Maine Learning Technology Initiative

February 9 Webinar – The Art of The Digital Graph

Ruben Puentedura — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:40:33 +0000

Any place or time that there is data to be understood, a graph is its natural complement. Bar charts, pie charts, scatterplots – these all have familiar features and uses on the printed page – but how are they transformed in the digital domain? In this webinar we will see how dynamic features like brushing, layers, and animation can all contribute to greater understanding, and how interactive controls allow for student exploration of both data and mathematical concepts. And while digital graphs can be richly informative, they can also be poorly constructed, and act to obscure meaning: we will see how to avoid this, and examine the key features of good data representations. Finally, we will discuss how to incorporate graphs into broader digital storytelling narratives.

The creation and use of graphs is a crucial component of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, as well as of the recently completed Framework for K-12 Science Education. While work on the Social Sciences Framework is still in progress, it is expected that graphs will also play a key role in these standards. Teachers in all of these areas will find this seminar useful in designing and implementing their curriculum.

I hope you can join us on Thursday, February 9 at 3:15pm or 7:15pm. Please click on the Webcasts tab to register. We have upgraded to a new registration system, allowing you to register directly in Adobe Connect, making the whole webinar process smoother and easier! If you have any questions, please contact Juanita Dickson. Click on the time you wish to participate in and you will be directed to an online registration form. Please type your email address carefully as all information will be sent to that address. After registering you will receive a confirmation email with a log in link – please use that link to log into the webinar prior to the start time.

February 2 Webinar – Strategies for Reading Digital Text

Barbara Greenstone — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:18:34 +0000

As we discussed in our webinar on January 5, many schools in Maine are beginning to study and unpack the Common Core State Standards and are taking preliminary steps to align their curriculum. The English Language Arts standards are of particular interest to most teachers because they include literacy standards for other content areas. In the January 5 webinar we began a discussion of the reading standards, how the CCSS defines text complexity, and the prevalence of digital text in our MLTI classrooms where much of the reading students do is from a screen. We then explored ways teachers can find and evaluate online reading material and collect it into digital anthologies that will give students experiences with close reading of both literary and informational text. If you missed this webinar, you can find links to the recordings of the 3:15 and 7:15 sessions on our Webcasts Archives page.

CC BY-NC 2.0 by Ken-ichi (Flickr)

In this week’s webinar, we will begin to look at the CCSS for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, Grades 6-12. We will start with the reading standards and take a close look at how our technology supports students in achieving those standards, and we will investigate some strategies students can use in close reading of digital text. We will explore and demonstrate how software tools on the MLTI devices and online tools can be used before, during, and after reading to help students connect with, interpret, and use the text they are reading. Some tools we will look at include online surveys for anticipation guides, markup tools in Preview and NoteShare for annotating text, OmniGraffle for creating graphic organizers, and much more.

I hope you can join us on Thursday, February 2 at 3:15 or 7:15. Please click on the Webcasts tab to register. We have upgraded to a new registration system, allowing you to register directly in Adobe Connect, making the whole webinar process smoother and easier! If you have any questions, please contact Juanita Dickson. Click on the time you wish to participate in and you will be directed to an online registration form. Please type your email address carefully as all information will be sent to that address. After registering you will receive a confirmation email with a log in link – please use that link to log into the webinar prior to the start time.

Leadership and the Arts: The role of Teachers, Administrators and the Greater Community (Feb 1st Arts Assessment Webinar)

Juanita Dickson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:54:15 +0000

We all know that in a culture that values the arts, that it takes a village to ensure that they are given a central role in the lives of its citizens. It is not enough to simply have “arts classes” in schools; we need a culture that understands, values and supports a solid, quality arts education for our children. And that requires leadership — not only from the teacher in the classroom, but from administrators in the school and leaders in the community.

In hard economic times, and particularly in times when perceptions about school achievement result in an almost exclusive focus on standardized math and reading test scores, (sound familiar?), support for the arts can decrease. Using arts assessment in the classroom can help teachers show the skills and knowledge their students have gained in the arts, as well as the 21st century skills, such as creativity, innovation, collaboration and communication. High quality assessment practices in the arts classroom and supportive leadership can give us the evidence to help ensure that our children will continue to be exposed to and benefit from an excellent arts education.

This webinar will examine the various roles of teachers, administrators and community members in keeping the arts alive and well in our schools and communities. Webinar guests include teacher leader, Matt Doiron (Music Educator from Sanford High School), Carol Trimble (Executive Director of Maine Alliance for Arts Education), Argy Nestor (Visual & Performing Arts Specialist at Maine Department of Education). Join Rob and Catherine as they facilitate a discussion with leaders in arts education and the community. Call-in participants take an active role in the discussion too, so this is guaranteed to be a lively and interesting forum.

