Digital citizenship Helping students understand and apply the norms of appropriate and responsible use of technology, especially as mindful and critical consumers and creators of digital media. Related posts:
How do student behaviors change? Debi Serafino, a math teacher at Brattleboro Area Middle School, presents the results of her semester-long action research project examining the effects of implementing 1:1 norms and digital citizenship on the behavior of the incoming 7th graders, all of whom participate in a 1:1 Chromebook project. Here’s what she and her team discovered.
7th graders learn video as reflection tool When I sat down to work with my students on digital citizenship and literacy, I wanted to do something different. These are 7th graders coming from lots of different schools, different levels of understanding, different exposure to the concepts of digital citizenship and I was trying to think of … Continue reading Exploring digital citizenship as a form of literacy →
Learning on and off-line civics Whenever I taught civics, I repeatedly told my classes that I would measure my success as a teacher on how many of them were voting in elections in five years. Of course, I had no way to measure this, but it was one of my most concrete goals of teaching … Continue reading Digital citizenship in the real world →
Digital citizenship is a vital skill for students, educators and administrative leaders to master in the 21st century. Here are some resources to help shape your school’s conversations about this topic.
Adam Provost, Burlington High School tech integrationist and Partnership for Change Fellow, talks about how to talk to students about potentially dangerous or illegal technologies, and what use of those technologies can mean in terms of privacy and digital citizenship. “I do teach kids what torrents are… how they are used illegally and also — … Continue reading Adam Provost on the need for ongoing instruction in digital citizenship →
Approaching student digital citizenship from many levels Our students live in technology-rich worlds, regardless of how much technology they are using in school on a day-to-day basis. Technology has all kinds of awesome educational benefits, but Uncle Ben’s advice to Spiderman is fitting here: “With great power comes great responsibility.” As educators we’re obliged to … Continue reading C is for Citizenship (digital of course!) →
A case study in Shelburne Arts and citizenship is for 8th graders at Shelburne Community School. This past session, they had a digital media focus, looking at photography and Photoshop and digital manipulation. Most recently they just had a Community Celebration, where the artwork was posted around the school and families and the community came … Continue reading 8th grade arts and citizenship →
Measuring how students approach goal-setting in the 5th and 6th grades Educators at Wallingford Elementary School and Shrewsbury Mountain School, in central Vermont, undertook an action research project measuring how their use of digital tools — specifically Google Docs, Forms and Sites — changed how middle grades students approached setting goals and reflecting on their … Continue reading Using digital tools to change student goal-setting and reflection →
Labels get in the way of fully understanding people In a recent Twitter chat #vted we were discussing digital citizenship and the confounded label “digital native” came up. Labels typically get in the way of fully understanding people, and these terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant” smack of ageism and false assumptions. Coined by Marc Prensky … Continue reading The digital native problem →
How do you score? The fine folks over at Daily Genius recently created this infographic, which has subsequently made the rounds on twitter. If you haven’t seen it yet, may I present “The 7 Characteristics of a Digitally Competent Teacher”
As ever-increasing cracks in the foundation of our democracy reveal weakness and corruption, so too do these revelations allow the light of justice and truth to penetrate. As educators, our work to help young people learn to communicate across differences, think critically, and work for justice is as important as ever. This remains an apt … Continue reading Resources for responding to January 6th →
It’s not you; difficult conversations are a lot right now. While it’s fair to say that the history of the world consists of “being a lot” at regular intervals, right now is a moment where multiple unlikely catastrophes have collided, exposing deep rifts in conventional society. A lot of people we know and love hold … Continue reading How to have difficult conversations in the classroom →
When is a “lol” not a “lol”? Would a “ftw” hit as hard by any other name? Two things: Shakespeare’s now spinning in his grave like a turbine, powering most of greater Stratford; That’s absolutely fine with us. Language evolves. It grows and bends and twists and curls back on itself like you wouldn’t believe. … Continue reading “Because internet”: learning to communicate in different online spaces →
Why the Marco Polo app? With social distancing and remote learning on educators’ minds, there’s never been a more urgent need for communication that’s clear, effective, bandwidth-respecting and multi-platform. The more ways we can connect our learners with each other, and extend out-of-school access to community partners, the better. Our usual ways of communicating at … Continue reading Virtual video walkie-talkies? Meet the Marco Polo app →
These 4th graders say yes. With a little help from the UN’s Global Goals. Students at Ottauquechee Elementary School took Minecraft, the popular video game platform, and turned it to something serious: saving the world. They paired Minecraft with the UN’s 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and started creating towns that are innovative, sustainable, … Continue reading Can Minecraft save the world? →
