As part of an activity of the Selection Committee for the Golden Apple Foundation, we were all asked to use three post-its and write three words that best describe what the committee was looking for the 2013 Golden Apple Fellows. This best frames what the group of sixty-odd educators, from current educators and administers, college professors, and retired educators Prek-22. I am immediately asked “How did you do it?”

So,instead of composing many emails, a blogpost seems the best way to share. THIS is why we have blogs, to share.

CREATE

Create your list of words in a word processing document; I used evernote. If you ever have to go back to recreate or change your word cloud, you have all the words already to go. DO NOT type the words into the word section, enough said.

TAGXEDO

The word cloud site is http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html You create a shape and can alter data input. You can also “lock” your Color, Theme, Font, Orientation, and Layout, which is quite helpful.

SELECTION

Under load, you can copy and paste your word processing words. Do not do a data dump and take the first generated picture. Select a shape, there is a Word/Layout options. In everything you create, seeing what the options are, makes a project go from ordinary to fabulous. Be very deliberate with your choices and what looks best to your eye.

PURPOSE

This will drive your project. Know your purpose. My purpose was for a slide show and I wanted a black background. Black also loads faster in a browser than white. However, if you are going to print it out, a white background would be the better choice – less ink. Also, if you are only going to print it in black and white, then create your word cloud in black and white. I created two different versions, one in colored with a black background and in black and white.

SAVE/SHARE

You can save the file and email the file. I took at screenshot, but there are various ways to share and save.

To add interest, in keynote I put the picture on an angle, it adds interests and brings the eye in.

DATA

So, now look at the word cloud and what it takes to be a truly “Distinguished” educator, THAT was the ultimate PURPOSE.

I am giddy over the upcoming “Beyond these Times: Reimagining Schools: Conversations with the Future in Mind,” is taking place at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Monday, March 18, 2013 from 6:30-8:00pm. Dr. James Gee,  a researcher and renowned author of the new book “ The Anti-Education Era: Creating Smarter Students through Digital Learning” (January 2013) and Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, founding President of Illinois Science and Math Academy in Illinois and author of “The Power to Transform” are discussing their view of the future of education in today’s world.

This is the first of two conversations discussing the “Future of Education.” On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 from 6:30-8:00pm, also at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Tony Wagner,  author of “Creating Innovators” (April 2012) and Connie Yowell, from the Director of the Education for the MacArthur Foundation which oversees a “$85 million program on Digital Media and Learning,” will discuss education as they see it.

WBEZ’s arts and culture journalist Allison Cuddy will moderate both events.

These two lively discussions will include audience participation.  The events are hosted by the Golden Apple Foundation, National-Lewis University, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Oh, the best part, it’s FREE to the public. You need to register for the event and pick up your tickets at will call.

Click here for more information or to register for either event.

YES, we will be live-streaming both events, I’ll post the link on my twitter and Facebook page.

I have a yearly doctor’s appointment and it is always the dreaded “scale” that I obsess about. Each year, I vow THIS is the year I will lose the weight.  Every year I tend to gain three to four pounds, then add that up over twenty years it is around forty to fifty pounds. My doctor has been nice and each year we only talk briefly about my weight.

So, this year I decided to  “attack” on my weight. I told him, “I know I have been gaining weight, I am completely disgusted with myself. I WILL lose the weight.” That was November 26, 2012. I tried for twelve days to lose it on my own terms. Well, I failed. I needed  “digital” reminders, to keep myself honest. I  had to use TECH to lose the weight.

It’s simple to say I joined Jenny Craig, which I did. This is NOT about the program, it is about how I am using technology to lose weight.

First, the body media monitor and website (food)

I needed to have a monitor that would monitor my food, sleep, and activity. I am using the bodymedia. I strap it on and off I go! It connects to my personal page. This is not my data, I’m still too embarrassed to tell people how much I really weigh. But it charts everything. If I had known there was a wifi version I would have purchased that one. I now have to plug it into my computer to update the data. You can also hide it in your bra, but having it on my arm is easy to get to and upload the data during the day.

Second, the scale

I have a wifi scale that timestamps my weight. I cannot cheat or tell myself I didn’t weigh myself. I have to manually add my weight to the bodymedia website, but it’s like a sense of accomplishment when I can put a lower amount in. My body goes up a little then down, however, each week I have lost weight when I weigh-in. The http://www.withings.com/  scale also has an app, that keeps track of a variety of things, such as sleep, weight, and activity. I do not use the heart portion of the app since I don’t want a third monitor on my blood pressure.

