June 2009
June 30, 2009
With More Money, New York's Schools Add More Jobs and Higher Paychecks - Series - NYTimes.com
They have overseen a large expansion in annual school spending, to $22 billion from $13 billion, with the additional money pumped in from Mr. Bloomberg's budget and from the state. And that has allowed them to reshape the system to reflect the central elements of the mayor's philosophy: smaller schools, relentless assessments of progress, and higher salaries for administrators to attract top talent.
Evening News
10 Steps to Moving it forward-Cyber School improvement
Ten step to move an established cyber school forward
1.) Never ever forget what makes any school successful is it's teachers. The success or failure of a school can always be measured back to that single element.
2.) Administrations job is to supply the teachers with what they need to be successful and remove all barriers that stop this from happening.
3.) All decisions should be made with the students in mind, they are the clients.
4.) Practice what you preach, if no face to face contact is made with the students, teachers need to practice this as well. (i.e. no face to face meetings)
5.) Communication, communication, communication...it will solve most issues.
6.) Do not enforce know rules by communicating to the whole, communicate issues to the specific staff or students.
7.) Make sure teaching staff know that the internet and technology changes continuously, their courses need to reflect these changes.
8.) Teaching staff must exist where their student do, they need to have a professional online identity.
9.) Teaching staff's personal learning group should use social networking tools to access the best that exist in the world.
10.) Do not assume it is someone's problem to fix, if you work at the school it is your problem.
Quote of the day
"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars."
~ Henry Van Dyke
Google heads to grade school: New resources for K-12 teachers and students
We use the Internet all the time: at home, at work (especially at Google!), on the move, and, increasingly, at school. We believe that the Internet and cloud-based tools are a key part of a 21st century classroom, helping students learn and teachers teach in collaborative and innovative ways.
Official Google Blog: Google heads to grade school: New resources for K-12 teachers and students
Change
Well, today is my last full day in the office before I start the summer as I sit here and reflect upon the last year, one word keeps coming to mind "CHANGE". A lot has changed for the cyber school in the last year, our demographic changed from 80% GSCS students to a 50/50 split of GSCS students and out of division students. This change caught us by surprise and caused some interesting challenges, but I hope we are better planned for the future, if that is even possible. Our staff has grown to 33 teachers give or take one or two and at this size it was necessary for another change. We had to close down the cyber school pod. The pod was a location where teachers of the cyber school had a desk in which to work, but with the number of staff growing to 33 it is not possible to house all staff members in a single place. So with broad strokes we completely shut down the work center for teachers. They now must work from their home school or their home. In the pass we supplied, chairs, desks, desktop, dual monitor and high speed at home for our teachers, now we supply a laptop, period. This may seem like a lack of support but it is just a new way of doing things and we will find a comfortable way to make this work for all. Like anything new and the cyber school never stops being new because we are always pushing the educational envelope, change will happen, when we stop changing we will stop being effective. So we will continue to welcome change and now I think I will change into my shorts and let the summer begin.
Hope you all have a God filled summer.
See ya at the end of August.
Innovative Teacher Gala
June 29, 2009
The Evidence on Online Education
The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all. That finding could be significant as many colleges report that blended instruction is among the fastest-growing types of enrollment.
News: The Evidence on Online Education - Inside Higher Ed
Need Something? Talk To My Right Ear
We humans prefer to be addressed in our right ear and are more likely to perform a task when we receive the request in our right ear rather than our left. In a series of three studies, looking at ear preference in communication between humans, Dr. Luca Tommasi and Daniele Marzoli from the University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" in Chieti, Italy, show that a natural side bias, depending on hemispheric asymmetry in the brain, manifests itself in everyday human behavior.
Need Something? Talk To My Right Ear
Many Teens Say They'll Die Before 35
Univ. Of Minnesota Study Polled 20,000 In Grades 7-12; 15 Percent See An Early Demise Thanks To Risky Lifestyle
Shock Study: Many Teens Say They'll Die Before 35 - wcbstv.com
Dear Mum ... Thank you
A little laughter for all the Mums out there
My Mother Taught Me About...
1. My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION...
"Just wait until your father gets home."
2. My Mother taught me about RECEIVING....
"You are going to get it when we get home!"
3. My Mother taught me to MEET A CHALLENGE...
"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you! Don't talk back to me!"
4. My Mother taught me LOGIC...
"If you fall out off that swing and break your neck, you're not going shopping with me."
5. My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE...
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
6. My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD...
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job."
7. My Mother taught me HUMOUR...
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
8. My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT...
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
9. My Mother taught me about GENETICS...
"You're just like your father."
