Teachers Teaching Teachers #144 - Connecting with teachers in Pennsylvania and Nebraska - 03.18.09

Post-Show description: 

On this podcast, Susan Ettenheim and Chris Sloan welcome five educators from northwestern Pennsylvania (and one from Omaha, Nebraska) into our community of teachers who have students working on Youth Voices. We were joined by:

  • Nate Youngblood, a French teacher at Saegertown Junior-Senior High School (SHS), Saegertown, PA
  • Louise Rice, a Business Ed teacher at Maplewood Junior-Senior High School, Guys Mills, PA
  • Stacey Anderton, 11th grade Language Arts and Journalism teacher at SHS, Saegerton, PA
  • Dee Darcangelo, 10th grade Language Arts teacher and Year Book advisor at SHS, Saegerton, PA
  • Kyli Sitterley, Technology Services Supervisor, Penncrest School District, northwestern PA, USA
  • Jenny M. Bahle, 10th and 11th grade English Teacher, Burke High School, Omaha, NE, USA

Enjoy!

Click Read more to see a transcript of a chat that was happening during the webcast.


20:40:24 deedarcangelo: Hello
20:40:31 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): Connie, you're shoing as "off skype".
20:40:37 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): *showing.
20:51:34 deedarcangelo: Hi Susan
20:51:46 SusanEttenheim: Hi!
20:52:06 SusanEttenheim: Hi everyone!
20:57:23 SusanEttenheim: I'll be calling everyone in just a few minutes
20:57:40 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): K!
20:57:41 csitterley: ok I will get them all back
21:03:17 mlynnkruger: Have we began, yet?
21:03:29 deedarcangelo: almost...
21:03:51 lrice: podcasting tips...
21:03:52 mlynnkruger: Ok...I thought I was late! ;)
21:03:56 SusanEttenheim: we're beginning in a sec
21:05:02 lrice: oh dear?
21:05:12 SusanEttenheim: can you hear us?
21:05:28 mlynnkruger: No...
21:05:53 SusanEttenheim: hi everyone can you hear us now?
21:06:28 mlynnkruger: Is there a volume somewhere to turn on?
21:06:43 SusanEttenheim: just on your computer
21:07:06 mlynnkruger: All I have a is a chat window...
21:07:17 mlynnkruger: My volume is on though...
21:07:28 SusanEttenheim: ok you just need to also click on the volume icon at edtechalk.com
21:07:55 ksitterley: hi everyone sitting in the room with me ;)
21:07:55 Kimberley: hi everyone
21:08:06 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): Hello.
21:08:07 lrice: hi staryyhope
21:08:13 chris sloan: where are you pennsylvania people from again?
21:08:14 Kimberley: and the topic tonight is _____
21:08:17 deedarcangelo: Hi everyone
21:08:24 deedarcangelo: Western Pa - south of Erie
21:08:39 csitterley: We are from Saegertown- NW PA
21:08:53 kapil: hello everyone
21:08:55 Kimberley: hello from Ontario, Canada
21:08:56 SusanEttenheim: hi fred! can you hear us?
21:09:03 kapil: 6:30 am here in India
21:09:06 lrice: PENNCREST School District
21:09:09 fred_haas: Not yet
21:09:14 fred_haas: I'll be in in a sec
21:09:14 SusanEttenheim: kapil can you hear us?
21:09:20 chris sloan: tonight's topic is welcoming new users to Youth Voices, talking about who we are and why we might want to use something like Youth Voices in our teaching and learning.
21:09:22 kapil: yes , i can hear you clearly
21:11:57 SusanEttenheim: hi everyone! welcome!
21:12:23 PeggyG: Hi all!
21:12:26 SusanEttenheim: peggy everyone we need your help Paul has flown the coop tonight!
21:12:51 SusanEttenheim: hi mike where and what do you teach?
21:13:08 PeggyG: oh no--sounds like you have lots of help! 9 in the call?
21:13:32 SusanEttenheim: you know me peggy - push til it breaks and have fun along the way!
21:14:04 SusanEttenheim: fred - welcome would you please introduce yourself!
21:14:06 mike: Hi there. Third Grade ILA & Social Studies
21:14:18 SusanEttenheim: welcome mike - how did you find us?
