1. Creating schools that empower students to Find their sentence By Lisa NielsenThe Innovative Educator

2. Lisa Nielsen Author of The Innovative Educator blogand soon-to-be released, “Teaching Generation Text.” Writer for: Tech & Learning, Leading & Learning, Huffington Post, EdReformer, MindShift, ISTE Connects Passionate about Passion-driven learning Thinking outside the ban Supports schools in helping students learn in real and innovative ways. Speaker at conferences such as Tech Forum, EduCon, BLC, various webinars and radio shows.

3. Audience response and all presentation materials reside at http://tinyurl.com/findyoursentence This is an interactive presentation

4. We all have something in common.

5. Our Kids

6. Are bored!

7. It hits close to home. Why do I care?

9. 8 million U.S. students are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD

10. I’m one of them!

11. Starting in Preschool Listen to my mom’s story about my psych eval at UCLA at http://Tinyurl.com/momstory

12. Common Solutions

13. This is what happens when school’s out

14. It’s hard to distinguish school from another state institution. The Innovative Educator: The War on Kids. Zero Tolerance.

15. How many of these characteristics does your school have? (Please count. There will be a test - Really)

16. How many of these characteristics does your school have? (Please count. There will be a test - Really)

17. How many of these characteristics does your school have? (Please count. There will be a test - Really)

18. http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/LTQ0MTg2MTQ0Mw Results at: http://tinyurl.com/freedominschool # of Characteristics schools share with prisons

19. Some schools are very comfortable treating students as prisoners

20. “Can it be made any clearer that one of the few differences between school and prison is that the students get paroled every day at a set time?” Deven Black, Teacher Librarian –High School Dropout @ devenkblack

21. Two views… "I think the worst thing about school is the powerlessness of the students. They have to be there whether they want to or not. There's no virtue in those who want to be there, and no joy in those who do not want to be." “In light of the history of American public education, it cannot seriously be suggested that the First Amendment “freedom of speech” encompasses a student’s right to speak in public schools.” Clarence ThomasSupreme Court Justice Sandra Dodd, Parenting Guide and Author

22. What do you want from school for your students?

23. How’s this? "What I want from my kids’ school is to help me identify what they love, what their strengths are, and then help them create their own paths to mastery of their passions. Will Richardson (weblogg-ed.com)Former New Jersey English teacher

24. Schools are not designed to provide this. Unfortunately….

25. School Tools

26. To help students like my cousin escape What can you do?

27. How will you help my cousin? “School is torture because I am required to spend all my time doing menial tasks, worksheets, and rote memorization. This takes too much time away from being able to discover my hobbies, interests, or passions. I’m in 10th grade and I don’t foresee having the ability to do that before I graduate high school. Honors society student . #1 in his class.On the path to becoming valedictorian

28. It’s not surprising that 7000 kids escape school each day by dropping out! When the kids at the top feel school is torture

29. Schools should not feel like a sentence!

30. Instead of keeping them locked up and silenced.

31. Schools should be places for students to find their sentence. What is your sentence? Click here. url: http://vimeo.com/8480171

32. Share

33. Take your picture with your cell phone (or from your computer) and email it to any06child@photos.flickr.com In the subject include: Name, title, organization, Twitter alias In the body share your sentence How are you helping students find their sentence?

34. Need change agents like you! Your students!

35. to fix the schools and ensure we are creating conditions and policies that prepare them to succeed in our, real, connected, exciting world.

36. “I lost something very important to me” What does this teach kids? They don’t deserve to be empowered with technology the same way adults are. The tools that adults use all the time in their everyday lives to communicate are not relevant to their own communication needs. They can’t be trusted (or taught, for that matter) to use phones appropriately in school. Student after they did a “sweep” with metal detectors at a middle school on the Upper West Side of New York City where they confiscated 404 cell phones from the kids, some of whom were put to tears. If we don’t model the appropriate use of these technologies, for accessing information, for communicating, in safe, ethical, and effective ways, can we really be surprised when our worst fears come true? “I lost something very important to me” Will Richardson Weblogg-ed.com 01 Jun 2007 07:55 pm

38. What kind of schools do you think our kids deserve?

39. Those where educational leaders… Ban & Block Empower & Prepare

40. A Tale of Two Principals… A principal who bans and blocks. A principal who embraces and prepares Click video to watch. url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtGY-SVZRRY

41. http://budtheteacher.com/blog/2009/10/10/on-modeling/ Modeling is perhaps the greatest teaching tool that we have.

