...tomorrow. My grand experiment to have my students live blog in class begins on Thursday. I've spent the better part of three months planning this idea out and getting all of the tools necessary to set up a Blogger's Cafe in my classroom. I have a two desks, two chairs and two laptops. I have kids that are willing to donate recliners and even one student who has a mini fridge their sister used in college! I have Back to School Night tonight, so I will talk to parents and see if they might be willing to help make the area comfortable. After much planning, this is how I designed my live class blogging.
Blogging Guidelines for Mr. Provenzano's Class
Everyday, 2 students will be in charge of live blogging each class. They will sit on the stage and take notes on the class discussion. Each day will be labeled on the blog and the students will post their coverage of the class in the comment section of the designated post. It is important that each student log in to the school site to ensure they receive credit for their comment.
The schedule of who blogs on each day will be posted in the class and on the website. In the event that someone is absent on their day to blog, the next student on the list will replace them and the sick student will blog on their day back. Besides the class discussion, students will also be in charge of adding the following information to the blog post;
Each student will write down the Word of the Day (WOD) and provide the definition.
Notes written on the board by teachers and students.
Mention any handouts passed out in class.
List any homework given in class.
Note anything that was collected.
Note any special announcements.
Type out any long term project reminders.
Students are encouraged to check the blog each day and add any information that might have been left out or missed by the student bloggers. Student comments will be collected and entered in a raffle to win extra credit points for the semester.
The daily blogging is a place for students and parents to see what is going on in class on a daily basis. Absent students will have a place to see what they have missed for the day. Each class will have a meeting place to comment and discuss the class materials.
This information is posted on my school blog for parents and students to access.
Here are some thoughts on why I set it up this way. I decided to award points for blogging. I will not be grading the content of the posts. They will receive credit for blogging. At the end of the marking period, all students will receive full credit if they blogged on their day. I see it as a participation grade. There is too much going on to fight the "Why am I doing this if it's not worth points" battle just yet. To get kids to engage in the notes after they are posted, I did offer extra credit chances. I felt like a needed a cookie to get them to the table. Only a small percentage of students will earn extra points and the long term results outweigh the small amount of points being offered.
A student asked about students who might write bad things. I said that anything they write will have their name on it because they are signed into the network. Don't write anything you wouldn't mid your parents or the Principals to see. Anything that is not appropriate will be dealt if it comes up. I'm really not worried about this issue, but I covered it with the kids in case it comes up.
I also explained to students that we are all new to this so we all need to be patient as we figure this out. I feel that was one of the most important parts of the conversation. Tech can be frustrating, be we need to be respectful and patient as we work things out.
There were a handful of questions, but I feel like the students were receptive to the idea and we will see where it takes us. I will write an update in a week with some thoughts on how things are going. If you have any ideas on how to tweak this idea, please leave a comment. I'm always looking for ways to improve my work.
Thanks everyone!
- @TheNerdyTeacher
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Proejct PLN: September Issue 1
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Proejct PLN: September Issue 1
View more documents from ProjectPLN.
Project PLN
Hi! I wanted to write a post to give a little more detail behind Project PLN. I woke up one morning and I was thinking about different ways to bring members of our PLN together. Google Readers can become overwhelming and not everyone uses an RSS Feed. I wanted something that could be accessible, but also easy to manage since school is starting soon. I thought about a digital magazine that would collect different posts from members of our PLN and pass it along once a month. It seemed like it could really work.
I contacted the one person I knew that would be super excited, and Kelly did not disappoint. We quickly used all of the Social Media tools available to construct a monthly magazine from Detroit and Denver. We contacted some of the big shots of the PLN and asked them to contribute the first posts to Project PLN. They were excited and happy to help us. Another reason PLNs are awesome.
Kelly and I have mapped out a rough idea of where we want Project PLN to go, but it really is up to the PLN. We are just organizers of the amazing content each and every one of you create. We want to expose as many people as possible to the great ideas and innovative lessons you share daily. We have designated themes for different issues to help focus the writing, but we are always looking for new topics to use in the later month.
