Cell phones: A distraction or tool of engagement?

As the author of “Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones for Learning,” it’s no surprise, that I disagree with those who "just say no" to cell phones.” I think my perspective comes out on top as it becomes evident that those who oppose the use of cell phones for learning have never really tried to strategically integrate them as powerful learning tools.  

Listen to host Rae Pica and see what you think as this topic is discussed with with special guests that in addition to me include John Owens, David Thornburg, and Liz Kolb.

If you like what you hear consider following your guests on Twitter. @JOwensTeacher @InnovativeEdu @jesslahey @davidthornburg @Liz Kolb @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork

Read More

Safety first but don't forget what's next when students use social media

I was looking forward to checking out this post from my Twitter feed:

Students Talk #Facebook on #Vimeo | @scoopit http://t.co/Ky5mAz9Iu2 #KSFY #SocialMedia #digcit #edchat #edbublogs
— ICTPHMS (@ICTPHMS) February 19, 2014

I'm thrilled that schools like the Patrick Henry Middle School are willing to put themselves out there and share in the mainstream media that Facebook isn't something to be afraid of, but rather we can teach students to use it safely.

Maybe I'm just impatient, but aren't we ready to move past the conversation about the fact that Facebook won't kill you and travel toward this:
I want more »

Read More

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Looking to create a social media or BYOD policy? ... Jun 3, 2012,	4112
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1782
How to showcase #TeacherEffectiveness using digital portfolio... Feb 9, 2014,	1533
Student @CGressmanTHS explains the power of her PLN... Feb 3, 2014,	1373
When and How Should Kids Learn to Type? Feb 8, 2011,	1134
Educator Ann S. Michaelsen explains the power of student PLNs... Jan 26, 2014,	1065
Another reason responsible social media use must be taught... Feb 14, 2014,	927
10 Reasons Students Say They Prefer Learning Online... Nov 18, 2010,	854

Read More

Showcase #TeacherEffectiveness using Padlet

Last week I shared ways to showcase teacher effectiveness via digital portfolios using a wiki and eduClipper.  This week I bring you another great tool to showcase teacher effectiveness courtesy of  elementary school teacher Rodney Schneider.  The tool is called Padlet.  Padlet is a free tool that gives you a blank wall on which to share files, videos, photos, videos, and more. You can choose the visibility and share with the world, a small group of people or just one or two others.  

Rodney created one Padlet for each domain in the Charlotte Danielson framework. (You can download the full evaluation instrument here). Then he created a master Padlet onto which he embedded each of the Padlets allowing one spot to collect all the artifacts and evidence of his effectiveness as a teacher.

This is what it looks like.
I want more »

Read More

#NYEdTech Meetup Tonight at 7pm on Teacher #PLNs w/ @InnovativeEdu & @mr_casal

What are the most successful teachers doing differently? How is that experienced being shared, and how can new teachers best learn from those that have come before them? Teachers are progressively forming broader and richer professional learning networks that extend far beyond their schools boundaries in many cases.  

Innovative New York City educator Chris Casal (@mr_casal) and I (@InnovativeEdu) will dig in to how personal learning networks or PLNs are formed and what is exchanged by impactful educators as part of the NYEDTech meetup TONIGHT from 7 - 9 p.m. in Manhattan.

If you're in the area, it's not to late to join us. 

Details at http://www.meetup.com/NYEdTech/events/160696002

If you're not in the area, don't despair. You can still follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #EdTechNYC and/or watch the live streamed broadcast below once it begins.

I want more »

Read More

Recap apps - A great way to begin the digital footprint conversation

As a gift to members, for its ten year anniversary, Facebook is giving us its latest recap app. It's called "A look back" and it provides you with a 60-second overview of your life on Facebook from the beginning. 

Here's mine:

A look back over my six years on Facebook. Click here to watch. 

I want more »

Read More

The hottest posts everybody's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Looking to create a social media or BYOD policy? ... Jun 3, 2012,	4033
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1779
How to showcase #TeacherEffectiveness using digital porfolios... Feb 9, 2014,	1492
Student @CGressmanTHS explains the power of her learning network... Feb 3, 2014,	1357
When and How Should Kids Learn to Type? Feb 8, 2011,	1196
Educator Ann S. Michaelsen explains the power of student learning ... Jan 26, 2014,	1059
Showcasing artifacts & evidence to demonstrate #TeacherEffectiveness... Feb 2, 2014,	801
10 Reasons Students Say They Prefer Learning Online... Nov 18, 2010,	730

Read More

Another reason responsible social media use must be taught to students AND adults

In case you missed it, a 15-year-old student from Staten Island created a Facebook page called Close NYC Schools During Snow Emergencies expressing discontent over the DOE's decision to keep schools open Thursday. The high school student employed some smart strategies to help his page gain popularity.  Namely sharing his page on the walls of elected officials.  From there the likes started pouring in. The page went viral attracting nearly 30,000 "Likes" in about a day.  Most of those who came to the page initially had no idea it was a high school student named Jeremy Duenas who was the man behind the page's curtain.

After a day of a blitz of media attention that included many local news outlets, the page creator had this to say to fans of the page:

Thank you everyone for all your outpouring support! From all my family and friends to all of YOU who don't even know me but are praising me anyway. I'm was just a kid from Staten Island and now I feel like I'm more than that.

I want more »

Read More

A view of #TeacherEffectiveness in the literacy classroom

Across the nation teacher effectiveness is being evaluated according to the four domains of the Charlotte Danielson framework. (You can download the full evaluation instrument here.) This model is valuable because it provides a shared language for effective teaching, however, while many teachers being evaluated are familiar with the evaluation rubric, they may not have seen what this looks like in practice.

