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Google Digital Literacy Tour

January 4, 2012Kelly Tenkely6 Comments3876 views

What it is: No matter what subject(s) you teach, digital literacy is something we all need to take the responsibility to expose our students to. iKeep Safe (one of my favorites for Internet safety with Faux Paw the Techno cat!) teamed up with Google to create a curriculum for educators to teach what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. The outcome is wonderful, it is designed to be interactive, discussion oriented, and hands-on. Each separate piece of curriculum (workshop) includes a pdf resource booklet for both educators and students, videos to accompany lessons, and presentations. The three workshops available are:

Detecting Lies and staying true
Playing and staying safe online
Steering clear of cyber tricks

How to integrate Google Digital Literacy Tour into the classroom: Google never disappoints, and the Google Digital Literacy Tour is no exception! These are a great discussion starters for every classroom. I like this Digital Literacy Tour because it doesn’t give a lot of drill and kill type exercises to find out if the student can tell you the “correct” answer. Instead, it invites conversations and deeper thinking…exactly what is needed for true digital literacy!

The videos and presentations can be used throughout the year (and multiple times throughout the year) to open discussions about online behavior. Too often educators assume that because students are adept at using technology, that means they know how to properly use that technology. Students can understand the freedom and benefits that technology brings without knowing how to properly manage that freedom, that is what digital literacy is all about! It is up to us to help students understand what their digital relationships represent in real life, and how their actions online can affect what they do in real life.

Use the Google Digital Literacy Tour as a conversation starter for the whole class or ask students to break into smaller groups to discuss before they share with the larger group. If you have some added time for reflection, ask students to write about their own experiences, or reflection, on why digital literacy is important. Every year I have taught Internet safety, I am amazed by what students tell me they have encountered online! I am telling you now, no matter what grade you teach, your students have encountered something online that they didn’t know what to do with. Help them navigate that!

Tips: Share these resources with parents. They often hear reports that emphasize the negative aspects of online behavior and, instead of teaching students how to properly manage their freedom, restrict it all together. This is okay for the short term but does nothing that is beneficial for students long term!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Google Digital Literacy Tour in your classroom!

Lessons learned from Stanford, Google, IDEO and Pixar

September 1, 2011Kelly Tenkely6 Comments2764 views

This weekend I spent some time with incredible innovators at Stanford University to talk about innovation in education. All walks of life gathered at d.school to discuss problems in education and to propose solutions.

My biggest takeaway: Education needs more design thinking and collaborative concepting at all levels.

Throughout the day we shared stories, created concept maps, brainstormed collaboratively, identified problems in education and prototyped possible solutions. I love that we didn’t just give answers. We prototyped possible solutions in the prototype lab where we had access to all kinds of great building materials. We came up with some pretty impressive solutions. What if schools operated more like this? If teachers and students worked together as designers. This is the drive behind Anastasis Academy’s morning inquiry block. We look at big questions and work on interdisciplinary projects that incorporate a range of subjects and disciplines of learning.

“What if the process of education were as intentionally crafted as the products of education (i.e., we always think about the book report or the final project, but not the path to get there).” (Fast Company)

Schools have a lot to learn from Google, IDEO and Pixar. These are companies that have created a culture of creativity, play and collaboration. IDEO mirrors this culture in their physical space. The space lends itself to creativity and new ideas because the space isn’t overly prescriptive. Stanford’s d.school was very similar. Tracks run all over the building where walls of whiteboards can be clipped in and moved around easily. A writing space wherever and whenever you need one. Brilliant. All of the furniture is on wheels, it is easily moved and rearranged based on current needs. Large wooden Lego-type blocks can be easily moved, arranged and built with for any situation.

I love the philosophies of Pixar, the layout is designed to foster “forced collisions of people”. Students with different backgrounds, passions and understandings collided in new understandings. Would forced collisions of people encourage a whole new population of da Vinci thinking?

At Google play is not only encouraged, it is deeply engrained in the culture. Spaces are flexible and constantly changing and being built. This is was the case in Stanford’s d.school and I have to say, the instant ability to edit our workspace impacted our thinking. “Imagine what might happen if students had this same power to edit and make their own spaces within the school environment.” (Fast Company)

I highly recommend the following article from Fast Company “What Schools Can Learn From Google, IDEO, and Pixar.”

The article mentions High Tech High, a collection of charter schools in Southern California led by Larry Rosenstock. Please take the 14 minutes to watch this great video about High Tech High! Innovation is education is emerging in pockets all over the world. Anastasis Academy is a part of this innovation!

