Monday, August 28, 2006

Grant Opportunities and Great Links!

Have you recently had a great idea for your classroom, but not enough money? Here are a couple grants you could apply for. Office Depot and Jo-Ann Stores has $500.00 awards available for teachers in Maine. The application is only 1 page and due Sept. 30, 2006. If you would like help please contact Cheryl.

http://shopa.org/shopa_foundation/2006_teacher_grants/

http://shopa.org/shopa_foundation/2006_teacher_grants/2006_teacher_grant_app.php?source=joann



Here is a $3,000.00 math grant. If you are a NCTM member, teacher grades 9-12 and are interested in planning lessons in Math connected to other subjects, you could apply and get this grant. Deadline Nov. 3, 2006. The proposal is a 3 page maximum grant proposal. http://www.nctm.org/about/met/pappas.htm

For math grants at other grade levels please look at this page. There are a variety at each grade level. I'll be happy to help!

http://www.nctm.org/about/met/index.htm

Here is a $3000.00 math grant if you are a NCTM member and teach middle school 6-8. This $3,000.00 grant is to support the design and creation of material in the form of books, visual displays, slide shows, videotape or other appropriate media. The focus of the materials should show the connectivity of math to other fields or to the world around us. Deadline Nov. 3, 2006. There is a 3 page maximum for this grant proposal.

http://www.nctm.org/about/met/shult-hocking.htm

Great LINKS!

I know I've mentioned this before but it is so great.

http://access.newspaperarchive.com

This link gives you and your students access to front page news from 1794 to 1977 including the following countries, US, UK, Canada, and Jamaica. Our librarians will be the contact for this free service.

KOL Expeditions, brought to us by AOL@SCHOOL, and is an opportunity for students to share in webcasts,free video and interactive websites. The program's goal is to encourage and excite elementary aged kids about science, math and technology in a fun and engaging environment and to expose them to careers in science and related fields. Their latest expedition if called dolphin Communication and begins mid-August!

http://www.kolexpeditions.com

Google, one of my favorite Web 2.0 tools has come up with another great for high school teachers, teaching Shakespeare.

Http://books.google.com/googlebooks/shakespeare

For researching government documents

http://www.google.com/ig/usgov

That is all for now! Welcome back to the new school year!

Over and out,

This is Cheryl Oakes from Wells, ME.


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Sunday, August 27, 2006

Sunday night news!

I usually have family time on Sunday, like many of you, and today was no exception. I made basil pesto, dilly beans 28 quarts, brownies, watched a soccer game, recorded a Seedlings podcast with Bob Sprankle, I recorded the post show audio, edited a podcast with Alice Barr, On the Road with Alice, listened to the last of EdTechTalk, and checked out my  schedule for the upcoming week. With 3 boys packing to head off to college, it is a trick to get everything done.  One last thing will be to edit the post show with SEEDLINGS. I'll add the audio to my webpage, follow the link if you have a few minutes to listen.

What is happening with the network and moving laptops and computers to the domain? I have 27 staff members signed up to have their laptops moved over to the new domain. Please email if you would like to schedule your laptop for the "move".

The 7th and 8th grade laptops arrived, the image arrived Friday and next week we will begin processing the laptops for teachers, then students.

Printing in the schools will not be available for you until your account for your computer has moved to the new domain. Print at home until you are moved over, then copy at school.

Be sure you have your summer bummer homework completed, a new secure password.

Reminder NWEA testing will begin 9/11 and continue through September.

Over and out

Cheryl






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Saturday, August 26, 2006

This is a re-publish, read the password hints.

