Episode #5: Classroom Blogging… For Real... Finally!

Featuring Host, Mark Gura’s in-depth interview with Jeff Piontek, author of Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, Oh My! Electronic Media in the Classroom

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Direct link: http://www.divshare.com/download/20452471-268

This episode features an article with Jeff Piontek, former Director and founder of the Hawaii Technology Academy and keynote speaker at a recent ISTE conference. Jeff has spent many years conceiving and implementing effective instructional approaches that feature the use of blogs and he shares his experience and reflections about that and more in this insightful conversation.

Episide Segments with Start Times

Part I: INTRODUCTION - Discussion of Classroom Blogging and related resources, practices, and articles Overview Discussion of Classroom Blogging -
(Segment Starts @ approx.  04:43)

Mark’s recent articles: 1. Learning & Leading with Technology: “LEGO Robotics: STEM Sport of the Mind”
2. Scanner: "Down from the Hallway Bulletin Board - Up on the Web: Using Technology to Build a School-wide Community of Peer Writers and Readers"
3. Watch for the upcoming ISTE Literacy and Technology book (title not yet set). This book picks up where (the of now out of print) Making Literacy Magic Happen left off…to be released in the not too distant future

Articles discussed in this episode:
4. Blog Basics – Oxford University Press
http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2012/06/19/using-technology-to-improve-writing-activities/
(Segment Starts @ approx. 06:56)5. Blogging in the classroom: why your students should write online – The Guardian Teacher Network Article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2012/jul/17/students-should-be-blogging
(Segment Starts @ approx. 11:03)

Google classroom blogging resources
(Segment Starts @ approx. 16:02)
6. Top 20 Teacher Blogs / Scholastic Instructor magazine
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/top-20-teacher-blogs
7. Using Blogs in the Classroom
http://digitalwriting.pbworks.com/w/page/17812820/Using%20Blogs%20in%20the%20Classroom 
(From above) Additional educational blogging resources:
Teaching Today – Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom
My eCoach – Classroom Blogs
Examples of classroom blogs
(Segment Starts @ approx. 17:52)

Resources: a.    Krebs Class Blog: http://krebs.edublogs.org/about/
b.    KIDBLOG:  http://kidblog.org/why-kidblog/ 
c.    SCRATCH authoring program: http://scratch.mit.edu/ ...also…
d.    ALICE authoring program:  http://www.alice.org/ 

Part I: INTERVIEW with Jeff Piontek, Author of Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, Oh My! Electronic Media in the Classroom
(Segment Starts @ approx. 22:05)

·         Jeff’s Website: http://jeffpiontek.com/about/  

·         Jeff’s Book: Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, Oh My! Electronic Media in the Classroom http://estore.seppub.com/estore/product/50112

·         Jeff’s Article – Blogging in the Big Apple: http://www.techlearning.com/article.aspx?categoryid=0039&articleid=42257

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Host, Mark Gura’s site and blog:
http://www.lighting-a-fire.com/  + http://markgura.blogspot.com/

Please check back for more episodes soon, including Episode 6, which will feature my in-depth interview with popular young peoples’ author, Andrea Davis Pinkney. Ms. Pinkney is the author Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra , Bird in a Box, Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, and many other really good books kids will love.

Episode #4: The Drama of Literacy Learning

Featuring Host, Mark Gura’s interview with Scholastic author Mack Lewis

Click to launch podcast

This episode features an interview with Mack Lewis, a National Board Certified teacher and author of numerous books and articles, many of them published by Scholastic.  Mr. Lewis’ interests include writing plays and dramatized literature. He writes for classroom teachers and students, keeping his own classroom and the needs of his own students in mind throughout the creative process.

