teachers adding students to their classes.  The best part is that teacher can create their own classes - they don't depend on an admin to do it.  It is one of the most user friendly products I have ever used in K12 education.  The company is by far the nicest, most helpful, friendliest, responsive, honest people I have ever worked with as well.  
What is Haiku?


Start with a visit to the Haiku Site - http://www.haikulearning.com/
  • Click on the What is Haiku video in the top right hand corner.
  • Check out the Homework Annotator Annotating Homework online has never been easier -
    GREAT for MATH & SCIENCE!
Here are some other excellent resources to learn more about Haiku LMS.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Innovative Educator: Parents don’t look the other way

I read this and it gives me some hope as I continue to advocate for my own children.  One has chosen to do a blended homeschooling option and my other child is still trying to decide what to do next year.  School is rigid, inflexible and the rules don't allow for doing what is best for our children.  Thank you for this...

The Innovative Educator: Parents don’t look the other way: Written by Lisa Nielsen | Edited by Lisa Cooley, The Minds of Kids “Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.” ― George R.R....

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

I am so excited to be a part of the Google Education on Air Conference today.  I will post my recorded session here later this week!  

My session is about using Google Apps for Edu to combine student centered learning, universal design for learning, ICT literacy, with project based portfolio showcasing how Lebanon Junior High School incorporated Project Adopt a Country (PAC) to weave all of this together.  

The concept of PAC is not unique to Lebanon, in fact many schools have student study a country and do a variety of research projects.    What we are doing with this project can be applied as a cross curriculum study and to any grade level.  Currently the PAC project is completed entirely in Social Studies but our long term hope is that the collaboration will expand so students will complete projects for PAC in math, science, consumer science - etc where applicable.  

Google Apps for Edu has allowed for a one-stop-shopping experience.  All eighth graders spend the year using google docs (documents, spreadsheets, drawing, presentation and sites) as well as other great Web 2.0 tools (Glogster, Prezi, Timetoast, Animoto, etc) and learn how to embed code to display their work within their Google Portfolio. They learn about the "sharing" and permissions so that the embedded Google Docs can be viewed by all who view their portfolio etc.  

Students, when finished, can link this project portfolio to their comprehensive K-12 portfolio.

Google Apps for Edu has created unlimited opportunities!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012



Google Weekly Podcast 27 - edlisten.com




I was able to join this conversation about 1/2 way through and I actually think I threw the topic off but it was so helpful for me to have the opportunity to "hang out" prior to the EducationOnAir conference tomorrow.  Looking forward to seeing you at 7pm EST! 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Original Post can be found at: http://edtechideas.com/2012/04/10/earcos-2012-takeaways/

Google Apps in the Classroom

Jeff Utecht ran a great workshop entitled, "Google Apps in the Classroom," and began with a great buy-in statement of why we should be using Google Apps with our students "60 of the top 100 US universities now use google apps." Jeff then broke the session down by apps within the Google Suite and shared the following:

Searching

  • By giving us exactly what we want, Google hides things it thinks we don’t want.
  • Searches are based on
    • your past searches
    • # of links leaving from and coming to that site (that’s 1 reason Wikipedia appears 1st) the more links going to a site, the more authority that site has
    • Time relevance - more recent will be moved towards the top
    • Algorithms
  • Best part of Wikipedia is the bottom. References and sources
  • Wikipedia is not a good place to end your research, but it’s a great place to begin. Great overview, and lots of sources at bottom
  • Every student from grade 3 should know site:edu (and site:gov - but site:gov uses US gov. - use different country suffixes to find info from other countries).
  • Search by reading level (basic is about a 5th grade reading level)
  • site:ac = academic institution
Gmail

Docs

  • People hate docs because you get a large list of everything you’ve ever created or shared with you. Google wants you to just search.
  • Video: Setting Up a Google Docs Classroom (15 mins)
  • Question to ask when creating a doc: Who do you want to own this document?
    • Start with having the students be the owner and have them share with you.
  • Positive thing of students being the owner of their Docs is that it will follow along with them. You can Unsubscribe or have the kids unshare with you at the end of the year.
  • Templates within Google Docs are highly underrated and under-used. Check out the public templates
  • IDEA: Create a newspaper (students work collaboratively on different subjects) use a template. save as pdf > publish to youblisher
  • Flubaroo for Google Docs grades quizzes automatically.
  • We want kids to be able to find the answer. Google Ninja tests allows you to take it and create it at your school. Google Apps Ninja Master (create shirts, pins and stickers for kids)

Calendars

  • You can have students add attachments to calendars
  • Set up Mobile settings to send text message reminders
  • Use Appointment Slots for setting up meetings. Gives you a URL to mail out to parents that gives parents a “sign up for this slot” calendar that adds to your calendar.

Google Sites

  • So many uses: as a class website, student portfolio, teacher portal for students...
  • And then we ran out of time...

Google Earth Challenge

John Rinker led a great workshop on using Google Earth with students.

  • Resources here.
  • It’s our roles as teachers to make meaning and take meaning in the world
  • Often kids create great looking products but are lacking in substance
  • Have students put placemarks in folders
  • File > Save Project as...
  • 10 different levels
  • Having the different levels allowed for differentiation.
  • Then players who advanced more quickly became the experts
  • Can do recording of voice and music within Google Earth.
    • Called “Record a Tour” camera looking icon on main tool bar