Third, the heart-monitor app

The wifi scale is connected with wahoofitness app, so I strap on the heart-rate monitor during my exercise so I can keep my heart-rate up in the “speed/power” level. (I’m even competitive with myself!) It uploads to Runkeeper, Garmin Connect, dailymile, and Dropbox. You can even email the file to your doctor or yourself. I have an nike+ account, but since they don’t talk to each other, I’m using my old “daily mile’ account, without the miles. Yes, I wear TWO monitors when I exercise. The way to all good things is to be completely honest and using this app does that for me.

Fourth, exercise

I basically use the elliptical at my local Health Club. I get up at 4:40am, at the club by 5:00am, on the machine by 5:05am, since must leave at 5:45 to shower, eat, and leave my house by 6:42 to get the 7:01 train to the city. It’s all about a schedule, a routine. Once I’m in the city, I take a brisk one-mile walk to the office. During the day, I walk seven flights of stairs up and down to get my 10,000 steps in a day. I do some of the classes on the weekends and have an extended forty-five minute workout on one of the machines.

Fifth, music. You all knew it came to this!

Music pushes me to work hard when I workout.  (i.e. fast tempo) SO, I use the Olympic Dreams China 2008. I tried to find it on iTunes, but here it is on amazon.  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympic-Dreams/dp/B001UF71ME I love the fast tempo and the variety of musical styles. I actually “dance” on the elliptical. Being a former music teacher, I had to have music be the center of my exercise. I have a big library of music, but when I exercise I am extremely picky about the style and rhythm of the music. I have to stay on the beat, so simple rock music does not work. It has to be interesting and a positive message. This fits and works!

This is fine. 

this is fine

Sixth, support

Steve Dembo started a Facebook page called fit42. To hear the stories of others doing the same thing I am doing is inspiring and by posting my own results makes me accountable to others. My journey needs a social component, this is a perfect fit.

In conclusion

Since November 26 I am down eighteen pounds, with twenty-seven pounds to go. I’d like to lose forty-five pounds in total. I’ll update once I hit my half-way point which should in in three to four weeks. (Can you tell how PUMPED I am?)

In the past eighteen months I have attended three unconferences or Edcamps. They have been my favorite professional development for learning and networking. The model is for the attendees to come with an open mind and plan their time according to the interests and concerns they want to LEARN or PRESENT to the group. Steve Demko tweeted out “what about an unclassroom environment for students” Well, I had an unclassroom. It was an environment that students created their own content and were allowed to be passion-driven in their learning. Then pushed me to “write on!” Here it is…

Letting the students design their learning AND creating was the purpose of this passion-lead final project. This is a spin on an unconference, the same idea, just organized in a matter that fits students and the class. So, set your students FREE!

UnClassroom Preparation

To have an unClassroom environment, students must have a knowledge base of technology and the subject matter. For the fourth and fifth graders, since they had music for the entire year, this project was always at the end of the year.  It started after spring break, so they had anywhere from twelve to fifteen class periods. Yes, nine weeks is eighteen class periods, but for me to ALLOW extra time, is the MOST important planning I did for my students. Presentation and reflecting is when the learning really exists and becomes real.

For the seventh and eighth graders, they had three projects for nine weeks, two small projects completed in one to three days respectively OR if a student(s) came in with an idea, they started their PSP immediately. Over 20% of the students already had an idea of what they wanted to do and or program they wanted to use. Again, allowing enough time for the students to complete their “dream” project, presenting, and reflecting is key to making this a project they will remember.

The projects were CONTENT-based, not APPLICATION-based. So, purpose drove the projects, not the application. Sure, there was an GarageBand project, but the main purpose involved composition and if students could play their song and not use the loops, that was allowed. This created “experts” in a variety of applications, so when the spectacular project was introduced, students could pick from a variety of applications, apps, and content. Yes, many were technology-based projects, but the involvement of music was key, since it was a music class. If I taught Social Studies, then Social Studies would be the key. Barbara Freedman, a music technology educator has a wonderful quote “Teach Music. The Technology Will Follow.”

Students were allowed to use THEIR time to risk on a project that may never get finished. If they wanted to learn “flash” and had no prior knowledge, they could just “learn flash.” This meant that there might not be a finished product.  However, whatever they did, it had to have music. They would compose music that they thought would go through their project. Their presentation would be the process they did and all the mistakes that they learned.

Other students wanted to expand their knowledge-base and move themselves forward creatively. They were the non-risk takers or students who were focused on creating something BIG, innovative and creative.

In developing these projects, many students pushed themselves to make something no one else had created or done before. They quickly realized that they couldn’t use the same old loops, same old pictures, they had to create their own.

