How big is Apple?

There is some great math in this presentation... and quite a bit of social science and business and geography... a great spring stand-alone.... have your students read and research this for an interesting day-long activity.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/46606766

A new digital divide?

This article came across my inbox today.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/47614990/

In a nutshell, the digital divide can be understood as three distinct phases:

1) Inequitable access to devices...

2) Inequitable access to meaningful experiences in school...

3) Inequitable access to meaningful experiences at home.

There is evidence that those from disadvantaged populations have access to computer and networks today, but that they use those devices for entertainment rather than for academic activities, thus the digital divide remains strong as even.

This sure seems to be pointing to the important role of educators in using technology well. Too often I hear educators who assume a laissez faire approach to technology. They assume that students will be able to transfer the academic skills they teach to the technology they use... and they will be able to figure out how to us their technology for academic purposes. Unfortunately there is little evidence of this.

SweetSearch

http://www.sweetsearch.com/

This search engine claims to return results from web sites that have been approved by expert researchers.

I have used it with students and found the results to be generally acceptable... better than simply "googling," but I also encourage our students to use the vetted sites that are available on our online card catalog.

Life lessons from robots...

This is an interesting video... some great topics for students to think about.

Some engineering... some biology... some medicine... some science and society... even epistemology!

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_goldberg_4_lessons_from_robots_about_being_human.html

Where Speech Recognition Is Going

OK, so here is an article that suggests voice recognition is "the next big thing." I have to wonder though...

I have an iPhone with Siri. But I don't use it much. The main reason is that I don't want others around me to know what I am doing. I guess I still like my privacy.

You have to wonder how schools will change once students are talking to their computers.

I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"Where Speech Recognition Is Going"
Voice-controlled interfaces are showing up in mobile phones, TVs, and automobiles. One company believes it can give just about everything a voice.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40327&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Big news!

Wow... how the mighty have fallen... it appears that Chrome has overtaken Internet Explorer as the most-used web browser in the world... I need to post the news on my MySpace page!

COPPA idea

Here is a great idea for those who seek to have students under 13 use some of the interesting and useful web-based tools that are available today:

http://www.williamstites.net/2012/05/22/coppa-and-verifiable-parental-consent/

Tech for summer

Here is another good article to share with families of middle school students as they leave for the summer... another from the folks at Common Sense Media:

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/new/take-trip-without-tech-well-almost

Science Journal Produces a Different Kind of Viral Video

Perhaps I was way ahead of my time those years ago when science teacher colleagues and I first helped students put digital images and then video into their lab reports. This article points to the increasing importance of video in communication. Will the day come when we test students on their video-making skill rather than their writing skill?

I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"Science Journal Produces a Different Kind of Viral Video"
The world's first peer-reviewed video journal gives scientists a better way to show others how to replicate experiments.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40444&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

NELMS Summer!

NELMS Summer Institute & Course

Becoming A Common Core Teaching & Learning Middle School

July 18th–20th, 2012

Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel
Portsmouth, N.H.

What can you look forward to?

Inspire Teams to Create Extraordinary Learning Environments with the Common Core Standards

Chris Toy & Jill Spencer

Common Core Literacy in All Content Areas

Elissa Arndt, PhD–Keys to Literacy

RTI–Connection to Common Core

Bob Marquis - Assistant Superintendent SAU 56 - Somersworth NH
Dana Hilliard - Principal Somersworth Middle School
Kate Segal - Assistant Principal Somersworth Middle School
Jackie Hanlon - 8th grade ELA Teacher

Creating a Culture of Trust in unCommon Core Times

Tom Burton
To read more about Tom please click here.

Last Day: How Will Your School Change to Meet Common Core Standards?

All consultants

Added Bonus:
Tuesday Night, July 17th, 4:30–6:30
Can We Talk?
Common Core Standards & What About Leadership

An informal discussion facilitated by Chris Toy

For more information and/or to register please click here.

