Indistinguishable from Magic

Complying with the TEACH Act

2011-03-30T20:29:00.007-05:00

I had not heard of the TEACH Act before so I was delighted to read more about it. Below are my reflections about the TEACH Act.

The TEACH Act changed the way materials could be used in distance education courses in these ways:

1. The kind of materials that can be displayed in distance education to entire performances of “nondramatic literature or music” and “reasonable portions” of other works.

2. The requirement of a physical classroom is now gone. This important change now allows students to access digital materials in a course whenever and wherever they have access to a laptop or a PC.

3. The storage of copyrighted materials on a server is now allowed which makes available both synchronous and asynchronous use of copyrighted performances and displays.

4. Digitized versions of analog works can be made that are not available in a digital format.

Instructors of online courses are liable for adherence to the policy.

As an instructor, if I decided to include Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" in my online course and I found a digital copy on the Internet, I would use the digital copy already online because the TEACH Act states that if a digital copy is available, then it should be used by the instructor.

Read about the TEACH Act here:

Copyright Law and Distance Education: Overview of the TEACH Act
by Kenneth D. Crews

Is There A Need?

2011-03-20T15:26:00.006-05:00

When I told one of my colleages that I was thinking about creating a "Digitizing the Writing Workshop" online course, they asked "Is there a need for that type of course in your district?"

That got me to thinking about my course and if there was truly a need for it or if I just wanted to create the course because I am interested in writing. Check out my Needs Assessment here:

Online Course Needs Assessment

The Online Course Syllabus

2011-03-15T10:48:00.001-05:00

The syllabus in an online course can serve as a communication tool between the course instructor and the participant. Course expectations and procedures can be communicated in the syllabus, in addition, to information about how to best communicate with the instructor of the course (i.e., email, phone).

Secondly, the syllabus in an online course can also serve as a binding commitment between the course instructor and the participant. It can help answer any questions the participant might have about the course, as well as, inform the participants about the consequences for failing to meet course expectations.

Lastly, the syllabus can serve as a learning guide for the participant taking the online course. Helpful tips about how to succeed in an online course, including, where to access course checklists, advice about where to get help, and how to manage time, are all items that can be included in the syllabus.

Some elements of an online syllabus that needs to be included and stressed upon that differs from that of a syllabus from a traditional face-to-face course include:

1. Course Overview/Navigation – how to navigate through the course and where items can be found

2. Course Participation – posting expectations as well as how attendance point will be gained

3. Technology Requirements – hardware and/or software requirements

4. Specific Course Procedures – how students should proceed each week after completing one module

What other ways do you think an online course syllabus is different?

The syllabus is definitely an important part of any course.

ADDIE Model of Instructional Design

2011-03-14T16:28:00.004-05:00

Below is a diagram of the 5 stages of the ADDIE Model of Instructional Design and what each stage means to me.

As part of the “Analyze” phase, I completed a needs assessment and a pre-course survey for the online course I am creating.

I believe the “Analyze” phase of Instructional Design is so important because it lays the groundwork so that I am able to create a quality online course. Being able to analyze the goals I want to achieve, the material I want to teach, and the learner’s abilities will help me plan and sort out the components of my course. Being able to collect this critical information will only help me in this process.

What else could I have done during the “Analyze” phase of instruction in order to better help me think through the course I’m going to create?

The Zen of Facilitation

2009-11-29T12:06:00.015-06:00

While getting ready to go back to work after being off for the Thanksgiving holidays, I came across the article, "The Zen of Facilitation." I read the article at a session at the NWP Annual Meeting in Philadelphia the week prior to our holiday break.

The article is by Joellen P. Killion and Lynn A. Simmons. It differentiated between the behavior/beliefs of a “facilitator” and the behavior/beliefs of a “trainer”. The article really helped me come to a better understanding of what it means to “facilitate” rather than “train”. I wish I would have read the article years ago. It’s a great article and I enjoyed reading it because I can reflect on the past years as a facilitator and identify with some of the points made by the authors.

One quote in the article that I really liked was:

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need... My best work is done when I forget my own point of view; the less I make of myself, the more I am... This is the wisdom...: to let go in order to achieve.

This reminds me about how I need to make the effort to read and talk with others who don't necessarily share my point of view. I need to become exposed to new perspectives in order to generate my new learning...how often I forget this. Through this Zen-like process we can all expand our view, increase our knowledge, and deepen our learning.

