teach42morrow

NE Writing Project meetup at UNL

2011-11-15T08:46:00.001-06:00

NE Writing Project meetup at UNL, a set on Flickr.

Photos from our day in Lincoln

Curated Learning (ISTE 2011)

2011-07-01T13:01:00.001-05:00

https://sites.google.com/site/curatedlearningiste11/

Nebraska LOVES O'Neill Public Schools!

2011-05-04T15:32:00.000-05:00

Find out about the story by visiting their site!
Challenge Based Learning at O'Neill Public Schools

View Katie Morrow's Challenge Based Learning Resources here:
http://web.me.com/mrsmorrow/rise2thechallenge

Photos from the filming of the story:

Apps2Learn

2011-05-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

Apps2Learn

Mike Peterson and Katie Morrow, along with OHS student Kevin Zak, presented a poster session at NETA 2011 to share their Apps2Learn project which was a 2010 NETA/Qwest Grant recipient.

Resources can be accessed via the following website:

http://web.me.com/mrsmorrow/apps2learn

O'Neill Elementary Projects

2011-05-04T15:28:00.000-05:00

Some recent projects from O'Neill Elementary can be found here:

http://ops.esu8.org/groups/elementaryprojects/blog/

What Learning Today Looks Like...

2011-01-29T16:19:00.000-06:00

a photoessay example from O'Neill Public Schools

Exit Task

2010-11-19T21:43:00.002-06:00

"Think Ahead..."

Where will you go from here?

Choose one key idea from today's workshop and develop a plan to implement sometime in the next month or so. Describe which ideas you plan on developing and how you will utilize the technology knowledge that you gained today to benefit your students. Leave a comment with a description of your "action plan."

Leadership Bootcamp Closing Panel = iPad Required

2010-06-26T18:59:00.001-05:00

Leadership Bootcamp - ISTE 2010

2010-06-26T14:05:00.001-05:00

Event website at: http://sites.google.com/site/leadershipbootcamp/home

View the recorded Ustream of my session on Communication and Collaboration tools here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7912649 My presentation on SlideShare

View more presentations from Katie Morrow.

Google Workshop for Educators - Minot, ND

2010-06-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

Apologies for not finding the time to write an adequate reflection on this awesome event. View Lisa Thumann's summary of the two days by visiting: http://thumannresources.com/2010/06/16/why-not-minot/

View resources for the entire event at http://tinyurl.com/gwe-minot

Or my two workshops here:
Google Sites
Google Maps

Finally, a Flickr Set of the two days can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmorrow/sets/72157624240586084/

Doodle at Aviary

2010-06-05T20:50:00.001-05:00

doodle.png on Aviary.

Logo Creation courtesy of Aviary

2010-06-05T20:42:00.001-05:00

Teach42Morrow logo.egg on Aviary.

[Aviary] Adventure Music

2010-06-05T20:29:00.001-05:00

Edit this in Aviary.

Edit this in Aviary.

Note: This stub file was created in an Aviary editor. To make further changes to it, just click the Edit this in Aviary link below (or above) the thumbnail image. You can share access to this Aviary file and allow others to make changes to it by using the Share button at the top of this Docs file.

Google Forms for Authentic Assessment

2010-04-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

Providing authentic assessment in project based classrooms is challenging. Google forms has allowed for the self and peer evaluation process to be much smoother, faster to tabulate, and has provided much more authentic feedback to all students involved in the learning projects. In addition I have found that when I use a google form for peer assessment, that the students' NEXT projects improve by leaps and bounds as opposed to just receiving feedback from me (it seems the kids listen better to their peers than their teacher!)

Here are a couple of examples.
First the form is created with the assessment criteria

Then the link to the form is shared with students (I personally love how easy it is to embed within an iWeb site). Gooogle Apps for Ed allows me to share with the entire domain at once, also.

Students submit their peer and/or self assessments and refresh their page before the next presentation

After the results are tabulated in the Google spreadsheet, I sort by student name and add an average formula if I need a numerical grade. The most valuable part, however, is sharing the honest, anonymous feedback with the students who created each project-- either digitally or just printed on paper and cut apart.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AjplOcU5R0gUdGFjeUg2QkdjcjJqMmlFNnF5c3JNcWc&hl=en

A final, less exciting use of forms is for our students to report laptop damages straight from our website and have it all automatically compiled in a Google spreadsheet for documentation purposes. The benefits here are obvious if you know my personal struggles with paperwork organization!
http://www.esu8.org/~oneill/24-7/damage.html

Teaching Without a Net

2010-03-11T10:23:00.001-06:00

We as teachers are used to being master planners. We are used to being in control of our classrooms. Change is uncomfortable. Anything that slightly resembles chaos makes us feel out of control, and worse- ineffective. We as teachers have learned in these situations to quickly create Plan B- to scrap, pitch, change, and re-present the lesson in a way that will work with less "teacher discomfort."

Being flexible is an essential skill as an educator, and rightly so, but there are times when staying the course (however uncomfortable it may feel) can have deeper, longer lasting benefits for our students. I'm speaking about Challenge Based Learning. Our students have been passing through a system (some for nearly a dozen years already) where they are rewarded for doing things in exactly the manner that was asked. The teacher crafts the lesson or project, the student goes through the motions to receive the clearly-defined grade.

In a CBL project, students sometimes resent being challenged to think differently, question the status quo, and dig for understanding independently of specific step-by-step instructions. Rather than a reason for teachers to quickly change their plans, we should instead persist on- for the good of our students- knowing that "teaching without a net" is sometimes a very good thing.

The following video reflection by a student from Larry Baker's AP Government class encourages educators to continue to challenge students to greater learning- even if at first met with resistance or discomfort. http://web.me.com/labcbaker/Site_3/CHALLENGE_BASED_LEARNING/Pages/Haylie_on_Student_Centered_Learning.html

I'll end with a quote from Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, called Erasing Our Innovation Deficit

*Innovation is disruptive and messy. It can't be controlled or predicted. The only way to ensure it can flourish is to create the best possible environment -- and then get out of the way.

Multimedia Project Choices

2010-03-08T15:29:00.001-06:00

for students to get started thinking creatively on the many options of digital tools available for their presentations.

