Learning and Leading With Technology

2013
AWARDS
Your work speaks for itself

but we think it deserves a
STANDING OVATION!
Nominate yourself or a colleague by February 28, 2013,

at iste.org/awards and showcase the work of your district,
classroom, or work team.
Outstanding Leader of the Year Award
For leadership and dedication in
improving education through the
effective use of technology.
Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award

For achievement in implementing
technology to improve learning.
Outstanding Young Educator Award
For demonstrated vision, innovation,

action, and transformation using
technology to improve learning and
teaching. Open to educators under
the age of 35.
Kay L. Bitter Vision Award
SIGMS Technology Innovation Award
Sylvia Charp Award for District

Innovation in Technology Award
SIGOL Online Learning Award
Public Policy Advocate of the Year Award
SIGTE Research Paper Award
For demonstrated vision and creativity

in a project or program that effectively
integrates technology in the classroom
and/or school.
For a school librarian and

collaborating teacher who conduct
an exemplary technology program
extending beyond the library to meet
the needs of students and teachers.
For effectiveness and innovation in

the application of technology across
a school system.
For use of telecommunication

networks to provide innovative
learning opportunities for students.
For advocating for education technology

policy at the local, state, regional,
national, and/or international levels.
For excellence in research in the area

of technology and teacher education.
ISTE is proud to honor exceptional educators who advance the field, demonstrate vision and innovation,
and expand student horizons. Award recognition may include cash awards, complimentary ISTE standard
membership, and travel stipends to ISTE 2013!
You definitely should think holistically

when submitting for this award. Being
an ISTE Outstanding Educator isnt just
about using technology. Its about how
you connect kids to their community, how
you as a professional work hard to better
yourself, and how your students play a
large role in that. I would encourage people

as they apply to think big. Think about
all the things that you do and the impact
that you have and those who impact you.
Because thats really what its all about.
Caroline Haebig
2012 Outstanding Young Educator
iste.org/awards
CONTENTS
Learning & Leading with
Technology (L&L, ISSN
1082-5754) is published
eight times a year by the
International Society for
Technology in Education
(ISTE), 180 W. 8th Ave.,
Suite 300, Eugene,
OR, USA, 974012916; 1.800.336.5191
(US & Canada);
1.541.302.3777 (Intl);
fax 1.541.302.3778;
iste@iste.org; www.
iste.org. All rights
reserved. Opinions
expressed in this
publication are those
of the authors and do
not necessarily represent
or reflect ISTE policy.
Subscriptions are $54
per year for U.S. ISTE
memb ers ($77.70
Canada, $79 Intl) and
$100 per year for U.S.
nonmembers ($155
Canada, $125 Intl).
For membership
information, visit
www.iste.org/join.
Periodicals Postage Paid
at Eugene, OR, and at
additional mailing
offices. Postmaster:
Send address changes
to: L&L, ISTE 180 W. 8th
Ave., Suite 300, Eugene,
OR, USA, 974012916. L&L appears
in August, Sept/Oct,
November, Dec/Jan,
February, Mar/Apr,
May, and June/July.
ISTE is a registered
t rademark of t he
International Society
for Technology in
Education. L&L is
indexed in Current
Index to Journals in
Education, Education
Index, and Library and
Information Science
Abstracts.
Member of:
FEATURES
Seeing Is Believing!
Marla Runyan
The built-in accessibility features of iOS, along with
thousands of apps, make iDevices an education
equalizer for students with visual impairments.
PAGE 12
Hands-On Learning
in the Virtual World
John Branson and Diane Thomson
Teachers in Pennsylvania, USA, helped build an
immersive virtual learning environment where
students could apply their STEM skills to the
real-world issues involved with nuclear power
without any of the real-world dangers.
PAGE 18
Lights, Camera,
Reflection!
Daniel Mourlam
Whether you observe students, your performance,
or the classroom environment, video is a great way
to develop effective learning and teaching.
PAGE 22
2 Learning & Leading with Technology | February 2013
LEARNING CONNECTIONS

English Language Arts
26
What Would Romeo and

Juliet Say to Jack and
Piggy on Facebook?
Pamela Carver
32
Tip
Candace Hackett Shively
Social Studies
29
Adapt-a-Strategy Helps
Make Familiar Lessons
Work for ELL Students
30
Where in the World Are

They? Students Find Out
with Mystery Skype
34
36
Pernille Ripp
ThumbScribes Gives
Budding Writers an
Authentic Audience
Jennifer Cooper
Computer Science
Yes, Students Can

Learn to Love Computer
Programming
Steven Whyte
Visual Arts
Grounded Technology
Integration: Visual Arts
J. Camille Dempsey, Mark Hofer,

and Judi Harris
Apps
39
Toontastic Makes
Storytelling Fun!
Juan Carlos Venegas
LEADING CONNECTIONS

Issue Oriented
Sometimes Low-Tech
Teamwork Gets the
Job Done

Kate Conley

Point/Counterpoint
Should Students Use the

Internet while Taking Tests?
James Cash and Jeffrey Starr
Readers Respond
ISTE News
Connected Classroom
10
Mixed Reality
Glen Bull, Eric Bredder, Nigel

Standish, and Peter Malcolm
As I See IT
Don Hall
ISTE R&E
Student Profile
40
41
43
PLCs: Learning and

Leading Together
Know the NETS
Can You Observe the

NETSS in Practice?
Team Shift: Students

on Fast Track to
Engineering Success
Diana Fingal
47
Coming Next Issue
48

44

Maureen Yoder
46
Columnists
Connected Classroom................................. Glen Bull
Dr. Eval and Research Windows...........ISTE R&E Staff
Voices Carry....................................Hilary Goldmann
Curriculum Specialists
Computer Science......................... Chris Stephenson
ICT........................................................ Julie Lindsay
Language Arts..................... Julie Duffield, Lisa Wahl
Mathematics...................................................... TBA
Physical Education and Health ................ Ken Felker
Science................................ Jared Mader, Ben Smith
Social Studies............................................ Judy Britt
Special Needs.........Joan Thormann, Cindy Anderson
Visual and Performing Arts.............. Savilla Banister
World Languages.............................Kathryn S. Land
Advertising Sales
Email: adinfo.llt@foxrep.com
Fox-Chicago
Phone: 1.800.440.0232 Fax: 1.312.644.8718
Fox-New York
Phone: 1.800.826.3032 Fax: 1.212.779.1928
Fox-Detroit
Phone: 1.248.626.0511 Fax: 1.248.626.0512
Fox-Los Angeles
Phone: 1.805.522.0501 Fax: 1.805.522.0504
Fox-Atlanta
Phone: 1.770.977.3225 Fax: 1.888.853.9234
Advertising Coordinator
Danielle Steele.........................advertising@iste.org
L&L Website.................................www.iste.org/LL
Email the Webmaster at LL_webmaster@iste.org.
Press Releases
Send new product, services, and other resourcerelated press releases to ..............products@iste.org
Letters to the Editor
Respond to the editors, columnists, and other
peers at............................................letters@iste.org
Jessica Medaille
Reprints
Contact the permissions editor (permissions@
iste.org) for reprint or photocopy permissions
information.
ISTE Members,
Power Up!
Buyers Guide
Online Backup
Solutions
Editorial
Editor..................................................... Kate Conley
kconley@iste.org
Senior Editor.........................................Diana Fingal
dfingal@iste.org
Managing Editor ...................................Paul Wurster
pwurster@iste.org
Associate Editor............................... Andra Brichacek
abrichacek@iste.org
Art Director ..........................................Tamara Kidd
tkidd@iste.org
Acquisitions Editor Emeritus.............. Anita McAnear
amcanear@iste.org
ISTE in Action
PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Volume 40 Issue 5
Whats New
ISTE Senior Leadership

Brian Lewis, Chief Executive Officer
Leslie S. Conery, Interim Chief Education Officer
Jessica Medaille, Chief Membership Officer
Deborah Mersino, Chief Marketing Officer
Craig Thibaudeau, Chief External Relations Officer
Anne Tully, Chief Operating Officer
February 2013 | Learning & Leading with Technology 3
Issue oriented
Sometimes Low-Tech
Teamwork Gets the Job Done
connect
www.facebook.com/pages/
ISTE/8828374188
Look for links to L&L articles
and the latest Point/Counterpoint
questions.
KATE CONLEY
Periodicals Director
rom the time the first

caveman grunted to
his clan to go hunting,
humans began communicating and collaborating.
Since were still here, we
can assume they got the
job done. Nowadays, we
can communicate and collaborate from thousands of
miles away. But sometimes
the face-to-face experience
helps us achieve our goals
like no other method can.
Communication and
collaboration, our focus
for this issue, is also Standard 2 of ISTEs NETS for
Students, which in part
calls for students to contribute to project teams to
produce original works or
solve problems. A terrific
example of this happened
in ISTEs Eugene, Oregon,
USA, office in November
when the ISTE 2013 conference committee spent a
week putting the program
together. Because this work
www.iste-community.org/
group/landl
happens in a low-tech way,

the staff gets to watch while
the program develops. As
the week passes, rows and
rows of index cards representing more than 800
learning opportunities are
put up on a long wall and
arranged and rearranged
until a comprehensive program emerges. See photos
on ISTEs Facebook page
at www.facebook.com/
LikeISTE?fref=ts.
Many thanks to the committee members, led by
Camilla Gagliolo, who volunteer to bring you the best
learning experience possible: Lori Gracey, Donna
Bogue, Pam Evans, Cheryl
McDonald, Neal Strudler,
Pat Tips, Christine Voight,
and Barbara Ybarra. View
the entire program beginning mid-February at isteconference.org.
This issue includes other
examples of communication and collaboration. One
is Hands-On Learning in
the Virtual World, on page
18. Students work together
in an immersive learning
environment to solve a reallife problem while growing
their STEM skills.
More collaboration is
reflected in our new Apps
department on page 39.
Acquired through crowdsourcing, the Apps article
brings you a review of an
app to use with English
language learners and offers
suggestions for others.
You, too, can communicate and collaborate with
readers. Help your colleagues grow by contributing to L&L. View the details
on our Submissions Guidelines page at iste.org/LL/
submitarticles.
Kate Conley is ISTEs periodicals
director and the editor of L&L. She
holds a masters degree in journalism and a bachelors in English.
Conley has worked at ISTE for
more than 13 years.
Professional learning communities are not just for teachers.

Don Hall
Learn why on page 40.
Join the L&L group on the ISTE

Community Ning to interact with
other readers, send us messages,
and take part in Point/Counterpoint
discussions.
Follow L&Ls editors

Senior Editor Diana Fingal
@dianafingal
Managing Editor
Paul Wurster @Paul_Wurster
Associate Editor
Andra Brichacek @andramere
letters@iste.org
Send letters to the editor
and we may publish them.
iste.org/LL
Find L&L online and other
great ISTE resources online.
tech we like
Check out the useful sites the L&L team
discovered while producing this issue.
WISEngineering: wise.maketolearn.org
Paul Wurster is intrigued by mixed reality
activites online. Read about them on page 10.
Real World Navy Challenge:
www.rwnc.org
Andra Brichacek is inspired by this real-world
STEM project described on page 18.
ThumbScribes: thumbscribes.com
Diana Fingal loves this collaborative writing
community, which gives budding writers an
authentic audience. See page 32.
Activity Types Wiki:
activitytypes.wmwikis.net
Kate Conley likes the Learning Activity Types
wiki for its ideas for using TPACK (see page 36).
Dragon Dictation: tinyurl.com/bwwbach
Tam Kidd digs this app that lets students record
themselves and see their words in written form.
See this and more great apps on page 39.
Get Hands-On with Hydraulics
Discover Easy Engineering

Activities from TeacherGeek
From complete kits that explore hydraulics
and wind energy to building battling
robots and racecars, TeacherGeek activities
encourage students to create and innovate
like real-world engineers.
The TeacherGeek Approach:
Easy-to-use kits include simple components

and a step-by-step pictorial guide
Affordable for every budget, and flexible

for every grade level
Choose from over 35 kits covering

standards-based engineering topics
See the TeacherGeek

Advanced Hydraulic
Arm in action!
Scan this QR code on any smartphone

to watch an exclusive video.
Questions about
TeacherGeek activities?
The preferred supplier of TeacherGeek
Im here to help! For one-on-one

support from a Science Kit
STEM expert email,
sciencehelp@vwreducation.com
27
sciencekit.com/teachergeek
pointcounterpoint
Should Students Use the Internet while Taking Tests?
YES
Some might
argue that whether or not you allow students to
use the internet
during testing
James Cash
depends on the
goals of the test and what you are testing. In my view, it should not matter
what the test is asking of the learner;
students should be allowed to access
internet resources while taking any
test. Doing so would force the test
designers to move beyond asking for
plain facts, demonstrations of simple
skills, or basic understanding of concepts. For example, a teacher might
design a history test to assess whether
students know historically significant
dates, locations, figures, causes of

wars, outcomes of treaties, and so on.
But such a test would lack any assessment of students ability to effectively
criticize a treaty or judge the quality
of a historical document.
I believe that higher-level thinking
skills, such as critical analysis, idea
synthesis, or delineation of evaluative arguments, are more worthwhile
educational goals than memorizing
names and dates. Instead of forbidding the use of internet resources during assessments that ask for facts, we
should encourage it. Those who are
concerned that students will simply
find answers to the test online trust
neither the learner nor the purpose of
learning. It is not what you know that
matters; it is what you can do with

what you know that matters. Good
educators want to see the quality of
thinking students are capable of more
than the quantity of facts or definitions that they can memorize.
There are enough resources out
there (such as www.turnitin.com),
as well as the instructors own critical-thinking skills, to detect if a
student has simply cut and pasted
an answer or reworded someone
elses thinking. I am not so nave to
believe that there is no place for these
tools in a busy education community.
But I think that forbidding the use of
online information during learning
and assessment diminishes the authenticity of the task.
Maybe my thinking isnt very 21st

century, but here we are in the 21st
century, and I still dont see the magical changes in education that I was
promised during the 20th century.Unfortunately, I dont think were there
yet. I keep hearing at conferences that
we need to reassess the way we assess
students. Maybe that would be great
in advanced classes, but what about
the basic classes? Can every class at
every level be taught using critical
thinking without needing to assess
whether the students have gained the
basic building blocks? The answer is
no. The range of student skills at each
grade level is still too wide to make
a blanket statement like, All high
school students should be able to use
critical thinking during tests instead

of checking for basic facts.
Dont get me wrong, I love smartphones. I am jealous of the teachers
who pull them out of their pockets
in the hall between classes to check
the weather forecast and their emails,
Facebook posts, and Twitter feeds
when they are supposed to be supervising the students change of classes.
Keep in mind that these are professionals who presumably have learned
how to focus while completing a task.
If adults cannot handle focusing while
doing something as simple as hall
duty, how can you expect teenagers
to not be distracted when using the
internet on their phones? Assessments
might take all day by the time they
NO
At this time,
giving students
access to the
internet during
testing is like leaving the answer
Jeffrey Starr
key to the test on
your desk and then leaving the room.
It creates an irresistible temptation
to students to merely look for the
answers rather than coming up with
the answers on their own. It is bad
enough that math students in high
school feel like they need a calculator to multiply 11 36 (thats 396 for
those who didnt learn your multiplication tables). Can you imagine students going to Google and searching
for: What is 11 times 36?
readers respond
Heres what other ISTE members
had to say about this topic.
YES 51% 49% NO
Participate in our reader poll

at iste.org/LL.
When, as adults, we need to solve

problems, create solutions, be critical,
or attempt to explain something,
we use internet-based resources as
a matter of course, and we use them
critically, strategically, and effectively
to complete the task and move forward. Why would we deny our children this capability during their education when it is so essential in the
real world?
James Cash is an instructional technology
resource teacher with the Peel District School
Board in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He
credits Seymour Paperts Mindstorms: Children,
Computers and Powerful Ideas as inspiration
for a lifelong interest in ed tech and cognitive
psychology. Follow him on Twitter @cashjim.
check all their new Facebook posts

and finally sit down to use the internet
as a tool.
My last major problem with allowing students to use their smartphones
is that we cannot monitor or filter
what sites they are viewing because
they run through their cell providers
internet and not the schools. Good
luck convincing students to use the filtered school internet when they have
the unfiltered internet as an option.
Cyberbullying during assessments,
here we come.
Jeffrey Starr has taught math in the Baltimore
County Public School system since 2004. He is
the full-time technology liaison and Student
Government Association co-advisor at Dundalk
High School in Maryland, USA.
Practice Makes Perfect