Another thing the article mentions, which caused great debate at the table in which I sat was:

... facilitation decisions are made spontaneously rather than by a set of specified outcomes.

As opposed to trainers, who operate from a pre-established plan that directs the participants toward specified outcomes, Killion and Simmons argue that facilitators do not begin with a set outcome or resolution - that the plan emerges as the participants work.

What are your thoughts? Does facilitation have pre-conceived outcomes?

Philadelphia, PA

2009-11-24T14:36:00.005-06:00

Below are pictures from my trip to the 2009 National Writing Project Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The strangest think I saw was the Yellow Skeleton painted on the crosswalk. Perhaps this poor person had been run down by rush hour traffic and left to molder in the crosswalks. I assume it’s a commentary on traffic’s menace to pedestrians, but maybe they’re just for fun, who knows? Maybe it's a reminder to pedestrians that when the sign says “Don’t Walk," that means stay on the side walk and out of the street! Nevertheless, I had a great time and learned a lot!

Reliable Information

2009-11-23T22:12:00.005-06:00

In this digital age, we talk about the amount of information that can be found on the Web, and how easy it is to access the information we need. With that, comes an issue: how can we become more selective and critical regarding information that is on the Web. How do we know if the information that is out there is reliable? I don’t know if the authors of the video below had this in mind when they created it, but I relate it to the importance of teaching critical thinking to our students. What does this video mean to you?

Virtual Schooling

2009-11-08T23:17:00.015-06:00

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to attend Tech Forum Southwest 2009 in Austin, Texas. When it came time to attend the Roundtable Discussion, I decided to attend the one on Virtual Schooling. Below are my notes from the discussion:

~Plano ISD began their eSchool in 1999. The website can be found at http://www.planoisdeschool.net/ ~They currently use Blackboard.
~Students can take up to 3 online courses for either credit recovery or for additional credits in order to get ahead and prepare for college.
~Plano charges $250-$300 per course.
~Teachers get paid a stipend to facilitate the courses ($125. per student)
~Students from all over (not just Plano ISD) can enroll in the courses.
~If you are a provider district of online courses, TEA sends 3 reviewers to review your courses based on Bloom's, TEKS, and iNacol Standards.
~When a students completes a course, the receiving district gets $80 (unless the student is in your district - a district can't be a provider and receiver).
~Teachers at Plano ISD create the online courses.
~These teachers are hand picked and have experience in developing curriculum. Some have TxVSN certification.
~It was mentioned that the state will be requiring certification to teach online courses very soon.
~All courses are 18 weeks in length, however, a student can finish it as early as 6 weeks if they decide to work ahead.
~There isn't a set minimum of participants required in the course. The teacher decides this. They may take as few as 5-10 students during the school year or up to 25 students during the summer. It all depends on the teacher's schedule.
~Policies and Procedures for the online courses have been established. They can be found at http://www.planoisdeschool.net/pdf/PolicyGuidelines.pdf
~Statements on Academic Integrity are important. http://www.planoisdeschool.net/AcademicIntegrity.htm
~Before students can register for an online course, it must first be approved by the school counselor.

I loved it when our table leader said, "Design your course around what you want the end result to be."

Picture Trail

2009-11-08T13:27:00.008-06:00

Exploring Picture Trail - http://www.picturetrail.com/

Check out my "Get a Wiki in SAISD" photo slideshow.

Moodle Toolbox - Tips and Tricks for K-12

2009-06-14T10:59:00.010-05:00

Below are my notes on Mark McCall's Moodle Toolbox - Tips and Tricks for K-12 session at the TCEA Area 7 Conference held on June 12, 2009 at White Oak I.S.D. Session Description: In this session, we will look at key tips and tricks for managing a Moodle server. We will explore the Moodle Site Administration Block features to provide site wide standardization. We will focus on Site wide features that impact grades, modules, and utilizing Front Page Site files.

