Free Webinar On Scratch… A Free Program From MIT… Imagine, Program, Share!

Are you  itching for ways to engage and empower students and their inherent creativity? Scratch will bring instant relief to a classroom of kids  ready to collaborate, innovate, and create! Please join me as I present some Scratch Basics while informing educators how to get students Scratching across the curriculum! This Scratch Webinar sponsored by the awesome people at the  Siemens Stem Academy and the Discovery Education Network is bound to create a rash of enthusiasm. I also wish to thank in advance both Steve Dembo and Hall Davidson, two of the very best, for the moderation they will be providing. The date and time is Tuesday, November 30 at 7:00 PM EST! Please join me, and while you are at it, subscribe to this 21centuryedtech Blog by either RSS or email. You can also check out my 21centuryedtech Wiki or follow me on Twitter. Most of all, please register for this free Scratch Webinar and join me for a journey into 21 Century Learning! Have a great week! – Mike

When was the last time you got a good smell of a Crayola Crayon? It really doesn’t matter the color! Just the scent will turn on the imaginative juices possibly lost since Kindergarten!  Or perhaps you remember the hours you spent with Tinker Toys. An adventure filled with a constant flow of  unchecked time  building, tweaking, and tinkering!  Then there was the Easy Bake Oven. A true childhood dream of combining, remixing, and creating. The brilliant inventors at MIT’s Life long Kindergarten Group have found a way to repackage, reinvent, and integrate these same concepts and come up with an ingenious package called Scratch. It is a mix of on-line experiences,  computer programing, animation, game creation, multi media, fine arts, science, social studies, language arts, math, and collaboration. Join me in this Scratch Webinar to discover why Scratch is a must for every 21st Century classroom!

Do you want to build a game? Scratch can do it. Do you want to create a work of art. Count on Scratch to allow you to fit together the Master Pieces! Do you want to discover mathematic? You can count on Scratch to make sense out of numbers and number theory. Do you want to tell a story? Scratch can do that with pictures, sounds, and movement! Do you wish to experience sound and music? Scratch will carry quite a tune!  There is simplicity for elementary, challenges for middle school, and complexity for the older students. Educators can help students Scratch their way through any level and curriculum.

Perhaps your school is fascinated by STEM, or intent on pulling in the fine arts by creating STEAM! Possibly your classroom is venturing into the world of Project and Problem Based Learning. It may be the 21st Century Skills that you are building with students each day. Scratch can be used as a tool to promote all of these awesome  avenues that promote student centered high level learning!

This really is a must attend webinar where you will learn…

1. Scratch basics

2. Why you must incorporate Scratch

3. How to get the free program and more

4. How to get students started

5. How to get students far ahead of you

6. Opportunities in every curriculum at all levels

7. Ways to promote 21st Century Skills

8. Methods to promote community and on-line collaboration

9. The art of creating, remixing, and innovating

10. Ways to explore resources at MIT and beyond

You will discover how to get students a basic beginning and later get them involved in animation, drawing, interactive art, games, math, music, simulations, and even a possible contest. You will view student creations while listening to their experiences. Most of all this webinar will introduce you to a vast amount of resources and ideas to send you and your students on a quest that will allow them to imagine, program, and share! I will even show you ways to bring Scratch outside of the computer’s environment allowing interaction in awesome, inspiring, and relevant ways!   While this webinar will only “Scratch” the surface, it will provide the foundation to incorporate Scratch into your curriculum and get students excited about STEM education and opportunities.

Please send and retweet  this post to educators across the internet and share with other colleagues in your building! When you sign up for the Scratch Webinar, be sure to also subscribe to this Blog. Be on the look out for my up-coming post  bringing you links to resources uncovered in the Scratch Webinar. In fact, that is just one more reason to turn on the RSS feed or email subscription to my 21centuryedtech Blog. You will also find information and resources at my 21centuryedtech Wiki and I hope you are itching to follow me on Twitter at mjgormans!  Again, please join tthe educators that will participate in this free Scratch Webinar from Siemens, Discovery Education, and yours truly! I look forward to sharing and learning from you! I am also excited to view your comments, replies, and back channel chat on Tuesday, November 30 at 7:00 PM EST! As always, thanks for stopping by and keep progressing, as you continue to transform your classroom for the 21st Century! – Mike

Part 2 … The Google Advanced Search.. Uncover Awesome Searching Secrets For Teaching And Learning