In addition, students would form “partnerships” where students would help out other students in creating their dream project. If a student was talented in art, their project would be art-driven with a simplistic musical arrangement. If the student was a talented composer, they would have no additional visuals just the created or composed music. Some talented musicians would help the less talented and help edit the composition, with some students involving the most talented visual artists for their projects.

Years ago, as part of the k12online conference my students talked about their experiences with the Spectacular Projects. You can see the entire video here.

RULES:

1. MUST INVOLVE MUSIC

2. Risk-taking (a program you have never used and wanted to learn) and/or Creative (taking something to the next level)

3. Passion or Interest to you – subject has to be something you enjoy or something you want to learn about.

4. Double-duty, it could be used for another class, such as Social Studies or Science.

5. Could be:

• One HUGE project
• A Project a Day that connects
• Series of Projects that don’t connect

Some key points

1. Build in a tech-day, a day you gather all the files and make sure that they work, either online or offline on a computer/iPad/iPod.
2. Have the students sign up to present. This helps with classroom management and will let your presentations flow easily and quickly. Presentations can be anything from 2-10 minutes. It may take up to three days to present, so backload your classes to allow enough time for presentations AND reflection.
3. Post all the projects. Students did not have to post their work if they didn’t want to, they could show me independently. The purpose was to do a passion-driven project, not posting.
4. Have ALL the students comment on the posted projects.
5. I tried not having presentations and only having the online piece. It was a major FAIL. Students gave wonderful questions to the presenters and more meaningful comments when they had the formal presentation first, with the online version, after the presentations. There was more a sense of community and interest. When their  projects were only presented online, the students felt “robbed” from presenting in person.

What came out of these projects was interesting:

1. Lazertron.net was a website that had over 25,000 hits. It was flash-created games with music and won an international website award for most interactive student website. The two students flew to Hollywood as seventh graders to receive the award.
2. One student was the runner-up  in an international composition contest sponsored by MENC (now NAfME, National Association for Music Education) as a fifth grader. “An Adventure” by Jack
3. Many other students started youtube sites for their music videos and creations once they hit the wonderful age of 13.

Assessment

1. Use of music
2. Content
3. Innovation
4. Creativity
5. Risk-taking

No rubrics, here’s my blogpost concerning rubrics. Students were allowed to fail and allowed to be innovative.

So where are these projects?  Since I no longer teach these students, I have taken of them down. But here are some you can view, since the were part of the k12online conference.

Under $20

1. Cocoon GRID-IT! Organizer Case (CPG7BL) from Amazon

$13.69

We have all their tech gear all over the place; this is a wonderful way to organize all your stuff. I purchased two different sizes a couple of months ago and I am using the smaller one for connectors, with the larger one for extra tech gear. I can see all my tech supplies needed for presentation and the larger one has a pouch in the back for the small items like the squareup device.

2. squareup

FREE – get $10 back

https://squareup.com/

This is a must have and you get your money back by purchasing the device. I have used it on two separate occasions with NO issues. More and more businesses (and babysitters) will be using this for a digital record of transactions.

Under $50

3. Evernote Premium

$45

http://evernote.com/premium/

I love evernote and a gift of a premium account would be helpful for all. I love the sharing feature and the search within pdf’s is incredible. I email myself lots of files so with my four email account I can easily find everything within seconds

4. Extra power cord

Have one cord at work and one cord at home. I have been doing this for years, less to carry and you always are ready to charge!

5. Dropbox 

https://www.dropbox.com

The cloud is hot this year, here are the various cloud storage plans. Be careful, some offer it “free” for 14-days, look for free that is forever. Separating all the files is good thing. Don’t have ONLY one place. I also backup my computers as much as I can, at least every three days with my iPhone and iPad synced to iCloud. Click here for the list of the top 10 cloud storage sites. Since much of the iPad apps use dropbox, I place all my current files in dropbox that can be used on the iPad or iPhone. It also allows for file-sharing. If you share a folder with someone else and they install dropbox, you get more storage. It is considered a MUST have. Look into the possibility of purchasing more storage, since many people are now using multiple devices to access their information and files.

6. Box.com

https://www.box.com/

There was a special offer awhile back to get 50GB storage on box.com so I jumped right on it. I am so glad I did.  All my old files I really don’t use on a daily basis are on box.net It is a good idea to have a variety of cloud applications, since you don’t know what apps work with a particular cloud service. Be careful, it really only supports the “microsoft” applications, I have had problems with GarageBand files and Keynote presentations.

7. Sugarsync 

https://www.sugarsync.com/

Photos, it works fabulously with no issues. You can choose the folders you want to sync, dropbox only lets you sync the dropbox folder.

