Learning,+Teaching,+Leading+-+Creating+a+Toolbox+for+Today

=Learning, Teaching, Leading: Creating a Toolbox for Today=

Learning, Teaching, Leading: A Toolbox for Today ** WASD Cr.3/Act 48 90 hrs ** Instructor - Michael A. Soskil 570-676-3335 x 1220 (School) Plurk & Twitter ID – msoskil metsoskil.wikispaces.com
 * __ Contact Info __** : soskilmi {at} wallenpaupack.org


 * __ Course Livebinder __** : []
 * __ Course Description __** : At a time when information is free and easy to obtain, teaching students to analyze and use that information in innovative ways is more important than demanding they learn facts. This course will focus on the critical skills our students will need in their futures: collaboration, critical thinking, effective communication, and creativity. We will examine project based learning, web 2.0 tools, great pedagogical practices, and methods of customizing a professional learning network to provide instant, relevant professional development.
 * __ Meeting Dates __** : All meetings will be on Tuesdays in WASE Rm. 215 from 3:30-8:00
 * 2011: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Dec. 13, Dec. 20
 * 2012: Jan. 3, Jan. 10, Jan. 17
 * __ Course Topics (May change based on needs of participants) __**
 * Session 1 – Building a Professional Learning Network (PLN) using Plurk, Twitter hashtags, Google+, Google Reader, and Social Bookmarking..
 * Session 2 – Creating a Class Wiki or Blog
 * Session 3 – Using a digital camera and video in the classroom – Creating video content, the flipped classroom phenomenon, Voicethread, places to find video content for your class, ways to easily empower students with a camera, taking a screenshot, and Animoto will all be explored.
 * Session 4 – Project Based Learning – We will spend the class exploring what PBL is, what it is not, and ways to implement it in our classrooms. In addition to using resources such as the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), we will collaborate with educators who have successfully created a culture of learning using PBL.
 * Session 5 – Discovery Education
 * Session 6 – Web 2.0 Tools
 * Session 7 – Google Apps (Searching more effectively, Docs, Forms, Earth, Maps, Translate, Sites, and SketchUp)
 * Session 8 – Videoconferencing and how to find experts to collaborate with your students
 * Session 9 – Individualized Professional Development – TED talks, YouTube, iTunesU, edublogs, and professional organizations.
 * Session 10 – Formative Assessment and Standards Based Grading

¨ Use a social bookmarking site to save links and resources throughout the class. Build your PLN to 50 or more members on Plurk or a more specific networking site. Post at least twice a day for at least two weeks with specific content or questions. ¨ Participate in at least one Twitter “chat.” ¨ Open a Google Reader account and subscribe to at least 10 educational blogs that you find interesting. Check your account a few times per week or more. ¨ Create a class wiki or blog and assign log-in username and passwords to your class (KG and 1st grade teachers do not need to create student log-ins) ¨ Use a digital camera to post video and/or pictures to your class wiki or blog on at least 3 separate occasions. ¨ Design a PBL lesson for your students and implement it into your classroom. Share the results by posting on your wiki or blog. ¨ Use Discovery Education content with your students on at least one occasion. ¨ Teach your students (or allow them to teach you) about three web2.0 tools that you have not used before this class. Embed the results of the student’s efforts on your wiki or blog. ¨ Identify an expert on a topic you will be studying in class and set up a videoconference with that person and your class. ¨ Use at least three Google tools with your class. You can count teaching students about “advanced search” as one of them. ¨ Watch at least one TED talk, one Youtube video, comment on at least two blog posts, and listen to at least one podcast that directly relates to your job. Share each of those things with your PLN. ¨ Examine your assessment and grading practices to see if SBG would lead to greater student learning.
 * __ Course Completion Checklist __**