Multimedia Project Choices

View more presentations from Katie Morrow.

eSchool News article on 1:1 computing

2010-02-23T13:09:00.002-06:00

My quote can be found towards the end of this article:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/02/16/11-programs-only-as-good-as-their-teachers/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed

Several blog posts have popped up referring to my quote, including:

Aperture 3 - and Holt County, Nebraska

2010-02-09T11:14:00.005-06:00

Apple Computers just released a new software product - Aperture 3 - a professional photography application- and they used images from Holt County to promote its new features. Last year Apple commissioned Sports Illustrated photographer Bill Frakes to create a video testimonial about the slideshow creation features in the Aperture software. He could go anywhere in the world to do the photo shoot to gather the images to tell his story, and being a native Nebraskan he knew he wanted to do it somewhere in our state. Although Bill currently lives in Florida, he has previously produced numerous multimedia stories for Sports Illustrated including the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament and a feature on Arnold, Nebraska’s 6-man football team. (See http://www.strawhatvisuals.com/multimedia.html) Frakes was a featured instructor at the Apple Distinguished Educator Institute held in July 2009 at Full Sail University in Florida. It was there that he crossed paths with Katie Morrow, technology integration specialist at O’Neill Public Schools. He inquired about events near O’Neill occurring in early August that would be suitable for photography/video documentary purposes and agreed to come out to O’Neill during the weekend of the Holt County Fair. Along with Bill Frakes and his assistant Laura Heald, came a 4 person production team from Apple Computers. Due to the secrecy of the software development by Apple, little could be said about the true purpose of the photo shoot. Katie, along with huge help from her husband Kevin Morrow, arranged for local ranchers to film a sunrise scene on horseback at the Carson ranch, cleared for photographer’s access to the Holt County Fair and Rodeo, and obtained releases from all individuals photographed for possible inclusion in the piece. “Everyone was so agreeable and willing to help out- from the Holt County Fair Board to the Carson family to Elsie Eiler, owner of the Monowi tavern,” said Katie Morrow. “This was even more amazing since we weren’t even really being told what all the photos and interviews were for! The people of Holt County are a very generous people and Bill wanted to feature that in his story.” The piece was originally expected to be published before the new year, but delays in the software release date held it back. Currently the finished product is featured prominently on Apple’s website at http://www.apple.com/aperture/action/frakes/ and more Holt County images can be viewed in the movie clips http://www.apple.com/aperture/whats-new.html#slideshow. Numerous Holt County residents who provided portrait releases should soon be receiving prints by this famous photographer in exchange for their help with the project.

UPDATE: Bill and Laura's Holt County piece published on their own blog: "Strawhat Visuals" http://strawhatvisuals.blogspot.com/2010/02/holt-county.html

My response to what makes a 1:1 initiative successful-- request from eSchool News

2010-02-03T13:38:00.001-06:00

In my opinion, a successful 1:1 initiative is evident in the byproducts- the student successes, the faculty stability, the community pride and interaction with its school. Perhaps a backwards way of thinking by some accounts, we believe a "bottom-up" approach is better than a "top-down." Put the technology in kids' hands as early as possible and let them drive the initiative forward. Students should be involved on planning committees, tech support teams, and any visioning or research teams. Publish student projects early on, bring in visitors to see the possibilities in action (rather than just talk about them), use students to share at community meetings, board meetings, in any way possible. Students will push and promote the laptop's application in their various courses much more effectively than an administrator forcing it upon an unwilling teacher. Very few teachers are not in it 'for the kids.' Keeping communication and community connections open is crucial. When the benefits beyond the school building are apparent, patrons realize they can support education and students realize it's not just about the grade at the end of the unit. Collecting data is important, but more important is collecting stories. Compile anecdotal evidence. Interview students. Publish projects that evolve out of the students' opportunity to have 21st century access 24/7... as opposed to purely test scores and teacher-driven assignments. This culture can cultivate in an initiative where the learning is the focus, rather than the instruction.

Katie Morrow
Technology Integration Specialist
O'Neill Public Schools
O'Neill, Nebraska
http://www.esu8.org/~oneill/24-7

Open Letter to Young Adults

2010-01-30T09:49:00.001-06:00

iMovie '09 Multiple Effects

2010-01-19T16:25:00.000-06:00

Hi Katie! This is Audrey Farmer from Little River. I attended several of your sessions a few weeks back. Good news is .... I've already put a TON of things you shared to work. Bad news is ... I've run into a snag! We are doing a green screen project right now where one person is interviewing another about a specific occupation. Their background is that of a newscast.

One of my students is actually reporting on the job of the president and wanted to be interviewed on location (The White House). I thought it was a GREAT idea, but don't think it's possible to do picture-in-picture over a green screen project. Can you shed some light?!?

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
Audrey

*********************************

Hi Audrey,
How exciting!
This is what you need to do as a work-a-round to make your project work. Do the green screen part first... mix it all together and everything.. and then export that much out of iMovie. (Share > Export using Quicktime, most likely). Then start a new iMovie project, import the recently exported clip (File > Import > Movies) and add the picture-in-picture effect. It kind of stinks that you can't do both at once, but with a little extra time you can at least make it work. I can't wait to see your student's final project. Make sure you share it, if you can!
Thanks for the email,
Katie

Going Mobile

2010-01-19T14:10:00.005-06:00

While I may be a little slow to get in the iPod touch/iPhone in education movement, I can clearly recognize the value of putting the devices into students' hands. A number of recent events have sparked my gaining enthusiasm for promoting their use in our classrooms here at OHS. First was the purchase of a lab set of iPod touch devices (20 plus a Bretford charging/syncing cart). It is true that many students have access to these devices at home, however to truly expect educational outcomes, it is imperative to provide equitable access to all kids. Secondly, updating to the 3.0 OS with the ability to record audio through an add-on mic. This feature which enables students to create content, not just consume it on the iPod touch, has opened my opinions of the mobile devices immensely.

These events, along with attending recent Apple education seminars and working with a great team of Apple Distinguished Educators to create an "iPod in Education" exhibit on the Apple Learning Interchange, have led to an increased amount of time discovering, exploring, and applying ideas about learning on these mobile devices. I have started a collaborative blog specifically for teachers using the iPod touch lab in their classrooms to visit links, integration ideas, and apps suggestions all in one place. It can be found at: http://ops.esu8.org/users/ipodtouchlab/. As the teachers make their own discoveries and find successes with students, they too can post to the blog.

