Category: Uncategorized

  • Use a GMail filter to organize emails from students

    GMail has a somewhat powerful filtering mechanism that you can
    apply to incoming email. Unfortunately, I say somewhat since there
    really isn’t an easy way to select student email and take it out of your
    inbox. It won’t match on part of an address, so you can’t just search
    for an email address that starts with a number.

    What I’ve done is configure Google Apps for Education to append a footer
    for all email from students with the tag:
    #studentofkcs. That also means that if you are now a Google Apps for
    Education user or cannot automatically add this tag to the footer of
    your student email messages you will have to have the students do it
    themselves. Most email packages allow the user to add a signature to
    their email messages, they just need to be sure to add a piece of text
    that will be unique.

    To filter email from students, go to GMail and in the search field at
    the top of the screen enter #studentofkcs and hit the triangle to the
    left of the blue button with the magnifying class.

    Then click Create filter with this search. It will have a list of
    things that can happen to the message when it matches the search. You
    will want to check Skip the inbox (Archive it), and Apply the
    label:
    .

    Since you probably don’t already have a label (or folder, if you want to
    call it that) set up, you can click on the Choose label… and
    create a new label.

    I like to put an exclamation point in front of the label so when the
    list of labels are sorted alphabetically, the ones I’ve created are at
    the top.

    Click Create and then Create Filter. From now on, email from
    students will bypass your inbox and be in the your label created above.

  • Something about iPads

    [![][]][]

    I’ve been thinking a lot lately about iPads, Chromebooks, Android
    Tablets, and Linux laptops. In planning the next 5 years of technology
    in my school district, I know it will be mobile, but what device should
    I be thinking about? And then I noticed something very curious about the
    iPad and how people interact with it.

    In the past, when I’ve done professional development, there would always
    be some participants that would question the complexity. “Why are there
    so many steps?” “I’ll never remember all these!” Now with iPad training,
    I very seldom hear these comments. In fact, with all the hoops one must
    jump through on the iPad to do some tasks, people almost seem to enjoy
    it. These are the same people that would be overwhelmed with the
    complexity of doing the same task under desktop operating systems.

    Is this the epiphany that techies are missing? A device that defies
    our expectations of technology? The iPad with its touch and non-window
    interface turns the last 20 years of technology use on its head. For the
    first time in 15 years, people are realizing that they can use a
    computing platform that doesn’t have Microsoft Office on it.

    I’m reminded of a situation when I first bought the Nintendo Wii. At the
    time, motion control was brand new, and I was playing my brother in a
    first person shooter. He couldn’t quite get the hang of using the
    controller, preferring wild swings instead of using the controller with
    style and finesse. It was the first new gaming interface he had used
    since the analog stick was added to the Nintendo 64 and he was
    struggling. It seems we get too comfortable with what we know, instead
    of pushing through to see what we can do.

    These same discussions are taking place with the new interface of
    Windows 8. People are lamenting the loss of the desktop, even as
    Microsoft assures them that the desktop will still be there when using
    Windows 8 on a desktop or laptop computer. It’s funny in a way, I
    remember these same arguments when the switch from Microsoft DOS to
    Microsoft Windows was taking place. The writing is on the wall for the
    desktop metaphor. People don’t want to manually manage their
    documents anymore. Or the apps. And most importantly, their
    computer. They want to use it to get stuff done, and they’ve found that
    the iPad allows them to do it.

    As districts buy more and more iPads will the new paradigm of touch
    computing with a tablet be the future?

     

  • First impressions of the new iPad (from an iPad 1 user)

    [![][]][]

    I’ve had the new iPad for 24 hours, and it has already ruined me for all
    other displays. I noticed it yesterday, as I was working on my 24″
    1920×1080 monitor at school. It just looks bad after using the new iPad.

    As an upgrade to the iPad 1, the new iPad is a no brainer upgrade. The
    speed is amazing, but it’s the display that is the future. I don’t even
    want to use my 11″ Air anymore.