Tech Talk from coakes

Hello, This is Cheryl Oakes coming to you from Wells, ME. I have just been appointed to a
new job in the district. Really for the most part it is doing some of the same things but
district wide rather than at Wells Elementary School. I will have a blog, web log, and
podcast, internet mp3 recordings, that you will be able to access 24/7 with the latest
technology information in the district. A blog means that you will be able to comment at
the end of the articles I post. It will be important to comment since blogging is about
conversations on the internet, and the conversations help others learn through the
conversations we have. So welcome and I hope many of your participate in this use of
technology.  http://www.wocsdtechtalk.blogspot.com


01Techtalk
When you return to school this fall some of you will have new laptops( WES staff), new
computer lab in your building(WHS), new MLTI2 laptops(WJHS) and one thing we will all
have in common is the new ADS network complete with new copier/printers. This ADS network
will standardize the district with all staff logins, student logins in all buildings and
a new login/ password protocol. Our standard login will be first initial -last name, (
exceptions will be for similar logins in which case the next letter in the first name
will be added).
**** Bulletin*** Extra***Extra***
The other part of the protocol will be that student passwords will change on a 90 day
rotation basis(3 x a year: not for Wells Elementary Students), STAFF passwords will
change at 180 days (2 x per year). This change represents a more security acceptable
protocol.  So, I am going to ask you to do some summer bummer homework. Be thinking of a
way to come up with your own password that you will remember. I?ve been reading about
passwords and some of the latest recommendations.
Here are the guidelines:
           Passwords must use a variety of kinds of symbols and keys
           At least 8 characters
           A lower case letter, an upper case letter, at least a number
           Optional use of non-alphabetic characters

The reason we will be following this protocol is to prevent hacking programs from
cracking your codes. Also, we will ask that you NOT write down your network password,
which defeats the whole protocol.

SUMMER BUMMER HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
You will not be graded on this, but you will be happier having done this ahead of time.
Think of a favorite saying or sentence. You can write this down at home and try it ahead
of time to see how easy it is to type, that will be critical! Take the first letter of
each word and make up your password. Here is how to create your code.

My sentence:

Sugarloaf is best for skiing and snowboarding. ( only 4 more months to ski season.J)
My password will look like this at first

Sibfsas


However, I could use & for the word ?and?, then add a number and I am done.
Finished password:
Sibfs&s1


So, I challenge you to come up with your security password. Oh, in 6 months when we have
to change this, I will have another tip for redesigning your password.

           THE NOTS, YOU MAY NOT DO THE FOLLOWING:
           Do not use your names, children?s name, pet names, school name, titles etc
           Do not use WORDS
           Do not use DOB, SS#, anniversary , phone number
          I will post most of this on my new TechTalk blog. Comments are welcome.

Information about passwords was gathered from this article. People, problems and
passwords by Victor Bobb, ITtrends, 2nd quarter, 2006
http://www.flmicro.com/ittrends.html

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Link for the USM podcast lunchtime presentation

This is the tinyurl of the podcast located on my .mac account.


Podcast, listen here.


Over and out. Cheryl


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Sunday, August 20, 2006

Math Links


A great resource for any math teachers!


Project Interactive

extensive collection of lessons, interactive tools, activities and teacher resrouces for middle level and upper elementary mathematics. Good applets for High Schools as well.



Natational Library of Virtual Manipulatives
Online labrary of virtual manipulatives aligned with national math standards for grades PreK-12.

Enhancing and Extending the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

The eNLVM tool is an oline lesson creation tool. It provides an opportunity to create lessons that incorporate online tools and applets, text and response types in cluding ope-ended text responses, selected response items, file uplaods and other response types.



NCTM Illuminations
This website provides lessons, standards, interactive tools, and web resources that support the vision outlined in the Principles and Standards for School Math.

Seeing Math Interactives
This website hosts interactive , online toos for use in middle school and high school math classrooms. The tools included qualitative , linear and quadratic graphing as well as, functional and ata analysis applets.

WisWeb
This site is hoteses by the Freudenthal Institute which conducts research into mathematics education. Some things are in English, some in Dutch.

Analyze Math
Alegebra I, Algebra II, Trig and Calculus

Argyll Centre
Interactive math tools and movies written in Flash.

Manipula Applets

Interactive java applets related to middle school and high school including trig, calculus, conics and others.

ExploreLearning (fee based website)

A commericial website that hosts interactive learning tools for math and science. Middle and High school is the target.