Welcome to the second post in my  Googal In Google Series giving an in depth view of the Google Advanced Search Engine. In this second of a three part posting, I will cover some great techniques many people do not know or seldom use in the Google Advanced Search.  As always,  feel free to subscribe to this Blog by RSS or email, follow me on twitter at (@mjgormans), and also discover some great resources at my 21centuryedtech Wiki!  You will also find my other postings at Tech and Learning Magazine. Also please mark November 30, at 7PM on your calendar. I will be presenting a free webinar about MIT’s free program, Scratch, in conjunction with Discovery Education. Please click here to learn even more! Now let’s advance our knowledge in using the Google Advanced Search!  Have a great week – Mike

In the last posting we checked out some of those tools that can be used in the Advanced Search to teach students how to better use the basic search. That’s right, use an advanced tool in order to simplify the basic. If I got your interest, then check out the last post.  In this post, I will cover four important tools that will provide students more focused research, and teachers amazing new resources… read on! I am sure you may discover some interesting ways to implement these valuable techniques. I will introduce these resources one tool at a time.

Results Per Page

OK, no big deal but by using this tool you will have less need to hit the enter button.  You may find yourself using the scroll down just a little more. Please note in the image below that you are allowed up to 100 results a page.

Language

Time to get a little more interesting. Perhaps you want to find an article or website written in a foreign language. Perfect fit if you are teaching foreign language or social studies. Note that there is a drop down menu that allows you to scroll, revealing over 45 languages.

This really can be a lot of fun. For instance, I look up Apple Computer in Simple Chinese.  I get pretty awesome results as displayed below. Notice that I can even translate the pages. This allows me to get a primary source of a current event, or even past events, right from the area of origin.. I may not understand the language, but I can translate it back to English! Think of the lessons that could incorporate this idea involving relevancy and engagement for twenty-first century learners.

Also note that when landing on a foreign language page there is often a language translation tool at the top. As a side note, Google provides a great Language Tool in fine print next to the Google Basic Search Engine. Take a look!

File Type

This is one of my personal favorites in the Google Advanced Search. In a typical search Google is finding HTML Web Pages. Some of the real neat stuff is buried hundreds of pages beyond those first pages of returns. This includes files such as Power Points, Google Earth Files, PDF Files, Excel Spreadsheets, Word Documents, and even Flash Files!

Looking for a great educational Power Point on Mars… enter Mars in the search box and select Microsoft Powerpoint (.ppt) as the File Type. Your return pages will be Power Points that have something to do with Mars. How about a 3d Journey of Rome using Google Earth? Enter Rome 3D in the Search Box and Google Earth KML or KMZ in the File Type Box! Not only will this method help your students, it will also allow you to find some pretty awesome resources to engage students in their learning!

Search Within A Domain Or Site

This is a very valuable tool in helping narrow down a topic and drill down within a domain or site. By putting in a domain name, the search will be limited to only sites within that domain. Perhaps information such as state populations maybe best found in a government doc.  Then the domain gov would be put in this Search Within box. Domains can lead the searcher to areas that they feel may be most reliable or supply information that compliments their research.

Domains include: gov – government, org – organization, com – commercial enterprises, int – international, edu – higher education, k12 – public schools, mil – military

The Search Within also allows the user to specify a web site to search, including all the pages within that web site. An example may be searching for moon exploration. In this case the user may place nasa.gov in the Search Within box. Perhaps a video at Youtube would require the searcher to put youtube.com in the Search Within box.

Combining Advanced Search Techniques

The image above represents a search that  has been constructed to find an Excel Document from the US Census Department in regards to state populations. This would require the Exact Phrase state population, with a File Type of (Microsoft Excel .xls), and a search within of http://www.census.gov. Your return may look much like this. See image below.

As you can see, there is so much we can teach our students about finding valuable resources on the internet. The tools in the Advanced Google Search allow students to not just find valuable materials, but to engage in a reflective thinking process necessary for proper research. The Google Advanced Search really does provide an avenue to go beyond the searching basics by providing students a resource to not just retrieve great information, but learn how to find it along the way!

Thanks for joining me in this second article uncovering the Google Advanced Search. Feel free to print this and use it with your students. Please share this posting URL with other educators and encourage them to subscribe! Be on the lookout for my next Google Advanced  Search Post that will take advanced searching one step further. Also prepare yourself for my Evaluating a Web Page Series. Please take a moment to comment and subscribe to this blog by RSS or email, share with others, and as always follow me on twitter (@mjgormans). Please remember to join me at Discovery Education for my webinar entitled Learn, Create, and Innovate with Scratch. Until next time… transform, educate, and inspire! – Mike

