Free Laptops from Google

I really like what Google is doing with this program. They are giving away ~60,000 Cr-48 Chrome Notebook computers to people who live on the web and are willing to pound the Chrome OS. Google expects users will make this notebook their primary machine and provide Google with regular feedback. Am I a candidate? I took the "Are you Living on the Web" quiz and scored high, about a 8.5 on their 1 - 10 scale. I don't live solely on the web because I am forced to use our home grown desktop applications at work. In addition, our wireless network has some serious issues at the moment. But, I applied to receive a notebook, anyway.

How would I use the Google Chrome Notebook?

First, I wanted to analyze what I currently do on the web. The quiz was actually an excellent diagnostic tool for me. Here are the topics covered on the quiz :

Email: I would use the Outlook web app for work more than the client-based version of Outlook. The client version does have some more bells and whistles and I would miss those moving to the web version. We'll see. I do have several web-based email accounts, each serving a particular purpose: general web account registration, correspondence between family and my best friend, etc.

Calendar: Again, I'm tied to Outlook for work-related meetings and such, but can move to the web app. I really don't use a calendar for any other purpose. I keep family/friend appointments in my head. I do use my iPhone calendar as it syncs to all other calendars. Getting there.

Television: I watch lots of movies. There are a few television series I follow, but not many and certainly not regularly. Plug for Netflix: I love it. When I want to see it, I stream it. So, why do I keep throwing money at Comcast? Sports? The Cubs? This quiz is changing the way I'm thinking about cable. Wait! I've never been able to find Le Tour de France streamed live. How much would I miss the commentary by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen?

Music: I subscribe to Pandora but have over 3000 songs that I have purchased over the years and saved to my iTunes. I have some of the music on my iPhone and I can connect that through my car's speakers to have music on the go, what I want to hear, when I want to hear it. I can also bring up the Pandora app on my phone and play their mix. I like my options, here.

Video Games: I don't usually play video games, but when I do, I play them on my iPhone. I find there are other, better, web-based activities that occupy my time, when I'm on the web.

Sharing Documents: I'm doing this more and more. Email isn't cutting it. I'd rather use Google Docs, Zoho, or MS Web Apps. I'd love to pick one, but much of this depends upon what service the other person uses. At work, MS Web Apps will become the norm, but not required.

Photos: Here, I do live on the web. I use Picassa web-based photo albums. You can upload photos directly to your Picassa account. The interesting thing, though, is that you have to install Picassa on your machine to use it to organize all of the photos on your computer. Once it's installed, you can edit, email, save to web albums and do so much more, all from one application.

Chatting Long Distance: Skype, anyone? I used this to speak with two of my kids when they studied abroad. Wonderful. Visual. Free. Can't ask for more than that, right?

Okay, that's about it for now. Let's see if a Chrome notebook comes my way.

My Life as a Reader

My Life as a Reader is something I first read about at the Teaching Sagittarian blog. A similar post can be found at the Langwitches blog. The challenge is to list 100 things that shape or define you as a reader. Three classroom applications of this idea began to percolate through my brain cells as I read through the lists found at these blog posts.

Tech angle: Use a class wiki to keep all the lists for easy reference, editing, comparing, etc.

1. Students could create their list and look for patterns in their reading habits. They may discover they read very little or are very narrow in their reading selections, especially if students look for inspiration when writing. The patterns could form the basis of an essay on their how their lives are shaped by what they read.


2. Perhaps students could 'peer edit' each others lists to look for patterns and share these with the list owner.


3. I'm also wondering if sharing the lists would inspire students to read more and branch out into other genres.


4. Hold a class discussion about a particular controversial (or any) topic. Have students refer to their reading lists to see if there is any commonality between those who side one way or another about a particular aspect of that topic. I think a discussion of our differences in reading selections may help one another to better understand our differing opinions about a particular topic. This may seem to be an obvious causal relationship, but has anyone ever actually done this with a class of students? Use the wiki to summarize the discussion and add a table that summarizes the similarities and differences in reading that seem to be apparent.
5. World Language and ESL students could write their list in the language they are learning.

More classroom ideas will come to me, I'm sure. But for now, I'm going to begin my list and update this post over time. We'll see how far I get. My list will most certainly not be in any kind of chronological order. I'm excited to see what I learn about myself as a reader that I don't already know.

