Teachers Teaching Teahers #228 - A curriculum potpourri with teachers, students, and Erick Gordon - 12.08.10

We had a lively conversation on this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers [13] .

• Meet Erick Gordon the new director of the New York City Writing Project and the founder of the Student Press Initiative [14].
• Enjoy the perspectives of a couple of the digital photographers who are in Chris Sloan’s school in Salt Lake City, where they had just published their student magazine, the Bulldog Press [15] on MagCloud for the first time.
• Warm to the thoughts of David Pulling from LSU-Eunice who gives us an update on how his students I-Search papers. In particular we invite you to take a look at this one by Vonda Guidry: “Potential Health Effects of Food Contamination From the BP Oil Spill [16].” Paul Allison’s high school students and Vonda had a productive dialogue in the comments under her discussion post.
• And of course you don't want to miss Margaret Simon's elementary school students  who have publishing on Voices on the Gulf — and who now have other ideas, as Margaret explains:
  

  Things are good and busy.  Our gifted students present a historical play each year for first graders in the parish at The Shadows, a plantation home on the bayou.  There is much involved in preparing and performing, so little else goes on.

  My student Kaylie is working on making Clover the Plover [17] a book.  She is illustrating it using Paint on the Promethean board.  I hope to publish it on Lulu as a fundraiser for the Gulf.

And more! Why don’t you drop by too? We invite you to join us every Wednesday at http://EdTechTalk.com/live [18] at 9:00pm Eastern / 6:00pm Pacific USA (World Times [19]).

20:51:37 Paul Allison: http://paulallison.tumblr.com/post/2148688596/join-us-for-a-curriculum-p... [20]
20:52:51 Paul Allison: My notes for tonights's show were last minute, but here they are: http://paulallison.tumblr.com/post/2148688596/join-us-for-a-curriculum-p... [20]
20:56:05 Paul Allison: Hi Chris.
20:56:18 Chris Sloan: Hi Paul. How are all those letters of rec coming?
20:56:26 Chris Sloan: I feel your pain
20:56:52 Paul Allison: Margaret has a couple of students joining us Aeran (6th) and Kaylie (4th).
20:57:02 SusanEttenheim: hi all
20:57:10 Paul Allison: Hi Susan...
20:57:10 Chris Sloan: Cool. Are one of them the author of the book?
20:57:17 Paul Allison: Kalie.
20:57:32 PeggyG: Hi everyone
20:57:35 Chris Sloan: That should be good talking to a young author
20:58:23 PeggyG: I'm having problems with the chat when I log in with Firefox. Anyone else? I'm using Chrome tonight.
20:58:54 Chris Sloan: Hi Peggy. No problems with chat with Firefox
20:59:13 PeggyG: thanks! guess I need to do some troubleshooting on my end. I'm on a new computer
20:59:29 MGuhlin.org: Is it over or just starting?
20:59:32 PeggyG: hi Miguel! great to see you!
20:59:46 MGuhlin.org: Howdy!!
21:00:00 PeggyG: just about to start
21:00:25 PeggyG: have to listen on EdTeachTalk A
21:00:34 MGuhlin.org: What's the topic?
21:00:54 Paul Allison: We will start soon!
21:01:01 Paul Allison: Topic will be iterative.
21:01:23 PeggyG: big word Paul :-)
21:01:35 MGuhlin.org: Hmm...
21:01:47 MGuhlin.org: If I didn't know you were a writer, that would have given it away!
21:01:49 MGuhlin.org: ;->
21:01:54 PeggyG: http://paulallison.posterous.com/join-us-for-a-curriculum-potpourri-on-t... [21]
21:02:05 PeggyG: there's some background for you Miguel
21:02:48 Chris Sloan: I think the topic is about publishing student work, on-demand magazines and books, and publishing research online at Voices on the Gulf
21:03:02 PeggyG: hearing the audio now :-)
21:03:08 PeggyG: audio is great
21:03:37 MGuhlin.org: i hear the audio! great!
