Como muchos en la comunidad se han dado cuenta a través de algunas publicaciones en las redes sociales, Algunos de nosotros de el equipo de Eliademy estuvimos en la conferencia global de instructores de escuela la semana pasada en Salt … Continue reading →

为了支持中国在2011到2020年的应用信息技术于教育系统的的官方计划，一款来自欧洲的大型开放式网络课程平台 Eliademy 正式投放中国市场，为中国城市和农村的学校提供免费的电子学习平台。 Eliademy 是一款免费在云中运行的在线网络教室，教育机构，企业以及个人均可以用它创建课程，分享和管理课程培训内容。 Eliademy 基于开源技术和 Moodle （模块化面向对象的动态学习环境），这也使得很多机构可以用 Eliademy 继续使用 Moodle，但同时却可以享受更加整洁，更加活泼且吸引人的用户界面。除此之外，由于移动设备早已经成为我们日常生活中的一个重要组成部分，所以 Eliademy 还提供了一个移动应用程序，为移动学习者提供个性化的学习体验。 Eliademy 的移动客户端，编号为 Huxley, 可以和 Moodle 的学习管理系统共同使用，这意味着学生和导师可以在任何地方都能够使用相同的应用程序访问学校的课程内容。 Eliademy 在中国市场的投放，是向公司使命："让科学技术广泛应用于教育！"迈出的重要一步。"我们需要中国的教育家和学者和我们一起创造全球最大的教育社区。"Eliademy 的开发公司 CBTec 的 CEO Sotiris Makrygiannis 先生这样说。 自从 Eliademy 在今年二月份正式发布之后，CBTec 不仅一直增加产品特色，同时也在致力维护与政府以及 NGO 之间的合作。目前 Eliademy 拥有来自超过 150 个国家和地区的学者，教育家组成的社区；每周有超过 2 … Continue reading →

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success - Henry Ford   A few months back, we opened the creation of Eliademy to the community and the quote above stood as a pointer to what we … Continue reading →

We have been working on few big features  during past couple of months to provide a better teaching and learning experience for our users. Today, we are happy to share them with you. 1. New visual editor  Editing course materials … Continue reading →

We got lots of praise after releasing new visual editor last week and we want to make it even better with ability to embed any online multimedia object directly to Eliademy course. You can access this new functionality by clicking … Continue reading →

Revolution- described as a change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time- happens not just for political or economic purpose but also for any desired change in our everyday lives. In the revolution … Continue reading →

Today we welcome to Eliademy Tallinn Upper Secondary School for Adults. They are the largest adult gymnasium in the Republic of Estonia which offers opportunities for learners to continue their interrupted road of general education from 8th to 12th grade. Their … Continue reading →

Past papers are a useful tool to use with students, both in class and for homework  - but almost always they come as a PDF file from the exam board, which makes them difficult to use online. Thankfully Google Drive can convert them and then Google Classroom can assign them to your class. 1. Upload the paper to Google Drive. 2. Right click then open with Google Docs (which converts it to a Google Doc Format) 3. To avoid confusion at this stage I suggest renaming the file (otherwise you will have two identical files with .pdf at the end, one of which is not a PDF) 4. Now over in Google Classroom - this file can be assigned to a class (I suggest you select "Make a Copy for Each Student")

In this episode, I talk to Sammie Cervantez. Here is some insider information:  Current school: Shell Beach Elementary School-Home of the Sharks! First generation college studentEd.D. Educational Leadership from Univ of the PacificNational Board Certified Teacher-Early Adolescent Language Arts (NBCT)Blog:  principalinheels.wordpress.comGrandmother of five beautiful grand babies And of course--Favorite shoe designer: Jimmy Choo (Lol) We talk about Collectiveness, how to listen, and revisiting conversations.    <p>Please take a moment to rate this podcast in <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/transformative-principal/id770942472?mt=2">iTunes</a> or on <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jethro-jones/transformative-principals?refid=stpr">Stitcher</a>. </p> <p>Please follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/jethrojones">@jethrojones </a>for the host and <a href="http://twitter.com/trnfrmprincipal">@TrnFrmPrincipal</a> for the show.</p> <p><a href="http://www.jethrojones.com/new-products/communication-cards"><Strong>Buy Communication Cards</strong></a></p> <p>Show notes on <a href="http://jethrojones.com/sammie-cervantez">TransformativePrincipal.com</a></p> <p>Download <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/paperless-principal/id558201943?ls=1">Paperless Principal</a>.  </p>New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

