Teaching with Pintrest - Continued

          Yesterday we posted about how teachers can use Pintrest in the education field.  Today we found an article that backs up what we said as well as gives some ideas we didn't think of.  So for some more great ideas for using Pintrest take a look at "3 Ways To Use Pinterest In The Classroom" posted by Terry Heick. 
          Happy Pinning!

Need Ideas for New Lesson Plans? Pintrest Can Help!

                Pintrest is a website that’s popularity has exploded in the last year and now, you can find almost anything on there.   Created for the “do it yourself” or crafty crowd it has evolved into a great resource for teachers.  The idea is that the site is like a giant corkboard where people “pin” pictures of the things that interest them.  Simply click on the picture and it will take you to the original website.  To make it even easier there is a list of categories at the top you can choose to narrow your search.   This is where we found the education section that we just had to share with you teachers!

You can find lesson plans, fun ways to engage kids, craft ideas for students and for decorating your classroom, facts about today’s education system, and much more.  For example, activities for a kindergarten classroom can be found here.  And to show teachers how much they really are appreciated, look at this.  Scroll through or create your own account to swap strategies with other teachers and see how your classroom can be enhanced!

Second Life helping Professional Development

             We are always looking for ways to improve and expand the teaching of Professional Development.  Recently we found an article on zite that does just that by introducing the use of the website Second Life.

Second Life is an online, virtual world where players can create a representation of themselves called an avatar.  The site allows you to live through this alternate version of you, earning money (called L$ in the game), buying virtual products, socializing with others, exploring the world and more.   

Since its creation in 2003 many educational institutions have built buildings in the virtual world and used it as a learning tool for students.  Project DIRECT did this to create a place for teachers to meet and converse.  According to the article “The mission of Project DIRECT (Distance Innovations for Rural Educators using Communication Technologies) is to support rural schoolteachers with the integration of technology into their content areas of reading, writing and studying, and to be in a safe community full of teacher collegiality.”  The program is conducted almost entirely on Second Life. 

Because the project was created for rural teachers, the participants are not centrally located which makes an online program ideal.  The avatars explore the campus Project DIRECT has lain out where there are instructions on how to use different features on the site and therefore expanding familiarity with technology.  Once teachers get the feel of navigating the simulated world, they can go on learning safaris.  Each safari teaches a new aspect of Professional Development.  It also creates a space for teachers to meet each other and share ideas or questions. 

Project DIRECT was just one application of how Second Life can be used for Professional Development but the possibilities are endless.   

If you would like to read the article for yourselves or watch the video that accompanies it, you can find it here.

Tell Your Story: Part 2

2 More Steps To Sharing and Bonding!

Stage 3: Finding Commonalities while Looking at Diversity (5 minutes prep time, 30 secs/person, plus 15 minutes debriefing)  [Excellent to use with a group that thinks they know each other. Also works with strangers. This has the potential to be very powerful.]

Hand out one note card and pencil to every person. Ask them to think about one moment or experience that changed them and made them unique/different.  It should be something that absolutely no one in the room knows about them.  It can be something that happened to them or something that they chose to do.  It can be something sad or something joyful.  It can be something that makes them angry, nervous, and frightened or something that makes them happy, hopeful, or excited.  They are to write one or two sentences describing the event/experience.  They are not to identify themselves on the cards.  Be sure to tell them in advance that the cards will be collected and redistributed and read out loud (although they will NOT be identified).  This will allow them to really think about whether they want to write something on the card to share with the entire group. Each person will then read the card out loud that they are given.  Debrief by asking people to describe, analyze and apply what they discovered from the experience of hearing the other stories.  Most likely you will hear people say things like: “Wow, I was surprised that there are so many people in the room who have experienced something tragic.” Or “I will be more careful in the future about how I speak about XYZ because I never thought there would be someone right here that experienced XYZ.”  Or “I wrote ABC on my card… that was me.  And I was so surprised that two other people also wrote about ABC.  I thought I was alone, but now I know I am not alone.”

Stage 4:  A Place at the Table (1-2 hours) [Excellent for building a deeper sense of community while discussing uncomfortable issues.]

This activity is based on the notion that not everyone in our society has a place at the metaphoric table of democracy.  Participants and tables are numbered.  For example, if you have 20 participants (no. 1-20) and four tables/sessions (no. 1-4), you will want to make up a session chart placing different people at each table for each session.  This chart should be arranged thoughtfully; mixing participants as much as possible.  Each table/session is given a topic (race, differing abilities, gender, GBLTIQQA, socio-economic, etc.).  Provide general information based on the knowledge level of participants at each table (e.g. barriers, demographic information, struggles, stereotypes, etc.).  Ask participants to discuss accordingly at each table.  Allow them 15-20 minutes at each table. Make sure there is a symbolic empty chair at each table to represent the voice(s) that may or may not be represented by the table’s topic.  Encourage each table to dig deeply and honestly into their own perceptions, stereotypes, prejudices, etc.  Allow time at the end to debrief this activity:  What did you learn from this experience?  How can the table be more inviting and accepting for our diverse brothers and sisters?  What can you do to make this happen in your school, community, family?


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Tell Your Story: Part 1

Luckily, people like to share. 

Through sharing we learn about people and about ourselves. Everyone has a story if only someone would ask. Here is an activity that has been done in community learning before and can be replicated as a bonding activity.

Stage 1: Find the Person (20 minutes; need note cards and pencils) [Excellent for a new community or a new group of people working together.]

Ask each person to write one unusual thing about themselves that they are certain no one in the room knows about them. Tell them not to identify themselves on the cards.  Collect the cards and redistribute.  Then ask each person to try to find the person based on the description on the card they were given.  Once the person is identified; encourage them to share basic information such as name, hobby, etc.  Each person is then responsible for introducing the person described on their card to the rest of the group (e.g. this is Jane.  She once saved someone from choking. She is a math teacher at Lincoln. Her partner and she have three children under the age of five.).

Stage 2: Tell me Your Story (4-5 minutes per person) [Excellent for really getting to know someone and creating a comfortable, safe space to share personal information.]

It is best to give the participants some notice, but not necessary.  Ask the participants to share some personal story with the rest of the group (e.g. what experience motivated or affirmed your choice to make education your career?).  Gather the people in a tight half circle (rows may be necessary) and place one chair at the front of the circle.  Each person takes turns sharing their story.  Be prepared for lots of laughter and tears.

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