Kamehameha Schools Distance Learning (KSDL) Owau

Raising the Bar "As leaders, you have countless opportunities every day to either raise or lower "the bar." Allowing mediocrity lowers the bar. You can raise the bar by reminding people of standards and by guiding and coaching. This program includes a simple seven-step process for coaching toward excellence." On November 30th I attended Pam Chambers' workshop "Raising the Bar--Coaching for Excellence."  Coaching is a prime opportunity for improving skills and developing better employees.  One of the least liked aspects of coaching, however, is what Pam refers to as "The Difficult Conversation." As both supervisors and supervisees, I think we can take something away from her seven-step process. An important point to remember is that a "difficult conversation" is stemming from a difficult situation; something is not going right and it needs to be dealt with.  We all have areas where we could improve, so as employees it is im

Classrooms today are dynamic and teachers are feeling the need to become innovative.  An article posted by Mind/Shift presents three trends that define the future of teaching and learning.  Collaborative:  Students are collaborating in and out of school; however, it is through their form of communication like social media.  But, school districts are challenged by teachers crossing the line of accepting students on social media sites like Facebook.  Tech-Powered: The pencil and paper have moved to the obsolete status, while cursive is next on the chopping block.  Teachers are finding innovative ways to use technology to engage students in learning.  These teachers are looking for the free tools to present or share their stories. Blended: Blended learning combines face-to-face and classroom learning together.  This allows teachers to use teaching strategies and techniques in different ways.  Whether offline or online, teachers are moving toward this paradigm shift to grab the atten

Having read several "flipped" classroom articles, I am very pleased with how cleanly this one describes what makes a "flip." Enjoy! http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/five-ways-to-flip-your-classroom-with-the-new-york-times/?scp=3&sq=online%20course&st=cse

Aloha Kākou, Here's an interesting article on small teams.  Good food for thought. I like this graphic: And this one is kind of thought-provoking:

This a pretty affirming article on "What Great Companies Know." Check it out. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/12/what_great_companies_know_abou.html

Urtak is a free and simple polling service that can be used on any blog or website. The polls you create can have multiple questions, but they must be "yes or no" questions. But Urtak isn't that limited because visitors to your poll also have the option of writing in their own questions. You can get started using Urtak in seconds by registering with your Twitter or Facebook account. You can also use your email address to create an account with Urtak . As you can see above, Urtak polls can be embedded into your blog or you can direct people to your poll by sharing the unique url Urtak assigns to your poll. This would be a great idea for marketing on our KSDL website.  We just need to identify what we would like to know from our viewers.  One idea could be to find out what course they would like to take for FREE so we know what would be a hot item for our next marketing campaign.

We are using twitter, but many ask why, for what, and how are we using it?  This infographic provides a way for you to decide if twitter should be used or continue to be used for your business or organization.  Click on image to view larger version.

Social Media Revolution 2011 is a three minute video highlighting some updated statistics about current levels of social media and mobile technologies in 2011. If  you've seen the Did You Know? videos, most of Social Media Revolution 2011 won't be anything new to you. One part that stands out in Social Media Revolution 2011 is, "we don't have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it?"

Google Fusion Tables is a modern data management and publishing web application that makes it easy to host, manage, collaborate on, visualize, and publish data tables online. It is a very powerful tool and I am still trying to plug in data to see how this could be used for our programs.  The one thing I did find beneficial is that you can collaborate or merge other pieces of data with what you have loaded. This now can be found in your Google Documents menu.  Try it out and to discover how this could work for some of the things we do.

Posted on behalf of Kelly Shishido: "Wacom Inkling you can sketch on a paper pad and hooking up a special device you can automatically load that into your computer import it to Illustrator or Photoshop. Your thickness of   lines will vary like drawing with a ball point pen. Wow" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m1SVC1B8KQ

This Apple Seminar was about Challenge Based Learning, using technology to create solutions to a meaningful problem. Students in K-12 and college classes were given iPads or MacBooks and a "big idea" challenge to solve. They worked in teams and found solutions not always anticipated by teachers and the school. Some ways they used technology to solve their problem were: using organization apps to get started and make assignments, sharing docs online, interviews on an iPhone with simultaneous recording on iPad, or sharing a phone conversation with a group using the speaker feature on the phone, and creating and sharing stories, images and videos on website mobile galleries, online communities and blogs. Not surprisingly important teacher skills included: good at digital media and internet use strong subject knowledge good CBL knowledge and an ability to manage a classroom where students were working on all kinds of projects and levels at once. video editing, audio and

