App-O-Da-Week #9

After nearly two months of posting this column, I have realized something very real and very important.


Educators LOVE free stuff. They love the f-word (no! not that one).

I have been posted about paid apps over the last few weeks and while they aren't the most expensive things in the world (think of them like a grande cup of Starbucks Hazelnut Frappe Mocha-chino) they are still $$$. And when it comes to $$$, people can get nutty. 

That's why I decided to focus on an app that promotes FREE APPS. This post is like picture inside of a picture inside.. well you get it. 

The app is called AppsGoneFree - which is pretty self explanitory. You can download it for free and it is a great tool. With over 700,000 apps in the iTunes store and over 50 Billion downloaded (lucky person who was the 50 billionth download got a $10,000 iTunes giftcard! They do not need this app) it can be hard to sort through apps that are worthwhile and that are free. 

This app does just that. It posts daily apps that are free. They pick between 5-10 apps that have been reduced to the sultry price of ZERO and let you know all about them. They also post their ratings as well. 

Don't believe me? Here is their description:

Find great apps without spending a dime! Get high quality paid apps for free each day. Unlike other apps, we offer no paid listings - these are expert-picked top-ranked apps, for FREE! 

** 2012 Best App Ever Award Winner

Every day hundreds of apps reduce their price to free for a limited time to try to stimulate excitement. AppsGoneFree finds ONLY the apps worth owning:

* Our AppAdvice.com app experts personally handpick ONLY the best apps. If it's on the list, it's worth owning. 

* These same experts write a quick summary to tell you about the app, and why you need it (or if you don't).  Not PR, honest personal advice.

* We filter out the junk. Don't waste your time looking at all the free apps generated by robots, scouring through them to find something worth downloading, let us do the work for you. 

* It's an honest to goodness human-curated list of the best free apps each day (about 5-10 each day). 

There are dozens of apps that provide long tedious lists of every single app that ever goes free or short lists of apps that paid a lot of money to be included.  But only AppsGoneFree gives you authored, handpicked recommendations from an AppAdvice.com app expert of apps that belong on your device.  

Unfortunately, free apps don't last forever and when they do go back up in price, the app will let you know that the deal has expired. Some of these apps are worth over $10 each. It is a great investment and a way to find new apps for you to use in your classroom and for personal use. 

Shifting Gears... and getting stuck in neutral. PART II

You got all that?

Common Core is about reforming standards, AchieveNJ is about reforming evaluations and tenure, and PARCC is about reforming test taking/assessments.

Wait, you don't? Well neither do a lot of other people. Their are many proponents and opponents To clear the air (and to better clarify why in the world they want to do all three of these at once), the NJ Department of Education held a seminar on all three of these. The crux of the meeting was devoted to how great all three of these things were and how they were all inter-related; and more specifically, how you couldn't have one without the other... and the other. 

They were, as Chris Cerf so aptly put it:

1. 
   

   Tim Charleston@MrCsays

   Cerf - parcc and common core are two sides of the coin. But the third side is educator evaluation tools. #shiftgears What??!!

   3 DAYS AGO
   

   REPLYRETWEETFAVORITE

To be clear. I am not against changing standards. I do like the fact that these are about mastery instead of coverage and I do like the fact that they are vertically aligned from K-12. As for changing assessments and test taking, I am in agreement with the folks who say that we need to test using online assessments. In the next decade or so, many tests will be online and it just makes common sense to change it. And as for the evaluation system, yes, it does need changing as well. Some teachers have only been visited once a year by administrators and that is not enough. What the DOE are proposing and have been are decent changes.

But let's be clear. It's not about doing these. It's about doing these NOW and all at ONCE! +Eric Sheninger had  many great tweets about this, but he summed it up best by stating:

1. 
   

   Eric Sheninger@NMHS_Principal

   NJDOE moving much too fast on numerous initiatives simultaneously; I am fearful that this is a recipe for disaster#shiftgears #njed

   3 DAYS AGO
   

   REPLYRETWEETFAVORITE

We need time. We need to focus. We need to understand what is coming at us. If we truly decide to do all three at once, our teachers, students, and admins are truly going to be stretched thin. We are racing to get all of these things in, like we are perpetually stuck in the month of June trying to cram things in at the end of the year. 

While worrying to get students to understand all new concepts and standards, teachers will also be worried new test assessments which are tied to their overall evaluations. 

