tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44731666650132644982024-03-14T06:09:44.306-04:00The TransformationistChange is the only constant.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-3654032605206521872010-07-01T09:18:00.002-04:002010-07-01T09:25:22.110-04:00I'm certain that most of our staff and students are sleeping right now. At least I hope they are. They couldn't possibly be thinking about how a new school year has started today, on July 1. <br /><br />But I am. <br /><br />The evening of June 30th is sort of a New Year's Eve for city principals, but with far less champagne. Budgets roll over. Excess lists are issued. Summer school is just around the corner. And as 12-month employees, our contract for next year starts today.<br /><br />My friends often ask, "Do you work over the summer?" After all, when they were growing up, schools were empty places for two months, and their principal had a September to June function.<br /><br />"Yes," I reply. "The summer is when the behind-the-scenes work happens." Hiring fairs, programming, purchasing curriculum materials--all are on my agenda for the coming weeks. It is a time to reflect, to develop strategy, and to put the pieces of the puzzle together.<br /><br />So Happy New School Year, my fellow principals. May this school year be your best yet.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-80460150399798472442009-10-28T19:35:00.003-04:002009-10-28T19:43:04.743-04:00The Internet Is A LanguageI presented at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googleplex">GooglePlex</a> in Mountain View today at the <a href="http://www.google.com/events/digitalage/">Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age</a> conference. I was on a panel called "New Learning Designs: Scaling Innovation to Reverse the Dropout Crisis."<br /><br />My goal was to paint a picture of 339's turnaround (so far) and the role technology has played. Keep in mind--I only had eight minutes for my remarks!<br /><br />A theory I'm developing is the the modern Internet is a <span style="font-style: italic;">language</span>. I'll be writing more about that and further fleshing it out in the coming weeks...but for now here's a transcript of my remarks. I'll insert hyperlinks when I can.<br /><br />***<br /><br />In August of 2004, I became principal of IS 339, a large, public middle school in the Claremont section of the Bronx. Then we had 945 students, now we’re ‘down’ to about 820. 339 is roughly 70% Hispanic and 29% Black. About 25% of our students have IEPs and 28% are English language learners. The school building opened in 1974, and had twice been shut down and reopened by the state, in 1991 and 2000.<br /><br />When I arrived 2004, 339 had learned to survive day to day by doing things like locking students down in one classroom only and sending them home if there was a problem. School safety agents routinely escalated conflicts with students, and many adults had adopted an aggressive, loud approach. It felt like a boiling pot was about to explode at any moment, and when it did, the melees were memorable. Ambulances and police cars fought school buses for parking in front.<br /><br />I had pledged during my very first faculty conference to bring technology to 339. Every computer in the building was from 1999 or earlier, and there were no laptops. What few desktops we had were hoarded and rationed, in a few rooms or offices. Two people knew how to connect to the Internet. The school was off line, and it was out of line. Although there were staff members who cared deeply, they were drowned out by those who didn’t. The language of lockdowns, consequences and battle only perpetuated a prison mentality. <br /><br />On staff, we were disjointed and suffering in silos. No one knew what was happening, or why. I thought I was a visionary when I installed a giant whiteboard in our main hallway for daily announcements. Problem solved! That is, until 11 AM, when someone would brush their jacket on the board, deleting half of our key information. At day’s end, our institutional memory got erased from the board. We were stagnant in too many ways.<br /><br />At the end of my first year, in Spring of ’05, we received hopeful news. Chancellor Klein’s administration had tapped 339 as one of 22 middle schools for a 1-to-1 Macbook laptop program. The light at the end of the tunnel might be a laptop screen.<br /><br />In year two, an influx of new and enthusiastic staff brought energy but not much stability to our school. We continued to struggle. Instruction suffered and student achievement plummeted. I’d read about Fullan’s implementation dip; I never thought we’d be sinking because of it. 9% of our students were now on grade level in math. The New York State Ed department once again designated the school as SURR (School Under Registrative Review). They sent a team of ten to conduct a grueling 3-day inspection. It was demoralizing at best. One official compared our staff to a band where no one was playing the same song. I asked her if she’d seen our whiteboard.<br /><br />In June of 2006, the first wave of teacher laptops and one grade of student laptops finally arrived. In late June, after our 8th grade prom, I saw one boy scrolling through his digital camera, deciding which pictures to post to MySpace. He then started sending and receiving texts on his cell phone to multiple friends, who each had a different song playing when their messages arrived. <br /><br />I realized that our students were hardwired for modern technology. Social networking spots like MySpace met a felt need for connecting, and sharing and collaborating. Yet our school ran as it had in the 90s, the 80s and the 70s. We’d rearranged some of the deck chairs, yet our 1.0 band was indeed playing many different tunes, and none that our students wanted to hear. Despite all of our fears, I was determined to get technology into the hands of staff and students. Students were fluent in the language of the 21st century Internet. We adults needed to quickly catch up.<br /><br />Year three we created teacher teams who met daily for common planning. Adults received training. As Jim Collins predicted, technology became an accelerant for sharing best practices and building communication systems. Daily Notes were now posted online for staff. We migrated everyone away from the city’s email system and into Gmail. Teachers started Google groups to share lesson plans, post units of study and discuss ideas. Connecting and communicating, teacher teams started to quickly transform the work they did together and the work they did with students. We were finally sharing.