FREE Digital Citizenship Week Webinar with Cable in the Classroom

October is official "Connected Educator Month" and next week there is a focus on how we teach our students to be good digital citizens as we celebrate "Digital Citizenship Week" between October 21-25, 2013. 

I will be helping Cable in the Classroom moderate a FREE webinar with Cable in the Classroom's Frank Gallagher entitled "Empowering Students to be InCtrl in a Digital Age".  The webinar will take place on Wednesday, October 23rd at 4:00 PM Eastern Time.  Click here to register for this free event.

I recently wrote a guest blog post for Cable in the Classroom's blog entitled "Teaching Digital Citizenship Everyday" which you can read here.

Please register for the webinar if you can make it.  We would love to have as many perspectives as possible.  If you are unable to participate live there will be an archive of the event available at a later date.

As Seen on Twitter This Week - October 17, 2013

This a copy of the weekly e-mail that I share with my peers.  It is a way for me to pass along the great things that I see each week on social media.  

As Seen On Twitter This Week – October 17, 2013

Last week was a little crazy with conferences so I didn’t send out my weekly Thursday “As Seen on Twitter This Week” e-mail.  I added a few more links this week to make up for it.

If you only read a couple I would recommend the first two links – social media impacting the writing of our students and why girls are not pursuing college computer degrees.

I also wrote a couple of blog posts this week that might be of interest:

Does McDonald’s Have A Better Learning Space Than Your Classroom?

http://www.speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2013/10/does-mcdonalds-have-better-learning.html

The Government Shut Down – Graphs to Use For Writing Prompt

http://www.speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-government-shut-down-graphs-for.html

Thanks.

Eric

The Dumbest Generation? No, Twitter is Making Our Kids Smarter

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/how-new-digital-tools-are-making-kids-smarter/article14321886/?service=mobile&utm_content=buffer3e05a&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer#!/

- how is the use of social media by our students impacting their writing

Why Are Girls Not Pursuing College Computer Degrees

http://www.edudemic.com/girls-computer-science-degrees/

- I have been reading a lot about this topic as the father of two girls

Study: U.S. Education Tops Spending List

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/oecd-education-report_n_3496875.html

- one of the facts that caught my eye was that between 2000-2011 teacher salaries for U.S. teachers increased 3%, in other countries increased 17=20%

Making the Most of a Small Space

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/09/making-most-small-space

- ideas on organizing your classroom to make the most of the space

Howard Gardner “Multiple Intelligences” are not ‘Learning Styles’

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/16/howard-gardner-multiple-intelligences-are-not-learning-styles/

- some great comments from Mr. Gardner himself on M.I.

How Big Is A House in Different Countries

http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/how-big-is-a-house

- interesting comparison of how much space we really need from a global perspective

The Unofficial Guide to Educational Twitter Hashtags

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CkUrFNr3ZThZXLh4kwk9rk-wQlwfcg8YL9zVx1R_C2s/edit

- the use of hashtags is one of the most important skills to getting the most out of Twitter

Coming Attractions - The Monuments Men - A History Movie and Possible Lesson Plans

Almost three years ago - back in April 2010 - I did a podcast review of Robert M Edsel's book "The Monuments Men" and discussed some ways it could be used in the classroom. It is a great book about the true story of how Allied troops were able to save the artwork stolen by the Nazis in World War II before it was destroyed.

I was so excited this week to happen upon the trailer for the upcoming movie based on the book.  It will be out in December 2013 and has enough star power to ensure that it will be a box office hit for the holidays. Check out the trailer below.

Anyone else read this book?  What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment on this blog post.  Thanks.

Does McDonald's Have A Better Learning Space Than Your Classroom?

As I write my dissertation I often seek out places to write which are free of distraction.  If I try to write or read at home or in my classroom there are usually things that keep me from working on the task at hand. I don't need much - a place to sit, ample table room to spread out some items, free wifi and a power outlet.  Public libraries are great and I like coffee shops - Caribou Coffee is probably my favorite.  Sometimes I buy a drink or get a snack.  

There is a McDonald's close to my house and over the past couple of months I have frequented it to work several times.  Last week as I stopped in after school to work and sat down I noticed just how many people were in the same place using the wifi.  Everyone there was using a device on the wifi - cell phones, tablets and laptops.  This perhaps isn't surprising but then I also noticed the design of the space itself.  It was inviting, pleasant, comfortable.  This McDonald's is a great, do I dare say it - a great learning space.

Then two days ago my friend William Chamberlain @wmchamberlain tweeted a picture of a McDonald's with the following text "McDonalds has better learning spaces than most schools :(" and included Ira Socol @irasocol  I retweeded it and added "Truth".

Tonight when I finished working on my paper I took some pictures of the McDonald's.  They really did a great job of creating a learning space.  I won't mind having some of this furniture in my classroom.

Our district has been having lots of discussions about learning spaces and where students learn in our schools.  We need to be more efficient and are discussing creating learning environments in space which it underutilized right now - including commons areas and hallways.  I have also been thinking about my own classroom.  Right now I have 31 classic student desks in my room but would like to eventually move to tables, movable chairs, etc.  

