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graphic</span><span style="font-size: 80%;"> artist.</span></p> <p><script type="text/javascript" id="clstr_globe" src="//cdn.clustrmaps.com/globe.js?d=pFjMKB4D3rBCt2gIUozWNVi8mKWVkHJzYdZfLgGskqo"></script></p> <p>My latest books:</p> <p>    <span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 120px;" src="/storage/65578_Johnson_TeachingOutsideLines.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1420392449928" alt="" /></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: #8899aa; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.5px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: #ffffff;">        <a href="https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/teaching-outside-the-lines/book244218">Available now</a></span></p> <p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118024559,descCd-buy.html"><img style="width: 150px;" src="/storage/survivalcover.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1330430571041" alt="" /></a></span></span></p> <p>       <a href="http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118024559,descCd-buy.html">Available Now</a></p> <p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 125px;" src="/storage/IL2cover.jpeg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1347373321334" alt="" /></span></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Indispensable-Librarian-Surviving-Information/dp/161069239X/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1">Available now</a> </p> <p><a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/2404458" target="_blank">My book <em>Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part </em>is now available as a <strong>free</strong> download at Lulu.</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Blue-Skunk-Page/130430170339601">The Blue Skunk Page on Facebook</a></p> <p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="/storage/albert.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1499449302286" alt="" /></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.edtechupdate.com/&source=the-blue-skunk-blog" target="_blank"><img title="EdTech Update" src="http://www.edtechupdate.com/images/edtechupdate/badge-small.png" border="0" alt="EdTech Update" /></a> </p> <p><img style="display: none;" src="/?cmd=tv&request-number=2081337&blog-group=70" alt="" width="0" height="0" /></p>  <p> <a href="http://teach.com/teach100"><img src="http://teach100.herokuapp.com/teach100/badges/12-The-Blue-Skunk-Blog" alt="" /></a><a href="http://teach.com">Teach.com</a></p> <p> </p> <p style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"> </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div> </div></div></div></div></div></div> </div></div></div></div></div></div> <div id="sidebar2Wrapper" class="verticalNavigationBarWrapper"><div class="iw-vnb1"><div class="iw-vnb2"><div class="iw-vnb3"><div class="iw-vnb4"><div id="sidebar2" class="verticalNavigationBar"> </div></div></div></div></div></div> <div id="contentWrapper"><div id="content"> <div class="header"> <p><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA-103606-2"; urchinTracker(); </script></p> </div> <div class="journal-filter-header"> <h2>Entries from February 1, 2011 - February 28, 2011</h2> </div> <div class="list-journal-entry-wrapper"> <div class="journal-entry-wrapper post-text authored-by-doug-johnson "> <div id="item10476139" class="journal-entry"> <div class="journal-entry-float-day"><span class="name">Monday</span></div><div class="journal-entry-float-date"><span class="month">Feb</span><span class="date">14</span><span class="year">2011</span></div> <div class="journal-entry-text"> <h2 class="title"> <a class="journal-entry-navigation-current" href="/blue-skunk-blog/2011/2/14/three-futures-skinner-elementary.html">Three futures: Skinner Elementary</a> </h2> <div class="journal-entry-tag journal-entry-tag-post-title"><span class="posted-on"> <img title="Date" alt="Date" class="inline-icon date-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Monday, February 14, 2011 at 06:40AM</span> </div> <div class="body"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>I am working on the last chapter of my technology "survival" book for classoom teachers. Its focus is on the future and how it is up to each of us to help create the future we desire for ourselves and our students. The chapter will start with three possible scenarios for "high tech schools," based on trends I see today. I'll be sharing the drafts of these scenarios over the next few days. Your comments, as always, are welcome. </em></p> <p><strong>Scenario One: Skinner Elementary</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The future is already here – it's just not very evenly distributed. -  William Gibson</em></p> <p>Carla’s inner-city school has one-to-one ratio of computer workstations to students. And Carla spends about four hours each day online. Carla, now in sixth grade, has been learning this way for the past four years.</p> <p>The primary goal of Carla’s elementary school is to make sure all students pass state and federal tests in reading, mathematics and writing. Instruction in the “basic skills” is provided by carefully designed courseware that offers short tutorials using a variety of media, frequent assessments, and remedial instruction using several approaches. At the end of each school day, Carla’s progress is summarized and sent automatically to the school’s assessment office where it is monitored - along with the daily reports of the other 600 students in the school.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 400px;" src="/storage/skinner.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1297699476546" alt="" /></p> <p>Carla uses one of the schools computer labs for four hours a day – from 8:05 AM to 12:05 PM.* At 12:30, the other half of the student body uses the computer labs. There are three large labs that each contain 100 workstations. These workstations run only the courseware. The lab is staffed by four paraprofessionals who help Carla if her computer is having problems. There are also two certified teachers in the building who are available when a paraprofessional can’t answer a question.