Free Webinar : 21 Century Skills Author – Charles Fadel

When researching for the prior  post I came across  a opportunity  that I was sure any reader of this blog would be interested in. It is about a unique webinar  focusing on 21st century skills and scheduled for Tuesday, May 18 at  5pm Pacific and  8pm Eastern. The webinar, hosted by Steve Hargadon, features Charles Fadel who is co-author an of 21st Century Skills: Learning For Life In Our Time. This is a book that I have read and continue to review and learn from. If you have the opportunity on May 18 be sure to attend, if you can’t check the archive as stated later in the post. As always, you can follow me on Twitter (@mjgormans) and visit my 21centuryedtech Wiki loaded with resources, reflections, and ideas for your journey in 21st Century Education.  Now some more detail! – Mike

I have been a long time fan of the 21st Century Skill integration, especially since my first visit to the original  New Tech High School in Napa Valley, California. I visited this wonderful school with the thought of seeing awesome technology and walked away with an revelation of an even more amazing school culture dedicated to real learning. I was beginning to understand that educational transformation is not about the technology, it is the process which is made possible due to  technology and learning culture.  It was after this, and my last round of degree work at Johns Hopkins, that compelled me to begin writing this Blog and Wiki. Charles Fadel, the featured guest on this  Elluminate webinar, presented by Steve Hargadon, is a global leader for education at Cisco Systems. He is also  the Cisco board member at the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Innovate/Educate (an organization dedicated to advocacy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)).  His book 21st Century Skills: Learning For Life In Our Times and accompanying DVD co-authored with Bernie Trilling, Global Director For Oracle Education Foundation, is a must for anyone dedicated to 21st Century Learning.  A favorite phrase I carry with me from this book is the notion of “Teach Less… Learn More“, a mission developed by the Singapore Ministry of Education. I am certain that Charles Fadel will  provide attendees at this webinar plenty to reflect on. If you have an interest in 21st Century Skills, STEM education, and Project Based Learning then be sure you attend the live webinar, or listen to the archive. Be sure to also get a copy of the book and its included DVD! I am sure you will walk away with a better understanding of 21st century learning and a confidence to lay the needed foundation in your school. Please note webinar  information below as listed at Steve Hargadon’s Website.

Date: Tuesday, May 18

Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am (next day) GMT (international times here)

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.

A big thank you to Steve Hargadon and the people at Elluminate and Learn Central for sponsoring such a wonderful opportunity.Thank you for joining me on another journey in the quest of 21st Century Educational transformation! As always you can follow me on Twitter (@mjgormans) and visit my 21centuryedtech Wiki loaded with resources, reflections, and ideas for your journey in 21st Century Education. See you on the road to 21st Century Learning! – Mike

An ISTE Webinar Packed With Free Education Resources… And I’m Your Host!

I would like to invite you to join me as I host an ISTE Technology In Practice Webinar entitled; 21st Century Education and Technology Integration: No Cost and Low Cost Investments with Rich Results for Students on Wednesday, May 12 at 4:00 PM EDT! If the length of the the title is any indication of the resources shared, and it is, you are in for a a landslide of free resources. I am excited about sharing what I believe is over  two hours of resources in the hour time slot! Check out the link to this webinar at ISTE Webinars. By the way, I am available and can provide a staff of educators with their own webinar. I have enjoyed giving live presentations at NMSA, CELL, Alan November BLC09, ICE, and  NICE  to name a few. While I sometimes travel to different schools to provide in-service, I entertain the idea of facilitating a webinar that just might fit your school’s needs and budget. As always please follow me on Twitter@mjgorman) or email me  at (mgorman@sacs.k12.in.us).  Now, please give me the opportunity to present a little more about why I am so excited about my up-coming ISTE Webinar

First, it is an honor and a privilege to be invited by the professionals at ISTE (International Society For Technology In Education) to present one of their Technology In Practice Webinars. In fact, it is an honor I take very serious and have spent months trying to get the presentation just right. I feel whether I present in person, or on-line, it is my duty to deliver a presentation with motivational enthusiasm that is not only engaging and entertaining, but allows people to walk a way with new knowledge they can implement tomorrow! After all, isn’t that what is expected in the 21st Century classroom?  Not only that, participants must be able to access resources presented, along with access to myself, after the webinar is over! I plan on making sure that all is accomplished.

The Webinar entitled, 21st Century Education and Technology Integration: No Cost and Low Cost Investments with Rich Results for Students will cover the following areas. First, a quick philosophy of 21st Century Learning and a practical approach to addressing curricular standards while transforming educational delivery to the digital natives of today. This will transition into four different categories of resources available containing thousands of resources. Last, it concludes by applying this transformational thinking and integrating it with important lessons teachers already do. It is a goal that participants discover new and exciting ways to connect with today’s digital learners using free resources.  It is my intent to provide insight into ways of interconnecting local, state, and national standards while relating them with real world issues that are authentic and relevant.  I realize this is quite a bit for an hour, but I guarantee an hour well spent!

