Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What is Swine Flu?


Richard Byrne, social studies teacher at Oxford Hills, gives us some great links to information on the issue in his award-winning blog, Free Technology for Teachers.



What is Cloud Computing?


O'Reilly Radar: Web 2.0 and Cloud Computing

A Definition

Wikipedia on Cloud Computing




Essential Question: What are the ramifications of cloud computing?

Monday, April 27, 2009

10 Lessons Learned

"What follows are some of my suggestions, ten lessons learned, which are based on thoughts and observations of our success. This list is based on conversations with FMS teachers, students, parents, as well as other educators from across the state, nation, and around the world. All of these individuals were concerned with the role of technology in preparing students to learn and compete in the world market of the 21st century." ~ Chris Toy of Freeport Middle School

Maine Native American Studies


Looking for quality content and ideas for implementing LD291? Start by going to Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain's work:

U & D: A Space for the Exploration of LD291 and Its Implementation

Wabanaki Studies Resources & Lessons


The Wabanaki Technologies Projects

Check out this gem of a website for 4th graders by Elaine Bartley: Wabanaki People


Additional Resources at LIM Wiki

Maine Literacy Blog Discovery

You really don't want to miss this wonderful blog if you are involved with literacy. Check it out:


Literacy Journal Link

Registration Now Open

Registration Now Open!




Register

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

"Go forth and spread the word!"












All the information you need to join in on this exciting new series of online workshops is here.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Cooking from Scratch


Scratch is a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web.

Scratch@MIT

ScratchInfo

isurff5th Wiki

Download Scratch

See earlier posts on programming.

Also see Alice.

Featuring the Work of Keith Kelley

I've always been impressed with the projects that Keith Kelley does with students in Maine. I first knew Keith as the librarian at Oxford Hills Middle School where he built computers and created movies with students in his after-school computer club as well as acting as DJ at school dances and being a great source of technical and pedagogical knowledge.

Oxford Hills' loss was MSAD 48's gain. Keith now runs the integrated technology classes at Somerset Valley Middle School and Sebasticook Valley Middle School in that progressive district.




To get an idea of the powerful learning that is taking place in his classes, check out the following blogs in which Keith documents and promotes his work with kids, as well as giving an online audience for his students' successes.


Fifth Grade Integrated Technology Classes

Sixth Grade Integrated Technology Classes

Seventh Grade Integrated Technology Classes

Eigth Grade Integrated Technology Classes

Keith's Public Gallery on Picasa




Want to know more?
You are invited to visit:
Student Technology Showcase (6th Annual)
Saturday, June 13, 2009

Note that Keith is entirely transparent in that he shares course syllabus, rubric, forms, etc. for his projects at each level. Good stuff.

Online Learning

Open Online Learning - A Paradigm Shift

E-learning


What Is Distance Learning and Why Has It Become So Popular?

10 Instructional Design Tips for E-Learning Development

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

U.S. Educational Stimulus Aid

Wanting to come up to speed on the Educational Stimulus funds? For starters, check here:

EDSTIMULUS.ORG

The Future of Education

U.S. Department of Education

MVMS: Using Classroom Management Resources

Place: Mountain Valley Middle School Media Center
Time: 3:00 - 5:00

Agenda

Classroom Management at LIM Resources Wiki (Feel free to edit)
Behavior Management at LIM Resources Wiki (Feel free to edit)
Process Skills at LIM Resources Wiki (Feel free to edit)

Wicked Decent Learning Podcast: Classroom Management: "Can I Speak to the Manager?"

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Wiki and Blog Training in the County

Ed Latham is doing a workshop on Wikis and Blogs in the County this afternoon.

Twitter World


Who would have thought that such a seemingly innocuous web application with the simple question, "What are you doing," would suddenly explode into such a versatile tool? Following the history of the domain name at the Wayback Machine archives shows its humble beginnings and yet it now is becoming more powerful by the day. Check out the NYT article on new uses being dreamed up and implemented.

Twitter Toolbox

Earlier Post: "Pros & Cons of Twitter"

Re-Inventing Schools Coalition in Maine

Informational Letter 88: Statewide Conference: Transitioning to a Standards-Based System of Education in Maine

Standards-Based Education in Maine


Conference Flyer

Registration

Re-Inventing Schools Coalition

Chugach Standards-Based System

What do you think?

