The other day, I visited some educators at a local elementary school to share with them a few of the collaborative, powerful tools available for free on the web. They had just begun to use the Google Apps for Education suite of applications that come with LAUSD’s student email system, so I started with those. I then showed them some other free tools. I told them they didn’t have to write anything down because I would send them an email. More than a week has passed and I haven’t written that email yet, so I decided that I’d post it here so I could share it with more educators, if needed. Here goes…
Google Apps includes Email, Google Docs which include documents (word processor), spreadsheet, presentation (like PowerPoint), and forms. In addition, users have access to a shared calendar and sites (a website builder). To add to that, Google has now added the ability to store any file within documents. This can now become a portable locker room/server for students, with 1 GB of free storage and a 250 MB at-a-time maximum upload. The advantage of working with all of these tools is that students do not require special software, only internet access and a modern browser and they can work from anywhere. Additionally, these tools are collaborative, which means that more than one person can work on the same document, even at the same time!
Google Sites allows students to build websites where they can showcase their work – which could be an e-portfolio that they could continue to build as they progress through school. Lucy Gray, an Google Certified teacher, has made a list of many different examples of how Google Sites could be used in the classroom.
Google Apps vs Google Account vs Gmail – What does it mean?
I especially like the first few slides on the presentation below, by Kern Kelly, because it compares Google Apps for Education (LAUSD’s student MyMail system), a Google account (that you create using your lausd.net email, and a Gmail account – where you get Google Mail and the whole package – which can’t be created within LAUSD’s firewall- but can be created at home).
Other Apps I Mentioned
As I look at the amazing tools just contained within Google, I should have just stuck to talking about Google. However, I just couldn’t leave without showing some other tools that are fantastic. Here are a few:
Kerpoof – Create drawings, movies, cards – very creative and a fun way for younger students to create digital stories.
VoiceThread – an amazing tool that allows users to add video, text, audio, and drawings in many different ways. More resources on Voicethread can be found here.
EtherPad – a quick, easy way to create a collaborative work space where students and work together in real time to brainstorm, create, collaborate. Note: Etherpad has been bought by Google, so it might go away soon. There are others out there like PrimaryPad and PiratePad.net that use the same code as Etherpad, since it became public when Google bought it.
Wordle – a tool that arranges a set of words in visually appealing designs, making more frequently used words larger. It can be used to analyze text in many ways. Below is a Wordle I created by copying and pasting what I’ve written so far. You can easily see what tool has the most emphasis.
These are just a few of the applications available for our students to use in their learning experiences. These kinds of tools can help students in the digital world.
These are my “live-blog” notes from the Leadership Lab – Part 2 – The Change Process
My personal reflections are italicized.
Introduction
Started with passing out index cards on which we wrote an issue we are having at our schools.
Change is not easy. It’s uncomfortable. We should be asking questions. We don’t have the answers. All of us have the answers.
Essential Question – has not changed. Will be our work for a long time
How does leadership support PLC work in the 21st century?
The essential question is critical because if you ask the wrong questions, you have differing outcomes. Everything in our work centers around our central questions.
Think about a movie and a song that is connected to the prior time we met with our teams.
My movie is a YouTube movie where child is asking for help building a fire. He assumes that the answers are out there, he had no trouble asking for help, and he understands that the experts are in the field. We know that experts are among us, and need to tap in to that expertise. Help with bowdrill set
(I can’t remember where I saw this video, but it really resonated with me.)
Patton was the suggestion from my learning partner – This process is related to excitement. There were many great, inspirational films shared by all related to this reflection. I liked the exercise because it caused us to think differently and to connect concrete with abstract.
It was great to hear everyone’s movie and song picks. Mostly, the songs and movie picks were about change, passion, and working together.
Story
Jose shares about Walter George – a British Runner. In 1886, he set the world record for running. He had worldwide recognition. British had some of the best runners in the world. Harry Andrews, an authority on running at the time, refuted that no one could do a mile in under 4 minutes.
In 1951, Roger Bannister said he would break the 4 minute mile in the Olympics. In 1952, he did not break the record during the Olympics. He came in 4th place. He’s persistent. His training is different. May 6, 1954, he breaks the 4 minute mile. (Good inspirational choice of music here – Chariots of Fire). All of sudden, many are breaking the 4 minute mile. 37 in less than 1 year. In less than 2 years, 300 broke it. When they interviewed him, it wasn’t a physical barrier – it was a mental barrier. Think about what are your mental barriers.
(I really admire how Jose has interwoven stories about running into his narrative. He’s an avid runner and encourages others to exercise and be fit. He has purpose and passion.)