I often give open-internet tests and quizzes in my
1:1 classroom. It helps students hone their search
skills and ensures that I am asking higher-level
questions. Students will forget what they dont use,
so they need repeated practice using the internet
to find the information they forgot.
Jennifer Roberts
Adjunct Faculty, University of San Diego
San Diego, California, USA
The Sum of Knowledge
Testing is a tool that measures acquired academic
knowledge. Allowing the internet, or any other
resource, during testing would bias and invalidate
the test. How can you measure the amount of
information the student truly knows if you allow
searchable material to guide the students answers? Moreover, testing is a culmination of ones
knowledge, not a time for research.
Diana Bidulescu
Media Arts Magnet Coordinator
Galveston, Texas, USA
Trial Run
My English class at Sandvika High School in Oslo,
Norway, participated in May in a national trial for using the internet during examinations initiated by the
Norwegian Department of Education. This has given
me time to think about what is important and how
to prepare for this type of exam. The tasks during
the exams should be made with searching in mind.
Students should no longer be required to regurgitate
facts and figures. Instead the emphasis should be on
their ability to sift through and analyze information.
Ann S. Michaelsen
High School Administrator/Teacher
Oslo, Norway
Technolgy Cant Do It All
Information at your fingertips has changed the way
we work, and the teaching and testing we do should
reflect that. But there are some things you should
not be allowed to use the internet for, based on
real-world application. Would you want your brain
surgeon consulting WebMD during your surgery?
Jeff Hough
Business Consultant, Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho, USA
POLL RESULTS
What Are You Measuring?
This is like asking if calculators should be used
on math tests. If you want to know a persons
problem-solving thinking and process, then using a
calculator is fine. If you want to know how well they
can add and subtract, then no.
Janet Wall
Career Development Professional
Washington, DC, USA
The Internet Has Its Limits
Students are getting more and more dependent on
the internet every day. We, as teachers, should limit
the use of it up to a certain point. We cannot leave
everything in the hands of technology.
Catalina Elena Oyarzn Albarracin
Director, Academia de Ingls
Coihaique, Chile
More Important Than Memorization
Memorization of facts shouldnt be discouraged, but
it should not be the test of intelligence, skill, or ability. As an employer, I would rather have an individual
working for me who could identify an issue, investigate it, form a plan, and execute it successfully.
Clarena M. Renfro
Technology Integration Coach
Glen Falls, New York, USA
Brains on Empty
Empty-headed people produce empty-headed
thoughts. Just because the internet has information at your fingertips doesnt mean your brain
should be void. There has to be a foundation of
knowledge. Many students depend on technology
instead of leveraging it to elevate their game.
Keishla Ceaser-Jones
Inside Account Executive, Compass Learning
Austin, Texas, USA
Time to Adapt
When I started teaching, I was partial to clay tablets.
This made life pretty difficult for me, and finally I was
told that I could either change or be fired. The school
board claimed teaching using old-fashioned technology would not benefit students. So I changed.
Dennis Harper, PhD
Founder/CEO, Generation YES
Seattle, Washington, USA
To contribute to this and future discussions,

visit www.iste-community.org/groups/LandL.
news
Profundizacin
Fundamentos
Liderazgo
y Apoyo
NETS Leadership Academy in Spanish

One of ISTEs most popular online courses, the NETS
Leadership Academy (NLA), will be offered in Spanish
beginning February 25. The courses that make up the
NLA seriesFoundations, Deep Dive, and Leadership
& Advocacyare six-week facilitated classes steeped in
the NETS. Educators from Latin America will facilitate
the courses using examples from the region and demonstrations of the NETS in action.
The NLA gives participants access to NETS experts, relevant resources, and activities to implement in their schools
right away.
One past participant said the
strengths of the NLA were the
integration of NETS theory, social
media, case study, and best practice
examplesa product-based constructivist learning approach.
To learn more or register for the
course, visit iste.org/OnlineCourses.
2013 ISTE Awards Deadline Nears

Time is running out to nominate yourself or a colleague for an ISTE award.
Nominations close February 28.
Each year ISTE recognizes outstanding individuals who, through
their exceptional work and achievements, have made a significant impact
on the field of educational technology.
These nine prestigious awards strive for the
highest degree of excellence in several categories, and winners are recognized each year at ISTEs Annual Conference
and Exposition.
Award winners receive complimentary ISTE memberships, registrations for ISTE 2013 in San Antonio, and other
prizes, which may include cash awards and travel stipends.
For more information, go to iste.org/awards.
2013
S
AWARD
Ready, Set, Sign Up for

Workshops and BYOD Sessions!
If youve already registered for ISTE 2013 in
San Antonio, you can add paid workshops and
other ticketed events to your online conference
planner beginning February 13.
Visit the conference website at isteconference.org/
2013 and use the searchable database to find more
than 700 sessions as well as paid workshops and
bring-your-own-device sessions by topic, date,
and other criteria.
If you havent registered, do so by March 31
to take advantage of super early-bird rates.
Free PD
for Members
Couldnt make it to the
ISTE Leadership Forum
in October or to ISTE
2012 last June? Or you
just werent able to attend
every session you wanted to? Fear not! ISTE
members can now read
summaries of some of
the hottest sessions at
the forum and annual conference.
The ISTE Leadership Forum and ISTE 2012 executive
summaries provide recaps of sessions on topics such as
maximizing tech investments, leveraging social media,
implementing the flipped classroom, finding the best
apps for education, and many more. Learn more at iste.
org/resources.
2013 ISTE Board Elections! March 12April 12.

Visit iste.org/elections.
connected cl assroom
Mixed Reality
ixed-reality environments combine

physical and virtual worlds. Mixedreality systems can be useful instructional tools that combine the power of computers
with the complexity of the physical world. These
systems take advantage of the power of computers for prediction, simulation, and measurement
but also ground activities in the messiness of
the physical world.
Mixed Reality in STEM Education
Mixed reality can be ideal for classroom activities
that integrate science and engineering. The Concord Consortiums Mixed Reality Lab (concord.
org/projects/mixed-reality-labs), led by Charles
Xie, outlines the rationale for mixed-reality environments:
Hands-on labs provide rich context and
multisensory experiences but often fail
to reveal the underlying concepts clearly.
Virtual labs help focus student attention
on the concepts through visual, interactive
simulations but often lack a sense of reality.
By combining these two types of learning into
mixed-reality experiences, the advantages of
both should increase learning.
The concept of computers interacting with the
physical world is not new. In 1971, Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon published a landmark
paper, Twenty Things to Do with a Computer"
(tinyurl.com/ap689wj), recommending that
computers in schools take advantage of the

same affordances computers offer science
and engineering. They noted:
In the real world computers are used in
many different ways. Some are programmed
to fly airplanes; not to tell a human pilot
what to do, but to pull the levers with their
own electronic-mechanical effectuators
and to read the altitudes and airspeeds with
electronic sensing devices. Some computers are programmed to control lathes and
milling machines in industrial plants .
These suggestions foreshadow advances in fields
of engineering, such as mechatronics involving
the widespread use of computer-controlled effectuators, as Papert calls them, and rapid prototyping through 3D printers and digital fabrication systems. Papert envisioned that educators
would connect computers to the physical world
and use them to explore the physics principles
embodied in simple toys.
Exploring Waves with Pendulums
In 2009, Vadas Gintautas and Alfred Hbler
devised an inexpensive electronic pendulum
constructed from a computer mouse, facilitating
exploration with a device that teachers can make
for less than $5. You can access construction
plans and software, provided as supplements
to an article they published in Physics Education,
at iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/44/5/006.
connected classroom |
Ariana, a student at Buford Middle School, inspects the card-stock speaker she created before testing its fidelity.
We extended the concept to record

the motion of the mouse pendulum
on an electronic strip chart on a computer screen. But before introducing
this mixed-reality pendulum, we led
a playground activity in which paint
flowing from a hole in the bottom of
a swinging bucket creates a sine wave
on a strip of craft paper. This simple
activity is inexpensive, requiring only
a surplus paint bucket, and does not
require any electronic technologies.
It serves as a scaffold to anchor more
advanced explorations that combine
the computer with the physical world.
We used an inexpensive solenoid
to activate a pendulum, allowing students to determine the optimal rate to
feed energy into the system. This can
facilitate exploration of concepts such
as resonance and phase relationships.
Once students understand that a
simple repeating motion can generate
a waveform in this physical activity, a
mixed-reality activity can extend the
concept. Mouse pendulums are inexpensive enough to allow each child to have
more time exploring periodic motion.
Enabling the computer to control

inputs to the system as well as record
outputs lets students view changes
from a systemic perspective, adjusting
variables and observing outcomes.
Students can also use the understanding of these concepts and relationships as the basis for constructing
a speaker using card stock, magnet,
and wire. The students create the
speaker cone and base from card
stock. A coil of wire at the base of
the speaker cone generates a magnetic field that moves the speaker coil
(and the speaker cone attached to it),
causing the speaker to vibrate. The
students then compare the acoustic
characteristics of the speakers they
designed and constructed with the
characteristics of commercial speakers
and use their analyses as the basis for
revision of their designs. This provides
a real-world context for applying the
concepts they have learned.
You can access the mouse pendulum, paint bucket pendulum, and
paper speaker activities at wise.
maketolearn.org.
ing design to the same level as scientific inquiry in classroom instruction

(www.next genscience.org). Mixedreality projects can provide a foundation for this, combining computer
simulations and controls with realworld applications in the same manner as actual science and engineering.
Thanks to advances in technology,
the cost of such activities has dropped
dramatically. The barrier to applying
science in the context of engineering design is now expertise, because
science teachers often have a limited
background in engineering design.
As the NGSS framework notes,
engineering is a distinct field with
its own goals, practices, and core
concepts. However, collaboration
across disciplines can make it possible
for students to learn science in the
context of engineering design. Students can deepen their understanding
of science while applying what they
learn in their everyday lives, and this
benefits science teachers, technology
educators, and the students that they
teach.
Controlling the Physical World

Papert envisioned that computers
could control actions in the physical
world as well as record them, suggesting that a linear actuator could act as
a pusher to feed energy into a system.
Learning Science from Engineering

The Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS) call for a commitment to fully integrating engineering
and technology into the structure of
science education by raising engineer-
The activities described are based in part on

work supported by the National Science Foundation (nsf.gov). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
Disclaimer
Glen Bull (gbull@virginia.edu)

is co-director of the Center
for Technology and Teacher
Education in the Curry School
of Education at the University of
Virginia, USA. Bull co-authored
this column with Eric Bredder
(bredder@virginia.edu), a technology educator;
Nigel Standish (nigelstandish@virginia.edu), a
secondary science teacher; and Peter Malcolm
(p.malcolm@virginia.edu), a computer scientist.
Bredder, Standish, and Malcolm are graduate
fellows in the Center for Technology and Teacher
Education.
This computer screen shows the motion of a mouse pendulum as it simulates a swinging paint bucket with a hole in the bottom.
By Marla Runyan
Seeing Is Believing!
The built-in accessibility features of iOS, along with thousands of apps,
make iDevices an education equalizer for students with visual impairments.
Photography: Joel Phifer

istockphoto.com/johnwoodcock
n 1980, my parents bought me

my first closed-circuit television
(CCTV). This low-vision technology was essentially a monitor with
a camera positioned directly underneath so that a person with a vision
impairment, like myself, could place
reading material under the camera
and display an enlarged image of
the text on the screen. A turn of the
magnification knob would enlarge
the text.
While this wasand still isa
valuable tool for many people with
low vision, a desktop video magnifier is cumbersome to control if you
are reading for long periods of time.
And, like most accessibility tools, it
carried a hefty price tag$2,000
$4,000which is still true today.
In 1987, I got my first computer.
As I recall, it was something like a
286 DOS IBM clone. The price was
about $2,500. But I couldnt actually
use this machine without special software and hardware
that would enlarge the view so that I could see what I was
typing. At that time, the only option for PC users was
custom installation of a system called Vista (not to be confused with the Windows operating system). It also came
with a mouselong before a mouse was ever used with a
PCthat controlled the zoom window. Those extras cost
another $2,000. Ultimately, my parents spent nearly $5,000
so I could do basic word processing.
So lets do the math: I went off to college with an enormous IBM clone, a Vista enlargement system so I could
access my enormous IBM clone, and a CCTV that had a
screen no larger than an iPad. The total cost was nearly
$7,500. And yet, when I arrived on

campus, I still could not read my
textbooks well enough to keep up or
see the board in my classes. I had to
hire readers and note takers to help
with that.
Leveling the Playing Field
Accessibility has always been expensive. The extra cost that a person who is visually impaired must
incur to access mainstream technology is known as the blindness
tax. Screen magnification software
and screen readers fall into this category. And the cost increases with
each update of the computers operating system.
But things are beginning to
change. Today, I can check my
email, read and send a text message,
map a restaurant, peruse an attached document, update my status on
Facebook, play music, read a book,
take a photo, send a photo, browse the web, and much
moreall from the palm of my hand for no more than
$300, thanks to my iPhone.
Most would agree that iOS technology is downright
cool. But its more than cool for a person with a visual
impairmentits accessibility built right in.
At first glance, an iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad,
doesnt appear to be an appropriate tool for the blind. It
has only a few physical buttons, and it seems to make sense
only for someone with full sight. However, features such
as Zoom and VoiceOver and compatibility with braille
displays have made iDevices accessible right out of the
box to people who are blind or visually impaired.
Using iDevices in the Classroom

This technology has quickly made its
way into our classrooms as a highly
motivating, sleek, and portable learning tool. But as a teacher of students
with visual impairments (TVI), I
believe iOS technology has potential
for my students beyond the learning

of core academics. An iOS device can
provide timely access to curriculum,
enable productivity in a portable manner, facilitate social networking and
daily living skills, support orientation
and mobility skills, and even bridge

the gap between braille and print.
Here are a few of the features that
bring the world into better focus
for low-vision and blind students.
Read2Go and Bookshare

For students
with low vision,
iDevices can
bring the world
up close and
into view and
make reading
much less cumbersome. Typically, a
student with low vision may require
a variety of tools and adaptations to
access print. These may include globe
or handheld magnifiers, desktop video
magnifiers (also called CCTVs), and
large print. Low-vision readers typically use a combination of tools, but they
often limit efficiency and sustainability.
Read2Go, the Bookshare app, provides thousands of books, including
textbooks, in accessible formats to
students with visual impairments.

