tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74654402024-03-13T03:46:36.026-07:00HJ's Motley MiscellaneaMy goal here is to offer a wide variety of news, views, and tips with a focus on technology and how it can enhance learning. But that doesn't mean there won't be -- uh -- surprises along the way.....
Most of all, I hope to offer you many serendipitous visits. Enjoy!Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.comBlogger401125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-63295273554468503392019-12-29T15:54:00.000-08:002019-12-29T15:54:29.448-08:00Have a really awoken from a many months long nap??? Can't believe I haven't posted in soooooo long. I better get on the stick.Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-55724214661306753142018-09-01T18:14:00.000-07:002018-09-01T18:14:18.231-07:00Taking a moment to acknowledge the passing of John McCain. I don't usually traffic in terms like "great" or "giant" or even "patriot" and definitely not "hero". But, in this case, all of those terms seem to fit the man whose funeral we witnessed today.Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-18333749235053974002016-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:002016-04-29T13:11:03.335-07:00ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 4<i>Today is the final day of the</i><br />
<h4>
ATLIS 2016 National Conference in Atlanta*</h4>
The main item on today's agenda is visits to selected schools in the Atlanta area. The choices were<br />
<ul>
<li>Georgia Tech Invention Center</li>
<li>Epstein School</li>
<li>Mount Vernon Presbyterian School</li>
<li>The Westminster Schools</li>
<li>Trinity School of Atlanta</li>
</ul>
I was tempted by the Georgia Tech Invention Center but ended up deciding to go to Trinity. My thinking was that, although it servers overall a younger age group, it was a better choice for me to visit a school rather than a university, however tempting Georgia Tech was.<br />
<br />
We left the hotel around 8:30 a.m. on a bus and headed for Trinity. We were met by Eugene Horn who is Trinity's IT Director. Turns out he spent some years in Seattle so we had a little connection there. I also had run into him at one of the sessions at the conference.<br />
<br />
Trinity is quite a wonderful facility. Their highest grade level is 6th. They seem to have a vibrant technology department and the whole school was beautiful and very impressive.<br />
<br />
We spent a fair amount of time in their recently redesigned and remodeled library and tech spaces including a maker space area. We had a chance to chat with the primary teacher in the maker area, Kevin Howard, and Library Media Specialist, Rebekah Daniell. They both seem to run very high quality programs.<br />
<br />
Eugene was a great host and I came away from Trinity with vivid memories of their media studio, their open and full-of-light library, their very well organized and designed maker space, and just the beautiful condition of the whole school. It's an amazing place!!!<br />
<br />
I took a bunch of pictures which I hope to be able to add here at some point. Here's one to whet the appetite:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKpkg2sRajyLJjh0QJaoN7rDAJVuW2zG8Y5i3Haau7ONTKuk7_6mLuqsfB2o6o8ae3LcM_02A6-DmDAVbK1-Pk1RFmiAztDMQbJneQDHHzd8prSqtwv5zRTqvVKoH2kTjh1-dCQ/s1600/trinity_school_tour_april2016+%252824%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKpkg2sRajyLJjh0QJaoN7rDAJVuW2zG8Y5i3Haau7ONTKuk7_6mLuqsfB2o6o8ae3LcM_02A6-DmDAVbK1-Pk1RFmiAztDMQbJneQDHHzd8prSqtwv5zRTqvVKoH2kTjh1-dCQ/s320/trinity_school_tour_april2016+%252824%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
*By the way, in the category of <u>Preview of Coming Attractions</u>, the <b>ATLIS 2017 National Conference</b> will take place in Los Angeles, CA, from April 23 - 26, 2017.<br />
<br />Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-10252988535613042062016-04-26T09:15:00.000-07:002016-04-27T14:48:04.594-07:00ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 3<h3>
Welcome to Day 3 of ATLIS 2016 in Atlanta Georgia!</h3>
<br />
After breakfast, the first sessions was:<br />
<br />
<b>PD Crossfit -- Get Your Teaching Skills in Shape One Hour at a Time -- On Demand!</b><br />
Presenters:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Jackie Christensen from Blackbaud K12</li>
<li>Laura Flynn from Louisville High School</li>
</ul>
<br />
Laura was the primary presenter and her emphasis was trying to rebrand PD so that people might view participating in professional development in a manner that echoed physical fitness. In other words, that it is an activity and endeavor that people "do" on a regular basis and maybe do PD in shorter more compact units. She worked to package a number of topics in one-hour activities that were posted on her LMS (Blackbaud) and the design was such that people could jump into an activity as they wished. It's also true that she tries to create her "crossfit" topics on a regular basis and push out an announcement of a new topic about every week or two.<br />
<br />
It occurred to me that I could add a sort of PD area on my Tech/Learning Haiku site although it may be more effective to create a separate site dedicated to professional development and keep it separate from all the tech tips and help topics housed now in the Tech/Learning site.<br />
<br />
In planning her PD "crossfits" she mimics a pattern you might use to design a physical crossfit workout:<br />
<ul>
<li>Warm-up</li>
<li>Practice</li>
<li>Pulse Checking</li>
<li>Teamwork</li>
<li>Challenge Exercise</li>
<li>Cool Down</li>
</ul>
I'm going to see if I can design some topics in this sort of compact style and see if I get any takers.<br />
<br />
Another fundamental belief of Laura's when conceptualizing professional development training she works to have her design goal that the unit should be designed for <i>learning</i> not <i>technology</i>.<br />
<br />
Next session was:<br />
<b>Privacy and EdTech Software -- Building Consensus and Minimizing Risk</b><br />
Presenter:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Bill Fitzgerald</li>
</ul>
<br />
Mr. Fitzgerald is part of CommonSense.Org (or Common Sense Media). His blog is at:<br />
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/users/bill-fitzgerald/bio<br />
His presentation will be available on his blog at some point soon. I'll be able to include more details once the presentation is posted since, once he made that announcement, I decided not to take more notes. A couple things he mentioned that I'll include now was an encouragement to do "phishing fire drills" (like the security presentation yesterday also advocated). Also lobbied for schools to get their communities to try and get to the point where people used password managers and not unencrypted spreadsheets or post-its or such totally non-secure methods.<br />
<br />
Mr. Fitzgerald is also a strong proponent of doing what it takes to get one's school culture to accept ramped up password security including enterprise adoption of a password manager (he uses OnePass and also felt that LastPass was worth investigating).<br />
<br />
One big question he posed was: Who -- or what process -- decides what educational software is used in the classroom? Who researches the Terms/Conditions as part of that software?<br />
<br />
Sort of random security literacy question that he posed: do your faculty members know how to encrypt a flashdrive?<br />
<br />
Following session 2 was the general session called:<br />
<b>A Look Into The Future: A Conversation About The Future of Education</b><br />
Presenters:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Brad Rathgeber -- Executive Director, Online School for Girls</li>
<li>Kawai Lai - VP, Education Technology and Learning Services, NAIS</li>
<li>Kevin Lewis -- Director of the Innovation Lab, First Data (Kevan said that First Data is a major player in the world of processing credit card use)</li>
</ul>
<br />
This was a general session devoted to a Q and A led by ATLIS Director <b>Sarah Hanawald</b> directed to the three folks listed above.<br />
<br />
Some of the questions were chosen by Sarah and others came from tweets from the audience that were displayed on-screen during the conversation.<br />
<br />
Afternoon "Deep Dive" I participated in was:<br />
<b>"Redesigning Professional Development: Come with a Question, Leave with a Plan"</b><br />
Presenters:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Kali Baird</li>
<li>Ethan Delavan</li>
<li>Kathryn Ulmer</li>
</ul>
<br />
This was a very interactive session where we participants were immediately divided up into small groups of two and asked to perform a number of exercises including coming up with our own super-hero moniker.<br />
<br />
<i>Geographical sidenote: Presenter Ethan is from Bush and participants Jeff Tillinghast (University Prep), Daisy Steele (Caitlin Gabel), and I (Lakeside School) were all participants from the Northwest!! So, at least in this session, the West Coast was amply represented!!!</i><br />
<br />Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-39890961066721437722016-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:002016-04-27T14:34:28.644-07:00ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 2<br />
After yesterday's good start, today I'm embarking on my first full day of the <b>2016 ATLIS National Conference in Atlanta.</b><br />
<br />
The day began with the <b>Opening Keynote: Making the K-12 College Connection</b>. The speakers were from the Georgia Institute of Technology. <br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Amit Jariwala -- Director of Design and Innovation</li>
<li>Julie Linsey -- Associate Professor of CAD and Design</li>
</ul>
<br />
In addition to the professors, there were also two students who took part:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Lauren Murphy</li>
<li>Thomas Spencer</li>
</ul>
<br />
The main topic was the Invention Studio which is a space where all students are able to come and do maker-type projects with 3D printers, laser cutters, power tools, and much more. I was impressed to learn that all students are welcome to use the facility.<br />
<br />
After the keynote was a session titled: <b>The Worlds of Tech and Ed -- Bridging the Divide</b><br />
