Revisiting Some Presentation Tools from the Blog

As a kid I used to hate it when my favorite TV show would have an episode full of flashbacks to previous episodes. But this is completely different. :)

I'd just like to give a second look at a few presentation tools reviewed in earlier posts on this blog that I've used and enjoyed. Sometimes I will use Powerpoint for a presentation - it's comfortable but predictable. I've enjoyed using the following web-based tools as an alternative to good old Powerpoint and think you might as well.

• Vuvox - Vuvox was reviewed by Brian this past January , still has the linear feel of Powerpoint but with more flow and pazazz. You can create "hotspots" within the sliding presentation images to include hyperlinks and different forms of media. You'll need to set up a free account to start using, but I think you'll find it is a nice alternative to Powerpoint while still being similar in nature.
• Prezi - Evan blogged about Prezi back in March calling his post "Presentation 2.0." And part of Prezi's appeal is its presentations offer a nonlinear feel to them. You still create a path or map to text, pictures, media, etc... but the movement in Prezi allows the presentation to spiral, zoom and spin around the content. When used properly this produces a very engaging presentation. Like Vuvox you just need to setup a free account with Prezi to get started.
• Pageflakes-Pageflakes was the subject of one of my blog posts earlier this month. Although Pageflakes isn't exactly intended to be a presentation tool (like Vuvox or Prezi), it offers a great way to present information. In Pageflakes you can set up an entire page with content related to a subject. I tried this out in a Google Earth workshop recently, where I created a page filled with content related to Google Earth (links, RSS feeds, video and text) instead of a Powerpoint. I don't think I'd try this with every presentation, but I think it worked well for this workshop.

So there they are; a few flashbacks errr..."gems" from past blog entries to help change the ways we look at presentations.

Summer Vacation & Reading

Now that we are approaching the end of the 2008-2009 school year, some students are counting the days before summer vacation begins; at least that is the situation with my school aged child. How do we promote learning during the summer months? Well, why not encourage students to join summer reading programs during this time. To encourage and support summer reading, various companies and libraries are offering summer reading programs or reading list and some of them have built-in incentives for reading; including one company that offers Pizza as a reward.

Pizza Hut Bookit http://www.bookitprogram.com/
Reading is Fundamental http://www.rif.org/summer/
Education World Reading List
http://www.education-world.com/summer_reading/
Scholastic
http://www.scholastic.com/summerreading/
Reading Rockets
http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/summer

Pictures from Microsoft Office Graphics

What is your school doing to integrate technology into your curriculum?

In March of last year Edutopia published an article on technology integration.
Several points were made from the article:

1. Effective technology integration is achieved when its use supports curricular goals. It must support four key components of learning:
   o active engagement
   o participation in groups
   o frequent interaction and feedback
   o connection to real-world experts
2. Technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine.
3. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like.
4. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.
   

The goal is to effectively integrate technology into subject areas by allowing teachers to grow into roles as advisers, content experts, and coaches to the students. Technology should help to make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.

Fast forward to April 2009, how are we using technology in the schools today? Take a look at this video from one high school in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Video Source:
Full Circle: A Commitment to High Tech
http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-overview-video

To read the entire article:
Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many
http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

To learn more about what works in public education please go to:
Edutopia - The George Lucas Educational Foundation
http://www.edutopia.org/harrison-central-high-school

Never leave home without it?

Have you ever left the house to go out and once you got there and realized you forgot your camera? How about going to run, bike, hike or another outdoor activity and forgot your music player?

Well now you do not have to worry about leaving your camera or music player again because now the only thing you have to remember is your sunglasses. Yes I said sunglasses. Xonix has developed a pair of sunglasses that not only protects your eyes from the harmful UV rays but also is a camera and music player.

Here are some of the Specs:

1. A 1.3 megapixel camera that allows you to take pictures and record video directly into the integrated hardrive.


2. Store your music here as well and listen to it through the built in earpieces.


3. UV coated lenses for eye protection and adjustable nose pieces.


4. Easy to use controls along the side of the glasses.


5. And for you techies like me there is a remote control that gives you full control of everything at the touch of the finger. The remote works up to 16 ft away from the glasses.