Students write weekly emails to their families Lizzie Stockbridge, a 6th grade math teacher at Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School in South Burlington, Vermont, gives students 15 minutes every week to write an email home. But when she started she had no idea how powerful this simple routine would turn out to be. Unicorn stories! … Continue reading Unlocking family communication in math class →
From Vermont to Mexico and back, via Smart Board As the world becomes increasingly more connected, so should our schools. For Vermont, many schools existing in rural isolation can take advantage of these connections to bring their students the world. Connecting classrooms globally is not new, but videoconferencing tools have made the experience easier, more … Continue reading How can students make global connections? →
School leadership in turbulent times As schools prepare to welcome students through their doors, many educators are researching how to talk with their students about the attacks in Charlottesville or Barcelona. Or how to respond to student concerns about diversity, tolerance and equity. Or, ulp, how to address this recent article by Wired, revealing that … Continue reading #vted leads the way with #everydaycourage →
Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school
Keys to innovative school change We all want students to engage more fully with school by experiencing it as a place that facilitates relevant, meaningful experiences that encourage growth. But what does that mean for educators and administrators? We’ve gathered resources, definitions and tech-rich, student-centered examples from Vermont schools to help educators and school leaders … Continue reading LEARN →
Looking to move from a traditional parent conference model to student-led conferences? Need help rolling them out to families? Not sure how to scaffold the students themselves into leadership? Let’s look at strategies for moving to student-led conferences with the following resources and case studies: Student-Led Conferences: An Overview How to help parents prep for … Continue reading Student-led conferences: soup to nuts →
There is no tired like teachers at the beginning (or end) of the school year are tired. Establishing routines, procedures, community and trust takes time and lots (and lots!) of energy. How can you create classroom routines and norms so the class feels safe, comfortable, happy and ready for learning? Here are eight ideas.
Modeling twitter interactions as an educator and parent With twitter’s explosive growth in popularity with educators, it can get a little confusing as to what the new rules of social media look like. Hint: they’re a lot like the old rules. Kindness, empathy and listening rule the day. Let’s look at how one educator and … Continue reading twitter etiquette →
In a 1:1 Android environment Copyright. Fair Use. Public Domain. The meaning of these concepts as applied to creative work, has broadened dramatically in our digital world. Students are some of the biggest consumers and creators of work created on digital platforms, but they don’t often understand: what they may legitimately use how they may … Continue reading Teaching copyright with video mashups →
Try Passage Presentations. The end of every school year is tough. Teachers and administrators struggle to keep students in line, finish assessments, plan field trips, and tie up loose ends. But what’s really important? To provide closure, celebrate accomplishments, and allow students to reflect on how they’ve grown and developed. And including family in those … Continue reading Want end-of-year family involvement? →
Expanding parent conference time with technology We’ve all been there: how do you fit 40 minutes worth of information into a 20-minute parent conference, still have time for questions AND stay on schedule? Bulletin boards hanging in the hallway help. They serve two purposes, engaging parents while they wait and giving parents a view into … Continue reading QR codes and videos at Parent Conferences →
To follow or not to follow… that is the question. Oh Hamlet, you would be so perplexed on this one! I’m sometimes asked this question as the mother of an Instagram-using 12 year old myself. Parents of young adults often are conflicted about making this choice – at least, if your child is connected to … Continue reading Helping your teen or tween with social media →
The impact of PD in a 1:1 teaching environment A trio of middle grades educators from Mill River Union High School, in Clarendon, Vermont, presented the results of their semester-long action research project, examining what role professional development plays in increasing the amount of time technology is integrated into the classroom in a 1:1 environment.
How to make YouTube appropriate for the classroom YouTube can provide students and educators with hundreds of powerful educational videos that can deepen learning, and we cover finding those videos elsewhere. But a lot of times actually showing those videos to your students requires navigating a minefield of irrelevant results, unpleasant comments and ads featuring people who … Continue reading The Perils and Possibilities of YouTube →
School approaches to filtering internet content As social media,Youtube, and gaming become more educationally relevant, how do we leverage their educational potential while keeping student data safe and teaching them digital citizenship? Lock it down! “We need to keep everyone safe.” Open it up! “It’s how the real world operates.” I’ve heard strong arguments for … Continue reading To lock or not to lock →
How school change began with just one person, and just one podcast
We talk with Richmond Elementary School principal Mike Berry about how he’s using podcasts and other digital storytelling to help his students find their voices and prepare them to tell their stories as they move to middle school.