10. My Mother taught me about my ROOTS...
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"**
(** - this is usually said if you leave a door open)
11. My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE...
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."
And last but not least...
12. My Mother taught me about JUSTICE...
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you....Then you'll see what it's like!"
Grow up
U.S. Push for Free Online Courses
Community colleges and high schools would receive federal funds to create free, online courses in a program that is in the final stages of being drafted by the Obama administration.
The program is part of a series of efforts to help community colleges reach more students and to link basic skills education to job training. The proposals are outlined in administration discussion drafts obtained by Inside Higher Ed. A formal announcement could come in the next few weeks. In addition to the free online courses, the plan would provide $9 billion over 10 years to help community colleges develop and improve programs related to preparing students for good jobs, and a $10 billion loan fund (at low or no interest) for community college facilities.
News: U.S. Push for Free Online Courses - Inside Higher Ed
Quote of the day
"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are."
~Lao Tzu
Innovative Teacher Trip Hong Kong one
June 28, 2009
List
Quote of the day
"The only limits we have are the limits we believe."
~Wayne Dyer
Setting up Cyber Tracker
June 27, 2009
50 Useful Blogging Tools for Teachers
Blogging is becoming more and more popular in the classroom. Teachers can blog to stay in touch with parents and students or they can incorporate blogs from all of the students as a learning tool. The beauty of the student blog is that children from Kindergarten to high school can blog. No matter how you use blogs in your classroom, these tools will help you get started, enhance your experience, or bring the students into the fun.
50 Useful Blogging Tools for Teachers | Teaching Tips
Forgiveness
Quote of the day
Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.
Les Brown
Skype set up
June 26, 2009
Twitter Talk Ivory Tower Snobbish views cont.
RT @dcannell: I think a person who has been in the k-12 trenches has more to say about k-12 education than an ivory tower researcher person.
@dcannell It's too bad government education departments don't agree with you...
@dcannell yes and no. Both views can be powerful. Often those in trenches too close to see big pic. Those in tower to high to see detail
@dcannell I agree. Every prof and education admin should teach at least part time. Even the board admin - can you imagine it? ...
@dcannell ... I also think that teachers should be students. How about as student in a colleague's class? Great Pro D for teachers.
@dcannell You are absolutely correct!
RT @dcannell I think a person who has been in the k-12 trenches has more to say about k-12 education than an ivory tower researcher person.
@dcannell Probably, but won't each have different things to say, allowing both a broader and a deeper understanding of K-12 education?
@dcannell There is one ivory tower prof who'd argue with you. I'd love to see you go head to head. I got no where with him years ago.
KidRex - Kid Safe Search
KidRex is a fun and safe search for kids, by kids! KidRex searches emphasize kid-related webpages from across the entire web and are powered by Google Custom Search and use Google SafeSearch technology.
KidZui, The Internet For Kids
Over a million games, websites & videos reviewed by parents like you.
Quote of the day
Education... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.
G. M. Trevelyan, English Social History (1942)
British historian (1876 - 1962)
Needed
Textblocks
June 25, 2009
Internet for Image Searching
Would you like to learn how to use the Internet to find copyright cleared images for your work, quickly and efficiently?
Internet for Image Searching > START
Key schools policy to be ditched
The government is set to abandon one of its most significant education policies in primary schools in England.
From 2011 schools will no longer have to implement national strategies in literacy and numeracy.
BBC NEWS | UK | Key schools policy to be ditched
Twitter talks: Ivory Tower Snobbish views
Darren Cannell twitter:
Ivory tower snobbish views: It bugs me that unless you are a member of the ivory tower your ideas and words cannot be used to prove a point.
Darren Cannell twitter:
I think a person who has been in the k-12 trenches has more to say about k-12 education than an ivory tower researcher person.
RT @dcannell: (retweet) I think a person who has been in the k-12 trenches has more to say about k-12 education than an ivory tower researcher person.
RT @dcannell: I think a person who has been in the k-12 trenches has more to say about k-12 education than an ivory tower researcher person.
Darren Cannell twitter:
yet I spend my time trying to find peer-reviewed research to be able to accept and use the words of a k-12 career teacher.
Darren Cannell twitter:
great social networking which I learn much from but what I learn cannot use in my research because it does not meet the criteria
@dcannell (reply) I think that's changing in some disciplines more than others, but sadly, not all.
Darren Cannell twitter:
do you think it is changing in the education field?
RT @dcannell: I think a person who has been in the k-12 trenches has more to say about k-12 education than an ivory tower researcher person.
