Sunday, December 30, 2012

101 East - Web of Hate




Cyber bullying is something that has evolved with technology. Prank phone calls and mean chain letters have become less necessary when the world wide web provides instant and often anonymous bullying. Children are falling victim to Facebook libel – sometimes taking their own lives to escape. Catherine Bernard committed suicide in February, 2012. She lived in Melbourne, Australia and had suffered severe depression brought on by cyber-bullying. She was not the first victim and she will not be the last. Unless something is done.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Giving Kids Hope


Ms. Reifler is a one of a kind elementary school teacher who educates her students on the importance of living a life that matters. Her classroom gives her low-income, east Los Angeles students a brief refuge. School Counselors also do this ... every day. We need more school counselors in our schools.



How to go to the drive thru without arms



People go to the drive thru everyday. How would you handle seeing an armless girl going thru the drive-thru if you were a fast food restaurant employee?

Going to the drive thru can be a challenge as an armless woman. I wonder to myself every time I go to the drive through, "How is the person at the window going to react to me?" "are they going to want to take my money from my feet?" and "is this going to end up being an awkward situation when they try and hand me my food and drink?" also "what is the guy behind me thinking?"

I have had a couple of instances where the person at the window didn't want to take my money, and a couple of instances where they thought I was super cool.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Cardboard bicycle project

Israeli Izhar Gafni has taken garden-shed projects to a whole new level. For years, he obsessed about the idea of making a cardboard bicycle that could be sold for $20, affordable for the developing world, and the perfect solution to beat urban traffic. Izhar was told that his dream bike was impossible to make. The doubters obviously didn't know him very well!


I know what you're thinking: What happens when it rains? Izhar's bike is treated with a special solution so it's totally waterproof. The first range of bikes and a wheelchair go into production next year.




Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Changing Focus in PowerPoint - #mstips



TrainSignal's Heather Ackmann demonstrates how to control where the audience is looking at a slide by softening or sharpening an image in PowerPoint 2010.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Daphne Bavelier: Your brain on video games




How do fast-paced video games affect the brain? Step into the lab with cognitive researcher Daphne Bavelier to hear surprising news about how video games, even action-packed shooter games, can help us learn, focus and, fascinatingly, multitask. (Filmed at TEDxCHUV.)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Protecting Reputations Online in Plain English



Find out how your decisions on sharing things online can impact your life in the real world. Learn to think before you click

Monday, November 12, 2012

Sunday, November 11, 2012

JAXON SMITH FOO FIGHTERS Pretender 6 yr old self taught drummer



http://www.jaxondrums.com/ JAXON is a 7 year old self taught drummer from Canada. Because of this vid, the NBC TODAY SHOW in NEW YORK flew JAX in to drum the show live in NYC. Jax is an inspiration since he was born at 1 pound. If you want to follow JAX'S progress check out the website link above or http://www.facebook.com/Jaxondrums?ref=hl orhttps://twitter.com/jaxon_drums. Rock on!

Understanding the Common Core State Standards

Friday, October 26, 2012

Marco Tempest: A cyber-magic card trick like no other

The suits, numbers and colors in a deck of cards correspond to the seasons, moon cycles and calendar. Marco Tempest straps on augmented reality goggles and does a card trick like you’ve never seen before, weaving a lyrical tale as he deals.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Merit Pay, Teacher Pay, and Value Added Measures

Value added measures sound fair, but they are not. In this video Prof. Daniel Willingham describes six problems (some conceptual, some statistical) with evaluating teachers by comparing student achievement in the fall and in the spring.

Timothy Kurek, Straight Christian Man, 'Comes Out' And Pretends To Be Gay For A Year


Thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people weren't the only ones celebrating National Coming Out Day on Thursday. A Christian man from Tennessee appeared on ABC News to talk about his own coming out experience but -- he's straight.

Timothy Kurek "came out" to his family and friends and lived as a gay man for a year in order to experience what life is like as an LGB person. The Liberty College graduate told ABC News, "You learned to be very afraid of God [in church]... [And you learned] the loving thing to do is to tell my friend who is gay, 'Hey, listen, you are an abomination and you need to repent to go to heaven.' I absolutely believed in that lock, stock and barrel."


Read the book: The Cross in the Closet


Friday, October 12, 2012

Teaching Digital Citizenship (playlist)




Once you choose to send or post a pic, you give up your right to choose where it ends up. Anyone can forward it along and you never know who may end up seeing it. Don't let others decide where your image ends up. Think before you post.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Jon Ronson: Strange answers to the psychopath test


Is there a definitive line that divides crazy from sane? With a hair-raising delivery, Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath Test, illuminates the gray areas between the two. (With live-mixed sound by Julian Treasure and animation by Evan Grant.)


The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology

This demo -- from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some.



