My 21st Century Learning Summary

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well, it is still Christmas vacation week and this morning I think I finished my Learning Summary for the course The 3Cs of 21st Century Teaching and Learning. As I looked back over the last three months and review all the different tools, web 2.0 sites, contacts, resources and blogging sites, I am amazed at how far I think I have come since the first day of class. If you remember my very first post I was very overwhelmed with all the different tools and sites...it was a new language for me and I was entering a world that I did not really realize had existed. Since then I have become more comfortable with many tools, such as Twitter, Edublogs, Blogger, Animoto, Xtranormal, Facebook, Google Reader and others. I have really gotten the hang of embedding code and video, making and editing posts, searching for resources, tweeting, and applying these tools for use in the classroom. In my own room I have begun much more comfortable with SmartBoard and now use it daily. I’ve been able to capture images and diagrams and then post them to the class web site. All my project worksheets and classroom notes and documents are available online for my students, and we even have a classroom Facebook Fan Page. So much in so little time, relatively speaking, and I am pleased with my progress.

I'd like to make a special mention of a fellow science teacher who has helped me a lot these past few weeks, Sean Mussleman in Reading, MA. He has truly motivated me to get motivated to learn more of the tools, and he has become a special part of my own PLN. Thanks, Sean!

Below is a video that I produced using Animoto which summarizes the learning experiences. My goal for the remainder of this school year is to continue to expand the use of these tools in my room, and also to encourage my students to work with them. For my Personal Learning Network I hope to be able to contribute more than I receive, and to become more active online in the sharing of information and work products. Overall, I would have to say that I feel much more confident and comfortable in this new world. And as the video below is entitled, let me extend a Welcome to the Future!

Welcome to the Future

Video 1: Kim Corfino - Going Global, Culture Shock, Convergence & the Future of Education

Kim Corfino Video

I just viewed the 39 minute Kim Corfino video Going Global: Culture Shock, Convergence and the Future of Education which was an interesting approach to the challenges and potential of 21st century learning. What made this particularly interesting to me was that I had spent a limited time in my career both visiting an Asian country and working in an Indian firm where I was exposed to much of the Indian culture. The clash of cultures in the working environment and the sensory overload of the experiences in Mumbai combined to make the overall effect quite educational. What the video brought back for me was the almost widespread awareness that my work colleagues had of global issues, events and cultures that I as an American did not have. I always considered myself well educated and well versed in global discussions, but I became acutely aware that it was through the filters of my own US perspective. It was a bit unnerving to feel somewhat less ‘educated’ when speaking with my peers.



This is to say that the Kim Corfino video enabled me to cross that threshold and look at the many opportunities for integrating the world around us into my own teaching activities. I use the essential question “How does this relate to the world around you” when discussing our course content, but now realize that I can truly make it relate by establishing virtual contacts around the world who live in the various climate regions, reside in the terrains we study in earth science, and conduct the exploration of space.


Establishing Personal Learning Networks through many of the tools with educators around the US and the world may open the door to new possibilities in the classroom. Using technology in the classroom to enable my own students to reach out to students around the world, sharing experiences, perspectives and viewpoints would certainly be an enhancement to their learning. Today I see my students studying the cultures of the Middle East, the Far East and Africa in their social studies classes. How much more motivating and relevant might it be if they actually communicated and collaborated on cultural activities and projects?


For my own personal interests, I am moving into a period in my life where the prospect of teaching in an International School certainly sounds like an interesting adventure. I have always had a passion for international travel, and had never really considered the International Schools as a possibility. But that may be the topic for a future post!

Latest from the Classroom

This week I experienced some milestones with the use of the classroom web site. Each week I have been posting the content, animations, images and videos of topics we have been covering. Several students had shared with me that they have used the web page at home to either catch up on work due to absence, get the latest assignment and even develop videos on their own which we then posted to the web page while in class. I even had a student show me the printed pages of the site that he used as a study guide for last week's chapter test. Slowly the web page is becoming integrated into everyday (and night) classwork, and it's great! Students on their own have been using Wordle, Animoto, Xtranormal and Slideshare to develop their own assignments. I am so excited that the investment of time is starting to show reward in the classroom, for the students and me!


Tomorrow I kick off the National Park Project through the use of another blog page National Park Project which will be another first.  I am excited by students having the capability to have access to all the tools, the research, rubrics and web sites available to them both at school and at home. The plan is to enable students to open, edit and save their research Word documents without the printing of reams of paper, and thus also being Green!

Animoto - A Video Intro to a Geology Project

This is my latest creation using the Animto tool - an introduction to the unit-ending National Parks Project for our Geology Unit.  The objective is for the students to apply all that they have learned about plate tectonics, mountain building, earthquakes, volcanoes, weathering and erosion to a National Park that they have researched.  I plan to introduce this project in mid-December, and also to have a more Web 2.0 feel to the project itself  for student work. I'll use this video to jump-start the creative juices!

I am hoping that I can encourage many of my students to use the tools like Animoto, SlideShare and Prezi to mover away from the basic PowerPoint and Poster Board presentations.  I do realize that not all will do so, but perhaps a few will.  And it'll be a learning curve for me as well as I'm navigating through the tools.  My first task is to create a site where the project details will be available, and then provide the resources for students to develop their own sites.

