Tomorrow's Tech in Today's Schools

How iTunesU Online School Model Can Democratize University Education?

2012-02-24T05:13:00.004-08:00

Today I have a guest post from blogger Marina Salsbury, who discusses how iTunesU is affecting education at the university level. Guest posts are always welcome. Please drop me a line if you are interested.

iTunes University is an application available for Apple iPod touch, iPad, or iPhone. This application is designed to allow educators to put together distance courses that are accessible to everyone at a low cost or for free. The powerful iTunes University interface allows instructors to include videos of lectures and demonstrations, textual information, as well as audio and other multimedia content.

iTunes University puts education in the hands of the masses, because you do not need to be enrolled in a university to view the course content and follow along with the lectures. These online school courses are offered completely free of charge, either as a public service or in an effort to give potential students a taste of what an online education at their university or institution would be like. For example, Harvard University currently offers more than 150 online courses, and they make a handful of lectures available free of charge on iTunes to give students a sense of what distance education at Harvard is like.

iTunes University may become instrumental in driving down the cost of a university education, according to Sean Decatur, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Oberlin College. iTunes University and other digital resources provides students with interactive and textual content at a much lower cost than traditional textbooks and resources. While digital content can't reduce the cost of instruction, grading, university infrastructure and other key costs, it can reduce the cost of delivering the content, according to Decatur. This savings is directly passed along to the student.

One drawback to viewing college course content in this manner is that you will not receive course credit unless you enroll in the university program and pay for the credit hours. This means that while you may have gained the knowledge, you may not be able to demonstrate it to an employer or use the experience as proof that you have a college education. Many universities offer their online content on iTunes as the lecture part of an online course, and require that students use another interface, such as Blackboard or Web CT, to turn in assignments at regularly scheduled times. Additionally, the technology itself has limitations. You cannot gain practical experience in a laboratory setting or in a studio under the direct supervision of a qualified instructor, and for many hands-on courses, this experience is essential.

However, iTunesU is an excellent resource for those who are considering a college education or continuing education at a particular university or in a particular subject but want to sample courses before they pay the fees at a university. Additionally, iTunes University is ideal for those who just wish to gain job skills, or enhance personal knowledge. For example, you can find free or low-cost courses on everything from woodworking to accounting or even literature. Instead of paying to audit classes, you can view them free on iTunes in many cases.

iTunes University will not change education entirely because the basis of most university programs is direct student-professor contact and guidance, either online or off. However, courses delivered on iTunesU can provide students and potential learners with a way to sample courses or learn a new skill on their own and at their own pace. For this reason, universities will continue to create course content designed to be viewed on iTunesU.

Pitfalls of Mobile Devices in Today's Classroom

2012-02-21T13:52:00.001-08:00

Over the last year or so I have become an advocate for using mobile devices in the classroom. Mobile devices like the smarthphone, iPad, & iPod touch have helped educational technology spread in classrooms due to their enormous popularity, lower prices, and size for mobility.

However, over the last few days I've become aware of some problems with mobile devices, that all teachers should be cognizant of and try to avoid.

Mobile devices were originally designed and created for 1 purpose...Content Consumption! Although many of these devices are now acquiring more apps, like iMovie that allow for creation and productivity, the entire platform of mobile was built on consumption. Let's go back to the Bloom's Taxonomy. Where would you put digital consumption? (Pretty hard question, wouldn't you say?)

While I will continue to be an advocate for mobile devices in the classroom, I am now making a more concerted effort to help teachers find ways in which students can do more creating. Whether that creation happens with the mobile device or traditional computer doesn't matter, so long as the student gets the opportunity to learn how to use technology to create and be productive.

A quick example I have are QR codes. They've infiltrated many schools in the last 2 years, and most teachers love the lessons they have done with them. But lets ask this question..."If all your students do with a QR code is scan it with their phone, what have they learned to create?" Lets be more open to students helping us create more elements of our lessons and consequently new skills that teach our youth the power of creation vs consumpiton.

A generation of consumers who don't know how to be producers is a dangerous imbalance in any economy. Let's make it a goal to let students do more creating with technology. Creating websites, blogs, documents, presentations, movies, music, art, newscasts, podcasts, timelines, web 2.0 things, etc. Creation requires knowledge, ingenuity, creativity, and discipline. Those are the higher order skills that we are striving for as 21st century educators.

Last Days as a Facilitator...

2012-02-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, this week is my last week as a Technology Integration Facilitator. I will be heading to Plymouth, NC to take over as Director of Instructional Technology. Although my title may be changing, I'm hoping to ~~continue~~ further my role in helping teachers innovate their use of technology in the classroom, and prepare students with 21st century skills.

As I leave FISD and my duties as a TIF, I'd like to share a few thoughts...

I have a loved being a TIF. It is has been a better fit for me than I ever could've imagined. I was blessed to have leadership that didn't care how young I was or how terribly presented my ideas were. Both my supervisors and my teams listened to my ideas and let me run with them, no matter how far they took me nor how short I fell. They allowed me the freedom to create, innovate, and share my ideas and passion. The success I've had while here in Frisco was due, in great part, to the wonderful individuals I was privileged to work with.

Some of my favorite projects and collaborations I've been a part of over the last 4 years...If you were a part of any of the projects below, I thank you and I will miss you.

The Frisco Fab 5

Finally, teachers are often times the most creative and innovative individuals in today's workplace. The many lessons and projects that have been shared on this blog are a testament to that. One thing that technology can do for educators is help us share our creativity, innovation, and drive to help students learn & grow. We know that traditional media won't showcase our abilities or a fraction of the good that we do day in and day out. There isn't any money in it. So we need to share what we are doing. Technology lends itself to breaking down those walls and bringing the world inside our classroom. It's my hope that all teachers will see the need to share their ideas and lessons more often. Starting with your students and parents, to administrators, to colleagues, and eventually the world. You don't have to start big, emails, videos, blogs, podcasts... This age of 'New Media' can help you do it, and that in turn will help us improve education far more than any test or legislation.

Please stay tuned I will continue to post and share new ideas, projects and collaborations from NC in the next few weeks...

Augmented Reality with Aurasma lite app

2012-01-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I learned about one of the coolest apps I've seen in the last 2 years. Aurasma Lite. I'm sure I sound like a fanboy already, but let me quickly describe what it does and then I'll share some ideas I have to use this effectively in the classroom.

The Basics:
Take a picture of an object then assign a picture or a video from your device to the original object. Or assign objects or animations from Aurasma's gallery to the orignal object. The app walks you through this process flawlessly.

Then save your Aura.

After uploading to the Aurasma server and waiting 1-3 minutes, your aura is ready to be viewed. Here is where it gets cool...

While in the Aurasma app (the camera will launch) hold your device up to the object you took a picture of earlier. The app will sense the presence of an aura and will display the image or video that you assigned to that object. It's a little like QR codes without the ugly black and white codes all over.

Lesson ideas:
It took me a day or two to wrap my brain around the app and what it can do. Fortunately @LachHull shared with me her idea for an Aura wall. The best part is that her 5-6 yr. old students helped to create it.

Then @TeacherTechnol sent me a tweet with her idea for a Shakespeare lesson.

So with help from other teachers my mind has taken off...

Foreign Language: Vocabulary spaces. Start in any room and have your students augment the reality of that room. Have them create virtual placards or quick 2-3 second videos that show the spelling of that object and someone pronouncing the word. Now they are seeing & hearing vocabulary for all the objects in that particular space. See below nice it works.

"Auracaching": As a big fan of geocaching lessons, I have loved the results of getting students up and moving around as they learn various subject matter. For kinesthetic learners there is nothing better. Auracaching brings elements of geocaching in from the outdoors. Teachers or Students create auras about a particular unit or topic. Each Aura (or station) should prompt an action from the participants. Then place the objects in various places around the room or building. The teacher then gives the students hints about where each aura can be found. Once each aura is found the student completes the activity prompted by the Aura.

Augmented Story: Students write a story. They create videos, pictures, and perhaps QR codes linking to activities and websites that add value to the story. Then aura markers and QR codes are added to the body of the story. Now when the reader reads the story with a smartphone or tablet the auras and links are scanned to create a very unique reading experience.

School performance program: Band, Theatre, Choir, or Orchestra...While parents are waiting to get seated or during intermission, they could be viewing the night's program. The program could have pictures of each student and when scanned it could bring up a video of each student introducing themselves.

One of the biggest advantages I see to this app, is that it is a creation tool. Teachers don't need to do all the work, but should rather allow students the freedom to help create a great Aurasma experience.

Caveats:

Aurasma is still in Beta, so just know that you are using a product that isn't quite finished. But you may be helping to polish it, so take pride in that and help provide useful feedback.
For now, you must have one Aurasma account per device. Meaning that you must save all auras to each device being used. (Aurasma, if you're listening, please help educators make it easy to allow each student to have their own experience.)
Some districts may have firewalls and filters that block the content coming back from the Aurasma servers. If this is the case see your district's IT team.

Do you have ideas/lessons for this app? Please share by leaving a comment or a link.

Changing the World

2012-01-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Today I have a guest post from blogger Marina Salsbury, who discusses a new $99 tablet designed specifically for education. Guest posts are always welcome. Please drop me a line if you are interested.

As technology continues to grow and further develop, itsreaches and depths are also expanding. Currently, technology is involved in allaspects of society and is seeping into new arenas as well. With thisdevelopment has come the advent of new technologies to be utilized in new waysand different places.

One area that has benefited from the advancement of technology is education.Research shows that technology offers education several advantageousopportunities. Any variety of technology benefits education by furtherinvolving students in learning, engaging students in group work activities, andincreasing student-to-student as well as student-to-teacher involvement. Technology alsoenhances resource availability as well as offers new learning opportunities,potentially decreases educational costs, and expands the teaching and learninghorizon.

According to OnlineMBA, designing a product today must make life easier byresponding to needs that customers didn't know they had. Marvell has the answerfor all this by asking, “What is the most beneficial, cost-effective, usablepiece of technology on the educational market today?” The company has recentlyintroduced its newest piece of technology, the Moby tablet, and is launching acampaign to restructure and the intersection between technology and education.At $99, the Moby, in conjunction with the Mobylize initiative, is aimed atoffering a quality product at a feasible price to align the focus of educationin line with today’s changing societal progress.

In its attempt to create and offer this quality product, Marvell designed theMoby with a variety of useful features. The Moby contains a Marvell Armada600-series microprocessor. This piece ensures expedient and reliable internalprocessing and operates at one of the highest level of processing. The designalso offers a video chip equipped to achieve 1080p video as well as some3-dimensional graphics. The system itself is capable of processing on eitherthe Microsoft Windows or Google Android operating system. The Moby also offersthe option of a 10-inch or 7-inch screen size to offer variability in the methodof presentation.

While the Moby serves a range of purposes, it's designed to serve as aneducational piece. The Mobylize phenomenon is a specific missionof the Marvell company to enable and empower teachers and students byexpanding the current horizons of tablet computing. To do so, the Moby isconfigured to facilitate different varieties of learning interactions. Forexample, by linking the tablet to different devices, the system will be able tofacilitate guided instruction activities in which the teacher leads and thestudents follow. Such learning might include a manipulative digital experimentor web-based lesson. The Moby can also facilitate collaborative learning byallowing students to work together via interconnected tab interfaces or groupwork activities. The Moby's offerings are also age-specific to garner optimalinteraction for all students. To include parents in the learning process, thistablet also offers a parental organization piece that allows the parent totrack the student’s grades, homework assignments, activities, and otherimportant involvement. For the teacher, the Moby has features that permitspecific lesson structuring, grade recording, noting calendar events, and otherimportant organizational features. The educator features place all theteacher’s important information and abilities all in one easily-transportableplace. The Moby is literally taking the classroom to a whole new virtual world.

In the words of Mobylize, “By improving technology adoption in America'sclassrooms, we can give students the power to learn, create, connect andcollaborate in entirely new ways”.The Moby will ensure that the initial step istaken and, in turn, will change the world (of education at least).

Mythology eBook project...

2011-11-29T08:56:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I shared an ePub project that I was working on where students wrote their on children's books. Today, I wanted to share the latest project I worked on with a few 7th grade ILA teachers.

For this project the students were learning about writing styles and had write their own Greek Mythology-like myth.

Students wrote, revised, and edited their myths in Google docs
Students drew pictures that depicted their myth
For homework students were required to scan their drawings to convert to .jpg format

The next steps used Pages on the Macbooks

Students created a title on their document & assigned the paragraph style as "Title"
Students inserted a picture to use as their book's cover
Students put their names below the pictures (leaving the paragraph style as "Title"
Students inserted a page break below the author name
Students inserted a Table of Contents

In the inspector the Table of Content Included only Title and Heading 1

Students inserted a page break below the TOC
Students created chapter 1 & assigned the paragraph style as "Heading 1"
Students pasted the body of the text from the their Google doc into the pages document below Chapter 1 & assigned the paragraph style as "Body"
Students inserted a page break below the body of chapter 1

Students repeated steps 10, 11, & 12 for each chapter
The students ran with this and started creating chapters for 'About the Author', dedication, prologue & epilogue. It was great to see them get so excited!

Students saved the pages document.
Then they exported the document as an ePub, and saved it to their desktops.
Then they emailed the epub file to themselves or whatever device they were using.

Many found errors by reading it on their own devices. Then went back to the macbook and edited the document further to later export the epub again.

The ePub files were loaded onto one iPad and then shared over the projector. Students who wanted were able to read their stories to their peers.
Students were encouraged to email the epub file to parents and grandparents as well.

Results:

Students: The students came alive when they got to see their book on the iPad. They began asking questions about how they could write their own eBooks at home, if they could share their books, and if they could sell their books. (although I will add that some students did not like having to draw their own pictures. They could've used sketchup or other software to create images for their books)

Parents: The teachers involved with this project sent home emails to the parents explaining what the project was about. After the books were completed many parents replied to the teachers explaining how much they and their students loved this activity. They went on to tell about how they found typos or gramatical errors together while reading their eBooks at home.

Teachers: The teachers expressed how much they loved the engagement from the students. They were blown away by the amount of parental involvement in the revising and editing process. (I think this was facilitated by the ease of having the students email the file right to their parents in class.

