Archive for category teaching

Don’t You Just Love Google Earth?

Jan 4

Posted by John Howell in teaching | No Comments

I remember as a young kid that I never enjoyed reading very much but would find myself falling asleep with an atlas on my chest. There was always some place a map could take me that a book couldn’t so, it’s no wonder that I love Google Earth as an adult. Christopher Columbus' First Voyage
I try to use Google Earth as much as I can during my Social Studies lessons because it lets me tell a story in an incredibly dramatic way that simply can’t be done with a traditional map.

I am teaching a unit called East Meets West and I am starting out with good ole Christopher Columbus. Initially, I want the students to imagine what life must have been like during those first 72 days of westward travel. I want the students to have an emotional experience, at some level, that will elicit a deeper appreciation for Christopher’s first adventure. This is no small task for any teacher BUT I am here to say that Google Earth is a tool that if used correctly, can do this for students.

Picture this:

Scene 1
The class lights turned off, students huddled on the floor in front of the well lit Smartboard, and Planet Earth illuminated as big as life on the screen.

Scene 2
Teacher talking in a whisper like voice looking directly into the eyes of students using subtle hand gestures and telling a story in an overly dramatic way.

Scene 3
Students get goosebumps and they can’t wait to learn more.

It’s possible ~ really!

“Tricks” I’ve learned to create a dramatic presentation that elicits a deep emotional response.

  • The only feature I have checked in the sidebar is the “Boarder View” so students can clearly identify countries. Depending on the presentation the pictures and wiki articles that are embedded throughout may be more of a distraction initially.
  • Then I get rid of the sidebar view completely. I want the screen to have as few distractions as possible during the presentation.
  • I use the “Ruler” function and click on “path” so I can stop my line at strategic points that gives me an opportunity to embellish the presentation and to ask questions along the way.
  • I wait to zoom in so students have a “global” view of the story.
  • Only in the end do I zoom in as close as possible for the ultimate WOW effect.

All of the above mentioned bullet points are done prior to the students seeing the screen. Think drama! If I have 5-10 minutes of an attention span to work with I don’t want to waste 1 minute clicking and setting up the screen. I am really trying to get the WOW effect from the beginning to the very end.
Traveling to Asia ~ 15, 000 miles
Question:  “Can students use Google Earth as a presentation tool to tell a story in a dramatic way?”

Answer:  Oh, I am pretty sure they could handle it!

Playing with the Smart Senteo

Sep 21

Posted by John Howell in smartboard, teaching | No Comments

Together we are smarter!  After many discussions with fellow colleagues here is what I am up to with the Smartboardsenteo Senteo Response, which I like to call “clickers.”

Here is how it will work:

As the students enter the classroom they will find a 10 question assessment of the content we have been working with on their desk.  Yes, it will be a paper copy. (More on that later) The remotes will also be on their desk so they can input their responses to the corresponding questions.  I will have the assessment started on the Smartboard but students will not have to go through the questions one at a time as a class because they have the paper copy on their desk.

After all the students have finished we will look at the responses that were given using the beautiful graphs that are embedded into the Smartboard software.  I can’t wait to see how it works.

Control Freak

I guess we need to add one more remote in this bunch.

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Trying to Understand Digital Kids

Apr 20

Posted by John Howell in Digitalkids, IanJukes, learning, teaching | No Comments

As of late, I have been trying to sift through Ian Jukes’ vast collection of handouts, and have found particular interest in Understanding Digital Kids: Teaching and Learning in the New Digital Landscape. I can easily agree with most of the article however, my thinking has been challenged on a few points that Ian presents.

For instance, he says:

The real problem is that they’re just not interested, not listening and increasingly tuning us out. We hear teachers complain all the time that kids have short attention spans – that they just can’t focus – that they can’t even remember the names of the state or the capitals when asked.

Meanwhile that same student is thinking, “Why do I have to know this when I can Google the answer in 2 seconds?”

And the same kids who can’t remember can instantly and enthusiastically remember the lyrics to 1000 songs or the characteristics of 100 video game characters. Their attention spans aren’t short for games or music, or anything else that actually interests them. They just have short attention spans for old ways of teaching, learning, and assessment of that learning.

I firmly understand that the “Digital Natives” have brains wired differently than those of the “Digital Immigrants” but I am pretty sure kids in high school have always been somewhat disconnected and not very interested in school. Am I wrong here?

The message I give my own teenage son and the elementary students I am privileged to teach is that there are moments when learning is hard and takes time, patience, and persistence. Learning sometimes requires an intense focus that can be slow.

Despite the ability to have fingertip knowledge we still need to instill a strong work ethic, to be able to work through problems that we may not be very interested in, and completing it with high quality.

In my own home I hear from my teenage son, “Why do I need to know European History, I won’t ever need this stuff?”

My response sounds something like this: Perhaps your are correct – you may never need to know European History but think about the project that you have had a month to work on. There was really much more to learn than just the boring content that you are “not interested” in. What about learning time management, meeting a deadline, planning around your schedule in order to complete that the task with a high level of quality, being accountable, responsible, and yes working through something that you didn’t want to do in the first place.