1. The first book I remember reading on my own and still my favorite childhood book of all time is "Go, Dog, Go".
2. The first book I remember being read to me was "Harold and the Purple Crayon". This is my second most favorite childhood book of all time. I actually own a copy of the collected stories.
3. I get books from a book store more often than from a library. I like to have books at my disposal and read them as time permits.
4. I visit a book store weekly.
5. I usually start reading three different books and finish them all within one week of each other.
6. Mystery thrillers with an espionage flare are my favorite books to read.
7. Science fiction books comes in a close second to Mystery books.
8. A friend turned me on to Romance novels. Suzanne Brockmann, oh, yeah...
9. I have become a fan of vampire novels but have not read Bram Stoker's Dracula. Why is that? "The Historian" was the last vampire novel I read. It's by Elizabeth Kostova. Get it.
10. There are currently 186 novels and 17 coffee table books in my house. I've have not read all of the novels but I have looked through all of the coffee table books!
11. I love reading books to children and making up voices to go with the characters.
12. I also like changing the story line to make children laugh when I make silly and outrageous deviations from the otherwise well known story line.
13. I like reading books on my iPhone but like holding a book even more.
14. I own a few vintage copies of novels from "The Saint" series by Leslie Charteris.
15. I love to 'read' German magazines. (I do speak a little German.)
16. I do not get a daily newspaper but will if one is given to me.
17. I do read the news from various online resources every day.
18. Reading sequels is fun for me. I like to see how character's lives change over time.
19. I spent almost three hours in an antique store several summers ago looking for books.
20. There used to be more 'how to' books in my personal library than novels. As I grow older, the opposite is now true.
21. 'How to' books helped me become a plumber, electrician, landscaper, decorator, carpenter, wood worker, engineer, linguist, masseuse, better teacher, medic, yogi, bicyclist, mechanic, bird watcher, zoologist, brick layer, gardener, and more recently, a chef.
22. It's not enough to have one book that I can use to teach myself French, German, or Spanish. I have at least four per each of those languages.
23. My iGoogle account has over 20 different RSS feeds coming in. No, I don't get to them each day, or not even each week, sometimes. Too much to read!
24. Having a personal learning network with Twitter can be a good thing. But, be careful. Again, too much to read!
25. I'll read a book or magazine (real and electronic) before Twitter and RSS feeds.
26. I always bring two books to read at the airport or on the plane.
27. Two books and magazines accompany me on driving trips.
28. I rarely read in bed unless I cannot sleep. But, I like to read in bed.
29. I don't feel comfortable reading in Panera, a coffee shop, or similar. I feel like I'm taking someone's seat, although I continually purchase food and drink to 'pay' for my time.
30. I don't get Tom Clancy novels until I'm half-way through the book. Wow, does he take time to set up the characters and story!
31. I have not seen a movie rendition of a book that can punch me like the book did. I love movies, too!
32. I do read manuals, and I do ask for directions!
33. Yes, I do cry if moved to when reading.
34. Get Sting's book, Lyrics by Sting. Read, learn, and live.
35. Speaking of living, my collection of books on Zen and related topics continues to grow.
36. My mom set the example for reading as I was growing up.
37. Reading the labels on shampoo and conditioner bottles is entertaining while in the shower.
38. I never used to read while in the bathroom. Now, yeah, I do.
39. I love reading a well-written recipe. You know, the type where there is a little paragraph describing why you are doing what the recipe calls for. Learn, learn, learn.
40. Books that weave authentic history into a fictional story, rock!
41. I've read all of the Rama series novels by Arthur C. Clarke.
42. Giving a book store gift card is usually the first gift idea to pop into my head for birthdays, holiday gift giving or for that any occasion time.

The Plan - At Long Last, Data Gathering and More

Our school district is moving in a positive direction with a long range plan that has all the pieces coming to make data gathering and analysis extremely easy. The next three years will be an exciting time for everyone in our school district.

The Sharepoint system will be used as the data warehouse vehicle that will allow teachers and administrators to use 'dashboards' to access data easily. This is an extremely important, yet, missing piece of our current system. For example, Professional Learning Teams in our school find themselves unable to make curricular and teaching decisions because the ability to analyze data is cannot happen until all the data is gathered in one place. There is a group of teachers who are already beginning to work with the administration to identify specific types of data that needs to be collected.

A new student information system will also be in place by 2012. A significant feature of most student information systems is that there is an electronic grade book and attendance component. Another important feature is that it will most likely be web-based. The process of selecting a student information system (SIS) is underway.

We have already moved to an Active Directory environment which allows for so many processes to be automated. For example, a new teacher will automatically have a network and email account created when they are hired. Classes will be assigned automatically along with connections to other systems that are used in the school district.

The use of the Outlook email system for students and District staff is paving the way for easier and increased communication between faculty and students. Our students also now have a Windows Live account tied to their district email account. This includes 25 GB on cloud storage and the use of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote online.

The Missing Piece

I think it is great that our school district is using technology to move us forward in the data gathering, communication, and productivity areas. The ability to analyze data will undoubtedly help teachers with instructional decisions. I also feel that moving to a cloud-based environment is fine as long as ALL students AND Staff have access to the cloud from their homes or via some type of personal computing device. Yet, another important component, in my opinion, is still missing. The instructional technology piece. There is no mention of this any where in the Plan.

I am very hopeful that SharePoint use will be expanded to become the one environment where teachers will have the ability to host their wiki, blog, web site, or any type of social networking site. I know teachers in our district would welcome the opportunity to use an 'in-house' system. Some school districts are using Google Apps for Education as their one stop shop. Zoho also has a wonderful suite of tools teacher could use. SharePoint is already in our district house, however, so it makes sense to explore this possibility further.

What remains to be seen is whether or not this last piece falls into place and makes us complete.

This image by lumaxart and has a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 License

The image used at the beginning of this post is by Andy.Brandon and is has a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 License.

Dexpot

Multi-taskers rejoice!

Dexpot may be just the tool you have been looking for in a virtual desktop product. It is free for private use. I like the fact that I can have separate desktop screens available depending upon what has my focus at the moment. For example, I can have a screen of to-do lists and OneNote sticky notes, another screen dedicated to my delicious bookmarks and related tasks, and still another screen for just email.

Dexpot has cool 3D effects as you move between virtual desktops.



A PDF of tips is available and I recommend you read it for good information about use. Dexpot was developed in Germany but the company has made their site very user friendly and in english. For example, be sure to visit the english language FAQ page for useful tips.

Please let me know if you install this application and how you use it!

K-12 Online Conference

The K12 Online Conference began on November 30 and will continue through December 17. Please visit the site for more details. This conference provides a great opportunity for you to attend sessions live, or at a later time, to learn about innovative ways to include Web 2.0 tools into your teaching.

I certainly do not expect you to attend this conference. I know how busy you are! The nice thing about this conference is that links to the presentations will be made available so you can look at them at a later date. I will be attending as many of the sessions as I can and will summarize them in this blog.

Here is a flyer that provides an overview of the conference speakers.

The complete schedule, unfortunately, lists times in GMT, so you will have to subtract 5 hours in order to figure out the times in CDT. (Please correct me if I'm wrong on this!)