In addition, I received the following question via email today and so I am posting my response to share with all interested.

*****************************************************

I was looking at your explanation for creating flashcards for the iPod
Touch through iPhoto.
http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=16472&version=7722&pageID=19360

Is there a way to export so that you can hear the sound from the Keynote?
Can links on a Keynote be made active?
I'm really interested in having students "create" using the iPod Touch.

Thanks! Your website is also amazing!
Jan

*****************************************************

Jan,
Thank you for the compliment and the questions! You could export a Keynote file as a Quicktime movie and it would include sound on the iPod as well. You would just add it to iTunes and sync and it would be in your Movies on the iPod. Clickable links I'm not so sure of. I haven't tried it, but don't think it would work with a Quicktime movie export, anyway. You may be able to open the actual Keynote file on the iPod touch with some other app, but that is a really great question!

It should be noted that both of the above situations where kids are creating content for iPods are where the kids create on computers and then transfer to iPod (as opposed to actually creating on the iPod touch). There are several cool apps for actually creating on the iPod touch itself; my favorite is a recent find that I love called Sonic Pics. My own kids went crazy creating little enhanced podcasts after I showed it to them one time. As of today the app is $2.99, but what you get is a simple, clean interface to add photos to a project and then record your voice narrating them. For the images you could use photos from the web, synced from your iPhoto library, or screenshots you captured right on the iPod itself! I'm looking forward to trying out this app with students for projects like digital scavenger hunts, vocabulary development, book talks, school tours, technology tutorials, etc

If you discover any additional apps or ideas for using them with kids, please share! Thanks again for the email,
Katie

O'Neill hosts Apple LLI event

2009-11-16T10:13:00.004-06:00

http://edseminars.apple.com/o'neill

O'Neill High School hosted its second "21st Century Learning Leadership Institute" on November 11-12, 2009 sponsored by Apple. Teams of leaders from over a half-dozen area schools listened to presentations from OHS teachers, administrators, and students and got the opportunity to witness 24/7 Learning in action. Some of the resources from this year's institute are linked to the site below:

http://sites.google.com/site/llinov09/

Google Squared

2009-06-10T16:09:00.005-05:00

Google Squared

A really interesting concept that, to me, seems to have tremendous educational potential!

Read more about Google Squared on this blog post.

Then try it out for yourself. I entered dSLRs to start, tried search engines, and had to try "parts of speech" for my English teaching background as well. Each search provided numerous cells of useful comparison and contrasting information as well as some irrelevant info, too. Column headings can be edited to fit different needs. What a great lesson for students on using ANY search engine! Multiple sources, keywords and categories, and most especially- sifting through the useless to find the useful!

I can see introducing categories of new topics to the classroom using a Google Square and would also envision challenging kids to create their own BEFORE using the Google tool... and then comparing and contrasting what it brings up automatically. The possibilities are endless. Thank you, Google, for another simple but effective educational tool.

Search. Learn. Share.

Iron Teacher - "A Separate Peace"

2009-04-27T20:05:00.005-05:00

Tom’s Bionic Teaching blog and my good friend Michelle's blog have inspired me to attempt this first of hopefully many "Iron Teacher" Challenges. This challenge is as follows:

The Audience: 2 classes of 10th grade General Level Literature students.

The Secret Ingredient: The novel “A Separate Peace”

The Challenge (as defined by the teacher): Students are beginning a book discussion of the novel “A Separate Peace.” These particular students struggle to demonstrate understanding of content through writing, but have recently become more motivated to read and respond to literature as their teacher has incorporated audio books and modern literature into the curriculum.

The teacher shares that the class performs better when asked to discuss personal experiences and would like to incorporate the book themes of envy/conformity into the book discussions. These students in particular are not easily motivated to participate in class activities. Their teacher is looking for an original and fun way to have the students discuss and share while demonstrating understanding in a way that goes beyond writing an essay or taking a multiple choice test.

Here’s my submission to the challenge.

BIG IDEA: Sacrifice

Essential Question: How does human sacrifice intensify during times of conflict?

or How does sacrifice affect our world during times of conflict?

When the Devon students return to school in the Fall, they are appalled at the idea of having no housekeeping services, along with many additional changes, due to the war. Sacrifice in "A Separate Peace" ranges from this minor discomfort to Gene's self-deprivation of sports while Finney is away, to the highest sacrifice one can offer: service to one's country during times of war.

Students in the 10th grade literature classes would start by brainstorming the examples of sacrifice in the story, along with the motivation and the result of each. Then, while applying ideas of parallelism, they would be in charge of searching for examples of human sacrifice in the world around them-- either from people's memories of historical conflicts or resulting from current political, cultural, or additional categories of conflict.

Motivate the students with a challenge of their own....

CHALLENGE Statement: Strengthen intergenerational connections by sharing stories of human sacrifice collected from around the world.

To collect and share others' stories of sacrifice during times of conflict.

Students could (in teams or individually) set out to find others' stories of sacrifices and bring them back to the class. The possibilities for collection methods are endless, but here are a few:

Cell phone calls
Audio recordings
Digital cameras - still pictures and/or video
Written transcripts of conversations
iSight camera video capture
Record an iChat or a Skype call
Emails
Creating a VoiceThread and collecting comments

A time limit (somewhat short to make it more challenging) should be imposed from the beginning.

This could even be fashioned as a "scavenger hunt" type activity with different point values assigned for varying degrees of complexity, for example...

Bonus pts for:

Someone from a different state
Someone from a different country
Story from more than 40 years ago
Collection of the story with video, as opposed to just audio or taking notes from a conversation

Once they have captured their examples of sacrifice, there is so much that students or student teams could do to compile the stories. Some ideas I considered include:

Creating a digital "scrapbook" of sacrifices
Organizing the stories in a "living timeline"
Using Glogster to link the stories to one main webpage in a "digital poster" format
Creating an iMovie video montage, slideshow presentation, or a podcast highlighting the stories

A Step Further....
To encourage narrative writing, students could be asked to choose ONE example of sacrifice and turn it into a longer piece of writing. Including references to the historical background of the story, would incorporate research writing skills as well as narrative writing skills for the students.