We are going to be using Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and other social media to help spread the word. We will also make Project PLN available in PDF format! This will allow teachers to print off the magazine or attach it to an email and share it with staff at your school. Kelly and I want to make Project PLN accessible to as many people as possible. We want to include the voices of all educators, not just those currently using Twitter or writing blogs. With the help of you, the PLN, we can spread the amazing ideas of #edchat, and ll of the other chats, to teachers all over the world that are not yet connected.
Kelly and I welcome any ideas for Project PLN. You can reach us through our Twitter account, @ProjectPLN, email - projectpln10@gmail.com, or FaceBook. We are excited to see this grow into something amazing and can't wait to see the ideas that will spring forth from it. Please think about contributing to Project PLN. Your post could be the post that inspires another teacher.
Thanks,
Nick and Kelly
Project PLN
I contacted the one person I knew that would be super excited, and Kelly did not disappoint. We quickly used all of the Social Media tools available to construct a monthly magazine from Detroit and Denver. We contacted some of the big shots of the PLN and asked them to contribute the first posts to Project PLN. They were excited and happy to help us. Another reason PLNs are awesome.
Kelly and I have mapped out a rough idea of where we want Project PLN to go, but it really is up to the PLN. We are just organizers of the amazing content each and every one of you create. We want to expose as many people as possible to the great ideas and innovative lessons you share daily. We have designated themes for different issues to help focus the writing, but we are always looking for new topics to use in the later month.
We are going to be using Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and other social media to help spread the word. We will also make Project PLN available in PDF format! This will allow teachers to print off the magazine or attach it to an email and share it with staff at your school. Kelly and I want to make Project PLN accessible to as many people as possible. We want to include the voices of all educators, not just those currently using Twitter or writing blogs. With the help of you, the PLN, we can spread the amazing ideas of #edchat, and ll of the other chats, to teachers all over the world that are not yet connected.
Kelly and I welcome any ideas for Project PLN. You can reach us through our Twitter account, @ProjectPLN, email - projectpln10@gmail.com, or FaceBook. We are excited to see this grow into something amazing and can't wait to see the ideas that will spring forth from it. Please think about contributing to Project PLN. Your post could be the post that inspires another teacher.
Thanks,
Nick and Kelly
Project PLN
Thursday, September 2, 2010
New Teacher Tech Survival List
This post was orignially posted on my school blog, but I thought I would share it here as well. Enjoy.
We have many new teachers in the district this year and I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of great tools that every new teacher should consider when starting their teaching career. Do not feel pressured to use every one of these tools right away. These are just suggestions based on my experience and the experience of many other veteran tech teachers when asked. If you have any questions about any of the tools listed here, please do not hesitate to contact me.
RSS Readers
There is a ton of information on the Internet, it is tough to keep up with your favorite sites. Often you find yourself wasting time to check websites that have not been updated or you miss other sites that are are updated constantly. By creating an RSS Feed, updates to your favorite website can be sent to one spot for you to read. I prefer to use Google Reader. It's easy to use and you can access it from mobile devices. Here is a cool little video that will explain the process of RSS Feeds.
Tube Chop
Here is a great site for teachers that want to show some YouTube videos but might only want to show certain selections. Tubechop is a website that lets you take any YouTube clip and chop it down to size. It is very simple to use and does not take very long. Just select the video you want, select the portion you want to watch and click the chop button. You will be given a link or a code to embed into a website. This site can come in very handy if there is a specific part of a clip you want to show your kids without constantly resetting the video player. This can save you time in the long run. Check this site out.
Livebinders
Livebinders is a great site. It is a great way to keep any or all of the documents you have for a unit or an entire class. I have created a binder for my Graphic Novel Class. It's labeled as Pictorial Literature and it was a way from me to keep an organized binder of all of my new materials I wanted students to have access to. I was able to create individual units on each tab of the virtual binder and cut and paste my documents. Each assignment was clearly labeled and easily accessible for my students. As the Semester went on, I uploaded and linked more work to the binder. Each Binder has a 100MB capacity. I find it hard to believe that people are going to cross the 100MB mark, but you can always create another Binder. The Binders do not have to be teachers only though.