Ira Socol added some additional tweets about how teachers can change their learning spaces and included some videos of learning spaces which are better than McDonald's. There are solutions and we need so start having more discussions about making our classrooms open, inviting spaces for our students to learn instead of a factory.

So, what does your learning space look like?

What can we do to make our learning spaces better learning spaced?

Do you have a classroom redesign story to tell?

Please add your comments to this blog post.  We would love to hear your thoughts and create some solutions.  Thanks.

The Government Shut Down - Graphs for Lesson Plan or Writing Prompt

Want some great graphs and visuals for a prompt about the government shut down?  Check out the graphs included in this Pew Research Center report (@pewresearch on Twitter).  I first saw this in a tweet shared by Will Richardson @willrich45 today.

There are a ton of stats and charts here - great stuff - but how about starting with showing your students these two graphs and see what they infer from the data:

Wow! A lot to think about here.  How would you use this in class?  Please leave a comment on this post and share. Thanks.

Revolutionary War Spies - A Lesson Plan

Today I want to share an activity I use during our American Revolutionary War unit.  The story of how Washington used spies to gather information on the British is often underestimated. Gathering intelligence was of critical importance to both sides in their efforts to win the war.

The science and art of communicating as a spy is a fascinating part of the war and one that students generally enjoy learning about in our Revolutionary War unit.

Here is a screencast I created to accompany the activity on Revolutionary War spies.

In the past I have used "George Washington Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War" by Thomas B. Allen as a selection for my History Geeks book club with students.  It is an engaging read with lots of great stories and a code hidden within the book itself.  A great book for junior high students wanting to learning about Washington's use of spies.

If you want a more detailed book on spies in the Revolutionary War check out "Invisible Ink: Spycraft of the American Revolution" by John A. Nagy.  Great detail and more description about the techniques used by both sides in the war.

Mr. Nagy was featured in a C-SPAN author presentation recorded in New York in 2010 (52 minutes) that you can watch online here.

Do you do an activity in your classroom on spies in the American Revolutionary War?  Please let us know by leaving a comment on this blog post.

As Seen This Week on Twitter... Sharing Twitter With Staff

I am a big fan of using Twitter to find resources, ask questions of peers and in general just learn about amazing things.  I find myself often saying "I saw this great link on Twitter last night...." and have found that peers are generally more willing to tip their toe in the Twitter stream if they see value in creating a PLN.  

Several weeks ago I decided that I would look through the tweets which I have favorited in the past week and share some of them with my fellow teachers here at Discovery Middle School.  In my first e-mail I told everyone that the items shared in my e-mail would not always be something that I support or agree with 100% but might be something interesting or a great discussion started.  I also told everyone to let me know if they liked it or thought it was annoying.  I am now three weeks into the experiment I have had several fellow teachers tell me they enjoy the links and so far no one has told me it is annoying.

I have also found that doing this also forces me to go back over my favorites from the past week and there is always something that I had planned on checking out later but forgot.

I will start sharing the texts of the e-mails that I send out each week to share with others beyond Discovery Middle School.

Thanks.

Week 3 of "As seen this week on Twitter... October 3, 2013"

Here is this week’s collection of items that I saw on Twitter which I thought were interesting.  

The Horizon Report is a huge study that comes out each year and discusses what trends are predicted in education for the next five years.  

The 2013 Horizon Report - What to Expect in Education for the Next Five Years

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-report-k12.pdf

If you are a fan of the band “Journey” check out the online documentary on the new singer. When Journey needed a new lead singer they found him - on YouTube on the other side of the world.  It is an amazing story but will only be available online through October 7th and then it will be shown on the PBS show Independent Lens.

Everyman’s Journey - An amazing 90 minute documentary on Journey’s new singer (available as a video online for free until October 7th)

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365074693/

Other links this week:

31 Activities for “Connected Educator Month”

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/get-involved-with-connected-educator-month-cem.cfm

When Did Americans Lose Their British Accents?

http://mentalfloss.com/article/29761/when-did-americans-lose-their-british-accents

The Role of Mistakes in the Classroom

http://fluency21.com/blog/2013/10/02/the-role-of-mistakes-in-the-classroom-2/

Missing Google Maps Classic?

I love Google.  I use a Google water bottle each day. I have Google shirts. I present Google tools to teachers on a regular basis.  I am a Google Certified Teacher who loved every minute of the Google Teacher Academy I attended at Mountain View in December of 2012.  The other day my 5 year old daughter asked if I worked at “the Google”.  But Google made a change recently that makes me sad.

I teach social studies and have found Google Maps to be a powerful tool in helping students appreciate the geography of the world around them.  I have had students create custom Google Maps of the locations we study in American history.  It has been my experience that when students create a custom map they do significantly better on assessments later.  

Google Maps has some powerful features including the ability to collaborate and even share a map.  It is almost as if it were built to be used in a classroom environment.  One of the features I enjoyed the most in the past was the ability to add dynamic content to a location - a picture, more text, a link - even embed a video!  It was a great way for my students to add something meaningful to that pushpin.