Other Resources
K12 Conference Wiki
K12 Conference Ning
K12 Conference Blog
Follow on Twitter at K12Online
Follow on Facebook at K12 Online Conference

Fair Use - Part 3, The Creative Commons Way

I am using this image without asking the author for any permission to do so. I do not have any concerns about copyright or Fair Use, either. I'm posting it on the web for the entire world to see. I don't worry about using this image because it is free for me to use under what is known as Creative Commons Attribution licensing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/exfordy/ / CC BY 2.0

Creative Commons is an organization that works with people who want to allow their work to be used by others. Creative Commons licenses allow the author of the work to control how their work can be used by others rather than having people wonder, worry, and/or question whether or not they are violating copyright or Fair Use by using the work.

The following video gives a nice overview of Creative Commons.

The presentation below illustrates how Creative Commons can be used in your classroom. Jessica Cotes has licensed her presentation with a CreativeCommons-Attribution license. This license allows me to add this video to my blog as long as I attribute her as the author.

Creative Commons in the Classroom

View more presentations from Jessicacoates.

Where to go from here?

Become familiar with Creative Commons and the Licenses.

Teach the concept to your students. By the way, I would be happy to come into your classroom and teach this to your students along with you!

Use Creative Commons licensed materials in your curriculum. Here is a list of sites where you and your students can use as resources.

• Flickr (Images)
• Copyright Friendly Wiki (Images and audio)
• Mod Films (video, but look for the references to CC licensing)
• OWL (audio, most have CC licenses)
• ccMixter (Mixes you can use!)

Please let me know if you find other sites that use Creative Commons Licensing!

Fair Use - Part 2

I apologize for the long hiatus....new network, lots of troubleshooting...you get the picture.

This is the second part of my little series of blog posts on Copyright and Fair Use. Today, I'm focusing on Fair Use and how it applies to educators. This post is not to be taken as legal gospel but only serves to help make you aware of the rights you have when using copyrighted works in your teaching.

Did you know that the book, play or song you wrote, poem you scribbled on a piece of paper, photo you took, or drawing you made, and other forms of expression are all automatically covered by copyright laws? Sure, there are limits to what is considered a 'form of expression' and one should be familiar with those limits. For example, the idea you just had about [x] is not copyrightable. Under the Law, you may have to ask permission to use another person's work. After all, the 'owner' of the copyright is entitled to compensation for the use of their creation as well as limited control over how their creation is used by others.

Fair Use, however, provides the public a way to use copyrighted material in new and different ways without having to ask permission. Educators can use copyrighted material in their classrooms, but there are limits to this use. Giving credit to someone for the use of their photo, song, etc., is thoughtful and a nice gesture, but that does not give you permission to use their work. On the other hand, giving credit and/or listing where material came from is strongly encouraged when it is determined you are meeting the guidelines for Fair Use.

There are four basic tenants of Fair Use that you should always be thinking about when using copyrighted material. I'll give you the basics with hope that further dialogue between you and me will take place in order to help clarify questions you WILL have. Resources are provided at the end of this post that will also help you make good decisions about using copyrighted material.

1. The Purpose and Character of the Copyrighted Work

Are you going to transform the work in a new and different way that makes it different from the original? If so, you can use the work. Are you going to copy a work 'as is' and make it available on your website that the public can view? Think again. Don't plan on making money from another person's work, either. Oh, and just because you own a book, or paid to use a photo or a software program, don't think that copyright ownership has been transferred to you.

Another aspect to consider is whether or not the work falls into the Public Domain.

2. The Nature of the Copyrighted Work

Facts are not copyrightable. So, the dates listed in a historical timeline would not be subject to copyright but the style of the timeline itself is copyrighted because it could be considered a creative form of expression. The bottom line is that the more factual a work is, the more likely it is to be considered open to fair use.

3. The Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used in Relation to the Copyrighted Work as a Whole

Copying a few paragraphs of a book or magazine article that you want to hand out to your students probably won't get you into trouble as long as the book or magazine article are significantly longer in length overall. Copying an entire chapter of a book will probably get you into trouble unless you use it for your own scholarly research or preparation for your class. Don't copy if your intent is to distribute an entire chapter or more to all of your students. Ask about purchasing more copies of the book for use in the classroom.

Other guidelines pertain to music and other forms of media. For more information please see the United States Copyright circular #21, pages 5 -10*

4. The effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market for or Value of the Copyrighted Work

Did your use of the work result in a decline of sales of the original work? If so, you should not use it. Don't copy it make it available to others. Why not just provide a link to a website containing what you want kids to see/use/learn from, rather than copying that entire site into your own website 'for convenience?'

The video, "User Rights, Section 107," is entertaining and pretty well lays it out there for educators by hammering home the idea that you are probably following Fair Use if you re- purpose and add value to the copyrighted material in order to make it more beneficial to society.

*The Guidelines and Alternatives

It is extremely important for teachers to realize that the guidelines listed in curricular 21 from the United States Copyright Office are, as I understand them, just guidelines. They are NOT the law itself. I would appreciate anyone letting me know if I am incorrect about this.

The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education is a document outlining five principles that help educators decide how their Fair Use rights apply to certain situations. This is a good read and will help to make you feel much more comfortable about using another person's materials in your teaching. Be sure to view the video from my previous post.

But...What if...

What if there is an even easier way to use another person's photograph, music, and writing in your classroom where you don't have to worry so much about guidelines, making a decision as to whether or not your choice actually falls under Fair Use, or even having to seek permission from the copyright holder?

There is an easier way, and it is called Creative Commons Licensing. This is the subject of Part 3 of this series of posts. Stay tuned.

Resources

United States Copyright Office, especially, circular #21.

The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use in Media Literacy Education

The Copyright Site

Teaching Copyright, an entire curriculum is provided and free to use. This is an exceptional site for teaching and learning about copyright and Fair Use.

Unlocking Copyright Confusion

Fair Use Explained Simply, The Copyright Site,

A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright

Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center

FAQ's, http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/fair_use_frequently_asked_questions/#1
Copyright test http://www.thecopyrightsite.org/test/index.html

Disclaimer, see http://www.thecopyrightsite.org/disclaimer.html

Tech Forum - Chicago, April 24, 2009

I am at the Tech Forum Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois, today. I will be attending two sessions and will summarize the notes below.