Also, this episode covers a variety of approaches and resources for the introduction of Drama into the curriculum. These include: an overview of the many strategies possible for integrating drama, assessing oral expression in the classroom, the use of audio recordings of vintage radio shows and digital animation as platforms for integrating Drama, and Readers Theater

Episode Segments with Run Times:
Introduction
Part I
- Teaching Drama in the Classroom - A Toolbox for Teachers -
Starts @ 4minutes/32 seconds
- Grading Oral Expression: A Blind Spot for Teachers-
Starts @ 7 minutes/47 seconds
- Reader's Theater - Starts @13 minutes/9 seconds
- The Read Aloud Experience - Starts @ 11minutes/6 seconds
- Radio Days WEBQUEST- Starts @ 14 minutes/27 seconds
- Relic Radio - 17 minutes/36 seconds
- Animation to Integrate Drama - Starts @ 19 minutes/8 seconds

Part IIInterview with Mack Lewis – Starts @ 35 minutes/7 seconds

LINKS to Articles and Resources

1)   Mack Lewis:  http://macklewis.com/
+ http://macklewis.com/about-mack/public-educator/
Mack’s FREE article:  Why Use Drama? Reader's Theater Tips, Strategies, & Teacher's Guide http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Why-Use-Drama-Readers-Theater-Tips-Strategies-Teachers-Guide
2)   SIG-LIT Book Study “Teaching With Author Websites” www.siglitbookstudy.blogspot.com
+ Publishers site for book:  http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book233827#tabview=title
3)   Teaching Drama in the Classroom L A Toolbox for Teachers
https://www.sensepublishers.com/files/9789460915376PR.pdf
4)   Grading Oral Expression: A Blind Spot for Teachers
Considering all the time teachers set aside for discussion, it makes
sense to find ways to formally measure students' oral contributions,
says teacher Kyle Redford.http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/04/02/fp_redford.html?tkn=QPMFkAr7OyGnbS4AmZOYHw%2FLfNCBCXusnZkJ&cmp=ENL-TU-NEWS1
5) The Power of Reader's TheaterAn easy way to make dramatic changes in kids' fluency, writing, listening, and social skills http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/readerstheater.htm
6) The Read Aloud Experiencehttp://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/miller/miller001.shtm
7) Radio Days WEBQUEST: http://www.thematzats.com/radio
8) Relic Radio: http://relicradio.com/otr/show/horror/
9) (ISTE published book) Visual Arts Units: All Levels  (Chapters/Units  16 & 17 cover PowerPoint and Animation)  http://www.iste.org/store/product.aspx?ID=68010)
10) Domo Animation http://domo.goanimate.com/movie/0tR2vsNTG_rQ/0/email + EdTech Blog covers Domo Animate: http://www.ncs-tech.org/?p=420311111111

11)  xtranormal – http://www.xtranormal.com/edu/
+ samples: http://www.xtranormal.com/
+ Related article from Scholastic: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/classroom-solutions/2012/02/persuasive-writing-21st-century-style-part-2-xtranormal-movie-making
12) Frames http://www.tech4learning.com/frames/videos13
13) Read Write Think  printout resources:
-  Character Map http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/character-30199.html
Who are the characters in this story? Students will examine what a character looks like, what a character does, and how other characters react to him or her.
- Conflict Map http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/conflict-30197.html
Ask students to remember a story with no problem or conflict. That would be difficult to do! With this printout, students learn to examine the critical plot element of conflict.
- Narrative Pyramid http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/narrative-pyramid-30845.html
After students read a short story or chapter of a novel, they can use the Narrative Pyramid to reflect on key ideas and details.- Sequence of Events Chart http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/sequence-events-chart-30580.html
This graphic organizer helps students see the sequential or cause-effect relationships between multiple events in a text.

|14) STORYBOARD:  http://www.primaryaccess.org/story/

            + http://www.primaryaccess.org/ 
            PrimaryAccess is a suite of free online tools that allows students
            and teachers to use primary source documents to complete
            meaningful and compelling learning activities with digital movies,
            storyboards, rebus stories and other online tools.

            + How to make a Storyboard - http://youtu.be/65_3bq_0eSY

Host, Mark Gura’s blog: www.markgura.blogspot.com

Literacy Special Interest Group links: http://siglit.iste.wikispaces.net/HOME+PAGE
http://www.iste-community.org/group/siglit
http://www.iste.org/connect/special-interest-groups/sig-directory/siglit.aspx

Contact the Literacy Special Interest PODCAST: literacyspecialinterestgroup@gmail.com

ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. You can learn more about becoming an ISTE member at www.iste.org/join

    COMING SOON…Upcoming episodes, featuring inspiring interviews with: NY Times Bestselling Author,  Andrea Davis Pinkney: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/andrea-davis-pinkney - Jeff Piontek, author of Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, Oh My! Electronic Media in the Classroom http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/estore/product/50112 

Episode #3: Every Kid Should Write and Publish!

