Reader Response: Math and Irrelevant Teaching vs Need for Multi-Sensory Teaching

A Reader Response for the Article, “Illuminating the Beauty, Humanity, Intrigue in Mathematics,” posted by Peter Pappas on November 29th.

Link: http://www.peterpappas.com/2011/11/illuminated-mathematics-students-find-beauty-humanity-intrigue.html

As I read, ““Everyone, open your books to chapter 7 section 2 as we will be learning how to factor degree 3 polynomials.”

I can imagine this statement being said, in some fashion, within the vast majority of high school math classrooms across our seemingly broken educational system. Almost all of us have at some point taught something that was completely irrelevant to the lives of our students. And we knew it!”

I want to immediately take issue more than back up the argument. I do believe the system is broken, but primarily because of the economy, lack of parental support and null/lack of identity and care of students. They don’t understand their place in the world and don’t care to learn. They were not supported growing up in so many ways (including and especially educationally), don’t know how to get back on track and due to a lack of discipline over the course of their life would prefer the easy way out. China is successful where we are not because they easily counter these sentiments in ways both familial and governmental.”

Everything we learn in school is not always applicable immediately, later in life and may never in a million years be relevant. It is however important in this way. It teaches us to question, it teaches us to use previous knowledge in all situations, to be SKEPTICAL. It teaches us PATIENCE. We learn these things because we don’t know what we are going up against and may need to know, even when they were not things needed to be known by our friends, family and strangers which tell us otherwise. Irrelevant learning is seen in hindsight. As I teach certain concepts I don’t always have the answer as to how students will need to utilize it in the future, but don’t want to rob them of the opportunity of not teaching those concepts. If I had never been taught everything I thought was worthless for myself and for students I would not be in the position I am now. Every day I have a greater understanding for important concepts in math, as well as for concepts in daily life and application. A student asked me once why he needed to find the slope for a graph he was looking at when he would never need to do that in real life. I had the option of making up a reason, but instead said, “I’m not sure, but will get back to you.” In another class that year I realized that there was no way I could explain a Pre Cal concept regarding minimums and maximums related to profit for companies without the understanding of slopes because the idea of tangents related back to that concept and was necessary for finding these critical points on the graphs. Needless to say I now answer in a varying number of ways, “I will get back to you,” “Here’s how you may need it in college/higher math”, “Critical thinking depends greatly on this...”


The article rings true as I read:

“Deep vs. Wide
There was a study published recently in Science Education (2009) that made a comparison between teachers who “sprinted” to cover all of the standards with teachers who slowed down and went deeper into the material. The students who “sprinted” ended up scoring higher on the standardized test due to covering more material. But the students who learned through the slower, in-depth approach earned higher grades in their college classes.”

This is a huge concern for me and is another hard thing to balance in education.

I understand the article was intended to show that we need multi-media, 21st Century, DIVERSE ways for teaching students and I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY agree. I push forward with the innovative ways for teaching students I know will be beneficial if we all (teachers and administration) get on board and on the same page. Meaning, we  figure out how to integrate it correctly and collaboratively. But every once in a while I picture a stagnant, an army-like, robotic-like Chinese classroom which by high school listens well and can cooperate with the explorative learning environment which we wish to create; through that our success would be as high as the Chinese. Unfortunately it may be at the risk of the creativity and innovation attributed to Americans.

Free College: Berea

Hard Times Inspire Ky. College Students To Action

by NOAH ADAMS

If you prefer to listen to the story, go to this link and click play next to "listen to the story" as shown in the box below the link: http://www.npr.org/2011/11/29/142889056/hard-times-inspire-ky-college-students-to-action

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EnlargeNoah Adams/NPR

Sophomore Emily Nugent is among Berea College's 1,600 students who receive free tuition. On average, Berea's students come from families with household incomes of about $25,000.

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November 29, 2011

Part of a monthlong series

NPR's Hard Times series features stories of economic hardship and also stories of hope. We asked for ideas from listeners, and Emily Nugent of Berea College in Kentucky responded, writing: "With a student body composed entirely of students from low socio-economic backgrounds, Berea students know about the challenges Americans are facing." Noah Adams went in search of Emily and the Berea College story.

This school was started six years before the Civil War. It was to be both integrated and coeducational. And the poor students became part of the mission. The small college town, Berea, is right at the edge of the Bluegrass region. There's a rise of mountains to the east. It's where Appalachia begins.

By 1931, University of Chicago President Robert Hutchins was able to say Berea was in a "different class."

"It does what no other college can do; what it does must be done," he said.

This year, the Washington Monthly ranking of 100 liberal arts colleges has Berea at No. 1.

