Disqus - Latest Comments for njtechteacher

Re: Those Goofy DENny Awards Videos

njtechteacher — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 22:00:46 -0000

I never get tired of your bursts of energy as you find new creative outlets. Thank you for sharing this. I have the summer to add some playfulness to next year's work with the schools in the Archdiocese. I guarantee this goodness will spread!

Re: 5-2-15 #CatholicEdChat Summer Reading

njtechteacher — Sat, 30 May 2015 17:59:11 -0000

Following the #CatholicEdChat Blog Hop. I like your quick audio blog posts.

Re: Pay Attention 2014

njtechteacher — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 22:27:42 -0000

Darren - I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying and I appreciate the attributions you included in this post. I still find your original video has so much to offer as a springboard. Well said and thank you for your help in posting an updated version.

Re: EduWin Weekly #23: #ISTE13 #notatiste Recap

njtechteacher — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 18:31:12 -0000

Thank you James. Thank you for including the Monster Project #eduwin. Anna Baralt and I have been working on the Monster Project wiki for the last few years. It was a thrill to have Adam mention our collaborative drawing project. I am grateful for yours and Michelle's kind words.

Re: Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Daily Education & Technology News for Schools 06/17/2011

njtechteacher — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:06:38 -0000

Thanks, as always, for remembering our monster project!

Re: 5: Cool Cat Teacher Birthday

njtechteacher — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:15:50 -0000

Wow, only five years! Happy blogaversary. Here's to the next five.

Re: My day at EdCamp NYC 2010

njtechteacher — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:50:57 -0000

Thank you for the great recap. One of the things I am really interested in is what is learned and eventually implemented as a part of the discussions and sessions at events such as EdCamp NYC. I was in the Game Design session. Al really helped me develop ideas that I've been working on with students. He gave me so much more to think about and some great game design resources. All of this was backed by good information on what students are learning as they work on game design. I'm looking forward to beginning to work on projects using Game Star Mechanic with students. Thank you for sharing your "Are Your Ideas Your Own". Those sessions are what makes EdCamp so interesting.

Re: The iTeach Project

njtechteacher — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:46:07 -0000

This is a great idea. I'm happy to join you and will share your project with others. I think you'll get a lot out of the process personally and it will help you build something that you can share as you look for employment in this area.

Re: 12 Healthy Habits to Grow Your Online Presence and Keep Balance in Your Life

njtechteacher — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:06:08 -0000

It was also the first time I traveled to specifically meet up with teachers I had met online. I didn't realize it was so early into your career of traveling and meeting others. It was such a good experience going to Princeton and realizing that all the chatter online was adding up to some powerful experiences. It's only gotten better over time.

Re: 12 Healthy Habits to Grow Your Online Presence and Keep Balance in Your Life

njtechteacher — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:47:20 -0000

Vicki: It's so good to reflect on the journey. Whenever I read your posts, your gracious personality always shines through. I've learned from you and many others on my own journey. All twelve tips are great. The idea of latch keying your legacy is something I've had in the back of my mind, but haven't done anything with. It's also hard, sometimes, to step off line, but so necessary. I'm planning a break in August and look forward to coming back recharged for the new year. I'm very glad to have had you part of my teaching world. Thank you for the post!

Re: EduBloggerWorld, Helping Others, and the Business of Education

njtechteacher — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:23:29 -0000

We were concerned about the same thing at the

Re: Misperceptions Once Maintained of Reality

njtechteacher — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 08:20:39 -0000

I always appreciate the thoughts you share. It is truly hard to make everyone happy. Sometimes you have to choose a direction with the knowledge you have and carry one. It's so good that you have a patient, trustworthy, hard working, loyal staff supporting you. It can make a lot of difference in the long run.

Re: Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Why Web 2.0 Teaching is Hard

njtechteacher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:22:24 -0000

Teaching with Web 2.0 tools is hard and it's interesting too. Sometimes things don't go exactly the way you plan: a site is down, or it doesn't quite do what you want. The students do learn so much. They can help each other and take a project in a direction you would not have initially imagined. I rarely touch the mouse after about first or second grade. Even then, they have their hand on the mouse and I guide their hand.

It's such a pleasure to look at all my student's projects when they are complete and realize I really just gave them the kernel of the idea and they projected it forward.

On my display board this year, I wrote the words Learn, Create, and Teach Others. From Kindergarten to eighth grade, I want them to realize that in everything we do we really haven't come full circle until we share what we learn. It could be a neighbor on the computer to your right or a family member at home.

Looking at some of the other comments here, it seems there is a theme about how teachers are using new tools in old ways. Part of the beauty of Web 2.0 tools is that the students are leaving behind new ideas for other teachers to see and build on.

Re: Sometimes I ONE-der

njtechteacher — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:21:20 -0000

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Re: Sometimes I ONE-der

njtechteacher — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:44:43 -0000

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Re: Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Do what you can. Share what you can.

njtechteacher — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:22:16 -0000

This ties into something I've been thinking about lately. A lot of times, I will hear other teachers say they have no time to go online to read, comment, or take part in different activities. Everyone has their own tolerance level for what is reasonable. I am just so happy that I have found this wonderful collaborative environment. I think it does take more time at the beginning, just because you are trying to "introduce" yourself to the online world.

