Putting a Big "S" in ISTE

Christmas comes in June for me this year as I get the privilege to talk about Schoology, one of my very favorite learning applications, at ISTE in San Antonio next week. Our students and teachers are thoroughly embracing this outstanding learning management system that enables online learning, social networking, and classroom management tools. In addition, we have also established some terrific learning connections with our Schoology friends; Kim, Cassandra, Dylan, Brad, and Ryan. Just to name a few.

A summary of my discussion points for ISTE...

"Learn Together" - The logo, clean and easy. The motto, simple yet powerful! The pronunciation is apparently a bit more challenging. "SKUL-uh-G" (Ken at Lowes now has one of my Schoology t-shirts... long story, ask me anyway.)
The Matrix - Schoology did my homework for me! Comparing learning management systems. (My laziness led to a timely discovery!)
The Numbers Game - from 0 to 7500 student users in 12 months. How did that happen? (seed planting, administrative support (+Keith Sorensen), creative uses, and not just for the classroom) No pressure, this product sold itself! The decision to purchase the Enterprise edition became rather easy because of the "seeing-is-believing", student data.
Show and Tell - be up and running in less than an hour. Simple design, social supports, and the Schoology Help Center, make blended PD for teachers, students, and parents easy and painless.
Looking Ahead - 1:1 expansion with iPads, professional development platform, student help desk, personal learning networks, and connected learning - all supported and enhanced by Schoology LMS.

Schoology has provided opportunities for thousands of our learners to become engaged with learning communities. We have seen Schoology grow and improve right before our very eyes. This company is big enough to be an impact player in the learning game. Yet, small enough to be responsive and supportive of our educational needs. No, I am not a paid employee of Schoology, just an enthusiastic endorser. Hope to see y'all at the ISTE conference. Stop by the Schoology display (booth #14098) and say "howdy".

Related Resources

"Thoughts on Schoology" - Google+ Hangout hosted by +Daniel Rezac

Free Blended Learning w/ Schoology - +Chad McGowan

Schoology's Channel on YouTube

Schoology vs. Edmodo - Comparing two terrific tools

Five Reasons Why Schoology Rocks - An admittedly biased perspective

Comments

What Teachers Can Learn From Effective Coaches

In my educational world teaching and coaching involve the same processes. The people that impacted my own learning most significantly were coaches. Could it be that great coaches were ahead of their time with respects to instructional best practices? Let's take a look at ten coaching practices that thankfully have found their way into the classroom. http://www.coachwooden.com/files/PyramidThinkingSuccess.jpg Standards-based Grading - coaches aren't concerned with arbitrary measures of success such as letter grades. Great coaches identify a requisite set of skills that are necessary for advancement and success. Promotion and achievement are based upon clearly identified levels of skill mastery. Authentic assessment - coaches are looking for their athletes to demonstrate their skill mastery under game-like situations. The best coaches incorporate game simulations and competitive, game-like drills into their practices. Winning coaches will use the contests as assess

Board Games in the School Library: 3 Reasons Why It's a Winning Play

"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein “Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori In our recently remodeled school media center, we have a space dedicated to active engagement in fun learning activities. Part maker space, part literacy lounge, board games are being incorporated to promote a culture of joyful learning. Whether it's a game of Rummy , Yahtzee , or Scrabble , family game night serves as a communication elixir and solidifies our domestic climate of togetherness. Shouldn't similar opportunities for interaction, challenge, and fun exist somewhere in our schools? Broken families, cultural fragmentation, and poverty are impacting opportunities for children to play. As we unpacked and tagged our new media center games, I was more disappointed than shocked by the number of students who had never played Monopoly , Boggle , or Sorry . One skeptical teacher commented, "Oh great, now we're letting students pl

Self-Directed vs. Self-Determined Learning; What's the Difference?

"We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something that is provided for us, and toward the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves." - Stephen Downes In this age of abundance of information, shifting classroom pedagogy isn't nearly enough to make learning in school more relevant and authentic for the learner. Self-directed learning ( andragogy ), and self-determined learning ( heutagogy ) are the ideals necessary in making students " future ready " to live and learn in a web-connected world. While original research applied these concepts to mature learners, it has become apparent that even young children have an abundant capacity for recognizing and directing their learning. Anyone who has observed toddlers learning how to walk and talk understand the motivation and skill development that quickly develops during these processes. Considered by some to be on a learning continuum, self-directed learning, and self-determined

Nocking the Arrow

Search This Blog