We will definitely be doing more projects like this!

BYOD Jam Session...

2011-11-28T13:27:00.001-08:00

Jam Session, Appy Hour, Show & Tell, Pair & Share, or whatever you want to call it...

Objective: Students share with you and their peers their favorite tech tools, website, apps, etc, that help them be more productive with your content. Students discuss how each tool helps them learn more and perform better in your class.

Invite your students to share their favorite tools, apps, or websites that help them in your class.
Give them a day or so to prepare.
Have the students, one at a time, show off their tool and explain how it has or is helping them with your class.
Keep a Google doc, today's meet, or some other way to document and share all of the tools shared in class. Make this available to students outside of class.
Allow students time to discuss the tools and download any apps that are shared in class.
Allow the activity enough freedom to explore different angles and perspectives of your course content, while steering toward tools that are productive, add value, and/or make your class fun.

This is a fantastic way to have your students find and discover great tools for learning about your classroom content. If done properly, this activity will be engaging, fun, & informative. You'll be surprised at some of the neat tools your students are using and how many of them you can probably use yourself.

We did this lesson with the 7th grade teachers and let them share any technology they used for work or play & it was a blast! We'll probably do it again a few more times after the Christmas holiday. Our future jam sessions will will probably have specific themes creativity, communication, productivity, etc.

Children's eBooks with ePub

2011-11-14T10:04:00.001-08:00

ePub is the standard file format for ebooks. The software used to create ePub files is popping up everywhere and might soon be as simple as word processing. (If you're a mac user it already is.) ePub supports text, pictures and some ePub readers even support video (iBooks for example).
________________________________________________________________________________

OK, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite tech projects of the year. Students write short stories and/or children's books. We use simple software and epub templates to help the students paste their text into the document. They find public domain photos to use as illustrations (could also team up with the art classes). Then publish them as ePub files so that they can be read, shared, or even sold digitally. Once the books are published, they can be shared with the elementary age classes in your district, parents, grandparents, etc. Providing your students with an instant target audience that could be reading the stories hours or even minutes later.

Why have your students create ePub files?

Being able to produce and distribute your own book is a paradigm shift as influential as the invention of the printing press.
Teach students they don't need a publisher to become a published author.
Teach the importance of authors and writing (producing vs. consuming).
Give students a large audience for their work. The pressure of knowing the audience is more than just their teacher should be enough to dramatically improve their work.
Teach students that digital text is and should be much more than texting.

Resources for creating ePub files:

*Sidebar: One of our students wrote her book in Spanish. It was an ABC book. I happen to have a 1st grader learning to read in the bilingual program at school. So I took the book home to her and her read it that evening. She loved it and I loved being able to show her a book that another student just a few years older had created.

Future epub lessons I'm working on:

Mythology projects - students are creating their own myths
Student created campus cookbook, complete with pictures and videos taken in class and at home.

Classroom Management Models of BYOD

2011-11-10T08:47:00.001-08:00

4 Models of BYOD

From Ed Tech Magazine by Jen LaMaster : You can find this full article here.

Ready-To-Use & Personal Goals models:
If you are practicing BYOD at your school, it is important to be familiar with all 4 of the models above. However, the most used models should be the Ready-To-Use model & the Personal Goals model. These models encourage students to use their devices to perform many tasks related to your classroom and learning in general. The more information, resources, and homework the students have on their device, the more likely they are to value and protect their right to use the device in the classroom. Resulting in less classroom management and discipline problems.

Guided Model:
It has been my experience that many teachers only use the Guided Model. The only time students are allowed to bring devices is for this project, or that activity. Devices are otherwise banned in class on all other days. This model is counterproductive. 1st - Students are not in the habit of bringing a device with them to class. 2nd - Students aren't conditioned to using their device in your class or for learning in general. 3rd - There are many missed opportunities to show students how the tools they already have can help them in their studies. 4th - This policy, like the old method of banning devices, encourages students to hide their devices from the teacher. With the RTU and Personal Goals methods above, devices are left in the open. It's easy for the instructor to see how they are being used. Mischief is easier to spot.

Local Use Only Model:
This model is perfect for silent reading times. Students are allowed to access books that are saved on their device. However, more and more apps and other tasks on phones and devices require internet. Also, with the exception of quiet reading time, it would be challenging for the teacher to monitor and enforce this model.

Want more? I highly recommend "7 Myths About BYOD Debunked."

K12 Students Need Email...

2011-11-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

Email, Who doesn't use email at work these days? Very few jobs. Problem is, who trains people to use email properly & professionally?

Students in K12 schools need more access to email! It has become one of the most used, if not the most used, form of communication in the workplace. It is a skill that today's students will need to master if they are to be effective communicators in their future careers. We've all been on the receiving end of emails messages that range from unprofessional to vague, to unclear, to perhaps even threatening. Unless you're this person's supervisor, it's difficult to help them see the problems with their email etiquette. What are you going to do, reply back to Bob and say "Hey Bob, your emails are so vague they leave the rest of us wondering if their are any lights on upstairs."

The student/teacher relationship, however, lends itself very well to training youth the proper skills, practices, and etiquette for using email efficiently and effectively. If students were required to communicate with teachers via email they would be able to practice many of the skills below:

How to create a distribution list & when to use it
When/Why use "Reply All"
When/Why use CC & BC
When/How ineffective email can be and how to avoid miscommunication and other common problems
Knowledge of attachments and file types
How/When to sound formal or professional
How to keep email organized
How to to differentiate between texting and email
Using email with mobile devices
How to keep your email secure

It's not necessary for elementary school-aged kids to have email, but students should be fairly proficient and comfortable with the tool before they get into high school. I tried to find estimates on how many schools/districts provide their students with email accounts, but was unable to find any reliable data. However, it has been my experience that the majority of public education institutions still do not provide students with an official email address.

There are many ways for schools and districts to provide email to their students:

Google Apps for EDU (free)
Microsoft Live @ EDU
Gaggle.net - Has some great filters built-in that filter language, attachments, topics, etc.

I consider email to be one of the most basic 21st Century Skills that today's students need to know, and yet many of our students don't use it at school. It's time to bring this skill deficiency to table and address it. Let's use email with our students and train them in an environment where they can make mistakes with consequences that won't cost them their jobs, or more.

Radio Morning Show

2011-11-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today I have a guest blog post by one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Patterson. Mrs. Patterson is the Theatre Arts teacher at one of our middle schools. I hope that one day my own children get to be in her class or have the opportunity to know a teacher like her. Her project below is a great idea and if I can convince the kids and parents, I'll post some samples of their finished projects in the next week or so. Thank you Mrs. Patterson for sharing.

My beginning and intermediatetheatre students were introduced to radio vocabulary and advertisement on Day 1of this assignment. We listened to a few short morning show clips and after thenotes were taken students were assigned a group (3-4 students). They thenbrainstormed ideas for call and frequency numbers (96.7 Kiss FM). The studentsmust also have radio “names” (Lunch Box, Susie Q,) and research current newsstories to include in their show. Here is a quick summary of the lesson:

Objective: Students will create a 8- 10 minute morning show with currentevents, commercials, and sound effects through the use of SoundzaBound,IPOD’s, Sound Bible, Garage Band, and any device of their choice. They willpresent to the class and will follow the rubric handed out to them at thebeginning of the project. Students must have 2 local news stories, 2 US news, 1world, 2 sports, 2 entertainment, weather, 3 songs (no longer than 30 seconds)and 2 sound effects.

Procedure:

Students will take notes over radio terminology.
Pair students up and distribute radio worksheet and devices
Students will brainstorm radio show name, call sign, character names, genera of music
Students will research current events and write out 3 sentences on each story
Students will write their commercial
Students will put all information into a script and can type it up in Google Docs.
Students will ding sound effects using Sound Bible, SoundzaBound, or IPOD free sound effects.
Students will rehearse their show
Performance day!! (Students will be in front of the classroom while the others turn around. Students will just hear the radio show. They will not see it as you can “see” on the radio.

Check out some of the best radio shows below:

This is one of my most favorite projects. Not only does itintegrate current events and history into theatre, but it allows the studentsto use technology, be creative, write a script, and perform. Students arelearning to work effectively in groups, monitor time, all while puttingtogether a finished product. In the middle of their presentation I hand them aBreaking News article that they must add into the program. I love to listen tothem when they are complete! My students have a lot of fun with this project!

Mrs. Patterson's website

Academic Prejudice Against Online Learning

2011-10-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today I have a guest post from blogger Marina Salsbury, who poses some insightful thoughts about online learning and higher education. Guest posts are always welcome. Please drop me a line if you are interested.

The world is changing fast, and so are the ways peoplepursue higher education. To fit the busy demands of many people today, collegesare coming around to the approach of online learning. This medium for study isgaining popularity because it offers a wide variety of options and a degree offlexibility that wasn't available to students in the past. Students can obtaindegrees from GED to PhD online. While agrowing number of educators embrace this method of learning and support itwholeheartedly, there are still a great many of those who hold strongprejudices against web-based education and prefer students obtain their degreesthe traditional way.

Even though online learning has gained popularity, prejudices against it amongeducators remains widespread. Often the case is made that a traditionalclassroom environment is the way to go because such an environment offershands-on learning, socialization, and in-person experience students simplycannot receive in distance learning courses. Some teachers and administratorsfeel that online degree programs merely allow students to complete weak coursesof study with practically no effort at all. Because this belief is still common,a number of universities feel that an online degree is inferior.

Contrary to the belief that online education can't fully equip students fortheir careers, researchis showing that students are benefiting more from web-based, sociallearning than from traditional learning environments. The open-ended, flexible,“long-tail” learning enabled and encouraged by the Web is proving moreeffective and better suited to the changing demands of the real professionalworld.

Fully web-based education is also appealing to studentsbecause in many cases they can work on their courses at any time and any placethey wish. Students can learn in their pajamas if they please. The ability tochoose the learning environment and the method of learning, as well as aconvenient time, increases the accessibility of education, but need not reduceits quality. High dropout rates are sometimes given as evidence of onlineeducation's weakness, but in fact inability to keep up with a rigorous academicprogram more or less entirely under one's own supervision is the reason forthis. It's not that students leave because they discover their online coursesare no good, but that many lack the self-discipline and time management skillto follow through on college-level studies while working, raising families, orotherwise dealing with life.

As far as not obtaining necessary firsthand experience,technology is now been enabling students to engage in hands-on learning at adistance. Students can learn under the watchful eye of the instructor andreplicate much of the classroom environment by using enhanced tools, such asinteractive chatting software, message boards, and video. Even high-level scientific researchopportunities are available online, taking the wind out of the frequentobjection that certain subjects, like lab science, just can't be taught overthe Web.

In order for students who have earned online degrees to be treated fairly andovercome prejudices against online learning, educators need to free themselvesfrom some of the paradigms and conventions of traditional teaching andlearning. Furthermore, additional concrete studies need to be conducted todemonstrate that students can fare just as well, if not much better online thanin conventional classrooms. While there remains a long way to go beforeeducators and the general public will accept that online learning must be giventhe same respect and appreciation as traditional classroom learning, itprobably won't be too long before these prejudices disappear completely. Theweb-based distance learning movement is growing fast, and the demand for highereducation ultimately isn't likely to be met any other way.

McAllen ISD

2011-10-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

This video came accross my email today. This is one of the best promo videos I've seen for technology in education. It is worth the 8 minutes.

Library Gallery Walks...

2011-10-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, a technology facilitator and a librarian in our district got together to create a type of Super Lesson/Project. Their idea was to pool the combined efforts & resources of the course teacher, the librarian, & the technology facilitator to create a lesson that provides students with hand-picked/rich content, tasks to accomplish with that content, & opportunities to engage in discussions/projects with the content. These gallery walks are examples of good instruction and learning. 100% engagement, higher order thinking,

Their idea was so successful that they took it to the $100,000 Follett Challenge. Check out their video below:

Contest details

Now that you've had a a good look at the concept here are some of the lessons we've prepared so far.

The Count of Monte Cristo
The Grapes of Wrath
C2G Rhymes with Technology
Shipwreck at the bottom of the world
Aliens and Extra-Terrestrials
Crispin
Middle Ages
Review- Number the Stars and Hatchett
Black History Study
Civil Rights Movement

The Count of Monte Cristo was our most recent project. Here is a sampling of the resources we used to introduce the French Revolution and the Count of Monte Cristo to our students:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczbEyx5J74
http://historywiz.com/oldregime.htm
http://historywiz.com/execution.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/C006257/revolution/tennis_court_oath.shtml
(book) Aftermath of the French Revolution
(book) You Wouldn't Want To Be...
(book) Aftermath of the French Revolution
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson404/HistoricalFictionDefn.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/user/historyteachers#p/u/8/wXsZbkt0yqo
http://www.youtube.com/user/historyteachers#p/u/3/fOki3qAZe4g
http://www.qwiki.com/q/#!/Alexandre_Dumas
http://www.qwiki.com/q/#!/Napoleon
http://library.thinkquest.org/C006257/timeline/default.shtml

Tools used:
Webtools & software:

http://www.a.freshbrain.com/solvr/ - Discussion threads
www.youtube.com
Qwiki app (iPad & Web)

Hardware:

6 Digital Photo frames
22 Laptops
12 Desktops
4 iPads
Books

Region XI Distance Learning Conference

2011-10-12T03:23:00.000-07:00

I'm attending the Region XI Distance Learning Conference Today. Stay Tuned for live updates of resources, links, lessons, tips, & tricks gleaned from today's event.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=456f7ce1fb" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Region 11 distance learning conference&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Digital Copyright for 21st Century Citizenship

2011-10-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

I attended a Digital Copyright webinar today put on by Barry Britt @ Soundzabound.com. This was perhaps one of the clearest meetings I've ever attended on copyright.

Below are some of my notes and links that were shared.

