Friday, May 31, 2013

Video games (if designed carefully) can make learning addictive -- let's click and make this phrase more popular. (Flow is a concept by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)

"As you get good at a skill in the video game, we adapt and make it more difficult."

Here is the key idea (only 2 minutes).  It's worth a look.

This is an interesting extension of the "Flow between Boredom and Anxiety" chart that was made famous by the author of the book "Flow."  "Chick Sent Me High E"  the psychologist


CLICK here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw8URn0eTAk


What do teachers do to students? We give them books and tell them to read Chapters 1 and 2 for next class. Instead, why not ask them to sign up for at least three ebook libraries and to bring in two books that they'd like to read for credit in the class?

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/02/the-best-places-to-read-and-download.html
http://www.readprint.com/

Here's a suggestion:  Sign up for some of these sites and post materials that you feel should be made available to the world.

How about my books?


Maio Llorente and I have compiled information that we find useful in our classes.  Why not share them?

James Zull wrote a provocative book in 2002, the Art of Changing the Brain. Here is a summary article written in 2004 about PRACTICE and EMOTION.

http://www.dekampanje.org/NL/Artikelen/includes/el200409_zull.pdf




What causes the changes that take place in the brain when we learn? This question has two 
answers, both of which are essential to understanding the art of changing the brain.
Practice. Emotions.

Click here to get the fuller explanation

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Mentors for Highland Park High School celebrate the school's Graduation Ceremony in Los Angeles

Photos from the Graduation Event

Here's the list of Highland Park High School mentors.
The Independent educator salutes these members of the Village that is working with Enrique Gonzalez.
Hey, HPHS Students, how about clicking on these links?
LUIS TORRES

Luís Torres is a veteran broadcast journalist and writer. He retired after 30 years as a reporter with KNX Newsradio, the CBS station in Los Angeles. He is the recipient of many awards including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, the duPont-Columbia Award, the Edward R. Morrow Award and nine Golden Mike Awards. He was also awarded an Emmy for a documentary on immigration. He developed the public television series “Chicano! History of the Mexican Amerian Civil Rights Movement.” He’s at work on a book about the 1968 East L.A. high school walkouts.
He holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York. He remains busy as a freelance journalist and writes a regular blog for the website Latinopia. He was raised in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of northeast Los Angeles and currently resides in Pasadena.




LOUIE PEREZ

Louie Pérez is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed rock band Los Lobos, multi-Grammy Award winners. Together with David Hidalgo he is the band’s principal songwriter. As a boy growing up in East L.A. he picked up a guitar after being inspired by legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Los Lobos is about to celebrate its fortieth anniversary.
Pérez has several creative interests apart from his work with Los Lobos. He is a visual artist whose paintings have been featured in galleries both in the United States and Mexico. In addition, he recently co-wrote the play “Evangeline, the Queen of Make Believe” which was staged in Los Angeles and is being prepared for a touring production. The musical draws heavily on songs written by Pérez and Hidalgo.


JACQUELINE CRUZ

Jacqueline Cruz was born and raised in East Los Angeles and joined Bienvenidos in the year 2000. For the last eleven years she has dedicated herself to working with adolescents and their families in the community. Since coming to Bienvenidos Jackie has made an impact in the lives of young women; through the CLARITY (Combining Literature Around Reality In Today’s Youth) program. She has helped reduce unplanned teen pregnancies and increased the quality of life amongst young women today. Currently she is one of the prevention specialists for Project SAFE (Salud Arte Familia y Educacion) a Substance Abuse and HIV prevention program for teens and their families.
LUIS RUAN
Luis has worked for ten years in Orange County Probation Department as a Deputy Probation Counselor inside Juvenile Correction facilities. In 1990, Luis Ruan founded and became Executive Director of the Beyond Limits program. Beyond Limits is a 501 (c ) (3) non-profit wilderness backpacking program that works with inner city youth in Southern California. For over seven years, Luis has concentrated his efforts on Native and Indigenous cultures to work and create programs for youth involved in gangs or at high-risk of becoming involved in gangs. He has trained communities, educators, law enforcement staff, counselors and others to work with gang-involved youth in their communities.
Luis coordinated mentors in the community to be role models for the youth and developed a curriculum for the high school site as well as a leadership curriculum that is still being utilized today.
From 2001 to 2003, Luis worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District conducting cultural music presentations for schools throughout Los Angeles County .The workshops were designed to develop cultural awareness and enhance self-esteem through music. Luis is also responsible for teaching South American Andean flute programs to students at Highland Parh High School. The students have performed at numerous venues throughout the city. The purpose of the music program is for youth to develop healthy life skills through the process of artistic development.


