On the Trails

As a student in my class, you will need to know what you can find on my site.  This screen shot will help you figure out where to go:

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Last night it occurred to me to download the Republican debate from ABC and watch it on my iPod.
I liked this better than watching it on TV because I could stop - play - and review what a candidate said. I know, Tivo will do the same thing - but I don’t have Tivo [...]

This is a video of my wife (at least 10 years ago) singing “Wonderful Christmas Time” - Merry Christmas.

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I saw this at a conference today:

Original Version (different than the video):

The Animal School: A Fable
by George Reavis

Note: This story was written when George Reavis was the Assistant
Superintendent of the Cincinnati Public Schools back in the 1940s! It is in the public domain and free to use.

Once upon a time the animals decided they must [...]

Joy/Appreciation/Empowered/Freedom/Love
Passion
Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
Positive Expectation/Belief
Optimism
Hopefulness
Contentment
Boredom
Pessimism
Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
Overwhelment
Disappointment
Doubt
Worry
Blame
Discouragement
Anger
Revenge
Hatred/Rage
Jealousy
Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness

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Stop letting the IT Department tell your teachers how to teach with technology. Work with them to develop a safe and secure environment for digital learning.
Are you prepared to guide your school as this unfolds around you?
Key Finding #1
Digital schools are transitioning from a desktop world to a mobile world Not [...]

According to the Reading Rockets web site
(http://www.readingrockets.org/helping), 40% of children struggle with
reading. In a class of 20 kids, that is 8 out of 12.
Do you know how to help them? Do you know what to tell their parents?
Imagine a child saying these words to you:
“I feel like I just use the same words over and [...]

1:1 Computing is on the rise in this country. That would mean that each child will have a computer in their hands all day long. That does not mean that you, as the teacher can choose to use technology or not. That does not mean that students can use technology when they are done with [...]

We spend a lot of money on keyboarding programs. We do this to track student progress and I fell victim to this a few years back.  I have changed my mind and believe that by doing authentic tasks, students will learn where the keys are and from there, you can guide them toward proper technique [...]

In June of 2005, I wrote a blog post called “Shouldn’t we Start Teaching Keyboarding as Often as Handwriting“.  I really believe that keyboarding can really improve student learning. Using a word processor to write is completely different writing than using a pen/pencil and paper.  I think we should get kids as early as 5 [...]

Use the summer to plan units/lessons/projects
Stop using workbooks
Put kids in groups (use tables or arrange their desks)
Use more jigsaw activities
Stop thinking that grades are more important than LEARNED concepts
Showcase student work on your classroom web page
Use the ideas from Marzano and Bloom to help design lessons
Encourage your school district to create and PUBLISH a curriculum [...]

When I hear this phrase, it makes me wonder about schools. Why do schools have to think about how to make students self-directed? Why don’t schools believe that students are already self-directed? The answer:
The content or delivery is boring!
How many adults do you know sit in a room, in rows, not able [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

“Find your voice to inspire others to find theirs.”
- Stephen Covey
Technorati Tags: covey,btcactus, inspiration
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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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 - [...]

Dr. Scott McLeod, Dangerously Irrelevant, writes about how unprepared many school administrators are when it comes to making technology decisions for their schools. I also teach in a college and am currently pursuing my School District Administrator Certification in the state of New York.
I have one class left to take and there has [...]

Last night, my son Bryce was reading my daughter Brooke and me a story about sea turtles. (out of a book The idea of sea turtles laying and burying their eggs popped up. My inquisitive Brookey, asked me how they do this. So, I tried to explain this to her and [...]