Jonathan Bird's Blue World

Jonathan Bird's Blue World is an Emmy award winning educational program that explores the wonders of the world's oceans.

The program airs on public television, but the website also has webisodes on the site for you to view. They also have an educators' section with study guides for each episode, sea stories and web links. You can even book him to come to your school and do a presentation (for a fee). He is very dynamic and you can see an example of one of his presentations.

Some of the episode topics include: Sharks, whales, airplane graveyard in the sea, tropical fish, manta rays, and much more. There is also a section with videos describing the SCUBA gear that they use when filming and exploring the oceans.

There is also a blog, http://jonathanbirdsblueworld.blogspot.com/, where they post information and news.

I found the program to be well done and very interesting and the resources on the site for educators were great. Definitely a great resource for your classroom.

On a side note, I actually went to college with Jonathan at WPI. He was two years ahead of me, but was in a band with a friend of mine. He's a great guy and it's great to see another engineer doing educational work.

some of the episodes:

50 Free Collaboration Tools That Are Awesome for Education

image from http://www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz/Resources/Publications/digital-strategy-2-draft/draft_collaboration/

This site has a list of 50 free collaboration tools that can help with distance education, group projects, homework collaboration, or working with other schools. The tools allow for group papers, file sharing, communications, and much more. The resources are listed by topic for easy searching.

Some of my favorites: Google Docs, Zoho, Skype, drop.io, Blogger, and Twitter.

I already use some of these, but I found some really good new ones too.

How do we motivate students?

How do we motivate students? I know I don't know how to motivate all students. I try to tell them why learning is important, how an education can make them a better person (and more money) and how important it is to do your best in any endeavor.

Some students are self-motivated. They want to do well. They compete with others to do well in school. They like the feeling they get when they do well. Some are motivated by their parents and a history of being pushed to do their best.

What about the rest? I know some unmotivated students can actually get motivated when they finally do well on something. They get a taste of success and want to get more and more of it. Some students do things to avoid a punishment. That only works for so long.

Then there are the students who aren't motivated because they don't see the point in education. Their parents aren't educated and they do ok in the student's eyes. Or, they see their friends working at the local store and think that is a great job (Stop and Shop is a coveted job by my students). The other issues we have to fight is students who see the guys selling drugs and making lots of money, and I've had students tell me why should they worry about school when their mom doesn't work but gets a check every month. There are a lot of things that affect how these students feel about education.

In Connecticut, we have the CAPT test as our standardized test for 10th graders. One of the data points that the State and Feds look at is the percentage of the 10th grade class that takes all sections of the test. Many schools use prizes to motivate students to come every day to take the test. But this only works to get them there. What motivates students to do their best?

In a previous article, I talked about forcing students to learn and how maybe we should look at more alternative programs for students who aren't interested in academics or college, but would rather do a trade, or learn better in different ways. I wonder what we can do to help motivate students who don't see the point in school or aren't into academics at all.

We can use technology to give students access to new things and see new things to motivate them to do well and be successful so that they can go see these things for real. We can use technology to create alternative programs and online classes to help struggling students achieve success which will hopefully get them motivated to try to succeed all the time. We can use technology to make learning more fun and interactive and get these students to like learning.

Rewards are good in some cases. Giving students free time, a pass on homework, time on a computer, etc. can get them to do some things and motivate them in some ways. But how long can rewards motivate students?

We can show students data about how much more money they can make being educated. How much more of the world is opened up to them. But that won't motivate them all.

We can show them what happens to drug dealers and how welfare is not the answer. But some of them won't care.

Some ideas for motivating students (by getting them more interested in learning)

1. Be enthusiastic and positive about what you teach. Create a positive learning environment for them.

2. Let students have some of the fun and let them discover things on their own instead of telling them it all up front.

3. Use visual aids, movies, examples, props, demonstrations and more

4. Take a field trip and make it real

5. Show them how great it feels to succeed and do well (they will want that feeling again)

6. Give them praise for doing well (they will crave it more and more). Frequent, early praise show them that they can do well.