4 Useful articles

Important points of Fair Use:

Relevant to course content (no background)
Used for face to face instruction on a closed network
No duplication for distribution
Credit/cite the copyright holder
One-time use
Licenses and contracts supersede fair use

Things to Consider

many artists don’t make as much as teachers
people are getting sued
students have copyrights / district usually has some ownership too / teacher / campus
If student is under 18 parents have rights as well. Must have parent permission.
Offer an opt out for parents/students

We are all owners of our own image/brand
Image is Everything

Soundzabound.com has a slew of links to info and articles on Digital Citizenship. You can find everything they have here: http://www.soundzabound.com/links

Barry Britt from Soundzabound did a great job and you can see his presentation yourself here below. Barry can be contacted @ barryb@soundzabound.com :

Infographics with Students

2011-10-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Infographics are quickly becoming very popular, especially in schools. It makes sense since there is more data, in more accessible formats than ever before. Infographics can help us make sense from all this data. But, what if your students had the opportunity to make an infographic? In what ways could creating an infographic help my students learn course material?

Creating an infographic requires the student to collect infomation (research)
Then they must understand the data themselves,
Analyze how the data could be organized to help others understand
Then create a visual scheme to put all the elements together and teach others.

Hey! Look at that....It's Bloom's Taxonomy!

Getting Started -

10 Awesome Free Tools To Make Infographics - includes some great tips and tricks for researching, planning, and creating infographics.
The Anatomy of an Infographic: 5 Steps to Create a Powerful Visual - includes rules and suggestions for creating a successful infographic.
5 Unbeatable Types of Infograpic & Free Tools to Create Them -
5 Amazing Tools to Create Your Own Infographics
Teaching with Infographics: A Student Project Model
The 7 1/2 Steps to Successful Infographics

Free creation tools (programs/websites):

Visual.ly - Has the potential to be the best site on infographics, and it will be when it's online creation tools become available in the next few months.

Search engine for web-based infographics. See all the best infographics on the web in one place.
Infographic hosting
Create infographics no special software needed. (coming soon)

Resources for finding quality infographics:

"How to Live Before You Die"

2011-10-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

The world has lost the most visionary pioneer of our day. This Stanford Commencement Speech of 2005 titled "How to Live Before You Die", is one of the best ways to understand this man and appreciate what he has done for all of us.

Lenovo Thinkpad: Android tablet review for schools

2011-10-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to get a hold of a Lenovo Thinkpad 10 inch tablet this week. (Thanks to GovConnection).

Basic Specs:

Image: http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/thinkpad/

Lenovo Thinkpad 10.1 inch 16gb

Android 3.1 Honeycomb
1GHz Tegra 2
10.1-inch (1280 x 800) IPS display
battery good for up to 8.7 hours of use,
1GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB of storage,
3-in-1 card reader,
A-GPS,
accelerometer,
ambient light sensor,
front (2MP) / rear (5MP) cameras,
a mini HDMI port (1080p capable!)
and Lenovo's own app launcher / app market.

Overall impressions:

Screen - good resolution and is very snappy and responsive (unlike other Android devices I've had my hands on.)
Camera - Pretty good, struggles in low-light
Speed - The dual core processor makes this tablet pretty snappy.
Internet speed - Good, about the same or a touch slower than my iPad. (This is hard to judge due to wifi speed and variability)
Mail App - Mail has one app for exchange and one for gmail. I like having both accounts in one app (like my iPad). The Mail app doesn't have a default file view for office & pdf docs. A separate app must be installed and set as default for viewing these docs. (This is a big drawback for me, especially when using this with students, I want something that just works. But perhaps not a big deal for everyone)
On-Screen keyboard - The keyboard when compared to an iPad keyboard doesn't come close to measuring up. The auto-prediction/correction is pathetic at best. I missed little features like double tapping the space-bar to auto insert a period and capitalize the first letter in the next sentence. This was probably the most frustrating aspect of using the device.
Apps - There are some great apps on Android. I didn't notice any problems with any apps scaling to size the 10.1 inch widescreen.
Google Docs App - I was somewhat disappointed with this app. It works, but not any better than the web version you can get on any iPad or iPhone
Stylus - This tablet comes with a stylus and I really liked it. The tablet was snappier and more responsive to the stylus rather than my finger. When i really needed pin point accuracy on the screen, this made it much easier.
USB port (full size) - For many people this will be a a great feature, as long as you have an app installed that will open the files on your flash drive.
3 in 1 card reader - Also very cool. Can easily pop out SD card from camera or any device and upload files onto the tablet.
Physical buttons - One of my favorite features on Android phones is the physical menu button. The only buttons besides the volume and power/sleep buttons were: screen rotation lock, instant browser launch, back & home.

Image: http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/thinkpad/

The big question here 'Is this a good device for a teacher or student?' I think the jury is still out on that one. If the school is going to purchase these devices, there is some work to do. There needs to be an easy solution for managing multiple devices at once. Preferably and over-the-air syncing solution, that doesn't require a month of training to use. Also, since our district is using Google Apps, multiple sign-in of Google accounts on one device is not very desirable. If this device were for an individual student to be purchased and managed by the student, however, I believe this device or one like it would be a good solution if the price were right. In my opinion, if the price difference between a tablet like this and an iPad were within $100, I'd still have to recommend the iPad. Although, this and other Android tablets can be good competitors, the standard, for now, is still the iPad. The most compelling reasons to get an android table will be price and/or a hatred toward Apple.

Will Student's Need to Catch Up with Edtech in College?

2011-10-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

Today I have a guest post from blogger Marina Salsbury, who asks the question if K12 schools are doing enough to prepare students for the technology skills they will need when they get to college. Guest posts are always welcome. Please drop me a line if you are interested.

Will Students Need to Catch Up with Edtech in College?

Astounding statistics show that many students will beplaying catch-up when they get to college. In fact, 40 percent ofstudents need a remedial course in at least one subject oncethey enter state public universities and colleges. Many students are taking farlonger to graduate, which means they're not adequately prepared for college.Many states will pay $80 million or more to subsidize remedial classes thatdon't count toward students' college credits.

What are the Effects of Technology Deficiency?

Students who are behind in terms of reading and math skills are typically alsobehind in terms of technology skills, causing them to lose further groundcompared to peers. If such students have difficulty using technology availableon campus, the technology may be there, but students who can't or don't use itwon't reap the benefits.

For instance, many colleges and universities allow students to utilize distancelearning technology like online collegeclasses to enhance their educational experiences. These kindsof technologies open a range of options to students, from making up for missedwork to enrolling in classes completely online. Students can access lecturesdigitally from any location, or even interact directly with teachers andclassmates through media like screen-sharing or digital whiteboards. Studentswho don't know how to use these technologies may put themselves at adisadvantage generally as these approaches become more common in highereducation.

How Colleges and Universities are Competing By OfferingAdvanced Technology

Computer technology constantly evolves, and students must remain abreast ofdevelopments as much as educators. Digital classrooms require technologicalawareness on behalf of students. New technologies are so important now thatmany students are using the presence of technology as a criterion for selectingwhich college to attend. Unfortunately, students who attended high schools withlittle technology aren't aware of what they need to compete at a universitywith advanced technology.

Edtech is growing in importance at all levels of education, but the post-secondarycontext tends to lead the way. As colleges and universities compete for talent,technology on campuses improves. Many corporations are soliciting colleges toparticipate in state-of-the-art technological studies in exchange for allowingstudents and professors access to the technology on campus. Students must beprepared to learn the use of new technologies at the college level, and mostprofessors already assume they will do so as a matter of course.

What Areas Will Technology Affect?

Technology is already present in every area from the enrollment process tosubmitting assignments. Most colleges use an electronic registration systemstudents must master to even get into classes. More importantly, though,digital technology is more and more becoming a part of students' courseworkitself, and it's in that respect students lacking in digital aptitude may findthemselves challenged.

To take a simple example, cloud computing technology is now broadly used toallow students to store all of their files remotely on a server that can beaccessed from any location. This makes using different computer labs aroundcampus easier, and enables easy sharing of documents for group work and tosubmit assignments. Students accustomed to using cloud services like GoogleDocs will find working in the cloud in college nothing new, but those from highschools that didn't pursue such technological alternatives to the usualpen-and-paper approach may find the expectation to use the cloud overwhelming.

Of course, colleges offer tech support, and perhaps betterstill, students can learn from each other how to use unfamiliar technologies.Students may need to play catch-up, but some effortsare being made to ensure students are better prepared for college education. Intime, hopefully, that push for more complete preparedness will likely includean element of technological aptitude and digital literacy. Meanwhile, K-12educators everywhere should consider how their classrooms prepare students forwhat lies ahead in their ongoing education at the college level, and beyond.

Marina Salsbury planned on becoming a teacher since high school, but found her way instead into online writing after college. She writes around the Web about everything from education to exercise.

Questions may be directed to Marina here.

Grading/Commenting on Google Docs...

2011-10-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of suggestions for teachers who would like to grade Google Docs within Google Docs:

Inserting Comments: This feature is especially nice if the teacher does not wish to place any text on the document itself. Thereby leaving the student's work intact while at the same time offering suggestions and coaching in the sidebar.

Here's how:

Click and drag over a section of text in the document
Right-click and choose >Comment

The text you selected will become highlighted and a box will appear on the right for your to type your comments into.

This new thread of comments will be linked to the highlighted text. If the comment is clicked on the highlighted text will change from yellow to orange.

If using comments for help with revising a paper, when the problem is fixed you or the student may click "Resolve" to make the comment and the highlighting go away.

Don't worry, a history of all comments is saved and can be re-opened here:

Posting a grade: I recommend coming up with a location, like the title or student's name on the document, where you can post a comment to and enter the student's grade for the assignment.

Do you have any other suggestions for grading a Google doc? Please share.

Subscribing to Classroom Websites/Blogs

2011-09-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Subscribing to Classrooms Websites/Blogs

A few weeks ago I posted about making sure your classroom site/blog has a way to subscribe using RSS.

Here is part II: Checking each teacher’s websites for updates is time consuming and unnecessary. You can have your teacher’s important updates and lesson plans delivered right to you and here’s how.

Step 1. Create a free Google Reader account - FISD students, you already have one, just use your Google account to log in.

Step 2. Find out if your teacher has a Google site or a blog. To find out:

Go to your teacher’s website
Look at the address
If the address says ...sites.google com - then you have a Google site
If the address says ...blogspot.com, edublogs.org, wordpress.com, Weebly.com - then you have a blog

If it is a Google site, see instructions for Google Site; If it is a blog, see instructions for blog

Instructions for subscribing to a Google Site

If your teacher has a Google Site, you will need to find and navigate to the site’s announcement page you would like to subscribe to. (See the teacher for help.)
The page you will subscribe to should have a link like the one shown here saying “Subscribe to posts.” Click on the link.	*
The page you will be taken to has the URL address that you will need copy. >Highlight the address. >Copy the address.	*
Open another browser tab/window. Go to your Google Reader account: reader.google.com
Click “Add Subscription.”	*
Paste the URL address that you copied above into the field here. Then click “Add.”	*

Instructions for subscribing to a blog

Navigate to your teacher’s blog. (Weebly sites: Be sure you are on the blog page.) Then copy the address in the address bar.	*
Click “Add Subscription.”	*
Paste the address that you copied above into the field here. Then click “Add.”	*

Reading Feed Subscriptions
There are 2 ways to view your newest feeds:

1. View all items: Unread feeds appear in bold with the number of unread items in parenthesis.	*
2. View Each subscription one at a time. Subscriptions with unread feeds appear in bold with the number of unread items in parenthesis.	*

Organizing subscriptions
To facilitate further organization, feeds can be organized into folders

While reading a feed from a particular site:

>Feed Settings
>Add to an existing or new folder.

A few ideas for folders:

by subject
by student
by class period

Other resources for using Google Reader:

RSS secret ingedient to successful classroom site: http://techtoolsforschools.blogspot.com/2011/09/rss-secret-ingredient-to-successful.html
Google Reader basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvKFP67GwSY
Google Reader in Plain English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPZ2Uu_X3Y

Amazon's newest tools for BYOD

2011-09-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got on my soap box and petitioned the tech industry for more devices in the sub $300 category.

Well Amazon has attempted to answer with 3 devices. They won't ship until November 15th, but you can pre-order today. I hope to get my hands on one soon to test and see how these devices can help students.

The Kindle Fire Tablet - $199 - Android tablet with great specs, minus cameras.

The Kindle Touch - $99 - Kindle touch screen reader

The Original Kindle - $79

Google Hangouts Get's Better...

2011-09-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Google plus may be the next best thing on the internet. Hangouts is a key element to G+. A few months ago I wrote a blog post about Google Hangouts and it's possibilities in Education. Today Google Hangouts just got a lot better! On the Official Google Blog Google has announced improvement #'s 92-100 and I think the potential to use Google Hangouts in the classroom is only getting beter.

#92 - Hangout on a phone - Essentially this is video chat on your phone, nothing too revolutionary, except that it is built into Google+. The potential power of the network could be the key to education. Allow teachers to connect students via video chat to any number of resources for purposes such as research, mentoring, etc.

#93 - Hangouts on Air - Imagine taking Hangouts with up to 10 sources chatting at once and merging it with UStream. Google also announced that the new On Air service will have built in recording features. This meets almost every requirement that I could have as a teacher. Allowing my classes to bring in other classes from around the globe, with any number of guest speakers, recording it for later playback with other classes, and much more...it's just what this teacher ordered.

#94 - Screensharing - Tutoring, peer tutoring, community volunteer tutoring, sick or homebound students, presentations...

#95 - Sketchpad - Whiteboard mode, and all the examples from #94 apply here.

#96 - Google Docs - Oh heck yeah! (Google docs fan boy, Guilty)

#97 - Named Hangouts

#98 - Hangout APIs -

#99 - Google Search in plus

#100 - Now in Beta; No invitation required - After opening the closed trial in July this is big step forward. Now anyone can get into the network and start using this features. Sign up here: www.plus.google.com

After my first post months ago, I'm starting to think that someone at Google may actually be reading my blog. (Is that you Todd? :)

The main ingredient still missing is the Google Plus implementation into Google Apps. I've heard that this is in the works already, and when it comes, you can be sure that I'll be using it to push the envelope on what is possible in the classroom.

Group Messaging for Teachers

2011-09-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, effective communication from teacher to students or parents is harder than underwater BB stacking. Here are a few new group messaging services that are starting to catch on for teachers.