Users can control font size, color
and contrast settings, and speech
output. Bookshare was created in
response to the U.S. Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), which mandates that
schools provide timely access
to instructional educational
materials for students with
visual impairments.
Memberships and book downloads are free to eligible students.
Read2Go, the mobile app, is fully
compatible with VoiceOver, enabling
a blind student access to books on
her braille display. Visually impaired
students can browse books in Read2Go and download them instantly.
Braille Display
Within VoiceOver, a braille display
essentially a braille keyboardcan
be paired with an iDevice using Bluetooth connectivity. Refreshable braille
displays vary in size but are typically
smaller than a standard keyboard and
include a line of mechanical braille text
that refreshes as the user moves the
VoiceOver cursor across the screen.
When using a braille display with
the six braille input keys, users can
type in contracted braille, and text appears on the screen as it would for any
user. (Braille contractions are braille
characters or letters that represent

words or parts of words.) In general,
any content that is captured and spoken aloud by VoiceOver can be read
in braille on a braille display.
A student can mute VoiceOver in
the classroom so she doesnt disturb
others and can control the device using the braille display instead. Using
the schools Wi-Fi access, the student
can also complete a written assignment and email it to her teacher.
Likewise, a teacher can email a Word
document to the student, who can
open it in Mail or Pages and read it

on the braille display. The student and
teacher may also exchange documents
through shared folders in Dropbox.
There are limitations to using
VoiceOver and braille input. Not all
third-party apps are VoiceOver accessible. This is frustrating because the
iTunes store doesnt indicate which
are compatible and which are not.
Additionally, braille input is not always fluid. The user cannot check
her braille until after she has finished
typing the entire word. And, if the
VoiceOver
Zoom
This is the built-in screen reader

for iDevices. Users can activate it
by triple-clicking the Home button
(the triple-click feature can be customized in Settings). To choose content to
be read aloud, users can type braille
or QWERTY keyboard commands
or make on-screen gestures, such
as a single finger swipe to move the
VoiceOver cursor across the screen
and a double-tap to make
selections. It takes some
practice, thats for sure,
and it may even annoy you
if you are not visually impaired. But for blind users,
VoiceOver has made navigating the device and accessing iBooks, Pages, Notes,
Mail, and hundreds of other
apps possible. In addition,
VoiceOver enables the use
of a braille display via Bluetooth connectivity.
This is the built-in screen magnifier

on iDevices. Once a user turns it on
in Settings, she taps twice with three
fingers to activate the zoom window
and drags three fingers across the
screen to move the zoom window.
She can control the zoom level by
double-tapping and then dragging
three fingers up or down.
Camera and
Magnification Apps
A student with low vision who cannot see the whiteboard or read his
worksheets can use the camera on his
iDevice, along with third-party apps,
such as EyeSight, Spectacles, Bigger
and Brighter, and iMagnifier, to transform the iDevice into an inexpensive
video magnifier. And numerous optical character recognition (OCR) apps
can capture print and convert the
image to a text file.
Prizmo is an OCR app
that makes print accessible
to a blind student by taking a picture of a page of
text and extracting it from
the image so it can be read
aloud with VoiceOver.
Additional accessibility
features that run universally
on iDevices include Invert
Colors, Large Text, and
Speak Selection.
user hesitates after typing a single

letter, a braille contraction may be
inserted automatically. Finally, when
editing words, the user must turn the
contractions off to insert individual
letters, but this can happen with a
single keystroke.
That said, an iDevice with braille
input allows a visually impaired
student to create texts that both the
student and teacher can read. In the
classroom, the teacher can see what
the student is typing and is not reliant
on the TVI or braillist to translate
between the two literacy mediums.
If Theres an App for That, ViA Lists It!

The Braille Institute has created ViA
(Visually Impaired Apps), a resource for
the visually impaired who want to see
whats availableand accessiblein
the world of mobile apps for iDevices.
Apps listed on ViA are sorted by category,
price, and iTunes App Store ratings to
help visually impaired users easily find
a cross-section of useful apps.
Blind or low-vision users can search
categories such as accessibility,
entertainment, health, K12 education,
navigation, news, productivity, reading,
magnification, and social networking.
In the forum, users can also suggest
and discuss apps they find useful, track
new apps that fall into categories that
interest them, and develop an interactive
community of visually impaired app
users. Learn more at brailleinstitute.org/
MobileApps/ViA.aspx.
Built-In Accessibility Features

Feature
Description
VoiceOver
Speaks content on the screen. Can be controlled with onscreen gestures, Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard, or braille
device. Enables compatibility with braille displays.
Zoom
Enlarges items on the screen. Users activate Zoom by tapping

twice with three fingers and dragging their fingers up or down
to control zoom level.
Invert Colors
Reverses contrast to show white or yellow text on black

background.
Large Text
Increases font size in Mail, iMessages, and Notes up to 56

point.
Speak Selection
Reads text aloud when the user highlights it on the screen

and then touches Speak.
Siri and
Dictation
Launches apps, makes an appointment, writes a note, or creates

a document by voice command.
An iOS device can provide timely access to curriculum,

enable productivity in a portable manner, facilitate
social networking and daily living skills, support
orientation and mobility skills, and even bridge
the gap between braille and print.
Expanded Core Curriculum

How do high school students communicate these days? Do they call each other
on the phone? No. They text, tweet, and
post on Facebook. If students with visual
impairments cant network with their
peers in this manner, they are left out of
the social loop. iOS devices can support
students with vision impairments in the
areas of social communication, daily
living skills, and orientation and mobility. These are domains of the Expanded
Core Curriculum (ECC) for students
with vision impairments.
iMessages, Twitter, and the Facebook app are compatible with VoiceOver and braille displays. Additionally, apps such as LookTel Money
Reader enable a blind student to
identify paper money. Finally, GPS
apps, such as Sendero Look Around
and Navigon, support orientation and
mobility skills when students are out
in the community.
Improvements to Accessibility
With the release of iOS 6 in September 2012, the built-in accessibility features have improved at no additional cost to the user. Enhancements to vision accessibility features
include the ability to run Zoom and
VoiceOver simultaneously; access via
braille display to Item Chooser, which
presents elements on the screen as a
list, allowing users to quickly navigate
through them; and the compatibility
of VoiceOver with Maps. And Siri
Apples voice-recognition feature
is available for the iPad 3 and the
newest iPad with retina display.
Using Siri, a student can now
launch apps, write a note, or search
the web through voice command
(Wi-Fi access is required).
Is it perfect? No. But when you consider that iOS technology has been
around for only a handful of years,
you cant argue against its potential.
And you cant beat the price. Until
now, blind technology, or expensive
third-party software, has been the
only option for computer access and

basic word processing for the visually
impaired. Electronic braille note takers, for example, are a valued tool for
many blind adults and students, but
at a cost of around $6,000 per device.
Wi-Fi for Students Is a Must
In my state of Oregon, students with
visual impairments are gaining access
to iOS technology with the support of
the Blind and Visually Impaired Students Fund in cooperation with the
Oregon Department of Education.
As a TVI in the public school system, I believe my greatest challenge
in unlocking the full potential of iOS
technology is Wi-Fi access. Every district has its own policy regarding the
use of smartphones or tablets on their
campuses. But often, Wi-Fi access
especially on devices that are not owned by the districtis either not available
or not allowed for students. Without
Wi-Fi, a students work is contained
within the device until she can either

email it to her teacher or print to an
Air Printcompatible printer requiring
shared networking. Also, Siri and
Dictation cannot run without Wi-Fi.
It is my hope that school leaders will
realize that built-in accessibility has
blurred the line between mainstream
technology and assistive technology.
When mainstream technology is able
to provide access and productivity to
students with special needs, districts
may need to re-examine policies that
ultimately disable this access. The technology is here, but its potential is limited without school district support.
Marla Runyan is a teacher
of students with visual impairments for Lane Regional
Programs in Eugene, Oregon,
USA. She credits technology
for helping her to become
more independent, efficient,
and productive. In 2000, she became the first legally
blind American to compete in the Olympic Games.
She competed in her second Olympics in 2004.
VOTE!
ISTE Board Elections

March 12April 12
Visit iste.org/elections
Collaborate with tools from the Edge

FREE
ree
F
d
A
Teacher-reviewed resources
you can use safely, within school policies
Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers
www.teachersfirst.com/edge
For teachers. For families. For excellence.
iste-ad-1302.indd 1
11/13/12 3:57 PM
By John Branson and Diane Thomson
Hands-On Learning in the

E
ngagement is a big piece of

the learning puzzle. Make
lessons fun and interesting,
and students are much more likely
to learn and retain them.
Problem-based learning (PBL) is
one proven method for engaging
students, because it allows kids
to connect the dots between
their school work and the real
world while participating in
hands-on learning actvities.
Unfortunately, this is not always
possible. Some of the most exciting real-world activities are too
difficult, expensive, or dangerous
to expose children to.
Enter immersive simulations. The

U.S. military has long understood the
value of this type of learning. Before
the Navy entrusts a ship to a crew,
crew members must first practice and
demonstrate their competency in a
fully immersive, simulated environment. Why not teach students in the
same way?
K12 educators in Pennsylvania,
USA, recently did just that when
they partnered with the U.S. Navy
in the Real World Navy Challenge
(RWNC, www.rwnc.org). A joint
project coordinated by the Navy,
the Chester County Intermediate
Unit, and Delaware Valley Industrial
Resources Center, the RWNC uses
immersive learning to give students
real-world problem-based scenarios
requiring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
Teachers in
Pennsylvania, USA,
helped build an immersive
virtual learning environment
where students could apply their
STEM skills to the real-world issues
involved with nuclear power
without any of the realworld dangers.
Virtual World
knowledge and skills, without requiring them to leave the classroom.
Some of the RWNC problem
scenarios that students have participated in include a natural disaster that led to the relocation of the
entire population of Philadelphia
and issues associated with the
hydraulic fracturing (known as
fracking) process used to extract
natural gas from shale. Middle
and high school teachers in STEM
subjects throughout southeastern
Pennsylvania were eager to try
their own scenario, and they got
to be involved from day one.
Welcome to Boot Camp
Like new recruits to the Navy, the
21 educators who participated in the
RWNC kicked off their experience
with a boot camp. They gathered at
the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where
they took part in three days of rigorous training designed to change the
way they teach and learn.
During the boot camp, the teachers
toured the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare
Centers Ship Systems Engineering Station so they could see how the Navy
employs full-scale simulations in its
training programs and get a glimpse
into science and engineering research
that will have significant implications
far beyond the scope of the military.
But like any boot camp, this was
not a spectator event. Teams solved
complex logistical problems with
limited tools and resources and
came up with solutions requiring their collaboration,
clear communication,
and creativity.
There was class
work and homework as
well. Bootcamp participants learned

the foundations of PBL from experts
in the field. They studied new tools,
such as a custom-designed team collaboration portal featuring a whiteboard, voice, and text chat; wikis; and
journals. And they gained hands-on
experience in an immersive virtual
environment called NewWorlds
(newworlds.paiunet.org), where much
of their and their students experience
in the RWNC would take place.
NewWorlds, which uses the open
source simulation platform OpenSIM, has built several learning environments for students. The RWNC
training team provided a framework
for the scenario they had in mind. It
would have to:
Connect to the students local
environment
Require a knowledge of STEM
concepts and skills
Require collaboration
Be relevant to the students lives
The scenario selection process began with a whole-group brainstorming session. The educators agreed that
the problem should involve something
that is meaningful and relevant to all
the students. Nine potential scenarios
emerged, but the overwhelming favorite involved a simulated accident at a
nearby nuclear power plant.
This challenge met all of the criteria.
The school districts were within the
evacuation zone of a nuclear power
plant. And the scenario would encourage students to use and expand
their STEM and collaboration skills.
Even better, although no one knew it
at the time, a version of the imaginary
scenario was about to play out in real
life and get worldwide attention.
Building the Virtual Environment