Thanks for joining me for another journey in 21st Century Education! I hope you are able to participate in the webinar, if not please continue to visit this blog for cutting edge ideas and information. Remember, I am always willing to assist with a conference, webinar, or in-service. I am honored to have you as a member of my professional learning community and look forward to future networking! Again, follow me on Twitter at @mjgormans), subscribe to this blog by email or RSSl, email me at mgorman@sacs.k12.in.us, and if possible join me at the webinar! Next posting: I have found a secure teacher facilitated blog spot for kids! … read about it  in the next post! Until then… have a wonderful end to your week! – Mike

Alan November’s BLC 10 : A Conference? … More Than A Conference!

In this post I want to share with you one of the most amazing conferences I have ever attended, or presented at. I am sure you are aware of Alan November, an outstanding student centered education leader who advocates for effective educational transformation. Alan is probably best known for challenging educators’ thoughts about what’s possible in the world of teaching and learning  Take a moment and as you read this post, I am sure you will want to make  the trip to Boston, an awesome city, this summer! Have a great week! – Mike

The website  for the BLC10 states  “Get ready to have your brain tickled with ideas from around the world.” I guarantee that not only will your brain be tickled, but your enthusiasm will be ignited, your knowledge will be compounded, and your journey toward effective learning will be empowered.  At BLC10 you will learn and network from representatives all around the world including some of the most prestigious leaders in the field of education. This conference program features hands-on pre-conference workshops, keynotes and over 90 main session workshops, all in an intimate setting allowing for real discussion that will build your learning community.

BLC  first started as a ‘jam session’ of ideas between friends and education colleagues and now in its eleventh year it has grown into something truly special. My first venture to Boston for this conference was the summer of 2009. After completing studies involving administration, supervision, and technology at Johns Hopkins University I had the opportunity to attend and even present at BLC10. Little did I realize what an eye opening experience this would be. It was after this conference that I first started this Blog. While it is still small in scale, reaching about 300 people a day, I still remember the day I decided to start this blog. It was a wonderful presentation at BLC by by Liz Davis and Lisa Thumann that gave me the inspiration. I was also engaged by Benjamin Zander’s startling new perspective on leadership. His  stories, music and concepts allowed me to explore opportunities I had never considered .  As stated in BLC09’s write up , his presentation was not a speech, it was an experience!  Take a look at this list of outstanding speakers and educators that were a part of last year’s conference. It is these people, and others I met, that facilitated my new ventures this year such as  producing an ISTE  Webinar this May 12, participating in enjoyable podcast (mar 4) with Bob Sprankle,  Cheryl Oakes, and Alice Barr at their Seedling’s website, presenting at numerous conferences through out the country.

This year’s world class event which will take place at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel from July 11-16, 2010, has another great line up in store. One of this year’ s Keynotes includes Rahaf Harfous , a New Media Expert and Member of President Barack Obama’s Social Media Team. Harfoush is the author of Yes We Did (2009), a book about the grassroots groundswell inspired by the Obama campaign. She is the Research Coordinator to the critically acclaimed Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything and a contributor on both Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing your World and Everything I Needed to Know About Business I Learned from a Canadian. Another keynote will include  Michael Wesch, an  Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Digital Ethnography, at Kansas State University in  Manhattan, KS. He has been dubbed “the explainer” by Wired magazine.  Michael Wesch is a cultural anthropologist exploring the effects of new media on society and culture. Wesch has won several major awards for his work, including a Wired Magazine Rave Award, the John Culkin Award for Outstanding Praxis in Media Ecology, and he was recently named an Emerging Explorer by National Geographic. He has also won several teaching awards, including the 2008 CASE/Carnegie U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities. Mitchel Resnick, LEGO Professor of Learning Research and head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Laborator will be a real treat for educators. Mitchel will explore how new technologies can engage people in creative learning experiences. Resnick’s research group developed the “programmable brick” technology that inspired the LEGO MindStorms robotics kit and the PicoCricket artistic-invention kit. Perhaps my favorite of Resnick’s efforts is the awesome MIT computer program,  Scratch, a big hit with educators and students across the world.  A very special presentation will be made by Adora Svtak. Called a “tiny literary giant” by Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, Svtak is the world’s youngest teacher and the published author of three books. She explores new technologies and their possibilities in education through her teaching and speaking. Adora’s daily video conferences with students from around the world have earned her Berrien RESA’s “Best Author and Expert” award for distance learning two years in a row.

Make sure you check out this list of great pre-conference workshops from some of the best people in their fields. You may find yourself spending the day in the MIT labs, working with digital photography in Boston, working with Web 2.0 technologies, creating a digital story, or spending the day with Alan November exploring the idea of leadership and managing transitions. It is an awesome line up of workshops so be sure to check out this link of outstanding opportunities. These workshops are all followed the next three days by general sessions presented by some of the very finest. Best of all, there are opportunities that allow you to be part of the conversation, as you build your own learning community.

