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I should have a blog, and this is it. I put everything here. It is messy, but trying to keep everything separate just made me frustrated to the point that I did not do it at all.

I document my own learning journey. I post items for physics, chemistry and environmental science classes. Teacher learning ideas and videos show up now and again. Conference notes arrive in a blizzard. Now and again a classroom observation will show up. I sprinkle in instructions for server maintenance. There are also cute pictures and videos of my kids.

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2012 (20)
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What do you do for advanced Moodle users in PD?

On Wed, May 16, 2012 at 4:26 PM, Frank

Any suggestions for pd homework so my Moodle high flyers don't get bored?

This is a great question. I have a few quick options off the top of my head. 

  1. Explore the MoodleNews blog there are tons of little articles about the cool features of Moodle there.
  2. Explore features in the Moodle Documentation that are advanced but cool. I would recommend starting with Glossary, Workshop, Conditional, Social Topics Course Format, Choices, and Wiki. Also the Moodle Documentation pages on philosophy and pedagogy are great reading and help you start to understand not only Moodle, but how technology can changes teaching and learning. I put this list from the pedagogy page in front of my staff every year. I ask them to reflect on where they were and where they are now and where they would like to go. I wish I had them write down those reflection every year, it would have been a powerful assessment of the program.
  3. Around The Corner is another good blog with a lot about Moodle. Explore.
  4. Another challenge I give teachers at workshops is to think how it would change their assignments if student had to post the answers in a public forum. This starts to get at the changes we would like to see in student work where they have to write responses to our creative prompts that are unique to them. 
  5. I am not sure I would teach this again, but it is compelling for some teachers. Have them look over the quiz question import tools and experiment with importing questions. Better yet, have them prepare a presentation on importing questions and share it with the faculty.
I hope some of this helps. Moodle has been invaluable in our transition to a digital environment. 

Filed under  //  mailbag   moodle  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

"Beauty does not linger, it only visits"

"Beauty does not linger, it only visits." From Beauty: The Invisible Embrace (rediscovering the true sources of compassion, serenity, and hope) by John O'Donohue.

How much energy is wasted trying to make permanent something that is ruined by permanence? 

The beauty of teaching is in the moment where a student is changed, truly changed for life. Much is written about making students more engaged and certainly an engaged student is better off than one that is not. It is truly impossible to teach a student that is drunk or high or otherwise impossible somewhere else while still being in your room. That said the beauty will still be in the moments, not in the day to day. The better we do the day to day the more likely the moments are to come, but by their very nature these moments do not linger.

Filed under  //  energy  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

Zapd Steals The Day At The iPad Training

I recently gave an iPad training for a school that has teachers with iPads. One of the tools I showed them was zapd, an iPhone app, that creates simple web sites. To this group of teacher, some of whom are relatively new to iOS, this was a really fun and interesting app for them to play with. In the interest of using he tools, I created my presentation for the morning using zapd. It served as a great holding place for links, pictures that went with stories and text boxes with assignments. 

Filed under  //  presentation  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

How do I use one iPad in a classroom?

On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 10:19 AM, Steve wrote:

Hi Jim,

I have a teacher here at Byron that would like to control his Mac with his iPad so he can walk around the room. I don't remember the apps/setup to do this. Was this the same app that allowed the iPad to be a web server too? Or was that a different app?

Thanks,

Steve


Here is our list:

  • Most success, easiest setup, cheapest, but does not control the computer: AirSketch.
  • More expensive, controls (but not a lot of teachers use that part), has awesome presentation mode: Doceri.
  • Like Doceri and very promising, but for us has been buggy: Splashtop. This was also the one I heard about the most at MACUL.
  • True control but no integrated presenter mode: MobileMouse.
  • Interesting with an iPad 2 or 3 and an Apple TV: Skitch. I have used Skitch on my mac with a Bluetooth tablet as my sole presenting tool for years. With AirPlay it could be awesome.
--jim

Filed under  //  mailbag  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

My dad asked me about Kahn Academy.

