NBC fishes for new ratings by testing the public’s interest in education. Schools in Los Angeles were part of the episodes. Let’s hope the interest spurs NBC to renew the series.  You can watch some episodes here.

http://www.nbc.com/school-pride/

      Hundreds of teachers, technology coordinators, school and district administrators, and select students from around Southern California will gather at Cal State L.A. for a special conference that will explore the innovative and effective ways technology is being used at K-12 schools.

     The 21st [...]]]> Oct. 15 Ed Tech Event at CSULA is Among the State’s Biggest

      Hundreds of teachers, technology coordinators, school and district administrators, and select students from around Southern California will gather at Cal State L.A. for a special conference that will explore the innovative and effective ways technology is being used at K-12 schools.

     The 21^st Century Learners Symposium, which is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, will feature workshops by top consultants and technology specialists on successful and “hot” classroom uses, trends, services and applications. Topics will include mobile technology, digital textbooks, netbooks, open source, Google, and Web 2.0 tools. The conference is one of the largest education technology events in the state.

     WHAT:    The 21^st Century Learners Symposium of 2010

     WHEN:    Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 — 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

 WHERE: CSULA Golden Eagle Conference Center, 5151 State University Dr., L.A. 90032

                 NOTE: Media parking available by checking in at the Welcome Center/Kiosk on

                 Paseo Rancho Castilla (campus map: www.calstatela.edu/univ/maps/cslamap.php) 

WHO:     Participants are K-12 educators, staff and students from public and private    

                schools throughout Southern California.  Featured presentations:

                 All Day:    Special hands-on product and demonstration sessions

   All Day:    Student multimedia projects by Hollywood High School (LAUSD)   

                     and Rowland Avenue Elementary School (Covina-Valley USD)

                  9:30 am:   Leadership keynote: Cheryl Lemke, CEO, Metiri Group

                 12:50 pm: Afternoon keynote: Milton Chen, George Lucas Ed Foundation

              Symposium is presented by the L.A. County Office of Education’s Instructional

              Technology Outreach and California Technology Assistance (Region 11) Project.

     INTERVIEWS / VISUALS:

Nearly 600 attendees are expected. In addition to open interview opportunities with presenters, experts and participants, there will be numerous displays and demonstrations by product and service vendors, including Troxell Communications.

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ANY

Learning to compare and contrast requires high-level cognitive analysis. Comparing

and contrasting is a skill used in many different disciplines at all levels of education. Using an

 document camera can help students practice using different graphic organizers

collaboratively before being asked to use them independently.

MATERIALS

- Document camera

- Projector

- Whiteboard or large [...]]]> COMPARE AND CONTRAST   ————————————————————–

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ANY

Learning to compare and contrast requires high-level cognitive analysis. Comparing

and contrasting is a skill used in many different disciplines at all levels of education. Using an

 document camera can help students practice using different graphic organizers

collaboratively before being asked to use them independently.

MATERIALS

- Document camera

- Projector

- Whiteboard or large sheet of paper that students can write on

- A drawing of a graphic organizer used for comparing and contrasting, such as a Venn

diagram, double bubble map, or a T-chart

PROCEDURE

BEFORE

1. Decide the compare and contrast topic to assign students.

2. Prepare a drawing of the graphic organizer to be practiced, such as a Venn diagram.

DURING

3. Project the compare and contrast diagram using the  document camera.

4. Call students to the board to complete different areas of the compare and contrast

diagram.

5. Discuss notes as a class, changing and adding as necessary.

6. Have all students copy the collaboratively designed notes.

AFTER

7. After creating notes together as a class, assign an independent project such as an essay

that discusses the topic in depth.

8. Choose a different compare/contrast method of organization to demonstrate to

students each day for several days.

ADAPTATIONS

- Assign a compare and contrast topic and a method of organization. Allow students to

work collaboratively or independently to complete the notes. To review the topic and

check for accuracy, choose student products to project with a document

camera.

- Allow students to choose how they will organize notes for a graphic organizer. After

students have completed their notes, show the class different ideas by projecting

student samples using a document camera.

http://www.cripsandbloodsmovie.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4pP-1NWoA&feature=player_embedded

15,000 people dead over 20 year period? Stacy Peralta succeeds in putting a fresh face on the issue and imploring us all take another look.  The movie’s website also has a viewer’s guide, Community outreach plans that can be used to host screenings, [...]]]> Important & extremely relevant film by Stacy Peralta looks at the L.A. gang situation.

http://www.cripsandbloodsmovie.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4pP-1NWoA&feature=player_embedded

15,000 people dead over 20 year period? Stacy Peralta succeeds in putting a fresh face on the issue and imploring us all take another look.  The movie’s website also has a viewer’s guide, Community outreach plans that can be used to host screenings, and information on the Youth PROMISE Act.

CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA helped shine a light on the issue of gang violence in our inner cities. But to really address this problem we need to take a new approach – as the former NFL great and gang intervention leader, Jim Brown, says in the film “If more police or jails was the solution, we would have solved the problem 30 years ago”.

That’s where the Youth PROMISE Act comes in. PROMISE stands for Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education. Instead of simply incarcerating people, the Youth PROMISE Act represents a revolutionary new approach that is much needed if we are ever to address this issue in a meaningful and effective way.

The Act is based on programs that work with local schools, community centers, faith-based organizations and parents to prevent violence and offending before it begins. The whole idea is to give kids another way, an option instead of joining gangs.