<br /><br />In year four we used the Internet to advance from communication to collaboration. Our faculty signed on to the Google Apps—in addition to Gmail, we integrated Google Docs and Spreadsheets into all aspects of adult work in the school. From the main office to the dean’s office to the administrative offices to the classrooms we created networked systems to share information, collaborate in real time on initiatives and to track progress. For those who haven’t had the chance to use Google Docs, they provide the ability for multiple people to co-edit documents and spreadsheets in real time on the Internet for free, so that other people who are shared in can view your changes. As teachers became comfortable with these tools, they introduced them to their classroom. <br /><br />Last year—year five--we received the final laptops from the original pilot, and went fully 1-to-1 for the first time. We saw that our greatest untapped resource at 339 had been the creative imaginations of our staff and students. The lightning-quick speed of curiosity and innovation was now given voice through 21st century tools. Teachers emailed students assignments, and co-edited Google docs at the same time. Students found answers to questions within minutes, posted responses online and participated in our school’s robust Internet community. The Internet’s language was now being shared between staff and students.<br /><br />While they’d once felt afraid, teachers now were proud that their practice had been modernized and streamlined. Students felt motivated, professional and respected. They were using tools to prepare them to compete in high school, access better jobs and use their talents. We were fully integrated across the board…you name it, and we migrated it to the Google Universe.<br /><br />By the end of last year—our first full 1-to-1 year--we celebrated our best results yet. 62% of our students were now on grade level. Our NYC progress report grade had risen from a D to a C to a B to an A. We were removed from the state’s SURR list. And most importantly, the work we were doing in classrooms was giving students creative control over their learning. <br /><br />In June, we hosted and presented a first-of-its kind Global Learning Reception called Dot-to-Dot. 100% of our teachers and students posted 21st century projects, including films and blogs, some streaming live. A student made a documentary about how to create a Times Square-like hub in the Bronx. One class Skyped with Nicholas Kristof about Darfur as part of their research about genocide. The theme for every project was “Connections.” Thousands of website hits from around the world became dots on our map, and we’d started to redefine what school could be in the 21st century. This year’s Dot-to-Dot theme is “Change”—and you’re all invited.<br /><br />At 339, we don’t see laptops as toys, or even as tools. We see them as megaphones to give students and teachers global voices. The modern Internet isn’t an idea, or a place. It is a language that we need to speak at all corners of our school systems and in each one of our classrooms. It is a language that has rapidly improved our school, and can help transform struggling schools everywhere.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-48468507185956675542009-03-06T11:18:00.019-05:002009-03-17T22:47:19.423-04:00What 21st Century Schools Can Learn From 24<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/ScBbBoMQp5I/AAAAAAAABw8/YFgltTIK1I8/s1600-h/jack+bauer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/ScBbBoMQp5I/AAAAAAAABw8/YFgltTIK1I8/s200/jack+bauer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314347643824023442" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><o:p>Despite numerous accolades and killer ratings, </o:p>I’d somehow missed the TV counter-terrorist boat. As of last summer, I'd sailed straight past the first six seasons of <i style="">24.<span style=""> </span></i>Thanks to <i style="">i</i>Tunes, I’ve been catching up, downloading season after thrilling season.<span style=""> </span>Preposterous plotlines and torturous interrogations aside, <i style="">24</i> is highly entertaining and a pure adrenaline rush. Admit it, you’ve watched!<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />There are TV shows I want to keep watching, like <i style="">The Office</i> and <i style="">Lost.<span style=""> </span></i>But then there are TV shows I <i style="">need</i> to keep watching, shows like <i style="">The Wire.<span style=""> </span></i>Shows which are deeply gripping because they speak to big themes in compelling ways.<span style=""> </span>So I was puzzled when <i style="">24</i> made the leap into my “need to watch” pantheon. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />I pondered why I felt compelled to watch back-to-back-to-back episodes on my <i style="">i</i>Pod?<span style=""> </span>Did I secretly want to be a government agent?<span style=""> </span>Was I amused by Kiefer’s comeback?<span style=""> </span>Was it the "beep ... BEEP ... beep ... BEEP" cadence that leads gasping viewers to commercials?<br /><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->Upon reflection, I realize that as a principal of a tech-savvy, high-needs school, I can actually relate to Jack Bauer.<span style=""> </span>Not because a work day involves espionage, violence and chaos. Okay, there is some chaos from time to time. Yet the real ah-hah moment was when I realized that Jack and his colleagues work in smart, effective ways<span style=""> that we can relate to at CIS 339. </span>I truly believe that 21<sup>st</sup> century schools can learn lots from <i style="">24</i>.<br /><br />***<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />Here are some examples of quality practice employed by <i style="">24</i>’s Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU): <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><b style=""><br />1.<span style=""> </span>CTU uses cross-functional teams with experts who specialize.<o:p></o:p></b><o:p><br /><br />Counter-terrorist operations are carried out by folks with discrete expertise. They have a focused point person making key decisions, but there are also key role players. They have communications experts, weapons pros and scientists. When there's an injury, a top-notch physician knows what to do in the medical area. Field teams assemble and deploy precisely. Everyone works together, and everyone knows their jobs. As important, everyone knows <span style="font-style: italic;">each other's jobs</span> and when to ask them for help. When Jack tells Chloe to rearrange the specs for the operation and uplink them to all of the field agents, he's showing great delegation skills. He also is demonstrating his comfort with his teammates having the answers.</o:p><b style=""><br /><br />2.<span style=""> </span>CTU enjoys state-of-the-art technology and impressive tech support.