Justin Culley was the presenter and his presentation was called "<i>Relationship Building</i>" -- an examination of the various issues and challenges of building effective and productive working relationships with the teachers one supports that will lead to greater integration of technology into their curricula. A fairly significant amount of time was spent by table discussions where those of us at each table chatted about the importance of developing a level of trust between faculty members we support and ourselves.<br />
<br />
<b>The Evolution and Future of "SIS"</b> -- Representatives of Veracross -- Presenters were Aaron Vogelsang and Rick Ellis<br />
This was more of an overview of the ways in which an SIS system has evolved including the founding of Veracross and the movement to where now the main emphasis is web apps and cloud storage.<br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Demo of Veracross/Axiom</b> -- Presenters were (again) Aaron Vogelsang and Rick Ellis.<br />
This was a pretty much a sampler of how-to-use-Axiom with Aaron doing a series of demos; it was n't a hands-on practice session. It was clear that Veracross CMS is a powerful tool and is capable of housing a great amount of data. One point of Aaron's presentation was making the case that Veracross has a number of built-in tools that cover a wide range of data sorting and accessing tools for all the constituents of the school community.<br />
<br />
<b>Cyber Security: Now and Next</b> -- Presenters were Jamie Britto and Daniel Hudkins<br />
Jamie had an effective presentation about proactive steps that should be taken to help protect one's school from cyber attacks. He put great emphasis on 2-step authentication (which he rolled out in a 30-month process that started with 9 administrators and then next level administrators and then the next level until he reached the "part time teachers and coaches". He also sends out spoof phishing emails (maybe using a firm called SANS to do it) once a month. Everyone is informed that this will happen but no one (not even Jamie) knows when one will arrive or what it will look like.<br />
<br />
A point made by both Jamie and Daniel was the importance of examining the rentention policies of one's institution. You can't lose data that you don't have. They particularly encouraged careful thought about retention policies governing email and documents.<br />
<br />
Daniel, from the Harker School, reported on their actual experience with a ransomware attack that took place at his school. If nothing else, he put great emphasis on the importance of every school having a plan for when such an attack will happen.....not when. Stats indicate to him that it's gonna happen to everyone someday....... By the way, Mr. Hudkins at the Harker School notes that they've decided to pay for cyber insurance. He doesn't necessarily recommend this move to everyone, but his school "went there".Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-41335089707971524942016-04-24T14:14:00.000-07:002016-04-27T14:17:42.579-07:00ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 1<br />
I'm in Atlanta staying at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Midtown Atlanta in order to attend<br />
<b><br /></b>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<b>ATLIS 2016 National Conference: Rising Above the Cloud</b></h2>
<br />
After registering earlier today, I attended my first session:<br />
<br />
<b>What's Next? Transformative Trends in EdTech</b><br />
<br />
Presenters:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Esin Sile, MindBridge Partners</i><br />
<i>Keith Gillette, MindBridge Partners</i><br />
<i>Scott Roy, Carney, Sandoe and Associates</i></blockquote>
The organizing principle for this session was roundtable discussion (there were three round tables with chairs in the conference meeting room).<br />
<br />
The presenters offered survey results that asked respondents the relative importance they would assign to three trends:<br />
<ul>
<li>Student Data Privacy -- Protecting Student Rights in an Interconnected World</li>
<li>1-to-1 & BYOD -- Implementation Imperatives in Enabling Digital Learning</li>
<li>Maker Movement -- Opportunities for Integrative Instruction, Innovation, and Problem-Solving</li>
</ul>
Polling the people in the room, the organizers decided that we would divide into three groups (one at each table) and discuss and explore the Maker Movement topic for 20 minutes or so and then report back to the full group. The presenters provided us with a series of questions to frame our discussion.<br />
<br />
Our table had a lively discussion after which our volunteer note-taker represented our discussion back to the group.<br />
<br />
In fact, this discussion lasted nearly an hour. After the table groups shared their individual discussions, the presenters decided we would simultaneously discuss the other two topics at separate tables for about 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
We finished the session with brief sharing from both the Student Data and 1-to-1/BYOD groups.<br />
<br />
Those of us in the session were generally impressed by the set of questions that facilitators had formulated for each topic. It seems like a good idea to document those questions here.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Trend #1</u></b>: <b>Student Data Privacy</b><br />
<b>Protecting student rights in an interconnected world</b><br />
<br />
<u>Questions</u>:<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Do you have an established student data privacy policy at your institution? Who maintains it? How is it disseminated?<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On what, if any, local, state and federal privacy standards is your student data privacy policy based?<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What student data privacy best practices have you implemented in your institution?<br />
4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How do you manage parental consent? Do you use any third-party tools to manage parental consent?<br />
5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Do you allow faculty to create student accounts with outside vendors or do you manage that centrally?<br />
6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you allow faculty to create student accounts, how do you screen provider privacy policies?<br />
7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When collecting assessment data to personalize student learning, what uses are acceptable and unacceptable? Who should have access to performance data tied to individual students?<br />
8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How do you teach students and parents about the importance of protecting student identity and personal data online? Do you have a digital citizenship curriculum?<br />
9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How do you manage student data privacy, password policies, data storage and encryption with cloud providers and third party vendors? Do you have established measures<br />
such as policies, assessments, and training at your institutions?<br />
10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>At your school, is there a defined protocol for retiring accounts if a student leaves or graduates?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Trend #2</u></b>: <b>One-to-One and BYOD</b><br />
<b>Implementation imperatives in enabling digital learning</b><br />
<br />
<u>Questions</u>:<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For what percentage of your student population have you implemented a 1:1 or BYOD program?<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>At what grade levels do you think a 1:1 student:device ratio is appropriate and why?<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What device requirements have you set for your 1:1 or BYOD program and why?<br />
4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you allow it, how does your faculty manage variation in platform capabilities in lesson design and delivery?<br />
5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What adoption resistance have you faced among your faculty & how have you addressed it?<br />
6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What resistance have you faced among your parents and how have you addressed it?<br />
7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What faculty professional development strategies have you found effective in supporting your program?<br />
8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What percentage of your faculty use of technology fall into each of the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) levels?<br />
9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By what metrics do you measure 1:1/BYOD program success?<br />
10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What role have students played in your 1:1/BYOD program?<br />
11.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How do you address equity issues arising from families with different financial circumstances in a BYOD environment?<br />
12.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How do you manage application deployment and licensing for your students' devices?<br />
13.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What about a 1:M environment?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Trend #3</u></b>: <b>Maker Movement</b><br />
<b>Opportunities for integrative instruction, innovation, and problem-solving</b><br />
<br />
Questions:<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How and why have you integrated the maker movement and related PBL, Design Thinking, & STEAM threads into your curricula?<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Have you established a 'maker space'? If so, what technology is available in it? How & why is it used?<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Does your school have a dedicated faculty member spearheading maker movement initiatives?<br />
4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What level of involvement does the curriculum director have in relation to your makerspace initiatives?<br />
5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Is your maker movement affiliated with your robotics club(s) or do you share resources between the groups (lab, equipment, faculty)?<br />
6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Are there formal opportunities (newsletters, open house, competitions) for showcasing student work in the areas of maker space?<br />
7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What is the relationship between your library your maker space?<br />
