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Ten Things Schools and Teachers Can Do Free With Cel.ly

You are probably familiar with Remind 101 and Class Parrot, but perhaps you haven't yet tried Cel.ly because you thought you already had your texting needs covered or maybe initially it looked too complicated; however, Cel.ly is in a whole other league from those other popular tools and is well worth the effort. A tool with enterprise level power that is completely free is too good to pass up.

A reminder to teachers: Don't take the risk of texting your students directly. It's just not worth it when there's another way to have the same result with none of the risk. Don't put yourself in a position of having a "he said/she said" that could end up in court. ALSO: Group texting is a pain in most apps. Cel.ly solves all of the above.


Here are ten things your school (or district or classroom) can do better and cheaper with Cel.ly.


1. Set up a cell for your entire district for mass notifications, for example, "No school tomorrow due to Hurricane. Check local radio stations for updates."

2. Set up cells for each of your campuses, "Hispanic Heritage Night Tonight 6 p.m. Hope to see you there!"

3. Create QR codes for each cell so that parents can easily sign up. You can use any number of QR code creators (like Zebra Crossing) to make an SMS message. All users have to do is scan the code, and a message is automatically created to the correct number with the correct text information. Here's a sample you can scan to see how it works, or you can go to this URL. (The video below shows how to create this code.)

4. Use your school's cell to collect votes for student council, homecoming queen, and anything else for which you need to gather opinions.



5. Create a cell for each class you teach so that you can do knowledge checks in class or send homework advice. 

6. Ask school sponsors and coaches to use Cel.ly for away games and field trips to notify parents exactly when to pick their students up.  No more waiting around until an hour after the group returns.

7. Send reminders to your students, "Don't forget to study for the quiz tomorrow."

8. Use Cel.ly to create a "Twitter Wall" where Twitter is blocked.

9. Create tip lines for bullying, crime, etc.

10. Schedule messages up to 90 days in advance so you never forget to remind students, teachers, parents, or the public about important events.

Here's how to create a cell and a QR code to direct people to it . . . 
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15 Things to Know About Your New Chromebook

I think every Chromebook should come with this page. Print it out and put it in the box this Christmas! And if you see something we left out, please comment on this post and let us know.

15 Things to Know about Your New Chromebook

1. There are a few things you can do with your Chromebook offline, but you will like your Chromebook best when it is on a wireless network.

2. You can log in with any Gmail address and password, including your work account if your company or school uses Google.

3. Any apps or themes you install in your Chrome browser on your computer will appear on your Chromebook automatically.

4. You do not have to just use Apps from the App Store; almost any website will work on a Chromebook. For example, Animoto.com, Prezi.com, etc.

5. Go through the tutorial to learn about right clicking and scrolling by using two fingers, pushing down instead of just tapping, and using ALT+Search to turn caps lock on and off.

6. Microsoft Office (and other traditional software) lives on your desktop computer; on a Chromebook, we use Google Docs.

7. You can save pictures or other files right to your cloud-based Google Drive, a USB drive, or the small hard drive on the Chromebook itself, but the Google Drive is best.

8. Startup and shutdown take only a few seconds.

9. Closing the lid puts your Chromebook to sleep but does not turn it off. Hold down the power key until the screen goes completely black or click the shutdown button in the bottom right hand corner to completely turn off your Chromebook.

10. The battery will last about 8 hours.

11. Multiple users can use the Chromebook simply by logging off and back on; no data will be lost.

12. Apps are listed at the bottom and can be accessed by clicking the grid icon.

13. You can use any USB mouse with your Chromebook.

14. Using Google Hangouts and the built-in camera on the Chromebook, you can video chat for free with up to 14 people (or 9 people if you use your personal Gmail account).

15. Install Webcam Toy to take cool pictures with the built in camera http://goo.gl/DNXO4.









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Engagement Defined

I'm impressed with what I've read so far of Engaging Students: The Next Level of Working on the Work by Phillip C. Schlechty. Below is a portion that especially stood out. I wish I could Tweet the highlights from my Kindle Cloud Reader, though if I shared everything I like, I would undoubtedly severely violate copyright restrictions.

If you are interested in student engagement, check out this book.

The warning that follows this passage is to all educators: Take care not to confuse "on-task behaviors" with student engagement. You can tell the difference by asking yourself, if the reward or punishments were removed, would the good behavior continue? If students would still work on the project even if it weren't graded, they are engaged. If not, they may just be "on-task."