My 8th grade American history students this year are creating their own progressive Google Map as we move through the school year.  Each unit the students will be adding locations significant to our current unit.  At the end of the year they will have their own custom map of the historically significant locations we studied.  It will be their map and will have a life beyond the end of the school year if they wish to add locations or even add places that they visit personally.

That being said, I have not welcomed the new version of Google Maps with open arms yet.  The ability to add as much dynamic content to locations is gone.  The layers are not as intuitive as they were in classic maps and my students had a little more difficulty finding their way around the user interface.  To me it seems as if the new Google Maps is a little prettier, a little more flashy but missing some of the functionality.

It still possible to “opt out” of the new version by selecting “classic maps” and then choosing to edit in “classic mode” but it is hidden pretty well and anything labeled “classic” doesn't usually have a long shelf life.  I hope that Google describes to incorporate some of my favorite features from the classic version and adds them to the new Google Map Engine Lite.  

Anyone else have any feelings on the new Google Maps?

Work Flow - Getting Traditional with Google Scan Feature

One of the topics that I find interesting, and I think many actually find interesting but don't really talk a ton about, is work flow.  I find I have so many tools and apps at my disposal but the real question is which one will work best for how I work.  There needs to be an added value to any tool that I decide to adopt.  Some may give me increased efficiency and some may give me additional features like making it easier to find in a search.

When I am in a workshop, taking notes at a lecture or jotting down ideas I often find myself more comfortable using a pen and paper rather than an I-pad or my laptop.  I have always had a soft spot for a notebook or a journal.  I find it easy to carry a Moleskine cashier notebook , a Field Notes memo book , or a PaperBlanks journal because they fit in my pocket and yet provide enough space to write.  For me the notebook is a little faster than starting up a device and typing away.  I can also add little drawings and sketches on the pages of my notebook with ease.

As a history teacher I often want to take notes at a presentation or out in the field. Last summer I spent an amazing week at Monticello working with their education staff on new resources for teachers and in addition to listening to speakers we also did work on grounds of Monticello and took field trips to locations like James Madison's Montpelier.  It was much easier for me to take out my little notebook and capture an idea or note.

Of course as a tech loving history geek I also realize the limitations of not using technology to keep my notes and having a digital record.  The most important drawback being the risk of losing my notebook and thus all the information.  So recently I have started to combine my desire to keep handwritten notes and the advantages of having a digital copy.

My personal workflow solution is using the SCAN feature in Google Drive to create a digital copy.  At the end of a day writing notes in my Moleskine, I take out my phone (or I-Pad) and open Google Drive.  I select the “+" feature to add an item and then “SCAN”.  I than take a picture of my notebook page.  I can select to scan it in color or black and white.  I can also crop the scan to just include certain parts of the picture. It is then uploaded to my Drive where I can add it to a specific folder and give it a title to make it easy to tag and search.

An nice additional benefit of scanning a document into Drive is Google's Optical Character Recognition feature. This is especially helpful when scanning any document that is typed - for example a receipt.  This makes all the text of the scanned item - not just the title - available for search.  You can also select to scan it in color or black / white and choose the crop option to select exactly what you want in your final scan.

Scan to Google Drive has become a major part of my daily workflow and allows me to have the benefits of living a digital life while still using my trusty little field notebook.

Connecting the Story - Honoring Elmer D Lauck, Vietnam Veteran

Last week I was in Washington DC for the Mission Possible workshop conducted by Model Classroom and the Pearson Foundation.  It was a thought provoking and emotional experience, including a day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial listening to veterans share their stories.  

I don’t have a family connection to a name on The Wall but in the past have visited with others who do have a family member honored.  As we were preparing to visit The Wall last week, one of the teachers in our group mentioned that her first cousin's name is listed.  Leann shared an emotional story about her personal connection to her cousin.  She also mentioned that he is buried in Torrington, Wyoming.  This created a connection for me since my wife’s family is from Torrington and in fact I was flying back after the workshop to Torrington to rejoin my family who is currently visiting family.  

I asked Leann about her cousin and she had already located his name on The Wall using the app from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.  The app allows you to search for names on the wall by name, hometown, state, etc.  Her cousin’s name is Elmer D Lauck.  I took a picture of her screen showing the location of his name and later on our tour I took a picture of his name on The Wall.

After the conference I met my family in Torrington and today I decided to find Mr. Lauck’s grave in the Torrington cemetery.  I entered the cemetery and found the directory showing the location of the marker.  I drove up to the military portion of the cemetery and quickly located the grave of Mr. Lauck. His white marble military marker is located on top of a hill overlooking beautiful Wyoming pastures and in the shade of a large Cottonwood tree.  I placed a red carnation and a small American flag at the grove and paused for a few minutes before taking a few pictures.  

Last week at the Mission Possible workshop we focused on the importance of stories.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, the names on The Wall are just names if not attached to a story. Last week I touched his name on The Wall and today - over 1,600 miles away - I knelt by his grave and thanked him for his service to our country.  

These pictures are for Leann and her family.  Today as I visited it was peaceful.  There was a light breeze and in the shade of the Cottonwood the only sound was a slight rustling of leaves from above. Let them know that he is remembered and honored.