Notes from Millie D

Here is some feedback I might provide on this course, EPA 508.  The intent is constructive not destructive!

Work worked

Great conversations and resources (both human and technical)

Time to explore, play, and think

What didn’t work

The only thing I think might have worked better was less “big” Web2.0 products.  I noticed a lot of people who were on info technology overload.  As far as the setup and the interactions go it was right on.

Suggestions for this course in the future

Either a two week course (6 cr) to give people enough time to digest the content, applications, and the how to or break the class into two parts intro to the digital classroom and then Web 2.x in the Classroom.

Having the articles/links on a CD to access might have been nice.

VoIP technology

This has been a great course.  Thank you for offering it!

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You may have noticed a new category on the right hand side of the blog.  I’ve been asked to list some of the blogs that I read and how they could help promote student learning.  Here it goes:

2 Cents Worth- David Warlick is constantly pushing the envelope of what is out there for technology, classroom applications, as well as classroom philosophy.

Around the Corner-MGuhlin.net-Miguel is a technology supervision in San Antonio, Texas and technology champion.  Like David he is on the forefront of what is going on and the potential impact.

Cool Cat Teacher-  Vicky Davis is a middle school classroom teacher who gets it.  She not only talks the talk but walks the walk.  It is nice to get insight from the trenches and not just observers.

Creating Passionate Users- Kathy Sierra is not a classroom teacher but her insights with technology can easily be applied to the classroom.  She also includes interesting visuals to help make her points. 

Education/Technology-Tim Lauer-  Here is a principal who gets technology and it use in the classroom.  Tim is a principal at an elementary school in Portland, OR and champions technology in the classroom.  He is constantly letting his teachers take risks if they feel it will help promote student learning.

Every One Learns-Pedagogy, Technology, Motivation-Mike Muir is a Mainah.  It is great to get the local perspective on technology in the classroom.  Mike teaches at UMFarmington and what he preaches sound education pedagogy with technology.

Moving at the Speed of Creativity-  Wes Fryer is the author and he is Educational Technology Specialist in Oklahoma.  He and Miguel share common passions with technology and education.

Stephen’s Web-Stephen Downes, a Canadian’s perspective, eh!  Stephen is
very insightful and forward thinking.  He shoots straight from the hip.

Teach42-Education and Technology, by Steve Dembo-Steve is another one who gets it.  Steve is a blogger who offers great insight.

Thoughts from a Technospud-Jennifer Wagner looks at technology usage in the classroom through classroom projects.  Jennifer has started a blog to help with her insight and the impact of technology in the classroom. 

Weblogg-ed-Will Richardson, the guru of educational blogging.  Enough said!

If I didn’t mention your blog don’t take it personally, look at my bloglines feeds to get more great authors out there.

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Technology for Teachers : Coming of Age: an introduction to the new world wide web

The new world wide web offers so much potential as well as risk.  It is awesome to be involved at a time when some many things are on the verge of changing the landscape.  The one thing I am constantly going back to is the ideal that there is only 24 hours in a day.  At some point people reach a technology overload point.  We have been exposed to so much technology that it could be a full time job just reading blogs and keep up with the newest of the new along with the impact it could have on teachers (wouldn’t that be a great job). 

I have to keep reminding myself that it is okay to let some of this new technology go.  We will probably keep up with the technology with the help of others who keep pushing it to the front page (or the top of our RSS feeds).

KISS=Keep It Simple Sweetie

It is better to take 1 new technology and do it well than it would be take 5 technologies and do them okay.  It is still about the teaching and the education of children, the technology should help be a beacon on that journey with your students.

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Technology for Teachers : The World is Flat

This was a book I read last time last year and I’m still thinking about the book on an almost daily basis.  I’m not necessarily drinking the cool-aid that Tom Friedman is serving but there is so much that he said that is right on target.  So much of what we are not aware about going on in the world is going to catch up and pass us by if we don’t take the time to be aware!  We are producing a society of consumers and losing the society of producers. 

I will say that a flatter world is making a more efficiently world.  In rural Maine hospitals don’t have to find specialists to cover 24/7 at the hospital but that hospital can outsource some of their work to other parts of the world but still keep the same quality of care, AMAZING! 

I go to what I said in the podcast education should incorporate more thought process and situational education vs. regurgatation of factual information that standards based education is promoting right now.

technorati tags:21stcentury, education, technology, friedman

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Gizmo Project makes all VoIP to landline calls free. Forever. - Engadget

Teachers, how often are you looking for a telephone to call and you may not want to use your cell phone minutes (if you even have coverage)?  Gizmo Project (Win, Mac, Linux versions) has just announced free calls to land, cell, and any other kind of phone you might image.  All you need is this free program, a computer, a microphone, and a high speed Internet connection.  Kids are going to be using this we shouldn’t we be taking advantage of this 21st Century technology.  This may be a great lead in for technology integration with Digital Immigrants (this could as valuable as the digital camera).

technorati tags:voip, phone, 21stcentury, telephone

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Doors of Perception weblog: Power Laws Of Innovation

This article is a good top 10 list of working with technology (regardless of the venue) in the 21st Century. I don’t think there needs to be a whole lot of explaination about what the Power 10 means or the impact. Steven Downes‘ blog refered me to this entry he may have put his analysis of the article best when he said, “the question of whether we should be “selling” social value or recognizing it.”

technorati tags:21stcentury, technology, education, teaching, social

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Playlist: Podcasting goes to college

I think that they were listening in to our class today.

