Creating an ePortfolio with Word Press

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Building a Culture to Develop a Voice That Matters

This post began as a comment.  After reading Jabiz Raisdana's recent post titled "Building a Culture," I felt I had to say something.  It turns out what I had to say was more than a comment. . .


I too have recently found the same reservations among teachers.  In the past, have we taught teachers/individuals that their voice doesn't matter?  In teaching the COETAIL courses for Buffalo State, I have heard the same questions regarding sharing; yet as educators, what we do each and every day is share although it is rarely for an audience larger than our classroom walls.  Have we created a society in which we feel we don't matter?  Angela Maiers addresses this in her TED Talk titled "You Matter."  We matter.  Not just because we are teachers.  Not just because we are human beings.  We matter because everyone has a voice.  The power that one voice can have is incredible.

Yet, building a culture within our schools where educators and students feel like they matter will not happen overnight.

When teachers come to me with concerns about contributing to the noise, I tell them my motto is that I try to write/share/blog when I know that I have something that may save another human being time.  As a past English teacher, I posted many of my lessons online.  I didn't do this because I believed I was better than other English teachers.  I did this to give others the gift of time.  If I can save another teacher time and provide them with a lesson that allows them to spend more time with their family or explore a new passion, my act of sharing was well worth my time.

A huge part of our job as educators is to help our students find their voice.  It starts off rocky, as do most things when we learn a new skill.  But the more comfortable students and teachers become sharing their voices online, the clearer their voice will become.  I want my students and teachers blogging, and I know that some of it will just add to the "noise", but through the noise, they will develop a sense that they matter and their voice matters.

Although at the end of the day, I often find myself far too busy to write and reflect on what I am doing as an educator.  I know where and how to express my voice; yet, time continually plays a factor.  As a tech integrator, we have truly amazing things we are working on and accomplishing at my school.  Yet I haven't found the time to write about them because I am too busy implementing these changes and building this culture at our school.  I feel a huge obligation to empower my teachers with the tools and skills that I have learned over the past few years.  I want teachers to know that they matter and what they are doing in their classroom matters.  Not just to me, not just to the students in that room, but to the students who are not fortunate enough to be in that room.  That is why we must share.

So now comes the difficult task of practicing what we preach.  Building a culture takes understanding, time and a willingness to share.  What can you share today?

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More Ideas for ePortfolios & WordPress

I am constantly looking for new ways to have students embrace and take ownership for their learning through their use of ePortfolios.  Call it a fetish, or a passion, but I can't stop thinking about it.  So over the past few weeks, I have attempted to created the following things that may make the integration of ePortfolios a little more seamless in our school environment at AES.

Here are two examples of how it could look:

1. a two column version in WordPress theme Twenty Eleven
2. a three column version in the WordPress theme Raindrops 

These are some of the goals I have in mind . . .

Goal #1: I would like for my students to begin to maintain their blog from grades 5-12.  In order to do this, they will need space and organization for each year they are in school.  They can create this by creating a parent page for each year they are in school: Year 6, Year 7 and so on and so forth.  In addition, it is vital for students to begin to distinguish the difference between their online social presence (ie. Facebook) and their online academic presence (ie. ePortfolio).  Students can create subpages for each subject area during their academic year.  These subpages can be used as places of reflection where students can reflect on their learning each quarter or semester of an academic year.

Goal #2: The ePortfolio becomes the student's portal for everything school related.  I am working on having our MS students create links from their blogs back to the main inks at the school such as the school home page, our email server, the library, our online grading portal, and other relevant sites related to the given curriculum.  In addition, students can create generic links to the main subject areas they study each year (ie. math, science, Spanish, etc) and create a direct link to their teacher's blogs each year.  In turn, their blog/ePortfolio becomes their main portal to the school.  One stop shopping works for everyone.  The school can then direct parents directly to their student's blog as their portal to things happening at school.  This also allows parents to see what their child is presenting of themselves to the outside world.  An extra set of eyes on a student's online presence is always welcome.

Goal #3: Students can begin to link their Google Calendars and the Google Calendars of their teachers to their blog/ePortfolio to serve as their online agenda.  

Goal #4: Students can begin to link to something like Shelfari or GoodReads to showcase their independent reading outside of class. Again, this provides students an additional opportunity to begin to showcase their academic profile instead of their social profile online.

How are you using blogs/ePortfolios to enhance student learning at your school?  I am all ears and somehow, I constantly find the time to learn as much as I can about this passion.

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iPads and Family Math Night

At AES I am constantly amazed at the creativity and quality of our Math department in the Middle School.  A few weeks ago, the Middle School hosted a Family Math Night.  Students arrived with their parents and explored the world of math in our Hall of Peace.  The evening began with a group math lesson for all family members to participate in;  the room was complete with math activities, Bamboo tablets, and interactive games for the whole family.  Oh yeah, and then there were the iPads.

