Teachers Teaching Teachers #146 - What does Obama's Online Town Hall Meeting have to do with our classrooms? 04.01.09

Post-Show description: 

Our guest on this Teachers Teaching Teachers podcast is David Colarusso, developer of communityCounts and a moderator of Ask the President.

A few weeks ago, as soon as Paul Allison had finished reading about “Ask the President” in The Nation, Barack Obama was conducting his first online town hall. Obama answered questions that had been voted to the top at WhiteHouse.gov, an exciting new process which was molded on a project that was created and is being hosted by our guest, David Colarusso, “a 30-year-old law student and former high school teacher.”

When Paul read that this web innovator and activist was a former teacher, he started thinking that David may have some thoughts about how my students and the students involved in our social network, http://youthvoices.net, might get involved in the “Ask The President” project or other communityCOUNTS projects.

Listen to our conversation with David Colarusso about “leveraging your voice for change.” We asked him how to “spark, collect, rank, and compel discussion for an assortment of web-content from Flickr to YouTube” using communityCounts.

 

Click Read more to see a transcript of a chat that was happening during the webcast.

 
20:42:16 SusanEttenheim: hi everyone
20:43:08 onehundone: hi there
20:43:16 megormi: Hi all!
20:43:58 SusanEttenheim: hi are you here to join us for Teachers Teaching Teachers?
20:45:30 onehundone: yes
20:46:03 SusanEttenheim: great!
20:46:19 SusanEttenheim: We'll be broadcasting in about 15 minutes
20:47:24 MarkM: hi
20:48:59 Paul Allison: Hi all!
20:49:30 Paul Allison: We getting geared up for our 9:00 broadcast. Welcome!
20:49:47 Paul Allison: http://www.davidcolarusso.com/ will be our guest.
20:51:16 MarkM: What's the topic for tonight?
20:58:10 SusanEttenheim: hi everyone can you hear us now?
20:58:19 onehundone: no
20:58:39 SusanEttenheim: have you clicked the volume icon on the site?
20:58:52 SusanEttenheim: it's next to the participatelive
20:59:16 megormi: sorry family home, must say good bye!
21:00:27 Paul Allison: we'll start in a moment
21:00:49 JennyMoon: Thanks
21:00:52 Paul Allison: http://www.davidcolarusso.com/ our guest
21:01:24 Paul Allison: welcome
21:01:37 [email protected]: hi
21:05:21 PeggyG: Hi everyone! Is there audio yet?
21:05:37 SusanEttenheim: hi peggy can you hear us?
21:05:49 PeggyG: no I'm not hearing anything
21:05:59 SusanEttenheim: I think we've just started broadcasting
21:06:05 onehundone: I don't hear anything
21:06:10 SusanEttenheim: so you should hear us in just a few seconds
21:06:32 PeggyG: excellent-I'll wait :-)
21:06:50 PeggyG: Yeah! I have audio!
21:07:12 jackiegerstein: I I can hear - Hi Peggy - good to "see" you
21:07:13 onehundone: me too
21:07:41 PeggyG: Hi Jackie-great to see you too :-)
21:07:44 SusanEttenheim: thanks everyone!
21:07:45 JennyMoon: NO audio here
21:08:02 PeggyG: click on ETT-A icon and you should hear audio
21:08:03 SusanEttenheim: jenny what platform are you using?
21:08:11 JennyMoon: Mac
21:08:27 PeggyG: Did everyone have a great April Fool's Day?? :-)
21:09:10 PeggyG: Always love to hear from new voices/new ideas :-)
21:09:38 PeggyG: do you have a link from David?
21:10:17 JennyMoon: Have audio now!!!! Thanks!
21:10:17 jackiegerstein: Favoirte Aprils Fools Joke today - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/01/guardian-twitter-media-techn...
21:10:20 SusanEttenheim: communitycounts.org?
21:10:44 SusanEttenheim: am always hesitant to go surfing when I'm broadcasting!
21:10:56 PeggyG: me too and I'm not streaming :-)
21:10:57 SusanEttenheim: oops ok communitycounts.com
21:11:10 jackiegerstein: http://www.communitycounts.com/
21:11:43 SusanEttenheim: We're welcoming David Colarusso from communitycounts.com
21:11:56 SusanEttenheim: jenny do you have your audio now?
