My NYSCATE 2011 Experience

This past weekend marked my 5^th year attending the New York State Computer & Technology in Education Association’s (NYSCATE) Annual Conference.  Here’s a recap of my experiences:

Moodle for Professional Learning:

Because it just wouldn’t be right not to share!  Mrs. Molly Marren and I co-presented on how our school district uses Moodle for Professional Learning.  We provided participants with guest logins so they could explore & utilize some of the tools available in Moodle.  In addition to touring the GI Moodle and highlighting Connected & Empowered, the Huth Road Elementary experience, we shared how Moodle can facilitate multiple aspects of successful professional development including increasing Ease of Access, being Timely and Sustained, fostering Collaboration, & enabling Asynchronous learning. 

Please contact me if you are interested in the guest login information, they will be active until after the New Year.   I’ve also attached our electronic handout – Sage Advice for Using Moodle.

New Tools I Learned (& can’t wait to try with students):

• StoryJumper – free creative tool to promote literacy and writing.  The only cost is if you decide to purchase your completed story (Courtesy of @rgriffithjr)
• Animaps – allows you to create animated maps for free (Courtesy of @teach42) 
• Solar System Simulator – an interactive tool to show students how solar bodies move (Courtesy of @kevinhoneycutt) 
• Gaggle.net – free email for students – you just have to contact them to get free access!  (Courtesy of @mrshoward118)

Powerful Presentations– One of the most ground-shaking moments I had was in a presentation called “Moving towards Responsible Use”.  It was the journey of a school district near West Point that has been revising their policies to focus on the internal (responsible) approach as opposed to the external (acceptable) use of technology.  But that wasn’t the part that moved me (I’ve felt passionately about this for a while).  What got me was that in the room was the Superintendent, the Director of Technology, a principal and like 7 teachers!  They were ALL there TOGETHER sharing their beliefs, practices and experiences.  I was blown away; you could feel the collegiality in the air.  Full-scale transformation is the result when the vision is shared.  Kudos to the Highland Falls Central School District!

Engaging & Inspiring Speakers – I was only able to attend two of the conference’s keynotes (having grown up in Rochester; I use the annual conference as an opportunity to catch up with friends and family too) but WOW!  Steve Dembo & Kevin Honeycutt were attention-grabbing and enthusiastic.  They left me contemplating the past and the future but a little scared of the present.  Kevin Honeycutt’s heart-wrenching personal story was shared with clever humor that didn’t mask the reality of so many children’s lives.  While the stark contrast of Steve Dembo’s son’s digital presence brings me hope and excitement for what’s to come.   You have to check out their bodies of work!  Inspirational!

Best (paraphrased) quote of the conference for me:

Quarterbacks see the future; they throw the ball where the player is going to be.  Teachers need to be quarterbacks, throwing an education into the future a student will be in. – Kevin Honeycutt

Excuse me; I have to go work on my throwing arm….Happy Thanksgiving!

DC/PBIS Connection

Today I had the pleasure of presenting at NYSCATE's Riding the Digital Wave 2011 Conference on the Digital Citizenship/Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports connection.  My district has a long-running, successful PBIS program (The Viking Values) and we are in the process of adding the digital environment as a "location" in which respectful, responsible & safe behavior is expected.

Here's a short and sweet list of ways Grand Island CSD is connecting the two but the full presentations in included as well.  Enjoy!

• Digital Citizenship as a part of CDEP (Comprehensive District Education Plan) via Character Education
• Adding Digital Environment as a column on building PBIS matrices
• Character Trait connections - finding digital environment examples of character traits
• Technology Curriculum/Digital Citizenship Skill Graph aligned to Viking Values

 

How far is too far?

I respect and appreciate the changing nature of society and what it means to be young today.  I know that we are all surrounded by not only violence but controversial topics and media - more so than ever before.  But at what point do we say enough is enough?  At what point do we say this isn't appropriate?

I think I've reached that point with the news of an upcoming video game called School Shooter: North American Tour 2012 - a project by Checkerboarded Studios.

I learned about this game via a press release shared in my school district by our superintendent.  This video game apparently allows players to choose their weapon and then "You are free to do whatever you want (So long as it involves shooting people in a school)."

I'm not a gamer.  I don't "get" most of the games out there but I can understand why others are into them, in fact I believe they hold potential for dynamic learning.  What I can't understand, is how violence against children could ever be considered fun, even in a virtual environment.

I encourage everyone to do whatever they can to speak out against video games that encourage, glamourize or depict violence in our schools.

Violence in schools is a PROBLEM, not a game.

Digital Citizenship Poster Project

The Grand Island schools have a long-running, successful PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) program aptly named the Viking Values (in honor of our mascot the Viking).  

As an enrichment project in one of our elementary schools, 4 third grade students and 4 fifth grade students worked with me to create Digital Citizenship posters.  The posters provide examples of how students can portray the Grand Island PBIS Character Traits as Digital Citizens.

The project started with the students examining the character traits and brainstorming ideas of how they are represented in the digital environment.  Digital cameras were used to capture the students “performing” what should or should not be done.  We used Microsoft Word and Jing, learning how to work with tool bars, text boxes and other formatting features. 

An example has been included here and all posters have been hung in the school’s computer lab as discussion starters and/or reinforcement of expected behaviors when using technology.