8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What resources do you use for educational and professional development to support your students and staff with maker initiatives?<br />
9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How are you measuring the effectiveness/success of your maker space initiatives?<br />
10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How is your maker space movement funded?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-78946021866148850042016-01-10T15:37:00.001-08:002016-01-10T15:38:46.415-08:00To TV or not TV? Plus a billion other questions!!Ever tried to shop for a new TV? What an Alice in Wonderland of specs and screen sizes and refresh rates and screen resolutions and on and on and on and on.<br />
<br />
How does anyone keep it all straight???Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-6364472373419975792015-04-16T18:21:00.001-07:002016-04-17T12:49:41.862-07:00ATLIS 2015 -- Day 1<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ATLIS -- Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The first-ever ATLIS National Conference started today. Held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City, CA (San Francisco Bay Area).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ATLIS came into being thanks to three co-founders</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gabe Lucas -- Director of Technology, Castilleja School</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Kelsey Vrooman -- Director of Educational Technology, Urban School of San Francisco</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stuart Posin -- Director of Academic & Administrative Technology, Marlborough School</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The conference began with introductions from Gabe, Kelsey, and Stuart and celebration of the fact that this first ATLIS get-together far exceeded the goals set by the founders for this first conference.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The keynote was by Keith Krueger who is the CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) which is described as "a nonprofit organization that serves as the voice for K-12 school system technology leaders in North America."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Keith's topic was: Building and Growing as an Education Technology Leader</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My next stop was a "deep dive workshop" also led by Mr. Krueger. The topic was: Privacy Issues in Independent School Education</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Afternoon sessions included Culture, Environment and Meaning: Critical Issues for Maker Spaces at 1:00 p.m. followed by Making the Most of Local, Online, and Face-to-Face Learning at 2:00 p.m.</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-15173662396959982622015-04-14T17:13:00.000-07:002015-04-16T17:15:45.115-07:00Please forgive!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Okay. Okay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So I essentially did disappear. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Well -- no promises -- but now I r-e-a-l-l-y hope to be better about keeping up with posting here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The intent is there. Now I need to prove myself up to the challenge!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As they say......stay posted.</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-6455753686956840732013-12-20T08:20:00.000-08:002013-12-20T08:20:39.741-08:00Disappeared maybe but I'm still kickin'!!!I don't know exactly why I never get around to posting new discoveries and cool stuff here -- it's not like I don't make the discoveries or try the cool things -- but I haven't been here to post for (obviously) a long time.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm still around. Maybe I'll do one of those New Year's Resolutions to be a more dedicated and consistent blogger!! It's a thought! :-)<br />
<br />
In the meantime......Happy Holidays to One And All! We're about to start <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">2014</span> believe it or not!!!Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-24128445455398850302013-07-17T12:00:00.001-07:002013-07-31T19:54:22.574-07:00Post Post-Workshop Thoughts -- iPad Workshop -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 8-10, 2013<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since I tend to be one who ruminates about things a bit -- some who know me would probably say that I spend WAY too much time in a state of rumination -- I've continued to reflect on my experience at the tablet conference. To repeat, it was a great experience and I am extremely glad I went and grateful to my school for making it possible for me to be there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Something I keep coming back to is the pedagogical rationale for all the talk among educators about the (some would say) radical changes happening in our schools where technology "revolutionizes" the classroom and the subjects we teach. Some of the terms one hears include: </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">workflow</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">flipping the classroom</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">video, video, video</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">digital literacy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">digital citizenship</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">information society</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">information management</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">critical thinking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">collaboration</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">21st century competencies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">programming</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and so on</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In my school, many of the above are oft-discussed, weighed, and touted as necessary components of our classrooms and curricula. I have heard myself bringing up for discussion plenty of the topics in this list and I would argue that many of my fellow educators reflect and talk about the above with total sincerity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Okay, so what's the big deal?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Probably nothing or ??????. But what keeps popping backing into my head is the physical layout of the classroom at Harvard where this tablet workshop was held. Four or five rows of student seats behind stationary tables in half-circles that descend from the last row of student seats to the first. And what do we find "down in front"? A chalkboard (or projector screen) and podium. This is clearly where the professor "stands and delivers" (which was the case for our presenters at the workshop, as well). The room did not offer any sort of the physical flexibility that I noticed. It seemed like a totally traditional classroom that had "teacher-centric" written all over it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And, on the couple days when we had to vacate the classroom we were using because a Harvard class was coming in, the Harvard class was totally run in that professor "stand and deliver" mode.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This I find quite interesting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In think back on all the discussion we've had in my school about transforming the classroom, 21st century skills, critical thinking, etc., we talk as if these changes are revolutionzing education. But, to the extent my school is a "prep" school preparing our kids for college (and explicitly for colleges like Harvard), it makes me wonder if were are doing our job to prepare them for the educational experience they will actually be having in those colleges they go to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just wondering. No solid conclusions on my part. No empirical studies. I probably should ask some of our grads and see what their feedback would be.......but I do seriously reflect on what I REALLY should be doing to prepare my Middle Schoolers for their best educational future. It is endlessly fascinating!!!!</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-73331350989462610232013-07-17T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-29T10:43:15.455-07:00Post-workshop Thoughts -- iPad Workshop -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 8-10, 2013<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, dear reader, it’s been a week since I left
the iPad Workshop organized and sponsored by EdTechTeacher.org and held in
Hauser Hall on the campus of Harvard University. It seems that a few words of reflection might
be in order.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First, I tip my hat (figuratively, of course) to
the two EdTechTeacher trainers that were running the workshop: Samantha Morra and Carl Hooker <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For three days I sat in awe of Sam’s total
command of all the things she talked and demo’d, along with her highly
professional style whenever she was “up there in front” while always maintaining her extremely
supportive, non-egotistical, mega-friendly personality. Carl also had a “command of the facts” and
was a very supportive presence always there to help out the 30 or so of us in
the room.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Great as the in-class experience was, the
question I need to revisit is the one I posed in my post prior to the start of
the workshop: What specific methodologies,
techniques, skills brought to students, and apps did I learn about and
experience during these three days spent in Cambridge? What makes a tablet a “killer device” that
transforms – or at least enhances – student learning?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Were I forced to answers those question, I’d have
to voice a (to me) surprising degree of uncertainty as to the answers. To cut to the chase, my conclusion, so far,
is that a tablet is a very cool piece of hardware – and there is an amazing and
impressive wealth of apps available for them – but it is not a game-changer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Do I love the fact that these tablets are instant
on/off? Yes. Do I love how light and portable they are? Absolutely.
