RJ Stangherlin

Keystone Technology Integrator and STAR Discovery Educator

This site is for Mrs. Stangherlin's classes at Salisbury High School.

Google Docs Rock

Cross-posted on Changing Connections
Thanks to the creative genius at The Common Craft Show, Lee and Sachi LeFever, and their explanations ”in plain English.” If you are not using Google Docs, this short video just might convince you it’s a great way to take the next step in social networking, from consumer to creator and collaborator.

Google Docs
Common Craft Show
Explanations in Plain English
LeeLeFever
Social Media
Turbo Tagger

CFF Senate Communications and Technology Committee and Senate Education Committee Hearings 2007

Cross-posted on Changing Connections and Pennsylvania Discovery Educator Network

Ever try uploading a 45 minute video to a Web 2.0 site? I spent days trying to find a host that would upload a film intact. When exasperation set in, I took it to my students and one of them suggested Vimeo. That was before exams and senior week activities, so I finally tried it--and I love it. I wanted embeddable code (Curriki worked, sans code), a fast upload and conversion, and enough space in an account that one upload would not send me in a searching frenzy for another broadcast channel.

The good news: a finished product of the CFF Senate Hearings when Lance Rougeux, Jennifer Dorman, and I testified before the joint Education and Technology & Communications Committees on December 4, 2007. Thanks to Jennifer Dorman and her connections, we were able to get the hearings converted from analog (I know I should have TiVo) to digital, and then finally to a blog format. Here it is, at last.

Classrooms for the Future Senate Communications and Technology Committee and the Senate Education Committee Hearings 2007 from RJ Stangherlin on Vimeo.

While I’m on a commercial roll, let me count the ways I love Vimeo:

1. Can be added to Facebook, Myspace…
2. Badge additions (you can add channels and albums to any Badge you create)
3. Posts to Flickr
4. Avatar feature (clicking any “avatar” aka user image will take you to that user)
5. Spam filters
6. Fast even in high use time (they apologize for a 20 minute wait)
7. Converting time during transcoding: displays time and percent remaining--no high anxiety here.
8. Lots of messages to let you know where you are in the process--great for a first-time user.
9. 500 MBs per week (though not forever, I think)
10. More family oriented.

A special thank you to the DEN team--Scott, Lance, and Matt-- for affording Jen and me the opportunity to represent STAR Discovery Educators and what they bring to education every day in their classrooms.

Caching Up: FBLA WINS!

Cross-posted on Changing Connections

The next few blogs constitute a series of “catching up,” getting back to really important postings that just slipped away from me during the crush of a very busy school year. Here’s the first, and it is both good news and bad news, bittersweet.

FBLA, under the guidance of the inimitable Frank Lane, posted their best-ever record. The bad news: Mr. Lane is relinquishing his post as coach of the FBLA team, going out on his students’ best-ever season. We will miss him at the helm of FBLA and we will miss him at SHS.  I learned today that Mr. Lane has accepted a position at Parkland.  We are happy for him but he filled a space that is truly hard to fill, both in the classroom and in our hearts.  We will miss you, Mr. Lane.

Here’s what the students accomplished:

Shannon Safi and Megan Walsh: Digital Video Production--6th Place

Nick Fisher: Introduction to Technology Concepts--5th Place

Willian Kennington and Dennis Peterson: Desktop Publishing--did not place in the top ten.

John Soler , John Gardus, AJ Safi: Global Business--2nd Place and qualified for National Competition

Megan Cassel, Courtney Loomis, Matt Cialkowski: Management and Decision Making--3rd Place and qualified for National Competition.

Two teams qualified for Nationals, and that is a major accomplishment for our students, their teacher, Mr. Lane, and our school. We are so proud of you.

IP 2008 Photos and Video: Finished

Cross-posted on changingconnections

Another year of IP has come to an end, 6 stage presentations and 3 video productions later.  Miss Brinson and I would like to extend a special thank you to the students who created spectacular examples of 21st century learning, and to the parents, extended family, friends, staff and administration who supported our students throughout the year.  Video postings of the 9 presentations are forthcoming.

What If RFK Was Not Assassinated? Could One Man Adapt a Country to a Changing Time? [Stage Presentation]
Abby Zovko, Colin Ackerman, Emily Miller, Jessica Gates, Drew DePoy, Tony Abraham

What If Nixon Defeated Kennedy in the First Televised 1960 Debate?  Could Conservatism Define the 1960s? [Video Production]
Victoria Ravenelle, Matt Mattuiz, Sean McDermott, Alex Weir, Kaylyn Syvret

A Revolutionary Decade: The 1960s.  Was Peace Attainable Without Transgression? [Stage Presentation]
Jennifer Picht, Melanie Surajbali, Amanda Wirth, Bailee Johnson, Deaven Freed, Jennifer Picht, Gabby Snyder, Sarah Holzer

What If a UN Loss in Korea Led to a Greater Conflict?  Could the Circumstances Lead to an Apocalyptic Nuclear Holocaust? [Video Production]
Garred Greenberg, Colton Furbur, Kevin Connors, Aaron Benner

What If the Constitution Had Not Been Ratified?  How Much Can One Document Change the Future? [Stage Presentation]
Matthew Croft, Ethan Vokes, Kayla Mjaatvedt, Avery Markle, Casey Feinberg, Michael Russo. 