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At first I wanted to do a final project that could be a resource set of sites/pages for teachers at the different grade levels. After hearing what Alice was looking for I felt that project might not meet her needs. I’ve been thinking a lot of implementing digital storyteling into the curriculum. There are many different tools that I can use to make it.

• Need for change addressed by this project (Why are
  you undertaking this project? For example, is it an old project that
  you want to do in a new way?)

This would be a new unit for me but I know teachers have been doing storytelling for a number of years. There are so many tools out there to archive and showcase the stories beyond the paper and pencil that we owe it to the students and their subjects not to take advantage of it.

• Expected outcomes (What will it look like if your project is successful?)

My expected outcomes beyond meeting classroom curriculum outcomes within Language Arts and Social Studies include the usage of technology, digitalizing the stories, engaging students in multiple forms, and exciting students about school.

• Activities correlated with objectives (How will you undertake this project?)

Here are some of the activites (technology-wise) I was thinking about doing with them:

• Storymapping with Kidspiration
• Story Board
• Script Building
• Picture Taking/Collecting
• Using online tools like flickr and bubbleshare
• Using tools like Audacity and Garageband to record audio
• Showcasing iPhoto
• Using iMovie for the visual piece

• Timeline for implementation (When will you accomplish each piece of your project?)

The timeline for this project will throughout the year.

• Measures of accomplishment (If your project is successful, how will you know?)

I will know that the project is successful if we’re able to archive some great stories. We also have an Author’s night and anohter successful component would be the showcasing stories there for the community to see.

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Wow, now I remember why I don’t work in the summer.  There is so much out there to keep tabs on I need the summer to sort it all out and figure out ways to implement in my classroom or advise others in their classrooms.  The first moment I had like that today is when Cheryl showed us Springdoo.  I had forgotten about the different uses for it.  My first thought goes to students with written language needs and how they still be an active participant in a Web 2.0 environment.

The whole iTunes in the K-12 arena is very interesting.  I’m not sure if teachers would view it as “sub” plans or if it would be used to enhance what they already do.  I wonder if kids at Stanford and others that use this service still attend the lectures…

Thanks Bob for showing off the different Garageband tricks.  I’ve only scratched the surface (and I knew it) when I used Garageband to Podcast.  Now I see a great use for it instead of using Audacity (which still has it’s place).

I still think the most valuable piece of this class is the conversation and dialogue that goes on.  We aren’t doing enough of it in Professional Development and it needs to (the kids are already doing it themselves).

I thought it would be best to reflect on the executive summary point by point:

1. Time Spent with Media:  Wow, more than a quarter of their day is spent with media.  That is a lot when you when combine this with the amount of school, 13 hours.
2. Media in the Home:  The amounts are not surprising given the ease of access and how the price points have come down.  Think about the $69 iPod shuffle.
3. Influence of Bedroom and Household Media Environment:  DUH!  If anyone thought there would be no connection or a negative one is foolish.
4. Media Use and Time Spent in Other Activities:  This surprised me I would have thought it would have been the opposite.  Society needs to capitalize on this fact and try to increase the benefits.
5. Demographic Differences in Media Use:  I wasn’t surprised by the different usage by ages.  Look at where they are and what their needs are and that should explain it right there.
6. Parental Rules About Media Use:  What is going to the be the long term effect of parents not imposing rules on the usage of the media?  This is going to be something society may need to address.
7. New vs. Old Media:  I’m glad to see that children are not replacing (although it does create an interesting debate on time management) new with old.  Each has their place it is just about the balance that kids need to acheive.
8. Media Multi-Tasking:  How well are kids doing their multi-tasking?  I would recommend people reading Kathy Sierra’s blog entry, Your Brain on Multitasking.  It puts a different spin on the issue.
9. Media use, Grades, and Contentment:  I have a funny feeling this is going to be a story about the haves and the have-nots.  Those who have good self-esteem won’t rely on the media but those who struggle with self-esteem will cling to the media.
10. Television:  I wonder how the role of portable digital players (iPods) that have video capability will effect how much tv kids watch.  I think that it will decrease because they will go to the Internet or use a service like the iTMS and put it on their iPods to watch later, on their time!
11. Music:  Music is the voice of their generation and that will not change.  Look at music promotion now, the industry is tapping social networking services like myspace to get the music out to the people.  Radio stations are starting to suffer.
12. Computers and the Internet:  With the ease of access of computers and the Internet I think you will see more usage of the computer and less on television.
13. The Digital Divide:  The digital divide is closing.  More and more people are finding a need (not want) for a computer in the home.  As prices continue to drop cost will become less of a barier.
14. Reading:  Reading for pleasure needs to be redefined for this generation.  I think they are reading a lot more for pleasure but it may be websites, blogs, etc.
15. Video Games:  The convergence between computers, video games, and the Internet is starting.  More and more tvs now are coming with video game ports and online playing is revolutionizing video games. I see the future where these techologies merge into 1 unit instead of separate entities.  Then you will see the time balancing out.

That represents my thoughts and opinion, I welcome yours…

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