MACUL Cloud Conference Presentations

I'm delighted to be at the MACUL Cloud Conference, today.  I'm looking forward to sampling some really interesting presentations on a theme near and dear to my ed tech heart.  I also have been eager to see Holland Christian after hearing about their innovative 1:1 program from Tim Kamps at  the 2009 ADE Summer Institute.

Here are the slides for my presentations:

A Cloud Based Digital Anthology  
8:30 am
Room 223


Baker explains how he has replaced a traditional reader with a cloud based text linked to current information and packed with multimedia. The tools and resources to be discussed — Moodle, Google Docs, PBS, iTunesU, Academic Earth, NPR, Gale Virtual Research — could be used for most courses and grade levels.


An Elaborate Congressional Simulation Moves to the Cloud
12:45 pm
Room 217


The centerpiece of an American Government class now exists completely in the cloud. Students access instruction and tools from Box.net, Google Sites and WikiSpaces. Each builds (and visits) multimedia Google Sites for their fictional characters including a cloud White House. Full access to 2010 materials and exhibits will be included.

Upcoming Presentations

I have written for presentation proposals for this professional organization and that. The first four have been accepted and I am waiting to hear about the one at the bottom. In the mean time I thought I would share them with you, to let you know what topics are on my mind these days.

Simulation

The centerpiece of an American Government class now exists completely in the cloud. Students access instruction and tools from Box.net, Google Sites and WikiSpaces. Each builds (and visits) multimedia Google Sites for their fictional characters including a cloud White House. Full access to 2010 materials and exhibits will be included.

Using Apple’s Challenge-Based Learning to Build Learning Networks
Apple's Challenge-Based Learning model fosters authentic understanding and leverages technology. Students use the web for research, planning, and collaborating while seeking solutions. The media specialist's role as guide will be explored.

Digital Anthology

Baker explains how he has replaced a traditional reader with a cloud based text linked to current information and packed with multimedia. The tools and resources to be discussed -- Moodle, Google Docs, PBS, iTunesU, Academic Earth, NPR, Gale Virtual Research -- could be used for most courses and grade levels.

Building A Knowledge Hub for Your Learning Community

Mercy’s M-Hub Project helps students build learning networks “inside-out”. Grounded in the Department of Education's "2010 National Educational Technology Plan", the project uses social media to connect students with experts in the school community like parents and alumni. A blueprint will be presented for developing learning hubs at other schools.

Challenging the Challengers - A Staff Engages with Challenge Based Learning.

A school has engaged in learning design and culture shift through a series of innovative professional development activities.  The endgame calls for student directed learning experiences that develop Tony Wagner's 21st Century "Survival Skills."  The strategies, joys, and obstacles to this journey will be detailed.

Super Soph Simulation

As I mentioned in Embracing Failure, I continue to tinker with my American Government tour de force -- The Congressional Simulation.

Last semester, finding myself overwhelmed by my effort to take "The Game" online, I instituted changes in the evaluation process. All were helpful this time around.

But I also encouraged some creative changes. Like last time, each student was required to design a web site for her fictional game persona. But I encouraged the following additions:

1) A podcast welcome to the site performed in character.

2) Instead of a journal, students posted press releases, memos to staff, and letters to constituents.

3) This semester, a presidential aide character was created. Part of her responsibility was to produce a multi-media White House site.

Of course, new innovations mean new complications. Down the road I will no doubt blog about further adjustments. In the mean time I wish to share some of the best work produced by my current tenth grade students. If you visit Super Sophs you will find some of the best web designs, podcasts and documents. A very creative White House site is included in the mix. Hope your get a chance to check it out.

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Super Sophs: Annie, Susan, Laura, and Audrey. Great job, ladies!

Best of 2009: My 21st Century Stimulation

As 2009 comes to an end I am re-posting some my favorites. This one first appeared January 11.

I began teaching American Government in 1993, and my Congressional simulation has been with me for the entire ride. The idea came from a product called, "Committee" by Interact, but from the beginning I made modifications. It evolved slowly from semester to semester with two enormous convulsive changes along the way. One year I completely updated all the legislation, and another year I recreated and expanded the entire cast of 35 imaginary characters.

Most students love playing "The Game" as they usually call it. And every semester a few will journal about it and mistakenly refer to it as a "stimulation". I still chuckle.

I have recently conducted another radical revision due to the convergence of three factors:
1) "The game" is getting a little stale for me.
2) I have never liked having the players' roles and goals prescripted for them.
3) I've found some great Google tools that will help me and open up the game and make it far more dynamic.

The latest version of the game will revolve around Google Docs and Google Sites. This will provide students with the easy ability to use templates to build their roles and goals. The sites will allow students to post and share some work. I will also be able to make the project 75% more paperless (See Red Herring and Black Book Bag).