</b><br /><br />You'll never hear someone at CTU say "the Internet is down" or "how do you turn this thing on?" They have the coolest gadgets, toys and equipment--and they know how and when to deploy their tech tools. It seems like they only hire the best candidates from a Cal Tech / MIT short list. For CTU, technology isn't just <span style="font-style: italic;">an</span>option, it's <span style="font-style: italic;">the </span>option. Can you imagine Edgar saying, "Jack, I've decided that we're going to track the cannisters of chemical gas using US mail"? Neither can I. We would never tolerate our government agencies saying "enough with techhnology! We're just going with pen and paper this year." So why would we ever allow our schools to 'decide' whether to integrate technology?<p class="MsoNormal"><br /><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p><b style="">3.<span style=""> </span>CTU values real-time transparency.</b><br /><br />CTU agents share the same terminology at the workplace. They use consistent language and they collaborate using real-time information. When Tony Almeida barks "Send the schematic of the power plant to my screen <span style="font-style: italic;">now</span>!" you know that a) he means business and b) transparency is an important value. When Jack doesn't have video surveilance working , he instructs Chloe to upload satellite still images to his PDA every 15 seconds. This is excellent real-time intformation sharing in practice. Schools need to do a better job with this, and current tools that exist in Google Apps (as an example) make this possible. <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p><b style=""><br />4.<span style=""> </span>CTU agents over-communicate.</b> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />Many jokes have been made about the duration of Jack Bauer's cell phone battery. Clearly, <span style="font-style: italic;">24</span> serves as product placement for whatever model he's saving democracy with. However, the bigger picture is that Jack and his CTU friends are modeling the practice of "over-communicating." They spell out exactly what they need from each other, providing rationales and details. Sure, we know why Jack is asking for stuff--we saw the last scene. But the person on the other end of the phone doesn't. And when you're saving the world, you can't leave anything to chance. At schools, information sharing is critical, and all too often, over-communication is rare.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Whether CTU agents utilize cutting-edge technology or real-time information sharing, they aren't just saving America. They're offering up some serious models for how we can make school teams faster and smarter, as we make our work even more transparent. I'm betting that schools which employ these techniques will quickly join <span style="font-style: italic;">24</span> on "need to watch" lists.<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-77046025595986271652009-02-13T11:59:00.010-05:002009-02-13T14:20:34.299-05:00Mail Merge EpiphanyI remember the first time I pulled open a form letter. Personally addressed to me, the greeting’s clean typeface read: “Dear Mr. Levy.” I felt the same initial rush of enjoyment from when summer camp care packages would arrive. Then I kept reading the letter, slowly realizing by the 8th mindless paragraph that there were thousands of other recipients. I hadn't heard of a “mail merge” yet, but I certainly felt…well, merged with the masses.<br /><br />Strange. A letter that had been personally stamped, addressed, and delivered by USPS must surely meant <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span> to the sender. Yet it didn’t feel that way on my end; it seemed to be a trick to force unnecessary information on me.<br /><br />So when I decided to <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd2xg6bf_1hr879pcw">email merge promotion-in-doubt letters</a> to students this week, I did it with low expectations. I figured that students might pass over the letters, or feel once again feel reminded that they were not meeting expectations.<br /><br />What I didn't predict was that I would receive over twenty emails back from promotion-in-doubt students! Their responses were genuine, and their concern was heartfelt.<br /><ul><li>"Okay Mr. Levy i am going to make u proud"<br /></li><li>"I PROMISE TO COME TO SCHOOL EVEN IF I COME LATE TO SCHOOL"</li><li>"Thank you Mr.Levy i wull make shore that i will not give up I want to pass"<br /></li></ul>As these emails poured in, the guilt I'd felt for using the mail-merge-as-personalization technique was replaced with the thought that I should have done this sooner. The students had read my letter and my mini pep-talk, and they'd chosen to personally connect back to their principal.<br /><br />What had started as form letters in my outbox had transformed into authentic student communication. I've happily responded to each of these students, and have been able to explain more of the details surrounding their promotional status. In one case, a student had done the work necessary to change her grade and needed to be removed from the promotion-in-doubt list! We were both very excited.<br /><br />I think my favorite response was a three-word response from a 7th grade boy, who learned he was at risk: "thats not cool."<br /><br />He was right--potentially bad news is never cool. But email-merging semi-personalized information to students? Cooler than I thought.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-52845929473205028322009-01-26T16:20:00.004-05:002009-01-26T16:24:19.099-05:00We Have a Girls Hoops Team!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4p9m8hmJI/AAAAAAAABwE/8U2IhoDJkb4/s1600-h/IMG_3736.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4p9m8hmJI/AAAAAAAABwE/8U2IhoDJkb4/s320/IMG_3736.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295716350237448338" border="0" /></a><br />Several weeks ago, three 6th graders came to my office, concerned about turnout for their basketball team. At that point, only six or seven young women were attending practice regularly. These girls created recruitment fliers to post in the school, and asked me to make announcements at school assemblies. Well, they're up to around 11 girls at this point--and the uniforms look great! Ms. Chetaitis and Ms. Key are the coaches.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-58057476660900500842009-01-26T15:48:00.011-05:002009-01-26T16:01:35.250-05:00IST Training TodayGary and Fran are here from <a href="http://www.turnaroundforchildren.org/">Turnaround for Children</a>. They are training our administrators, support staff, interventionists and team leaders on the Instructional Support Team (IST) process. IST's meet each week to action plan around interventions for struggling students.<br /><br />I am re-working lunch duty schedules so that Assistant Principals can<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4j7W7FnpI/AAAAAAAABv8/KaiIBOtug94/s1600-h/IMG_3733.