Remind 101 - Remind 101 is a tech startup and was featured on TechCrunch this week.

Remind101 from remind101 on Vimeo.

Remind 101 even comes with pre-made handouts to give to students/parents instructing them how to use it's features.

Cel.ly - Cel.ly is a very similar, free, text messaging service that was featured on this Learn it in 5 video below:

Follow My Teacher - FMT is like a social classroom network with text messaging and email notifications built in.

Classroom social networks can easily facilitate communication between teachers, students, and parents. My 2 favorite are:

Two other popular group messaging services that are not used by teachers but provide similar services are:

Setup/Configure Multiple IOS Devices

2011-09-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

Setup & Configuration of Multiple IOS Devices

A few months ago I posted how I like to manage multiple iPods and iPads. Since then I've learned a few more tricks...This is the fastest way I have been able to setup and manage multiple IOS devices on my campuses.

Computer Setup:

Login to macbook with the username/password for the particular set of iPods you are working with. (I create one mac account for each set of iPods.)
Create a playlist in iTunes with at least 1 sample audio file. Name “iPod sync list”. (We will setup these playlists to auto sync)
Create a School logo wallpaper photo with numbers that match the numbers of your devices. (easiest done in PPT)

Create an 'Event' in iPhoto. At least 1 for the wallpaper photos (maybe one for lessons) (We will setup these events to auto sync)

Turn on 'Books' & iTunesU in iTunes. (>iTunes; >Preferences; >check "Books")
Create a configuration profile in the ICU containing at least wifi profiles for your campus (Doesn’t hurt to add multiple wifi credentials in one profile, just in case one or more of the ssids goes down).

Initialize & Name one device:

Connect device to your Macbook
Create a naming system for your devices and name this device accordingly.
Choose how you would like iTunes to sync each device

Music - Check the box to always sync the playlist created above “iPod sync list”.
Apps - Check the box to always sync new apps
Movies - Check the box to always sync movies (if it gives you a box to sync all or everything, check it as well)
Books - Check the box to sync all books
Photos - Choose to sync the events you created in “Computer setup.”

Install your configuration profile from the ICU (ICU - http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/enterprise/)
Open the iPod and go to >settings >Store > turn on OTA syncing of apps (music & books optional)
Sync the ipod
Right click on ipod and choose “Back up”
Go to >iTunes >Preferences >Devices - Then check to see if there is a backup of the iPod you just setup synced.

Initialize and setup other devices from device backup:

Plug in one device at at time.
Name the devices according to your naming convention above.
Restore the devices from the backup created by iPod #1
Check the devices to see if the configuration profile came through the backup. If not continue to the next step.

iPhone Configuration Utility - restoring from backups will NOT install a configuration profile

Install your wifi configuration profile(s) on each device

* To double check that everything is setup correctly, spot check a few devices to see if:

OTA syncing of apps is turned on
configuration profiles are installed
syncing is setup in iTunes on each device for:

music
apps
movies
books
photos

How to Turn in Assignments Digitally

2011-09-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

When most of us were in school we never had to turn digitalfiles into a teacher. A manila filefolder maybe, and I’m not talking about the folder icon. However, teachers still used rules andprocedures for putting names and titles on reports, projects, andhomework, thereby helping the teacher keep things organized. Digitally this rule still applies, but is probably more important than ever before. So here are the basics for teachers who want to try to do things with a little less paper.

Email - This is always an option, but not very convenient when dealing with 100+ students.

Naming Conventions:

The most basic way to keep digital files like homework organized is by using a naming convention. A naming convention is set of rules that dictate the wayeach file is named, so that when opened or search for, all your files are wherethey should be and in the order that you want them. A naming convention can be used with any kind of digital media.

Network drives:

Many school districts have drives on their school network where students can store their files. In this case a naming convention can still help. In the last two districts I've been in we've had a folder created with special permissions that allow students to put files into but doesn't allow them to edit anything once it is in that folder. So the folder serves as a virtual inbox for assignments.

To do this you need a folder with the following permissions for the user groups below:

Students - Write access only (can add files to but not do anything to them once they have been added)Teachers - Read/write access allowing teachers to access, edit/grade the files.

Once this folder is created we have teachers create sub folders by teacher name, and then by class/period.

Google Docs:

Google has many avenues through which users can share documents back and forth. However, none of them really work well for turning documents in. This is what I recommend:

Give the students a naming convention. Ex: Project Name, class/period, lastname, first name this example lets you organize by project with all class periods grouped together and students in alphabetical order. Although, you could choose any convention you wish, think about how you want to organize all assignments that have been turned in and remember that computers sort files by numerical/alphabetical order.
Once all assignments have been turned in, create a new collection. I would title it with the name of the project. Sub collections could also be created for class periods.
Next, Organize your docs by name so that all of the assignments are grouped according to the naming convention above in #1. This can by done by using the search engine or sorting by title.
Then, Select all the documents you want to move into a folder (this can be done by checking the boxes or by doing a shift + click to highlight from first to last), and drag them to the folder in the left hand side bar.

Now all your documents associated with this assignment are neatly organized for later grading.

It's no secret that I love Google Docs. After spending some time on Twitter & G+ trying to find the best way for students to turn in assignments via Google Docs here is the best way we've come up with.

Dropbox & Dropittome:

Dropbox is probably the best cloud storage/backup solution for documents. It uses your regular folders on your computer and connects them to your dropbox account on the internet. Then whenever you make changes to this document it syncs the changes to your folder on your computers and the folder on the internet. Thus keeping one copy of your file no matter where you edit it from. It's free for 2gb of data, and has options to increase storage capacity.

Dropitto.me connects to your dropbox account and allows you to "setup a unique upload address with password protection"...and "securely receive files from anyone into your dropbox account.

Do you have a system that works better for you? Please share.

RSS the Secret Ingredient to a Successful Classroom Website

2011-09-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

These days just about everyone has a website of some sort. But in education things move fast and furious for 9 months. This also means that information on our sites and blogs changes rapidly as well. Students can have 6-9 teachers at any given time. Parents could have multiple children (mine had 5!) meaning the number of teachers/sites to monitor could be 20 or more! Teachers (at the secondary level) could have 150 students or more. Trying to manage effective modes of communication for all parties involved can become a headache in a hurry. It is for this reason that all teachers, parents, and students should understand a simple internet technology called:

RSS stands for, according to wikipedia, Really Simple Syndication. Sometimes also referred to as a 'feed' RSS automatically syndicates and delivers new posts or information to all those who have subscribed. In other words, if my blog or website has RSS, anyone who needs or finds my site content interesting can have all posts or changes automatically delivered whenever new content is available. It's the equivalent of having the newspaper delivered to your front door, except this is free and the content is exactly what you have asked for.

Site Owners (teachers): The owner of the site should choose a site with RSS or create a page within the site that uses RSS.

Blogs - All blogs that I know of, have RSS built in. No need to do anything.

Google Sites - Google Sites do not have RSS built in. However, you can create, what Google calls, an "Announcements" page. Announcement pages do have feeds built in to them. (To subscribe to an Announcement page in Google Sites, open the announcements page and follow the images below:

Subscribers (students & parents): Each subscriber needs to create a way to have the RSS feeds delivered to them.

Programs that receive feeds are often called aggregators. There are lots of programs that aggregate RSS feeds, but here are a couple of my favorites:

Web-Based aggregators

Google Reader - With Google Reader, once you have created a free account, you click on "Add Subscription" and paste the address of the webpage that has RSS. You can even organize your subscriptions into folders (very handy for parents with multiple students). And since it's in the cloud you can get your feeds on any internet connected computer/device. (Click here for a cheat sheet).

Aggregator Apps

Flipboard (iPad) Flipboard will allow you to connect your Google reader account and pull all your reader feeds in directly (I recommend this way). Flipboard can also search the web for any other website or blog and pull those feeds in directly.

Teachers - Do your part by making sure you have a way to allow students and parents to easily follow your website or blog by using sites with RSS feeds.

Students - Encourage your teachers to use sites/pages with RSS. Use the resources in this blog post to help. Then be sure to use RSS to follow your teacher's site and stay up on everything in your class.

Parents - Encourage your teachers to use sites/pages with RSS. Use the resources in this blog post to help. Then sit down with your child and set up your feed reader programs together.

What the heck? You could even follow this blog :)

Have questions, concerns or suggestions? Please leave a comment below.

Bloom's Taxonomy visual aids

2011-09-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have seen visualizations, mashups and lot's of other sorts of cheat sheets for Bloom's Taxonomy and Technology tools. I have found so many in fact, that it was hard to keep track of them all in one place. So I did the gathering for you. Please follow the links to the websites of the sources referred to below for more information

Blooms Taxonomy & Technology

http://www.usi.edu/distance/bdt.htm

http://digigogy.blogspot.com/2009/02/digital-blooms-visual.html

http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=3087

Prezi by pip cleaves:

http://prezi.com/gxgypkp67mka/blooms-digital-taxonomy-and-web-2-tools/

Bloom's & Google Apps

By Kathy Schrock: http://blog.kathyschrock.net/2011/03/google-tools-and-blooms-revised.html

Bloom's & Apps:

By Kathy Schrock: http://langwitches.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Bloom-iPads-Apps.jpg

https://sites.google.com/site/bloomsapps/

And what would be better than some good Star Wars analogies?

Have you found others that I didn't list here? Please share the link below.

BYOD: Devices...

2011-09-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest complaints about the technology market, currently, is that there aren't enough competitors in the small mobile device category. As a parent of young kids, I would like to see more devices that can compete with the iPod Touch. More devices that have many of the features of a smart phone, but don't come with a data plan and 2 year contract. I would love to buy my child a device that he or she can practice being productive and creative with. Why can't technology manufacturers create a similar product? It would be perfect for students ages 7-13! But then again, maybe Apple might sue me for suggesting such a thing...but I digress. Such a device would become a staple of the BYOD classroom.

This what Education is asking for:

A solidly built mobile device
with reliable OS
Wifi - only
Native mail & Calendar client apps
Able to run apps from an app market
Ultra portable (8inches or less)
< $250
+8hr battery life
GPS and/or digital compass
Camera for video & QR codes
Min. 8gb of storage
Bluetooth for BT enabled keyboards

Today I saw a couple announcements that are starting to get close to what I'm hoping for.

1. Lenovo IdeaPad A1 - a 7inch Android tablet priced at $199 for the 8gb model. (Engadget announced Thursday September 1).

2. Samsung Galaxy S - Announced in January as the Galaxy Player, the Galaxy S is a wifi only iPod touch-type device running Android selling for $240. I've been waiting this device for months now and still after today's announcement on Engadget this device is still not scheduled to be release in the U.S.

What would you like to see?

(Images from Engadget)

In the mean time here are the devices I recommend:

Update 8/2/11:

TechCrunch announced today that Amazon's newest version of the Kindle, Kindle tablet, will be a 7inch Android tablet for $250. No pictures yet, but maybe someone is listening. ;)

BYOD: Teacher Paradigms

2011-09-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

For too many years we, as teachers, have viewed cell phones and all other devices as a disruption to the learning process. Between our no tolerance of devices, school policies, and need for ~~control~~ classroom management, we have been conditioned to look down upon and even confiscate these devices.

However, over the last 3 years these devices have evolved into tools. Today they are used to communicate in a variety of ways, to increase productivity, to aid in organization, and yes, even to play.

Now, almost over night, we introduce BYOD, Bring Your Own Device. I have done the best I can prepare my teachers, and many of them have done a great job at preparing themselves. However, I have seen that many, including myself, didn't fully comprehend what we were getting ourselves into.

So here are a few of the problems that I feel we are still struggling to overcome...

Less than 20% of teachers participated in the online BYOD training over the summer. BYOD is a game changer in education. Effective use of BYOD requires change on every teacher's part.

Many teachers feel that BYOD means the teacher has no control. (The truth is that the BYOD policy gives the teacher more freedom and control over their classes than before.)

Teachers who do not allow their students to use their own devices are still losing the battle of keeping them out of learning. While teachers who have embraced BYOD are surging onward with their curriculum in new and exciting ways.

Instead of encouraging the students to get their devices out in the open and on the desks, whether they are using them or not, many continue uphold policies that encourage students to hide their devices. Hiding devices encourages their use in negative ways. Keeping devices out in the open encourages their productive uses.

I would love to hear from some of you about your experiences with BYOD. What are some struggles you've come accross? What are some of your successes?

How to Promote a Classroom Website or Blog

2011-08-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Throughout history, teachers have seldom felt the necessity to be good advertisers. We have, however, always had the need to be good communicators. With the advent of blogs, wikis, and other web based activities for the classroom, promoting and advertising is the most important step in communicating with parents and students today.

Here are a few things that you can do to advertise and promote your website, wiki, or blog:

URL address: When you first create a website, most services will let you choose your url...somewhat. Do the best you can to choose a logical yet MEMORABLE address. If you can't get the address you want, don't worry too much. There are other services that will allow you to create a shortened or alias URL that will also take your audience to your site.
URL shortening: If the website you use has a really long URL, don't fret! Trying to get 30 students to type a long URL just they way they see it on the board is painful enough to make any teacher pull out their hair, so URL shortening is the way to go. Using a URL shortener will give you another URL that also takes your audience to the desired site. For this I prefer www.bit.ly. You can shorten any link for free, but you really want to create a free account first, and here's why. With a Bit.ly account you can shorten a URL and then you can customize it. An uncustomized URL will look like this "www.bit.ly/a1b2c3". A customized address could be www.bit.ly/techtoolsforschools. Now, not only is your URL shortened, but it's also memorable.

Paste your URL into the blue box and bit.ly will automatically shorten with a random code.

By clicking "Customize" you can change your URL to something more memorable.

QR Codes: URL shortening is great, but let's face it no one likes to type any URL on a small device like a phone. QR codes are fantastic, because they use the device's camera to scan the code, which immediately opens the device's browser and takes the user right to your site. It's great! Open houses are the perfect time to use these, but I would suggest that you remind your audience to save the site's address on their device. Also, don't forget that not everyone will have a QR app or perhaps not even a device. So be sure to post the site's address alongside the QR code. Rarely should you use a QR code by itself without the address.

