Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Change of Address

It's time for a blog change of address. All new blog posts can be found at http://howdowegetfromheretothere.edublogs.org/. Thanks to those who have stopped by this last year. Come check out the new digs!
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Monday, July 14, 2008

Links Saved Today 07/15/2008

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Friday, July 11, 2008

Links Saved Today 07/12/2008

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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Links Saved Today 07/11/2008

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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Links Saved Today 07/10/2008

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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

NECC - It's Not About the Technology. It's About the People.

The National Education Computing Conference (NECC) is finally over. The excitement had been building for months. With tools and sites like Ning, Twitter, Diigo, Plurk the excitement reached a fever pitch in the last few days leading up to the big event. I was lucky enough to be there this year, but it meant digging into my own bank account to do so. It was worth it!
I've been avoiding reading others reflections until I could complete my own. After a few false starts, here it goes.
Bottom line = This was a conference that focuses on technology, but the real value is in people.

Having the opportunity to meet some "friends" face-to-face was incredible. I'm one of those who feels isolated as the one, or one of the few people who promotes true technology integration in the classroom. Reading blogs and participating in social networking via Classrom 2.0, Twitter, Ed Tech Talk, along with various other Nings, and wikis has allowed me to connect with others who are trying do the same. I've been able to share, learn, discuss, and disagree. Finally getting to be in same rooms with many of the people I've known only in an online environment was amazing. Personalities are now attached to the URLs and avatars. Discussions in hallways, session rooms, over meals, and in the Blogger's Cafe were fun, funny, challenging and inspiring. Meeting new people only added to this experience. My brain is now spinning with possibilities for further work and collaboration in the coming year.

As for sessions, they were very hit-and-miss for me. Some sessions were great and others were very poor. Frustration had to be kept in check as the number of sessions I couldn't get into grew and grew. Thanks to the efforts of people in many of those sessions, recordings were made. Thanks to the efforts of people who couldn't even attend NECC this year, links to those recording were posted and promoted. MANY thanks to all of them for allowing me to have a nice long list of sessions I still have to catch up on :^)

Many discussions at NECC and after have focused on tools vs. practical use. To me, this is a critical discussion that must continue. There is supposed to be a very real purpose for all the tools we spend so much time discussing and trying out. The tools mean nothing without a valid application. Some tools are for professional development. The more critical issue for me is whether or not they can increase student learning experience and improve learning outcomes. If I can't demonstrate how a tool provides for effective and efficient use of teacher time in increasing student learning, the effort is useless. Real examples of real classroom use is an important component that I think was under-represented in sessions. The table and poster sessions are one piece. Hopefully NECC and other conferences will encourage more people to include this direct link to student learning in regular sessions as well.
I still have so much more to review, learn and absorb that it will take me at a few more weeks to take it all in. Thanks to everyone who helped make NECC such an incredible experience for me.

Here are links to some of the recorded sessions in case you weren't there, couldn't get in, or just want to take another look. Some may have duplicate entries.

NECC Video on Demand

NECC Webcasts

School 2.0: Progressive Pedagogy and 21st Century Tools

Women of Web 2.0 live from NECC08

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Sunday, June 1, 2008

Summer To-Do List

I don't know about you, but it seems like my to-do list for the summer keeps growing and growing. I thought that maybe if I posted it publicly, I might hold myself more accountable for getting at least some of it accomplished :) Somehow, I think I will probably end up adding to the list as the weeks go on.