Students can use binders for projects. I hate having to carry around a bunch of different projects that students have created. They were frustrating in paper form and are a different type of frustrating if they are sent to my email or are burned to a disc. I use a Mac (Love it!) and might not be able to check the assignment at home if they used some weird program I don't have. Also, I just don't trust what kids put on their flash drives or email to open it at home. Livebinders allows anyone to create the binder and store on their website. With the ability to upload PDFs, Pictures, videos, etc, the students will be able to create a full presentation that a teacher can check from the comfort of home. For Social Studies teachers, I know you like to use binders for current events and other projects. A virtual binder would be a great way for students to link to current events and other important Social Studies materials that you can check at your leisure. Also, this is a free service, so it will not cost your students, or you, a dime.
I find it is a great way to store all of my documents in a easy to use location without taxing the school's servers. It also allows you to access handouts from the Livebinder that might have been previously saved at school. The Internet provides teachers and students with options, so it's important to try them out.
Drop Box
Drop Box is a service I use and love. I wrote a post about it last year. You should check out this post and see how you can use Cloud Computing in your life. Drop Box Post. If you are not sure what cloud computing is, watch this video to see if Drop Box is for you.
Social Bookmarking
In the old days, when you found an interesting website but did not have the time to read it, you would create a bookmark in your browser and read it later. That worked fine unless you wanted to read that page from a different computer. Social Bookmarking sites, Diigo or Del.icio.us, allow you to bookmark sites to be read at a different time and place wherever you have computer access. The title link will take you to a post I did on using Diigo with students. It has made my life a little more organized, which is a huge help as a teacher. Below you see a video explaining Social Bookmarking and using Del.icio.us. Diigo and Del.icio.us are both great bookmarking sites. Try both out and see which you prefer.
Twitter
I have written multiple posts in the past about the benefits of using Twitter as a teacher. For some reason, it has been slow to catch on with others. I can honestly say that I have learned more from the connections I have made through Twitter than any PD or grad class I have taken. When I have questions, my Twitter teacher buddies will have answers in minutes. You can follow me @TheNerdyTeacher and I would be more than happy to connect you to the teachers I chat with daily.
Why You Should Tweet!
Twitter in the Classroom
Hello Twitter World
There are many more articles and posts out there about Twitter and how it has helped connect teachers from around the world. It is an amazing tool and you should seriously consider using it.
Wallwisher
I love using Wallwisher! I wrote a post on using it last year. It is great for peer feedback for projects. Check it out.
Using Wallwisher in class.
Here is a screen cast I had to create for a grad class. Embarrassing, but helpful.
A collection of sites:
Below are a list of sites that I cannot live without. They are blogs and sites written by some very amazing people that will go out of their way to help you. I don't have the space to really list all of the sites I follow, but here are just a few to get your RSS feed going.
http://cybraryman.com/index.html
http://upsidedown.edublogs.org/
http://slav.globalteacher.org.au/
http://edutechintegration.blogspot.com/ (New post on using the SMART airliner)
http://www.ilearntechnology.com/
http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
http://www.thenerdyteacher.com/ (Yup, self promotion)
http://philly-teacher.blogspot.com/
http://www.kylepace.com/
http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/
I hope these sites are just a jumping off point as you continue to explore the wonders of Social Media and how it can make you a better teacher. Give it a Try!
- @TheNerdyTeacher
We have many new teachers in the district this year and I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of great tools that every new teacher should consider when starting their teaching career. Do not feel pressured to use every one of these tools right away. These are just suggestions based on my experience and the experience of many other veteran tech teachers when asked. If you have any questions about any of the tools listed here, please do not hesitate to contact me.
RSS Readers
There is a ton of information on the Internet, it is tough to keep up with your favorite sites. Often you find yourself wasting time to check websites that have not been updated or you miss other sites that are are updated constantly. By creating an RSS Feed, updates to your favorite website can be sent to one spot for you to read. I prefer to use Google Reader. It's easy to use and you can access it from mobile devices. Here is a cool little video that will explain the process of RSS Feeds.
Tube Chop
Here is a great site for teachers that want to show some YouTube videos but might only want to show certain selections. Tubechop is a website that lets you take any YouTube clip and chop it down to size. It is very simple to use and does not take very long. Just select the video you want, select the portion you want to watch and click the chop button. You will be given a link or a code to embed into a website. This site can come in very handy if there is a specific part of a clip you want to show your kids without constantly resetting the video player. This can save you time in the long run. Check this site out.
