Blogs 101 from the New York Times

The New York Times Learning Network features a short Technology Tools piece to help educators understand Web 2.0.

This kind of guide highlights just how far ahead of the curve the Globaloria partners in West Virginia are. Most of you already have in-depth knowledge about these principles, and are running educational laps around less media-savvy teachers across the United States.

Despite our sophistication, there is always room to grow and the Times directs us to this links-based resource entitled Blogs 101, which highlights some of the most active and relevant blogs online. You may enjoy going through the list and explore some excellent blogs out there that you may want to keep up with (the best way to stay connected is by subscribing to blog feeds with your Google Reader)

Consistently reading high-quality blogs not only keeps you well-informed, but inspires you to update your own more often!

Learning with Surveys

In response to my introduction post, WV Design Diva (a.k.a. Monica Larson, a new partner from Shepherd University) asked me to share a little more about myself.

After some deliberation, I decided to spare the Globaloria blogosphere my lofty memoir and get down to the nitty-gritty with a survey I made on the free survey creator, Bzoink. You can find out all about me in the graphic below, but more importantly, I'm offering this survey to everyone in the Globaloria community.

Click "Take this Survey" at the bottom of the questionnaire and fill one out for your own blog. After you're done answering the questions, Bzoink will give you a code that you can copy and paste into your blogger composition pad and publish. If you don't have a blog yet, I'll help you get set up at the Globaloria Summer Academy 1.

I can't wait to read all of your answers!

Globaloria Survey Created by rachelwwworkshop and taken 2 times on Bzoink
Basics
What is your full name?:	Rachel Danielle Rosenfelt
What school/organization are you affiliated with?:	World Wide Workshop Foundation
What is your position?:	Assistant Programs Coordinator
How many years have you been working with Globaloria?:	This is my first!
What inspired you to join the Globaloria team?:	My belief in the power of digital media to change the world. This positive change begins with education.
About You
Where are you from originally?:	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Where have you always wanted to go?:	The Amalfi Coast in Italy, Berlin and Buenos Aires
What is your sign?:	I was born on November 22nd, so I'm the border between Sagittarius and Scorpio. I think I'm more of a Scorpio, personally.
What do you like to do in your free time?:	I love to read and write and explore all the amazing communities online.
What are you most proud of?:	Having the courage to travel Central America with nothing but a backpack alone for 4 months when I was 21.
If you could wish for anything, what would it be?:	I'd wish for everyone to have equal opportunities to follow their passions and compete in any field they chose to pursue.
If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?:	The Beatles--around 1962, just before they became famous.
Who is your hero?:	My mom. And Madonna.
Favorites
Movie:	The Professional by Luc Besson
Book:	The Collected Fictions, Jorge Luis Borges
TV Show:	The X-Files. Even in reruns, it's television gold.
Actor/Actress:	Leonardo DiCaprio. I was eleven when Titanic came out. Sue me.
Musician/Band:	Sam Cooke, all of Motown, especially the Supremes and Marvin Gaye and Elvis Presley.
Quote:	"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." - Walt Whitman
For Fun
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?:	Teleportation. I'd live in a cabin in the New Mexico mountains, pop into work in New York City every morning, grab Mexican food in Oaxaca for lunch, visit friends and family all over the world, sit down to some Thai food for dinner in Bangkok and be beneath the desert stars by nightfall. Plus, it would be really easy to sneak into movies for free.
If you had a time machine, what historical period would you visit?:	Ancient Greece
Do you have a special talent?:	I can make my face look like I'm a cast member in the original Planet of the Apes. It's uncanny.
What talent do you wish you had?:	I wish I was a master cello player.
If you could trade spaces with anyone, who would it be?:	Oprah. She is in a position to influence the world for good, empower women all over the country, create and fund positive initiatives, and do this all without having to hold an official public office.
You've been totally Bzoink*d! Take This Survey | Search Surveys | Create a Survey

There are many services online that help to make your blog a diverse, fun and active multimedia platform. I encourage all of you to experiment with quizzes, polls and survey creators on free websites like Bzoink and others.

Your GB,
Rachel

Collaboration at the Globaloria Advisory Board Meeting

I was thrilled to attend the Globaloria Advisory Board Meeting in Charleston on June 2nd. It isn't often that policy makers, government officials, industry leaders, school administrators, educators and students come together to share their perspectives on the learning process. This kind of "meeting of the minds" is crucial for the success of any educational intervention – especially one that is as new and innovative as Globaloria.

A fundamental tenet of the Globaloria learning philosophy is collaboration. Globaloria encourages joint learning, creation and exploration among both students and educators. It utilizes technology to create an active statewide virtual learning community that transcends the physical borders separating schools and districts. As cool as this is, last week's Advisory Board meeting reminds us that there is no substitute for the dynamic interchange that takes place when we're able to gather in the same room to share perspectives on Globaloria.