The Iron Why: What’s the justification for this challenge solution?

Open-endedness and student choice is at the core of my lesson. Students need practice in the interpersonal skills of interviewing, listening, and storytelling. Parallelism as well as compare and contrast comes through when analyzing the idea of sacrifice in the novel as compared to real-life sacrifices. Hopefully empathy is being developed by the students as they search for the stories to bring back to the class in this project.

Teachers' Note:

While fine details and procedural writing are not my forte, I truly enjoy thinking of ideas to engage my students. Working with another teacher to hammer out the smaller details, any challenge of this type could be much improved. No matter what, I did truly enjoy the experience of reading a great new piece of adolescent literature: "A Separate Peace."

Challenge Based Learning... the message is spreading!

2009-04-27T11:03:00.002-05:00

Challenge Based Learning
Momentum is gaining for a innovative approach to K-12 education and evidence of its positive effects on learners was witnessed this past weekend in Nebraska. The NETA (Nebraska Educational Technology) 2009 Conference featured keynote speaker Stephanie Hamilton of Apple Computers who predecessed her of Challenge Based Learning with years of research, references, and examples of why change is needed in education. I had the privilege of sharing my involvement in Challenge Based Learning in two breakout sessions. The first, with fellow ADEs Joanna Seymour, Ross Abels, and Therese Laux, overviewed the ACOT2 Initiative and our involvement in the curriculum development team as well as a call to action for schools to begin using the widely scalable CBL framework. In the second, fellow teacher Deb Barelmann co-presented with me to share the story of the CBL pilot at O'Neill Public Schools as our students took on the challenge of apathy in our school community.

Saturday, April 25 was the date for the annual "Digies" Student Media Awards. In addition to promoting excellent student projects from across the state of Nebraska, announcements were made for changes to the contest for next year. Instead of focusing on specific media types (digital photo, informational movie, etc.), the contest will use Challenge Based Learning as a framework for all student projects. Students are encouraged to find a challenge in their school or community, form teams, and work together find an actionable solution to that challenge. Digital Media projects could highlight the process or the solution itself or both! Age divisions will be K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 and up to five smaller film festivals will be held across the state in communities that have the most entries. This exciting announcement for Nebraska education shows the scalability and adaptability of the Challenge Based Learning model and should definitely help promote some positive practices in K-12 education.

NETA 2009

2009-04-26T22:39:00.007-05:00

"Exploring New Territories" was the conference theme of NETA 2009, and the message resonating from the new venue to the sessions couldn't be clearer: We must change our teaching today to prepare our students for their world tomorrow.

In addition to finishing up my three-year term on the NETA Board of Directors, I was honored to be able to present four different sessions at Nebraska's annual Educational Technology Conference.

I've linked to the materials and/or presentations below:

Rising to the Challenge- CBL at O'Neill Public Schools (with Deb Barelmann) (NETA 09)
Enthusiastic and Innovative. This project takes learning to a different level.

iCollaborate Workshop
Katie Morrow's iCollaborate session was absolutely awesome! It was packed full of inventive ideas. In fact, she probably could have spent a couple of days on them. I would love to attend a more in depth session to see exactly how she manages some of her many projects!

Transform your Classroom into a Classroom of Tomorrow (with fellow ADEs: Joanna Seymour, Therese Laux, and Ross Abels) (NETA 09)
They had a great message to share and others should hear it.

iWork: Productivity and Projects Workshop

For a fun "roving reporter" view of NETA 2009 check out Dale Holt's video highlights at "NotYourAverageTeacher.com"

Student Essay

2009-04-11T21:29:00.001-05:00

During the late 19th Century there was a dilemma that many common citizens faced, the fact that technology needed to stay up to speed with the people. However living in the 21st Century, that isn’t the case. Technology right now is moving at a faster rate than most have time to figure out and understand the programs that one device can contain. Traveling through my education years, from elementary school to high school technology has taken many levels.

Starting my learning in Kindergarten and moving through to my fourth grade year, I encountered my first stage of the technology advances dealing with floppy disks and CDs. Initially when I first started using the computer and understanding some of the programs that it contained, my visions of the technology world had widened. In school I did many educational projects on programs such as powerpoint and word processor; however, in order to show my instructors the projects I was required to save them on floppy disks. Floppies were an easy way to keep important things on because they were portable, inexpensive, and simple to use. As the technology wheel kept on turning floppies became less used and out of date. Later another use of saving information was introduced, keeping data on a CD. This allowed people to have more storage capacity than the floppies. As technology kept on taking more steps, I later come upon the next stage of the technology advancement.

The next stage of the technology advances that I seen growing up was during my fifth grade through sixth grade years with the introduction of the handheld Palms and the S.M.A.R.T Boards. To begin with having Mrs. Morrow, a technology equipped teacher, made learning more enjoyable than ever. She had expanded my knowledge in academics with the use of a handheld Palm. Using the Palms to write journals, accomplish DOL, and draw sketches of topics that I was being educated on; made learning an adventure. Next, She even broadened our horizons with the S.M.A.R.T Boards. Having a larger view of a computer screen in front of the classroom made it easier to understand the steps of the procedure that we needed to take on our lab computer, worksheets, group projects, and much more. The frontal projection of the S.M.A.R.T. Board transformed the classroom into a more dynamic learning environment.

The third stage of the technology advances that I come across as I developed into Jr. High was the usage of USB flash drives. The USB flash drives are very convenient to use and allow you to save GB of information on a smaller device. Data can be very quickly written to, or read from, this convenient portable device. USB Flash drives were a very unique way to keep information because many computers today don’t even have floppy drives, and while CDs can be used to exchange data, writing a CDrom can take time and not everyone always has a CD burner.