I have heard of other types of lgasses out there that have some of the same features but I do not think that I have seen one that offers this many in one device. Sure there is a multitude of video glasses that allow you to watch movies and the such, check out the Coolbuzz article from 2007. You can get more information as well from an article in gizmag which goes a little more indepth than I do with background features. They do great job with the nitty gritty stuff. Although this is a really cool tool and I am stoked that it can do so much I am not sure when it is going to be hitting retail stores here in the states. Looks like a great gift for the techno-gadget guru in every family.

It's Not Either/ Or

Recently I had a correspondence with a teacher whom I like and respect. We were discussing voicethread and the potential to share digital media with a global audience. Her response surprised me a little. "I don't see the appeal." My answer was something along the lines that it was the excitement that students feel when engaging in a broader audience outside the classroom. She replied (in what I read as a joking tone) was that she'd be more excited if the kids knew more basic math skills.

From what I know she is a very good teacher, and I don't think her feelings were that off base for teachers who, especially this time of the year, feel pressured by end-of-grade tests and all the expectations associated with preparing her students for next year. But I think many teachers might be missing the chance to do both--engage and excite their students with using technology to communicate with a global audience AND teach the math skills students need to know. In the reply I sent her a voicethread done by Ms. Edwards' class on math skills to show voicethread as a vehicle for student to learn math skills, and I pointed out it doesn't have to be either/or.

So as is the case with so much technology, it's not about voicethread but what voicethread can do for the instruction. Too often technology is seen as a separate piece or class instead of an actual tool to use in all classes. Technology alone will not raise EOG scores or produce better students. But I firmly believe in the hands of an effective teacher, technology can go a long way to engage students in the lessons and even make teaching easier.

The Leadership Role That We As Teachers Play

I had a high school student by the name of Hope Williams shadow me earlier this week. It was a part of the SLIDE Program, “Student Leadership Involvement Day For Education” that is put on by the Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools. Four to seven students are chosen from each high school in Forsyth County. The students that are in this program are considered to be future leaders. I think it is a great program and I was very happy to be involved in it. I asked Hope to give me her thoughts on the technology that she has experienced in the classroom during her high school career and express how it helped her learn better. What can I say, I’m a teacher. Of course I gave her an assignment. Here is what she wrote.

“Technology in the Classroom
By Hope Williams
Everyone knows of some high dollar piece of technical equipment that one teacher or another has tried to use-- whether they succeeded at doing so or not-- but how does it help us as students to learn more efficiently? Many of these tools allow us to take in the information in a different manner than we would normally. Variety is the spice of life.
The most common piece of technology in the classroom is the projector. The box that hangs from the ceiling or that is located on a maneuverable cart can come in handy. First off the hassle of trying to read your teachers messy handwriting off the overhead or off the whiteboard is eliminated. You no longer have to stare at the same word trying to figure out whether that’s a “c” or an “e” and you no longer have to be yelled at by your teacher because you were asking your friend their opinion on what the teacher wrote down. Another good thing about projectors is that it presents the opportunity to get a visual representation of the topic you are trying to learn about. Another one of my favorite technologies is the Document Camera. It’s similar to an overhead projector but you can put anything under its lens not just a transparency. Also whatever is under the lens will show up in color just as it would if you were looking at the actual object. This helps because it doesn’t limit what a teacher can show the classroom. The SMART board also provides an interactive experience with the subject material. A couple weeks ago in physics class we used the SMART board to learn about circuits and resistors. The use of the SMART board helped me to understand the inner workings of the circuits. A new technology that is coming out will be Classroom Performance System. This looks like a remote for your TV but it is able to take test answers from students and immediately send the answers to a computer which will have the test graded by the time you finish taking the test. This will make it easier for teachers to grade and for those eager students like me that want to know what their grade is ASAP. Also this saves trees, which is always good for the environment. I’ve always been a fan of technology but I think it makes the classroom easier and more fun. I’ve always been more interested when a teacher pulls out an interesting activity on the SMART board than when a teacher starts lecturing and expects you to take notes. One thing related to technology that I would change in high school is the use of laptops in the classroom. I believe that if laptops were allowed in classrooms like they are in college people would take better notes because they would be legible later, and stored in a convenient location –no more misplaced notes—and it would provide an easier way for teachers to give their students pre-made notes. Not to mention the saving of trees again. Overall technology does what it is supposed to; make life easier.”