Do I enjoy the ways you access and manipulate the screen (swiping,
tapping, drawing with a finger or stylus)?
You bet. Do I think kids would
love using these things? Totally. Do I find that a tablet can make it easier for people to collaborate? Yup.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Did the workshop teach me how kids, by using a
tablet can perform research projects in ways that are superior to a
laptop? Well, yes, in some ways. A built-in camera can grab a shot or video of
my frog dissection to which I can add an audio narration and then submit to my
teacher. I don’t think a traditional
on-paper lab report comes close to showing my teacher how much I know about
frog physiology let alone how to properly perform a dissection. And a laptop often has a camera these days
but is not nearly as portable and easy to manipulate as a tablet. Tablet is way superior to a laptop if multimedia, in-class experiences (and off-campus -- documenting finding my frog in a nearby swamp) need to be captured.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But what about producing a major research and
writing assignment about 19<sup>th</sup> century United States presidents? Or completing my short story for English?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The goal I keep repeating to my students when it
comes to “data entry” to their computer is that I challenge them to be able to
type in their ideas as fast as they can think.
This may be possible with a tablet’s on-screen keyboard but I have not
seen empirical evidence that this is possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the type of school where I teach, there is
enough emphasis on writing and large-scale research projects, for example, that I’m unable to totally buy a
tablet is <b><i>the</i></b> answer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If kids could have two devices – a tablet and a
laptop – that would be ideal. Probably
4-5 years from now people may take it for granted to have both devices at hand
or the hardware may morph into devices that are as light and easy to use as
tablets but make it possible for the productivity efficiencies that are more
native with today’s laptop. Nothing
stays still with technology. Change is
the way it’s always going to be. It will
be fascinating to see how this all plays out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To get back to the workshop, it was absolutely a
valuable experience for me. The breadth
of available apps that have to potential for big payoffs in the classroom and
curriculum was amazing. In fact, much of
our time was spent on exploring these apps which was rewarding. I’ve got many hours left of exploring them
yet left to do. Just look again at that table I included on Day 1. What an impressive list!!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But I also have a lot of
reflecting to do about keeping the focus on student learning and curricular
development and improvement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But that’s what’s so fun about this line of
work: <i>there’s never a dull moment!!!</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">P.S. If anyone actually reads this and can help me broaden my </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">perceptions</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> and learn ways I have not yet discovered about the advantages/capabilities of tablets in the classroom, please let me know. I am absolutely, positively a life-long learner!!</span></div>
Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-88299872350572418472013-07-10T22:00:00.000-07:002013-07-28T13:19:42.290-07:00iPad Workshop -- Day 3 -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 10, 2013<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, Day 3 has arrived. In most ways, these sessions have breezed by and now we're at the final session of this workshop. Kinda difficult to believe.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The list of "apps on tap" for today include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDPt2hVJC5p53lN0CbJxGduivmHlk1sB4G-zzmp1cG59bm4WxBdYTGh__U7GFI02jCGjR3qj3Ozhq6MYFnk7MKDO7rysci1d-S91D29IkJygF8_O5E0OxF3YZCHcteguwsZ9WDA/s1600/day3_ipad_workshop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDPt2hVJC5p53lN0CbJxGduivmHlk1sB4G-zzmp1cG59bm4WxBdYTGh__U7GFI02jCGjR3qj3Ozhq6MYFnk7MKDO7rysci1d-S91D29IkJygF8_O5E0OxF3YZCHcteguwsZ9WDA/s400/day3_ipad_workshop.JPG" width="165" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We started out spending some time hearing about how to project an iPad on a computer. Most time was spent on Reflector which is an app that you install on both your computer (which apparently includes both Mac & Windows) and on the iPad you want to project. More information about that available at:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">http://www.airsquirrels.com/reflector/</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Reflector is not the only option but, at $12.99, it is a relatively low-cost option for making it possible for a tablet to be mirrored on a screen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A .pdf of some instructions put together by EdTechTeacher can be found at:</span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-zMx78MK6cFNld2ZzZsSTBkVzQ/edit"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-zMx78MK6cFNld2ZzZsSTBkVzQ/edit</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another option for "mirroring" an iPad is AirServer which appears to cost $14.99</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">http://www.airserver.com/</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A further option with perhaps the most limitations/iffy would be to use Bluetooth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then we spent a chunk of time watching the movie "trailers" that people made yesterday at the end of the day using iMovie. Some pretty effective, not to mention entertaining and clever, videos were created in really a very few minutes by folks in the workshop using the Trailer tool in iMovie. And iMovie makes it pretty nearly a breeze to do. Easy to get sold on an app with such ease in putting together some video.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It would have been interesting, though, to create something more open-ended using iMovie rather than the trailers. Those trailer templates are very well-designed and organized. Again, they are a lot of fun, but I'm not sure the "trailer" approach would be that helpful with a video project in a classroom that has depth to it. But, there's a lot to say for having <b>fun</b> making a project!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Staying with the video topic, we briefly weighed the use of YouTube as an option to upload class videos, particularly uploading and saving videos in one of the private modes that keep student work inaccessible to those who have no business watching them and yet available to all who should be able to see it. Having this option is reassuring but pointing students to YouTube even with private URLs still begs the question of whether it is wise -- certainly with kids in elementary and middle school -- should be nosing around YouTube. A number of schools represented by the workshop participants to not allow YouTube access by students at school.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In terms of some other options, reference was made to Vimeo and iTunes U although, a bit surprisingly to me, not SchoolTube.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today's app expedition and share impressions included the following:</span><br />
<div class="c15 c4" style="direction: ltr; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 1.5;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Aurasma</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">30 Hands</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Haiku Deck</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Popplet Lite</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: inherit;">Nearpod</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Spreaker DJ</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">TouchApp Creator</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Trading Cards</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Videolicious</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The results of the group sharing of impressions of these apps is available <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UtP_-n5CD2ONmlllS03ZqU2Upn3Z2nuR812-rlb0hsQ/edit" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The final project of the workshop was next up on our agenda. And our task.....</span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<div>
Use Book Creator to create a ePub of your experiences,</div>
<div>
notes, resources, etc from the past 3 days</div>
<div>