The fourth and final stage of the technology advances that I have encountered as I came into contact with high school was the use of the MacBooks. Taking a MacBook to every class and interacting with learning on a whole new outlook has made learning more enjoyable than ever. Using a series of programs to fully educate myself on new topics, I have had a different perspective on learning. With so many applications to use there is a wide variety of ways to make projects including imovie, powerpoint, keynote, pages, word, photoshop, and garageband are just a few of the ones that are offered. When unable to attend school because of illness, school activities, or any other reason, assignments are available on Angel, a school assignment webpage. The MacBooks have tremendously enhanced my typing ability by improving my speed and accuracy. I believe that this will help me in years to come in the business world because in many jobs you need to be skilled at typing. Now that I have been in this stage for about a year, Technology is still improving.

Living in the 21st century I have been through many improvements of technology. Technology is progressing at a very fast pace. Each time you start to thoroughly understand how to incorporate a piece of equipment, a new and more advanced device is introduced. Getting involved with technology at a young age will help you to more understand how to use the new developments because of the rapid tempo of the new technology. I will keep trying to stay up with the increase of technology devices because of the impact that they can have on your life. With the pace of improvements that technology has provided for us we won’t be having a dilemma any time soon like the common citizens encountered during the 19th Century.

By Bobbi Walters

Classroom Connectivity in Math and Science

2009-04-10T13:58:00.000-05:00

For the past four years, Janice Vosler and Deb Barelmann, OHS Math teachers, have been involved with a grant/research study incorporating TI calculators and the TI Navigator in the algebra classroom. To help bring the research study to a conclusion, Dr. Doug Owens from the Ohio State University recently visited O'Neill High School to see the use of technology in action in math classes. Listen in to an interview session with the three above-mentioned educators about Classroom Connectivity in Math and Science.

http://ops.esu8.org/groups/teach42morrow/weblog/e4fe3/

Learn about Challenge Based Learning on 'Always On' Episode 4

2009-04-02T20:09:00.001-05:00

http://web.me.com/alwayson/AlwaysOn/Podcast/Entries/2009/4/3_Episode_4%3A_Challenge_Based_Learning.html

If you're ready to move beyond the traditional classroom structure, to one where learning is embedded in real world application, then Challenge Based Learning is a concept to explore. In this episode, we invited Dennis Adamson, Mike Amante, and Bob Lee to join us in a virtual round table discussion on how Challenge Based Learning is providing a new way to engage secondary students.

"Turning on the Lights"

2009-03-26T14:47:00.001-05:00

Bravo, Marc Prensky, Bravo!

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar08/vol65/num06/Turning_On_the_Lights.aspx

Challenge Based Learning website is live!

2009-03-08T17:33:00.003-05:00

Join in the movement to 'Take Action and Make a Difference' through Challenge Based Learning at http://challengebasedlearning.com

Marty Mahler on 21st Century Skills

2009-03-08T17:25:00.002-05:00

http://ops.esu8.org/groups/teach42morrow/weblog/3d2f2/Marty_Mahler_on_21st_Century_Skills.html

PhotoJournalism "Multis" and Convergence Media with Bill Frakes

2009-03-04T11:38:00.003-06:00

Bill Frakes, 25-yr Sports Illustrated photographer, and his partner Laura Heald, spoke to nearly 400 people at Creighton University on Friday, February 20, 2009. The event was sponsored by Apple Computers and hosted students of both high school and colleigate levels, as well as teachers from area schools. Frakes and Heald walked us through their workflow as they create multimedia pieces (combining video, audio, and still images) for Sports llustrated.com and Sports Illustrated for Kids.com Using Apple Professional Applications (Final Cut Pro, Aperature, Soundtrack Pro, etc.) the two-person team inspired the audience of learners by showing finished pieces as well as a piece-in-progress: The Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament. Bill finished the 2 1/2 hour session with a slideshow collection of his favorite Sports Illustrated images over the years and left everyone feeling empowered and motivated to continue use technology to capture the stories around us and share them with the world.

Some of the most interesting and important things that I heard Bill and Laura talk about included:

The most important quality of a photojournalist is the ability to fall in love with subject - be able to talk to people.
Everything you do brings exactly to where you are- It is a growth process. (Sometimes he
will go through four days of shooting and production only to throw it all out and focus on a different story.)
Failure is always an important part of the growth process.
COLLECT INFORMATION!! - no matter how you collect it. Vaccuum cleaner everything-- get all the info you can!
For the most part still photography gives more power than video, in his opinion.
The heart, mind, eye, and soul will always be more important than the black box (camera or other technology tools).
"YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO LOOK FOR THINGS!"
(Growing up in Scottsbluff, NE not a lot of things are going on. But you can find a story anywhere-- if you just learn how to look for it.)
Another piece of advice.. "Take what you have and do the best you can do with it." (His mom's popcorn cake story)

And finally, the most memorable quote of the evening for me was, "It's not about the HOW, it's about the WHY." I think we can all take this advice and apply it to whatever area of teaching and learning we are involved in... most especially in the realm of educational technology. Bill and Laura definitely showed us their talents, but also inspired the hidden talent in each one of us, as a photographer, videographer, interviewer, storyteller, composer, or whatever it may be. Each of us is equipped with the ability to create art just as powerful or more so as Bill and Laura's. We just have to find it and transform it into a product that we are proud of. With Apple's Pro Apps software suite this is easier than ever before. With Bill Frakes encouragement and advice, we all saw how "doable" Convergence Media and Photojournalism can be for each of us interested in trying.

Creightonian's front page story about the event entitled "Apple slices"

New Podcast Release!

2009-02-25T21:44:00.002-06:00

Announcing the release of my newest professional podcasting project: Always On. This biweekly podcast is created in conjunction with Michelle Bourgeois and features the tagline: "Teaching, Learning, and Living with laptops both in and out of the classroom."

Whether you’re a teacher just starting out with mobile laptop carts or working in a 1:1 environment, find the tips and techniques you need to succeed when learning goes 24/7. Join Katie Morrow and Michelle Bourgeois as they share ideas and resources for teaching and learning with laptops.

Visit our podcast website here and subscribe today!
http://web.me.com/alwayson/AlwaysOn/Podcast/Podcast.html

Teachers Connecting

2009-02-15T12:43:00.004-06:00

In the past I have mentioned teachersconnecting.com, but this "virtual handshake between teachers" website is definitely worth mentioning again. Those wishing to start collaborative projects, whether large-scale or very simple and small, should sign up for a free account at this website and build their profile. Created by Ben Hazzard of Ontario, Canada, TeachersConnecting.com has been deemed the "eharmony" of collaborative educational projects. In addition to finding "matches" of all levels of connectivity, constructivism, and collaborative comforts, one can also listen to the accompanying Teachers Connecting Podcast hosted by Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger (formally known as the SMART Board Lessons Podcast hosts).