Why am I blogging about this today? Well, it made me think that as teachers, we all leaders. We have a child’s life in our hands for 45 minutes or all day depending on the grade level we teach. In that time, we have a responsibility to our students. What we choose to do and say on a day to day basis changes their life experience in some way. You might have a student that decides to become a teacher because they saw something in you that made them want to be just like you. We all have had teachers in our past that have made a lasting impression on us. Teaching is not an easy job. It is however a responsibility, one that we cannot take lightly. Technology does help our students learn better. Please take the time to learn how to use it and integrate it in your day to day lessons. We will be here to help you every step of the way.

Left or Right?

Left Brain. Right Brain. Visual Learner. How do you learn? Better question? How do your students learn? In trying to embrace 21st Century Skills initiatives, be sure you have the answer!

Any of my former students who happen to be reading this blog will probably smile. If they can think back to a few years ago, they will remember that these questions were presented to them within the first week of school! As their teacher, I wanted to make them aware of how they receive information. I also wanted to know how I could best reach them with my curriculum! In the process of answering these questions, they learned a lot about themselves. I, on the other hand, was able to get a better handle on what type of approach I needed to use when teaching the content of my courses.

When you really think about it, learning styles are pretty interesting. As one common teacher quote puts it… "all students are gifts, some are just opened before others". What does that mean? My personal interpretation is that it takes trial and error, different teachers and different subjects to finally reach a student and help them turn on the personal light bulb that helps them “get it”. Get what, you ask? Get what we are trying to teach them. Some students seem to “get it” immediately. For others, we just need to be patient and figure out which path to take. My personal belief is that ALL students can learn… and learn abundantly. We just have to find out how they best receive the information and how we can make it relate to them. Students are consumers of sorts and as teachers, we have to put some effort into helping them “buy in” to what we are trying to sell… knowledge that they will need and can actually use.

How do you learn? Do some self-reflection. For starters, check out this site and take the quiz. http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm You will be amazed at your results! The quiz only takes about 10 minutes.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS:
-Logic
-Sequential
-Verbal
-Linear
-Analytical
-Rational
----------
-Recognize and remember names
-Respond to verbal instructions
-Dislike improvising
-Solve problems systematically
-Logical problem solvers
-Responsive to logical appeals
-Deal with one problem at a time
-Produce logical ideas
-Seldom use metaphors
-Give information verbally
-Depend on words for meanings

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS:
-Intuition
-Creative
-Non-verbal
-Spatial
-Holistic
-Artistic, Visual, humorous
----------
-Recognize and remember faces
-Respond to visual instructions
-Like to improvise
-Solve problems playfully
-Intuitive problem solvers
-Responsive to emotional appeals
-Deal with several problems
-Produce creative ideas
-Often use metaphors
-Give information with movement
-Interpret body language

(Lists courtesy of www.strategicaction.com.au)

What are some of the “recognized” types of learning styles? Visual, Aural, Verbal, Physical, Logical, Social and Solitary! http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/ Check out this overview for great explanations.

What more information? Check out this site… http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3629 - This article gives a GREAT explanation of right and left-brain teaching and right and left-brain learning! Want to learn even more? Visit http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/army/rotc_right-left_brain.pdf

As a regular writer/contributor of this blog… anyone care which type I am? Last time I checked … I was a pretty even split down the middle between left and right-brained. This has been the case for several years now. But, as I age, I see the scales tipping a bit towards left-brain dominance.

Believe it, or not… learning styles have a huge impact on how your students will receive your curriculum, even with the exciting and engaging incorporation of 21st Century Skills! Project-based learning might just be the best approach to caputure your students' true creativity and talent in expressing what they've learned in your class! Regardless, make sure that your content provides the technological tools necessary for them to succeed in this society... and make sure they understand, fully, what you are trying to teach. Need some ideas to get started? Not a problem! Technology in the classroom can address all kinds of subjects, goals and learning styles! Contact us to find out how!