21:12:03 JennyMoon: Yes....thank you
21:12:09 SusanEttenheim: great!
21:12:30 PeggyG: using the internet to move towards action--sounds like a great plan!
21:12:32 SusanEttenheim: ok now that we're a bit settled would everyone please introduce yourself? where and what do you teach?
21:13:02 SusanEttenheim: hi cal welcome- we're just doing introductions - what and where do you teach?
21:13:16 PeggyG: I'm a retired elementary principal/university instructor from Phoenix AZ
21:13:17 JennyMoon: Alabama - Technology Coordinator
21:14:23 onehundone: California -substitute teaching and at San Diego State takeing classes to clear my credential
21:14:33 onehundone: taking
21:14:48 PeggyG: great to meet all of you!!
21:15:11 SusanEttenheim: JMac welcome have you joined us before?
21:15:26 Paul Allison: http://www.communitycounts.com/forum/?id=Obama
21:15:27 SusanEttenheim: and EdAllen - a lot of "faces" to introduce tonight
21:15:51 SusanEttenheim: hi pharesr welcome please introduce yourself - where and what do you teach?
21:16:18 SusanEttenheim: hi hrmason welcome where and what do you teach?
21:16:24 jackiegerstein: Exploring Tel - A -Vision for my younger students http://www.telavision.tv/
21:16:29 pharesr: Hello, I am a Technology Integration Specialst from Ohioo.
21:16:53 hrmason: I am in Florida and teach MS Language Arts
21:16:53 SusanEttenheim: hi gaometer welcome
21:17:08 MarkM: hi all
21:17:11 Gasometer: Thanks. I am in Australia
21:17:13 SusanEttenheim: pharesr what ages do you work with?
21:17:14 pharesr: I am in charge of grades 6-12.......first year in the position after 21 years in classsroom
21:17:35 pharesr: It is my DREAM job!
21:17:44 pharesr: So much fun.
21:17:49 MarkM: I teach Grade 2/technology integrator  in Malaysia
21:17:49 SusanEttenheim: have you all seen communitycounts.com?
21:18:01 JennyMoon: not until tonight
21:18:05 Paul Allison: http://www.communitycounts.com/
21:18:06 PeggyG: I'm formerly from MA--got my degrees at UMass-Amherst :-)
21:18:38 pharesr: This is my first time here....is there a specific topic we are discussing?
21:18:41 PeggyG: Wonderful to see Australia represented here! What time is it there?
21:20:03 pharesr: opps
21:20:08 Gasometer: It is 12.20pm Thursday. Classes are still running as we type
21:20:16 PeggyG: audio is really cutting out for me
21:21:00 JennyMoon: if someone caught the link - physics- can you post it here
21:21:14 PeggyG: @Gasometer-are your students watching you on this webcast? :-)
21:21:14 SusanEttenheim: ok we just did a little tweek -audio should be better now
21:21:30 onehundone: http://www.communitycounts.com/forum/?id=phylm
21:21:36 JennyMoon: ty
21:21:40 onehundone: yw
21:22:02 PeggyG: audio is much better now-thanks
21:22:36 Gasometer: No. First time user. Found this site on twitter. Teachers here get to lease laptops for $AU4 fortnight and I am on this atm
21:22:37 SusanEttenheim: thanks peggy - I swear when it rains the connection is rougher..
21:22:39 pharesr: Is there a topic or are we just chatting?
21:22:58 PeggyG: @Gasometer-that's very exciting!
21:23:11 SusanEttenheim: tonight we welcome David Colarusso of communitycounts.com
21:23:12 onehundone: whats the user name on twitter
21:23:24 PeggyG: @Susan-not raining in AZ :-) 79 degrees here
21:23:37 SusanEttenheim: onehundone - do you mean the guest?
21:23:38 Gasometer: Yes the movement towards Web2.0 is starting slowly here.
21:23:42 onehundone: yes
21:23:54 onehundone: I can't seem to find him on twitter
21:24:11 pharesr: I just logged on to his site....looks interesting.
21:24:28 jackiegerstein: Interesting presentaiton about teaching teaching with Flickr yesterday - slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/michaelc/teaching-with-flickr-presentation WISH FLickr wasn't blocked at my school
21:24:36 Paul Allison: http://www.davidcolarusso.com/
21:24:52 SusanEttenheim: paul - is he on twitter?
