http://barblcohen.edublogs.org A blog about using technology at a K-8 independent school Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:35:04 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en var so = new FlashObject ("http://bizweektv.pb.feedroom.com/businessweek/bizweektv/pboneclip/player.swf", "Player", "300", "249", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable ("Environment", ""); so.addVariable ("SkinName", "pboneclip"); so.addVariable ("SiteID", "bizweektv"); so.addVariable ("SiteName", "businessweek"); so.addVariable ("ChannelID", ""); so.addVariable ("StoryID", "ee74703796f12a5e75e8f1cbea343818708de299"); so.addVariable ("Volume", ".5"); so.addVariable ("HostURL", document.location.href); so.addVariable ("VideoPlayer.VideoPlayer1.JavascriptFolderURL", "http://static.feedroom.com/affiliate/_common/js"); so.addVariable ("Org", "businessweek"); so.addVariable ("VideoPlayer.VideoPlayer1.StoryLinkURL", "http://bizweektv.pb.feedroom.com/businessweek/bizweektv/pboneclip/player.html?fr_story=ee74703796f12a5e75e8f1cbea343818708de299"); so.addVariable ("quality", "high"); so.addVariable ("OneClipEmbedCodeWidth", "300"); so.addVariable ("OneClipEmbedCodeHeight", "249"); so.addVariable ("rf", ""); so.addVariable ("SWF_URL", "http://bizweektv.pb.feedroom.com/businessweek/bizweektv/pboneclip/player.swf"); so.addVariable ("VideoPlayer.VideoPlayer1.SendEMailURL", "http://frgallery.feedroom.com/custom/playerbuilder/feedroom/sendMail.jsp"); so.addVariable ("AutoPlay", "true"); so.addVariable ("OneClipEmbedCodeURL", "http://bizweektv.pb.feedroom.com/businessweek/bizweektv/pboneclip/player.swf"); so.addVariable ("MoreVideoURL", ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/11/03/carmine-gallo-on-steve-jobs-presentation-skills/ The BAISNet listserv had a recent threat requesting suggestions for online tools to make Timelines. Here are the links I've collected over the years: http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/10/16/timeline-software/ http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/09/08/president-obamas-education-speech-in-wordle/ Here's a great way to explain how "cloud computing" can/should work in a school setting: http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/08/25/goomoodleikiog/ http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/08/25/common-sense-tips-for-digital-generation-parents/ To Meet the Demands of a New Age from Steven H on Vimeo. http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/08/14/to-meet-the-demands-of-a-new-age/ I have the great luxury of working with a group of 8th Graders and another teacher for the final three weeks of school on an intensive Film Project. Here is a one-day chase film they made, keeping in mind the concept of camera positioning and not "jumping the line." Enjoy! http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/05/26/chase-films/ Change is in the air...I can smell it! We just launched two projects, one in 5th Grade, one in 8th Science, both involving yet another assignment involving PowerPoint/Keynote. My colleague and I have been working on a resource list for teachers & students, chock full 'o examples and reasons why ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/03/18/join-in-the-powerpoint-revolution/ http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2009/03/18/changing-expectations/ Terri Gross did a marvelous interview with Lawrence Lessing on Fresh Air yesterday. He's a Stanford professor, a columnist for Wired Magazine and is a chair for Creative Commons. I've already listened to it twice...here's the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98591002 (Image courtesy of http://flickr.com/photos/creativecommons/362748137/) http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/12/23/lawrence-lessing-on-fresh-air/ Here's a terrific video that's making the rounds on a bunch of blogs I've been reading lately...I love it! http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/12/08/the-networked-student/ I just finished reading a post on WebLogg-Ed describing the Rip-Mix concept. I’ve been looking for the right terminology to describe an experience I’ve been having recently and “Rip-Mix” may be just the ticket… Lately I’ve been reading Girls Like Us, a biography of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/12/05/reading-for-pleasure-as-a-rip-mix-experience/ I'm clearly getting addicted to these videos. Here's a really good one by David Truss at Pair-a-Dimes: http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/12/04/a-brave-new-world-wide-web/ I just saw this meme on Andrea Hernandez' Ed Tech Workshop blog...here goes: The Rules: Get the book nearest to you. Right now. Go to page 56. Find the 5th sentence. Write this sentence - either here or on your blog. Copy these instructions as commentary of your sentence. Don't look for your favorite book or your ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/12/04/nearest-book-meme/ I have been (sporadically) blogging since 2006! For the first time this summer, I had the opportunity to try blogging with my colleagues, which you can read more about here. This past Fall, our Upper School (grades 6-8) Division Head decided to incorporate some Web 2.0 tools into her administrative repertoire. ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/12/03/blogging-with-colleagues/ Two weeks before the Thanksgiving Break, Richard Kassissieh, Director of Technology at Caitin Gabel School invited me to "virtually" attend a meeting he had organized for his World Language teachers. One of his Spanish teachers has been experimenting with Voicethread for the past several months, and he wanted to share ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/12/01/my-maiden-voyage-with-skype/ Here's a little reality-check: http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/11/25/louis-ck-everythings-amazing-no-ones-happy/ I'm sorry I didn't find this clip before the election... check out the Generation WE website http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/11/24/generation-we/ This video was recently made by 3 MCDS 8th Graders who went on a road trip to Nevada with their parents to help campaign for Obama. One more example of how so much learning happens beyond the walls of our schools... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/11/06/student-video-do-you-have-ears/ Sometimes the simplest ideas in teaching truly do produce the most glorious results. Our Director of Diversity approached me in August with an idea -- she was bringing the marvelous "In Our Family" portrait exhibit to our school for a month, and for the opening evening she was hoping to ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/10/07/simple-but-elegant-our-new-story-blog/ Our Math teacher decided to start with a blank Voicethread page on which he can explain and review math concepts. He used his new Wacom Bamboo tablet for the writing. http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/10/03/and-even-more-voicethread-math-test-prep/ I'm just amazed by the never-ending ways we're finding to use Voicethread. Here's a new one created by our Art Teacher and her 7th Graders: http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/10/03/more-voicethread-fun-object-drawings/ One of our math teachers is experimenting with using VoiceThread for pre-Algebra homework with his 7th graders. Here are the initial results. He's our first teacher with a classroom account ($60 for the school year) which lets his students log in with unique usernames and allows him divide his students ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/09/28/voicethread-mathcasts-in-7th-grade-algebra/ Every June my ed tech colleague and I meet and plan and strategize, saying "This summer will be different! Our new computer image will be flawless! It will be cloned onto every machine without a hitch! We're so organized this year, nothing can go wrong! We'll come back in August ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/09/09/fall-follies/ Every Fall I try to pick one or two new tools to pilot with teachers and students. Last year was the Year of Sketchup and Voicethread, which we successfully used with students in a number of grade levels. The year before that we experimented with Edublogs and Garageband for the ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/08/24/igoogle-my-fall-2008-power-app/ http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/08/23/classroom-innovation/ http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/07/25/the-machine-is-using-us/ I love attending conferences with colleagues. Truth be told, the content and location of the conference are so much less important than the time spent together off campus, with time to free-associate, dream and collaborate together. But as it happens, BLC08 is turning out to be simply fabulous. We're ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/07/17/blogging-with-colleagues-about-blc08/ I leave SF early tomorrow morning to attend the Building Learning Communities conference in Boston, MA. Five of my MCDS colleagues and I will be attending together. I absolutely can't wait. Haven't heard of this conference? Visit http://www.novemberlearning.com or watch this video: http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/07/12/off-to-blc-08/ That's me on the left -- or at least how I've been feeling lately -- a snake all curled up, waiting patiently, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. In many ways, that seems to be my role as a Tech Coordinator with our K-8 teachers. Over 2 years ago, I ... http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/2008/04/02/taking-the-long-view/