Micro-blogging

What is micro-blogging, well before we delve into that one let's look at what blogging is as a whole.

A blog or weblog is a site in which a user posts their own commentary regarding things they are doing, events in their lives, or just their personal views on different subject material. To learn more about blogs you can watch the following video to get a better understanding.

Now that you have learned a little bit about what a blog is let's talk about micro-blogging. In a nut shell micro-blogging allows users to send short text descriptions about what they are doing, what is going on or things happening around them etc. Users key in a sentence or so description that then posts immediately. Why go with micro-blogging? Some may think it is easier than keeping up with a blog website. Others may think that this could be their in route to the whole blog universe. Me, I am on the fence as to its use. I regularly post blog entries but tend to not use the micro-blogging options available to me.
Micro-blogging seems to taking off like a rocket in recent months. Or at least it has come to the forefront with all of the media attention that it has been getting lately. So, where do you go to micro-blog? Well some may not even realize that they are doing it while others are reading this and saying that I am crazy because they have been doing it for a long time.
If you have a Facebook, MySpace or Bebo account you already have an avenue for micro-blogging by telling people what you are doing or how you are feeling right then. Probably the most notable micro-blogging site is Twitter which advertises that you can let people now what you are doing in 140 characters or less. Twitter has thousands of users on the web and even some very famous user like Oprah Winfrey, Clark Howard, as well as news and sports shows. There are other micro-blogging sites out there in the world wide web that you can use as well. Here is a list of some of the available sites as offered up by many different search results I have looked at.
Twitter
Jaiku
Pownce
Tumblr
Moodmill
IRateMyDay
Yappd
Hictu

There are many others out on the web but these are a good starting place for you to get your feet wet. So go out there and jump in the water and start micro-blogging.

video provided by Commoncraft

Celebrate Earth Day - April 22, 2009

It’s so easy to take for granted what appears to be ordinary every day things. Have you thought about the beauty of the Earth? Lately, there has been a constant emphasis on GREEN. Do you know why? To really understand what this means, I have visited several websites and have found the results fascinating. If you have not given it much thought consider visiting the following websites to find out information about why Earth Day is so important. Find out the significance of celebrating Earth Day. This is your earth too. Celebrate Earth Day! Do note that celebrating Earth Day is also about being cognizant of its importance and beauty every day. Share the information with your students because the earth belongs to us all.

See the following links to learn more about Earth Day:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr22.html
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/modern/earthday_1
http://my.nature.org/earthday/
http://www.epa.gov/EarthDay/
http://www.globe.gov/projectshttp://earth.google.com/
Picture from Microsoft Office Graphics

Telling a Story

We start at a very early age "telling stories" to family members and friends. The stories could be about what happened while playing in the backyard, going on a trip with the family, or a big event such as a wedding, graduation, birth of your first child. Many people document their lives in stories and publish them in books or magazines. A free web tool to publish your story is Story of My Life.

The site has the largest collection of stories from a wide variety of writers. The topics are limitless. There are featured stories, blogs, Top 10 list, videos and pictures available - all without registering for an account. Once you have setup your free account, you can begin writing your story, decide whether to let everyone read it or share it with a special group. The Timeline feature is very interesting in that you can set a time and date of when your story, pictures, or videos can be viewed. Some are going to go public in a few hours and others are not going to be ready for months or years. Can you imagine the changes in our lives from now till then?

I got to thinking of ways my sisters and I could capture the events in my parents' lives that would help us hold onto them a little longer. We have the pictures and taped conversations. There are some stories written down on paper. Maybe this would be a good way for us to keep the story alive.

Learn Your Vocabulary

Many of the teachers I've been working with recently have been discussing ways to help the students with vocabulary words, especially to prepare for end-of-year testing. They have been using the free Hot Potatoes application to create online activities in several formats: multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, flashcards, and even crossword puzzles.

