As Time Goes By

This is my first post of the new school year, and that year is already half-way over!  There is always so much going on, that it becomes difficult to keep track of it all.  I figured it was about time to check in and share how many of my previous projects have been going and talk about some NEW ones!

New Happenings!

Newseum Summer Institute

This summer I had the opportunity to spend some time in Washington DC at a conference put on by the NEWSEUM.  I was sponsored, along with a fellow Maine teacher from Oxford Hills, by the Gannett House Project, to spend almost a week learning about technology and the first amendment at the Newseum's Teacher Institute.  We used many of the museum's online resources and learned new techniques for incorporating media literacy in the classroom. I would highly suggest applying for the institute and Gannett House Project grant for next year.  I will try to post info when I receive it.  

The Gannett House Project

In exchange for our amazing experience at the Newseum Institute, Joe Cummings and I have been working with the Gannett House Project on educational facets of the new museum.  We even had a chance to meet with the museum planners to share our ideas of what the museum could mean to educators.  Please be sure to check out the Gannett House as it makes it's transition from a once private home, to an office space, to a museum!

New Program Manager

In addition to the (what seems like) a million other things I am doing, I am now the program manager for our local cable access station, WJLF Channel 7.  The prior manager "retired" and as one of the only other folks trained in the CASTUS program that runs the station (and willing to do it voluntarily) I inherited the job.  It is something I am really enjoying, and it is great to offer students within the district some more chances for authentic learning, in that we can have them create content for the channel to share with the community. So far, students have created informative slide-shows, taped sporting events and done commentary, created videos set to music for playing in-between segments, and helped to spread the news of the station.  TBD, our student news program, also is being shown on the channel now.  With the new station set-up and all-digital format, it makes it easier than ever to collect and post content.  Something that may have taken hours previously, can be done in a matter of a couple of minutes.

Following UP

TBD

Our student news show is still going, but at a slower pace than desired.  It is almost impossible to get all the students who want to work in to actually get the work done when it is all after school.  My news crew is now SO POPULAR, that they have gotten the confidence to participate in even more things than they already did, so it is more difficult to get them all in one place at once.  We have completed one short episode and are working on our next.  We have some great new cast members and can't wait to get started up again in a more consistent manner.

Hands on History Class

Our Hands on History Class at SMHS is going strong!  After working two years on the Maine Memory Project, we are turning our focus to creating an app for Norlands to use as a self-guided tour of the museum. The new app will be available for download by scanning a QR code at the museum and will take visitors around the Museum grounds when the museum is closed. This project is being done in conjunction with MLTI, who is providing a Mentor who will work with the class on programming the app using our MLTI Macbook computers. Students have spent the first half of the year learning about the museum and the Washburn family.  They will use that knowledge to design and program the app to give visitors an educational look at the grounds and invite them back to the museum during open hours.