Clicking on the info page for your shortened URL (within bit.ly) will reveal a QR code for your site. Right click and save this image for later use in documents & flyers.
Hyperlinking from other sites: Having other sites place a hyperlink to your site, gives your audience multiple avenues to get to your site. A couple examples: your campus webpage or a team/department page. For example, if I were a HS Social Studies teacher, I would try to think of where my parents and students might go to find info about my class. Then, I would find the managers of those sites and request that they place a link on their site that will send their audience to my site.
Hyperlinking to other sites: It's good practice to place hyperlinks on your site that refer your audience back to any other site that you are affiliated with. I recommend that you start with the sites in #4 above.
Need more info about hyperlinks? click here: This is an example.
Want to know how to create a hyperlink? click here. (Instructions courtesy my alma mater).
Valuable content: If you want your kids on your site, and want them there often, your site will need to have content and resources that your students can't live without. Here are some of the most ingenious and useful things I have seen on teacher sites: classwork journal, assignment calendar, pictures and videos of projects, tutorial videos, homework handouts, links to websites with study aids or drills, links to current events related to course content, links to online grade viewers, etc.
Email: Whenever you communicate with students and parents via email, be sure that you have a link to your site somewhere in that email. The email signature makes the most sense, but anywhere in the email is better than no where.
Class Lessons: One great way to condition your students to referring to your site is to use your site in lessons. I highly suggest making this a priority during the first week or two of school. Show the kids how to navigate your site. Show them the role it can play in their success in your class.
Homework Assignments: Having homework assignments that require the use of your site, are another great way to get your kids conditioned to using your site.
Extra Credit: After a couple of months my students started to figure out that I posted extra credit assignments on my site. Although I never advertised them in class, the word got out that if you wanted or needed extra credit in my class, the only way to get it was to pay attention to the class website. This was fantastic because the students that needed EC the were those that could gain the most from the information on my site. Sometimes the extra credit I posted was a simple as answering a question in the comment section of the blog post.

Most importantly...remember that getting your students and parents to your blog is the first major battle of the school year. Giving them a reason to return is the second.

Do you have other ideas for training students and parents to visit your blog? Please share by leaving a comment below.

BYOD: Best Student Apps 4 Back 2 School

2011-08-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

This time of year is easy to find lists recommending the best apps for students. So I figured I ought to throw my hat into the ring as well. Please share your suggestions as well by leaving a comment.

Google Search -IOS-free; Android standard

One feature they didn't talk about in the video is search by voice. It's so much faster than typing in on a small iPhone screen.
Evernote - Free - (web, Mac, PC, IOS, Android, etc.) This is best note taking app bar none. It's features include handwriting & text recognition, even within a picture. A student could snap a photo of the whiteboard or a PPT. Then all your notes are searchable by any keyword in the note or photo. (see my post on Evernote for cooks & home ec.)
gFlash+ - Free (IOS, Android & Blackberry) - Flashcard app allows you to convert Google docs into flashcards. Also compatible with Quizlet.
Dictionary.com - Free (web, IOS, Android, Blackberry) - Every teacher wishes their students always had a dictionary with them. (Winner of the 2009 Best Apps Ever Award)
Dropbox - Free (web, IOS, Android, Blackberry) - Store your files in the cloud and then retrieve them on any internet connected device. (Note: the files are not stored on the device itself, so if you lose an internet connection, you will not be able to get your files)
eReader - Kindle - iBooks - Google Books
Kindle - Free (every platform) - With the cross platform ability of Kindle you can't go wrong.
iBooks - Free (IOS) - Allows storage of ebooks & .PDF docs; ebooks can also contain video.
Google Books - Free (IOS, Android, Web)
Grammar Guide - $.99 - Having a grammar reference tool is an essential for many classes.
The Chemical Touch - $.99 (IOS) - Interactive periodic table of elements
Homework: Myhomework & ihomework:

Myhomework - Free (IOS & Android) - Great homework app "tracks your classes, homework, and projects so you never forget an assignment."

ihomework - $1.99 (IOS & Mac) - Manage your courses, homework, grades, deadlines and more.
iFormulas - Free (IOS) - Formulas for Algebra, Calculus, Chemistry, Geometry, & Trigonometry.
History: Maps of the World - Free (IOS) - Collection of high resolution historical maps.

Thanks to all my colleagues on Facebook for lending a hand with the apps above.

With the hundreds of thousands of apps out there, this list is opinion. However, you can make it better...

If you are a teacher, please leave a comment below with the subject that you teach and the apps that you recommend for your students.
If you are student please add your favorites as well by leaving a comment.

BYOD - A Student Encounter

2011-08-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today I made it to one of my campuses just in time to grab a sandwich from the PTA. After being bombarded by questions (school starts in 72 hours & it's crunch time), from various faculty that were awaiting my return to that campus, I was left alone to eat in the cafeteria.

About that time, a student who had come to help her mom with the PTA lunch for teachers, asked if she could eat her lunch at the table with me. This is a very polite young lady that I can remember helping throughout last school year, but can't for the life of me remember her name. After a few superficial conversation exchanges I decided to ask her about her plans for the new BYOD policy.

I asked her if she was excited to be able to bring her own tech devices. She responded in the affirmative although it seemed that she was holding her excitement from me in an effort to be polite and mature for her age.

I inquired about which devices she was planning on bringing. She said she was planning on bringing her phone (iPhone) and probably a laptop. I asked what kind of laptop she had but she didn't know the brand, just that it was a Windows machine.

Her next statement, however, was a little unexpected. She asked me if I thought the wifi would have enough speed to handle everyone's devices. Man! isn't that the question that this whole idea relies upon. Honestly, I don't know, but I have trust that our network guys have planned and worked as hard as they have in order that it will work.

At the end of our conversation I was getting ready to leave when she asked if she could introduce me to her mom. Her mother asked what we had been talking about. I told her that we had been discussing the BYOD policy for this next year. Interestingly, she wasn't as aware of the policy as I had expected most parents would be. She asked me what it was all about and I gave her the quick 30 second general scheme of things. I also explained how our Google Apps would help the new policy by giving the students even more tools to help them stay organized and communicate with their peers and teachers. She was ecstatic and told me what a wonderful idea that was for the district to pursue. She was so excited that she asked me what device would be best for her daughter to bring with her to class.

What a fantastic question! So good, in fact, that I didn't have a decent answer. How pathetic am I? I live and breathe tech blogs, news and reviews. I love knowing what the critics say about each new gadget and gizmo that is released. But I can't answer this mother that is requesting my meager advice about which tool would be best for her daughter to have. I guess coming from my background where every penny is pinched and saved, I have to say that the laptop is still king for a student. Especially now that there are so many good options like a Chromebook, netbooks, and now ultra-portables. But, there aren't many bad choices. This new age of mobile computing is exactly what education has been needing for many years now.

OK, back on track...After knowing about the BYOD policy for 2 minutes, this mother was ready to buy her daughter whatever would be best to help her in school. I think most parents, if they realized how effective and useful these devices can be in the classroom, would buy some type of device for their own children. The classroom is a great place for students to learn how to use and communicate with the tools of our day.

Lesson learned today...Students and parents are just as eager to try a BYOD as teachers and administrators...Actually, more so.

BYOD - Questions & Concerns

2011-08-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Today I had the opportunity to team teach with the campus principal as we addressed BYOD for the first time with our campus.

I guess you could say that I have a hero complex because I desperately want to have all the answers. Truth is...this is going to be a topic with which many answers may only come after years of learning and experience ahead.

Below are some of the biggest questions and concerns that I have heard of or fielded myself in the last few months. I'll include my answers, but if you have better answers or explanations please share by leaving a comment:

1. Q. If all students have to be using the school's filtered wifi and not their 3g/4g network, how do patrol that?

A. When students only used paper and pencil how did you know if they were using it to pass notes or to take notes? It should be no different than before the students used the devices. The main question is this, is the student on task?

A. The physical way to tell if they are using wifi is to look at the top of their screen to see if they are showing the wifi as turned on. You will be looking for a wifi symbol like this: If you only see bar like these and no wifi symbol it is a sure thing that they are not using wifi.

2. Q. What about students taking video of me and posting it to the internet?

A. The district's BYOD policy strictly prohibits students from posting recorded video in class to the internet. We must, however, understand that this is the world in which we live? Cameras are everywhere, always be mindful of your actions.

3. Q. What about less fortunate students who cannot afford a device like their friends have.

A. BYOD is not a 1:1 policy. BYOD is not about everyone doing the same thing in the same way. It allows for individuals to use the tools and techniques that are at their disposal.

A. If you do need everyone to have a device, it is much easier for the campus to provide 5-10 devices for students who do not have their own, rather than the district or campus to have to supply all 25-30.

A. If students are harassing or taunting students due to their device or lack thereof, then those students should be disciplined.

4. Q. How do I manage my classroom with BYOD?

A. One way is to have students always place their devices on top of their desk. This way they are out in the open and not hidden. If they are trying to hide something, that's when you need to investigate.

A. Allow your students to use their devices for class business as much as possible. Use this as a bargaining chip. "If you are off task one more time today, I will be confiscating your device, and think about everything you have on there for this and other classes. You might miss those things when the teacher asks you to turn something in next period."

A. Read the blog post "Branding BYOD: On/Off" by Jason Ohler.

5. Q. What if I hear a student's device chime from a notification or even ring?

A. Has your phone ever gone off in a professional development, a meeting, etc? We as adults are just a guilty.

A. Do what you can to communicate the expectation of silencing all devices. However, be patient and forgiving. You've probably forgotten a time or two also.

BYOD - Getting on the Same Page

2011-08-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

BYOD is a paradigm shift of astronomical proportions. Well, maybe not that big, but in education it's big enough to effect more than I ever anticipated. One of the biggest changes that poses perhaps the highest hurdle on the course is that of getting all the teachers on one campus to get on board and fall in line.

Although our district policy is very well written and clearly defines student expectations and rules, each campus must take time to communicate the policy with it's teachers. For 10 years or more schools have been dealing with the intrusion of mobile devices by banning them which, for students, translates into 'hiding them.' Teachers have been, therefore, conditioned to taking them away from the students on every occasion possible. Some schools even hold the phones and wait for parents to come in and pay the ransom just to get the phone back from the school. Policy is fine and dandy, but ultimately how it's interpreted in the classroom as it relates to very specific problems is a task that must be proactively lead by the campus administrators.

So how do we break teachers of the knee jerk reaction, taking away the device if it is seen or heard? How do we help teachers and students understand that if you take away the device, for many of us we will be taking away our notes, calendars, textbooks, projects, dictionary, encyclopedia and more? How do we get to the point where we accept that these devices, just as it is with paper and pencil, will not always be on task? Perhaps most important, how do we get all teachers to allow students to learn in their own natural and comfortable manner?

Throughout the ages stones have been used for both building edifices as well as tearing them down. Every tool can be used to be productive or destructive, but if our children never get the chance to learn how to be productive with these tools they are likely to default to the easier and more menacing and destructive uses of today's technology.

Problems with Managing Multiple IOS devices...

2011-08-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

IOS devices are inundating classrooms around the world. They just make sense in Education. Afterall the teacher can put almost all of their course content on the device, and students love using them. It's a great combination. So what's the problem? After managing one school set of iPod touch devices at each of my campuses, there are a few things that I wish Apple would address for Educators managing these devices.

Control over settings - With tools that are currently available it is NOT possible to lock or remove the settings app for students. H.S. & M.S. students are experts at being malicious with technology, especially when it comes to changing the wallpaper, lock screens, and the accessibility settings. Each time they do I have to restore that iPod from a saved backup. It's time consuming hassle.

Configuration profile updating - The iPhone Configuration Utility lets me push out all sorts of settings and webclips which I am very grateful that this doesn't have to be done by hand. However, if I ever need to update the wifi passcode or make a quick change to the profile it takes hours. These configuration profiles don't sync. To make any change they must be removed from the device, then update the profile on the mac (or create a new one), then reinstall the profile on each device. Not to mention the need to click install one time for each device from the mac and then 2X for each profile on the device itself. If I have the devices connected to the computer, allow me to click install one time to push out each profile to all the connected devices.

Manage home screens & App folders - iTunes allows you to manage home screens & app folders one device at a time. The ability to manage these settings in iTunes or ICU so that all devices could look and function identically would be powerful. This way you could organize your apps by subject or function, or even genre.

Installing apps - As my campus technolgy faciltator, I need to be able to add apps quickly and easily. But I also need to be able to prevent students from loading apps of their own. The ICU has a setting that prevents apps from installing. However, it also prevents me from installing apps even when I'm hard wired to my mac. The ideal situation would be to lock the installing of apps to the user, while at the same time enabling a way to push out apps over the air. (BTW - the over air installing of apps works beautifully, now if only there were an OTA uninstall).

Erase all photos - All I'm asking for is a button that erases all photos (except for the ones from my iPhoto library) without requiring me to download them to the computer first. As it it right now you must download all the photos to your iPhoto library before you get a delete button. To add inusult to injury, you can only download from one iPod/iPad at a time. With 30 iPods, this can take hours!

I like these devices. Mobile devices are the future of education. It is, perhaps the fastest/cheapest way to acheive a 1:1 ratio for most school districts. However, mass management & delivery of these devices is obviously a major obstacle for all mobile OS devices including IOS, Android, & RIM(Blackberry). Especially if they want to win over education.

Do you have other problems or solutions to my problems? Please drop me a line.

BYOD - Infrastructure

2011-08-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

Another key piece of our new BYOD policy was our infrastructure. We couldn't tell students to bring any device they want and not have an internet connection for them. Not to mention telling students and parents they would have to use and pay for their data on their own wireless carrier was just out of the question.

Fortunately our district's technology coordinator has uncanny foresight and convinced the board to approve the purchase of an enterprise quality wifi network for each campus, capable of multiple SSIDs. I'm sure our team of network and IT guys helped her find a quality system that would meet our needs. (For more info on our wireless network visit http://www.xirrus.com/products/). Her sales pitch included a two year, multi-phase plan which placed campuses on a list prioritized by their curriculum and equipment needs. That was nearly 2 years ago. Today all of our campuses are pretty well covered for wifi.