Some webinars

A colleague has recommended the collection of eSchool News Webinars as a source of professional development that is always available and that can point educators to some ideas they may not have access to otherwise.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/e/eSN/WebinarArchive.htm

Science games

The Federation of American Scientists is supporting the development of a collection of games designed to present science ideas... especially biology. The games are in beta release right now which means they are not yet ready for full deployment, but are close. As the year ends and the weeks are broken up with field trips (and field trip rain days, and half of a class missing on one day the remainder missing the next), I like to have students "sandbox" in sites like this to evaluate those that are worth including in the curriculum for the next year.

If you can't find time to have students test these, then add it to your "to play with" list for this sumer. Perhaps a good way to spend a rainy day!

http://prelaunch.sciencegamecenter.org/

Download the Common Core

Someone posted this link to the IT listserv in Vermont yesterday... here you can enter your email address and then download a copy of the COmmon Core Standards that is in a spreadsheet... you can choose some of the familiar spreadsheet formats that can then be used in different forms (csv for example).

https://www.learnboost.com/blog/download-common-core-standards/#/blog/common-core/?utm_source=CC+-+download+now&utm_medium=CC+-+download+now&utm_campaign=CC+-+download+now

Wikipedia launches Britain's first 'Wiki-town' in Monmouth, Wales | Mail Online

I heard a report about this story on the BBC broadcast carried by Vermont Public Radio this morning and had to get to my phone to check it out. A town in the UK has put QR codes around historically notable places (and economically relevant places also) in what seems a universally available walking tour of the town.

Many middle school teams have done "local studies" as interdisciplinary units... we in middle school understand how this can be a method of giving meaning to the academic skills we teach. He is a method of making those studies even more relevant and opening the audience for the products to the real-world.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2146300/Wikipedia-launches-Britains-Wiki-town-Monmouth-Wales.html


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

PhET science sims

I have posted about this site in the past, but it deserves another mention.

The University of Colorado at Boulder hosts an excellent collection of physics and science simulations... written in Java, these run on almost any computers you use to visit the site.

As I explore ways to flip classrooms or to otherwise shift the nature of the work my students do in class and outside of class, I am finding that the site has excellent options. Students find that game-like nature of the simulations to be engaging; I can trust that they will (and can) complete data collection outside of class and that we can then analyze data in the classroom.

Many who initially think about "flipping classrooms" think about delivering lectures outside of class... data collection is another task that can be transfered out of the classroom.

IBM Faces the Perils of "Bring Your Own Device"

On this blog and other places, I have been an advocate for BYOD in schools and I have pointed out the "Speak Up" survey in 2011 suggested almost 2/3 of parents are willing to buy a device for their children to use in school. Apparently IBM has had a BYOD program, but they have begun to regulate which services employees can use. (Several pose threats to data--interestingly this article makes no mention of malware!)

This points out the differences between building and managing systems for business users and education users.


I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"IBM Faces the Perils of "Bring Your Own Device""
After letting its employees use their own phones and tablets for work, the company confronted a flood of insecure apps from the open Web.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40324&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Watch and laugh!

Internet safey

The good folks at Common Sense Media supply parents and teachers with a constant stream of good advice on media. They review books, movies, games, web sites, and other media and recommend those that have positive images and minimize violence and other potentially offense topics.

In their May newsletter, they feature an item of interest:

Parents' Guide to Internet SafetyEverything you ever wanted to know about Internet safety but were afraid to ask!

This is a great resource to share with parents as we get ready to wind down the school year. Consider pointing parents to it when preparing summer reading recommendations and similar end-of-the-year communications.

The Biggest Cost of Facebook's Growth

Here is some math for you and your students-- the numbers in thus article are astounding. To me the most impressive is that FaceBook uses 30,000 servers and is expecting to double that! Also that it costs them $1 per user per month; I can't imagine I generate $1 per month from my FB account. Maybe I am just not aware of how they make money by my account.

I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"The Biggest Cost of Facebook's Growth"
Running the world's largest social network will be a technical and financial challenge as it grows.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40420&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Fwd: Decreasing computers

- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Begin forwarded message:

From: Gary <gary@hackscience.net>
Date: May 17, 2012 9:23:24 AM EDT
To: "gary.hackscience.net@gmail.com" <gary.hackscience.net@gmail.com>
Subject: Decreasing computers

I just came to an interesting realization. I have fewer computers in my house today than I have in years. It was only a year ago that I put a computer in the garage so that I could post stuff on eBay. Since then the computer died, and so did my laptop... and both have been replaced with an iPad I inherited from my son and the iPhone I got for a gift. In the winter a PC died and replaced with a miniMac... and it gets lots of use, but mainly to fine tune what is begun on other devices.