On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 8:49 PM, Dad wrote:

We saw a segment on 60 Minutes on Khan Academy.  It's an organization that puts teaching segments on the internet for anyone to use.  They are on all kinds of subjects.  It could be something to look into especially with your unhappiness with textbooks.

Dad,
I have used some of his videos in class for review and the like. I struggle sometimes with what the role of a teacher is in the new world that is unfolding before us. I also wonder what the difference between Kahn and a textbook is. All the same stuff is in a textbook, but if you are not motivated to learn and express your learning you won't. Here is an excellent blog article on the Kahn Academy that has a lot of links to articles critical not of the videos but of how they are likely to be used and all the attention he is getting. Frank is a excellent physics teacher.

If you want an interesting read that goes much deeper into the education issues that Kahn Academy brings up I would encourage you to check out this free eBook called Stop Stealing Dreams [PDF]. There are other versions for downloading and printing. It is an easy to read summary of why Kahn Academy is just the last of the old way of schooling while still being an important but tiny piece of the future of education as well.
--jim

Filed under  //  mailbag  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

Ideas for short tech PD, then give teachers time to brainstorm and explore.

On Sat, Mar 10, 2012 at 11:21 AM, Mike wrote:

Hi Jim,
I sat in on your session at MACUL and it was a good start to the
convention for me.  I tried to avoid the "how to use this tech tool"
sessions and I wanted to get beneath the surface a little more.  Your
talk gave me some things to explore and will help with planning.  I
like the idea of the 15 minute sessions each week with staff.  Can you
send me three or four topics that you recently used in those sessions?
 I'd like to give it a try in my district before the end of the year.
(Better late than never!)

Mike,
Good to hear from you. If I can be of any other assistance please tell me. To answer you question about Tech Tips and Treats, here is my list straight out of my notes. We have moved to more of an every other week schedule this year. We also do celebrations of awesome student work. 

Full Tips
DONE - socrative
DONE - New/Updated blocks, including the drag and drop upload and comment block.
Playfic
New conditional assignment options.
Moodle 2.2 Workshop Module: all the same goodness with more stability.
Moodle Blogs
Moodle Wiki.
The lesson module.
Download all assignments.
doodle
Stypi
DONE - New Google Presentation 
DONE - New Power Teacher
PowerTeacher App
Google Doc Templates
New Features in Google Forms
New rubric feature in Moodle
Google Drawings

Short Tips To Add Into Others
Activity cloning
email with a +
click on name on side of email to get details

I also picked up a few at MACUL12
Jetjaw like poll everywhere but cooler
Wufoo. Like google forms but easier
Gosoapbox google moderator on steroids.
Smalldemons.com
CollabraCam app
Action Movie
Green Screen FX
Coaches Eye
Voice thread has an app
Sognify
Lulu
www.shapeways.com

Filed under  //  MACUL12   mailbag  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

Presentation: Creating A Culture Of Learning

Today I did a presentation entitled Creating A Culture Of Learning. The slides should be posted below. I thought it went well. If you look at the slides you find that I tried to set up a situation where I grounded some of our initiatives in a theory I am working through called conditions of the 21st century. I hate the buzzword, but I think there are some things that are different and am trying to base some of the things that we have found successful in the changing landscape to the world. I will gladly talk to anyone about the presentation, leave a comment.

If you were at the presentation and have not already please leave me some feedback, either in the comments here or in the form. Also, if you were there I gathered a lot of other ideas about conditions of the 21st century from you and the link timed out and I lost them, so if you remember yours add it to the comments here. Thanks a ton.

There are a lot of links in the presentation and I think that Slideshare.net maintains those.

http://www.slideshare.net/weathertation/creating-a-culture-of-learning

Filed under  //  conference   learning   macul12   presentation  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

Start the year by figuring out what the question is.

On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 5:01 PM, Kristin wrote:

Somehow over a month has past since I initially wanted to respond. Anyway, do you have electronic copies of the articles you use at the beginning of the year?