These are life lessons that our digital landscape makes incredibly challenging to instill in our youth today.

Despite Abundance, Asia, and Automation it seems these attributes will be required for a successful and fruitful career. I wonder if I am thinking too much into this and should simply shrug it off and say, “Kids will be kids?” But that is just not how I am wired.

For me it has always been about balance as well as not doing the same things differently…how can I help prepare my students and my own children for an uncertain future and instill a strong work ethic? I also follow up my message to my teenage son with the idea that no matter what you end up doing in life hopefully you will be passionate about it and never give up. Passion and Persistence, now there is a tall order.

"Why Not Use the English Language?"

Apr 7

Posted by John Howell in DavidJakes, DeanShareski, MikeSansone, WillRichardson, teaching, wiki | 1 Comment

A huge Thank You to Joan, a professor at BCC, for inviting me to teach her business class about the mighty Web 2.0. Also, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Joan’s students…I am looking forward to meeting with you again sometime, perhaps online.

Preparing for this class really brought me through a deep reflective process where I methodically used my resources to try and put a succinct outline together that would allow for those interested to go deep in their learning.

I found some fantastic resources such as Mike Sansone’s ConverStations, Will Richardson’s wiki, Dean Shareski’s wiki, and David Jakes new wiki. I spent hours sifting through each of these sites trying to piece the puzzle together for the audience that I was presenting to and in doing so I learned so much. There is a saying that we throw around our school district, “The person doing the work does the learning,” and I must say that this process sure forced me to do just that.

On a side note, a three-hour lesson is much different than the 15-minute chunks of time in my elementary class, and in some cases this class felt like a marathon. While I was talking I found myself wondering, “Am I boring them to death or are they OK with this format of instruction?” I wanted desperately to get the class producing content and playing around through Our Wiki and provide them the opportunity to join the global conversation.

However, having the “hallway conversations” for me was worth the price of admission. Not only did Kevin present a fantastic idea for My Starbuck’s Idea, but also Joan stayed late after class and helped me “see” how to think about taking pictures. In the end there were a few that created blogs and perhaps the Guitar Player of the group will be found within the blogosphere soon enough, we know Zack surely can be found. You go Zack.

Oh by the way if you’re interested ~ Kevin’s Starbuck Idea: “Instead of using the words tall, grande, and venti why not use the English language instead?” Makes sense to me.

Chasing Shadows

Feb 20

Posted by John Howell in curiosity, learning, sethgodin, teaching | 1 Comment

They we were marching our way through the crisp crunchy snow in the yard, singing silly songs and exploring the great outdoors, when all of sudden… huh? What’s that? A shadow? The next several minutes were spent trying to catch those crazy things.


My kids are so curious about the world around them. Their entire day seems to revolve around this same theme of investigating the unknown. My goal is to nurture their sense of curiosity and cultivate their natural sense of wonder and hopefully maintain this well beyond their “school days.” I can’t imagine this being an easy task but all in all, I would simply love for my kids to find something they are passionate about.

My 4 year old son runs up to me and says with an incredibly excited voice, “Daddy, daddy, guess what.”

“What,” I say with the same curious intensity.

“I want to be a teacher when I grow up! Yeah… and I will have my very own laptop, iPod, and a cup of coffee.”

Too funny! This is simply a gentle reminder to me that our children are watching and listening very closely. Gavin is only 4 but his mind is already working toward his future… I hope that whatever he chooses to spend his time on that he is passionate about it. I am very curious myself to see where his future will lead him, and what the world will be like when he is a young man. I do hope that I am able to model and instill a sense of life long learning that will equip him for uncertain times, and that he has the courage to follow his heart.

I have just finished watching a video from Seth Godin, who spoke about this idea. His message was clear – kids curiosity seems to get smothered along the way and we as educators and parents are charged with just the opposite. It’s no easy task as a parent or a teacher. The pressures of today’s world are enormous and I can’t see them getting any easier. Despite the challenges ahead, both as an educator and parent, I am hopeful, ready, willing and able.

So, if Gavin wants to be a teacher when he grows up, great! If he wants to be an accountant or rap singer, great! Even if he wants to chase shadows, that’s fine with me as long as he is able to tap into something he is passionate about and curious about. I think my job as a parent is to listen, I mean really listen, encourage, cultivate, and of course guide along the way. But, I do not want to be a voice that stifles his curiosity.

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The Conversations Had Begun

Feb 11

Posted by John Howell in Journey to Mei, blogging, elementary, learning, teaching, writing | 1 Comment

How amazing is it when students not only have the opportunity to read great books, but then have the chance to have conversations with the authors of those books? This evening, I was reading through our class blog and approving comments when I found myself literally jumping out of the chair after realizing Freddie Remza, author of Journey to Mei, had commented on one of my students blog posts. This is incredibly exciting news!

Literacy instruction is the major focus of what we do at the elementary level. Tomorrow morning, after my students discover that a “real live author” has left a comment on one of our student’s blog…well let’s just say that the excitement level will go higher than I will be able to manage. This is really good news at so many levels.