Tune in to Episode 4 to also hear my round-up report of FETC.

Holt County Economic Development features O'Neill Public Schools

2009-01-31T15:01:00.001-06:00

http://www.bandbvideo.com/Videos/HoltCounty-1.wmv

Podcast Planning...

2009-01-30T11:52:00.005-06:00

Michelle Bourgeois and Katie Morrow need your help.
We can't start podcasting without a catchy name!
Would you take the time to offer your advice?
Thanks!

My FETC "Wrap-Up" for "Teachers Connecting" Podcast

2009-01-28T23:12:00.004-06:00

Listen here: http://ops.esu8.org/groups/teach42mo rrow/weblog/10fb0/

Build a PLN with Web 2.0 Tools

2009-01-28T21:31:00.003-06:00

FETC 2009 Presentation with Michelle Bourgeois and Colleen Glaude.

Accompanying Google site with link to presentation on slideshare.net:
http://budurl.com/buildapln

Archived presentation on ustream.tv:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1081802

Big huge thanks to Bob Lee for moderating the backchannel of viewers during our presentation.

Another thank you to Gordon Shupe for podcasting the session. It will be available soon via the ADE "Conference Connections" podcast.

http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/item.php?itemID=18692

First Edition of "Mac in-STALL News" for Students

2009-01-05T15:36:00.001-06:00

Some important announcements and information regarding the MacBooks at OHS can be read in the bathroom stalls at OHS, or here: Mac inSTALL News - Jan09

CBL - Student Solutions Sharing

2008-12-19T17:09:00.000-06:00

Three Ways to see OHS students' solutions to the challenge of transforming apathy into engagement.

http://web.me.com/mrsmorrow/BioShelf/CBL-Apathy-OHS.html

http://oneillcbl.ning.com

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/985323

Audio interview with Marco Torres

2008-12-16T17:15:00.002-06:00

OHS Teacher Gary Hostert interviews Marco Torres about Challenge Based Learning in this 5-part series entitled "An Apple A Day."
http://ops.esu8.org/groups/teach42morrow/weblog/260ed/

Safe Image Search (Google Customized Search Engine)

2008-12-07T07:06:00.000-06:00

Educational Origami

2008-11-10T15:05:00.001-06:00

So much 21st Century Learning Resources in one place!

I can't say enough about this wiki!

Keep it bookmarked and return often!

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/

Two Tools I Tried Today

2008-11-06T16:58:00.003-06:00

LetterPop: http://letterpop.com/
Letterpop looks like an easy way to create professional newsletters online in a drag and drop mode with integration with Flickr and other sites. The free version lets you publish 10 newsletters in a year, but the paid versions go up from there. Although I haven't finished my first letterpop newsletter yet, it is remarkably simple and includes many templates to choose from.

Glogster: I created my first glog today based on one of Dan Pink's "Six Senses" from A Whole New Mind... Story. You can check it out here:
http://katiemorrow.glogster.com/STORYglog/
Glogster has a neat interface that kids will love. It allows for a variety of media formats and ways to express yourself. If you sign up for the education version at: http://www.glogster.com/edu/ you can create student accounts under your login name. For example, if I used mrsmorrow as my login, my student accounts would be s001.mrsmorrow, which is nice to avoid student sign-up with extensive forms. I really enjoyed this tool and can see lots of potential uses for students in the classroom to express themselves and create content on the web.

Google Tips for Teachers from OHS inservice

2008-11-03T20:07:00.002-06:00

Google for Education
Katie Morrow, Google Certified Teacher

The “Google Gamut” by Kern Kelly.
Listen and watch this 20 min. overview of all things Google:
http://k12online.wm.edu/k12online08gs03.m4v

Google Apps for Education
We used this free service of Google to create modified google accounts for all our 7-12 students. This login gains them access to Mail, Docs, and several other great features, but does not allow them access to all of Google’s tools.

What students need to know to use Student Google accounts at OHS
Use the button off the high school webpage (OPS Google)
Login with fullname (firstnamelastname-- no spaces, no caps)
You may need to sign in to Mail and Docs separately, but otherwise you are ready to go!

Create your teacher account
For full access, I recommend that you (the teacher) create your own fully functioning Google account by following the simple steps provided at this link:
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=ddv3h8rs_83dg5c6sfk

GMail
Another great service of Google is gmail, with which you can use with the Mail program on the Mac. Even if you don’t give out your gmail address, having an extra email is handy, and you can at the very least use it to send out messages while at home (ESU mail doesn’t send out at home.) Sign up for this as well, if you desire.

“Even More”
Go to Google.com, click on “More,” then click on “Even More”
It is quite obvious the extent of Google’s presence on the web. So much more than just a search engine! And most important of all... it is all free!

“Favorites for the Classroom”

#1 - Google Docs
Collaborative documents (word processing docs, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms) that you can store online and invite other people to edit with you.

#2 - Blogger
Create your own blogs.

#3 - Google Maps
Driving directions and collaborative maps that all can add points of interest on.

#4 - Google Earth and Google Sketchup
Must download and install, but then you can create 3 dimensional models and look at the earth from a 3-D perspective.

“Search Better. Faster.”
Just by clicking on “Advanced Search” or entering an extra operator into your search query, you can vastly improve your searching ability. Try some of the following:
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/06/20-tips-for-more-efficient-google.html

And more and more resources for getting started with Google for Education:
Google For Educators: http://www.google.com/educators/index.html (Reproducibles for use with your students)
Tutorials for Educators: http://kevin.jarrett.googlepages.com/home2 and http://cpultzlps.googlepages.com/googleappsforyourclassroom-neta2008

Technology Tricks and Treats

2008-10-31T14:52:00.002-05:00

Great tricks and treats for utilizing technology in the classroom from Scholastic's Tech Tutors series:
http://blogs.scholastic.com/tech_tutors/2008/10/technology-tric.html#more

Quotable Quote

2008-10-12T17:03:00.004-05:00

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
~George Eliot

We are all 21st Century learners on an educational journey. We are all capable of growth. We all have amazing potential for innovation, creativity, and thinking different. Let's start TODAY!