EduPodcasting

Steve Dembo, Ben Gray, Dick Diener

This is an informative session on Podcasting.

In 2004, there were only 24 Google search results on the term, "Podcast." The same search on the same date in 2005 returned over 100 million results. Quite a leap!

Podcasting facts...

Podcasting is easy to do and does not involve any complex technology. A digital camera or cell phone is all that is needed. Software can be used ranging from easy to complex depending upon what you want to do; Audacity, Audio MP3 Sound Recorder, GCast, and Gabcast are a few pieces to consider. Web tools can be used, too, like Drop.io, hipcaster, and clickcaster.

The Barrington 220 Podcast Network is an impressive effort to bring school events to the community. Their goal is to create better communication through interaction. It is important to get "buy-in" from administrators and School Board members, so they create podcasts with members of these areas. Students always host the interview and learn how to create and publish the podcast.

Cell Phones in Education
Steve Dembo, Discovery Education

Check-out the Angry Professor on Youtube...and the extended version....

How can cell phones be used in the classroom?
www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls

This site lets students send a text message responding to a poll made at this site. This can be used as a student response system. Multiple choice questions can be made, too. This can actually be downloaded into a PowerPoint presentation. Free and cost versions are available. The messages can be moderated and you can actually download the messages and see the phone number of who sent the message, if you interested in doing that.

Other suggested uses: (from those in attendance)
Take pictures as a lab progresses
iphones allow internet access when there is no internet available. So do most other cell phones.

Why use expensive camcorders and other video equipment?
Visit www.filmonthefly (A mobile Phone Video Challenge); another free service. Students can create a cell phone video response to a prompt a teacher puts up at this site. See http://filmonthefly.ning.com/ for some examples of cell phone videos.

Liz Kold(b?) is holding a picture challenge. Also, see http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/.

Scott Meech runs http://www.iear.org/, an iTouch site that reviews Education apps. There is also a ning associated with the site, http://ieducationappsreview.ning.com/. Join his site to be a reviewer!

What's the Debate? (discussion from those in attendance)
We live in a fear-based society. Many other countries embrace the use and educate students and parents on the use of cell phones as educational tools.
Cheating. You can have kids bring them to the teacher desk before the test.
Age. Ask when it should be appropriate to use it in the classroom.
Ignorance. Teach decision makers how to use their cell phone.
Safety. So many people send out wrong information during an emergency. However, parents are for cell phones in terms of safety. There has to be a balance. It is worthwhile to go to http://www.helium.com/ and search on cell phones for safety related articles. The debate goes on!

http://www.udefn.com/ can be set up to send you back what you are looking for; weather, news, etc.

http://plodt.com/ provides real time feedback on many topics, like opinions on a debate. You can also rate the debate as it is going. Students can rate your lesson, too. Wow, instant feedback with comments from the students. A graph is created of ratings vs. time. This might be great for evaluating your lesson from an understanding/confusion aspect. I'll have to investigate this site further, but I like the concept.

Nice job presenting, Steve!

I would like to let everyone know about TxtDrop.com, a free online service that allows text messages to be sent to cell phones from the internet. I've used it and can easy reply to the message so that it gets sent back to the email address that sent it. Give it a try!

A Salute to All Who Write and Love Poetry

I celebrate all those individuals who can write seemingly effortless lines of poetry as if their fingers were individual thesauruses working in unison to make words leap from a page. Poets, and all who write creatively, grab me, pull me in, and anchor me to their world. Gradually and languidly I fall into a dream state where I believe that I, too, can write a poem. This dream state is very special to me because poetry provides a spark of creativity while calming me into a peaceful state that helps balance my crazy technological world as well as my personal life when things don't seem to make sense.

Here is a little something I wrote this evening...

Smiles create poetic thoughts
As Life moves ever onward.

Onward ever moves Life
As thoughts poetic create smiles.

PicLits are fun to try, too!


See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

It's National Poetry Month. Will you carry a poem with you in your pocket everyday? Why do you love/write poetry? What moves you?

Fair Use - Part 1

The time is ripe for our school district to provide formal copyright and fair use training to teachers. Many teachers have retired over the last few years and many new teachers simply do not undertstand their limits and rights to using media in their instruction under copyright and Fair Use guidelines. Some feel they are free to use whatever media is available to them and pass this incorrect educational philosophy on to their students. Still, other teachers are so fearful of what they can and cannot do with media that they don't use any at all, and that is sad. Our students know more about digital media than their teachers and we need to be able to educate them using the tools they are familiar with and use themselves.

The Center for Social Media in the School of Communication at American University produced the following video that helps illustrate the current state of copyright and fair use confusion among educators. It's only an overview but sets the stage for further discussion.

The Code of Best Practices is important for you as an educator to read and share with your students. It provides guidelines that will help you make good decisions when using media in your classroom and when you have students create projects using media. I feel much more confident that I can provide proper guidance to teachers who have questions about what they can and cannot use in their classroom lessons and with student projects. I am ready to dump the "30 second rule" and move on to the true spirit of Fair Use.

We'll learn more about Fair Use in Part 2 and what the Code of Best Practices means for teachers. I will discuss Creative Commons licensing in Part 3 which is a topic I think all educators in D211 should adhear to as a way of implementing a best practice when using media in their classroom.

Until then, I am hopeful the information I provide in this and future blog posts on this topic will help lead the way to a better understanding of the rights teachers and students have when using media in their classrooms and projects.

Please let me know what questions you have about using media.

Until next time...

ICE Conference 2009

You can check out the backchannel by going to http://www.chatzy.com/336912666808.

There is also a conference wiki available at http://iceconference.wiki.zoho.com/.

View the webstream at http://iceconference.wiki.zoho.com/ICE-Conference-TV.html. It is up and down.