I guess the predictions of decreased importance of traditional desktops and laptops and the increased convergence of functions into single devices is coming true in my case!

- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Common Core Teaching and Learning

NELMS Summer Institute & Course

Becoming A Common Core Teaching & Learning Middle School

July 18th–20th, 2012

Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel
Portsmouth, N.H.

What can you look forward to?

Inspire Teams to Create Extraordinary Learning Environments with the Common Core Standards

Chris Toy & Jill Spencer

Common Core Literacy in All Content Areas

Elissa Arndt, PhD–Keys to Literacy

RTI–Connection to Common Core

Ester Asbell

Creating a Culture of Trust in unCommon Core Times

Tom Burton

Last Day: How Will Your School Change to Meet Common Core Standards?

All consultants

Added Bonus:
Tuesday Night, July 17th, 4:30–6:30
Can We Talk?-- Common Core Standards & What About Leadership

An informal discussion facilitated by Chris Toy

For more information and/or to register please click here.

Google research tool...

Users of Google Apps may have noticed a new research option in the tools menu of Docs... choosing research on that menu opens a pane that allows a writer to search form the same frame of the web browser. You can even insert a link to a web site or cite a site (hey read that our loud it is funny!).

The citations are loosely based on MLA, I would expect my students to find more the necessary information, but of course, we should not encourage emerging researchers to rely on web sites for their sources anyways.

I do think this tool will be useful in encouraging emerging researcher to keep track of their sources and at least be able to go back later and find the full reference. Sort of a modern version of my practice from my days as an undergraduate student... I would record the card catalog number (later when I discovered ISBN's I used them) on the top of my notebook page on which I took notes from a book... journal articles we a bigger problem...

Soon, I expect, Google will allow users of this tool to enter a doi or ISBN and click to cite a resources form the research pane.

A Computer Interface that Takes a Load Off Your Mind

Perhaps these devices can be replaced by "old" teachers. We have been doing this for generations. We recognize those students whose work needs a quick look to see they are on the right track, and we can tell by body language who and how many are confused.

Educators know that changing the cognitive work (even changing how it is presented) will change the experience, so it is good to see that computers are catching up with us... but they still have a long road to surpass us in interacting with other humans.


I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"A Computer Interface that Takes a Load Off Your Mind"
A wearable brain scanner could give computers insight into how hard you're thinking.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40406&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Internet Bird Collection

Some of my students are creating Popplets; we are exploring alternatives to traditional presentation software. As you can imagine, animals is a popular topic for middle school students...

We found the Internet Bird Collection... as we wee searching for images to add to out Popplets.

IBC features name and taxonomy and distribution information as well as videos, photos, and sounds of thousands of species form around the world.

A great resource for science students!

Homework question

This is not really a technology issue, but Valerie Strauss brings sheds insight into the issues of homework and high stakes testing and academic achievement in this commentary.

As I look at my own children who are now college-aged, and I think about the future on which they will live, I am doubtful that their performance on any test is going to be a true indicator of their success. I am glad they found jobs and athletics and opportunities to become leaders in their high school years. Those "things" they were doing when others are pouring over homework are where they gained the experiences that prepare them for the changing and unpredictable future.

Certainly students need academic skills... but they need experiences as well. Take 5 minutes and read this essay... then post it on FaceBook, email it, or otherwise share it with adults whom you know.

Obsolete technologies...

The first paragraph of this article is a little disturbing... (a pregnant mom describing development in terms of tech... really?!?!?) not really disturbing, but i can imagine the reaction of middle school students... "yuck," "gross," among the uncontrolled laughter. (Of course yesterday, someone wanted to do a report on the blue-footed booby... it was a long class...)

Anyways... think about some of the technologies that have been deeply embedded in your life and realize that kids born today will probably never use them...