Once the teachers identified the
problem scenario, the NewWorlds
Development Team began designing
and building the virtual environment,
dubbed the Scarboro South Nuclear
Power Plant. The development team,
which included a programmer and
several graphics and instructional
designers from the Chester County
Intermediate Unit, built the site over
approximately six months using the
Open SIM platform.
It was essential that the virtual power plant accurately re-create the structure and operation of the local nuclear
power plant. Although students under
18 were not allowed onsite, the design
team was able to tour the nuclear
power plant, interview engineers, and
procure detailed drawings to ensure
the virtual environments authenticity.
The team took painstaking care to
faithfully depict a fully functioning
nuclear power plant, including all
safety and security features, such as ID
scanners, an explosives detector, metal
detectors, twin pressure-lock doors,
personal contamination monitors,
radiation scrubs, and other protective
gear. They even designed the virtual
nuclear reactor and core to allow students to peel away outer layers to reveal the fuel rods and turbines within.
The team used Google Earth to
assist in the design of the plants exterior, including the cooling towers,
the spray pool, the switch yard, and
the cask storage area. Google Earth
provided excellent aerial views of the
plant that allowed the designers to
accurately depict the number, size,
and proximity of buildings in relation
to the Schuylkill River, which is the
water supply for the plant.
Teams solved complex

logistical problems with
limited tools and resources
and came up with solutions
requiring their collaboration,
clear communication,
and creativity.
Virtual Reality Meets Real Life

Once the Scarboro South Nuclear Power Plant was completed in February, the
teachers had considerable latitude in
how and when they could implement
the challenge. But, as fate would have
it, real life had plans of its own.
On March 11, 2011, a powerful
earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. The earthquake spurred a 46-foot
tsunami that, one hour later, breeched
the seawall at the Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant located 150 miles
northeast of Tokyo. The raging waters
overwhelmed the backup power and
cooling systems at the plant, leading
to one of the worst disasters in the history of the nuclear power industry.
When the disaster struck, Brenda
Gelinas, an AP chemistry teacher
at Downingtown East High School,
immediately revised her implementation of the RWNC to incorporate the
events unfolding in Japan. She challenged her students to act as a team
of nuclear energy experts tasked with
determining the implications of the
Fukushima Daiichidisaster on the
future of nuclear power generation
in the United States.
Ive decided to take advantage of
the teachable moment with what is going on in Japan, Gelinas said. Im really excited about it! While the events
in Japan are terrible, they do provide a
wonderful backdrop for this project.
The students engagement, both
with the unit and with current events,
soared. When news reporters covering
the Fukushima disaster discussed the
growing danger posed by the exposed
spent fuel cooling pools, and the structure and safety features of a nuclear
power plant became headline news, students in the RWNC could relate
because they had already spent time in

the Scarboro South plant and witnessed
the virtual equivalent of the disaster.
Hands-On Learning
As would be expected in any good
PBL experience, each implementation
of the RWNC varied significantly, requiring the students to assume control
of their learning.
Students formed teams to attack different aspects of the problem, including alternative energy, possible evacuation, past events, nuclear radiation,
and radiation sickness. Real-life nuclear engineers visited the classrooms
to explain nuclear power generation
and to answer questions. The students
engaged in brainstorming activities,
collaborative research, debate, data
analysis, and, finally, consensus building with a goal of determining implications for nuclear power generation
in the United States.
Each students avatar wore a virtual
dosimeter that kept track of accumulated exposure to radiation. They
recorded violations and safety hazards
in their virtual notebooks as they
inspected the plant, using checklists
provided by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission. They also recorded
their experiences in their journals
and through video.
At the end of the program, teams
of students presented their findings
to their classmates and teachers, and
one group reported on their experience to their districts school board
members.
In addition to the class presentations,
the students were evaluated on the
quality of their journal entries and the
sophistication of their problem-solving
skills. They were assessed on several
As would be expected
in any good PBL experience,
each implementation of the RWNC
varied significantly, requiring the
students to assume control
criteria, including their collaborative
efforts, the quality and content of their
presentations, and completion of the
virtual nuclear power plant inspection.
When asked what they thought of
the project, the students overwhelming response was positive. They felt
touring the Scarboro South virtual
nuclear power plant added a valuable
dimension to their learning.
Almost all of the students surveyed felt that the collaboration portal
enabled them to communicate with
other team members more effectively
and helped them to keep organized
throughout the project. Overall,
students said they preferred using
the PBL approach to learning about
nuclear reactions because it was more
fun, hands on, and interactive.
Some students expressed concerns
that they did not learn to balance
chemical equations during the project and felt that this method might
not be appropriate for introductory
classes. Others felt that the project
would be difficult for students
without previous collaboration
experience.
The Next Frontier
As teachers learn about Scarboro
South and other virtual learning environments within NewWorlds, they
generally respond with enthusiasm
and creativity.
When Laura Kowalski, a science
teacher at Parkland High School, first
saw NewWorlds at the Keystone Technology Summit at Bucknell University in
July 2010, she immediately recognized
the potential of the virtual environment
to enhance her students learning.
Kowalski had already used technology to create simulations for her
of their learning.
that provides immerclassroom.
sive simulations of
She used
Asian architecture and
PowerPoint
artifacts, and a life-skills
to design a game
program featuring a functioncalled Leechyman to
ing
apartment
and a simulated work
help students better understand proexperience to help students with spetein synthesis. Students had to defeat
cial needs learn independent living
the villain Leechyman, who planned
skills.
to end the human race by altering the
Despite the clear benefits of imgenetic structure of hemoglobin so
mersive virtual learning environments
it could no longer transport oxygen
to student engagement, many schools
throughout the body.
have been reluctant to use them,
Kowalski observed that the game
mainly because of cost. But with the
greatly enhanced her students unadvent of open source environments,
derstanding of a difficult concept
expense is no longer an issue.
and helped them retain what they
Some educators avoid them because
learned. But she thought that NewWorlds could take Leechyman players of their similarity to video games and
to the next level of learning. Her game their lack of alignment to academic
standards. But the RWNC and Leechycould not accurately depict the entire
man programs demonstrate how, with a
process of protein synthesis, but a 3D
immersive virtual environment would little collaboration and creativity, these
environments can be used effectively to
allow students to see the process and
achieve academic standards.
actually experience it.
Bottom line, hands-on PBL has
In the 3D version of Leechyman,
increased
student engagement and
students enter the body of one of the
learning. And virtual environments
villains victims. Traveling through
provide a way to get that hands-on
the blood vessels, students are able
experience for students, even when
to examine hemoglobin on the molecular level. Throughout their travels, the logistics of the real world get in
the way.
they encounter mini-challenges that
require them to demonstrate their
John Branson is the director of
knowledge and understanding of reeducational research, developlated concepts. Finally, they have to
ment, and technology services
identify and correct the genetic anomfor the Chester County Interaly that threatens all human life.
mediate Unit in Pennsylvania,
USA. He also serves as project
The Pennsylvania Department of
director for the statewide
Education provided funding through
K12 education network, PAIUnet.
its E-Fund grant program to develop
Diane Thomson is the program
Leechyman, along with several other
development coordinator of
simulations, as NewWorlds immereducational research, developsive virtual learning environments for
ment, and technology services
students throughout the state. Other
for the Chester County Intervirtual environments include an
mediate Unit.
Asian language and culture program
By Daniel Mourlam
Lights, Camera, Reflection!
Whether you want to observe students, your performance,

or the classroom environment, video is a great way
to develop effective learning and teaching.
here are many ways to critique

our teaching, but few are more
effective than video. Personal
reflection through the use of video
allows us to see what really happens
in our classroomsgood and bad
and provides a visual path forward
for improvement, whether it be in
your teaching, your work with a
particular student, or your learning
environment. This is true regardless
of the focus of the video.
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ContentWorks
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/imagotres
Finding a Focus
Before running to the media center
to check out a camcorder, its important to think about the focus of your
recording. A critical question to consider is: What am I going to reflect
on as I watch my video? You could
ask yourself questions such as: Is there
a better way for me to teach this unit?
Are my students engaged during large
group discussions? Is the current
layout of the classroom conducive to
project-based learning? You can focus
on any aspect of your practice, such as
your students, your teaching methods,
or the learning environment.
First, ask for permission from the
student and the parent or guardian.
Create a simple form that explains
what youre doing and why. Be sure
to have a place on the form that allows
both the parent and the student to
opt out of any video recordings (see
Recording Quick Tips on page 24
for a few samples).
Its essential that your students
know the videos arent going to be
used against them. Let them know
that you are trying to learn from
them. Its important for your students
to understand that even adults continue to learn. Using video of your
students is also a great way to model
what lifelong learning looks like.
Determine in advance what to
reflect on. Perhaps there is a new
teaching strategy you are trying, and

you want to know if youre effectively
implementing it. Or maybe you have
an unresponsive class and want to investigate and develop your classroom
management skills to help reduce the
barriers to learning. You may want to
model a technique for other teachers
in your professional learning community. Whatever you decide, be sure to
thoughtfully narrow your focus. If
you try to include too much, it could
be difficult to make changes that lead
to improved practice.
As you narrow the focus of your
video, it may make sense to ask for
some volunteers. Some students might
be interested in helping you improve.
Let them have a voice, not only in
what you record, but also during the
reflection of the video. Your students
can provide a unique perspective that
you may be missing as you reflect on
your videos.
If you dont know what to record,
try making a general video of your
classroom that doesnt focus on
anything in particular and see what
emerges. If youre still not sure, ask
someone, such as your students, another teacher, or your principal, or
refer to a previous evaluation to help
guide your development. Dont feel
as though you have to do this alone.
Youre surrounded by educators who
want to help you improve, so be sure
to leverage them as you examine your
practice.
Focusing on the learning environment might be necessary if you are
changing to student-centered instruction, such as problem-based learning.
Traditional learning environments
arent suited for student-centered instruction, so its entirely possible that
you and your students are struggling
with this new type of instruction because the learning environment isnt
appropriate.
Whatever you decide to focus your

video on, be sure this is what you record. Its important that you dont prepare a special lesson for the days you
record, because in the end that isnt going to help you improve your teaching.
When to Record
Once you have determined what to
record, the next step is deciding when.
I recommend recording throughout
the school year, as often as possible.
The more you do it, the better you
will become at honing your practice. Developing a reflective practice
doesnt happen overnight, so the more
opportunities you have to engage in
that activity, the better.
Its important to find the right
balance. Remember, the point is the
learning and teaching that takes place
in your classroom. You dont want to
become so consumed with setting up
the camcorder and recording that you
lose focus of what really matters.
Start out slower by recording once
every three or four weeks. Then, once
you get used to recording and become
more adept at implementing changes
to your teaching, you can increase the
frequency of your recordings to once a
week or so.
Finding that balance will likely
take some time, but once you do,
schedule recording into your calendar.
This will allow you to schedule other
obligations around recording and to
arrange to have the necessary equipment available for the days you record.
Look at your lesson and unit plans
and decide when it is most appropriate to record. Avoid days youre giving
an exam, when school is dismissing
early or starts late, or when there are
special events taking place. Scheduled
recording dates will also help keep you
accountable.
Consider recording when you are
formally evaluated by your principal
Recording Quick Tips

Enlist a videographer. The video
will only be helpful if its pointed at
the action.
Use a tripod. Theres nothing
worse than shaky video, and its
even worse when the audio is
scratchy because the videographer
touched the microphone while
handling the camera.
Reduce ambient noise. Turn off
fans and radios and close windows
and doors. This will improve the
quality of your audio recording.
Position the camera as close to the
audio as possible. This will result in a
louder and clearer sound recording.
Try using the devices you have.
You dont need high-end equipment
to get high-end results. Try using your
smartphone, iPod, iPad, or standard
camcorder.
Keep it short. Target the area you
want to improve the most and record
it.
Get permission from students
and parents. If your students will
be included in any videos, ask
for permission. Here are three
permission forms that you could
easily modify:
Elementary students: bit.ly/Ml6w0r
Secondary students: bit.ly/Ml5MIL
Parents: bit.ly/NQO5Nh
Trash it. When you are done
reflecting on the video, delete it. No
need to dwell on the past. You can
use your written reflections to look
back if needed.
or lead teacher. Make the most of your

recordings by preparing for your evaluation in advance. This not only gives
you an opportunity to make changes
before your supervisor comes in to
observe, but also allows you to show
and explain the steps you have taken
to improve your practice.
Reflect on Practice
Once youve recorded yourself, its
important to take time the same day
to reflect on the video. If youre still
struggling to find an area to focus on,
ask yourself some critical questions
about what you see in the video. Why
did I do that? Why didnt I say this?
Why didnt I have the students do this
instead? Is that really the best way to
spend our time? Do I really respond
like that to student questions? Even
if youre happy with what you see in
the video, ask yourself some critical
questions that get to the heart of your
teaching philosophy to help better
articulate your actions to peers and
superiors.
If you still cant find your focus,
dont fret. Ask someone else to watch
the video with you. This could be
a student, a teacher, or even your
principal. If youre comfortable with
them watching, schedule a time when
it works for both of you to sit down
and discuss what you see. If not, then
share the video with them and meet a
day or two later. Once you both watch
the video, discuss what you both saw.
Did they see the same things as you?
Are there things they would change?
Are there questions they ask that you
asked yourself? If so, that might be
something to examine in more depth.
Another way to approach reflection
on practice is to create a professional
learning community (PLC). You can
create a culture of reflection and improvement in your school by meeting
with other teachers who want to in-
vestigate their teaching in more depth.

This could take the role of a book club,
but with a twist. Instead of reading a
book, have everyone watch the same
video of one of the PLC members and
then have a discussion around what
everyone saw, what they might adopt,
and what theyd change if they were
teaching the lesson. Leverage those
around you to improve not only your
practice, but also the practice of your
fellow educators.
Its crucial that you write down your
thoughts. Reflection is a continuous
process as we implement change. As
the school year progresses, it will become increasingly difficult to remember your first few videos. Writing down
your thoughts and ideas may seem silly
at first, but if youre serious about becoming a better teacher, its a necessity.
If you are interested in how you improve over time, create a simple rubric
that measures your target area. Identify the components you are going to
improve or address, and use a simple
evaluation metric, such as: not present, partially present, present.
Whether youre examining students,
your performance, or the classroom
environment, the use of video can be
an instrumental tool for improving
learning. The key is to record as often
as possible and focus on one area at
a time. This will allow you to reflect
and target improvement. Be willing to
look critically at yourself and to have
others look critically at your teaching. If you can allow this constructive
feedback, you will be able to identify
areas where change is needed most.
Daniel Mourlam is a technology specialist at the University
of Northern Iowa, USA, where
he helps university faculty and
PK12 teachers design instruction using technology. You can
follow him @dmourlam and
dmourlam.wordpress.com.
2013 ISTE Board Elections! March 12April 12. Visit iste.org/elections.
Shop the ISTE Store!

