Organic Learning

A few weeks ago, at Week 3 of LAUSD’s participation in the Teach the Teachers Collaborative, science teachers in Grades 4-8 reunited for a third year of collaborative learning on science, using technology as a tool. Their final product was a podcast episode to define their learning and/or provide a model for student learning. Our keynote speaker for the event was Dan Schmidt, author of the very popular and excellent KidCast podcast. He was a perfect choice for a keynote. His message was focused on student learning, mixed with just the right amount of Web 2.0 explanation, so that the audience understood how learning and sharing of knowledge is becoming easier and essential.
With the recent use of Chatcasting at NECC and at BLC to deepen understanding and facilitate learning, we decided to set up our own chatcast using Skype as our chat client.. (Thanks to David Jakes, Jeff Utecht and all the edubloggers who have been pushing my thinking recently.) Chatcasting refers to setting up a backchannel chat during a presentation, so participants can more actively engage in the conversation. I twittered it, and Jose Rodriguez, an LAUSD teacher not in attendance, joined us for the conversation. It was a good experience, despite the technical difficulties. (Don’t close the chat in Skype before copying and pasting it somewhere else. Skype only saves the last few posts of the conversation. Fortunately, my friend and colleague, Edie, had not yet closed her chat window later that night when I had wanted to post it, and I was able to copy and paste the chat from her session.)
Dan Scmidt has shared a similar keynote presentation in video through his podcast: Episode 33 and 34 in his podcast. Download and view this presentation as you read through our chatcast. At least for me, and probably for those in attendance, it might add a little something to the experience.

Here’s the chatcast:

J Stearns added chrystal_m, Jose Rodriguez, Dan Madsen, Petrain Marie King, dinghygirl, eric mention, John Z. Rivera, Richard Feay, Usefelias to this chat
5:32 PM

Jose Rodriguez
7:10 PM
hi all

Usefelias
7:12 PM
hello Jose, welcome

Jose Rodriguez
7:12 PM
Have you started yet

Usefelias
7:13 PM
not yet, intros

Jose Rodriguez
7:13 PM
cool just in time
7:13 PM
I show y’all are offline in skype.

Chrystal
7:13 PM
hi all!

Jose Rodriguez
7:13 PM
hi chrystal
7:14 PM
Are you starting a week at TTTC?
7:14 PM
I was scheduled to go last week for science training but couldn’t make it.

J Stearns
7:16 PM
Hi all

Jose Rodriguez
7:17 PM
Hi Janice

John Z. Rivera
7:17 PM
where’s the yoga?

Usefelias
7:18 PM
Yoga, I can barely walk, much less put my right ankle behind my left ear

Jose Rodriguez
7:18 PM
UMMMMMMMMM

John Z. Rivera
7:18 PM
TOADS are great!

Jose Rodriguez
7:18 PM

yep
Petrain Marie King
7:19 PM

Hi everyone. I’m in!
J Stearns
7:19 PM

Hi Petra
Jose Rodriguez
7:19 PM

cool
J Stearns
7:19 PM
Kurt is a math teacher. Interested in podcasting

Petrain Marie King
7:19 PM
Can anyone else see me besides janice? who’s coordinatortwo

John Z. Rivera
7:19 PM
Great! Kurt Meyer wrote the first TTTC grant thathad Vons pay for everything!

J Stearns
7:20 PM
Coordinator two is Jose Rodriguez, a teacher not here, who would like to participate

eric mention
7:20 PM
I can read your reply

J Stearns
7:20 PM
I didn’t know that, John

Jose Rodriguez
7:20 PM
Coordinatortwo Jose Rodriguez attending virtually from home. I teach 3rd grade at Humphreys Avenue school in East LA

John Z. Rivera
7:20 PM
KJ’s turn at the mic

J Stearns
7:20 PM
Eric, down below the words is an area to click and type

eric mention
7:21 PM
Thanks

J Stearns
7:22 PM
They are introducing Don Kwano, (I’m not sure how is name is spelled)

John Z. Rivera
7:22 PM
Don K us Director of Middle School Science

Petrain Marie King
7:22 PM
Dr William Gee okay, got it.

Usefelias
7:22 PM
KAWANO

Petrain Marie King
7:23 PM
Chrystal - are you on?