Take a moment to view the conference information provided. Here, you will find a wealth of information about the BLC10 along with the registration form. Boston is an awesome city to explore, the Boston Park Plaza is a majestic and inviting hotel, the Boston Common is right outside the door, and you will be surrounded by an amazing group of educators  assisting and networking with you as you grow to become a true 21st Century Educator.

I have learned that even after  over 30 years of teaching, I am looking forward to having still another opportunity to professionally grow this summer at BLC10.  Take a moment to look over the conference information and perhaps I will have the opportunity to network and learn from you this summer in Boston. Please feel free to follow on twitter (@mjgormans), I will return the favor and we can learn from each other. You are also invited to subscribe by email or RSS to this Blog, and  also feel free to visit my 21centuryedtech Wiki. In the meantime, take a moment and consider expanding your learning community in Boston this summer at BLC10. Have a wonderful week! – Mike

Tagxedo: Exciting New Word Cloud Generator Rich With Features!

Welcome to another informative mid-week post. Today I  want to introduce you to Tagxedo, a brand new Word Cloud Generator that has just been released in Beta. I first learned of it after receiving an email from its creator, Hardy Leung, several days ago. I was very impressed and feel it needs to be added to a list of Word Cloud Generators I created a few month ago in my Welcome Back Wordle Blog which generated almost one thousand reads.  If you have never read it, be sure to take a look. Take a moment to learn the features and future plans for Tagxedo. As always please feel free to follow me on Twitter (@mjgormans), I will keep you up-to-date and will be sure to follow back! Now let’s learn about a new site ! – Mike

Update from Tagxedo Creator Hardy Leung – I just want to clarify that, since Tagxedo was beta-released a whooping 3 days ago, it has been upgraded many times, and the latest version already supports the “future plans” of using either image or words as shapes. Also, you can now save to both Jpg or Png.

I often get emails from people who wish to have their site reviewed. I always take the time to check out these inquiries and pass on worthy findings to you. I am very excited to share with you this just beta-released word cloud application called Tagxedo. The website proclaims, “Tag Clouds with Style”, a mission I feel was accomplished. You will discover that this cutting edge program is an outstanding free application very similar to our good friend,  Wordle .  The creater of  Tagxedo emphasized to me that Tagxedo has a few extra qualities  not found in all Word Cloud Generators. After visiting and experimenting with the site I agree that Tagxedo does offer some awesome features.

So what  makes Tagxedo stand out? Some of the features that Leung pointed out to me include; highly interactive (no server round-trip), fast cloud generation time, custom shapes and themes, powerful layout engine (very nice shape hugging), and  lots of fonts (including custom user fonts and fonts from Font Squirrel). Most importantly, the interface allows the user to save “word clouds” as PNG image files and it also saves a History View (allowing user to see all “versions” and pick the one they like).

As you explore the site be sure to read the FAQ page which includes directions and future plans for the product. It is school friendly, due to the fact that it does not require a user log-in. Tagxedo is new and powerful, but the interface is still somewhat under construction.  In fact, two features that will arrive soon are the ability to use images as custom shapes and the ability to use specific words as custom shapes. The on-line gallery provides an idea of the capabilities that reside within Tagxedo. Please take the time to check out all the features of Tagxedo. As you do, I am sure that you will want to share Tagxedo others!

Thanks for stopping by for another post. Please be sure to subscribe via email or RSS. I encourage you to share this post with others and please return again. I will always keep you up-to-date on Twitter at (@mjgormans). A reminder that I will also facilitate an ISTE Webinar (21st Century Education and Technology Integration: No Cost and Low Cost Investments with Rich Results for Students) on May 12, 2010.  You are also welcome to visit my 21centuryedtech Wiki filled with great resources to facilitate educational transformation. Now, take a moment and discover Tagxedo and remember to reply!  Thanks – Mike

Win An Online Learning Award Presented By ISTE And Global SchoolNet

In my mid week blogs I like to make you area of resources, sites, and opportunities available to educators intent on bringing Twenty-first Century skills to their classroom. This week I would like to introduce you to ISTE’s SIGOL and an amazing opportunity! First, ISTE (International Society For Technology In Education) is the largest educational oragnization of its type in the world and is famous for conventions that number over 18,000 attendees and for its well known NETS standards. In fact, I will be facilitating an ISTE Webinar on May 12, 2010. Please consider this an invitation to join me! SIGOL (Online Learning Special Interest Group) is one of ISTE’s  longest running and most exciting special interest groups. The other long time sponsor, Global SchoolNet, is excited about you taking part!  As a SIGOL member, I invite you to consider an opportunity to be awarded for the hard work you may have actually already done! Please take a look and, as always,  feel free to follow me on twitter (@mjgorman), I will return the favor and we can learn from each other. Also, you are invited to explore a wealth of free resources at my 21centuryedtech Wiki! Enjoy your week and please keep reading to learn about this awesome opportunity.