LITTLE WILLIE G

Thee Midniters were an East LA band Little Willie G was the lead singer. "Willie G. was one of the most soulful Latin persons I ever heard," said the singer Brenton Wood. "He could really deliver a sermon, and he had a lot of feeling in his vocals." Garcia took obscure soul ballads such as "The Town I Live In" or "Giving Up On Love" and made them more beautiful by his own special delivery. After many years away from the band, Garcia returned in the 1990s.
Thee Midniters have continued to play through the decades under the leadership and management of bassist Jimmy Espinoza and saxophonist Larry Rendon, the two original players remaining in the line-up from the original 1960s group. Since 2006, they have been part of The Latin Legends concert at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and were honored as a legendary garage rock band. Among the group's other songs to either achieve national or regional success are "Whittier Boulevard", "Love Special Delivery" and "That's All".Today Willie is the founding minister of Little Wille G Ministires in Whittier, California.




JOSE YENQUE
Jose Yenque has over a decade of experience as a professional actor and devoted humanitarian, which earned him an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from California State University San Marcos in 2011. 
2012 Imagen Award nomination ‘Best Supporting Actor” for his performance as DEA agent Enrique “Kike” Camara in 20th Century Fox’s International release “Miss Bala,” produced by Gael Garcia Bernal & Diego Luna. This film premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, was Mexico’s official selection for 2012 Oscar competition for “Best Foreign Film” and also nominated for three 2012 Ariel awards.
His humanitarian efforts and educational outreach include substantive and ongoing service to the youth of the Casa Hogar orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, motivational talks at orphanages and youth development centers throughout Latin America, and lectures/workshops on high school/college campuses from coast to coast.
Part of Arts for a Better Tomorrow’s acting/filmmaking workshops is an on-going short film series created, written, produce, acted and filmed by the orphanage youth along with professionals in the entertainment industry.


MS PAT ORTEGA

As a youngster Pat Ortega often visited zoos and museums, where she enjoyed drawing what she saw. One of her favorites was Hancock Park , with its bubbling tar and old observation pit. But it was at the Natural History Museum that Pat had the opportunity to view dioramas of modern wildlife and the bones of ancient beasts, as well as their reconstructions through the art of Charles R. Knight and others. It was Pat's discovery of the Knight book 'Life through the ages," which provided a template for her future work.
Already an accomplished young artist, Pat developed a real sense for anatomy and a knack for putting flesh on the bone. For many years Ms. Ortega was known as the "Monster Girl," for her many Fantasy and Science Fiction inspired illustrations. Pat's creations were so unique and seemed to be alive, because her creatures were "born", built up, from the bones up. As her techniques became more refined, Pat worked her way back to Wildlife, Dinosaurs, and Prehistoric Mammals.
Pat Ortega's attention to detail and quiet nature have developed her into an award winning illustrator, who's artworks grace the pages of more than sixty books and publications. In recent years, Pat's reputation has earned the opportunity to be a research associate at the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries, where she has contributed her designs to many of their projects.
Ortega lives in Los Angeles , and can often be found drawing at the home.

RICHIE GIESEL

Ritchie Geisel's career has been devoted to leadership and senior fundraising positions in the not-for-profit sector since he received his MBA from Stanford University. He has served a total of 21 years as chief executive officer of four nonprofit organizations, leading two of them through processes of transformational change. Geisel came to Bienvenidos in 2008 from the Virginia Peninsula SPCA, where he served as interim executive director.

From 1998 to 2004 Geisel was president and CEO of AbilityFirst (formerly the Crippled Children’s Society of Southern California), one of the state’s oldest social service organizations. Headquartered in Pasadena with 22 program sites in five counties, AbilityFirst provides support services to more than 2,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities. For 9 years prior to that, Geisel was president and CEO of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic in Princeton, NJ, the nation’s education library for people with print disabilities. He has also held executive fundraising positions at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, Princeton University, and the College of William & Mary.

A cum laude graduate of Princeton University where he majored in history, Geisel set six university track records and was a three-time winner of the Rosengarten Award for cross country. He subsequently competed in the Olympic trials marathon and in more recent years has achieved All-American age group status in several distance events.