1. Mark administers the Moodle Server at Bryan ISD
2. Session is about version 1.9.5, which is the most current version
3. In Moodle.org, in the downloads, you can download a full moodle installation. This allows you to have a sandbox.
4. In version 1.9.5, there are major changes to the Gradebook.
5. Moodle has many activities and resources available.
6. Turn editing on and click on drop down box to add an activity or resources, for example, a label, book, assignment, forums, etc.
7. Mark mainly uses forums and quizzes.
8. If you don't want to allow chats, then from the Admin activity window, you can hide the chat option. The teacher won't even see it.
9. Defaults can be set, for example, for quizzes. You can turn off feedback until after the quiz has closed so that students can't log back in and see the questions. This can be done by clicking on the Advanced Settings.
10. If you are an administrator and want to see if 100% of your students were taken on campus, you can set a required network address. To get into the quiz, then student will have to be located on campus. To allow students to work at home, all you have to do is removed the network address.
11. Blocks and RSS feeds can be limited as well at the site admin level.
12. The other area that is important in K-12 is the filters. Multimedia plugins is where you can set what can play. All is set to default on, except flash files.
13. Text filter - this is where you can filter text. This can be enabled.
14. Drag and drop map -
15. Auto Linking Filters works like Wikipedia. This automatically links text within the site.
16. Glossary - LDAP settings - with autolinking turned on, will automatically link to the LDAP settings. Teachers like this feature, up until a quiz is ready to be given.
17. You can select text and click on the red X to unlink text on quizzes or tests to prevent auto-linking.
18. Word Censorship - This will block out certain words. Instead of word, you will see asterisks. You can use a standard list of words. However, it applies to the entire site. You can get around this by creating a graphic/print screen for the word. Graphics break the word filter.
19. Grade Options - The name column, etc. is different.
20. Teacher had many grade custom settings available for them.
21. Outcomes can be added, for example testable TEKS can be assigned to outcomes.
22. From site admin side, defaults for gradebook can be set, for example default for letter grades.
23. Gradespeed is used but Moodle Gradebook is used at Bryan ISD in a drop box context to add assignments so students can see which assignments are missing.
24. Site files - Files located within a course are only available to those students in that course. Course files can be exported from one course and imported to another.
25. Sharing files - A main directory for site files can be created. The URL of the file can be taken and posted to another site and it will display correctly.
26. Question - Can each teacher have a frontpage like the site does? No
27. Multiple Teacher within a Course - Add a teacher and assign roles. Teacher has privileges but the teacher's name appears nowhere in the course.
28. Learner.net has an add on, called alfresco implementation. Allows a teacher to build a repository.
29. Groups within a Course - Groups can automatically be built with auto-create function. Students can belong to multiple groups.

I Will Never Forget

2009-04-23T00:05:00.007-05:00

Something I wrote a while back:

IT WAS A TERRIBLY cold day in March and I was getting dressed to go to one of the world’s most dreadful places. Dachau, named after the German city in which it was located, was the Nazi regime's first concentration camp. It lies 20 minutes outside of Munich. It’s true that this camp was never used for complete and utter mass murder like other camps such as Auschwitz, but nevertheless, many people died there from overworking, malnutrition, and disease, being victims of acts of cruelty and despair. Since Dachau was the first concentration camp built, it served as a model for others, as well as a training ground for the people who would inflict terror and death upon millions.

Why did I want to visit such a place? To this day, I don’t know what my reasons were. I don’t know any holocaust survivors, but feel strongly that I want to understand their experience and try to make sense of what happened. Perhaps in some way, I can honor the memory of those that died – by remembering. Therefore, walk with me through Dachau as the prisoners did and attempt to understand what the site conveys to me.

A tour bus took us through the quiet streets. The sky was gray and overcast. Little houses lined the streets, no one was in sight. I wondered why people live here at all, what sort of reaction the Dachau citizens get when people ask where they’re from. Perhaps they say they are from Munich or other parts of Germany. As I listened to our young German tour guide tell us about Dachau, I could hear and feel the guilt in his voice, a sense of shame for what his ancestors did.

As the bus pulled up to the camp site, I saw a billboard that read, “Vilkommen en Dachau!”—which was about the strangest thing I’d ever seen. As we entered the camp on this cold day, I saw a white snowcovered ground, gray concrete buildings, and
barbed wired fences around the guard towers. Standing inside the gates, I felt tension right away.

First, we were to go to the main memorial museum and watch an exhibit. As we walked to the museum, I saw the dreary roll-call area where the prisoners had to report every morning and evening. Standing there is a monument, which later I discovered was created by a Yugoslavian sculptor imprisoned in Nazi labor camps during the World War. This huge bronze sculpture depicts shattered, skeletal body parts caught in a mesh of barbed wire.

