Crowdsourcing Questions: EdCamp Philly Name Tags

On March 18, 2011, Richard Byrne shared a great site for name tags: Ice Breaker Tags. As I usually put together the name tags for EdCamp Philly, (You're going, right?) I was inspired! I want every name tag to have a unique question on it this year when you sign in. BUT... I need YOUR help! Give me your thought provoking questions about teaching, learning, and collaborating. Here's what I have so far:

• What's your favorite way to collaborate?
• How do you keep students motivated?
• How do we teach media literacy?
• What is authentic creation?
• What skills are essential given the demands of today's workplace?
• So, really, what are we preparing kids FOR?
• How can we change the structure of school to better support learning?
• Would "tiger blood" fix our schools?

Please leave your questions in the comments. Oh, and please share this post so that I can get to 300 questions! Thanks for your help, PLN!

EdCamp Philly: Dates, Times, Locations

EdCamp Philly is BAAAACCCKKK!!!! Come join us at Wharton for an incredible day of learning, connecting, and exploring. Since our inaugural event last May, EdCamps have swept the nation. Be a part of our second annual event and keep the momentum alive for "grass roots" professional development. Who: YOU What: An amazing opportunity to connect, learn, and grow When: May 21, 2011 Where: John M. Huntsman Hall, Wharton Campus, 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA Why: Well, quite frankly, EdCamp is a game changer How: Get your FREE tickets by visiting www.edcampphilly.org Spread the word. Please blog, tweet, and share this information with your colleagues. We want to pack the house this year.

Great Resource Collection from Richard Byrne

Richard Byrne, the amazing author of FreeTech4Teachers has created a comprehensive collection of digital tools for teachers HERE. It offers digital photo collections, digital storytelling resources, alternatives to traditional book reports, and MORE. Enjoy and share his work!

Flubaroo: Great Free Grading for Google Docs

My school district will be piloting Google Apps for Ed this summer. While we prepare for that event, I've been researching many things that will hopefully win over teachers and students. I think that Flubaroo is one thing that will really entice teachers to try Google Forms for formative assessment. This is a free script that was developed by a Googler during his 20% time, and it helps teachers grade assessments quickly and easily. While the types of assessments that it grades are typically not the authentic, multifaceted ones, it certainly has a place in the buffet of assessment. It was really easy to use, and I hope to use it in the future to help evaluate information that I receive from my Google Forms. Enjoy!

Minus: Simple File Sharing

Sometimes you need to share files without clogging up your email account. Try Minus. Minus does not require an account to be created, and you simply "drag and drop" your files to share them. It could be a simple way to facilitate sharing files between work, home, or any other place! Thanks to Richard Byrne for sharing this resource!

Professional Generosity

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend TEDxNYED at the New York Academy of Science. (The venue was absolutely gorgeous.) Lucy Gray gave a compelling speech about the imminent need for global education. Within her talk, she advocated for "professional generosity."

We must be generous with our ideas and our professional work. As the landscape of our world changes, information has become ubiquitous. Ideas are more valuable when shared freely. Keeping ideas and information protected prunes and eliminates connections and conversations.

In today's world, relationships are more valuable than information. The relationships that one is able to build by sharing information and ideas can prove to be much more fruitful than the original ideas themselves.

The goal is to create meaningful learning experiences for children. The path to that goal relies upon professional collaboration.

Ookaboo: Great Site for Images

Sometimes you need a collection of images for a presentation or project. Ookaboo may prove helpful. It is a sizable collection of images that are available for use under a creative commons license. The site definitely has room to grow, but it has much to offer. Thanks for Larry Ferlazzo for sharing this resource.

Troubleshooting Problems

Last week, Springfield Township High School was lucky enough to be visited by the ISTE board as they prepared for the ISTE conference in Philly this June. Anyway, while I was so proud of the students and teachers, there were a few elements that didn't work out exactly the way we planned. (All in a day's work!) It brought this great site to the forefront of my mind: http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ You can see if something is not working for just YOU or for everyone. Enjoy! Photo credit: http://tech4lesscincinnati.com/images/broken_computer_3e4v.jpg