Arcytech Java Applets

Java applets to suport mathematics teaching and learning. Pattern Blocks, Base 10 Blocks, Integer BArs, or Cuisenaire Rods, Fraction Bars and tools to explore Pythagorean Theorem, the Value of Pi and Fractals.

Mathematics Online Encylopedia and Dictionaries Mathworld

Online Math encyclopedia and resoruce that includes an extensivve collection of definitions and explanations of math topics.

Intermath Interactive Mathematics Dictionary

Intermath Interactive Dictionary hosted by the Math Dept. at the University of Georgia. It is designed for middle and high school.

ThatQuiz

This site is designed to provide practice and testing of a number of math skills. It is free. and can be used to manage and track student success with a particular skills in the areas of Number and Operations, Algebra and Geometry. You must have IE Explorer 6, Firefox, Mozilla, or Netscape 7.1. On the Mac you must use Firefox or Netscape 7.2


Math.com Website

A website which contains an online glossary, homeowrk help, math calculators, skills reinforcement, worksheet generators and more. It does have advertisements and pop-ups.

Try these out and let me know what you think.

over and out

Cheryl Oakes


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The Lunchtime Share at USM 8/18/06

During our lunch Ruben, Jim and Pam, share some of their favorite parts of the current MLTI image and links. This presentation was recorded and edited by Cheryl Oakes on an iPod Video with the new Belkin Tune Talk Stereo, which you can order from the Apple Store. If you think you might want to learn how to Podcast, look up www.actem.org October 12, Podcasting Workshop.

Ruben Puentedura, shared the great things about NoteShare, which is part of the MLTI image.You may want to have the image in front of you while listening to this podcast.
The help section parts of NoteShare are well done and you will find plenty of support.
NetLogo is a free program, for PC as well as Mac. It is part of the image. This is a great simulation piece of software for solving problems.It provides a great visualation of the problem.
Ruben quickly mentioned Second Life. It is a 3D immersive environment. You assume the personality of an Avatar and you can act our science experiments, listen to talks, look at art exhibits. If you go to Worldbridges.net, you can find an example of the NASA Second Life Museum. It is best to go to Second Life with a mentor or someone who has already been to Second Life. You can join for free.
MIT has a project called Revolution, which is a simulation piece of software, where you assume the character of different people during the Revolution. It is a 3D world, many years in the making where students role play. However, the role playings are real, and the characters have real life consequences during the colonial times, like being whipped and even death.
Then Jim Moulton began his favorites! Jim promoted collaboration, we do not teach collaboration, social networking for our students. This piece is critical. Ruben mentioned earlier in the day how important it is for classes to collaborate with 18 other classes. When it happens, achievement grows by 2 sigma.
Jim promoted Comic Life, which is part of the image. It is integrated with iPhoto and runs seamlessly. Graphic novels are a rage today for adolescents, now let them createe their own digital stories. Try it out! Use Comic Life to create your next set of directions for your next project! What a concept.
Web 2.0 are the read/write web tools that make the difference between viewing the webpage versus interacting and creating content on the web.
http://www.shambles.net/web2
This is a site that supports schools in Southeast Asia and web 2.0 tools. There are plenty of great links here.
Don't try and stamp out MySpace, Xanga,Facebook, but use Noteshare and create an appropriate social network for these connected students!
Writely.com , has been purchased by Google and is a place where you an collaboratively create documents. As a matter of fact our current TechPlan was created collaboratively by 12 people. It works great when people each take a different color to work with. Numsum.com is an online Excel type spreadsheet.
Finally, Pam Buffington spoke about math applets and the many ways to visualize math. The math links will be in the next post. To hear the lunchtime talk, listen here.
http://web.mac.com/cherylsoakes/iWeb/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html
Over and out.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Strengthening Your District Through Technology

Aug. 18, 2006

This is the first time I can actually blog  in a conference presentation.

I am looking at the first crack at the new MLTI2 image.

