Category Archives: macul11

On a Techie High

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The annual MACUL Conference is now over and the word on the street is that the conference was the best ever.  This is good news to me, because I’m on the Board of Directors and helped plan and carry it off.   :)    There were over 4,000 attendees and I could feel the high level of energy and enthusiasm among those who were there.  I kept really busy with organizational tasks throughout the conference, and was only able to make a few of the sessions, so I look forward to keeping my own learning going; there are many ways to do this:

  • Check out the awesome resource materials posted by presenters on the Speakers’ page of the MACUL website.
  • Browse through the #macul11 tweets. Conference attendees posted quotes, links, ideas, questions, photos, and more.
  • Follow the discussions going on at MACULSpace.  I just added a forum for sharing your “best of MACUL” stories.
  • Read the posts on the MACUL Conference Blog.
  • The keynotes and some of the featured speakers were videotaped.  The videos will soon be available on Michigan Streamnet.

I’m tired physically, but am intellectually energized!

21st Century Communication with TWICE

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Here are the resources and links featured in my session at MACUL, 21st Century Communication with TWICE.

We connected to Eagle Lake Elementary in Edwardsburg, for a feature of Where in Michigan; the ASK programs, and Read Around the Planet.

Next we connected to Mars Elementary, in Berrien Springs, for a feature of the Holiday Hoopla Snowman Swap.

Finally, we reviewed the TWICE Discounts with Content Providers / Field Trips, and the CAPspace website.

Read Around the Planet with Wales and Allendale

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Karen Mosier is hosting the first session in the TWICE room this morning (W2-66!). The session is on Read Around the Planet, TWICE‘s signature global reading celebration.

A class from Allendale Michigan, is connecting with the Nant Celyn school, in Torfaen, Wales to show how a Read Around the Planet connection happens.

Both classes shared introductions about their communities.

Then the class in Wales described how they celebrate St. David’s Day. One of the students recited her winning poem from the poetry competition; and other students shared their poems as well. In one transition, we heard from the teacher:

Bear with us, we just had a bit of stage fright.

Of course educators and students can be encouraging for each other, even over videoconference!

The class in Wales sang their national anthem for us also!

The Allendale class shared math problems inspired by the book Math Curse.

They had prepared VoiceThread math problems; however, they discovered that the audio wasn’t clear enough, students talked too fast and too soft for the Wales students to understand. So they read the stories live instead.

During the connection they decided to email the math problems so the students in Wales could solve them. This is common during a Read Around the Planet connection – that the teachers end up negotiating further future collaborations based on their first connection.

Read Around the Planet celebrated the 10th anniversary this year. Hope YOU participate next year!

(And if you’re at MACUL and participated in Read Around the Planet, go to the Presenters’ booth and ask for the RAP star Read Around the Planet ribbon!)

Monster Mayhem and VC Tips with Whirlidurb

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The last session in the TWICE room today at the MACUL 11 Conference was with Roxanne Glaser of Whirlidurb, sharing how to participate in Monster Mayhem along with excellent tips for quality videoconferences.

As usual, Roxanne modeled excellent presentation and teaching strategies! While we experienced a Monster Mayhem collaboration from start to finish, we also learned five important tips:

  1. Make a sign to show your location.
  2. Use a document camera.
  3. Fake it! if you don’t have a document camera.
  4. Arrange your students’ seating.
  5. Create a space for the students to speak.

We saw examples, then we reviewed from the handout, and then we divided into teams to do all 5 during the VC! I’m sure everyone remembers now!

Roxanne explaining the 5th tip: setting up a place for the speakers to talk – zoomed in & location sign.

Another example of student speakers location.

Roxanne puts us to work!

Roxanne’s version of Monster Mayhem (the original VC version) is where each class makes a monster – usually 3D – and then works in groups to create the other class’ monster. During the videoconference, students look for similarities and differences and analyze the descriptions to see where the writing or following directions could have been improved.

If you want to learn more about similar videoconference opportunities, sign up for Whirlidurb’s mailing list!

iThink iNeed iPads in the Classroom – Steve Dembo

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MACUL Conference regular Steve Dembo is presenting his last Thursday session covering the use of iPads in the classroom. The combination of Steve’s popularity at MACUL and the fact that iPads are Hot! Hot! Hot! right now are making this a pretty full session.

…and getting more full by the moment!

Follow Steve on Twitter.  Steve’s presentation resources.

Even though Apple just came out with a new iPad (did you hear?),

Why is the iPad so significant?  There are tablets out there with better features on paper.  There must be something…Steve describes it as the “experience.”  It’s not meant to be a laptop replacement…the first thing you have to do when you get one is plug it into a computer.  It does, however, do a lot of things a computer does.

Is the iPad ideal for education? Steve (Dembo, not Jobs) says “Yes!”  What makes it so…

1. Battery – It lasts for 10 hours if you’re using it full time, longer when you’re taking a break.  Students could take it home and charge it up, bring to school, and not have to worry about charging them up during the day.  So much different between having a classroom full of netbooks.

2. Social – Using an iPad is a social experience. They can be shared easily and actually used by multiple people at the same time.

Link: Bill Sweeny video.

3. Apps – Well, there are lots of apps…to say the least.  Steve is sharing iFontMaker.

From Steve’s resource links…a list of schools using iPads and documenting what they’re doing.  (Make sure you follow the resource link above.)

Link: iPads in Education

A sticking point in iPad projects is whether or not students have their own device and are not having to share it with others. But that then brings up the problem of buying and distributing apps, but Apple has created a Volume Licensing Program.  Another topic to consider is which apps should be purchased?  Steve is highlighting Discovery’s streaming app.

One of the criticisms of the iPad is that it’s a machine for consuming, not creating.  Well, of course that’s not quite true.  There’s GarageBand (and others).  Also, would you really want to type a 15 page paper on an iPad? Of course not, but good apps are out there.

Posterous – Blog via email
Pages – Create a book

Steve is spending some time talking about jailbreaking iPads. Why would you jailbreak an iPad? To install apps that allow you more functionality.  Should you do it in school? Probably not…with every new iOS version there’s less and less reason to do it.

Also highlighted in Steve’s presentation resources is the list of apps that he enjoys as well as the Education Apps Review web site.

Thanks for the session, Steve.