Global Service Learning

While at ISTE last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Greenberg, who interviewed me for his Brainwaves Video Anthology series. Bob seeks out "thinkers, dreamers, and innovators; some of the brightest minds in education" and seeks to record their stories to help inspire other teachers.  It was an honor to be chosen by Bob to be a part of this project.  Below is my 4 minute talk about the power that global service learning has had on our students at the Wallenpaupack South Elementary School.

ISTE 2011 - Day Four and Final Thoughts

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Now that I'm home, I want to reflect on my last day at ISTE 2011 in Philadelphia and share a few thoughts on my experiences at the conference.  The past four days have been a whirlwind of learning, networking, and discussion that was one of the most intense and enlightening periods of my teaching career.  For the first time in my career, I was in an environment where the majority of people I interacted with shared my passion and vision for transforming and/or revolutionizing our current educational practices.  That was an amazingly powerful experience that I find hard to fully describe.

Here are some of the things that I took away from my last day at ISTE:

• I started the day by having breakfast with Dyane Smokorowski at an Amish eatery in Reading Terminal Market.  Speaking with her was one of the highlights of my trip.  I am a great admirer of what she does in her 8th grade classroom and her views on global collaboration.  Even though we had never met face-to-face before this conference, I feel like I've known her for a long time.
• I got another chance to browse the poster sessions in the morning.  It seemed like a lot more of the sessions were math based, which made me happy.  One teacher was showing how to use one of my favorite tools, Geogebra.  In the student showcase section there was a group of high school girls showing off the robotics they had created and the software they used to design them.  Their session was mobbed, and unfortunately I didn't get a chance to speak with them or get more information.  Their work was very impressive.  
• For the first time, I saw Kevin Honeycutt present.  I feel fortunate that I got to spend quite a bit of time with Kevin and got to know him over the past few days.  His presentation was awesome.  He speaks with an authenticity that I've never heard from a presenter before.  The audience was as engaged as any I've ever seen.  One of my favorite quotes from his talk came when he was discussing cell phone policies:  "Kids used to pass notes on paper.  We never banned paper!  Get real!"  The video below is Kevin presenting the same session last year.
• After that session, I said my goodbyes to the people who have been so incredible to be around for the past four days.  I look forward to the next opportunity I have to see them in person.  Until then, I appreciate the fact that they are a part of my PLN. 
• As incredible as ISTE was, the best part of my day was when I walked in the door at home after a 2.5 hour drive and my two children came running up to me and gave me a big hug while yelling, "Daddy! Daddy!"  In moments like that I am reminded that I am the luckiest man in the world.

ISTE 2011 - Day Three

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As I mentioned in my last few posts, I am fortunate to be attending my first ISTE conference this year in Philadelphia.  Yesterday was another fantastic, exhausting day, and I wanted to share some of the insights, resources, and information that I learned as a way to "pay it forward" to those who aren't attending.  The volume of information that came my way was so overwhelming that I cannot possibly share all of it, so I'm passing on what I found most illuminating.  If you want more info from the conference, those attending and tweeting the conference are using the hashtag #ISTE11.

• Brandon Lutz from Philadelphia presented "60 Tools in 60 Minutes."  I was blown away by the number of tools that I had never heard of before.  My speed typing skills were tested as I tried to get them all into my Delicious account.  You can get all of the tools, videos, Prezis, and the backchannel for the session here.
• Walking the Expo Hall was loads of fun (see the cheesy picture above).  I saw lots of awesome products that I can't afford and met loads of interesting people.
• I spent more time browsing the poster sessions.  One that was really good was "Using Tech to Promote Young Adult Literature" by Colette Cassinelli.  You can see all of her information on this Google Sites page.
• I found out about an amazing new tool that just launched - a free, online graphing calculator  from a company called Desmos.  Instead of me explaining more, watch the video below.  
• Around lunchtime I had a cup of coffee with Mary Garrison from Math Solutions, a company founded by Marilyn Burns that provides professional development for teachers so that they can teach math in a way that emphasizes conceptual understanding.  I really like what they are trying to do.  
• I met my goal of learning enough about Livebinders and Edmodo to use them effectively in my classoom next year from some of the amazing people in my PLN.  It's been fantastic to meet some of these educators in person.  While it's sad that after tomorrow I probably won't see many of them until at least next summer, it's wonderful that sites like Plurk and Twitter allow us to keep in contact throughout the year to learn from each other and give each other the support that allows us to grow as teachers.