7. Care about students and their lives. Talk to them. Ask them how they are doing. Talk to them about why they didn't do the work and what might be bothering them.

8. Reward them with different things. But, start slowing down on the rewards and increasing the praise as time goes on. Sometimes the praise and attention of an adult is a reward for many students.

9. Create tasks and work that students can complete and succeed in doing (not too easy, not too hard). Give them the skills and resources they need to succeed.

10. Help your students find personal meaning and value in the material that you are teaching.

11. Make your students feel valued and special by acknowledging their contributions to the class.

What else can we do to motivate students?

Please share your ideas!

Resource:

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv.htm

Great Educational Ideas from Colleges and the Boy Scouts

cross posted at Tech&Learning Magazine

I went to college at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, WPI, and majored in Aerospace Engineering. I worked for 10 years as an engineer before becoming a physics teacher. WPI has a unique curriculum, called the WPI Plan, consisting of 4 quarters instead of 2 semesters, 3 large projects, and course curriculum that are mainly project based. Each undergraduate has to complete a Humanities Sufficiency Project, and Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) and a Major Qualifying Project (MQP). The Sufficiency is a 3 credit project and course sequence in the humanities which ensures that all WPI graduates are well rounded. The IQP is a 9 credit project done in the junior year which relates science and technology to society and the MQP is a 9 credit project done in the senior year similar to a Master's thesis. The project based curriculum helps students learn content and develop problem solving, communications, and teamwork skills. It also helps develop ethics and responsibility in the students. I found that my WPI education has prepared me for my career as an engineer, as well as an educator, and served me well in many capacities.

This is the type of plan I try to use with my Physics students. I try to do as many labs, projects, and activities as I can because I know how well that works. The students are more engaged and tend to learn and remember concepts better. Project based learning is been proven to be a great way to educate students. In fact, WPI has done research on this topic. My IQP was on the quality of technical education in the US and we found that the students who did best in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) majors and careers were the ones who had a good background in high school, including collaborative projects. Other research at WPI has shown the same thing. Many educators and educational institutions also have shown that project based learning is a very effective way to teach and learn STEM topics.

WPI's Mechanical Engineering Department also has a great classroom called the Discovery Classroom. It is a lecture-style room with large tables for the students. It has multimedia capabilities, laptops for the students to use, and a room off to the side which contains equipment for demonstrations. This took a plain lecture hall and turned it into an interactive learning room.

WPI also has some great programs for incoming freshmen to introduce them to the school and STEM topics and help prepare them for the rest of college. High Schools would do well to have similar programs that would help freshmen obtain the skills necessary to be successful in high school.

Other colleges have similar programs that emphasize group projects, the interaction of technology and society and a base in the humanities. High schools have also been moving more and more towards project based learning because it has been proven to work.

K-12 education should take notice of some of the great and innovative things that colleges are doing and adapt them to their own schools. Many colleges have K-12 outreach programs and schools should take advantage of these.

I am also an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. I learned a lot in the Boy Scouts besides certain skills in camping, hiking, and the like. I learned how to work as a team, how to be a leader, and how to plan things. In Boy Scouts, the adults are advisors and the scouts do the planning and running of events, training, and campouts. As an Assistant Scoutmaster, I worked with a group of 5 boys who planned and carried out a Camporee for over 500 scouts. The Boy Scouts aren't afraid to let the boys take charge and lead. The adults will step in when necessary, but the boys learn a lot by their mistakes too. The older, more experienced scouts help teach the younger, newer scouts. Discipline is also handled by older scouts and things run very smoothly.

I think schools should do more to let students make decisions and run things. Let the students come up with ideas for lessons, projects, programs and more. Let them lead these projects and have the teachers advise them. The students will learn valuable skills and feel what it is like to take charge of a situation. Have students teach and tutor other students. Have upperclassmen be mentors to the underclassmen.