Personal
  • Help friend dealing w/ breast cancer
  • Train/fund raise for 60-mile breast cancer 3-day walk
  • Clean out drawers, closets, and garage
  • Doctor, Dentist, Optometrist
  • Jury Duty
  • Weekend in San Francisco
  • Plan and co-host summer Tapas party
  • Summer concerts
  • Read, rest, and generally relax
Technology/Work
  • Prepare for NECC, attend NECC, try to absorb learning from NECC
  • Create classroom page on new school/district web site
  • Facilitate digital storytelling w/ summer writing workshop students
  • Prepare podcasting projects details for new class and Student Council
  • Work to convince district re: development of teacher best practices page and technology integration resources page on new web site
  • Develop training for colleagues re: digital storytelling and new web site
  • Develop audio/print components for moving level 3 CELDTs to level 4
  • Develop WebQuest/Filamentality project for effective web use/digital safety lessons
  • Develop new GATE after-school projects
  • Prep beginning of school materials
  • Learn new math adoption materials
  • Attend Nancy Fetzer training
  • Participate in grade-level prep meetings
  • Sort through Diigo lists and CUE conference resources
So...how is your list shaping up? I know I'm not the only one with a year's worth of projects to do in one summer.
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Monday, March 31, 2008

Blog-less for Now

O.k...so I'm not the most prolific blogger anyway, but in order to focus on other priorities, I won't be adding any new blog posts until summer. For anyone who doesn't already know about them, I'd suggest Twitter and Diigo as great new resources. Please also check out Classroom 2.0 for great ideas and collaborative thinking.

Hope to see you at NECC in San Antonio!
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Friday, March 7, 2008

CUE 2008 - Day 2

10:00 – 11:00 “Digital Storytelling 2.0: What’s Next?” – David Jakes
http://www.davidjakes.org/

I always really like David Jake's sessions, because he is so practical when it comes to using tech in real classrooms. Simple...to the point...with real impact on student learning

The pictures/video builds the script into what the original narrative might have been. It extends the writing. The final product often has a second track of meaning.

Used IKEA lamp video to demonstrate the power of visuals

Digital Storytelling changes: New media, new tools, new composition strategies, new networks, new messages

Flickr Storm tutorials on Djakes site.
- Keyword (1st for obvious literal meaning, 2nd for emotional meaning)
- Creative Commons license terms (attribution – student just needs to make a list of attributed names at the end of the presentation)
- Select
- Click change (adjusts size)
- Save as (build attribution directly into the file name)
- Capture URL of photo set file name and save into word doc.
- Could save as a preselection of images for students to use

CC Mixter for music creative commons music)
- Artist uploads a capella
- Someone else adds musical accompaniment
- There might multiple versions available

Jam Studio 2.0
- Create own background music

Jumpcut - Create your timeline online

Transitions, Pans, and Zooms
- Think about them like punctuation (VERY cool concept)
- No transition = no punctuation
- Cross fade = period
- Fade to black = new paragraph
- Slow Zooms = vastness, space or focus viewer
- Quick zoom intensifies drama
- Slow pans = left to right
- Create discomfort with right to left pan

AFI Screen nation (new coming spring 2008) – publishing student video

11:30 - 12:30
The Google Universe – Chris Walsh
http://googled.wikispaces.com/universe
Not the same of Google Teacher Academy, but related materials

Google -originally called “Back Rub”

“Google can’t turn information into knowledge”

Two important words “Even More” – Type that in search bar to get more tools + click “I’m Feeling Lucky” – other google tools – Check out “Search Features”

Advanced Search - file type, search within domain name restrictions (ex: UCLA), or type (ex: .edu)
Google not yet ready to provide web site reading level info for students

Google search bar is also a calculator

iGoogle
Google Alerts – emailed news alerts on topics of choice

Google Docs - Can track changes and work collaboratively in real time and track changes.

Interesting Note: - Legally, you can’t set-up Gmail (or any other) email account for students under 13/14 (?) without written permission from parent.