There is still too much unknown. We don't push our students through to the next concept unless they have truly learned the one before. Shouldn't we get the same treatment? The DOE treated this seminar like a giant PEP rally for these three things. And that stuck out. I felt bad for educators. I felt bad for students. Where were their voices? Did anyone ask them what they wanted? While more and more businesses (and some schools) are moving to 80/20 time, why are we focused on THREE monumental pieces of legislation?


My good friend, +Jay Eitner, had spoken about all three of these things as a TIDAL wave crashing down on educators. 

We need to FOCUS. 

If we focus on one of these things a year, it would have a much better outcome. It would give everyone a chance to catch their breath, at least for a minute or two. 

I have faith in our teachers. I have even more faith in our students. The NJDOE should share in that faith and give us time to get it right. 

1. 
   

   Eric Sheninger@NMHS_Principal

   Cerf - "Change is hard" - yes, need 2 focus on 1 initiative at a time, get it right, then move 4ward if goal is sustainability #shiftgears

   3 DAYS AGO
   

   REPLYRETWEETFAVORITE

Let's focus on the most important thing here: helping students grow as individuals. Helping them reach their passions. Helping them through the formative years of their lives. 

WE ARE EDUCATORS. And we need to be there for them. So, let's shift the focus.

Shifting Gears... and getting stuck in neutral. PART I

This was originally intended to be one post. But as I wrote it, there was a clear break in what I was writing. Part II will be unveiled next week.

I am an educator. 

No matter what my job is now or what it may become in the future, my job is an educator. My passion is helping students grow up, learn and understand, and find their own passions in life, whatever they may be.

Since jumping to the "other side" of education, I have not been that intimately familiar with items such as the Common Core (though in our district, we have talking about it for years) and the new evaluation system in New Jersey, called AchieveNJ. I knew they were both coming, but as a former Social Studies teacher, we were usually one of the last involved. I have been very intimate with PARCC, though.

As a casual reader, or for those with their heads in the sand, most states around the USA are going through a paradigm shift in how the evaluate students and how they, therefore, evaluate teachers.

For a basic understanding, here is what all three are:

Common Core (taken from their website)

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt. The standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to enter credit bearing entry courses in two or four year college programs or enter the workforce. The standards are clear and concise to ensure that parents, teachers, and students have a clear understanding of the expectations in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and mathematics in school.


AchieveNJ (taken from their website)

There are many differences between AchieveNJ and the old evaluation system. After two years of piloting in 30 districts that contain over 14,000 educators, AchieveNJ has been created to better align educator evaluation with best practices that lead to improved student outcomes. Our new AchieveNJ evaluation and support system is structured around several guiding principles; each one describes improvements from the previous system.

Educator effectiveness can and should be measured to ensure our students have the best teachers in the classroom. 

Evaluations should always be based on multiple measures that include both learning outcomes and effective practice. 

Tenure and other forms of recognition should be based on effectiveness. 



PARCC (taken from their website)

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a consortium of 22 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers. These new K-12 assessments will build a pathway to college and career readiness by the end of high school, mark students’ progress toward this goal from 3rd grade up, and provide teachers with timely information to inform instruction and provide student support. The PARCC assessments will be ready for states to administer during the 2014-15 school year.

The PARCC Vision
Builds a pathway to college and career readiness for all students,
Creates high-quality assessments that measure the full range of the Common Core State Standards,
Supports educators in the classroom,
Makes better use of technology in assessments, and
Advances accountability at all levels.

You have all that? 

All three about talking about college and career readiness and accountability  which on the surface, no one can really complain or go against. OF COURSE we want to prepare our students to become life long learners and leaders in this world by going off to college or into the work force. And of course, we want to make sure that our teachers help our students get there. 

So, how is the NJ DOE trying to rally us around? ... just wait for part II. 

App-O-Da-Week #8

I am a huge fan of motivation. While some students come into your class ready to rock and roll, others don't. That's the nature of the game. Every student is different and that's what makes this job great.

As teachers, we are armed with many different tools to reach our students. We don't necessarily need to be an expert in them all but we at least need to know that they are there; ready to be used to reach a student who needs a bit of extra motivation or re-focusing. I've seen teachers bend over backwards (literally, there was a science teacher in an district that would use this as a motivational tool) to get the attention of students. I've seen behavior charts, lines, colors, etc. also used to help students stay on task and become motivated positively to help others, go out of there way, and participate.

Behavior management is often on of the few tools that people say isn't really taught in college prep courses - it has to be learned on the job.

Well, for those who want some help... there's an APP-O-DA-WEEK for that! 