Check out the latest '09 Version of the Game. I'd love to have some feedback. And feel free stop by and observe the interaction when we are hip deep in the next semester. Wish me luck!

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Screen Shot of Audrey's Google Site project --- Phil Herbert, White House Director of Legislative Affairs

Embracing Failure

As I have reported from time to time in this space, I the centerpiece of my American Government students is "The Game" -- a legislative simulation played toward the end semester. Last year I developed a full fledged online edition, requiring each student to create a web site for the character she portrayed in the game. Going high tech produced a number of successes and failures which I reflected upon in Web 2.0 Simulation Post-Mortem.

My biggest error was unwittingly putting myself in the middle of far too much web activity. I allowed the game and project requirements bombard me with emails and force me to go back to the student web sites again and again. After launching the game with great enthusiasm in all three sections, I barely enjoyed any of the cool things that came out of it. Each night I would respond to numerous student emails and and check dozens of student web sites. Playing the game in three classes simultaneously proved to be overwhelming.

So, here I am again, launching three simulations, simultaneously. But I've learned from the school of hard knocks, instituting three major changes to shift or share more responsibility with the students.

1) Last year I asked students to email me the url of their web sites so that I could post them for the class. Pretty stupid. Utterly confusing and inefficient. This year I created a wiki and listed all the students' names on a page. I asked the students to request an invitation to the wiki which are easy to accept at the Wikispaces site. Students are then required to link their sites to the wiki. It took about five minutes in class to show them how.

2) I am recruiting students to evaluate each other's sites, determining whether the required "stuff" has been posted. This can be done through a blind process (students of one class will check the "characters' sites of another). I am awarding a bit of extra credit for the service. Having those eyes and ears poking through the sites will be a major relief. This year I should be able to look each site over once.

3) Students will complete a check list self-evaluation which they will submit at the end of the project. This is intended to improve responsibility and also relieve me from going on wild goose chases, looking online for artifacts that don't even exist because the student missed a deadline.

I suspect that I will be noting some new failures in my next post-mortem. But it's hard to keep moving forward without having some choice mistakes point you in the right direction.

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"epic fail :)" Flickr Creative Commons photo courtesy of anna

Year in Review from the Trenches -- Making Headway

Part 1 of 3

I am pleased to reflect upon on a number of techy milestones this school year:

*I have integrated several new applications, sites, and tools into my personal and professional life. (Some listed at my new Presentations Site).

*Being named an Apple Distinguished Educator was the thrill of my career.

*I have been professionally enriched like never before from my Twitter and ADE networks (See Why Twitter).

*Facebook and this blog have generated , stimulating tech conversation with personal friends like @bridgers, Rick, aml, Katy. And Facebook has allowed me to begin lining up classroom visits from accomplished alumnae like Nadia and Monica.

*I launched three very stimulating collaborative projects: The Civil Rights/Liberties Wiki, the Congressional Simulation, and my favorite -- Blogs on Vlogs.

*I enjoyed delivering a number of in-service presentations (fully listed on my new presentations resumé). There is no better way to learn than through teaching others.

*In Resolved.... I announced the New Year's resolution to avoid checking a single "paper" at home for the entire school year. Resolution kept.

*Also Resolved.... was my determination to keep blogging. Forty-six posts since the resolution, I am still going strong.

*Rick Strobl and I have begun collaborating on Web Warriors, and the results have been gratifying.

But not all has been triumph in the trenches. Come back Wednesday for "Shell Shock".

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"Success" Flickr Creative Commons photo by aloshbennett

My 21st Century Stimulation [sic]

I began teaching American Government in 1993, and my Congressional simulation has been with me for the entire ride. The idea came from a product called, "Committee" by Interact, but from the beginning I made modifications. It evolved slowly from semester to semester with two enormous convulsive changes along the way. One year I completely updated all the legislation, and another year I recreated and expanded the entire cast of 35 imaginary characters.

Most students love playing "The Game" as they usually call it. And every semester a few will journal about it and mistakenly refer to it as a "stimulation". I still chuckle.

I have recently conducted another radical revision due to the convergence of three factors:
1) "The game" is getting a little stale for me.
2) I have never liked having the players' roles and goals prescripted for them.
3) I've found some great Google tools that will help me and open up the game and make it far more dynamic.

The latest version of the game will revolve around Google Docs and Google Sites. This will provide students with the easy ability to use templates to build their roles and goals. The sites will allow students to post and share some work. I will also be able to make the project 75% more paperless (See Red Herring and Black Book Bag).

Check out the latest '09 Version of the Game. I'd love to have some feedback. And feel free stop by and observe the interaction when we are hip deep in the next semester. Wish me luck!