You can listen to our podcast episode here, as well as at SoundCloud, and on Stitcher, or you can download it and run away with it clutched to your person (our personal fave) or you can just read the nifty transcript*, below.
Continue reading Podcasting with Principal Berry →
How these educators used Nearpod for professional development Educators instinctively understand the engagement power of a tool that allows learners to actively participate in the learning. For those of you new to Nearpod, this multi-platform app allows teachers to shoot out presentations — think Powerpoints or Google Slides made interactive — directly to their students’ devices. Content … Continue reading N is for Nearpod →
Reflections from Vermont educators embarking on the 1:1 process As the 2015 Middle Grades Institute draws to a close, we check in on some of the amazing work educators have been doing with their teams this week. And this time we’re focusing on the 1:1 planning they’ve been doing.
NOTE: Whoo, five years is a whole *eon*, in tech time, people. So, the original updated version of this post, first written in 2015, then updated in 2018, remains below, because it will work to set you up for using Google Hangouts for screencasting. But there also two easier ways. So here’s three ways to … Continue reading How to use Google Hangout for screencasting →
edmodo vs Schoology, digital badges and how to leave a great comment
5th grade Peoples Academy Middle Level teacher Hannah Lindsey returns this week with a look at what it’s really like to use an LMS with students. She sat down with Mark Olofson to talk about her experiences with edmodo and Schoology in the classroom.
Continue reading What it’s really like to use an LMS with students →
#digitalcitizenship Moderated by Franklin West Supervisory Union superintendent Ned Kirsch (@betavt), the #vted twitter chat takes place every other Wednesday from 8-9pm EST, and covers a wide range of topics. This time? Digital citizenship. Next time… you tell us! What do you want to talk about at the next #vted twitter chat? One hour, seven questions, 20 … Continue reading #vted twitter chat, 4/15/15: →
Twitter’s not just a great way to build your PLN as an educator, it’s also a powerful tool to connect students with the world around them in very unique ways. But how can you make those connections authentic learning experiences? Let’s look at making the most of twitter in your classroom.
Free app for students to make quick and easy back-to-school slideshows
Get a sneak peek at the new Thinglink Many of you have undoubtedly heard of Thinglink’s new video service, where you can embed links, text, images, videos and audio directly into videos. We tried it out last week for our iPad case review article, and the finished product looks a little something like this. Now … Continue reading Thinglink Video for educators →
We’re always looking for educators who want to share inspiring stories from their classrooms. Let us help you amplify your students’ voices and push them out to an authentic audience. We’re currently looking for articles specifically on: equity in the digital classroom augmented reality family involvement digital citizenship We’d love to see and hear your … Continue reading Submission Guidelines →
Want to try out writing interactive fiction and games with your students? Here are three tools that make it easy to get started. In order of ease of use: YouTube YouTube’s recently beefed up their suite of online editing tools (including a bank of royalty-free audio clips) and made them simpler to use. By embedding … Continue reading Want to try out interactive fiction and games? →
Here’s a great way to dip your toes in the digital credentialing waters: DIY.org. What Is It? Geared for kids 8 and up, DIY.org features dozens of digital badges heavily geared towards doing and making. To earn a badge, students choose to complete 2 or 3 challenges from an array of 7 or 8, and … Continue reading Jumpstart STEM badging with DIY →
In September of 2009, Sarah, the 9 year-old daughter of our keynote speaker posted a 90-second YouTube response to President Obama’s speech to US students. This video “went viral” and currently has over 190,000 views. In May 2010, a 6th grader in our keynote presenter’s hometown attracted the attention of Ellen Degeneres with his YouTube … Continue reading “When Student Published Videos Go Viral” (podcast) →
Meet Ryan Becker. He’s an 8th grade science teacher at Woodstock Union Middle School, a UVM doctoral student and tweets under the handle @PhySci8. He and his students use twitter in their classroom, and they’re wondering how many other science teachers do the same. “I’m very interested in how technology, and the web, can be … Continue reading The great twitter science teacher hunt →
Going 1:1 with iPads: lessons learned In this 40 minute webinar, Rob Gervais, director of technology for Enosburg Town Schools, goes over the nuts and bolts of deploying a 1:1 iPad environment. Enosburg Town Schools were among the first schools in Vermont to go 1:1 with iPads, and Gervais faced a number of challenges in the … Continue reading Rob Gervais on going 1:1 with iPads →