</p> <p>Carla is a good student, but she struggled with fractions last year. When the daily report showed this, Carla was scheduled for addiitonal remedial instruction. Carla met with a certified special education teacher for an hour a week. This teacher provided a small device that had single-purpose software dedicated to practicing fractions. Carla caught up quickly.</p> <p>Doing well is important to Carla. At regular assembly programs, students are recognized for high percentages of right answers, good attendance and, especially, for good behavior. Although she does not do it herself, Carla knows most of the kids in her class bring their smart phones to class and use them to text each other and read popular books and magazines, despite this being strictly forbidden.</p> <p>Carla looks to be on track for graduation from elementary school and is looking forward to beginning the technical school track at the nearby middle school in the fall.</p> <p>Skinner Elementary is often singled out by the media and politicans as an exemplary school since such a high percentage of students meet state and national testing goals and operates on about 80% of the funding of “traditional” schools, thanks in large part to the use of educational technology.</p> <p>* Parents are responsible for childcare outside the four hours students are in school. While Carla cares for her younger brother and sister until her parents come home from work, other students take part in latchkey programs organized by the YMCA and local churches. The school saves money by not providing a hot lunch program; a library; art, music and physical education classes; or a playground. There are no school counselors, nurses, and but a single administrator. </p> <p><em>Next, John Dewey High School</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="journal-entry-tag journal-entry-tag-post-body"> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line1"><span class="posted-by"> <a href="/blue-skunk-blog/author/doug-johnson"> <img title="Author" alt="Author" class="inline-icon user-registered-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Doug Johnson</a></span> | <span class="post-comments"><a href="/blue-skunk-blog/2011/2/14/three-futures-skinner-elementary.html#comments"> <img title="Comment" alt="Comment" class="inline-icon comment-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />2 Comments</a></span> | <span class="share-item"><a href="javascript:noop();" onclick="Squarespace.Interaction.shareLink(this,'%2Fblue-skunk-blog%2F2011%2F2%2F14%2Fthree-futures-skinner-elementary.html','Three%20futures%3A%20Skinner%20Elementary');"> <img title="Share Article" alt="Share Article" class="inline-icon share-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Share Article </a></span> </div> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line2"></div> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line3"></div> </div> <div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="journal-entry-wrapper post-text authored-by-doug-johnson "> <div id="item10465926" class="journal-entry"> <div class="journal-entry-float-day"><span class="name">Sunday</span></div><div class="journal-entry-float-date"><span class="month">Feb</span><span class="date">13</span><span class="year">2011</span></div> <div class="journal-entry-text"> <h2 class="title"> <a class="journal-entry-navigation-current" href="/blue-skunk-blog/2011/2/13/quotes-and-other-stray-sunday-thoughts.html">Quotes and other stray Sunday thoughts</a> </h2> <div class="journal-entry-tag journal-entry-tag-post-title"><span class="posted-on"> <img title="Date" alt="Date" class="inline-icon date-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 07:45AM</span> </div> <div class="body"> <p>A few stray thoughts this finally warm Sunday morning...</p> <p>__________________________________</p> <p>My virtual friend <a href="http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2005/8/29/and-i-quote.html">and fellow quote-lover</a>, Paul Cornies has compiled <a href="http://quoteflections.blogspot.com/2011/02/little-book-of-meditation-nuggets_12.html">his Quote Quest blog entries into a book</a>. (Remember books - those long things people once read before there were snippits?)</p> <p>Over the past year, I've enjoyed seeing Paul's <a href="http://365quotequest.blogspot.com/">daily carefully selected quotation with its follow-up questions</a> pop up in my feed reader. Quotation sites are a dime a dozen (as are cliches), but by asking the reader to relate the quote to his/her own experience, Paul makes Quote Quest a gem.<span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span> <br /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/storage/quote quest.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1297605142043" alt="" /></p> <p>This is a labor of love for Paul, not a profit-making endeavour. Buy the book for your quote-loving friends and you will give the impression of being more thoughtful and sensitive than your probably really are. It works for me.</p> <p>__________________________________</p> <p>Joyce Valenza is a brave woman, <a href="http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2011/02/12/paper-rater-rates-my-paper/">subjecting an article that she and I co-authored to new writing analysis site</a>. <a href="http://paperrater.com/">PaperRater</a> gave us a B. I suspect this is about right since Joyce, I'm sure, has never received less than an A on any paper she's written and I've never received a grade higher than C. It all averages out!</p> <p>__________________________________</p> <p>This past week the district's technology advisory committee met. On the agenda were next year's budget, an online learning plan and the next state-required long-range tech plan. For the second half of the meeting, we used <a href="http://www.cosn.org/Horizon/">COSN's activity toolkit </a>to the Horizon Report K-12 as a discussion guide. The conversation was both constructive and spirited.</p> <p>As frustrating and challenging as dealing with technology, technology support staff and technology users can be on a day-to-day basis, meetings like the one last Thursday remind me how lucky I am to be in the most interesting, most dynamic, most potential-filled area of education today.