Teachers begin using cell phones for class lessons

My daughter, a senior in college, sent me this link today after we had discussed more use of technology in the classroom on Thanksgiving Day .  An interesting concept and creative use of the phones which we all know are there!

Yahoo! Tech Article 

Saturday Morning Tweets - Idea!

I have been spending most of this holiday weekend Saturday morning navigating through many of the Twitter members and lists of users. I had been able to make contact with several fellow science teachers across the US and am now following many lists. In time I do hope to be able to share some new tools and successful strategies that I will be using in the classroom.

I think my first project will be to incorporate student use of Web 2.0 tools into the annual National Parks Project which is the climax of our Geology Unit. In this project I ask the students to research and explore a US National Park of their own choosing, within several parameters. From there they are to apply many of the geologic concepts of plate movement, faulting, mountain building, volcanoes, weathering and erosion and so forth, to the actual natural geologic formation of their chosen park. The real assessment is to determine if the students can apply what they learned in class to a real world situation. My overall theme for the year is "How does this relate to the world around you?", and this project takes the knowledge of geologic processes and allows them to explain using a National Park as their subject. They have the most fun building 3-D models of their park or a specific feature of their park, such as Old Faithful, Half Dome, Grand Canyon, Delicate Arch and so forth. I use the USGS web site Tour of Park Geology as a starting point for the project.

I now have to give some thought as to how to use more Web 2.0 tools for them to use, such as presentation media, a blog site, Animoto videos, etc, as a way for them to share their info. I hope to find a way to attach the assignment sheet to this post so that I can share and hopefully get some feedback as well!

Using Animoto

Just played with yet another online tool called Animoto which allows one to create slide shows to music. I uploaded my own pics and music for a quick 30-second video. I know there was a way to get a full license as a teacher but for some reason that did not yet take. Will work on it!

Desert Scenery

Google-Proof Questioning

Google-Proof Questioning

I found this blog site called The Electric Educator while exploring all the resources out there, and it caught me as pertinent, especially since I’ve been reading on the new Bloom’s Taxonomy for the 21st Century skills. As I have been learning many of these new skills and jargon for 21C, and probably just barely on the “knowledge” level of the hierarchy, I thought that this was interesting for my own thinking and approach in the classroom.

I know I have been frustrated at times by the simple “cut and paste” of many student reports, and wished I could find a way to help wean them off that approach to web research. Actually designing the web-quest activity for the higher level thinking skills and actively encouraging the students to truly research, understand, analyze and then create (synthesize) their product just makes so much more sense. I have a major project coming up, and will take a closer look at the tasks and work I am asking students to create. It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds!

It’s been a busy week for me with 1st Q grades being due, assessments to score, and trying to keep up with the 21st Century Skills course I am taking. At times it seems overwhelming with so much to do – I can’t remember a time when I’ve been in school until 5 or 6 pm at night, every night…even Fridays. But overall the work is rewarding in the sense that I feel that I am making progress in my quest to make better use of the technology in the classroom.

I’ve made good progress on my classroom blog site, and have formally introduced it to my classes. For now it is informational, with links to sites that will come in handy as we go through the year – project research sites, etc. I did give an assignment for a Study Island activity for my students as we work to review science material they have used in grades 6 and 7 at the Middle School.
In time I want to have the kids use the site as a discussion forum, until I can find a better way to do this.

Feel free to browse the site and offer suggestions for improvement –
Mr.Ruggiero's Science 8-2

I want to give special thanks to a fellow science teacher at the Parker Middle School in Reading, MA who has helped me in wading through the myriad mix of technology, and in introducing me to some new techniques and tools.

I try to post 2-3 times a week onto the site, and upload drawings, pictures and even shots from the Smart Board (another new technology for me) so that I can provide the week at a glance for my kids.

The social networking sites have been interesting, and as with anything else, I need to sort through what links seem most appropriate at this time, and try to explore and reach out in a somewhat organized fashion. I have joined the ISTE 2010 Conference Ning, as well as teacherlinx.com and hope to find these sites useful in making contacts and getting the inspiration I need!

A New Blog for Classroom Use

I'm busy trying to learn another blog site that I am hoping to use for my classroom use and communications with my kids. I started a main page, added links and announcements, and am hoping to get this up and running by Christmas. In the meantime I am using the site as 'training' for my blog creation skills. Feel free to check it out. It is a Blog tool that should be accessible in most schools with the security firewall. My plan is to look at other teacher blog sites for ideas on how to effectively use these, and add more pertinent info!

Mr. Ruggiero's Science 8-2

WORDLE.NET

Okay...here's another tool I'm getting hooked on as I explore the tools of 21C! WORDLE! I simply made a wordle graphic using a simple set of vocabulary words, and this can then be used as a trigger for some creative writing, creative drawing, or even as a word bank for an 0pen response assignment. It can also be great for a brainstorming exercise in class, as you have the kids suggest words or ideas, use the SmartBoard and computer to type in the words, and you have an easy capture of key ideas that the kids helped to create! Can't wait to really use this!

Layers of the Earth WORM - a Whimsical Introduction to a writing assignment for a Grade 8 Science Class

The Very First!

This is the debut post on the new blog! Right now I am sitting at the computer in the 3C's of 21st Century Skills (thus the 21C in the blog title) as we are learning to use many online tools to extend and open up our network of contacts and resources.
In time I will add more meaningful material, links to videos I made and other sites of interest.

More to come....
BR