21:14:18 PeggyG: so far so good Susan!!
21:14:27 mike: I'm a podcast fan
21:14:42 fred_haas: Fred Haas I am an English teacher in Hopkinton, MA - just outside Boston.
21:14:49 mike: Figured I'd try to get in on the talk live
21:15:20 kapil: hey mike, if you like podcast, you are at a right place
21:15:51 mike: whats the topic tonight? I missed the begining
21:15:54 SusanEttenheim: kapil would you introduce yourself please! we're so pleased your with us again!
21:16:12 SusanEttenheim: mike we're welcoming some new teachers into the Youth Voices community
21:16:27 SusanEttenheim: I hope you'll find this interesting!
21:16:40 SusanEttenheim: fred - please jumpin!
21:16:51 mike: cool. I've always wondered what it was when it is referenced in the podcasts
21:16:52 mlynnkruger: Susan can I listen to this better through Skype?
21:17:17 SusanEttenheim: are you having trouble listening through edtechtalk.com?
21:17:31 PeggyG: the audio is coming through great for me!
21:17:34 mlynnkruger: Yes
21:17:35 SusanEttenheim: the skype call is pretty full tonight and you shouldn't really need to...
21:17:35 kapil: this is kapil from New Delhi, India. I used to develop software for education. right now, process in enrolling myself to online boise state edtech programme
21:17:41 mike: sounds good here tonight
21:17:41 SusanEttenheim: thanks peggy
21:17:46 mlynnkruger: It is going in and out...
21:18:17 SusanEttenheim: humm I wonder why mlynnkruger
21:18:23 SusanEttenheim: what platform are you using?
21:18:37 SusanEttenheim: are you listening through itutnes?
21:18:38 mlynnkruger: Windows XP
21:18:46 mlynnkruger: yes
21:19:02 SusanEttenheim: there are a few different ways to listen at the site which one are you using?
21:19:08 csitterley: PENNCREST is cross platform- mainly Windows at HS, but mac for select classrooms in the classrooms for the future
21:19:12 PeggyG: what exciting technology! 50 new macbooks! :-)
21:19:35 ksitterley: @peggyg yep brought to us thanks to the cff grant in PA
21:19:49 mike: is that grant statewide?
21:19:54 PeggyG: wow!
21:19:59 mike: or only slected areas?
21:20:07 mike: selected
21:20:14 ksitterley: the grant is state wide but the schools have to apply
21:20:22 ksitterley: it is a state-wide initiative
21:21:03 mike: wow. That's excellent. I teach in MD right sounth of Gettysburg. Maybe I should think about a transfer :)
21:21:21 SusanEttenheim: lol mike
21:21:24 sanderton: we are loving the macs, and it has been really nice to have the newsroom in my classroom.
21:21:36 csitterley: The cff (classrooms for the future) is a state-wide 9-12 Core subject area classroom reform initiative with technology to support
21:21:54 ksitterley: the high schools are mostly windows and the macs were a brand new experience for most teachers
21:22:26 lrice: but the kids are really catching on to the macs - the native and immigrant thing is showing...
21:23:21 kapil: is there any school out there trying out edubuntu or ubuntu or linux or any open source operating system ? macs or XP or vista might not be possible for many schools
21:24:26 SusanEttenheim: we run edubuntu kapil but not everywhere
21:24:29 mlynnkruger: We use macs
21:25:05 Sarah S: Hey there.
21:25:17 csitterley: Our teachers here at PENNCREST have not had an opportunity to work in Youth Voices, so these suggestions may help
21:25:23 Sarah S: :)
21:25:26 kapil: i tried edubuntu for a small school , kids are loving it
21:25:33 Sarah S: Just got in.
21:25:36 chris sloan: hi sarah.  i'm a big fan of your work
21:25:58 Sarah S: Thanks Chris. I and my students are enjoying the Youth Voices opportunities to share.
21:26:22 SusanEttenheim: sarah can you hear us?
21:26:41 kapil: hi sarah , can you post link to your work for beginners ?
21:26:42 Sarah S: Yes, I have audio. Complete with 30 second delay
21:26:55 SusanEttenheim: lol would you like to come into the skype call?