21:25:02 Paul Allison: yes
21:25:25 SusanEttenheim: do we know his twitter name? or the twitter name for the organization?
21:25:42 onehundone: http://twitter.com/Colarusso
21:25:44 onehundone: I just found it
21:25:54 SusanEttenheim: ok- do you all follow the idea of voting on the site?
21:26:01 SusanEttenheim: thank you onehundone
21:26:21 JennyMoon: yes I do
21:26:44 PeggyG: sort of Susan
21:26:56 JennyMoon: We use private IPs in my district so we only use about 3-4 public IPs.......would that make a difference in the voting by students at school?
21:27:09 SusanEttenheim: we're very interested in having the conversation in Youth Voices lead to greater positive action
21:27:22 SusanEttenheim: good question jenny
21:28:01 JennyMoon: Because of that...makes it hard for me to see the stats on my wiki
21:28:12 PeggyG: do they track answers by IP or is that just a way to be able to vote without logging in?
21:28:37 jackiegerstein: Wisdom of the Crowds author Surowiecki reinforces that crowds can also be not so smart : )
21:28:48 onehundone: Q: With the schools having many sites blocked how can we enable our students to vote at school with so many different IP addresses?
21:29:14 JennyMoon: Can you not get someone to "unblock" the site?
21:29:53 onehundone: not ip addresses
21:31:06 JennyMoon: I understand......I thought it might be a problem
21:31:12 SusanEttenheim: ok everyone - what do you think ?
21:31:23 SusanEttenheim: communitycounts.com/youthvoices
21:31:39 SusanEttenheim: hi mark - welcome back
21:31:47 MarkM: hi
21:31:53 PeggyG: very interesting! hadn't thought of those implications and I can see why you wouldn't want the "ballots to be stuffed" by lots of votes from same person
21:31:57 onehundone: he answered it
21:32:13 jackiegerstein: http://www.communitycounts.com/forum/?id=youthvoices
21:32:16 PeggyG: but that's very problematic for school IP addresses
21:32:17 SusanEttenheim: Mark is grade 2 in Malaysia like second grade in the US?
21:32:27 SusanEttenheim: hi neil welcome
21:32:28 onehundone: I agree with Peggy.
21:32:32 MarkM: So  I am new here. Is there some stream I am supposed to listen to? or just a chat room?
21:32:35 SusanEttenheim: where and what do you teach?
21:32:42 MarkM: yes Grade 2=2nd grade
21:32:46 PeggyG: that's a really interesting angle Paul
21:32:59 PeggyG: can they vote by cell phone? :-)
21:33:10 SusanEttenheim: mark just click on the volume icon on the edtechtalk.com site
21:33:25 jackiegerstein: But what about students who don't have internet access at home?
21:33:32 neil stephenson: HI Susan, I teach grade 7 Humanities in Calgary, Alberta.  Here's my blog if you're interested: http://thinkinginmind.blogspot.com
21:33:37 onehundone: let along a computer
21:33:57 PeggyG: Hi Neil! Great to see you again!
21:34:00 SusanEttenheim: welcome - I have read your blog Neil!
21:34:19 MarkM: ok, thanks
21:34:22 neil stephenson: Thanks Susan..
21:34:53 PeggyG: do you get global participation?
21:34:54 SusanEttenheim: hi cason welcome
21:34:56 neil stephenson: is the streaming over?
21:35:00 SusanEttenheim: where and what do you teaach?
21:35:22 SusanEttenheim: no neil - just click onthe volume icon
21:35:26 cason: hi!  my first time here.
21:35:36 SusanEttenheim: did you get the audio cason?
21:35:41 JennyMoon: do you have any representatives or senators using this yet?
21:35:46 cason: yes.
21:35:58 SusanEttenheim: great and mark is your audio working?
21:36:13 MarkM: Got it! Missed the first half hour..lol
21:36:36 neil stephenson: i can't seem to get my audio working.. im usually ok at this sort of thing
21:36:58 PeggyG: @MarkM--that's the beauty of knowing this will be recorded and archived so we can go back and hear what we missed :-)
21:37:24 PeggyG: Are you using the ETT-A icon for audio Neil?
