Bill Fitzgerald

TTT#331 Re-mix, OER, and Educon 2.5 w/ Bill Fitzgerald, George Mayo, Harry Costner, Scott Shelhart, and Kelsey Shelhart 1.09.13

On this episode of TTT, re-mix and get ready for EduCon 2.5 http://educonphilly.org with George Mayo, Harry Costner, and Bill Fitzgerald along with our friends Scott Shelhart and Kelsey Shelhart.

Paul Allison's profile photoHarry Costner's profile photoBill Fitzgerald's profile photoScott Shelhart's profile photomonika hardy's profile photoGeorge Mayo's profile photo

A few weeks ago, George wrote in an email:

Another teacher and I have this experiment for this year's Educon called @remixeducon http://educonphilly.org/conversations/remixeducon . We're planning on creating a structure for participants to share, download and remix media created throughout the conference. The other teacher's name is Harry Costner. He's a really cool middle school film teacher in Virginia.
Would it be possible for us to pitch our @remixeducon idea on a TTT show sometime after the new year as we get closer to Educon? I'm trying to think of ways to spread the word about our project before the conference.

How do you turn down an offer like that?

In addition, Harry and George are doing a second session at Educon on Video Production and Social Media http://educonphilly.org/conversations/Video_Production_and_Social_Media:A_Powerful_Combination

That's not all!

When we heard that Bill Fitzgerald would be remixing at Educon too, we asked him what he’s up too. Here was his reply:

We are definitely running a pre-Educon event - the details (and some of our thoughts about what we hope to achieve, big picture) are linked in this post: http://funnymonkey.com/when-we-talk-about-open-content-this-is-what-we-talk-about
Our Educon session on this is at http://educonphilly.org/conversations/Adopting-Using-and_Reusing_Open_Content
We are also doing a second session on starting a non-profit: http://educonphilly.org/conversations/So_You_Want_To_Start_an_Educational_Non-Profit

Sounds like fun doesn’t it? Enjoy!

Teachers Teaching Teachers #225 - Celebrating the launch of the National Writing Project's new site - Digital Is - 11-03-10

Paul Allison, Susan Ettenheim, and Chris Sloan welcomed five of our friends and colleagues to this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers:

picture-8.jpg Christina Cantrill who works at the National Writing Project as a Senior Program Associate for the NWP Technology Initiative and Digital Is project

.picture-24.jpg Bud Hunt, who made this collection on Digital Is: What’s New, or What’s Good: On Writing Connectively.

picture-9.jpg  Elyse Eidman-Aadahl who directs National Programs and Site Development at the National Writing Project. She also moderates one of our favorite webcasts/podcasts, NWP Radio.

educon22 Bill Fitzgerald who runs the Drupal shop, FunnyMonkey. Bill designed Digital Is, and is currently working on an update of Youth Voices.

Kevin+Hodgson Kevin Hodgson teaches sixth grade in Southampton, Massachusetts at the William E. Norris Elementary School. He is also the technology liaison with the Western Massachusetts Writing Project. Check out how many different ways Kevin shows up on Digital Is!

Congratulations to all involved in the National Writing Project’s (NWP) new Digital Is site, which launched the first week of November when we recorded this podcast!

Take a look at all the wonderful work that has been collected and curated so far by NWP teachers from all over the United States at http//digitalis.nwp.org/

Once you’ve checked out those great resources and provocations, listen to the creators, collectors, and curators of this exciting new site on this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers.

As Christina Cantrill wirtes:

The National Writing Project’s Digital Is website is a teaching-focused knowledge base exploring digital writing, teaching and learning. It invites participation in developing this knowledge base in several ways – visitors can find a range of teaching-focused collections and resources here related to digital writing, teaching and learning as well as become community members and participate in discussions. Also, after participating and getting a sense of the site, one can write to us and apply to be a resource creator. Resource creators can draft and compose multimodal resources here, get and give feedback to other resource creators, and publish.