21:27:22 Sarah S: http://mssutter.edublogs.org has some links to student work (ceramics, digital and traditional photo) in their blogs from last semester.
21:27:44 Sarah S: This semester we're in Youth Voices instead to foster that dialog that was missing from the individual blogs
21:28:07 ksitterley: oh no scheduled upgrades on edublogs :(
21:28:11 kapil: @sarah thanks but edublogs right now is not working (maintenance mode)
21:28:19 Sarah S: I'm multitasking - ton of stuff to do tonight.
21:28:41 PeggyG: wouldn't you know it?? :-)
21:28:42 SusanEttenheim: hi 01...
21:28:44 SusanEttenheim: welcome
21:28:49 kapil: i find comments as useful as the main content
21:28:53 SusanEttenheim: where and what do you teach?
21:29:17 SusanEttenheim: ok sarah but if you want to speak up - just say so!
21:29:20 csitterley: knowing how to comment is a skill that needs guidance and practice
21:29:28 Sarah S: Thanks Susan.
21:29:53 SusanEttenheim: if I could do 12 more things at once, I'd be setting upt the wiki pages for tomorrow!
21:30:01 SusanEttenheim: but I will do that later...:)
21:30:43 Sarah S: @Susan - most of my kids have started the pages they need to work on. Check what's up when you get the chance. Not a ton of content, but started.
21:30:49 PeggyG: I think the guides really improve the quality of the responses
21:31:08 kapil: can you please  post relevant links to resources ..it will really help people who access this chat log after the show
21:31:51 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): http://sites.penncrest.org/nyoungblood
21:32:00 SusanEttenheim: thanks nate
21:32:18 SusanEttenheim: http://www.youthvoices.net
21:33:41 jbahle: With the response guides, I learned through my first attempt, I should have had the students looking at the response guides before we head to the computer lab and get online, because otherwise, they don't take the time to read it and take it in.  
21:34:10 lrice: it's a far different classroom when you walk in to a group of kids doing Power Point and research and when you walk into a class of kids blogging or collaborating...a world of difference
21:35:43 lrice: chris, you mentioned "social learning" or something to that effect and a i see major swing at our school in the type of interacting,       fewer     discipine issues ...ahhh, space bar issues here!
21:35:44 csitterley: PENNCREST is about 97 % caucasian
21:35:51 chris sloan: my student's media site is at http://judgemedia.blogspot.com
21:35:54 kapil: @jbhale - its very important in any technology to make sure that students know how to use a tool properly before you integrate them with your curriculum. unfortunately, most teachers jump without proper training and usually the blame goes to the tool
21:36:19 sanderton: thanks Chris. I will be checking that out with my kids.
21:36:37 PeggyG: these tips you are all suggesting are great! thanks!
21:36:56 mlynnkruger: Has anyone had any experience with ePals.com?
21:38:25 PeggyG: do you try to monitor and guide those sensitive conversations like race or do you let the kids flow with it?
21:38:35 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): I've read literature about ePals... but I haven't used it.
21:38:44 kapil: @mlynnkruger epals looks interesting
21:39:23 jbahle: What is moodle?
21:39:26 csitterley: We have a group using ePals in a project on the Holocaust
21:39:26 mlynnkruger: I would like to try connecting with a classroom overseas...but I suppose I haven't figured out all of the ins and outs of the deal.
21:39:27 PeggyG: what a fantastic testimonial for interactive learning!
21:39:51 mlynnkruger: I teach second grade...
21:40:09 csitterley: Moodle is a course management system- similar to BlackBoard, but open source and free- runs on server in our district
21:40:10 kapil: @jbhale - moodle is an open source free virtual learning environment which you can install on your servers with help of your IT admin
21:40:20 PeggyG: Moodle is a learning management system-open source
21:41:26 PeggyG: I think teachers need to learn to use Moodle in interactive ways. It can become a static website with one-way communication
21:41:59 kapil: @peggy i completly agree..most moodle websites become notice boards
21:42:00 csitterley: Absolutely, Chris- having kids involved in meaningful learning is very valuable and these tools make that much more available
21:42:46 kapil: i integrated www.haikulms.com , a hosted LMS for one of our projects
21:42:52 SusanEttenheim: how true Nate!!