21:04:14 PeggyG: I love it when you have the students on!!
21:04:37 PeggyG: potpourri :-)
21:04:52 SusanEttenheim: hi everyone - how's the sound?
21:05:20 SusanEttenheim: great thanks
21:05:21 MGuhlin.org: @Susan Awesome
21:05:22 PeggyG: http://voicesonthegulf.org/discussion/potential-health-effects-food-cont... [16]
21:05:47 SusanEttenheim: welcome everyone! I was busy fussing around in the background.. so helloo and welcome to our conversation this week!
21:05:49 PeggyG: that's the link to Vonda's blog post
21:07:33 PeggyG: http://voicesonthegulf.org/discussion/clover-plover-picture  [22] Clover the Plover
21:08:04 PeggyG: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/128339 [15]
21:08:15 SusanEttenheim: sylvia - sorry my students missed you last week!
21:08:28 SusanEttenheim: they're going to try tonight but  not sure they can make it
21:09:02 PeggyG: what an exciting show!!
21:10:34 Paul Allison: http://publishspi.org [23]
21:10:45 Chris Sloan: Here's Sylvia's Youth Foto magazine on MagCloud  http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/128633 [24]
21:11:24 Chris Sloan: Here's another publication we do at our school. Our student "newspaper" now published on MagCloud too: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/140120 [25]
21:11:32 PeggyG: very impressive magazine!!
21:12:22 Paul Allison: http://publishspi.org/ [14]
21:13:10 PeggyG: wow! 150 books!
21:14:34 PeggyG: http://voicesonthegulf.org/discussion/how-clover-plover-and-pip-made-dif... [26]
21:16:55 PeggyG: creative use of techonology to write her book!
21:18:21 PeggyG: the comments about Kaylie's book are wonderful!
21:19:16 PeggyG: if she publishes it on LuLu people could download it as an ebook too
21:19:25 SusanEttenheim: how true!
21:20:04 PeggyG: what a great idea Erin!
21:20:44 PeggyG: different environmental issues with the same characters but different environments--great idea!
21:21:18 PeggyG: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/128633  [27] Youth Foto
21:21:49 PeggyG: magcloud seems to be an excellent publishing tool
21:24:05 margaretsmn: Something in hand seems to mean more than looking online.
21:24:15 Chris Sloan: We've used MagCloud and Lulu. Lulu I think is better for books.
21:25:12 PeggyG: Hi Matt and mrsdurff!
21:25:20 matt montagne: hey peggyg, et al
21:25:29 mrsdurff: :)
21:25:39 SusanEttenheim: hi matt hi durff welcome!
21:25:43 margaretsmn: is this the magazine on magcloud that sylvia is working on?
21:25:49 SusanEttenheim: yes
21:25:56 Chris Sloan: The MagCloud publications can be viewed on iPads
21:26:01 PeggyG: I always like online because I can get it instantly--don't have to wait for it to come in the mail and don't have to pay shipping :-)
21:26:05 mrsdurff: Froehliche Weihnachten
21:26:11 SusanEttenheim: how true!
21:26:14 PeggyG: that's great to know Chris
21:26:18 margaretsmn: paul, reminder that Aeran is planning a art auction fundraiser.
21:26:27 Chris Sloan: Here's Sylvia's draft of the magazine http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/128633 [24]
21:26:36 matt montagne: eBooks and mobile phone access perhaps...
21:26:42 SusanEttenheim: margaret - what is that a fundraiser for?
21:26:50 margaretsmn: i love having a book in hand too.
21:27:11 Chris Sloan: I think print is more reflective; online is more connective
21:27:15 margaretsmn: for national wildlife fund oil spill response.
21:27:26 mrsdurff: right now books can go places the internet doesn't
21:27:28 matt montagne: I have no nostalgia for the physical book...
21:27:29 SusanEttenheim: I love books and am also our librarian but I lOVE LOvE LOVE my iPad and I read more than ever because of it!
