Rapping in the Students with Video and Collaborating Writing

The Free Technology for Teachers blog featured a story about a high school teaching using two resources to ignite reluctant learners.

The first, The Week in Rap, is an online video set to rap music that reviews in a few brief minutes major events of the week. For students who don't keep current of world events, this is an excellent means to introduce them to world events and to promote in-class discussions.

Take some time to view a recent The Week in Rap video. Remember the old days when we sent students to school editions of Time or Newsweek magazines to stimulate discussions of current events. Students using The Week in Rap get a glimpse into world events in a matter of minutes, but can also replay the video and read its text to facilitate further reflection.

The other tool, Etherpad, is an online synchronous writing environment conducive to a social constructivist approach to learning, as students use the tools to collaborate and create texts. The additions each writer, at his or her own computer, makes appear on the screen as one text forms. This tool has applicability for a range of learners. Try it out with a friend or colleague.

Let us know what you think of these free tools to use in the classroom.

To learn about the high school teacher who used these two tools with her students, check on the Free Technology for Teachers blog, the posting for Monday, February 15, 2010: Using Technology to Find Students.

Peace Prize

By now, you have heard Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Here's a link to some world reaction. If you care to, weigh in on the situation. At the end of the article, you will find comments from readers. As of 7:11 pm., Oct. 9, 2009, more than 340 comments were posted. Here is a link to a running debate on What Does A Nobel Do for U.S. Leaders?

Image from: Stephen Crowley, New York Times, Oct. 9, 2009

All the World’s A Stage

This quotation from Shakespeare's play "As You Like It" comes to mind when thinking of Obama's planned address to the nation's school children this Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. The speech has not even been given, and yet there is already a nationwide and perhaps worldwide hullabaloo. What's your take on the issue? In the meantime, I have posted four resources to check out. Two are activities sponsored by the government to get school children engaged in the speech, and the third is an editorial from the New York Times blogger column, "Opinator," and as of today, Sept. 5, noon, had 144 posted responses. Lo and behold, even the White House has a Facebook site set up to converse about the speech, and I posted that link, or click on the image "White House Live."

The speech has engaged a country in dialogue and dispute. Weigh in before or after the speech, and let us know what you think about the issue. How is the discussion surrounding the speech both educational and perhaps counterproductive to education for those who oppose the open airing? Recall this is not the first time that a US President has made a speech to the school-aged children, but it seems to be the first-time there has been such a world-wide fuss. How has the Internet contributed to this stream of response? I have also posted information about various ways to access the speech online.

Menu of Classroom Activities, President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
(Grades 7-12): http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/7-12.pdf

Menu of Classroom Activities President Obama’s Address to Students (Grades Prek-6):
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/prek-6.pdf

Weekend Opinonator: Obama Goes Back to School:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/weekend-opinionator-obama-goes-back-to-school/

And for Facebook online voyagers, check out this WhiteHouse Live on Facebook for more discussion. http://apps.facebook.com/whitehouselive/

Information on When and How to Watch:

When: Tuesday, September 8th, at 12:00 PM (EDT)

How to Watch: The President's message will be streamed live on WhiteHouse.gov/live, and broadcast live on C-Span; for school districts hoping to access the satellite feed, it will be available beginning at 11:00 AM (EDT) using the following coordinates:* Galaxy 28/Transponder 17, Slot C (9 MHz)* Uplink Frequency 14344.5 Horizontal* Downlink Frequency 12044.5 Vertical

Obama image from: Barack Obama Speaking at Philadelphia's ConstitutionCenter, March 18, 2008

I just found this link online to a Bill O'Reilly 8/9/09 article in Parade Magazine, What President Obama Can Teach America's Kids, and thought I would add the link to present a viewpoint of a conservative Republican who supports Obama's reaching out to America's school children.

Photo by Erin Patrice O'Brien For PARADE

Blogging Connects Hometown Soldier with Hometown Middle Schoolers

Blogging connects an American soldier in Afghanistan with middle school children from his hometown in Ballard County, Kentucky. A seventh grader at the Ballard County Middle School helped to design the blog in December 2008 including a picture of an ice storm in January. Since, pictures of the middle school have been posted to the blog, and the National Guard Aaron Connor has been writing posts about life in Ghazni City, Afghanistan where he is stationed.
According the Ballard County School District website, “A blog has been set up where students can ask Connor, 26, questions and the soldier can respond. The public can visit at http://aaronafghanistan.blogspot.com. Many questions have been added to the blog, as well as photographs of sixth-grade activities. Connor, a gunner on a transport vehicle, has been asked about anything from his dogs, to the weather, to what he does for fun. He already has responded to many of the posts, and is in the process of answering the questions in three parts: his daily life; Afghanistan; and the dogs. On the blog, students can also comment on things that are happening in their daily lives, as well.” You can read more about Connor’s blogging, emailing, and phone calls with the students by scrolling down on the district website at: http://www.ballard.k12.ky.us/New/After reading about the blog at the district site and skimming the blog, comment on ideas that you have for using blogging to forge international connections. (Image from Aaron's blog shows sixth graders at the Ballard Middle School.)

History in the Making: Fast Forward

What does the election of Barak Ohama as the next president of the United States mean to you? How does his election relate to themes we have studied in our course, Hollywood's Rebels and Justice Seekers? Post any comments you like.

Image from: New York Times, Oct. 28, 2008