I am a Google Certified Teacher and CUE Lead Learner. I teach 9th and 10th grade English language arts at Windsor High School in Sonoma County.
I spent the 2011-2012 school year on leave from teaching while I finished writing my first book titled Blended Learning for Grades 4-12: Leveraging the Power of Technology to Create a Student-Centered Classroom (Corwin Publishing). I am an advocate for a teacher-designed blended learning model that encourages educators to engage students in active learning online using a range of Web 2.0 tools to complement traditional instruction.
In addition to writing, I spent my year off leading professional development (online and in person), designing curriculum and support resources, and speaking at EdTech events (CUE, TIES, FETC, ISTE, etc.) all over the country on subjects related to blended learning, flipped classroom, and online discussions.
I earned my B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles and received my Single Subject English Credential and Education Masters from the University of California, Santa Barbara. My Masters in Education focused on creating and maintaining a safe space in the classroom to lower the affective filter and create a more supportive and effective learning environment to foster dynamic discussions and improve learning outcomes.
Find me on Twitter at @CTuckerEnglish.
Note: If you are interested in contracting a blended learning expert to support the teachers in your district in successfully adopting and integrating technology, feel free to post a comment to my About page.
Hi Catlin,
I JUST started reading your posts and information on Collaborize Classroom – and I love them! I teach middle school English and feel that this application has so much potential. I know that you have multiple classes as well, so may I ask how you set up the site? Do you set up a different “category” for each class, or do you group all of them together? I am still working my way through the logistics of the site and any help/advice you can give is much appreciated. Thanks – and thanks!
Hello Diana,
I apologize for this ridiculously late reply. My blog has so much spam that I am only now making my way back to the summer postings! My apologies.
I am thrilled you have enjoyed my postings on Collaborize Classroom. I teach high school English (though I am on sabbatical this year because I just finished my first book on Blended Learning for K-12 teachers- to be published in June).
I used my single Collaborize site with 6 classes (164 students total). I did create a category for each class and named them 2A English, 3A English, etc. Then I had category groups (i.e. discussion questions, test preparation, creative writing, etc.) under each category for the different types we did online (…I know the wording category vs. category group is confusing).
Now with the “Groups” feature you can create a group for each class so they only see the questions you post for them as a class.
You may be well on your way by now, but I wanted to respond since I had not seen this comment before. Please let me know if you have any questions at this point in the year I can answer!
Catlin
Glad to see your having success Catlin.
Hi Catlin!
We’ve connected in the past on #edchat and I wanted to reach out and let you know about a new site we just launched: Teach.com. Because of your importance and influence in education and teaching I wanted to let you know about the new site!
If you’re interested in getting involved with the site or guest posting on our blog, we’d love to have you — We’d also love some help building our PLN on Twitter (@Teachdotcom) so any help you can give would be very appreciated!
See you on #edchat!
Sarah
Hello Sarah,
I will definitely check out Teach.com and I would love to contribue to your blog. After I get a feel for it, I will make sure to mention it on #edchat. Thank you for reaching out! It is always nice to connect with other people in education.
Catlin
Thanks Catlin!
Do you ever use Collaborize as a venue for students to present work (like creative writing, etc.) that is not a direct response to a discussion question, so then other students can see it and respond to it? I am thinking about having my students start submitting work on Collaborize… What do you think?
Hello Rebekah,
Yes, I use my site for creative and formal writing all the time. I like to use media (bizarre pictures or interesting videos) to inspire creative writing on a variety of topics. I create a Vote or Suggest question type and embed the media, then ask students to post their story or poem. After everyone has submitted their creative piece, I ask them to vote for their favorite story. It has been so fun and validating for them. I can tell they put much more effort into their work because they know their peers will be reading them, replying to each other and voting for their favorites.
When we work on a process paper for a formal essay topic, I ask them to post parts of their essay for peer review. One night I will ask them to post their introduction with hook and thesis for peer feedback. Then I have them select their strongest example of a quote with analysis to share since so many of them struggle with analyzing. I will also post feedback if the class does not catch and error, but it makes my job so much easier since they do a great job of providing each other with constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement (especially after we practiced a few times).
Let me know if you have any additional questions! Good luck.
Catlin
I am trying to set up my site to use and am having problems. When I go into the topic library it asks me to create a library profile. I fill out the information requested and click “save my profile”, but it continually tells me {object Object} and won’t save it. Any help?
Hi Mary,
I would suggest sending the tech support team at Collaborize Classroom a message http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/support. I have not heard of that problem before. My profile set up without a problem.
Good luck!
Catlin
Hello Mick and Vicky,
I apologize for not responding to your message from this summer sooner! My blog gets so much spam that I am just now wading through these messages.
I have a ton of resources for teachers using technology that I can share. In fact, I just finished my first book Blended Learning for Grades 4-12: Leveraging Technology to Create a Student Centered Classroom which will be published in June 2012.
A collection of my resources are hosted at Collaborize Classroom and you can access them at http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/resources. You can view them and/or download them for free. They are great for any teacher incorporating online work (discussions, group work, etc.) into the traditional classroom setting = blended learning.
Let me know if you have a need for a resource you don’t see because I may have it in my private collection!
Nice to connect with you.
Catlin
Dear Catlin,
I just listened into your Common Core presentation with Simple K12 and I think you would be a great presenter for ISTE, as well. Would you be willing to talk further about presenting a possible webinar for ISTE?
Let me know. Thanks, Sherry Bosch, ISTE
Hello Caitlin,
Dear Caitlin,
It’s been a while, but I just wanted to let you know that you were by far the most thoughtful presenter I encountered at the FETC 2012 conference. I really enjoyed your presentation, and have only just started looking at your blog, where I was happy to find the same sorts of insightful evaluation of trends in educational technology.