    You can read more in-depth reviews from around the web, so I’m going to
    try to pull out the little bits that may not be covered but I feel are
    important:

    • The #1 feature is the display, 2058×1536 in a 9.7″ package is just
      amazing. This is the highest resolution screen I’ve ever used, and
      text looks as good as e-ink on it.
    • Speed of the device is a substantial improvement over the iPad 1 or
      iPhone 4. I haven’t used the iPad 2 or the iPhone 4S enough to
      compare the two.
    • iPhone/iPod Touch apps at 2x use retina resolutions for the devices,
      giving the apps a more pleasant display. If you are running an iPad
      that is already jailbroke, there are apps to allow you to do this
      with the older devices.
    • I’m using my ZAGG/mate bluetooth keyboard from my iPad 1 on it. The
      new iPad is very loose in the keyboard case, but it’s useable.

    If you’re still rocking an iPad 1, it’s pretty much a no brainer to
    upgrade. The decision from an iPad 2 is better left for others to help
    you decide.

    By the way, the Apple Store online has refurbished iPad 1s for \$299
    right now.

     

  • Beyond Paperless

    [][]

    Slides: Beyond Paperless – eTech 2012(pdf)

    Audio: Beyond Paperless – eTech 2012

    []: https://ryancollins.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-13-at-10.19.33.jpg

  • The Wingstand: a stand for your iPhone or iPad and the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard

    One of the first accessories I purchased with the original iPad was the
    Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. I had grand plans of replacing my laptop with
    the iPad. That didn’t happen, Apple introduced the MacBook Air and I was
    hooked, but I still held onto the BT keyboard.

    Lately, I’ve been using it with my iPhone when I’m out and don’t have
    access to wifi. It works ok, but I was getting tired of constantly
    moving the iPhone, trying to get it in a good place to use it with the
    keyboard. I started looking online for solutions, since there were a ton
    of iPad cases with BT keyboards, I was hoping there would be something
    for the iPhone. It was then I stumbled across the Wingstand.
    Consisting of two pieces of plastic, it can be used with or without the
    BT keyboard to prop up your phone or tablet. It’s not Apple specific. At
    \$14.95 shipped it seems a little pricey for a couple pieces of plastic,
    but it is made here in the USA and it does work really well. I’m typing
    this post with my BT keyboard and using the iPhone (unfortunately I have
    to use the iPhone in the portrait orientation since the WordPress app
    doesn’t appear to switch to landscape). My original iPad fits with the
    Apple case on, and so does my HP Touchpad.

    If you are going to use an external keyboard with your iPhone or iPad,
    this might be an inexpensive way to work. Let me know if there are any
    other solutions I’ve missed in the comments!

    20111116-203716.jpg

    20111116-203730.jpg

    20111116-203737.jpg

  • The Senior Experience – Student Blogging for School Pride and High School Credit

    Madison Local School District
    Ohio School Public Relations Association

    AJ Huff – Coordinator of school community public relations

    The Senior Experience
    – class

    What
    – 21st century teaching and learning
    – language arts credit
    – students apply, 6 students in class
    – blog about their senior year.
    – Also go to the other buildings
    – They get a MacBook
    – Digital camera this year
    – Taught to be responsible with social media
    – Real life experience. Work in the administration offices during class
    period

    Student videos

    The project is the 4 Cs.

    Why did we need the senior experience?
    – additional help
    – Social media experience
    – Main Street Madison – parent lead public forum. People were visiting
    it for information instead of going to the school’s website.

    The plan:
    – First year the students were hand picked for the pilot.
    – Wanted it to be part of the main website
    – want video and pictures in the blog
    – promoting the seniors
    – highlight videos

    How is it evaluated
    – Students are earning language arts credit
    – students still have to take senior English
    – problem based learning
    – website hits
    – a lot less misconceptions posted on main street Madison
    – track top pages on site, blogs are consistently in the top 10

    People do want to hear about the academics

    Risks
    – safety: signed aup, contract, loan agreement for equipment,
    – Money: permanent improvement funds,
    – Responsibility: AJ Huff

    “Don’t be afraid to take risks, especially smart ones. ” – Steve Jobs

    Q: did you have to turn people away the 2nd year?
    A: received a list of 40 recommendations from the English dept.
    Widdowed it down to 20, then discussed with the principal. 12 were asked
    to apply, of which 10 did.