Use the agenda and Today’s Meet to guide you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This was also a time when Sam and Carl circulated around the room answering some individual questions that people had about what we've explored since Monday.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Near the end of the day, Carl called our attention to a couple videos that speak to starting a movement and doing something to bring attention to an important cause. Here were two examples of the power of video not to mention the power of the energy, creativity, and commitment our kids can bring to all of our lives.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Derek Sivers shows us how movements get started. He shows video of the start of a movement all of which happens in less than 3 minutes. Check it out.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next came a very powerful video that was spearheaded by two kids with the help of an interested adult who had the means to create a song and record it. This is a wonderful example of what our students can do not to mention the importance of putting kids in charge of projects that meets their passion. In this case, the idea was to create something to counter bullying and finding ways to help those who are the victims of mistreatment. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Called "Lend a Hand", it is a YouTube video that was quite amazing to watch. You can watch it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylk9UsYHgcA" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was a great way to bring this workshop to a close and I'm grateful to both our facilitators for the great experience that was this iPad Classroom Workshop.</div>
</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-91404757009797331022013-07-09T22:00:00.000-07:002013-07-18T10:09:22.063-07:00iPad Workshop -- Day 2 -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 9, 2013<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 2 began with a look at another site that offers teachers the ability to poll/quiz/test students.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">InfuseLearning.com -- an online (free) resource for getting student responses, somewhat more flexible/useful than Socrative (including being able to download quick response items from kids) which you can't do with Socrative. Also class rosters can be imported.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another difference is that one form of answer can be a drawing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next we spent some time working with a "digital paper" app called Notability. Notability Intro and Challenge by Sam available here: <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gTiX6nZtpTweJJ6Sy_ssY0TYuG9W6493em5CK0kc6kk/edit#slide=id.p">https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gTiX6nZtpTweJJ6Sy_ssY0TYuG9W6493em5CK0kc6kk/edit#slide=id.p</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We moved on to doing more image capture/screen capture and got some practice using a free avatar creator called Tellegami to narrate a pretend vacation with the appropriate image. Examples of how to capture those images used both Maps (in iOS 6) and Google Earth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Psssst........Wordle and Tagxedo and ABCYA.com got mention here for word clouds, of course, but also avatar creation.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another app we got practice using is called Book Creator. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the time before lunch, the presentation moved to Digital Citizenship and Copyright. A great deal of importance was attached to "empathy" including the teaching of this concept in our classes. In fact, Sam classified empathy as <i>the</i> 21st century skill and called the presentation she shared with us: Empathy: The 21st Century Skill</span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LvVFNlolBLJWA-CsdTCLwdOfbgPsMKPlvVvV5HAgV7o/edit#slide=id.p"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LvVFNlolBLJWA-CsdTCLwdOfbgPsMKPlvVvV5HAgV7o/edit#slide=id.p</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We looked at Common Sense Media and their tools for Education and then Creative Commons. We were especially encouraged to -- if so moved -- license things we create using Creative Commons licences with the main goal of sharing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Final thing before lunch was a look at Subtext and what it offers for reading, including free books and monitoring reading by students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We moved on to some options for accessing a "whiteboard" on a tablet. Focus was on EduCreations, ScreenChomp, and Skitch. They even asked us to do a comparison (a Whiteboard app "smackdown") the results of which are <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qVgZglLfB35c784wLryOrrUYj06uFsHFgQhlMaH4-2c/edit" target="_blank">here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next app we visited was <a href="http://www.explaineverything.com/" target="_blank">Explain Everything</a>. The presentation shared with us is available at:</span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pRsew-wYcCjyXbkFtgZWEXqMtX6WIbVXs187HCK-nRc/edit#slide=id.p"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pRsew-wYcCjyXbkFtgZWEXqMtX6WIbVXs187HCK-nRc/edit#slide=id.p</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's a video available on Vimeo that gives an intro to Explain Everying</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/59845203" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/59845203">Explain Everything 2.0</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/morriscooke">MorrisCooke</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is a lot of explore in the things listed above. It was truly exciting to be introduced to such a wide variety of tools that seem to have the potential to offer teachers (and students) so much that will enhance teaching and learning. Already, though, the thought keeps bubbling up......when will I possibly have time explore all these great things!!!!????</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next we moved on to a discussion of digital storytelling and to audio recording and video editing. Garageband was the focus of our audio segment and iMovie for the video.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some EdTechTeacher slides about iMovie are available <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SFkosI71z54bXJRVVhaRL7kOpgbm5Dy2J4_UgMcAQLM/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000#slide=id.gea403520_2_0" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The final challenge of the day was to create a movie "trailer" using one of the built-in trailer templates that iMovie offers (many are very cool!) and go out of the classroom around the building -- whatever -- and add video recorded on the iPad or digital stills taken on the iPad to use in the trailer. Fun!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Difficult to believe Day 2 is already over but looking forward to Day 3!</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-40140854276789212972013-07-08T22:00:00.000-07:002013-07-18T10:09:06.676-07:00iPad Workshop -- Day 1 -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 8, 2013<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The iPad Classroom workshop began today at 8:30 a.m. in Hauser Hall on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, MA. I did not have 100% of my wits about me and spent way too much time trying to figure out where Hauser Hall is. May have been in the EdTech materials but I didn't have them with me and there was not a Harvard campus overview map ("You Are Here") to be found. Thanks to a few kind Harvard-ites, I eventually found my way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The EdTechTeacher.org presenters are:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Samantha Morra <span class="c1 c0" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="mailto:sam@edtechteacher.org" style="text-decoration: inherit;">sam@edtechteacher.org</a></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">, </span><span class="c1 c0" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://twitter.com/sammorra" style="text-decoration: inherit;">@sammorra</a></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">, </span><span class="c1 c0" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://samanthamorra.com/" style="text-decoration: inherit;">Thoughts on Education</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Carl Hooker <span class="c1 c0" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="mailto:carl@edtechteacher.org" style="text-decoration: inherit;">carl@edtechteacher.org</a></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">, </span><span class="c1 c0" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://twitter.com/mrhooker" style="text-decoration: inherit;">@mrhooker</a></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">, </span><span class="c1 c0" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://hookedoninnovation.com/" style="text-decoration: inherit;">Hooked on Innovation</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This list of the EdTechTeacher Summer Workshops 2013 is available here: <a href="http://edtechteacher.org/index.php/summer-workshops/sw2013">http://edtechteacher.org/index.php/summer-workshops/sw2013</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The website for my specific workshop is at: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pi71XZJ8nmyIujNteOynbCwgJJ3-cxN505ACaFu3q2w/pub">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pi71XZJ8nmyIujNteOynbCwgJJ3-cxN505ACaFu3q2w/pub</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After round-the-room introductions, Sam and Carl had us do a quick look at Padlet -- <a href="http://padlet.com/">http://padlet.