students gain 21st century skills exploring real issues
bulldog 2.0 September 2010
reaching up & out and leaving our mark
http://bossebulldogs20.wordpress.com
Leaving Myself Behind lessons in responsible digital citizenship
Creating your PLN
gathering and sharing ideas using a personal learning network
Assessments in Angel
In our first issue of Bulldog 2.0, we will explore two web resources, Prezi and FreeRice, as well as look inside some classrooms to see some of the great projects teachers are already integrating into their daily curriculum. We will look at some shortcut and alternate key codes—some tips that will help us with our daily computer usage. We’ll look at creating our own personal learning network, understand how to troubleshoot some of the wifi connection issues around the building, and reflect on technology—then and now. I’d like to thank all of you for being so patient with me as I’ve transitioned into my new role as eLearning coach. I look forward to working with you all on your special projects.
Missy Feller missy.feller@evsc.k12.in.us eLearning Coach Bosse High School 812.435.8888 ext. 41131
thanks to our awesome sponsor:
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bulldog 2.0
| September 2010
bulldog 2.0 September 2010
reaching up & out and leaving our mark
http://bossebulldogs20.wordpress.com
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assessments in Angel new Angel user Andrew Weinzapfel answers questions about the benefits of online assessments
passwords & rosters in Apex forgotten passwords? co-teachers? roster updates? here are some tips for getting started
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alt key codes
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shortcut keys
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time warp
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syfy connections: the internet
creating a PLN Jeff Thornton explains how to use a personal learning network and provides links to his own
math symbols and accent marks — without a symbol map
want an easier way to cut and paste? going to the beginning or end of a document?
a reflection about what our classes looked like 200 years ago and what they look like today
did you know that the Internet was envisioned by a science fiction author in the 1940s?
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promethean boards finally arrive four promethean boards join the Bosse family in rooms 222, 229, 239, and 242
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internet woes connection issues may slow down your students but here are a few quick fixes
contents
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feature website http://www.prezi.com create awesome presentations with
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create an account
Educators and students receive many benefits with their free EduEnjoy account, such as 500MB of storage and the ability to present offline.
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2
your prezi is a canvas
Prezis do not limit presentations to linear boundaries. This blank canvas is like a giant posterboard, allowing you to zoom in on tiny details or zoom out to see the big picture. You will be able to add text, frames, pictures, and video to enhance your presentation.
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| September 2010
create your prezi
With the simple click of a mouse, you and your students can move beyond the linear limitations of most presentation software.
4
bubble menu
The Bubble Menu is the control deck of all parts of your Prezi. Click on it to change your options.
Insert allows you to Load Files from your computer or flash drive, or create shapes using the Arrow, Line, or Marker tool. Use the highest quality images possible because the zooming in and out will cause them to appear pixilated. The Frame and Path Menus work together to help define the focus of your Prezi. You can create frames around words for visual effect, or because you want to zoom in on that area.
The Path determines what order Prezi will show the
hidden (blue) frame for focus circle, square, and bracket frames for visual effect
objects on your canvas. It will automatically rotate or zoom according to the size and rotation of the object or frame.
The Transformation Zebra is the most important tool when creating a Prezi. When you select an object on your canvas, you can edit the location, size, and rotation using the Zebra. The Inner Wheel (up & down lines) will allow you to move your object
The (+) Sign will give you additional options, such as deleting
The Colors & Fonts Menu allows you to choose the template of your
around the canvas. The Middle Wheel will resize the object. The
the object, duplicating it, or changing the layering order.
Prezi. This will determine the color scheme and fonts available, as well
Outer Wheel (sun rays) will rotate the object.
as the appearance of your frames and shapes.
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types of questions available in Angel questions can be mixed and matched within an assessment and be viewed one at a time, all at once, or in sets as determined by the teacher
U.S. History teacher Andrew Weinzapfel began using assessments in Angel toward the beginning of this school year. In an online interview, he shares his thoughts about how it has changed his classroom.
...feedback is much faster... What have you done in Angel so far this year? How is this different from last year? I’ve given two tests, linked to websites outside of Angel, and uploaded PowerPoints. I did not use Angel last year. Do you believe your students have benefitted from taking quizzes or tests on Angel?
I believe many of our students can type essays better than they can handwrite them. The feedback is much faster as well.
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How has using assessments on Angel made your job as teacher easier? The objective questions are graded automatically. I only have to go on to grade the essays. Essay grading is easier because I can hide student names as I grade, the essays are neat, and I do not have to carry any papers home. How would you encourage teachers who might be hesitant about using Angel?