View Hard Times road trip in a larger map

The school has 1,600 students, most of them from southern Appalachia, but there's someone here from every state. And at Berea, their tuition is free — all four years are paid for through the college's $931 million endowment. It might be the only way these students could go to college. On average, they come from families with household incomes of about $25,000.

Emily Nugent, a sophomore at Berea, is a political science major from Lapeer, Mich. She recalls coming with her mother for her first visit to the campus.

"I finished my tour, and my mom turned to me and said, 'If you choose this school or any school, I want you to be as proud of what you're doing as these students seem to be. I don't care what school you choose, but this is the only one I've seen where people seem to love what they're doing,' " Nugent remembers.

economy

Interactive Map: The Economy Where You Live

Tony Choi, a senior majoring in Spanish and political science from Bergen County, N.J., came to this country from South Korea. After four years at Berea, he graduates next month. Soon he'll go to San Francisco and walk across America to call attention to the plight of immigrants.

"Especially in these hard times, I feel that people are placing blame on the other people who look a little different from everyone else. I've lived in this country for more than half my life, and I'm still undocumented," Choi says. "I feel that Berea has empowered me to go back to my own community, which is the immigrant community, and try to find ways I can fill my role in."

In October, about 40 Berea students rode a bus to New York City for the Occupy Wall Street rallies. Senior Kurstin Jones, from Cincinnati, was with them.

"I'm a person of color. We have been poor ever since we got here. Unvoluntarily. Ever since the Great Recession of '08, people of color have seen Depression-era unemployment, like double digits in certain parts of the country," Jones says.

The Berea students in New York wanted to stand in support of the newly poor. Some of their families have known poverty for decades — especially deep in the mountain coal fields.

EnlargeCourtesy of Berea College

A historical sign on the Berea College campus in Kentucky.

Freshman Charla Hamilton is from Pikeville, Ky. "My dad is disabled. He doesn't work. My mother has a teaching degree but is unable to find a job, and then my parents divorced. I was living with my mother. We had no income coming in at all. Zero," Hamilton says.

Hamilton hopes to go back to eastern Kentucky with a degree in forensic psychology and be a counselor in the prison system.

And Sam Gleaves, a Berea sophomore, knows he is going home to Wytheville, Va., with his guitar and banjo. He's an Appalachian studies major. He wants to teach music at home and to help organize.

"Well, I think people underestimate the power of music to foster community," Gleaves says. "I want the youth coming up through the high school that I went to and living in the community I grew up in to have an expanded idea of what it means to be young and what it means to be Appalachian, in particular gay and lesbian youth and youth of color. I want the youth to feel welcome to embrace their heritage in the fullest way, where they're not only living as who they are, but they're speaking as who they are."

Art in Science

Here is a cool article you might be able to appreciate, you may find the original here:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/health/entries/2011/02/01/art_helps_medical_students_enh.html?cxntfid=blogs_salud

Art helps medical students enhance powers of observation

By Mary Ann Roser | Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 11:39 AM

Can looking at art help future doctors and nurses do a better job with patients?

Officials at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio say the answer is yes. They have teamed up with the McNay Art Museum in the Alamo City to offer Art Rounds, a three-week workshop this winter aimed at training future doctors and nurses to look carefully at an artwork and “avoid being misguided by assumptions.”

A study of the program, now in its second year, showed that the students had a marked improvement in their “visual observation and communication skills, which can lead to improved patient care,” said a news release from the school.

What a patient says about their condition and the way they appear can be very different. Medical professionals sometimes must rely on subtle clues to assess what’s wrong.

“Much like in medicine, the issues we find in artwork may be more complex than they first seem,” said Rose Glennon, senior museum educator. “When a student says they think the subject of a painting feels a certain way, we ask them to tell us what they see that makes them think that. Different people see and notice different things.”

The workshop encourages students to be more comfortable with ambiguity and avoid jumping to conclusions, officials said.

“Medicine has become increasingly reliant on test results and technology so that patients become nothing more than a set of lab values on a computer screen,” said Craig Klugman, assistant director and professor of medical humanities at the university’s Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics. “We need to train physicians to actually see the patient as a whole, rather than reducing the patient to a particular organ, tissue, or lab result.”

For some students, Art Rounds marked their first visit ever to a museum.

Blogs Tips and Tricks #7: Creating Additional Blogs

Making new blogs is important once you have established your first. Reasons include: 1) you have more than one class content, 2) you have different types of students, 3) you have different age levels 4) need I say more about all the things you do and want to show off?! Here is a video which should help set up a new class blog and website for all the stretching you do:

From Conception to Birth: A Visual Understanding

Here is another interesting TED TALK. I want to get you hooked, it's a great source for teachers and really for anyone that wants to explore outside their interest zones; really makes you think!

Life As Topher's Mama: We Are So Happy To Have You Here

My wife wrote this on her blog about a person who was part of her PLC. I found it concise, moving and Vonnegut like. I hope you appreciate it too. I wish their family well!