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 123px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4j7W7FnpI/AAAAAAAABv8/KaiIBOtug94/s200/IMG_3733.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295709714506948242" border="0" /></a></div> attend their grade level IST's, which meet on Tuesday and Thursday. A typical IST is comprised of:<br /><ul><li>Team's teachers (6-10)<br /></li><li>Assistant Principal</li><li>Team Leader (Teacher)</li><li>Grade-level guidance counselor</li><li>Parent Coordinator</li></ul>The IST meeting will follow Turnaround's protocols, and will reflect the needs of our children. Depending on the focus of each meeting, different school personnel will attend. For example, if a child with attendance issues is being discussed one day, personnel from the school's attendance team might attend to support.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4jHEOwiGI/AAAAAAAABvk/SZpjnTmwvME/s1600-h/IMG_3730.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4jHEOwiGI/AAAAAAAABvk/SZpjnTmwvME/s200/IMG_3730.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295708816135981154" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4jT3X0j_I/AAAAAAAABvs/TqfWgErPnT0/s1600-h/IMG_3731.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4jT3X0j_I/AAAAAAAABvs/TqfWgErPnT0/s200/IMG_3731.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295709036022632434" border="0" /></a>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-78192155064486653012009-01-25T11:18:00.008-05:002009-01-26T15:47:29.135-05:00Live Blogging From Educon 2.1 - Day 2<span style="font-weight: bold;">11:51 AM:</span> Sam is facilitating "Inquiry" at our table. He has provided us with a political cartoon, which features an Atlas-ian SLA student struggling to keep the world on his shoulders. Over the horizon, there is another person with a word balloon: "Need help?" Sam insightfully prompted us with questions to analyze the cartoon. He did an admirable job. Sam left us with this:<br /><br /><br />"Education starts with the student's ability to ask questions. We have to be taught the right questions to ask."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4gwXkdr6I/AAAAAAAABvU/zSYjlysSpAo/s1600-h/IMG_3726.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 177px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/SX4gwXkdr6I/AAAAAAAABvU/zSYjlysSpAo/s320/IMG_3726.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295706227167047586" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />11:26 AM:</span> Now Marie is at our table. She is presenting on the SLA core value "research." Her sample is a research project she completed on police brutality. Marie's research team chose the 5/5/08 incident involving three men in a car and about half a dozen police officers. Marie and her fellow students learned how to put their bias aside and use facts and concrete research to support findings. Marie's big takeaways about doing research:<br /><br />-annotate your bibliography<br />-discern helpful websites from inadequate ones<br />-create questions before seeking out information to focus the search<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11:18 AM:</span> I'm at a <a href="http://educon21.wikispaces.com/Conversations#e309-4">session facilitated by SLA students</a> about the values which underpin their progressive education here at SLA. Students are rotating through groups of conference attendees.<br /><br />Last year I met an outstanding sophomore named Jasmine at SLA. She is an outstanding spokesperson for not just her school, but all young adults. Right now I'm listening to her present on the SLA core value of "Presentation." The five core values here are:<br /><br />-inquiry<br />-research<br />-collaboration<br />-presentation<br />-reflection<br /><br />Jasmine is so eloquent and composed! She told me that she definitely wants to teach for a career. I'm hoping I can hire her.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-500540843270185582009-01-24T10:50:00.010-05:002009-01-25T11:35:45.597-05:00Live Blogging From Educon 2.1 in Philadelphia<span style="font-weight:bold;">01:40 PM:</span> There is so much information on the web. The conversation has now shifted into how to aggregate the pertinent RSS feeds and tagged items and to filter out the rest.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />01:24 PM:</span> Interesting ideas:<br /><br />1. All Logins that can be eliminated, should be.<br />2. Everything that can be aggregated, should be.<br />3. Everything that can be archived and tagged, should be.<br />4. No new online space (blog, wiki, portal, etc.) should be created that cannot leverage existing spaces.<br />5. Workflow is king. Any space that doesn’t play well with the tools that people already use, is worthless.<br />6. Quiet the incessant chatter of the web. Focus only on conversation and voices that matter.<br />7. All spaces must include specific information for specific stakeholders.<br />8. All spaces must be able to accommodate an infinite number of stakeholders.<br />9. Action should be inevitable, and membership should be impossible.<br />10. You should be obsolete in your space immediately.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />01:06 PM:</span> Watching a presenter from Denver talk about how log-ins require an unnecessary layer, and they should be eliminated when possible. He is showing <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">slideshare</a> which allows students to annotate and then tag pictures, which leads to easy search, classification and teacher grading. I guess teachers can type in the assigned keyword (assigned to students as a tag) and all related items come to the screen. <br /><br />This is getting me to think about how we manage our student online work systems as a school. It is tricky, because 2.0 tools which get used depend on the preference of the teachers. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12:35 PM:</span> Lunch was outstanding, because there is a <a href="http://alloveralbany.com/images/trader_joes_exterior.jpg">Trader Joe's</a> two blocks from SLA. CIS 339 staff I've talked to mostly enjoyed their first session at 10 AM.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">11:18 AM:</span> Now conversation is focusing on what kind of political change is possible. It seems like independence/autonomy is being placed opposite system/culture.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">11:06 AM:</span> Just shamelessly plugged my workshop for Sunday afternoon. Someone fed me a layup so it was unavoidable. "What do you do when your principal won't LET you use these tools?" I told people to attend <a href="http://educon21.wikispaces.com/Conversations#e307-5">The Principal Said No</a> tomorrow. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />10:58 AM:</span> I just spoke about how our country is at the ideal point for widespread change of the educational landscape. People are worried that enough educators aren't committed to Web 2.0 tools. My point was that exposure is the first important thing that happens.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10:52 AM:</span> Taking part in a "Flat Classrooms" debate regarding the future of 2.0 technology. At the <a href="http://educon21.wikispaces.com/">Educon 2.1</a> conference at <a href="http://www.scienceleadership.org/drupaled/">Science Leadership Academy</a> in Philadelphia.<br /><br />_____________________________<br /><br />What: Educon 2.1 Conference<br />Where: Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia, PA<br />Who: 20 members of the CIS 339 staff are here for the weekend!Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-13990518452001950922008-11-09T20:50:00.005-05:002008-11-09T21:08:52.923-05:00Election Blog PostsJust wrapped up my weekend by commenting on 8th grade blogs. Ms. Johns had the students post Election Reflections. <br /><br />If you're not sure whether the kids are jazzed up about the election, you should check out some of their posts:<br /><br /> * <a href="http://peniel802.blogspot.com">http://peniel802.blogspot.com</a><br /> * <a href="http://dinelsy802.blogspot.com/">http://dinelsy802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://carlos802.blogspot.com/">http://carlos802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://chantel802.blogspot.com/">http://chantel802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://ceira802.blogspot.com/">http://ceira802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://cindy802.blogspot.com/">http://cindy802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://delvin802.blogspot.com/">http://delvin802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://ana802.blogspot.com/">http://ana802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://alexis802.blogspot.com/">http://alexis802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://jakanko802.blogspot.com/">http://jakanko802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://mohammed802.blogspot.com/">http://mohammed802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://aurelie802.blogspot.com/">http://aurelie802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://nathalym802.blogspot.com/">http://nathalym802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://coraima802.blogspot.com/">http://coraima802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://yudelmys802.blogspot.com/">http://yudelmys802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://sara802.blogspot.com/">http://sara802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://jesus802.blogspot.com/">http://jesus802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://katherine802.blogspot.com/">http://katherine802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://maria802.blogspot.com/">http://maria802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://solleeann802.blogspot.com/">http://solleeann802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://westly802.blogspot.com/">http://westly802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://nakia802.blogspot.com/">http://nakia802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://elleshamma802.blogspot.com/">http://elleshamma802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://lucy802.blogspot.com/">http://lucy802.blogspot.com/</a><br /> * <a href="http://anais802.blogspot.com/">http://anais802.blogspot.com/</a>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-31374121270257582332008-11-09T20:39:00.003-05:002008-11-09T21:06:37.375-05:00An Election We NeededThe past few weeks at the school have been electrified by the buzz of democracy. Even though our students aren't even close to voting age, they have been very excited about the Presidential election.<br /><br />On Wednesday, November 5th I headed to the 7th grade lunch period to check in with the kids. On the way back inside, several of our students asked why there hadn't been any announcements regarding the election that day. I thought about it, then told them to stay tuned for 8th period.<br /><br />At that time, without any heads-ups, I broadcast the final couple of minutes of President-elect Obama's victory speech from Chicago. <br /><br />I then said the following to the school:<br /><br /><blockquote>As everyone knows, yesterday the United States of America held an historic election. <br /><br />It was an election that inspired millions and millions of people to vote, and millions of students, including CIS 339 students, to learn about important issues and participate in our democracy. We can all be proud to be Americans today.<br /><br />I am extremely proud to be the principal of a school where teachers took the time to discuss this important election with you in your classes, and I'm proud that so many of our wonderful students learned so much about the country we live in and the choices we face.<br /><br />Leading up to the election, Hundreds of you have asked your teachers and adults in the building who they were planned to vote for. Today, you're asking adults who they voted for yesterday. You are excited about what is happening, and that is exciting to us.<br /><br />What I would like to remind you, our young citizens, is that our democracy works--if we use it. So until you turn 18, keep on discussing the elections with adults. But when you turn 18, we hope that you continue to celebrate democracy by voting yourself.<br /><br />Finally, based on the student elections we've held, and from conversations with many members of our school community, I am sure that is fitting to congratulate our new President-elect, Barack Obama and wish him a terrific presidency.</blockquote><br /><br />There were cheers from around the building.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update:</span><br /><br />Just wrapped up my weekend by commenting on 8th grade blogs. Ms. Johns had the students post Election Reflections. <br /><br />If you're not sure whether the kids are jazzed up about the election, you should check out a couple of their posts:<br /><br /><br />* <a href="http://jakanko802.blogspot.com/">http://jakanko802.blogspot.com/</a><br />* <a href="http://algenis801.blogspot.com">http://algenis801.blogspot.com</a>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-80207135600721032782008-11-09T17:00:00.006-05:002008-11-09T17:17:41.533-05:00The 2.0 PresidentI've been following President-Elect Obama's transition team's moves. Of particular interest will be his appointment of Education Secretary. I've also learned that his administration will feature our county's first <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/">Chief Technology Officer</a>. It sounds like this position will be charged with ensuring that the Internet stays fast and accessible for all Americans, and that the Federal government becomes more transparent.