Some schools already do these things, but others would do well to look outside for ideas for new and innovative programs. Colleges, youth groups, the military, and even business and industry have plenty of great programs and ideas for doing things. Many of them can be brought into K-12 education and can be used to improve student engagement, achievement, and skills building. We have a large number of problems in schools now, and educators have to be creative in coming up with ways to address them. Look to these other organizations for ideas and help. We don't have to do it on our own.

Please share your ideas of things from outside education that could be used inside education.

Resources/more information:

http://www.wpi.edu/

http://www.scouting.org/scouting.aspx

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-get-started-with-project-based.html

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/01/should-we-force-students-to-learn.html

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/03/whos-responsible-for-failing.html

it's learning Course Management System

It's very rare that I review apps and services that are not free. However, I found out about it's learning last month and was able to see a demo and I really liked it as a course management system.

it's learning is a web-based system containing course management tools that enable students and teachers to create multimedia learning experiences. You can create your own content or merge free and commercial content into the library.

You start with a dashboard that contains links to your courses, calendar, tasks, messages and more. The system is easy to navigate and quite intuitive.

Features include: course listings, project management, calendar, messaging, ePortfolio's, a library of lesson plans, full search, a community forum, tasks, blogs, built-in audio and video recorders, plagiarism control and much more.

Pricing is based on an annual license for each student and teacher,

typically ranging between $10 - $15 per user/year. Parent and mentor
accounts are free.

it's learning is a very good alternative to other course management systems like Blackboard or Moodle. I found it to be easier to navigate and use also.

(disclaimer - I was not paid for this review and have received nothing from it's learning for the review)

Below is a full list of features and descriptions from their site:

it’s learning is a user-friendly and flexible learning platform that can be used for:

§ Communication and cooperation

§ Administration, reporting and evaluation

§ Production and management of learning resources

it’s learning is not adapted in any specific pedagogical direction. We supply the tools that are used to build up courses, while the teachers and schools fill the learning platform with content. it’s learning supports learning activity, new learning forms and simple access to knowledge. We support standardised e-learning standards such as AICC, IMS and SCORM.

User-friendliness is an important factor for successfully implementing a learning platform, whether in private or the public sector, or in an educational institution. Even if different e-learning systems often seem to include the same functions and tools, it is the intuitiveness of the user interface that in practice decides if the learning platform is actually used. When our customers choose it’s learning, it is most often because of the user-friendliness.

Communication and cooperation

it’s learning has a number of built-in learning tools. The application can easily be set up so that only parts of these tools are made available for the users of the learning platform. This is an arena in which the participants cooperate, both synchronously and asynchronously. Available tools for communication and cooperation are, for example: the internal message system, e-mail, discussions,process-oriented documents, bulletin boards and news services.

Administration, reporting and evaluation

it’s learning is also an administrative tool, both for system administrators, course administrators and teachers. The idea behind the learning platform is that the teachers themselves have the flexibility to choose their own methodology in their educational work. Teachers are not dependent on a superior administrator to set up and administrate their learners and content resources. Reports are automatically generated providing overviews of the learning process, either of a single learner or that of a group. it’s learning also supports assessment portfolio evaluation, and provides possibilities for individual follow-up and reflection.

Production and management of learning resources

it’s learning is a powerful tool for production, organisation, updating and re-use of learning resources. We allow both internal and external tools for producing content.

Our users are interested in content production. By using the Add function in it’s learning, you can access about 15 different tools that allow you to add your own learning tools and organise them within a subject. You can organise course content in many different ways, for example, thematically, chronologically and functionally. For the more advanced users we recommend the additional module Library. The Library allows teachers to create and share lessons. Our customers can also make their own learning tools by means of the proxy tool function.