Ideas, solutions,
and cuttingedge thinking
*Free standard shipping on all U.S.

and Canadian orders
iste.org/store
shipping is always free!*
Get incredible savings and

a faster checkout because
Le
a
rn
Find books, webinars,

online courses,
subscriptions,
articles, and
podcasts
resources
for digital age
educators.
Online Courses
English Language Arts 26, 32

learningconnections
Tip 29
Social Studies 30
Computer Science 32
Visual Arts 36
Apps 39
What Would Romeo and Juliet Say to Jack and Piggy
ore and more, our students

are communicating with
others through social media,
and they often reference social media
in their everyday conversations.
Aiming to capitalize on this interest,
I recently used a private social networking site hosted by Ning for
a final eighth grade English project
at Harpeth Hall School, an all-girls
independent school in Nashville,
Tennessee, USA. My initial goal was
for students to make connections
among the various pieces of literature
that we studied over the course of the
year. As time went on, however, I realized that they were reaching a variety
of other goals through this weeklong
project. I can easily say that in 20
years of teaching, this was the most
exciting and beneficial project that
my students have ever done.
Getting Started
The project is called Connecting
through TimeA Journey through
Eighth Grade Literature. My schools
technology integration specialist
worked with me to explain to students
how the Ning works and to set up class
pages. I asked students to mark their
top five choices from a list of literary
characters that we studied over the
course of the year, including General
Zaroff from The Most Dangerous
Game; Lennie Small and Curleys wife
from Of Mice and Men; Odysseus and
Penelope from The Odyssey; Romeo,
Juliet, the nurse, and Mercutio from
Romeo and Juliet; and Jack and Piggy
The students in Pamela Carvers English class were (top row): Melissa Markham,
Phoebe Powers, Maggie Kunkel, Sloane Wilten, Maddie Peterson, Annie Weaver,
(bottom row) Caroline Buffkin, Isabel Nygard, Michelle Biesman, Courtney Dunn,
Lee Lee Johnson, and Mary Wojcicki.
from Lord of the Flies. Mindful of their

preferences, I assigned a character to
each student and then put them into
groups of four or five. I made sure
that each group contained a variety
of personalities and a representative
from each major piece of literature.
Students assumed the personas of
their assigned characters online and
stayed in character for the duration
of the project. They first reacquainted
themselves with the text to remember
details about their characters. Then
they set up their Ning pages, each of
which included a profile; a profile picture, using three props; and a photo
album with five symbolic photographs
representing the character. After they
By Pamela Carver
created their pages, the characters

friended their classmates, and the
real fun began.
During the next three days of class,
students wrote brief status updates every day, remaining true to their characters voices. For example, one day Lady
Capulet wrote, Aye me, my daughter
seemest to be quite the flirt. Another
day Curleys wife added, Dinner was
lovely! I think Mathilde Loisel [from
The Necklace] and I could actually
become friends, since we both didnt
get what we wanted in life.
Intertwining Plots
Students also posted and responded
to many blog entries and discussion
learning connections
on Facebook?
PD when
you want it!
Learn to implement
and lead with technology
through ISTEs NETSbased online courses.
Self-Paced Courses
Begin Anytime
Visit the ISTE Store

to see all online courses.
iste.org/onlinecourses
questions. As it turned out, Curleys

wife from Of Mice and Men fell in love
with Benvolio from Romeo and Juliet,
and General Zaroff from The Most
Dangerous Game hatched evil plots
with Jack Merridew from Lord of the
Flies. Romeo and Juliet even tried to
adopt Lennie Small to protect him
from Merridew. In that scenario, the
students intertwined three storylines.
Poor Lennie, however, was perplexed by the Shakespearean language,
and he wrote, I still aint understandin halfa what you said. Tybalt cited
a website on Shakespearean insults
when he wrote to Mercutio, The tartness of thy face sours ripe grapes!
Oh, I scorn you, scurvy villain!
Mercutio, using one of his famous
puns, wrote, Zaroff, thou art nothing
but a petty baron whose life is as barren as a salted field.
Lastly, Juliet mixed the culture
of 14th century Verona, Italy, with
our modern culture when writing,
Whither is my Romeo? Doth he
not bid me good morrow? I pray
thee, Romeo, friend me!
Presenting to the Class
On the last day of the project, each
student dressed up as her character,
stood in front of the class, and shared
a piece of writing from the project.
The girls and I were shocked when
tears unexpectedly ran down my
cheeks while Lennie Small from
Of Mice and Men lamented his fate
of always being picked on by others.
During the presentations, other
characters spontaneously responded
from their seats to the speakers
words, and lively debates ensued.
Along with making connections
among various pieces of literature,
students also benefited from this project in other ways. The girls said the
project was a fun and relaxing way
to review for the final exam. In addition, it provided an opportunity for

students to write creatively and with a
healthy dose of humor. Without being
asked, students honed skills naturally.
They cited their photographs, formatted dialogue correctly, searched and
cited websites, quoted from the texts,
and sharpened oral presentation skills.
Reluctant Students Shine
What surprised and delighted me
most was that some of my more reluctant readers and weaker students came
to life during this project because we
seemed to be speaking their language.
They may not have fully understood
how a gerund functions, but they sure
knew how to post on a social media
site! I was also surprised that some
of my quieter, more genteel students
wanted to take on the personas of the
roughest, most violent characters.
Conversely, some of my students with
thicker hides and stronger personalities wanted to be the weaker outcasts,
such as Lennie and Piggy.
While students worked on this
project, I heard only typing and occasional laughter (my favorite classroom sound) spreading throughout
the room as each girl read the funny
posts. Every student was fully engaged
at every moment. They even sometimes stayed in character outside of
class, and I could hear their cheerful
banter in the hallways all day long.
On the last day of the project, I
asked students for feedback, and their
only complaint was that we should
have done the project for a month instead of a week.
Pamela Carver teaches English and chairs the
English department at the Harpeth Hall School
in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.Currently in her
20th year of teaching, she is most passionate
about teaching and writing poetry and teaching
Shakespeare.
2013 ISTE Board Elections! March 12April 12. Visit iste.org/elections.
Tip
Adapt-a-Strategy Helps Make Familiar Lessons Work for ELL Students
Problem: I need to adjust lesson activities to accommodate English language learners (ELLs), but often I
dont know where to start. How do I meet the needs of
ELLs while addressing cultural or affective concerns?
Heres a solution: Adapt-a-Strategy is a free resource
on the TeachersFirst website (www.teachersfirst.
com/content/esl/adaptstrat.cfm) that lists 19 typical
classroom activities and explains how to adapt each
for English language learners. Click on the links to
each activity to read short explanations about the
needs of ELLs and find educator-reviewed tools
and resources to meet those needs.
events, spelling tests, and reciting or performing

plays. Most, if not all, of the activities in Adapt-aStrategy will be familiar to you. Many teachers do
them automatically. But the adaptations mentioned
might help you stop, think, and discover tech tools
and resources to ensure ELL success.
Candace Hackett Shively has explored and shared technology
finds during many years teaching in Ohio and Pennsylvania,
USA. She is director of K12 Initiatives at the nonprofit The
Source for Learnings TeachersFirst website. She blogs about
teaching, creativity, and technology at blog.teachersfirst.com/
thinkteach and is one of the organizers of the new ISTE Special
Interest Group for Educational Technology Coaches.
Planning to give a weekly vocabulary quiz? Find

resources and tools to adapt itor have your ELLs
adapt it for themselves. Reading literature? Find ways
to make it meaningful for your ELLs by using audio
resources and literature alternatives. Reviewing for a
test? Click for suggested study-aid creators. Other
activities to adapt at a click include research, current
Have a tip to share?

Post on the comment wall at www.
iste-community.org/group/landl
or email it to dfingal@iste.org.
Thank You,
ISTE Year-Round Sponsors!
ISTE offers corporations the opportunity for year-round sponsorships in addition to our conference sponsorships and corporate membership.
Our corporate sponsors and members are select, forward-thinking corporations who share ISTEs mission.
iste.org/corprelations
Where in the World Are They? Students Find Out with Mystery Skype
t is time for my students to guess where the class they

are meeting for the first time via Skype is located.
Is it North Carolina?
There is silence in the classroom as my fifth graders
crane their necks toward the screen.
No! shouts the voice from the computer speakers,
and my students scramble back together. A buzz of
What could it be then? envelops them.
This is what it sounds like when 23 students engage in
what is known as Mystery Skype. The idea is incredibly
simple, but the unfolding of the idea can be downright
magical. When else can you see students using all of their
background knowledge, tech savvy, and common sense
just to figure out where someone is in the world?
I first learned of Mystery Skype when I saw it being discussed on Twitter. I was lucky enough to be included in
a group run by Caren MacConnell, a New Jersey teacher
and technology coach. I fell in love with just how much
content this idea covers, and yet it requires very little work.
And because it unfolds like a scavenger hunt, its easy to
lure my students in.
The concept is simple:
Connect with another classroom. Just Google Mystery
Skype and youll find plenty of eager participants.
Pick a date and a time.
Get your webcam and microphone ready. Dont forget to
do a test call to make sure your technology is working. If
Skype is blocked at your school, try using Google Hangout instead.
Explain the game to your students by saying something
like: We are on a mission. We have to find out where
this mystery class is calling us from. It can be from
anywhere in the world, but we can only ask yes or no
questions. They, in turn, are trying to figure out where
we are.
Finally, delegate specific roles to students before the call.
Assigning roles or jobs during the call is vital because
it spreads out the responsibility and gives all students a
sense of involvement and purpose. As you do more of
these calls, the jobs will rotate and students will learn
how to do it, which will make everything run more
smoothly. Heres our list of jobs, but dont be afraid
to get creative and come up with your own:
By Pernille Ripp
Greeters. They say hello to the other class and offer some
cool facts about their own class without giving away the
location.
Inquirers. They ask the questions and are the voice of the
classroom.
Answerers. They answer the questions. These students need
to know their state facts and geography pretty well.
Think tanks. They sit in a group and figure out the clues
based on the information. Our $2 whiteboards came in
handy for this.
Question keepers. They typed all of the questions and answers for us to review later.
Google mappers. They use Google Maps to study the geography and piece together clues.
Atlas mappers. They use atlases and our pull-down map
to decipher clues.
Clue keepers. They work closely with answerers and inquirers to help guide them in their questioning.
Runner. This student runs from group to group relaying
information.
Photographer. This student takes pictures during the call.
Videographers. They film the event.
Clue markers. They work with puzzles of the United States
to remove any states that were eliminated by the clues.
Problem solver. They help students with any issues that they
may encounter during the call.
Closers. They end the call in a nice manner.
Its important to prepare the students at least a few days
in advance so they can gather materials, such as maps and
atlases, or ask questions about their responsibilities.
During the call, teachers have to do something that
may not come naturally:Stand back and let the students
do their jobs, communicate, and work as a team. Teamwork is going to get them to the right questions. Experience helps with this as well.
Encourage students to collaborate before guessing, and
set ground rules for how quickly they can guess the state
Social Studies
Geography
ISTOCKphoto.com/mstay
so it does not degenerate into Is it this state? over and

over. Watch them hone their geography skills as they use
landmarks, weather information, and cardinal directions
to figure it out.
Watch the excitement build as they eliminate states or
countries and crescendo as they make their guess. Help
them get back on track if needed, particularly if their
guess was incorrect.
Keep going until both classrooms have figured it out,
and then be ready to ask other questions to get to know
each other.
Once the call is complete, give students time to reflect on

what worked and what needs to be reworked. Again, step
back and let them discuss. You can offer gentle suggestions,
but the students should make the ultimate decisions.
And, finally, wait for that moment when that one child
looks at you and asks, When can we do it again?
Geography taught, history covered, global collaboration
created, communication skills honed, all in one Skype call.
Pernille Ripp is a fifth grade teacher at West Middleton Elementary
School in Middleton, Wisconsin, USA. She is passionate about helping
students find their voices. Read her blog at www.mrspripp.blogspot.com.
Geography
ThumbScribes Gives Budding Writers an Authentic Audience
ne of the biggest challenges

for students when they sit
down to write is feeling
comfortable with their own thoughts.
I have encountered this with the 10th
graders I teach as well as my college
classmates. Students of all ages often
prejudge themselves about what is
good before they even begin. Another problem some students face is
feeling uncomfortable with the audience of the classroom. Fortunately,
web 2.0 tools are providing new
opportunities for students to create
and share creative writing without
worrying that their work will not
measure up to the expectations of
their teachers, peers, or, worse, their
own inner critics.
ThumbScribes is a website where
anyone can submit writing for collaboration, feedback, or just the excitement of showing their work to an
audience. It is free and open to anyone who would like to read or share
creative writing.
Students can contribute poems,
haikus, novellas, songs, and more
for the online community to read
and contribute to. Writers have the
option of sharing with the entire
ThumbScribes community or with
select friends. The site is for students
who have a lot to say and are looking
for others to hear them.
Using ThumbScribes in the Classroom
ThumbScribes is an excellent classroom tool that I use to help students
connect with each other and understand course content. After studying
poetry, I ask students to log on to
ThumbScribes to create their own
poems for the class and read the
work of their peers as well as other
users on the site.
By Jennifer Cooper
I also like to have students write

some of their own creative work as
a way for them to look at literature
from the perspective of an author.
Why do poets or writers make the
choices they make in their writing?
When students create their own
literature, they better understand
figurative language and literary
devices, for example.
Students have to understand concepts, such as protagonist or stream
of consciousness, before they can
illustrate these terms in their own
writing. ThumbScribes can be a
great resource because it gives
students criteria, through prompts,
for a specific piece of work to write
and post on the site. As an assignment, you can post a prompt such
as: Write a piece of flash fiction
that illustrates the theme of American identity reinvention using firstperson narrative, an antihero, and
popular slang terms from the past
two decades. Another part of the
assignment could be to add a plot
conflict to one of their peers stories.
ThumbScribes not only offers students an authentic audience, but it
doubles as a collaborative platform
for teaching literary concepts.
Interacting with Established Writers
Under the Featured tab on the homepage, a newsfeed shows prompts submitted by notable ThumbScribes users,
including published writers or students
studying for their masters of fine arts
degrees. For example, Lauren Beukes,
a South African author and winner of
the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award, has
created exquisite corpse prompts.
Exquisite corpse is a group-writing
exercise where each person adds a
line to a text, usually without seeing
all of the words that came before.
Students who are interested in becoming writers can make their first
connections and learn about other
writers on ThumbScribes. They can
chat, rate each others work, or collaborate. Often, getting another perspective can help young writers develop their skills, and having access to
online literary journals with top-notch
writers gives students a vision for
what they can do with their writing
as they develop.
Freedom of Expression
My students like ThumbScribes because they enjoy choosing a medium
to express their ideas. One of my students remarked that the site would be
something she would share with her
friends and that she liked that other
people could see her work and contribute to it if they wanted.
Perhaps the best part of all is that
ThumbScribes is easy to use. Students
need only an email address to sign up
for the site. Once they register, they can
sign in using either Twitter or Facebook.
As a preservice teacher and aspiring fiction writer, I have observed that
many students and writers stifle their
own ideas before they have a chance
to develop them. With the help of
an online community that promotes
good writing and understands the often painstaking process that it entails,
students learn that writing starts with
seemingly insignificant ideas. Students
need an audience that allows them to
develop their ideas and provide feedback. Critique of writing is important,
but vision is the essence of writing. Fostering this vision means motivating students to express themselves creatively.
The More We Know

