Student Privacy

"School Used Student Laptop Webcams to Spy on Them at School and Home"

Essential Question: What is an appropriate use of monitoring for schools?

Discussion Starter:



Five Things Teachers Should Know about Student Privacy

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

EPIC: Student Privacy

Are We Being Enslaved by Our Machines?

"The human dilemma is as it has always been, and it is a delusion to believe that the technological changes of our era have rendered irrelevant the wisdom of the ages and the sages." ~Neil Postman

From Jason Ohler's site:

Twenty Five Questions to Ask About Technology

See Technology's Effects

"In the past, we experienced technological change in the manner of sleep-walkers. Our unspoken slogan has been "technology über alles," and we have been willing to shape our lives to fit the requirements of technology, not the requirements of culture. This is a form of stupidity, especially in an age of vast technological change. We need to proceed with our eyes wide open so that we may use technology rather than be used by it." ~ Neil Postman

What Motivates Us?

Webinar: Dan Pink Discussing His New Book Drive
Date: Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 1am GMT (next day) (international times here)
Duration: 1 hour



Amazon: Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us





The Motivation Tool Chest

Online Schooling

Five Habits for Effective Online Classes

Tips for Effective Online Teaching

Issac Asimov: "The Fun They Had" . . .

"Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another on the homework and talk about it.

And the teachers were people...

The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen: "When we add the fractions 1/2 and 1/4..."

Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had."

Wind Power

Essential Question: Is wind power a safe, viable option for helping to meet some of Maine's energy needs?




PBS: Wind Power Lesson

Wind Power Gathers Speed

How to Make a Wind Vane

Offshore Windfarms in the United States?

Wind Power WebQuest

A Wind Farm in Your Neighborhood?

Wind Projects in Maine

Wikipedia: Wind Power in Maine

Union of Concerned Scientists: How Wind Energy Works

Union of Concerned Scientists: Clean Energy

U.S. Department of Energy: Wind Energy Basics

Wind Power at LIM Resources (Add, delete, modify as needed)

Learning in the Valley

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity of spending two days in the St. John Valley of Maine. The specific purpose was the St. John Valley Technology Training where I worked with fellow regional mentors and participants from around the region on looking at ways of making technology work for us in classrooms.

I loved it there. Very down-to-earth and caring people everywhere. I learned that in Fort Kent, Les Miserable had just been produced and performed by a collaboration of the University and local high school. I learned about Ployes and had an opportunity to savor this delicacy at a local restaurant. I also visited Ed Latham's solar home on the outskirts of Frenchville to gain a better understanding of the challenges of making choices which leave a small footprint on the earth's limited resources and eco-system.

We met at Wisdom Middle/High School in St. Agatha for the workshops. Students were spending the day in Fort Kent for a school-wide wellness day. Watching students enthusiastically head out and then return later in the day warmed the heart. Teachers from around the region gathered to investigate the possibilities that computer technology offers in helping in meeting classroom goals. Again, there was an ever-present atmosphere of openness and enthusiasm. Loved it.

Childhood & Play

"He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though--and loathed him." ~The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Are there valid reasons for having more unstructured time during childhood?

In Defense of Childhood


Play: Essentials for All Children

Where Do the Children Play?

Storytelling in the Classroom

Sue Black Storyteller Blog

Teacher Storytelling Resources from Sue Black

Breaking the Eggs: Performance Storytelling in the 21st Century

42explore: Storytelling

eTHEMES: Storytellings

Ira Glass on Storytelling

Storytelling at LIM Resources - feel free to edit