Because Teachers Are Funny People

by Nicole Ouellette

From my favorite news source, The Onion:

UNIONTOWN, PA—Most educators view multiple-choice exams as an opportunity to couch the correct answer amidst three or four other plausible alternatives. Not so for Uniontown High School teacher Tom Campbell. Campbell, 47, who has taught freshman history at the school for the past 11 years, uses the popular test format not only to instruct but also to delight his students with his quirky sense of humor.

"What was the Great Awakening?" a question from one of Campbell's most recent tests reads. "(a) Coffee and a bagel, (b) The name given to FDR's evening radio addresses, (c) 'C'mon, Mom! Let me sleep five more minutes!' or (d) A dramatic religious revival in Anglo-American history."

"The answer is D," said Campbell, holding back a wry smile. "Giving them the option of 'Coffee and a bagel.' Get it?"

Read the entire "article" here...

In Praise of Play

Where Do the Children Play?

Old-Fashioned Play Building Serious Skills, Alix Spiegel, NPR, 2/21/08

Taking Play Seriously, New York Times, 2/17/2008

Alliance for Childhood

Tech Tonic: Towards a New Literacy of Technology


Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood

The Playground and the Conflict Resolution

Children - Play and Learning

"It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them."

~ Leo F. Buscaglia

Digital Photography Notes from Missouri

Written by Martha Thibodeau

Hi Ya'll from St. Louis!

Becky, Anne and I are at the eMINTS Winter Conference. Here's some notes from a workshop I went to called "Digital Photography in the Classroom

Rod Kissinger, a retired middle school social studies teacher, talked to us about taking better digital pictures. The handouts for the session are part of a webquest written for 4th grade students, but can be altered for higher levels.

Depth of field is one way to blur the background, if you can not find the background that you want. The bigger the fstop, the higher the depth of field. “Higher is Deeper” The sport setting has a faster shutter speed, so it has a narrower depth of field and will blur the background.


Use a flash outdoors, and know the range of your flash. Cloudy days are often the best days for pictures because it doesn't wash out the colors. Red eye reduction can be a setting on your camera or if you have the group look at a light and then look back to you just before you take the picture. For painting out the red eye, choose a brush with a feathered image so that it will blend in, and then use the smudge tool to smudge what you just painted in with the brush.

Move in close since studies show that people look at the eyes of a subject first. Use the optical zoom, since the digital zoom is a software based zoom. Sneaker zoom, walking closer to the subject, is another option. :)

Move the image from the middle of your frame. The rule of thirds describes where items in the photography should be placed. When taking a picture of a moving image, give the object someplace to move into. When you take a moving image, follow the subject with your camera and continue to move the camera after you finish...otherwise you will stop and the object will blur. Remember that you can hold the shutter down half way to lock the focus, then you can move the camera organize the shot and then take the picture. In the case of the runner, lock the focus on the ground where the runner is going to be when you take the picture...remember to keep the camera moving on the runner as he/she goes by, and click the shutter the rest of the way when he/she reaches the point that you locked the focus on.

Set up glasses every two feet and take a picture with your flash on. You will be able to see the reflection of the flash out to the range of your flash.

Mornings and evenings are best times to take pictures outside. The light is gentle.

Take vertical pictures. Some cameras will automatically flip them for you.

Be a good picture director, don't be afraid to put kids in poses. Make the photograph interesting. Lay on the floor and have the kids huddle over you or have them lay on the floor and take a picture down on them.

Get a tripod. A move of 1/16th of an inch at the camera turns into a much larger move where the subject is located. Brand name of gorilla...tripod that you can bend the legs.


Online purchasing of digital equipment:

onecall.com

bandkphoto.com Observe the sabbath so no purchasing during that time

Online purchasing of pictures:

personalizationmall.com

shutterfly.com

mpix.com

TelstarToo Session: Learning Models & Graphics

TelstarToo Group will be meeting today at the Crescent Park School in Bethel to investigate learning models and to work with graphics.