Introduced by Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D – VA) and Mike Castle (R – DE), the CRIPS AND BLOODS team is proud to support the Act. The film was screened in Congress at a rally in support of the Act but we need your help to ensure this much-needed legislation is passed.

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ANY

Use a document camera to peer critique student work. This activity works

very well to show students the difference between low, average, and high quality work, and

to give students an idea of how their work will be assessed.

MATERIALS

- Document camera

- Projector

- Student work with names covered

Using document cameras [...]]]> PEER TO PEER     ———————————————————–

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ANY

Use a document camera to peer critique student work. This activity works

very well to show students the difference between low, average, and high quality work, and

to give students an idea of how their work will be assessed.

MATERIALS

- Document camera

- Projector

- Student work with names covered

Using document cameras in simple yet effective ways

PROCEDURE

BEFORE

1. Choose a collection of student work. Fold over or otherwise cover student names.

DURING

2. Use the document camera to project an image of student work.

3. Critique as a class, asking questions such as the following:

- Which parts have been completed well?

- What information is missing that was required?

- Which parts of the work could be improved?

- How would you grade this work?

4. Have students write constructive criticism for the work displayed.  Collect the

comments and attach them to the work when it is returned to the student.

AFTER

5. If student work produced for a project generally fell below expectations, have

students re-do the target activity after learning from the critiques of the class.

ADAPTATIONS

- Use a document camera to “publish” superior student work by displaying it for

the first few minutes of class.

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ANY

It can be difficult for students to follow processes with only verbal directions, and a demonstration is often limited to only a few students who are close enough to see.   

This use if simple but very valuable.  A document camera is a tremendous asset to help students follow [...]]]> SHOW ME HOW ———————————————————

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ANY

It can be difficult for students to follow processes with only verbal directions, and a demonstration is often limited to only a few students who are close enough to see.   

This use if simple but very valuable.  A document camera is a tremendous asset to help students follow procedures for many three-dimensional processes.

Use this activity to show students how to do a variety of activities, such as using a calculator, protractor, or drafting tools. You can also project images of yourself or a student demonstrating skills such as keyboarding, dissecting, creating a craft project or foldable study guide.

MATERIALS

- Document camera

- Projector

- Item to be used for demonstration

PROCEDURE

BEFORE

1. Decide which steps of the target skill will be demonstrated.

2. Depending on the project, create a series of samples that represent the individual steps ahead of time.

DURING

3. Project the image of the project step by step for students to follow.

4. Allow students to practice.

AFTER

5. On a separate day, “quiz” students on their newly acquired skills by calling them to

demonstrate the target skill for the class using the document camera.

ADAPTATIONS

- Use a document camera to show students how to fill out forms, and you’ll have fewer mistakes due to missed directions.

- Many models of  document cameras allow you to save the images to a computer, so you can keep a file of images to use when you teach the same skill again.

www.saynotocuts.com

Sign the Petition

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL

The following activity can be used to review concepts through questions, vocabulary,

or required memorization such as multiplication tables. It is an excellent way to achieve class

participation with students such as beginning level English Language Learners or students

who may be shy to speak during a class discussion.

MATERIALS

- [...]]]> FLASHCARD REVIEW

CONTENT AREA: ANY

GRADE LEVELS: ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL

The following activity can be used to review concepts through questions, vocabulary,

or required memorization such as multiplication tables. It is an excellent way to achieve class

participation with students such as beginning level English Language Learners or students

who may be shy to speak during a class discussion.

MATERIALS

- Document camera

- Projector

- Note cards or paper cut in similarly small pieces

PROCEDURE

BEFORE

1. Create a few example flashcards that indicate to students the concepts or vocabulary

to be reviewed.

DURING

2. Direct each student to create several flash cards of the target concepts.  Students can

use index cards, or simply use small sheets of notebook paper or printer paper.

3. Have each student come to the projector and place flashcards questions, one at a time,

under the  document camera.

4. Direct the rest of the class to answer orally, either by choral response, or by selecting

individual students to respond.

AFTER

5. Choose some of the flashcards to project under the  document camera. Have

students copy these questions onto paper. Assign as homework.

6. After sufficient reviewing, select flash cards to include on an assessment.

ADAPTATIONS

- Collect all the flash cards. Choose several for a classroom mock quiz. Have students

write their answers on paper. Check together as a class.

- Collect all the flashcards after the class activity. Choose one flashcard to project each

day as bell work.

- Hold a class competition by dividing students into two teams. Direct each team to

create questions for the opposing team. Students from one team place questions under

 document camera, while students from the opposing team must answer the

question correctly.

Flashcards become a truly communal experience

Roger Espinosa and students produced this Digital Voice Award-winning video about a successful vocational education program for incarcerated students.  The contemporary video has a personal feel, shedding insight on students’ lives while demonstrating valuable lessons on electrical trade skills.

Roger is a teacher at Camp Kilpatrick in Malibu, California.  “Kilpatrick [...]]]>  

Roger Espinosa, Teacher and Documentarian at Kilpatrick High School

Roger Espinosa and students produced this Digital Voice Award-winning video about a successful vocational education program for incarcerated students.  The contemporary video has a personal feel, shedding insight on students’ lives while demonstrating valuable lessons on electrical trade skills.

Roger is a teacher at Camp Kilpatrick in Malibu, California.  “Kilpatrick High School” is part of Education Programs at Los Angeles County Office of Education, and helps incarcerated students get an education.  Roger is also a successful grant writer and recipient.

It’s teachers like Roger that contribute a great deal to the kids who most need strong insight, inspiration, encouragement and hope.

Click here to see the video.