Adventuresome teachers could apply to Earthwatch and work with scientists on environmental issues. And share their activities with their districts and the world.

Purplemath.com  traditional algebra curriculum. The experience we embed the content in, is what matters. How does that relate to the MLTI project.

2nd Edition with the educator additions, The World is Flat and read this.

An example was used for significant impact on technology and schools, BobSprankle.com's

Room 208 blog and podcast, plus Bit by Bit.

The Newseum link off the MaineLearns site, from the Aug. 06 , 2006 Sessions There are 545 front page papers from around the world.

Look at the map view and click on the map, and the dots will come in a ID the papers on the Newseum. If you hover over the spot on the map, you will see the front page of the news from that country.

So, which newspapers do you have coming into your school.

To use the zoom in a pdf, you can click control, then hold down the mouse key trackpad, then a pop up menu will appear to zoom in , zoom out.

Remind kids about good care of the laptop, lids down, easy does it, the most expensive part of your laptop is the screen.

Newseum is a resource to the whole curriculum. Use print new, with audio news.

How and who can use this.

Next:

Readprint.com   all the classics are available. Using the Safari, drop down, look for Services, Speech, read text for students who need to listen to the text. This is good for highlighted websites, their documents, etc. Think of the possibilities.


Kids are using Sparknotes.com We need to know the tools.

Can we as a district afford not to use these tools on our computers, laptops, LCD panels, SMART boards.......

IDEA encourages all these assistive technologies.

Nimes law all new books must come out in digital content.



Math and Technology,

Pam Buffington, Newton, MA

Kids are innately multi platformed.

Great book, How can Technology enrich Mathematics. from NCREL

math concepts are not only represented well by numerical, but the visual representation.

great visual representation of .75% vs. 75%

NLVM- space blocks, can be manipulated in 3D space, still need hands on, but also need to develop the 3D.

space blocks, is new on NLVM can rotate the cube so y ou can see how the "puzzle" works from flat, to the 3 D block.

What is the evidence that this is true? Pre-CAD activities. Applet for ratio

Mixing paint applet.=

This would be the conversation starter, and then show the results.

Turn the power to the students:

Tool Suite Selection

Interactive, flexible, open tools.

Look at what George Siemens says about constructivist vs connectivist learning

Website for Experiencing Math and Science with Gizmos.  Fee based site. Free 30 day trial.

Apple L, highlights the whole URL bar

Ruben R. Puentendura, Ph.D.

Transformation, Technology and Education

things that made a company successful, was the level of technology used.

Why transformation?

lowest to highest

Substitution= as a tool with no functional change=word processor used like a typewriter=productivity same, or slight dip

Augmentation   substitution as a tool with functional improvement   basic function, cut, copy, paste

Modification   tech allow for significant task redesign   integretated with email, spreadsheet, graphing=substantial productivity

Redefinition   Tech allows for creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable   = integrate with workgroup and content management ( no one person creates a report, but a group looks at data and together creates the data presentation)

We want to be at the Modification and Redefinition levels, and consider the bottom 2 levels as transitional.

Can't wait 2 years to get there, must get going in 2 months.

ONline dictionary and Online Thesaurus that integrates while the student is reading online.

Transitional ways of having students converse and reflect about the reading they are doing in class, IM< SKYPE> and blog.

Kids use SPARKNOTES.com to understand reading material, but if they have to converse and give examples, they will go deeper. If they have to RAP about the passages, they will be engaged.

Ruben's slides are available to us later. Information from Freedman's book.

PISA are assessments that look at how 15 year olds are prepared to assume different levels of jobs, and perform in today's world. Although it looks at Reading, Math, Science, more what can the kid perform in various jobs in the world. Genuine questions actual problems to solve.

The US is in the average range with most of Europe and there are several countries, the commonwealth, Australia, Canada,Finland, Hong Kong, China, Liechtenstein (has fewer hours per day of school), Japan and Korea(the highest use of wired, cell phone and wireless)

All the countries in the lowest group, are participating in the 100.-laptop.

