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zombies & survival? Asynchronous learning

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2. Problems of Democracy Discussion Board on Freedom of Expression

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2. Problems of Democracy Discussion Board on Freedom of Expression

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Hey WHAP students- what we learn today?

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wkaulbach's webcam video December 16, 2011 11:42 AM

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wkaulbach's webcam video December 16, 2011 11:42 AM

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Emergency Preparedness Distance Learning

Educational Renaissance: Veteran Teachers Vest in Change

Breaking out of the Norm with Breakout Edu

Mini Thought Bubble on Performance Assessments

The Sensibilities of Mind Mapping

Pioneering Nearpod

Classroom Work Flow Before the Holidays

Surviving the Doldrums of Education

E-Sub Plans for Educators

Presenting Missing Histories

The Flat Daddy Diaries

Many nights ago, my daughter (KF) sighed and said to her dad,"It's been such a long time since I was able to lay my head on your shoulder." She snuggled against him while he held her tight and finished the bedtime story. Flat Daddy flew out to New Mexico to present at a tech conference and to see KF for the first time in person in over six weeks. You see Flatdaddy is my husband's Facetime nickname. Being that we are both teachers I couldn't help but compare our temporary separation and online communication to the blended classroom.

For all teachers worried about online learning as a destructive opponent of classroom teachers, there is no replacement for the real deal. But it has me questioning the following: what can technology provide for students that couldn't be physically in classroom? What can teachers provide that a computer will never replace? When real daddy arrived in October we took a day together to heighten the senses by strolling under a golden canopy of autumn cottonwoods through the city of Santa Fe and breathe in the scent of green chilies roasting on each corner. We ended up along the railroad tracks teetering on the rails. We crouched down to examine the spikes and showed our daughter how the date on the spike heads placed some rails as old as 1916 and as new as the 1970s. We ended the day dancing the Folklorico hat dance in (mostly) rhythmic unison. With the city as our classroom, we provided educational experiences that literally touched us. The virtual world is unable to offer this.

Hands on activities, physical exertions, body language and stimulation of all five senses is possible in a classroom with a teacher. Nuances in communication often lost in email or video chat help students establish comprehension and direct understanding when made in person. Email allows me share an idea but meeting someone in person helps me clarify it. Every night while I am 2,000 miles away from my husband, I use video as an opportunity to summarize or review my daily activities ;he used video to remind me of the bills or chores that need my attention. Prior to our time together the virtual world can be used to set a stage, create anticipation for a planned adventure. It is an incentive only if the promised engagement takes place.

What can technology provide beyond the four walls of classroom? That was actually the focus of Flatdaddy's discussion at the NMTIE technology conference, Creating Cool (with Ipads). Online tools allow students to transcend regional differences. One of our favorite activities is to point our Ipad at the window and remark at how dark it is back east or how sunny and lovely it is out here. Being seven, my daughter is fascinated by time zones and will ask her dad "what life is like in the future." A textbook might offer a definition and a worksheet activity on time and movement but the video call puts knowledge into context.

Out here in New Mexico my daughter is one of 22 students in a classroom. Online she is the sole focus of her peer group. Teachers can not give students individual attentions that they crave or attention is given to students who abhor it. The online world gives the student the power and authority to determine the time and place of their audience. It can offer instant response or be purposefully asynchronous. People need different amounts of time to respond to a question, some need a momentary disconnect while others expect quick answers. The social network is a population that students can determine, they are no longer limited to an immediate vicinity.

My transformation as a New Mexican has made me realize that there is nothing in Vermont that can emulate the roasting green chile. Only here do I truly know what it is like to feel dry in a semi arid plateau, at altitude, four weeks without a sprinkle of rain. For this physical classroom I am grateful. My desert life seemed distant from Hurricane Sandy but the virtual world of Twitter kept me in touch with friends frantically scrambling out of flood zones and assured my daughter that Flatdaddy was safely stranded in the Cleveland airport as evidenced by Facetime chats.
In the storms that face education today it is important for teachers and students to embrace the escapism of the virtual world, to venture outside the normal but to return to that classroom with heightened senses and make something real of it.