Life As Topher's Mama: We Are So Happy To Have You Here

TED TALKS: Tony Robbins, Inspiration, Decision Making

Here is a cool talk, again from "TED Talks." You might want to check it out. My videos may not be your videos. There are a variety and may inspire you; who knows how, because which you choose is your choice. Here is one.

Blog Tips and Tricks #6: Labels

Hey teachers! I realized that it was becoming harder to find videos containing tips and tricks for the various things I have posted. As I created posts I attached keywords at the bottom of the page containing my text. Next I went to the "dashboard", then to "design" and opened a "gadget" titled "labels." What this has done for me and for all users is show along the side of my blog keywords for each post. Now instead of having to dig through my blog for certain posts you can skip straight to them via the keyword that is associated with the post.

Hope this trick helps as you blog and makes navigating my blog a bit easier!

Funny Stuff

Wanted to change the pace of the blog a bit and share some humor. Enjoy!

Joke #1:

Two men walk into a bar. The first says, “I’ll have some H2O.”  The second man says, “That sounds good, I’ll have some H2O too!” - The second man is now dead.







Joke #2

Motivational Speech of the Day 2

In honor of an innovator and leader, RIP.

Motivational Speech of the Day.

I believe we are teachers in a position of technological shift. We need to learn so many technologies, yet be wary of which may become obsolete or unnecessary. It is hard to decide which programs and software are worth investing our time to learn, but we are the “Deciders.” We pick and choose for now which programs will be used in the classroom and many of our decisions are based on our students practices. Which do they use and which do we choose? Which companies, which software will highlight and successfully achieve student growth in education and do it the way we want to teach? Stay ahead of the game and don’t fall behind. Learn, Learn, LEARN the technology. It will pay off, don’t be afraid to use it!

If teachers could embrace the changes in student communication they could harness student interest in the technology and lead the way in how those devices are being used. In previous experiences during school years and in-service meetings I have found that the number one reason for not utilizing technology inside the classroom is because teachers do not understand it and fear it. They do not understand how to use the growing number of technological devices and software, nor are quick to invest time in learning them. There is also a feeling of helplessness, that “they don’t know what they don’t know.” Often teachers remain idle and frustrated with students when confronted with inappropriate computer or cell phone use, where as they should be quick to embrace, learn and guide students on more productive uses for those and other devices in the classroom. Stay ahead of the game and don’t fall behind. Learn, Learn, LEARN the technology. It will pay off, don’t be afraid to use it!

Free AVG Protection

When teachers get new computers from their administration they all begin to sing, "O Happy Day." That is until they realize they received a virus from a weird internet site they didn't even know was bad or when they allowed a student to check "something" for "just a second." Don't that happen to you!

Chalk it up is happening THIS WEEKEND!

Chalk It Up is being hosted this Saturday and our students will be participating. I hope you will go out to support them. SAMA hosted First Sunday for families this last weekend and Art Pace was there to promote the event. My son and I went and participated. Thought I would share some pictures to inspire you to go. Helping students and children to create memories is so important and really helps build trust and relationships; something to think about.

Teachers Control Effectiveness of Interactive White Boards

Here is an article that was shared with me by Dr. Wirth. I highly encourage you to read it from start to finish. It has great insight into what we are trying to do in our classrooms with white boards. I felt that many of the ideas and language transferred over to what we are going to establish this year with blogs, podcasts and rss: http://bit.ly/l1winW

Here are some things that resonated with me:

The title rings true, “Teachers Hold the Real Keys to Whiteboard Effectiveness.” I hope it rings true for you!! The first line supplements this, “Educator skill seen to determine the technology’s impact.” “An IWB is just a tool, and if it’s not used correctly, you can’t blame the tool, you have to blame the user,” he added.


For those teachers that fear the ‘stumbles and falls’ of new software and 21st Century technology (including Web2.0 or 3.0) never fear! I have always found, and the article reaffirms via the spotlighted teacher, that the fluidity of class lessons and student understanding is based on the time we invest in and our comprehension of the resources available to us. And it should be pointed out that intimidation should never be a factor in your teaching and growth as a teacher. The article shared, “[She] has the slightest hiccup with the whiteboard software, a number of students yell out suggestions on how to fix it.”

I have had my own hiccups and found that they are teaching moments. Students that are good with technology will shine in front of the class and teach you, along with the students, how to troubleshoot the problem. When my IWB did not work correctly one lesson I had a student jump up, grab a marker and say, “Mr. Kelsey, I got this. Fix the problem and I’ll give them problems.” She demonstrated her knowledge of the concept and her understanding of the general format for word problems by writing her own out for the class to solve on the marker board, and then led them through it.