Educators panel, (left to right): Ingrida Barker (Sandy River Middle School), Angela Cruikshank (Capital High School) and Denise Stalnaker (Randolph Technical Center).

I especially enjoyed listening to the educators reflect on their Globaloria experiences. Randolph Technical Center (RTC) teacher Denise Stalnaker claimed with Globaloria, “I think I'm a better teacher, but I'm doing less teaching.” Ingrida Barker from Sandy River Middle School agreed that the program "pushes you as an educator." The panel, which also included Angela Cruikshank, a teacher at Capital High School, Clinton Giles, principal of Capital High School and Don Johnson, principal of RTC, variously reflected on the challenges and successes they experienced with Globaloria's forward-looking program.

It strikes me that many of the educator's comments mirrored one student presenter's feelings on Globaloria. “I didn't think I'd get anywhere in this program" said Tyler, a game designer from Capital High School, "I thought I was just screwed.”

When First Lady Gayle Manchin asked Tyler how he felt when he was able to overcome his trepidation and succeed with Globaloria, he replied succinctly: “It made me want to jump around a lot.”

Clearly, Tyler has a way with words.

Tyler presents his game at the Globaloria Advisory Board Meeting.

The prevailing sentiment of the June 2009 Advisory Board Meeting was an embrace of productive challenges and the continued commitment to work together as we advance into the future.

In light of all this, I have to agree with Don Johnson who claims, "it is such an exciting time to be in education."

You could even say, it makes me want to jump around a lot.

Your GB,
Rachel

New Globaloria Blogger!

Greetings educators, students and friends! My name is Rachel and I’m happy to announce that I have come on board at the World Wide Workshop Foundation as the Assistant Program Coordinator in our New York office, and am your newly-christened GB (Globaloria Blogger).

Lee Kraus, our Globaloria Program Manager in West Virginia in 2008, started this blog in 2007 and I spent the last few days reading all his fascinating posts! It’ll be a challenge to fill Lee’s shoes, but I intend to jump into this blog as author just like I jumped into my new position at World Wide Workshop (and just like you all jumped into the Globaloria Academy): a wild plunge into the deep end.

I’m still recovering from an exciting trip to West Virginia, where I spent my first few days of work right in the eye of the storm at the Semi-Annual Globaloria Advisory Board Meeting, hosted by the First Lady Gayle Manchin and Dr. Idit Harel Caperton (my foundation’s President & Founder).

It was a lot of fun to get to meet First Lady Gayle Manchin my first day on the job!

I had opportunity to meet many members of the Globaloria community, see some amazing student presentations, visit a school, and am still catching my breath from taking in the beautiful West Virginia landscape. Suddenly, the potted plants lined up on my Brooklyn apartment’s windowsill seem to lack…grandeur.

Happily, it will not be long before I’m back in Charleston for the Globaloria Academy (June 24-26). I look forward to meeting all of you in the Globaloria learning community!

As the new kid on the (virtual) block, I ask you to share your insights, links and comments with me. Successful blogs are first and foremost forums for dynamic dialogue, idea exchange and communal learning. Let’s work together to reenergize the Globaloria blogosphere!

Your GB,
Rachel

How to evaluate our students’ Globaloria projects and participation?

Amazingly, our students are well into the creation of their games. Many of you have been thinking hard about how to evaluate our students’ work, their games and presentations.

As we encouraged you in the summer Globaloria Academy, we hope that you have actually shared the evaluation forms and process with your students. If not, now would be a great time to review the evaluation forms and process with students and talk about their questions. It is important to let them understand how their participation, each and every day, in class and on the class wiki, their team work as well as their final games and their presentations will be evaluated.

The Globaloria community has collaborated on an Evaluation Tool Kit. It is located on the Educator's Wiki.

Please share with us how you change it to fit better with your students’ level, style, and accomplishments:

• Project-based Learning Using a Wiki Management System -- Evaluation Tool

• Game Design and Development Topic -- Evaluation Tool

• Game Team Presentation and Game -- Evaluation Tool

These resources are a starting point for you, and we hope that you will adapt them to fit your students needs.

For example, if you are at the middle school level you may need to customize or simplify the descriptions for the performance categories. At the high school level, you may want to add an area of focus that you integrated into your class throughout the semester.

Remember, good evaluation is a critical part of the learning process and can be an extremely powerful and positive experience for your students.

Blogging Globalora Educators

We are so excited about Year 2 here at Globaloria. Our educators have really committed to blogging about their progress and experiences as part of the Globaloria WV program. This increased activity and reflection has really enhanced our community and connected peer educators throughout the state.

Here is a list of our educators' blogs. I have included a link to their profile on their school wiki, a link to their blog where you can read all about their classroom, and a link to the RSS feed that would allow you to subscribe to their blog if you want.

Take a minute to check them out, subscribe to them, and learn about the program, and be sure to leave comments!