Setting the Context
Purpose: Behave our core values
Outcomes: Continue to Build Team, Understand Change Process, Practice Coaching PLC’s
Setting the Context is important – Behaving our core values – it’s not easy. Our team is going to hold us accountable for behaving our core values. Most of the day is going to be about understanding the change process.
We are going to practice peer coaching. We understand the collaboration model. Teaching should be revered – we’re all teachers. We have to be knowledgeable about the teaching strategies – Blooms, Marzano, metacognition. We need to learn to be better coaches – to sustain the learning going on. Collaboration, coaching, and teaching support the core values. Building teams is not a one shot deal. It’s a long process that should be maintained.
Process
Groups of 4 – Describe a change you made in your life
Al-
Understanding change is not all figured out, but the best thing is to talk about it.
(Al shares books that have influenced thinking about change.)
Shows a picture of the flu virus. Wheatley says to understand change, you need to look at nature. How does that correlate? All change has to go through chaos – so that when the city is destroyed by a tsunami, it’s almost always rebuilt – quick change.
(My notes are sketchy here. I got caught up in the story and stopped writing for a few minutes.)
Then internet – No Child Left Behind – the change that occurred is that they tested every student in the US. The question is: Does change happen quickly, or in the small step at a time way? How do you approach change? Gets back to knowing ourselves and how we approach efforts.
Activity
Please stand.
You were dropped in a school, Would you change quickly or slowly?
Al shares the story of a company that had to change and was told it need to make 10 changes. The question – Al’s question is – Do you make those changes all at once or one at a time?
(Al shares a personal story.)
When he first became a principal, he had 2 mentors.
One said, “Don’t change anything – observe for 1 year.” The other said, “This is your honeymoon year – make changes now.”
Activity
Number off 1- 2 inner circle and outer circle talking about 1st experience with change in a school, fast or slow.
Coming into a school – process is most important for change process.
You get dropped into a school. What are your first 3 steps
When does the change take place in terms of time? Past, present, future? Coming into a new school, you can’t make change without understanding what happened in the past, but you also need to have a plan for the future. When does change take place? Change is in the present. That’s what we think.
Story – (with video)
The video clip shown is precluded by this story:
A young gymnast is attempting to make the Olympics. He’s not having success. His coach is not helping – He finds a mentor. This mentor knows nothing about gymnastics, but about improvement. The young gymnast asks for help. The mentor says, “Meet me here (in the park) so I can tell you the secret of how to succeed.” Maybe this mentor has something for him. He asks his mentor, “Can you please make this quick?!” Here’s a clip. about being in the present.
(Peaceful Warrior movie is source of this clip.) Be 100% totally devoted to the present. How do we bring people into the present? There are some things we do to bring people into the present?
Asking questions
getting people to stand – to talk to one another
We need to know strategies to bring people to the present.
Working small helps you to be less comfortable.
Bring out the lion inside of us – picture of kitten looking at reflection of lion.
What does it look like. You can feel it. It’s overused. How could you measure it? Behaviors that are in the present and behaviors of despair….
Principal who uses data to motivate an entire staff – might not be good idea. It feels like the principal is saying, “It’s all your fault that we’re failing.” Don’t give bad news to faculty about faculty. From Change or Die, Alan Deutschman, the author explains that even when the ultimate urgency is dying – only 1 in 9 change habits to avoid it.
How we live is what’s effecting our economy. Facts in front of us – but people continue to not change. Motivation:
Facts – don’t motivate – based on research
Force – compliance doesn’t go to the heart
Fear – just compliance not commitment
Can you think of a time when these tactics were used on you and they didn’t work? Rationalization – Why are some of us wired by our convictions and what is right, while others just follow along.
Community – connected to a group and hang with them – befriended them -
connect to a community
connect to a coach or mentor
learn new skills – talk about it
Vital Behaviors -
21st century teaching
Coaching
Collaborative skills
Influencing
New Thinking – Core Values People don’t resist change, they resist being changed.
Make a list of the five most influential people with whom you work.
The Tipping Point Metaphor – Paul Revere was the connector that influenced change – They know the right people. Paul Revere knew which doors to knock on while William Dawes, one of the other Freedom Riders, didn’t know which door to know on . Connectors know.
Malcom Gladwell, in his book, The Tipping Point, explains that there are thee types of people who influence:
Connectors, Mavens, Salespersons
Review the influencers, mavens, and salespersons at your site.
Use a Marzano strategy – best thinking is done on our feet.
Hypothesis formulation – what is a hypothesis? It’s not so much about getting the right answer, but understanding change process.
Imagine that it is your job to take on a disease that has plagued public education for 160 years. We did an open close activity to find out the best solution.
Even the best schools are not prepared for the 21st century world. Tony Wagner. We need to re-invent education. Our homework:
Observe a PLC and report findings.