More to come

It's Not about the Tool

The following video reminds me that everything we do with technology in our classrooms is about the learning and not about the tool, or the trick, or the latest fad or buzz word of the moment. Technology used during the learning process to engage students in ways that are natural to them is powerful.





Mitch Resnik feels that real learning can be likened to lifelong Kindergarten. Think about this. Kids naturally collaborate, do research, create, present, and network easily (Chris Lehmann). We may not have Siftables available to us, yet, but we have Web. 2.0 tools that can help kids use these natural learning tendencies to become creative thinkers by extending the kindergarten approach to all parts of their lives. A wiki, for example, is a great tool for helping students organize all aspects of their leaning. The most important part of using these tools is to help our kids be creative and make connections that might otherwise be missed. This goes beyond making learning easier or faster. It goes to the heart of learning itself and engaging kids in ways that are natural to them.

I am very intrigued by the potential Siftables offer us. They connect the wooden blocks we all used in kindergarten (and still use today-Scrabble, Jenga, Tangrams, anyone?), with a technology that helps mimic the way or brains and bodies work.

For teachers, this is key: How are you using technology to help kids learn?

Skype Me!

Fremd Applied Technology Teacher, Mike Karasch, had a dilemma during Open House last fall; how to be in two places at one time. Mike is teaching classes at Fremd and Conant High Schools this year and both schools had Open House scheduled for the same day and time. Star Trek transporter technology is not a reality, yet, so, transporting him physically from one school to another was not an option. Mike was able to overcome this dilemma, however, by using his free Skype account to broadcast his Open House presentation from Conant to his class of parents at Fremd. His department chair, Paul Hardy, made sure the classroom projector was turned on in his Fremd classroom and also set the computer to receive the Skype video. Parents commented very positively on this use of technology as they were able to see Mike and ask him questions as if he were in the classroom with them.

Mike’s use of Skype reflects a growing trend among teachers who are using Skype technology to bring guest speakers into their classrooms. Authors, poets, scientists, adults with unique careers, the town historian, and parents, are just a few examples of people who might be interested in sharing some of their expertise and time with your students. A survey of your own students may reveal one or many speaker resources you could tap instantly.

Teachers are also using Skype to hold conferences and collaborate with students in other classrooms all over the world. ePals is an excellent resource for teachers who would like to collaborate with other teachers on projects. The Skype in Schools wiki is a virtual guest speaker network for educators. I’m willing to bet teachers in our own school district could create a similar wiki directory that would benefit all D211 teachers and anyone else who happens to visit the wiki. The Global School Network is a site that has over 3000 collaborative projects you can join. GSN also has ideas for teachers who wish to start their own collaborative project.

Bringing outside speakers into your classroom is an authentic way to help your students make contact with people who are practicing what you are teaching. Letting students contact potential speakers is a great way for them to take ownership of their learning. Our World Language students could make real connections with students in different countries. Imagine being able to converse with native speakers during class time!

The kids who are coming through school now, if you can't give them a real-wold connection to what they're learning, they turn off. They're not with you.
-Helen Gooch, Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System in Tennessee

I encourage you to visit Vicki Davis’ blog post about using Skype in the classroom. She has a short video on the blog that will provide you with some very helpful tips for getting started with Skype. I would be happy to help you brainstorm ways you can use Skype with your students.

You may also want to visit:
Using Skype at School
See Me, Hear Me: Skype in the Classroom

Do you use Skype in the classroom? If so, please share what you do.
What questions do you have about Skype? What do you think are some hurdles you would have to overcome in order to use Skype in your classroom? How can I help you explore the use of Skype with your students?

By the way, Skype me at michael.bachrodt.

Technology Proficiency 2.0

My last post asked you to share the 'technologies' you think our students should be taking with them after they graduate and why you think these technologies are important. My thoughts on this topic are based on how I see students using technology today outside of the classroom and are very different from what I would have said five years ago. This may come as a surprise, but, I think the most important technology tools students should take with them when they leave high school are those that have helped them become connected to others.

I lean towards the constructivist side of learning. By that, I mean, and very simply, that students build knowledge through their own experiences. Technology tools can play an important role for teachers and students in this regard. Social networks, in particular, allow students to connect and learn from one another’s experiences in order to construct their own understanding about a topic. Many of you are already using Web 2.0 tools as social networks such as blogs, wikis, online storage sites, Delicious bookmarks, Bubbl.us concept mapping, etc., in your classrooms. In fact, blogs and wikis are the two most common tools I see when I peruse teacher websites and these are a great start. I am so proud of you for taking a risk and exploring how these tools help students connect. You are already on your way to helping students learn to evaluate resources, organize information, and communicate with one another as well as with experts they may contact. These are some of the most important skills our students will use the rest of their lives.

Wendy Drexler, has created a short four minute video (I also have it below) that nails this idea of students being connected as learners. Given enough time, resources, and desire, this video paints a picture of what our classrooms could look like. Wendy says it best near the end of the video when she describes the teacher role as:

• Learning Architect
• Modeler
• Learning Concierge
• Connected Learning Incubator
• Network Sherpa
• Synthesizer
• Change Agent
  

Wendy has also made the transcript of this video available for you!

So, what do you think? Is this realistic for you? Please let me know if you would like to explore other tools such as RSS, RSS readers, Ning, Skype, podcasts, Twitter, wiki's, Zoho, Google groups, Wordle, VoiceThread,(or pick my brain to see what else is out there!), that will help you move towards building a classroom of networked students.

Technology Proficiency

Discussion at a recent meeting centered on the question of requiring students to take a technology proficiency class. On the surface, this is a great idea. However, what if our students were exposed to this technology everyday in our classrooms? Would they really need to take a class? I mean, we are so tight with rooms as it is in our building. So, I posed the question. Why not, instead, make teachers take a class and demonstrate proficiency in the technology students are likely to see in the work force? Here is a chance to really infuse technology into lessons in ways that our kids are already familiar with and use daily but rarely for academic purposes.