List of Resources I've recently posted to Twitter

Here is a list of the resources I have posted on Twitter recently:

Tech Tip - how to mask your email address - http://trunc.it/5l6sb

Google Maps adds Lab features like aerial tilting view - http://trunc.it/5icy2

Tips on Using Google Buzz - http://trunc.it/5hyxi

Surf Dog promotes literacy in children of all ages. http://www.surfdogsunsetbeach.com/

Online Tech Tips - Google Buzz - http://trunc.it/5euvr

20 Free Apps for the Web 2.0 Student http://bit.ly/ckzSvH - and some more - http://trunc.it/5hfmc

Digital Textbooks - online resources to replace your textbooks - http://trunc.it/5hue5

Blogs as a teaching tool - some ideas for teachers and examples -http://trunc.it/5gjeh

Resources and tips for Using TV in the classroom - http://trunc.it/5jbpb

Evernote - note taking, web capture, image search & much more-great resource for getting organized- http://trunc.it/5htym

Aviary online graphics editors and web screen capture - http://trunc.it/5dqbg

Science Lesson Resources - some great material - http://trunc.it/5hti2

Alternative to Microsoft Office - OpenOffice - now with improved performance - http://trunc.it/5hq7g

Google Chrome Browser review and features - http://trunc.it/5dozu

Tech Tip - are you being recorded in your classroom? http://www.180techtips.com/100.htm

Great new Web 2.0 Resource from Discovery Education - http://web2010.discoveryeducation.com

Tech Tip - What Does "beta" mean - http://www.180techtips.com/98.htm

Some great PowerPoint tips and resources: http://goo.gl/SAbu , http://www.180techtips.com/99.htm

Enjoy.

Practical Physics

Practical Physics is a collection of physics labs and experiments, activities, and more. There are also lesson plans, tips, and guidance on how to teach different concepts in physics.

I was very impressed with the collection of materials and was especially impressed with the guidance for teachers. This section can help teachers break down and explain concepts better.

The site breaks things down by major physics topic. There are also sections on physics applications and physics at play which can help teachers give their students an example of why this concept is important or useful.

There are also links to other physics resources.

I found this site to be very useful and very easy to use and have already used some resources from it in my physics classes.

Great Web 2.0 resource site

Kevin Honeycutt has a great site with information, videos, links, and resources for Web 2.0 tools for educators and how to use them. He also has other information and links for online safety and cyber-bullying.

I've only begun to delve into his site and I have already found a huge amount of resources. Check it out.

The Value of Educational Technology

I recently had a colleague ask me "why should I learn this tech stuff. How will it help me or my students?" I answered that it could make him more efficient and organized, able to learn new things, and allow his students to do new things, explore, engage, create, and have fun learning. We talked for a few more minutes and I convinced him to come to a professional development session I was running entitled "An Introduction to Educational Technology" where I introduce some basic edtech tools and resources and show the participants how to get started using educational technology. Many teachers are intimidated by everything out there, so I also point them towards resources that can help them overcome their fears and learn to use the resources.

The conversation got me thinking more about the value of educational technology. I have always believed in edtech as a valuable educational tool and resource, but I wanted to try to verbalize my beliefs better and come up with concrete examples. So, here goes.

Value of Educational Technology: (or, how does it help teachers and students)

1. Organization - things like Google Calendar, iGoogle, Evernote help keep us organized and more efficient
2. Collaboration - Google Docs, Twitter, Prezi, Blogs, Wiki's, Scriblar, and more allow teachers and students to interact, work together, and work with others.
3. Web 2.0 - in general, allows students and teachers to create and interact instead of just observing
4. Personal Learning Network (PLN) - learning and sharing what you know
5. Professional development - online resources, informal through PLN, online classes
6. Research/Information - the internet ('nuff said)
7. Virtual labs, trips - take your students to places they'd never get to see otherwise, do labs and experiences with them, even when you don't have the supplies or equipment.
8. Save time and money
9. Provide new learning experiences and help improve education
10. Connect with students and parents easier - email, websites, blogs, etc.
11. Provide differentiated educational experiences (video, audio, print, interactive, help and tutoring)

I was trying to figure out how much money I have saved in my classroom alone by utilizing educational technology in place of other things.