India is going with the more expensive laptop and said no to the 100. laptop as it is not good enough compared to , for example the US.

If we are going to move up in the global standings, we can't make small incremental changes, we need significant changes.

How do we accomplish this SHIFT.

Bloom showed that you can move all students up 2 Sigma gain in  learning with 1-1 tutoring.(1984)

A Bloom/Walberg study , see slide, identified major variables that would effect achievement.

Computer Use, can give you .4, which is the same as remedial tutoring

if you go to the Redefinition   level, then your students go up 2 sigma levels!!!!

All new READ/WRITE and latest tools, will give you 2 Sigma gain for all students.


Technological Avenues to Transformation. Horizon Report- put together for Higher Ed. We will get a copy of the report.

visualization and simulation

social computing

digital storytelling

educational gaming- Games have been essential to learning about the world, the earliest dice were vertebrae and they were sanded, and four sided. There is huge mileage in using games for knowledge.

Concentrating on

visualization and simulation

social computing

for rest of the day.




If you have 18 schools, teachers, students you double your Signma

If you have 10 schools, teachers , students you double your Signma

If you only have 4 schools  you still gain, but not nearly the great benefits.

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

WOCSD Tech Talk

WOCSD Tech Talk

Thanks for checking your emails. The installation of the hardward for the new network has been successfully installed throughout the district. 14 new copier/printer/scanners have been installed throughout the district. There are many changes with this new network system. Changes are difficult to learn, especially when we are all about getting ready for the new school year. Please be patient, by the middle of September all will be better.
On August 15, the server at the elementary school crashed. We have a back up to July 11, 2006. We are in recovery mode as well as setting up new users on the new server. If you go into school to work, as long as you have your work on your desktop you will be fine.
If you try to print, (we have new copier/printers with some slick options, training required )on your XP machines, use the START button, FIND, and search for the new printers. When you select one, wait while the driver installs.Then print. This will be the same printing process at each school.( At the WHS, you will need a printing code in order to use the copier/printers to print.)
Apparently, the WJHS server crashed sometime in the spring. What data was recovered is now on the new server. Your old laptops are set to find an old server. We are working on setting laptops/desktops to find the new paths. If you come in and want to print, you can find printers in the same fashion as at the elementary.At WHS, we have moved all the data to the new server domain. As you come in we will need to set your computers to the new paths. Printing is in the same protocol as the elementary. The wireless networks are not all functioning yet in all the schools.They will be soon!
Please email me if you have a meeting and will need to get on the server.We will do everything we can to get you up and running. Any questions, please email.
Cheryl

Monday, August 14, 2006

Words about Internet Safety!

WOCSD Tech Talk

If you are interested in Internet Safety, and we all should be, read this article by David Warlick.

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/2006/08/11/a-telling-picture-of-internet-in-the-family/

I wrote this response to the article and the comments after the blog.

Cheryl wrote

  1. Cheryl Oakes said,

    August 14, 2006 @ 9:08 pm

    This Internet Safety belongs to the whole village. I have students in school maybe 6 hours. I don’t pretend to try and educate parents about TV/ VIDEO/MUSIC ratings. However, I do educate parents about Internet Safety. Many parents need to know the vocabulary, the options, how to set parameters and why. I’ll be responsible for the 6 hours during the day, for educating netizens, parents and community. I will enter into a partnership with parents and communities, I’ll collaborate, but I won't advocate for schools to own this whole Internet Safety. Just as I do not advocate for the US Senate try and legislate Internet Safety.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Great links that will be added to the blog in the links section soon.

Titles and URL       Grade level      submitted by Cheryl Oakes  August 13, 2006


Roy the Zebra K-2

UptoTen      K-2  

Protopage  K-12+  a great instant web page for teachers!  

BrainPop k-4   get the password from Mr. S

TryScience k-5

Archaeology 5-8

PBS-A Science odyssey k-5

Candlelight Stories k-5

Gamesaqaurium.com  k-6

Dositey.com   k-12+

Learning to Use Money  1-5



Shodor Math Activities 4-9

National Virtual Math Manipulatives k- 12+

Internet Safety k-6+

Teen Internet Safety 6-12+

Teen Health Internet Safety 6-12+

Blog Safety for Teens 6-12+

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Tech Update, the good news and the not so good news.