<br /><br />These are two distinctly different components to technology leadership: connectivity and creativity. The CTO will need to shepherd tremendous investment to infrastructure, broadband development and the logistics of a national grid which connects all Americans. In addition, the CTO will need to bring 2.0 web tools to an antiquated bureaucracy. It will be interesting to see which team of innovative Americans will have the pragmatic ingenuity necessary to both 'wire' and 'wow' the electorate.<br /><br />At 339, we've learned that web 2.0 tools can transform teamwork and transparency through real-time collaboration and streamlined communication. It is invigorating that we've elected a President who understands the potential that technology offers to those who would further perfect our Union.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-48588681462111915312008-11-08T16:07:00.003-05:002008-11-08T16:24:17.960-05:00Blogging: RebootI was at a meeting over the summer and I ran into a technology coach who told me that he'd been following my blog. <br /><br />This shocked me. Someone was <span style="font-style:italic;">following</span> my blog? It hadn't occurred to me that even though I'd been subscribing to RSS feeds via <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/">Google Reader</a>, maybe my own blog's URL would be plugged into someone else's must-read list.<br /><br />So I resolved at that meeting to blog more. Only I didn't. <br /><br />Then at the <a href="http://www.techlearning.com/events/techforum/northeast08/">Tech Forum</a> Palisades conference a couple of weeks ago, I co-presented with <a href="http://phoenixchase.blogspot.com/">Zac Chase</a>, a talented <a href="http://www.scienceleadership.org/drupaled/">SLA</a> teacher. He asked me if I was coming to <a href="http://educon21.wikispaces.com/">Educon</a> in January and told me that he'd checked out my blog. <br /><br />Then I felt guilty. I hadn't posted in months! So once more I resolved to post more often. And now I am.<br /><br />I realize I can't have it both ways. I can't encourage my staff and students to blog if I'm not blogging. And I can't maintain a digital footprint that is only occasionally updated. <br /><br />So if you're reading this post, thank you. If you subscribe to my blog, I appreciate it. I will try my best to keep the posts coming.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-75185485638924640312008-07-16T12:25:00.001-04:002008-07-16T12:27:59.657-04:00Using Google To Transform a SchoolThis is our presentation from Nashville, Tennessee:
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<br /><embed flashvars="autoplay=false" width="320" height="260" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/video/550860" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" />
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<br />Also, here is our <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/cis339tigerstreak/">Professional Development Google Site</a>, with presentations we've making.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-44418435877009732262008-06-02T21:00:00.003-04:002008-06-02T21:09:32.120-04:00Small Learning CommunitiesI went to a meeting down at <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/tweed_courthouse.html">Tweed</a> today to discuss <a href="http://www.ncsl.org/programs/employ/slc.htm">Small Learning Communities</a>. The city is thinking about expanding Small Learning Community work to a handful of middle schools next year, and and exploratory panel wanted to hear from several principals who are at different stages of this work.<br /><br />Two years ago, our school divided into teams for the first time. This year, we began to deepen the work of the teams. We saw the beginnings of inter-disciplinary planning and saw our math and ELA content teams form common assessments, rubrics and criteria.<br /><br />Many schools have "teams" in name only. At 339, our teams function at a high level, yet we still are eager to continue to delve into academic rigor, differentiation and student engagement. I hope that the city decides to invest in a cadre of middle schools that can examine the work of small learning communities. SLC's can transform middle school practice, and we would love to participate.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-73019230669062663522008-06-01T22:07:00.005-04:002008-06-01T22:18:46.760-04:00Quality ReviewLast week, we had our <a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/ChildrenFirst/Accountability/PerfProgandQualMeasures/QualReviews/default.htm">School Quality Review</a> for two full days, directly following <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_day">Memorial Day</a>. I'm happy to report that we jumped TWO levels, from "Underdeveloped" to "Proficient". We've made a lot of progress, and the Quality Review allowed us to demonstrate some of our best work so far. <br /><br />We spent time at the end of the week debriefing the feedback we received (still in informal form) and reflecting with our staff. It was great to celebrate the progress we've made with our hard-working teachers and support staff. I think our staff realizes that the Quality Review process examines the efforts and perceptions of all stakeholders at the school. This is what makes the process so valuable.<br /><br />Everyone was able to point to important lessons learned from the Quality Review process, as well as make some helpful suggestions for next year. People were proud to hear that our reviewer had identified our school as having one of the best instructional technology programs she'd seen.<br /><br />Here is the Google presentation David Prinstein created based on our SQR feedback:<br /><br /><iframe src='http://docs.google.com/EmbedSlideshow?docid=d2wb2fk_392c2cf97hh&size=m' frameborder='0' width='555' height='451'></iframe>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-6365917169964261322008-05-31T12:16:00.011-04:002008-05-31T18:30:13.726-04:00339 and GoogleOn Friday, May 23rd, we presented to <a href="http://www.nycempowerment.org/CIS339">Empowerment schools</a> down at Google's <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gfZVzlh-CxI/R2Jnn_6PYsI/AAAAAAAAAR0/f9UuIiijZQo/s400/Google%27s%2BNew%2BYork%2BCity%2Bheadquarters.