Have you and your students been involved in an original, online learning activity?  Perhaps you have created a class wiki or blog, communicated with other schools, teleconferenced with an author, created an awesome online project, or initiated a creative use of educational technology on the web. If so, I  encourage you to enter the 2010 SIGOL Online Learning Award competition. Since 1991, ISTE’s Online Learning Special Interest Group (SIGOL), has recognized creative teachers for their pioneering use of the web to provide innovative learning opportunities for school-aged students K–16. Read about past recipients. Any activity performed between February of 2009 and June 1, 2010 is eligible. The last day for submission is March 31, 2010.  The awards, which will be announced shortly after, in April of 2010, include great professional development opportunities. This link provides more information about this exciting award.

The first  place winner receives a $500 cash award, free conference registration worth $277 to ISTE’s annual conference and exposition in Denver Colorado, June 27—June 30, 2010,  a one year ISTE membership worth  $92 and a priceless invitation to present the project at ISTE’s annual conference. There are also two other great awards for both second and third place winners. While membership is not required, I recommend membership in  ISTE, an excellent organization supporting technology integration and Twenty-first Century skills,  and SIGOL which can be joined for free after paying registration for ISTE membership. Also take a look at the outstanding work being accomplished by the people at Global SchoolNet. It is a great site that wants to include you in  some real neat online classroom projects! Please take a moment to read about this prestigious award offered by ISTE, SIGOL, and Global SchoolNet. Perhaps you are already facilitating a potential winner! As you consider, take the time to pass this posting on to others who may be interested!

Thanks for joining me for another week of 21st Century opportunities in education. Perhaps I will be learning about your unique web and online program when you present your winning entry at ISTE2010. Hope to see you there, and also online at SIGOL, a great ISTE community and Global SchoolNet, a place to connect your classroom to the world!. As always feel free to follow me on twitter (@mjgorman). I will return the favor and we can learn from each other. Also you are invited to explore a wealth of free resources at my 21centuryedtech Wiki!  Enjoy your week! – Mike

A Gold Mine Of Free Prof Dev Webinars… A Great Maine Idea!

I am sure other states are developing networks that support professional development, but this week I must tip my hat to the outstanding educators in the state of Maine. I have been aware for quite some time of the wonderful contributions from Maine. Examples include Richard Byrne’s Free Technology For Teachers which is replenished almost daily with outstanding free educational resources, and, of course, Cheryl Oakes, Alice Barr, and Bob Sprankle’s award winning podcast site that has a mission to grow professional development called Seedlings (Check out the interview they had with me at bottom of this link), and their awesome Maine One To One Initiative. I have just recently learned about The Maine Learning Technology Initiative. I hope you are ready to learn some neat PD ideas and as always follow me on twitter at (mjgormans).  I will return the favor and we can learn from each other! Also please visit my 21st Century Ed Tech Wiki, my attempt at building a collection of free and inexpensive resources to facilitate 21st Century Learning! Have a great week! – Mike

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative and their Webcast Link should be one of your Maine sites for professional development and a Maine idea when planning how to better facilitate PD in all states and countries. Maine121.org is owned and operated by the Maine Learning Technology Initiative at the State of Maine Department of Education.  It is dedicated to providing professional development support and resources to the teachers of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI).  The MLTI staff is using web-based technologies to communicate and collaborate with educators interested in engaging in conversation around teaching and learning with technology. This type of WebCast provides an economical way for educators to participate  interactively in a live virtual environment,  right from the comfort of their own computer desktops. My purpose in this post is to encourage other individuals and organizations to follow  this type of innovative professional development.