NBC News, Educational Innovation,
and Learning from Failure
Eric Klopfer and Jason Haas
foreword by Henry Jenkins
This intriguing case study
provides important insights
into how academic and business
partnerships function in order
to improve education through
new media.
Chris Dede,
Timothy E. Wirth Professor
in Learning Technologies,
Harvard University
200 pp., 46 illus., $27.95 cloth
Jennifer Cooper is a middle school English

teacher working in the suburbs of Detroit,
Michigan, USA. Her passion is writing and encouraging people around her to embrace writing.
The MIT Press mitpress.mit.edu
Yes, Students Can Learn to Love Computer Programming
s a computer science and technology teacher at Gracemount

High School in Edinburgh,
Scotland, I am always in search of the
best tools to engage my students and
help them grasp the value and relevance of programming.
Computer science courses tend to
incorporate complex development
languages, such as JavaScript, VB, and
COMAL, which use commands and
syntax that students find challenging
to understand. When students are
discouraged from pushing forward or
frustrated on day one because of the
programming language, its difficult to
regain their attention and interest.
Not long ago, the computing staff
at Gracemount learned about a development environment called LiveCode, created by an Edinburghbased company named RunRev.
LiveCode is based on English with
easy-to-understand syntax and without the complex symbols at the center
of most computer languages. A modern descendent of natural-language
technologies, such as Apples HyperCard, LiveCode requires 90% less
code than the more traditional languages and can work across platforms
so students can create applications
for mobile devices, the web, PC, Mac,
Linux, or a server.
Our faculty was eager to test LiveCode and found that although it
compared to other languages, the
code was far more intuitive. For
example, if student developers want
the word Hello to appear when they
open the app theyre working on, they
write the following in LiveCode:
put theText begins with Hello
To do the same in Javascript, a student would have to write the following:
LiveCode is based on English with easy-to-understand syntax and without the complex symbols at the center of most computer languages.
theText.substring(0,Hello.
length).match(Hello) !=null;
Interest in Programming Grows

The computing department has seen
firsthand how using the right development language and platform can bring
programming back to life for high
school students.
Immediately, I saw a marked change
in student interest and enthusiasm
for computer science and programming. Within two years, we doubled
the size of the program. In fact, students responded so well to the initial
LiveCode course that we have now
incorporated the language into our
standard grade, intermediate, higher,
and advanced higher courses as mandatory parts of the curriculum. We
have approximately 60 students in the
1315 age group and around 40 at the
higher level taking LiveCode courses.
We are also in the middle of developing courses for the new set of Scottish
National Qualifications under a Curriculum for Excellence, and RunRev is
working closely with us to develop a set
of assessment and moderation materials
By Steven Whyte
for educators who wish to teach their

students programming using LiveCode.
The computing department has seen
firsthand how using the right development language and platform can bring
programming back to life for high
school students.
At Gracemount High School, we are
piloting the use of netbooks, which
students can use both at school and
at home. LiveCode runs perfectly on
netbooks, and for the first time, I have
been able to assign programming for
homework.
Building Apps Easier with LiveCode
When I introduced LiveCode to
students in the classroom, they were
instantly engaged and eager to learn.
I no longer need to spend class time
helping students decipher symbols or
spot their mistakes in programming
because LiveCode allows them to
identify errors and make corrections
as they work. The result is instantgratification programming, a concept
students are eager to experience.
Given the current curriculum, my
students primarily use LiveCode to
Computer Science
build predetermined applications. However, the Scottish curriculum is going

through a significant overhaul, and the
new layout will be less structured.
In the future, once weve covered
the programming basics, students
will have more options in the types
of applications they can build. Some
students have built simple math
games using loops. Others have built
simple animations that talk to each
other using audio clips they have
recorded using an iPod.
Another student decided to modify
an existing program that made use of
a switch statement allowing the user
to choose a color and then, depending on which color was chosen, produce a specific message. In only a few
clicks, she got the program working
on her iPhone.
Recently, some students in my higher class decided to produce their Higher Scottish Qualification Authority
coursework as a mobile application.
It is exciting to see their programs
become working mobile apps on their
Android phones, iPhones, iPods, and
iPads! Many student have one of these
nowadays, and if they dont, we have a
small stock of iPads at the school that
they can use to try out their programs.
We also intend to use LiveCode for

a new animation course, so eventually
students can incorporate animations
into the apps theyre building in class.
Students Weigh In
In addition to a more comprehensible language, a visual approach and
instant gratification go a long way toward inspiring students. Martin, one
of my sixth-year students, said:
Ive been making a spot-the-difference game, and the fact that it
uses a majority of English words
for the code made it really easy
to learn. I can intuitively write
the code, dont have to look for
a manual, and can just think it in
my mind and then translate it to
code. I can create graphical interfaces using LiveCode, whereas
with COMAL it was all text based
and really boring.
Harry, another Gracemount student,
likes the assistance he gets not only in
the classroom, but also online. The
online forum was helpful and supportive, he said. Everyone was very willing to help and answer any questions.
Moving students to mobile app
development is another critical factor
in getting them to love computer science. Teachers should look for crossplatform development tools that allow
students to write for one platform and
deploy and enjoy their apps on their
mobile phones. Were living in an appdriven world, and the ability to create
an app in LiveCode for iPhone, iPad,
and Android devices is exciting to students. One of my students remarked,
I love using LiveCode because I got
the chance to put what I created in
class onto my phone.
Students who gain knowledge and
confidence in mobile app development will benefit well beyond the
classroom. The rise of mobile app
developers is increasing at an incredible rate, and introducing students to
a profession with more than 500,000
new jobs annually, according to a survey by TechNet (bit.ly/AlGe4l), makes
great sense for educators.
If I had to sum up LiveCode in a
few words, I would say its an excellent
teaching tool for students from high
school through university level. Its
highly intuitive and ideal for education.
Steven Whyte is a computer studies teacher
at Gracemount High School in Edinburgh,
Scotland. He has been teaching technology and
computer science courses for more than six years.
Grounded Technology Integration: Visual Arts
he visual arts may bring to mind

images of a painter in the studio,
a sculptor working in stone, or
a photographer capturing a dramatic
landscape. While these modes of creative expression remain important to
the study of visual arts, digital technologiesincluding graphic design
software, image- and video-editing
applications, and animation tools
provide students with new opportunities for visual-arts learning. Using
these technologies alone, however,
does not necessarily help students
construct meaningful learning as
they design, develop, and communicate their ideas visually. Instead,
it is through meaningfully selecting,
combining, and sequencing learning
activities and complementing them
with the savvy use of technological
tools and resources that teachers
can help students grow as artists.
Planning for Technology Integration

One way to help teachers integrate
technologies meaningfully is to focus on instructional planning. When
teachers plan according to their students curriculum-based learning
needs, they typically organize their
lessons, units, and projects around
content-based learning activities.
When considering how to integrate
technologies effectively into instruction, we suggest that teachers begin by
thinking about the learning processes
and outcomes intended for the lesson,
project, or unit before selecting appropriate content-based learning activities. Teachers then choose educational
technologies according to how well
their use supports learning in each of
the activities.
To help teachers select from a full
range of learning activity types in each
content area, we have developed and

published comprehensive taxonomies
of learning activity types in each of
10 curriculum areas. The learning activities in each of the taxonomies are
organized into subcategories to make
working with the taxonomies more
efficient.
Once teachers select and sequence
a combination of activity types that
will help their students meet identified
curriculum-based learning goal(s) for
a particular lesson, project, or unit,
then they consider the digital tools
and resources suggested for each. Because the suggested technologies are
uniquely suited to support, extend,
and/or enhance each content-based
learning activity, we consider this
planning process to be a grounded
approach to technology integration
that is focused on students curriculum-based learning. (To learn more,
see Grounded Tech Integration: An
Effective Approach Based on Content,
Pedagogy, and Teacher Planning,
L&L, September/October 2009,
pages 2225.)
Visual Arts Learning Activity Types
The 75 visual arts learning activity
types that we have identified are organized into two main categories that describe the essential nature of students
learning in the visual arts: explore
and respond. Weve put the 45 explore
activity types into three subcategories:
build awareness/conceptualize, apply,
and create/design. Weve also organized the 30 respond activity types
into three subcategories: describe, analyze/interpret, and evaluate.
To view the entire visual arts learning activity types taxonomy, go to the
Activity Types wiki at activitytypes.
wmwikis.net.
By J. Camille Dempsey, Mark Hofer, and Judi Harris
What follows are sample visual arts

activity types and accompanying technology recommendations from each
of the subcategories in the explore and
respond collections.
Explore Activity Types
As students explore visual arts concepts, processes, and techniques, they
need multiple entry points to study
visual arts. The 12 build awareness/
conceptualize activity types help students construct their knowledge and
awareness of visual arts concepts. The
18 apply activity types challenge students to apply and make connections
using their knowledge of visual arts
concepts and forms. The 15 create/
design activity types engage students
in creating and designing original
works. (See examples in the table
Explore Activity Types on page 37.)
Respond Activity Types
Though creating and designing are
important aspects of visual arts, students also benefit from arts-based
communication activities. While
developing language applicable to
the visual arts, students can learn to
develop aesthetic awareness and form
critical judgments of works of art,
which are important aspects of higher-level thinking in the arts. There are
8 describe activity types, 17 analyze/
interpret activity types, and 5 evaluate activity types that assist with this
communication-based learning. (See
examples in the table Respond Activity Types on page 37.)
Project Example
Blending the visual arts with educational technologies can facilitate collaborative learning experiences that
are supported by the convergence
Visual Arts
Explore Activity Types

Sample Build Awareness/
Conceptualize Activity Type
Description
Example Technologies
Visualize
Students visualize imagery and recall

experiences and stories. They explore
ideas to organize information using
concept/mind mapping.
Concept-mapping software, mobile

apps, web 2.0 art tools
Sample Apply Activity Type
Description
Alter
Students alter pre-existing works of art

in physical or electronic formats.
Digital-image and video-editing

software, graphic-design software,
online fair use/copyright resources,
web 2.0 art tools/online resources,
photocopiers
Sample Create/Design Activity Type
Description
Design
Students work collaboratively or

individually to create a design, such
as a set, advertisement, poster, cards,
graphic design, typography, logo,
fashion design, lighting/architectural
design, storyboard, or magazine, which
demonstrates what they learned.
Digital-imaging, editing, and graphic/

web-design software; image-editing
software; mobile apps; QR code
scanners; and web 2.0 art tools/online
resources
Sample Describe Activity Type
Description
Share
Students express their thoughts and

feelings about arts-related concepts
and works with their peers or other
audiences.
Discussion forums, collaborative

word processors, mobile apps, videosharing services, screen capture and
screencasting software, blogs, wikis,
and social networking sites
Sample Analyze/Interpret Activity Type
Description
Connect
Students connect symbols, metaphors,

and real or imagined subjects in a
cohesive work of art.
Digital drawing and painting tools,

image-manipulation tools, mobile
apps, web-based digital archives, and
WebQuests
Sample Evaluate Activity Type
Description
Critique
Students explain and articulate ideas

verbally and critically respond to works
of art from a variety of social, historical,
and contextual perspectives.
Blogs, discussion forums, web

conferencing tools/services, and
podcasting tools
Respond Activity Types
College of Education
SCHOOL
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP
Join the only academic
center in the U.S.
dedicated to the
technology needs of
school administrators!
Obtain a Masters or
PhD in school tech
leadership, all online,
with in-state tuition
regardless of location.
of interactive elements embedded

within media arts experiences, such as
animations, moving and still images,
sound, space, time, sequencing, and
text and typography. For example, to
help middle school students discuss
their individual approaches to a drawing or other 2D artwork, they can use
a digital video recorder to document
their creative processes and reflections
as they develop their works. They can
create a film using video-editing software that communicates their artistic
activity, narrations, and reflections on
their artistic process. They can then
present the films to their classmates
and share them online with a wider
audience. In sharing the films with
others, onsite and virtual audiences
have multiple opportunities and formats with which to discuss, compare/
http://schooltechleadership.org
contrast, and critique the artistic

works.
Invitation for Collaboration
Teaching the visual arts is complex
and challenging. Although we have
identified 75 visual arts learning activity types, we expect that number to
change, along with the technologies
that support them. We invite you to
help expand, refine, and further develop this taxonomy. Please visit the
Activity Types wiki and share your
ideas via the email link there.
J. Camille Dempsey (jcdempsey3@gmail.com)
is an arts education consultant and a doctoral
candidate at Duquesne University. Mark Hofer
(mark.hofer@wm.edu) and Judi Harris (judi.
harris@wm.edu) are faculty members in the
Curriculum and Educational Technology program at the College of William & Mary.
Dont forget to vote in the 2013 ISTE Board Elections!

March 12April 12. Visit iste.org/elections.
ISTE
Webinars
Just-in-time professional
development on the
NETS, flipped learning,
Common Core, social
media, iPads, and more!
Dont miss a thing!