    Q: comments are blocked on the blogs, what about the FB page?
    A: FB page is new, but hopefully can turn negative comments to
    positive.

    Q: Any plans to open it to others?
    A: not at this time

    Q: How did you come up with 6?
    A: Original plan was they would be paired, because they work
    unsupervised in the office.

    Q: How will you use Facebook?
    A: Ultimate goal is to still drive traffic back to the website.

    Q: How often do the students post?
    A: In the beginning they tried 1 to 2 times a week, but that became an
    issue with all the other projects. Now it’s around once every 7-10 days.

    Q: How do you handle their personal FB pages?
    A: That’s really outside of the jurisdiction of the school.

    Q: How much do you change their articles?
    A: Quick edits, try not to change the message. Did have a problem with
    one post, student talked about the whole family going to Florida for
    spring break.

    Q: Controversal issues in the school?
    A: Situation hasn’t come up

    20111115-202957.jpg

  • Flipping the classroom with laptops

    Pandora Gilboa Local Schools
    R. Todd Schmutz – Superintendent
    Dr. Gene Lloyrd – Director of Technology

    As part of the project the student get to keep the machine when they
    graduate from school.

    The netbooks weren’t powerful enough, so now they’ve moved to more
    robust laptops.

    How the idea was born
    – Textbook costs and weight in book bags
    – Utilize 21st century learning skills and tools

    Need for change
    – Only 28% of Ohio students (2011) who took the ACT met all four
    college readiness benchmarks
    – 1968 Divergent Thinking Study by George Land – Created tests to
    identify geniuses.
    ? example question: How many uses of a a paperclip? 10 is normal, 200
    is genius
    ?? 3-5 year olds, 98% genius
    ?? 8-10 year olds 30%
    ?? 13-15 year olds 12%
    ?? Adults (31 year average) 2%
    ?? (The same group of students)

    Finite curriculum that we assess with a series of multiple choice
    questions.

    Need to focus on how we are teaching students, we currently focus too
    much on the what.

    Educators spend too much of their class time transferring knowledge.
    Then assign homework to be completed when the teacher isn’t around.

    If you’re using the iPad in the same way you used the textbook, you
    haven’t fundamentally changed the delivery of content.

    Flip the classroom
    – Transfer knowledge is the homework
    – Class time is spent answering/clarifying the knowledge that was
    learned for homework.

    Example old lesson:
    Round robin reading of the material, teacher adds their commentary
    through a powerpoint, then homework is assigned.

    Flipping the classroom
    Transfer happens on student’s time, classwork consists of working
    through questions about the material.

    Barriers to flipping the classroom
    – Availability and reliability of technology
    – Teacher resistance to change
    – The learning to read, reading to learn curve. Starting in grades >4
    it’s easier to work, students can read for instruction.
    – Educating parents about this chift in teaching

    Advantages of flipping
    – More time is spent on applied learning
    – 3Cs communication, collaboration, creative thinking
    – Student centered classroom

    If the presentation was flipped
    – Participants would have been required to watch the presentation
    before hand
    – Broken up into groups, watch videos of teachers in the classroom,
    discuss
    – Present findings to the group

    Implementation
    – What’s the home situation like? How many siblings share a computer?
    – Ownership of the laptops, students take care of the equipment.
    – Started with 8th graders

    Q: Internet access for free/reduced?
    A: Not provided.

    Q: Buying textbooks?
    A: Up to the textbook companies. Should they even buy textbooks?

    Q: How do teachers with multiple preps do it?
    A: Building it out slowly. Once it’s done, it’s done.

    Where do good ideas come from?
    – Does chance favor the connected mind?
    – Steven Johnson video
    ? Recurring patterns to innovations
    ?? Slow hunch
    ??? Good ideas come from the collisions of other ideas that are
    stewing
    ??? Tim Berners-Lee, WWW. Took ten years
    ??? Sometimes it takes a hunch from someone else to combine with
    another hunch for the eureka moment.
    ? Great driver in innovations is connectivity

    Important to provide
    – Quality tech
    – Adequate bandwidth
    – Adequate tech support
    ? 7:15am on Tuesday, 3:15pm on Thursdays

    William Daggett Rigor/Relevance Framework

    Filtering
    – We filter, exercise in futility
    – By law, not necessary at home
    – Ultrasurf: Created by the government for Egyptians to surf

    Move to year round usage?