21:38:22 SusanEttenheim: welcome back neil - you just need to click on the volume icon - see if that works?
21:38:31 SusanEttenheim: hi lightybug welcome
21:38:36 PeggyG: Do you find that student questions are the same as teacher questions? What kinds of questions are really engaging for students?
21:38:41 lightybug: hi
21:38:48 SusanEttenheim: what and where do you teach?
21:38:50 neil stephenson: nope.. not working
21:38:59 lightybug: i teach in maine
21:39:05 lightybug: 7th grade science
21:39:18 lightybug: we have one to one laptop here
21:39:21 JennyMoon: so anyone can create?
21:39:40 SusanEttenheim: jenny do you mean enter a question?
21:40:03 neil stephenson: lightybug.. i've heard so much of the maine project - do you use the laptops much for science?
21:40:07 JennyMoon: No, I mean like a teacher, school or district could create a forum
21:40:24 lightybug: all the time
21:40:43 SusanEttenheim: yes I believe so jenny
21:40:46 lightybug: i do virtual labs
21:40:47 neil stephenson: ok.. got the vioce now!
21:40:57 PeggyG: Hooray Neil!! What worked?
21:41:03 SusanEttenheim: good neil! what fixed it?
21:41:12 lightybug: and use noteshare so the students uplad their work to my laptop
21:41:27 neil stephenson: lightybug.. do you have blog/wiki where you post?  the science teachers at my school are always looking for good ways to implement tech into science
21:41:44 lightybug: then I take my laptop home and correct and they copy and paste the next day to get their grade from my virtual notebook
21:41:57 cason: a classroom without paper- sweet!
21:42:01 lightybug: i would like to start one
21:42:06 lightybug: but have been so busy
21:42:18 lightybug: but I am on twitter
21:42:26 PeggyG: @Neil-Sheila Adams has a fantastic science website for her Jr. High students in Rye NH! Have you seen it?
21:42:43 neil stephenson: i'm looking for good ways to ways to use laptops for science - peggy - whats the link?
21:42:46 lightybug: and athere are many maine technology teachers on twitter that I have linked to
21:43:02 lightybug: no i have not
21:43:02 cason: are you lightybug on twitter?
21:43:02 neil stephenson: lighty - I'm @neilstephenson
21:43:17 PeggyG: http://www.ryejrhigh.org/science/
21:43:38 lightybug: david trask has a blot as well he is great and runs the open source FOSSED conferences in NE and beyon
21:43:49 neil stephenson: Peggy.. thanks so much - i'll follow the link
21:43:49 lightybug: open source
21:43:53 lightybug: yes i am
21:44:05 PeggyG: Lots of great links and resources on the NH site!
21:44:10 lightybug: i suggest david trask .. he is great
21:44:37 neil stephenson: david trask.. perfect.. I'll follow that up as well!
21:44:51 lightybug: his blog is called flubbernuggets
21:45:02 lightybug: that should make it easier
21:45:15 lightybug: i like this site
21:45:26 PeggyG: I love the concept of video responses :-)
21:45:35 lightybug: found it via larry jeffryes on twitter
21:46:05 lightybug: who has started ot follow me ..
21:46:13 neil stephenson: lightybug.. I've added you on twtiter.. thanks
21:46:20 onehundone: lighty whats your twitter name
21:46:27 lightybug: i have found so many contacts with twitter
21:46:34 lightybug: i will follow you as well neil
21:46:37 PeggyG: Awesome lightybug! I get lots of great resources from Larry Jeffryes!
21:47:05 SusanEttenheim: hi steckelbuddy welcome
21:47:12 SusanEttenheim: where and what do you teach?
21:47:29 cason: just added lightybug and neil as well- real name is Sheila!
21:47:38 lightybug: lightybug is my twitter name
21:47:38 Paul Allison: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/26/normalizing_the_internet....
21:47:55 steckelbuddy: hello- guess I didn't get in late.  Work at Dakota Valley- in North Sioux City, SD.  Technology Director
21:48:07 neil stephenson: I've added Larry Jeffryes.. thanks!
21:48:18 SusanEttenheim: welcome steckelbuddy glad you're here
21:49:08 SusanEttenheim: ahh we just used google moderator when I was there last month
21:49:17 SusanEttenheim: has anyone used it?