1:30 – 2:30
Writing and Vocabulary Instruction Using Technology – Arnie Uretsky
Special Education Teacher
auretsky@ideaslive.com

Start w/brainstorming (Keep it to only a few – focus on students being able to recreate independently)
- Scholastic Graphic Organizer Sites
- Tools for Reading and Thinking
- Kreative Komix
- Writer’s Companion
- Vocabulary Companion
- ReadWriteThink.org

3:00 - 4:00
Education2.0: Web-Based Apps for the Classroom - Jonathan Brubaker
http://del.icio.us./mia_sarx/cue08

The Power of RSS (XML) - automated web surfing
“Perpetual Beta”
WebBrowser at the Platform
Fast Internet Connections

Move from what program should I use to what website should I use

“The web is platform agnostic”

http://del.icio.us

Google Docs
http://www.zoho.com
Box.net – online file sharing and storage w/ 1gb free storage
Scribd (ipaper – flash widgets to embed documents into web page)
Quizlet.com – create and share flashcards – also creates test for you
Flashcard Friends
Keybr.com – typing program
Visuwords.com – online graphical dictionary
Zamzar.com – file coversion (can take link for youtube video and convert into an avi or wmv, etc. file)
Mangolanguages.com
PIcnik – photo editing
Fotoflexer – photo editing
vi.sualize.us – bookmark and tag photos
animoto – animates uploaded photos to music (free for short pieces, pay for longer ones)
gliffy (free “inspiration” type software
scratch – create games w/o knowing program language
Visible Body – 3D like using Google Earth for the body
Weird Converter.com
VLC Media Player (videoLan)– can play any media file (any DVD, flash, avi, etc.)
Stock.xchng – online images (not filtered)
Worth1000.com – a picture is worth 1000 words – photos via photo contests) – use for journal topics, odd photos

Password tip – create a base +rule for sites (ex: first three letters of site)

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Thursday, March 6, 2008

Comuter Using Educator (CUE) Conference 2008, Palm Springs, CA

For more info CUE website

Live Blogging---I apologize ahead of time for any typos. I'll try to post notes on speakers and suggested web sites as I attend each session

Thursday, March 6, 2008

12:30 – 1:30

"102 Great Technology Curriculum Activities for the Elementary Classroom" - Gary Garfield, Suzanne McDonough - Cancelled

"Integrating the Internet into the Primary Classroom" - Gayle Berthiaume
del.icio.us/tag/gayleinternet
Candlelight Stories.com
Book Hive – youtube videos of storytellers
Bookpop
Little Fingers (pre & K)
One More Story.com
Primarygames.com
Gamegoo
Scholastic sites – online games, activities – English and ELL
Giggle Poetry
Literacy Center.net
Enchanted Learning
Mad Libs at Fun Brain
It’s My Life (PBS)
Sesame Street
Panwapa (new as of October – geared for 4-7 year olds) - create avatar, interactive - Teaches
global awareness, character education, endangered animals
ali.apple.com - Apple Learning Interchange – teacher, not student centered - includes copyright-free photos for ed use

How to Manage in the Classroom
- whole group (computer lab, large screen tv)
- small group
- older student computer buddies
- volunteers
- centers (sign-up)

Assessment
- observation (walk around, still and video camera)
- portfolios
- rubrics
- online surveys (surveymonkey.com)
- assessment tools (can't see link)
- student interviews
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Candidates

Now is the time when many of us are starting to think about how to decide on which presidential candidate to vote for. While these should probably not be your only method of research, here are a couple of candidate matching quizzes to get your brain thinking.

Select a Candidate
Which Candidate is for You?
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Thursday, January 3, 2008

Maybe Low-Tech is What We Need

"I don't have time to learn something new." "I don't have time for my kids to use the computer." "How can I have my students use the computer for projects if I don't have one computer per child in each group?" These are all issues/ideas that get in the way of teachers integrating more "technology" into the curriculum.

Hopefully some low-tech projects will help. We have begun using simple recordings. The first recordings were of the sight words students need to assist with reading and writing. Audacity was used to record the word lists. The recordings were then exported into Windows Media Player so they could be played via computer or burned onto CDs. CDs can be used on portable CD players in the classroom (we just received some) or sent home for practice. Parents were happy about this possibility because many felt uncomfortable with their own English pronunciation skills.

So where to from here? I'm hoping teachers will now begin to record student stories to include with written copies in classroom libraries. Programs such as Photo Story and VoiceThread would also be great tools for recordings.
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