Wired Internet at home... I remember a students in a graduate course just a few years ago who did a presentation on how she and her husband put ethernet in their house because "they wanted their kids to be  connected." By the time I taught the class again (two years later), a student did a presentation on configuring wireless routers for home use. We have about 10 network devices in our home... none use wires to connect.

Dedicated cameras... phones... I used both this week, and it struck me that I had not used either since the holidays... almost 6 months!

Phone numbers... This one I can see having a little more staying power... there are still people who we want to know by a number and not a name or contact.

Prime-time television... wow... this one is spot on. My kids and I (21 & 18) will sit and watch the Red SOX on TV and I know we watch some of the cable channels (and I watch the British Comedies on public TV), but no one in my family watches any of the prime time shows on the major networks.

It is interesting to think about the technological changes we are observing and to consider how they are changing our students brains and our society.

A lesson in honesty?

We hear a lot about online presence... last week NELMS friends hosted an excellent webinar on the topic, and we are all aware of the importance of helping students be safe online. Too often, however, they dismiss our message. "After all," they reason, "who really cares?"

Although the circumstances are a little different, the recent story of the CEO of Yahoo stepping down amid questions about the details on his resume seems to illustrate the point. What we say about ourselves in a public forum matters.

This may also be a reason behind the laws related to privacy. If teachers (or principals, or superintendents, or any other school employee) makes a statement about others (either students or colleagues), then those statements have an air of truth and they may be assumed to be true.

I suppose the lesson that we need to share with our students is to be truthful in your statements about yourself online. Also, be careful about what you say about others... they may not appreciate rumors being spread about them... and ethical educators model the actions they expect of their students.

Tech vs. no tech in schools

This interesting article appeared on the Washington Post app yesterday. As I look at the two schools profiled in this piece, I am hoping that these are not two sides of a coin and educators are forced to decide between one or the other. I am hopeful that students in all schools have the chance to use technology as appropriate and they also get the chance to learn calligraphy without any technology.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technologys-great-divide-in-two-schools/2012/05/12/gIQACi1BLU_gallery.html?hpid=z8#photo=1

Put this on your summer reading list?

The folks at Common Sense Media always have good advice for parents and teachers on technology and media issues (if you are not familiar with the site, spend a few minutes browsing). James P. Steyer, who is the founder of Common Sense Media, has authored Talking Back to FaceBook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age. My copy has yet to arrive, but the reviews make it appear it needs to e on our collective "to read" pile for the summer.

Etcher... really!?!?!?!

I am a fan of Wired magazine, and I was reading their web site recently and I found an article about Etcher, an app that turns your iPad into and Etch-a-Sketch. I thought, "really?"

When I was a child, I remember playing with an Etch-a-Sketch at my grandparent's house. I bought one for my kids, but they didn't play with it when they were kids, they were more interested in the computers we had in the house! Now, I am using their hand-me-down technology!

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/05/etcher-ipad-etch-a-sketch/




Sorry to quit this post so abruptly, but I gotta get the the App  Store... let's see search for E-T-C-H-E-R... find that install button...

Happy Friday!

Student Technology Team Workshops—Summer 2012

Ed Brazee (an educator, author, and consultant on digital learning from Maine) is offering an excellent opportunity for students this summer. He will help your students become technology leaders in you school:

Are you missing out on the best resource your school has—your students?

Two workshops available for middle and high schools interested in starting
their own Student Technology Teams

August 6-7, 2012
Freeport Middle School

August 8-9, 2012
Orono High School

Isn't it time for a student technology team in your school?

Does your school have a student technology team (STT)? Would you like to expand the reach of an existing team?

The purpose of each STT Workshop is to prepare you to start a student technology team where students demonstrate leadership, promote learning with technology for teachers and peers, and model exemplary digital citizenship skills. We will help your school build a sustainable student technology team by providing a comprehensive process for developing such a team, based on the goals your school sets.

Topics will include—benefits of student technology teams, rationale, finding your school's focus, and setting goals; what students will do—work with peers, teachers, and community; provide in-class help, "just-in-time" assistance; recruitment and student technology team training; selecting and certifying students; adult mentors in the program; professional development for students and teachers; making your student technology team sustainable and replicable...and much more.