This year we are piloting a small iPad pilot in the Middle School.  When I first heard the idea that we were going to do this, I was ready to run the other way.  We already have an Assigned Laptop Program (a 1:1 at school) going which only began a few weeks ago.  I wasn't ready for iPads on top of everything else.  And do you know what?  The Math department has pushed me ever so gently to roll those iPads out and they are working so well.  This year the iPad use in the Math department has been extraordinary.  So where else should we showcase the iPads than Family Math night?  As a parent of a middle school student, I know that I occasionally need  refreshers on some of my rusty math skills.  Our goal was to put the iPads in the hands of parents and give them the opportunity to see that they were not toys, but devices that can help make learning fun.

It worked.  The night hadn't even started yet when every iPad was in the hands of a family.  They were gone before I had a chance to introduce myself and mention that the iPads needed to be kept at the table.  The iPads literally ran away with the spoon.  After a minor panic attack, I realized that the parents weren't going to run away with my precious new iPads, . . .they wanted to learn.  The iPads were just a small piece of that wonderful evening.  It was amazing to see so many parents and students learning together.  It was standing room only, with families curled up in corners out in the hall learning together.  It was a success.  It had nothing to do with the iPads, and everything to do with the hard work of our Math department, but the iPads were definitely well received.  Here are a few math apps if you are looking for ways to get started:

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Bullying Never Ages

I am full of rage and tired of hearing the same story time and time again.  This morning I woke up to read about the bullying of Jamey Rodmeyer in my hometown of Williamsville, NY.  I went on to read Liza's account of bullying while at Transit Middle on her blog post titled Williamsville, You aren't Better than Anywhere Else, and I am frustrated.  After all of these years, nothing has changed.

The same thing happened to me many years ago while at Casey Middle School in the early 80's.  I was bullied every day at school.  It started with one person and grew from there.  I admit I was painfully shy and easy to pick on.  I was called "Dino the Dog" and barked at in the hallways when I walked from one room to another.  I was given a dog collar for my birthday.  The bullying ended only when I had the courage to fight back. I fought with my fists and whether that was right or wrong, it was the only thing that worked.  My parents went to the school and spoke to the parents of the kids that bullied me, but nothing happened.  I was alone and afraid.  I don't know what made me survive.  I can't tell you the amount of times I thought about committing suicide or hurting the ones that made me cry.  I made it through, just like so many young teens continue to make it through bullying every day.  I had a great experience in high school, but what happens to kids when the bullying doesn't end?  Why do we, as a society, continue to let this happen? Is there nothing we can do?  I know I was geeky and weird and strange during Middle School, who isn't?  Did I deserve to be tormented more than the kids sitting next to me?  No one deserves this kind of treatment, no matter what the cause, yet we continue to allow it to happen every day in our schools.

How do we change this constant battle in our schools?  I am an educator in a Middle School and I still don't have all the answers.  But this hurting has to stop.  I am currently working with the guidance counselors in my school to help inform our parents about digital citizenship and cyberbullying.  I am working with the head of our Humanities department to look at ways we can incorporate some of these same ideals into our social studies curriculum.  But at the end of the day, the bullying will continue.  It happens everywhere Williamsville.  You are not alone, but that doesn't make it alright.

But the key is, bullying is NEVER OK.
The reason doesn't make it OK.
The place doesn't make it OK.
The circumstance doesn't make it OK.
. . . Parents make it OK.

Parents are the number one resource for stopping this behavior.  If you see it in your home, CHANGE it.  I have three children and they are far from perfect.  But this is an issue that we talk about constantly.  Not because I was bullied.  Because it is my job as a parent is to constantly remind my kids the difference between right and wrong.  Why do parents always need to be reminded of this fact?  When I was growing up, my parents constantly reminded me of our family values.  I continue to do the same to my children.  Where are the parents of these kids that were chanting at the Homecoming game?  Have they seen the same videos I have that are all over the news?  Are they having these conversations with their children?  The blame does not only lie in the shadows of the school, but a light needs to be shed on the lack of values we are instilling in our children.

I want my children to see that being different is OK and that the people who are different change the world.  They are the people you want to surround yourself with and reach out to.  The people who are different help you learn, inspire you to grow, and open up a world of possibilities you never knew existed.  Why do we continue to live in a world where we are so afraid of people who are not like us?  I am saddened that nothing has changed since 1981.  I watched the superintendent talk on WGRZ news about Jamey's death.  I know he has to say what the lawyers have told him to say to protect the district, but where is the outrage?  Where is the saddness?  I don't have any answers, just the same frustrations that I felt over 30 years ago - hopelessness.  What will it take for this endless cycle of hurt to stop?  My heart is with Tracy and Tim Rodemeyer.  They are right.  The issue of bullying is not getting any better.

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How to Create a 1:1 Laptop Program without Spending a Dime

flickr: pixelmama

Last year a 1:1 laptop program seemed like a distant dream at AES. This year it is almost a reality. It was just a few months ago at a technology meeting that the idea began to flourish that we had the chance to go 1:1 in our Middle School.  It was a big replacement year for laptops and we had 140 new computers set to come in at the start of the school year. The difference is we didn't get rid of the old laptops, we kept them.  Our older Dells have been bumped up with an extended battery to allow us the chance to see how a laptop program could work at AES without costing the school or parents additional funds.  In addition, by keeping the older Dells, we have not compromised the amount of laptops already in circulation in the Middle School.  We have called our pilot the Assigned Laptop Program for grade Six (ALPS).  Here's a little summary of what we did and what we plan on doing.