Paul Allison, Susan Ettenheim, and Chris Sloan welcomed five of our friends and colleagues to this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers:

picture-8.jpg Christina Cantrill who works at the National Writing Project as a Senior Program Associate for the NWP Technology Initiative and Digital Is project

.picture-24.jpg Bud Hunt, who made this collection on Digital Is: What’s New, or What’s Good: On Writing Connectively.

picture-9.jpg  Elyse Eidman-Aadahl who directs National Programs and Site Development at the National Writing Project. She also moderates one of our favorite webcasts/podcasts, NWP Radio.

educon22 Bill Fitzgerald who runs the Drupal shop, FunnyMonkey. Bill designed Digital Is, and is currently working on an update of Youth Voices.

Kevin+Hodgson Kevin Hodgson teaches sixth grade in Southampton, Massachusetts at the William E. Norris Elementary School. He is also the technology liaison with the Western Massachusetts Writing Project. Check out how many different ways Kevin shows up on Digital Is!

We talked with our friends about the importance of commenting. Over the last several years, those of us who have been building Youth Voices have learned how important it is to teach and nurture commenting, not just posting new posts all the time.

Join the excitement! Digital Is promises to be an important touchstone for communities of learners in the National Writing Project and beyond, and we suspect that the quality of the discussions on the site will soon be as important as the quality of the resources.

With this episode of TTT, we celebrate the launch of Digital Is and to think about the role of commenting in building new communities of learning on this site.

Unfortunately the chat log for this podcast is unavailable.

Teachers Teaching Teachers #211 - A Real Team Challenge: Spill! 07.28.10

This summer, we could feel the energy growing around teachers building curriculum about the BP oil spill. This episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers one example. This conversation is part of our ongoing series of podcasts focused on collecting stories, ideas, curriculum, connections, and resources that will help us teach about the Gulf oil spill this fall. Our guests include:

  • Teachers from the Gulf join us as well. Even though on this show we feature teachers and resources from "elsewhere," it is always a welcomed moment when we can hear from our new friends from along the Gulf Coast.
  • Oh, if you listen to the end, you'll catch Bill Fitzgerald who had just put up Voices on the Gulf hours before this webcast.

If you haven't joined us at Voices on the Gulf and at Youth Voices, please consider joining now. These are the best ways for keeping up with the work of this community of teachers represented on this podcast this fall.

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This summer, we could feel the energy growing around teachers building curriculum about the BP oil spill. This episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers one example. This conversation is part of our ongoing series of podcasts focused on collecting stories, ideas, curriculum, connections, and resources that will help us teach about the Gulf oil spill this fall. Our guests include:

Even though you’re busy this summer with countless poolside BBQs, it’s never too early to plan ahead for Fall semester curriculum.The Virtual Team Challenge is an entirely FREE online, multiplayer business simulation that takes place in the animated 3D world of New City. The team objective in the simulation is to help the mayor stage the most efficient oil spill recovery effort. Top-performing teams are eligible for prizes for themselves, their teachers, and local charities! Virtual Team Challenge will run this Fall from October 12 – November 24. See our article in The New York Times to read about one NJ teacher’s success with the program. Virtual Team Challenge comes complete with lesson plans and in-class exercises which form a curriculum that highlights general business acumen, business ethics, negotiation skills, decision-making processes and accounting while placing a special emphasis on important life/career skills such as teamwork, communication, professionalism and research methods. Register now at www.virtualteamchallenge.com.

  • Teachers from the Gulf join us as well. Even though on this show we feature teachers and resources from "elsewhere," it is always a welcomed moment when we can hear from our new friends from along the Gulf Coast.
  • Oh, if you listen to the end, you'll catch Bill Fitzgerald who had just put up Voices on the Gulf hours before this webcast.

If you haven't joined us at Voices on the Gulf and at Youth Voices, please consider joining now. These are the best ways for keeping up with the work of this community of teachers represented on this podcast this fall.

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

Teachers Teaching Teachers #198 - David Niguidula and Bill Fitzgerald Give New Life to Digital Portfolios - 04.28.10

We asked two of our favorite software developers/consultants/activists/dreamers, Bill Fitzgerald and David Niguidula to talk to us about digital portfolios on this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers.


Bill Fitzgerald and FunnyMonkey

At an Educon 2.1 session in January, Bill Fitzgerald showed us a Durpal-based digital portfolio system that he and his colleagues at FunnyMonkey had been developing. As always with Bill, it was more than a software demonstration. With this project, he is leading us in a process of “Rethinking Portfolios.”