@dcannell at the IES research conference at the beginning of the month Arne Duncan called for more teacher-driven research initiatives
Darren Cannell twitter:
yahooo but are the ivory towers willing to release the power and control they have had for so long?
@dcannell I think its more about generating ideas from the people in the trenches. Hopefully that will lead to better communication
@dcannell too true, one of my greatest frustrations with academia
@dcannell It's refreshing to hear someone state their opinion. I stand by my right to agree or disagree upon occasion.
Darren Cannell twitter:
I am frustrated currently the PHD research course points me only to sources from the Ivory tower like the rest of the world doesn't count.
Darren Cannell twitter:
If it is not found in a journal or published it carries no value, might be why we are stagnant.social networking might jump start new ideas.
Darren Cannell twitter:
Not undervaluing ivory tower research but trying to value experience which is gained by doing not by studying oneself.
@dcannell Well said. Experience, participation, collaboration, learning from events rather than about events--these yield deeper scholarship
RT @dcannell: If its not found in a journal or published it carries no value, is this why we are stagnant scl netwrk may jump start this!
@dcannell I agree. There is much to be learned from "the trenches". Ivory towers are often a long way from the 'front line'.
@dcannell PhDs are given out by PhDs because you have learned the system. Like all schooling the point is compliance
Quote of the day
"The only thing most people do better than anyone else is read their own handwriting."
-- John Adams
Dyslexia
Blog Update
June 24, 2009
Kids cheating with tech but are schools cheating kids?
Cheating is cheating regardless of whether you use technology or old-fashioned paper notes. I'm appalled that kids may be using technology to cheat in school, but I'm just as appalled at how schools are cheating kids when it comes to technology.
Kids cheating with tech but are schools cheating kids? | Larry Magid at Large - CNET News
Quote of the day
"To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work."
~ Sister Mary Lauretta
Deer
June 23, 2009
Why We Build Cyber Schools
Quote of the day
"Do you wish people to think well of you? Don't speak well of yourself"
- Blaise Pascal
Digital Dossier
How aware are you of your digital dossier? Watch this time line of Andy's lifespan and find out...
Let's Get Real-- Online Networks Will Change Education
Just looking about myself here in Southeastern, Michigan, the phrase "industrial mode of thinking" is enough to send shivers down my spine. "Way of thinking" is the key. I've found that many of my colleagues regard my zest for bringing web 2.0 to the classroom as a novelty. One called it a "hobby." Others certainly see it as something one does beyond regular teaching. "When do you have time to learn it?" or "How do you fit this into everything else you teach?" And those are the ones who will even talk about technology without sneering.
Larry's Opinion Drive-thru: Let's Get Real-- Online Networks Will Change Education
June 22, 2009
The Online 'Attrition Puzzle': New Study Revisits Dropout Debate - Chronicle.com
Online students are much more likely to drop out of courses than their campus-based peers, according to a new study that confirms earlier research on what has been a longstanding concern in the distance-education industry.
Wired Campus: The Online 'Attrition Puzzle': New Study Revisits Dropout Debate - Chronicle.com
Cyber School Who Pays
Foniks
eLearning Skills Then and Now
Have you noticed a change in the focus of your eLearning skill set over the past few years? I've noticed a change in mine. I'm doing more work with existing products and services, instead of developing things from scratch. And I find that I'm doing more research and development of learning technology tools now that so many options are available. I'm also doing less and less work with the LMS. I'd like to know: Is it just me? Have you seen your role change? And if so, how?
eLearning Skills Then and Now « eLearning Weekly
Quote of the day
"Our schools are designed so that most real learning has to occur at home." - Brain Rules, John Medina
That's Not Cool
Your cell phone, IM, and social networks are all a digital extension of who you are. When someone you're with pressures you or disrespects you in those places, that's not cool.
Actual Analogies from High School Essays
Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two other sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
Fun Meme | Actual Analogies from High School Essays
June 21, 2009
Cyber School Web2.0 Tools
Wage Structure
Growing up
Quote of the day
You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
~Dr. Seuss
June 20, 2009
Tracking Tools
God made
Quote of the day
"A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition."
--William Arthur Ward
June 19, 2009
Cyber School Toys
eLearning, Web 2.0, Blogging, and the stuff inbetween
For a while now I've been happily RT'ing (re-twetting) resources and links in Twitter and then it suddenly struck me. "Bugger, where was that really good link about something that was really good but I can't remember what-it-was or where-I-found-it now?".
So, here is a series of links to websites that have made a difference over the last few weeks:
eLearning, Web 2.0, Blogging, and the stuff inbetween | eLearning Blog // Don't Waste Your Time ...