More to come soon…

Virtual Schooling vs. My Four Walls

Feb 7

Posted by John Howell in education, online school, teaching, virtual school | No Comments

Online Schooling Grows, Setting off a Debate. If you haven’t read this article by Sam Dillon of the New York Times, it’s definitely worth your time.

After reading through this article I am reminded that “Shift Happens,” and not that my elementary teaching job is going anywhere tomorrow, it certainly will look much different 10 years from now.

Some of the points that jumped out at me that Mr. Dillon reported is that there is a “rapid growth of online schools…” and not just for higher education. He also mentions the “proliferation of online schooling,” which tells me that times-are-a-changin’.

He goes on to point out two existing models of how this type of online schooling looks. One model is simply a supplement to the traditional compulsory education. The second model, full time online charter schools from the elementary level to secondary education.

Listen, teaching for me is a way of life, not a job. However, the reality is that we as educators are in a business, the business of educating the youth of America and that business model is changing… rapidly. Don’t get me wrong, I am passionate about what I do as a fifth grade teacher and come to work each day knowing the awesome responsibility that awaits me and am humbled by the experience. But we are looking at a huge fundamental change in the way millions of our youth will become educated…virtually.

So what it comes down to is this; what do I offer my students that they cannot get somewhere else? What advantages can I offer within my class that another teacher cannot offer from a 1000 miles away from a web cam?

This is really home schooling with a twist. Unfortunately, there are quite a few folks upset with our educational system (NCLB) and the idea of online schooling appears to be extremely attractive to parents, myself included. Don’t we all want the very best for our children?

My life’s passion as of late is to figure out how to handle massive amounts of data, create social networks, push my own learning, all through the free tools offered online. All of this so I can help my own children learn these very same skills. The idea that I can supplement my children’s education with things they are passionate about so they don’t become dissident toward an educational system is very attractive to me.

I don’t know, it’s late and I feel like I am rambling on. Final point, how are public schools going to remain competitive with this kind of virtual model? Will other models emerge? There is a great deal to consider and I think it is truly an exciting time to be in education and I look forward to the many years to come.

Before the Conceptual Age can Arrive

Dec 24

Posted by John Howell in DavidJakes, Web2.0, Wesley Fryer, education, reform, teaching | No Comments

My wife and I decided to take some quality time to visit one of our local educational centers, The Roberson Museum and Science Center. While there, the Edwin A. Link Exhibit really spoke to me, so much so that I went to get a piece of paper and pencil and copied down some of the quotes around the room. Here is one:

Americans have long been fascinated by speed, motion, and any kind of vehicle that can explore new places.

We also have a recurring, if not constant belief in progress. The latest technologies often seem to have the potential not just to make life easier but solve large social problems.

The first half of the 20th Century these two themes – the romance of motion and belief in progress through technology came together in the idea of the airplane, and created an exciting concept.

The Air Age would be a time of peace and prosperity made possible by this new technology.

Before the Air Age could arrive, pioneers would have to explore and improve the technology, making it safe and demonstrating its usefulness.

There are many educational pioneers of today exploring and improving the technologies of the 21st Century, in order to make it safe and demonstrate its usefulness. We are fighting virtually the same battle today instead this time it’s over a different kind of technology and with a different social problem.

Who are the pioneers of today?

  • Students
  • Teachers
  • Administrators
  • Parents
  • Business Leaders
  • Politicians
  • Community Leaders

Perhaps there are others but I would imagine that to be a true pioneer in the midst of these exciting times that not only do you recognize the urgency and need to change but you act on them as well. The pioneers will blaze the path and the rest will follow in time. Unfortunately, it will take time and unfortunately some will take a fall.

According to Daniel Pink’s, A Whole New Mind, we are transitioning from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Many times transitions and times of change are marked with distinct dissidence, fear, and radical behavior. So it seems to me that before the Conceptual Age can truly arrive, todays pioneers will have to continue to explore and improve the technologies of the 21st Century, making it safe and demonstrate its usefulness. It would appear that history is repeating itself.

A book called Who Moved My Cheese talks briefly about different personalities and how they deal with change. According to Dr. Spencer Johnson, author of Who Moved My Cheese, there are three stages of change:

  1. Stage 1 ~ Preparing People for Change
  2. Stage 2 ~ Gaining Change Skills
  3. Stage 3 ~ Achieving a Change

A true pioneer, David Jakes, has put together a nice foundational plan for schools to begin dealing with this transition into the 21st Century. His plan seems to follow these three basic stages of change and outlines how school districts can begin to handle the transition effectively and in such a way that the staff will feel safe and find usefulness in the tools. Wesley Fryer, another who continues to blaze the path focuses in on very specific points in our educational system that needs to change.

During such times I would like to think that I am on the side of the pioneers handling the change in a way that will help blaze the path. I gotta tell ya though, I am riding on the coat tails of many others through this journey. I certainly feel that I am living and teaching during exciting times, and I look forward to the next year of growth.