This is a video podcast, on my feed. Just a little experiment to try something new. Send me a tweet to tell me what you think. @jethrojones   http://bit.ly/tp-socialmedia <- This is the post that the video references.  Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

This week I am continuing my conversation with Sammie Cervantez. I hope you enjoy it. We talk about revisiting conversations.    Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Mr. Gregory Leavitt is the principal of Draper Park Middle School in Draper, UT. Draper Park has experienced some great success recently as a top-scoring school in the state in Math, ELA, and Science. He was the 2013 Canyons District Administrator of the Year Award Winner. In this episode we talk about the following: Cross Curricular Teaming and PLCs. Agenda consists of activities, common vocabulary, student problem solving, and team activities and celebrations Vocabulary is a powerful way to connect content areas. How he reviews all 9 PLC teams’ notes. Consistency as key to long-term success. How they use a Friday late start collaboration time. Subject Area Teaming and PLCs Large focus on data Common Formative Assessments Bringing everybody up, instead of comparing for comparison sake. Easy to take big end-of-year test when you are assessing for mastery to the standards all throughout the year. No need for a big push at the end. Nothing fancy, just some Google Docs that are shared between the team. Standards-Based Grading 100% of grades are based on assessments, what the kids can actually demonstrate as mastery. Rick Wormeli - "Fair Isn’t Always Equal" Objective Tracker, student-reported grades, and success. How you can be a transformative principal: Pick one thing that you can sustain for the next 5-7 years and stick with it. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Mr. Gregory Leavitt is the principal of Draper Park Middle School in Draper, UT. Draper Park has experienced some great success recently as a top-scoring school in the state in Math, ELA, and Science. He was the 2013 Canyons District Administrator of the Year Award Winner. In this episode we talk about the following: Cross Curricular Teaming and PLCs. Agenda consists of activities, common vocabulary, student problem solving, and team activities and celebrations Vocabulary is a powerful way to connect content areas. How he reviews all 9 PLC teams’ notes. Consistency as key to long-term success. How they use a Friday late start collaboration time. Subject Area Teaming and PLCs Large focus on data Common Formative Assessments Bringing everybody up, instead of comparing for comparison sake. Easy to take big end-of-year test when you are assessing for mastery to the standards all throughout the year. No need for a big push at the end. Nothing fancy, just some Google Docs that are shared between the team. Standards-Based Grading 100% of grades are based on assessments, what the kids can actually demonstrate as mastery. Rick Wormeli - "Fair Isn’t Always Equal" Objective Tracker, student-reported grades, and success. How you can be a transformative principal: Pick one thing that you can sustain for the next 5-7 years and stick with it. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

I had the great opportunity to interview Michael Santos this week. He is a former convict who spent 26 years in prison for running drugs. He says he never touched the drugs, but organized other people to do it. Pretty amazing story. Michael has a podcast out, now as well. He pipes it into the prison system to help people learn to change. You can learn a little bit more about Michael here: • PBS NewsHour (7-minute profile) • NBC Bay Area Proud (5-minute profile) • San Francisco Chronicle (Front-page profile) We talk about the following: How Michael became incarcerated. How he had a change of heart. Philosophy and Socrates. Tweet: I needed a string to lead me out of the labyrinth. via @MichaelGSantos @TrnFrmPrincipal http://ctt.ec/B0z64+ Our system of corrections is designed to extinguish hope. Michael’s 3 pronged plan: Educate myself Contribute to Society Build a Support Network Tweet: Every human being has the potential to become something amazing. Students may see you and tune out the message because you are an authority figure. Tweet: People thought they were insulting me by saying I wasn’t hard enough. Using the socratic method. Define the values students need. Tweet: If they can define success, we can ask what we do to get you there. There’s a path to a better life and it doesn’t happen by accident. Click to Tweet Establishing values vs. defining values Straight A Guide: Attitude, Aspiration, Action, Accountability, Awareness, Achievement, Appreciation When people feel like they have no control, they are less likely to become the best they can be. The Scandinavian system provides a panel to help acclimate the offender to society after a prison sentence. We need an innovative disruptive approach to change things. People want a better life, but don’t know how to get there. New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

