Just Around the Corner

School is just around the corner and with that comes last minute preparation for a year full of firsts. I am the Director of Academic Technology, I have redesigned my AP World History class as well as my World Civilizations II class and I am starting graduate school.

Director of Academic Technology

This is a new position at my school and with it comes a lot of opportunities and potential directions but will require a strong focus. As I see it for a school that is moving towards potentially becoming completely 1 to 1 in the next few years, my primary goal should be to make faculty and students familiar and comfortable with the tools that can best suit their needs. It is a matter of identification and simplification. At this point presenting too much would push our potential adopters away before they would even see the advantages of the technology I am introducing. Beginning a position like this will take tact and patience. You have to listen and build relationships before you go too far "off the deep end".

One of my priorities this year is to promote student voice. I am a coach, teacher, advisor and friend to many of the students on campus and one of the things I hear most often is that they aren't heard and don't know what's going on around campus. Part of my goal this year is to use technology to help resolve these problems.

AP World History

This will be my second year teaching AP World History and my focus this year will be to build the historical habits of mind that are required for the exam. My focus isn't to teach to the test but rather to provide them the skills necessary for deep examination of the content, which in turn will prepare them for the exam.

I have revamped my class so that it is much more linear in chronology but the class will work on document analysis, their writing, and debate as a way to support the chronology.

I will also be having professors from universities from near and far presenting in person and virtually to my students on topics ranging from Eastern belief systems to Eastern Europe in the 20th century.

It will be a lot of work this year in preparing the lessons and making sure the students are on track but the reward will be worth it.

World Civilizations II

This year I will be teaching one of my classes using the Understanding By Design method. My World Civilizations II class is going to be project based. The idea is that by using themes I want my students to understand how we got from 1450 to the present. The projects will be the final assessment as they work through the essential questions that I will present to the class.

I have overhauled this class in effort to bring in a deeper understanding of how our present was shaped by the past while helping my students understand the value of asking questions and investigation. One of the highlights for me will be the field trips that we will be conducting for each of the themes that the class will cover.

Graduate School

I am going back to school. I have asked myself a number of times why now. I have thought about this often especially since I am beginning so many new things at once as well as coaching my cross-country team. But as I mull over this I always come back to the same answer.

I am driven and see a M.A. program focusing on Technology and Education as a path that will provide me a better understanding of what how technology can further the educational landscape. As our world changes and schools grasp to keep up, technology will play a huge role.

While this degree will not make me a fortune teller, it will provide me with the skills to understand the trends as they occur and predict the best approach for my school.

And Their Off

And so on Monday the year begins, meetings will start and chaos will ensure. No matter if you are like me and are entering into a great deal of change or are starting the same job, simplify your life, bite only what you can chew, and take one step at a time. While my life doesn't look like I'm taking my own medicine, even with a crazy schedule if you set realistic goals and are persistent, you will succeed.

Randy Pausch and the "Last Lecture"

Randy Pausch, who had been a professor at Carnegie Mellon, passed away on Friday. Dr. Pausch was most famous for his "Last Lecture speech that he gave at Carnegie Mellon after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. His speech has been printed and has become a best seller. Due to it's availability on You Tube it has been seen by millions all over the world. If you have not watched it, please take the time to watch the "last lecture" below.

The Role of the Internet

Beyond the speech itself, the spread of his talks and the allure of his message was promoted via the internet. Through his website he updated the world on his cancer treatment and condition. His case became an inspiration for many and the internet spread his message even further. The ability to create a connection and a bond to someone who we may have never met is the true beauty of the internet. While Pausch's message in his "Last Lecture" was for his children, he has in turn impacted the lives of millions. The internet has the potential to not only simplify our lives but deepen them as well.

"The Last Lecture"

Cloud Computing

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how we make our daily work as seamless and manageable as possible no matter our location. One of the major problems that I have noticed as an educator is having my information located all over the place.  Another issue I see school's having is dependence upon infrastructure.

These problems can be solved with a solution like cloud computing. Because the applications and storage would be located online, a school could minimize its dependence upon hardware and licenses, cutting costs and centralizing access to applications and information. Cloud computing has the potential to bring laptops to more students as all you would need is a web browser and an internet connection to access everything from email to word processors.

Applications like Google Apps have the potential to simplify our lives by bringing all we need into one location. If we are to make technology a ubiquitous part of our lives, we have to make it manageable. The ability to have all of our applications n one location that is accessible on any computer with an internet connection will do that. Not only will it simplify our lives but it will allow us to go beyond the classroom computer and access our information anywhere.

photo credit: Creativity+Timothy K Hamilton

Lively: An Option For Virtual Collaboration

If you like the potential of virtual worlds for educational purposes but are afraid of the openness/shadyness of Second Life there is now Lively, which was created by Google. It is a program that you can download on to your computer. You control who has access to the virtual community you create.

The ability to create a virtual conference room that you design yourself without the fear of access from strangers should calm the fears of many educators when examining the use of virtual worlds. Lively has a lot of potential to bridge the gap for distance learning and could be a great "flattening" tool. I can't wait to check it out when they come out with a Mac version. This has the potential to do a great deal of good for distance learning and helping classrooms connect with schools from around the world, spreading cultures and ideas.

At this point in time Lively is only available for Windows.

Check out the promotional video that was produced by Google:

Study Rails

In an age where online distractions like Facebook and AIM are everywhere, a way to stay focused while studying is becoming ever more necessary. For a school or family that is serious about keeping their student(s) on task while studying, Study Rails might be the answer.

Study Rails is an online study aid that will help students organize their activities and assignments, avoid procrastination, and avoid online distractions. When ADD is being diagnosed almost as commonly as a cold, methods to keep students focused are at a premium. While Study Rails may not be the holy grail, it seems as though it is a useful tool that will help a student focus on his/her work become more organized and avoid unnecessary distractions. I have not played around with this tool but as my school moves towards a 1 to 1 laptop program, applications like have a great deal of potential.

There is a 14 day trial period and pricing can be as little as $7 per student per year for institutions. If you are interested, check out the demonstration video about Study Rails.

Understanding By Design and School 2.0

If you have a chance watch this presentation given by Chris Lehmann, the Principal of the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) in Philadelphia, Pa. His presentation was on using Understanding by Design as the basis of a school's teaching. Understanding by Design was created by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. The idea of Understanding by Design is based upon project based learning. Chris covers how this concept is being used at SLA and how it can be implemented at your school. He also included a wiki with all the information from the presentation.

The ideas that he presents take a lot of what we already know about project learning and gives the template and basis for that general knowledge to be applied as the core of your school's pedagogy rather than a part of it.

Enjoy the presentation via UStream:

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Visual Prompts and Writing

Today was my first day of tutoring at 826 Valencia in San Francisco. It was a lot of fun working with my student Gloria, a rising 5th grader, and helping her get prepare to write an essay prompt. I forgot how enjoyable it was to work with the younger students. In the process of working with Gloria and listening to her complaints about how boring writing was for her, I started thinking about how I could make writing "more fun" for Gloria and the other students.

I then came up with the idea of using Tumblr. If you haven't checked it out, it is a blog. But it is different because you can quickly post an idea, image, or video. I saw Tumblr as a great way to bring visuals into the writing process.

I created a Tumblr page for 826 Valencia. The idea is this. I have been taking pictures of interesting things around San Francisco. I post the pictures and then have an essay prompt connected to images that they either recognize or that interests them. I also posted a You Tube video to add some video to the process.

The part that will really make the writing process "more fun" for the students though is when THEY start taking their own pictures and posting their own prompts. All of a sudden, they have a vested interest in the prompt. Either they took the picture or their friend did.

It is important to get our students involved in the learning process. Using the Tumblr blog not only gives them a different type of prompt but it also gets them involved in the entire process. They don't just have to respond to the prompt but we can teach them how to create their OWN prompt.

Try it out with your own students. Get them involved in the process. Use more visuals. They will respond.

Also along these lines. If you have a chance, read The Back of the Napkin, it is a wonderful book that discuses the idea of using pictures to solve problems. I highly recommend it for any teacher or non teacher for that matter.