• My physics classes do not have a textbook because I use two free online physics texts, three great websites, and a free downloadable pdf version of a physics textbook. Savings of $140 per student. (the textbook we have is very old and out of date)
• I don't print out anywhere near the amount of paper for students that I used to because I post things on the class blogs and website. Savings of literally tens of thousands of pieces of paper and copier toner and my time.
• Electronic grade book, attendance, note taking, etc. has saved money on grade books and paper (and allowed parents to keep track of their child's performance)
• Free online virtual labs and simulations instead of paying for licenses or lab equipment
• Free software / services (Google Docs, Sites, Blogger, Evernote, etc) instead of paying for licenses - students can therefore do things at home that they normally couldn't afford to do either.

I could not put a numeric value on educational technology. I know I save money, I know I save time, I know I offer my students labs and experiences that I couldn't otherwise (due to budget issues), I know the students have fun, I know that they are creating instead of just consuming, I know I am more efficient and more organized, I know I learn a lot from my PLN, I know my students learn a lot from the class and their work. How do you put a price on that? I think it is priceless.

What do you think the value of educational technology is?

Can we quantify it with numbers and data?

Harvard WIDE World Online Classes

It is rare that I mention, let alone recommend, something that costs money, but this one is well worth it.

Harvard's Graduate School of Education has a great online program called WIDE World.

WIDE World offers online certificate courses for educators on topics ranging from Teaching for Understanding to Differentiation to Teaching with New Technologies.

They have courses of study, or you can take individual courses that you are interested in.

I have taken Teaching to Standards with New Technologies 1 and 2. I found the courses to be well designed and planned out. Each course had readings from books and web sites, online activities, research and assignments, and online discussions as part of the program. WIDE World emphasizes Understanding By Design and we used the UbD lesson format in our assignments.

There is a discounted fee for people who sign up as part of a group.

I recommend this program to my colleagues.

I would like to hear feedback from any readers who have taken courses through Harvard's WIDE World program.

Great idea for technology and kids

I saw this ARTICLE in the local paper today. A mother designed a system to work with cellphones to prevent their use in a car. What I like the most about it is that it is really geared towards teen drivers, who are most likely to use their cell phone and text while driving.

The system is called the iZUP. The iZUP will be available online at getiZUP.com next month. A single device will cost $4.95 a month or $49.95 year or a family plan with three or more devices will cost $5.95 a month or $59.95 a year.

I will be mentioning this to parents of my students and talking to my students about texting and using cell phones while driving. In my physics classes I can relate this to forces and the damage and impact makes. In the EMT class, I show them the results of accidents from distracted drivers.

While this is not a free resource, it is very worthwhile.

Free Resource from Edutopia

Edutopia, the George Lucas Educational Foundation, has a free, downloadable resource for teachers entitled "Top Ten Tips for Teaching with New Media". It is a PDF file.

The document contains some very good tips on applying new technologies and media to classroom education.

Edutopia's website also has a lot of great resources for teachers. You can also join for a small yearly fee and get even more resources and a subscription to the Edutopia magazine.

This is one of the few educational resources that I pay for because I find it very useful and helpful.

New Teacher Advice

WELCOME NEW TEACHERS!

As I was realizing that summer was almost up, I also realized that there will be a new batch of teachers to join our distinguished profession. So here it is, my advice to new teachers.

Your best resource as a new teacher is yourself. Use what you learned in school. Seek out more information from colleagues and the Internet. Use your creativity. Remember what it was like to be a student yourself.

Ask for help. Don't be afraid to ask other teachers for help. Do not isolate yourself in your classroom. Make connections with other teachers, whether it is in person, by email, Facebook, Ning, Twitter, web sites, or blogs.

Don't reinvent the wheel. Use the resources that are available to you. Most textbooks now come with instructor resource CD-ROMs and companion web sites. Use the resources that they have and then modify them as needed. Search the Internet for lesson plan ideas, activities, classroom management tips, and other tips and tricks.

