Class, Bring Your Cell Phones Tomorrow: Mobile Devices & Social Networks for Learning
by Chris Haskell Special Lecture, Boise State University

One third of all teens use mobile devices daily. Repurposing these tools in unique ways connects instruction through technology and ignites social learning opportunities. This session uses mobile devices with social networking tools to stimulate social learning. Participants will create, post, and use instructional media to demonstrate classroom applications. http://drhaskell.net

Creating Digital Citizens: Internet Safety for Your School
by Deb Ramsay Chief Information Officer, Educational Service District 101
and Brent Howard, Instructional Technology Specialists, ESD 101

This session will focus on understanding 21st century learners and the Internet: cyber-bullying, social networking, identity theft and other cyber crimes. Participants will receive information about starting an Internet safety program in their school and where to find free, online safety resources available to classroom teachers, students and parents.
http://cybersafety.esd101.net

The cognitive art of educational technology: Getting what’s on the screen into your students’ long-term memory
by Patrick Crispen Instructional Technology Coordinator, California State University, Long Beach

Can changing a few things in your PowerPoint presentations, web sites, and other technology-based teaching aids really improve your students’ performance and learning? In a word, “yep.” In this fast paced, one hour presentation we’ll discuss, in plain English, how your students process what they see on the screen and what research-based educational technology design and teaching methods either support or inhibit long-term learning.

Cell Phones in the Classroom
by Tammy Worcester Instructional Technology Specialist, ESSDACK

Instead of confiscating student’s cell phones at the door, how about taking advantage of their connective power as a tool for learning? In this session, you will learn about some great resources that will allow students to create blogs, podcasts, and photo essays and to participate in class surveys – right from their phones.
www.tammyworcester.com

Using free online tools from Adobe to encourage student content-creation, collaboration and learning
by Patrick Crispen
In this fast-paced, one-hour workshop you’ll learn how to use Adobe’s free Buzzword, ConnectNow, and Photoshop Express in your classroom. Particular attention will be paid to showing you how to incorporate these tools into your lesson plans and how to encourage your students to use these free online tools to create new content and collaborate more effectively.

50 Teacher Tested Ideas for Aligning the New Technology Standards in the Classroom
by Maria Muzzo Educator, Pacific Lutheran University and Alan Walker

Let’s get practical and look at strategies for aligning the state technology standards in the classroom. Walk away from this action packed presentation with practical classroom ideas ready for immediate use!
http://www.mariamuzzo.com

Copyright and Fair Use
by Tim Chase Teacher, La Pine Middle School

You must not remain in the dark about what constitutes breach of Copyright, and yet you need not fear overstepping your Fair Use rights in the classroom. It’s all about being informed and using copyrighted materials wisely. And this session will help!
http://edtech2020.com

Use Microsoft Paint to create this Symmetry Assignment.

Click here to see the Step-by-step directions to make this assignment.

Click here to watch a video of student examples symmetry.

Assignment Guidelines:

• No White Space
• Must be converted and saved as a jpeg
• Remember to name with correct naming sequence
  • Example: y10t1p4symmetry_yournamehere.jpg
• Must be uploaded to elearning to be graded
• May also be printed out to put in your portfolio WITH PERMISSION

This lesson idea from:
Carolyn Roberts, Art Teacher http://www.carolynrobertsart.com

Here Craig talks about his visit with Kris. Kris has been working with grade six through high school in the digital art realms of animation and graphic design. I was able to catch her presentation on Lego animation at the NAEA coference in NYC a few years ago. I still show her student work to my students to inspire them in their animations and computer creations.

Kris Fontes, Art and Graphic Design Teacher from Craig Roland on Vimeo.

Here Craig talks about his visit to Tricia’s classroom. Tricia teaches elementary grades and makes fun movies that teach concepts to her kids. Her classroom is fun and colorful and it is obvious that her kids love creating art with her. Tricia has inspired me to make videos to introduce new concepts and skills. Although mine are not fun animations with talking fingers, the kids really seem to pay attention and grasp the concepts better in this format.

Art at Dryden Elementary School from Craig Roland on Vimeo.

This looks like a great series and I can’t wait to see more!

These teachers are constantly in the news and the latest issue of Education Week’s Digital Directions features them in an article about student movie makers.

In 2007, I was a recipient of an OSPI EETT Technology and Peer Coaching Grant. This allowed me to buy additional digital cameras, headphones, microphones, software, video cameras. thumb drives and CD for saving media. The training provided me with tools to work closely with 3 other teachers to integrate technology in their classrooms as well.