Learn more about Schlechty's work on Google Books here.
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What do Students Do When the Teacher's Away?

Yesterday I had Instructional Rounds scheduled with a group of teachers involved in a special project. One of the 7th grade teachers I was scheduled to visit had a family emergency and wasn't able to be at school. I decided to go ahead and see what was going on since I already had the time set aside, and I have to tell you . . .

It was amazing.

The students are engaged in Project Based Learning and were finishing up their "Dream Big" project where they design their dream bedrooms in collaborative teams using Chromebooks. They must know furniture and building costs, calculate dimensions, and keep up with lots of spreadsheets and calculations, as well as use tools like MyDeco.com and Autodesk Homestyler to create their rooms in 2 and 3D.

Everywhere students were discussing projects and solving problems.

It was TRULY a WOW! moment.

Way to go Mrs. Brenda Schultz and class. We couldn't stop talking about you!



Photograph Used with Permission from Andy Carlos Photography, Houston, TX. If you like it, please use the link to visit and like Andy's Facebook page where there are beautiful photos with unique perspectives and lighting like the one you see above, and this one, my other favorite.
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You are WINNING

I heard a story recently about an Instructional Technology Specialist who observed a great lesson in a teacher's room. The ITS said to the teacher, "Wow! That was wonderful! I'm so impressed!" and the teacher replied, "I know, but don't tell anyone or they'll all want to steal my lesson, then everyone will be doing it." The ITS person walked away in disbelief. In our field, "everyone is doing it" when "it" is a great lesson is our #1 goal. How could anyone have so completely missed the point? Sharing, being copied, or whatever you want to call it is WINNING in education! Be a winner today; share something.



(Be sure to display image via email to see the graphic above, which is adorable and totally worth the one click.)
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If You're Not Prepared to Be Wrong . . .

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original"
-Sir Ken Robinson, TED Talk: Schools Kill Creativity
From the best TED Talk ever, Schools Kill Creativity

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I Quit (Guest post by Beth Still)


Beth Still

@BethStill

Social studies teacher & online course designer. Moodler. Founder of the ISTE Newbie project. Difference maker. Super power: cat herder.#digicon12 organizer.

I’ve had enough. I used to love my job, but  I just can’t do it anymore. Forty percent of my students are failing because they can’t/don’t/won’t do their work. 

Something is wrong. REALLY wrong.
Before you think I have totally lost my mind please let me explain.
For the last eight years I have worked at a school where we have a tremendous amount of access to technology. Like most teachers, I started out by having my students locate information on the Internet. From there I began to have them create projects such as short movies. The next step was blogging and using different tools to reach out beyond the walls of our classroom to connect with others. I vary the types of things we do in class, but it just isn’t enough. I don’t feel like they are learning skills that will help them be successful in life. As much as I would like to think that my classroom is student-centered, it is still very much teacher-centered. So I’m going to stop what I have been doing and try something different. 
Starting in January my students are going to control of their learning.
I teach Social Studies in an alternative school where most of my students are juniors and seniors. I have approximately 40 student that are in my class for two hours twice a week and for one hour every other Friday for one hour. The average length of a quarter is nine weeks which means that my students spend about 40 hours in my classroom. Due to the nature of our program we do not give homework so every assignment must be completed in class. When we come back from break in January each of my students will complete an individualized learning plan. This plan will include four topics that students select based on the focus of the class. (As I am typing this I am already questioning why I would limit my students to a particular focus so this might change. The classes that their home schools require them to take might determine their topics. At my school I teach “Social Studies” and I have the freedom to teach a variety of topics.) I will have a list of topics that are based on based on the Nebraska Social Studies standards for students to choose from. During the first couple days of class students will select their topics and come up with questions about that topic to help them guide their research. With hundreds of topics from which to select, I hope my students will become more engaged in the learning process. One of my goals is to teach them how to do smarter and more efficient research.  This is something that all too often we assume students know how to do. Most of my students do not have the skills to find information and evaluate it. This will be a focus in my new classroom.
Each student will also determine what their final product of their research will be. It could be a video, slideshow, infographic, Wikipedia entry or any number of other things.  I will work with students to create a rubric.
All of my students need to practice their written and verbal communication skills. For each of their topics they will have to connect with an expert in that particular field. This might be someone at a museum or a professor at a university.  It could be an author or someone that I am able to connect them with through Twitter. Ideas for where to find these experts will be part of their learning plan.
(Click for super large printable image)
Earlier this week I took the time to ask my students something that I have been meaning to for some time now. I simply asked, “If you could learn about anything today what would you choose to study?” I compiled a list of their responses.  I was surprised at the incredible range of responses and that so many of them are interested in topics that are typically taught in school. I am going to allow my students to devote 20% of their class time  to studying a topic of their choosing. There will be some parameters and guidelines, but I want to help my students rediscover a passion for learning.
Maybe this is the worst idea ever and it will be a complete disaster, but maybe it will be the best thing I have ever done for both myself and my students. I cannot continue to force my students through the motions of doing assignments that they don’t care about. They need to take ownership in their learning. They need to truly care about what they are learning. I don’t know what else to do except grant them permission to take charge of their learning.
I want to send a huge thank you to Noa Gutow-Ellis for providing me with the inspiration to finally do what I know is right for my students.