Stay organized. You need to stay organized. Make sure you have a lesson plan guide and calendar of some sort. You can use a paper based planner and lesson planner or use an electronic or web-based system. Smartphones, such as those from Palm (Centro), RIM (Blackberry), and Apple (iPhone) are great for staying organized. You can also use online resources like Google, Yahoo, Evernote and others to keep your files, calendar, tasks, and lesson plans organized.

Write things down and make sure you have your classroom materials organized and labeled.

Take advantage of professional development opportunities. Your district and school will run professional development sessions, but don't limit yourself to those. Look for free online sessions, webcasts, conferences, and sessions run by your local educational resource agency.

Join a professional society in your area. As a physics teacher, I have joined the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Find out what organizations are in your area and join them. You will find resources and contacts through these organizations.

Read journals. Subscribe to and read educational journals. Most are free, so you don't have to worry about the money. There are journals on general education, educational technology, pedagogy, assessment, and just about every other area of education.

Be creative with your lessons. Think outside the box. Come up with new, fun ways to teach the students. Use projects and project-based-learning as a way to engage and teach your students. You can find a huge number of resources and ideas for projects on the web.

Read some books on education. My personal favorites to start with are "First Days of School", by Harry Wong, and "Your First Year as a High School Teacher", by Lynne Rominger, et al.

Don't pay for things if you can get them for free. There are tons of free resources, from software to web sites, that can help you in your classroom.

Make connections with the secretaries and custodians in your building. They will be some of your best resources for supplies, ideas, and help.

Make connections with local businesses, especially those that are related to your subject area. They can be a huge resource for guests, supplies and equipment, and funding. Many local businesses, such as Staples, have Teacher Appreciation Days with discounts and free gifts. Find out about these. Remind businesses that instead of throwing out things, they can donate usable items to your school as a tax write-off.

Get to know the publisher's representative for your class's textbook. They can get you a lot of resources.

Be flexible. Remember Murphy's law. Have plans for when your lessons run short or long, to deal with interruptions and fire drills, assemblies, and days when much of your class is absent because of a field trip. Have back up plans for everything and especially have backup plans in case of technology issues.

Know your local and State curriculum. Know what is expected of you. Know what is expected of the students.

Track your personal expenses and save receipts. There is a tax deduction for educators.

Copyright issues - be careful and make sure you know about Educational Copyright issues

Keep up on your certification requirements.

Ask for help, and look for help. Again, don't be afraid to ask for help.

Good luck and welcome to the profession!

Here is a list of my favorite sites and resources (all are free / have free versions)

Google for Educators: http://www.google.com/educators/index.html

Evernote: http://www.evernote.com/

SugarSync: https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=c6g3ccjrtagq2

Tech&Learning Magazine: http://www.techlearning.com/

THE Journal: http://thejournal.com/Home.aspx

Engrade: http://www.engrade.com/

12 Essentials for Integrating Technology

Richard Byrne, a high school History teacher from Maine, also runs a blog about technology for education. His blog, Free Technology for Teachers, is a great resource for any teacher to use.

He recently completed a booklet entitled "Twelve Essentials for Technology Integration." This booklet, provided for free by him on his site, is a great primer for teachers looking for some basic technology they should use when getting started with technology integration.

The booklet looks professionally done, even though he did it on his own. It gives a sort summary about 12 different technologies for classroom use.

I highly recommend this site and booklet to all educators.

NASA Educators Resources

NASA has a Space Education Web site for educators to use. 

The resources are sorted by type and grade level. 

There are videos, lesson plans, resource links, news and interactive sites on NASA programs and projects. There is also a Student site that students can explore. 

I've used many resources from the site and find them well thought out and easy to use.

The one I have used the most is the Rocketry resources. I do a final project at the end of the year in my Physics classes where they research rockets and the physics of rockets and then build and launch their own model rockets. The students can just go through the Rocketry site and learn about all the different aspects of rocekts. Its a fun, interesting way to end the year.