I had the great opportunity to interview Michael Santos this week. He is a former convict who spent 26 years in prison for running drugs. He says he never touched the drugs, but organized other people to do it. Pretty amazing story. Michael has a podcast out, now as well. He pipes it into the prison system to help people learn to change. You can learn a little bit more about Michael here: • PBS NewsHour (7-minute profile) • NBC Bay Area Proud (5-minute profile) • San Francisco Chronicle (Front-page profile) We talk about the following: How Michael became incarcerated. How he had a change of heart. Philosophy and Socrates. Tweet: I needed a string to lead me out of the labyrinth. via @MichaelGSantos @TrnFrmPrincipal http://ctt.ec/B0z64+ Our system of corrections is designed to extinguish hope. Michael’s 3 pronged plan: Educate myself Contribute to Society Build a Support Network Tweet: Every human being has the potential to become something amazing. Students may see you and tune out the message because you are an authority figure. Tweet: People thought they were insulting me by saying I wasn’t hard enough. Using the socratic method. Define the values students need. Tweet: If they can define success, we can ask what we do to get you there. There’s a path to a better life and it doesn’t happen by accident. Click to Tweet Establishing values vs. defining values Straight A Guide: Attitude, Aspiration, Action, Accountability, Awareness, Achievement, Appreciation When people feel like they have no control, they are less likely to become the best they can be. The Scandinavian system provides a panel to help acclimate the offender to society after a prison sentence. We need an innovative disruptive approach to change things. People want a better life, but don’t know how to get there. New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Today, I am talking with Brad Gustafson @GustafsonBrad, principal of Greenwood Elementary School #GWGreats. I’ve been a follower of Brad’s blog for a long time. He is inspiring and helps me want to be a better principal. I hope you learn a ton from him, just like I have. In this episode we talk about: Mobile makerspaces Sphero balls - Draw and Drive Working on the Work (Buy the current book: Engaging Students: The Next Level of Working on the Work) Passport to Passion ClickToTweet: We are saying let’s celebrate creative genius! Three goals: high student achievement, cultural relationships, meaningful technology integration Constructive pushback Keeping it simple Part 2 Teachers are talented. Failure - Moodle forums research Monthly theme - optional vs. required. Transparency builds trust Teachers do great things no matter what, either openly and transparently or behind closed doors. *Invest in digital connections to deep your learning. Educational malpractice to limit learning based on what we refuse to learn. WorkflowED podcast Earning Freedom Podcast Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Today, I am talking with Brad Gustafson @GustafsonBrad, principal of Greenwood Elementary School #GWGreats. I’ve been a follower of Brad’s blog for a long time. He is inspiring and helps me want to be a better principal. I hope you learn a ton from him, just like I have. In this episode we talk about: Mobile makerspaces Sphero balls - Draw and Drive Working on the Work (Buy the current book: Engaging Students: The Next Level of Working on the Work) Passport to Passion ClickToTweet: We are saying let’s celebrate creative genius! Three goals: high student achievement, cultural relationships, meaningful technology integration Constructive pushback Keeping it simple Part 2 Teachers are talented. Failure - Moodle forums research Monthly theme - optional vs. required. Transparency builds trust Teachers do great things no matter what, either openly and transparently or behind closed doors. *Invest in digital connections to deep your learning. Educational malpractice to limit learning based on what we refuse to learn. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Today, I am honored to interview Anne Beninghof Twitter. Anne is an expert at coteaching and consults with districts about it. In this episode, we talk about the following: What is coteaching? How little things become problematic Paraprofessionals in the classroom Resources on her web site How to introduce teachers to the idea of coteaching Choosing partners Youtube Channel Needs for teachers working together: Flexible personalities, common planning time, common philosophies about teaching and behavior management. Expectation about actually using planning time. Try to avoid a divorce in the coteaching relationship Co teachers Need a coach. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Today, I am honored to interview Anne Beninghof Twitter. Anne is an expert at coteaching and consults with districts about it. In this episode, we talk about the following: What is coteaching? How little things become problematic Paraprofessionals in the classroom Resources on her web site How to introduce teachers to the idea of coteaching Choosing partners Youtube Channel Needs for teachers working together: Flexible personalities, common planning time, common philosophies about teaching and behavior management. Expectation about actually using planning time. Try to avoid a divorce in the coteaching relationship Co teachers Need a coach. Specific structures and procedures help coteaching partnership Tap into teachers’ unique skill sets One-minute formative assessments 65% of class time spent in something other than whole group Last couple minutes specialist takes lead Parallel grouping Professional learning & communication is a constant 9 models of coteaching. Duet model Parallel model Lead and support model Other 7 models are ingredients Don’t let students play one teacher against another Ratios: no more than 30% of students on IEPs Plan approach for talking to parents about coteaching model. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Today I am interviewing Assistant Principal, Entrepreneur, Father, and Hot Mess Brendan Hufford (Twitter). Thea Bowman Leadership Academy - only successful school in Gary, Indiana. OKkimonos.com and Entrepreneurs and Coffee Podcast are a couple side gigs that Brendan has going on. * Gary, Indiana is a struggling city, but full of amazing people. * Showing trust to students * Leading with trust - people want to give back trust when you give it to them. * It’s not as easy to build relationships as an admin than it is to build relationships as a teacher. * If you care about the students, they’ll do what you need them to do. * When you get frustrated, your care is the first to go away. * Kids aren’t afraid of things happening in the school that make them unsafe, they are likely afraid of things happening on the way to or from school that make them feel unsafe. * Resting vs. sleeping. * Getting up at 3 am helps him be his best. * Need to teach entrepreneurism to help US compete globally. * The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield * College vs. Entrepreneurism. * College Bubble is going to Burst - College is a great chance to mature, party, and have fun. If you want to go to college for an actual education, you are overpaying. * Entrepreneurism is not for everybody. Part 2 Working as a first grade teaching assistant. There is no better gift you can give a human being than self-education. Teaching kids how to be entrepreneurial could be almost as important teaching them to read. Can’t do education just as a paycheck. Pushback when innovating. Using Twitter for real purposes. Transparency at Buffer If you want to learn something, spend 0 time focusing on your own industry. Free tools at Brendan’s website. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