Keep up the good work!
Michelle
Thank you, Michelle!
I really enjoyed FETC. I’m looking forward to (hopefully) returning next year. I actually just submitted my sessions for FETC 2013 last week.
Glad to hear you are enjoying my blog. Take care!
Catlin
Caitlin,
I am putting a handbook together for my NPO’s online teachers. I found an article you wrote, and would like to use it within that handbook, citing you, of course. Can you contact me directly so that I can give you the specifics?
Catlin,
My colleague and I saw you at the GAFE California Summit a few weeks ago, and we are interested in implementing some of your ideas in our classrooms this year. You mentioned that you have each of your students create a gmail account and that you have a letter you send home about that. I wondered if it would be possible to get a copy of your letter or some suggestions for what to include in a letter of our own, if you wouldn’t mind.
We really enjoyed your presentation and are very excited to get started using more technology in our classrooms this year!
Thank you,
Stephanie
Hi Catlin,
I just accessed your site through the link on Mind Shift, specifically to the part on Project-Based learning. I teach high school English at a small charter school in Milwaukee, WI, and have been interested in implementing PBLs, but am sometimes stumped with how to come up with real-world problems to tackle in the English classroom. To this end, I am curious about any resources or suggestions you might have.
Thanks!
Leslie
Hi Leslie,
I found an list of ideas for “driving questions” on Tommy Vincent’s blog:
Example Driving Questions:
How can we best stop the flu at our school?
Is it worth the expense to move to an organic diet?
Which element of the periodic table is most important?
Should the U.S. use the metric system?
Which simple machine is most important to you?
Should government bail out businesses?
Is it better to buy or lease a car?
What if Rosa Parks never gave up her seat?
Design a better lunch menu for your school.
What if students use their own mobile devices in school?
I really enjoyed reading Thom Markham’s blog about “How Project-Based Learning Educates the Whole Child.”
I hope you find some ideas that are helpful!
Catlin
I was just going over the Collaborize Classroom lessons for this year and I find that one of your postings does not work anymore. It is called “Change for a Dollar.” when I go into it now and click on the video, it goes to a black screen and says “Private.” Is there a way around this or do you want to remove it from the shared lessons?
Thanks for all the other lessons that you have shared.
Hi Mary Beth,
I just did a YouTube search and also couldn’t find it. It must have been removed.
My apologies.
Catlin
Catlin,
I wanted to drop a thank you on you for two things. I think we first cross paths at the Edu Summit at YouTube and I sensed your excellence. But onto my thank yous. One, for being a major force behind tech integration, the right way…. where traditional literacy is being used to facilitate in the design of high tech web 2.0 digital compositions. I have been waging that war at the University of Buffalo, adjuncting new literacies in the Graduate School of Ed for a while…and in the classroom in the Buffalo Public Schools. it is indeed a noble fight to wage. Especially today.
Secondly, holy crapola! Thank you for my inclusion in your new, super dynamic, most awesome, “Teacher’s Guide to Using Video”. Yeah for me. And everyone else who made it into the golden book. Seriously thanks. I have already shown my Graduate students and rest assured they will be part of the next generation of curators and creators as they prepare their kids to inquire about the world around them.
Keep up the good fight. As much as I love video, I know from the song, the revolution will not televised, it will be waged.
Much Peace,
Keith
HipHughes History
Hi Keith,
It was a privilege to meet the creative minds behind the videos as the Edu Summit. I realized how unfamiliar I was with the educational content available on YouTube. Like most teachers, I didn’t feel like I had the time to search out quality video content. I’m hoping the guide will point other teachers interested in video content, but short on time, to some great channels.
Thank you for the hard work you do to maintain a quality station. It was a great addition to the guide.
Take care!
Catlin
Hi Catlin,
I’ve seen some of your debate topics on Collaborize, and I’m curious whether you assign them regularly and all students respond, or whether you posted a set and let students select which one they find most interesting?
Took your “class” at CUE in October and enjoyed it thoroughly, by the way!
Thanks,
Mark Rathjen
Danville, CA
Hi Mark,
I use the topics periodically. I design them in chunks (when I have time) and share them with the topic library hoping they might be useful to others. I usually post 2 or 3 at a time and allow students to select the one that interests them most. I want them to have enough other students in the discussion to yield interesting conversations, but I also want them to have some freedom of choice.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the CUE workshop. I had a nasty head cold that weekend, so I did not get to spend as much time at Fall CUE as I would have enjoyed. I’m looking forward to this year!
Take care. Thank you for the comment.
Catlin
Hi Catlin,
We met at CUE this past year and I enjoyed hear about the various tools you are using in your classroom, one being Collaborize Classroom. I would like to start using it for a final project for my students to create discussions for their peers, but I have some questions. When I login to Collaborize Classrooms I see your post from your workshop I participated in with your description about how it was used in your workshop. Is that login my own account or was it through your Collaborize account since you had to approve us? Can I use the same login with my students? If so, how do I make the homepage my own?
Thank you for your time.
Rob Hoffman
Hello Rob,
You will need to create your own Collaborize Classroom site to use with students. The site you have access to is one I set up, so I am the moderator. Go to http://www.CollaborizeClassroom.com to sign up.
Once you have created a site, you can give students your URL and ask them to “register.” Then you will need to approve them so they have access to the site.
After you have your students on the site, you can show them how to “Start a Discussion.” As the moderator, you will need to “Approve” questions before they are visible to other members of your CC community.
Catlin