Geisel has two children, five grandchildren and five cats. He and his wife, Pamela, devote their volunteer time to animal welfare causes. Since 2004, Geisel has served as board president of a Los Angeles area rescue organization, Heaven on Earth Society for Animals.

Go ahead, visit Facebook.com/






CESAR CASTRO

click here



https://twitter.com/RadioJarocho  and https://twitter.com/jarochelo
Cesar Castro, a master artist in ACTA Apprenticeship Program in 2011, hailing from Veracruz, Mexico, has provided a wonderful energy to the fandangos occurring within the Los Angeles area. Since his youth he was a member of the ensemble Mono Blanco, a group that has been a central force in the renaissance of the fandango practice in Southern Veracruz since the 1970s. Learning to play the jarana (an 8 string, 5 course rhythm guitar), guitarra de son (a four string melodic guitar), and the leona (a bass version of the guitarra de son), Castro developed an intimate relationship with these traditional guitars that are carved out of a solid block of cedar wood. A master musician, singer, and an accomplished luthier of jarocho instruments, he brings an experience of accomplishment, and a history that is informed by many elders with whom he worked, studied, and shared time.
Since his arrival to Los Angeles, Castro has interacted with various musicians and ensembles such as Quetzal and Zack de la Rocha, and forming his own groups, Zocalozüe and Cambalache. He expresses how important it is to find community amongst musicians and non-musicians in Los Angeles, stating, "I didn’t come here by myself and create all this (the jarocho scene) that you see." Many things and the efforts of many people were already in place, which helped Castro establish himself to work and "to maintain and practice my culture here and be able to teach to those interested."
Castro’s goal for the apprenticeship was to solidify Flores’abilities so they come naturally, "so that she internalizes the son withconfidence." Flores shares that working with Cesar is a learning experience that goes beyond learning musical technique. At a lesson she "would hear a new story about Don Andres [Vega] or he would use a metaphor that I never heard him use," things that enhanced the music to better understand the culture.
Realizing that the son jarocho of is now being practiced in places like Chicago, San Jose, Seattle, and Los Angeles, Castro "understand[s] it is a responsibility" to preserve the tradition. At the same time, he is fully aware that the son will transform to other expressions as it is integrated into the cultural fabric of the United States. As a response, Castro has invested in representing the son by creating the website Jarochelo.



Steve McCrea
Steve McCrea is a part-time instructor at a charter school and an SAT Test Prep instructor at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale.   He was a traditionally boring lecturer until 2005, when he learned about the innovative methods of Elliot Washor and Dennis Littky.   He uses the flipped classroom (his Youtube channel has several videos with over 200,000 hits at youtube.com/mistermath) and he trains teachers at TransformTeaching.org.   He is looking for young people who want to increase their "impact on the Internet" (www.YourNetImpact.com) and he enjoys his current work as a virtual mentor for a group of students at Highland Park High School in Los Angeles.   He hopes his BIBPenpals.com program can help students in the USA connect with students in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.   He welcomes questions at TheEbookMan@gmail.com.   (954) 646 8246 for text messages.      Twitter.com/freeEnglish     Facebook.com/TheGuideOnTheSide    https://www.facebook.com/TheGuideontheSide


I'm too cheap to get the Windows 8 Phone, but I like the idea: "It's not about apps.... it's about PEOPLE." That's how I teach, so why not communicate in the same way?



Here's a message from one of my students:

You should buy a Windows Phone 8! E.g. Nokia Lumia 720. You would really love using it.
Why? First, it's NOT all about apps. It's all about people! All information from different accounts in a single place, the people hub. 
Easily share on Facebook. 
Perfect Skype integration.
Try it!
Visit the video

Lutz 
Von meinem Windows Phone gesendet

Gesendet: ‎30.‎05.‎2013 18:57


Thank you, Lutz.

I will pass on comments to Lutz if you want to contact him.  He really knows Windows.  If you are committed to a PC, then you should know what Lutz has in his head.   And he enjoys sharing his insights.  (But he rightly protects his privacy...so send me a message and I'll pass on your questions to Lutz...)

Creative Live offers free courses -- online and available for students to Personalize the Curriculum

http://www.creativelive.com/

Free

http://www.creativelive.com/

This is a way to bring personalized lessons for the curriculum

"Differentiate the work" by letting students discover their interests.

Cafe Press is a way to get the message out about Transforming Education...and it's a place for students to develop projects

Clicks for Likes and Follows could be a form of currency, payment for work done over the Internet: "Thank you for your help. What can i click in exchange for your time?"