  This is my second interview with Will Parker. Will wrote a book called Principal Matters: the motivation, courage, action, and teamwork needed for school leadership, and so we talk about his wisdom that is contained therein. Go ahead and buy it. I interviewed Will in Episode 24 of Transformative Principal. A little discussion about technology. Some information on his book. How to make decisions. Write things down when they are still fresh so you know how to do it next time. Write processes down now so that you have them next time. Make a list and prioritize. How to delegate effectively. Importance of taking time off to recharge. The power of good mentors. Writing a letter of resignation. How to live without putting out fires all the time! Give instruction on the front end to make expectations more effective. Great teachers teach with both sides of their brains at once. More about KRAs (which we spoke about in Episode 24). Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

This is my second interview with Will Parker. Will wrote a book called Principal Matters: the motivation, courage, action, and teamwork needed for school leadership, and so we talk about his wisdom that is contained therein. Go ahead and buy it. I interviewed Will in Episode 24 of Transformative Principal. A little discussion about technology. Some information on his book. How to make decisions. Write things down when they are still fresh so you know how to do it next time. Write processes down now so that you have them next time. Make a list and prioritize. How to delegate effectively. Importance of taking time off to recharge. The power of good mentors. Writing a letter of resignation. How to live without putting out fires all the time! Give instruction on the front end to make expectations more effective. Great teachers teach with both sides of their brains at once. More about KRAs (which we spoke about in Episode 24). Part 2 Dealing with difficult people. Make sure you are not the difficult person. Seek to understand before being understood. Be firm but friendly. Change your posture or use humor when appropriate. Agree to disagree. Consider bringing all parties to the table. What can I do to help you? Sometimes it is inevitable to have difficult conversations. Communicate privately with staff members when there is a difficulty. Big fan of just being honest. Talk straight with each other. Relationships are so important for every teacher and staff member. "It’s not an issue of me and you, it’s an issue of you and you." Buy his book! Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Today I am speaking with Ron Fortunato, President of Trillium Learning and employee of NASA AMES research center. Listen to learn how you can get more information about to get your students more engaged in REAL projects! Project-based vs activity-based projects. Coupling students with real-life working projects. If students are able to keep up with the real-world work, they are given an opportunity to be at the table. Relationships with NOAA, NASA, and other institutions. Identify real problems, and get students involved in those projects. How Ron got involved with NASA. Winning a proposal with NASA: Pick a project they would have done. Meeting with the scientists that put Viking on Mars. How predicting earthquakes works. First earthquake sensor ever created installed in Kodiak. Real world projects cross many disciplines. "We don’t learn a darn thing when we do something right!" Rapid prototyping process - iterate and learn piece by piece. How students have actually discovered that earthquakes were coming with up to 48 hours notice. NASA gave actual reviews to high school students. Life-saving potential of predicting earthquakes is very important. Kodiak, Ketchikan, Craig, Copper River, and Old Harbor have the earthquake systems installed. Tasks and organizations for students are similar to tasks given to scientists. NASA Directors sit in with students on status reviews. Other projects kids can get involved with. Nano-agriculture It looks like chaos at first, but then it becomes transformative. Challenges of doing real-time and real-world project-based learning. Teachers need to adapt to this new way of doing things. School board has to support the project. Build a foundation so the entire district can participate. Ramp Up! How to make it for more than just the gifted or smart kids. 6th grade class suggesting how to improve the sensor. The process of learning how to learn. Trainer of Trainers model. You move at the speed you can go. Contact Ron What to do to start: Look at local organizations and what problems they’re trying to solve. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Today I am speaking with Ron Fortunato, President of Trillium Learning and employee of NASA AMES research center. Listen to learn how you can get more information about to get your students more engaged in REAL projects! Project-based vs activity-based projects. Coupling students with real-life working projects. If students are able to keep up with the real-world work, they are given an opportunity to be at the table. Relationships with NOAA, NASA, and other institutions. Identify real problems, and get students involved in those projects. How Ron got involved with NASA. Winning a proposal with NASA: Pick a project they would have done. Meeting with the scientists that put Viking on Mars. How predicting earthquakes works. First earthquake sensor ever created installed in Kodiak. Real world projects cross many disciplines. "We don’t learn a darn thing when we do something right!" Rapid prototyping process - iterate and learn piece by piece. How students have actually discovered that earthquakes were coming with up to 48 hours notice. NASA gave actual reviews to high school students. Life-saving potential of predicting earthquakes is very important. Kodiak, Ketchikan, Craig, Copper River, and Old Harbor have the earthquake systems installed. Tasks and organizations for students are similar to tasks given to scientists. NASA Directors sit in with students on status reviews. Other projects kids can get involved with. Nano-agriculture It looks like chaos at first, but then it becomes transformative. Challenges of doing real-time and real-world project-based learning. Teachers need to adapt to this new way of doing things. School board has to support the project. Build a foundation so the entire district can participate. Ramp Up! How to make it for more than just the gifted or smart kids. 6th grade class suggesting how to improve the sensor. The process of learning how to learn. Trainer of Trainers model. You move at the speed you can go. Contact Ron What to do to start: Look at local organizations and what problems they’re trying to solve. Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher.  Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools. Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show. Buy Communication Cards Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com Download Paperless Principal.  New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal