John Hendron

Director of Innovation and Strategy

Archives for May 2010

Google “Stuff” for SY 2010-11

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In doing recently planning with my colleagues this year, I’ve decided to make some changes next year to the Google Apps for Education domain we currently have been running in “beta” with a handful of students.

This service has been providing filtered e-mail, docs, and presentations to students. Because of a new e-mail and chat policy that we will be presenting to the school board soon, we will be required to archive all e-mail, and we currently cannot afford to archive student e-mail. Therefore, effective this June, student e-mail on this service will no longer be offered.

However, I do plan on making this service available next year to all secondary students. And today, in addition to the services mentioned above, I have added Google Wave, the revolutionary new Web 2.0 communications platform by Google to the domain.

Please consider taking our GoogleGoodies class this summer if you’d like to learn more about how you can leverage these innovative suite of tools into your teaching next school year.

Summer Tech Update

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Have you signed up for any Technology classes for this summer? Take a look at our new, expanded schedule.

Click the picture below to watch our video. Thanks to Mrs. Cantor who learned how to use Apple’s FinalCut Studio Motion application today in making this video.

QT Video

  • Basics 1: Files, Searching, Backups, Preferences and More
  • Basics 2: E-mail, Web, and Chat
  • Basics 3: Productivity: iWork – Pages, Numbers, and Keynote
  • iMovie Projects for High School Students
  • Google Goodies
  • iMovie for Grades 1-3
  • It’s Raining Bits! Digital Buckets and Student Success (tagging, research, digital citizenship)
  • G21 Planning
  • Promethean Master Class

We’ve divided our three-day basics class into three separate classes. Take all three, and get integration credit.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Digital Age Leaders

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A Dec-Jan article from Leading & Learning with Technology (from ISTE) had an article on 5 considerations for digital age leaders. I liked their list of 5 “hot topics,” which were:

  1. Visionary Leadership
  2. Digital Age Learning Culture
  3. Systemic Improvement
  4. Excellence in Professional Practice
  5. Digital Citizenship

There were no profound “oh my goshes!” in the article, but I think the five areas they cover are not always on our radar.

Learning Hacks Re-visited

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In my presentation to folks here in Goochland last school year on the 7 Learning Hacks, I implored teachers to use pictures and videos to introduce concepts, treating them as media as part of an anticipatory set or as an advance organizer.

Dr. Robert Marzano has recently published some findings about non-linguistic representations, and these can include drawings students make themselves.

Nonlinguistic strategies require students to generate a representation of new information that does not rely on language. In the hundreds of action research projects that we have conducted with teachers throughout the years, this approach is one of the most commonly studied. Specifically, across 129 studies in which teachers used nonlinguistic strategies—such as graphic organizers, sketches, and pictographs—with one class but not with another class studying the same content, the average effect was a 17 percentile point gain in student achievement (Haystead & Marzano, 2009).
  1. NLR come in many forms.
  2. NLR must identify crucial information.
  3. Students should explain their own NLR.
  4. NLR can take a lot of time.
  5. Students should revise their NLR when necessary.

Read the full story on this research via ASCD.

Teacher School

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I recently just read a blog post from Scott Elias, who is an assistant principal out in Colorado. It’s entitled: “What you need to know when you’re done with teacher school.”

I really think he has some great tips. Being interested. Avoid negativity, and “Be a Learner.” I think that’s why I really enjoy my job–I love learning. There’s new stuff floating in via bits and bytes every day.

Stay positive as we move forward through our spring testing season! My appreciation goes to Karren Streagle here from GCPS for keeping positive and including her own brand of fun into preparing us for SOL administration beginning next week.

Summer Classes 2010

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Participating in these courses can help you prepare for the 2010-11 school year by taking care of your technology integration course requirement now, in the summer! Please note the only class that does not count toward this requirement is the Mac and Internet basics class. All classes (except for Scratch/Alice) come with recertification points.