Swiffly: Convert SWF (Flash) files to HTML5

June 28, 2011June 28, 2011Kelly Tenkely3 Comments2597 views

What it is: Google rocks my socks. The good people at Google that are dreaming up ways to change the world never cease to amaze me. Today, new to Google Labs is a little tool called Swiffy. Swiffy let’s you upload a SWF file (otherwise known as Flash) and convert it to HTML5. Sweet. This means that you can use flash content on devices without a Flash player (i.e. iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch). You know what that means? The iDevices are officially the PERFECT device thanks to Google. (No need for the list of reasons you don’t like iDevices, I’m a hardcore fan and you are not likely to change my mind with a rant. Deal? Deal.) Swiffy works directly from your web browser, I have tried it out in Firefox, Safari and Chrome. It worked in all three well! It will also work from Mobile Safari which means it will work from your iDevice. Very handy. Using Swiffy is as easy as uploading a file and clicking “upload and convert”. It couldn’t be easier.

How to integrate Swiffy into the classroom: When I was in college I had a professor that often said “The wheels of academia are SLOW to turn.” She couldn’t have been more correct. I have seen this in nearly every arena of education. Technology is no exception. Many wonderful resources are available as flash files. The problem? iDevices (the iPad, iPod Touch) are becoming more frequently used in the classroom and they are not flash friendly. Google labs comes to the rescue with Swiffy. Simply upload the flash file and convert it to HTML 5 using Swiffy. The new HTML5 files can be distributed to student devices so that learning can continue uninterrupted by something silly like file type. Very cool.

Tips: SWF 5 currently gives the best results. If possible save the SWF file this way!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Swiffy in your classroom!

Google’s Me On the Web- keep track of your digital footprint

June 15, 2011Kelly Tenkely1 Comment3090 views

What it is: Me On the Web is a new tool from Google. Announced just today, Me On the Web is part of the Google Dashboard that allows you to set up custom Google Alerts for your name in news articles. This was always possible with Google Alerts but now those alerts are coupled with tips and resources for helping students manage their online identities. Now everything can be tracked from one central location instead of scattered around in different places. Me On the Web is easy to set up, just visit your Google Dashboard to get started.

How to integrate Me on the Web into the classroom: There was a day when you could get away with not knowing and following your digital identity, that day is no more. We all carry digital footprints, and now more than ever it is vital for us (and our students) to know how to manage those digital footprints. Teaching students about their digital identity is the first step, Google’s Me on the Web takes that a step further by helping students manage their online identities through Google Alerts and helpful tips. Students must have an account with Google to fully utilize the Me on the Web features. After students have their account set up, they can create a set of Google Alerts related to them. This could be their name, email address, a sports team that they play on, the name of the school they attend, etc. Students will quickly see just how big a memory the Internet has and get a first hand look at their digital footprint and learn some strategies to take care of it.

If you are working with younger students without Google accounts (and most likely with a smaller digital footprint) you can share the School’s digital footprint or if you are brave (and after you know what will come up), your own. This gives even young students a good idea that their digital lives are not private and that what is shared their needs to be managed.

Me On the Web is a great way to begin discussions about social media, character education and respecting yourself and others.

Tips: Google even shares a section about how to remove content from a Google Search. Here is a hint, it is not as easy as just managing your identity PRIOR to needing to remove it. Good choices my friends, good choices. Anthony Weiner could learn a thing or two- just sayin’.

**By the way, if you haven’t seen the Google logo in honor of the lunar eclipse, it is definitely worth checking out- today only! 🙂

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Me On the Web in your classroom!

Google Science Fair: Registration open!

January 12, 2011January 12, 2011Kelly Tenkely1 Comment2464 views

What it is: About a month ago I wrote a post about Google Science Fair… great news! Registration is now open 🙂 Google has partnered with NASA, CERN, National Geographic, Scientific American, and LEGO group to create a new global competition. Students ages 13 to 18 can take part in the competition and compete for prizes including once-in-a-lifetime experiences, internships and scholarships. Submissions will be accepted between January 11 and April 4, 2011.

From the Google Science Fair website:

Why Google Science Fair?

Digital — Students are immersed in a digital world and can be thought of as digital natives. Why not have them investigate, evaluate, analyze, synthesize, and publish their results using an electronic medium that is relevant for them? It is a cost–saving and greener alternative.

Global — This program’s reach goes far beyond that of any school site, district, region, or even state. Be among the schools around the world that will be sharing students’ findings with each other.

Collaborative — Google tools are all made to be collaborative whether students (and teachers) are in the same classroom or across the Atlantic. Students have the ability to work together anywhere, anytime to investigate a topic or question of interest.