Monday, April 13, 2009

"The Good Life"

Essential Question: What is important?



Informing Ourselves to Death

"Blogs in Education"


Stephen Downes from our neighbor, New Brunswick, Canada, has posted this handbook submission: "Blogs in Education" in his blog, Half an Hour.



Related STRIDE handbooks (Indira Gandhi National Open University)

Trust in a Complex World @ CPS


Essential Question: How do we know information is true?

Link to today's after-school Learning and Technology workshop

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Thoreau, Whitman & Mr. Fooster, Traveling on a Whim

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." ~Walt Whitman


Nicole Ouellette brought this beautiful book to my attention on Facebook. Check out her post on it at her blog, Breaking Even.

Tom and Craig at Google Talk

Friday, April 10, 2009

How is your school system helping students prepare for the future employment?

by Olga LaPlante

This is a very interesting set of data from Department of Labor statistics, which might have an especially significant effect on Maine employment, given the leading industries in the state. This might also be timely given the debate over going 1-to-1, it being either a wise investment or a big squander. Please read the post and share your views.
http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/04/immunizingyourgraduates.html

Chronology






Timeline at LIM Resources

Safety



How can we stay safe?

Thursday, April 9, 2009

MLTI Spring Math Training



Brief Description of Session:


This workshop is designed to introduce participants to a range of online applets, tools, and web-based resources that utilize content centered technology application to support mathematics teaching and learning. The primary focus will be on the use of high quality yet freely available resources to support teaching and learning goals in mathematics at the middle and high school level including the use of the OER tool GeoGebra.

Additionally, the content will include the use of formative assessment and activities with interactive applets specific to areas of known student misconception and errors as informed by research. This is an interactive, hands-on workshop that engages participants with tools and activities that can be used directly with students.

Please bring your laptops!!

Facilitator: Pam Buffington

Times: 8:00 - 2:30

Date/Location:

  • April 27 - Lewiston High School
  • April 29 - Jefferson Village School
  • May 15 - Wiscasset High School
  • May 22 - William Cohen School
  • June 4 - Noble High School
MISTM
MISTM Math Portal
Online Registration

"Pictures Sounds Numbers Words"




The 2009 MLTI Spring Teacher Leader Institute will take place during May 4-7, 2009, and be entirely online using Adobe Connect Web-Conferencing Software and other technologies. Proposals for presentations are being accepted now. More Information

Monday, April 6, 2009

The Emperor's New Clothes

Wikipedia: The Emperor's New Clothes

The Annotated Emperor's New Clothes

Tonight's Bedtime Story

Audio Story

Wikipedia: Transparency (behavior)

Will Richardson: "Transparency = Leadership"

Dean Shareski: "Advocating for More Transparency"


22nd Century Schooling

"Even those who talk about 21st-century schools invariably follow that phrase with a reference to “the need to compete in a global economy.” The goal isn’t excellence, in other words; it’s victory. Education is first and foremost about being first and foremost."

Read Alfie Kohn's full article title "When '21st-Century Schooling' Just Isn't Good Enough: A Modest Proposal" at Teacher. net . . . and here at District Administration.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Thursday, April 2, 2009

"Inservice Insanity - One Year Later"



Wicked Decent Learning Episode 62


WDL Blog



Photo Credit

MICDL Website Up and Running














The Maine International Center for Digital Learning site is now open for business. Open up an account here.

Decades Research Project at Lewiston Middle School

I'm listening to the introduction to the LMS 7th grade language arts research project today. Teachers, Patricia Langlier and Susan Grondin, are enthusiastic and pushing the boundaries in developing this unit. I'll be working with their students tomorrow in developing research skills and in helping them to find specific websites that can help them. We'll also make use of stickies in taking notes and look at ways of saving time and energy in citing sources.

Decades at LIM Resources Wiki
MARVEL - Maine's Virtual Library
Research at Lim Resources Wiki
Finding and Organizing Internet Resources
Who(m) Do We Trust?
Lewiston Middle School Website

Wednesday, April 1, 2009