In a recent in-service I chose a room to teach the remotes our school would use in conjunction with the IWB’s and found that not all of the software had been loaded to it’s computer. It did feel uncomfortable, but the teaching moment there (for us both) was how to power through the difficult, embarrassing moments with this technology, improvise and still teach. In the afternoon, our staff meeting readjourned in another room and everyone got to work hands on with the remotes and IWB. We found success in the afternoon because we were patient and took the time to work through the problems together in the morning.

I hope you feel encouraged and inspired to learn, practice and use IWB’s as well as all new technology (Qwizdom, blogs, podcast, wikis, etc) in your classrooms.

Using the Library Database as a Resource & Easiteach Tips & Tricks #6: Making Tutorials

I recently found out that if you have a library card you can use the database at your local library. This means you have access to tons and tons of academic journals and magazines online for all your learning and research needs. This works for those of you researching for fun or trying to get your masters/PhD, but guess what? This also works for those of you wanting to teach your students better researching skills; especially if you want them to be COLLEGE READY. The best part, IT CAN BE ACCESSED ONLINE, you don't even have to go to the library.

Here is where you go (for those of you in San Antonio), mysapl.org and click on database:

Next you will see the advanced search boxes. Scroll down and you will see the journals it may browse through. You are free to browse the individual journals yourself, or you may use the advanced search and click on the journals you wish it to search through. A tip the librarian gave me was that when you select the "select all" option it does not actually look through every journal because some of the journals become incompatible with each other during the search process. She recommended that you only choose 2 or 3 at a time. Here is what you will see when you click on the data base tab into the advanced search:

I hope this helps your in class and out of class needs. If you wish to learn how I made the images on Easiteach here is the tutorial:

Easiteach Tips and Tricks #5: How to Make a Slide Answer a Question Audibly

This is a fun trick and kids eat it up! Be sure to try this. For fun, I added a second trick for todays post, because after this one you should have the hang of the utilities link.
Free Tip #1: Make a slide audibly answer a question.



Free Tip #2: Linking URLs to jump to from your slideshow.

Great Quotes, Great Creativity: Dr Wirth's Blog

Dr Wirth has a new blog, which is similar to the old blog but with a different URL. I have updated the URL on my blog and you can find it on the right. Among the many posts and quotes on his blog I have become attached to a few; see if they strike you:

“If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”
- Ignacio Estrada


"The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas."
— Dr. Linus Pauling

"To have a great idea, have a lot of them."
— Thomas Edison

"Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things."
— Theodore Levitt


"Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned."
- Mark Twain

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
- Albert Einstein




here is the site all should begin following:
http://pedagoda.blogspot.com/

Easiteach Tips and Tricks #4: Normal, Glass, Storyboard, Split Mode

Here is a really neat trick for presentations and for snagging stuff off the internet to add into your presentations. It is also great because it will help you rearrange the order of your slides. Hope this helps!

Easiteach Tips and Tricks #3: Animating Slides

Now to the good stuff! How to animate your slides and get the students even more engaged. Share any comments, questions and problems. Cheers!

Easiteach Tips and Tricks #2: Beginner Lesson Two

A few more beginning tips and button descriptions. Email or comment any questions or problems you may have. If you want this video to be enlarged you can click on a button at the bottom right and it should take you to youtube or enlarge from where you are. Enjoy!

Easiteach Tips and Tricks #1: Starting at Square One

Hope this video tutorial helps. Be sure to comment any questions or email them to me.

Blog Tips#4: Commenting on Others Blog Posts

There is a reason why Will Richardson described blogging as a a "Read, Write" technology. The more we interact with our readers and the blogs that we read the more information that is passed and the more learning that takes place. It enhances our growth as both an individual, as a student, as a teacher and as a techno-user/learner.
       
I discovered this first hand while commenting on a fellow teachers blog, Mr. Resendez. He teaches high school astronomy and physics and posted an article about and picture of an impressively clear image taken from a telescope of Saturn. He was comparing how it weighed against digital animation of celestial images in movies.  While commenting I mentioned he should share this with his students and use it as a step towards discussing where the color in the image derives.

Most people are not aware, but the color in pictures taken from space is added later based upon the wavelengths of light reflected from atmospheric and surface compositions of planets and other celestial figures. That's when it DAWNED on me (like an Oprah Aha Moment?). I had been talking with the art teacher earlier, Ms. Martinez, and she was showing me some of her art from her sketch book. She showed me the perfect thing at the perfect time for our astronomy students.


ART INTEGRATION IDEA:
1. Students find an image of a planet (or other object) taken from a telescope still in black and white
2. They determine the elemental composition of the surface and atmosphere and the wavelengths (colors)
    associated with each.
3. The students lay a piece of tissue paper on the image and color some of the darker wavelengths that will appear.
4. Students lay a second piece of tissue paper down and color more of the colors that will appear in their proper locations.
5. Finally, if a 3rd tissue is needed, they lay it on top and color some of the lighter colors that will appear.