Actually, there is an app and a website - it's called Class Dojo. And if this is the first time you are hearing about it, well then you are in for a treat. 

Class Dojo is a behavior management system that allows you to set up your class, your behaviors (both positive and negative) and it gives the teacher the ability to award points in real time to students. They can see their points and actively work harder to achieve more positive points, which are attached to their avatars. Daily reports can be generated to send to parents and students can go in to personalize their avatar they way they want to!

The free service operates on the Web, allowing teachers to use a laptop, desktop computer, or any smartphone or tablet via Web browser. To date, over 3.5 million teachers and students have used the service and over 50 million feedback points have been awarded.

The platform has seen incredible viral growth with 20 thousand new teachers adopting the platform each month, as teachers spread ClassDojo by word-of-mouth and through social media channels.

Once you take the time to set up your class on the website, you can start to use the app, which is FREE. You can use either the pre-set behaviors or you can add your own. You can be as creative as you want. Once you set that all up, you are good to go. Teachers can have the screen loaded up before the students get to class and using an iPad and AirPlay, they can walk around the room, giving out points to students. It could be group work, individual work, or just creating a positive classroom, the app gives you the range and mobility to show students how they are doing in your class. 

If you want, you then can give students access to customize their avatar the way they want. That is up to you.  

They are constantly updating the site as well. They have now put in a timer and other stats for you to use. Check out some of their videos which is linked to their site or their YouTube page.

Jessica Pack, from packwomantech.com, also has some good advice - 

Teachers are able to print out reports and graphs of student behavior using the website.  This could be especially important to Special Education teachers or those who have students with behavior support plans.  

Students can log in and view their own behavior progress.  If you want to enter your kids one by one into the system, then you can issue each student a username and password.  This can do wonders to increase ownership over behavioral choices and also offers a cool home connection. 

All in all. you don't need to know all the tools - just know that they are out there. 

The Cruise Ship vs. Speedboat

 
Change. Shift. Gigantic movements. 

They all happen. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. But change does happen. Some people embrace it, some people resist it. But change does happen. 

As the head of a technology department, we are living in some fantastic times. Technological change happens exponentially these days. The things we thought wouldn't be here 10 years ago are not only here, but they are better than we anticipated. 

For instance, take tablets and iPads. 10 years ago, these weren't around for consumers to try or buy. They were just a pipe dream for most. Today, we have iPads all over the globe in the hands of our very young and our very old. iPads have reached people because of fast and vast technologiical changes. 

Today, Google is promoting its Google Glass product. If you haven't Googled Google Glass yet, please do. Their videos on this product look like something out of a movie or this world but its not. It's real. It's here. 

If Google Glass is around today, what will the next 10 years bring us? For someone who is the head of a technology department, it's a great time to be in. 

While keeping that in mind, I also must realize that I am the head of a technology department within a school district. Now, there is nothing wrong with the district I am in. In fact, I believe that this district (to which I have been in for over 6 years), is one of the best in NJ and the USA. 

Of course, there is an inherent problem. Technology changes happen fast. Educational changes happen slow. 

I like to give the metaphor of the speed boat vs. the cruise ship. We in the technology departments, along with a few other key people, are hanging out in the speed boat. Everyone else, and that means the  teachers, students, parents, and staff, are all in the cruise ship, which is being pulled by the speed boat. When the speed boat makes a quick change, the cruise liner will also turn, but at a much slower and steadier pace. We in the speed boat at times love to make quick changes. We see something that we believe can be beneficial to the people on the cruise liner and we dart in that direction. The people on the cruise liner see the changes coming and some jump to the front of the ship to be the first to get there while others dart and linger around the back of the boat, still more engaged in the view of the ocean rather than the turns up ahead. 

Educational changes happen slowly. (Or, they tend to repeat themselves over the years). Technology changes happen quickly. (And will only get quicker).

Question:

How do we slow the speed boat down? How do we help the cruise liner turn quicker? 

I am figuring out the answers to these questions as we go along. I don't think anyone has a magic answer to this.  All I know is that if you are on the boat and haven't flung yourself overboard, that's a good thing; but even if you have, I'll be there to come around to get you out of the water and to safety. 

App-O-Da-Week #7

It's that time of the week again!

It's APP-O-DA-WEEK time! 

Thanks for coming back! We are going for nearly two months now. We have brought you both paid and free apps but this app is a bit different... it's both. 

The app that we will be highlighting this week is called "Puppet Pals."