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">where you can create a virtual "wall" that kids can post to by name or anonymously (but cautioned mightily about the anonymous possibility)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>and</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">TodaysMeet -- <a href="http://todaysmeet.com/">http://todaysmeet.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">TodaysMeet sets up a dialog for anyone who knows the URL to the discussion. It's kind of like a private, members only Twitter feed that you can set up and only have the people you want participating. One was set up for our workshop but since they only last something like two weeks and then (poof) are gone, I can't include a link here. However, TodaysMeet does make it possible to produce a .pdf of the TodaysMeet discussion and I have a copy of the comments & resources shared.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our facilitators had us take a "<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZVraWoCBUdZwbJTckPEKIqTeqOZDcSgGINOc1F2Yods/viewform" target="_blank">Getting to Know You</a>" Google Doc survey (form)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then it was a turn at setting the focus for the whole workshop with the following framework models and EdTechTeacher articles:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLYYBzW4yll58aApxpq_tKWJiFAW9QOyfLL5w9GUxEx3CG2Ie87_7d256HhvrVd-GTHA3W7eq83mWr3u7xBx3LXikWYEJaIsm10Rf1_XtbYZ_9dJLG0tdv9VcZJGwVaDotFZujA/s1600/ipad_workshop_framework.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLYYBzW4yll58aApxpq_tKWJiFAW9QOyfLL5w9GUxEx3CG2Ie87_7d256HhvrVd-GTHA3W7eq83mWr3u7xBx3LXikWYEJaIsm10Rf1_XtbYZ_9dJLG0tdv9VcZJGwVaDotFZujA/s640/ipad_workshop_framework.JPG" width="612" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next, Sam covered the basics of the iPad hardware and its basic use with a Google Docs presentation:</span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1szATI2Nvh86a1xzaMKMMOxme2HVKRds0Jq_gLfuYlB8/edit#slide=id.p"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1szATI2Nvh86a1xzaMKMMOxme2HVKRds0Jq_gLfuYlB8/edit#slide=id.p</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She did a good job of covering those topics and even (at least for me) shared some tips that were totally new to me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There's also a video introduction by EdTechTeacher at Vimeo:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/45147510" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/45147510">iPad Basics</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/edtechteacher">EdTechTeacher</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From this point on, we began an exploration of a variety of apps that can help fulfill the curricular concepts noted in the introduction. Rather than comment on each (at least for now), I'm going to let the list of what we explored speak for itself unless I feel I really have to add a word or two.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some discussion of the SAMR hierarchy (also above) which was part of the framework discussion. SAMR & the Schneiderman version (below) are both worth much thought as how to incorporate into curricular design:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">SAMR</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VdiMioBhd5ET_ci2avfABrWYTg7jg4fGjFgh0jBcyhXUoraZy1wDr1EYk_uz65F6UPGfiDHKF_lX1lZQxtMhvJ7T_aS8Ak0waACyyjdU8fgPgh8SYG_Ex7s1JI4GZn0EKr5Z9g/s1600/SAMR_framework.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VdiMioBhd5ET_ci2avfABrWYTg7jg4fGjFgh0jBcyhXUoraZy1wDr1EYk_uz65F6UPGfiDHKF_lX1lZQxtMhvJ7T_aS8Ak0waACyyjdU8fgPgh8SYG_Ex7s1JI4GZn0EKr5Z9g/s400/SAMR_framework.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Schneiderman</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0hsFee14aibm8QHxGeJn1lml4q37sorftEyOVqWeHqsN5PGDeGE9OfHHh67Joy4MG4Qx4R8uPOyC3EdUv6vhMRWgZU12rnuy7TPL8qaJmNpCToHPeY9CZkAQREgRdXJnXdRdSw/s1600/framework_ipad_workshop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0hsFee14aibm8QHxGeJn1lml4q37sorftEyOVqWeHqsN5PGDeGE9OfHHh67Joy4MG4Qx4R8uPOyC3EdUv6vhMRWgZU12rnuy7TPL8qaJmNpCToHPeY9CZkAQREgRdXJnXdRdSw/s400/framework_ipad_workshop.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In terms of apps, the workshop appears to be primed to cover a great many. The table below is a snapshot of the apps slated to be covered starting today through Wednesday.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBS5zF306SjjX7O3XVzUNhPnRIRSjRyjWZwKz6BHKyhCAwX8MnLyvIzB3sRM3vbfkUD8LnZJvwMJEEjENX1oyCVTjUMoVrmFwFh0ft9qCaCXkkqulZvsG6AsA7afDObl7BsHheg/s1600/recommended_apps_boston_ipad_workshop_july2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBS5zF306SjjX7O3XVzUNhPnRIRSjRyjWZwKz6BHKyhCAwX8MnLyvIzB3sRM3vbfkUD8LnZJvwMJEEjENX1oyCVTjUMoVrmFwFh0ft9qCaCXkkqulZvsG6AsA7afDObl7BsHheg/s640/recommended_apps_boston_ipad_workshop_july2013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From here on we explored a series of apps that are tools that can be used with an iPad to fulfill the curricular goals that we discussed earlier today. This list is pretty much up there in the table (above). Maybe because it's the first day, but, in any case, the standouts from today include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Evernote -- information gathering and organizing tool</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Chirp -- an audio version of the qr code</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Socrative -- teacher and student versions -- creating quizzes both "on the fly" and scored-and-stored</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ThingLink -- creating "rich" images....images with links and other content that enhance and enrich the images you share</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">'Twas a full day. Looking forward to Day 2.</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-52190346077577827032013-07-07T22:00:00.000-07:002013-07-18T10:08:47.164-07:00Upcoming iPad Workshop -- EdTechTeacher -- Thoughts Looking Forward to Tomorrow<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today I'm winging my way from Seattle to the other end of the United States. In Boston, I plan to attend an iPad Workshop put on by EdTechTeacher.org which starts tomorrow and continues through Wednesday, July 10. The location of the sessions will be in Hauser Hall on the Harvard University campus. Each day starts at 8:30 a.m. and continues on through 3:30 in the afternoon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Even though we don't use iPads at my school, the thinking behind attending a workshop where the focus is on "The iPad Classroom" (the workshop's actual title) is that learning more about how the iPad tablet can be and is used in classrooms will have applicability in the use of other tablets (i.e. Samsung Galaxy [Android] or Surface RT/Pro [Windows 8]) in the classrooms where I work. The thinking here is that it's not literally so much the specific apps that are used but rather how a device like a tablet can offer kids tools not otherwise available and enhance what I hear referred to as "workflow".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What I'll be looking for, then, is the ways in which using a device such as a tablet offers specific ways to enhance learning for kids in the classroom. Not that this is necessarily a contest between tablets and laptops to prove one is the superior to the other. But, in my school where there is an existing 1-to-1 laptop program that begins in grade 7, this is a chance to begin to discovery whether or not a tablet device can materially add to the curriculum we offer to our 5th and 6th graders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From this vantage point, the prospects are for a fascinating -- and rewarding -- time.</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-71256267564326741792012-04-14T13:08:00.004-07:002013-07-13T07:00:21.068-07:00Three Cheers For Eccentricity!Today I'm experiencing a bout of randomness. In that spirit I offer a site that itself offers more than a few dollops of randomness: Eccentric America.<br />
<br />
If you have a few random moments, click <a href="http://www.eccentricamerica.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to take a look!Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-3250085187169120422012-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:002012-04-14T13:05:24.259-07:00NCCE 2012 -- Day 4 -- SeattleSoup to Nuts: Teaching with Cloud Resources<br />
Presenters: Cindy Etherton<br />
<br />
