Second Grade Communities Blog Project

We have kicked off a great project at http://kidscom.wordpress.com where students can display some drawings and writing related to their communities and then get comments. The commenting has been going well, and I am particularly excited to see if we can grow this and some similar projects to, as Will Richardson says, “give the students’ work some wings.”

If you are reading this, hop over to that blog and make a comment. (Note: your comment will not appear until approved; comments are moderated.)

Constructing the Global Classroom

This Sunday afternoon NYSCATE session was led by Bill Reilly, Disney 2006 “Teacher of the Year” teacher award winner. He gave a fantastic 4 min video presentation on global connection and making learning come alive. While on the Half Moon in New York Harbor on 9-11, and in the weeks following, he was inspired. Started the The Global Coalition. This links kids from all over the world.

This year they have been making video newscasts (with Pinnacle Media Plus.)They get comments and are incorporating them to improve. (estimate 6-8000/broadcast)

They also do emailing using ePals primarily. It provides secure email for schools that teachers and admins can preview. He has located 50% of his contacts that way. They are inviting schools to listen in and join.

They use Skype. He showed a video of a Skype conference that took place between his class and one in Russia yesterday. Engagement was palpable. They started a school in Belize, have sent peace flags around the world, collected art, sold the art from around the world and donated proceeds to support the school. Children in Zimbabwee were living on a bowl of porridge a day are now living on milk, eggs, and meat from animals purchased by his kids. Plans are for a youtube funraising event.

Four years ago he felt that he could not do much. Now he is inspired.

Possible partnerships are sprouting in my mind. He suggests choosing one or a couple schools to communicate with.

I spoke via Skype with Mikhail in a small village in Mordovia, Russia, and ESL teacher there. The connection was warbly, butI will find some ways to replicate this back in Ithaca.

Check out the unit at this site.

You do not need to be a world leader or a rock star to change things. Butyou can’t do this.

LightningStruck.JPG

LightningStruck.JPG, originally uploaded by ayale6.

Have you seen a tree splintered like this? The shards were splinters like toothpicks ranging from 1 inch to 15 feet long.

Will Richardson in Ithaca

Will excited a room full of about 30 area educators today. He did a super job presenting and responding to the needs of the group.

Best of all, he confirmend my sense that we are on the right track in our home town.

Most of the content he covered is at Will Richardson’s Resource Kit

Communication: What’s the Best Tool?

An explosion in communication tools is spreading as technology springs forward. There have been many tools for much of human existence, so in a sense nothing is really new. Yet communication streams and networks are in rapid transformation. New vehicles for exchange include blogs, podcasts, vodcasts, and wikis, with more on the way- each with potential for variable distribution or containment.
What is the best tool? Well, obviously it depends on the content of the message and plans to extend the content or broadcast it. But fundamentally, an agreement to communicate with a given tool set is the primary determinant of communication quality. Tin cans and string work better than other options if that is what the parties wish to use.

It is not unusual for people to say, “I don’t check my email.”

It is not uncommon for people, even ones who know each other, to walk past one another.

The fundamental question is, “Do we want to communicate?” All too often, the answer based on the evidence is negative. And then what are we saying?

But the trend is hopeful, leading toward more articulate and varied communication using new communication and networking tools and information resources. Young people are linking with friends near and far, learning to callaborate around common interests. Many of us are building personal learning communities, and creating relationships that formenrly could not exist due to geography.

Wikis and Blogs for staff developers

Today Roger and I got to introduce staff developers to blogs and wikis. I think it went well. The proof will be in the pudding. See our wiki.