Wifi Partitioning

Disclaimer: I am not a network guy nor do I play one on TV. The following is my best effort to explain what has been told to me.

Our wifi has been partitioned into 4 separate pipes. I have listed them below in their order of priority on the network:

Official District devices (laptop labs, etc.)
District mobile devices (iPods, tablets, Phones, etc)
Teacher owned devices
Students

As far as I understand the first pipe has priority and is able to expand to take over the lower levels as demand increases. This way all official school business and learning have priority on our bandwidth. In other words we aren't being bogged down by students downloading videos or music. As of right now all of these pipes receive the same level of internet filtering, (yes we do block YouTube). Also, our networks guys setup the wifi to require our students login to the wifi with the same credentials they use to login to any other computer on our district network.

All public schools are required to filter the internet for students. So to handle that we wrote into our BYOD policy a requirement mandating that the student use the district's provided wifi rather than their own mobile 3g or 4g network. While it is true that it may be hard to police this, it really comes down to classroom management. Where before this policy everyone was hiding their devices, now if they are hiding their device they should stick out and that is the student you need to monitoring. (More on classroom management to come. In the mean time check out "Branding BYOD: On/Off" by Jason Ohler.)

BYOD - Bring your own Device...

2011-08-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

It's actually here...the 2011-12 school year is in full swing in my office! I feel like time is a freight train and I'm desperately hanging on the back trying to slow it down. But I digress.

This year our district is embarking on an experiment that we are calling BYOD: Bring Your Own Device. We are by no means the first to try such a policy, but we may be ahead of the pack. This is sure to be a learning experience for all of us.

In order to document our learning for any others behind us I will begin a new set of tags titled BYOD, this being the first. I'll try to share all the ways in which we researched, prepared, struggled, and adapted along this journey.

To kick this new section off I'll share some of our district's resources:

We decided to enroll in Google Apps for Education. (This was one major piece to the technology puzzle that really makes our BYOD policy possible)
We began midway through last school year by surveying parents, students, teachers, and administrators about their own mobile devices and their willingness to use them in the classroom. Check out the survey and it's results here: http://www.friscoisd.org/ly/departments/technology/ConnectingWithParents.htm
We looked to other districts that have tried this before us. Among them we found Forsyth County Schools in Georgia. They have a collection of great resources you can find @ http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/byot (I can't say enough about how much their videos helped us and gave us direction.)
We looked for resources on classroom management. Here is one of best articles we have found "Branding BYOD: On/Off" by Jason Ohler.

I look forward to sharing more and more I my eyes are opened and I begin to see just what we've gotten ourselves into. However, whether we stumble or soar I'm grateful to be moving forward!

Google+ for Education

2011-07-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Guest Post by Lindsey Wright

Can a social network have a place in education? With the recent introduction of Google+, the answer may be yes. Some aspects and features of this new forum for online interaction may be useful tools for educators looking to enhance their students’ learning experience.

Google+ vs. Facebook: a Brief Introduction

It shouldn’t be surprising that Google is throwing its hat into the social networking ring. Facebook and Twitter have grown by leaps and bounds since first appearing on the scene. Google+ offers social media users yet another way to connect with friends, family, and colleagues as well as share information in an online setting.

What makes Google+ different from Facebook? The first, and probably biggest, difference is the concept of targeted sharing. On Facebook, users have to sift through the network’s convoluted privacy settings in order to change who can see what. Google+ works around this with a feature called “circles.” A circle is a user-created group of contacts that can be made up of anyone — friends, family members, co-workers, or people with common interests. Once a circle is created, users can choose to share things only with that circle. Circles may also be used to filter the main sharing stream so that users can easily view updates from specific groups.

Even outside the context of circles, Google+ prompts users to choose who they’d like to share things with, offering a greater level of privacy than Facebook. Instead of automatically granting “friends” access to all information like Facebook does when users “friend” each other, Google+ allows users control over how much their followers see. Users may follow others who don’t follow them back, but unless the people they’re following want to share, they won’t see any updates.

Other useful features include “sparks,” which is similar to Google search but with an added option that allows users to “pin” searches and keywords. Users can then return to these pinned subjects and quickly find information relevant to their interests and share results with specific contacts, circles, or the general public. Similarly, “hangouts” is a video group chat that can be used by up to 10 people at the same time. It can be used to bring together specific circles or contacts, or to simply spend a little time with friends online. YouTube videos can be shared in a hangout, allowing multiple users to simultaneously view the same content.

Google+ for Educators

What does this mean for education professionals? With a little innovation, the features of Google+ can be utilized at either a traditional or online school for teaching purposes as well as facilitating communication among educators. This in turn can translate to a better learning experience for students.

A learning environment is most beneficial when all teachers and staff are on the same page about what kids should be learning. The social aspects of circles can easily be utilized to share information between groups of instructors who teach the same subjects, deal with the same groups of students, or might otherwise benefit from staying connected. Additionally, hangouts may be used to conduct informal meetings or to get in touch with educators from other schools. As functionality improves, it may be possible to share more things via these tools, enabling a greater degree of connection between educators and administrators.

When it comes to teaching, use of the sparks feature allows teachers to discover new content relevant to class discussions on a daily basis. Integrating this content into lessons provides a steady stream of fresh information that is also pertinent to current events. Giving students such information allows them to more readily relate class subjects to real-life situations, something that's often a struggle for many kids.

Educators may also be able to make better use of Google+ for professional and occupational purposes as the tools develop. If the future of the network includes an option that can be targeted specifically to a school setting, Google+ could be more fully utilized as a safe, secure alternative to other social networks in schools.

Google+ in the Classroom

As long as Google continues to work to refine the parameters that govern sharing and interaction on Google+, schools could see the network becoming a valuable asset in the classroom. Elementary aged children already recognize and engage with Google applications on a daily basis, while most middle and high school students are active on social media. The familiarity of the platform makes it easier to introduce Google+ as a teaching tool.

Hangouts in particular may prove to be a boon to teachers and their students. The ability to video chat and share content within the chat environment opens doors to having guests in the classroom whom with students might not otherwise be able to interact. Professionals in many fields could give talks, share ideas and engage students in discussion without having to physically come to a school. Not only would this save schools money, it would also give kids unique opportunities to meet knowledgeable people whose expertise can enhance their learning experience.

Outside the classroom, the focused control of circles allows students to connect with their teachers in a way that’s more private than Facebook. The public nature of other social networks often makes kids reluctant to “friend” authority figures, but the targeted nature of Google+ circles means that they can keep school and personal lives separate on the network. The same goes for educators who wish to be able to contact groups of students quickly and easily. Rather than having to share every social interaction, circles lets students and teachers communicate in a forum specific to their classes.

One hangup is that Google+ is currently limited to users over the age of 18. Needless to say, in the context of using the new social network in schools this would be a considerable drawback. However, it's best to keep in mind that Google+ is only a few weeks old, and still in field trial. There's no reason to doubt that before long, Google+ will be available not only without invitation but to younger users as well (maybe the same 13-and-up range as Facebook). What's more, if Google continues its push to provide its products and services especially to educators, we might even imagine the possibility of a school-specific version of or layer for Google+ that would make the network available to students of all ages, as well as their teachers.

When the focus shifts from socializing to the sharing of information, a network like Google+ can become an invaluable teaching tool. With educators and students working together to make the most of the features, Google+ has the potential to enhance learning and create a positive environment that fosters student-teacher interactions. Since social media has already become deeply ingrained in society, its use in the classroom may be the next logical step.

Lindsey Wright is fascinated with the potential of emerging educational technologies, particularly the online school, to transform the landscape of learning. She writes about web-based learning, electronic and mobile learning, and the possible future of education.

Google Hangouts: Possibilities for Education

2011-07-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Google is trying to revolutionize the online social world, and it might just succeed. One of the features built into the network is something called "Hangouts". While I'm not sure if I have my brain totally wrapped around the concept, I do want to share a few thoughts I had on how I think it might benefit the classroom (*when it becomes part of Google Apps AND if your organization turns it on.)

Here's the concept behind Hangouts...While on your G+ home screen you can "Start a Hangout." A Hangout is, essentially, a video chat room for up 10 people. When starting your hangout you can choose your different circles of friends to hangout with. It then opens the room and allows anyone from your selected circles to join in the hangout, up to 10 people at once. As long a there are 2 people in the hangout, it will remain open. In other words it isn't hosted or owned by the creator, which allows the conversation to move and evolve in a real fashion and less constrained by the tool. Although video chatting isn't new, this concept of a hangout is a giant leap forward.

Seeing as how my technology world revolves around education, Hangouts has blown my mind wide open with concepts, lessons, and activities that can been done with Hangouts. Here are a few:

Q&A/Tutoring - Imagine this...the teacher opens a hangout specifically dedicated for Q&A or tutoring. Students come and go listening to questions/answers, and asking questions of their own.

Extended Discussion - After a classroom discussion, a student opens a hangout to further explore the topic. They bounce ideas off other students or teachers, or perhaps other people that are knowledgeable about that topic.

Scheduled discussions - Groups could schedule hangouts to hold a discussion or debate about their course material. Authorities on the subject matter could be invited to add extra value to the discussion.

Global Classroom discussions - Classrooms from across the the globe could hangout together and discuss subject matter, bringing in various points of view from the varying cultures and backgrounds.

Online classes - Group video chat within a social network is perfect for online learning. It is a way to still get the personal interaction without having to physically meet. On top of all that, the 10 person limit is a great size for a learning environment.

Presentation collaboration - Students giving a presentation together can meet when it is convenient for each member. They can talk face to face and work together to grow and develop their ideas and presentation strategies. While chatting they could simultaneously use Google docs or any other collaboration tool to create and polish their presentation materials.

Guest Speakers - Guest Speakers could speak to multiple classrooms or schools simultaneously. It's a superb use of time and resources. I would love to see people dedicating an hour or so a few times a year, for hanging out in classrooms.

Author Visits - Librarians could start following all the authors that are pertinent to their students. Authors could post times that they will start a hangout and ask for students to submit questions. The Author could get to talk to many schools at once, which could add to the overall content of the the conversation with the Author.

The future of Google+ is anything but certain. And it's use in education is even less so. The one thing that is certain is that if you give a tool like this to talented teachers, they will put it to use and educational experiences will run rampant.

These ideas are, by no means, the only ways or even the best ways to use Hangouts. If you have some other thoughts or idea please leave a comment or follow me on Google+.

Why Every Home Ec. Class & Cook Should Use Evernote...

2011-06-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

While cooking cookies with my kids on Father's day, I was fumbling through my wife's recipe box looking for a recipe for No Bake Cookies. Then I realized what an antiquated system this recipe box was. There are a handful of sites on the web that bring digital indexing and searching to recipes but for the most part those are for recipes that are on that website, not your personal recipes.

That's when it occurred to me that Evernote is a fantastic solution. You can create a note for

each recipe. Inside of each note you could then use a smartphone or webcam to take a picture of the recipe card, or the notes could have the recipe transcribed from the card and typed into Evernote by hand. Evernote has handrwriting/text recognition software for pictures. This means that you can search through your Evernote notebook and the search will include all the info written in the pictures of the recipe cards.

The big picture here is that, in theory, you could open Evernote, run a search by any ingredient, name, or other keyword and pull up all the recipes that apply to your search.

Next, to make your recipe search even more robust, in the future when you use another website like Epicurious or Allrecipes.com to discover new recipes you can send the recipes that you like to your Evernote and continue to build an arsenal of recipes to your repertoire.

Now when you are ready to cook, you can use your ipad, laptop, or smartphone to search and follow any recipe that you want to use. Not to mention, all your recipes are now backed up in the cloud. So no need to worry about spilling on, lending, or losing a recipe. All your recipes are available to you anytime, anywhere that you have an internet connection.

But what if you don't always have an internet connection? Well there are some great internet tools out there like blurb.com that will print hard-bound books of your digital projects. In fact, this would be an awesome project. Have your class or group collecting and entering into Evernote their favorite recipes. The Evernote notebook could be shared among the group. The group could then review the recipes, add comments, perhaps even remove some of the recipes. The final product could be a killer recipe book created by the class/group as a collaborative work.

Give it a shot, you'll love it.

Stay tuned for blog posts as I digitize my wife's recipe box.

Google Goggles & Google Search

2011-05-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Bring the information from the web to real life...

One of the most underused apps on most Apple devices the Google Mobile Search app. This app not only lets you search the web but let's you search by voice. My wife and I often have contests to see who can Google the fastest. She on her laptop and me on my iPad. We'll be watching an episode of NCIS and she'll ask "How old is Marc Harmon?" Then the race is on. Thanks to this little app I don't have to keyboard anything, I speak "How old is Marc Harmon?" 9 times out of 10 it understands me perfectly...which is more than I can say for my beautiful wife :)

All kidding aside, this app has gotten some upgrades that I have to write about. For about a year, Google has had an Android app called "Google Goggles". Goggles searches the web for you based

on images. You take a picture with the app, Google compares it to similar images on the web and gives you a Google search based on your picture. WHAM! you are instantly taken to links with limitless information on that item. The Google Goggles app has now been fully integrated with the Apple IOS Google Mobile Search App.

But perhaps the best part is that the app doesn't just scan images. It also scans barcodes & QR codes.

Here is my experiment with the Google Mobile app from my iPad:

1. Select the camera 2. Take the picture 3. Choose the site you want to look at.

QR codes:

1. Scan your QR code 2. Go to the site of video linked in the code.

The QR code above comes from a book trailer project by our librarian.

According to Google's info on this feature you scan any of the things below.

This type of app is what geeks call "Augmented reality", basically you bring the limitless information of the web and mix it with reality. It's a fantastic new technology and our students can do so much with it...if we let them.

With our students being allowed to bring their own devices to the classroom next year. Stay tuned for many tech projects based on these apps and QR codes.

To recap the apps are:

Android: Google Goggles

IOS: Google Mobile search

Civil War Newscasts: Part I

2011-05-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Since the end of the year is upon us, I wanted to finish with a bang. This, in nerdy tech/history teacher terms, meant a major collaborative project. My goal was to create an assignment that went into detail in many aspects of the Civil War but also incorporated different pieces of technology that are available to students at our school. Ultimately, I decided to have the students pretend like there were televisions and news stations during the Civil War Era and create a newscast based on some of the particulars of the time.

My goal for this post is to begin to break the project down into parts so any teacher could incorporate this into whatever your subject area may be. So here goes...

The first day was simply going over the project with the students. Each student was given a group, each group a topic, and each topic an instruction sheet and checklist. Here is a teacher information sheet to guide you as well.

The second through fourth days is what I'd really like to focus on in this post. This is the script writing process. Students were made aware that they could not begin filming until all scripts were complete.

The first piece of tech integration shows up in the script writing. Students used Google Docs and their checklist to create their scripts. Google Docs allows for the utmost in student collaboration. Each group created a Google Doc for each of the scripts before they even started. Immediately, the students were asked to share the document with each of their group members and their teacher. This allows for each group member to edit the document at any time from home or school. For more information on Google Docs please click here.

I have to share a one story about our Google Docs experience to show you how cool it is. I had one group that had two of the three group members out while we were writing our scripts. In the past, that one remaining student would be stuck with a lot of work. With gDocs, the students that were out sick were actually working on the script at home at the same time as the one student that made it to school. VERY COOL STUFF!

Many students used their former notes, textbooks, or the internet to research their topics as they were typing their scripts. I was able to read the scripts as the students were typing. Another nice feature of Google Docs that I used was the insert comment feature. I typed several comments on each script during the class period as the students were working. This freaked them out at first that "big brother" was watching their every word being typed. In the end they found it helpful, and they were very excited that I could add some insight before the scripts were officially due.

I'll share the remaining parts and tech integration of this project in future posts. They will appear on my blog at Teaching History with Tech. If you enjoyed this post please consider joining my PLN @HistoryandTech. And finally, I'd like to thank @techforschools for allowing me the opportunity to guest post.

Have a great summer...the next school year will be here before you know it!

Regards,

Andy

Job Interviews using the iPod Touch Lab

2011-05-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

In my Career Investigation classes we have been talking about interviewing for jobs and the importance of being professional and prepared. We did moc interviews in class and used the iPod Touch lab to record the interviews live. Not only did my students love doing the interviews and using the technology, they also learned that they needed to work on their interview skills if they wanted to get a job in the future. Many of the students commented on how shocked they were at how silly some of their answers were and requested a second chance at the interview to improve their answers. It was an awesome learning experience for them that helped the students realize that the "business world" is much different than their "social world". Here is a quick summary of the lesson:

Objective: Students participate in a job interview recorded using iPods and Audioboo.

Procedure:

Discuss with students common interview questions asked

Pair students up and distribute I Pods and a list of interview questions to ask

Each student gets a turn being the interviewer and the applicant

Students publish the interviews to the teacher account on Audioboo

Once published, students go back and listen to their interviews and critique themselves as well as their partner's interview. They have to decide if they would actually get a job based on their interview.

The teacher listens to the interviews that were published and decides which students would get a job and which would not based on the recorded interview.

As a class, discuss some of the "good" and "bad" things from the interviews (playing specific examples with student permission)

Students get a "call back" interview where they can improve their answers and interviewing skills.

This lesson was fun and actually really easy to do, and I am NOT very saavy when it comes to technology! There are so many things you could do with the Audioboo App and the iTouches, please don't be afraid to try something new. My kids loved it and I had a blast watching them learn and try to improve their skills.

Posted by Mrs. Baker of Hunt M.S.

Shakespeare SMS/Twitter project...

2011-05-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Shakespeare Twitter Project

Objective: Students give presentation of Shakespeare as if it happened over Twitter

Procedures:
Students study a scene/act of a play
Convert the major parts of the scene/act into sms or tweets & write them down
Create a Todaysmeet.com wall for class project
Students give oral presentation to class about their scene/act
Presenting group members sign in as their respective characters
While presenting, the group is broadcasting their tweets on behalf of their characters, to the rest of the class.
The class watches the presentation while also watching the twitter stream. Students could use any internet connected device to follow along.

This lesson comes from Liz S. @ Hunt MS.

Destructive vs Productive Students...

2011-05-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

One thing I hear over and over is how tech savvy our students are. Too often this statement comes from self-defeated teachers who all but give up becuase the think their students know more than they do.

The problem is, most students know more about causing problems with technology than they know about being productive with technology. This is why educational technology is so important. It is our role, as teachers, to teach our students how these tools can help them be more than they are without them. More time effective, more efficient, more communicative, more proficient, more productive.

So when I have students who would rather disrupt class by messing with our device settings or finding ways around the security in place, I tell them...

"Any Punk can be DESTRUCTIVE. It takes real skill & discipline to be PRODUCTIVE."

Tripline map tours

2011-04-26T10:31:00.001-07:00

Tripline.net is web2.0 tool that allows you to use Google Maps, routes, points of interest, text, & pictures, then turns all those things into a nice guided tour video. It is very similar to My Maps (built in to Google Maps) but the video-like interface keeps the audience on the track the author has specified.

It's a free web 2.0 tool that has a lot of uses in the classroom.

Check out this example on Columbus' first voyage.

(If the video doesn't launch, try here.)

There is a really nice intro/how to video on the HP Teacher Experience Exchange. Thanks to @txmelissatx for this gem.

Wikipedia project...

2011-04-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Have your students create a wikipedia page in ppt. I have attached the full Wikipedia template for PowerPoint so you to get started right away.

Objectives:

Students recreate a wikipedia article about themselves, another classmate, or any person/place/thing
Students use hyperlinks to make the pages function like real webpages.
Students create a references page

I created this template in PPT 2007. You can download the file here. In the speaker notes you will find some extra tips and explanations for using this template.

Enjoy! & If you have any other ideas for student uses of this template, please share.

Email Template Project...

2011-04-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

I heard about a website the other day that created fictional emails generated by fictional characters. What an interesting idea... Creating emails as if you were another person place or thing. As a spin off of that idea I created an Outlook ppt template. This template will enable you to re-create an outlook inbox as well as outgoing/incoming messages as if it were some else's inbox.

An activity such as this allows students to use a tool they are familiar with while at the same time thinking from a new angle. Students could do this for historical characters, fictional characters, or perhaps even an object like an igneous rock.

(Click here to download the outlook ppt template)

(Click here for Google doc template)

This is also a spinoff from the Facebook ppt Template. Be sure to check that idea as well.

The New Media & Education...

2011-04-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Just as the printing press changed the world by placing books & information in more hands, I believe that today's new media is revolutionizing the world. Do we, as teachers, understand the significance of "New Media" and how it is changing the lives of our students?

The printing press made it possible to mass produce/re-produce text so that more people could obtain information than was ever possible before. However, a select few controlled those presses. Even with development of radio and television, wealthy individuals and corporations served as the gate-keepers to those channels. Still today, the cost to publish a book or to communicate via radio or TV, is astronomical.

With the "New Media" of today, however, the paradigms of publishing and broadcasting are changing. For example, Radio and Television shows can be made with consumer grade audio & video hardware. They can then be edited with almost any computer running fairly inexpensive software. Then distributed via the internet for little to almost no cost at all! Books are just as easy. With a good idea, anyone can write a book, format it digitally for any/all eReader devices and distribute that book in any eBook store like Amazon, or iBooks. A great example of the power of "New Media" is the story of Greyson Chance. Greyson, at the age of 12 performed a cover of Lady Gaga's hit "Paparazzi." The video was posted to YouTube and as of today has nearly 39 million hits. It was viewed by Ellen DeGeneres, he was invited on her show and signed to a record deal with her record label.

So what does this new media mean for today's students? It means that ideas are no longer controlled by traditional media outlets. Any good idea, talent, or work can be shared, published and distributed by anyone, at anytime; with little, to no cost...especially when compared to traditional means. By teaching technology along with our subjects we are teaching our students skills that can open doors of opportunity beyond the imagination of prior generations. Today, we have not only information, but tools, and medium that can bring the world and it's opportunities at our fingertips. We need teachers that understand this concept, teach it, and thus empower today's students.

New media is not limited to radio, TV & Books. There is a gold rush happening in the world of mobile apps today. The software required to develop these apps is available for free. There are classes being offered in secondary schools, colleges, and even summer camps, on how to develop your own mobile app.

Today's media brings many challenges to education. However, new media is not to be feared, but rather taught, studied, understood, and leveraged to show our students that they, truly, can do anything they put their minds to.

Museum box

2011-04-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I posted my 4 favorite web 2.0 tools that use photos. Today, @HistoryandTechintroduced me to #5...Museumbox.

Museumbox is allows you to upload pictures, text, vide, & audio. Each element is added to a cube that spins to display the different media. One of the best examples I found is on Hellen Keller. Take a minute to browse through some examples and see if you can use this tool with your students.

Historical Event News Broadcast Project...

2011-04-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

Tired of having students do the same old reports or PowerPoints? This lesson still requires the same research, but ignites engagement, higher order thinking skills, as well as technology skills.

Objectives:

Students research an event
Students compile research in order to write a television/radio broadcast
Students create a storyboard or somekind of paper draft of their show
Students create a broadcast (radio/TV) as if they had gone back in time
Students add credits to the end of their broadcast to site their sources

Tech options:

iPods - Built-in camera, iMovie
iPads - Built-in camera, iMovie, Garageband
Any voice recorder will do
Pocket Camcorder
PC - Audacity, Aviary.com, MovieMaker, Photostory
Mac - Garageband, iMovie

Adaptations:

Students could create the show from different points of view (ex. Civil War - North/South)
Have students use era appropriate music or pictures
Have students place themselves in the time of the event. (ex. WWII most media was only radio, there was no video and pictures were rare.)
Students could re-create propaganda from the era
Audio/video could be shared on the web (blog, youtube, shooltube, teachertube, etc.)
Allow students to choose the tool they use.
Have students research using the tools of the era (books, newspapers, encyclopedias, etc...)

Do you have other ideas that could make this lesson better? Please share them.

Tips & Tricks 4 Managing Multiple IOS devices...(part 3)

2011-04-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Part 3: Wi-fi setup, restrictions, & Web Clips using the ICU

Have you ever had to type in your wi-fi key by hand on more than 3 IOS devices? It is rediculous, especially with iPod touch devices! Fortunately, Apple released the Iphone Configuration Utility (ICU). The ICU allows you to create confuguration profiles that can be installed on each device. A configuration profile can install wifi, restrictions, & web clips; but it cannot sync your devices. When the profile installs on the device, the iPod or iPad will require 2 clicks, one to install and one to accept. But that beats typing in long passwords, codes, & URLs.

The ICU is a free download for Mac/PC @ http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/enterprise/

Creating a Configuration Profile - One important thing to note: It is not a good idea to put all of your settings in one profile. For example, if you have restrictions and wifi settings in one profile, but you need to remove the restriction in order to perform a task, then you will also disble the wifi. I typically add 3 profiles, one for wifi, one for restrictions, & one for webclips.

> Click on "Configuration Profiles"
>Click "New"

General Tab: Fill in these options:

Name
Indentifier (I follow apple's recomendation: ex, com.school.profilename)
Security (I choose "With Authorization" and fill in a authorization passcode below. This will enable you to remove this profile manually should it get in the way)

Restrictions Tab: You can play with some of these settings. Below are a few of the lessons I've

learned

Allow installing apps - If this box is unchecked no more apps can be added to this device, not even when wired to iTunes. I learned my lesson and now leave this checked
Allow use of Camera - This is important for the 4th gen iPod touch. (I create one profile just for this setting. I have some teachers that request that it be turned off.)
Allow in App Purchase - I turn this off.
Allow use of iTunes music store - I turn this off
Allow explicit music & podcasts - I turn this off
Allowed content ratings - I leave these set to "allow all"

Wifi tab: I create 1 configuration profile just for wifi. This way, if I need to change settings or turn off a restriction, I don't erase the wifi settings at the same time. Multiple wifi networks can be added by clicking the "+" at the top right.

Web clips: Web clips are shortcuts to web addresses that appear on the home screens as icons that look like apps. When clicked on they launch safari and take you straight to the address. You can add as many web clips as you want in one profile.

One last note: If you change a profile after it has been installed onto a device, it will become corrupt. If you need to make changes to a profile after you have installed it. It is better to uninstall the existing profile, create a new profile, then install the new one.

Tips & Tricks 4 Managing Multiple IOS devices...(part 2)

2011-04-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Part 2: Naming & Sync setup

The setup and naming of IOS devices is the slowest & most time consuming part of managing multiple IOS devices. If it is done right, however, it will save hours upon hours in the future.

Setup the Computer -

Create a few playlists in iTunes (We will setup these playlists to auto sync)
Create a wallpaper photo with numbers that match the numbers of your devices.
Create a few 'Events' in iPhoto. At least 1 for the wallpaper photos & one for lessons (We will setup these events to auto sync)
Turn on 'Books' in iTunes. (>iTunes; >Preferences; >check "Books")

Initialize & Name each device:

Connect devices to your "Parent Device" (iTunes should launch, if not do so manually)
Go through the initial setup screens in iTunes.
Create a naming system for your devices and name them accordingly.
Uncheck all boxes for Auto sync (We'll setup the way we want iTunes to sync in a moment)

Setup how to sync each device: With all devices plugged in & names, you should each device in the left-hand sidebar of iTunes. The steps below need to be repeated on each IOS device.

Select the first device in the left-hand sidebar. (The main screen will now be for managing that device)
Choose "Apps"
Check the boxes for each app you would like to sync.
Check the "Automatically sync new apps" box (it is under the box listing all current apps)
Choose "Music"
Check the box next to "Sync Music"
Check the radio button next to "Selected playlists, artists..."
Check the boxes next to each playlist that you would like to auto sync (From now on you can change the music in the playlist on the computer and the changes will auto sync the next time you connect the device to iTunes.)
Choose "Books"
Check the box next to "Sync Books". (Any PDF can be added to your books library and it will auto sync)
Chooose "Photos"
Check the box next to "Sync Photos"
Check the box next to "Selected Albums, events..."
Check the box next to "Include videos"
Check the box next to each events that you created previously in iPhoto. (Any photo changed in these events will auto sync to each device.)

Then repeat the steps above for each device in your lab.