God believes
:: K12 Experiential Education ::
Educational Reporting, Inc. (ERI) is a portal to explore K12 experiential education. ERI provides specific approiate links to tools, articles, trends and news that substantiate experiential education. Users have free access to comprehensive resources on curriculum, classroom tools, project learning, service learning, critical thinking, education reports, teaching with technology, and professional development.
:: K12 Experiential Education ::
Quote of the day
"So it means a great deal when a young man can come to regard his life work as the most fascinating game that he knows."
C. Hopkins
June 18, 2009
Smoke Sandbox - Smoke Sandbox
This is interesting...a good collection of resources
Teacher Selection
How To Become More Optimistic
Optimism simply means focusing on what can go right. Optimists are happier because they expect and anticipate good things to happen to them in their work life and beyond. They also see the best in every situation.
The case for optimism is a very strong one indeed. Optimists are happier, more successful, healthier, experience less stress, have better relationships and live longer. Crucially, there is plenty of evidence to support the fact that pessimists can learn to be more optimistic.
Optimism is all about how you explain the world around you. Psychologists call this your explanatory style. Your explanatory style refers to the way in which you explain the events that happen in your life, and the meaning you give to that explanation.
Plain Sailing In Schools » Blog Archive » How To Become More Optimistic
Tips For Writing Great Reports
One of the key elements of a good report is knowledge. Teachers deliver programmes of study through a sequence of lessons. As the lessons are being delivered and the pupils are learning, evidence of this learning is being compiled. The evidence may be transitory - through oral questions and answers, discussions and practical work such as that found in subjects like drama or physical education.
Plain Sailing In Schools » Blog Archive » Tips For Writing Great Reports
Brainpower Beyond Sea of Cynicism
If you enjoy your workplace and find yourself coming up with refreshing solutions to stubborn problems, you likely also make choices that cynics rarely get. How so?
Allow no judgments when brainstorming new ideas. Suggest that no criticism be made against any offering until all insights are welcomed and displayed. Remind folks ahead that naysaying shuts out mental creativity.
Brainpower Beyond Sea of Cynicism - Brain Leaders and Learners
Liven Up eLearning Courses With A Funny Quiz
Making good eLearning courses is a developing art. As a trainer, your goal is to make the training memorable. As you design the course, you must design not only the "what" (or content), but also the "how" (the delivery mechanisms). Integrating a funny quiz (like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire") into an eLearning course is an easy way to capture the attention of learners and make your course memorable. Learners will quickly interact with key concepts for your course.
Webinar Wire / Liven Up eLearning Courses With A Funny Quiz
Go ahead
Quote of the day
"Position doesn't make a leader. Title may give authority, but not influence. Influence comes from the person; it must be earned."
J Maxwell
June 17, 2009
A little slice of heaven
I don't care what the doctor says this would be so good for me.
Educating the Net Generation
The publication Educating the Net Generation: A Handbook of Findings for Practice and Policy is now available to download.
The Handbook is the main outcome of the Educating the Net Generation project. It provides a set of practice and policy guidelines developed from the project findings.
Hand Book : Educating the Net Generation : The University of Melbourne
TADO
Strength
UP
There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps
has more meanings than any other two-letter word,
and that word is 'UP.'
It is listed in the dictionary as being used as
an [adv],[prep],[adj.], [n] or [v].
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky
or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning,
why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ?
Why do we speak UP,
and why are the officers UP for election
and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room,
polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers
and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house
and some guys fix UP the old car.
At other times the little word has a real special meaning.
People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite,
and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this up is confusing:
A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP !
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP ,
look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary,
it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about
thirty definitions
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the
many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time,
but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP .
When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.
When it rains, it wets UP the earth.
When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now ........
my time is UP , so time to shut UP!
Oh...one more thing:
What is the first thing you do in the morning
& the last thing you do at night? U P
Quote of the day
The one who first resorts to violence shows that he has no more arguments.
Chinese adage.
Coming to a screen near you
Distance learning is a success, with the provision and demand for it and the technology to support it on the rise. But, as Hannah Fearn reports, the pace of change can make it hard to keep up
Times Higher Education - Coming to a screen near you
How to measure innovation in eLearning
This paper presents and discusses innovation in relation to the European project Innovative Approaches for a Full Inclusion in eLearning (i-AFIEL) and, in particular, the methodology applied to measure innovation in eLearning projects developed by the Spanish OVSI Foundation. The paper focuses on the concept of innovation and the three key aspects related to the eLearning context: technological innovation, sociological innovation and service customization.
