#edcampNJ: Why I love Education.

Education has a bright future.

If November 23rd, 2013 is any indication of the state of education, we are in excellent hands. It was a day I won't forget anytime soon. #edcampNJ rocked Central Jersey, with nearly 300 educators. I have been fortunate to attend a few edcamps before (#edcampSTEAM and #edcampLeadership being two of them) but yesterday was something special. Yesterday, I felt what I #Ehad known for quite some time, that there isn't something wrong with education and that there doesn't need to be major overhaul in what educators do. Yesterday, I felt PASSION. I felt it as soon as I walked in. 

Opening remarks of #edcampnj from Linwood MS in North Brunswick, New Jersey.

When I walked in, I was greeted by +Cassie Gorombey and a few others, who gave us some free swag and let us know how the day would go. Then it was over to the Big Board and the photobooth (yeah, they pulled out all the stops!) to see what sessions were coming and what I could look forward to. To be 100% honest, there could have been nothing put on that board and I would have been fine. Not to say the sessions were terrible but my primary goal yesterday was to meet and talk, face-to-face, with some people in my PLN who I had established these online relationships. It was a strange feeling, looking for people based on a 150x150 picture, but I was determined.

Learning about Standards Based Grading.

After the opening remarks, which were awesome and led by +Bill Krakower, +Scott Rocco, +Dana Sirotiak, +Jeffrey Bradbury and a few others, it was off to the first session. What is always great about the Edcamp model is that if the doesn't pertain to you or it wasn't what you thought, you can leave! (The rule of two feet, thank you very much!) I didn't find myself leaving because the sessions were not what I thought but I wanted to see SO MANY great educators that I found myself walking from session to session just to get a feel of what was going on.

The morning went by in a blur. By the time the second session had come to a close, my head was spinning (and that is a good thing.) Another great thing about #edcamp is that if you are sitting in on a session and the people in the room are on a device, that is a POSITIVE sign that they are engaged. Just like I was, there were many people who were tweeting, taking pictures, and writing down notes. Of course, I had my trusty analog tablet along for the ride (yellow legal pad, anyone?) but most participants had a digital device of choice. WiFi was free and abundant, as was the breakfast and coffee. As +Jay Eitner always says, if you feed them, they will come!

(Another thing I noticed? That some of the best conversations happened AFTER the sessions ended. After one session led by +Bruce Arcurio, a few of us stayed behind to talk about where education was going and the differences some states have. There was someone there all the way from Virginia. We continued the conversation right into the lunchroom!)

An emphatic Jay Eitner speaking passionately about education and new teachers.

After lunch, I have made sure to meet up with all of my fellow twitter tweeps that I had formed professional relationships with. Whether it was the #edtechchat crew of +Tom Murray, +Alex Podchaski, and +Sharon Plante, or it was finally talking to and meeting +Sandra Paul, I was happy to extend a hand, or outstretched arms, to these people I hold in such high regards.

I mean, I talk to these people a few times a week, lean on them for some advice and truly consider them colleagues. I think out of all of the things I will take from #edcampnj, it will be the impact that these people have on me and the continued relationships I will have with my #PLN. 

Overall, I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that yesterday was about the best professional development I have ever attended. And do you know what made it even better? That it was FREE and I got to choose what I did. I would gladly give up another Saturday every month if there was something like this. It was unlike any conference I have ever attended. It was authentic, passionate and organic.

When you hear people talk or write about the negative state of education and how we are lagging behind and blah, blah, blah... do yourself a favor and ask them come out to one of these unconferences. I KNOW that their tune will change and that they will see and feel exactly how I do:


Education has a bright, bright future.

Some of my fellow edheroes - Tom Murray and Sharon Plante, along with Alex Podchaski, make up some of the #edtechchat team. Alex and Sharon met Tom for the first time yesterday as well!

The blog in all of us!

Let's talk about blogging. Well, even better, lets talk about blogging while writing a blog. Even better than that, lets talk about blogging with writing a blog whilst also looking at other blogs for ideas!

Its like a tv, inside of a tv, inside of a tv...

But again, I digress.

Blogs (what a funny name) transformed me. The transformed the way I teach, the way I learn, and the way I interacted with my students. 

I had used a blog within my classroom for nearly four years before I moved on to the current position am in today. It was appropiately named: charlestonsclass.blogspot.com ! This was before I truly understood why 24/7 learning was important. I really just wanted my students to engage in a forum outside of school where they all could participate (and not feel like their voice wasn't heard or overshadowed) on their own time with their own devices.

My first blog posts were never really the in depth mantras that most blogs were all about. You know the ones. The ones that talked about their days, what they had to eat, and where they wanted to vacation. No, mine had none of that - the were makeshift educational forums for students. We bantered, debated, and participated in some pretty amazing discussions.

I posted articles to read, videos to watch, and games to engage in - and my kids would take it all in and bring that knowledge to the table the next day to get down and do some serious work.

Even before the phrase entered my vision, I knew that I was doing something different. I had flipped my teaching and therefore, had flipped my classroom.

By the time I was ready to join the Tech ranks, I had over ten-thousand visits and at times, nearly 200 posts in an hour! (our Fast and Furious study guide hours - thanks to http://waterforsixthgrade.blogspot.com/ and Mr. Dan Klumper  for tons of inspiration: and he doesn't even know it, until now!)

I taught Professional Development about blogs to my district and shared the wealth of what I did with my students. I created a Terms and Conditions sheet for parents and students to sign and my students had to hand that in before they could even step into the digital realm of our class blog.

Blogging Terms and Conditions

Need some ideas on why to blog? Check out this list from EDUblogs.com

I bring this up because blogging is just so important for education and serious learning.


Writing (or typing if you see it that way) is not going to go away - it will just evolve. 

Engaging your students is never going to go away - it will just evolve. 

Teaching will never, ever go away - it will just evolve. 

How will you evolve?

Interactivity with Tech - Skype

Keeping with this week’s theme of bringing technology and telecommunications to our classrooms, I am proud to reintroduce SKYPE to our district! 

Skype is a software application that enables its users to make voice and video calls over the internet. Calls to other Skype users are free, while calls to both traditional land line telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system. Skype can also be used for instant messaging, transferring files, and video conferencing.

So…why are we talking about this?! Because – you have all Skype installed on your computers. Skype is instant messaging and video conferencing.

For instance – if you have an issue, we can communicate with you REAL TIME.

Imagine – going on a Virtual Field Trip with an explorer in the Arctic! The possibilities are endless.

How Classroom Video Conferencing Works

Not every child wakes up eager to go to school. But if that child's day involved visiting with other school children in Zimbabwe, touring a Brazilian rainforest or interviewing an astronaut, she might be more inclined to get out of bed.  Enter the classroom of video conferencing, an evolving teaching method that is enhancing learning from kindergarten to graduate school. Video conferencing enables people at separate locations to communicate using video and audio transmissions and it isn't just for corporate meetings and television broadcasters anymore.  With the advancements in technology that have occurred in the last several years, more educators are pulling video conferencing into their classrooms.

Video Conferencing Education 
At its most basic level, video conferencing in education connects remote students to teachers. On a more exciting level, it also leads students on virtual tours, brings far-away experts on camera for interviews and allows kids to try out their fledgling foreign language skills on their peers from other countries. While such activities might have been difficult in the past due to travel costs, time constraints and inconvenience, classroom video conferencing can offer a work-around solution. Video conferencing lessons for schools can also ignite an interest and enthusiasm for learning that traditional teaching methods sometimes can't.

The Adventure Science Center in Nashville, TN is one of many educational institutions that deliver educational programs via video conferencing.  The Adventure Science Center creates opportunities for children to learn while having fun.

 Tips for Using Skype
Before the Skype session

• ·         Test the microphone, speakers and camera settings to make sure everything is working properly. Involve students as much as possible by assigning roles.
• ·         Have students practice speaking slowly and clearly.
• ·         If students are communicating about a prearranged topic, have a list of the students names on the board so they know the order they are participating.
• ·         Have students practice what they are going to say ahead of time.
• ·         If questions are going to be used in the skype session, prepare the questions ahead of time.
• ·         Organize the desks so that students can easily get to the microphone and/or camera and so that they can also be easily seen by those you are skyping with.
• ·         Place a "speaker chair" or mark a specific spot on the floor where students will sit/stand in order to be seen on the camera.
• ·         Set up an established time for the Skype session. Make sure you and your collaborator are clear on dates and times, taking into account time zone differences.
• ·         Arrange who is going to initiate and end the call.
• ·         Before placing a call, send a chat message to see if the participating class is ready. This way you’re not interrupting them if they’re busy. Even if you have an established time, it is courteous to send a quick message to make sure your collaborator is ready for the call.

During the Skype session

• ·         Students should speak clearly and slowly so they can be easily understood.
• ·         Try not to use 'slang' language that is only from your country or region unless the meaning is explained to the participating class.
• ·         Make sure students don't speak too loud. This is a major cause of feedback with the microphone and speakers.
• ·         Only have one person speaking at a time.
• ·         Encourage students to say who they are before they begin speaking.
• ·         Have an order in which students will speak.
• ·         Have a set procedure, i.e. one class asks a question, the other class answers then asks their question, etc.

At the end of the Skype session

• ·         Make sure to click on the End Call button to disconnect a session. Closing or minimizing the Skype window will not end a call.

Ideas for using SKYPE

One to One	One to Class	Class to Class
Pen Pals	Calling an expert	Games
Tech Support	Interviewing an author	Debates
Communicate with parents/students	Inclusion of homebound students	Learn about lives/cultures
Job Interviews	Virtual Field Trips	Collecting data
Collaborate on projects	Professional Development	Learning a language
Collaborate with other teachers	Students presenting information or performing for other classes
Provide mentoring or homework help	Sharing stories, riddles, math problems, or class artifacts

 Examples of Schools/Classrooms using Skype
Inclusion with homebound students - 5th grade classroom at Agnes Risley Elementary School - Sparks, NV
Connect Nebraska - 4th grade classrooms in Nebraska who have connected with each other via Skype or iChat. Students learn about different regions of the state from kids their own age.

https://education.skype.com/

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/50-ideas-for-using-skype-in-your-classroom/

Panasonic Skype Enabled Communication Camera - TY-CC20W (Google Affiliate Ad)

Skype: The Definitive Guide by Max, Harry/ Ray, Taylor [Paperback] (Google Affiliate Ad)

iMicro SP-IMTP331 Multimedia S (Google Affiliate Ad)