To join Rob Westerberg and Catherine Ring in their Webinar on Wednesday, February 1st go online to http://stateofmaine.adobeconnect.com/pk201013/ (sign in as “guest”).

Conference Number: 1-866-910-4857, Passcode: 140893

Follow Up to the January 26 – Digital Art Creation with MLTI Tools webinars

Ann Marie — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:59:54 +0000

The webinar on January 26 was about making digital art with your MLTI device. We began by looking at art examples of the Initial. Together we critiqued the works by describing what we could see. The Initial can be traced throughout history sometimes changing yet always remaining familiar. The exercise of looking at a piece of art before creating art allows the artist to see how other artists create. It also builds attention to detail. Resources were introduced such as the full encyclopedia on each MLTI device the Creative Commons website (http://creativecommons.org/) and of course the MLTI Minutes, http://minute.maine121.org/ We then rolled up our sleeves and made art.

Making the digital art during a webinar was a challenge yet it was also fun. The risk involved when any teacher tries a new teaching method is always filled with trepidation but usually the rewards are worth the angst. The webinar yielded some beautiful results as can be seen here. http://maine121.org/art-works

We used Acorn to draw our own initial. It was a simple exercise of opening the program and experimenting with the tools on the Tool Palette and colors on the Color Palette. Acorn is an image editor which we used for drawing and painting in this exercise. Acorn is an application on every MLTI device. More about the application can be found here. http://flyingmeat.com/acorn/.

The recording for the January 26 - Digital Art Creation with MLTI Tools webinars can be found here. http://maine121.org/webcasts-2/archives/ If you create an Initial while following along with the recording and you would like to share your art please email it to ahutton@mlti.org and include permission for us to place it on our site with our CC_BY license. (Allows everyone permission to use.)

Also, a special thanks to everyone who participated.

January 26th Webinar ~ Digital Art Creation with MLTI Tools

Ann Marie — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:03:45 +0000

Image of a horse from the Lascaux caves. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lascaux2.jpg

Creating art can be traced back almost to the beginning of human kind. Even those with little background in art history have heard of the Lascaux Caves in France where prehistoric drawings and paintings can be found on the walls and ceilings depicting images of animals and humans. Aesthetically these drawings and paintings, thousands of years later, still bring us to imagine their meanings.

If we continue to look back in history we also have the development of text. Illuminated Manuscripts brought us the initial. “The earliest surviving substantive illuminated manuscripts are from the period AD400 to 600, initially produced in Italy and the Eastern Roman Empire.^“1 These text images can be found in a variety of forms throughout history eventually even appearing at the beginning of fairy tales. Today initials are still in use and can be found in various artworks including street art tags often recognized as graffiti.

A set of sixteenth-century initial capitals, which is missing a few letters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ornamental_Alphabet_-_16th_Century.svg

The MLTI program has many tools which allow for art creation. Over the years artists have used many materials to engage their interests and talents. We now have the ability to create digital pieces of art. Photography, painting, drawing, music, poetry, movies, stories, comics, to name a few…All these and more can be created with the suite of tools on our MLTI devices. Although traditional art will always be an important part of our cultures we now live in a time where digital images flourish. Digital Literacy includes digital images as well as digital text. Our students will need to know how to use digital tools in many different ways to be successful in their future.

Join us Thursday to explore creating digital art with MLTI tools. This is a hands on session so bring your MLTI device and roll up your sleeves. We will work together to create a piece of digital art

Please click on the Webcasts tab to register. We have upgraded to a new registration system, allowing you to register directly in Adobe Connect, making the whole webinar process smoother and easier! If you have any questions, please contact Juanita Dickson. Click on the time you wish to participate in and you will be directed to an online registration form. Please type your email address carefully as all information will be sent to that address. After registering you will receive a confirmation email with a log in link – please use that link to log into the webinar prior to the start time.

Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning – The Conversation Continues on January 24, 2012 at 4:00pm

Chris Toy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:49:16 +0000

Last month the conversation started off with Author Bea McGarvey and DOE Superintendent of Instruction Don Siviski talking about Mass Customized Learning and its implications for Standards Based Education here in Maine. There was even a surprise visit from Commissioner Bowen!

This month, on Tuesday January 24th, the conversation continues with the second webinar focusing on Chapters 2 and 3 of the book and looking more closely at some of the questions raised by participants in the first webinar. Come join Bea, Don, Principal Bill Zima, and me as we continue the conversation.

Please click on the Webcasts tab to register. This webinar will take place at 4:00pm on January 24, 2012.