How to measure innovation in eLearning. The i-AFIEL methodology
June 16, 2009
Student Lounge Tools
Student Lounge
Ambiguity
VoiceThread
Group conversations around images, documents, and videos.
With VoiceThread, group conversations are collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world. All with no software to install.
A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate pages and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too.
Users can doodle while commenting, use multiple identities, and pick which comments are shown through moderation. VoiceThreads can even be embedded to show and receive comments on other websites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as archival movies.
VoiceThread - Group conversations around images, documents, and videos
Welcome to cyber school Power point
This slide presentation is on display in the cyber school as you enter. Thanks to R. Stromberg for its creation.
Quote of the day
Setting a good example for children takes all the fun out of middle age
- William Feather
June 15, 2009
I love Smart Boards
Hunch
In 10 questions or less, Hunch will offer you a great solution to your problem, concern or dilemma, on hundreds of topics. Hunch's answers are based on the collective knowledge of the entire Hunch community, narrowed down to people like you, or just enough like you that you might be mistaken for each other in a dark room. Hunch is designed so that every time it's used, it learns something new. That means Hunch's hunches are always getting better.
Hunch was started by clever folks who were exploring how machine learning could be used to guide practical decision-making.
Peace
VHEMT
I don't know what to say about this site.
Innovation and Motivation
Where exactly does the motivation for innovation come from? Is the act of inventing buried deep within our evolutionary context? Is there an "invention gene" that makes certain people better at inventing fire, steam engines, iPhones and social network engines?
Innovation and Motivation | Psychology Today
Quote of the day
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.
-Maria Robinson
Poor knowledge of history 'shocking'
Canadian high school students need a history lesson. Four provinces received a failing grade for their Canadian history curriculum in the latest Canadian History Report Card, released by the Dominion Institute of Canada Monday.
Poor knowledge of history 'shocking': Dominion Institute
xtimeline - Explore and Create Free Timelines
When we developed the timeline tool, our friends thought of many ways to creatively use the timeline. Some of them thought the timeline could become a great public service, a resource for history education and for debate over current issues. Others wanted to create biographical timelines for celebrities and their scandalous relationships.
The ability of these timelines to entertain and educate convinced us that other people would enjoy our timeline as much we do. And that's how xtimeline came to have a home of its own.
xtimeline - Explore and Create Free Timelines
Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech
he concept of student involved assessment is hard to deny as a powerful learning practice. Students taking care of their own learning and being able to use meta-cognition to dissect understanding and progress and seek ideas and support to learn more. The work of Rick Stiggins and others provides extensive research into this practice as the most important component leading to student achievement.
Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Student Involved Assessment
The Future of Education: Youtwitface to teach.
We are currently living in a technogically-advanced world and the Internet has been highly-regarded as a necessity in life and not a want anymore. As a 15-Year-Old student, I spend several hours on the net daily to find information on Wikipedia for my school projects, watch Barack Obama's speeches on YouTube, and get in touch with my friends on social networking websites Facebook and Twitter. For the past generations, kids like me do not even get a chance to surf the Internet at all when they are young.
The Future of Education: Teachers to use Facebook, Twitter & YouTube to Teach
Out of the Box.
Have you ever been told....you think outside the box, or that you should try to think outside the box. Box is a term which is thrown around alot in education. For people involved in education is it necessary to think outside the for education to be success? Is the box a bad thing? What exactly is the box? Are we talking about the country's political box, the curriculum box, the country box, the school division box, the classroom box, the school box, the student age box, the gender box? I am really confused, too many boxes and all with personal self interest and a real loss ofunderstanding that education is about the students. Is this the reason why home schooling is on the rise? So the next time someone says that you think outside the box ask them "Which box?" and then don't wait around for an answer they might tell you and wreck the compliment. At least I think it is a compliment when someone says you think outside the box, at least I think it is...maybe I better ask someone in the box, any idea where I can find a box...never mind... I will just say thanks.
Politicians Fail to Grasp Peer-to-Peer
The decision was a big setback for the music and movie industries, which wanted other countries to follow the French lead and impose similar systems, called "three strikes" because cutoffs would have been preceded by two warnings to copyright cheats.
Media Cache - Politicians Fail to Grasp Peer-to-Peer - NYTimes.com
No Future Left Behind
Interesting video.
June 14, 2009
Selecting the best
Criticism
Quote of the day
No man is free who is not a master of himself.
Epictetus.