Also see:


Monday, October 1, 2012

Time Elapsed Analysis & Reporting System Excel Add-In



The Time Elapsed Analysis & Reporting System (T.E.A.R.S.) is a Microsoft Excel add-in that automatically calculates the total amount of time that you have spent in different aspects of your work. After exporting your calendar data from Microsoft Outlook to Excel, this add-in extracts elapsed time, sums up the number of hours in each category, and then produces both a table and a chart. If you ever wondered where your time goes, you will want to use T.E.A.R.S. to learn more.

Welcome to National Bullying Prevention Month





Here are some initial thoughts and resources:

1.      Plan a kick-off event for your bullying prevention program for this year: an assembly, a play, a series of classroom conversations, a school-wide theme for the year, skirts, a poster contest……
a.      Be sure to involve your entire school staff, families and school partners.
b.      Announce it in your newsletter.

2.      Have discussion with your students of the basic Bullying Prevention Rules:
a.     We will not bully others.
b.     We will try to help students who are bullied.
c.      We will include students who are left out.
d.     If we know someone is being bullied, we will tell a trusted adult – at home or at school.

3.      Include Cyberbullying in your plans.  Some basic ‘starter’ Rules for all of us:
a.      Think before you post.
b.     Remember: once you hit ‘send’, you have lost control of your message.
c.      Remember: once you hit ‘send’, you can’t take it back.

4.      Share your ideas with colleagues across the state!  Really!  Is there something you, your school or your district is doing that you want to share with others?  A program, a set of materials, parent information, a document you have developed….. If so, please let me know.  I’ll pass it along.

And remember to check out the Bullying and Harassment
 and Cyberbullying
 pages on the Safety Center
 web site

Friday, September 28, 2012

JOURNEY 2012 MEYERS AND BAILEY LEONARD

Published on Mar 20, 2012 by John Castelli

Here is a piece I cut for the finale of The Journey: Big Ten Basketball 2012 about Meyers Leonard. Having a close relationship his entire life with big brother Bailey, Meyers was shocked when his brother, who was currently on duty as a U.S. Marine, flew to Illinois to surprise Meyers and watch him play for the first time in years.




In Descent Proposal

She thought we were dying and ended up with a ring!




Sources of Strength Program Overview



Learn more: http://sourcesofstrength.org/

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

How Assumption High School sparked fireworks with an out-of-the-box video




Imagine if you hit a "home run" as an enrollment manager: Would your picture-perfect scenario generate more than 45,000 video views, 17 pages of alumni comments, and oh, 30+ additional students in your freshman class? Impossible you say? Not for Elisabeth Russo at Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Her team created a knock-out lip-dub music video to Katy Perry's "Firework" that generated the perfect scenario for a private school.

Austin Police Department & LGPOA-Austin - It Gets Better HD



The Lesbian & Gay Peace Officers Association produced a video comprising of LGBT officers and civilian members of the Austin Police Department to send a message to LGBTQ youth that it does get better. This is part of the It Gets Better Project (www.itgetsbetter.org) and The Trevor Project (www.thetrevorproject.org) to reach out to LGBTQ youth who may be struggling due to bullying, harassment, and non-acceptance, and who may be thinking of committing suicide. Our message is to let those youth know that even though it is difficult today, tomorrow will bring hope, love, and life. We are here to help you make it there!

If you are considering suicide or need help, call the Trevor Project now: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).

"IT GETS BETTER"
The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach — if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone — and it WILL get better. The website itgetsbetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bi, or trans can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future. It's a place where straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members. It's a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge, watch videos of love and support, and seek help. Take the pledge to help make it better for others.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Addressing Employee Complaints



In this installment of the award-winning management training series from Despair.com, company founder Dr. E.L. Kersten provides executives and managers with a shockingly effective strategy for responding to the complaints of their subordinates.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond to Cyberbullying



In this video, cyberbullying expert Justin Patchin defines cyberbullying and provides tips for schools on appropriate prevention and response practices. This video accompanies a special, digital edition of ASCD's Policy Priorities newsletter on cyberbullying,http://www.ascdpolicypriorities.org/ascdpolicypriorities/PolicyPriorities

Monday, September 3, 2012

You Raise your Children; I Will Teach them French: Rosalind Wiseman at T...



In this talk, Rosalind Wiseman addresses the complex problem of bullying in schools, and how administrators and parents need to support kids to make schools the safe places that they should be.

Rosalind Wiseman is an internationally recognized expert on children, teens, parenting, bullying, social justice, and ethical leadership. She is the author of Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World, the groundbreaking, fully revised edition of her bestselling book that was the basis for the movie Mean Girls.