We entered the museum, which used to be a former administrative building. I had never felt so cold. The exhibit began with a timeline of the camp's history, factual and unemotional. The voice heard was monotone, nothing like that of our tour guide. The goal of the exhibition was to recreate as much as possible the path the inmates took upon entering the camp. After the exhibition was over, I was speechless. I couldn’t even imagine the horrible pain and suffering these prisoners endured.

In the other gloomy gray rooms in the museum, I saw black and white banners with printed words and images describing parts of Dachau. These gray rooms were originally areas for processing incoming prisoners. The old black and white photos of the prisoners showed faces of hunger and pain. All the prisoners were shaved and dressed identically in striped clothing. I found myself looking at the faces of the prisoners in the photos, wondering who they were. Upon leaving the main memorial, we were told, “If you aren’t sure you want to go outside, you can remain here in the museum.” This statement made me feel like one of the prisoners, fearful of what I would encounter. Was this what they were trying to accomplish all along?

As we walked outside to tour the rest of the camp, we passed the black iron gates with the words, ARBEIT MACHT FREI—“Work will make you free”. This of course was an utter lie; no amount of work would ever free a prisoner. I was surprised by how small the letters were, yet so big to the prisoners. Every time I raised my camera to take a photograph, I found it even harder to press the button.

As I walked through a gas chamber, I was able to see how the system worked. I had heard before that these gas chambers were disguised as shower houses. In the first room the prisoners would enter, they would be briefed on how to use the showers. In the next room, they would be instructed to take off their clothes and enter the third room marked with a sign above the door, "Brausebad" or "shower bath". This third room even had fake shower heads in the ceiling. The fourth room was used as a place to store bodies before they were moved to the crematorium in the fifth room, which contained 3 large ovens. The whole thing felt so cruel and inhumane that I did not want to touch anything; for fear that some kind of compassion might drain from me and be wasted on the walls.

The tears poured down my cheeks. I was ready to leave. I was shivering and it wasn’t from the bitter cold air. As I walked back to the tour bus, I realized every place I stepped was a spot where someone may have died. I stood there and imagined the ground scattered with half-starved bodies. I felt terrified and sick.

As everyone boarded the tour bus to leave, no one would look at each other, much less talk. The silence alone was enough to make anyone shutter. All that could be heard were the sniffles of those who were weeping quietly. None of us who visited Dachau that day felt better for having visited. I, as well as everyone around me, appeared to feel worse. We were emotionally shattered and numbed by fear and pity.

However, as we drove further and further away, the clouds broke apart, and the most
brilliant rays of light came streaming through the clouds. The crying stopped
and we all looked at each other as the warmth of the sun hit our faces. I will
never forget.

Digital Conversion

2009-03-05T22:07:00.011-06:00

A little humor...

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1832247

Making a Difference with Technology

2009-03-04T18:58:00.006-06:00

I was asked to write an article about how technology transforms teaching, learning, and leadership. To get the "feel" for the article, I used Letterpop - http://letterpop.com to compose my article. Letterpop is an easy way to create and send newsletters online. My article can be found at:

http://letterpop.com/newsletters/DBenner/114890/

Suggestions for improvement are welcome.

How do you think technology transforms teaching, learning, and leadership?

Do You Practice What You Preach?

2009-02-24T20:47:00.000-06:00

Someone said to me today "You need a blog." Although it had crossed my mind occasionally, it was nothing I gave serious thought to. Why? For several reasons: 1.) Who in the world would actually be interested in what I have to say and actually gain something from it?; 2.) Why put myself out there so that others can pass judgement and/or contradict my views?; and most importantly, 3.) What about my writing ability? I have never had a lot of faith in my writing abilities...never felt that I inherited my father's creative writing gene. Writing, to me is so intimate. Even if it's not about your deepest emotions, it's still a little part of your soul, spilled out on paper (or shall I say spilled out on the web).

I have always kept my writing to myself. I recall having to safeguard my childhood diary from my older brother, who would always try to sneak a peak every chance he got. While I find value and appreciation in writing and recognize that it is vital for my growth - I still remain skeptical of my talent as a writer.

That being said, the reality is that I haven't embraced blogging all together with open arms - yet I have chosen a career path in which I will teach and encourage other to blog. How can I preach what I don't practice?

Come out of my shell? I thought I already had...but maybe I'm just now beginning to...

So, I would like to thank the person who said to me today, "You need a blog." You have inspired me !