When laying all three tissues down on top of the telescopic image, they should have their final product proving they are both an artist and a scientist.


All that from commenting on his blog. Here are other reasons to comment:

A) While commenting on the 4th and 7th grade teachers blogs I realized I had a better idea of what was happening around our school and am better prepared to describe our school to other potential families that may attend our school and pass by on a tour.

B) Reading and commenting allows for PLCs to take place in a new way. We not only hear what other teachers are doing in their classrooms, but also can now tie it back into our own lessons: CROSS CURRICULUM TEACHING.

C) If the students are commenting on another teachers blog I am reading and commenting on I can interact with them and it creates a greater sense of unity within the school and strengthens my relationship with that student. I also gain insight on more of their character and abilities as a student.

D) Fundraising. Money flows when people are following your blog and actively commenting on your blog. Show me the money!!

E) It makes me feel good when I know you're listening. Look, everyone wants support and this is an easy way to show it to your colleagues.

F) Reaching out. Not everyone in Mr. Bryant's blog audience is going to be in mine. But I have a better shot at reaching them by commenting on his blog. I think it was James Earl Jones that said, "If you comment, they will come." I want as big an audience as I can get and vice versa. If a student has a question and I can't answer it well enough, I want them to realize Mr. B's blog is a click away and he may better explain the answer, or have a resource for them on his site.

Why do you think it's important to comment on other blogs? Please, do share!

Let the Brainstorming Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .: Blog tips and Tricks #2: Changing your Favicon on ...

Let the Brainstorming Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .: Blog tips and Tricks #2: Changing your Favicon on ...: Written Steps Below: 1) .ico is the file format favicons need to be and our computers cannot change files to this format. Go to th...

Kahn Academy for real

A lot of people post about Khan Academy, but are not aware of its origins and how far reaching it has become (both in his life and our lives). He devoted his time for a relative, then for strangers, then to learn for himself and now for a revolution in learning. Here are some of his interviews that may give you better insight.



Here is another thing to think about, "10 minute teaching and videos or digital media to reach your students." Khan found success from this and you likely will as well. Learn to produce your own podcasts, both audio and video.

Blog Tips & Tricks: 3 Ways to follow another site

I recorded the options for following in order for each viewer to better see how it is done, enjoy!

Imagination...Come Wonder With Me: Creating a story in your classroom

Imagination...Come Wonder With Me: Creating a story in your classroom: This is a great site for the students in your classrooms to create their own stories. Take the Tour when you get to the site; I think you wi...

Live Art, Breathe Art: Happy Birthday, Marcel Duchamp!

Live Art, Breathe Art: Happy Birthday, Marcel Duchamp!: "Marcel Duchamp (born July 28, 1887 - died October 1, 1968) French artist who broke down the boundaries between works of art and everyday ob..."



Marcel Duchamp was the first artist I identified with and used after beginning my career as a teacher at an arts integrated school. He is at the root of so many genres of visual art.  Happy Belated Big Guy! Great post!

Blogger in Draft: Blogger, Redesigned

Blogger in Draft: Blogger, Redesigned: "Posted by Jinwoo Lee, Blogger tech lead As we shared before , our team has been hard at work on a brand new, next generation design for B..."

Blog tips and Tricks #2: Changing your Favicon on Blogger

Written Steps Below:

1)      .ico is the file format favicons need to be and our computers cannot change files to this format. Go to the following website (http://www.icoconverter.com/) which converts picture files to .ico files, click browse under Image file (PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, 2 Mb max.), then click the "convert" button (All the default values are good, don't change anything, just browse, choose file and convert). The conversion should create a square 100 kb or below image, as needed for favicon images.   

2)    Then, log into your www.blogger.com account. When you log in you will be in your “Dashboard.” click on the “Design” tab. At the top left of the screen you will see a window box titled "Favicon." Click on that tab.

3)   Once in the Favicon window you will be able to upload your Favicon image in place of the the default orange blogger icon. This will help personalize your blog a little more. If you do not see your icon image on your link and blog immediately, fret not! Some work instantly and others may appear a day later. Rest assured that once it is changed and becomes active you will not have any issues again with it until the next time you attempt to change it. 

When choosing your Favicon image keep in mind:

                          * Your image is INCREDIBLY TINY so you will need something that
                               is recognizable.

                          * You have to be careful with taking a photo from the internet because 
                              you may be infringing on another's copyright.

                          * Allow a student to create it. You can take a picture of any surrounding or
                               creation and turn it into a favicon image (it will convert a picture into a .