Details: Cost for each workshop is $250 for a team (maximum of 5 people) or $100 for an individual. Included is the workshop fee, snacks, and materials.

Please note that schools are encouraged to register teams of FIVE people including teachers, students, and parents.

Registration is due June 5, 2012

REGISTER HERE

For more information, contact Ed Brazee at #207.576.8401 oredbrazee@gmail.com or visit www.edbrazee.com

Sponsored by Brazee Digital Learning Services (BDLS) — www.edbrazee.com

BDLS is endorsed by Maine International Center for Digital Learning, a non-profit organization helping educators use digital technologies that enable more individualized and community-connected student learning. FMI, visit www.micdl.org

NELMS Summer Institute

NELMS Summer Institute & Course

Becoming A Common Core Teaching & Learning Middle School

July 18th–20th, 2012

Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel
Portsmouth, N.H.

What can you look forward to?

Inspire Teams to Create Extraordinary Learning Environments with the Common Core Standards

Chris Toy & Jill Spencer

Common Core Literacy in All Content Areas

Elissa Arndt, PhD–Keys to Literacy

RTI–Connection to Common Core

Creating a Culture of Trust in unCommon Core Times

Tom Burton
To read more about Tom please click here.

Last Day: How Will Your School Change to Meet Common Core Standards?

All consultants

Added Bonus:
Tuesday Night, July 17th, 4:30–6:30
Can We Talk?
Common Core Standards & What About Leadership

An informal discussion facilitated by Chris Toy

For more information and/or to register please click here.

Thanks to everyone who made the 2011 conference a great success and a
near sell-out.
We hope to see you this year!

Read what attendees said about the
2011 Summer Institute:

"This is my 3rd seminar and I will keep coming back. She always provides useful techniques."

"First time I've been to a conference (NELMS). Very interesting-well organized-great people running it."

"Great workshop, informative, humor. Lots and lots of great info."

"Excellent conference. Will be looking to bring a team next year."

"I enjoyed the Institute very much. I found each session informative and full of idea and practices I can bring back to my school. The presenters were energetic and well prepared. Thank you!"

2012 Summer Institute

July 18th–20th, 2012

Join us on Facebook

Changing patterns of information use...

The researchers at the Pew Internet & American Life Project continue to provide excellent data documenting the changing nature of Americans' use of technology in their personal and professional lives.  


One May 7, they released a report entitled "Just-in-time Information through Mobile Connections," in which they provide evidence that we use our smartphones to access information and interaction just at the moment we need it. This supports the conclusion that I have seen elsewhere that the need to "know" information is less important than the need to "find" information.


From their web site...

OVERVIEW

The rapid adoption of cell phones and, especially, the spread of internet-connected smartphones are changing people’s communications with others and their relationships with information. Users’ ability to access data immediately through apps and web browsers and through contact with their social networks is creating a new culture of real-time information seekers and problem solvers.

A Camera App that Gets to Know Your Friends

This is a topic that came up in the excellent webinar hosted by Jill Spencer, Chris Toy, and Ed Brazee last night. As much as we do to maintain a positive online presence, the actions of others do contribute to it--and we cannot control that part of it. Other than choosing our friends well!


I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"A Camera App that Gets to Know Your Friends"
Klik uses facial-recognition technology to identify who you're shooting.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40388&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Wow-- AC 2013!

It seems like the 2012 annual conference just ended... and already the NELMS site has information about presenting at the 2013 conference. For those who are looking for a great community where presenters learn as much as they teach during their sessions (at least I am always challenged by the supportive but challenging questions by my audiences), then consider putting together a proposal...

Call for Presenters

Important Annual Conference Information Coming Soon!
Please check back if you would like to present at the 2013 Annual Conference.

Each year NELMS receives hundreds of applications to present at the Annual Conference. Each presenter must complete and submit the Call for Presenters form along with their resume. Information may be edited for space and clarity. Please keep in mind that only presenters who have submitted the Call for Presenters form and have had their proposals reviewed by the Annual Conference Committee will be considered. All presentations must be consistent with the NELMS mission, beliefs, and position statements.