Agenda:

Sign-in, Connectivity

Visual Thesaurus
Gliffy
Online Whiteboard



Activity: Save Fred

Culture Wars: Ideology and Education

eMINTS Constructivism Resources
Constructivism Resources
Instructivism Resources
Inquiry Resources
Six Principles of Constructivism
Constructivism in the Technology Classroom
Instructivism vs. Constructivism at Learning in Maine
Constructivism, Instructivism, and Related Sites

Technology Standards

ISTE NETS
Grappling's Technology & Learning Spectrum
Maine's Roadmap

Graphics

Clipart Links at LIM Resources Wiki
Photo Resources at Resources for Maine Teachers
Vector vs. Bitmap
Vector vs. Bitmap - An Introductory Guide
Appleworks Drawing vs. Painting
Inkscape vs. Gimp (Open-source Applications), Seashore
Photoshop vs Illustrator
OS X Pages
Tux Paint

Closing

Being Part of the Solution

"Ultimately, your leadership in a culture of change will be judged effective or ineffective not by who you are as a leader but by what leadership you produce in others.

~Michael Fullan, Leadership in a Culture of Change

Catalyst: Episode 9 Podcast on Change at Wicked Decent Learning Blog

Related Links:

21st Century Collaborative
PLCs
Capacity Building and Michael Fullan

Finding Latest Information on the Maine Outdoors

Need to find timely information about what is going on in Maine in hunting, fishing and more? Tom Remington of Bethel has over the years developed a rich network of sites relating to this Maine perspective. It is an excellent example of what new technologies allow even small-town people in Maine to create in terms of outstanding online communities and resources. A good starting point for Tom's work is Maine Outdoors Today. Note the wonderful outdoor photography and down-to-earth articles by Greenwood's Milt Inman.

Adult Ed Project Learning at Sanford

I spent Wednesday afternoon with Margie Genereux and her advanced applications adult education class. Students had already developed skills in Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher, Paint, and a number of other applications. In this advanced class, they were collaboratively working on developing the groundwork for a Sports Bar/Recreation Facility, making use of the tools they had learned, sharing and helping one another in pushing those skills to a higher level using the project as a focus. The motivation, energy and enthusiasm that comes through working in real-world projects was obvious. Love it!

We will be publishing their work here when it is completed. It involves floor plans, brochures, award certificates, emergency information, buying spreadsheets, job applications, menus, schedules, daycare information, a website, etc.

Margie explained that the adult ed teachers at SCAE (Sanford Community Adult Education) were involved in a PLC that is focusing on a more constructivist approach in working with adult learners. She introduced me to Best Practice: Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools by Zemelman, Daniels and Hyde. The book is now on my must-buy list. It is about education in general, not just applying to adult education needs. I highly recommend it for groups involved in this kind of work.

Margie expertly introduced new possibilies to the class as the need occurred. Optional tools for those who could not afford Office: StarOffice, OpenOffice, Google Apps.

I loved one of Margie's quotes regarding using instructivism alone: "It's like following someone to a wedding . . . you'll never be able to get there again!"

Related links:

Constructivism
Instructivism
Constructivism vs Instructivism
Project-based Learning
Inquiry Learning
Essential Questions
Jim Moulton's Wiki on Project-based Learning
Educational Games Research: Constructivism vs Instructivism

Keeping Up with the News

At Humanities in Maine there is a post on using news resources on the web called "Keeping Up with the News."

Related Resources

Growing Up Online

This way to FRONTLINE episodes ---->

Telstar Wiki Session

Today we will:

• Review Smartboards and sharing tools & uses.

• Focus on adding a favorite topic/theme/lesson/link to the LIM Resources Wiki (come with a topic in mind . . . perhaps something that you've used over the years). Create our own wiki sites.

• Continue ongoing work on individual projects of interest.

Related Resources:

Wikipedia
Curriki
More Info about wikis
Jim Moulton's wiki at Wikispaces on project-based learning.
Gulf of Maine Activities at Wikispaces
NNELL (National Network for Early Language Learning) at Wikispaces
Blue Algebra Wikispace (Lewiston)

Smartboard 2-Minute Tutorials
Smartboard Information
More on Smartboards

Essential Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy
Universal Design

Arts, Innovation & Creativity

Defining Graduation in Maine

Don't Need No Stinking Credits Podcast at Wicked Decent Learning.