 

 Be Creative! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

6)       

 

Arts Integration for Schools

Find the rest of the story here

What is Arts Integration?
Arts integration is instruction that integrates content and skills from the arts - dance, music, theatre and the visual arts - with other core subjects. Arts Integration occurs when there is a seamless blending of content and skills between an art form and a co-curricular subject.

Why do it?

Arts integration is highly effective in engaging and motivating students. It supports academic achievement and improved social behavior of students while enhancing school climate and parental involvement. The arts provide students multiple modes for demonstrating learning and competency. A rich array of arts skills and intellectual processes provide multiple entry points for students linking to content in other subject areas. Similarly, arts instruction is deepened through integration of content from the other subject areas. It enlivens the teaching and learning experience for entire school communities. At its best, arts integration is transformative for students, teachers and communities. The imaginations and creative capacities of teachers and students are nurtured and their aspirations afforded many avenues for realization and recognition.

How do you do it?

Arts integration is a fundamental culture shift. It takes time to build awareness, understanding and commitment among members of the school community.

Ongoing professional development is essential to give classroom teachers facility in arts disciplines and to enable them to analyze curriculum to find the natural connections between arts curriculum and the curriculum in other subject areas including creating lessons and units of instruction.
Collaboration is essential - between classroom teachers and arts specialists. Common planning time is critical.

Arts specialists are key resources, collaborators and leaders in developing arts integration programs.
Arts integration specialists are extremely valuable resources for guiding the planning of professional development and for supporting collaborations among teachers and with partners, such as cultural institutions and teaching artists.

Schools that integrate art into education successfully:
http://thesanantonioschool.org

Prezi.com

Here is a cool site for presentations in the classroom: www.Prezi.com

Most of us probably use MS PowerPoint, but as we all know that can become a little mundane. Some of us know  (although I find most do not know)  how to animate slides to make them more engaging. In fact, Microsoft has done a great job of adding photograph editing to the newest versions of PowerPoint. The problem is that most classrooms don't have the newest versions of software, know how to use them and lessons are not always stored in the cloud.

Prezi.com is like a notepad where you jot your ideas down, then decide in what order you would like to present them. You are not limited to just text, but may include picture and video as well. Items can be made bigger & smaller, angled and placed no where near the preceding thought. This allows your audience to be drawn in through unexpected movement, zooming in and out and really keeps them engaged via a grand change of pace.The entire presentation is stored online and can be created through your web browser on any computer. The hitch for Ipad users is that if you download their app, it may only be used for presentation. The Pro is that they hold webinars to learn how to use Prezi for those that need it.

Here are some how to videos from the company and myself on using & embedding Prezi's:



How to Embed Prezi:

Generic Prezi Embedded:

How to Prezi on Prezi

How to Prezi on Prezi

Here is a popular Prezi to get a feel of how others are creating them. Here is a Prezi tip: click on the word more at the bottom right of the Prezi and you can "Autoplay" the Prezi and also make it "Full Screen."

The history of CANDY!!! (and other sweets) on Prezi

Blog Tips & Tricks

Tip #1: How to post another person's cool blog post on your blog.
Tip #2: How to copy & paste all or part of a cool article into a post of your own
Tip #3: How to Create a link for sourcing and to share other sites on the web
Tip #4: How to Embed a YouTube video
Tip #5: How to delay posts until later

Hope you enjoy these tips and the video!

Ponder With Me...: Grains of sand magnified to 250 times real size

Ponder With Me...: Grains of sand magnified to 250 times real size: "Beauty in every grain: For the first time remarkable photographs reveal hidden charms of ordinary SAND By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Last updated..."

Talkshoe Meeting for Faculty & Teaches

Here is the link for those people that may have been missed on the Meeting INFO. This will be my first time really using this, so I will need your help. Here is all the info I can provide if you did not receive the info via email. At the least call in at 3pm CT and be sure to review my Podcasting post prior to calling in.

http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/110158
Call in #: (724) 444-7444    Call id: 110158

Hosted by: klcsiii Title: Podcasting, Blogging and Education Questions

Time: 07/19/2011 03:00 PM EDT Episode Notes: We will clarify all misconceptions on podcasting and begin to weave a web into our lesson plannng (faculty meeting).

Podcasting

Again, I've been reading the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, and wanted to share some of the ideas the book has discussed, my thoughts on them, ideas for them and other things I've learned after having researched them. This blog will focus on podcasting in (and you'll soon see outside of)  the classroom.

After talking with teachers about classes they've attended for podcasting most relate to me their disappointments. In some cases they don't feel that podcasting was explained well enough (i.e. video vs audio), ideas for class integration and here is the BIG ONE HOW do you make a podcast (WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS?! WHAT ARE THE STEPS?!). I will try to address all of these issues in varying ways, even through podcasts.

