Week+of+March+23,+2009

toc =Interesting Web Sites= [|Internet Safety] : Every year, Virginia needs to ensure that schools are teaching Internet Safety to students. If you haven't talked about it this year, find something that relates, and take 5-10 minutes. It ranges from bullying to cheating.

[|Cultures] : Have you ever wondered what schools in other countries are like? Do you find yourself wanting to know more about “culture?” Are you looking for resources you can use in your classroom? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this blog is for you. Check out [|this example]. Believe it or not, but this video below is an example of culture: media type="youtube" key="Ahg6qcgoay4" height="344" width="425"

[|Learning Styles] : This site has 100 web sites for every time of learner.

[|Quiet Tube] : For a few months now, teachers have been able to use [|YouTube] in class (if you don't know what YouTube is, you better find out quick), but you may have not liked it as much because of all the "noise" around the video. When you get to a YouTube video, you see a lot of advertisements, other video links, and sometimes comments that might not be appropriate. So, use Quiettube to show your YouTube video. You can easily drag the link to your browser bar in then when you find your YouTube video, click the QuietTube link and you can watch the video free of junk.

[|Jeopardy] : Many people use Power Point to run Jeopardy games in class, but the template for that can be troublesome. This is web based and handles all your template needs. Plus, you can browse for games already made.

[|Elementary School Stuff] : Got kids? Here are some great, free, worksheets you can print out to help your own kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, neighbor, dumb husband, whatever.

=Teaching Tips= media type="custom" key="3552370"

=Student Work= In Pam Galloway's class, the students participated in a Fishbowl discussion about the book Oedipus Rex. If "Fishbowl" sounds familiar, it might be because it was one of the teaching strategies given during our Quality Questioning workshops.

In a Fishbowl, students form two circles, an inner circle and outer circle. The inner circle is responsible for carrying on a discussion while the outer circle takes notes and can jump into the "hot seat" if they want to add a comment quickly. It's a student-centered activity designed to let the teacher know who well students understand any topic.

In Ms. Galloway's class, the students discussed aspects of the book for over 35 minutes. There wasn't a dull moment and the kids were all on task. In fact, students in the outer circle were breaking the rules by participating in the inner circle's conversation. The original idea was to have the outer circle participate in a chat room in School Space, but the Internet was down and School Space wasn't working.

Today, it's estimated that 2/3rds of constructive talking in a classroom is done by the teacher, at times, this is too much. Students learn a lot more at times when they teach each other.

So, if you haven't fishbowled yet, give it a try. You might be surprised at how well they do. See me if you have any questions.

=General Notes= This is an [|interesting debate] about 21st Century Skills. Basically, the UVA folks are upset that some like P21 think skills and content are important, where folks like Hirsch think it's just Content that's important. here is [|P21's website], which has always included the green band referring to content. Here is [|Common Core], who argue that content is more important than skills. Here's a quotation from the article about Common Core: "Core Knowledge holds that an explicit, grade-by-grade "core of common learning" is necessary for a good education. So, for instance, when fifth-graders learn about Galileo's role in astronomy, they study Italian history and geography as well."

I think if you look at SOLs and the idiot adults on Jay Leno who cannot answer basic 2-8th grade questions, you'd have to conclude that content only isn't the way to go.

In another conversation: [], I wrote a post about the future of jobs for our students. In it, I ask the question, "Which job are you teaching to?" A few teachers rightly commented that it isn't the job we should teach toward, rather the skills. With SOLs, what skills are you teaching to help prepare your students for the future?

=School Space= As mentioned above, School Space has a chat room feature. This is a great way to get your students involved in the classroom, or even outside of class. The option can be set so that all conversations are saved, so you can monitor the conversation at any time, and you can set up a start and stop time. You can use it in class by having a class discussion where some students use the chat room, like the Fishbowl. You can create an open study session at school or even for after school. Last, you can set up a study review where you participate in the chat room also.

A good educational chat room should publish advance notice of topics and questions being discussed. The chat room should ensure that a 'host' oversees the chat and leads the chat just as a teacher does in a classroom (sometimes this host will also serve as the moderator).

Devise a clear method for evaluating the learning that has taken place. Keep in mind that not every student will get the same assembly-line integration of concepts with such an approach; rather, each student could get something different, from the experience. Evaluate the students as a group and bring together their learning in a synthesis that helps them all learn.

Here are some simple rules:
 * Use common courtesy and etiquette in your discussions.
 * Do not use abusive or derogatory language.
 * On specific topic nights, keep to the topic designated.
 * The chat room administrator reserves the right to deny anyone access for any reason.

=Reminders=
 * MP3 grades are to be exported by the end of the day on Thursday, April 16, 2009. The eClass handout will be in School Space.
 * I will hold an online training session on Google Docs on April 2 at 8pm. Those interested can sign up here, as mentioned above by [|clicking this link].