Now, this app is free but to access all the content, you do have to pay for an upgraded version. These apps are generally refered to as "freemium apps" because they rope you in the the FREE word but then make you purchase more to access everything you want to. 

You might be saying to yourself that this is a waste of a FREE app - and most times, you would be correct. But, I would also argue that the paid version of Puppet Pals, which is $2.99, is well worth the investment. The full version is called "Puppet Pals Directors Pass" and you get a lot with it. 

This app allows you to create free puppet shows with user created or app created content. You can do voice overs  move characters around, and create some seriously wicked presentations! The app is easy to use and is one of those creation and collaboration apps that can be scaled for any age group from grades K-12.

Here is how the app makers describe their own app via http://tinyurl.com/a9deaat:

STAR IN YOUR OWN CARTOON in this creative, award-winning app!

Kids and adults alike love the simplicity of puppeteering and voicing characters while creating movies to share.

Simply pick out your actors and backdrops, drag them on to the stage, and tap record. Your movements and audio will be recorded in real time for playback later. 

This app is as fun as your own creativity. Act out a story of Pirates on the high seas, fight as scary monsters, or play the part of a Wild West bandit on the loose. You can even combine any characters however you want! 

Your creations are only limited by your imagination!

FEATURES 

- Create an actor from a photo

- Use a photo as a backdrop for your storytelling

- zoom and rotate your characters using two fingers

- flip them around with a double tap

- a wide variety of creative characters to download (including famous talk show hosts and politicians)

- limitless possibilities of story creations

All in all, its a pretty great app. Students can get engaged and tell stories using premade characters or they can take pictures and put themselves in the story! Other in app-purchases may set you back some but the basics should keep people coming back!

20th Century Classroom vs. the 21st Century Classroom

Recently, I have been researching and reading about the differences between this century and last century in terms of classrooms and what they look like. 

A great site summed it up perfectly - http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm

Here is a snapshot of what is found!

20th Century Classroom vs. the 21st Century Classroom

USA 1960’s typical classroom – teacher-centered, fragmented curriculum, students working in isolation, memorizing facts.	A classroom at the School of Environmental Studies, aka the Zoo School, in Minneapolis.  A perfect example of real-life, relevant, project-based 21st century education.
Time-based	Outcome-based
Focus:  memorization of discrete facts	Focus:  what students Know, Can Do and Are Like after all the details are forgotten.
Lessons focus on the lower level of Bloom’s Taxonomy – knowledge, comprehension and application.	Learning is designed on upper levels of Blooms’ – synthesis, analysis and evaluation (and include lower levels as curriculum is designed down from the top.)
Textbook-driven	Research-driven
Passive learning	Active Learning
Learners work in isolation – classroom within 4 walls	Learners work collaboratively with classmates and others around the world – the Global Classroom
Teacher-centered:  teacher is center of attention and provider of information	Student-centered:  teacher is facilitator/coach
Little to no student freedom	Great deal of student freedom
“Discipline problems" – educators do not trust students and vice versa.  No student motivation.	No “discipline problems” – students and teachers have mutually respectful relationship as co-learners; students are highly motivated.
Fragmented curriculum	Integrated and Interdisciplinary curriculum
Grades averaged	Grades based on what was learned
Low expectations	High expectations – “If it isn’t good it isn’t done.”  We expect, and ensure, that all students succeed in learning at high levels.  Some may go higher – we get out of their way to let them do that.
Teacher is judge.  No one else sees student work.	Self, Peer and Other assessments.  Public audience, authentic assessments.
Curriculum/School is irrelevant and meaningless to the students.	Curriculum is connected to students’ interests, experiences, talents and the real world.
Print is the primary vehicle of learning and assessment.	Performances, projects and multiple forms of media are used for learning and assessment
Diversity in students is ignored.	Curriculum and instruction address student diversity
Literacy is the 3 R’s – reading, writing and math	Multiple literacies of the 21st century – aligned to living and working in a globalized new millennium.
Factory model, based upon the needs of employers for the Industrial Age of the 19th century.  Scientific management.	Global model, based upon the needs of a globalized, high-tech society.
Driven by the NCLB and standardized testing mania.	Standardized testing has its place.  Education is not driven by the NCLB and standardized testing mania.

 In this day in age, its all about our students. It's all about sharing the classroom space to make sure we aren't creating "teachtatorships" within them. We are more facilitators of learning then we are teachers. We want our students to go out and learn everywhere, not just in our classroom. 

One similarity I do believe holds true from both centuries though - we need teachers who care, are driven by passion, and can make differences daily in students lives.