All workshop proposals are read and reviewed by the Annual Conference Committee. Selections will be made after October 12, 2012 and information regarding the status of applications will be made by the end of November. Additional presenters will not be added after October 12, 2012. All applications accepted by the Annual Conference Committee will receive an email at that time.

Generally, presenters serve on a contributing basis. Conference registration for the day of presentation and a special “presenter rate” are the tangible benefits presenters receive.

To see the list of Conference Strands for 2013 please click here. 

2013 Call for Presenters 

Fill this form out online, print a copy for your records, send back to NELMS by hitting the Submit button. You will need Acrobat Reader (free download) to do this.

2013 Call for Presenters 

This is the static version of the Call for Presenters form. This form can be printed and filled out by hand and mailed or faxed back to NELMS.
Please note: The deadline for sending in an application is October 12th.

Startup Sends More than Music through Speakers

Sometimes I get frightened by what I read on TechReview about emerging technologies, but this one somehow does not seem invasive (although the potential is there I suppose). Basically, an app hears (via a smartphone microphone) sounds in the carrier's environment and that triggers events.

In education, I can see a sound at the end of a video signally an app to begin a quiz on the material. I can see college campuses with the system set up to provide extra study resources as a reward for students attending lecture (or at least sending their phones to lecture).

OK, now that I think about it, the potential for abuse is pretty high!


I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"Startup Sends More than Music through Speakers"
Sonic Notify uses sound waves to let your smart phone pull up everything from coupons to music videos.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40383&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Video lesson

So, there is lots of discussion about the "quality" of video versus text, and the experience of being a student and a learner in the digital world. TED ED is doing much to illustrate the fact that good video does a better job presenting complex ideas and perhaps giving context to make textbooks more meaningful.

Here is a perfect example. I maintain that a student who is exposed to a video such as this has a fundamentally different (and more sophisticated and more accurate) understanding of atoms than I did even when I was an undergraduate science major:

IM lingo and Standard English

Earlier this week, I posted briefly about a project in which a researcher investigated college students' abilities to understand ideas presented in Standard English vs. text/IM lingo. The idea deserves a more detailed treatment for this audience:

The project began with the observation by a teacher educator that students were having a difficult time passing the Praxis I test as well as the exams he gave in his courses. As part of a course in critical reading, students reported they found it difficult to follow the longer passages they were required to read on those tests. Also, they found that they frequently read the beginning of the questions, and immediately proceeded to answer the question, but found they had missed details that were presented later in the question.

Intrigued by this, the researcher divided sections of his course into two groups. Each was given the identical test, except one group was given the questions in Standard English and the other was given the test in which the Standard English questions had been translated into IM/txt lingo using a translator (such as this one... http://transl8it.com/).

In this limited study (the data came form only two section of the course at his university), the group that took the test in IM/txt lingo earned statistically higher scores on the test.

This points to several interesting questions...

• Are our students effectively bilingual?
• Can educators facilitate students learning new information by presenting it in IM/txt lingo?
• Are these tests biased? alternatively... Are these tests designed to cull students with deficient skill in Standard English?

To me one of the important lessons we can take form this is that educators must help students understand the settings in which they are communicating and realize that they must have skill in different types of communication for their 21st century lives. Sure, they might value certain types of communication over others (we can identify those they don't value as middle school students label them "stupid"), but a gateway to certain communities is competence with accepted communication standards. I suggest the term "situational communication" to describe this idea.

While many adults may bemoan this as a sign of the cognitive decline of our students and society, educators must recognize this as a characteristic of our students today, and we must develop strategies for adapting our curriculum and instruction so that our students become competent in many communication communities.

A History of educational technology...

Just in case someone has not seen this-- it is making its way around several lists and FaceBook pages...

http://www.coloradotech.edu/Infographics/Tools-For-School

[Via: Colorado Technical University online learning]

Authentic performances

Today, students and teachers have the opportunity to create for real audiences. Curriculum designers include this as one of the components of authentic learning environments. The reasoning is that students who perform for "real" audiences are more involved with their work, take greater care in attending to details, and experience the complexities of "real-world" work.

Here is a group of students from the school where I teach (these are high school students-- most are sophomores!) The students are performing a song that was written by the girl who is singing the lead. I contend (as do curriculum experts) that the fact that their performance is now available in the same way that other performances are gives their work renewed relevance.