:) Katie

Technologies for laptop classrooms

2008-10-10T12:58:00.002-05:00

An article entitled "Ten Technologies for Tech-Savvy Teachers to Use in A Laptop/Tablet Classroom" with a subtitle of: "(all could be used in a traditional classroom with some modification)" is a good resources for educators. Read it here:
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196605456&page=4

Thanks, Deanna Stall, for sharing the find.

Maximizing your MacBook's Potential

2008-10-03T08:26:00.002-05:00

"I have NOTHING to do!"
Those are dreaded words in a 24/7 Learning environment. With a MacBook at your fingertips, you have access to hundreds of educational opportunities that are just begging to be utilized. Here are 10 favorites to get you started. Please add comments of any other things to do with your MacBook to enrich your learning "when you're through."

10 Things to Do "When You're Through"
(Maximizing your MacBook's Potential) pdf document

Anatomy of an Integration Specialist

2008-09-30T10:51:00.000-05:00

Google Teacher Academy - Chicago '08

2008-09-28T14:31:00.003-05:00

On September 24, 2008 I was privileged to be able to join 50 fellow educators from 17 different states at Google Chicago to take part in the 5th Google Teachers Academy (GTA). Along with “Lead Learners” such as Lucy Gray, Mark Wagner, David Jakes, and Steve Dembo (just to name a few), we spent an incredible brain-packed day, trying to “think different” and expand the learning opportunities for our students with the use of Google Tools.

Tips, Tricks, and Tools:
Use Google’s Advanced Search to search for .kmz files for Google Earth
Create gadgets on your iGoogle page from your Google Reader feeds to create an RSS stream of student blog posts
Use Google Presentations embedded within a Google site and participants can live chat while you are presenting.
Embed Picassa web photos into a Google map

Of course there are a ‘google’ more possibilities...

Some of the most valuable tidbits I brought back with me were more than simply tips and tricks, however. Call it a “Google Philosophy,” or simply being “Googlized”, but these lessons go deeper than the “how to” and more into the “Even More.”

Treat your students like adults
At least 20% of students’ learning time should be self-directed and laden with choice.
An atmosphere of “Fun” is more productive than a classroom of resistance.
Creativity should be encouraged at all corners.
Wisdom of a team is better than the sole ideas of an individual.
Don’t be afraid to “Be the First!”
Form connections with those near and far....

The Academy has inspired me to project beginnings and possibilities galore for my students, the teachers I work with, and even my own professional learning journey. Be sure to stay tuned to this blog to follow the progress and the work of those around me each and every day.

I am proud to be called a Google Certified Teacher.

Checkmate

2008-09-19T13:36:00.001-05:00

Checkmate
Originally uploaded by kevinzak

Photo by Kevin Zak, TANN Digital Design

Testing out embedding Flickr Slideshow in blog for Digital Design class

2008-09-01T11:56:00.001-05:00

Good (and quick!) read

2008-08-20T18:32:00.001-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/technology/17essay.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Great article reinforcing everything we've been saying!

A Day in the Life of an OHS 24-7 Learning Student

2008-08-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

Who is up for a Challenge?

2008-08-10T11:22:00.002-05:00

If anyone wants to start the new school year by challenging themselves to use their SMART Board in more innovative ways, then this Interactive Whiteboard Challenge is for you!

Seven weeks worth of challenges are presented on this wiki, along with instructions and tips for sharing. Just visit the site and make it a goal for yourself to try as many of the challenges as you can in the upcoming weeks and see if your SMART Board use grows!

Leopard for your Classroom

2008-08-10T11:15:00.003-05:00

It's back to school time and you may be feeling the "rustiness" of your technology skills, in teaching anyway. Or maybe you are one of those lucky enough to start off the new school year with a brand new Mac. Either way, this pdf reference is perfect for brushing up on the ways to use Mac OS X - Leopard in your classroom. Created by Matt Fuller and accompanied with a podcast of related information, this is a great resource (for free!) that I highly recommend you download and learn some new tips from. Enjoy!

You can get it from here: http://web.mac.com/mjfuller/leopard/podcast/Entries/2008/4/14_Download_PDF_-_Mac_OS_X_for_Your_Classroom_-_Leopard_Edition.html

Free Podcasting Booklet from Tony Vincent

2008-08-10T10:35:00.002-05:00

Want an amazing resource all about podcasting for FREE? Download Tony Vincent's pdf "Podcasting Booklet" from his website Learning in Hand. This 34-page document will guide you through the process of podcasting from listening to podcasts all the way to producing your own. Most of the recommended software is just as free as the booklet itself, and GarageBand can easily replace Audacity during the production steps on your Macs. Even if you are a seasoned podcaster, this booklet offers tips and information that will make it worth your time to download. And did I mention that it is free?

http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/booklet.html

iTunes U

2008-06-18T13:48:00.002-05:00

iTunesU has even more resources than previously imagined. If only we had more time to explore them! Here are a few from today that I highly recommend:

TechEase - Classroom Tech Help
from the University of South Florida

Beyond Campus - KQED - Quest

Also- I learned that you can "tear-off" the last breadcrumbs tab to save as a shortcut to get back inside of iTunesU quickly and easily.

Great resources!

ACOT2

2008-06-18T13:42:00.002-05:00

Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow - Today

http://edcommunity.apple.com/acot2/

Professional Development Meme

2008-06-10T11:07:00.004-05:00

OK- I've been tagged twice (Michelle Bourgeouis and Josh Allen) on the same professional development meme, so I had better accept the challenge!

Here it is:
Directions

Summer can be a great time for professional development. It is an opportunity to learn more about a topic, read a particular work or the works of a particular author, beef up an existing unit of instruction, advance one’s technical skills, work on that advanced degree or certification, pick up a new hobby, and finish many of the other items on our ever-growing To Do Lists. Let’s make Summer 2008 a time when we actually get to accomplish a few of those things and enjoy the thrill of marking them off our lists.