Under $100

8. Apple TV

$94.95 on Amazon

Whoever gets an Apple TV this year will scream “Thank you SANTA.”  If you haven’t seen Apple TV is action, it is worth a google search. Many schools are going for getting this instead of interactive white boards. Along with the airplay with your iPad and iPhone, flickr and netflex are also part of the connection.

These are just my simple suggestions, if anyone receives these items a big “THANK-YOU SANTA” will be heard.

Two years ago I was approached to host a podcast show on the edreach.us. Brenda Muench, Jennifer Kolze, and I had done some podcasts and “chats,” but when Daniel Rezac put out an invitation to start an arts-based podcast I JUMPED at the chance. aRTS Roundtable was born. He suggested that we talk to Tricia Fuglestad. Little did I know how much this connection would change my life and the way I view the arts as a palate of colors with sound, video, and pictures.

Tricia Fugelstad is a kindergarten through fifth grade art teacher in the northern suburbs of Chicago. She is innovative, takes risks, empowers her students, and views her art classroom as “yes and …”

I suggested that she take part in the k12online conference, little did she know it was purely selfish on my part. I wanted to see and hear all the things she was doing!  Her presentation, Teaching Art in a Technology Rich and Connected Classroom, was incredible with all the opportunities she gives her students to connect with others across the world. The arts are the connection to the soul and to see how she does this is like watching a young Picasso paint.

My learning since twitter has progressed to 24/7 in my world: edcamps, conferences, and conference hashtags. Last Saturday, November 3, 2012 I helped organize a small conference directed at Special Education and Technology www.setconnections.org I created a youtube video to introduce the concept to attendees.

The SPUN conference was headed by James Gubbins, who in turn had Don Goble present virtually on Google+  as the Keynote speaker. Here is the google site of all the resources presented at the unconference – https://sites.google.com/site/2012spun/

While watching his presentation about video production, up came a small segment of one of Tricia’s videos her students created. I tweeted it out with her name and the hashtag #SPUN12. She was at the Illinois Art Education Association Conference and saw the tweet. She then wrote a blogpost about it. That hashtag at the end of the day reached over 7,000 people.

We live in a connection world. We need to give ourselves and the students we teach every possible way of connecting the world, especially in the arts. This is who we are.

The amazing part of the this entire story is that EVERYONE of the people I mentioned I met virtually on twitter before I met them in person. The power of these connections are a testament to those who ARE life-long learners that CONTRIBUTE. It’s is so simple, it starts, with ONE tweet and a hashtag.

You can hear the aRTs Roundtable discussion on “Presenting at Conferences, YOU Can Do IT!,” with Tricia, Jen, and I, just click here.

K12online presentations

http://k12onlineconference.org/?page_id=1091

Tricia Fuglestad’s presentation “Teaching in a Technology Rich and Connected Classroom http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=1094

Tricia Fuglestad’s blogpost http://drydenart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/11/some-fuglefun-at-spun12.html

SET Connections http://setconnections.org/

Opening video about SET Connections http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG2LAyGAm1E&feature=youtu.be

SPUN google site of resources https://sites.google.com/site/2012spun/

The first week of the k12online conference has been completed. WOW!  This is a wonderful conference that connects with those who are “Getting Started” to those who are “Kicking Up a Notch.” I got involved with k12online three years ago and it is incredible group of educators, showing their projects and discussing their thoughts about using technology seamlessly in the classroom or in an educational setting. Many of the presenters are classroom teachers who work with students innovating and creating stunning projects and allowing students to have an authentic voice.

I was so excited to see the Karyn Keenan presenting “A Digital Journey with Primary Students and No Budget!”  Last year through twitter, @karynteaches put out a tweet for anyone in the Chicago to come and mentor her. She is a young educator and welcomed anyone to her classroom. Well, I jumped at the chance to see her is action, since I saw her posts of her student work through twitter.

In Karyn’s class, technology is transparent, not separate class or time. Seeing second graders blog and using voicethread was truly inspirational. If you are just getting started in the world of blogging and are interested in getting your student’s authentic voice be heard, take a look at Karyn’s wonderful presentation.

Kevin Honeycutt was the Keynote speaker for k12online conference and there is one more week of presentations going up next week, with a thread involving “Student Voices.” . Thanks to all the organizers and presenters, what a wonderful group of educators from across the world.

Over the past two weeks I have received countless emails concerning music teachers who recently will use their personal iPads in their music classroom. Since I have been writing individually to each of the teachers it became increasingly important to put my thoughts out there – so here is comes.