At this time, MLTI WebCasts are  held each Thursday at both 3:15 pm and 7:15 pm are approximately an hour long. Topics are updated, as well as links to full descriptions, for each WebCast listed on the web site about 2 weeks prior to the event date. You can subscribe  and view the  Calendar and even visit an Archive of all past sessions. The archived section is an easy click (Adobe Flash Player 7 should be installed) with no sign up required.  In respect to their bandwidth and other possible limitations, the archived section is a good choice for those out of state. For educators in Maine,  registration is required for  attendance at a live webinar. Launched in October, the  present size of the library is over twenty webinars and growing each week! The webinars are organized in five categories of  focus including 1) Making Meaning, 2) Writing Process, 3) Research Process, 4) UDL & Accessibility, and 5) Digital Storytelling and Media Production. Each week one of these areas of study is visited in a live webcast. Past archived Webinars include investigations in UDL, the writing process, digital storytelling, the research process, making meaning, understanding images in time, digital citizenship, leadership, and data. A sample of upcoming Webinars includes titles such as  Evaluation of Resources, Fair Use and Copyright, Digital Storytelling and Media Production: Voices That Sing, Voices That Tell,  Access to Classroom Learning by Students with Blindness and Low Vision, Blogs, Wikis, and Social Media, and Digital Storytelling and Media Production: Images In Action.

The people at MLTI state that  all of their content (unless otherwise noted) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 license. You are encouraged to  take what MLTI produces, remix it and reuse it to help  teachers and students in a nonprofit manner.  MLTI welcomes your feedback, and encourages you to share your remixes, experiences, and thoughts on any of their  materials through the MLTI blog.  I really do think the the people at MLTI have come up with what could be a Maine idea for future professional development!

Thanks for joining me and have a great week. Best of luck in  facilitating professional development for others as you grow in your own !  Please feel free to share your ideas and, as always, follow me on twitter at (mjgormans), I will return the favor and we can learn from each other! Also please visit my 21st Century Ed Tech Wiki, my attempt at building a collection of free and inexpensive resources to facilitate 21st Century Learning!  Have a great week! – Mike

Collaboration, a 21st Century Skill: Three Free Sites To Help Students Understand Collaboration

Picture Courtesy of http://www.lumaxart.com/

I am sitting in Wichita, Kansas after providing a day long tech integration in-service to an amazing  and creative group of middle school teachers. While I hope I was able to facilitate technology infusion to a group already at the cutting edge of education reform, I too walked away with new ideas they indirectly taught me. This experience reminded me of “The Wisdom Of The Crowd” and how collectively we are much more effective as a group than we are as an individual. In this posting I would like to share with you the idea of collaboration and how we may wish to ask students to collaborate, but we first must show them how and why. Please enjoy the post and add any response on how you facilitate collaboration.  As always you can follow me on on twitter at (mjgormans) and I will be sure to follow back so we can learn from each other. Also, please join me at my 21centuryedtech Wiki, it’s filled with great resources that are free and effective!  – Mike

This first paragraph contains reflections on the definition of collaboration, if you wish to go to links that help students understand collaboration. If not, go on to the second paragraph. Collaboration is a Twenty-First Century Skill. It is also a  process and that all students need to experience it in order to fully comprehend its potential.   Wikipedia defines collaboration as “a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together in an intersection of common goals — for example, an intellectual endeavor that is creative in nature —by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus”.  In the definition, the word recursive is found. The definition of recursive involves the idea of an  “infinite statement using finite components” Looking at collaboration in this sense sure makes collaboration sound a lot more powerful! The definition ends with  the idea of sharing knowledge, learning, and building consensus. Most teachers have the sharing portion down pretty well, and is  inspiring to note  the learning component. What is most impressive, but possibly underused, is the last concept of  building consensus!  Further into the article there is a reference to a Roth and Lee study in the 1990’s that “led to changes in learning and teaching design in which students were encouraged to share their ways of doing mathematics, history, science, with each other. In other words, that children take part in the construction of consensual domains, and ‘participate in the negotiation and institutionalization of … meaning'”. (Roth, W-M. and Lee, Y-J. (2006) Contradictions in theorizing and implementing communities in education. Educational Research Review, 1, (1), pp27–40.) In other words, learning communities were being recognized for students. So, how do we develop and show importance for developing collaborative learning communities.? I suggest the following three free web sites that may allow teachers to begin to build a foundation for the understanding of collaboration.

I have spent time with James Surowiecki‘s book “Wisdom of Crowds” which I will say is an important read for educators. Your students can enjoy listening to portions of the book. In fact, PBS has created a page that highlights the important concepts of the book for students. You will find it at Nova’s Science Now Site. Here you will find relevant videos and a few activities. Students can watch a video including  Surowiecki’s book highlights or another video that includes a case study of a WWII submarine.  Included are activities entitled Counting Cabs,  One Minute Expert, and  Differences Between Mean and Median. There is even a transcript of the video. Be sure to check out the related Random House Site because it contains questions and answers with the author along with excerpts and even audio clips that could be used in podcasts.

