Gabcast! K12OnlineConference2007 Reflections #2

This is a cross post to reflection found at PD Tracker that is sponsored by K12OnlineCredit Wiki.

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Gabcast! K12OnlineConference2007 Reflections #1

I am spending a few days this week away from my classroom. I am participating in a Lesson Study with Day One and Two of the Open Court program. I was a bit nervous exposing my teaching in front of peers and coaches. I was thinking about threads in this weeks Creating Lifelong Learners by Mathew Needleman. At the same time I am listening to the Seedlings Podcast presentation for K12OnlineConference, flat agents of change.

So as a Flat Agent of Change; How do we enhance our curriculum? I think Mathew had a great idea. He has done so many things with bringing in video into the classroom. The concept of having a video conference with a real person is empowering. I was thinking on our next unit on City Wildlife. I can try to bring an expert into our classroom.

Nowadays it can be done virtually through different web tools. I have used a skype call with video. I don’t want to discuss the specific tool because, there are so many available. The big idea is that you can bring in an expert from anywhere. They can be across the street or across the world. Even for me, it doesn’t have to be video. It can be audio only.

How cool can it be to have several classrooms viewing the same speaker? This can be achieved with tools such as Flash Meeting or Ustream. Even better, would be to record these sessions and upload them to a blog for others to use or revisit the following year. So, how would you use video conferencing to enhance your curriculum, Open Court or otherwise?

So what makes a successful unit opener?  Thanks Mathew; Creating Lifelong Learners  blog for the friendly nudge. I’ll be spending some time this next week looking at our next unit plan.  The unit opener is an opportunity to give your Language Arts curriculum a jump start.  Spending a day away from routines and exploring a concept is such an enriching experience.   It  sets the tone for the rest of the unit.

In  the introduction of my next unit I will have a small table in front of the Concept and Question Board.  I will bring several pieces of realia to have students identify and explore.  I will put these items in a big brown grocery bag, just to build suspense.  Even though we are bombarded with the use of different mindmaps, the old KWL chart still works for me.   I have students with in table groups to come up with ideas.  The students then share their ideas with the class.  From these ideas we make our class KW, I revisit chart throughout the unit and add ideas and facts learned.

The use of images is an essential part in my introduction of the concepts in the unit.  This can be accomplished by preparing selected images that represent these concepts.  I like to search for images at social sharing websites like flickr. I use a school LCD projector to show these to the students.  You can also print them out and make a transparency and use with an overhead projector.   I will use these to introduce a writing prompt.  This will be their initial writing piece.

I will also use this day to introduce the unit project.  These projects can take many forms, from your traditional display boards to more sophisticated reports and maybe even powerpoints.  I am thinking of having the students create a digital story to showcase their learning from the unit.  The digital story will incorporate student narration, the use of pictures and maybe some video.  We are going to publish these group digital stories on our classroom blog, thirdgradediscoveries.  This is our new classroom blog.  So, how do you introduce unit concepts in your classroom?

This was a Spanish Webcast. Join us as we discuss Pre-Columbian Folklore. The Rodriguez Clan; Jorge Adrian Rodriguez, Don Rosendo Rodriguez and I (Jose Rodriguez) are joined by Kevin Sandridge. Special thanks to my It’s Elementary Webcast buddies Lisa Durff and Alice Mercer (AKA stream checkers). Yes Alice; There was a story about Giants. I had a last minute change in computers after simplecast crashed on me. The skype gods stayed on my side. Only difficulty was audio on my mic was really low. Special thanks to Jorge Rodriguez for his superb storytelling; you can contact him at buscaespantos@yahoo.com.mx

Stories referred to on show below;

La Llorona; The Weeping Women a women that drowned her children and now is cursed to look for them for eternity. We talked about the different versions popular throughout Mexico. Many people claimed to have seen her, even today. Rosendo shared his experience. One night his wife sewing late into the night when she heard her wailing down the streets.
Duendes/Chaneques; miniture goblins that create havoc. Don Resendo gives us examples of how the goblins would hide their sandals and throw them in the prickly pears. Don Rosendo talks about duendes appearing near the Laguna where he lives now.
Tales from the Belen Cemetery in Guadalajara Mexico. El nino que le tenia miedo a la oscuridad.(Nachito) The boy that was afraid of the darkness. When he was left at home and his night light went off, he died of fright. When he was buried the next day its tomb was open and the body outside. The grave digger reburried the body. Each night for the next 10 days the same would happen. It wasn’t until his body was put on an outside grave with the body exposed so that light would it rest in peace. Visitors still routinely leave candy and and toys to him. Many believe him to be a guardian angel.

Tales about Giants. The Mountain of dead in the state of Aguas Calientes. How Giants that lived on Earth were called back to the heavens. When they refused to go they were turned into Mountains. There was a certain romanticism. About a couple of Giants that still walk the alleys of Aguas Calientes.

Jorge shared with us a story about the great Volcanoes. The son of the Sun and the daughter of the moon come down to Earth. An Adam and Eve story and how they lost their divinity. When She dies he is so heartbroken he stays at her side until and filled with sorrow the cries his hear out (literally) the Sun God so endeared decides to keep them together forever as the two great Volcanoes outside of Mexico City.
Kevin shared with us his trip to Puebla. The Folklore he learned while there. Jorge tells us of the Creation of the Sun and the Moon. How the Sun is put in the sky. and how when the Moon is created it was just as bright as the Sun. The Aztec Gods decide this could not be. The Aztec Gods thew a rabbit at the Moon. It’s impression is still there today. And with impact it starts the Moons rotation around the Earth.

Finally, Don Rosendo shares his personal stories of the bracero life in El Norte. The times he shared with my grandfather Tomas Rodriguez.

Listen or Download; Webcast Academy.mp3

This a cross post from my Webcast Academy Blog. Now that I am famous

I think I first heard the term; “Open Source Learning” in chat in the
Webcast Academy. I thought I knew what it was. I figured it referred
to us choose what content we wanted to learn on the internet. I heard
Will Richardson refer to ideas on the Read-Write Web and the like. I
also keep up with other superbloggers like Wesley Fryer, Miguel Ghulin,
David Warlick, Christopher Sessums, Steven Downes just to name a few.
I even participated in K12Online last year and Web Heads in Action
Online Conference this year along with Necc2007 not to mention
everything happening at edtechtalk. Nevertheless understanding comes
through the practice or application and not theory. Not until Webcast
Academy did I begin to understand Open Source Learning. It just all
clicked today. I got a call from Kevin Sandridge (Notes from the Ridge) a teacher in central
Florida, we had a long talk about web 2.0 and implications for Second
Language Learners, Yesterday Susan Ettenheim (Teacher Teaching Teachers) was asking about classes to recruit
for youthbridges. I had a conversation with Chris Craft about a project
on digital storytelling on Friday. And Today it just came all
together. Dennis was uploading his file to Webcast Academy. It didn’t
show up in the flash player. I thought I would help out. How hard
could it be. 80 minutes later with Susan patiently waiting on the
sidelines we defeated the audacity gremlins and successfully uploaded
the file. I felt great and was happy to be able to contribute. Open
Source Learning means building on collective knowledge. NOW, I’ve GOT
IT! Jose Rodriguez, August 2007, WCA

Thanks WCA Interns and our coaches; Cheryl Oakes, Susan Ettenheim, Lee Baber and the Chief; Jeff Lebow for making WCA such a rewarding experience!

Rafael Murillo and I (Jose Rodriguez) ESL (English as a Second Language; in the States; English as a Foreign Language, everywhere else) teachers in Los Angeles, CA (USA), will be hosting a live talk. Join us as we discuss English As a Foreign Language Best Practices. Fellow ESL/EFL teachers will share best practices for teaching English. How do you embed technology into your Language Teaching? 9:00 a.m. Pacific on Saturday August 11, 2007  16:00 GMT World Fixed Time

This is live, interactive webcast. Participants will be using text chat at http://webcastacademy.net/chat You can listen to live conversation at http://webcastacademy/listen

To participate in conversation live you need. Skype http://www.skype.com; requires download and set up. You’ll need headset with mic. or a computer with built in microphone. USB all in one works best. Otherwise you can listen to stream on Internet and text your comments and questions in chat room.

Agenda

I. Introduction:

Who we are and why we are doing this show.

II. Background; what we are doing now.

1. How are teachers using technology to teach English (EFL or ESL)?

a. Presentation of Content

b. Practicing Language Skills

II. Introducing Web 2.0 into the EFL/ESL Classroom

1. Creating spaces for our students.

a. Using classroom Blogs

2. Producing audio and video

a. Podcasts and Video demonstrations

3. Connecting with other classrooms

a. EFL teachers and Social Networks like Webheads in Action.

II. Roundtable Discussion: Participants to give their thoughts on ideas presented in show.

1. How do you use technology in your classroom?

2. Question and Answer Session

This is a live session and will be recorded. It will be available as a podcast at www.webcastacademy.net

Wow are off and running. We had our orientation led by our coaches Cheryl Oakes of WOW 2.0 fame and Susan Ettenheim TTT Super Star and of course the Chief himself, Jeff Lebow. It was a fast paced meeting. We got an overview of the curriculum and our first homework. We were to upload audio introduction to webcast academy site. There were a lot of familiar names in the chatroom from the edtechtalk weekly crowd. There was a lot of energy in the chatroom and by the end of the night, teams were being formed. These teams are informal and are a support structure for interns. We divided the It’s Elementary team for the Webcast Academy. We thought that we can bring new learning back to the team. I am working with Bee (Webhead from Brazil) JenW (Women of the Web) and Robin. Stay tuned, I’ll keep you posted.