Something interesting that was just release by Google called Think Instights with Google.  Think Insights with Google is a relatively new Google service aimed at providing businesses with information about current trends in consumer behavior. Think Insights provides tools for discovering trends, monitoring trends, and it provides a public research library. Users can refine their searches in Think Insights according to industry, target audience, media platform, and marketing objectives. The research studies can be downloaded as PDFs or read online. Some of the research studies are accompanied by videos of analysts discussing the meaning and implications of the research. I found a really interesting article called Following Generation Z .   As an educator, it was fascinating to read about how the behaviors of the next generation of web users are going to look vastly different from today’s as Ed Chi, a member of Google’s in-house research team, shares.

From November 9-11, I attended the Virtual School Symposium (VSS) this year virtually.  It was a very informative conference even at a distance and not being there (only participated Nov. 10 and 11).  They setup a wiki space for people to add to what was presented as well - VSS 2011 Wiki Space Here are some of the highlights. iNACOL - The recently completed a Competency- Based Pathway research.  Many of the documents publish had valuable information that could be used for the tri-campus initiative for online learning.  http://www.inacol.org./research/competency/index.php#cracking_the_code Digital Learning Now - This site provided 10 elements of high-quality digital learning.  http://digitallearningnow.com/ EdWeek reports that blended learning is on the rise. EdWeek - Blended Learning Augmented Reality for learning -  

I do remember when there was an idea of a 'radio road show' collecting all the stories from people.  As the Hawaiian community is very cautious as to how stories are documented, this would provide a viable way to collect contributions in a 'talk story' environment rather than more formal. VoiceThread Mobile s a free app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Through the app users can create and comment on the go. Now you can snap a photo or capture a video with your iOS device and immediately start a VoiceThread project around that item. Or you could add that picture or video to an existing VoiceThread project. VoiceThread Mobile could be a great app for recording and reflecting on the sights and sounds of field trip. Take individuals on a walking tour of a historical district in a city and have them capture images that they then string together and discuss in a VoiceThread project that starts in the field and is finished back where they started.

On Friday, October 28, 2011, I attended Pauahi’s Land Legacy huakaʻi in Paʻalaʻa, Waialua. We were fairly warned . . . Trail conditions include : slippery stream crossings, loose gravel, slick mud, and cliffy sections. This trail has an elevation gain of 200ft. thus all hikers must be able to traverse up and downhill sections. This trail is not suitable for the elderly or people with: hip and/or knee ailments; vertigo; or an extreme fear of heights. This trail has many stream crossings - YOU WILL GET WET. And yes, we did get wet.  We crossed the stream a total of six times; at one point it was almost hip deep.  The amazing opportunity helped me gain a deeper understanding of how KS is changing from an absentee land-owner to one that is active and participatory.  Currently the 10,000 acres of agriculture land is devoted largely to seed-crops, but plans are underway to start food crop production.  Located up mauka, an additional 13,000 acres is conservation land, as wild as

This post is courtesy of The Old Lady of ISC, with the intent that it may provide you with a short moment to sit back, exhale, and doodle. Replenishing our creative spirits, both as individuals and as a group, is paramount to our success in scaling the mountains of our divisional transition challenges. Depending on our personality types, how we do this takes divergent forms. For some, it may be performing 200 jumping-jacks in two minutes. For others, it may be lounging on the couch to quietly contemplate their navel. For yet others, they may have an inborn need to party 'til the cows come home. And for one or two, this may entail reading every book in the library about Africa (don't laugh, my mom read the entire inventory of 80+ such books that exists at the Hilo library). However, I digress. Moving on . . . Because of our many different and sometimes conflicting personalities and work styles, to move forward as a cohesive, happy, and productive group takes a collective effor

Aloha Kākou, I attended the webinar, "How to Get Employees Up to Speed in Record Time," presented by Arupa Tesolin and Steve Rosenbaum. No only is this topic pertinent to my professional development, but as ISC is experiencing growth and on-boarding new employees, it was a timely opportunity to gain insight into an on-going challenge faced by all organizations. The central philosophy behind the short-duration, high-results onboarding was a focus on PROFICIENCY. I'll get to that in a minute. First, though, overall improvement is actualized by targeting key positions. These will be the ones that: generate revenue or client results; build or service products; or solve customer problems. Pretty straight-forward... In order to get the biggest bang for your buck (or hour) they advise: 1. Define and Measure Proficiency 2. Map the Current Learning Process 3. Accelerate the Path. I found there to be interesting similarities of philosophy to efficiency studies of the early 20th cen

This was an interesting layout for Bloom's using Android apps.  Below this image is also one Kathy Schrock did for Google products.  To Google Apps or not to Google?