How to integrate Google Science Fair into your curriculum: Google Science Fair is a fantastic opportunity for your students to connect with others globally and work on some scientific inquiry at the same time. Check out the website for full details about the competition and ways that you can integrate it into your classroom.

Tips: Sign up today to receive the Science Fair kit and get your students entered into the competition!

Interactive book from Google: 20 Things I Learned

November 18, 2010Kelly Tenkely7 Comments3455 views

What it is: Google has done it again with a new online e-book called 20 Things I Learned. This interactive e-book is your guide to how browsers and the web work, how the World Wide Web has evolved, cloud computing, and what we need to know to navigate the web safely. The book has an enchanting quality with its humorous approach to the web (love the titles) and fun illustrations. This guide-book is one you will want to share with all of your colleagues, relatives, friends, students…you will want to dive into it yourself.

How to integrate 20 Things I Learned into your curriculum: This handy little online book is a great one to share with students. Share an individual chapter (called a thing) or the whole book. Here your students can learn all about the web, how to keep themselves safe, and will know the difference between cloud computing and a web app. 20 Things I Learned is also a must share with your co-workers, neighbors, mom, grandpa, and the rest of the crew that is constantly calling you for your tech expertise.

Tips: Each page has a little red bookmark that drops down, scroll over the bookmark to share the thing on Twitter, Facebook, or printout.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using 20 Things I Learned in your classroom!

Qwiki- transforming the search into a story

November 12, 2010Kelly Tenkely9 Comments4696 views

What it is: Have you seen Wall-E? Remember the scene when the captain finally starts taking charge and goes to his wall of computers to learn about Earth? He tells his computer to “define Earth” and a wall of images of Earth pop up complete with computer narration. In the definition of Earth he hears about the sea and interrupts the explanation so that he can have the sea defined. This concept of information presentation is a reality…or nearly a reality. There is a new way of information searching called Qwiki. Search using Qwiki and instead of coming up with a list of links to websites, images, and videos, a slide show of images and videos begins complete with computer voice narration. It is truly an incredible experience. Why are we still using textbooks again?

Qwiki is currently in Alpha which means that you have to request an invitation to get the full version of Qwiki, flaws and all. It is worth requesting an invitation; it is jaw dropping! Even without an invitation, you can head over to Qwiki and get an idea of what it does. There are a few preloaded Qwiki searches that you can check out. Qwiki believes that “just because data is stored by machines doesn’t mean it should be presented as a machine-readable list.” Qwiki has transformed the search into a story.

How to integrate Qwiki into your curriculum: Qwiki is limited in its search capabilities right now (in that it won’t necessarily come up with a result for EVERYTHING you want to search), but the current Alpha version of Qwiki gives you more than enough great material to start using it in your classrooms. I have searched everything from mitosis to the solar system to rational numbers to Romeo and Juliet to Shiba Inu to Google and World War 2. Each had fantastic content, images and information. Qwiki is going to revolutionize the way that we search and receive information. The way that it pares a search down into a story is brilliant.

Use Qwiki on classroom computers as part of a center activity, students can dig deeper into science, math, history, geography, or literature using Qwiki to search. Your students can learn more about any topic by searching related topics. Use Qwiki to introduce new concepts to your students using a projector connected computer or interactive whiteboard for whole class learning and discussion. Do you have reluctant or struggling readers? Allow them to read along with Qwiki on their favorite topic or subject. Teach older students? Involve them on conversation about the implications of making our searches “more human” while relying on a computer. What could this type of searching mean for Google? Does this type of searching change their views on learning? Does this type of search feel too much like entertainment without offering enough information? What would they change or add to Qwiki?

Tips: Qwiki is currently in Alpha, that means if you would like to access the full version, you will have to request an invite. I got my invite within 5 minutes of requesting. As you run across features that you wish Qwiki had (the ability to slow down the narration, the ability to change voices) be sure to let them know. If you run across glitches, report those. When a product is in Alpha, it gets better and better when people use it and comment on their experience.

What do you think? Are you as bowled over as I am? What implications do you see a tool like Qwiki having for education? How will you use it in your classroom? Leave a comment!

#Twitacad Twitter Academy: Starting a School

November 5, 2010Kelly Tenkely26 Comments6071 views

There are some things, that when presented to you in life, you want to run away from. In my experience, those things I want to run away from, are often a window into my future. My immediate reaction is to resist, but in the end, as I get more comfortable with the idea, I end up embracing it with passion. Over the past 3 years, I have been approached by different people, in different walks of life, to start a school. The first time conversation headed in this direction I was intrigued and, if I’m honest, totally terrified. What do I know about starting a school? I continued the conversation because I love talking education and learning and thought I might learn something in the process. Last year, my mindset about starting a school began to change. I can’t pinpoint exactly what caused that change, maybe it was being in a private school and realizing that even there, education isn’t what it should be. Sure there are more resources, money, involved parents, more freedom, but education is still being done the same way it has been for nearly a century. We have tools and resources at our disposal that would make customizing education a much easier task than it was even 20 years ago and yet the direction we are heading in is to standardize more and individualize less.

