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March 27, 2007 Meeting

PIZZA PARTY Webinar
Many thanks to EDC for allowing us to present this Webinar with Will Richardson and Jeff Jones.

We had a great turnout! Thanks to all of you who participated.
Here is Brenda's rundown of the presention:

Will Richardson
• Over the next 5 years we will need to re-think what we are doing in the classroom.
• Will's Website: weblogg-ed.com
Web of Connections--Why the Read/Write Web Changes Everything

• Students can easily publish and “teach” what they know to a global audience.
• There is no need for anything that we do in the classroom should simply be for us. Let students build learning networks.

Jeffrey L. Jones
• https://edtech.fcps.net/blog/blogs.aspx?blogid=10067
• Focus on the top 10 reasons teachers avoid online tools in instruction – this is the March 16th blog.
• Jeff focused on discussing the top 10 reasons during the presentation.
o Click on Umbrellas to see more connections that teachers and
students can make.
o Focus on celebrating student work

Questions and Answers:
• How can you set up BLOGS and monitor them?
o They set up Blogs as an online writing platform –

Teachers monitor the classes

Teachers moderate the blogs

Will focuses on Monitoring

Jeffrey says it is good to do both

Create a sandbox – students can create a moderated, but unmonitored. You can have it so only the little group can accessthe information.

Software:
• Gaggle
• 21 classes
• Moodle
• Blogger (www.blogger.com)

How can you introduce the tools in the classroom?•
It comes down to what your comfort level is with the technology
• Teachers must understand and use the technology before they introduce it in the classroom.
• Focus on how the tools are used.

Informational Sites:
• Deb’s Blog on Podcasts: Listen to ME too!
• Our MassONE One-to-One Technologies SIG Blog

Deb's Recommendations from experience:
Audacity is a FREE digital audio recorder with which you can create MP3 files. You will also need to download the lame encoder in order to convert your audio files to MP3 format.
Setting up a BLOG
Blogger is an easy to use online blogging tool which is FREE
WordPress is another easy online blogging tool which is also FREE
Podbean If you don't have a server on which to upload your podcasts try this FREE online tool

YOU TUBE VIDEO THAT WAS PLAYING BEFORE THE MEETING:
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=xHWTLA8WecI
(This site is restricted at school, but if you try it at home it should work.)

Our Next meeting will be in MAY
It will be at Grafton Street School
We will send you the date and information – we will be seeing 4th and 6th graders use the handhelds in the classroom. You will be IMPRESSED!!

January 2007 - Meeting!

Location: Norrback Avenue School, Worcester 508-799-3500
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Guest Speaker: Romeo Marquis will speak about Moodle, an online course development tool. Come find out how you can extend your classroom beyond the space and time of the school day by creating an online environment in which you and your students can engage in ubiquitous learning. Romeo is the founder of The Leanring Curve, a professional development and consulting firm specializing in developing the online learning environment in higher education and in elementary and secondary schools. Romeo is the leader of the MassCUE Online Learning in Middle and High Schools SIG. He is also one of the newest members of the MassCUE board. MassCUE is a PDP provider - PDPs are available for participants who attend at least 5 meetings and submit a lesson plan or other document showing how 1:1 technology is being integrated in your classroom.
Drawing for 10 Handheld Computers for you to use in your classroom! (approx 2 months) Be sure to email Debbie or Brenda (see below) for the form that must be filled out ahead of time in order to enter the drawing!
Library - borrow from our ever-growing library. You may keep books until the next meeting date (approximately 2 months!)
Refreshments - Coffee and... Door prize! Someone will go home with a 128MB Sandisk USB drive! It could be you! More prizes!
SIG Leaders: Deborah A. Donohue donohued@worc.k12.ma.us
Brenda Dubrey mrsdubrey@verizon.net
Directions:
From MassPike: Take Route 495 North to Route 290West. Take Route 190 North. Take exit 2 (stay in middle lane) to LIGHTS. Go STRAIGHT (keep right to avoid getting back onto 190). Next set of LIGHTS - go STRAIGHT to STOP sign. At STOP sign take a RIGHT onto Malden Street. Norrback School is located on the LEFT approximatley 1/10 of a mile.
From Route 2: Take Route 190 South to Exit 2. At LIGHTS go STRAIGHT through to STOP sign. At STOP sign take RIGHT onto Malden Street. Norrback School is located on the LEFT approximately 1/10 of a mile.

SIG Retreat - Friday, Sept 29

I was the first to arrive so I went to my room to relax a bit while I awaited the others. At 4:45 I ventured downstairs to see who else had arrived. I found Bev, Romeo and a few others. Soon Brenda arrived with her little cutie, Caroline. She gets bigger and cuter every time I see her.
Others continued to arrive until there were over 20 of us, spouses and significant others inclued. SIGs are the heartbeat of MassCUE. They are what keep MassCUE alive and vibrant throughout the state. Here we were gathered together with all the other SIG leaders throughout the state. What a wonderful feeling it is to be here and to be part of such a dynamic group.
The meeting was low-key, friendly and informational. We introduced ourselves for the new SIG leaders and discussed some issues which many of us could relate to such as, at some meetings you'll have 20 people and at others only 4 show up. We discussed issues around being PDP providers and the need to follow the DOE guidelines. We also discussed the importance of participants producing a product and what form that could take.
At 6:10 we moved to the cocktail lounge for a short get-together before going in to the dining room. At my table sat Brenda and her husband Paul and their lovely little daughter, Caroline, Romeo Marquis soon joined us as did Gaby and Lorelle. Dinner was delicious. I wish I could remember the names of the delicious dishes but let's suffice to say they were indicative of fall in NewEngland.
I'm ready for bed after such a fabulous dinner but I want to look over the first 3 chapters of Technology Integration by the Lengels. The authors will be here tomorrow and we have all been looking forward to meeting them and working with them. I read the book this summer and found it to be very well done.
Until tomorrow!

Podcasting

Yesterday's meeting was fabulous! Bob Trikakis from Apple Computer explained many ways in which podcasting can be used in the educational setting. iTunes is a great place to look for educational podcasts. There are also many others which I will post and we also hope you will share as well by posting comments in this blog.
Brenda and I decided that at our next meeting, November 30, we will explore tools and ideas for creating our own podcasts. Perhaps we will have one for you by then.
We hope you'll join us and we ask you to bring your experiences along to share with us.
Ed, from Sullivan Middle, won the use of the 10 handheld computers which he will use in his classroom until the next meeting. Come and hear how his students used them at the next meeting.
Debbie