Why Publishers Don't Like Apps

Here we can read the story of a publisher's ongoing struggle to support his organization, and keep a valuable source of information and opinion available to the public. In this story there seems to be a theme of "it's not settled yet," as we read that while apps appeared to provide a new venue for monetizing information, users have been slow to pay and distributors (the iTunes store) has taken any potential profit.

I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"Why Publishers Don't Like Apps"
The future of media on mobile devices isn't with applications but with the Web.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40319&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

DCWG | DNS Changer Working Group

The IT sites are starting to remind readers that there is a threat that may arise this summer. It is always hard to know how really dangerous these threats are (some if us think Y2K was just a myth to keep computer consultants busy for a year), but it is probably better to take some steps to prevent this rather than spend time and energy to repair it.

http://www.dcwg.org/


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Txt and Standard English

I just heard a presentation by a teacher educator who reported an interesting study: He gave the same test to two groups- one on Standard English and one on IM lingo.

Guess what? The students who took the IM test scored significantly higher!

- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Webinar

There is still time to register for the free webinar to feature NELMS friends Kill Spencer and Chris Toy. 

http://teamingrocks.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/free-webinar-you-are-what-you-post-create-a-positive-web-presence/

You Are What You Post: Create a

Positive Web Presence

May 9, 3 pm EST

May 9, 7:30 pm EST

May 10, 9:30 pm EST

To register: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CTMay910

- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Libraries in the 21st century

There has been some chatter on the listservs in Vermont this week about the role of libraries in schools. The chatter had a very inauspicious start as a technology coordinator posted a request in search of "innovative libraries" for a librarian to visit... this was inauspicious in that many librarians took offense at his choice of language and its suggestion that innovation and libraries are oxymoronic. It was even more inauspicious as librarians in our state are a very innovative group of professionals.

(For full disclosure-- the technology coordinator was from my school district, the request was made so that the librarian who is my colleague could visit other schools. For several years, I taught in the sequence of courses that many Vermont school librarians complete to become licensed. Further, my teaching colleagues and I have deep respect for our librarian and her community of colleagues in the state. Fellow teachers to whom I showed the words of our technology coordinator were embarrassed by the words of our technology coordinator and the fact that our leaders bypassed our librarian and her network when seeking models to visit.)

Anyways... in response to this original request, Vermont librarians posted to the list with many examples of how school libraries are among the most innovative areas of 21st century schools. Their ideas and examples were so illustrative of their work, that I asked for permission to repost some of their examples here. Here are some examples of very innovative Vermont librarians...

I hope you will also check in with Lauren Parren and Laura Mina from Mt. Abraham Middle/High School. They are 2012 Rowland Fellows, and transformation of their school's library is a major focus of their grant work: http://www.therowlandfoundation.org/current-fellows.shtml

Many libraries in Vermont have developed robust virtual libraries which are available to their students and faculty from any device with internet access.  I refer you to Stowe Middle/High School where students can use a QR code to link to their school library.  Spaulding High School, U32, Montpelier High School, and many Chittenden County schools have wonderful virtual libraries. Additionally many Vermont school librarians do double duty as librarians and technology integrationists.

Vermont librarians also describe the work they do...

It’s unfortunate that as an IT Director your email indicates that you have very little experience working collaboratively with your School Librarian since so much of what we do is very similar--providing timely customer support, providing equipment and tools for 21st century learning, making financial decisions about equipment and materials needed to support teaching and learning, creating an accessible learning environment, and providing professional development opportunities for our teachers.  Of course in addition to these similarities, librarians are also responsible for curriculum, for the largest classroom in our schools, for teaching, providing one-on-one instruction, materials selection, collection management, and administering a fully developed library program. 