Get the Season Pass.
iste.org/webinars
Toontastic Makes Storytelling Fun!
apps
As many second-language acquisitions

teachers know, having students produce
creative writing pieces in English is like pulling teeth. I needed to find a way to assess
my students English language learning
by providing them a fun and creative avenue to display
their knowledge. Toontastic by Launchpad Toys allows my
diverse students to create cartoons and then record their
stories. Little do they know, they are actually telling stories
in English and having a great time doing it.
Even my most introverted and struggling students are eager
to discuss the stories they have created. Because they
arent confronted by classmates staring at themas they
might be if they were merely standing in front of the class
and reciting a story they had writtenthey actually produce
beautiful and thought-provoking stories that I never knew
they had in them. This assignment meets higher levels of
Blooms taxonomy. It is a winwin for us all. The kids have
fun, and I get to witness their genius at work. Toontastic is
simply an interactive readers theater that kids narrate and
direct while the teacher sits back and enjoys the show!
Platforms: iPad
Cost: Free
Juan Carlos Venegas has been an elementary gifted and

talented bilingual and dual-language teacher in Houston, Texas,
USA, since 2003. He finds any excuse to incorporate tablet
technology into his lessons. Venegas is a father of three
tech-savvy children and is currently working on a masters
degree in instructional technology.
Here are a few more apps our members recommend for second-language acquisition:
ABC Pocket Phonics: Helps students learn the letter
sounds.
iOS/Android; $2.99
Google Search App: Students speak search terms

instead of typing.
iOS, Android; free
Book Creator: Students drag and drop pictures, text,

and voice to create digital and print books.
iOS; $4.99
MyON: Offers more than 3,000 digital books, including

more than 100 in Spanish.
iOS; free
Common Core: Offers a convenient way to view the

Common Core State Standards.
iOS, Android; free
Puppet Pals: Students create their own set and

characters and narrate stories.
iOS, Android; free
Dragon Dictation: Students record themselves and

see their words in written form.
iOS, Android; $1.99
Shake-a-Phrase: Students read silly sentences, get a

story starter, or play a parts-of-speech game.
iOS; $1.99
English Idioms Illustrated: Students learn the

meaning of English idioms and where they come from.
iOS, Android; free
Strip Designer: Students create a comic strip and

practice summarizing.
iOS; $2.99
Explain Everything: Helps students learn their letter

sounds.
iOS; $2.99
Videolicious: Students use graphics, images, and

voice to describe what they have learned.
iOS, Android; free
Got an app for that? Email a description of your favorite app to dfingal@iste.org.
as i see it
PLCs: Learning and

Leading Together
By Don Hall
Don Hall is the
CIO for the Minneapolis (Minnesota) Public
Schools, Minneapolis,
USA. He has more
than 20 years of experience in teaching and
administration and
is a veteran presenter,
author, and consultant.
o to any school district in the United

States today, and you will pick up the
latest buzz phrase: professional learning
community (PLC). Everyone is building one,
but do we really understand what they are
and what impact they can have on technology
teams? After all, arent PLCs just for teachers?
The simple answer is no.
PLCs have many variations. Richard DuFour, a
recognized national expert in PLCs, finds that to
create a professional learning community, you must
focus on learning rather than on teaching, work
collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for
results. While PLCs are appropriate for teachers,
they are equally fitting for any part of a learning
organization. If you are part of a school districts
technology team, then PLCs are valuable to you
too. Here are the key attributes of a true PLC:
Shared vision and values that lead to a
collective commitment by school staff,
expressed in day-to-day practices
Solutions actively sought and openness
to new ideas
Cooperation by working teams to achieve
common goals
Encouragement of experimentation as an
opportunity to learn
Questioning the status quo, leading to an
ongoing quest for improvement and professional learning
Continuous improvement based on evaluation
of outcomes rather than on the intentions
expressed
Reflection to study the operation and effect
of actions taken
It is important for leadership to establish and

maintain PLCs. Successful PLCs often require
a shift in the traditional leadership role from
leader-centered (top-down) directing to shared
leadership. Often, a top-down leader will create
a vision statement and encourage staff to adhere
to the goals outlined in the statement. The same
can be said of the way many of us run our technology programs. We develop a vision, usually
through a committee, but our staff has minimal
input in the process. As a result, staff members
also have little buy-in. Here is what you can do
to change this:
Show staff members how their work fits into
the bigger picture, so they see relevance
in the tasks they perform.
Ensure representation of the technology staff
as well as the larger stakeholder community.
Create learning opportunities for your team
rather than simply teaching them. Do this
through inquiry-based learning, actionresearch projects, and guided immersion.
Through modeling, show your staff that
you not only understand the vision but also
actively work to achieve it. Let your rhetoric
and actions match. After all, as the leader,
you are accountable for the results.
Professional learning communities are not
just for teachers. They are a place where professionals come together under a single vision,
work toward continuous improvement, and
hold themselves accountable. That may sound
like old-fashioned leadership, but it will make
your tech team stronger, smarter, and more
energized about their jobs.
KNOW THE
nets
Can you observe the NETS for Students in

practice? Try this exercise: Read the scenario below and
check off any NETSS performance indicators (on the right)
that you think the lesson addresses. Then turn to page 42
to see how ISTEs Research & Evaluation Department would
rate this lesson against the NETS using the ISTE Classroom
Observation Tool (ICOT, iste.org/icot). You can also do this
exercise online at surveymonkey.com/s/knowthenets.
he soccer field is off limits. Erosion has made it

unsafe, and the spring season will be canceled
unless the seventh grade math class can figure out
how much it would cost to replace the drainage system.
Although scheduled into the math block, this project is intended to address both math and language arts
standards. You observe on the second day of the project.
Students have already measured the soccer field and used
a cell phone to photograph the damage. The class has split
into five-person teams, and each member has a part of
the problem to solve: design, materials, cost, or presentation. The teacher has provided each team with a worksheet to follow in completing its part of the task. There
is a cart of 16 tablet computers for students to use. They
retrieve them as needed for their work.
The Design and Materials teams are working together
at several computers viewing websites to learn about
how soccer fields are constructed. Each Cost Team
member is working with a spreadsheet, doing an exercise on entering and changing data. The spreadsheet is a
new application for some students, and the team members have to help one another. The Presentation Team
is brainstorming with a graphic organizer on a single
computer linked to a projector, filling in a template of
concerns for the students, principal, and parents.
Halfway through the 90-minute math block period,
the Design and Materials teams split up. The designers
use their notes to sketch pictures of the new field. Some
use paper, and some use a simple graphics program. They
struggle with representing the layers of gravel, sand, pipe,
and turf. The Materials Team visits websites listed on their
worksheet to find unit prices for materials that might be
needed. They report these to the Cost Team, which enters
them into its spreadsheet template. The Presentation Team
bogs down in an argument over media: posters vs. computer slides vs. video. The period ends without resolution.
The project will take all week. The worksheets require
the class to come up with specific measurements for area,
length, and volume and use unit prices to compute costs.
They are to send a report to the principal that will help her
explain the costs to parents and the school board.
Creativity and Innovation

h 1a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products,
or processes
h 1b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
h 1c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems
and issues
h 1d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities
Communication and Collaboration
h 2a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others
employing a variety of digital environments and media

h 2b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple
audiences using a variety of media and formats

h 2c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging
with learners of other cultures

h 2d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve
problems
Research and Information Fluency
h 3a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
h 3b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use
information from a variety of sources and media

h 3c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on
the appropriateness to specific tasks

h 3d. Process data and report results
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
h 4a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions
for investigation
h 4b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete
a project
h 4c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed
decisions
h 4d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore
alternative solutions
Digital Citizenship
h 5a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of
information and technology

h 5b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward technology that supports
collaboration, learning, and productivity

h 5c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
h 5d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
Technology Operations and Concepts
h 6a. Understand and use technology systems
h 6b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
h 6c. Troubleshoot systems and applications
h 6d. Transfer current knowledge to learning new technologies
Find our answers on page 42.

answers
KNOW THE NETS
This is how ISTEs Research & Evaluation Department evaluated the scenario on page 41.
Creativity and Innovation
h 1a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
h 1b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
1c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
h 1d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities
Rationale: This was a heavily scaffolded project designed to introduce students to elements of project-based learning. However, it challenged students to
learn how to model physical and numerical relationships. Forecasting of trends and possibilities was not observed on this day, but that clearly would be part of
the project as students used the data in their proposal.
Communication and Collaboration

2a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media
2b. Communicate information and ideas to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
h 2c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures
2d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
Rationale: Lots of projects involve working in groups to create a report, but this project was unusual in that it addressed indicator 2bexplicitly considering
the audiences for the presentation.
Research and Information Fluency

h 3a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
3b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
h 3c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks
3d. Process data and report results
Rationale: Because this was an introductory project, the teacher closely directed the process and information sources. The students worked with the information
but did not plan the inquiry. What could the teacher do on the next project to make it more student directed?
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

h 4a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
h 4b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
4c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
h 4d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions
Rationale: As with Standard 3, the students had limited scope to pursue their own investigations. However, we could list several basic steps in problem
solving that the teacher modeled and that students might use in future projects.
Digital Citizenship
h 5a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
5b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
h 5c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
h 5d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
Rationale: The scenario does not include much information on Standard 5 indicators, but it is clear that the students are familiar and comfortable with the
classroom technology and are willing and able to help one another.
Technology Operations and Concepts

6a. Understand and use technology systems
6b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
h 6c. Troubleshoot systems and applications
6d. Transfer current knowledge to learning new technologies
Rationale: This standard illustrates how ISTE uses the indicators in a classroom with multiple work groups. Although only one group was learning a new
technology and a different group was debating what application to use, we checked both 6b and 6d as addressed during the period.
What was your interpretation of the NETS? Do you agree or disagree with ISTE R&Es coding? How could a teacher modify this scenario to create a richer
lesson? What additional time, student preparation, technologies, or other resources would the lesson need? Find out how other readers responded and share
your insights, comments, and questions on the NETS Assessment Wiki (nets-assessment.iste.wikispaces.net).
profile
STUDENT
Team Shift
Students on Fast Track to Engineering Success
hey met in sixth grade as part

of their middle schools science,
technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) program. Now, the four
teenage girls from Marietta, Georgia, USA, are working on a different
engineering project: They compete in
F1 in Schools, an international club
where students design, build, and race
working miniature Formula 1 cars.
Anna Awald, Kelly Fitzgerald, Claire
McCoy, and Sabine Saldanha are high
school freshmen who make up Team
Shift (f1-shift.com). Their hobby has
taken them as far as Malaysia, where in
2011 they collaborated with a German
team and finished 18th in the world
championship event. In November
they were in Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates, where they placed eighth
overall, with the fourth fastest car in
the 2012 world competition.
F1 in Schools (www.f1inschools.
com) is open to students ages 919
and draws teams from 31 countries.
The competition is based on points
received in nine eventsand not all of
them involve racing or even engineering. Teams are judged on their portfolio, pit display, oral presentation,
sponsorship and marketing, time trials, reaction racing, knockout racing,
engineering, and specifications.
Team Shift is rare in that it is an allfemale team involved in a sportand
sciencestill dominated by males.
We were the only all-girl team at
the U.S. Nationals and one of two at
the World Finals, Fitzgerald said.
Their success has brought them
nine sponsors, including three
Women in Technology, Porsche,
and Czarnowskithat donated
more than $10,000 each in cash
Team Shift includes (from left) Kelly Fitzgerald, Anna Awald, Sabine Saldanha, and Claire McCoy.
or in-kind contributions to fuel the

girls passion.
Team Shift uses CAD software from
SolidWorks to design and analyze
their race cars. They are constantly
tweaking the design, striving to make
the balsa-wood model more aerodynamic. In fact, the car they raced
in Abu Dhabi was the 37th version of
their original design. The final car
measured 210 mm long, 62 mm wide
(at the widest part), and 43 mm tall.
The contest requires participants
to prepare a business plan, develop
a budget, create a team identity, and
secure sponsorships. And each of the
girls takes on a specific role.
Kelly is the team manager and
resources manager. Although engineering got her into the project, her
interests are elsewhere. I found the
marketing and promotional aspect
interesting, and I became involved in
the project for that rather than the engineering, she admitted.
Claire is the design engineer and
graphic designer for the team. She
designed the wheels of the car, created

business cards, and built the teams
website from scratch.
The part of engineering that I love
most is the solving problems aspect
and the logic behind it, she said.
Anna, whose parents are both engineers, was the main designer of
the cars. She credits the girls middle
school STEM teacher, Fred Stillwell,
for helping the team learn everything
they needed to know to be successful
in the event. He did it in a way that
we taught ourselves, she said.
Sabine was the manufacturing engineer and graphic designer. She said
she wants to pursue a career in engineering but hasnt pinpointed exactly
what that might be yet.
There are so many different places
you can go with the field and so many
ways you can apply it in the real
world, she said. Engineering also
provides many ways to experience
hands-on learning since there are so
many projects you can participate in.
Diana Fingal is the senior editor of L&L.
guide
BUYERS
nline backup services

duplicate your files,
update them, and store
them for you. This type of cloud
computing offers many advantages over traditional methods
of file backup.
Automatic Backups
Rather than having to remember
to copy files, many backup services do this for you, as long as
you remember to connect your
computer to the internet. You
can set the frequency as well as
the selection of files you want to
back up. The application runs in
the background while you work.
Note that some online cloud
storage services, such as Dropbox, store files but do not have
automatic backup systems.
Security
Online backup services store
your data on secure servers.
All of the services listed here
use data encryption during
transmission and when files
are stored. It is also important
to use a strong password that
includes upper- and lowercase
letters and special characters,
such as the dollar sign. Never
use something obvious, like
your name.
Your entire collection of
documents transfer to the cloud
the first time you back up your
files. For subsequent backups,
just the modifications and additions get copied to save time
and space.
Data Syncing
Most services permit you to
sync files among multiple de-
vices. This allows you and

your students to work on a
document at school, and then
continue working on it at
home. If you need to share a
file larger than your backup
service allows, you will need
to use a service such as TransferBigFiles.com, SendThisFile.
com, or MailBigFile.com.
File Retrieval
If you accidentally delete a
file, your hard drive fails, or
your computer is damaged
or stolen, you can easily find
the most recent version of a
specific file or even restore the
entire contents of your hard
drive. The ease of locating and
restoring files is an important
feature to explore before you
choose which service to use.
Download time will vary depending on the speed of your
internet connection.
Storage and Cost
Many services offer a limited
amount of space for free. Others
offer free storage for a trial period before requiring payment.
Most companies base their fees
on the amount of storage you
want. Discounts come with
longer commitments, and payments are usually monthly.
Online backup systems
are worth the minimal cost,
however. They are easy to use,
automated, secure, and provide
peace of mind for you and your
students. And that is priceless.
Maureen Yoder, EdD, is on
the faculty of Lesley Universitys
Technology in Education Program.
Online Backup Solutions