    8th grade student
    – Watching the lecture gives him the freedom to pause/rewatch and
    repeat.
    – Can just ask a question if totally lost

    Science teacher
    – Gives students the ability to take responsibility of their own
    learning.

    Some students don’t like the flipped classroom, they’re used to the
    currecnt way instruction is given.

    Q: How do you do teacher training
    A: Training during the week. Additional training for the teachers with
    classrooms that have netbooks.

    Q: What do you say to someone who’s afraid of failure on the state test
    due to the change in structure?
    A: They’ve never had a student come back and say they didn’t do as well
    on a state test, they come back and tell how much better they are at
    communicating. Supt: I want to know how the students are learning, and
    believes that they do well on the tests.

    Q: How much time is spent on homework?
    A: More time right now, as they learn, and not all teachers are doing
    it yet.

    Q: How are you planning on staying up with technology? Software
    upgrades?
    A: Cloud computing has helped.

    Teachers aren’t excited about how easy it is to be fact checked. 🙂

    Q: How long is a video?
    A: Ten minutes average.

    Q: How is video delivered?
    A: Google Apps with Google Sites

    Q: When they leave what happens to licenced materials?
    A: District takes it off when the student leaves

    20111115-202721.jpg

  • Jamie Vollmer Keynote OSBA 2011 Capital Conference

    MY COMMENTARY IS IN ALL CAPS

    Author of “Schools can not do it alone”

    Talk about our power. A little bit about the need for change.

    Quote by Lincoln

    Mold public sentiment

    Others have done an excellent job of molding public sentiment against
    public schools.

    Governors think that private sectors know how to fix everything.

    Capitalism isn’t unlimited in its ability to create (?)

    THE TERM IS CALLED FUD IN TECHNOLOGY CIRCLES.

    If school leadership is the problem, then everyone else doesn’t have to
    change.

    NO BLUEBERRY STORY TODAY. 🙂

    Wall street journal: abolish local school boards.
    The farther the decision maker is from the child, the dumber the
    decision gets. Core principle one.

    People used to rally against the soviet central planning. Concentrate
    all power in the hands of a small group of people.

    Terrible trends:
    Demographics-percentage of taxpayers with children in school in Ohio is
    less than 20%. A lot of people have the been there,done that attitude.
    They have forgotten something. Public education has two reasons for ring
    developed. Individual benefit for students, the public good. Everybody
    benefits when they support the public schools. Every aspect of their
    quality of life is tied toward their local schools. Higher student
    achievement, lower crime rates. After 7-10 years, tax base rises. Teen
    pregnancy falls. ER use as primary care facility falls. Vote no leads to
    the degradation of their community
    Media is a “tad” negative. 🙂 negativity sells because we like it.
    Schadenfreude.
    At the community’s turf, at the communities convenience.
    The great clanning of America. School is there to melt us. What if no
    one ones to be melted anymore? “I don’t want my kids with ‘them’”.
    Races, socioeconomic, political.
    Tinker vs. school board, Vietnam armband protest. Past rights: “I had
    the right to sit down and shut up.”

    Parents are used to getting an advanced customizations. Every student
    getting an IEP?

    Engage your community, positive for schools

    It is the best of times. For the first time we have to teach all
    children to high levels.

    Education greats weren’t the a ha moment, writings by the father of
    public education, Thomas Jefferson. “Rake the genius from the rubbish.”
    we didn’t need a lot of people to think for a living.

    1965-77% of the workforce was low level skills. Making enough money for
    the American dream. Currently 13%. In 5 years, 5%

    We need thinkers, we can’t afford not too.