42. Who do you want leading your schools?

43. Social Media Has No Intent.But It catches people who do. Are we afraid of knowing the truth?

44. If we really wanted to keep kids safe, we’d consider these facts Shattering Myths

45. Online Safety Myth Social networking, giving out personal information, or having an online presence does not put kids at risk. What puts kids at risk are things like: having a lot of conflict with your parents being depressed and socially isolated communicating with a lot of people who you don't know being willing to talk about sex with people you don't know having a pattern of multiple risky activities going to sex sites and chat rooms, meeting lots of people there, and behaving like an Internet daredevil. Crimes Against Children Research Center Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee

46. More than 80% of child predators are family members, close family friends, or clergy. Consider this!

48. We do not ban Family picnics Playgrounds Church functions There are no laws addressing that which puts our children most at risk. Family reunions

49. Should we ignore what we know?

50. Or should we accept our responsibility to keep students safe and prepared.

51. Strengthening the Home-School Connection Using Social Media With First Graders! There are people who are not afraid

52. It just takes one brave writer… Read full article: (http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/07/8-real-ways-facebook-enriched-ms.html )

53. And one brave teacher… I can't thank you enough for your blog posting about our project. I can't believe how many people have contacted me about trying it out. You helped turn what I was doing in a remote 1st grade class in Nebraska into a global conversation!

54. To globally re-envision the way we work… Click video to watch.URL: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/tech/2010/09/08/dnt.facebook.in.class.ketv.html

55. Most parents are already using it. No training required, but available (from their children!) if they need it. It’s FREE! It’s EASY! It’s POWERFUL! It’s real world. Social media is a 21st century literacy. In-depth privacy settings. Why Facebook with First Graders?

56. What does using Facebook with First Graders Look Like?

57. Provide parents and families a window to the classroom

58. Provide event information with a way to RSVP & ask questions

59. Use notes for important alerts and easy two-way communication

60. Send private messages to parents who don’t have to log into anything else.

61. Share photos of students at work and of student work

62. Share and celebrate student’s online projects.

63. Easily capture & share video where parents and students can comment.

64. Perfect for that moment when a student really wants to share something they’re excited about. Parents and students can communicate during school.

65. Using Social Media to Strengthen the Teacher-Student Connection With Secondary Students What does this look like

66. “What helps us do best in school is knowing that our teachers are relating to us as ‘people,’ not just ‘students.’” Group of students speaking to teachers at a Philadelphia public school

67. “They do that by having an interest in our lives beyond the classroom. We run races together, attend local events, and keep the conversation going in places like Facebook.” Group of students speaking to teachers at a Philadelphia public school

68. Incidences of inappropriate teacher-student relations – in four years… O

69. Relationship development is key to student success. Why are we panicking when it’s online?

70. Using Facebook with Secondary Students. Read 10 Ways Facebook Strengthens the Student - Teacher Connectionat http://t.co/mvUSl0K

71. Reaching out to a student in need Getting a peak into the lives of students The family connection Instant learning and homework support Snow Day - Update!!! Facebook lets teachers create a no excuses environment Snow days and sick days don’t hold you back Using Facebook teaches you how to deal with the world and the way it works Facebook can serve as a learning portal Facebook enables you to mobilize in an instant Students explain why they like when their teachers use Facebook

72. What does using Facebook with Secondary Students Look Like?

73. Reaching out to a student in need of words of encouragement

74. You can get your assignments even when you’re out sick.

75. Use Chat for instant homework support from teachers or classmates

76. Mobilize in an instant. Even on a snow day. Chris Lehmann There's going to be a horde of kids at SLA tomorrow. This is EduCon, and this is *their* school, and a little snow isn't going to stop them.

77. A High School where websites aren’t filtered and no technology is banned. Learning in a No Filter or Ban Zone! Students using their own devices. New Cannan High School, CT http://vimeo.com/23007367 https://fcschoolsga.eduvision.tv/default.aspx?q=3SfVi13wT7SmZEIpTemLWg%253d%253d

78. Here’s what students are saying about using free Facebook for learning vs. Moodle or Blackboard. A platform for learning that students know and love http://vimeo.com/20090262

79. New York Times feature: Friending Students on Facebook Keeping in touch with special students even after they are not in your class. “Hey Ms. Nielsen, I had to find you because you made a wonderful impact on my life. If people only knew how great of a teacher you are.” “I know it’s been at least 10 years since you took me under your wing.” “Let’s talk, I got a lot to say!” Friending Students on Facebook - July 13, 2010

80. If… Do we want to block or empower students to use the tools they’ll need

81. They want to win a political election?

82. John McCain’s Facebook Page Barack Obama’s Facebook Page The Republicans underestimated the power of social media. -Educators should not! 760,589 People like McCain 18,748,654 People like Obama

83. If you want to empower civically minded students, social media fluency is a must.

84. Are we afraid they can do this… Why are we afraid to give students a voice?

85. Tell us they hate the curriculum software we purchased?

86. Organize a protest against injustice?

87. Start a revolution?

88. The power is in your hands

89. your students to serve? What sentence are you preparing

90. This one?

91. Or this one?

92. Let’s see! http://tinyurl.com/findyoursentence It’s up to you.