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What do Kids do with Chromebooks in the Classroom?

Here's a little video about a few of the thousands of things kids can do on a Chromebook in the classroom . . .
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Best Wireless Headphones EVER for under $60

I love these headphones so much that it would be wrong of me not to tell you about them. I'm not recommending them for work so much as for pleasure, though I love them in all settings. They connect to my phone via Bluetooth--no wires-- and work flawlessly with my iPhone 4s and Galaxy Note 2 (though I must admit I've never been able to get them to hold a connection to my MacBook Pro, that doesn't matter much for me) . I use them to hear something besides what's going on in my house all the time and they allow me to remain calm and composed when something loud and annoying is happening that would normally stress me out. I also wear them in the bathtub, though I'm sure this isn't safe, so don't try this at home. I'm an expert :-). And I wear them in the store so I don't have to talk to anyone unless I feel like it (think #introvertgift). After a few hours my ears start to hurt, but so far, I have never found a pair of headphones that stay on where this is not the case, and these are more comfortable than most.

I am a sound freak. I carry these speakers with me almost everywhere I do presentations because no one else's are ever good enough, and to me, these headphones sound just as great as the speakers. If you normally spend $500 on headphones, I can see how you would probably have higher expectations. I, however, do not, and for around $60, I am not sure unless I did a side-by-side I could tell the difference anyway. If you strongly disagree with me and would like to send me a truly great pair of headphones, please go right ahead!


I don't normally endorse products, and at this time, I do not make one dime off this blog, and I am sure Creative doesn't need my help, so don't feel compelled to buy these things unless you are just looking for a great set of bluetooth headphones.

I love them so much I'm thinking about buying another set so I never have to wait for these to charge, and also, what if they stop making them?!? Hmmmm. Anyone have the next step up with the micrpohone? If so, let me know how you like them.

Oh, one final thing, they use a mini-usb charger which is the same as my Galaxy Note 2 and old trusty Kindle. Handy!
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Simple Sticker Staff Development Project

Create a staff development project using stickers and clouds and motivate your staff to attend after school trainings. Enjoy!


Materials: http://goo.gl/ZbecY

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Fry Up Easy Graphic Organizers and Infographics with Lucidchart: Guest Post by Lucidchart's Eliza Wright

Guest Blogger: Eliza Wright, reach Eliza @lucidchart on Twitter

Wish you had access to a free online tool that allowed you to quickly fry up graphic organizers for the whole class?  

Give Lucidchart a try.  As a popular diagramming web application, Lucidchart offers a modern solution to the age-old challenge of visual learning.  Teachers can manage a team account that allows them to collaborate with their students' work in real-time classroom setting.  We realize that graphic organizers are a time-honored tool for visual engagement, so we added graphic organizer templates to our educational templates section.  Now you can make great-looking graphic organizers in a snap.

When you use Lucidchart to create graphic organizers--or any other type of diagram--you get fresh content, a plethora of publishing options, and customization out the wazoo.

Plus, we’re completely free for educators and students. If we’ve piqued your curiosity, keep reading.

How to sign up for a free educational account:

Sign up here for a professional trial account, preferably using an educational email address.  Once you do that, click here to apply for your free educational account.  Then we’ll approve you and you can start diagramming upon login.

One caveat: You will only have access to our educational templates once you’ve signed up for a trial account and your educational upgrade has been approved.   