21:27:38 mrsdurff: hopefully that will change
21:27:42 SusanEttenheim: ahh
21:27:51 PeggyG: I outgrew my home with all of my books! downsizing now...
21:27:52 mrsdurff: and Kindles are too rich for me
21:27:59 Chris Sloan: yes, I think I'm reading more than ever too. I add audiobooks to the mix.
21:28:03 SusanEttenheim: margaret is there a website for that?
21:28:06 matt montagne: children's books are tough to replicate in the digital world
21:28:15 margaretsmn: nope.  not that fancy.
21:28:16 mrsdurff: libraries are wonderful places peggy
21:28:28 mrsdurff: i should know, i'm a librarian
21:28:33 PeggyG: :-)
21:28:34 SusanEttenheim: matt - I think picture books are awesome online
21:28:48 SusanEttenheim: durffff I forgot that!
21:28:52 mrsdurff: Has anyone seen Micheal
21:29:03 SusanEttenheim: what's that Durff?
21:29:04 mrsdurff: Rosen's going on a bear bhunt
21:29:08 margaretsmn: i agree that the collaboration is exciting!
21:29:09 mrsdurff: on youtube
21:29:16 SusanEttenheim: hummm url?
21:29:16 PeggyG: yes I saw that mrsdurff
21:29:24 mrsdurff: he performs his children's book
21:29:36 mrsdurff: our classes use Lulu
21:29:55 SusanEttenheim: ahh cute - going on a bear hunt was oxenbury wasn't it?
21:30:03 mrsdurff: we publish every year, I get a copy cheaply and we aution it off
21:30:20 mrsdurff: yes susan - both people
21:30:28 PeggyG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytc0U2WAz4s  [28] Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
21:30:44 mrsdurff: the book says both names
21:30:46 SusanEttenheim: ahh yes thanks Peggy
21:31:03 SusanEttenheim: of course... haha my daughters are almost 22 and 24 now!
21:31:07 mrsdurff: the man has bug eyes
21:31:13 SusanEttenheim: but I remember when that wonderful book was new!
21:31:29 PeggyG: there's so much to think about when you create a book for publication!
21:31:48 matt montagne: @Chris, what type of files do you have to upload to magcloud?? .doc, inDesign, pdf??
21:31:58 SusanEttenheim: I Just don't want to carry around heavy stuff anymore
21:32:00 mrsdurff: maybe a future newberry winner is here among us?
21:32:01 Chris Sloan: you have to upload pdfs
21:32:07 SusanEttenheim: and I love how books look on the iPad
21:32:16 PeggyG: sounds like you may be right mrsdurff!
21:32:34 Chris Sloan: but Word and inDesign convert to pdf
21:32:42 SusanEttenheim: clover the plover... wait til we hear the news in a few!
21:33:04 SusanEttenheim: There is a great magazine doc just created on Google Docs finally!
21:33:13 mrsdurff: yes Chris they do
21:33:32 SusanEttenheim: inDesign is too big a learning curve for us right now
21:33:39 PeggyG: you can create wonderful magazine covers with Flickr Toys (bighugelabs)
21:33:55 Chris Sloan: url for that Peggy?
21:34:03 SusanEttenheim: that sounds interesting peggy
21:34:15 PeggyG: http://bighugelabs.com/ [29]
21:34:18 mrsdurff: Peggy is the Google Jockey queen
21:34:25 PeggyG: :-)
21:35:23 matt montagne: one of the best student pubs that I've ever seen: Palo Alto High School's "Paly Voice" http://voice.paly.net/ [30]
21:35:35 mrsdurff: a storybook Kallie? (spelling?)
21:36:12 Chris Sloan: @Matt. I second the Paly Voice reference. I actually stopped by their school when I was in the Bay Area just to get a sense for Paul Kandell's approach
21:36:28 PeggyG: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71634097@N00/157031195/in/set-7215759418372... [31] this is a simple example of a magazine cover I created with bighugelabs
21:36:52 mrsdurff: "gifted" is rare as it is
21:36:55 Chris Sloan: Nice Peggy
21:36:57 matt montagne: when I google search for things around my area in Palo Alto, often times articles from the student powered "Paly Voice" are returned via google...that is pretty powerful
21:37:14 PeggyG: that is definitely powerful Matt!
