METC Day 2

Shot in the arm

Second day of METC did not disappoint. In addition to the ideas, to the tips and tricks, and the new fangled websites/apps, I really appreciate the cathartic shot-in-the-arm this conference was. You walk away with a lighter step, a bit more excited to teach the next day, to reach that sleeper kid in the back row, and to help kids achieve their passions. At least that’s what it’s done for me.  Completely emotional and unquantifiable and totally awesome. 

Things I want to try

click here to watch

Whiteboard Screencasts – Keynote speaker Lodge McCammon made a powerful argument for simple screencasting using an iPhone, tripod, and a whiteboard.  There’s a low barrier to entry (assuming you have a smartphone), its scalable, and easy enough to teach your students how to make their own videos.  Even though screencastomatic (my current preferred screencasting medium) is fairly user friendly, there is ZERO learning curve for his method and it delivers a pretty high value product.

I’m definitely taking his lead and making some videos with my whiteboard in my classroom either using the school tripod for my iPhone or MacGyvering my own tripod with towers of textbooks on tables.

Watch Lodge’s videos off his YouTube channel here to see what I’m talking about.

click here to watch

Ujam.com – free website (with email signup) where you can record your voice and have a dashboard of effects to play with. Looks super-fun for making funky audio for videos, avatars, and student products. On that note, I spend a whole session with a master social studies 6^th grade teacher named Josh Stumpenhorst and have a bunch of great ideas for him. Would love to pass them along to all who are interested.  

Problem based learning (PBL) - Josh Stumpenhorst makes a powerful argument on why we all need to transform our curriculum into PBL. A lot has been said about PBL and there's no need to regurgitate it all here. I think what most sold me on Stumpenhorst's version of PBL is in Josh's classroom he gives them (a) choice, (b) international audience (students posting it on the web) (c) passion-based. The KidBlog entries he showed us of his 6th grade student work was AMAZING.  

"You start sharing student work in a public space and the quality of work will change" ~ Josh Stumpenhorst.  

"Don't you want students to be able to Google themselves and see their story, their narrative, their passions?" ~ Josh Stumpenhorst.