How to fry up your first graphic organizer:

1) Sign into your educational account
2) On the right side, under “My Documents”, click “Create”, then click “New Document”
3) From there, you have the option of starting from scratch or from a pre-existing template
4) To start from scratch, click the “Blank Flowcharts” button
5) To start from a template, click any of the categories on the right side. The educational category is titled “Educational”
5) Click on that category and select your preferred template to start diagramming.

In any document, you can tweak shapes, text, line direction, and even the size of your canvas.  Another fun feature for students is our design functionality. Drastically alter the look of your diagram by playing with colors, borders, gradient, drop shadows, fonts, and more.

Give us a shout out!

Remember, all of these features are offered at no cost. We believe that supporting education is the right thing to do. We do want to spread the word about this great resource, so if you use Lucidchart and love it,  mention or review us (on a school district site, classroom blog, resource list, etc.) and link to our website.  If you need support or more information related to your Lucidchart review, please email Brad at bhanks@lucidchart.com and we’ll be happy to help.  


(Note from @friEdTechnology: As you know, I never ever ever publish anything from vendors, but I just really like Lucidchart and appreciate they are giving educators and students this AMAZING tool for free. If you are a vendor offering a completely FREE, fully functional education account and you want to publish on www.friedtechnology.com, check out the "Guest Post" guidelines linked at the top of this blog.)

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Chromebook Keepers: Fried Ways to Keep, Store, and Manage Chromebooks, Idea 1

In our district, we wanted to spend as much money as we could on Chromebooks, and though we thought the Chromebook cart was mighty spiffy, it was also mighty expensive, so teachers have found all sorts of creative off-label ways to store Chromebooks. I hope to publish several more photos and ideas, so stay tuned! If you have a great storage solution, please let me know in the comments or contact me using the contact form on this blog. I'd love to feature your creative solution.

I'm not sure whose great idea this was, maybe Mrs. Brenda Schultz herself! If it was yours please let me know and I'll be glad to edit this entry to give you all the credit this great idea deserves!

Here are some organizers similar to the one pictured above. 

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Fried Questions: The Question Slip

Part of transitioning to being the "guide on the side" is helping students become more reliant on each other and themselves than on you (the teacher). The Question Slip is a great option to wean students off your nurturing care and help them become more self and team reliant. Here's how it works, after ALLLL the directions are given, and you have asked many times if there are any more questions, and every hand has gone down, you hand out THE QUESTION SLIP, perhaps two per team. When I first tried this technique, I made a ton of copies and meticulously cut them all apart expecting to use many pages of slips per day. I handed them out, with a bit of trepidation but a lot of hope. Throughout the day, I waited to receive a returned question slip . . . but it almost never happened. In fact, I don't think I ever made another set of copies in my teaching career. However, I heard lots of great conversations, like this one (fictionalized with truthiness):

Albert: "Hey, I need you guys to sign this. I've got to as Mrs. Mayer a question!"
Marie: "Seriously? WHAT do you need to ask?"
Albert: "I need to know how long this needs to be. I mean like do we have to do three pages for four or ten or, like, what?"
Marie: "Dude! She told us that like FOUR times! It's as long as we need it to be! The grade comes from the rubric, not from how long it is! SIT DOWN. We ain't signing that slip!"

Of course Marie says these things with all the love and care of a classmate, but the best part of it is that Marie says it and not Mrs. Mayer. The only potential downside to Question Slips is the possible perception on the part of parents that you do not want to help their students. Reassure them that this is NOT the case. Students have time EACH DAY in whole group to ask any questions about ANY thing; however, question slips do help students become more self-reliant and are part of learning to work independently.

Please, even if you don't think this will work, trust me and give it a try. It changed my life as a teacher and after a time or two, I didn't need the slips because kids got it. Thinking for themselves was ok---even desirable, and this little slip of paper was all they needed to help them realize that they had what they needed ALL the time.

© Amy Mayer, @friEdTechnology, The Original WOW! Academy www.friEdTechnology.com Please copy and use freely!

Get the Question Slip file in Google Doc form here.


Interested in attending The ORIGINAL WOW! Academy and becoming a WOW! Master Teacher? Email me and let me know using the contact form in the top right and I'll put you on my mailing list.


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What's the Difference Between Doing Projects and Project Based Learning?



Do you have ideas that should be added to this list or do you notice something that needs to be changed? Please let me know in the comments and you will see the document form of this list change accordingly.