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://mastii-kustii.blogspot.com/2007/12/googles-new-york-city-headquarters.html&h=266&w=400&sz=21&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=keF8Rr8oE5FAHM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgoogle%2Bnyc%2Boffices%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DN">NYC Headquarters</a>. The city is looking to expand the use of <a href="http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/var_1c.html">Google Apps</a> into hundreds of schools, and we were invited to present on our practices this year. <br /><br />Here's our Google presentation we gave at the Google headquarters:<br /><br /><iframe src='http://docs.google.com/EmbedSlideshow?docid=dd2xg6bf_294zqzf47xg&size=m' frameborder='0' width='555' height='451'></iframe><br /><br />You can also click <a href="http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=dd2xg6bf_294zqzf47xg">here</a> to see our presentation published to a full screen.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-45238262402554018452008-04-10T22:22:00.003-04:002008-04-10T22:27:23.316-04:001000 Words<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R_7LrXrbMFI/AAAAAAAAAwU/Yp--O2r0-iQ/s1600-h/kitty+hawk.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R_7LrXrbMFI/AAAAAAAAAwU/Yp--O2r0-iQ/s320/kitty+hawk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187807766728355922" /></a><br /><br />What was the feeling when the Wright Brothers' first plane lifted off the ground? How did a brand new way of travel, of seeing the world make them feel? How scary was it? How rewarding?<br /><br />Many days, I feel like we're lifting off...<br /><br />Kitty Hawk on Webster Avenue.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-77784126128079046072008-04-03T12:36:00.002-04:002008-04-03T12:53:29.021-04:00Today's Lesson Was a Hit!Ms. Wolk and I have been working with Class 602 on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giver">The Giver</a>. Today's lesson focused on how character mood changes depending on their circumstances.<br /><br />We started by gmailing students a link to a "<a href="http://www4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/%7Emsrex/images/how/feel-1.gif">How do you feel today?</a>" chart, and matched that with a "How do you feel today?" quiz. For the quiz, we used a Google form:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R_UJViV_LFI/AAAAAAAAAuc/Ffs7gNyfvYs/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R_UJViV_LFI/AAAAAAAAAuc/Ffs7gNyfvYs/s200/Picture+5.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185060811587923026" /></a><br /><br />The student quiz results went automatically from the form into a Google spreadsheet:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R_UKgiV_LGI/AAAAAAAAAuk/xY7Fx9FVz6Q/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R_UKgiV_LGI/AAAAAAAAAuk/xY7Fx9FVz6Q/s320/Picture+7.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185062100078111842" /></a><br /><br />From there, we modeled how to quote the book and identify character mood in a <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd2xg6bf_355rd5fhccs">Google Document</a>.<br /><br />Finally, we broke the kids into groups so they could use body language to show how Jonas's mood might change over the course of a chapter.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Flevy339%2Falbumid%2F5185048549456292785%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-22204230346588786282008-04-03T06:13:00.000-04:002008-04-03T06:14:20.433-04:00More Than A TeamTo Our CIS 339 Tech Tigers:<br /><br />I write this letter to you from a downtown D train. I just left the gym where I watched you come within three points of our first playoff victory. I’m still jittery from the final few seconds, watching the last three-pointer come down heart-breakingly close to the rim. When I got to the sidewalk outside that school, it seemed impossibly sunny for such a sad day. But as I made my way toward the subway, my sadness faded, and I had to smile.<br /><br />I had to smile because of what I saw today. So many things for you to be proud of. Your heart. Your effort. Your teamwork. For four quarters, you passed the ball selflessly. You called out to help each other against presses and picks. You didn’t boast when your shots dropped or brood when they didn’t. And you worked. Even during halftime, when the other team rested, you ran drills on the court. By the end, as the opponents were gasping for air, you were still grasping for one more shot, one last shot. In a hostile gym in a foreign part of the Bronx, you gave your best, and that counts.<br /><br />I had to smile because of your sportsmanship. When other players muttered things, or taunted, you stayed focused on basketball. When the ref blew a call, you kept your cool. When Mr. E pulled you out, or called your name, you knew it was about becoming a better player, a better team. You put your head down and you kept working. When your teammates made mistakes, you clapped it up, showing that what mattered was the future, not the past. And when the final scoreboard wasn’t tilted in your favor, you congratulated the other guys and walked off as men, with your heads high. You had your dignity, a true sign of a winner.<br /><br />I had to smile because of what you’ve taught us all. That your reputation with teachers and school staff matter when you’re a student-athlete. That books come before ball. You’ve shown that kids from all races and backgrounds and learning styles can come together for a common purpose. You’ve put the team first, and you’ve gone to battle for each other. You lead by example, by teaching each other, by holding each other accountable, by having fun with each other. As a team you are stronger than the individuals, stronger than even you may realize.<br /><br />I had to smile because of Mr. E, your outstanding coach, a born leader. Demanding the most of you. Expecting the best. Preparing relentlessly. Building pride. Mr. E and you, a group of committed student-athletes, establishing a respected sports program. I see diligent, mature and bright young men ready to take on high school and the world beyond Webster Avenue. There are many, many reasons for us all to smile.<br /><br />Thank you for all that you have done, for how you have grown, and for the way you will continue to set a positive example by your actions. On and off the court, you have blazed the trail for future Tech Tigers.<br /><br /><br />Truly yours,<br /><br /><br />Jason Levy<br />Principal, CIS 339Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-57854766642955272772008-03-09T16:43:00.005-04:002008-03-09T16:58:00.749-04:00Get On The BusThere was a <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23526146#23526146">"Making a Difference" story on NBC nightly news</a> about an amazing program that was started in Arkansas. Rural students who commute an hour each way now have Linux computers, thanks to Vanderbilt's <a href="https://medschool.mc.vanderbilt.edu/facultydata/php_files/show_faculty.php?id3=9159">Billy Hudson</a>. <br /><br />Hudson's idea was to wire a "magic school bus" for Internet access, and then provide students with Linux-based laptops. Now, two hours each day become powerful learning opportunities. The students are called <a href="http://blogs.vanderbilt.edu/cso/?p=65">Aspirnauts</a>.