Featuring Host, Mark Gura’s interview with education author and speaker, Bernard Percy

Click to launch podcast>>> Literacy Specialist Podcast, Episode 3: Every Kid Should Write and Publish This episode features an interview with Bernard Percy, an internationally known author and speaker on a variety of education subjects. Percy guided his elementary grade students in writing How to Grow a Child: A Child’s Advice to Parents, a book that was published and distributed internationally. Also, this episode covers a variety of approaches and resources for authentic student writing and publishing projects, such as how to create a digital book and a class newspaper.

Direct Download: EveryKidShouldWriteAndPublish_Episode_3.mp3

Episode Segments with Run Times:

1.      Opening Essay: Authentic Writing and Publishing Projects Starts @ 4:00 minutes

2.      Teacher and Class Created Textbooks: Apple website “iBooks textbooks for iPad. There’s nothing textbook about them.” and  KQED blog article – “How to Create Your Own Textbook, With or Without Apple Starts @ 10:42 minutes

3.      How To: School and Class Newspapers Segment Starts @ 14:55 minutes

4.      How To Publish Student Writing on the Web: Approaches and Resources Discussed Segment Starts @ 17:36 minutes

5.       Finding an Authentic Audience for Student Writers Segment Starts @ 19:42 minutes

6.      Every Kid Should Write and Publish – Discussion of the content of a popular YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bjRr24dgIc  Segment Starts @ 25:03 minutes

7.   Interview with Bernard Percy: As an elementary school teacher, Bernard supported and guided group of elementary grades students in writing a book that was published by a major publishing house. The book, How to Grow a Child: A Child’s Advice to Parents was published twice, with 3 decades between editions. Segment Starts @ 32:45 minutes

Links to Content and Resources
a) YouTube video: Every Kid Should Write and Publish!
http://youtu.be/7bjRr24dgIc b) Website: iBooks textbooks for iPad. There’s nothing textbook about them.
http://www.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/
c) Article from KQED ‘MindShift’ blog “How to Create Your Own Textbook, With or Without Apple http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/01/how-to-create-your-own-textbook-with-or-without-apple/

       d) Downloadable PDF Resource (Miami Herald):  Creating a Classroom Newspaper http://nie.miamiherald.com/_pdf/CreatingAClassroomNewspaperNAA.pdf

      e) Scribd: Scribd is a social publishing site, where tens of millions of people share original writings and documents. Scribd's vision is to liberate the written word. www.scribd.com

     f) Docstoc: Docstoc is an electronic document repository and online store, aimed at providing professional, financial and legal documents for the business community. http://www.docstoc.com/

      g) Article from Edutopia Blog:  “Young Writers Become Primary Sources”
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/one-world-student-writing-primary-sources-suzie-boss

       h) One World Education: “Our Mission: To prepare youth to be culturally and globally literate citizens and to enhance student engagement and learning through a classroom curriculum built around student writing on culture and global issues”
www.oneworldeducation.org/

     i) Bernard Percy http://www.bernardpercy.com/

      j) Bernard Percy’s Book - How to Grow a Child: A Child’s Advice to Parents
http://actionpublishing.com/non-fiction_books/percy-how-to-grow-a-child.html
and…
http://www.amazon.com/How-Grow-Child-Childs-Parents/dp/1888045248

       - Host, Mark Gura’s blog www.markgura.blogspot.com

- Literacy Special Interest Group links: http://siglit.iste.wikispaces.net/HOME+PAGE
http://www.iste-community.org/group/siglit
http://www.iste.org/connect/special-interest-groups/sig-directory/siglit.aspx

- Contact the Literacy Special Interest PODCAST:
literacyspecialinterestgroup@gmail.com

ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. You can learn more about becoming an ISTE member at www.iste.org/join

      COMING SOON…Upcoming episodes, featuring inspiring interviews with:
- NY Times Bestselling Author,  Andrea Davis Pinkney: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/andrea-davis-pinkney - Scholastic Playwright,  Mack Lewis: http://macklewis.com/ - ISTE Keynoter, Jeff Piontek, author of Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, Oh My! Electronic Media in the Classroom http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/estore/product/50112

Episode #2: “Author Study for the Connected Classroom”

Featuring - Host, Mark Gura's exclusive interview with T.A. Barron, author of The Lost Years of Merlin.