Where to find podcasts to download, listen: 
Computers & Ipod

  

Podcasts are everywhere. You can go on to Itunes and find podcasts, you can go to NPR and find podcasts, in fact, most modern smart phones have an app to listen to podcasts. So many sites now allow for subscription here are a few examples, including those from the book. Be sure to peruse each for ideas on how to integrate podcasts into your classroom creatively: 

NPR:  http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

Education Podcast Network:  http://epnweb.org/

Willow Web Radio:   chttp://mps.wes.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=101919&sessionid=41917f9bd991a31963c31669315ff48c

Coley Casts:   http://mrcoley.com/coleycast/index.htm

There are some teacher that may be nervous about students having access to Ipods for use with podcasts and fear not. Podcasts are available for listening and downloading for anyone with a computer and internet access. In the times that we live in, its hard not to gain access to both (school, library, phones, free WiFi, etc).

The book: "Before you get your students podcasting, I would urge you to try it out first. Again, I think you need to experience what you are asking your students to do-not only so you can support their technical use, but also so you understand what Web publishing really feels like...podcasting is one of those technologies that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be...podcasting has become all the rage, and one of the reasons is that the barriesr to entry is pretty low...Here's what you need to create a basic podcast: a digital audio recorder that can create an MP3 file, some space on a server to host the file, a blog and something to say...The other part of the quick success of podcasting comes from the fact that not only are they easy to create, they are easy to consume as well."

So what in the world is podcasting and how do we do it? 

Here is some vocab to start chewing on as you continue to read this post and for future investigation in podcasting:

Podcasts: distributing audio or video content via RSS 2.0, or Atom. Podcast clients such as iTunes allow listeners to subscribe to your RSS/Atom feed and automatically download your content to their portable audio players as it becomes available.       -Source                                                 

audiocast: audio content that is broadcast over the Internet. The term serves as a broad descriptor of any audio content, including streaming audio, podcasts or other distribution methods.   ------The Source                                   

channel : a group of podcast items, each of which represents one MP3 audio file (or show). When                subscribing to podcasts, it is the channel to which you subscribe.       ------The Source                                  

encoding: the process of putting a sequence of characters (letters, numbers, punctuation, and certain              symbols) into a specialized format for efficient transmission or storage. In podcasting terms, encoding often      refers to the conversion of recorded audio files into MP3 for upload and distribution.   ----The Source           

iPod
The iPod is a digital media player from Apple Computer. The name inspired the term "podcasting," a combination of iPod and broadcast. With over 40 million sold worldwide, the rapid adoption of the iPod has created a market overnight for subscription-based audio content that could be automatically downloaded from iTunes and then uploaded to the device. 

iTunes : Apple's multimedia player software, including a store where users can download music, videos,         television shows and podcasts. Along with ripping, organizing and playing multimedia files, iTunes links to a      directory of podcasts and acts as a podcatcher by allowing users to subscribe to podcasts.   ---The Source   

mobcast
A mobcast is an audio program that can be received on cell phones or mobile devices. Also called a "mobilecast" or, in the case of video content, "movlog." ------The Source

MP3
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) is a standard technology and format for compressing a sound sequence into a very small file (about one-twelfth the size of the original file) while preserving the original level of sound quality when it is played.------The Source

RSS

RSS (RDF Site Summary, formerly called Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) is a method of describing news or other Web content that is available for "feeding" (distribution or syndication) from an online publisher to Web users. RSS is an application of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) that adheres to the World Wide Web Consortium's Resource Description Framework ( RDF). Originally developed by Netscape for its browser's Netcenter channels, the RSS specification is now available for anyone to use. --The Source

RSS feed: an XML file that provides content or summaries of content, including links to the full versions of the content and other metadata, that a user can subscribe to using an RSS aggregator. ------The Source

video podcasting

Video podcasting is similar to podcasting, except that video files are published instead of MP3s into RSS feeds. Also called "vlogging" or "vodcasting."------The Source

vlog: (or video blog) is a blog that contains video content. The small, but growing, segment of the blogosphere devoted to vlogs is sometimes referred to as the vlogosphere. ------The Source


Subscription: Subscribing means you'll receive the latest podcasts promptly when released, without having to remember to return to to the blog or site where the podcast was initially found. Some subscription services go a step further and automatically download podcasts for you in the background once you subscribe. ITunes is an example of an automatic downloader.--The Source




                                  What is Podcasting?                           

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Download this episode (right click and save)

How do you turn your recording into .mp3 format, put it on your blog and then turn it into a podcast?

