On the Trails

On my web site, I have a slogan that says:
Teach People HOW to Learn and not What to Learn
Those words are core to my teaching philosophy and are synonymous with the mission statement and core values of many schools.  Three ideas are central to this statement: self-directed, empowerment, and high expectations. I would like to [...]

I have been thinking of naming the two integration strategies that I use with my undergraduate and graduate students and teachers.  They are:

Project Based Learning – using these tools:

webquests – webquest.org
collaborative projects – e.g. Technospuds Projects, Monster Exchange, Flat Stanley, The National Math Trail

Teaching Every Subject with Technology (TEST) – this means that teachers will [...]

David Warlick wrote about a teacher who understands the use of blogs – Angela Roy Gets It.
I would concur with David, we blog to become part of a community. They are a way to keep in touch with what is happening in our world or in our area. With that thought in mind, I [...]

For years I have been a proponent of teachers creating the products they wish their students to make.  This has the following benefits:

Trouble spots can be identified – whenever you create something, there is a clearer picture of what “unintended” adventures might take place.  For example, creating a word document may reveal that kids do [...]

ISTE’s next generation of student technology standards are available on their web site. They address:

creativity and innovation;
communication and collaboration;
research and information fluency;
critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making;
digital citizenship; and
technology operations and concepts

Students must be able to

Create Original Products
Generate Ideas
Develop Processes
Learn Using Simulations and Models
Understand Trends
Make Predictions
Use Collaborative Web Resources like blogs, wikis, forums, message boards
Connect with [...]

I work with teachers for a school district in Buffalo, NY. I also work at Buffalo State College teaching undergraduates and graduates how to effectively use technology. This entry will explain how technology is integrated during a computer lab session at my K – 5 school.
For the past seven years, I have been [...]

Last night I went camping with good friends of mine in Sprague Brook state park near Kissing Bridge Ski Resort which is near Buffalo, NY.  The stars and company were spectacular.  My god-son, age 11, knows that I have a video iPod and he asked if he could watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of [...]

TiTe, Trails to Integrating Technology Effectively, is an educational reform model that I am developing for teachers in . Here is a visual trail map. (click on the picture to see a larger view)

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A good friend of mine called me the other day crying. She said that her eMac was not able to finish booting up. I said to her, we can fix this, don’t worry. My trust in apple products was at the heart of my counseling. I did not think that the [...]

Teachers need to differentiate between teaching search and teaching content. 
If a teacher is teaching search, than one must teach about the consequences of what is on the web – which means teaching little Suzy that the web is one of the greatest “places” and can be a scary place.  Kind of like New York [...]

F/OSS Open Source
Software Technologies for Schools

It is my philosophy that if we teach students strategies for learning that involve technology, that we should use technology that is available to all kids. Cost is a factor – so if it is good and it is free,
we have a responsibility to use it.
F/OSS Technologies are available [...]

“Find your voice to inspire others to find theirs.”
- Stephen Covey
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I have been collecting web resources for many, many years. I use these resources when I help strategize learning experiences with teachers and students. Below is a typical middle school scenario:
A math teacher wants to do a lesson that addresses this performance indicator (PI) and question type:

PI: Apply percents to: Tax, Percent [...]

Please add some web resources to our PI (performance indicator) Wiki. You can get those resources from:

your own personal stash
my del.icio.us library
my learning center

When bookmarking web resources please follow this format:

You must use Del.icio.us – if you need an account – click here.
When bookmarking:

Notes Section: MUST INCLUDE A PERFORMANCE INDICATOR from the NYLearns website. [...]

In theory, anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world can look at your web site, your blog and…your ideas. Think about that!
Do you want to get some perspective on that thought?Well, Dr. Scott McLeod and Karl Fish have created a presentation that will show you how connected we are because of the Internet.

If [...]

Your hands are tied in action, but your hands are not tied in imagination — and everything springs forth from the imagination. Everything.
Excerpted from an Abraham – Hicks workshop in San Rafael, CA on Saturday, February 27th, 1999

We must continue [...]

In Dr. Scott McLeod’s blog, Dangerously Irrelevant, he writes about the misalignment of schools.  One item that caught my mind was:
professional development plans that are based on teachers’ preferences rather than students’ needs – read the whole post
In meetings that I have had in the past, there has always been conversation about surveying teachers [...]

Download Video: Posted by cshively at TeacherTube.com.
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I think our world is getting a little closer to my vision with technology with devices like the iPhone and other mobile devices.  I think the vision for technology is simple.
The End Result:
One must be able to access information, process information and do something with that information at anytime and at any place.
Self-Directed Learning.

When [...]

The table below is the property of Intel – and the Intel Teach to Learn Academy

Purpose of Assessment
Why It Is Important

Formative Assessment
Gauge student needs
Students bring a wide variety of experiences, abilities, and interests to any new topic. Assessing and understanding students’ background knowledge helps teachers design instruction to address misconceptions, differentiate, and [...]

Good Instructional Design
“Without a focus on the big ideas that have lasting value, students are too easily left with forgettable fragments of knowledge” (Wiggins & McTighe).
“In the assessment-centered classroom environment, formative assessments help both teachers and students monitor progress” (Bransford et al.)
“Learners of all ages are more motivated when they can see the usefulness of [...]

Speaking of Just In Time Learning….Have any of you seen this web site -
KidzOnline: http://www.kidzonline.org/TechTraining/ {Kidz Online (KOL) is a high-tech digital video production and distribution organization with unique and robust online learning specialties that span the globe. Many of the tutorials are free.
The tutorials are short, done by kids and get right to the [...]

Comprehensive Reform Model for Schools – Notes from class

Comprehensive Reform Model has to be researched based
Part of Dr. Elm’s Research – “Conditions for Literacy Learning” – The Reading Teacher – by Brian Cambourne
Model was brought about because of low standardized test scores – the state told them to do it
Madeline Hunter and Brian Cambourne – [...]