Stay tuned for how to setup wifi & webclips(url shortcuts) easily

Tips & Tricks 4 Managing Multiple IOS devices...(part 1)

2011-04-04T07:14:00.001-07:00

Part 1: Hardware

Did you know that iTunes can sync up to 20 IOS devices at one time? You just have to make sure that you've got the right hardware. You have some options when it comes to hardware for syncing your devices. Here are two examples that I have used that have worked nicely for me.

The Bretford syncing cart - @ $2,000 or so, this is an expensive, but very convenient option. The cart holds 2 trays of 20 iPod touch devices each. There is one USB for each tray so syncing is somewhat easy. They also make a cart that charges iPads as well.

The powered USB hub - This Tripp-Lite 10 port powered USB hub runs about $40.

This will charge and sync up to 10 devices at once. The hub must be plugged into power as well as connected to the computer in order to charge the devices. It does have one drawback. The hub needs to be plugged into the computer and then connect the devices one by one to the hub. If the devices are all plugged into the hub before it is connected to the computer, occasionally an error will come up stating that "charging is not

supported on this device."

(I have not yet tried connecting two of these to the macbook at the same time to sync up to 20 at once.)

Since the powered USB hub doesn't come with a cart, you will want to have a way to store/carry all your devices at once. We purchased this Vaultz cart below. Office depot sells them for $69.99. A foam insert can be purchased and cut to protect the devices while in transport.

A Parent Device: Whether you have iPods or iPads, these devices need to have a "Parent Device." A parent device is a PC or Mac that has iTunes installed. On my campuses we have a macbook dedicated for this job. A PC could be used, but I have had less problems managing these devices with a mac.

Do you have a system that works for you? Please let me know.

Stay tuned for info on setting up and syncing these devices using the hardware above.

4 web 2.0 tools with Photos

2011-04-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Below are my 4 favorite web 2.0 tools that use photos. Each of these could be used for projects.
They are listed from easy to more difficult.

* Fotobabble.com - Upload any picture and then record sound with that picture.

Teaching mood
Poetry readings

* Blabberize.com - allows you to upload a picture, put a mouth on that picture, then record sound...

Historical figures
Historical speeches
Point of view (students speak as the person/object in the picture)

(click here to view lama, we love him)

*Speaking Image - Upload a picture, place lines/shapes/POIs, add text, links, or video for an interactive picture.

Guided tour of school/classroom
Background info behind any image
Vocabulary lesson

* Voicethread - Upload any picture or video, invite others to make comments via text, phone, mic, or webcam.

The example below: create a fake newspaper article then have students give feedback about the article.
Teacher could be the first comment on the left asking questions or prompting responses.

Google Docs for Faculty

2011-03-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

Google Docs could drasticaly increase the effeciency of our education system. We recently added our district's entire faculty body to Google Apps for Edu. Students will be added to the system next school year.

Here are a few ideas to jump start your motivation to learn & use these tools.

Do you have more ideas? Please share by leaving a comment.

Playtime Theatre...

2011-03-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

I received a tweet from the makers of Playtime Theatre last night. I checked out their YouTube videos and I have to say I'm pretty impressed!

The app allows the user to create a fairy tale puppet show right on the iPad. Check it out.

Harmon.ie: Google docs in Outlook

2011-03-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

If you are a Google docs user, Harmon.ie is a sweet little addon that you can install on your computer if you use Outlook. It places all of your Google docs in a sidebar. You can then 'attach' any of your Google docs via drag and drop. This places a link in the email instead of the actual document. Saving valuable storage space in your email account.

Give it a shot, it's a big time and space saver.

Twitter Tuesday...

2011-03-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Finally, today is one of the first days this school year that I don't have any pressing appointments or things to prepare for.

Therefore, I have declared today "Twitter Tuesday." Stay tuned to my tweets today for some of my best findings on the web for Educational technology.

Using Google Apps 4 Digital Storytelling

2011-03-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

I attended this webinar on using Google Apps for digital storytelling. If you are using Google apps, especially with students, this is worth the time.

My Notes:

Teacher creates Google site with all resources, custom image/sound searches, tutorials, boundaries, info about creative common licensing, and examples of other projects
Storyboards collaborated via google docs. Students use teacher-made template.
Google custom search enabled the teachers to help students narrow searches to the websites approved by the teacher
Use Google sites as wiki to post videos, reflect on stories, add comments/suggestions, for team/peer review.
All Google files are shared with the team = no excuses for team when one student is absent.
Use of Aviary (Google Marketplace) for audio editing. Aviary files are saved directly into google docs.

Japan's Earthquake & Tsunami videos

2011-03-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the most amazing videos I have found of this disaster in japan.

I'll let them talk for themselves.

Speaking Image

2011-03-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

Speaking Image is my new favorite Web 2.0 tool.

Here are the basics of what it does:

Upload any image (with screenshot tools anything can become an image.)
Label items in the image
Embed content on the image (popup bubbles w/images, links to pages, wikis, videos, or just text)

Your image now becomes an interactive lesson or presentation.

Account's are free & require an email address. (account is not verified via email, which is nice for students without email).

Here are some ideas for teachers:

Sentence structures w/grammar explanations
Interactive tours: w/ maps, art, diagrams etc.
School tours
Library tours

Below is an example of sentence diagramming.

Here is a great example of vocabulary practice.

Google spreadsheets auto fill & lookup

2011-03-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Google docs has a couple hidden features that are really cool.

Auto fill

Google spreadsheets can predict patterns and complete them for you.

For example; if I type into one column the following words:

1.Type words 2. Select cells 3. Hold alt key & drag handle down to auto complete the pattern.

Google Lookup:

Google can lookup information on the web and bring into your spreadsheet.

In the example below I used the auto fill to enter my states into the column A. Then I entered the following formulas: =GoogleLookup("entity", "attribute")

Repeat steps for autofill (ctrl + click & drag)

The end result is a spreadsheet full of data that would've taken me an hour or so to lookup and transfer into my spreadsheet.

Give it a try and pass on any other tricks that you find in Google docs.

Interactive Library displays w/ QR codes...

2011-03-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

QR codes are everywhere.

Every Library uses posters, book displays, etc, to advertise & promote various books that are in the library. These displays are wonderful!... but what if you could add digital media or interactivity to the display?

Enter QR codes. These codes, that are showing up all over the place, can be the little tool that makes your book display into an attraction. QR codes are like visual hyperlinks that can take most mobile devices with a camera & an internet connection to any web address, text file, or phone number.

Here's how:

1. The Librarian finds or creates:

A blog post inviting students to leave comments, discussions, or reviews about a book.
YouTube book trailer about a book
Amazon or Barnes & Noble reviews
The Author's website/blog

2. The librarian generates the QR code that will take students to the site.

3. The librarian builds the display with an image of the QR code somewhere in the mix.

4. Students become active participants in a community of readers.

It may require the librarian to explain how it works to a few key students. But with a little encouragement and word of mouth it could become an attraction in your library.

How we came up with idea.

On Tuesday I blogged about an Interactive Story Project the other day that a GT ILA teacherand I came up with. Then I read about a word wall that a teacher had created with QR codes to help her students learn vocabulary. Today, while brainstorming with my librarian(you can see her blog here) we came up with this great idea for using QR codes in the library. In short...Collaboration!

Add text to iPod audio files...

2011-03-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

A great little hidden feature with almost any iPod device is the ability to add any text to an audio file.

Essentially this allows anyone to add text that can be displayed while listening to the audio file it is attached to.

Implications for teachers:

Fill in the blank - The text that you enter could omit words or sentences and be replaced with _____.

Vocabulary help - When listening to any audio, students could scroll through key vocabulary and definitions.

Interpretation - Foreign language teachers could have a translation of the audio in text, so the student listens in one language and reads the translation in their native language.

How?

It's easy to get the text into the audio file and onto the iPod. Here's how:

Entering lyrics

In iTunes 5 or later, select a favorite song.
From the File menu, choose Get Info.
Click Lyrics, then enter the words to the song in the text box.
Click OK when finished.
Copy the song to iPod.

Viewing lyrics

If you've entered song lyrics, you can view them at any time in iTunes 5 or later. Just select the song, Get Info for the song, and then click Lyrics. If you want to view them on iPod, do this:

On iPod, start playing any song to which you've added lyrics.
Press the Center button repeatedly. The number of times depends on if you have artwork or not. Here's the order of things when you press the Center button:
Play status > Scrubber > Album Art > Lyrics/Description > Rating
If you don't have Album Art or Lyrics, then you'll just see the Rating
Play status > Scrubber > Rating

Lyrics should display correctly in most languages. If they do not, try removing any special characters in the Lyrics pane in iTunes, copy the song back to iPod, and try again.

Products Affected

iPod, iPhone, iPod mini, iPod touch, iPod nano, iTunes

Additional Information

Some types of files such as WAV and QuickTime files don't support lyrics, though you can convert WAV and QuickTime files into a format that would allow you to add lyrics such as AAC or MP3.

The Frisco Fab 5

2011-02-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago a colleague and I presented our 5 favorite technology projects @ the TCEA 2011 conference in Austin, TX. We had a great turn out, around 300 or so came to hear about the projects our teachers have done with technology this year. The feeback was so good that we want to share the projects with everyone:

We had such a good time with this presentation that we have decided to submit it again for next year with 5 brand new projects from this year & next. So if you get a chance to go keep us in mind.

Technology/Classroom Management

2011-02-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

Technology is sometimes viewed as a substitute for classroom management. This is far from the truth. Using technology in your classroom is a true test of classroom management.

In my time in the classroom over the last few weeks it became clear that one factor that hinders the use of educational technology is the teacher's knowledge of technology classroom management.

The slides below contain some of the most vital things that a teacher should know before they use technology in their classroom.

Do you have more ideas for effective technology classroom management? Please share by leaving a comment.

Interactive story project...

2011-02-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

You may not be familiar with QR codes, but if you aren't you will be soon. QR codes are the new bar code for the 21st century. They can be scanned by any smartphone or iPod touch with a camera. When scanned the code will take you to a place on the web or to a document or whatever info you have designated. Anyone can create one. The apps that scan them are almost always free.

Yesterday I had the chance to sit and jam with one of my GT teachers, Vawterila. Last time we did this we came up with our UStream Debate Project. Yesterday we took it to whole new level using an existing lesson, webtools, & QR codes. GT teachers and technology department have been learning more and more about project based learning and this lesson fits in great.

So here is the general idea...

Objective: 1. Students will write a story. 2. Students will create rich media and interactive, web-based activities to go along with the story. 3. Students will embed QR codes into the story to enable the interactive activities.

1. The story part of this project could be a collaborative effort using any number of cloud computing resources. (In our case our students would you Google Docs)

2. The added media and interactive activities could be anything the students choose. In fact, I'd be inclined to leave this open for the kids to choose their own tools. But here are just a few ideas:

YouTube video
Google Maps (my maps, guided tour)
A blog or threaded discussion
A VoiceThread
Any webtool

3. Students could use any QR code generator found on the web. They would then take each code and paste it into the document at the appropriate place.

The final product would be a story that any class could read while using a smartphone or iPod touch. They would scan the codes as they read and participate in the activities as they go along.

To take this lesson a step further students could be assigned or given the choice of one of the 3 different elements of the project. The Google model of 20% time could be used to give students opportunities to dabble in the other elements from time to time.

This project has great potential. If you decide to give it a try please share your results. We would love to be able to see other classes final products.

My Fake Wall - Think outside the book

2011-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

In our district we have been doing a fake facebook project using ppt in all different content areas. We have all sorts of ideas for using this project instead of a traditional report.

While at the TCEA 2011 conference last week I heard someone mention www.myfakewall.com. This is a little web 2.0 site that allows students to go in and create a fake facebook-like wall. It isn't a functioning wall, but does allow the user to create almost every aspect of the wall. Here is a great example that I found on their site.

Edmodo - the social classroom...

2011-02-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen Edmodo.com yet you really ought to take a look. They have built a really great social platform especially for education. It meets just about every expectation a teacher could have.

-Teacher creates class groups

-Students do NOT need an email address

-Parent accounts

-Teacher to class

-Teacher to student

-Teacher to Parent

-Student to Teacher

-Parent to Teacher

-No student to student private interaction

-No Parent to other student interaction

-Online assigments digital turn in and grading

...and its FREE!

Here is an overview about it's features.

Here is Edmodo's introduction video from YouTube:

How to create Parent accounts:

TCEA 2011

2011-02-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

I'm attending the TCEA conference in Austin this week. My blog posts for the next few days will all be information and resources gained while attending. Please stay tuned for for some good stuff.

I will also be tweeting a lot of my resources @techforschools

I'd like to buy an argument...

2011-01-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

That is seriously one of the best Monty Python sketches of all times!

But seriously, have you seen argument maps @ www.amap.org.uk ? It is a great tool that can help your students with lots of subjects. Here are a few examples:

Used for persuasive writing:

This one came from a student in a Social Studies class:

Technology and Bloom's Taxonomy

2011-01-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

The University of Southern Indiana has created this awesome tool for using technology with Bloom's Taxonomy. It's pretty dang useful. Each image is hyperlinked to the tool it refers to.

http://www.usi.edu/distance/bdt.htm

Using Digital Frames in Schools

2010-12-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

You know all the silly names that we as educators like to give our presentations...Well here are a few for digital photo frames:

"Help! I've been framed"
"Framing an education"
"A Framework of knowledge"
"Framing the future"

I could go on, but instead I'll just share the presentation. There should be enough info to get your school started. It's relatively inexpensive and has lot's of uses.

5 Ways to Use Todaysmeet.com in the classroom

2010-11-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

I love to use todaysmeet.com in my classroom as well as in professional development. It is a tool for backchannelling. It is super easy to use and it's interface is so simple that it loads fast and on almost any internet connected device. Here are a few ways we've used it in the classroom.

Have more ideas? Please share by leaving a comment.

Geocaching promo video...

2010-11-19T09:25:00.001-08:00

Our 8th grade middle school student's recently made a Geocaching promo video, in hopes that more teachers will plan geocaching lessons. Take a look:

The video above was made by Titan P. & Melissa L. @ Griffin M.S.,2010