</p> <p>Do third grade teachers, curriculum directors, business managers or social study department chairs ever get to be this excited about their jobs? I hope so - but I doubt it.</p> <p>__________________________________</p> <p>As long as I'm in a Pollyanna-ish mood...</p> <p>Last weekend someone broke a back window out of our car and stole a cheap digital camera and old pair of binoculars. After a little grousing and filing a police report, I actually felt grateful. Between us, the LWW and I could only come up with about three or four similar experiences in our combined 100+ years of existence: instances when personal property or our physical selves had been the target of criminal activity.</p> <p>Do people ever appreciate how wonderful it is to live where it is safe, crime and violence free? And do we ever ask ourselves how we help to ensure that such our grandchildren will enjoy a similar environment?</p> </div> </div> <div class="journal-entry-tag journal-entry-tag-post-body"> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line1"><span class="posted-by"> <a href="/blue-skunk-blog/author/doug-johnson"> <img title="Author" alt="Author" class="inline-icon user-registered-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Doug Johnson</a></span> | <span class="post-comments"><a href="/blue-skunk-blog/2011/2/13/quotes-and-other-stray-sunday-thoughts.html#comments"> <img title="Comment" alt="Comment" class="inline-icon comment-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />2 Comments</a></span> | <span class="share-item"><a href="javascript:noop();" onclick="Squarespace.Interaction.shareLink(this,'%2Fblue-skunk-blog%2F2011%2F2%2F13%2Fquotes-and-other-stray-sunday-thoughts.html','Quotes%20and%20other%20stray%20Sunday%20thoughts');"> <img title="Share Article" alt="Share Article" class="inline-icon share-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Share Article </a></span> </div> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line2"></div> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line3"></div> </div> <div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="journal-entry-wrapper post-text authored-by-doug-johnson "> <div id="item10459678" class="journal-entry"> <div class="journal-entry-float-day"><span class="name">Saturday</span></div><div class="journal-entry-float-date"><span class="month">Feb</span><span class="date">12</span><span class="year">2011</span></div> <div class="journal-entry-text"> <h2 class="title"> <a class="journal-entry-navigation-current" href="/blue-skunk-blog/2011/2/12/bftp-art-poetry-and-technology.html">BFTP: Art, poetry and technology</a> </h2> <div class="journal-entry-tag journal-entry-tag-post-title"><span class="posted-on"> <img title="Date" alt="Date" class="inline-icon date-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 08:12AM</span> </div> <div class="body"> <p><em><em>A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. </em>Original post <a href="http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2006/2/18/art-poetry-and-technology.html">February 18, 2006</a>. Such projects remind me that it's not about technology at all... </em></p> <p>It's a thing of beauty when they all come together. Created by the LWW's 3rd graders using a simple paint program.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="full-image-float-none ssNonEditable"><span><img src="/storage/flowerish.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1297520105160" alt="" /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>When a flower loses a petal, my heart beats.</em></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span class="full-image-float-none"><img src="../../storage/butterflyish.jpg" alt="butterflyish.jpg" /></span> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>When a butterfly flies, I fly with it. <br /></em></p> <p></p> </div> </div> <div class="journal-entry-tag journal-entry-tag-post-body"> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line1"><span class="posted-by"> <a href="/blue-skunk-blog/author/doug-johnson"> <img title="Author" alt="Author" class="inline-icon user-registered-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Doug Johnson</a></span> | <span class="post-comments"><a href="/blue-skunk-blog/2011/2/12/bftp-art-poetry-and-technology.html#comments"> <img title="Comment" alt="Comment" class="inline-icon comment-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Post a Comment</a></span> | <span class="share-item"><a href="javascript:noop();" onclick="Squarespace.Interaction.shareLink(this,'%2Fblue-skunk-blog%2F2011%2F2%2F12%2Fbftp-art-poetry-and-technology.html','BFTP%3A%20Art%2C%20poetry%20and%20technology');"> <img title="Share Article" alt="Share Article" class="inline-icon share-icon" rel="dark" src="/universal/images/transparent.png" />Share Article </a></span> </div> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line2"></div> <div class="journal-entry-tag-post-body-line3"></div> </div> <div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="paginationControlWrapper journal-navigation" >  <span class="paginationControlPrefix"> Page </span> <a class="paginationPageNumber" href="/blue-skunk-blog/month/february-2011" >1</a> <span class="paginationEllipsis">...</span> <a class="paginationPageNumber" href="/blue-skunk-blog/month/february-2011?currentPage=2" >2</a> <a class="paginationPageNumber" href="/blue-skunk-blog/month/february-2011?currentPage=3" >3</a> <a class="paginationPageNumber activePage" href="javascript:noop();">4</a> <a class="paginationPageNumber" href="/blue-skunk-blog/month/february-2011?currentPage=5" >5</a> <a class="paginationPageNumber" href="/blue-skunk-blog/month/february-2011?currentPage=6" >6</a> <span class="paginationEllipsis">...</span> <a class="paginationPageNumber" href="/blue-skunk-blog/month/february-2011?currentPage=7" >7</a> <span class="paginationControlNextPageSuffix"> <a href="/blue-skunk-blog/month/february-2011?currentPage=5" > Next 3 Entries » </a> </span> </div> </div></div>  </div></div>  <div id="pageFooterWrapper"><div id="pageFooter"> <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/88x31.png"/></a><br/>This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License</a>. </div></div> </div></div>  <div class="clearer" id="bodyClearer"></div> </body> </html>

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