<br /><br />For too many students without adequate technology in their schools, education has become an endless bus trip through a rural area. At its best it might be pretty and safe. But at its worst, it can be mind-numbingly boring and non-productive.<br /><br />This is one more example of why we need to all get on the bus.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-68802204441966516402008-02-28T11:44:00.002-05:002008-02-28T11:47:55.234-05:00Day 1 in Los Angeles<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&noautoplay=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Flevy339%2Falbumid%2F5172070030718290193%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-69274920379990406582008-02-17T11:36:00.004-05:002008-02-17T11:48:08.461-05:00Update on Asus EEEsJust a status report on where we are with the EEE's:<br /><br />Our original order was denied by the DOE, as this new product is Linux-based and due to its newness, has no track record. Fortunately, Peter LaBarca and Steve Vigilante were kind enough to let Jesse Spevack, Christina Jenkins and myself pitch the idea of allowing us to purchase these machines for a 6th grade pilot. Needless to say, after hearing Jesse passionately demonstrating how a 1-to-1 environment will narrow the digital divide, DIIT agreed to give it a shot! It is great to work in a system that encourages a can-do spirit for teachers, principals and schools.<br /><br />The Asuses (sp?) arrive on Tuesday the 26th! Jesse already has a unit ready to go, and is excited to launch cloud computing with his kids. I can't wait to see what happens.<br /><br />In case you want to know how to pronounce the laptop in question, you can <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/eee-pc/how-to-pronounce-eee-pc-320007.php?autoplay=true">watch this video</a>.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-82272589210882327672008-01-26T09:25:00.000-05:002008-01-26T09:41:51.709-05:00Saturday at Educon 2.0This is being called an "unconference" and is planned to be a series of 'conversations.' The traditional professional development workshop involves one presenter (expert) and several attendees (learners). Apparently the "unconference" means that everyone is learning from everyone, and the goal is to stimulate thought and action through discussion.<br /><br />Here are the sessions being offered:<br /><br />Session 1 - Saturday<br /><ul><li>Influence without authority: Finding Common Ground to Frame Innovation and Change</li><li>The C.E.S. 10 Common Principles and the 2.0 School</li><li>Advisory: The Soul of School</li><li>Little Green Schoolhouse (or School 4.0)</li><li>SLA's Use of Moodle as a Classroom Tool</li><li>Professional Development Using Social Software</li><li>Meaningful Mentoring: The Individualized Learning Plan</li><li>Harness Visual Learning for Critical Thinking, Writing, Presenting and Thinking</li></ul>Session 2 - Saturday<br /><ul><li>Personal Learning Networks and the Demands of Schooling</li><li>Claiming What We Imagine</li><li>Learning to Teach: First Year in a Progressive School</li><li>Tearing Down the Walls: Practicing What We Preach</li><li>Online Collaboration 101: Using Twitter and Skype</li><li>Promoting Open, Reflective Teaching and Learning in Elementary MST</li><li>Public Partnership: The Science Leadership Academy and The Franklin Institute</li><li>We're All Student Teachers</li></ul>Session 3 - Saturday<br /><ul><li>What does good teaching with computers look like?</li><li>Extreme Makeover Edition: How to Pimp Your Library</li><li>New Media Literacies for the 21st Century</li><li>Knowledge in a One-Size-Fits-All Classroom</li><li>Building School 2.0--New Tools and Dewey's Dream</li><li>Authentic Learning</li><li>Engineering: The Constructivist Curriculum</li><li>Student Empowerment: Constitution High School's Government</li></ul>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-89887793247233093382008-01-25T12:49:00.000-05:002008-01-25T13:01:49.172-05:00Arrival at EduconPat Wagner, David Prinstein and I are here! Thanks to David 's <a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=garmin&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi">Garmin</a>, we arrived at the <a href="http://educon20.wikispaces.com/">Educon 2.0 Conference</a> here in <a href="http://www.phila.gov/">Philadelphia</a> just past noon. We will spend the afternoon visiting classrooms and meeting with teachers at Chris Lehman's <a href="http://www.scienceleadership.org/">Science Leadership Academy</a>. Tomorrow, we attend workshops and then on Sunday we present.Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473166665013264498.post-18475537170726772412008-01-19T20:45:00.000-05:002008-01-20T14:42:17.765-05:00One Laptop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R5OkER-hg5I/AAAAAAAAAfE/jfgkMot8-cE/s1600-h/Asus_Eee_701.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tsaFFyX7nsU/R5OkER-hg5I/AAAAAAAAAfE/jfgkMot8-cE/s200/Asus_Eee_701.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157646391721427858" border="0" /></a><br />Do you remember the scene from "<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0162222/">Cast Away</a>" when Tom Hanks's character is frantically trying to create fire? Exhausted and desperate, he gamely scrapes two pieces of wood together, enduring blisters and cuts, hoping for a lone spark.<br /><br />We've found our spark. Maybe.<br /><br />Enter the <a href="http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4209898">Asus EEE Micro Notebook</a>. From what I understand, this is a <a href="http://www.linux.org/">Linux</a>-based machine, stripped down for Internet utility. Since our school is looking to move to the Web 2.0 world, this machine sounded promising to Jesse Spevack, one of our Team Leaders. He brought it to my attention a couple of weeks ago. We ordered one model, to "play" with.<br /><br />It arrived on Friday. Our tech team gathered around in Jesse's room at the end of the day. Dan Ackerman (technology AP) keyed in the wireless codes and we were online.<br /><br />In the palm of our hand, we held a $300 sparkplug with a 5-inch wide keyboard. Seeing the Internet on the scaled down monitor, holding the small-yet-sturdy machine in my hands, I felt like we were about to ignite our school. Maybe we'd found an affordable option to get us the 1-to-1 environment we needed to realize our School 2.0 vision.<br /><br />We sent Jesse off for the weekend with the assignment to test the EEE. I'm hoping that it makes for a viable classroom tool. If so, we'll pilot with a couple of class sets, get teachers developing 2.0 classrooms and push our technology model.<br /><br />Time will tell, but this Linux laptop might light our way.<br /><blockquote></blockquote>Jason Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935317541740682629noreply@blogger.com1