Silence.

I mean, really scary silence; the kind that lasts forever even though it was only a few seconds.
It got worse. The committee moved on without discussing my question. I immediately shrunk into my little cocoon. I think I got whacked and whacked pretty hard. Or, maybe I stunned them to the point where no one wanted to respond or were not prepared to respond. I began to think about this more, in my cocoon, and wondered what the list of technology skills, web 2.0 tools, programs, etc., would actually be should teacher/student proficiency in ‘technology’ become a reality.

NETS
The National Education Technology Standards for Teachers and Students already exist, as put forth by ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, but they have not been readily adopted by state boards of education.

Further, the standards do not dictate what the tools or programs are that teachers and students should be using. I think this part is left to teachers. In fact, ISTE does have a wiki where teachers can contribute how they are using technology to promote the standards. There is also a video that that simulates what the NETS for Students looks like in the classroom.

So what do you think about this topic? I am interested in learning what 'technologies' you think our students should be taking with them after they graduate and why you think these technologies are important. Please don't feel you have to be exhaustive in your response. I know that what we would like to see students learn is often times different from what we actually have time for them to learn.

IETC 2008

A miraculous thing happens when several hundred like-minded people get together and search for magic bullets that will help teachers improve their craft and students become better learners; Positive Energy.

I felt completely charged and recharged for two days, if you know what I mean. Participants put aside realities of time, roadblocks, district goals, mandated assessments, and, like sponges, absorbed the successes, failures, and possibilities shared by the presenters. To be honest, there was too much to absorb. An overload of information led to huge headaches each day, but that is nothing more than a sign of someone (me!) who still needs to learn to focus on and master one technique at a time which is exactly what I would do as a teacher. I’ll take the headaches, though, and humbly present a summary of the sessions that charged me the most. My goal for you is that you will spend some time visiting the sites in hopes they will recharge you when you feel the batteries running low. Notes for all the sessions I attended are in our TechCoach notebook under the Conferences section group. Please don’t hesitate to ask me for clarification on them!

First, visit the IETC site to see the list of presentations and some links to presenter handouts for other sessions not described below. This is becoming more of a trend at conferences, thankfully, and helps solidify the themes of 24/7 access and collaboration that seem to weave their way throughout the conference sessions.

Electrify Your Blog with Plugins
Rena Shifflet, ISU http://ietc2008.wikispaces.com/

This wiki provides a wealth of add-ons that will help make your blog a more interesting and interactive place to visit. Of note is the ability to use SlideShare to post your PowerPoint and then embed it directly into your blog. Other ideas include ways to add photos, blog visitor tracking widgets, a Skype button and widget from YackPack that allow for live conversations. I was very impressed how a math teacher embeds a Voicethread session that summarizes a collaborative problem solving approach that goes beyond the classroom. I’m interested to hear how you might find Voicethread useful in your classroom and even in your blog. I have lots of ideas, but let’s hear yours first!

Wiki World
Annette Lamb, Indiana University, http://eduscapes.com/sessions/wiki/

The term ‘wiki’ comes from wiki-wiki, which means quick-quick. Annette takes that to heart as her presentations are fast and packed with loads of useful information that will satisfy anyone looking for ways to promote reading, writing and high level thinking across the curriculum. I highly recommend spending as much time as possible exploring this site if you want to learn all about wikis and how you could use them with your students.

Annette is a teacher’s teacher. Her wiki lays it all out in an easy “I can do this!” way. She provides many instructions and examples for the new wiki user. The Teen Poetry Slam wiki rocks and made me wonder about applications of this approach for student publications at Fremd. Various English related wiki projects, and other project ideas covering many content areas are summarized.
This session inspired me to seriously consider moving all of the content from the Fremd Technology web site to the Fremd Tech Spot wiki that I started last year. What do you think?

Technology Treasures
Annette Lamb, Indiana University, http://eduscapes.com/sessions/treasures/

Okay, I got my first big headache right around this session as I got buried with information. The website has three focus questions: How do you find all those great technology resources and ideas? How do you stay current when technologies change so quickly? How do you maintain a passion for teaching and learning? I came away with ideas for helping teachers find partners, real or digital, in an effort to collaborate and keep the technology beast at bay. Technology is, indeed, a sixth prep, (thanks, Nicole, that was awesome!), and being able to have resources available to help learn and infuse it into classrooms is easier with the steps described in this session. The steps are listed below but you should visit her site to see the amazing list of resources to help you understand them.

1. Find Virtual Friends
2. Rethink the Tools
3. Bring Learning Alive
4. Read Professional Websites and Blogs
5. Connect to the Local Community
6. Collect Everything
7. Get Free Resources
8. Locate Free Tools
9. Promote Public Service
10. Use Primary Sources

Technology in the Foreign Language Classroom
Kim Rojas & Katie Orrego, University High School, Bloominton, Ill.
Visit our Technology Coach notebook for instructions on accessing their BlackBoard site that contains all classroom handouts, project ideas and conference materials.

I was very impressed by the infusion of technology into the lessons of these two Spanish teachers and thought their ideas could easily be adapted to other disciplines. They began by explaining how they use MS Word to create Warm up vocabulary exercises (again, follow along at the BlackBoard site) as an immediate classroom engagement tool to get kids thinking in Spanish the minute they walked into the door. Also, Word is used to create simple colored text boxes with words on them for students to move around and create sentences; a very SmartBoard-like activity without using SmartBoards!

Wikis were the next tech tool they presented. Students have to add a vocabulary word to the main page of the wiki and link it to a new page they create. Students use the new page to type a sentence using the word, maybe add a photo and include a memory trick to help remember the english equivalent. Wikis are also used to create stories. Each page has a few sentences students create with two links at the end of the page to other pages. This is kind of like those 'create your own adventure' stories where you choose what you think happens next.