Until you actually do the tests and things yourself, it will seem too overwhelming. Start with something small, and you will inevitably want to do more. Murphy's Law is always an issue—so have a backup just in case.
passwords and rosters
passwords
If you want to start using Apex as supplementary material in your classes, here are some starting points
you: send me an email and I’ll reset it your students: click on the Students tab and either send them the given password or click reset
add users click on the pencil next to the course roster you wish to edit students: click on student enrollment tab; find student name in list; highlight name; click save teachers: click on teacher enrollment tab; find teacher name in list; highlight name; click save
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NOTE: do not click — this will create a new account for your students; all currently enrolled students should already have accounts |7
21st century learning: solving real issues project spotlight on sociology students feature by Jeff Dierlam jeff.dierlam@evsc.k12.in.us
about mr. dierlam Jeff Dierlam has been at Bosse since 2005 and teaches U.S. Government and Sociology. He currently serves as the chairperson for the social studies and world languages departments. In the summer of 2010 he joined the Changing to Learn Institute, which is a professional learning community created as part of the EVSC’s Learning Leadership Cadre.
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The students in my sociology class recently finished a twoweek project in which they researched a social problem. This was much more than a simple research assignment. The students were told that they were applying for a federal grant that would allocate money they could use to help with the social problem they chose to study. The students had to research the causes, effects, demographics, and possible solutions that have been tried. Upon completing their research, they had to present their findings to the “Grant Approval Board.” Ms. Huff and Ms. Crick graciously agreed to sit is as “board members” and hear the students presentations. They then asked students follow-up questions that challenged the students’ knowledge and application of their research.
| September 2010
This project required the students to take responsibility for their own learning. They experienced working in a collaborative group, contacting community organizations, conducting interviews, and developing communication skills. They needed to access and analyze various internet resources which required them to think critically about the information they were gathering. Student engagement was at an all-time high during class time because the students were investigating problems that they chose and developing a product that others would see. I feel as though they took pride in what they were doing and it showed in their finished result.
finding and sharing ideas made easier
building a personal learning network (pln) feature by Jeff Thornton jeff.thornton@evsc.k12.in.us It seems that educators have always been good at sharing and finding ideas through person to person networks. Now, with so many digital resources available on the internet a new world of ideas can be unleashed in the classroom. The only problem is that it can be a daunting challenge to manage it all and find something usable. One free web-based tool that I have enjoyed using is www.netvibes.com. Netvibes is a one stop shop for managing your network. I have a page set up to track everything that the best and brightest music educators are doing in their classrooms. I am able to hear about new free web-based programs my students can use and new techniques for teaching my students. I have put together a short tutorial on setting up and using Netvibes if you should desire to learn more. The tutorial is available at this link: http://www.youtube.com/v/H-85T5fxjrE . I hope you will take a moment to set up an online PLN today and see what ideas will inspire your teaching.
about mr. thornton Jeff is choral director at Bosse High School where he uses technology to teach music. He enjoys creating movie projects for students as well as creating recording projects with Audacity. He looks forward to the installation of his Promethean board. Video site: www.schooltube.com/user/jeffthornton Class site: http://bossechoirsin.schools.officelive.com
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alt key codes
In world language and math classes, students often need to type accents or characters which are hard to find in Angel. Students and teachers can easily insert special characters, you just have to know the code.
Consonants / Punctuation
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Ç
ALT + 0199 (caps)
ç
ALT + 0231 (lower)
«
ALT + 0171 (left angle quote)
»
ALT + 0187 (right angle quote)
€
ALT + 0128
¿
ALT + 0191
¡
ALT + 0161
º
ALT + 0186
ª
ALT + 0170
Ñ
ALT + 0209
ñ
ALT + 0241
Capitals
Lowercase
Special
Special
Special
À ALT + 0192
à ALT + 0224
◚ ALT + 1
► ALT + 16
▼ ALT +31
 ALT + 0194
â ALT + 0226
◛ ALT + 2
◄ ALT + 17
æ ALT + 145
Ä ALT + 0196
ä ALT + 0228
◡ ALT + 3
↕ ALT + 18
Æ ALT + 146
È ALT + 0200
è ALT + 0232
◢ ALT + 4
‼ ALT + 19
¢ ALT + 155
É ALT + 0201
é ALT + 0233
◠ ALT + 5
¶ ALT + 20
£ ALT + 156
Ê ALT + 0202
ê ALT + 0234
◟ ALT + 6
§ ALT + 21
¥ ALT + 157
Ë ALT + 0203
ë ALT + 0235
•
ALT + 7
▬ ALT + 22
ƒ ALT + 159
Î
ALT + 0206
î
ALT + 0238
◘ ALT + 8
↖ ALT + 23
½ ALT + 171
Ï
ALT + 0207
ï
ALT + 0239
○ ALT + 9
↑ ALT + 24
¼ ALT + 172
Ô ALT + 0212
ô ALT + 0244
◙ ALT + 10
↓ ALT + 25
± ALT + 241
ΠALT + 0140
œ ALT + 0156
◞ ALT + 11
→ ALT + 26
≥ ALT + 242
Ù ALT + 0217
ù ALT + 0249
◝ ALT + 12
← ALT + 27
≤ ALT + 243
Û ALT + 0219
û ALT + 0251
◣ ALT + 13
↗ ALT + 28
÷ ALT + 246
Ü ALT + 0220
ü ALT + 0252
◤ ALT + 14
↔ ALT + 29
≈ ALT + 247
Ÿ ALT + 0159
ÿ ALT + 0255
◜ ALT + 15
▲ ALT + 30
√ ALT + 251
bulldog 2.0
| September 2010
http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/altchrc.html
only 5 minutes left in class? Ask students to visit FreeRice.com, a website that rewards right answers with donations of rice to underprivileged countries like Cambodia, Uganda, and Bangladesh.
make it simple for me:
shortcut keys ALT + F ALT + E CTRL + A CTRL + X CTRL + C CTRL + V HOME CTRL + HOME END CTRL + END
sodoku
file menu options edit options selects all text cut selected item copy selected item paste beginning of current line beginning of document end of line end of document
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leaving myself
BEHIND 64% of students say or do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about
I
n early September, I began visiting the English classes at Bosse. I spoke on the Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship, focusing primarily on communication and safety, since these are the ones that impact our students most. I stressed clarity in text messages and emails — being sure that the message won’t be misconstrued. Because our mode of communication has changed and continues to change — we are no longer limited to face-to-face contact — we do not always have facial expressions or tones of voice to help translate our message. I try to teach by example: I tend to compose important emails in stages, checking the draft later when the edge of the moment is gone. I also mentioned the importance of using the subject line in emails. Looking back over my 50+ emails of the day would be especially difficult without a short explanation of the content. But most of
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all, I showed them the permanency of their digital communications: once you send, you cannot get it back. This goes for emails, web posts, pictures, and videos. It is an especially abstract idea because digital communication rarely gives us something we can hold onto with both hands, something tangible, so it somehow seems less threatening. An online presence can be ghost-like — there and gone without no one taking notice — yet the more we discussed our digital dossier, the more haunting the idea became. But my intent was not to frighten — it was to increase awareness — and every class I visited said that they found value in the ideas presented. The next part of the presentation focused on programs available on the netbooks, effective and safe searching online, and access. Although some students do not have wireless access at home, most knew where to go to obtain it. In a mock scenario, students even suggested finishing online homework prior to leaving school, if internet access was needed to complete the assignment. While covering the common misconceptions about the internet, students didn’t realize that clicking on ads claiming that they’ve won some sort of prize might lead to a company phishing for their personal
| September 2010
information.
Information is a tricky topic in the digital age. Because so much information is readily available, and in multiple formats, copyright laws often go ignored. I stressed the idea to students: just because we CAN do something, doesn’t mean that we SHOULD. The most important idea of digital citizenship is making the right choices not because we have to do so, but because we know it is the better thing to do. Parents are a vital part of this process, and we encourage all parents to teach responsible digital citizenship to their children. The last part of my presentation zeroed in on staying safe while online. “Keep private information private,” I reminded them, although in exchange for goods or services, 75% of children would be willing to share personal information. Sixteen percent of students would be willing to meet someone they’ve only known online. Four percent of students have received a solicitation from a stranger that made them feel uncomfortable. And a shocking 64% of students say or do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about.
as imagined in
1946
by science fiction author Murray Leinster
from
A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster published by Street and Smith, 1946
“You know the Logics set-up. You got a Logic in your house. It looks like a vision-receiver used to, only it's got keys instead of dials and you punch the keys for what you wanna get. It's hooked in to the Tank, which has the carson Circuit all fixed up with relays. Say you punch "Station SNAFU" on your Logic. Relays in the Tank take over an' whatever vision program SNAFU is telecastin' comes on your logic's screen. Or you punch "Sally Hancock's Phone" an' the screen blinks an' sputters an' you're hooked up with the Logic in her house an' if someone answers you got a vision-phone connection. But besides that, if you punch for the weather forecast or who won today's race at Hialea or who was mistress of the White House durin' Garfield's administration or what is PDQ and R sellin' for today, that comes on the screen too. The relays in the Tank do it. The Tank is a big buildin' full of all the facts in creation and all the recorded telecasts that ever was made - an' it's hooked in with all the other Tanks all over the country - an' everything you wann know or see or hear, you punch for it an' you get it. Very convenient.”