Somewhere in the span of a year, I decided to really take this on. Even if the end result wasn’t a school, I wanted to really intentionally re-imagine education. I wanted to re-imagine what a school is. I brought together a few teachers who share my passion for education and learning and a passion to improve education. Two of us decided to pursue what it would take to make our ideas a reality and start a school. We brought an entrepreneur into the mix who has no background in education but knows how to build a business. That may seem like a strange thing to do, but we both felt that an outside perspective is needed. Sometimes we are too close to education to get a clear view of the possibilities that exist because we can build up walls that are unnecessary. The three of us are coming to a place where we are ready to invite more voices into the mix. I would relish your input in the formation of this school. This is your opportunity to help shape education! I think the best way to ask for that input is through Google forms. I will be throwing out Google Forms with questions about education, learning, school design etc. over the next few months, I hope you will help out when you can.

First I should give you a 10,000 foot view of what we are looking to accomplish. I don’t want to give away too many details just yet because as I am asking for input, I want it to be separate from our ideas and biases. We are looking to create a replicable school model that could eventually take the place of public education. Right now it is our feeling that public education is beyond tweaking. Education needs a major overhaul and re-imagining. To try to do this within the current system is going to be slow at best. We want the school to be free for everyone (tuition-free) but private (not government-funded). I will post more later about our ideas for how to accomplish that. The focus of the school will be building up a community of learners. I will be adding more details and fleshing this out for those who are interested in later posts.

With this in mind, I would love your help with the first round of questions. If you can take a minute to help out it would be greatly appreciated. This first Google form focuses on the learning environment. Don’t feel like you have to answer each and every question, answer those that you have an opinion about or are passionate about.

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You may be wondering what the title of this post is all about… about a month ago @cybraryman1 and I came up with the idea of Twitter Academy, the ideal school created and shaped by educators on Twitter. As I progress with this project, I will be using the hash tag #twitacad on Twitter to follow conversations and progress. Please feel free to add to that conversation by adding #twitacad to any of your tweets. @cybraryman1 has started a page on his awesome site for Twitter Academy.

Google Me Business Card

September 15, 2010Kelly Tenkely4 Comments4488 views

What it is: Google Me Business Card is a free template download from Ji Lee. The template is a PDF file of a blank Google Search query; enter any name, subject or topic and print out your own customized Google Me Business Card.

How to integrate Google Me Business Cards into your curriculum: These business cards could be used in the classroom during a discussion of digital footprints. Students can create their own Google Me cards to act as a reminder that what they do online has staying power. (This is an important reminder for teachers too!) The cards could also be used as a fun way to assign research topics; enter the topic in the search box and let students draw a card to find out what their assignment is.

Tips: To add your own text: In Acrobat Professional, open the PDF and go to Forms, Form Tools, Text field. Now you can add a text field to enter your own text.

In Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign, place the card on a new document and type your text with the text tool.

Take a screen shot of the image and import it into a word document program (Pages is my Word Document program of choice) Add a text box over the search box and enter your text.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using the Google Me Business Card in your classroom!

Map a List

May 6, 2010May 6, 2010Kelly Tenkely9 Comments1675 views

What it is: Map A List is a neat tool that combines the power of Google Spreadsheets and Google Maps or Google Earth. Using Map A List, students can create and customize Google Maps of addresses or locations. In a few easy steps, students can visualize geographic data on a Google Map or in Google Earth. First, students enter a list of addresses or places in a Google Spreadsheet, as addresses are updated or modified in the list, the map is automatically updated. Maps can be saved to be private or public. The maps can be exported as KLM files for viewing in Google Earth.

How to integrate Map a List into the classroom: Map a List would be a great tool for keeping track and mapping a Flat Stanley project. As Flat Stanley visits locations, students can keep track in a Google Spreadsheet and view the results on the map. Map a List would be useful for tracking locations as student read any literature. Track history events and battles using Map a List, helping your students to visualize the learning. Have students note their ancestry in a Google Spreadsheet and turn it into a map. It is so easy to update the spreadsheet and see the results immediately on the map.

Tips: Thanks to @dgrice who noted a drawback to Map a List, even if you have multiple spreadsheet entries for the same location, only one representation will show up on the map.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Map a List in your classroom.