tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76830967070148389862023-11-16T10:07:54.094-08:00Technology in EducationMarie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-22941436399684168142012-10-05T21:39:00.001-07:002012-10-05T21:40:52.714-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVY_M6qWSiQBPTud7HbOTuHb593fo0dorTXpmbkk6Bj56rYFn_mwVzDu_iwTcvgBuORH9Qa1VtFUoB5VTZLOTqdnrA__B1nE7hwc0_pT7BCBiqlCYwGqsAB4beoD-Jx0gcrx0DMjtvTks/s1600/read+lying+down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVY_M6qWSiQBPTud7HbOTuHb593fo0dorTXpmbkk6Bj56rYFn_mwVzDu_iwTcvgBuORH9Qa1VtFUoB5VTZLOTqdnrA__B1nE7hwc0_pT7BCBiqlCYwGqsAB4beoD-Jx0gcrx0DMjtvTks/s200/read+lying+down.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I recently created a new Blog for future postings. To view, go to <a href="http://mariesontag.wordpress.com/">mariesontag.wordpress.com</a>. The Blog, titled "Teaching and Writing", focuses not just on technology in education, but also on my historical fiction writing activities. The first Blog posted covers information on Google and Khan Academy's recent partnership to encourage the production of quality educational videos that teachers can use to help "flip" their classrooms. For additional information on my current writing activities, you can also go to <a href="http://www.mariesontag.com./">www.mariesontag.com.</a> Due to Apple's discontinuance of mac.me, I will be updating my links on the right panel in the near future.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-82615589314197256152012-07-13T10:48:00.001-07:002012-07-13T10:57:02.385-07:00<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifS_-mZfKie57qoaTq7oeobnDlBndwBqT5m32wFgoYUPW3Vm7Y4SFqmpwRbX2WlC31lbwMTp8ku9Opzj9tJgh5Ktt9MIeBtGmZ-T6WH0LdzkZ2RAAZ1x2QP5CWpVSbYK_0gXCTjfJWt1LY/s1600/blender.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifS_-mZfKie57qoaTq7oeobnDlBndwBqT5m32wFgoYUPW3Vm7Y4SFqmpwRbX2WlC31lbwMTp8ku9Opzj9tJgh5Ktt9MIeBtGmZ-T6WH0LdzkZ2RAAZ1x2QP5CWpVSbYK_0gXCTjfJWt1LY/s200/blender.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blended Learning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<b>What Is Blended Learning?</b> </h2>
Have you thought about putting some of your students’ classwork online? Does that mean you’re delving into “blended learning”?
I just read a blog by <a href="http://robdarrow.wordpress.com/">Rob Darrow</a> that discussed a white paper on blended learning. Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn’s paper, <i><a href="http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning2.pdf">Classifying K-12 Blended Learning</a></i> (Innosight Institute, May 2012) defines blended learning as:
<i>a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home. </i>
<a href="http://catlintucker.com/2012/06">Catlin Tucker</a> writes a passionate response to this white paper in her blog, amending the definition to read,
<i>a formal education program in which a student <b>is engaged in active learning</b> at least in part online where they have some control over the time, place, and/or pace and in part at a brick-and-mortar location away from home.</i>
Notice that Tucker takes exception to the word “path” in Staker and Horn’s definition. She totally eliminates it in her revised version. I definitely applaud her emphasis on students’ active engagement in the learning process. Her elimination, however, of the word “supervised” definitely wouldn’t meet California Department of Ed.’s requirements for online learning! Staker and Horn did invite others to contribute to their research by asking others to offer “improvements and additions.” So add your voice to the mix. Read the blogs and the white papers. Be part of the “disruptive innovation”!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-43493333356657793642011-12-29T14:06:00.001-08:002011-12-29T14:21:04.203-08:00Upcoming Presentations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45ZYb6vM09NmowBgdss-Hr3SX2-meljC98cw1BCOGLoKL4lSrHTIgz2VPgRG-9JqGdO4C2XeuKc5-1Jlh6foNHBTH9nVMbJ4a69Kh7aAybEQoXZyhNt1ObSFb3FHW61y4QHTKCrAgsSQD/s1600/Will+Richardson.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45ZYb6vM09NmowBgdss-Hr3SX2-meljC98cw1BCOGLoKL4lSrHTIgz2VPgRG-9JqGdO4C2XeuKc5-1Jlh6foNHBTH9nVMbJ4a69Kh7aAybEQoXZyhNt1ObSFb3FHW61y4QHTKCrAgsSQD/s200/Will+Richardson.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691678890718335682" /></a><br />Will Richardson, Educational Technology Specialist, will be the featured speaker at this year's CLMS Technology Conference in Monterey, CA, Jan. 13-15. I will give a presentation on "Technology to Engage Students' Minds without Losing Yours". In March, I will give a presentation on how to engender students' critical thinking using the free 3D animation program called "Alice." This workshop will be held March 24 at "The Harker School," sponsored by Silicon Valley CUE. For more information on these conferences, go to either CLMS.org, or www.SVCUE.net. Hope to see you at one of the events!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-62995983909786949662011-07-18T11:41:00.000-07:002011-07-18T11:46:05.631-07:00Gaming Can Make a Better World?<object width="446" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/JaneMcGonigal_2010-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/JaneMcGonigal-2010.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=799&lang=&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world;year=2010;theme=a_taste_of_ted2010;theme=the_rise_of_collaboration;theme=media_that_matters;theme=art_unusual;theme=what_s_next_in_tech;theme=design_like_you_give_a_damn;event=TED2010;tag=Design;tag=Entertainment;tag=Global+Issues;tag=computers;tag=gaming;tag=play;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="446" height="326" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/JaneMcGonigal_2010-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/JaneMcGonigal-2010.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=799&lang=&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world;year=2010;theme=a_taste_of_ted2010;theme=the_rise_of_collaboration;theme=media_that_matters;theme=art_unusual;theme=what_s_next_in_tech;theme=design_like_you_give_a_damn;event=TED2010;tag=Design;tag=Entertainment;tag=Global+Issues;tag=computers;tag=gaming;tag=play;"></embed></object><br />Thanks MFL for sending me a link to this amazing video! This past year was my most difficult year as a teacher. I lost my vision and enthusiasm for teaching because the workload was horrendous. I'm sure I was not alone. Asked to do the job of both a regular teacher as well as a special ed teacher (with no certification or training), I worked over 70 hours a week trying to do the best job possible. I had no energy or will to devote to technology in education. This video, however, inspired me to return to my first love. It's a must see. Check it out and give us feedback on how you might inject at least one thought inspired by this video into your teaching this next school year.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-77158130018587853102010-08-03T01:17:00.000-07:002010-08-03T01:25:28.094-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzXFEVypseAXh-brxSXIRnSnQMWIAXRbgSOPASRiKFMR6_4S6aBCbkG47SplrP3ufG6I0thqjqhcR9-8-xjlltr50DHEhtN0GvUYcEq4AzI4bkw9LnwruTE4KD6Do4DZ1GnZYZi3a0F40/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+1.23.01+AM.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzXFEVypseAXh-brxSXIRnSnQMWIAXRbgSOPASRiKFMR6_4S6aBCbkG47SplrP3ufG6I0thqjqhcR9-8-xjlltr50DHEhtN0GvUYcEq4AzI4bkw9LnwruTE4KD6Do4DZ1GnZYZi3a0F40/s200/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+1.23.01+AM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501096678160930706" /></a><br />Has anyone used the free 3D animation program, <a href="http://www.blender.org/">Blender</a>? Or have your students used it? It looks like a great tool for those interested in delving into 3D animation (especially since it's free!), but the learning curve appears pretty steep. Drop us a comment in the box below and let us know your experiences. I'm thinking of adding some of the tutorials for Blender to my 7th/8th grade technology class for the new semester.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-65170778473283969092010-07-26T22:37:00.000-07:002010-07-28T08:38:02.650-07:00Games can be powerful motivational tools in education. I just found a great free game creation tool that's easy to use at <a href="http://classroom.net">classtools.net</a>. They have several different templates. All you have to do is enter your questions and answers. Here's a sample game I created for a review of Ancient Rome for my 7th graders when we get back to school.<br /><br /><p align='center'><code><iframe scrolling='no' src='http://classtools.net/widgets/quiz_7/ZYzys.htm?400?300' width='408' height='320' frameborder=0></iframe></code><p align='center'><a href='http://classtools.net/widgets/quiz_7/ZYzys.htm'>Click here for full screen version</a></p><br /><br />I plan to embed games such as this into my Homework <a href="http://www.timetrek.org/7th%20Grade/Homework.html">Webpage</a> and encourage students to use the games as a review tool. Our adopted social studies textbook has a few online games related to the text, but how much more powerful it will be to specifically target the facts I want my students to know in order for me to challenge them to move on to higher levels of critical thinking. Just as seasonings provide flavor and variety in food, so too a "just in time" game can provide our students with the needed motivation to solidify the facts they need to master in order to move through the stages of higher order thinking. Create your own game for your curriculum and share the link with us here!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-34280302390908155192010-07-22T17:00:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:12:46.990-07:00Brightlink<div>I'd like to thank Dr. Sontag for welcoming me to share posts on this blog as a collaborative effort from this point onward.</div><div><br /></div><div>My first contribution to the blog is to share a product which I've seen demonstrated at my school in London. It is very exciting to see the possibility of this new product, which has only recently arrived on the market. It allows any flat surface to become an interactive whiteboard. The projector is ultra-short throw which removes a great deal of the shadow from teaching in front of a standard ceiling-mounted projector.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.epsonbrightlink.webengager.com/Education/">http://www.epsonbrightlink.webengager.com/Education/</a><div><br /></div><div>The down side is that Smart Board software is still superior to the software of any of its competitors (including Promethan's Activboard or the Polyvision Eno Board). Perhaps there will be a way in the future to put the two together!</div><div><br /></div>losingfocushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00444679106498196257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-25680374166515752362010-07-01T16:30:00.001-07:002010-07-01T16:45:28.947-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6VZa895niAUFyFq1E9nQ826W737Buc9YPpOVWWAbLyJGWTkmYd6zj4FJQge9AKUZy9ivkjaTflDvYP-R_7NqJ40H8jcWeZZINJCFrIZCW7D89Ht79VF0Uhq_Ol2cxF2-9-uW-2xeHwpz/s1600/OTC2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 49px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6VZa895niAUFyFq1E9nQ826W737Buc9YPpOVWWAbLyJGWTkmYd6zj4FJQge9AKUZy9ivkjaTflDvYP-R_7NqJ40H8jcWeZZINJCFrIZCW7D89Ht79VF0Uhq_Ol2cxF2-9-uW-2xeHwpz/s200/OTC2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489088105838865682" /></a><br />After watching videos and reading downloads from the online teaching conference (see the previous post), I was inspired to create some products for my upcoming fall classes. The session on interactive tools prompted me to create a <a href="http://voicethread.com/#q.b1220220.i6581666">voice thread</a>, telling new parents and students about the CA Dept. of Ed.'s suggested reading list. When school starts, I'll encourage students to also leave voice threads, telling us about books they have read recently. The social networking session encouraged me to create a class <a href="https://drsontagroom14.wikispaces.com/">Wik</a>i. I developed one that I hope to use for an introductory social studies project.<br /><br />Check out the free online videos and downloads from the <a href="http://otc10.org/">Online Teaching Conference</a> and get inspired!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-49431743989935333002010-07-01T14:48:00.000-07:002010-07-01T15:15:06.900-07:00Online PD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAFzqhw72Ad-cju6NZREnwcQBqq45K3WzLHulrUoV1TQL8ItzNhLV_YXhs4qOlPEO20ddzOPpTFZLVCjTeFb__doKcd9-SYCN0Mqy1Wfd7nNgi_KBEKUbaKQqJAkuwCi2MHu-B_2JvC_t/s1600/OTC.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 46px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAFzqhw72Ad-cju6NZREnwcQBqq45K3WzLHulrUoV1TQL8ItzNhLV_YXhs4qOlPEO20ddzOPpTFZLVCjTeFb__doKcd9-SYCN0Mqy1Wfd7nNgi_KBEKUbaKQqJAkuwCi2MHu-B_2JvC_t/s200/OTC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489064330908621618" /></a><br />With budget cuts, little money remains for teachers' professional development. A few weeks ago I went (for free!) to San Digeo (virtually, from my couch in San Jose, CA!) for an <a href="http://otc10.org/">online teaching conference</a>. Although primarily targeting online teachers, many of the <a href="http://otc.remote-learner.net/course/view.php?id=7">sessions</a> gave great tips for regular (face-to-face) classroom teachers as well. <br /><br />I especially got a lot out of the session on <a href="http://otc.remote-learner.net/course/view.php?id=7#Visual">graphic organizers</a>, integrating social networking to foster an <a href="http://otc.remote-learner.net/course/view.php?id=7#SocNet">engaged community</a>, and a session on <a href="http://otc.remote-learner.net/course/view.php?id=5">MUVE's</a> (session 14 at 2:15pm). I still plan to go back and view some of the ones I missed, such as the live video of the <a href="http://otc.remote-learner.net/course/view.php?id=5#Wave">Google Wave</a> session, and to download handouts from the session, Communication Tools for the <a href="http://otc.remote-learner.net/course/view.php?id=8">21st Century</a> (session 4). Go to any of the links and register as a guest to take advantage of this free professional development training via video and handouts!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-88815270569894968462010-04-30T04:05:00.000-07:002010-07-01T16:59:28.924-07:00Technology in Education – Facts vs. Fiction Regarding the Arizona SB 1070 Debate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSP00FJJFVEySzguFBusnYOhXB46I4IcZn9tbgFz15ma09u3O1bZeR9JzcoTQgRzhZbrFKDPciaZue_ua4doRR-aWvdRrpC6V7h7_iTPjt8fPWR0auFMokTAdeRhwuYSIklqQTTqn8Q28/s1600/AZ.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSP00FJJFVEySzguFBusnYOhXB46I4IcZn9tbgFz15ma09u3O1bZeR9JzcoTQgRzhZbrFKDPciaZue_ua4doRR-aWvdRrpC6V7h7_iTPjt8fPWR0auFMokTAdeRhwuYSIklqQTTqn8Q28/s200/AZ.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465896951223080210" /></a><br />We want our students to develop critical thinking, and one way for them to do this is to ferret out first-hand, primary sources for all sides of a controversial issue. The recent flurry of opinions and emotions regarding the new Arizona state law seeking to curb illegal immigration in that state provides a great example of how technology can help both us, as well as our students, hone our critical thinking skills. <br /><br />Frustrated by the rhetoric (both for and against) that has recently flooded the airways regarding Arizona’s "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act", also known as S.B. 1070, I decided to go online to read the bill for myself before forming a personal opinion. I was surprised to find out that this <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2dnzhh6">16-page document</a> was fairly easy to understand. I then searched online for recent newspaper articles to find out what has actually been stated regarding the bill. Here’s what I found.<br /><br />An article posted online by the San Francisco <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-9270-LA-Border-and-Immigration-Examiner~y2010m4d29-Papersplease-Arizona-law-gets-hit-by-two-lawsuits">examiner.com</a>, on 4/29/10 reported, “The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the National Immigration Law Center, are planning to file a joint suit to also challenge the new law signed by Gov. Jan Brewer Friday, arguing the law is unconstitutional.”<br /><br />On April 21, the San Francisco <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-9270-LA-Border-and-Immigration-Examiner~y2010m4d21-SB1070-divisive-from-praise-to-hate">examiner.com</a> quoted the U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis as saying, “We need immigration reform, because now each state might want to change laws.” The article also stated that Solis said state officials have “no power” to promote initiatives that would enable them to enforce immigration laws, because that is the federal government’s responsibility. <br /><br />The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/23/news/news-us-obama-immigration.html?_r=1">New York Times</a> and <a href="http://ktar.com/?sid=1286888&nid=6">KTAR.com</a> in Phoenix, AZ (4/23/10) reported that Obama called the Arizona bill “misguided”, and instructed the Justice Department to examine it to see if was legal. Obama said that the federal government must enact immigration reform, otherwise it leaves the door open to “irresponsibility by others,” including, for example, “the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness…” <br /><br />Finally, <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/04/president-obama-says-arizonas-poorlyconceived-immigration-law-could-mean-hispanicamericans-are-haras.html">ABC News</a> White House Correspondence Jake Tapper reported that on April 27, President Obama told people at a town hall meeting in Iowa, “This law that just passed in Arizona [which I think] is a poorly conceived law.” Obama believes it will lead to racial profiling. “Now, suddenly, if you don’t have your papers ... you’re going to be harassed,” the president said.<br /><br />I decided to examine the text of the <a href="http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:b1UOpY2mEcMJ:www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf+S.B.+1070&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESi4hpIoZMxoozFseUeDACROo6TJaeJMqw-lRTH6klpsaNdJIIopnyOJ9bRRzoYmVre6GawBPrx5xlbxzUbWTlQJEcFwSYEjNZorjMx2Q-KyLUuh_-ZJVugssyevnyEePfHuVIAP&sig=AHIEtbT151xs2I-Q9g_9BNvv5aschNT0wQ">bill</a> more closely to find out why some call it unconstitutional. Is it, in fact, taking on powers that do not belong to the states? Will it unfairly demand aliens to carry their documents with them, and allow police to engage in racial profiling? Here’s what I found out by examining the text of the bill.<br /><br />Sec. 6. Section 23-212 of the bill states, “A state, county or local official shall not attempt to independently make a final determination on whether an alien is authorized to work in the United States. An alien's immigration status or work authorization status shall be verified with the federal government pursuant to 8 United States Code section 1373(c).” I found no evidence in the bill that it will usurp federal authority, or violate the U.S. Constitution. In fact, Kris <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/opinion/29kobach.html?src=tptw">Kobach</a>, a law professor at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, explains, “The Supreme Court since 1976 has recognized that states may enact laws to discourage illegal immigration without being pre-empted by federal law.” <br /><br />Sec. 3. Section 13-1509 of the bill states that if someone is found to be an illegal alien, they are guilty of a misdemeanor crime of trespassing in the State of Arizona. If they are in violation of federal law due to their illegal status, and in possession of dangerous drugs, deadly weapons, or property used for the purpose of committing an act of terrorism, they are guilty of a felony, under the State laws of Arizona. This section appears to fall within the scope of the 1976 Supreme Court ruling.<br /><br />Another law this bill enacts is to make it a misdemeanor if an alien fails to carry certain documents. Sec. 2, Article 8, Section 11-1051 E states, “A law enforcement officer, without a warrant, may arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States” (such as being an illegal alien).<br /><br />If an officer has probable cause to suspect that a person is in the country illegally, this bill gives the officer the right to ask the person for documentation showing that he or she is here legally. If such documentation cannot be presented, the officer can arrest the person and contact federal authorities to ascertain the person’s legal status. This appears to be the section of the bill that stirs up fears of racial profiling, and is perhaps the section that prompted Obama’s statement, “Now, suddenly, if you don’t have your papers ... you’re going to be harassed.” However, part J of this section states, “This section shall be implemented in a manner consistent with federal laws regulating immigration, protecting the civil rights of all persons and respecting the privileges and immunities of United States citizens.” And Section 2 B specifically states, “A law enforcement official…may not consider solely consider race, color or national origin in implementing the requirements of this subsection.” <br /><br />According to current <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode08/usc_sec_08_00001304----000-.html">federal law</a>, this Arizona state law requiring aliens to carry documentation is not a new or unfair law. U.S. Code Title 8, section 1304 part (e) states, “Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. Any alien who fails to comply with the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction for each offense be fined not to exceed $100 or be imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.” This federal law has been in effect since 1940. The Arizona law simply adds a state penalty to what was already a federal crime.<br /><br />In light of this evidence, the only portions of Arizona’s law that I might question are the meanings for the phrase, <span style="font-style:italic;">probable cause</span> in Sec. 2, Article 8, Section 11-1051 E, and <span style="font-style:italic;">reasonable suspicion</span>, as used in Sec. 2, 11-1051 A. Section 11-1051 E says, “A law enforcement officer, without a warrant, may arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States.” In 11-1051 A it says, “For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official…where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person.”<br /><br />What one officer determines is <span style="font-style:italic;">probable cause</span> or <span style="font-style:italic;">reasonable suspicion</span> may not appear to be so to another officer. However, I discovered that there are specific, legal standards for these terms. If an officer claims that his actions are based on <span style="font-style:italic;">probable cause</span>, the official must be able to prove that his or her interpretation is based on specific facts and inferences. Proof of <span style="font-style:italic;">probable cause</span> for an officer to arrest a person under suspicion of illegal alien status would have to be the absence of legal documentation, as referenced above. I also learned that the legal standards for determining <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probable_cause">probable cause</a> are even stronger than the standards for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasonable_suspicion">reasonable suspicion</a>. <span style="font-style:italic;">Reasonable suspicion</span> must meet the legal standard in United States law that a person has been, is, or is about to be engaged in criminal activity based on "specific and articulable facts and inferences", according to <span style="font-style:italic;">Terry v. Ohio, 392</span> U.S. 1 (1968). An arresting officer cannot lawfully make contact with a suspected criminal, for example, just because of a person has an accent or a certain skin color. The officer can only make lawful contact based on specific facts that the officer can articulate or infer. <br /><br />The emotional ranting that I have heard on both sides of the issue appear to stem from “what if”, or “this could happen if” scenarios. Based on available legal information, Arizona legislators seem well within their states’ rights to enact and uphold the legislation of S.B. 1070.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-986214029397342522009-10-09T18:13:00.000-07:002010-02-24T14:50:33.239-08:00Grant for Senteos (Smart Response)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidTTtCu_Z9k9lVunISlFeFX5K9N2gIYXNGsP5FiOAk8atQZBs37fuCuTPQnmgYLxtaaT9cyb3aLEKdkAyIzFS_CBdqyFeb75hDuebTDhn_IJQY4vNZky_UBVNd2TxtU1xaaIDzb6UQQoi/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidTTtCu_Z9k9lVunISlFeFX5K9N2gIYXNGsP5FiOAk8atQZBs37fuCuTPQnmgYLxtaaT9cyb3aLEKdkAyIzFS_CBdqyFeb75hDuebTDhn_IJQY4vNZky_UBVNd2TxtU1xaaIDzb6UQQoi/s200/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390779958386027090" /></a><br />I was excited to learn that my teacher partner and I received a grant from the Silicon Valley Education Foundation to purchase a set of Smart Response devices. These handhelds help students and teachers make assessment more fun and personal. Check out future grant funding dates from <a href="http://svefoundation.org/GA/login.asp">SVEF</a>. It's a great organization.<br /><br />The article I had published in the April/May '09 <span style="font-style:italic;">Innovate Journal</span> regarding my new learning theory now has a new link. It can be found at <br /><a href="http://innovateonline.info/">"A Learning Theory for 21-Century Students"</a>. Then click the link for the April/May 2009 issue. They have also archived the interview they conducted with me regarding the article, at <a href="http://breeze.uliveandlearn.com/p36646232/">ULive<span style="font-style:italic;">and</span>Learn Webcast</a>.<br /><br />Currently I'm working at my local middle school teaching 7th grade Language Arts and a Technology elective. My stint as the district's Instructional Technology Teacher on Special Assignment ended this year, due to budget cuts.<br /><br />I am teaching several classes at RAFT this fall. Check out their offerings at <a href="http://www.raft.net">www.raft.net</a>.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-52710862111070399982009-06-20T10:14:00.000-07:002009-06-30T11:07:34.971-07:00Duke University Alice Symposium<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGOVQITTXcZSf4LwZZEJY7R8dX1FbYlBUHfX5T6Fx0opdslB2waIgqEgbfBXrZ-sc73Hwr3xtgNReAiSzdMCkDM3uh4TFXZayPNsplyGy2IVxxOwnB42g4MIylEWu4nUxwHsyuB-6SqLc/s1600-h/DukeChapel_front.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGOVQITTXcZSf4LwZZEJY7R8dX1FbYlBUHfX5T6Fx0opdslB2waIgqEgbfBXrZ-sc73Hwr3xtgNReAiSzdMCkDM3uh4TFXZayPNsplyGy2IVxxOwnB42g4MIylEWu4nUxwHsyuB-6SqLc/s200/DukeChapel_front.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353181633660039058" /></a><br />The presentation I gave at Duke University last week went well. What a beautiful place! I left my iphone in the taxi on the way to the airport, but the driver was kind enough to take it back to my hotel, and the hotel people are mailing it to my home. Gotta love those North Carolina folk! <br /><br />I talked with the Alice people (Steve, Wanda, Pam, Don) about my idea to get tech/art schools to partner with Alice and have students create more objects for the galleries that teachers can use in their curriculum, and they gave me a green light. On the way home from NC, I had a layover in Phoenix, and met with the provost from the University for Advancing Technology in Tempe. He is enthused about the idea, and hopefully we can get something set up. I'm going to look into setting up appointments with other art schools in the Bay Area to see if I can get others on board.<br /><br />One exciting find at the Alice Symposium was that Alice 2.2 now has all the bugs worked out and is ready for download from <a href="http://www.alice.org">www.Alice.org<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></a>. We've been using 2.0 this year, because it was more stable. Alice 2.2., however, provides the ability to create video files of the Alice worlds that can be shared on the Web. You can view a student-created Alice world here that relates to 6th grade Language Arts/Social Studies standards, created this past school year in the Union School District. Other samples can be viewed at the "Critical Thinking with Alice" <a href="http://www.timetrek.org/index2.htm">website</a>. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8hz0AyfsKNw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8hz0AyfsKNw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-71121863740325081652009-05-06T10:40:00.001-07:002009-05-06T12:03:19.168-07:00New Learning Theory Translated into SpanishI just received an email from the editor of <span style="font-style:italic;">Innovate Journal</span>, notifying me that my article on my new learning theory has been translated into Spanish by Universidad de Concepción in Chile! <br /><br />The English version can be found at <a href="http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=524">Innovate Journal</a>. A link to the Spanish version can be found <a href="http://timetrek.org/Una teor_a de aprendizaje para estudiantes del siglo XXI.pdf">here</a>. To hear and see the Webcast I had with Innovate Journal regarding my new learning theory, visit the <a href="http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/">Innovate Portal</a> site.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-22823527953442349212009-04-30T00:42:00.001-07:002010-12-05T18:28:11.136-08:00Presenting a Paper at Duke University, June 17, 2009 - and Other Summer Plans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOutHVA137e7sZmS49bVn1IvOioHQVNg0S9-Y-sTCs6jrEjEwwDV8kTuu4m2ozVv-LTvRez-r9yL-XGFvERlIKEhvkA7KYoUBlZD3eWWX8BVM0t6KzDBqtcI2pXn0Mx2QBhPt9BVnkn-z7/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 56px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOutHVA137e7sZmS49bVn1IvOioHQVNg0S9-Y-sTCs6jrEjEwwDV8kTuu4m2ozVv-LTvRez-r9yL-XGFvERlIKEhvkA7KYoUBlZD3eWWX8BVM0t6KzDBqtcI2pXn0Mx2QBhPt9BVnkn-z7/s200/Picture+3.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330386794051327250" /></a><br />In June, I'll travel to Duke University to present a <a href="http://www.timetrek.org/AliceWebpage/sontag_dukesymposium.pdf">paper</a> at the Alice Symposium (Alice is a 3D animation program), and I'm very excited about this opportunity. I've never been to North Carolina! My goal is to develop collaboration between teachers to create Alice 3D animiation tutorials that can be used by middle school teachers to help engender critical thinking in core subjects that relate to standards. I'd also like to stimulate partnerships between the developers of the Alice program and tech schools that teach 3D animation modeling. In this way, perhaps we can develop a larger bank of 3D objects that the Alice program can use that include characters and environments middle school students encounter in their core subject areas. <br /><br />During the summer, I have also applied for an <a href="http://www.iisme.org/">IISME</a> fellowship to work with Adobe in order to gain a better understanding of the business world, in hopes of bringing this knowledge back into the classroom next fall. I will also be teaching some classes at <a href="http://raft.net/">RAFT</a> during the summer, so it's shaping up to be an exciting next few months!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-84916163665971525022009-04-29T23:37:00.001-07:002009-04-30T00:41:10.727-07:00Journal Article on My New Learning Theory<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLSiX3dVmRh70Z2yo9kitA-m-2rs6ejLy1XVKOlF9Cn5N-dQheQcOCbAiA52keMoi4Iom0gok88i_eaPCRWctb0EcZ7beS3463UjxV0Jk8TPU4JYlGoKPKY_boTgUSKyVgF-ln8a7iERl/s1600-h/Picture+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 38px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLSiX3dVmRh70Z2yo9kitA-m-2rs6ejLy1XVKOlF9Cn5N-dQheQcOCbAiA52keMoi4Iom0gok88i_eaPCRWctb0EcZ7beS3463UjxV0Jk8TPU4JYlGoKPKY_boTgUSKyVgF-ln8a7iERl/s200/Picture+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330370055316312338" /></a>The April/May 2009 issue of Innovate Journal (an online, peer-reviewed educational magazine) published an article on the new learning theory and instructional design model that I developed over the past four years while working on my doctorate. The magazine held a Webcast last week, and have now archived it, so by going to the Webcast link and logging in, you can hear it for yourself. Just go to Innovate Journal to view the <a href="http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=524&action=synopsis">article</a> and to navigate to the <a href="http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/">Webcast</a>. You just have to sign up (free!) to log in.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-21109895679885320512009-02-23T20:05:00.001-08:002009-04-30T00:30:51.579-07:00SVCUE Silicon Valley CUE Conference Feb. 28, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeS-AYYRPANy8TgNbv7r3SKVCjOkruvcHikfxWlyuY_Nk6bQj-m8dcZQQpX2TLyYq4Xsg3UQ386IJfF9AVcZX8BHQnL_MvuvQGt4EWbDrnPx8RYx4fDvk3y0rBiImqTajyl3G4oWTFhUZ/s1600-h/svcue_geek_logo300w.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeS-AYYRPANy8TgNbv7r3SKVCjOkruvcHikfxWlyuY_Nk6bQj-m8dcZQQpX2TLyYq4Xsg3UQ386IJfF9AVcZX8BHQnL_MvuvQGt4EWbDrnPx8RYx4fDvk3y0rBiImqTajyl3G4oWTFhUZ/s200/svcue_geek_logo300w.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306210589305587186" /></a> For those of you in the Silicon Valley area, join us Saturday, Feb. 28, at The Harker School, 8am-3pm for a mini-CUE conference. More information is available at <a href="http://www.svcue.org">svcue.org.</a> Besides the great sessions available to you, there will be over $7,000 worth of door prizes given away! Workshops include sessions such as PBL with Office, Google Docs, Moodle Basics, Geocaching, Geography Awareness, Document Cameras, and many more. Hope to see you Saturday!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-84593438243599458482009-02-23T19:49:00.000-08:002009-02-23T20:03:56.269-08:00CUE Palm Springs, March 5-7 '09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJhIFOwwo9l8LW9CemxLt-Ep5ldwqLQ7WZc8sjPGLHZEtDj4pA6UAHcvHC2aZeg4LRwqHCuoQeN0Pt5LcPfNzi34YZALohRnbGZNX2U7KKPeyTnoALg41YIZVbGEp0xziNN7KIKKCm7Sq/s1600-h/CUE+logo.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 92px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJhIFOwwo9l8LW9CemxLt-Ep5ldwqLQ7WZc8sjPGLHZEtDj4pA6UAHcvHC2aZeg4LRwqHCuoQeN0Pt5LcPfNzi34YZALohRnbGZNX2U7KKPeyTnoALg41YIZVbGEp0xziNN7KIKKCm7Sq/s200/CUE+logo.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306206494866812722" /></a>The theme for the March 5-7 CUE conference in Palm Springs is "Driving Student Success." I'm looking forward to hearing the Keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Marzano, and attending many of the great sessions that will be offered. See for yourself at <a href="http://www.cue.org/conference/schedule/">http://www.cue.org/conference/schedule/</a>.<br /><br />I will present a session on the free 3D animiation program, Alice - and how teachers can learn to use the program along with their students, as students work through a tutorial on critical thinking. The tutorial can be re-vamped to use with any grade level, 4-12, in any subject that has a controversial issue. For a download of the PowerPoint and handouts I will use in the session, see the links on <a href="http://www.timetrek.org">www.timetrek.org</a>.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-91548306674535596792008-08-07T19:45:00.000-07:002008-08-09T09:45:54.367-07:00Jigzone.com - Make Jigsaw Puzzles for Free<a href="http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/6013C7E5CC1?z=10&m=DF2509AC180C"><img src="http://www.jigzone.com/im/tCut2.gif" align="middle" alt="pedagogy19k Jigsaw Puzzle" style="width:105px;height:79px;margin:4px;padding:0;border:1px solid #999;background:transparent url(http://www.jigzone.com/puz/zemThumb?t.up.I.AW.L0.2cz18:gif)"/></a><a href="http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/6013C7E5CC1?z=10&m=DF2509AC180C">pedagogy19k Jigsaw Puzzle</a><br />I just heard about a Website that will enable you to make your own jigsaw puzzles for free! Click on the picture above to see how the puzzle works. The site is called <a href="http://www.jigzone.com/">jigzone.com</a>. Simply upload a picture file, and you will get a link to a puzzle of your picture that you can post anywhere. I heard about jigzone while listening to Joan and Ben's SMART Board Lesson <a href="http://www.zencast.com/channels/showchannel.asp?mc=2&cid=6736">Podcast</a>. Students can then manipulate this puzzle on the computer to complete the picture. If you have a SMART Board, the picture could be on the SMART Board as students walk in, as a way to introduce a lesson. Those who come in first could go up and manipulate the pieces to put it together. If you don't have a SMART Board, have the puzzle on a computer in your room for students to manipulate.<br /><br />I'm going to use my puzzle on a SMART Board at the beginning of a teacher training on Word, where we will discuss the different tool palettes. A way to use this puzzle idea in Language Arts would be to create a picture with two or three vocabulary words, and align pictures above the correct words. Having students put these puzzles together gives them some time-on-task with viewing the vocabulary words and thinking about their meanings, while they have fun putting the puzzle together at the same time. You could also challenge students to create their own puzzles, typing in vocabulary words and finding pictures to accompany the pictures. I created my pictures and text using Photoshop. The <a href="http://smartboards.typepad.com/smartboard/2008/05/smart-board-les.html">person</a> who shared this idea said he created his picture by using a free photo editor called <a href="http://photofiltre.free.fr/frames_en.htm">PhotoFiltre</a>. This application, however is only for PC. Go to Google's <a href="http://picasa.google.com/">Piscasa</a> for a free MAC photo editor.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-51557366233842403272008-08-05T02:15:00.001-07:002008-08-05T02:46:26.660-07:00Jeopardy PowerPoint Class at RAFTI had the privilege of teaching a great group of teachers at RAFT on Saturday, Aug. 2. One teacher came all the way from North Carolina! Actually, she was in town for the week because she was going to a workshop in San Francisco, and came to RAFT in San Jose for our Saturday class. By the end of our session, teachers were creating their own Jeopardy PowerPoint games to use in their own classrooms. <br /><br />We made some corrections to the Jeopardy Directions, so I told the workshop attendees that I would include a download of the new directions on my Blog. Even if you didn't attend the class, you're welcome to download the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6zafnz">handout</a>. I'll also include a download of the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6zafnz">template</a> here too.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-62203898855771424742008-08-04T18:27:00.000-07:002008-08-05T02:47:00.823-07:00Alice 3D Animation Storytelling Class<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHP1NQBAh9krAGItHru4WGrBEaeEi4a_nQ2HtgFQIXQ6r1KIJY7RbEGfTXcB9fxn20dCXmyCLrz_7o8gYqcYQaOPRm7j3zxUOc7ZTw7jqluMYTZL5CafNtcgz0Zedpnfbn-_rn8rZM_7C/s1600-h/alice2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHP1NQBAh9krAGItHru4WGrBEaeEi4a_nQ2HtgFQIXQ6r1KIJY7RbEGfTXcB9fxn20dCXmyCLrz_7o8gYqcYQaOPRm7j3zxUOc7ZTw7jqluMYTZL5CafNtcgz0Zedpnfbn-_rn8rZM_7C/s320/alice2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229728003430404002" border="0" /></a>From July 14 through August 1, I took a workshop to learn the 3D Animation/Storytelling program called Alice. <a href="http://www.alice.org/">Alice</a> is a computer program developed by Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)and a team from Carnegie Mellon University. Alice is a free educational software that teaches students computer programming in a 3D environment. We learned the program the first two weeks from two men who have worked with Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon. The last week of the session, we taught a group of middle school students how to use the program. Our group of 24 middle schoolers quickly learned how to use Alice and were programming wonderful 3D animiated stories in no time. It's a great way to integrate problem-based learning and project-based learning into the curriculum. The program can be downloaded for free from the <a href="http://www.alice.org/index.php?page=downloads/download_alice">Alice</a> site.<br /><br />If you haven't viewed the inspirational youtube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo">video clip </a>of Randy giving his "Last Lecture" at Carnegie Mellon, you need to see it. As of today, it has already been viewed over 5 million times, and it was only posted last year. Don, our teacher from Carnegie Mellon, had a difficult time teaching the last class with us on July 25, because Don told us that he had just found out that Randy had passed away that morning. Randy, age 47, died from pancreatic cancer that was discovered in his body in 2006. For more information on Randy, see <a href="http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2008/summer/an-enduring-legacy.shtml">"An Enduring Legacy"</a> posted by Carnegie Mellon.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-70519426164401500342008-08-03T23:53:00.000-07:002008-08-05T02:42:54.859-07:00Vienna, Austria Conference, June, 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lUehzirPgXhXG0Xjgqc57nN4ftOdGlcxyN3z3tOyO-WeDQJNamkQBHJF1j2PMWIVZ3RqCxQSbOhYt99CRLEP5VC3zJtm4x04XPjQPiWTFNLz_ryfLXRmQtx8Tvtm4nzDBzltJcEw_asw/s1600-h/Vienna+Conference+08.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lUehzirPgXhXG0Xjgqc57nN4ftOdGlcxyN3z3tOyO-WeDQJNamkQBHJF1j2PMWIVZ3RqCxQSbOhYt99CRLEP5VC3zJtm4x04XPjQPiWTFNLz_ryfLXRmQtx8Tvtm4nzDBzltJcEw_asw/s320/Vienna+Conference+08.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225357126436419186" /></a><br />What a privilege it was to meet with educators from around the world at the <a href="http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/">AACE Educational Media Conference</a> in Vienna, Austria, this June. I met with teachers from South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Austria, Australia, Great Britain, and many other countries. From what I heard at the conference, many countries are way ahead of the United States in terms of technology integration. My presentation discussed my doctoral research, illustrating that we as educators are still looking for a picture of the "whole beast" (a throwback to a John Godfrey Saxe poem titled "The Blind Men and the Elephant"), when it comes to forming any pedagogical conclusions about the ways in which technology has impacted today's learners. I presented my research conclusions, and proffered a new learning theory and instructional design model based on the changes in students' new schemata, due to their immersion in the digital age. You can download a PPT of my presentation and view my new instructional design model at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3hh58u">http://tinyurl.com/3hh58u</a>. <br /><br />You can also view some online photos and videos from our European trip, starting at <a href="http://web.mac.com/mariesontag1/Europe_Trip/Photos.html">http://web.mac.com/mariesontag1/Europe_Trip/Photos.html</a>, and then just follow the links to see what you are interested in. We visited Salzburg where we took "The Sound of Music" tour, then took a train to Warsaw where we visited with Stas', a student we had living with us for a year when he was 16 - he is now 29! We got to meet his fiancee', Basia, his older brother, and also his parents, for the first time. Stas' parents were so grateful to finally meet the couple who served as their son's "parents" and surrogate family for a year while he lived with our family and went to school here at Leigh High School. His parents don't speak very much English, but we managed to communicate using a Polish/English dictionary, and using the little bit of German that I know, since Stas' mother also knows German. We left as fast friends, and with a deep appreciation for the indomitable spirit of the Polish people. We also visited the ancient city of Krakow, Poland's first capital. I especially enjoyed our visit to the Collegium Maius, one of the oldest universities in Europe (after Prague), dating back to before the 1400's when Copernicus studied there! After four days in Poland, we took a train back to Vienna where we finished our touring and attended the conference. A highlight in Vienna was attending a Mozart concert at the Musikverein, one of the top three concert halls in the world. The music, the acoustics, and the beautiful hall were amazing!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-6837422671701455882008-05-02T23:09:00.000-07:002008-07-20T23:49:44.154-07:00Technology Integration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqfLv8qWynlNiNcJJH8aGnZk1yKWJhvSc_wfXyRV0WLq3UFqhRccVH4f4Ck-B84PZMyAOetB-wdk3FL4uoUAboxly8IX5vfF4BwgljfypoaUNVAp_ZUh2s0XyOBpXRXNPC0P1p3Pfi1hyphenhyphen/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqfLv8qWynlNiNcJJH8aGnZk1yKWJhvSc_wfXyRV0WLq3UFqhRccVH4f4Ck-B84PZMyAOetB-wdk3FL4uoUAboxly8IX5vfF4BwgljfypoaUNVAp_ZUh2s0XyOBpXRXNPC0P1p3Pfi1hyphenhyphen/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225350332802752466" /></a><br />The <span style="font-style:italic;">Journal of Computing in Teacher Education</span> (Vol. 24/Number 2, Winter 07-08)recently published an issue that focused on some key aspects technology integration. It discussed the renewed and revised emphasis on the construct of something called TPACK that was recently formulated at the 9th Annnual National Technology Leadership Summit. The construct of TPACK helps to underscore the fact that teacher education, especially as it relates to technology integration, must interweave three vital areas of knolwedge: content knowledge, technological knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge, if it hopes to successfully train teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum. <br /><br />The Journal article pointed out that the construct of TPACK captures two key aspects of technology integration. “First, it emphasizes, through the letters, the three kinds of knowledge (Technology, Pedagogy And Content) that we believe are essential building blocks for intelligent technology integration. Second, and as important, it captures the fact that these three knowledge domains should not be taken in isolation, but rather that they form an integrated whole, a ‘Total PACKage’ as it were, for helping teachers take advantage of technology to improve student learning.” <br /><br />In the editorial article of the Journal's winter issue, authors Ann D. Thompson and Punya Mishra emphasized that “effective use of technology…involves the ability to make informed decisions on how to take advantage of the affordances of technology…to support specific pedagogies within a particular content area. Thus, teachers need the Total PACKage: the knowledge that lies at the intersection of knowledge of Content, Pedagogy And Technology i.e., TPACK.” They suggest that TPACK can become a shared descriptor of the “powerful ideas involved in creating a synergy among technology, content and pedagogy that honors the interdependence of these three important parts of teacher education and teaching.”<br /><br />An article in the February 2008 issue of <span style="font-style:italic;">Learning & Leading with Technology</span> also discussed the new focus on TPACK, and provided the above visual from the online wiki of Matthew Koehler and Punya Mishra (<a href="http://www.tpck.org">www.tpck.org</a>).<br /><br />Anita McAnear, author of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Learning & Leading with Technology</span> article, emphasized that the visual highlights the fact that “it is not enough to have general technological knowledge, and that staff development focused only on technology will not accomplish much. You can’t separate out content as it is affected by technology, and technology affects what is important to know and be able to do as well as providing tools.” Teacher education must interweave all three areas, content knowledge, technological knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge, if it hopes to successfully train teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum.<br /><br />I completed my doctorate in Instructional Design for Online Learning in November 2007, and have an opportunity to present my research findings at an AACE Educational Media Conference in June in Vienna, Austria. At that time, I will unveil the new instructional design model I have developed that illustrates my new learning theory (SCCS). The new learning theory and instructional design model are based on my research findings regarding the ways in which technology has impacted the way students learn. I believe that this new learning theory and instructional design model can help to provide a clearer pedagogical picture that instructors can use as they weave content and technological knowledge into their technology integration.<br /><br />A diagram of the new instructional design model can be found at: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3hh58u">http://tinyurl.com/3hh58u</a>Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-24372684435694371072008-04-29T12:54:00.000-07:002008-06-12T16:54:16.310-07:00Thornburg and Davidson weigh on on Digital Natives/ImmigrantsOn April 11-12 I attended the Leadership 3.0 Symposium in Millbrae, CA, put on by ACSA, CUE, and TICAL. I have worked in the classroom for over ten years, and this is the first year I have worked out of the district office. I felt privileged to attend a conference where many of the attendees and presenters were administrators instead of teachers. I almost felt like a "fly on the wall" as I sat in on presentations such as Visalia's discussion of how their district moved from grade-based assessments to standards-based assessments (i.e. sstandards-based report cards vs. letter-grade report cards). <br /><br />I felt especially gratified to hear a spirited discussion between David Thornburg and Hal Davidson regarding their views on the Digital Immigrants/Digital Natives "debate." Thornburg posted an "apology" in his <a href="http://thornburgcenter.blogspot.com/2007/10/tl-conference-and-apology.html">Oct. 20, 2007</a> Thornburg Center blog regarding his use of the term digital immigrants. He now believes that "the designation of 'digital natives' and 'digital immigrants' suggests a difference that is, at best, largely inaccurate and, at worst, demeaning to educators," and vows to no longer use this term. <br /><br />Davidson argued that he never thought of this term as an insult. He argued that the designation was useful in several ways. Most importantly, he pointed out, it helps us realize that a significant change has happened due to the affordances of technology. He cited evidence that shows how changing one's environment results in significant changes for individuals. Since many of those who are 35 years of age and under have spent a great deal of their lives in the digital environment, compared to those of us 35 years of age and older, it seems to be a no-brainer that the younger generation will be more impacted. <br /><br />Thornburg tried to defend his position by pointing out that this "label" suggests that it is the immigrants who need to change. Rather, he insists , it is the SYSTEM of education that needs to change. He believes that calling educators and parents "immigrants" demeans them and gets the focus off the need for systemic change. <br /><br />As anyone knows who has suffered from the symptoms of an unknown disease for any period of time, only to eventually find out the name of their disease, being able to give a prescriptive name to something provides a valuable service. For one, it validates the person's experience. Second, it gives the experience a "handle" and a starting point from which changes and adjustments can then be made. Labeling students' ability to quickly adapt to technology vs. adults' need to take a little longer to adapt, points out that students' immersion in their digital environment has actually changed the way they think and learn. Yes, the educational system needs to change, but systems also change as individuals change! As argued in my dissertation, students have developed a new social-connectedness and a new cognitive-connectedness due to their immersion in the digital world. Educators need to develop instructional designs that take into account students' new schemata. Yes, the system needs to change, but so do the digital immigrants.Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-90337543568367720712008-03-08T01:30:00.000-08:002008-07-21T02:20:39.853-07:00Inserting Photoshop Backgrounds<embed src="http://www.teachertube.com/skin-p/mediaplayer.swf" width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" menu="false" flashvars="height=350&width=425&file=http://www.teachertube.com/flvideo/6912.flv&image=http://www.teachertube.com/thumb/6912.jpg&location=http://www.teachertube.com/skin-p/mediaplayer.swf&logo=http://www.teachertube.com/images/greylogo.swf&searchlink=http://teachertube.com/search_result.php%3Fsearch_id%3D&frontcolor=0xffffff&backcolor=0x000000&lightcolor=0xFF0000&screencolor=0xffffff&autostart=false&volume=80&overstretch=fit&link=http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e3457b2718a29dc0018c&linkfromdisplay=true&recommendations=http://www.teachertube.com/embedplaylist.php?chid=67"></embed><br />Saturday, March 8, I will present "Inserting Photoshop Backgrounds" at the 2008 Palm Springs CUE Conference. The handout for this presentation can be found at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/29q3ye">http://tinyurl.com/29q3ye</a>, or <a href="http://kamoo.dragonangel.net/~marie/tipsPS.doc">download here</a>. A video of the presentation can be found on TeacherTube at <a href="http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e3457b2718a29dc0018c">http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e3457b2718a29dc0018c</a>.<br /><br />Using the Clone Stamp on Photoshop, students can easily immerse themselves in the curriculum as they become a character in a story, a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Lab, or a musician at Carnegie Hall!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683096707014838986.post-44938845399323338482007-12-01T12:58:00.000-08:002008-04-29T13:11:06.550-07:00Asking Prensky about Digital Natives/ImmigrantsI did get to ask Marc Prensky about the debate surrounding his terms of digital natives and digital immigrants. He said he has asked CUE for an opportunity to respond to Thornburg's article, so I'll be looking for that in a future CUE publication!Marie Sontaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14156869114123923349noreply@blogger.com0