I Can See Why He's One of the 20 to Watch

I'm still pondering all that I got out of the T & L Conference in Phoenix last month. One of the presentations was a combination of technology integration for STEM projects. The two presenters were Robert Miller, one of NSBA's "20 to Watch" for 2010, and BrainPOP's Kari Stubbs.

I loved the practical ways Miller used BrainPOP to engage students... and was entranced by his integrating the GPS into his curriculum. He created his own educational geocaching, but instead it was "educaching." Writing about it won't do it justice, so here's a little trailer from YouTube:



I typically take avid notes in conferences, but during this one, I was just astounded by Miller's innovation. However, there were two things I had written: rechargeable batteries and a charging station.

I also found the app for my iPhone "SCVNGR" and thought about giving it a whirl. Which got me thinking... How could I incorporate this idea into my current role? I thrive on innovation and would love to give something like this a try. Hmmmm. Am I daring enough to geocache for a team builder? I'll try to put that thought in check; meanwhile, all I've got to say is I can see why he's one of the "20 to Watch."

Comments

  1. Lydia HenryNovember 20, 2010 at 9:24 PM

    So enjoyed your blog. I have really enjoyed the inservices this year. So much more teacher friendly and helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tracy WatanabeNovember 25, 2010 at 12:52 PM

    Thanks Lydia! So glad the professional development (PD) is worthy of our time. I know that having the district focused on 21st century learning environments, individualized instruction, project based learning, and one-to-one opportunities has been huge in evaluating what and how we offer PD. Thanks for your feedback.

    I hear you are doing some amazing things in your room. I'd love to hear about your 21st century learning environment. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Robert MillerMay 22, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    Hello Tracy!
    I was planning out another version of my GPS course and saw your blog linking to our Lewis & Clark movie trailer... awww. Thanks for the kind words (but it is ROBERT Miller, lol)... Was wondering if you had done anything yet with your ideas.

    I am finding that GPS can also be incorporated in the usual field trips with a scavenger hunt twist, to be reused and improved every year. Engagement and active purpose to keep them focused and occupied.

    Funny, but what you ended this post with is exactly what I am thinking I may do during Preplanning next year.. drag our faculty out on the GPS trek (Ropes Courses are sooooo 90's)!

    Still waiting for the classroom tech to catch up with some of those GPS apps (maybe the iPod touch someday?)

    We should keep in touch.

    R. Miller
    maxclassonline@mac.com

    PS... My class is heading out Monday and Tuesday on the Lewis & Clark trek.. exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tracy WatanabeMay 22, 2011 at 3:29 PM

    Dear Robert Miller,

    Thanks so much for gently correcting me on your name. I'm so sorry that I had such a goof, but I think I have it all fixed now.

    I learned so much from you at the T & L, and your innovation is exceptional. Your students are lucky to have you!

    I haven't actually put my ideas in reality yet, but plan to for the beginning of next school year (which is in August). =)

    Your suggestion of intertwining geocaching with a regular field trip is fabulous. What an easy way to spice up a field trip, while including those skills. Thanks for the idea!

    I can't wait to see the new Lewis & Clark trek. Your class must be so excited! I placed you Class Happenings in my Google Reader so I can come back more often. Is that the best place to follow your class?

    Kind regards,
    Tracy Watanabe

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Directions for posting:

1) Choose "Comment As" first. If you don't have a Google/Blogger account, you can choose Name/URL and type in your name, then place the web site that best describes you in the URL (i.e. www.ajusd.org). Or, you can choose "Anonymous".

2) You may need to press "Post Comment" more than one time.

It is always wise to copy your comment before pressing "Post Comment" just in case something happens.

3) Type in the word verification.

4) If you did everything correctly, it will state, "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval." If you do not get that message, please try again.

Click here for a tutorial on how to comment.

Thank you!

Popular posts from this blog

Quality Blogging and Commenting Audit Meme

Image
Silvia Tolisano (@langwitches) challenges us in a meme to audit blogs and comments to raise awareness of quality blogging. I'm honored that both Kathleen Morris and Sheri Edwards tagged me in this meme. Here is Silvia's meme challenge : Select a blog post or blog comment to audit (Professional or Student) Take a screenshot or copy and paste the post or comment into your blog post (be sensitive whether you want to reveal any names or references) Include or link to the rubric you use to assess the quality of post or comment Audit the post or comment by describing your train of thought regarding the level of quality you would assess your chosen post or comment Suggest how you would coach the author of audited post or comment to improve Tag (at least) three educators and challenge them to audit a post or comment Leave a comment with the link to your audit post on Langwitches Quality blog posts I created a few variations of checklists as guides for qu
Read more

Striving for Higher-Order Thinking and Depth of Knowledge

Image
A little over a year ago, I read Higher-order thinking is the exception rather than the norm for most classrooms on Scott McLeod's blog, Dangerously Irrelevant , and have been mulling it over, wondering if our school district is any different. Over the past year, our teachers periodically collect data with their teams on the types of questions/tasks they ask students. One teacher records teacher questions and the other records student responses on a shared Google Doc ; then teams sort through their own data, plotting teacher questions by Bloom's Revised Taxonomy , and student responses to those questions/tasks with Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) . The 2012-2013 data showed we were not very different from other districts; therefore, our teams set their own goals for higher-order thinking and depth of knowledge. The data so far for the 2013-2014 school year shows questions asked of students are up and down the Bloom's ladder, equally distributed (with a little
Read more

Craft and Structure, Deeper Thinking, and Tech Integration

Image
What type of thinking does the Common Core ask of students when it comes to Craft and Structure? Analysis. Analyzing the author's craft and structure is a shift for students to do, and a shift for teachers to design tasks and questions that require analysis.  This is the critical thinking we want students to engage in. Shifts The big shift in this is the analysis. What does that look like at the elementary level? How do you teach Craft and Structure? There are many ways to teach craft and structure . Make sure students are analyzing the text , not just identifying the answers . Craft structure close read questions from tracywatanabe Every spring, our school district uses Title IIa funds to pay teachers to attend training. This year, our Spring Academy focuses on various aspects of Common Core... and teaching Craft and Structure is one of the sessions. I was charged with creating a training module for the K-6 sessions. Training Document:
Read more