ASK: Daniel's Story

On Monday, Marcellus Middle School participated in their first ASK program. Students read Daniel’s Story and prepared questions for Charles Sacavage, a holocaust expert from Intermediate Unit 29 in Pennsylvania. The classes were also studying World War II.

Mr. Sacavage is a perfect expert for this ASK program because he has a wealth of knowledge and photo resources to share based on the questions the students ask.

If you’re thinking of starting your own ASK program, this works well with both Anne Frank and Daniel’s Story.

New RAP Verification Instructions

New Read Around the Planet Verification Instructions were posted online at the TWICE website this week.

Just a reminder that if you want to participate in Read Around the Planet this year, make sure you have started the verification process by November 22! That’s 12 days away. Time is ticking away!
For more reading, review previous RAP blog entries: RAP 2007 Announcement and Preparing for RAP 2007.

Unique Admin Use of VC & a Wiki

This week I reviewed a project submitted for my class Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections. Gord Smith is a videoconferencing coordinator for Palliser Regional Schools in southern Alberta, Canada. The district is large and just getting started with VC. So Gord has set up regular informal “drop-in” VCs for his administrators to share and discuss issues in their district. He’s also using a wiki as part of the project. It’s a great use of VC and is meeting a unique need in his district. Read more about the project plan here.

[This project shared here with permission.]

Greetings to LT 2006

Thank you Learning Technologies 2006 for inviting me to present with Elaine Shuck. LT 2006 is a blended learning conference in Australia. It was wonderful to talk to you and I look forward to connections with your classes! You can read our full paper here. Browse around here for more resources related to what we talked about. Ah, the beauty of VC that allows us to connect across space and time!

International Wolf Center

I just did a test call with the International Wolf Center in Minnesota. This is a new provider – they just started offering programming this fall. Last Friday I heard a report on their programs from Aaron Schippert, Saginaw ISD (and a TWICE board member). Aaron raved about the quality of their programming and the connection. They have several cameras out in their facility so they can show you the wolves. So I grabbed a quick snapshot to share with you. Looks like another great new provider!

Gingerbread Boy

This morning we have the second class from Marcellus Elementary participating in The Gingerbread Boy from the Center for Puppetry Arts. This wildly popular program is getting to be as hard as the heart surgery programs to get into!! In late September we thought we’d schedule this for December. But the closest we could get to December was this week (November 8)! So if you want to do the Gingerbread Boy during December next year, you’d better plan ahead!

I love the intro the Center for Puppetry Arts does to help students learn etiquette and how to behave in a VC. It helps students know how to talk, ask questions, and “put on their listening ears”.

Students learn about all the different books with different gingerbread stories. They see puppet shows with the gingerbread story. Students get involved verbally in the story, making the sound of the animals in the story. They learn about what goes in the bowl to make gingerbread, and other information about gingerbread ingredients. Students also make a gingerbread boy puppet during the program. Another great hands-on program from the Center for Puppetry Arts!

Feedback from a RUS Grant Building

Today in reading the discussion in my online class, Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections, I found a quote from Jeanne Carter, Three Oaks Elementary, one of the RUS Grant buildings. I’m sharing it here with permission.

I feel like the VC equipment we got was like a life ring thrown out to us. I’m thrilled to be on the receiving end of some great VC equipment.

This building of 11 teachers already has 17 programs requested/scheduled for the year and are quickly taking advantage of the ability to bring quality learning experiences to their rural students. Thank you USDA!!

Animals in Jeopardy

This morning another RUS grant building, Marcellus Middle School, is doing their first videoconference with the Columbus Zoo. This program, Animals in Jeopardy, is about endangered species. The program begins with a review of terms such as endangered, extinct, poaching, etc. Then students select a statement about cheetahs and arrange themselves around the room based on the statements they most identify themselves with.

Next students watch gorillas live at the zoo and learn about various issues affect the gorillas habitat. They also learn about elephants, ferrets, the Mexican wolf, the bald eagle, the peregrine falcon, and other animals. Students learn how the zoo is involved in conservation activities and reintroduction of animals back into the wild.

Another excellent program from the Columbus Zoo, our all time favorite zoo!

Interviewing the U.S. Flag Designer

Today Roosevelt Elementary, Lakeshore Public Schools, and Sanford Middle School, Alabama are connected to Bob Heft, the current U.S. Flag Designer.

What a treat of an experience! Mr. Heft shared the story of making the flag for a class project and two years later having it accepted as the current flag. His presentation includes how he used math to design the flag, some history, and what it was like to live in the 1950s. Mr. Heft is a retired teacher and has a knack for telling  the story in interesting ways for the students.

This presentation was perfect for 5th grade studying U.S. history. The students learned many interesting facts about flag history too. His story is inspirational for overcoming adversity. Many people discouraged him from his project; but he persisted and persevered.

Mr. Heft has done videoconferences before and was very comfortable with the medium. He lives in Saginaw, Michigan and travels across the country presenting to schools. During the 25 minutes we had for questions and answers, we had a fun joke between Mr. Heft, who attended Ohio State University, and the students from Roosevelt Elementary who are rooting for the University of Michigan.
This was a great session. I’ll find out how you could schedule with him & post it here.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Kid advertising for VC is the best there is! I’ve blogged already about how students advertise VCs to teachers. How about to administrators too? I just learned that one of our local administrators got excited about videoconferencing after hearing his child talk about bats at the dinner table. The child had participated in the ASK: Stellaluna program that I’ve blogged about before. The child excitedly described all the things they learned in the conference. Now the administrator realizes even more the benefits of “bringing the world to the classroom” via videoconferencing.