We used this activity, followed by a study of Matthew 25, followed by this activity with the linked articles below.

Big news about energy has been happening in Holland over the last year. You will be put into a group that will read an article about this issue. Discuss the article with your group and be prepared to share what your group says with others in the class. The person with the most white on their shoes today is the group scribe.

Expanding Holland's Coal Power Plant

Peter Garforth

The State of Michigan Sued!

What's the Plan?

Then we asked the students this: what big questions does a group of people in Holland need answered. This is the list the students came up with and the classes choose one as our question for the year.

Filed under  //  mailbag   physics  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

We need to know what we do not know.

I continue to think about the conditions of the twenty-first century. I think conditions is the right word, because the skills we need are not different. The conditions under which we are called to use those skills are. Here is my list of conditions, to date.

  1. Everyone builds capacity (since I wrote that I thought may be everyone improves would have been better).
  2. Everyone leads.
  3. Everyone is in charge.
  4. You have to be open to what you do not know.
  5. Everyone needs to be reflective.
  6. Feedback is instantaneous.
  7. Everyone has to manage their connectedness.

So here goes an attempt to describe why we have to be open to what we do not know.

Today in chapel they showed two videos. Much has been made of the first including a column in the august New York Times. The column supposes the old way of learning and knowing: careful study, long hours of research, and grounded arguments. I am not sure this cuts it anymore. 

Facebook is famous for the phrase, "done is better than perfect." Jeff Bethke seems to have been unintentionally doing this same thing writ large. He had an idea. He was open to what he did not know about it. People have responded. He is growing, and so are many people with him.

In science we are taught, way too late I think, that journals filled with publications are a conversation. Researchers dancing slowly around the truth poking holes in each others research and ideas and advancing their own. This process can be seen on Twitter nearly every minute of the day. We have to know what we know and test it. And then be open to correction and advancement of our ideas. We need to hold strong where we are experts, in the face of trolls and naysayers, and keep the conversation moving. We need to know what we know and be able to listen to and be open to what other people know. We also need to be able to test those people and what they know as well.

And perhaps the most important part of all this is that we need to all know how to do this. Not just the scientist or the academic. Because the content is so easy to find and so easy to fake everyone needs to be able to dig.

Filed under  //  21st  
Posted by Jim Peterson 
 

Who is the leader around here?

I have continued to think about the conditions of the twenty-first century. If I were a better blogger and writer I would have split the last post into two posts and had the whole list, but that is not the way I role. I think conditions is the right word, because the skills we need are not different. The conditions under which we are called to use those skills are. Here is my list of conditions, to date.

  1. Everyone builds capacity (since I wrote that I thought may be everyone improves would have been better).
  2. Everyone leads.
  3. Everyone is in charge.
  4. You have to know what you do not know.
  5. Everyone needs to be reflective.
  6. Feedback is instantaneous.
  7. Everyone has to manage their connectedness.

So who is the leader around here?

Teachers need to lead students, not boss them around. This can only be done if you yourself are moving somewhere and going somewhere. It can only be done if you are exploring, feeling out how what the world is like in the context of your subject. Teachers need to be leaders among their peers. They need to take charge of a grade level or department goal and lead the group in the direction that the school mission statement directs. Teachers also need to build into the others on their teams the capacity to lead where they do not have the right resources to lead. Teacher need to graciously accept that there are times when they need to be led.

Who might they be led by? Other teachers. Administrators. School boards and parents. Most importantly they need to build the capacity of leadership into their students by following their students. I hate to say that we need to build leaders, because I have a mushy feeling that there is no such thing as leadership. There is just doing and not doing. That said we need to create people in schools that are doing and keep doing right from the start. Then they will lead, students, teachers, and administrators. One of the best ways a teacher can do this is to follow the lead of a student.

Everyone needs to lead, and everyone needs to be open to being led. This is the twenty-first century.

Filed under  //  21st   learning  
Posted by Jim Peterson