TTT#304 Celebrate Connected Teacher Kevin Hodgson w/ Terry Elliott, Troy Hicks, Nanci Burke, Joseph McCaleb, Aram Kabodian 6.27
Paul Allison - Sat, 2012-08-18 22:54
As we enter the last couple of weeks of the first annual Connected Educator Month connectededucators.org, on this episode of TTT teachersteachingteachers.org/feed/podcast we celebrate another connected educator, Kevin Hodgson dogtrax.edublogs.org and his work with 6th graders epencil.edublogs.org at the William E. Norris Elementary School wmnorris.com in Southampton, MA.
Kevin is also the technology liaison with the Western Massachusetts Writing Project umass.edu/wmwp and a co-editor of the book collection Teaching the New Writing: Technology, Change and Assessment in the 21st Century Classroom store.tcpress.com/ 0807749648.shtml that examines the role of technology in the writing classroom in the age of standardized testing and assessment. Kevin says that he "also dabbles in the world of classroom-based humor" through his Boolean Squared webcomic www.booleansquared.com. In addition to all of these links, go to Digital Is digitalis.nwp.org/users/dogtrax to find a lot examples of his students' work and to see how and why Kevin does what he does in his classroom.
If, like Kevin you're interested to explore visually as well as in text, click away on Kevin's "Clickable Connected Me."
Learn more about Kevin in this webcast, recorded on June 27, 2012.
Click Read more to see a copy of the chat that was happening during the webcast.
Kevin Hodgson: Hi
21:00Paul Allison: Fred
21:00Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Hello from New Orleans
21:00Terry: hiya
21:00Paul Allison: You can join us in the hangout too.
21:01Nanci WB: Hallo
21:01Paul Allison: Not so many showing up yet.
21:01Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Hi Nanci. Welcome
21:03Terry: Here is a link to a Readlist of all the links you provided for Paul: readlists.com/7890918b27f44da3b39dea50e372c830
21:04Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Hellllllo Nanci
21:04Nanci WB: I can hear and see the hangout~
21:04Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: @Nanci You are on
21:04hickstro: Hello everyone!
21:04Nanci WB: I can hear and see!
21:05Nanci WB: Its okay!
21:05Terry: Also here is a Diigo list of links Kevin related:http://groups.diigo.com/group/kevin_hodgson_ttt
21:05Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: @Nanci Check out the setting in the upper right
21:05Jose Rodriguez: Hey Folks..
21:06Jose Rodriguez: Hi Valerie
21:06Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Hello Jose
21:07Aram: Hi to all
21:07Jose Rodriguez: Hey Aram.
21:07hickstro: Hi Aram and Jose -- join the hangout if you would like!
21:07Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Hello Aram. Welcome
21:08Jose Rodriguez: is video live yet?
21:08Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Yes Jose
21:08Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Can you see?
21:09Jose Rodriguez: I can see screen.. but no live yet
21:09Jose Rodriguez: It says.. will begin in a few moments
21:09Aram: do you mean the google hangout?
21:09Jose Rodriguez: yep
21:10Nanci WB: Jose...go to the hangout
21:10Jose Rodriguez: what is the link?
21:10Jose Rodriguez: first let me get my headset
21:11Nanci WB:https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/9310f6c0f591b0d64f45ae99be2059ac9813808a?authuser=0&hl=en-US
21:11Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Thanks Nanci
21:12Jose Rodriguez: ok.. should be ready in a bit.
21:13Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Great. Jump in
21:13Nanci WB: Hey folks! I am at rural Mansfield University in PA and direct the Endless Mountains WP. I taught middle and high school and now do teacher prep and development.
21:13Gail P: Go Tigers
21:13Terry: Tech liaisons stick together. Huzzahk!
21:14hickstro: Yes, many TLs and former TLs in here tonight.
21:14Terry: Yes, purpose and audience are still a part of all media
21:15hickstro: How do we scaffold students into thoughtful research and the creation of digital projects? And, dare I ask, how can this connect to the common core, especially informational writing?
21:16hickstro: Ouch!
21:16Jose Rodriguez: where do you teach?
21:16hickstro: Kevin teaches in Mass.
21:16Jose Rodriguez: cool
21:16Terry: Start with analog and move toward digital?
21:17Jose Rodriguez: I teach 5th grade in L.A.
21:17Jose Rodriguez: yep.. seems to work best
21:17Terry: teach at risk college freshman composition
21:17Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: @Hickstro The common core part comes in with the research. The research brings in the informational text
21:17Gail P: Glogster
21:18Terry: Next step might be some of the data viz tools in the cloud like visual.ly
21:18Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: @Hickstro Common core relies on all disciplines to pull in MORE reading, writing and research
21:18Jose Rodriguez: We are just coming into common core
21:18Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Good idea Terry
21:19Gail P: What was most challenging? Was it making direct connection to the CC
21:19hickstro: How do we help students effectively search online and maintain their own resource collections? Diigo? Evernote? Zotero? Other?