Further uses of technology include blogs, multimedia projects, Audacity for recording, and the use of online video sites such as Youtube and BBCMundo as resources for native speaker inclusion into classroom settings. Again, specifics about how each of these technology tools are used in their lessons can be found on their BlackBoard site.

It was interesting that every participant in the session was a Spanish teacher. They were gobbling up the ideas and sharing their own. I chimed in and told everyone about LiveMocha and Mangolanguages as places to go for tutorials and the opportunity to converse with native speakers.

So, that's my summary. Now, the tough question. How do we know any of this actually helps kids learn better than the the methods used during the last, say, 10 years? This is what I hope to see added to conferences down the road. The jury is still out on the effectiveness of our technology infusion efforts. Watching kids use technology today stills gives credence to the notion they learn differently from the way I did and as classroom teachers, we need to continue to tap into the technology resources available to see what makes them tick. One of the best things I ever did was to actually ask kids how they learn things on their own. Let them babble, listen intently, and begin to look deeply at your own teaching practices for places where a different approach might be needed.

I'd like to hear how using new technology tools are making a difference in your classrooms. Also, do you have any anecdotal evidence that points to improved teaching and learning?

Happy Birthday, Gretchen!

I'm sure you noticed the new photo gallery on the right side of this blog. I'm sure you are dying to know how I did that. There has to be a classroom application for this somewhere!
First, the pictures are of my daughter opening a birthday gift and she graciously said I could use the photos in an effort to promote technology use at Fremd. Thanks, Gretchen!

Ever the geek, I decided to take some of the pictures using my cell phone camera and thought I would use this opportunity to share how I got them from my cell phone to my Tablet PC. I don't have a cell phone data transfer cable that I can use to directly download photos to my Tablet, so I had to rely on wireless means.

The Flickr Approach

I have a Flickr account that I use mainly as a resource for getting pictures I might need for a quick presentation and also for quick uploads of pictures if I know I or someone else will need to access them from another computer later. Flickr offers me the additional ability to email photos to my account which makes it useful for me to send photos from my phone to the email address Flickr provides.

Basics

1. Create your account
2. Click on your username at the top of the screen next to where it says, "Signed in as [username]." This takes you to Your Account.
3. Click on the Email link next to the Personal Information section. Your unique Flickr email is listed next to where it says Your Flickr Upload Email.
4. Now, open your photo gallery (or what ever it may be called in your phone) and send the photos using that email address.

Now, I'm not about to attempt to tell you how to use your own phone to send pictures, as there are so many different phones and possibilities for doing this! Stop by to see me, though, and I'll help you figure out how it's done.
Next, I used Flickr to create a 'photo badge' that would generate some html code that I could easily copy and paste into the new HTML widget provided by Blogger. The result is the small gallery of photos you see to the right. There a few other steps involved, like creating a 'Set' of pictures in Flickr for the gallery. It took a little time, and patience.

I also learned that I could send pictures directly to this blog but have had a little trouble doing that. More later, when I figure it out. Or, maybe someone could help me with that part!

The only downside to sending photos from my phone to Flickr is that my phone has a 600 KB limit on file size sending, so, I could not send the 1.3 MB movies I had also taken. Now what?

The Bluetooth Approach

My Tablet PC has Bluetooth technology and so does my cell phone. They can talk to one another like a mini wireless network. I could do this in a forest with no access to any kind of wireless network needed. I had no trouble sending my cell phone movies to my computer. Bluetooth is cool.

Basically, the general process for using Bluetooth wireless technology is as follows:

1. Make sure your cell phone is 'discoverable' by other Bluetooth devices such as your Tablet PC.
2. Right-click on the Bluetooth icon in the lower right corner of your screen and Add a Bluetooth Device.
3. Click Next from the window that opened and let the computer discover all of the devices in my immediate area that had Bluetooth technology installed and turned on. This is a slick way to search for cell phones in your classroom, by the way!
4. Use your cell phone to search for new devices.
5. "Pair" them, if needed, so that they can talk to one another.

These instructions are purposely vague because each cell phone will have a slightly different way of finding and connecting to another Bluetooth device. Again, stop by and I will be more than happy to help you learn you how this is done on your phone.

So, how could either of these techniques be used in the classroom or school environment? Further, Flickr badges are just HTML code and could be used in your class, activity, or athletic website or blog. What do you think? Pros, Cons?

What I Voted For

I voted today and I would like to share not who I voted for, but some of what I voted for and how this might relate to our use of technology. I voted for giving people the chance to share their knowledge and to collaborate with one another to solve problems. I voted for empowering people to take charge of their own lives rather than being told how their lives will be helped or changed. I voted for a strong work ethic. I voted for the hope that technology will be viewed as a tool any generation of user can adapt to, learn from, benefit from, and, most importantly, engage in a wider (global?) conversation with because our world is an investment in ourselves and our future.

We have the power to take ourselves anywhere we desire; whether it is to a physical location on this planet, (or another), or to a different point in our own understanding of what we think we currently know. We can learn in order to get there. Generation-We is growing up but they need to become digital citizens. They are so much like us, learners who believe they can make a difference. What are WE doing in our classes to help them?

Our students share. Do we? Do we know what other educators are doing in the next classroom or school? Do we care? I voted for the chance to share our knowledge. We can share by talking with one another as colleagues and using online storage sites, online photo sharing sites, blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. to make 'our' work available anytime, anywhere for others.

Our students collaborate. Do we? How often do we give and get nothing back, not even a 'Thank You!"? I am not smarter or a better teacher than you but I can work with you to create something truly magical our students can use to help them learn. I can personally become better at my craft as I glean a little bit of what you do, too. Do we encourage our students to collaborate in the classroom? I voted for giving people the chance to help. We can collaborate by using OneNote, wikis, and blogs, to name a few technology tools.