We were happy the opportunity in this podcst to learn more about FunnyMonkey’s Digital Portfolio project.

David Niguidula and Richer Picture


Fifteen years ago, Paul Allison and Shantanu Saha were working at University Heights Secondary School in the Bronx when we had the opportunity to begin building a digital portfolio for our school. David Niguidula was the leader of this project with the Coalition of Essential Schools. That project was a life changer for both Paul and Shantanu. It was the experience with technology that would put each of us on our own journeys into educational technology that continue today. Occasionally our paths meet up. Both Shantanu’s and Paul’s students work on Youth Voices, a Drupal site developed by Bill Fitzgerald.

We were excited to have this opportunity to catch up with David Niguidula!

We wondered if these two guys had ever met before. Well, they didl meet, on this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers. Enjoy!

We asked two of our favorite software developers/consultants/activists/dreamers, Bill Fitzgerald and David Niguidula to talk to us about digital portfolios on this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers.


Bill Fitzgerald and FunnyMonkey

At an Educon 2.1 session in January, Bill Fitzgerald showed us a Durpal-based digital portfolio system that he and his colleagues at FunnyMonkey had been developing. As always with Bill, it was more than a software demonstration. With this project, he is leading us in a process of “Rethinking Portfolios.”

The promise of the portfolio is that the demonstration of learning remains as close as possible to the process of learning, while allowing individual elements of the learning process to be highlighted and discussed as part of evaluation. This type of assessment creates a nuanced picture of how a person is developing as a learner.

Portfolios have been around for a while, yet they are still largely viewed as an “alternative” means of assessment. What are some of the barriers for adoption that exist? What are the arguments against using portfolios?

When used effectively as part of ongoing professional development:]

  • A teaching portfolio shows what and how a teacher is teaching;
  • In conjunction with a student portfolio, organic ties can be made between student learning and the role of the teach
  • The process of creating a teacher portfolio accomplishes (at least) two things
  1. it transforms curriculum development from an individual endeavor into a community endeavor; and
  2. after maintaining a teacher portfolio for one year, a teacher will have created a fully portable outline of their entire course, which has the potential to eliminate the need for a textbook.

We were happy the opportunity in this podcst to learn more about FunnyMonkey’s Digital Portfolio project.

David Niguidula and Richer Picture


Fifteen years ago, Paul Allison and Shantanu Saha were working at University Heights Secondary School in the Bronx when we had the opportunity to begin building a digital portfolio for our school. David Niguidula was the leader of this project with the Coalition of Essential Schools. That project was a life changer for both Paul and Shantanu. It was the experience with technology that would put each of us on our own journeys into educational technology that continue today. Occasionally our paths meet up. Both Shantanu’s and Paul’s students work on Youth Voices, a Drupal site developed by Bill Fitzgerald.

We were excited to have this opportunity to catch up with David Niguidula! This is how his site describes their work:

Richer Picture® products and services help schools use technology to personalize teaching and learning. Our digital portfolios provide a new way for your students to show that they are meeting standards — while celebrating who they are as individual learners.

We have the most extensive experience in developing and implementing electronic portfolios in K-12 schools. In the 1990’s, Ideas Consulting Founder David Niguidula led the first research project on digital portfolios while at the Coalition of Essential Schools. Since then, we have accumulated over a dozen years of experience working in elementary, middle, and high schools across the country and around the world.

We provide both technology tools and the professional development to help you use them effectively. Our software is customized for your school and is designed to fit your needs. Our professional development goes far beyond learning how to use the tools; we help your staff address the essential questions of assessment and school change.

These tandem descriptions made us wonder if these two guys had ever met before. Well, they didl meet, on this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers. Enjoy!

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

Teachers Teaching Teachers #113 - Just-in-time, just-for-me reading - 07.16.08

Listen to a lively conversation about how to use Shelfari--or how to get a similar site built--to create a social networking
site for students to share their book logs, reviews, and recommendations with each other.

Susan Ettenheim and Paul Allison (and Lee Baber in the chat room) welcomed:

Listen to a lively conversation about how to use Shelfari-- or how to get a similar site built -- to create a social networking site for students to share their book logs, reviews, and recommendations with each other.

Susan Ettenheim and Paul Allison (and Lee Baber in the chat room) welcomed:

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