21:19Terry: yes, pretty worthwhile
21:20Gail P: And how do they incorporate their own voice in their writing ?
21:20Aram: instagrok looks well organized
21:20Gail P: @hickstro Cool!
21:21Terry: Troy, I spend a lot of time up front getting students to use Diigo and zotero
21:21Aram: so the notebook was something they added to over time?
21:21Jose Rodriguez: @kevin your class is self contained right?
21:21Aram: how do you fit in so many tech things in a year?
21:21hickstro: Terry - have you found a way for Diigo and Zotero to play nice together? XML or other exporting/importing options?
21:21Gail P: He moves really fast - literally!
21:23Nanci WB: Valerie, w/o too much digression, you might be interested in the Literacy Design Collaborative.
21:23Jose Rodriguez: I did a comic strip early in the year..
21:23Jose Rodriguez: never got out of analog.. I tried imovie but project fell through
21:23Nanci WB: Jose, was it digital, old school or both?
21:24Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: I am interested in everything techie. Thanks Nanci
21:24Aram: I used Bitstrips for schools and was able to pull it into the anti-bullying emphasis quite nicely.
21:24Nanci WB: Not techie, but CCore/info texts and writing
21:24Nanci WB: Love Bitstrips!
21:25Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Nanci, I make EVERYTHING techie :)
21:25Jose Rodriguez: @nanci... design was to go diigital
21:25Aram: thanks for you answers; how can you even get computer access enough to get all of the tech done?
21:25Jose Rodriguez: but I started oldschool on construction paper and voiceover
21:26Gail P: ;P
21:26Aram: amen, troy
21:26Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Thanks Nanci. I am going back and forth. Templates!!!! Whoo Hoo. Anything to make life easier.
21:27Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: I have already bookmarked it.http://www.literacydesigncollaborative.org/
21:27Nanci WB: Cool!
21:28hickstro: Very much a workshop environment - reminds me of Daniel Pink's drive: your students (and you) have autonomy, mastery, and purpose in their work.
21:28Gail P: Students are always working in his classroom even when they're sitting in the hallway.
21:29hickstro: He has to teach that five paragraph essay, too.
21:31Jose Rodriguez: btw, when is the national day in writing?
21:31Gail P: that 5 para essay is built into the science integrated project.http://dogtrax.edublogs.org/2012/06/27/student-work-alternative-energy-essay-and-video-game/
21:31hickstro: Jose - I think that it is towards the middle/end of October each year
21:31Jose Rodriguez: We have the 5 paragraph essay as part of our History DBQ
21:31Jose Rodriguez: Document Based Questioning
21:32Jose Rodriguez: Thanks @hickstro
21:32Terry: just fine with me
21:33Jose Rodriguez: beautiful.. bird song
21:33Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: National Day on Writing on Saturday, October 20, 2012
21:33Gail P: my hamster is running in her wheel
21:33Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Sorry Gail
21:34Terry: We need to be teaching more data visualization
21:35Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Hey Frrrrred
21:36Terry: Cool that families can see this
21:36Nanci WB: Can you unpack that phrase, Terry?
21:36Terry: Nanci data viz?
21:36Nanci WB: Y
21:37Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Thanks Troy. You are quick
21:37Terry: Data viz is the natural progression from Glogster to Prezi to Visual.ly I think
21:37Terry: View lots of data viz and create our own
21:38Nanci WB: Thanks.
21:38Gail P: notice it happens to be a 5 paragraph essay
21:39hickstro: Kevin - how do you frame those conversations with parents? I am imagining the parents who say, "This isn't writing..." What is your approach to talking with them about your students and their work with tech?
21:40Terry: What Kevin is talking about has a great expression associated with it--adjacent possible
21:40Gail P: This is exciting to hear - a kid finding his passion!
21:40Terry: Amen
21:41Nanci WB: Troy
21:42Nanci WB: ...CCSS would come in there....ha! Standards to the rescue?
21:42hickstro: Kevin: A neat parallel between the writing process and game design, particularly around revision.
21:47Aram: gaming4schools.yolasite.com
21:47Aram: thanks
21:48Terry: Great that you understand the importance of class history to future students
21:48Aram: good point, Terry
21:50Terry: is it just me or has the vid frozen?
21:50Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: ok. here
21:51Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: It is jumpy
21:51Gail P: If you read his blog you would be more amazed! He does much more than this!