Our students think. It is our job to help them think creatively and constructively. Engage them. We can teach them to use paper and electronic resources to help them attack a problem, question, or issue, to form opinions and to be heard. We can help them learn to use Web 2.0 tools to organize their research.

Our students communicate. Do we? Certainly we can with one another as we sit in our offices. Let's expand the communication. Do you read periodicals and blogs regularly that are written by teachers or experts in a subject? Do you communicate/contribute your own thoughts to the blog? Do your students blog or contribute to your classroom blog? You and your students do have something to say. It is humbling to find others thinking and writing about topics, ideas, and uses for technology that I would not think about or even know about had I not read their blog. It is satisfying to find others sharing the same concerns, hopes, and dreams for education and technology that I do. It is gratifying to be able to contribute and learn from, benefit from, and engage in wide conversations.

Maybe we use Skype to communicate. Let's bring a scientist, author, accountant, musician, mathematician, coach, athlete, secretary, CEO, plumber, doctor, nurse, and parent, into our classroom and have live dialogues using Skype. We can communicate and technology will help in ways not possible before.

How do you see our students? What did you vote for?

The Connection

Nicole LaBeau provides an excellent post in her blog where we are sometimes like a deer when it comes to new technology. We find ourselves on the road of change but don't really know where to go and need help making a move before those strange lights coming at us get too close. Using a Tablet PC is like this. We have it, wonder what to do with it, and need some guidance.

So, why use a tablet PC?
The first response I notice from teachers when this discussion begins is typically a glossy look in their eyes that conveys, "Yeah, so what? I can type faster than I can write." I think the disconnect is that people think using the stylus replaces typing, permanently, and, therefore, the Tablet PC offers no real advantage over a laptop. The realization that one doesn't need to stop using the keyboard with a Tablet PC is something I have to stress. I will be the first to admit that there are certainly times when typing beats the heck out of writing; like when I'm in my office answering email or creating a document in Word or crunching data using Excel. Using a Tablet PC goes beyond the keyboard, though.

Productivity
At conferences, I can draw a picture when, to me, the concept being presented makes more sense being written down visually compared to simple note taking. Writing notes is also a lot less distracting to others than the constant click, click, click, of the keyboard. More than one person has leaned over to see what I was doing and asked for a demonstration. I can write to my blog live (as long as I have a wireless connection!), take a picture of a workshop presenter with my cell phone and use Bluetooth technology to send the picture to my computer and load it into the blog, all on the fly and all without a keyboard.

I can walk around class with my Tablet PC and immediately access documents, web pages, recordings, videos, etc., that I have pre-loaded into my OneNote classroom lesson plan notebook. Further, I can work with a cooperative group of students and instantly bring back any information I had previously shown to the entire class in order to reiterate a point and provide more individual clarification. OneNote allows me to digitally have the entire school year of lessons with me all the time. "Hey, Mr. B., remember that time when you showed us that web site with the cool animations of molecular movement?" "Yep, I do, in fact, I can bring it up right now," (from my OneNote notebook).

I can add my own handwritten comments to anything in a shared OneNote notebook that I use to collaborate with my colleagues on teaching techniques, tools, and assessments.

Students can send me their papers electronically, I can ink (write using the stylus) on them, save them, and return them electronically. No paper exchanges hands. Think of the peer editing that could take place should all students have access to a Tablet PC.

Engagement
Various screen capturing methods using OneNote (windows key + S) or the SnipIt! program provide visuals to help make any email note, worksheet, or anywhere text is used, more meaningful.

I can present a PowerPoint presentation using a Tablet PC that is wirelessly connected to a projector and add inking to make the presentation more engaging. Imagine brainstorming on the spot with your students and recording their thoughts using inking tools along with your original presentation. I can save the ink annotations along with the presentation and make it available online for students to review on their own. Better yet, I could go further and have the Tablet PC record the presentation along with the inking and the audio from the class using Camtasia software (available on our computers) and save it all as a movie for replay. Anytime, anywhere learning?

Looking ahead, I can imagine all students using tablet PCs one day along with Classroom Presenter software where students interact with a teacher's presentation and provide visual feedback to the teacher for immediate or post teaching review. This is going further than using the CPS units.

Teachers can create and/or display anything on their Tablet screen and have their students use the stylus to interact with it. Provide a storyboard of people buying tickets for a train in World Language class and let students create a possible dialogue by writing on the Tablet in the target language. Let students correct the grammar in a sentence projected on the screen or identify the parts of a cell, balance a chemical equation, fill out a business form properly, write the next two or three notes to a music score, identify muscle groups and predict which muscle groups are needed to perform certain movements, have students create their own military deployment plans for previous wars and compare those to what actually took place in history, use the Ink Art program to demonstrate brush strokes and color manipulation, and on and on.

Mobility
I've noticed some teachers walk around with the Tablet PC in their classroom and enter grades into the electronic grade book using the stylus and the Input Panel. No need to set the Tablet down somewhere and type in a score as would have to be done if they had a laptop to use instead.

Teachers could also write comments in OneNote to help them remember specific situations where students may be confused on a concept. A digital reminder like this can help them remember to make lesson plan adjustments down the road. Sure, paper can do the same thing, as long as you can keep track of the paper!

I can access information from files on the network or send an email on the fly if I need to get some information while I carry the Tablet PC. I don't need the keyboard. Have you ever used your own handwriting to respond to an email? You can.

Your Turn

I invite you to share your own experiences with the Tablet PC. How does it help you become more productive as a teacher, with lesson planning, and in the classroom interacting with students. How does it help you as a coach or as an activity sponsor? Feel free to build upon a use already mentioned. I'd like to hear about the negative aspects of the Tablet PC, too. What doesn't work like you think it should? Don't be shy.

Remember, one person's love of a particular Tablet PC use may not be important to another but it's the possibilities that move us along. Let's brainstorm and keep supporting everyone who finds themselves a deer on the road of technology change.