Participate in a PLC.
Coach a PLC.
Coach a PLC and be coached by a colleague.
Coach a PLC and be coached by a colleague in front of PLC.
Cascading Message
What happened today in the Leadership Lab, what would you say? Change happens in the present.
How did my leadership skills improve? Understand the process of change.
Important to know who your mavens, connectors, and salespersons.
We have the skills but lack the practice.
These notes are sketchy at best, but they capture the essence of the powerful learning we experienced during our Leadership Lab on Change. Thanks to Al Castillo and Jose Hernandez for their leadership and vision in helping us understand the need to change.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of experiencing an exciting video-conference connection at Gage Middle School. Ms. Avila’sAVID students were teaching what they knew about taking and organizing Cornell Notes (something I learned about yesterday from the students) to a group of students in the West Indies who were new to the AVID program. They showed how to organize a binder of notes for each class, how to take notes, and how to ask questions during a tutorial. They gave detailed examples of what to do and not to do. They even had a binder with many pages of notes stuffed into the pockets and how those can get lost if the binder is turned upside down. (I smiled to myself since this happens to me all the time!) I was particularly impressed with how they valued questioning during the tutorial process. They shared with the other students that answers come best from the questioning process, where the learner reflects on what they know and how they will learn what they need to know. Wow!
Very bad image of student exchange through video conference
During one part of the session, the teacher had to walk out of the room to conference with several parents. The students demonstrated leadership and maturity as they continued to teach the other students what they knew. There was no indication that the teacher had ever left the room. These students owned their work because they were teaching others! They were the leaders. Ms. Avila should be commended for the learning she is facilitating with these students. She understands how students learn best when all are involved in the learning/teaching process. Bravo, Ms. Avila!
To be equally commended is Mr. David Billett, the technology resource teacher extraordinaire at Gage Middle School. Ms. Avila wanted her students to connect with other students involved in the AVID process, so she asked Mr. Billett to help her make that connection. He searched out listservs and other groups to find someone who would want to connect with her. He found a school in the West Indies that wanted to share their learning with the students at Gage. Through his expertise, they made the connection. Not only did he make this connection happen, he made sure there were no technical glitches. (How can any school survive without someone like Mr. Billett?) The students thrived from this experience.
What was so impressive about this whole process was not only that our students were leaders in the learning process by teaching others, but that they made a global connection. At the end of the session, the students from both sides asked each other a few questions about life in their respective environments. Music was a big topic. Our Gage students were very much into Rock, even sharing some images of a Metallica sticker pasted on one of their demo notebooks. Of course, they shared other western genres – including classical. They were surprised that the favorite music of the students in the West Indies was Calypso. I’m sure many of them hadn’t ever heard of this type of music, but I know they will investigate and experience this now. They learned that this school of 600 had classes such as sewing, woodwork, many classes in the arts – something our schools don’t embrace any more. The class in the West Indies had studied Gage Middle School and knew that it was one the largest middle school in the United States, with approximately 4000 students. The students at Gage shared their experiences with overcrowded halls during passing time between classes, but other than that, seemed unconcerned by the large numbers. They were amazed that the school in West Indies only had 600 students.
November 29, 2009 – Calishphere, the repository of primary source images, will tweet the adventures of John Muir, in his own words, as he struggles to preserve the opne land he made his home. Follow calisphere on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calisphere Thanks to David Warlick for sharing this.
November 22, 2009 – Good post by Sylvia Tolisano on using backchannel chat in the classroom. She lays out guidelines for guiding an effective chat around a topic.
October 31, 2009 – Wes Fryer live blogged this presenation from Milton Chen, of Edutopia, about the Digital Generation Project. This project gives you a glimpse at the lives of students across the US and how they are using technology for learning and connecting with others. Wes supplies links to some of the videos of students. When you watch the videos, you get a sense of how students are growing up with technology as part of their lives and how rich their lives are as they connect and learn with others. One point that resonated with me is that often, these students are beginning to achieve their dreams with the support of others around them; parents, teachers, other students, people in their network. We as educators need to understand how to connect our students with others that will help them find their passions and share with others.
–One note – I really appreciate the thorough notes that Wes shares with us. He includes links and reflections that make the learning more meaningful. Thanks to Wes for sharing with us so we can learn along with him.
or each class, how to take notes, and how to ask questions during a tutorial. They gave detailed examples of what to do and not to do. They even had a binder with many pages of notes stuffed into the pockets and how those can get lost if the binder is turned upside down. (I smiled to myself since this happens to me all the time!) I was particularly impressed with how they valued questioning during the tutorial process. They shared with the other students that answers come best from the questioning process, where the learner reflects on what they know and how they will learn what they need to know. Wow!