Although we haven't made any specific moves in the direction of moving our students to the "cloud" in a systematic way, the day for "cloud computing" for school-aged kids seems pretty much upon us. Cindy offered a number of ideas that I will continue to explore and experiment with. It goes without saying but say it I will.......nothing in educational technology is so certain as rapid change! Never a dull moment!Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-9863586265853959722012-03-15T21:00:00.000-07:002012-03-16T13:53:24.410-07:00NCCE 2012 -- Day 3 -- Seattle<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Google Apps: The Whole Kit and Caboodle</span></b></u></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Presenters: Marc Elliott, Director of Information Services; Tanya Narramore, Instructional Technology TOSA; Mike Sheldon, Manager of Information Systems; all from Bethel Public Schools</div>
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The story of this workshop was the story of Bethel's migration from a FirstClass system of tools to Google Apps. By the end of the session, one could be pretty much sold on the superiority of what Google offers and the wisdom of leaving commercial services behind.</div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Opening Keynote -- Taylor Mali -- Poet</span></b></u></div>
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I'd have to confess to expending hardly a moment taking a look at who Taylor Mali was before it was time for his keynote. I did take note of the name but little else. Then when he was being introduced and he was described as a "poet" I did a mental double-take. A what? Wait a minute, am I at NCCE? Is there some regional poetry slam going on at the WSCC right now and I wandered in the wrong keynote session?</div>
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Nope. It turns it that 1) Taylor Mali *is* a poet and, 2) he was the keynote speaker at NCCE 2012. It took a little while as he read some poems and did his opening shtick but it wasn't really that long before it became clear that Mr. Mali was not a very conventional poet and, furthermore, many of his poems were very entertaining and more than a few were quite thought-provoking. He is a very effective performer, too.</div>
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In addition to his focus on poetry, he is also a dedicated advocate for learning and teaching. He currently has a project to inspire 1000 people to make a commitment to become a teacher. He is very close to reaching his goal and, actually, seems to have scheduled the fulfillment of this goal this coming April 7 (at which point he will cut off 11" of his hair [aka ponytail] and donate it to someone.....I forget who).</div>
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Like I say, many of his poems are very appealing. Below you'll find a video version of his poem "What Teachers Make" from YouTube.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BrKGmwhcOGg" width="560"></iframe>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Web 2.0 for Online Learning</span></b></u></div>
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Presenter: Katie Kotynski</div>
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A fairly straight-forward presentation that showcased a number of online resources that are useful in the classroom. Katie anchored her presentation around her website called BestWebForEd Wiki site. </div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Integrate Computational Thinking Skills Using Scratch</span></b></u></div>
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Presenter: Phil Big</div>
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The focus of this sessions was Scratch and Computational Thinking, just as the title suggests. The main point was the set of four problem-solving skills/techniques that, it can be argued, our students need to be 21st century literate. These skills include: 1) decomposition; 2) pattern recognition; 3) pattern generalization & abstraction; and 4) algorithm design.</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Phil's contention is -- and it seems quite plausible -- that Scratch is a great vehicle to give students practice in developing, using, and refining those four skills.</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-15284743283410386082012-03-14T21:00:00.000-07:002012-03-16T13:28:40.072-07:00NCCE 2012 -- Day 2 -- Seattle<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Google Sketchup in the Classroom -- Part 1</span></b></u></div>
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Presenter -- Regina Cain </div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Google Sketchup in the Classroom -- Part 2</span></b></u></div>
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Presenter -- Regina Cain</div>
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These were long-form workshops (3 hours each; lasted all day with lunch break) taking a look at Google Sketchup. Using a tutorial document from Google, Regina took us through step-by-step the various tools that Sketchup offers.</div>
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The non-pro version of Sketchup is free to all; the $400+ Pro version is available to teachers who go through an approval process in which they establish their bona fides as classroom teachers.</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As a 3D design tool, Sketchup is indeed amazing. Even I was able to create a couple structures -- including a fairly decent-looking schoolhouse with row upon row of windows, trees circling, and a bit of picket fence, too. My doghouse was fairly decorative as doghouses go but I wasn't as proud of it as the schoolhouse I worked on in the latter stages of the workshop.</span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-30412663624490256612012-03-13T21:00:00.000-07:002012-03-16T13:20:31.691-07:00NCCE 2012 -- Day 1 -- Seattle<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Kodu: Learn How to Excite Middle School Girls to Game Programming</span></u></b></div>
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Presenter: Brad Gibson/Senior Program Manager<br />
Microsoft Research FUSE Labs<br />
This evening workshop was a great way to start my 2012 NCCE experience. Kodu is a programming option I had never heard of. The presenters, which included a panel of middle-school aged young women from two schools, made a fairly convincing case that Kodu is a must-consider option when one is weighing various options for teaching programming and the principles of computer science.<br />
As valid as Scratch and LOGO are as options for giving students, especially middle-school aged kids, experience in this realm of computer science, the 3D and narrative possibilities offered by Kodu are difficult to resist. </div>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-38418390290178142212012-01-10T09:33:00.000-08:002012-01-10T09:36:06.087-08:00Not to worry....I'm still around!Guess what? I'm still here! Yes, I know that my most recent post is from eons ago but -- what can I say? -- I've been busy.<br />
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What's on my mind, you ask? Well, I'm intrigued with a new (to me) service/site called <a href="http://corp.eyejot.com/" target="_blank">Eyejot</a>. I haven't used it yet to communicate with my students but it sure makes it simple to post a quick webcam video and almost instantly send it out via e-mail to whomever on a subject of interest or import. No dedicate client or app necessary on the recipient's end. Video is housed by Eyejot and the vid is viewed in the browser. Seems both cool & something with potential in the vidworld we live in.<br />
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<br />Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-9324003560260208912010-03-05T11:58:00.000-08:002010-03-30T14:42:09.485-07:00NCCE 2010 - Seattle -- Day 4First session was called "Beyond Cool.....Does It Work????". Presenter was Dan Matthews who is Instructional Technology Coordinator in Yakima. There was also a video feed by Dr. Janet Spybrook, a professor at Central Washington University. This was an instance of a workshop title giving an impression (to me) not borne out by the content. I looked at this title and thought, "One of the challenges in adopting technology, especially as we explore new tools and make decisions about curricular integration, is to not be seduced by the 'Wow! Factor' that is often near-irresistible when new things come along, especially if they're accompanied by hype. I know I'm as prone to fall for the hype as anyone. This session looked like it would offer some guidance on gaining a kind of healthy skepticism about the ingredients to look for in the "new" or hyped stuff so you waste less time falling for the now-it's-here-now-it's-gone.<br /><br />Although there was an element of this incorporated by Mr. Matthews & Dr. Spybrook, the upshot of their presentation was really quite a bit more focused on mathematical analysis of databases measuring how various tools (like interactive white boards, for instance) are used. Not really useless information but quite a bit more narrowly focused and database-analysis-heavy for what I was looking for.