The Rules

Pick 3 professional development goals and commit to achieving them this summer.
For the purposes of this activity the end of summer will be Labor Day (09/01/08).
Post the above directions along with your 3 goals on your blog.
Title your post Professional Development Meme and link back/trackback to http://clifmims.com/blog/archives/353.
Use the following tag/ keyword/ category on your post: pdmeme.
Tag 8 others to participate in the meme.
Achieve your goals and “develop professionally.”
Commit to sharing your results on your blog during early or mid-September.

My Goals
1. I need an extreme makeover!
(A web-presence-makeover, that is!) My website needs a major overhaul, the OPS 24-7 Learning site needs to be revamped, my blogs need to be organized, cleaned-up, and possibly consolidated, and I need to learn how to use tools to connect all of the above. Someone (including myself!) should be able to USE the web-based resources that I've posted online, instead of getting LOST in them!
2. Publish or Perish?
For years I've been hoping to write something to satisfy my author's urge. While I get to create presentations and write on the web, I have a personal goal of someday being published. I'm not sure exactly what this will look like in fruition, but this summer I am going to START a writing project with the ultimate goal of being published in print.
3. Letting Go...
This one isn't as concrete, but I am giving myself permission to fail. Yes, that's right, I have a fear of failure. As I talk with teachers about letting go of the power in the classroom and not always knowing all the answers, I have to remind myself of that as well. It is OK to blog about something and be proven wrong. It is all right to create a pd model for the staff that not everyone agrees with or submit a proposal that isn't accepted. It is acceptable to be brave and say what I think a little more. Because it is in these failures, that we will find our biggest successes.
(Right?) :)

OK- There are my three summer pd goals. Now, to pass on the challenge... I tag... the participants in my 21st Century Learning class. For many, their first blogging efforts, this may be a good example of the far-reaching power of the blogosphere. If not, it might just be a good way to check on our goals and get something done professionally this summer!

Thinkature

2008-06-10T10:19:00.003-05:00

http://thinkature.com/

Thinkature looks like a potentially great collaboration tool.

Check it out and see what you think!

Snapshots

2008-06-09T14:42:00.002-05:00

http://web.mac.com/paviter/ReThink/Home.html

An example of many of the elements of project-based learning, collaboration, and 21st century skills that we know are essential for our students today. Even better is the fact that this teacher put this entire project together in iWeb... a tool we all already know and love. Give yourself a little tour and see how parts of this project could be adapted to work in your classroom.

Learning from Other Professions

2008-06-09T11:19:00.002-05:00

As a perfect summary to a large portion of our discussion this week, The SMART Board Lessons Podcast latest podcast episode focuses on connections--- connections between education and the outside world, connections between educators in professional relationships, and connections between teachers and students to foster a more productive learning environment. In addition, Ben and Joan focus another another much-needed quality of successful 21st century learning environments... the ability to take some time for self and reconnect with your personal life. (Tammy has a great blog post emphasizing the need for this along with empathy and social relationships among staff on her class blog.) So listen in to Episode 128: Learning From Other Professions and enjoy. And when you've had a chance to relax and reenergize, don't forget to download some of http://www.pdtogo.com/smart 's past episodes as well. Cheers!

Growth.

2008-06-09T11:12:00.001-05:00

You've heard us say that we want learning to happen 24/7 for our students. You've heard us say that the learning shouldn't be confined to the classroom walls. And you've heard us say that learning shouldn't stop when the bell rings.

Our 21st Century Learning graduate class has ended, but I hope that for you, too, the learning will continue. Please continue to follow this blog not only to reference and remember the week, but also to continue to grow in your professional journey.

I leave you with a quote I heard on the radio this morning originally attributed to Walt Disney.
"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional."

More tools to try on your own time

2008-06-06T12:17:00.002-05:00

Way more tools than we have time for!
http://www.thefreemac.com

Self-Evaluation

2008-06-06T12:13:00.001-05:00

Self- Evaluation

In your opinion, what are the most important skills for 21st Century learning? What are the most important technology skills to infuse into your learning environment? (Feel free to cite the NETS*S and/or the P21 Framework)

Tell some ways, via digital tools, you have learned to:
• Create/Innovate
• Communicate/Collaborate
• Problem-Solve/Critically Think, etc…

Changes you can implement TODAY in your teaching (as a result of this class) (don’t necessarily have to be technology-related)

Assess yourself and your learning journey this week. Did you…?
• Create more than you consumed?
• Contribute to a collective/shared body of knowledge?
• Participate in digital dialogue?
• Use self-directed or discovery learning? (find some answers on your own)
Please try to give specific examples of all of the above.

Finally, did you “Think Different”?
Or, how has your thinking changed (if at all) as a result of taking this course?

Survey-creators, data-collectors, poll tools...

2008-06-06T09:49:00.003-05:00

Survey Monkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com
Zoomerang: http://www.zoomerang.com
Google Forms: http://docs.google.com
JotForm: http://www.jotform.com
PollEverywhere: http://www.polleverywhere.com
PollDaddy: http://www.polldaddy.com

A Few Tools to Promote NETS*S #2: Communication and Collaboration

2008-06-05T16:14:00.005-05:00

Six Ways to Teach for Independent and Higher Learning

2008-06-05T12:55:00.001-05:00

Some sites for NETS*S #1: Creativity and Innovation

2008-06-04T23:04:00.002-05:00

Brain Rules

2008-06-04T19:49:00.000-05:00

This book sounds incredibly interesting AND directly related to what we have talked about this week. I can't wait to order it and read it. In the meantime, the presentation and accompanying information on this blog post are really great, too!

http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2008/05/brain-rules-for.html

Google Earth for Educators

2008-06-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

Download and install GoogleEarth at: earth.google.com

Then visit some the many tutorials, educational resources, and classroom ideas for Google Earth listed on my Delicious Links: http://del.icio.us/kmorrow/GoogleEarth

RSS Aggregators

2008-06-03T12:34:00.000-05:00

Bloglines: www.bloglines.com
Google Reader: reader.google.com
Netvibes: www.netvibes.com
PageFlakes: www.pageflakes.com

21st Century Learning... a new Doane class begins at O'Neill!

2008-06-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

A new week-long graduate course to make us 'uncomfortable' and push us to 'Think Different.'

Join in on the conversations here!