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Dear Government:  I HOPE YOU ARE LISTENING!!

Chris Lehmann, principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, spoke for 10 minutes about Education today, and how technology should be used.  He makes some excellent points, but the most powerful point he makes is that because of standardized testing, we are no longer educating students; we are training them to take ONE test.  Then, everything about that students is based off of ONE test.

To see the video of Chris speaking at the 140 Character Conference, visit ChuckNeuschafer.com and watch the featured video in the upper right hand corner.

Here is a video of Chris Lehmann speaking a TEDxNYED back in March:

I am a huge fan of WordPress.  In fact, I have created more than 30 different websites using WordPress.  So…I checked WordPress.org and found several plugins that allowed you to create a web site that is also a social network.

Mingle Plugin for WordPress

In looking at various plugins to turn my classroom WordPress site into a social networking site, I found the Mingle Plugin for WordPress…and what a GREAT FIND!!  This was extremely easy to set up.  In just a few hours, I created 4 sites for my classes.  They were extremely simple to set up, and the results…well…see for yourself.

Visit CoachNeuschafer.com and choose from one of the four classes in the top menu bar.  We just started using the site with one of my classes today (6th Math).  I let the students play around with it so they could learn the in’s and out’s of the site, and I was able to “fine tune” the site as they were giving me feedback.

So, in just a few hours, and with the help of some eager 6th graders, we have a very nice site using FREE resources.

Ning…thank you very much!!  In making the move from free sites, I was “forced” to find alternatives, and the alternative I found is a great one.

One of the added benefits I found very quickly:  students always forget their passwords.  They always ask me what their password is, and I ask them “did you write it down?”  Now, with a site that I have total control over, and don’t have to worry about Ads about how to pick up women in our area, I can actually look up their username, and reset their password.  No more wasted time waiting for students to login to our Ning site!

Rosenthal has also announced that Ning will no longer offer its Free Products.  He feels the need to convert free users to paying for premium services, or transition off of Ning.

The sad part about this…I use several different Ning sites with my students on a regular basis.  This is where they get to show off things they create.  It’s also where they keep their blogs.

Mr. Rosenthal…with the state of the economy, I don’t know of any schools, let alone teachers, being able to pay for your premium services.

With this said, So Long Ning!!  We’re going to miss you.

How can this apply to a math classroom?  I have my students do math problems on Sketchfu.  They can then go back and see how to do the problem when they forget how!  Next, I will have them start embedding their sketches into their blog posts.

The bonus is that I am finding out that some of my students are very creative.  One student actually created a little movie.  Granted, it was a boxing match, but it was very creative nonetheless.

They put an article in their most recent newsletter about how I use social media in my classroom.

Click below to see the newsletter.
TechSmith Newsletter

My students got excited about taking notes today.  We installed the free version of Mimio on our student laptops, so now my students can take notes using the Mimio Notebook software and their graphics tablets.  To quote one student, “This actually makes taking notes fun!  Can we do it again tomorrow?”  I can’t remember the last time I had a student excited about taking notes, and I have been teaching for 15 years.

I should mention that my school has several of these mimio’s.  I haven’t used one yet, but I don’t know that I want to.  I prefer using my wireless graphics tablet and moving around the room (or sitting in the middle of my students as if we were one big group).  They really seem to respond to this arrangement!

In my Algebra class, I have a wide array of students.  Some are bored stiff because the material is too easy.  Some need a little direction, and can then figure it out.  Others are just lost and cuasing nothing but trouble!

I sent those students who need little or no help to one side of the room.  They are to work ahead at their own pace.  If they find something they can’t figure out, I gave them resources to check for video instruction.  If they still can’t figure it out, they can come to me for help.

The rest of the class is in a group setting with me.  They will get more one-on-one help with the material.

Benefits so far:

• The upper level students are no longer bored…thus causing no problems.
• The lower level students are getting more of my direct attention…thus causing no problems 
• The students in between are getting the help they need…thus causing no problems

This is probably the best move I have made as a teacher to date, and my use of technology is making it work!

I love technology…

…and I’m a PC.