June 13, 2009
Simile of the Day Generator
The Simile of the Day Generator will make a new simile every time you press the "Gimme a Simile!" button. Try to figure out how the abstract word and the concrete word are alike!
Simile of the Day Generator by Mr. Miller (based on a design by Jellyn and Maygra)
TV industry eyes future online
Cable and satellite distributors and broadcasters dabble in online video, but unsure of business model
TV industry eyes future online
Ryan's Cyber School English
Quote of the day
"There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow."
-- Orison Marden.
Culture
Quote of the day
"An alert, focused, razor-sharp mind can slice through any challenge."
Gary Halbert
June 12, 2009
Darren's Role expanded
Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally
Bloom's Revised Taxonomy Sub Categories
Each of the categories or taxonomic elements has a number of key verbs associated with it
Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
* Remembering - Recognising, listing, describing, identifying, retrieving, naming, locating, finding
* Understanding - Interpreting, Summarising, inferring, paraphrasing, classifying, comparing, explaining, exemplifying
* Applying - Implementing, carrying out, using, executing
* Analysing - Comparing, organising, deconstructing, Attributing, outlining, finding, structuring, integrating
* Evaluating - Checking, hypothesising, critiquing, Experimenting, judging, testing, Detecting, Monitoring
* Creating - designing, constructing, planning, producing, inventing, devising, making
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
The elements cover many of the activities and objectives but they do not address the new objectives presented by the emergence and integration of Information and Communication Technologies into the classroom and the lives of our students.
Read More: http://techlearning.com/article/8670
Student Survey Part 7
Student Survey Part 6
Student Survey Part 5
Student Survey Part 4
Student Survey Part 3
Student Survey Part 2
Student Survey Part 1
Age
Quote of the day
"The way to succeed is to never quit. That's it. But really be humble about it." - Alex Haley
Innovative Teacher Singapore Video
June 11, 2009
Twitter Talks: Report Card Comments
On twitter I asked people to submit their Report Card Comment real or not... it was meant to be an exercise that for teachers at this time of year might be a release for all the real report card comments they have to write. Some of the responses were just plain funny.
• On my 3rd grade report card: Please allow Bethany to talk at home. She says you make her save it up for school.
• He loves to write too bad no one can read his hand writing.
• What part of prerequisite did you not understand?
• After meeting you at parent conferences, I would like to commend your son/daughter on beating the odds.
• Please inspect your home for lead-based paint. Things we would like to say but we are professionals
• Have you considered home learning?
• Billy is a malignant tumour sucking the life force from the class.
• Very smart but never stops talking long enough to show it.
• She is much smarter than her brother.
• He's a bit of a crybaby. Please fix this over the summer.
• Your child might want to get a job using his hands and back.
• Considering the genetic factors, not too bad.
• He must come from a shallow gene pool.
• Grade: D- Smart, but bored. Passing her on in hopes she'll do better.
• Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; your child just gargles.
• My all time fave, "Your child has a lot of untapped potential."
• Your child inspires others to realize their true potential.
• He was not in class enough to evaluate.
• Your child is a waste of skin (teacher is saving this comment until his last year of teaching)
• Reads well but understands nothing.
• A great regard for his own abilities, but unfortunately not reflected in his grades. We don't grade hubris.
• I am passing him on to high school because we don't provide parking spaces for 8th graders.
• Your child's mark is a direct reflection of my ability as a teacher.
• I am passing him because a third year with me would do him no good.
100 Incredibly Inspiring Blog Posts for Educators
Blogs offer an excellent way for communities to come together over a common interest despite physical location. Educators can take advantage of this shared pool of knowledge to find inspiration, enhance their teaching, and help students learn more. The following blog posts come from a variety of bloggers sharing their passion and insight.
100 Incredibly Inspiring Blog Posts for Educators - Learn-gasm
Cyber School Resources Organization
TADO has a new design.
Thanks to Kelli we have a new design TADO...it is working very cool. There are still a few problems but over all it is really very smooth.
Comments are welcome but I think they might not be work...no sure...but hey it is a very cool design.
Top French court rips heart out of Sarkozy internet law
The Constitutional Council declared access to the internet to be a basic human right, directly opposing the key points of Mr Sarkozy's law, passed in April, which created the first internet police agency in the democratic world.
The strongly-worded decision means that Mr Sarkozy's scheme has backfired and inadvertently boosted those who defend the free-for-all culture of the web.
Top French court rips heart out of Sarkozy internet law - Times Online
Quote of the day
Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.
J Conant
Fear
June 10, 2009
This is the way I feel most thursdays.