Jose Rodriguez
7:23 PM
thanks for the audio

Chrystal
7:23 PM
yes, I’m here

John Z. Rivera
7:23 PM
Don K says “kids learn differently…”

Jose Rodriguez
7:23 PM
sorry it was from website

John Z. Rivera
7:25 PM
Don K: How to learn to play video games… Kids call each other, collaborating to find out the short cuts at tricks. (from Dr. William G)

Usefelias
7:26 PM
Warlick blogged about this type of gaming collab at a recent Gaming conference

J Stearns
7:26 PM
He’s talking about how one Superintendent who stopped all other PD except science, and had high scores despite a 92% free lunch program

Jose Rodriguez
7:26 PM
Is this mainly a secondary crowd today?

John Z. Rivera
7:27 PM
Who is verifying that this stuff is true?

J Stearns
7:27 PM
Both

Petrain Marie King
7:27 PM
it is 5-8

J Stearns
7:27 PM
I didn’t look it up

Chrystal
7:27 PM
it is 4th -8th grade I think

Petrain Marie King
7:27 PM
yea, 4-8

Jose Rodriguez
7:27 PM
I see upper grade and MS

7:28 PM
Dan has Kidcast site?

eric mention
7:28 PM
I can attest to the idea that science instruction if implemented properly can increase literacy skills.

John Z. Rivera
7:28 PM
Good idea. Make a banana split sometime this week.

J Stearns
7:28 PM
Don K. just threatened to ruin the HP plot. He’s already read it.

Jose Rodriguez
7:29 PM
HP plot?

John Z. Rivera
7:29 PM
Comparing Deathly Hollows to Old Yeller

Petrain Marie King
7:29 PM
John- what does the Z stand for?

Usefelias
7:29 PM
Z MAN

John Z. Rivera
7:29 PM
Zarate
7:29 PM
ZZZZZ

Petrain Marie King
7:30 PM
I’m just guesing but Usefelias is Youssef

Usefelias
7:30 PM
the one and only

J Stearns
7:30 PM
KJ is talking about how the grant has been expanded for three years.

John Z. Rivera
7:30 PM
3 Years of CaMSP Summer Science Institute! Hooray!

J Stearns
7:30 PM
This is the last year of the grant. This is a wonderful program.
7:31 PM
He calls this a leadership institute
7:31 PM
KJ is going to show some digital stories from last week

John Z. Rivera
7:31 PM
Time to see a sample digital story from last week!

Petrain Marie King
7:31 PM
hasn’t it been 4 years

J Stearns
7:32 PM
not for the CAmSP grant. It was different funding 4 years ago

John Z. Rivera
7:32 PM
4 years ago was sponsored by AB 1339

Petrain Marie King
7:32 PM
OH

J Stearns
7:32 PM
Thanks, John. That’s right. I couldn’t think of the name of the funding.

Usefelias
7:33 PM
Digial drories are powerful in an amptheatre with the lights down
7:33 PM
can’t See the keys!!!!!!!
7:33 PM

J Stearns
7:33 PM
I agree. What a great story. I’m sure it will inspire our partiicipants to tell their story this week.

John Z. Rivera
7:34 PM
in podcast form!

Usefelias
7:34 PM
what a great preview for 1st time attendees

Dan Madsen
7:34 PM
Tilt the screen to 90 degrees and look down on thr keyboard.

Jose Rodriguez
7:34 PM
What’s the reccomendation for recording podcasts
7:35 PM
Also hosting of files.

J Stearns
7:35 PM
We’re going to use GarageBand this week, making enhanced podcasts.

Jose Rodriguez
7:35 PM
Got it.
7:36 PM
Any windows people out there

Dan Madsen
7:36 PM
The narrator’s voice quality is a major reason this is good.

J Stearns
7:36 PM
Probably. But we’re only using the mac platform this week for podcasting. Makes it easier.

Jose Rodriguez
7:36 PM
cool

Usefelias
7:37 PM
SHARE A MESSGAE!!!!

J Stearns
7:38 PM
KJ is setting the stage about how to share a message with a larger audience using podcasting.

John Z. Rivera
7:38 PM
Jean Sais speaks

Dan Madsen
7:38 PM
The use of zooming in was overdone, no pans.

Usefelias
7:38 PM
I never thoguht about a podcast as “sharing a mesage”, that’s powerful

Jose Rodriguez
7:39 PM
It’s all about the conversation

J Stearns
7:39 PM
She’s introducing Dan

John Z. Rivera
7:39 PM
University of Nebraska’s Dan Schmidt publishes GarageBand Mechanics and KidCasts

Usefelias
7:39 PM
WE all need to look at Kidcast

J Stearns
7:40 PM
Kidcast is one of my favorite podcasts

John Z. Rivera
7:40 PM
He’s using a black MacBook

J Stearns
7:40 PM
He also has tips for podcasters and he share creative commons music on each episode
7:41 PM
He says podcasting has changed his life and what his students produce
7:42 PM
He really knows how to engage the audience