My PC lab includes

• MS Paint
• MS Movie maker
• MS Photostory 3
• Adobe Photoshop Elements
• standard MS office tools (power point,word)
• free Pivot stickfigure animator http://www.snapfiles.com/get/stickfigure.html
• free audacity (for recording podcasts) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
• recently purchased: Flash, Gamemaker, Crazy Talk, and Frames.

I also use MOODLE online classrooms to provide a number of online art games and activities.

TAB Suggestions for the Digital Center

Introduction

The NCCE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promote the use of technology in education. The NCCE hosts the largest technology conference in the Pacific Northwest, providing its members with training and information about the latest advances in educational technology. Next year the conference will be held in Portland Oregon, February 17th-20th at the Oregon Convention Center. There are several common features to these conferences; paid workshops, free learning sessions, vender demonstrations and displays, geocaching, and of course meeting and talking with other educators from around the region. This article will discuss various aspects of this conference, to help new members get the most out of this event.

Logistics At the Conference

“Before you go with your peeps <YES! You should bring them>check out the sessions and think about what your peep’s goals have been so far throughout the year. Earmark those sessions then grab your peeps for a meeting before the conference. Meet in a classroom with a web connection and go through each time session… have them write down 1st and 2nd choices for each time slot. I actually went to the first session one with one of my peeps… it was good to help her generate excitement and “translate” some of the lingo.”

What to Do?

Team and Conference Expectations

Have high expectations not only for the conference but for your peeps as well… YES! you should bring your peeps. NCCE can be both exciting and yet daunting so laying the groundwork before the conference can make a huge difference in how successful the NCCE experience will be. Take the time to think about the goals you’ve work on with your peeps and then check out the sessions online. Earmark sessions and then grab your peeps for a meeting before the conference. Set a focus or goal, explore the course offerings carefully, and write down 1st, 2nd, and even 3rd choices for each time slot. Plan to go to the first session with your peep if he or she is a bit nervous or wary of the conference. Plan for long days at the conference whether you actually stay until 5:00 everyday, set that expectation ahead of time.
You’ve made it to the conference; hear the Keynote Speaker. This will hopefully be a highlight and set the tone for the entire conference. As you attend sessions, don’t hesitate to stick around after presentations to network with presenters and other folks with common interests. Add some planning time into your day. This will give you a chance to process new information and share new ideas. Furthermore, enjoy some down time as the conference can be awe-inspiring as well as overwhelming.

Exhibition Hall/Vendors

One of the wonderful opportunities you have while attending NCCE is a chance to visit the exhibition hall. Here you have the chance to talk to vendors of hardware, software, Internet resources and colleges! In order to make your time in the exhibit hall productive we have a few suggestions:
Prior to attending the conference brainstorm with your peep(s) what future technology purchases you may want to make, make a list of questions you want to ask and set a goal for yourself to visit with at least X number of vendors. You may also want to make some preprinted labels (including your email) which you can attach to forms that the vendors ask you to fill out. The vendors often will scan your badge to get information about you. There are times when their badge scanners do not work or you may want to be able to give out your address or emails to people that you met.
While at the conference visit with the exhibitors, TALK TO THEM and ask your questions! Most of the vendors are quite knowledgeable and are more than willing to take time to talk to you. Often you are “rewarded” with gifts and prizes. If you see something that you are interested in having at your building, ask if they will loan a set to you to try it out. In order to navigate through the large maze of exhibitors, you may wish to start on the outside aisles first as most people tend to start in the middle or at the aisles closest to the open doors.
At the end of the conference, revisit those vendors that you made a connection with while they are packing up. Many will give away items as they don’t want to have to pack them up and take them home.

“Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.” John Gardner, United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare 1965–1968

One of the most exciting experiences an educator can have is to be a presenter at NCCE. Don’t let it scare you off it’s exactly like being in your classroom with “larger students”. Breaking the steps down makes this an easy endeavor.

Writing the proposal:
Think about that favorite lesson, software, tools. How do you get the biggest bang for your dollar? This might be the topic you choose to share with others. Write the proposal as if it were a lesson plan. Give it a catchy title, and describe the details of what you want the learners to take away from your session. Be sure that what you describe is what you plan to teach, there is nothing more frustrating for an attendee than to go to a session and have the topic be different than what was described.

Once your proposal has been accepted:
Read over the detailed acceptance information it should be in the form of an email. The letter should have vital information such as the room number, where the equipment will need to be picked up, time you can set up and time you must be out of the room. Be sure to save all emails from NCCE, so that you can reference the information later. One week before the conference I email back one last time to be sure I have all of my room information straight and there have not been any changes.