Here's what we've done so far:

• We're in the unique position of having our grade 6 Humanities department new to our school this year.  The MS Technology facilitator (me) arrived at school the same week as the new hires to begin to train them on our plans and ideas for the roll-out.
• Each 6th grade student was assigned an individual laptop to use for the academic school year.  The computers are temporarily stored at the mini-labs at the end of the school hallways to charge until they are able to go home with them on a daily basis.
• The Math department graciously allowed the technology department to come in and train the students on email (FirstClass), Skyward grade postings, Middle School share drives, saving work, and password confidentiality.  
• We worked extensively through the grade 6 Humanities Department through the lens of UBD to integrate the roll-out that was in-line with the Essential Questions and Standards and Benchmarks of the already existing unit within the curriculum.  
• So far students have begun to create a Digital Dossier, set up a WordPress blog, discussed the importance of their on-line digital footprint, and reviewed correct commenting procedures in an academic environment.  The game Jeopardy helped play a role with a few aspects of this. 
• We have begun weekly help sessions for faculty on various methods of tools.  
• The grade 6 Science students have been trained in Presentation Zen techniques.  

Here's what we hope to accomplish:

• Create a culture of respect for the tools that are readily available to students today.  We made the analogy that the computers were their children and that the care and upkeep of each computer was in the hands of the assigned student.  
• We hope to cut down on the amount of broken keys cracked screens and so forth that come with a laptop cart program.  
• By the end of the semester develop a sense of responsibility with our students that the laptops are in good hands to go back and forth between school and home. 

cmw3_bumblebee1.jpg

But honestly, none of this matters unless the tools begin to influence and enhance the learning.  To help this process along, my colleague, Stacy Stephens, and I are working together to integrate the technology into the existing curriculum and update existing methods of assessment.  We just returned from Learning 2.011 conference in Shanghai where we shared a presentation on Technology and Curriculum: Working Together to Move Forward with other educators.  School districts can pour fancy tech tools into schools, but until they are truly integrated into the curriculum to deepen meaning and learning for students, we are throwing money down the drain.  Technology and Curriculum go hand and hand, just like pollen and a bee.  The goal of the ALPS Program may look like we want to go 1:1 (which would be amazing); but at the end of the day, we want to affect the way students are learning and processing information to enable them to create and contribute something new to our world.

Right now, the biggest delta of the ALPS program is that students want to take the laptops home with them.  To me, that is a good problem.  Our goal is to make the desire of a laptop program grow organically within the community and give the voice of the program to the students not the technology department.  But we also realize that one size does not always fit all.  We are also piloting a small iPad pilot in the MS with 20 iPads. Our hope is to look at all the possibilities and present the school with a multitude of options before we ask our students, parents and teachers to commit to a more thorough program.

Which device will win?  It is way too early to tell.  Will our Assigned Laptop Program be successful?  I certainly hope so.  We are in the early stages, but so far, the students are completely blowing us away and the teachers are embracing the possibilities this program may bring to our school.  By working together for one common goal, we can really get a lot done in a short period of time. . . it is only the 5th week of school.

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Learner or Leader?

Today was a day of conflicts.  Who am I? As I sit here at the Learning 2.011 conference, who am I?  Do I want to learn all that I can and soak in every morsel?  Or do I want to impart what I have learned to help those who are looking for ideas and searching for answers? 

I don’t know the answer to this question.  I struggled with it throughout the conference.  At one point today there was a conflict of interest that I didn’t know what to do which spun me into a total conundrum.  There were two workshops happening at the same time: one on WordPress/ePortfolios and the second on Google Apps.  On one hand, I could have easily taken the easy road and showcased what I have learned using WordPress to create ePortfolios at two separate international schools. Or on the other hand, I could have chosen to learn more about Google Apps and share that with my teachers since we are in the process of implementing this program at AES.  I chose the best way to help my teachers, even though I am passionate about ePortfolios.  Sometimes you have to be the grown up in the sandbox.  In that case I was. 


Yet this afternoon, there was an unconference on COETAIL (which I start teaching at AES this Wednesday) and a workshop on apps for the iPad simutaneously running.  The second time I chose the role of leader instead of learner.  The choice really came down to what could have the largest impact on others.  I chose to learn more about GoogleApps because I can show this to every teacher and student in my school.  I then chose COETAIL because no other educational development has changed what I teach, how I teach and who I want to be when I grow up more than these 5 courses.  This program changes not only the way teachers teach, but also how they learn.  It will directly impact more students than anything else I know.  

I find it hard to believe I am the only one who fluxuates between the role of learner and leader at conference.  Am I here to share or to learn?  I am still working on that one, but I am enjoying every minute of it.  Let me know if you have any solutions.

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