ISTE 2011 - Day Two

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As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am fortunate to be attending my first ISTE conference this year in Philadelphia.  Yesterday was my first full day, and I wanted to share some of the insights, resources, and information that I learned as a way to "pay it forward" to those who aren't attending.  The volume of information that came my way was so overwhelming that I cannot possibly share all of it, so I'm passing on what I found most illuminating.  If you want more info from the conference, those attending and tweeting the conference are using the hashtag #ISTE11.

• My first session was on the Common Core (CC) and Project Based Learning (PBL).  We all know the CC is coming in a few years, and I've been heavily involved in my district's integration of the CC math standards into our curriculum.  At the same time, PBL is a philosophy that I believe in strongly.  The presenters were from the Buck Institute for Education.  They shared some great student work and their website seems to have some decent resources for PBL.
• I really enjoyed browsing the poster sessions throughout the day.  There's great information there, and I love being able to talk shop with the presenters instead of just listening.  One of the highlights of the day was when a 3rd grade student from Alabama came up to me shaking with excitement, handed me a beaded necklace to put on, and asked me to come over and see how her school uses Web 2.0 in their classrooms.  Her enthusiasm was contagious, and it made me think of how incredibly powerful engagement and passion can be.
• I learned some new tools for creating bibliographies:  EasyBib, BibMe, Noodle Tools, and Zotero.
• A flash mob broke out in the afternoon near the Blogger's Cafe.  That was fun.  
• The Follett software company put together an amazing panel during their reception that resulted in some great conversation:  Kevin Honeycutt, Dean Mantz, Diane Cordell, Steven Anderson, and Shannon Miller.  The topic was "Rethinking Education."  There were so many points that were made that resonated with me.  Here's the one that hit me the hardest - If you have a blog, you have a voice.  Those of us who understand the devastation that the culture of standardized testing is bringing to our children have a responsibility to make others aware of it.  It's our moral imperative to do so.  This blog is my voice.  Please help me make it louder by passing it along to others, whether they be educators, parents, legislators, businesspeople, or anyone else.
• I went to my first "Digital Jam" last night, and it was a great experience.  20-30 teachers singing at karaoke together at the top of their lungs, playing every kind of instrument from tambourine to xylophone on their iPads, and showing how technology and music can inspire people (and students) to find their passions.
• Spending time with members of my PLN, meeting new educators, and being surrounded with people who are as passionate about the need to change education in ways that put our students first has been simply incredible.  I can't wait to see what Day 3 brings.  

ISTE 2011 - Day One

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I feel very fortunate to be attending my first ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Conference this year in Philadelphia.  Since I've gotten so much incredible information from attendees at past conferences to which I was not able to attend through tweets, plurks, and blog posts, I want to share my experience.  You can also follow the conference on twitter.  Those tweeting the conference are using the hashtag #ISTE11.

I could write dozens of blog posts on what I learned just during yesterday's opening keynote and my interactions with members of my PLN.  Actually, I'm sure that the experience will lead to numerous posts in the future, but in order to keep this post reasonable, you'll have to forgive me for using a bulleted list.  Here's a snapshot of my learning and experiences from the first day of ISTE 2011:

• It's hard to imagine the scope of the conference before you experience it.  I've been to other 10,000+ people conferences at the Pennsylvania Convention Center before, but nothing has been like this.  Almost every space in the 3 connected buildings and 4 floors is being used.
• Meeting so many members of my PLN was a wonderful experience.  These educators have been incredibly influential in my career.  Interacting with them has fueled my passion for teaching, but I had only met two or three of them in person before yesterday. It's a strange experience to introduce yourself to someone who've had discussions with for years, yet it happened many times yesterday.
• As soon as I arrived, I learned a new tool through a discussion with a member of my PLN:  My Brainshark.  It's an add-on for Google Apps that allows one to upload video, pictures, and other files, and then comment on them in several ways (microphone, telephone, etc.) It looks really useful.  I'll have to play around with it.
• I really enjoyed the opening keynote by Dr. John Medina, author of Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School.  I'm putting that book on my list to read.  Many of the things he said solidified my personal beliefs that our current system of education does not meet the needs of our students, nor our society as a whole.  Here are a few of the many points that he made that I found especially interesting:
• Brain science doesn't say anything about how we should teach people, but we do know the conditions in which a human brain is designed to function best.  If you were to design an environment that was the extreme opposite of those conditions, you would get a classroom.
• The emotional stability of the home is the greatest predictor of academic success because instability erodes executive function.
• The most important quality a teacher can have is "Theory of Mind" - the ability to diagnose others' gaps in knowledge and their brains' punishment and reward systems.
• Demanding that students do nothing more than memorizing will create a bunch of robots.  There needs to be problem solving and improvisation in order for students to reach their potential.
• There's a lot of educators here who understand the direction we need to take to revolutionize our education systems.  It's great to be among them.  All revolutions start with a small group of determined people who stick to their convictions and fight for what they believe in.  I feel like I am among those people here, and I believe that eventually we will change the standardized testing culture that is so devastating to our students, and the minds of people who cherish data over learning.  

Friday's Five: Things I'm Looking Forward to at ISTE

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Friday's Five is a feature every week where I pick a new topic and list five items that I think fit best.  Then I ask you, my readers, to share your thoughts in the comment section.  For an archive of past topics, check the Friday's Five Page.  If you'd like to make suggestions about future topics or discuss topics I bring up on the blog with others, make sure you click the "like" button on the right hand side of the page to join A Teacher's Life for Me on Facebook.  Don't be shy about sharing the blog and Facebook Page with others.  Each post has a "Tweet" button on top and buttons on the bottom that allow you to share in several ways, including e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.


For the first time this year, I'll be attending the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference.  It is the world's premier education technology event and according to ISTE's website it draws about 20,000 people from 60 countries.  This year's conference is in Philadelphia, PA.

Attending a conference this large is a bit overwhelming.  The number of sessions, events, and opportunities is incredible.  To help me navigate through them, I've identified these 5 things that I would most like to do while in Philadelphia:

1. Meet members of my Professional Learning Network (PLN) in person - My PLN has been exceedingly helpful in giving me new ideas, supporting me, and giving me opportunities to collaborate.  It's not a stretch for me to say that I wouldn't be nearly as successful as a teacher had I not found my way to the amazing network of teachers on Plurk.  I find it incredible that a group of educators that I've never met face-to-face can be so influential.  It will be great to put faces to names and be able to talk in person with many of these teachers.  
2. Learn more about how to use Edmodo in my classroom - Edmodo is a secure social learning network for students, schools, and teachers.  I know some members of my PLN do amazing things with their students using Edmodo as a tool to allow for collaboration, distribution of resources, and communication.  I signed up for an account a while ago, but I've never gotten around to leaning enough about this tool to use it.  I'd like to get familiar enough while at ISTE to be able to use it with my students next school year.
3. Meet and discover new people - The world is full of amazing educators.  Conferences are great places to meet and/or discover them.  Many of the people that have influenced my career I have learned about for the first time in sessions, keynotes, or while mingling at conferences.  I'm curious to find out who I will meet or learn about for the first time in Philadelphia.  
4. Find out what's the big deal about Livebinders - Many in my PLN are discussing, utilizing, and raving about Livebinders.  I've been curious for a while what the rage is about, but haven't had the chance to explore the site.  According to their homepage, Livebinders is "your 3-ring binder for the web."  Like Edmodo, I'd like to get to know more about this tool while at ISTE.
5. Browse the Exhibitor Hall - One of the great things about large conferences is the expo hall.  I've been to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) National Convention many times, and I've always come home with bags of free goodies, great professional contacts, and knowledge of companies that fit what I was trying to accomplish with my girls high school soccer program.  I'm hoping that the expo hall at ISTE affords me the same opportunity to talk to ed-tech companies and make good contacts.  I wouldn't complain about free stuff, either.  

Now it's your turn.  Let me know your thoughts in the comment section.  If you're going to ISTE, let me know what you are looking forward to.  If you've been there before, what are your thoughts?  Any suggestions for a rookie?  If you aren't going, what would you want to learn if you were?  

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