Testing to see if I can add from my Flock browser.

The migration from Novell to the Windows server is going well. The hardware is installed, now the funky stuff of getting you all back online and printing. If you have a question please email or call Cheryl at Central Office. See you all back online soon.

Over and Out.


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Tuesday, August 08, 2006

NEW ADS server is happening this week in the district

Hello,
This week all the techs will be working with ADS to set up our new servers. Bear with us as we change over. You may experience some down time in your building as we move things over. Any questions email coakes.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

WOCSD Tech Talk

WOCSD Tech Talk
August 3, 2006
Tech Talk from coakes

Hello, This is Cheryl Oakes coming to you from Wells, ME. I have just been appointed to a new job in the district. Really for the most part it is doing some of the same things but district wide rather than at Wells Elementary School. I will have a blog, web log, and podcast, internet mp3 recordings, that you will be able to access 24/7 with the latest technology information in the district. A blog means that you will be able to comment at the end of the articles I post. It will be important to comment since blogging is about conversations on the internet, and the conversations help others learn through the conversations we have. So welcome and I hope many of your participate in this use of technology. http://www.wocsdtechtalk.blogspot.com


01Techtalk
When you return to school this fall some of you will have new laptops( WES staff), new computer lab in your building(WHS), new MLTI2 laptops(WJHS) and one thing we will all have in common is the new ADS network complete with new copier/printers. This ADS network will standardize the district with all staff logins, student logins in all buildings and a new login/ password protocol. Our standard login will be first initial -last name, ( exceptions will be for similar logins in which case the next letter in the first name will be added).
**** Bulletin*** Extra***Extra***
The other part of the protocol will be that student passwords will change on a 90 day rotation basis(3 x a year: not for Wells Elementary Students), STAFF passwords will change at 180 days (2 x per year). This change represents a more security acceptable protocol. So, I am going to ask you to do some summer bummer homework. Be thinking of a way to come up with your own password that you will remember. I’ve been reading about passwords and some of the latest recommendations.
Here are the guidelines:
Passwords must use a variety of kinds of symbols and keys
At least 8 characters
A lower case letter, an upper case letter, at least a number
Optional use of non-alphabetic characters

The reason we will be following this protocol is to prevent hacking programs from cracking your codes. Also, we will ask that you NOT write down your network password, which defeats the whole protocol.

SUMMER BUMMER HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
You will not be graded on this, but you will be happier having done this ahead of time.
Think of a favorite saying or sentence. You can write this down at home and try it ahead of time to see how easy it is to type, that will be critical! Take the first letter of each word and make up your password. Here is how to create your code.

My sentence:
Sugarloaf is best for skiing and snowboarding. ( only 4 more months to ski season.J)
My password will look like this at first
Password missing on purpose

However, I could use & for the word “and”, then add a number and I am done.
Finished password:
Password missing on purpose

So, I challenge you to come up with your security password. Oh, in 6 months when we have to change this, I will have another tip for redesigning your password.

THE NOTS, YOU MAY NOT DO THE FOLLOWING:
Do not use your names, children’s name, pet names, school name, titles etc
Do not use WORDS
Do not use DOB, SS#, anniversary , phone number


I will post most of this on my new TechTalk blog. Comments are welcome.

Information about passwords was gathered from this article. People, problems and passwords by Victor Bobb, ITtrends, 2nd quarter, 2006
http://www.flmicro.com/ittrends.html

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Wells Ogunquit CSD Tech Talk

Tech Talk with Cheryl Oakes. Welcome to this public blog about technology in the district. You will be able to view this blog and see the latest news about technology in the district. Join in the conversation and read, ask questions, give comments, share your vision for technology in the 21st Century.
You can email Cheryl at coakes@wocsd.org