Company
www.carbonite.com
www.dropbox.com
drive.google.com
www.apple.com/icloud
www.justcloud.com
skydrive.live.com
www.sugarsync.com
products & services |
Price
Unlimited storage
$59/year for one
computer, 250 GB
unlimited computers
$229/year, additional
plans available
2 GB free,
100 GB $99/year,
200 GB $199/year,
500 GB $499/year,
additional plans
5 GB free,
25 GB $2.50/month,
100 GB $5/month
plans up to 16 TB,
5 GB free,
10 GB $20/year,
20 GB $40/year,
50 GB $100/year
75 GB $5/month,
250 GB $6/month,
unlimited $8/month
7 GB free,
20 GB $10/year,
50 GB $25/year,
100 GB $50/year
5 GB free,
30 GB $50/year,
60 GB $100/year,
100 GB $150/year,
250 GB $250/year
File
Sync
File
Sharing
File Size
Limit
Apps
No
No
4 GB
with manual
override
Apple iOS,
Android,
Blackberry
2 GB
Apple iOS,
Android,
Blackberry,
Kindle Fire
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
5 GB
Android,
Apple iOS
Scheduled
Backups
Free or Trial
Version
Notes
Yes
15-day free trial
No file syncing or sharing
No
2 GB
with no time limit
Saves files but no automatic

backup service, Linux compatible
No
5 GB
with no time limit
Saves files but no automatic

backup service; Picasa
(up to 1 GB free)
and Google+ for photo sharing
Yes
Yes
Varies with
application
Apple iOS
Yes
5 GB
with no time limit
iCloud Control Panel for PC;

Lost Mode locates devices, locks
data, and sends a message;
separate iTunes and photo stream;
sharing does not count against
iCloud limit
Yes
Yes
5 GB
Yes
Yes
14-day free trial
Auto sync with

multiple computers
Yes
Yes
2 GB
Android,
Windows,
Apple IOS
Yes
7 GB
with no time limit
2 GB
Android,
Apple iOS,
Blackberry,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
5 GB
30-day free trial
Best system for

Microsoft Office file sharing
Up to 32 GB free storage
with referrals
WHATS
new
Molecularium, the education arm of Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institutes
Nanotechnology Center,
has released NanoSpace, the newest addition in its virtual
scientific amusement park. Molecularium presents highly
technical information using fun, simple, and free games,
activities, and animations for students in grades 58. In
NanoSpace, students discover the atomic and molecular
breakdown and uses of common elements and compounds,
such as menthol and propane. They can take a ride in a
nanotube elevator to explore the different forms of pure
carbon and learn the periodic table of elements through an
animated memory game. The arcade is full of retro and futuristic games, where students aim at electrons to build the
electronic structure of an atom or fire atoms to build target
molecules and reveal how certain atoms bond to each other
while others bounce off.
Edutopia has released a guide

designed to help educators effectively and safely use mobile devices, including cell phones, tablets,
and e-readers, to enhance learning in K12 classrooms. Mobile
Devices for Learning: What You
Need to Know recommends that educators take advantage of mobile devices to engage students and help them
develop digital media and technology skills, and it offers
specific tools that teachers can use right away. The guide,
sponsored by Google, suggests that teachers develop formal
policies using mobile devices. The guide recommends apps
such as Nearpod, iNigma, Puppet Pals HD, Martha Speaks
Dog Party, and Motion Math for elementary students; Dropbox, BrainPOP, Poll Everywhere, Word Joust, Frog Dissection,
and textPlus for middle school students; and Evernote, Twitter, Socrative, The Chemical Touch, and Shakespeare Pro for
high school students.
MORE INFO: www.edutopia.org/mobile-learning
MORE INFO: nanospace.molecularium.com
ITV has launched an animated storytelling app with British and American
sign language. The Signed Stories
app is fully accessible in sign language, subtitles, narration,
animation, and music. It aims to make books easier to read
for children with deafness and those with special education
needs, including autism, Aspergers syndrome, dyslexia, and
Down syndrome. ITV is creating digital versions of a wide
range of award-winning picture books in partnership with
leading childrens publishers. The app will feature books for
preschool and primary school children, including contemporary stories, updated folktales, and fairy tales. Its available
as a free download from Apples App Store. All books featured within the app will be individually priced.
PresentationTube is a new
network designed
to help teachers
and students record, upload, and share video presentations.
The recorder synchronizes a variety of visual aids, including presenters audio and video footage, PowerPoint slides,
drawings, handwritten words, and web content to produce
video presentations ready for uploading and sharing via the
PresentationTube network. PresentationTube helps presenters involve the audience via scrollable slide thumbnails,
comments, and quizzes. It has unlimited video storage,
unlimited video delivery, and no banners or ads. Educators can use this technology in regular classrooms, flipped
classrooms, e-learning courses, blended-learning environments, distance education settings, virtual conferences, and
business orientations. PresentationTube is simple to use and
easily searchable for viewers.
MORE INFO: bit.ly/PxHtJc
MORE INFO: www.presentationtube.net
L&L senior editor Diana Fingal compiled this information from press releases sent to the L&L editorial office. The L&L staff does not
review the products and resources, and they are offered here without recommendation. Send press releases to products@iste.org.
products & services |
SySTEM Alert! is a free publication from Pitsco Education that exposes students to the relevancy of
the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills they are learning in class. The
four-page newsletter is aimed at middle school students,
though the content has interest for all ages. Articles range
from news reports on discoveries and inventions to explorations of familiar technology. They draw on original interviews
with scientists, developers, and researchers. The content is
delivered in a colorful, engaging style. The online version is
free, and print copies are available in classroom sets of 20.
MORE INFO: www.pitsco.com/SySTEMalert
Knowmia is
a new online
service that
crowdsources
and organizes video lessons from great teachers to help
high school students grasp challenging topics and prepare
for tests or courses. The learning platform offers a more
personalized, affordable, and time-efficient solution than
tutoring. Knowmia offers video lessons in numerous subject
areas as well as features that can help students quickly
identify areas they may need to explore further. Minicourses
are teacher-curated sets of lessons, sourced from Knowmias library, that include teacher comments and quizzes to
measure progress.
MORE INFO: www.knowmia.com
Eightythree Technology has released

an app called Wireless Drive, which
turns any iOS device into a personal
wireless drive, allowing users to save, manage, edit, and
view files. Connecting via Wi-Fi to either Mac
or PC desktops allows users to transfer files via Finder or
Windows Explorer and then view or edit them directly on
the device using a variety of included in-app utilities.
The app lets educators and students use their devices as
virtual wireless hard drives to store music, photos, videos,
productivity files, and more. iCloud and Dropbox integration
lets users share or sync files over multiple devices.
MORE INFO: www.eightythreetech.com/phonedrive
Belkin Enterprise has released a new tablet stand

for the education market. The Belkin Tablet
Stand is designed for classroom settings
where mobile learning and digital content
collaboration are the norm. The tablet stand is
made of colorful, durable, nonslip material and
enables multiple ergonomic angles for viewing or
typing. The Belkin Tablet Stand features a stackable design
for easy, compact storing when not in use and can also be
used as a stable video recording stand.
MORE INFO: belkin.com/us//B2B026/p/P-B2B026
coming next issue

All Agog over MOOCs!
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are
luring hundreds of thousands of higher education students. Now this disruptive model
of education delivery is making its way into
the realm of K12 professional development.
Author and blogger Karen Fasimpaur writes
about how MOOCs have the potential to
transform traditional K12 PD delivery.
Level PDs Paperwork Mountain

Does tracking professional development (PD) in
your district create a mountain of paperwork?
Author Janet Neufeld explains how her district
moved the mountain aside with a PD management system that not only tracks learning
activities, but also creates a seamless learning
culture that aligns school, teacher, and student
goals and outcomes.
Should computers grade essays?
Transform Your Library with iPads

Since introducing iPads to the Chicago Public
Schools (CPS) libraries in 2010, district librarians have used them to reinvent their approach
to teaching. Lisa Perez, network library coordinator for CPS, describes the innovative ways
that teacher-librarians are using the devices to
engage students in reading, writing, speaking,
listening, and learning.
Debate this and other controversial issues
at www.iste-community.org/group/LandL.
in Action
ISTE MEMBERS,
POWER UP!
Chief Membership Officer Jessica Medaille

kicks off Member Appreciation Month with
a list of inspiring resources and collaborative
opportunities that will energize your teaching.
ach February, we celebrate

ISTEs amazing members
during Member Appreciation
Monthfour weeks packed with
free resources and opportunities to
win valuable prizes (visit iste.org/
appreciation for details). This year were
celebrating the energy you create that
powers up and invigorates education!
We hear that ISTE membership
matters to you because the connections you make with other educators
help you recharge, re-energize, and
re-envision whats possible in education. Teacher Julie Ramsay, who
joined ISTE in 2003, says:
Being a member of ISTE makes you
part of a community of learners.
And the ISTE conference really
rejuvenates me! It recharges my
battery and gets me excited about
going back to the classroom,
knowing that Ive got this wonderful support group, at the conference and year-round, thats all
brought about because of ISTE.
Tap into hundreds of free, peerdeveloped resources from some of
ISTEs most active member communities. This year, ISTEs special interest
groups (SIGs) created a record number of resources, including book studies, webinars, databases of resources
and newsletters, workshops, sessions,
forums, and terrific networking activities at ISTEs Annual Conference and

Exposition. Access the SIG Content
Library from the SIG landing page
at iste.org/sigs. As an ISTE member,
youre welcome to join as many SIGs
as you like, including any or all of
our four newest groups: Science and
Technology, Ed Tech Coaches, 3D
Learning and Technology, and Early
Learning and Technology.
High-powered school leaders and
forward-thinking companies came
together last October in Indianapolis,
Indiana, USA, to attend ISTEs Leadership Forum. Sparked by thought leaders, such as Chris Lehmann and Michael Fullan, more than 500 superintendents, principals, chief technology
officers, and educators shared insights
and worked together in small groups
to solve todays pressing problems, envision schools of the future, and create
individual roadmaps to get there.
Another premier recharging station
for educators is ISTEs Annual Conference and Exposition, set this year
in historic San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Heres what member Peggy Sheehy
says about the experience:
At ISTE, I remember why I woke up
one day and said, You know what?
I want to make a difference. I want
to be a teacher. Sometimes we
dont see that were making a difference, and sometimes we dont

feel like were making a difference.
But when I come to ISTE, I share
stories and I hear other peoples
experiences. We talk, and we find
solutions. It recharges me for the
year. It renews me.
ISTE 2012 attendees were energized
by the new Ignite! session format.
Ignite! is a high-energy, fast-paced
presentation style where speakers
get five minutes to show 20 slides on
topics of their choice. If you missed
these last year or would like to watch
them again, just click over to www.
isteconference.org/ignite2012. Because attendees said these powerful
presentations were some of the most
memorable sessions at the conference,
ISTE plans to feature them again.
Also, while youre checking out conference content for ISTE 2013, make
sure to navigate to iste.org/resources
to download 15 supercharged executive summaries available for free to
ISTE members only!
ISTEs global network of members
is the ultimate power grid. Harness
the creativity of your community,
mine your year-round member resourcesincluding L&Land propel
yourself to San Antonio in June for
this years ISTE conference!
Re-charge Your Ed Tech World During

ISTE Member Appreciation Month!
Michelle Baldwin
MEMBER SINCE 2007
February is Member Appreciation Month

and we want to show our gratitude for
the energy, inspiration, and vision ISTE
members bring to the world of ed tech.
iste.org/appreciation
Visit our website all month to participate

in fun activities and for chances to win
high-powered prizes!
Be on the forefront of the latest

ed tech ideas, strategies, and resources.
David Chan
MEMBER SINCE 2010
Relevant Learning for Everyone
Your conference registration includes access to hundreds

of sessions offered in a variety of formats and interactive
learning environments. Discover education resources that
you can use right away in your school or district!
Customize Your Conference

Experience
Visit our website mid-February to browse the program

and start building your planner. Add in-depth workshops
and special events and preregister for BYODs.
Dont waitregister and reserve your housing now!
Catch the excitement!

Twitter: #iste13; Blog: ISTEConnects.org; Conference Ning coming soon: iste2013.org.
isteconference.org
PRESENTED BY
IN COOPERATION WITH

Learning and Leading With Technology

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Learning and Leading With Technology

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

2013

Your work speaks for itself

Nominate yourself or a colleague by February 28, 2013,

Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award

Outstanding Young Educator Award

For demonstrated vision, innovation,

Kay L. Bitter Vision Award

SIGMS Technology Innovation Award

Sylvia Charp Award for District

SIGOL Online Learning Award

Public Policy Advocate of the Year Award

SIGTE Research Paper Award

For demonstrated vision and creativity

For a school librarian and

For effectiveness and innovation in

For use of telecommunication

For advocating for education technology

For excellence in research in the area

You definitely should think holistically

large role in that. I would encourage people

2 Learning & Leading with Technology | February 2013

English Language Arts

What Would Romeo and

Candace Hackett Shively

Where in the World Are

English Language Arts

Yes, Students Can

J. Camille Dempsey, Mark Hofer,

Should Students Use the

James Cash and Jeffrey Starr

Glen Bull, Eric Bredder, Nigel

PLCs: Learning and

Know the NETS

Can You Observe the

Team Shift: Students

Coming Next Issue

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

ISTE Senior Leadership

February 2013 | Learning & Leading with Technology 3

rom the time the first

happens in a low-tech way,

Professional learning communities are not just for teachers.

4 Learning & Leading with Technology | February 2013

Join the L&L group on the ISTE

Follow L&Ls editors

Get Hands-On with Hydraulics

Discover Easy Engineering

The TeacherGeek Approach:

Easy-to-use kits include simple components

Affordable for every budget, and flexible

Choose from over 35 kits covering

See the TeacherGeek

Scan this QR code on any smartphone

Im here to help! For one-on-one

dates, locations, figures, causes of

matters; it is what you can do with

Maybe my thinking isnt very 21st

critical thinking during tests instead

6 Learning & Leading with Technology | February 2013

YES 51% 49% NO

Participate in our reader poll

When, as adults, we need to solve

check all their new Facebook posts

Practice Makes Perfect