This Week at Westwood (Links to my classes, lessons and info)

Today, I've been working with my students in Twitter - (set up a separate account for that and had them make updates private) - this is so they can follow the conference virtually. The ninth grade assignments are on the class wiki.

The students have been building on their Digiteen Island in Reaction Grid - after four days the progress is amazing.  It is not quite as hard I thought it would be.  This is made possible by Trevor Meister, my student's new hero.  While many made fun the kids - he said, I'll help them do this.  Thank you for supporting the Dream Team - you showed them that even if you don't get what you want, sometimes you get something 1000 times BETTER!!!!! They are thrilled and although they still miss Lively, many of them are beginning to think that this platform has much more potential.  You can see the assignment from Day 2 and it is fascinating ot learn how to work in there - the student teams all have meeting places in the island as they are meeting face to face so they can work together. It is fascinating. 

This week, we had Edutopia on campus filming one of my students, Virginia who was selected as one of their 10 digital youth.  Their executive producer was SUPER SHARP and it was a joy to hear the types of things he's covering in education.

And, Julie and I are working like two workaholics on the upcoming Flat Classroom conference.  I hope you'll participate virtually!  Although this is the same weekend as Educon, with the time difference - we'll be wrapping up most days around 6 pm, which is around 8 am Eastern Time.  This means that between educon and the Flat Classroom Conference - you can have PD just about all day and night long!

My typing students are BEGGING to get on the Ning - but no, they don't until they learn the keys.  I'm not going to start them when I can't be there the first week to monitor like a hawk anyway.  When they make mistakes it is usually in the week and I've gotta be there, even though the Ning is private.

My computer graphic design students have learned the four principles of graphic design and are redesigning ads from our local paper.  I have a lead on bringing the creative director from the paper in to critique the ads and perhaps may consider running the ads in the paper.  Not sure if it will happen - but what a great win-win for the students and for them - if they get a better ad and the students get a real add in their portfolio.  That is win-win.

OK, going to go watch TV with my family.  Have an amazing weekend on the cusp of history.
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