If you thought you were the only one who wasn't sure, definitively, how technology should be used in classrooms, you're not the only one. The New York Times has had several articles in the last few days that talk about the "app gap," students that absolutely need technology, Silicon Valley parents that refuse to let their kids use computers in school, and Indiana schools who use laptops exclusively. Screen Time Higher Than Ever for Children: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/us/screen-time-higher-than-ever-for-children-study-finds.html And http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/opinion/occupy-the-classroom.html?emc=eta1 And Out with Textbooks, in With Laptops for an Indiana School District: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/education/19textbooks.html?pagewanted=1 Contrast this with: A Silicon Valley School That Doesn't Compute: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?hpw

  Early in the video Godin notes that blogging is not about the number of readers, but about the other benefits gained by blogging. That is a great point for all bloggers, but especially new bloggers to remember. Focus on consistently (it doesn't have to be every day, some of my favorite bloggers write only twice a week) producing quality content that you find beneficial to yourself and a small group of peers or colleagues and eventually your audience will grow. I started this blog for the purpose of keeping a record of things that I found interesting and for keeping in touch with friends. If you're just starting out in the blogging community, remember that blogging is about learning, reflecting, and sharing.

Just finished reading this book by Chris Lehmann and Scott McLeod.  As technology reshapes teaching and learning in the twenty-first century, school leaders would do well take into consideration the insights and advice shared in this book. With dozens of concrete examples, it offers something for education leaders no matter their prior experience with technology tools and issues.  Digital technologies and social media continue to evolve and are transforming the way in which we communicate, teach, and learn. This is a must-have toolbox for educational leaders who choose to be agents of change. If you have a chance, pick up a copy.  It is worth the investment, especially for school leaders.

I know we are not promoting Google but they do have a lot of resources that we can utilize when thinking about blended learning implementation. For example, PD planning, case studies, training options, and communication plans. It's a good framework to think about when thinking about integration and empowering users to take control. I liked the idea of Ninja or Guru groups setting out and representing the initiative...same way we think of ambassadors. K12 Guide to Going Google: http://k12guide.googleapps.com/

What are millennial students saying about teachers? A friend who is a professor at Dalton State University sent me this article.  I found it very enlightening, especially from page 2 and on.

Aloha, Kel and I attended this training by Keith Ayers last Thursday. It dealt with understanding your dimension of behavior (similar to work style), but focused on behavior tendencies. Here's a summary of the four behavior types: Dominance - direct, results-oriented, strong-willed and forceful. Influence - outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic and lively. Steadiness - even-tempered, accommodating, patient and humble. Conscientiousness - analytical, reserved, precise and systematic. Guess what Kel and I are? I'll tell you at the end of this post :) The most applicable pieces of information shared at the workshop was learning the strengths and fears of each type. If you know someone's DiSC profile, you can build on their strengths, but be conscious of trying not to feed their fears. Here's a chart showing four characteristics and a spectrum of whether or not it is strength or limitation for each behavior type.

Here are some Web tools you can use to help your group brainstorm, present, post, and reflect on topics and projects. These tools are helpful because they are visually and associatively based, and non-linear, which encourages people to look at and process information in new ways. Wallwisher: http://www.wallwisher.com/ Post images, comments, notes, video, and more on "walls" grouped by idea. Glogster: http://www.glogster.com/ Make a poster to illustrate ideas. Using Glogster, many different people can make their own poster on the same subject, or using the same pool of images to compare ideas. Twiddla: http://twiddla.com/ Twiddle creates an online, real time "whiteboard" to make group drawings, edit documents and websites, create graphics. And here's a listing of 100 online brainstorming tools: http://www.forensicsciencetechnician.org/100-online-brainstorming-tools-to-help-you-think-outside-the-box/

Add caption Via: OnlineEducation.net

There is an average of 91 million searches per day using Google (http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2067276/Searches-Per-Day) .  But, how do you limit the search or get the best results for what you are looking for? Most times users will enable Google Instant .  Or, you can use the square brackets [ ] to signal a search query.  For examples, if I wanted to search for prune mui you could type [prune] and [mui], this would be two separate queries.  Or, you could do [prune mui] as one query.  Here are some other tips: Phrase search (""): example ["King Kamehameha"] Search within a specific website (site:): example [start wars site: staradvertiser.com] Terms you want to exclude (-): example [jaguar - cars - football -os] Fill in the blanks (*): example [fried * with *] Search exactly as is (+): Google uses synonyms automatically, but can be used to match words precisley. The OR operator: example [Superbowl 2009 or 2010] A couple exceptions - sometimes the p

Interesting article...here's a direct link to my blog post, http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/09/09/1792606/idaho-ed-board-votes-to-require.html .