Livebinders
Livebinders is a great site. It is a great way to keep any or all of the documents you have for a unit or an entire class. I have created a binder for my Graphic Novel Class. It's labeled as Pictorial Literature and it was a way from me to keep an organized binder of all of my new materials I wanted students to have access to. I was able to create individual units on each tab of the virtual binder and cut and paste my documents. Each assignment was clearly labeled and easily accessible for my students. As the Semester went on, I uploaded and linked more work to the binder. Each Binder has a 100MB capacity. I find it hard to believe that people are going to cross the 100MB mark, but you can always create another Binder. The Binders do not have to be teachers only though.
Students can use binders for projects. I hate having to carry around a bunch of different projects that students have created. They were frustrating in paper form and are a different type of frustrating if they are sent to my email or are burned to a disc. I use a Mac (Love it!) and might not be able to check the assignment at home if they used some weird program I don't have. Also, I just don't trust what kids put on their flash drives or email to open it at home. Livebinders allows anyone to create the binder and store on their website. With the ability to upload PDFs, Pictures, videos, etc, the students will be able to create a full presentation that a teacher can check from the comfort of home. For Social Studies teachers, I know you like to use binders for current events and other projects. A virtual binder would be a great way for students to link to current events and other important Social Studies materials that you can check at your leisure. Also, this is a free service, so it will not cost your students, or you, a dime.
I find it is a great way to store all of my documents in a easy to use location without taxing the school's servers. It also allows you to access handouts from the Livebinder that might have been previously saved at school. The Internet provides teachers and students with options, so it's important to try them out.
Drop Box
Drop Box is a service I use and love. I wrote a post about it last year. You should check out this post and see how you can use Cloud Computing in your life. Drop Box Post. If you are not sure what cloud computing is, watch this video to see if Drop Box is for you.
Social Bookmarking
In the old days, when you found an interesting website but did not have the time to read it, you would create a bookmark in your browser and read it later. That worked fine unless you wanted to read that page from a different computer. Social Bookmarking sites, Diigo or Del.icio.us, allow you to bookmark sites to be read at a different time and place wherever you have computer access. The title link will take you to a post I did on using Diigo with students. It has made my life a little more organized, which is a huge help as a teacher. Below you see a video explaining Social Bookmarking and using Del.icio.us. Diigo and Del.icio.us are both great bookmarking sites. Try both out and see which you prefer.
I have written multiple posts in the past about the benefits of using Twitter as a teacher. For some reason, it has been slow to catch on with others. I can honestly say that I have learned more from the connections I have made through Twitter than any PD or grad class I have taken. When I have questions, my Twitter teacher buddies will have answers in minutes. You can follow me @TheNerdyTeacher and I would be more than happy to connect you to the teachers I chat with daily.
Why You Should Tweet!
Twitter in the Classroom
Hello Twitter World
There are many more articles and posts out there about Twitter and how it has helped connect teachers from around the world. It is an amazing tool and you should seriously consider using it.
Wallwisher
I love using Wallwisher! I wrote a post on using it last year. It is great for peer feedback for projects. Check it out.
Using Wallwisher in class.
Here is a screen cast I had to create for a grad class. Embarrassing, but helpful.
A collection of sites:
Below are a list of sites that I cannot live without. They are blogs and sites written by some very amazing people that will go out of their way to help you. I don't have the space to really list all of the sites I follow, but here are just a few to get your RSS feed going.
http://cybraryman.com/index.html
http://upsidedown.edublogs.org/
http://slav.globalteacher.org.au/
http://edutechintegration.blogspot.com/ (New post on using the SMART airliner)
http://www.ilearntechnology.com/
http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
http://www.thenerdyteacher.com/ (Yup, self promotion)
http://philly-teacher.blogspot.com/
http://www.kylepace.com/
http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/
I hope these sites are just a jumping off point as you continue to explore the wonders of Social Media and how it can make you a better teacher. Give it a Try!
- @TheNerdyTeacher
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