If you are not aware of TED.com , be ready to visit  an awesome site of  amazing technology and innovation videos. If you are aware, you must be sure to visit the theme devoted to The Rise Of Collaboration.  TED is a small,  but rapidly growing, nonprofit group devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from the  three worlds of  Technology, Entertainment, and Design. In the theme devoted to The Rise Of Collaboration you will find Jimmy Wales telling  the story of perhaps the movement’s most famous example, Wikipedia . Also included is Richard Baraniuk as he envisions a  free global education system to which thousands of teachers could contribute. In an awesome presentation,  Charles Leadbeater gives examples of collaborative innovation that predate the World Wide Web, and  Cameron Sinclair wants to shelter the world by providing an online platform for open-source architecture. Don’t miss as Deborah Gordon shows  the inspiration of collaboration as she reveals the world of  the desert anthill. Included in the TED collection are nearly fifty videos that highlight the world of collaboration in an exciting and engaging way.

Another great site for assisting in teaching the collaborative process is Your Take. It demonstrates the true power found in a group working together.    The site emphasizes that a real  key to success inside and outside the classroom is the ability to think critically and  go beyond grades.  The authors of this site have developed a unique tool called SCAN .  The SCAN program promotes an interactive and collaborative way for students to use technology to analyze and problem solve an issue. The letters in SCAN stand for:  S – Stop and think things through, C – Clarify the key issues, A – Ask yourself what’s most important, N – Now, what’s your next step. Lessons can be taught as an individual or group activity. Students use the web to follow these guidelines and reflect on various points of view. The end product is a group effort that can be used as a project, writing prompt, or presentation. A  video provided by Your Take gives a clear demonstration  of how this program works. The program has nearly one hundred pre-made lessons with prompts. I advise you to not stop there. Use lessons that you have used in the past and integrate them using this outstanding technology. Include standards found in your curriculum to better understand past issues in history, current topics of today, and future problems that will need solutions only found through the efforts of a group. An archived Webinar provides an even  more thorough examination of  “Your Take”. It provides great information on the ways to set up this online collaborative environment in a safe and effective way. A list of sample of standards,  including 21st century technology standards can also be found on the Your Take Web Site.

Thanks for taking the time to visit. As you can see, this post is dedicated to teachers wanting to facilitate real collaboration in their classroom. I will close with the idea that true (PBL) Project Based Learning and 21st Century Learning require that students collaborate in the planning of the learning process. Perhaps modeling is still the very best method to teach and facilitate. Have a great week and as always you can follow me on on twitter at (mjgormans) and I will be sure to follow back so we can learn from each other. As always please join me at my 21centuryedtech Wiki, it’s filled with great resources that are free and effective! – Mike

Time For “Your Take” – An Interactive Site That Promotes “The Wisdom Of The Crowd”

Once in a while a truly unique site is created that promotes genuine 21st Century Skills using technology. A site that provides tools that  assist students in  reflecting, questioning, collaborating, thinking globally, gathering facts, analyzing, and seeking solutions is currently available for free!  Your Take demonstrates the true power found in a group working together.  Students must learn thos process if they are to successfully compete  in the global world of the 21st Century.  Your Take,  an effort made possible by the Tregoe Education Forum,  can be found at www.yourtake.org.  The site emphasizes that a real  key to success inside and outside the classroom is the ability to think critically and  go beyond grades.  The authors of this site have developed a unique tool called SCAN .  The SCAN program promotes an interactive and collaborative way for students to use technology to analyze and problem solve an issue. The letters in SCAN stand for:

S – Stop and think things through

C – Clarify the key issues

A – Ask yourself what’s most important

N – Now, what’s your next step

Lessons can be taught as an individual or group activity. Students use the web to follow these guidelines and reflect on various points of view. The end product is a group effort that can be used as a project, writing prompt, or presentation. A  video provided by Your Take gives a clear demonstration  of how this program works. The program has nearly one hundred pre-made lessons with prompts. I advise you to not stop there. Use lessons that you have used in the past and integrate them using this outstanding technology. Include standards found in your curriculum to better understand past issues in history, current topics of today, and future problems that will need solutions only found through the efforts of a group. An archived Webinar provides an even  more thorough examination of Your Take. It provides great information on the ways to set up this online collaborative environment in a safe and effective way. A list of sample of standards,  including 21st century technology standards can also be found on the Your Take Web Site.

As you become familiar with this amazing site please feel free to post ideas, plans, and thoughts you may have on using this tool in education. I also invite you to read a book entitled, The Wisdom of Crowds ,by James Surowiecki. It is a must read for twenty-first century educators as they affirm mission and vision for facilitating student growth in twenty-first century skills. After all, we are a crowd of educators  and together our collective wisdom has unlimited potential! Feel free to join the constantly growing crowd at my wiki entitled 21centuryedtech at www. 21centuryedtech.wikispaces.com . It really is time for you to become even more familiar with  Your Take!

Mike  (21centuryedtech)