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1080
syfy inventions
Internet
“I was servicing televisions before that guy Carson invented his trick circuit that will select any of 'steenteen million other circuits - in theory there ain't no limit...
time warp
Although I titled my presentation Responsible Digital Citizenship, some of the students seemed mostly interested in my Prezi and how I got my “PowerPoint” to zoom in and out. “It isn’t a PowerPoint,” I told them. “It’s a Prezi.” But such is the nature of our fast -changing world. When I took educational technology classes in college (not really that long ago — ten years at most) — my projects included creating PowerPoints with “advanced features” like transitions and animations. I also learned how to create Flash videos, edit html code, and do some very basic Photoshop work — most of it completely out of context with what I might use in the classroom. Now, Flash has changed so much, I’d have to unlearn most of my prior knowledge to use it; editing html code is rarely necessary when creating webpages; and photo editing is as common as taking digital pictures.
Our world is changing, faster than most science fiction authors ever thought possible. But what about education? Has it managed to keep up with the world around it? Every classroom at Bosse — including those with interactive whiteboards — still has a chalkboard or whiteboard, even though chalkboards first entered the classroom in the US in 1801 — over 200 years ago. I wonder, what would our world look like if we stayed in 1801?
We might want to listen to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” since he finished it in 1801, although we wouldn’t be able to tune in on our cassette deck, CD player, or iPod, since none of those were around.
Instead of logging onto CNN.com to listen and watch Obama’s address to the nation, we’d read about Thomas Jefferson’s thoughts in our local newspaper (if we were lucky enough to know how to read) We would want an opportunity to work at Paul Revere’s brand new copper mill — using some of the latest technology available for that field at the time, though none of it involved computers
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In addition to the Promethean Boards, these teachers also received Samsung 850DX Document Cameras.
On September 15, four new Promethean Boards came into our teachers’ classrooms: Michele Hays, Jeff Dierlam, Jennifer Davis, and Ryan Merriwether.
A Promethean Board is an Interactive White Board (IWB), similar to the ones already mounted in rooms 211 and 224. By using the ActivInspire software and a special pen, teachers may use the Board as a giant touchscreen, eliminating the need for chalk or dry-erase markers. With all the times you write, erase, and rewrite information on your boards, imagine if you could save that work and reuse it across different periods — even over the course of several years.
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from the Promethean website: “ActivInspire is the educational software that powers the ActivClassroom. ActivInspire is the foundation for any learning experience, from leading the class on an interactive, multi-media whiteboard to creating new lessons filled with animated graphics. It even features two different interfaces – one bright and inviting for young learners, the other more sophisticated for older students.”
| September 2010
EVSC’s goal is to equip every classroom with the Promethean Board and Samsung document camera within the next couple of years.
resources ICATS Promethean Help Page ICATS Promethean New Board Tip Sheet ICATS Promethean ActivInspire Quick Guide ICATS Document Camera Installation Guide (Windows) ICATS Document Camera Installation Video
Internet Woes‌... Are your students having trouble connecting to the Internet? There are three separate issues that could be causing the problem.
the problem:
the problem:
the problem:
no internet connections found
connects to WSN, Lightspeed blocks all
red X over WSN network
the solution:
the solution:
the solution:
check for the tower icon on the bottom left corner of the netbook. If it isn’t blue, press the Function and the F6 keys simultaneously.
send students to the office during open hours, call 41131, or email. A quick installation (less than 5 minutes) of a Lightspeed patch will correct this.
Shut down the netbook completely, connect to an Ethernet cable, restart, and login. Wait for the netbook to recognize the WSN network, then disconnect the Ethernet cable.
encourage students never to disconnect from the WSN network.
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in the next issue word power: using technology to learn
want to feature in a future newsletter? email me!
world languages
project.based.learning in the math classroom branching out with the
tech team
bulldog 2.0 October 2010
reaching up & out and leaving our mark
http://bossebulldogs20.wordpress.com