Happy Birthday YouTube!

In 2005, three PayPal employees joined together to launch "YouTube." Since then, this website featuring videos about any topic has grown in fame and popularity by allowing people to upload their own videos and 

share information in a new way. It's clear that people can use this site for entertainment, but what about education? YouTube has several uses in classrooms and at home, a key point made by researcher Marc 

Prensky. In his paper "Why YouTube Matters," he makes several important points, including the increased communication possibilities, tutorial videos, as well as deeper information.

If you're interested in Prensky's work,here is a link to the report.

Or, if you would rather see if for yourself, check out Khan Academy, featuring tutorial videos about a variety of topics.

The National Technology Plan, part II

In early December, I wrote about the National Technology Plan, and the 5 major components students will need to succeed in the 21^st century. In case you missed it, you can read it here. Or, if you want to take a look at what the US Department of Education wrote, you can find it here.

Recently, I read a very well done blog post, responding to many of the questions and concepts the National Technology Plan covers. In addition to writing about the ambitious goals of the plan, it also identifies what the world of education must do.You can find the link to the article here.

Is that a math textbook?

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a company that publishes a wide variety of textbooks developed a Algebra 1 "book" to be used on the iPad. This year, Empirical Education is conducting a pilot program involving 100 students to re-imagine what textbooks can be.

Some details of their work are found on the blog, Mindshift. Take a second and check it out here.

While we won't know the final results until the end of the school year, teachers and students are offering positive reviews thus far. It has:

• created more options for teachers.
• been able to better assist students.
• shown an increase in student motivation. 

Perhaps the biggest growth seen in this program is the dramatic increase of "time on task," or how long students are willing to work through difficult math problems. Research indicates that devoting specific time to a task has improved student achievement. If your interested in some research about time on task, you can find it here.

As a side note, it was nice to see so many people here last night for our technology event! In case you missed my presentation, here is a link to my slide show.

Lastly, you can follow me on twitter!

Tonight is Technology Night!

This evening, from 6:30 until 8:30 at Waldon Middle School, the doors will be open for the community to see how technology is being used in pockets of our district. In addition to informal presentations (posted on the blog yesterday), there will also be some optional formal presentations, where some representatives of our district and community will speak for 20 minute sessions on a variety of topics.

Feel free to sit in any of the following sessions:

- Our Director of Instructional Technology, Melissa Middleton, will offer presentations at 6:35 and 7:25 in the Waldon Media Center about Professional Development for Teachers using technology.

- Our Superintendent, Marion Ginopolis, will offer presentations at 7:00 and 7:50 in the Waldon Media Center about educating 21st century learners.

- Your very own blog author, John Bernia, will offer presentations at  6:35 and 7:25 in the Waldon Computers Classroom (room 106) about the impact of technology on society. He'll also "predict the future."

- Some community members will offer presentations at 7:00 and 7:50 in the Waldon Computers Classroom (room 106) about the upcoming bond election, and how it will impact district technology.

We're looking forward to seeing you later today!

Technology Night at Waldon

Tomorrow night (February 8, 2011) from 6:30 until 8:30, the doors of Waldon will be open to showcase how technology is impacting small pockets of our district. Everyone is invited to come at any time to see some of the following displays:

Video Conferencing	Attend an autopsy, see live bats, or talk to Mrs. Claus at the North Pole - all without leaving the classroom.  Video conferencing allows students to take virtual fieldtrips and learn from field experts without the expense and time of a bus trip.
The Interactive Table	The table has come alive and is ready to interactive with students.  Come see and feel how elementary students are exploring the world with this device.
The Interactive Board (Elementary Level)	After years of using chalk and then markers on them, the boards have become interactive and are taking their revenge!  Come watch as students use the interactive boards that are changing the dynamics of how teachers and students approach their lessons.
iPod Touches	With two-year-olds picking up cell phones and "swiping" them, no age is too young to start using technology to engage students in learning.  In this session you will see how kindergarten teachers are using iPod touches to reach their young learners in new ways.
Media Projects	Images, sounds, and movies are becoming a larger part of how our society communicates.  Come and see how students are using netbooks to create Podcats, Documentaries, and Stop Motion Films to enhance their classroom experience.
Immediate Response Systems	Feedback is the only way students know if they are learning something.  It is also the only way teachers know if their students understand or if they need to reteach the material.  But in the age of texting and Twitter, feeback with paper and pencil can sometimes take too long.  See how an Immediate Response System can solve the feedback problem for both teachers and students.
The Always Availible Homework Lesson	Its been a few hours since school.  The student had practice and family dinner.  Maybe they even watch an hour of TV.  Now finally, they are ready to settle down and begin the math assignment.  The book is out.  The pencil is sharpened.  A blank sheet of paper awaits problem number one... ... ...  "But how do I do it again?"  The student is confused.  It all made sense a few hours ago.  If only they could see the teacher's directions one more time.  Come and see how there may finally be a solution to this classic problem.
WebQuests	With billions of websites to visit where does one even start?  How can this place called cyberspace be turned into an educational environment that focuses on a specific topic?  This session will show how teachers and students are using WebQuests to answer this question.
The Interactive Board (Middle Level)	After years of using chalk and then markers on them, the boards have become interactive and are taking their revenge!  Experience the interactive boards that are changing the dynamics of how teachers and students approach their lessons.
There's An IPAD In the Classroom	The hype is real.  Come touch and feel how the hottest technology product on the market can impact the classroom.
The Individual Experience with Technology	With just one click, technology can provide access to an infinite amount of educational resources both print and media.  Stop by to see how this reality allows students to get a truely differentiated and personalized education.
The Hybrid Classroom	This class is always in session.  It's just not always taking place in the classroom.  See how one teacher has harnessed the powers of the internet to provide a unique educational opportunity.
The Interactive Board (High School Level)	After years of using chalk and then markers on them, the boards have become interactive and are taking their revenge!  Come see and touch the interactive boards that are changing the dynamics of how teachers and students approach their lessons.
Claymation videos	Three very different groups  of students (advanced art students, Alternative Education and Special Education Students) from Lake Orion High School worked together to create the clay animation projects.   View the students' work and ask them how they were created.

It is my sincere hope we see you tomorrow night! 

An Invitation

Next Tuesday, February 8, from 6:30 until 8:30 in the evening, the community is invited to Waldon Middle School to see some of the exciting things that are happening with technology in pockets of our district. There will be opportunities to informally see what teachers and students have been working on, as well as to hear some formal presentations about Lake Orion's vision for instructional technology.

If you've been reading and wondering about Interactive White Boards, iPod touches, or how Lake Orion is planning to respond to the needs of the 21st century learners, feel free to come to Waldon on the evening of February 8.

The Notebooks of Tomorrow

The internet offers a wide variety of tools for students and teachers. Among the exciting ideas on the web are sites that allow users to take notes, and save them as a database. These “notebooks of tomorrow” come without the risk of losing paper or poor penmanship, and are impossible to lose! They offer the opportunity to share notes and collaborate with classmates in new ways, from any computer with internet access.

For the very linear, Quicklyst is a site where you can take notes in outline form. The information can be saved, shared, or even transferred to a study guide with a few simple clicks.

“Google Docs” is a free, simple version of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point. Much like Quicklyst, the information can be stored and shared online.

PrimaryPad offers the chance not only to take notes, but to collaborate with others to build a record of knowledge. Offering different colors, as well as access to many users, this site would be an amazing resource for entire classes.

If taking notes on a large sheet of paper where you can write anywhere, then link one idea to another is appealing, Prezi is the note taking site for you. If you’d like to see one in action, here’s an example from a recent presentation I made.

As classrooms become more and more “paperless” these tools will be vital to student success. As an added bonus today, check out an entry from one of my new favorite blogs “TeachPaperless,” about additional resources for students.

Ted, part II

Another snow day today, which gives me the chance to plug "Ted.com" once more. If you did not get a chance yesterday, give it a look today.

One of the more famous "Ted talks" in recent weeks has been Sugata Mitra's work on what technology can do in the slums of India. His philosophy, that education is a "self organizing system" revolves around "Instructional Robotics" where computers facilitate learning for kids using the internet. Mitra's "hole in the wall" experiments began in places where teachers were hesitant to go. They represent true integration of technology into the curriculum and have shown many positive results in places where good teachers are hesitant to go.

As I watched his talk for a second time this morning, I thought, what if kids had this same integration of technology in their classes in a place like Lake Orion, where so many creative minds want to teach?

Something to do on a snow day

If you've already shoveled the drive, or find yourself waiting for the last flake to drop before heading out, you might be looking for something to do. Ted, a website dedicated to short talks about ideas, is some "mind candy" to keep you thinking as you wait for the roads to clear.

Check out Ted!

To get you started, one of my personal favorites, Daniel Pink on what motivates people:

Stay warm today!