Cyber School Offices
This is kind of an inside joke but anyways, these new offices will be provided to all cyber school teachers. Feel free to drop by and pick yours up.
Rules for Teachers 1872
1.) Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys.
2.) Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's session.
3.) Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.
4.) Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.
5.) After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.
6.) Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.
7.) Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.
8.) Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty.
9.) The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.
College in Need, Closes a Door to Needy Students
Money was the problem. Too many of the students needed financial aid, and the college did not have enough. So the director of financial aid gave the team another task: drop more than 100 needy students before sending out acceptances, and substitute those who could pay full freight.
Reed College, in Need, Closes a Door to Needy Students - NYTimes.com
Friending your students
The fear about teacher-student interactions also worries me at a broader societal level. A caring teacher (a genuinely well-intended, thoughtful, concerned adult) can often turn a lost teen into a teen with a mission. Many of us are lucky to have parents who helped us at every turn, but this is by no means universal. There are countless youth out there whose parents are absent, distrustful, or otherwise sources of frustration rather than support and encouragement. Teens need to have adults on their side.
Friending your students - a researcher's perspective « Lucacept - intercepting the Web
Ten Important Classroom Management Tips and Strategies
By now, you have probably already learned that a good classroom management system is responsible for building a positive classroom climate. As a classroom manager, A good classroom manager knows that the benefit of using classroom management strategies can both stimulate and encourage learning.
Ten Important Classroom Management Tips and Strategies
Six ways to escape analysis paralysis
Rushing blindly into a project is a great way to understand the old adage: Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Six ways to escape analysis paralysis | The New Man Of Action
Gridlock at the World Copyright Summit
If there was one word that summed up yesterday's proceedings, it was "gridlock." This term was introduced by Michael Heller, a Columbia Law School professor who spoke in the morning. The word came from his book The Gridlock Economy, whose basic thesis is that too much ownership or property, including intellectual property, creates gridlock that results in underutilization of property and stunting of innovation.
Gridlock at the World Copyright Summit « Copyright and Technology
Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use.
SCCS Reminder Banner
Happiness
Cmptr Prgrmmng
Quote of the day
"We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon." ~KAdenauer
June 9, 2009
Quote of the day
Change is not necessary. Survival is Optional.
W. Edwards Deming
Clustr Map of TADO
Total visitors by city to TADO
Total visitors by country to TADO
The top 15 visiting countries to TADO
Cyber School Registering for PD
State of E-Learning in Canada
CCL's State of E-Learning in Canada was written to improve Canadians' understanding of e-learning--particularly of its challenges, limitations and benefits--so that Canada may move forward in appropriate and relevant ways.
MIddle East Map Quiz
I had a hard time completing this map...but very cool.
Rethinking Schools - Just For Fun - Map Quiz
Crossword puzzle maker
The Crossword puzzle maker is used to make simple crossword puzzles. It turns out that good crossword puzzles of the type found in newspapers are fairly hard to generate, and require a pool of lots of words, not all of which are used. This program puts all of the words you specify (no more, no less) into a simple crossword puzzle.
Learning from Mistakes Takes the Right Feedback
Mistakes, claims Jonah Lehrer, “should be cultivated and carefully investigated.” To the brain, “Disappointment is educational.”
http://www.eduratireview.com/2009/06/i-slammed-my-foot-and-to-my-surprise.html
Facts
June 8, 2009
Cyber Schools Prep Course
Are we preparing them for life?
In the venerable auditorium of Coughlin High School, with an embattled school board as backdrop, 24 Wilkes-Barre Area School District seniors took turns accepting valedictorian awards. Are they ready for life after high school?
Are we preparing them for life? | Wilkes-Barre News | The Times Leader
cooltoolsforschools
A good collection of web 2.0 tools.
Experience
Wordnik
An ongoing project devoted to discovering all the words and everything about them
8 ways cloud computing may change schools
In considering the 8 statements that Dion has shared from a business perspective, I thought I'd have a crack at presenting some thoughts on how I see cloud computing changing education - in particular, schools - in the near future. (note - I am aware that in some of the ideas represented here I am blurring the boundaries between cloud computing and virtualisation, but the impacts are still valid.)
Derek's Blog » 8 ways cloud computing may change schools
Quote of the day
Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.
Tagore
June 7, 2009
Quote of the day
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."-Thomas Edison
Cyber Planet Resources
Stupid
June 6, 2009
Online Physics
Quote of the day
The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.--Evan Esar
Heaven
June 5, 2009
Online Physical Education
Quote of the day
"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain
School Library Journal's 10 Best Digital Resources for 2009
Our second annual "best of" list looks at products reviewed between June 2008 and the present. The past year saw many excellent and innovative projects--and narrowing them down to a top-10 list wasn't easy. As we prepare for the next school year--or as public libraries develop the budget for a new fiscal year--these are the products for children and teens you should be advocating to add to your digital collection.