Jose Rodriguez
7:42 PM
What does Dan teach

J Stearns
7:42 PM
He has a buzz word bingo chart with all kinds of web 2.0 appls

Petrain Marie King
7:42 PM
I like the bingo chart

John Z. Rivera
7:42 PM
BINGO!
7:43 PM
Take the bottle
7:43 PM
And put a message in it and throw it in the ocean

J Stearns
7:44 PM
What we pick up in our classroom say something about where we are headed

Usefelias
7:44 PM
“he’s gonna run for congress” classic

J Stearns
7:44 PM
We look at technology differently than our students

Petrain Marie King
7:44 PM
yea we do

Chrystal
7:44 PM
we are digital immigrants

John Z. Rivera
7:44 PM
I am not sure how many in the audience really understands the blog

Edie Walker
7:44 PM
Some of us are true immigrants

Jose Rodriguez
7:45 PM
Have you seen the Web 2.0 periodic table?
7:46 PM
http://www .shambles. net/web2/w eb2_period ic_table/w eb2_period ictable.jp g

Edie Walker
7:46 PM
no

J Stearns
7:46 PM
He’s going to do a drama podcast. I know it

John Z. Rivera
7:46 PM
Go janice

J Stearns
7:47 PM
Its the star wars one. I’ll get the url. It’s what I used in PD’s.

Edie Walker
7:47 PM
I’ve never seen one

J Stearns
7:47 PM
remember that one?

John Z. Rivera
7:47 PM
star trek?

Chrystal
7:48 PM
Thanks Jose Nice Table

J Stearns
7:48 PM
Dan’s website is http://www .intellige nic.com/blog/

John Z. Rivera
7:48 PM
titled PodShip Eduprise

J Stearns
7:48 PM
Yes, Star trek

Jose Rodriguez
7:48 PM
I am listening to Bernie Dodge interview right now.

Chrystal
7:49 PM
Thanks Janice

J Stearns
7:49 PM
It looks like the link to download the script is not working: http://www .intellige nic.com/bl og/?p=16

Jose Rodriguez
7:50 PM
Thanks for the invite Janice, I have to run.

J Stearns
7:50 PM
Thanks for joining us, Jose. Talk to you later

Jose Rodriguez
7:50 PM
If anyone is available. I am hosting a webcast on the use of webquests tommorrow at 4:00 at edtechtalk.com check out http://its elementary .edublogs. org for more info

Petrain Marie King
7:51 PM
I remember janice doing this.

John Z. Rivera
7:51 PM
Janice is the best!

J Stearns
7:52 PM
I just like to borrow from the best. He said we could use it, but I need to find the post that said that.
7:52 PM
and that has the script

Chrystal
7:54 PM
80% on content, 20% on production

Petrain Marie King
7:54 PM
Love g-band

John Z. Rivera
7:55 PM
But Janice is visionary! She knew this was coming 2 years ago.

J Stearns
7:55 PM
It’s a nice introduction to Garageband
7:57 PM
Give the concept to the students and let them develop the script for the play

Dan Madsen
7:57 PM
The part of production outside of class hours does not count toward the 20%.

J Stearns
7:57 PM
Good point, Dan

Usefelias
7:58 PM
mass production=sharing

Edie Walker
7:58 PM
With the older kids, they can do most of it themselves

Petrain Marie King
7:59 PM
The monarchy did not read either

J Stearns
7:59 PM
I agree. It’s a great way for them to be in charge of their learning

Petrain Marie King
7:59 PM
they had others do that for them

J Stearns
7:59 PM
He’s talking about the fact that we have masses of producers now.

Chrystal
7:59 PM
Gutenberg created the need for a literate public

Usefelias
8:00 PM
is there a need for a web literate public?

Petrain Marie King
8:00 PM
Gut created the posibilty for democracy

Chrystal
8:00 PM
First we harvested the internet, not we are planting stuff

J Stearns
8:00 PM
Anyone read the Cult of the Amateur, by Andrew Keen. He thinks this web 2.0 is going to be our downfall. Interesting to listen to
8:01 PM
Digital Media Revolution is part of the mainstream now. How many of us buy music online now?
8:01 PM
I know I do.

John Z. Rivera
8:02 PM
I buy video online, too

Edie Walker
8:02 PM
I download all my books

J Stearns
8:02 PM
Good point. I would rather buy everything online, if I could.

Petrain Marie King
8:03 PM
I buy almost everything online… I’m keeping the post office in business

J Stearns
8:03 PM
Yeah, blogging is an important trend, according to Dan.
8:04 PM
It’s easy to publish now, just about anything.