Literacy Special Interest Group Podcast: Episode #2

Direct download: LiteracySpecialInterest_EPISODE_2_AuthorStudy4ConnectedClassroom.mp3 

Episode Segments:

1) Mark and Susanna Livingston discuss Teaching With Author Websites - Using T.A. Barron's website resources for teaching and learning - Studying & learning from Kurt Vonnegut's new biography and Vonnegut YouTube resources - and more… Segment Starts @ 3:18

2) Short Takes: News and Developments in Literacy Learning with Resource Recommendations:

a) Using theComputer/Video Game MACHINARIUM to foster Literacy Learning... Segment Starts @ 19:07

b) Virtual, FREE Author Visits to Classrooms via SKYPE... Segment Starts @  21:32
c) Author Study Improving Reading Comprehension, a tech-supported practice from Read – Write - Think… Segment Starts @23:49

*3) Exclusive, in-depth Interview with author T.A. Barron, a well-known young peoples’ authors who has written and published over 30 books, including picture books and series of novels. One of his Merlin novels is currently being made into a movie by Warner Brothers. Mr. Barron offers observations and sound, inspiring advice on fostering literacy learning in our classrooms...  Segment Starts @ 29:18 SUGGESTION: Download and listen to Episode #2 in iTunes to monitor segment start times!
Links:

• T.A. Barron Official Website: http://www.tabarron.com/
             - T.A. Barron's Books
           http://www.tabarron.com/ta-barrons-books
         - (T.A. Barron) Resources
            http://www.tabarron.com/resources
         - Young Heroes
           http://www.tabarron.com/young-heroes
• Machinarium (Computer/Video Game) http://machinarium.net/demo/
• Teaching with Author Websites (Book) http://teachingwithauthorwebsites.blogspot.com/  + http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book233827  and…
  
  Publisher’s (Corwin) description of  Teaching with Author Websiteshttp://www.sagepub.com/books/Book233827#tabview=title
• How to engage the disengaged: An English teacher discovers digital literacy really works
   (Article – The Guardian)  http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2011/dec/05/engage-disengaged-students-digital-literacy
• Kate’s Book Blog (author Kate Messner) / Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs (for free!)http://kmessner.livejournal.com/106020.html?thread=2129444
• Kate Messner’s Books:  www.katemessner.com/books/
• An Author in Every Classroom: Kids connecting with authors via Skype. It’s the next best thing to being there (Article – Library Journal) http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/886352-427/an_author_in_every_classroom.html.csp
• Author Study: Improving Reading Comprehension Using Inference and Comparison (Read – Write – Think) http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/author-study-improving-reading-906.html
• Some Kurt Vonnegut resources…

- “How to Write a Good Short Story” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmVcIhnvSx8&feature=related
Vonnegut reveals “how to do it” in 8 brilliant points delivered in 90 seconds! -                  

- “How To Get A Job Like Mine” (LITERARY DISCOURSE series) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESwSiKRs9hc&feature=related
Vonnegut gives his highly memorable (and absolutely brilliant, hearteningly irreverent( advice to young writers.

 “How It Went” - NY Times review of “And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/books/review/and-so-it-goes-kurt-vonnegut-a-life-by-charles-j-shields-book-review.html?pagewanted=all

- Host, Mark Gura’s blog www.markgura.blogspot.com
- Literacy Special Interest Group links: http://siglit.iste.wikispaces.net/HOME+PAGE

http://www.iste-community.org/group/siglit

http://www.iste.org/connect/special-interest-groups/sig-directory/siglit.aspx


- Contact the Literacy Special Interest PODCAST:

literacyspecialinterestgroup@gmail.com

ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. You can learn more about becoming an ISTE member at www.iste.org/join

COMING SOON… Episode # 3, featuring an inspiring interview with Educator/Author, Bernard Percy  who coached his 5th Grade Students in writing the book "How to Grow a Child"
 http://howtogrowachild.com/