<br /><br />The next session boded well. I've attended previous presentations by Patrick Crispen at other conferences and he didn't disappoint then. He didn't disappoint today either. He presented on the subject: <span style="font-size:100%;">"A Random Walk through Cyberspace: Patrick Crispen’s Completely Updated Collection of Truly Useful–and Not So Useful—Websites and Web 2.0 Tools" In this hour he took us through a variety of helpful (and also fun & entertaining) sites ranging from a site that will give you your upload/download speeds of your Internet connection you're using t</span><a href="http://instantchan.com/"></a><span style="font-size:100%;">o <a href="http://instantchan.com/">Instant Chan</a> (try it, if you dare!!!!). It was well worth the 60 minutes we spent with Mr. Crispen. Now it was time to grab a quick lunch.<br /><br />Partly because of how effective this session was, I decided to go ahead and return to another session of Mr. C's, this one called: "</span><span style="font-size:100%;">The State of the Craft: What’s New—and What’s Next—in Ed Tech, Consumer Electronics, and More". From his standpoint, the following are things "out there" that have the potential to be game-changers: solid state drives, electronic ink, liquid crystal displays, the iPad (or the Microsoft Courier, an upcoming eReader/tablet hardware combo), 4G networks, portable devices that are always on with very fast connections, voice control of devices, "hardware agnostic" clickers (<a href="http://www.polleverywhere.com/">polleverywhere.com</a>), augmented reality (e.g. <a href="http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/#/landing_page">GE's "Plug Into the SmartGrid"</a>), and personal learning networks (PLNs), among others. His main point was that the way in which we interact with computers will fundamentally change....perhaps sooner than we think. And, to my frustration, he did not give us a rock-solid answer to this question....which I would LOVE TO KNOW!!! That question is: How do you keep up with it all?????<br /><br />The final part of my Friday I spent jotting down some notes from the previous three days and then taking my first look through the vendor exhibits. I took a fairly leisurely stroll through the many booths there although I can't say any particular product jumped out at me and said, "I'm the next cool [and useful!] thing! Buy me!!"<br /><br />While I would have to admit having come away from NCCE 2010 with few things I could characterize as "seismic", attending these four days of NCCE 2010 a most worthwhile four days of exploration, finding new things, and looking ahead. Without wanting to sound immodest, I got some satisfaction noting the number of tools I've incorporated into my teaching that are still being touted as having true value in the world of 21st century teaching and learning. Just to rattle off a few of those things mentioned in these past few days: Ning, Wordle, SchoolTube, Photoshop.com, Glogster, Scrapblog, Google Docs, Audacity, TED....... A little affirmation is good, too. :-)<br /><br />I appreciate the support from the school that made my attendance at NCCE 2010 possible.<br /></span>Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-57107341576331973192010-03-05T11:57:00.000-08:002010-03-30T10:05:05.384-07:00NCCE 2010 -- Seattle -- Day 3Session I -- Your Personal Magic Shop: 50 Ways to Use Discovery Education Streaming<br />The scheduled presenter was Hall Davidson but he apparently had to leave on a red-eye last night and Lindsay Hopkins, another Discovery Education Educator was there in his place.<br />She did the best she could to pinch hit for Hall. Discovery Education does indeed appear to be filled with a great deal of content with a big chunk of it coming (no surprise here) from the Discovery Channel and Network. Video, songs (450 "educational songs", .mp3 format, fully editable), sound effects (a ton), and images (over 20,000).<br />She also went on to talk about some non-Discovery sites such as Wordle and Blabberize among others.<br /><br />Next came the keynote talk by Philippe Cousteau. Once again, a connection here is with Discovery Education. Philippe Cousteau. I believe his actual "position" with Discovery is: Animal Planet Chief Ocean Correspondent. It may go without saying that Mr. Cousteau is very charismatic and an extremely effective speaker. With his oceanic "calling card" it will also come as no surprise that his talk had an environmental focus with a great emphasis on how everything is so inter-connected. He clearly looked at all of us in the room and said that it's our responsibility to bring a strong awareness of the environment and the global responsibility to shepherd our Earth's future wisely. Another point he drove home is how everything we do is a choice, whether asking for "paper or plastic" at the supermarket or taking public transit instead of the car. I am not doing his talk justice here but I'll just reiterate that Mr. Cousteau was a terrific speaker and his talk was very well received.<br /><br />(By the way, remembering that the theme of this year's NCCE was "Capture the Magic of Teaching and Learning", the warm-up act prior to Mr. Cousteau's keynote was an appearance by an honest-to-goodness magician. Unfortunately I've forgotten his name but he was very good!)<br /><br />After lunch, I had my second three-hour workshop. The presenter was Jeff Miller. His topic was "Right-clicks, Tips & Tricks for Office 2007". I would have to admit being somewhat skeptical -- going into it -- that there could possibly be that many clicks/tricks/tips to occupy that much time. But, although there were a few "dry" spots, the number of things he showed us was 1) quite numerous, 2) appeared to offer many advantages of greater speed & efficiency, and 3) some were kinda amazing, as in "you can do *that* with a keyboard combo or right-click?" Jeff also provided a level of documentation that was both thorough and easy to understand and navigate. Plus he provided both a printed and electronic versions of all materials. He made it clear that these materials could freely be shared (with attribution, of course). Way too many tips/tricks to list here, but it was definitely worth the time.Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465440.post-89628396537005603992010-03-05T11:56:00.000-08:002010-03-18T14:39:57.516-07:00NCCE 2010 -- Seattle -- Day 2The main activity today was a gathering of IT and Administrators. The featured speaker was Hall Davidson. I've seen/heard Mr. Davidson once before and looked forward to this session. I was not disappointed. He remains the dynamic speaker I remember and he shared with us much information that was food for thought.<br /><br />One aspect of his work more emphasized this time around than before is his connection with Discovery Education. He is one of the Discovery Educators on the Discovery Education Team. Given that Hall has this connection with Discovery Education and the biases that may go along with that connection, a number of the resources he showed us were, indeed, quite impressive. One outgrowth, therefore, of hearing his talk is my intention to delve more deeply into what Discovery Education may be able to offer my students and colleagues.<br /><br />In no particular order, some of the other tools or ideas he touched on included:<br /><br />1)iTunes University -- a resource used by a growing number of schools & university to post/offer coursework for students around the globe<br />2) <a href="http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/">The 3M Young Scientists Challenge</a><br />3) <a href="http://www.polleverywhere.com/">Polleverywhere.com</a> -- giving and taking polls using your cellphone/smartphone to text answers......giving those in the "clicker" business something to have nightmares about!<br />4) <a href="http://translate.google.com/#">Google Translate</a> -- this service is getting better and better -- it's still free -- and the selection of languages keep growing, too.<br />5) <a href="http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html">Google Voice</a> -- another free Google service changing the way we manage our phones and phone numbers<br />6) <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/">UStream.tv</a> -- judging from the response from others in the room, I need to look into this one!<br />7) <a href="http://web2010.discoveryeducation.com/">Discovery Education</a> -- their home page......also something to delve into in the near future<br />8) <a href="http://www.edmodo.com/">Edmodo</a> -- for teachers interested in a tool like Twitter but want a tool with more educational focus<br />9) .....and others<br /><br />One of his pronouncements that he (I think) intentionally wanted to voice and see our reaction was regarding cellphones. He briefly recounted how most schools ban or tightly control their use at school. His advice: Let Them In! Have kids take polls using them. Have kids watch videos using them. Have kids surf the Web using them.<br /><br />And -- no surprise here -- Hall invited us all to........follow him on Twitter!!! :-)<br /><br />Following the presentation, we were able to roam around the room and hear mini-presenations about open source resources, check out the Amazon Kindle eReader, creating your own personal learning network, and a table with some netbooks and iTouch to try out (I brought my own iTouch).Harold Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056396678155950690noreply@blogger.com0