School Library Journal's 10 Best Digital Resources for 2009 - 6/1/2009 - School Library Journal
Cooliris | Discover More
Meet Cooliris, the full screen 3D wall that speeds up search on Google Images, Youtube, flickr and more. Enjoy the richest way to view photos from facebook, Picasa and now even your computer.
New Error
Top 10 Technology Tips for New Teachers
Being a first year teacher can be overwhelming to say the least. There is new curriculum to learn, unfamiliar school policies, classroom management challenges, and new teammates. Technology can help to ease some of these first year growing pains.
Top 10 Technology Tips for New Teachers - TheApple.com
Next Test - Value of $125,000-a-Year Teachers
So what kind of teachers could a school get if it paid them $125,000 a year?
An accomplished violist who infuses her music lessons with the neuroscience of why one needs to practice, and creatively worded instructions like, "Pass the melody gently, as if it were a bowl of Jell-O!"
Next Test - Value of $125,000-a-Year Teachers - NYTimes.com
facesaerch - find face pics with this people face search
facesaerch is an image search engine for faces powered by Google. All images (thumbnails) are provided, hosted and managed by Google.
facesaerch - find face pics with this people face search
June 4, 2009
'Dumbest Generation'? Professor blames technology
I find that the definition of intelligence is narrow, many of the smartest people I know have never gone near the ivory towers.
'Dumbest Generation'? Professor blames technology - USATODAY.com
Quote of the day
Remember, "you can't spell TEACH without T-E-C-H!"
Kevin Jarrett
Think
Teachers trump class size
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spent billions of dollars exploring the idea that smaller high schools might result in higher graduation rates and better test scores. Instead, it found the key to better education is not necessarily smaller schools but more effective teachers.
Top News - Gates Foundation: Teachers trump class size
June 3, 2009
Quote of the day
A Google search result told me to mind my own business.
Posted by Gregg Scott on Twitter
Life Lessons
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion,
Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
June 2, 2009
Professional Development Lounge
Quote of the day
Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
Argue
Twitter talks: 4 word homework excuses
Four word homework excuses and teacher replies
"It's meaningless busy work." #4wordreply "Agreed now get busy"
"That wasn't a joke?" #4wordreply " your grade will be"
"This assignment is stupid" #4wordreply "You're right. I'm sorry."
"I was so drunk" #4wordreply "Gee so am I"
"It's meaningless busy work." #4wordreply "I think I agree"
"the dog at it" #4wordreply "hope it doesn't die"
"traveling. couldn't access internet" #4wordreply "internet's just a fad"
"Satan said not to" #4wordreply "not in catholic school"
Four word homework excuses from twitter
"Satan said not to"
"it's in invisible ink!"
"our house burnt down"
"had temporary amnesia & forgot!"
"twittered the night away"
"no email in
"smartphone typing hurt fingers"
"traveling. couldn't access internet"
"in car got carjacked"
"thought that was optional"
"spilled coffee on it"
"was that due today"
"wishing you wouldn't check"
"that was for credit?"
"got no printer ink"
"printer ate my paper"
"the whole internet crashed"
"dialup was so slow"
"the baby came early"
"It's meaningless busy work."
"homework got no home"
"I was so drunk"
"way too much redbull"
"I was in jail"
"Just didn't want to!
"it was too hard"
"I don't have one"
"i'm still on facebook
"My cat was sick"
"Left at Dad's house"
"my computer ate it"
"my flash drive broke"
"my roommate's computer broke"
"My house was robbed"
"polar bear attacked me"
"I only need a C"
"your syllabus isn't clear"
"the assignment was stupid"
"I lost my pencil"
"I don't use paper"
"went emergency shoe shopping"
"I didn't do it."
"Couldn't afford the textbook"
"I just got married"
"I lost my shoes"
"my wife had baby"
"my car broke down"
"My partner was absent."
"that was due today?"
"you were serious? wow"
"oh well oh well"
"it's in your inbox"
"That wasn't a joke?"
"Hmmm I don't know"
"my stupid computer crashed"
How Google Wave will reshape the blogging world forever
I am interested to see this application when it arrives...Google does many things well, I hope this in another.
How Google Wave will reshape the blogging world forever
June 1, 2009
Course Ownership
Quote of the day
He who smiles in a crisis has found someone to blame.
Wet Paint