Here's the Google Doc version of this file.


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Analog Twitter Project Templates (Printables)

The term "Analog" means pre-digital. For example, the wristwatch that has dials and gears is an analog watch. Analog Twitter is non-digital Twitter. This kind of activity is usually used with students too young to participate in the "real thing," without adequate access to technology, or by students learning how to Tweet.
To do the Analog Twitter Project, print out the Mr. Stickman's example Tweet here (seen above) and use it to teach your students about the Tweet, then print out the templates for Tweets here and have students get busy composing some Tweets.  Create a space in your room (or even better, outside your classroom in the hallway) for the Analog Twitter Feed wall. You can use this sign to advertise the space. Hang your student's Tweets on the Analog Twitter Feed Wall. After many Tweets have been posted, give students a few Favorite and Retweet Stickers to use, then have them go into the hall and read through the Tweets. After they've read everyone's work, Tweeters should use their stickers to show their approval of their favorite Tweets. The most favorited and Retweeted Tweets should be moved to the Trending section.
This activity can be used to teach digital citizenship, writing, and even technology skills. Wouldn't students be ready for the real thing after a few Twitter sessions with this analog tool?  What else can it teach? I know there's more! Please comment on this post and let me know.

All of the templates for this activity can be found in this Google Drive folder.

I didn't invent the Analog Twitter Project, I just made some templates for you to use in your classroom. I hope you enjoy them and send me pictures if you decide to use the templates!

Some Twitter "Rules" To Teach: What should be added? Please comment below and let me know!
Update: Right after I posted, I heard from my Twitter friend, Dan McDowell, @danmcdowell, who teaches high school and has done some HILARIOUS and educational Twitter projects with his history students. You really have got to check them out!


Historical Tweets Presentation

Historic Tweets about Europe in the 1400-1600s Doc
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friEdTechnology Got an Android: Switching from an iPhone 4s to a Galaxy Note 2

I've been a die hard iPhone fan for years, but for my 41st birthday tomorrow I decided to get a Galaxy Note 2. The iPhone withdrawal pangs have almost stopped now, so it is with barely shaking hands that I write . . .

I like the Galaxy Note 2.

I'm impressed.

Here are the features that won me over. I don't even understand why I like some of them, but sometimes these things are more about how one feels than what one thinks.

1. I like the way the water ripples on the home screen when I unlock the phone. You can sort of feel it. It's cool. I can show it to people who have iPhones and they feel sort of jealous.

2. I like the way you see the icons at the bottom on the unlock screen and can open the application you want as you unlock the phone. For example, let's say I want to unlock my phone because I have a text message. The text message icon on the bottom of my phone has a little 1 on its edge. I can touch, hold, and drag up on that icon and instead of being taken to the home screen of my phone, I am taken directly to the new text. Nice.

3. I like the stylus. I know Steve Jobs hated the stylus, but I am not Steve Jobs and have never even dressed as him for Halloween (though I'm not ruling it out.--it would probably be better than the redneck costume I donned in 2010.)
But anyway, I like the ability to draw, and the touch sensitivity is amazing. My signature and handwriting looks like artwork, and that's not a compliment to my skills. It's just slick. I keep reading the smoothness of the device is "like butter," which I promptly translate into "like buttah" in my head.
4. I am amazed by the shape recognition. When you click on that little shape recognition icon then draw a shape, the Galaxy Note 2 makes it look good for you. Example . . .
5. It's no secret that I love Google Tools, and that's really the main reason I switched to the Android OS. When I went to the Google Teacher Academy in New York recently and stayed in Chelsea, I tried to use my new (at the time) Apple map to get me to the office where I needed to be. My iPhone 4s told me it was SIX MILES away. Of course I promptly used my non-integrated Google map to double check . . . .3 miles away, right around the corner. That could have been the turning point for me.

6. Another turning point was Siri. I had high hopes for you, girl, but you can't understand ANYthing I say when I am in the car.  NOT that I text and drive, but sometimes I might like to add a note at a stoplight. Largely, that's a no go with Siri. I have higher hopes for Doreen---that's what I've decided to call my Android lady.

7. Another thing I think is really amazing, and your iPhone does this too now, is Google+ Instant Uploads. Here's how it works: I take a picture with my phone, then as soon as I hit wifi/plug in (or whatever parameters I set), the picture is automatically uploaded to a private spot in my Google+ account at full quality. That's UH MAZE ING.