This article shows how New Jersey goes from banning social media tools to embracing the power it has for communication and information for students.  They have been using twitter to communicate out to students for things such as assignments or class information. Read more about Social media go from school ban to teacher tool.

Flipping the classrooms have transformed teaching practices.  Teachers no longer stand in front of the students and talk at them for thirty to sixty minutes at a time.  This radical change has allowed teachers to take on a different role with students. The flipped classroom has not only changed classrooms, but many teachers from around the world have adopted the model and are using it to teach Spanish, Science, Math, elementary, middle, high school, and adults.  There have been presentations made all over North America demonstrating how flipping your classroom can change kids' lives.   Flipping has transformed classrooms in so many ways.  So, here is an infographic to explain what’s a flipped classroom — and why now? Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

Ever wonder where good ideas come from? Author and speaker Steven Johnson explains in this short excerpt that has been made into an animated video. Steven Johnson was also one of the keynote speakers at BbWorld 2011 where he spoke on the same topic. Here is the link: http://youtu.be/NugRZGDbPFU (4:07)

A giveaway at your social media or website is a great way to attract interest and participation from your readers, but they can inadvertently cause you to violate a law. Sweepstakes require you employ the rules of chance, without special consideration for anyone person or group. Contests require some measure of merit, however small, but must eliminate the element of chance. Lotteries require a "consideration" given or paid by entrants, and are prohibited in some states. Asking participants to seek and find an item on a website, or give information about their preferences or identity could be considered a "consideration", the same as buying a lottery ticket could. So your "contest" or "sweepstake" could innocently become an illegal lottery. This Social Media Examiner article offers a checklist of items to include in your contest or giveaway rules to avoid some legal pitfalls. Some are "no purchase necessary", number of prizes and

Here are some of the new features in Service Pack 6 Interactive Rubrics You can review blog posts and while doing so, pop up a rubric you created and score and give feedback directly into it. Alternatively you can have it as a pop-up list with a box for entering the score. All of this happens within the blog environment without having to go to the grade center. Autosubmissions for quizzes: Quizzes can be set to autosubmit after a certain amount of time. It's really the only way to control this. The status of questions (answered or not), and time remaining can display. OR students can turn it off if this makes them more nervous. Many will feel it gives them more control over their time management. Needs Grading Feature (Grade Center) In the Control Panel chose Grade Center , then Needs Grading . Choose a cat egory of ungraded items . Click an item to grade it. SCORM Shareable content object reference

Aloha, As we work on our PMS goals and career plans, here are two interesting blog posts I came across: Keeping People with Three Kinds of Mentors by Anthony Tijan Can and Should by Seth Godin Kelly

I think Google is a teacher's best friend. Now they have a plug-in that you can use to do grading. Using Google forms, you can create a test/quiz and then have your students take it. Once done, in the populated spreadsheet with all the responses you can use Flubaroo to automatically correct the responses and give you the grades. How I wish Google has these features 10 years ago when I was in the classroom. Here's a short video demonstrating how to use Flubaroo .

Sharing knowledge, emerging from transition and change successfully and growth take time and attention, precious commodities. How is that done most efficiently and effectively? Here are some possible strategies we might try for ourselves, and teachers might try with their students. Pecha kucha is a strategy for sharing the perspectives of multiple contributors – 20 slides, 20 seconds each. When the slides are over the talk is over and discussion begins…or not. The phenomenon has become popular across the nation and internationally. http://www.pecha-kucha.org/ Why? Because to do it successfully one must distill the body of content to its essence and present it in a concise, logical and engaging way. The presentation must adhere to the timing of the automatically advancing slides, so words must be chosen carefully. Direct your point. Presentation experts Garr Reynolds http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/slides.html and Guy Kawasaki http://blog.guykawasaki.com/20