    Schools and their staff have the power to change moral sentiment

    Formal track of the great conversation, from the BOE. Go to where the
    community is for meetings. There are millions that hated schools. They
    hate going there. Go to them. In teams. Staff should front load the
    conversation. Americans trust teachers more than BOE of administrators.
    America trusts the classifies employees even more.

    Community understanding. The community doesn’t understand what you do.
    Jamie’s magic list. Things added in the last century.
    Not added a single minute to the school calendar in 7 decades. Download
    at Jamie Vollmer.com.

    The golden age of education never existed. Must break the mental model
    of what school is.

    Community must trust the schools. As understanding grows, so does trust.

    Community permission to do it differently. Need to stop grouping
    students. Y date of manufacture

    Community support. Can’t go from A to B without going through C, the
    community.

    5 Ss

    • Stop bad mouthing others in publics. Gripe to your spouse, that’s
      why we have them. 🙂
    • Shift your negatives to the positives. The more negative you become
      the more you compromise your immune system.
    • Share. Share something positive about what’s going on in your
      school. Something positive happens every day.
    • Sustain the effort, keep this up.
    • Start. Start this now. Whoever molds the public sentiment wins the
      day.

    Joined: moral and practical thing to do. We need thinkers. Poorly
    educated people are desperate, and desperate people are dangerous.
    20111115-202240.jpg

  • eDays, not calamity days

    MY NOTES FROM EDAYS, NOT CALAMITY DAYS PRESENTATION AT THE OSBA 2011
    CAPITAL CONFERENCE. MY EDITORIALS ARE IN ALL CAPS. 🙂

    Mississinawa Valley Local school district
    – Pilot school for eDays

    Replace snow days with eDays?
    – ancedotes: take away sled time? 🙂 Big learning experience

    Background/History
    – Supt. brought in through a video
    – Learning can continue when the instructor can’t be in front of the
    students
    – District covers 80 square miles, miss days after snowfall due to
    wind
    – Superintendent Wendel formalizes plan that is used as a basis for the
    house bill
    – House bill dies, could be due to lobbying from the AFT
    – Applied for waiver days from the ODE to try it out.
    – Big response from across the nation, spent a lot of time in
    interviews
    – Governor Kasich re-institutes the 5 calamity days and adds 3 online
    days to the budget bill

    School plan
    – Teachers are already required to come in two days in the summer. One
    was used for eDay PD
    – The other day was used to complete lessons
    – Teachers were paid for two days, but more was put in on their own
    time.
    – Prepare students and parents. Teachers took class time to show the
    students, parent meetings in the evening in an open computer lab
    – Variety of lessons, and a student product (an assignment and
    assessment)

    eLesson Components
    – Target
    Pick some standards that are hard to hit in the classroom due to other
    standards
    – Instruction
    Reading
    Podcasts
    Vodcasts
    – Teacher contact information
    –Duplicate the learning that occurs in a normal day

    Lesson types
    – Rubric was used to grade the lesson: Basic, Intermediate, and
    Advanced
    – Everyone was required to have a Basic lesson, but the goal was for
    the teachers to move to intermediate and/or advanced lesson plans
    – Component of an eDay Lesson: Student Tasks, Student Product
    – See Darke County ESC for rubric

    What happens on an eDay
    – Teachers/students notified
    – Teaches enable lessons, using First Class
    – Teachers will be available for consilt during day either by phone or
    email
    – Students have 2 weeks to complete assignments if needed

    What if students don’t have internet?
    – Initial survey showed that only 11% did not have Internet, 50%
    free/reduced lunches
    – Discuss with students ahead of time
    – Weather permitting:
    ? Community building open with laptops and tech coordinator
    ? School building will be open
    – 2 week window to complete assignments
    ? Work on them during non-instructional times of school day
    ? After school hours

    Sample Pages
    – First class

    WHERE IS MOODLE? GOOGLE DOCS?

    • Teacher is usually online to assist during the day
    • Only open up the current eDay’s lesson, didn’t want students to
      complete all the eday work on the first day

    WHY NOT? IF THEY CAN COMPLETE IT SUCCESSFULLY, WHY NOT LET THEM COMPLETE
    IT ALL?