Apathy

"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."

~W.B. Yeats

Apathy in schools is often an unspoken subject during discussions of curriculum or analysis of AYP, but let's admit that it's very real. How do we go about engaging students whose favorite phrase is "This is dumb!"?

Jeff Bailey addresses the issue on Maine Ideas in Education:

"Learning: A Risky Business"

Jim Moulton addresses the issue in Spiral Notebook at Edutopia:

Part One: "Should Teachers Care about Student apathy?"
Part Two: "Motivate Students with Class Action."
Part Three: "Take It To the Streets."

Related Links:

An Interview with Maurice Elias of CASEL on Emotional Intelligence.

CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)

"Student Apathy, Lack of Self-Responsibility and False Self-esteem Are Failing American Schools" by Yong G. Hwang.

"Student Apathy = Teacher Apathy"
How to Engage Students in Learning


Essential Question: How do we connect with students emotionally to get them fired up about learning?

MVYDC Laptop Lunch Group

Wikispaces is an easy and convenient place to set up a digital learning space to complement face-to-face staff development. It's free and straightforward . . . . without layers of bureaucracy to work through when dealing with limited time and energy.


Check out the WVYDC Laptop Lunch Group right here in the State of Maine as an excellent example.

Who could ask for anything more?



More Info about wikis
Jim Moulton's wiki at Wikispaces on project-based learning.
Gulf of Maine Activities at Wikispaces
NNELL (National Network for Early Language Learning) at Wikispaces
Blue Algebra Wikispace (Lewiston)

You are invited to join and contribute to the LIM Resources Wiki.

Arts, Innovation and Creativity

April 6 - 7, 2008 at Samoset

The price is certainly right . . . the location ideal . . . and the offerings unique and diverse. The MLTI Arts, Innovation and Creativity Spring Institute looks to be outstanding. It will be a great opportunity to share, learn and network with others throughout the state . . . with a focus on the arts.

Tim Sample will be the featured speaker at Monday's lunch. Here's a classic Sample piece on technology . . . done 23 years ago . . . before much had happened in the digital world.



Hope to see you there!

Registration Information

On Making Mistakes

Persistence is a simple process:

1. What's the next step?
2. What's in the way of taking that step?
3. Remove, disregard, or ignore the obstacle.
4. Take the step
5. Go to #1

~ source unknown

At The Learning Curve, Kern Kelley speaks of working/playing with his young son on putting puzzles together. The question is: When do we assist versus allowing others to learn from their mistakes? Where do we strike the balance?

A related question might be: How do we grow life-long learners who are able to persevere in solving problems and feel empowered by this ability?

Related Post

Perseverance Resources at LIM Resources Wiki

Blogging

Blogs in Plain English

How to Grow a Blog

Blogs in Education at LIM Resources Wiki

How To Blog with Blogger

Support Blogging Wiki

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Bob Sprankle, technology integrator at Wells, reported on Bit by Bit a story of students in one of his schools who are collecting a million pennies in order to do some good work.

Want to donate?

Penny Activity Resources at LIM Resources Wiki

Online Learning at WDL

This week's focus at Wicked Decent Learning is Online Learning.

How has online learning worked out for you? What suggestions do you have?

Related Maine Podcast: Bit by Bit Show #30 with Kern Kelley, Alice Barr, Cheryl Oakes and Bob Sprankle.

Related Resources: Online Classroom Environments

Universal Design in Maine

Highly Recommended:

Cynthia Curry offers UD in ME. She is known statewide as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable evangelist for ways of expediting learning for all students. Check out Universal Design in Maine as your connection to the Universal Design scene in our state.

Related Resources

PD Opportunity for Maine Educators

Web 2.0 - Tools and Strategies for Learning and Teaching with the Read/ Write Web: An online professional development opportunity for Maine educators . . .

Info at MaineLearns