8. Last but not least, I am amazed by the Google drive capabilities on this phone. Check out this widget:
In case you can't read that handwriting, fabulous as it is, you can switch accounts on the Google Drive without signing out---true switching, pull up starred documents, and create a new document right from the widget. I will actually be able to present from Google Drive with this thing as well because it's so gigantic you could see it from SPACE.

Regrets?

Let me be clear to those of you who are still reading, since seriously, you are really interested in this topic, I do miss some things about the iPhone, and I would never say never about having one again. I love the iPhone. I still miss it a little bit, including the group texting, which I thought was nuts when I first tried it, and especially the happy pretty emoticons which I can't see properly anymore, TweetList, which is my favorite Twitter app on the iDevice, and all of the expensive and numerous apps I now own but don't use.

I'm sure there's more. If you're interested in hearing the rest of the saga, please comment, +1, Like, Tweet or whatever you do to show that sort of thing and I'll keep blogging about it.
Image posted on Google+ by Max Huijgen



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Best of the Web 2.0 Tools for Education 2013

Every year I make a Web 2.0 Tools Prezi for the Tech Ninja Conference at the local Region 6 Education Service Center. Below you'll find this year's version of the presentation, greatly pared down from past years. There are getting to be so many great tools that it's more important to know which ones are best than it is to know which ones exist. Hope you enjoy it!


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A Vision for the Classroom Today

I am inspired to write this vision by John Maxwell’s book Developing the Leader Within You, specifically the chapter entitled “The Indispensable Quality of Leadership: Vision.” I realized that what my WOW! Academy probably does best is to convey a vision, but I can’t offer that to every teacher right now, so I thought I would write a little story to try to convey some elements of what, in my mind, is our goal in this education shift we seek. I have to admit I borrowed heavily from a backward glance at my own classroom experiences, which have attained a rosy glow from years of time passing between me and them. If you are my former student, then know that while some details are accurate (yes, that’s you Jenni), others are brought in for a purpose. Justin really did drive the principal out of the room, but not quite as sweetly as in this story and not in this same class.

It’s November in Mrs. Stein’s class, the week before Thanksgiving. The bell has just rung to go to the next class, yes, that’s right, even in this idyllic teaching world, Mrs. Stein works in a traditional school building using the old factory model. She’d like to change that, of course, but all she can really do is manage her own little world between the bells. As for now, it’s going to be a struggle to get her students to leave. She’ll hear, “Mrs. Stein, just a few more minutes. This project is due day after tomorrow and we’ve just got to work on this one last thing.” Delanie is always her toughest case when it comes to leaving. She suspects Delaine purposefully puts in her earbuds before the bell rings each day to retain plausible deniability of the event. “What?” she says innocently as Mrs. Stein gently pats her back, “It’s time to go, Delanie,” and as she glances at the screen, “Wow, nice work. I can see why you don’t want to walk away from it.” There isn’t a minute between classes when Mrs. Stein’s classroom is empty. Already students from the next section have started pouring in. They immediately gravitate to their teammates and their preferred workstations and tables. Most of the students bring their own laptops from home, preferring to use their own computers, but a few students pick up computing devices when they walk through the door. Jon grabs an iPad because he’s editing a movie he and his team shot last week while Mirabelle grabs a Chromebook; she’s polishing up a Sliderocket for her team.

Mrs. Stein doesn’t “start” class, and she suffers a momentary pang when she realizes she actually never made it into the hall for duty between classes. It took her so long to get the last group to leave then these guys were already here working . . . she jets into the hall and issues a couple of admonishments to some students who are still lingering about. She wonders why other teachers don’t try teaching the way she does so all the kids will be on time for their classes, if nothing else.

Day after tomorrow is a big day for Mrs. Stein and her students. They’re presenting projects they’ve worked on for almost a full six weeks. The superintendent is coming, and though that doesn’t impress her students much, Mrs. Stein knows her teaching techniques are, well, let’s just say different. Jenni’s team is already on the phone with Dr. Howard DeVore from California. He’s a world expert in the medical condition now known as “intersex”. It could be a bit controversial for this small Texas town, but the students on the research team were so intrigued by the topic that she couldn’t turn down their proposal. For weeks they’ve been emailing with and calling Dr. DeVore, and he’s worked with them patiently to help them understand a condition he was born with himself and we have all now been educated to understand affects almost 2 in 100 individuals and has led to untold suffering even in modern times.