21:37:36 matt montagne: we're just a quarter mile from Paly, Chris. Their journalism program is stellar for sure.
21:37:52 Chris Sloan: and Eshter W is there too.  She's great
21:38:07 PeggyG: I love the kinds of collaborating you're talking about!
21:38:14 mrsdurff: it must be in the tapwater
21:38:39 matt montagne: Chris, yes, Esther too...they are loaded in the journalism dept!!!
21:39:38 PeggyG: http://youthvoices.net/ [32] in case you're not familiar with YouthVoices, this is the site
21:39:47 mrsdurff: it's past my bedtime folks
21:39:58 matt montagne: nite durff...
21:40:00 Chris Sloan: Yes, I'm a big fan of Youth Voices
21:40:02 PeggyG: good night mrsdurff-so glad you could join us
21:40:12 mrsdurff: night Peggy
21:40:18 PeggyG: I'm a huge fan of Youth Voices too!!
21:42:19 matt montagne: baby callin'
21:42:28 matt montagne: nice checkin' in, folks...
21:42:31 Chris Sloan: Better read that baby a book Matt
21:42:47 matt montagne: yep, Runaway Bunny is on tap!!
21:42:47 SusanEttenheim: good to say hi to you matt!
21:42:47 PeggyG: so good to see you Matt
21:42:57 PeggyG: have fun!
21:44:00 PeggyG: http://issuu.com/ [33] I just discovered Issuu as an online place for publishing books that can be embedded on other sites. Really like it!
21:45:57 Paul Allison: http://voicesonthegulf.org/discussion/potential-health-effects-food-cont... [34]
21:46:09 Chris Sloan: Margaret. I want a copy of the book.
21:46:26 PeggyG: what a wonderful story about Vonda!
21:47:35 margaretsmn: Chris, will keep you in touch about the progress.
21:48:01 margaretsmn: paul, please don't forget about Aeran...
21:48:23 Chris Sloan: thanks
21:48:35 Paul Allison: got it.
21:48:38 Chris Sloan: keep in touch
21:51:49 PeggyG: I remember that girl!! she was very inspiring!
21:52:08 PeggyG: an art auction is a wonderful idea!
21:53:27 Chris Sloan: what's the name of that video Susan
21:53:52 PeggyG: I've been seeing some of their nature photographs on YouthVoices and they are beautiful!
21:54:09 PeggyG: that's a great idea Susan!
21:54:20 SusanEttenheim: I think it's called The Photographers - basic National Geographic magazine... we borrowed it from the other teacher
21:55:27 PeggyG: http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographics-Photographers-Keith-David/dp/... [35] is that the video Susan?
21:55:51 SusanEttenheim: That's it!
21:55:52 margaretsmn: Thanks, you all inspire us to keep on with our projects that sometimes hit a wall when we are working alone.
21:56:06 SusanEttenheim: Peggy do you know of others like that?
21:56:19 SusanEttenheim: My students really enjoyed that and I'd like more like that
21:56:37 PeggyG: not off hand Susan
21:56:49 margaretsmn: I believe my students will want to be more collaborative since they've experienced this talk.
21:57:11 PeggyG: http://www.amazon.com/Annie-Leibovitz-Life-Through-Lens/dp/B001C71IEM/re... [36] would this be similar?
21:57:19 SusanEttenheim: I think my students would love to share their environment nature photos in nyc!
21:57:47 SusanEttenheim: maybe - have you seen it?
21:58:02 SusanEttenheim: I need to make another trip to the ICP store!
21:58:02 PeggyG: no but Amazon listed it as something similar
21:58:06 margaretsmn: I've found that revision is really happening when there is publishing involved.
21:58:08 SusanEttenheim: ahhh
21:59:10 PeggyG: http://www.amazon.com/American-Photography-Leonard-Nimoy/dp/B0000DG012/r... [37] look at this one too--American Photography DVD
21:59:35 PeggyG: so true margaretsmn!!