21:49:42 JennyMoon: is this being recorded for us to listen to again?
21:50:06 SusanEttenheim: yes jenny our shows are posted at edtechtalk.com and teachersteachingteachers.org
21:50:15 JennyMoon: thank you
21:50:27 SusanEttenheim: and you can continue the conversation on both blogs
21:50:34 JennyMoon: teachersteachingteachers is one of the blogs I read
21:50:43 SusanEttenheim: :)
21:50:50 PeggyG: great question Paul!
21:51:32 jackiegerstein: Yes - but Obama made fun of the online community - got some poor feedback.
21:52:02 JennyMoon: I borrow things from you all the time for my wiki :)
21:52:26 lightybug: really i am surprised as he is such a blackberry man
21:52:26 SusanEttenheim: would you like to share that link jenny?
21:52:34 JennyMoon: jmoon.wikispaces.com
21:52:43 PeggyG: he couldn't possibly address all of the questions asked
21:54:04 JennyMoon: My office has a good relationship with Rep. Aderholt's local office.....I will ask that he take a look at this.
21:54:04 PeggyG: does the use of video responses limit participation to those who have the technology and know how to use it?
21:54:11 lightybug: i have a question
21:54:24 SusanEttenheim: yes lightybug
21:54:27 SusanEttenheim: ?
21:54:38 onehundone: can you print the text too?
21:54:42 lightybug: i heard of an online progarm that allowed for a discussion
21:54:52 PeggyG: no gatekeepers-good point
21:54:52 lightybug: over a picture place in the middle or a question
21:55:11 lightybug:  and the participants all could talk into the program
21:55:23 SusanEttenheim: on one computer?
21:55:34 SusanEttenheim: has anyone heard of that?
21:55:45 lightybug:  and there user names and voices were recorded next to the picture/question
21:55:51 lightybug: no
21:55:57 lightybug:  from there own laptop
21:56:08 lightybug:  could be in same room or in different places
21:56:12 SusanEttenheim: how interesting lightybug
21:56:17 lightybug: it has the word audio in it
21:56:27 lightybug: wondering if someone knows what it is
21:56:49 lightybug: i saw it on someones tweet
21:56:59 PeggyG: I've heard of Veeple that allows you to add comments to a video in a collaborative manner. Is that it? http://www.veeple.com
21:56:59 lightybug: but it did not book mark for some reason
21:57:05 SusanEttenheim: humm let us know!
21:57:08 lightybug: perhaps
21:57:11 lightybug:  let me look
21:57:11 JennyMoon: VoiceThread?
21:57:48 SusanEttenheim: good call jenny!! I bet you're right!
21:58:39 lightybug: veeple is nt it i think it is open source
21:58:46 PeggyG: VoiceThread definitely does that
21:58:53 lightybug: maybe voice thread yes
21:59:24 PeggyG: you can audio or text comments to VoiceThreads and use PPT slides or video on it
21:59:51 lightybug: yes that is it ty vm
21:59:53 lightybug: awesome
21:59:57 SusanEttenheim: hi dtitle welcome where and what do you teach?
22:00:13 lightybug: how often is the site open
22:00:21 PeggyG: Your description definitely sounds like VoiceThread
22:00:34 lightybug: yes i have it now
22:00:48 lightybug: i will use it in my class i think
22:01:09 JennyMoon: Thank you David!  This was great!
22:01:38 jackiegerstein: Thanks - this is interesting
22:01:40 PeggyG: http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/ Tons of great examples of VoiceThreads here
22:02:22 PeggyG: Fascinating conversation!! Really learned a lot and can't wait to explore David's site more!!
22:02:32 onehundone: Thank you David.  This was great!
22:02:41 lightybug: how often is this open
22:02:44 JennyMoon: night
22:02:47 PeggyG: Thanks David!
22:02:50 lightybug: this room
22:02:56 SusanEttenheim: night all
22:03:08 SusanEttenheim: jlightybug just check the schedule at edtechtalk.com
22:03:15 PeggyG: Good night everyone. HOpe to see you next week.
22:03:18 SusanEttenheim: we're here every wed from 9-10 est
22:03:21 lightybug: ty
22:03:30 lightybug: great
22:03:37 lightybug: good nite all
22:03:38 SusanEttenheim: night all