Randy Cantrell

Blog: http://randycan77.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://randycan77.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Heidi Fitzpatrick

Blog: http://heidiglobaloriapage.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://heidiglobaloriapage.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Megan McGee

Blog:http://meganmcgee1701.blogspot.com

RSS:http://meganmcgee1701.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Bill Dorsey

Blog: http://capitalhsta.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://capitalhsta.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Angela Cruikshank

Blog: http://cruikshank-globaloria.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://cruikshank-globaloria.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Lisa Dolan

Blog: http://ldolan.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://ldolan.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Vicky Neal

Blog: http://vnealart.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://vnealart.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Bobbi Scofield

Blog: http://my2amthoughts.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://my2amthoughts.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Les Mullins

Blog: http://lmullens.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://lmullens.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Abbie Franks

Blog: http://zippyspage.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://zippyspage.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Jim Allder

Blog: http://jimallder.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://jimallder.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Richard Cowley

Blog: http://cowleycomments.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://cowleycomments.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Natalie Ellis

Blog: http://natalieellis.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://natalieellis.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Patrick Smith

Blog: http://patrickstronsmith.blogspot.com

RSS: http://patrickstronsmith.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Lori Tate

Blog: http://missloriglobaloriaclass.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://missloriglobaloriaclass.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Carl Carpenter

Blog: http://carpsglobaloria.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://carpsglobaloria.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Denise Stalnaker

Blog: http://helpdeniseteach.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://helpdeniseteach.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Ingrida Barker

Blog: http://ingridasblog.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://ingridasblog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Jeremy Reed

Blog: http://www.sweetjessereed.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://sweetjessereed.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Sara Garrett

Blog: http://www.blogbymrsg.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://blogbymrsg.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Tonji Bowen

Blog: http://glifeckat.blogspot.com/

RSS: http://glifeckat.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Check out this Great Video

This video should make you feel really good about being a part of the Globaloria Program here in West Virginia.  A passionate teacher makes a presentation about how education might look in the Google Age.

 



If you can't see the video, go here.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/geoffd/videos/50/

Finding Time to Reflect

With the Globaloria Learning and Teaching Progress Reports due at the end of the month, I thought it would be a good time to revisit a question from the Educator's Forum.

Group Forum/Worry about finding time to document and do rather intensive record keeping requirements.

Ingrida left a great idea on the forum.  Take a few minutes a day to get your thoughts down in a little note to yourself. Capture what happened during the class period, what went great, what were your challenges.  These types of quick reflections are exactly what needs to go into your progress report.  It would also be good to capture some specifics about your students.  Johnny asked this question, Mary reviewed this game,  Timmy is becomming a leader in his group by providing support for his team.

A few notes a day will go a long way when when pulling together your reflections.

Do you have any ideas?

Maitreyi's Globaloria Blog

Most of you have met Maitreyi Doshi. She is our Special Projects Coordinator for the Globaloria program here in West Virginia. Maitreyi is a gifted young lady who is going to bring a lot of energy and talent to our WV Team.  She has already conducted two training sessions related to graphic design and using images in Flash.  She has also really taken on the roll of collecting needed information from our schools.  All that paperwork that has to be done.

I am happy to announce that Maiytreyi has started a blog!  Check out her first post here.

My First Month at Globaloria

Welcome to our community and the MyGLIfe Network Maitreyi!

Talk:Group Forum/How do I combat competing school interests / activities? - WVwiki

At the Globaloria Academy in Charleston last month we had a great session that provided all educators to ask questions. We then attempted to have a group discussion around these great questions. However, time was not on our side and we had to limit some of the great discussion that we taking place. I am goign to try to continue that discussion here on my blog. The first question I will mention is about competing against school interests. I posted a response on the Educator's Wiki in the Educator's Forum and I am going to share it here on the blog as well for those of you who didn't go back and check it out. 

The first paragraph is notes from our discussion, the second is my response after the workshop. If you have any ideas, post them in the comments.

Crittenton team: You can offer incentives for the students to participate. We had an incentive every 3 months for those who continued participating. You can also offer different times than during activities and work around their times. You can also offer more than one time a day for the class so they can pick between the 2 times. You also can get the schedules of the students before you decide on your class times. Loretta: We encountered this in Year 1. We doubled up days in weeks when they were there. Having laptops that students could take home helped too.

Being Proactive

I think there is a lot to be said about being proactive. If you can plan ahead, get the word out early, and really empower the students to continuing to work even if conflicts present themselves, you can go a long way in reducing the impact of other school activities. If missing once or twice due to an alternative event doesn't slowdown progress in game development, because students know what they need to be working on as soon as they get back, then I think the program can still flourish. I have been reading a lot about being proactive and having an "abundance" attitude, sometimes it is hard, but is really powerful when you can think this way.--Lee 09:47, 21 August 2008 (EDT)

Talk:Group Forum/How do I combat competing school interests / activities? - WVwiki