John Z. Rivera
8:04 PM
I just ordered thermal underwear from socks.com (for my trip). Does that count?

J Stearns
8:04 PM
Yep. I’m tempted to buy groceries, but haven’t

Edie Walker
8:04 PM
of course it counts

J Stearns
8:05 PM
I like his image of the rss aggregator

Edie Walker
8:05 PM
When you put all of this together it is very powerful

J Stearns
8:06 PM
Cool. RSS rules!

John Z. Rivera
8:07 PM
We just have to reveiw this in Podcasting !a

J Stearns
8:07 PM
I never heard of Johnny Fever

Usefelias
8:07 PM
v what a great Keynote for what we’re trying this week with these teachers

John Z. Rivera
8:07 PM
WKRP in Cincinatti

J Stearns
8:07 PM
I agree, Youssef.

Usefelias
8:07 PM
PERFECY

J Stearns
8:07 PM
Right on target

Chrystal
8:07 PM
Definitely

J Stearns
8:08 PM
Oh, is that where he’s from. I remember now.

Usefelias
8:08 PM
I’m beggining to fell the excitement in the room

Edie Walker
8:08 PM
I’m getting excited, and so are my neighbors
8:09 PM
your podcast Janice

J Stearns
8:09 PM
Probably heard it from him.

Edie Walker
8:10 PM
I like knitting

Petrain Marie King
8:10 PM
Yes, he was a great choice!

John Z. Rivera
8:10 PM
We must thank Jean for getting him

J Stearns
8:10 PM
Hs way of breaking down comcepts and making them easy to understand is great.
8:10 PM
I like the illustrations.

Usefelias
8:11 PM
@janice I agree

Edie Walker
8:11 PM
He is very in line with what we are doing this week

J Stearns
8:12 PM
Wow, there are 100,000 different podcasts. I wonder how many of those are active.

Edie Walker
8:13 PM
I wonder how many are worth listening to
8:13 PM
So many podcasts, so little time

J Stearns
8:14 PM
The learning process involves INputs, transformations, and outputs, The same is true for creating a podcast. Great connections.
Usefelias
8:15 PM
@walker begin by asking people who ou trust what they’re listening to . . . and you’re off
8:15 PM
Podcastin delas with Transformatins and outputs? one or other or both?

Edie Walker
8:16 PM
Janice has a great list to start with

Petrain Marie King
8:16 PM
it is true that when I first started I was teaching more technology than anything else.

J Stearns
8:16 PM
I think the 80/20 formula is a good goal.
8:17 PM
I like the quality of the iPod recroder

John Z. Rivera
8:18 PM
we can compare this skype chat to the interactivity of a podcast because of the ability for us to participate

Usefelias
8:18 PM
tool factory podcast for the PC

J Stearns
8:19 PM
I wonder if there’s any pc tool for making enhanced podcasts. Why isn’t there some?

Usefelias
8:20 PM
Gcast.com- for phone cating, way cool

Petrain Marie King
8:20 PM
interesting the cell phone thing
Edie Walker
8:20 PM
The cell phone thing sounds like it would be convient

Petrain Marie King
8:21 PM
those recoding things don’t work too well
8:21 PM
just for a word or two
8:21 PM
interactive boards I mean

Edie Walker
8:22 PM
Smart board too?

J Stearns
8:22 PM
I like Podcast People. It works well and is easy

Usefelias
8:22 PM
SMART creates HUGE files, too big for our purposes

Petrain Marie King
8:22 PM
yea podcasts are cool

John Z. Rivera
8:22 PM
So we are going to show how to subscriibe to curricular supplements tomorrow

J Stearns
8:23 PM
Can’t reduce them easily? Maybe someone should tell Smart about that. I’ll bet they would listen

Petrain Marie King
8:23 PM
What curricular supplements?

John Z. Rivera
8:23 PM
“curricular supplements” = “educational podcasts”

Usefelias
8:23 PM
DAN IS GREAT!!!! WOW
8:24 PM
thnk of yourself as a media channel

Edie Walker
8:24 PM
and he said he has been doing it only for two years

John Z. Rivera
8:24 PM
I am a media channel. You are a media channel

Petrain Marie King
8:24 PM
I am a media channel

J Stearns
8:24 PM
Hven’t heard of the two minute soap box.
8:25 PM
http://www .intelligenic.com/soapbox/

Usefelias
8:26 PM
Battery dead
8:26 PM
bye all

J Stearns
8:26 PM
the Blooms Taxonomy http://pro jects.coe. uga.edu/ep ltt/index. php?title= Bloom%27s_ Taxonomy

John Z. Rivera
8:26 PM
Come up here and plug in

J Stearns
8:26 PM
Bye Youssef

Usefelias
8:26 PM
BRB

Petrain Marie King
8:26 PM
BRB?