In the case of audio podcasting there is an application on my phone that allows me to record myself, just as the camera in your phone allows you to take pictures. The problem is that generally speaking, an abundance of the podcasts available need to be in mp3 format and my phone won’t do that, something we’ll cover later in this post. I point this out, though, to say that audio podcasting must be done through a .mp3 format to be recognized; that is how most Ipods, Itunes, Podbean and other podcasting software and listening devices will be able to interpret what you are streaming or making available for download. Most recording devices and software have the capability to save recordings in .mp3 format, but not all can do it alone. 

We will begin by focusing on a common recording program, Audacity. Using programs like Audacity and using what is called a Codec you can save your microphone recordings into the computer as mp3’s.

<Sidenote: Codecs are software downloads that aid in changing the format to mp3 or mp4 behind the scenes of your recording software on your computer. It works in conjunction with Audacity. You will never open the codec, nor see it open, you only have to download it once and Audacity will use it behind the scenes.>.

<Sidenote for The Computer Savy: The video discusses downloading software from sites below and how to record sound, saving as a project, etc. If you are familiar with the download process and can easily figure out the software you need only know this: Once your software is downloaded and you have recorded your audiocast you can save it (OBVIOUS) for later editing, but MUST, MUST export as a .MP3 file from Audacity to a folder for upload to Podbean. Podbean???? Yes, skip to the minute marker of 8:26 on the video. I saved you 8 and 1/2 minutes, so thank me. For an even quicker tutorial you may also sign up for Podbean.com and watch the video below on how to use Audacity and Podbean.>


                                                   
Here are the links used in the video:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/beta_windows
http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/
http://podbean.com/

How do I convert audio recordings to mp3 format if I record on my phone or other device that save incorrectly?

Remember, you are not podcasting unless yor recording is in the correct format and you have an RSS feed to help distribute your recording to others for download. Phones are great recorders and should be encouraged by teachers for students to use, because most students don’t have microphones at home, unless its built in their laptops. You also will be extending their capabilities to participate in and create podcasts to meet 21^st Century classroom expectations. Imagine the fulfillment they would feel as they complete assignments in new ways and the overall class morale; might lead to better understanding and grades?! Another cool aspect of using phones is that students aren’t limited to doing homework at home between set hours. We want them to interact with their environment when they learn in order to create greater understanding and you never know when that may happen, in the car listening to the radio, in another class listening to another teacher, at their aunt’s house listening to family discussions.

PODCASTING FROM ANYWHERE:

Listen to this episode

Download this episode (right click and save)

Here may be a problem when using phones as a recording device: my phone records in a format called .amr, not .mp3. This will be highlighted in the following videos along with screencasting:







Here are the new links used in this screencast:
www.jingproject.com
http://convertfiles.com/




      Differences between Audio and Video Podcasting?                                                                             

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Download this episode (right click and save)

Why is the cat climbing on the sofa?

When I watch your video podcast and all I see is a “talking head”, my mind drifts off and I start to have thoughts like “Where did she get that gorgeous mahogany computer desk”,  ”Why is that adorable cat climbing on the sofa” or any other distracting background “noise” I can wrap my brain around. Create an audio podcast. , so that after we press play we can turn up the volume and listen to your message while doing some ab-crunches or push-ups – or maybe even some house work! (kidding about the push-ups).

The bottom line here is, use video is for instruction and how-to screencasts and choose audio podcasting to connect with your readers when you simply want to communicate ideas and concepts.

                  The Source: : http://www.famousbloggers.net/audio-video-podcast.html

If you want to see a video on how to begin using Audacity, here is the recommended screencast by THE BOOK: 

Audacity by Matt Pasiewicz: http://net.educause.edu/Screencasts/Audacity/Untitled.html

If you want a great example of the final product of adding your voice and music tracks to your audiocast for your blog be sure to play the mp3 player on this high school science blog:

Mr. Arias' "Join Our World": http://arias-slamnscience.blogspot.com/

How do Students Subscribe and View Podcasts?

If you are a teacher of older students or are just ready to jump into video podcasting, Youtube is a huge market and students can create their own channels for others to subscribe to and you may to mine, which is where all the videos from this post have been pulled from. Just as there are microphones in more and more computers their are also cameras. At our last graduation our students got to show themselves off and send messages to friends and loved ones using only their webcams.

                                 Ideas for your classroom?

If you did not get enough from the educational links and examples above then check these sites out for more:

http://www.talkshoe.com/se/about/TSAbout.html

http://yodio.com/

http://fcit.usf.edu/podcasts/

http://yodio.com/

 http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~nshelley/

T

Conclusion:

I thought I knew what podcasting was coming into this and I was partially right. Clearing up my misconceptions was essential however, in order for me to better be able to integrate this 21^st Century skill into my classroom. And the only way I feel the misconceptions were resolved was by researching and practicing (HANDS ON, JUST LIKE OUR CLASSROOM LESSONS) the software and techniques I found.  Hopefully my efforts and research will eliminate some of the tedious Google searches and endless reading for you.