21:43:21 PeggyG: I"ve seen a lot of Moodle sites that aren't used interactively.
21:43:39 jbahle: The part of all of this that really excites me is the fact that we are tapping into their natural curiosities, motivation and abilities and we offer the opportunity for students to really show off their abilities that standardized tests just can't capture!
21:43:45 SusanEttenheim: stacey we have trouble with seniors sending emails for exactly that reason!
21:44:17 SusanEttenheim: yes jenny - that natural cuiosity does exist!
21:44:20 csitterley: Moodle can be a static site, but when teachers see what impact it can have on learning in their classrooms it will become more active
21:44:52 PeggyG: @csitterley I definitely agree!! tremendous potential
21:44:55 lrice: My students ask for more Moodle!  It's hard to keep up with!    
21:45:22 SusanEttenheim: what do they say about some large percentage of learning being online in just a few years...
21:45:36 csitterley: PENNCREST has GREAT teachers- they make us proud!
21:45:57 PeggyG: definitely!
21:46:24 csitterley: Susan- I believe that they # I have heard is 50% by 2012
21:46:27 lrice: I've hear    the senior year     will loo k far different that it d oes today -      this spacebar connie!
21:46:35 kapil: apart from google templates, its important to encourage students to search online  for standard templates or sample writing for particular purpose
21:46:42 SusanEttenheim: yes connie and it's not hard to imagine right?
21:46:52 jbahle: I have had interesting conversations with my students about how the English language changes over time and asked them, since they are the future, if they think text message language will ever be ok for business conversation and they all say NO!  very emphatically!
21:47:24 PeggyG: very interesting and encouraging jbahle!
21:48:18 sanderton: I agree about the templates. There is no excuse for students with some initiative to say they don't know how to write a letter or send a memo or prepare a resume. We just need to show them that the tools exist.
21:48:21 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): @jbahle I would agree with your students.  I don't see trends going there, yet.
21:48:43 Lemaudit(NYoungblood): Although those types of things tend to creep into language without anyone noticing.
21:50:03 deedarcangelo: I also think lingo such as "LOL" is ...safe, and ambiguous.  It's easier for an adolescent to type LOL than to type, "I think what you said is really funny, and I agree."
21:50:17 deedarcangelo: it's safe for them
21:50:20 PeggyG: knucklehead writing :-) love that term!
21:51:11 kapil: how youthvoices is different from a custom social network like ning ?
21:51:17 csitterley: A good mixture with traditional is an important to balance for the learners
21:52:19 PeggyG: the teacher is really the important piece is all of this--these appropriate uses don't happen accidentally!
21:54:26 jbahle: diluted website, that is a great way of putting it!
21:54:39 PeggyG: you see the same kind of appalling responses on newspaper chats (often adults!)
21:55:19 PeggyG: trolling is a great point
21:56:49 PeggyG: what inspiring teachers you all are!! This has been a great, valuable conversation!
21:57:12 SusanEttenheim: hi flbcffcoach welcome
21:57:34 csitterley: flbcffcoach...is that you RS?
21:57:56 PeggyG: is there a tool you use to record audio on cell phones (like interviews) that you can then upload to the site as mp3?
21:58:33 kapil: http://twitter.com/youthvoices
21:59:18 PeggyG: I really like the organization and content on the YV home page!
22:00:00 kapil: @peggyg some phones have inbuilt record facility but they record in amr format. you need amr to mp3 software to covert that to mp3
22:00:06 PeggyG: Thank you all!!
22:00:17 csitterley: We are going to have dessert now- anyone want to join us?
22:00:19 jbahle: That was really cool, thanks for the invite.  Unfortunately it will be a while before I can be on again because normally I have class on Wed. night
22:00:23 SusanEttenheim: thanks everyone!
22:00:26 PeggyG: Thanks kapil!
22:00:27 SusanEttenheim: goodnight!
22:00:38 csitterley: Thanks for the opportunity Susan
22:01:43 kapil: if anyone wants to integrate me in their projects by arranging a skype call with their students ....or anything..let me know. may be students can ask questions about India
22:02:51 kapil: thanks ..going to check out youthvoices