Vermont librarians are also a very active professional group, and use technology to create and maintain their connections in our rural setting. Also, they actively participate in technology conferences:

If you are looking for effective models of libraries as learning centers/learning commons, it’s worth investing 7 minutes to watch Joyce Valenza’s “What Librarians make or Why Should I be More than a Librarian?” video (inspired by Taylor Mali’s performance piece “What Teachers Make”).  Joyce clearly articulates what Vermont Teacher Librarians are working toward and advocating for on behalf of our students:  a strong, vibrant bricks-and-mortar as well as virtual learning space that addresses the radical shift in the information and communication landscape that faces our students and staff.  These are the goals that inspired VSLA (Vermont School Librarian Association) to seek a collaboration with VITA-Learn to cosponsor Dynamic Landscapes, now a robust two-day conference.  These are the goals that brought out a significant showing of librarians at ASCD’s recent edcamp.  These are the goals that inspire the work that occurs in libraries across Vermont each day.  Take a look:  http://vimeo.com/17247140.  

Finally... if you give me a school full of teachers and a principal and a technology coordinator (and keep going with a list of any other roles you think are essential to the function of you school) who approach their work in the way this librarian does, then we will transform everything about our schools and education will no longer be an election issue...

Is my library completely transformed from the traditional 19th or 20th century library? Perhaps not entirely, but I continually strive to have this space be a center for collaboration, learning, and inquiry for all school members. With incredible support and respect from our technology staff, we continue to look for and provide the necessary materials and resources for learners of all types and abilities.

Speak Up 2012

Each year, Project Tomorrow gathers data related to students', parents', and communities' perceptions of information technology... the 2011 survey results have been published...

http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/2012_PersonalizedLearning.html

Key Findings from this year’s report include: Students are adopting technologies and then adapting them to support their own self-directed learning. For example, 1 in 10 high school students have Tweeted about an academic topic. 46% of students have used Facebook as a collaboration tool for schoolwork. Parents are supporting their children’s personalized learning journeys. 64% of parents report that they would purchase a mobile device for their child’s academic use at school. There is a gap in offerings between what schools offer and what students want to learn. As a result, students are looking outside of the classroom to meet their personalized learning goals. For example, 12% of high school students have taken an online class on their own, outside of the classroom, to learn about a topic that interested them. In math and science classrooms where students and teachers direct learning supported by technology, students’ interest in a STEM career is 27%, compared with 20% for students in traditional math and science classrooms. Parents’ definition of academic success for their children places a strong emphasis on learning the right skills to be successful (73%)- more than any other metric for success, including monetary success or getting into a good college.

 

Turning Students into Good Digital Citizens

I have spent some time this morning with the resources available on THE Journal's site related to digital citizenship in the 21st century. One of the articles features a video by well-known "digital anthologist" Michael Wesch... his words sound like what we read in Marshal McLuhan's works, but the ideas are updated for the world in which we (and our students) live.

Turning Students into Good Digital Citizens

Common Core Standards testing and technology

It appears the two groups that are developing tests for the Common Core are preparing for the future... they have released standards for technology-- basically these are guidelines for the technology that will be compatible with the tests they develop.

THE Journal reported the specifications in this article:
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/04/25/SBAC-PARCC-Issue-Guidance-on-Minimum-Hardware-Specs-for-Education.aspx

Questions for Mobile Computing

TechReview published this interesting article about the future of computing. Reading this makes me wonder about the wisdom (or even foresight or vision of education leaders who are not causing their teachers and technology leaders to take a close look at emerging trends and the changes in hardware and software and policy and procedure that will prepare students and their organizations for the future.


I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:

"Questions for Mobile Computing"
Mobile devices outsold PCs last year for the first time, and top smart-phone apps need little more than a year to win the kind of audience it used to take technologies decades to reach. What are the limits of mobile computing?

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=40318&a=f

To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Ubuntu 12.4

I am a big fan of Ubuntu-- a distribution of Linux that is designed for "normal" computer users. I have deployed this on machines that are a decade old and have thus provided students with adequate levels of technology. Let's define adequate technology as the ability to connect to the Internet and use Google Docs and access Wikipedia, YouTube, and similar resources.

Ubuntu is updated twice per year... version 12.4 just released (the two digits in the tens and ones places tell the year of the release and the digit in the tenths place the month)... version 12.10 will be released in October.

Especially if you are looking for a low-cost way to extend the life of some machines in your school, have your tech people look at Ubuntu.

http://www.ubuntu.com/