If you are one of those teachers, that's about to change.
I want more »

Read More

#BYOD gurus engage in #BYOTchat about equity + access

Watch Tim Clark (@TimClark45), Willyn Webb (@WillynWebb), Michael Mills (@AquiAmigo) and Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) in a one hour video discussing equity and access when it comes to bringing your own device. Take a watch and you'll enjoy a great conversation where these gurus share ideas that have worked and advise what to steer clear of when working toward a successful bring your own device/technology environment. As made apparent in the below thumbnail, the conversation was filled with a few laughs as well.

Guests shared plenty of terrific resources which are captured in the Tweets below.
I want more »

Read More

Google Hangout on Air - Equity + Access for All with BYOD - Live tonight!

Join me tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST for a Google Hangout to discuss bring your own device aka BYOD. 

The topic

Equity + Access for All

Our special guests include

• Tim Clark @TimClark45 or @BYOTNetwork
• Willyn Webb +Willyn Webb 
• Michael Mills @AquiAmigo

Connect with them on Twitter!

Guests will discuss the following

• Why ensuring equity and access is important
• How to get started
• What happens for students who don’t have devices
• Tips for parent outreach
• How you prepare infrastructure
• Handling repairs
• And more!

Backchannel

Join our backchannel conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #BYODEquity. See all the backchannel hashtags on our Tagboard at http://tagboard.com/boydequity.   

Join the hangout at this link
https://plus.google.com/events/cp40qmnlcq6mm83b6h8o1mbh1ds 

Read more about the topic here.

Read More

How to showcase #TeacherEffectiveness using digital portfolios

Districts across the nation are asking teachers to provide artifacts and evidence of effectiveness aligned to the four domains of the Charlotte Danielson framework. (You can download the full evaluation instrument here.) This model provides an incredible opportunity to do something that is rare in the teaching profession. It provides an opportunity for teachers to release the great work they are doing from the classroom and share it with the world. It also provides a common language and method for looking at and sharing the work we do.  Innovative educators take great pride in their work and they are determining ways to showcase this work using digital portfolios. Some are creating websites, others blogs or wikis, and some are using resources such as eduClipper. These digital portfolios enable educators to share their work, not only with the administrators evaluating them, but also with parents, students, peers, and anyone else who might be interested in what goes on in schools everyday.

Here are the five steps you'll need to get started.
I want more »

Read More

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views and comments. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Looking to create a social media or BYOD policy? L... Jun 3, 2012,	2470
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1698
When and How Should Kids Learn to Type? Feb 8, 2011,	1366
Student @CGressmanTHS explains the power of her PLN... Feb 3, 2014,	1227
Educator Ann S. Michaelsen explains the power of s... Jan 26, 2014,	1050
10 tips for students to keep in mind when using social... Jan 12, 2014,	1032
NYC DOE paves the way to embrace social media for ... Jan 15, 2014,	948
8 Real Ways Facebook Enriched Ms. Schoening’s 1st... Jul 15, 2010,	776

Read More

Tips for successful classroom social media use

Social media is a valuable tool when used appropriately and with common sense.

I pointed this out last week when I conducted a webinar where I explained why social media is an essential tool for K-12 classrooms. This week, eSchool News has taken the highlights of that webinar and turned it into an article that shares my advice for successful classroom social media use.

In the article eSchool News shares my overview of what social media is, what you should not do, the new rules of social media, recent studies, and more.

Hop on over to http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/02/04/successful-social-media-835 to read more or check out the webinar and resources at http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2014/01/resources-stories-and-connections-with.html. 

When you do, tell me what you think. Did you like what I had to share?  What was helpful to your practice? What would you add? Was there something I missed?  

Read More

Student @CGressmanTHS explains the power of her PLN

With or without the guidance and support of educators and parents, students across the globe are developing and building their personal learning networks. Knowing how to do so effectively is a key to successful learning independence. 


Below you will hear from Courtney Gressman. A young lady in the midst of building a learning network to help open the eyes of educators to students feelings about school and learning.  Read on to discover how this has impacted her as well as how both her teacher and mother supported this work.
I want more »

Read More

Showcasing artifacts & evidence to demonstrate #TeacherEffectiveness with #Danielson Domains

Crossposted at Smartblogs

Districts across the nation are determining teacher effectiveness in part using a rubric created by Charlotte Danielson. The rubric contains four domains and 22 components. You can download the full evaluation instrument here. The framework below outlines exactly what administrators will look for when evaluating teacher practice.

With four domains and 22 components, teachers might want to come up with a way to beautifully showcase and celebrate the work they are doing.  To do that teachers must be familiar with what they are being asked to showcase. Teachers are responsible for demonstrating effectiveness through evidence and artifacts. In places like New York City, up to eight artifacts may be used to demonstrate effectiveness. They can only be used in domains one and four. Teachers should keep in mind however, that one artifact may demonstrate effectiveness in multiple components.  For example, if you have a class Facebook page that you use to interact with students and their families, that Facebook page can serve as an artifact for both 4c - Communicating with Families as well as 1b - Demonstrating Knowledge of Students. This means, that should a teacher choose, they can use eight artifacts to demonstrate 12 components.

For domains two and three teachers must provide evidence of effectiveness. This evidence is generally collected during formal or informal classroom observations.  Teachers also have the option to choose to videotape a lesson for their formal evaluation to provide evidence. It might be helpful for teachers to document, and have readily accessible, examples indicating how they are effectively engaging in each component.

Here are some ideas for showcasing and celebrating work using the Danielson Framework.  
I want more »

Read More