    • issues that cropped up: lessons took too much time, computer sharing
      in households with multiple students
    • Teachers learned a lot of what works and what doesn’t work the first
      year
    • Found out some students only had dial-up, video was difficult

    NICE USE OF A DIGITAL CAMERA TO “SCAN” IN PAGES TO PUT ON A WEBPAGE

    • Lessons are stand alone

    I HOPE THEY AREN’T TEACHING SKILLS IN ISOLATION, THEY SHOULD BUILD
    SOMEWHAT ON THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR (MAKE UP DAYS WOULDN’T BE UNTIL
    ALL CALAMATY DAYS ARE EXHAUSTED, WHICH WOULDN’T BE UNTIL JAN OR FEB).

    • Surfing the Internet took a lot a time because there is so much
      stuff out there. Actually inspired the teacher to integrate other
      resources that were found.
    • Elementary PE: Timed sit-ups, push-ups, and measure reach.

    NO SHOVELING SNOW? 🙂

    • Teacher’s daughter wanted to do some of the activities after the
      eDay ended

    Statistic Comparisons
    – 100% of the teachers believed their eLessons were of high
    instructional value
    – 72% of the students said they were able to learn by completing the
    eLessons
    – 80% of the parents thought the lessons were of high instructional
    value
    – 52% of the students said the learning equaled what they learn on a
    “regular” day, 60% of parents
    – 100% of teachers, 57% of students, 67% of parents believed the school
    should continue the eDay program
    – Older siblings liked helping the younger students complete some of
    their tasks

    Lessons Learned
    – Too much time between the actual eDay and when they are due. More
    information and tasks were given than what would have been given in a
    normal class period
    – Students were frustrated in the completion of the lesson and the time
    it took
    – Students are passive learners
    – There should be no athletic practices during school time on eDays
    – Parents view parental involvment as something that occurs inside the
    school
    – Incorporate this type of technology throughout the year
    – Online time cannot equal chair time
    – Automated system for product return is necassary
    – Need a consistent, agreed upon method for student/teacher
    communication
    – Lack of completion consequences needs to be more fully developed
    – More parent/student prep needed
    – Need to have a contingency plan before you need the contengency plan

    COULD AN EDAY BE USED TO ALLOW TEACHERS PD DAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR?

    CONTIGENCY PLAN FOR SERVER ISSUES?

    Q/A
    Q:How do you deal with students special needs?
    A: Modified classroom teacher lessons

    Q: How did you structure your pilot?
    A: 100% of the teachers involved, followed the steps listed above

    Q: If two weeks are too long, are you going to change? Do teachers
    prepare lessons for each subject in self-contained classrooms?
    A: Havent approached the two week window. Teachers create lessons for
    each subject.

    Q: Moodle?
    A: Looking at it.

    Q: Costs?
    A: Practically nothing, since First Class was already in place. Already
    had days in place for PD. Probably 4 or 5 hours for each lesson.
    Research takes time

    Q: Union buy in?
    A: Union and administration identified the need and mutually agreed to
    it. No one wanted to be there mid-June. Waiver days gave them two
    additional days at Christmas.

    Q: No computer?
    A: Places open for computer use, and two weeks to have things done.

    Q: Outside of snow days, such as no electricity due to winds/ice.
    A: Discuss as a district.

    Q: Is there a real problem with students working ahead?
    A: It depends on the teachers and how the lesson was designed. What’s
    in their lessons, how it’s set up.

    Q: How did you report this to the state department?
    A: The survey data was reported to the state, along with the waivers
    for the eDays.

    Comment: Mt. Vernon had a day without electricity, so they just used the
    two weeks to get the work completed.

    Teachers in elementary use Moodle and theme lessons.

  • Need a cheap screen for your classroom?

    [][]

    Over at instructables Saul has posted his directions for using
    Tyvek wrapping for a [Tyvek Projector Screen][]. Since this is used
    for wrapping houses it is very inexpensive and somewhat durable. He used
    a pipe in one end to keep it taunt. From reading the comments there are
    ways of purchasing it without the logo or using other materials, such as
    black out clothe, that is available in white.

    []: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tyvek-Projector-Screen/