Engaging Educators

Issue 2 June 1, 2011

We’re using the bully pulpit this month to

promote something we think everyone

should do more of: commenting on blogs.

Think about it. How often do you read a

helpful or thought provoking blog post?

How often do you leave a comment on

these posts?

If you’re anything like us, your answers

were “quite often” and “hardly ever.”

So here’s our challenge to you (and to

ourselves): take the time to leave more

comments. There are many reasons this is

a valuable use of time. Here are a few:

• Blogs are social in nature. They are

meant to function as virtual

conversations. Add your voice by

leaving a comment. You’ll find the

discussions that follow great blog

Monthly Manifesto: Comment Commentary

Monthly Newsletter

Feedback is the breakfast of champions. --Ken Blanchard

Inside:

Subject Spotlight: Four terrific sites for use in Science class

Page 2

Blog Spotlight: This month we look at an amazing educational technology blog

Page 3

From the Classroom: How we used QR codes to enhance a Social Studies project

Page 4

Looking Ahead: How to start planning for your fall global collaborative projects

Page 5

Page 5

more on 2

PhotoSource: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonynetone/2656957748/

Subject Spotlight: Page 3

QR Codes: Page 2

More online at EngagingEducators.com

Summer Film Series: Page 3

Summer Film Series: Docs about music from Snag Learning

The Amazing Race Project, based off

of the television show, is a project

we’ve been running annually for the

past five years. The project is the

culminating experience for our

students in social studies. In the

beginning, students simply

competed in the Amazing Race that

we, the teachers, created. However,

this project has evolved and

improved over time. Five years later,

our students have created the clues

and are now in the middle of

completing the race.

We spent a week (about 5 hours)

modeling and writing clues. Before

students actually began writing

clues, we discussed different levels

of clue sophistication. We expected

each group to write at least two clues

from each of the five regions of the

United States studied this year. We

encouraged students to begin by

writing simple clues and then

challenged them to revise the clues

into moderate or

challenging clues. Groups submitted

their clues through a Google Form

embedded on a Google Site. Each

group had their own page and form,

so we could track each group’s

progress. Students used their social

studies book as a reference guide

but did most of their clue creating

through Google searches. Each team

of three had their own laptop to use.

After the week was up and nearly 200

clues were written, we selected our

top 10 student-written clues.

These clues were then placed on

hidden Google Site pages. The

pages were given essentially random

names (actually they were English

Premier League teams, which is

random to most children in America,

but not to their nerdy teachers!).

Next, we entered each clue page into

Google URL Shortener where the

quick response (QR) code was

Screen-captured and printed.

We installed QR reader software on

six desktop computers. The race

Learning Network. The best

bloggers nearly always respond

to thoughtful comments or

questions. It’s a great way to

interact directly with the authors

of your favorite blogs.

• It makes bloggers feel good!

There’s a great deal of

satisfaction in knowing that

people are actually reading what

you write. Leaving a comment

gives a needed ego

boost…which in turn keeps the

bloggers blogging.

So get commenting today. A great

place to start is an awesome blog like

ours!

From the Classroom: QR Codes Lead to Learning

Monthly Manifesto

Continued from Page 1

posts are sometimes as

beneficial as the posts

themselves.

• It builds your Personal

More on 4

Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathplourde/4639156283/

Engaging Educators is pleased to

announce a partnership with Snag

Learning, the educational arm of the

online documentary library Snag

Films.

Our first venture is a summer film

series, designed to expose teachers,

parents and students to some of Snag

Learning’s best films. Each month,

we’ll feature a group of

documentaries about a different

theme. We think you’ll enjoy

exploring these movies so much that

come fall you’ll be ready to integrate

Snag Learning into your curriculum.

We’re kicking things off this month

with the theme of music! Take a look

at some of these music-themed

documentaries hand-picked by the

Snag Learning staff:

Amandla! A Revolution in Four

Part Harmony

Perfectly suited for high school social

studies, this film tells the story of the

role of music in the fight to end

Apartheid.

The Buena Vista Social Club

This film tracks the efforts of

guitarist/composer Ry Cooder, who

travels to Cuba in an attempt to

reunite a group of pre-Communist-

era folk musicians. Middle school

students and older will enjoy this

inspiring, vibrant film.

Girls Rock!

In this film about a Rock and Roll

Camp for girls ages 8-18, we are

provided with an engaging look at

the power of both music and

camaraderie. Great for middle

school students and older, this doc

lends itself to discussions about

feminism and character

development.

Rappers, Divas, and Virtuosos:

Mariem Hassan, Voice of the

Saharawis

This short film not only profiles

Hassan and her music, but also tells

the story of the Saharawis, the

mistreated refugees of Western

Sahara in Africa. Also documented is

Hassan’s quest to bring attention to

their travails. It’s a perfect fit for

students in grades 8 and up.

The Kartal

This one-minute short film features a

unique Indian musical instrument

called the kartal. You’ve probably

never seen one played before and if

this is the case, you’ll find this clip

fascinating.

Action! Engaging Educators Launches Summer Film Series

On to ISTE! Engaging Educators is hitting the

road this month for the annual ISTE

conference. This year’s shindig is in

beautiful Philadelphia June 26-28.

Whether you’ll be there or not, stay

tuned to our blog and twitter feed for

regular updates. If you are planning

on going, we look forward to

meeting up with our faithful

followers. Fill out this survey so we

can talk tech in Philly!

began with a simple clue being

given orally just to create a small

stagger in groups receiving the first

real clue of the race. After a team

successfully answered the toss-up

question, they were given a QR code.

They ran, not walked, to the nearest

room with a QR reader, scanned their

code, wrote the clue down, ran back

to their laptops, and began trying to

solve the question. Upon solving the

clue, they received their second QR

code and so on. We created a few

road block and detour questions to

help add a little flare to the project

and to allow us to regulate how long

the race would actually take to

Subject Spotlight: Science Science teachers—check out these sights for some fantastic interactive resources:

• National Science Digital Library—Huge collection of resources.

• EdHeads—Awesome interactives on a variety of topics.

• Dynamic Periodic Table—Elements like you’ve never seen them. A must for chemistry teachers.

• Solar System Scope—An interactive look at the universe.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog to have sites like these and much more delivered straight to you!

In our next issue:

A complete ISTE wrap-up featuring all the things we learned at this year’s conference.

NOT In our next issue:

*From the Classroom: Lectures Work Best

*10 Reasons Teachers Shouldn’t Tweet

complete.

We’ve completed week one of two

for the Amazing Race. Students

unanimously agreed that it was the

best week of social studies all

year. And teachers agreed,

unanimously, that it was the most

learning done by students in

social studies this year. This

project is incredibly adaptable,

and we look forward to the new

shapes and technologies it will

take on next year. You can always

find more information about our

Amazing Race Project on our

website by clicking here. Follow us @engaginged

From the classroom…

Continued from page 2

It’s one thing to write about

educational technology resources.

But it’s another to write about HOW

to use said resources. This is exactly

what Kelly Tenkely does on her blog

iLearn Technology.

Whether it’s a new site with great

games or a site that turns a PDF into a

flip book or an in-depth report on the

academic value of the popular game

Angry Birds, iLearn Technology has

resources galore. And each blog

post includes a section headed “How

to integrate this into the classroom,”

which is a terrific way to help

teachers.

Another great feature of this blog is

the monthly newsletter Project PLN,

which Kelly has a hand in publishing.

No matter what grade you teach,

iLearn Technology is definitely a

blog to follow.

Education, and Classroom 2.0.

Both are free and both have

discussion forums that are

frequently used by teachers

seeking collaborative partners.

Just post a message about your

project idea and see what

happens!

Blog Spotlight: iLearn Technology

Tutorials and More!

Visit EngagingEducators.com

Check out our resources tab!

Engaging Educators Visit us on the web: http://engagingeducators.com

Follow us on twitter:

http://twitter.com/engaginged

Learn. Teach. Engage.

Looking Ahead: Preparing for Collaborative Projects • Challenge 20-20

• Global Virtual Classroom

If, on the other hand, you’d like

to start your own project, now is

a good time to start looking for

participants. Three great

networks to join are The Global

Education Collaborative, Skype

It’s never too early to start thinking

about next school year, right? Okay,

maybe it’s too early. But if you’re

thinking of getting involved in a

Collaborative Project with one or

more other classrooms, now is

actually the best time to start

preparing.

If you are interested in joining an

existing project, here are three sites

to consider:

• Flat Classroom Project

Summer Reading: A Whole New Mind Summer is the perfect time for

putting a dent in the ol’ BTR

(books to read) pile. At the top of

ours is A Whole New Mind: Why

Right Brainers Will Rule the Future

by Daniel Pink.

A Whole New Mind is a fascinating

look at how the paradigm has

shifted from a demand for left-

brained thinkers in careers such

as medicine, computer

programming, and engineering,

to a need for more right-brained

traits such as empathy and

creativity.

Hopefully you’ll join us in reading

and reviewing what appears to be

a terrific book.