To sign up for courses, either follow the special links listed below, or visit our class signup page for all the rest! Our target for each course is 6 or more participants. Classes with fewer participants can be canceled. The status of classes will be added to each page on the wiki (for Scratch/Alice, you must apply, and your participation in the course will be confirmed in an e-mail).

Scratch and Alice: Diginspire II

Goochland Central Office Training Room Monday June 21st through Friday June 25th Ideal for Teachers Covering Grades 4-12 Special Signup Required

John G. Hendron and Bea Cantor, instructors

Alice is a 3D environment where you can control what characters do in the 3D space and what they do over time. The Alice “programming” environment uses drag and drop blocks to construct “sentences,” teaching the basics of computer programming to advanced middle and high school students.

Scratch is a 2D environment where media comes alive! Like Alice, using drag and drop blocks, Scratch allows students to create their own media and games. Participants will get a PICOBoard, an add-on for Scratch that allows for input by way of special buttons, sound, and light.

Participants in this class must attend all 5 days and there are teacher stipends for this project. Your participation beyond the summer-long course is required, joining other teachers across Virginia in developing instructional modules for use with your students.

40 hours; paid stipend, advanced level (integration +)

Ethics of Copyright/Cyberspace and Internet Safety

Online via Moodle June 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010 Ideal for for All Teachers

John G. Hendron, instructor

This is the required course for new teachers with Goochland County Schools. But what’s changed since you last took “ethics?” We cover personal ethics for teachers, Internet safety for students, plus we’ll give you the skinny on copyright issues both online and off.

Asynchronous; 10 recertification points, integration level

Mac and Internet Basics

Central Office Downstairs Monday July 5 through Wednesday, July 7, 2010 from 9 AM – Noon Ideal for All Teachers

John G. Hendron, instructor

This slower-paced workshop will “start from scratch” with the MacBook laptop and Mac OS X Leopard. We’ll cover the file system, backups, and tips and tricks you can use throughout the system. We’ll also cover tips on organizing files. We also cover some basics about the Web and Internet, looking at search engines, best practices, and more. Best yet: we’ll answer your questions!

9 hours workshop; 10 recertification points, basic level

It’s Raining Bits! Digital Buckets and Student Success

Central Office Downstairs Monday July 12 through Wednesday, July 14 from 1-4 PM Ideal for Teachers covering Grades 6-12

John G. Hendron, instructor

This workshop will focus on student research practices that you can use too! We’ll cover Web 2.0 websites that you and students can use along with computers to create digital libraries of information. We’ll introduce the concept of folksonomy (keyword tagging), our digital bucket system, and managing the overflow of information available today online. Learn how to use almost any type of media online in your classroom.

9 hours workshop; 10 recertification points, integration level

G21 Stimulus Package

Central Office Downstairs Monday July 19 through Thursday July 22 from 9 AM – Noon Ideal for All Teachers

John G. Hendron, instructor

This is a repeat from last summer’s workshop on exploring the ins- and outs- of 21st century learning. By the end of this workshop, you’ll end up with your G21 plan for next school year (2010-11).

We’ll focus on how to be an innovative instructor, we’ll explore tools both on our laptops and the newest ones available online, and we will tap into possibilities with partnering with other schools from around the world. We’ll also discuss ways to raise the “G21” temperature when the laptops aren’t available. Join us and graduate with expertise in twenty-first century learning!

12 hours workshop; 12 recertification points; integration level

Promethean Master Class

Central Office Downstairs Monday August 2, 2010 through Wednesday August 4, 2010 9 AM – 3 PM Ideal for teachers with a Promethean board

John G. Hendron, instructor

In the mornings, we’ll cover (and review) Promethean ActivInspire concepts delivered in our Levels 1-3 classes. In the afternoon, we’ll focus on flipchart development. The hour of noon-1PM will be a lunch on your own time.

15 hours workshop; 15 certification points; integration level