The following behind-the-scenes-photos were taken during weekend practice.  The dress rehearsal photos were too dark to publish, so I made a slide show of what I had.  If anyone has photos from this group, please forward them to me and I’ll make a second slide show for this group.

What if the Thirteen Colonies Never Received Aid from France During the American Revolution?  Can a Monarchy Inspire a Democracy? [Stage Presentation]
Chris Yeisley, Tyler Nolan, Jennifer Singley, Kayla Springer, Anna Novak, Drew Eisenhauer, Cyrus Sholevar

What If Prohibition Had Been Enforced?  Would Sober Living Sweep the Nation? [Video Production]
Ashley Gibiser, Samantha Foulke, Rebekah Jerista, Nolan McGilloway, Jeff Yorgey

What If Nixon Wasn’t a Crook?  Can One Man’s Honesty Change a Nation? [Stage Presentation]
Mirielle Elchaar, Nicole Bartholomew, Lauren Kolowitz, Morgan Anastasio

What If Thomas Jefferson Had Deemed the Louisiana Purchase Unconstitutional?  Could the United States Survive with Internal Boundaries? [Stage Presentation]
Scott Gardus, Rachel Hoats, Donte McCrary-McClain, Matthew Heyer, Melinda Lehman, Paige Marze, Brianna Dee

The Me Decade: A 1970s IP Documentary:  Jade Letlow and Sam Heddleson

Civil Rights: A What If Slide Show: Julia Bruchak

Students and Teachers Learning Together: DENs New Kind of Webinar

Cross posted on Pennsylvania’s Discovery Educator Network Blog and Changing Connections.

Steve Dembo been planning this event for ages and he’s thrilled that on Wednesday, April 9, at 11:00 AM EST, it will finally happen.  On my wish list for ages was a event that would bring students and teachers together to learn collaboratively. Leave it to DEN to make wishes come true.  So, I am really thrilled to remind you that in two days, teachers and students across America can tap into the power of Discovery and participate in America’s Army and the Rise of Video Games Webinar through Discovery Connect. If you are looking for a webinar that you and your students will really love, then you want to join us.  Steve says you won’t want to miss this one--and let’s face it: our DEN SuperSTARS (who are in Pennsylvania as I type) always deliver the goods.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.  (The rest of this blog is shamelessly copied from Steve’s original post.)

According to Dembo, the Discovery Channel featured a mini-series entitled Rise of the Video Games. America’s Army, a computer game developed by the U.S. Army was featured prominently because of its ultra-realism and how it was being used for training purposes.

This webinar will feature some of the creative geniuses BEHIND the computer game. They will discuss how they created the game, how they took real Soldiers and real Army locations and put them into the game, and how Soldiers are using game technology to train. They will also answer questions students have about the development process or what courses (or schoolwork) are needed to become a game developer.

While all age levels are invited to participate, this webinar is recommended primarily for middle school and secondary school students.  .

Changing the World, One Teenager at a Time

NOTE: I cross-posted this entry to my new blog, Changing Connections.

Global humanitarian outreach.  Interscholastic collaboration.  Conflict resolution.  Multidisciplinary.  Standards-based learning.  Position papers.  Resolution writing, speaking, listening. Project-driven.  Real-life / life-long learning.  Teacher as facilitator.  Students controlling learning.  Language application that makes sense in crisis simulation.  Parliamentary procedure.  Passage of motions.  Inquiry-based learning.  Un/moderated caucuses.  Speakers’ list.  Essential Questions seeking Essential Global Answers.  Debate and closure.  Dividing the question.  Un/friendly Amendments.  Approval of amendments.  Passage of resolutions.  Engagement.  21st century topics with 21st century tools. 

Thirty-eight Salisbury students attend Kutztown University.  They join 13 other school districts on SATURDAY, January 18, from 8:30—4:30.  To get here, they worked with their advisor, Miss Brinson, every Friday morning before school, and then put in hours of preparation at home. 

What is it that drives them?  A desire to change the world through KU Model United Nations Conference.  What makes this experience unique?  KUMUNC gives high school students the opportunity to engage in dealing with world issues to try to develop unified global solutions, changing the world, one teenager at a time.  Authentic learning through collaboration.  A chance to move beyond what if you could change history to being the change agents.

What does the day look like? 

Students representing 66 different nations research and engage in point / counterpoint debates expressed through the perspective of the countries they are representing.  Students write impromptu resolutions and then politic and/or compromise to convince other nations to support their resolutions.  Delegates sit on one of four different committees throughout the day, including: General Assembly on AIDS and HIV, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Criminal Prevention and Criminal Justice, and Crisis Simulation: Africa Hopes.  In each committee room, arguments move quickly, since delegates are restricted to a time limit. Consequently, teams representing countries need to forge alliances so they can yield time to the countries aligned with their proposals, giving them more time to press solutions forward.  The goal is to persuade the entire committee that your country’s resolutions should be adopted. 

We’ve saved the best for last!

In GA AIDS, Sean and Garred, representing Korea, won Best Position Paper.

Matt and Luke won the award for Distinguished Delegation for the Committee on Human Rights.

The entire delegation won the award for Distinguished Delegation.  Accepting for our delegation are Lindsey, Lauren, and Dan.
It felt like winning the Oscar for Best Picture with each of these awards.  We are so proud of our students!

If you are looking for examples of 21st century learning, Model UN completely and utterly embraces it.