Bento

Bento for Mac, iPad, and iPhone is a simple way of keeping databases for classroom assignments, contact information, and checklists of activities.

First, have a google doc for your students to fill out with contact information. First and last name should be separate entries. Since this is the only time you will be collecting data, have addresses, cell phone numbers, and any other data that you can think of that might be important over the year. Each grade level should have it’s own database, it then can be downloaded at an excel spreadsheet then uploaded to Bento – with all the fields intact. Then start building your database.

Second, use the checkbox on many of the entries. These are the yes/no categories: Solo, AUP, or concert attendance.  It will be easy for you to simple “check off” when the students complete the task or assignment, Take pictures from the last yearbook for each of the students, input the pictures into the database.

Third, using the “choice” field place the categories for your projects or assignments: Exemplary, Acceptable, DNF (Did Not Finish), Personalized Curriculum.

Sync your computer will your iPad (it might have to be completed at home since I had syncing issues at school)

We are in a data driven educational environment today and the easier we collect and use data the better we can educate our students and administrators as the importance of the arts and personalized instruction.

Apps

Productivity

DropBox Free

Evernote Free

Google Free

Composing Music

GarageBand 4.99

Creating Music

Band 3.99 (has six different instruments and records sounds)

Beatwave Free

Instruments

Digidrummer Free Free

ChordBank Free

Recording Apps

Soundcloud Free

AudioBoo Free

VidRhythm Free

VoiceThread Free

Movie Apps

iMovie 4.99

Vimeo Free

Photo Apps

Paper Camera .99

Music Games

Simon’s Cat Free

Magic Piano Free

Music Games

Seuss Band .99

Pluto Piano Free

Moozart 1.99

Note Squish.99

Simon’s Cat Free

Magic Piano Free

Interactive

Sounddrop Free

Auditorium Free

O-GenAcoustic 1.99

Air Harp .99

In future posts I will be discussing more in-depth each of these apps. But for now, collecting data is a good way to start the year.

This summer, I had the pleasure to visit China for twelve days traveling from Beijing to Shanghai. As part of the trip I visited a school in the city of  Xi’an, the site of the Terra Cotta Army, one of the seven historically artistic places in the world.

China is about past and future, one foot in the 20th century and one foot in 21st century, I saw a farmer selling cherries from a bicycle rickshaw in front of an Apple store.

My visit was not just a sit and watch; it involved shared discussion with students, teachers, and parents, including a personal conversation of two high school students and a teacher. By talking and discussing education in China we got to discuss current issues facing them as students. As we talked, I was interrupted by one of them checking their cell phone for a text. I guess fourteen-year olds are the same everywhere and everywhere mobile communication is an important.

The school I visited was the The Atlantic Studies Center, a summer school that “focus(es) on English language knowledge and culture, which helps students… adapt to the international society.” They view being able to speak English the ticket to success, not only in China, but being able to adapt and compete in a global world. Everywhere you look all signs are in simplified Chinese AND English, making English as important as Chinese. Learning English and learning for learning sake is the upmost concern for Chinese parents, students, and teachers.

The push for education and learning there is staggering. In Xi’an, chool goes from 8:30 to 9:00 at night in XI’an, China. They go home for lunch and dinner for an hour each. No meals are served at the school. Students do have homework, but on a limited basis since they attend school too late in evening. The average class size is thirty-five, though it is not uncommon to have a class of forty-five students. School is for learning and achieving, with college as the goal for all students. In Xi’an there are over sixty colleges, with students living in dorms up to eight in a one room. Once they start higher education, due to their strict schedule, course load, and money, they rarely go home. One of the students expressed her goal to attend college in America, more specific Columbia University. The students love learning and what education brings to their families in terms of money and status, since many are only children, given the one-child policy of 1979.

When asked how exciting it is to be so close to the Terra Cotta Army, the students just shrugged and sighed, ‘Yes, I’ve have been there on a field trip.” Many of the older Chinese in XI’an have not been to the excavation, considering it “too commercialized.” They long for the peaceful small farming village before the discovery of the statutes in1974. The young yearn for the big cities and what a global society has to offer to them.

Of course this is not happening all over China, since 70% still live on farms. But with 1.3 billion people, 30% of 1.3 billion exceeds the entire population of America. That is why we need to step up, transform education, and make education an important goal for all our children. If we don’t, we risk going back a century watching the Chinese place their foot proudly within the 21st century.

We are now in Shanghai, largest city in the world. The old and new world are steps apart. The pictures I have taken are amazing and do not reflect the sounds and unique senses China has. I some stomach problems yesterday, but feeling fine today.

We are steps from Michigan ave shopping area, yes, made it to the Apple store.

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