TEDxTeachersCollege 2012 explored innovations in international education at Teachers College, Columbia University, one of the leading schools of education in the world. The full-day event covered themes about education, policy, peace and justice, technology, and gender identity. For complete coverage of the conference, visit www.tedxteacherscollege.com

Teacher accused of bullying

3:45 School Counselor is interviewed.

Sexting victim: 'I never thought anyone would see'



Friday, August 24, 2012

Google Forms a teacher/student connection

Kettle-Moraine High School teacher Ms. Kornowski finds a way of connecting with her students and build meaningful relationships with them.Learn more about teachers and students using Google tools in education at http://www.google.com/education

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight


Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions -- motion, speech, self-awareness -- shut down one by one. An astonishing story.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Friday, August 10, 2012

Voice Recognition using Google Chrome



http://ctrlq.org/dictation Looking for free voice recognition software for your Windows or Mac computer that can accurately transcribe your spoken voice? Try the new Dictation app in your Google Chrome browser. Available at ctrlq.org/dictation

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Curiosity Has Landed

Relive the nail-biting terror and joy as NASA's Curiosity rover successfully lands on Mars the evening of Aug. 5 PDT (morning of Aug. 6 EDT).

Monday, July 30, 2012

Saturday, July 28, 2012

The Counseling Geek: Nexus 7 - The iPad Killer?




This short video shows a bit of hands on with my new Nexus 7 by Google. A less expensive (and superior, in my opinion) alternative to the iPad. Check out more about the Nexus 7 on my blog: http://thecounselinggeek.blogspot.com

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Handwrite, a new way to search on Google



Introducing Handwrite, a fun and easy new way to search Google from your smartphone or tablet.

To enable Handwrite, visit www.google.com on your smartphone or tablet, click 'Settings,' found at the bottom of the page, and then enable Handwrite. This feature is currently available in 27 languages.

Learn more at g.co/handwrite

Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Counseling Geek: A Guide to Digital Portfolios

The video below shows you how I storyboard and created the portfolio, so you can create your own.

A few notes before the video: First is to make this portfolio represent your personality. Have fun with it, but keep in mind the viewer. Things to avoid are: fonts that are difficult to read (try to stick to a serif or sans serif font), unflattering photos, and colors that do not go together. Also, use a site like stock.xchng to find free, high-quality stock images to use as a background (and other images) for your portfolio. The packaged images in PowerPoint are tacky and overused so try to spruce it up (check out the categories of texture, light blurs, etc). You can also deselect the "advance slide on click" option to only let users click on hyperlinks, which is nice so they don't click and accidentally advance to the next page (thank you to my wife for user testing my portfolio and finding that nugget of info). Finally, try to break away from using the slide templates. Start with a blank template and add things like text boxes, your own images, and smart images (not word art!). This gives you both flexibility and a customized look.


Group Therapy (spoof)

Excerpt from an Israeli TV show "Ktzarim": some troubled people meet for group therapy. In Hebrew with English subtitles.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Go Google: Wedding List (Extended Cut)

This one makes me laugh every time ...

SuperBetter: A Healing Game


When game designer Jane McGonigal found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter. In this moving talk, McGonigal explains how a game can boost resilience -- and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life.


https://www.superbetter.com/#

Here is the video explaining the game:


A look at the important work school counselors do

A look at the important work counselors do in Guilford County Schools during National School Counseling Week - February 6th - 10th, 2012.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Video: Students apologize to bullied bus monitor


Three of the four boys who were taped tormenting a school bus monitor have apologized for their behavior in statements released through police. NBC’s Craig Melvin reports from Rochester, N.Y. (TODAY)



Saturday, July 14, 2012

PowerPoint Basics-Embedding Fonts

Learn how to embed fonts so that you can safely send a presentation to someone without worrying whether or not they have the same fonts as you. That way, they'll be able to see exactly the presentation that you created the way you want it to be viewed.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Mean Girls



Hey guys I got a chance to direct and produce my first music video for a good friend of mine. She is an INCREDIBLE singer and such a good friend! We did this in my house, on my chalkboard. The entire video is "stop motion" which took FOREVER!! But we had so much fun making it. Enjoy!!!

The debut EP from @IamRachelCrow will be available digitally on June 26.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Domestic Violence (Clever Poster)




It happens when nobody is watching. To indicate and show, that domestic violence is often hidden from view, we created the first ever poster that responds to people looking at it.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Glee - Season 3 -Quinn Car Accident - Texting and Driving [HD]

Mom Gone Wild: Texting While Driving



You wouldn't cook and play guitar at the same time, so why text and drive at the same time? Check out this video, part of ConnectSafely's comprehensive resources on safe technology use. Visit us at connectsafely.org or facebook.com/connectsafely.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Networked: The New Social Operating System