How can a school community emerge from isolation to reflect on individual and collective experiences from this uniquely challenging and transformative year? This spring, Hazen Union Middle/High School came back together around a creative engagement installation: the Sounding Board. Part of a broader Hazen Youth Voices Project — a collaborative initiative launched by the school’s … Continue reading Fostering a Sound Culture at Hazen: Youth Voices and the Sounding Board Project →
Listeners, I’m angry. I’m angry about the failure of our political leadership, the unmitigated disaster of climate change, and the risks we’re asking our educators and students to take right now. I’m angry, and I’m hurt, and frustrated, and I’m not the only one. I know you’re angry, and I know our students are angry. … Continue reading #vted Reads with Elijah Hawkes →
Morning meetings are the norm in many K-6 and K-8 schools in Vermont. They’re a great way to empower students to find their voices and build community. Now here are five ways to organize and structure morning meetings to build transferable and socio-emotional skills (and build those strong relationships that matter so much!): (Not … Continue reading 5 fresh ways to power up morning meetings →
Starting how you mean to go on New year, new students. New school, sometimes, and a whole new opportunity to help a group of students celebrate and explore their individuality while respecting and appreciating each other’s differences. And yours, too. Let’s explore five resources for building community in your classroom during the #1st5days.
Place-based learning with real world implications For your students, learning about the local landscape can be amazing. What’s that tree? How long has that building been here? What does that plaque, “1927 Flood Level” mean? Here’s 3 tech-rich ways to study local history: by updating your town on Google Maps, creating a QR code-powered history … Continue reading 3 tech-rich ways to study local history →
Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school
The art of the responsible remix With the incredible popularity and ease of digital mediamaking comes great responsibility. As students unlock the power of digital storytelling and media creation, they seek to incorporate music, images and video into their productions. But it’s not as simple as just hitting up the Google.
Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school
New ways to approach teaming Have you every showed up to in-service wondering what the new initiatives for the year will be? Or wondered how to continue to meet the demands of the district and school while balancing the the needs of 21st century young adolescents? takes a deep breath The answer, I suggest, is … Continue reading Get #ready2launch your team this year →
Scaffolding PLPs so students understand them 5th and 6th graders from Fayston Elementary School took their personal learning plans (PLP) in extraordinary and unexpected directions this year. All because of trust, dedication, and team work by their teachers. This livecast of a presentation at the Dynamic Landscapes conference exemplifies the approach. You will hear students … Continue reading How students tell their PLP stories →
Revisiting the possibilities of student-created geographies The rate at which technology changes has reached a dizzying speed, with new tools and platforms emerging constantly. But what hasn’t changed is students’ curiosity about the world and their need to explore their own place in it. Young adolescents in particular, burn with the urge to make and … Continue reading Interactive map tools for creating deeper place-based learning →
Ubiquitous learning is not the same as ubiquitous computing We hear a lot of hype about e-learning, blended learning, MOOCS, and mobile learning. But even a quick investigation of these trends reveals that effective teaching and learning are as elusive as ever. Yet ubiquitous computing — that is, anytime, anywhere access — is only a stepping … Continue reading U is for Ubiquity →
Who decides the acceptable ways to use devices in your school? You’ve jumped through the hoops, filled out the paperwork, located the three missing chargers and managed to agree on a set of apps and a management system. But what will expectations around tech device usage look like? Will they stay in classrooms? Go home? Hop … Continue reading Establishing behavior expectations in a 1:1 →
3 tech-rich strategies for exploring identity with students “Who am I?” is the question at the heart of the adolescent mind. Almost all challenges, tests, and dilemmas relate to the central theme of identity. Young adolescents seek to find answers to questions like, “Where do I fit in?”, “What makes me different or special?” and … Continue reading I is for Identity →
[huge_it_slider id=”2″] Meet some of the guest bloggers for the Tarrant Institute: Keegan Albaugh, The Centerpoint School, Winooski VT Jacqueline Drouin, Asian Studies Outreach Program, University of Vermont Rep. Diana Gonzalez, Vermont Legislature, University of Vermont Education Dept. Lindsey Halman, Essex Middle School, Essex VT Jonah Ibson, Harwood Union Middle School, Moretown, VT Supanya Khienjarern, … Continue reading Guest bloggers →