Opening+Session+November+2008

=Opening Session - November 21, 2008=

[|Virtual Field Trip Information] - Click here to download the form for requesting a virtual field trip from our county website.

Part I - Video / Pair Share / Group Discussion
[|Empty Children Video] - John Taylor Gatto's //The Underground History of American Education//

Find someone you do not know (or do not know well) and discuss this short clip. Do you agree with Gatto's assertion that we are creating empty children? What do classroom teachers need to do to help develop young minds?

Report back to group.

Part II - The Rainbow
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has created a framework for us to clearly understand what students need to be successful in today's workplace and society. You will be studying this rainbow more thoroughly on Tuesday at Childersburg High in your subject areas, but let's take a quick tour of the 21st Century framework now.

[|21st Century Skills Framework]

Part III - The Challenge
We will be using the [|layered curriculum] as inspiration for our 21st Century challenge this year. Each of us will challenge ourselves to advance through the layers of our 21st Century program and present the results of our work to our system's administrators at a principal's meeting in late March/early April. Your "presentation" does not need to be fancy. (No project boards or extravagant displays are necessary.) You might have work samples, a simple Power Point, pictures, handouts from a faculty training session, or other evidence of your accomplishments on your layer of learning. Of course, we'd love for everyone to strive for Layer A. Yet, we understand that many of you are new to this training. Kim, Robbie, and I are eager to help you achieve the highest level you can. Use us, this wiki, and your 21st century learning partners to urge you on your way.


 * Layer C - I have mastered five __new__ technologies and used them to teach my content.**
 * Web 2.0 - Wikis, blogs, podcasts, quizlet, voki, bitstrips, delicious, skype, surveys, etc.
 * Hardware - Interwrite Pad, Elmo, Smart Board, Classroom Response System,
 * Software - Photostory, Movie Maker, simulations, games, etc.
 * School-in-Sites website - Developed class webpage


 * Layer B - I have facilitated my __students' mastery__ for using technology to learn content.**
 * Same as Layer C except that students will be creating material using this technology in order to advance their learning and understanding of your content


 * Layer A - I have designed and implemented training for my subject-area teachers, grade group, and/or faculty.**
 * Faculty meetings
 * After-school sessions
 * Staff Development Days
 * Common Planning time
 * Skype, Elluminate

More Resources to View...
media type="custom" key="2704931" Note from Karl Fisch:** This is a movie remix of the recent award-winning PowerPoint Presentation to which I have added music from U2 & Colin Haye. I received permission from Jeff Brenman to use his powerpoint slides for this movie. Some of the slide have been altered/added/deleted. This movie is by no means intended to be a criticism of the U.S. My hope is that it makes you think & sparks intelligent discourse. Enjoy!
 * "Shift Happens" by Karl Fisch

media type="custom" key="2704797"
 * "Technology Fear Factor" by Georgia teacher, Vicki Davis.**