Family, local students, and local teachers have to come first. Every drop we add to the online bucket helps so many others. When I started researching how to teach students eight years ago, I found a lot of wonderful static web pages to get myself started. My hope is that I am adding to that knowledge in a different way: blogs, wiki, microblogs, and nings. There are so many different types of resources in 2009. Your pullout quote: "Share what you can, when you can and that is enough" is so true. The collective results are so much bigger than one person's contribution.

Re: Personal learning is a job?

njtechteacher — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:34:18 -0000

You are right, and so is Jennifer. Building personal learning network is a job. When I first started learning about my ability to connect with others online, it took time away from other pursuits. I didn't watch much on television years ago, but I truly watch very little now. It takes time to participate in live chats during podcast recordings, use Twitter or Plurk, write blog posts, read blog posts, and jump onto Ustream.

I have a friend who is a teacher. I figured that if I could get her interested in connecting online, I could get anyone interested. I helped her find other educators who were focused on topics of her interest. I showed her how responsive my followers were on Twitter in responding to a question she asked. I demonstrated Google Reader. All she saw was another job.

It takes a bigger comfort level than many people have to navigate all the spaces that make up many online networks. I've treaded lightly when introducing these ideas to other teachers. I think it is important to make others aware of these various spaces. I also believe that those who have an inclination to build a network will do so once they know what is available.

At this point, I can't imagine dropping from my online connections. I have built-in company at conferences I attend. I can ask a question and get several different perspectives. I can find connections with other classes so my students are exposed to new ways of working.

I was good to come across your post in my reader today. It's nice to see both of your posts supporting ideas I have about the fact that building a PLN is a job. It's a job I enjoy, but I can't expect the same of everyone I know.

Re: If I Can Do This, Anybody Can

njtechteacher — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:14:08 -0000

Big pat on the back for being brave enough to go up to introduce yourself in the first place. Sometimes that can be difficult. What an opportunity to share the ideas behind OpenPD with such a large group. So many people outside your direct sphere of influence in Utah have benefited.

Global Collaboration in the Classroom would be a great topic. There are so many different ways to make a collaboration a success. We would all benefit from talking with each other and learning from each other.

Re: Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Do something to keep computers out of landfills: Promote Freecycle

njtechteacher — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:39:45 -0000

I've been using Freecycle for well over two years now. It is one way I pass on equipment that is just too old for our building, but still has life left in it. I'm glad you found the service. It is also wonderful for teachers. I can't tell you how many art teachers and early elementary teachers have stopped by to pick up old magazines and books my sons have outgrown. I will admit, I never thought to put an article in the local paper. I just wanted to mention, Freecycle is not just for computers. I've seen bowling pins, lightly used clothes, plastic backyard furniture, and other things up in the local group. Happy Freecycling!

Re: What Is The Edublogosphere?

njtechteacher — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:24:54 -0000

I think the dues for membership are a willingness to come back time and again to extend conversations. In my mind, edublogosphere lines are blurry. I learn in many different places. As I find the same names in different places (not necessarily blogs), it extends my connection with those educators. It becomes a social network in that way. Are we friends? That's a pretty nebulous word. I know that I have met people at conferences that I first knew virtually and there is a certain immediate connection that I wouldn't have with other attendees that I would sit next to in a conference hall. Certainly, I felt as comfortable meeting them as if I arrived with a colleague down the hall. I guess we can talk about it again in ten or more years and see how I feel then. I like Louise Maine's equation of a faculty room. I tend to interact with teachers, exclusively, so that analogy works well for me. My thoughts after a very light summer connecting online.

Re: The Breakfast Buffet of Educational Technology

njtechteacher — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:00:22 -0000

It's my firm belief that the only way to accomplish anything is one by one. Your advice is spot on as far as I'm concerned. If every teacher would try just one new thing a year they would avoid being overwhelmed and be able to have reflection time. Once a person gets used to the one new thing, as time passes they might be able to try two or three things in the same year. It all starts to snowball.

I don't think it takes a super teacher to be successful. It becomes less challenging with a good support network both within your building and an online network. Perhaps the biggest challenge is making the time to learn on your "own" time.

Re: Social Capital and EduBloggerCon

njtechteacher — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:15:47 -0000

Is a part of what you saw just human nature at work? We tend to speak with those we know the best. Some people travel more than others and run into the same folks over and over again. They build more social capital just by virtue of being with each other in real life more often.

As the group of people who want to meet at EduBloggerCon-type events grows, it will be impossible for one individual to meet and learn with people who have hundreds or thousands of connections in this network. It goes to Shirky's take on the Birthday Paradox math.

That said, there is a large amount that an individual can do to more away from feeling isolated. The couple of examples that you pointed to in the plus column are open to anyone.

I am not onsite, so it's hard for me to get a feel for what you saw in person. I attended an event in Princeton where there were, maybe, twelve people who knew each other through this growing personal learning network. It was hard to spend time individually with any one person. I can't imagine how hard it must be with 200 people.

I value your thoughts and look forward to meeting you face to face some day.
Ann