John Z. Rivera
8:26 PM
Be right Back

J Stearns
8:26 PM
Be right back

Petrain Marie King
8:27 PM
oh

John Z. Rivera
8:27 PM
I win

John Z. Rivera
8:28 PM
Open House every week!

J Stearns
8:28 PM
Thinking of podcasting as an opne house. Good point

Dan Madsen
8:28 PM
This laptop is burning my legs.

J Stearns
8:28 PM
mine too

Petrain Marie King
8:28 PM
yea, but I like it

Edie Walker
8:28 PM
he has made me want to start right away and keep it going all year

John Z. Rivera
8:28 PM
Cool… examples
J Stearns added dinghygirl to this chat
8:30 PM
Petrain Marie King
8:30 PM
Is he talking English????
8:30 PM

Edie Walker
8:31 PM
Aussie

J Stearns
8:31 PM
Interviewing is great for podcasts

John Z. Rivera
8:32 PM
I am taking additional notes on this in Google Docs

J Stearns
8:32 PM
Ted Lai’s daughter’s podcast

Petrain Marie King
8:33 PM
Love it
8:33 PM
This tech savvy girlz
8:33 PM
Love it

J Stearns
8:33 PM
I saw a presentation at NECC from an Apple Distinguished Ed. They used this podcast. It must be wonderful for the students.
8:34 PM
I wonder how they are taking their fame.

Petrain Marie King
8:34 PM
Did he say they were in 1st grade?

John Z. Rivera
8:35 PM
I have gone to Disneyland with Ted Lai’s family. His wife is presenting at CUELA on Nov 3. His daughters also ice skate.

J Stearns
8:35 PM
What a great family.

Petrain Marie King
8:36 PM
Intersting the angle and ratio thing

J Stearns
8:36 PM
Great demo of using podcasing in all types of ways

Petrain Marie King
8:37 PM
I agree Janice

Edie Walker
8:37 PM
right up my alley

Petrain Marie King
8:39 PM
I tunes U… university
8:39 PM
Itunes U

J Stearns
8:41 PM
Ask a Biologist podcast http://ask abiologist .asu.edu/

Petrain Marie King
8:41 PM
I know I can get in trouble for this, but we can make our own Futures Channel stuff
8:41 PM
By we I mean the students and teacher

J Stearns
8:41 PM
60 Second Science http://www .sciam.com /podcast/s ciam_podca st_r_d.xml

Edie Walker
8:42 PM
I like the idea of a daily report of what is going on in the classroom

J Stearns
8:42 PM
Do you mean for them to create their own content similar to the futures channel?

Petrain Marie King
8:42 PM
yea, why not?

J Stearns
8:42 PM
Sounds wonderful!

Petrain Marie King
8:43 PM
I like the daily reports too
8:45 PM
John-still there?

J Stearns
8:45 PM

Dan shares his keynote with all these ideas on a podcast, Podcast 33 http://pho bos.apple. com/WebObj ects/MZSto re.woa/wa/ viewPodcas t?id=81662 781&s= 143441 &i=121 81249 and 34 http://pho bos.apple. com/WebObj ects/MZSto re.woa/wa/ viewPodcas t?id=81662 781&s= 143441 &i=121 81248

Edie Walker
8:46 PM
I want to do pod pals

Dan Madsen
8:46 PM
The daily reporter is great way to distribute access to all students over time.

Edie Walker
8:47 PM
Every one will get their turn

Petrain Marie King
8:47 PM
see, see…. future’s channel

Edie Walker
8:47 PM
and they will want to do more so their turn comes around quicker
8:49 PM
Janice, are you familar with VideoCue Pro?

J Stearns
8:50 PM
Yes, I bought this program. I havne’t had time to play with it yet
8:53 PM
Okay, now I’m going to have to spend some time and look at VideoCue Pro

Edie Walker
8:54 PM
was it expensive

J Stearns
8:54 PM
Students become the experts of the content they are sharing
8:55 PM
I can’t remember. I’ll check on the price

Edie Walker
8:56 PM
i’ll try and get Aracely to buy it
8:56 PM
or i’ll write it for donor’s choose

J Stearns
8:56 PM
I like the heads tails game.

Edie Walker
8:57 PM
me too
8:58 PM
when we are done, will we be able to access our talk
J Stearns
8:58 PM

okay. I’ll post this on my blog at http://jst earns.org/ wp
8:58 PM

bye all

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