Thank you for your time.  Thank you for clicking.  Thank you for reading this blog post.
How can I return the favor?

I posted some info for a student who wanted to practice English.


That's what I posted in a FB message

This is the reply from the student.

Click here
So, what can I do?   I send him the following message:

this is a book that could use a download 

or a hit. it is a nice way to 

compensate a distance person... "What can 

I click for you?" thanks



Here is the link

http://www.scribd.com/doc/144629618/Virtual-Mentor-First-Edition-Version-2-6-x-9

You can download it directly from here


Is this too forward?  

OR the sign of a new trend?


I call it "Your Net Impact."

Clicks for Likes and Follows could be a form of currency, 

payment for work done over the Internet:  

"Thank you for your help.  

What can i click in exchange for your time?"



Let me know your opinion....


ALSO AVAILABLE the SECOND EDITION of the CAIT workbook

Youtube Creator Academy could engage teenagers and young adults in the skill of communication

YouTube has offered yet another independent project for teachers.   It's pretty easy to find out if the student has completed the task -- the student gets a pass if the student can at least send you some screenshots of the final video.   

I'm signing up for this Academy.  













PART TWO
The Survey

Here's the second reason to visit this site... look at this engaging survey form.
Why not experience it and see how we can use this form service in our classes?





CLick here


Go ahead, get to the Academy

Google Forms can help us create surveys (another skill for the Interactive Classroom that encourages participation)

I found this announcement at the end of a survey:   Google Forms allows us to create surveys.

Here's the link to learn more:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DQfetxSJg-RY6XldMiSEAOwy9b7D-rdKaYkECYfZkCE/edit

I clicked on "create your own form"

Here are some screenshots.



Here is the link


I hope this is helpful.  It has opened my eyes...

http://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=87809&p=forms_welcome

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

A letter to teachers who might want to learn something about the "flipped classroom..."


To teachers ... 

If you want to use the "flipped classroom,"  I'm available to share some tips.

PHONE:  954 646 8246
Email   TheEbookMan@gmail.com
Steve

1.  I'm offering this introduction to the Flipped Classroom because  
a)  we're all taxpayers and we all want to see improvements in schools
b)  sometimes it takes just a little bit of information and then teachers can fly.

2. You are lucky because you have a principal who wants to use flipped classrooms 
to differentiate the work, 
to personalize the experience for students, and 
to allow the students to engage more in the school work.

3.  There are ways to make flipped classrooms interesting.  My aim is to show you how.

4.  YOUTUBE:  It will give me great pleasure to assist you in putting at least two or three videos on Youtube (or whatever location you want to put the videos).
TO PREPARE FOR THE WORKSHOP:  get a youtube channel (or a vimeo channel)
If you want to use another format for video sharing, please call me.

SHY:  If you are shy, you can still have an effective youtube channel if you use a tripod and just point the camera at the book or computer screen and talk off-camera.

STAR:  If you believe (as Katie Gimbar believes) that your students want to make eye contact with you, and if you are not shy, then let's get you on Youtube.

6.  I teach SAT Test Prep and PERT and I'm sending you samples of videos.

this is a longer video (shaky camera, 7 minutes is generally long)

This second video shows interaction with a student.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRdZ7d_VItY   this technique is generally preferred to keep the content more flexible. 


If you want a head start before the training session, you can click on the 

1.  Watch Katie Gimbar's video 
2.  Call me to discuss the highlights of the video   954 646 8246  
3.  Write to TLASteve@gmail.com and answer these questions
a) what short lesson do you currently teach? (describe an example)
b) how could that lesson be presented on video?
c) what participation can you build into the video lesson?
4.  Make a short video    (USE A TRIPOD or place the camera on a stack of books)
5.  Post the video.  
6. Send the link to me.  (make the link public or UNLISTED... why not?  It allows easier feedback)

call with questions  954 646 8246

The following take on 21st century learning developed by TeachThought
9 Characteristics Of 21st Century Learning
1. Learner-centered 
2. Media-driven (this doesn’t have to mean digital media)
3. Personalized
4. Transfer-by-Design
5. Visibly Relevant
6. Data-Rich
7. Adaptable
8. Interdependent
9. Diverse 
==========  

Here is a link to the Online Introduction to the flipped classroom

Steve THE EBOOK MAN McCrea
theebookman@gmail.com

The After-School Skills Center -- for Young People and Adults -- a way to extend and deepen learning.



