Graham charter group to add elementary school

Graham charter group to add elementary school
Great story in the Columbus Dispatch this morning about our progress as a group experiential schools, making a difference.

Indianola School June 2011

In







Here are some pics I took of the building to help us place signs appropriately. Here are some criteria I've been using:

1. maximize visibility from the roads (Indianola and 17th)
2. protect the integrity of the historic building
3. minimize damage/vandalism
4. be appropriate for the neighborhood

We want to get a banner up asap. We also can use loads of yard signs (though they won't last long in the neighborhood, I fear. We should plan for a more permanent sign that would be visible from Indianola.

What are your thoughts?

What Teachers Make

Taylor Mall has written what is probably the most forwarded poem ever written. Go on, take a look, because here he is performing this great account of what teachers make.
Take a few minutes to watch and listen --

Open Data Comes of Age

Tim Berners-Lee is the guy who really did "invent" the world wide web. His motivation was to provide ways for people to work together and to share stuff. His talk at TED last week shows some of the stunning breakthroughs that regular folks have done using Open Data. The building of the Hatti maps by volunteers from around the world, are the maps relief workers are relying on to bring supplies and help to those who need it.
Nice work Mr. Berners-Lee. Check out his talk at TED

It's the TEACHERS, stupid.....(maybe I shouldn't say that)

The success of a New York City Charter school, prompted New York Times columnist Bob Herbert to investigate. It's the teachers that make a difference, not the materials, not the textbooks, not the state standards, technology or the proficiency tests. The differences that make a difference in the lives of students are most always tied to an exemplary teacher. Have you hugged a teacher today? I did (it was pretty easy since Jan was by my side at the time). How about you? Read Herbert's article. This captures what we seek to do at The Graham Family of Schools.

The visual augmented reality world of our student's future

I made an early comment about how incredible this new application (Bing) in connecting geographic map, in both real and historical time. A map to the world and to the skies from any place, anytime. I am seldom stunned by new stuff because it doesn't seem to matter all that much to me. But this application of augmented reality that the folks at Microsoft have demonstrated and released challenges most aesthetics. It extends what a person can "see" and construct by augmenting both space and time. This application finally let me see what video game designers and players have always seen, but when integrated into maps with pictures and live images of real places that change as the day changes.....pretty cool. I think this might help us all think about where our students are located in the world.
Bing Maps

Classroom of the Future Reflections

We had a follow up meeting with folks from eTech Ohio yesterday. They are really solid folks with great instincts about technology and learning and how to demonstrate it at a big state conference. We'll be talking with lots of folks about these efforts for future conferences. The good news is that the classroom walls designed and built by students at the Easton Career Center was saved and will be a great starting point for next year.
Several more presenters from the COF reflected on their experiences at the conference. The important general take away that almost everyone had was -- we can do this. We have to do this. But we need to address issues of policy in order to truly integrate technology into teaching and learning.
TheCellt