21:51Terry: ok
21:51Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Is it better
21:51Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Terry is it better?
21:52hickstro: How do the kids feel about it? Obviously, on the whole, they enjoy this approach and parents don't complain.
21:52Terry: it is fine now
21:52hickstro: Yet, to follow up on Aram's ideas... do some of the students feel overwhelmed?
21:52hickstro: Do they expect to do "normal" English class things?
21:53hickstro: In what ways do they challenge/question why you are teaching them this way?
21:53hickstro: (And I mean that in a good way, not a sarcastic, middle school-ish kind of way)
21:53hickstro: Right -- what happens when we co-opt their out-of-school literacies to do in-school learning?
21:55Gail P: The children in grade 6 just buckle up and enjoy the ride. At least that's what it looks like from the hallway.
21:55Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Gail. OMG. Buckle up
21:55Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: I have a few kids in my class who do that when we use Weebly, wikis and blogs
21:56Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: I imagine that I would have to drag some of them along
21:56Terry: What I am hearing Paul say is what new repertoires is Keving adding and how does he fit them into what he already knows
21:56Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: I am trying not to laugh at buckle up image because that is exactly what some of my kids had to do Gail.
21:57Gail P: Kevin loves graphic novels :D
21:57Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: We did a fraction of what he did and I had some of them holding on for dear life
21:58hickstro: Can we close by talking about Kevin's last question to us - I've been thinking about revisiting the work we did in Teaching the New Writing, too. Does it all still hold up?
21:59Gail P: I just read his blog and that's like 2-3 posts a day! He tries everything and then REFLECTS. That is the key to his success. He's always thinking.
21:59Aram: I can clearly see that Kevin has created/played with the tech. I like how you share your thinking with the students. It helps so much when connecting with students and showing your vulnerability.
21:59Nanci WB: I really enjoyed TTNW. SO much has happened in the past few years....
22:00Terry: I want a digital version of Teaching the New Writing that we can share annotations and highlight on Kindle'
22:00Aram: Feel free to call on me anytime, Paul. :)
22:00Nanci WB: Kevin....thank you for sharing your most-awesome projects
22:02hickstro: What happens when they move on to later grades in MS and HS?
22:02Terry: I am reminded of the kid in School of Rock who wanted to do diagramming
22:02Gail P: I played with something he shared today from Google. http://gweb-docs-bots-demo.appspot.com/
22:03Joseph: The topic of holding the expert space (or mentor) and also not disempowering others is very important. I'd like to know more of how Kevin & others manage that.
22:03Aram: I'm sure you open up career/interest opportunities for students who would never have had those options presented to them.
22:04Terry: Yeah we need to crowdsource a new version of the book
22:05Terry: zackly
22:05Terry: In rural KY bandwidth is a huge issue
22:05Aram: google docs is definitely not ubiquitous (sp?)
22:07hickstro: Right... I take for granted that Google Docs is a daily part of my personal and professional life.
22:07Nanci WB: About TTNL...the existing text IS valuable....many teachers are still (really) just approaching technology....and there are have-nots in the K-12 population. Time for an update? My two cents is yes, but as a new text...like the kindle idea. Howard Rheingold it!
22:07hickstro: I don't forget -- but I can quickly lose perspective -- on the fact that not all teachers and students use Google Docs.
22:07hickstro: And, the fact that the CCSS assessments will be done online.
22:08hickstro: We all finally get computers...
22:08hickstro: ... to take tests.
22:08Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: I am at times speechless when someone asks me how to get to google docs
22:08Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Huh?
22:08hickstro: And, computer scored!
22:08Aram: amen, Valerie. that's happened to me, too
22:09Terry: frugal innovation=edupunk
22:09Nanci WB: Valerie....and then, when you explain and show them how EASY it is....they pooh-pooh it anyway! ARGH!
22:10Terry: Thanks Kevin and Paul. And to all here.
22:10Aram: thanks for sharing, Kevin. Great discussion.
22:10Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Nancy, I share docs. Give and grade tests using docs and so much more
22:11Nanci WB: My thanks, all.
22:11Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: Thanks everybody for joining us
22:11Nanci WB: I hear you, Val.
22:12Nanci WB: bye
22:12Terry: great work folks
22:12Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: night all
22:13Kevin Hodgson: Thanks for chatting. I can't wait to read it ....
22:13Valerie Burton @MsBisOnline: It was fun. Thanks again Kevin
22:14Joseph: great show! thanks, paul etal.
23:59Janet Ilko: So sorry I missed this, my dad has been in the hospital this week, and I was needed there. Can't wait to read this transcript, and I will defiinitely be part of the next one. Dad is doing a little better, so here's hoping life calms down.
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