Alright, I am here and have negotiated DC traffic.  I’m getting ready for a lecture session with the creators of Scratch from MIT, a spur of the moment decision since I got the giant book full of all the available sessions.  Later today is an open source workshop and using digital video in the math classroom.  I might go to a “gather and discuss” session about using open source, OR the upcoming games and simulations SIG meeting.  Perhaps I might eat, but there’s so much else to do.

If you want the scoop, shoot me an email: smithteacher@gmail.com.

I’m really looking forward to NECC, and will be leaving for Washington, D.C. this coming weekend.  It seems like such a busy ordeal, I have no idea how I might manage to get to the Exhibit Hall or make any SIG meetings, but I think just hitting these sessions is going to give me a plethora of ideas to bring back.

Here is a list of the sessions I will be attending.

• Teaching with Digital Video in the Social Studies Classroom
• Using Digital Tools Responsibly to Create Research Papers in the Elementary Classroom
• Great Open Source Programs You Can Start Using Right Away
• Teaching with Digital Video in the Mathematics Classroom
• Teaching Elementary Students Computer Science Concepts with Scratch
• Dr. Z’s Creative Cookbook on Collaborative Communication
• CSI NECC: Computer Forensics and Data Recovery for Educators
• Improving Writing Across the Curriculum: New Tools for Old Skills
• Library of Congress Open House
• Using Place-Based Storytelling to Teach Historical and Geographical Thinking
• Digital Citizenship: Tools, Resources, and Best Practices
• 10 Standards-Based Formative Feedback Techniques Through Technology
• Raising the Bar: Differentiated Learning

I got an email from CoolCatTeacher (could it be the CoolCatTeacher???) for how to prep my laptop for the Digital Citizenship session.  The Bring Your Own Laptop sessions (BYOL, hehe) I am most looking forward to.  I’m anxious to learn some more ways to use Scratch in the classroom, not just in the lab.  Plus, formative feedback techniques through technology–sounds like something that can make life easier for the teachers.  No, I’m not excited at all, am I?

The little voice was heard!

The state of Tennessee has made a decision about allowing students to access Whyville.

There has been some discussion here as to whether we should unblock it or not. The reason we have had it blocked is because there is a chat feature on the site and the sites rules clearly states that they do not moderate that chat. As you know, chat is a category that is blocked according to the guidelines set by the Tennessee Schools k12 Cooperative. However, since the site is so educational and we believe will be used under supervision of teachers, we have decided to go ahead and allow the site for now.

Of course, it seems that this is a trial basis and if there are complaints or they find that students are abusing the chat feature, it will be blocked.  The good thing is that there are chat lessons and a test that participants in Whyville must pass before they are allowed to chat.  Although this does not do the whole job of teaching digital etiquette, it definitely will help.

Some more information on Whyville:

Whyville In-Depth Review, from Worlds in Motion

Whyville’s ‘Cool Factor’ Helps Industry, Learning, from Worlds in Motion

Working for Clams in Whyville, from Business Week

Whyville: the place girls love to go for science, from Christian Science Monitor

Q&A with Numedeon’s CEO Jim Bower, from Worlds in Motion

Now, time to start working on those lesson plans!  I bugged people about this, so I suppose this means I had better make it count.

I am currently teaching in a week long summer program called Got Tech? which is sponsored by the teachers in Educational Technology, part of our Curriculum and Professional Development department.

Students are broken into classes that are focusing on different topics such as video production, podcasting, and blogging.  My class is animation and gaming, and we are mainly focused on using MIT’s Scratch.

So far, the kids have really taken to it, and several are getting very creative and exploring some more complicated script writing.  After yesterday’s introduction to the program, students remixed games today.  Intellectually, it’s been challenging for the teachers!  We are using video tutorials, Google, and trial and error just like the students are to achieve the project goals students are setting for themselves (many of which change throughout the course of the day).

Here is a look at our course outline and schedule for the week.  If you have to do a crash course in Scratch, this might be a handy guide.

We’re still learning, of course…