Larry’s team has been working to understand the science of the black hole. They began by wondering how black holes could be known when no one has ever seen or experienced one. Mrs. Steins’ true suspicion is that the research project began during the viewing of the most recent Star Trek movie, but that’s okay, too. For this team of science geeks, the study of black holes has generated discussions on string theory she can’t follow.

About the time the room looks like complete mayhem, while Mrs. Stein is observing a group studying why cloned animals don’t live very long, Mr. Johnannsen, the Assistant Principal and Mrs. Stein’s evaluator comes into the room. Johannsen is famous for “dollars for answers,” which he believes is a great and unique educational practice. Oh geez, Mrs. Stein thinks, what’s he going to do in this room with these kids? Johannsen wanders around trying to make himself known and get a group of students . . . any group of students . . . to pay some attention to him. He has a wad of bills in his hands. He veers toward Justin who turns and says, “Hello Mr. Johannsen. I’m sorry we don’t have time to answer questions today. We have a presentation day after tomorrow. Thanks for coming by though.” Mrs. Stein turns away to hide a snicker and Johannsen wanders and listens for a few more minutes before leaving the room.

Two days pass in much the same way. Teams come and go, work and then must be prodded out. They show up after school and when Mrs. Stein arrives in the morning, there are already pockets of students in her room . . . it’s not officially “allowed,” but these are “good kids” and everyone knows it. Were they “good kids” before they were in her class or are they just “good kids” now because they’re always in here working. She doesn’t know, but either way, Mr. Kenny, the custodian, lets them in before she ever gets to work. There are no rehearsals for presentations this time, every minute is needed for planning and preparation. The only group that worries Mrs. Stein, a veteran teacher of Project Based Learning, though she doesn’t have a name for it, is that intersex group and the fact that the sophomores down the hall are coming in as an audience. Oh yes, and the superintendent. What if those kids start giggling and it all falls apart? Well, she thinks, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

On presentation day, the students are indeed ready to go with presentations and videos of all kinds as well as notecards and . . . are those some shaking hands? As unlikely as it seemed the day before, they now appear basically ready, prepared, and, dare she say, a little more polished than at the beginning of the year? The moment has arrived, and Jenni starts the controversial presentation. She sounds like a doctor, Mrs. Stein’s favorite kind of doctor, the kind you can actually understand. The room is silent as she explains the background of the project. Next Jessica takes over talking about their interviews with Dr. DeVore, and finally Mel finishes up with the call to action. The odds are that someone in this room will someday be the mother, father or at the very least, close family member of an intersex child. What should you and your family do? The answer is “nothing.” There is nothing wrong with intersex children and every child must be given the chance to develop their own identity without the intervention of surgery until secondary sexual characteristics develop and the child is able to choose whether surgery is preferable.

They did it! All the way through the presentation and not so much as a smile. Mrs. Stein wonders if the audience is shocked or impressed . . . she can’t tell, but the team is glowing. They’ve explained something important in a way that makes sense to everyone and is sensitive to the topic and the people involved. Now THAT is a successful “research paper.”

At the end of the day, events like this are what keep Mrs. Stein signing up to be a teacher year after year. Tomorrow a new project starts, modern literature. Students will begin by individually researching best sellers from the past 15 years and trying to convince peers to join them in a reading team. Right now, Mrs. Stein doesn’t know how that will go. Will they pick drivel like Twilight or something worthy of discussion like The Story of Edgar Sawtelle? Hopefully the rubric she’s slaved over will help them make the “right” choice, and anyway, she’ll be here to steer them in the direction they “ought” to go. Ultimately though, Mrs. Stein realizes that this education thing is not really up to her. She’s just here to help.

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Introduction to Google Drive for Educators

Introduction to Google Drive presentation. Please comment and let me know what I should add!

Also check out this doc from my Twitter friend Rae: Google Docs Basics

Ed Tech Coordinator, Former Bio Teacher, Leading Edge Certified, M.S. Science Education
Crescent City, Ca · http://edtechyness.blogspot.com/
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Fall WOW! Academy in The Woodlands, TX and ThingLink

Check out this week's Fried Byte Newsletter and learn about The Original WOW! Academy for Project Based Learning and Technology Integration and ThingLink, the wonderful interactive image tool.

The application deadline for the Fall WOW! Academy is Sunday November 11th, so apply soon!
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