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Blended Classroom Learning, Virtual and Real Classrooms

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The Flat Daddy Diaries Many nights ago, my daughter (KF) sighed and said to her dad,"It's been such a long time since I was able to lay my head on your shoulder." She snuggled against him while he held her tight and finished the

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link to published article
link to article- part one

In this time when school securities are threatened by unmitigated attacks, technology in education serves to open campuses between distant communities. A recent pen pal project entered a second phase of practice with letter writing and Skype. It has served to distract us from tragedy and fears of being able to engage in meaningful, safe dialogue.

Last week Flatdaddy and I facilitated a follow up session with the classroom to classroom Skype between New Mexico and Vermont . Our first chat gave students an opportunity to see the face of their pen pal. Each class enjoyed watching each other hear ideas and evidence pulled from past letters and visually seeing each other respond to questions comparing culture and geography. Our follow up chat would give students three minutes to converse with a penpal. Management was discussed and planned ahead of time with the decision to model a structured conversation deliberately related to Common Core standards. What did they learn about their pen pal or their state from the previous letters? What do they hope their pen pal will write about in the next letter? We established five small group sessions with set amounts of time. Teachers kept the class occupied in a lab while the smaller groups congregated around a computer in a separate room. I acted as one facilitator and another parent volunteer helped the teacher shuttle students back and forth from the session.

Students were given an opportunity to reflect on the conversation prompts and to discuss what they wanted to say. For the student that is shy or uncomfortable the prompt not only gave them something to focus on but also the opportunity to let someone else speak for them. I like to credit students for active discussion even if they don't utilize the Skype time. They can still gain value and receive credit for conversing with me if they are too uncomfortable to converse with unfamiliar faces.

With three minutes per pen pal, time moved quickly. Student recall was strong. Many students knew details concerning their pen pals interests in pets and animals. Descriptions of the love of horses was a common topic of discussion. They were able to remember birthdays and differences. Not celebrating Halloween or being able to hold a tarantula were recalled with delight. Students did not hesitate to pronounce what they hoped to read about in future letters. Most students wanted to read lists of favorite music or song artists. Both classes made requests for descriptions of winter and what they do when it snows. New Mexicans wanted to know more about moose, hunting and favorite chapter books while Vermonters wanted to know about the taste of green chile, and the colors of adobe. As facilitators, Flatdaddy and I kept notes to share with the classroom teachers to use for future writing prompts. Reviewing the results of a conversation makes students understand that their involvement was appreciated and ti will lend to greater ownership in writing.

Some students could not follow the format of the conversation prompts. I spoke on their by modelling recall and asking one student if I could boast about his dad's experience as a forest ranger. The Vermonters eagerly wanted to hear stories which led the student to exceed his time limit and requests to write about parents. Flatdaddy too was able to urge students to speak by boasting of their involvement in club activities. I liked being able to give students' praise and good public recognition as a means of establishing value in continuing in this authentic task. We discovered that some students were ready to perform for their pen pal through song and skit. One boy brought his turtle puppet as a prop to the delight of everyone moving it in and out of camera range giving students something to focus on besides themselves. Students did wave or wiggle their finger at one another even when they didn't speak. I discovered that students love to talk about cats even when they can think of nothing else. A sudden interest in mewing or mimicking cat like moves was engaging and is something that can not be done in letter writing. The bond of sharing cat sounds may seem ridiculous but it should serve to activate fond memory and a reason to write later during letter writing prompts.

Letter writing has survived the test of time because it is a gift that anyone can afford if they can afford the time to do it. By combining video chat with letter writing students have an opportunity to develop rapport, trust and dissolve miscommunication. As a tangible exchange of property a letter holds value. As a shared experience, video chat becomes a moment in time to revisit and reshape for future writings. Our schools must tighten security with police patrols locked doors and identification but our minds and our hearts are still able to freely connect in these virtual spaces.

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link to published article link to article- part one In this time when school securities are threatened by unmitigated attacks, technology in education serves to open campuses between distant communities. A recent pen pal project entered a second phase of practice with letter writing and Skype.

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digital, virtual, actual,

synchronous.....

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zombie apocalypse

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social constructivism

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Akrami & Associates Immigration Law Firm

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Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte

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the power of common language.

Literacy improves when educators

consistently utilize standard lang.

& practices. Elementary & up

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 Discussion is Not a Common Core Standard

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 Discussion is Not a Common Core Standard

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but these standards fit:

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/11-12/4

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/11-12/7

& http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/6

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multiple experiences with text

student friendly definition

reading is complex

discussion builds better writing