The Presentation:
Use Power Point, Photo Story, or some type of presentation software to share your ideas, lessons, topic to be shared. Practice what you want to say and how the presentation slides fit your verbal commentary. Don’t forget that when people get nervous they tend to speak faster- so plan for finishing early, have more that needed information to fill the 50 minute session. I used a thumb drive and a burned CD to store and carry my presentation, (knowing that if I had only used one, it would not work and I’d be stuck). Don’t forget to have lots of student samples to share. Your contact information is vital to the presentation, make a postcard with your presentation title, contact information and the URL for your website. Others will look to you for advice, follow up or sharing. They will want to know how to get you once you are back at school.

Making Connections:
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with teachers from all over the Northwest. If they are in your session they too have a similar interest in the topic. Your own growth will flourish as you make connections with others and pick their brains for adding to your knowledge base. (Hand out your postcards to these contacts too!)

Have Fun!! Have fun!! Have Fun!!
Don’t forget to put this on your resume.

Conclusion: Planning is the Key!

When the region’s teachers, administrators, educational technology specialists, library media specialists and school board members gather in Seattle in February for the Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE), many will attend workshops and presentations being lead by Everett Public Schools staff.

“Everett’s technology and teaching staff are well known for the ways they use technology to help students learn, and they are often asked to share their expertise with other educators,” said Everett’s Information Systems and Technology Director, Ken Toyn. “NCCE’s mission is to promote and support the effective use of technology in all aspects of education, and it speaks well for Everett Public Schools that so many of our staff are NCCE presenters this year.”

Toyn also points out that parents and community members will be able to see many of these same teachers and their students in action during the school district’s annual technology fair at Cascade High School on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2007 beginning at 6 p.m. “These staff will be among dozens of others with their students at Cascade that evening,” said Toyn. “Our annual Student Technology Exhibition is our way of showcasing to the community how we are using technology as a teaching and learning tool and to express our thanks for the consistent support which has made it possible to have technology in our schools.”

Presenting at the NCCE Seattle workshops between Feb. 26-29, 2008are the following educators from Everett Public Schools:

· Cynthia Gaub, who teaches art and technology at North Middle School, will demonstrate how to Inspire Girls Through Podcasting in TechREACH Clubs. Gaub’s workshop will show how to leverage podcasting to improve student learning and increase communication between home and school. Those who attend will learn to use free software to produce their own podcasts and how to locate educational podcasts for their classrooms. TechREACH is an after-school program Gaub uses with students at North Middle School.

· Wanda Hill and Janice Northrop from Penny Creek Elementary present In the MOOD-ling: the Virtual Classroom. Moodling makes it possible for students to access classroom materials from home. Using the concept of a virtual classroom, teachers support student learning using online communication tools such as forums, journals, and WIKI. Hill and Northrop’s presentations will include online activities and management tips for augmenting classroom instruction.

· Deborah Wrobeland Sandy Devoir, technology specialists from Woodside, Jefferson, and Silver Firs elementary schools, will show how UnitedStreaming goes well beyond videos. Teachers use it to create online assignments, video quizzes, visual writing prompts, and lesson plans.

· Fran Hartman, fifth-grade teacher at Cedar Wood Elementary, will focus on ways to improve students’ science skills using Photo Story to motivate students. Hartman’s presentation entitled, One small step for students, one giant leap for science! also promises to help teachers in subjects other than science.

· Phil Biggs, the district’s Information Systems and Technology Specialist, will show the versatility of maps on line. Those who attend his Google Geography: Maps Meet Multimedia session will learn to create their own interactive maps from Google and Google Earth.

· At another, session Biggs will partner with Barb Lark of the district’s special services department on a program to help teachers build student literacy skills. The end result of time at the Biggs and Lark session will be powerful techniques teachers can use to customize activities for individual students.

Link to download at home http://www.snapfiles.com/get/stickfigure.html

Requirements:

• No White Space
• Must be converted and saved as a jpeg
• Must be named with correct naming sequence
  • Example: y6t1p4namedesign2_joeschmoo.jpg
• Must be uploaded to be graded
• May also be printed out to put in your portfolio WITH PERMISSION

This lesson idea from:
Carolyn Roberts, Art Teacher http://www.carolynrobertsart.com

6975

Requirements:

• No White Space
• Must be converted and saved as a jpeg
• Must be named with correct naming sequence
  • Example: y6t1p4quilt_joeschmoo.jpg
• Must be uploaded to be graded
• May also be printed out to put in your portfolio WITH PERMISSION

This lesson idea from:
Carolyn Roberts, Art Teacher http://www.carolynrobertsart.com

Requirements:

• No White Space
• Must be converted and saved as a jpeg
• Must be named with correct naming sequence
  • Example: y6t1p4name_joeschmoo.jpg
• Must be uploaded to be graded
• May also be printed out to put in your portfolio WITH PERMISSION

This lesson idea from:
Carolyn Roberts, Art Teacher http://www.carolynrobertsart.com