January 19th Webinar – Social Media and Social Studies

Jim Wells — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:41:22 +0000

Social Studies involves itself with human communication and events. It seems that social media was developed to enhance and encourage the interactions of people. Therefore, what is the interplay of these two realms? This webinar will seek to discover the links between our students in their social studies and their social media. How can Twitter help our students understand the thoughts of people from long ago? What part can Facebook play in encouraging young people to take a participatory role in civic life? And can wikis be used to build a better understanding of our world? Join the webinar at 3.15 or 7.15, be prepared to connect with others and find out how a more connected world can mean a deeper, more enlightened social studies student.

As preparation for this webinar, it may be of benefit to you if you have a Twitter, Facebook and Flickr account, as well as become a member of wikispaces. All are free and easy to sign up, just follow the links and bookmark the pages for the webinar. These are not essential for participation, however they may enhance and extend the opportunities on offer.

image by trois tetes on Flickr. Used with Creative Commons BY-NC2.0 License

Jan 12 Webinar – Science Session One – Elements of Key Practices in Science Education

Phil Brookhouse — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:36:33 +0000

The process of inquiry-based learning is predicated on good research and has shown that students can achieve deeper understanding of science through engaging and meaningful questions. This session will introduce some of the web-based materials from “Concept to Classroom” (part of Thirteen EdOnline,) and other sites that discuss inquiry-based learning. Participants will also be able to download Ready, Set, Science! and Inquiry and the National Science Standards from the National Academies Press. Then they will reflect on their own practice with a couple of activities based on key elements from those books.

Participants will:

Begin to identify where on the spectra (from Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards) of teacher directed/student directed learning activities a lesson might fall.
Use the “Four Strands of Science” descriptors (from Ready, Set, Science!) to examine one’s teaching of science.
Examine how inquiry-based learning is based in constructvism, the learning cycle and the 5 E’s of science instruction.
Be introduced to a couple of examples of how technology can support a student-centered inquiry based classroom.
Examine web-based resources related to inquiry and classroom practice.

Please join us on Thursday, January 12th at 3:15 pm. or 7:15 pm. You should register for the one you want to attend by clicking on the webcasts tab above. Scroll down to the webcast schedule and click on the time you want to attend. You will then be able to register and receive a confirmation. Be attentive to your typing – a confirmation email will be sent to the address you type.

January 5 Webinar – Finding and Collecting Digital Text

Barbara Greenstone — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:36:29 +0000

CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Beppie K

If you are an ELA teacher, you have probably already begun to study the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. You may also have suggested that your colleagues in other content areas check out the standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. In the coming months, we’ll be offering a series of webinars where we will take a close look at the CCSS for ELA 6-12 and discuss how our MLTI devices can support our students as they strive to meet those standards.

We will begin by looking at the reading standards for literature and informational text. In our January 5 webinar, we will discuss text complexity as outlined in Appendix A of the CCSS for ELA and share ideas for finding and collecting text on the internet that can provide the resources for reading experiences that our students must have in order to meet the standards. Many middle and high school teachers are finding that their reading programs include a lot of literature but not enough informational text. Fortunately we have the tools we need to collect text that we have determined is appropriately complex for our students. This text can be gathered into digital anthologies that are customized for our students, unlike the expensive, one-size-fits-all print text books that we used in the past.

Join us on Thursday, January 5th at 3:15 pm. or 7:15 pm. and learn how to create reading anthologies for your students. To register, click on the Webcasts tab above to view our winter-spring webinar calendar and find links to the registration pages. Please note that we have a new registration process that is required for entering our webinar rooms.

An Elementary Discussion: How in the World Can I Possibly Do This? (Arts Assessment Initiative Webinar)

Juanita Dickson — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:15:49 +0000

IT’S ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR!

Join Rob Westerberg and Catherine Ring and Guests on their webinar on Wednesday, January 4 at 3:30 pm. The topic promises to inspire a lively exchange: “An Elementary Discussion: How in the World Can I Possibly Do This?  Addressing the Unique Needs of Elementary Arts Educators”. This will be the fourth of five webinars on arts assessment, as part of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative.

The discussion will survey participants about the challenges of doing arts assessments at the elementary level. After all, how can anyone expect that teachers will be able to teach and assess student work when they see 400 students for 40 minutes per week? Amazingly, arts educators are doing it and finding ways that make a difference for kids. Rob and Catherine will facilitate a discussion with their guests, Alice Sullivan (music educator), Shannon Campbell (visual art educator) and Barb Packales (music educator), on the unique challenges to teaching and assessing student work in elementary school, the advantages of assessing the work, and ways to implement quick, do-able and proven strategies that help improve student learning in the arts.

Argy Nestor, Visual and Performing Arts Specialist at the Maine DOE, will also participate and provide her perspective on arts assessment and how to move forward. Lots of resources will be shared. There will also be information on graduate level courses (provided by the New England Institute for Teacher Education) where participants can take their knowledge and practice of arts assessment to a new level.

To register, please visit the Webcasts tab and follow the directions for registration.