We're All In This Together

The title of my post may be misleading. Let me explain:

Over the past year, I have worked with fantastic educators, locally and across the USA (and the world!). This month, though, is a time for change in education.A time when we see colleagues and friends move on  to other district, jobs, or to Florida for those who are hanging it up for good. It is one of the hardest months for me because each and every year, I see co-workers move own to greener (and sometimes not so greener) pastures. some in education and some out of it entirely. Just this past month, my district lost its Superintendent and a few great teachers to other districts. 

It has been an up and down month. One where you want to write about it but don't know how to get those feelings out.

Being on vacation this week has allowed me to unwind a bit and of course, that is when the ideas start coming in. Today was one of those days that just grabs you. You know, a day when all of the ideas you have been trying to work on for the past few months come rushing at you like a title wave of energy and excitement. A day when you weren't expecting productivity but found it in the strangest of places. 

My strange place happened to be on the couch, watching the Disney channel.

I was flipping through the channels and for some reason, the movie "High School Musical" was on. For some other reason, I stopped clicking and decided to watch it right as their big dance number was up, entitled "We're All in This Together." If you haven't heard the song, check it out online. It's catchy and a good summer time jam. 

That song, that title, their energy reminded me of what we in education did this year. It reminded me about how I truly felt about the educators we lost this year to attrition, movement, or retirement. 

I wasn't sad, angry, or upset. It just clicked. It just all made sense. This isn't a month of mourning, its a month of endless possibilities. 

We are all fighting the same fight, we are all in this together- FOR THE KIDS. 

While it's bittersweet that I am losing some great co-workers, I am happy by the prospect that I now have friends and colleagues in other districts. These are new connections that were not there last year. My mind is already spinning with the possibility of cross-district planning, projects, and events! 

I am also excited to see the new crop of educators who will come through those doors with that "students-first" mentality and energy that knows no bounds. 


Even though the halls may be empty now, my mind is FULL is ideas. Thanks, Disney Channel.

PS - for your viewing pleasure...

App-O-Da-Week #6

Back by popular demand.... it's the App-O-Da-Week!

Thanks to all those who have been supporting this great movement over the last month and a half. It makes writing this and bring apps to you folks fantastic!

Again, because of the demand, we are bringing you not one, but TWO apps. One paid. One free.


Starting with the PAID, let's focus on an app that is breaking waves in education. It's allowing students to explain, well, basically everything. And wouldn't you know it, the app is called "Explain Everything," and for $2.99, it certainly does much more than that.

Folks are calling this one a game changer. Explain Everything allow a student to annotate, create, screencast, and share everything from anywhere. When they are done, they have the ability to upload it to one of many services we currently have, including E-Backpack or Google Drive. 

For those who want a more "techie" answer about what this app does, just look to what the maker, MorrisCooke, says about it:

"Explain Everything is an easy-to-use design tool that lets you annotate, animate, and narrate explanations and presentations. You can create dynamic interactive lessons, activities, assessments, and tutorials using Explain Everything's flexible and integrated design. Use Explain Everything as an interactive whiteboard using the iPad2 video display. Explain Everything records on-screen drawing, annotation, object movement and captures audio via the iPad microphone.  Import Photos, PDF, PPT, and Keynote from Dropbox, Evernote, Email, iPad photo roll and iPad2 camera. Export MP4 movie files, PNG image files, and share the .XPL project file with others for collaboration."








WOW - that's alot. It means that students aren't only creating, they are redefining and sharing what they have learned with others in a way that was never before possible. When looking at the SAMR scale of technology use in classrooms, this app is way up there at the top.

Eventually, students will be able to use this app to create fantastic screencasts of their work, share it with their teacher (who in turn will give feedback and give it back to the student) all in one fell swoop. No computer necessary!

With Common Core become law, there a ton of technological aspects in here that can be used to your advantage. Remember, Common Core has a lot to do with technology and assessments and wouldn't you know it, students can actually use this app as an assessment tool. Teachers can record their lesson plans, activities, and even them reading to the class all in this app.

There aren't many killer apps out there but if there is one that needs to be purchased right away, this one is it.

Multimedia Design - My Introduction Video

And we go ... again! Back to the blog. I'm sorry it has been so long since my last entry but alas, here I am, back in the digital flesh; and boy, do we have some things to talk about.


For one, I have started my journey to getting my Technology Education certificate! In doing so, I will be using the blog... a lot! One of the classes I am taking, Multimedia Design for Educators, we be very, very interesting and safe to say, right up my alley. 


For starters, we had to create a multimedia introduction. Believe it or not, I have never created a YouTube video before. I mean, I know how to take a video, edit one and the like but I never got around or into the sharing aspect. I always thought that the videos were a bit too personal and I would think it to be strange that random strangers could find my videos on the web. Well I got over my fear and created a pseudo video presentation by using the Audacity podcast maker, Windows Movie Maker and YouTube. It was sooo much easier that I thought it would be and I am glad I did it. It will make the next few very easy. 


So, with out further ado, here it is!

21st Century: Are we moving too fast?

When I was doing my undergrad work at Seton Hall years ago, the idea of 21st Century learning, skills, and teaching were not even discussed. I'm pretty sure we were still learning about bloom's taxonomy, John Dewey, and how to teach our children the basics of literacy, social studies, and how not to plagiarize.

Since I have been teaching, it seems that nothing I did during my undergrad has truly been worth it. I mean, I literally spent one semester creating a "Web Quest" for a basic computers class. While the web quest idea was interesting and engaging, I didn't see the point for it. Maybe that was their way to moving us towards 21st century skills and teaching. 

Thing is, I have never used, nor probably will ever use, a web quest during my teachings. The Internet, social media, and creativity have surpassed these once educational tools that are on our computers. Web quests are boring, as are watching videos, creating PowerPoint's, and the like. These things that I learned about in school WERE the 21st century skills that we needed. Now, they have been replaced, and rather quickly I might add, with creative blogging, interactive video chat, and more. Things have changed quickly because we are changing quickly. We want, and when I say we I mean our future generations, instantaneous interaction. We want feedback. We want things that will grab our attention and hold it for more than three and a half seconds. 

I am not griping. I was happy, and still happy, about my undergrad education in 21st century skills. These were the skills of the time. I just wish they have the foresight to see that those were educational tools of the 20th century. Now finishing up my graduate work, I realize that items are the wave of the future BUT this wave is already starting to crest. 

Google just turned 13. Facebook is 6 years old. YouTube has already been Time magazines person of the year (or was it people of the year?). Point is... are these items that are hot right now truly 21st century learning? Or are they the start of something larger and more interactive. If you have noticed, all of those websites look nothing like they did when they first started. Facebook is now undergoing its umpteenth change in the last year - this time to make it more user friendly and interactive. Google is always unveiling a new tool to its repertoire, such as Google +, google docs, or google apps. 

My hope is that we as educators can stay ahead of the curve instead of two steps behind it. While the world grabs a hold of blogging and wiki-ing (is that a word??), our younger generations have been there and already done that - they are off to bigger, better, and more secretive things that we will soon learn about. 

How do we stay ahead of the curve? Are we being disingenuous to the things that came before it? Are we smiting the old ways of doing things? 

I don't have answers to those but what I do know is this: 21st century skills and learning does not just happen with the internet, social media, or technology - it is a frame of mind. It is all about collaborating, creativity, and being a part of something bigger than yourself. If we can keep those items in mind, I hope we can be prepared for the 22nd century skills in time.