21:59:41 margaretsmn: I need to work on getting Youth voices unblocked.
21:59:59 PeggyG: but it seems the wider the audience the more they care about revising for publishing
22:00:20 PeggyG: I love that concept-Local Lifestyles
22:00:43 Chris Sloan: I just showed Annie Liebowitz Life Through a Lens before I had them shoot family portraits.
22:00:48 SusanEttenheim: yes peggy we use that website
22:00:49 PeggyG: could it be connected with the Main Street USA project?
22:01:07 SusanEttenheim: Didn't she visit your class?
22:01:08 Chris Sloan: Now I'm printing the photos and they'll make Christmas presents out of them
22:01:21 PeggyG: wonderful idea Chris!!
22:01:26 Chris Sloan: photos of the family for the family
22:01:31 SusanEttenheim: that's cute chris!
22:01:38 Chris Sloan: It's the kind of thing families appreciate.
22:01:40 SusanEttenheim: we are actually doing portraits now
22:01:57 PeggyG: awesome Kailee
22:02:05 SusanEttenheim: The students themselves came up with a series of assignments - I'll have to send them to you
22:02:14 SusanEttenheim: What's coming up in your class?
22:02:15 Chris Sloan: We're posting Google Presentations on Youth Voices about what we learned about portrait photography
22:02:27 SusanEttenheim: oh wow that's perfect for us!
22:02:30 SusanEttenheim: when?
22:02:47 Chris Sloan: The started posting today, and will finish up tomorrow.
22:02:50 SusanEttenheim: are you presenting those in class?
22:02:57 SusanEttenheim: what tags are you using?
22:03:04 SusanEttenheim: we'll leave you comments on friday
22:03:17 SusanEttenheim: thursday we have a guest who is doing large format images
22:03:18 Chris Sloan: They already presented those when we were in the middle of shooting the portraits
22:03:27 SusanEttenheim: ahh
22:03:50 Chris Sloan: but now they're posting them on Youth Voices so that others can see what they learned
22:03:54 SusanEttenheim: how do we find them and maybe we can request a video conference for a few we might have questions about/for?
22:04:14 Chris Sloan: yes, let's video conference. We'll talk more
22:04:17 SusanEttenheim: what's next in your class
22:04:38 Chris Sloan: shooting winter for one thing
22:04:44 SusanEttenheim: margaret - will you keep us in touch with the project so we can contribute?
22:04:46 Chris Sloan: they're also shooting winter sports
22:05:03 SusanEttenheim: today someone told me he was working on the four seasons project
22:05:16 SusanEttenheim: haha we don't have any winter yet...
22:05:30 Chris Sloan: yes, my students need to get their winter shot, but they have until January to do it
22:05:35 SusanEttenheim: do you post the winter assignment somewhere?
22:05:52 SusanEttenheim: hum what are you doing in the next two weeks in class?
22:06:15 Chris Sloan: we will, but again, I need to have them tag consistently
22:07:12 Chris Sloan: they're wrapping up Photoshop lessons from Classroom in a Book, and then we're moving on to learning InDesign and Illustrator.
22:07:28 SusanEttenheim: ahh what about digital photography?
22:08:06 Chris Sloan: They'll also do an abstract word assignment.  Illustrate an abstract word like joy, friendship...  I've got more of a description
22:09:33 SusanEttenheim: ok :)
22:09:42 SusanEttenheim: thanks for joining us peggy!
22:09:46 Chris Sloan: we did it last year too Susan, they're on Youth Voices.  I'll send you some links
22:09:56 SusanEttenheim: and margaret keep in touch!
22:09:56 PeggyG: great show!! thanks everyone!!
22:10:07 Chris Sloan: thanks Peggy
22:10:17 PeggyG: see you next week
22:10:19 Chris Sloan: Looking forward to talking more about the book Margaret
22:10:20 margaretsmn: will do. thanks:)