Daily life is connected life, its rhythms driven by email, text messages, tweets and Facebook updates. Some worry that this new environment makes us isolated and lonely. But in Networked, Lee Rainie and Barry Wellman show how the large, loosely knit social circles of networked individuals expand opportunities for learning, problem solving, decision making and personal interaction. The new social operating system of "networked individualism" liberates us from the restrictions of tightly knit groups; it also requires us to develop networking skills and strategies, work on maintaining ties, and balance multiple overlapping networks.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Creating an AutoCorrect Entry in Microsoft Word



If you've ever mistyped something into Microsoft Word and noticed that Word automatically corrected your typo, you've seen Word's AutoCorrect feature at work. If there are words, phrases, or names that you type on a regular basis you can save yourself some time by adding your own custom AutoCorrect Entry.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Solution Focused Scaling Webinar

The solution focused counseling model encourages others to think about times when their problems did not exist, how these times contributed to the absence of the problem, and how to recreate such circumstances in their present situations. Focus is on the students/parents strengths and abilities rather than their weaknesses. Solutions are derived by the students/parents themselves and therefore not only are they more involved in their success, but the solutions fit their unique lifestyles. Finally, because they find their own solutions that work, often self-esteem is increased. With this emphasis of counseling on solutions rather than problems, counseling becomes brief. This webinar covers the popular solution focused scaling approach with lots of handouts and resources. Teachers who want to conduct solution focused conferences with parents should also attend.
For training in the SFBC model and other areas of counseling: see http://www.schoolcounselor.com/training/

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Students Learn the Skill of Conflict Resolution in a Multi-Age Class



In this elective class at Seattle's Alternative School 1, students from every grade come together to discuss and resolve their differences, creating a forum for social and emotional learning. If you liked this video, please consider subscribing to Edutopia's YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/edutopia-subscribe

George Lucas and Daniel Goleman on Academic and Social-Emotional Education



Edutopia founder George Lucas joins a panel of national experts moderated by Daniel Goleman that explores the value of social and emotional learning. This video was recorded on December 10, 2007, at the CASEL Forum, an event in New York City that brought together seventy-five global leaders in education and related fields to raise awareness about social and emotional learning (SEL) and introduce important scientific findings related to SEL. Be sure to click "like" if you enjoyed this video!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Innovation in ISD 199




Inver Grove Heights Community Schools has been nationally recognized for the innovative use of technology in the classroom throughout the district. Here is a sample of a few projects that have occurred recently.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Project Glass: One day...







Uploaded by Google on Apr 4, 2012



We believe technology should work for you — to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don't.



A team within our Google[x] group started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment.



Follow along with us at http://g.co/projectglass as we share some of our ideas and stories. We'd love to hear yours, too. What would you like to see from Project Glass?

Friday, March 30, 2012

Teachers Get Tech Tips from Students



Upper elementary and middle school students in Olympia, Washington, help veteran and prospective educators include technology in their lessons to enhance learning as part of the national Generation YES program. Find more videos on Edutopia's YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/edutopia

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Life In A Day




Life In A Day is a historic film capturing for future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th of July, 2010.
Executive produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Kevin Macdonald.

Soundtrack available here @ http://goo.gl/N9F6O

For more information on Life In A Day, visit http://www.youtube.com/lifeinaday

Monday, March 12, 2012

A TED speaker's worst nightmare




Colin Robertson had 3 minutes on the TED stage to tell the world about his solar-powered crowdsourced health care solution. And then... the whole talk turned out to be a wonderful and hilarious prank by ImprovEverywhere. Read more about this story here: http://improveverywhere.com/2012/03/09/spinning-beach-ball-of-death/

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Letters alive™ Reading Curriculum: Augmented reality that makes learning...


Education's first classroom curriculum based on "augmented reality" technology attracted huge crowds at just-completed educational technology conferences in Florida and Texas. Pioneered by Logical Choice Technologies, Letters alive™—a new phonics curriculum for children learning to read—has seemingly-alive animals popping up in the hands of students and even responding to student questions and actions. Teachers and administrators in attendance were taken aback by the mind-blowing interactivity and intelligence of the virtual animals. Educators recognized the profound impact the curriculum could have on learning not only with pre-k and kindergarten students, but also with English Second Language (ESL) and Special Needs students.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Anti-Bullying PSA: The Price of Silence


Anti-bullying PSA. Over 6M American schoolchildren have been bullied in the past six months. Whether you cheer on the bully, or silently watch, you are supporting the bully. The effects upon the victim can be devastating, and the effects can last a lifetime. o something besides watching. Try to diffuse the situation. Tell a teacher, or a principal. If you can, stand up to the bully and let them know that it's not okay. Support the victim. Let them know you care and you don't think what happened to them was fair or right.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Fotoshop by Adobé


This commercial isn't real, neither are society's standards of beauty.
Full post here with behind the scenes: http://jesserosten.com/2012/fotoshop-by-adobe