After-School
Skills Center


Two mentors in university are waiting to answer your questions.


Hello


I'm a tutor. I've compiled lists of suggestions for students and parents.

Three Tips From a Tutor
The Get-Ahead Book
Mr. Mac's SAT Test Prep

You can get these booklets by downloading them from Scribd.com.

The After-School Skills Center is a place for young people and adults. Come to the Center (either in the school where the Center is located or go online) and bring questions. We'll find someone who can provide some suggestions.

We have books and magazines for you to look at ...



What can I learn at the After-School Skills Center?

Here are some suggestions.


Ten-finger touch typing

The greek alphabet

Phrases in French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and other languages

How to surf the

How to make a website

How to make a Facebook Group

How to make a “community page” on Facebook.

How to transform your school into a learning community (start by visiting TransformTeaching.org)

How to create a book for under $15. TIP: Use Createspace.com

How to use DOMINOS to improve understanding of probability.

How to make movies TIP: We can lend you a camera.

How to edit movies TIP: Mac users can use iMovie.

How to create a useful ebook.

How to increase “your net effect” See www.YourNetImpact.com.

Fifty States of Africa

How to memorize a poem.

Second cities, rivers and mountains of Brazil, China and india (and other cool places)

Learn phrases by using Facebook and Email.

Learn how to “build the future” with Skype.

How to take apart a computer, camera or other device and then how to put them back together

Tips about how to skim a newspaper, a magazine or a book and get the author's main idea.

What are the 10 “global” skills (based on Tony Wagner's list)?



If you want to learn other skills, please contact us. (954) 646 8246

NEEDED: Mentors to assist in this After-School Skills Center.


The Learning Organization (Peter Senge) and Drive (Dan Pink) could transform offices and schools

Click here

What words could go on a wall in your place of work ???

What might push the transformation of your office?

What words could inspire people to work together?

Hmmmm..... 

The Learning Organization (Peter Senge) and Drive, a motiavtion book by Dan Pink.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxOBI_rp54liZHA5N3NUMjNUWGc/edit?usp=sharing

This is a link for sharing a document that covers two books:

The summaries total 4 pages.


Where can you get four pages that might alter how your organization (school, company, whatever) works?

The first page could transform an organization if the lists were turned into posters.  In fact, here they are:

Download these two posters

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxOBI_rp54liXzRfWkstZVpXMU0/edit?usp=sharing

PDF POSTER 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Are you looking for mentors? After all, it takes a village to raise children, and 100 Black Men of America are available.

Look at this appreciation breakfast.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVHS0aDi3nc

Madison, Wisconsin, has the right idea:  small school
districts so that it's easy to find the superintendent



Go ahead...click and let's boost the views


How about this description of a mentoring program (45 minutes per week)

Here's another video that's worth a view


Are you using Pin it? Here's a reason why ...

This is a valuable post, but look at the numbers next to the FB and Google+ logos.

Then look to the right....at the Pin It number.  Nearly DOUBLE the facebook number.





BLOG:  http://www.teachthought.com/learning/9-characteristics-of-21st-century-learning/


Are you familiar with Pin it?   Do you use it enough?

Innovative online classes for learning languages

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lXLDBAe8uw







============

(2) look for videos that use the EXACT expression
This video has the wrong layout:  the English definition is given on the same frame.  

Yo tengo frio  (spoken)

tener frio  (on the screen)


============



3)  Good vocabulary  but the English and Spanish are placed on the same screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gNbbFFDtLU



4)  This is a sample from a "pay for the lessons" system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj6pAX7aAkg
This video has no English on the screen.  The fellow talks too much in English (more than 70% of the time), but at least you can practice the pronunciation without the written translation in English.


Your Net Impact includes clicking in a responsible way

What is different between THIS image:

Note the number of views...

So few hits?


... and the next image?


The second image comes from the original source (The RSA).  It has 10 million views.   The first image comes from a fellow who downloaded the RSA video and posted it up on youtube.  His effort took 7000 hits from the RSA video.

Hmmmmm

When you participate in www.YourNetImpact.com, we assume that you are going to click to support the videos... but you need to be sure that the youtube account is the true owner of the video. 

When you download a video and give it to a friend or neighbor, why not also send them a link to the user's video so that the owner of the youtube account gets an extra hit.

Do the RSA a favor and CLICK HERE
Click here for the ORIGINAL RSA video ... let's get a billion people looking at this video.