Another online solution to help you learn vocabulary and similar material is a fairly new website (only four years old) called Quizlet. It was developed by a 15-year old in 2005 to help himself learn a big assignment of French terms. The main idea behind the site is to make learning vocabulary fun. By making it fun, the learning is more effective and retained longer.

Vocabulary words from almost any subject can be found and used on the site without a login. Scoring is done on the spot, term lists can be printed out, and flashcard templates are available. Teachers and students are creating and sharing the quizzes. Thousands of new flashcard sets are created daily and hundreds are online, either creating more flashcards or using the site.

This site is a great way to test your knowledge and makes you want to get the answers right. It is another fun resource to introduce, practice, or test your vocabulary.

Learning Without Limits

How the rise of online instruction is changing the nature of schooling
eSchool News – April 2009

Many schools today are using online learning to enhance their curriculums, help students with credit recovery, and help students learn at their own pace. In addition forty-four states now offer virtual schools through the public education system. Some of these programs are state led and some are charter schools offered at school or at home with course registrations growing more than 50% since 2007.

While teachers and parents wonder if students can handle online courses the students can easily go back and forth between the virtual world and the real world. Meeting the needs of all students is hard for traditional schools and online schooling is a cost-effective alternative.

Florida has a goal of offering virtual courses to students K-8 along with the 9-12 Florida Virtual School. Michigan and Alabama require students to take an online course before graduation with forty-four states offering online programs. Many schools are seeing online programs as a way to help meet the needs of students. Students who need to work at their own pace, have medical needs, and those that don’t find the right fit in the traditional setting are being served by online programs.

In Forsyth County high school students may take online course through North Carolina Virtual Public School and Florida Virtual School with math and foreign languages being offered to middle grades students. Currently North Carolina Virtual is piloting middle grades courses (nine to eleven courses) with the goal of offering the entire middle grades curriculum online to students for the 2010 school year. In addition, North Carolina Virtual Public School is piloting Language Arts and math courses for K-8 with the goal of offering these courses for the 2010 school year.

What needs do your students have and could those needs be met with an online course?

To download and read the entire article, click on the eSchool News website at: http://www.eschoolnews.com/current/

RemixAmerica.org

Recently I have been interested in two ideas: promoting the types of digital media students can create and share as well as the concept that we are in a “remix” society. I stumbled a across a site trying to address both within the framework of U.S. History.

RemixAmerica.org is a site that describes itself as being a "nonpartisan, nonprofit in-browser editing tool that allows citizens around the country to remix the great words and speeches of American History with the hot button issues of today.” Additional language on the site surrounds the idea of creating a platform for ideas, discussions, and public expression.

The result seems to be a lot of videos clips that pull together various media to tell a story, or represent an idea housed on the site where users can view and comment in a manner similar to youtube or teachertube. The site appears to be focused on both past U.S history as well as current events. Like any site that contains user-created content, some of it is very good (I watched a remix titled “Civil Rights 09” which was very well-done) while a lot of it is not. It will be interesting to see if this site will become a real resource for discussing history or a battleground for users to just create negative videos about those who don’t share their views and politics. The site appears to be relatively new—the oldest remix video I saw was from May of last year, but someone is uploading material daily (10 videos between 7:30 and 1:30 today), and much of it looks like student work.

And although I didn’t encounter anything vulgar or profane, I’m sure there is the risk. But there appears to be a system for reporting objectionable content, and with an option to download videos you choose, it appears there is a way to avoid some unwanted content. Besides, there are subjects in history and politics that may not be appropriate for every classroom.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting this is a site to start using right away with students, but I’m interested in its possibilities. And I’m in support of projects that have students engage in creating media and provoke discussions and feedback with a broad audience—andRemixAmerica.org has the potential to be a tool to do just that.

Definition of a Disc

With the increased output of so much digital media – terminology and technical lingo has grown by leaps and bounds.

How do you figure out exactly which disc you need for what? How do you make sense of it all?

Let’s get back to the basics… check out these definitions to some of the common terms and acronyms seen today for the most common types of media storage.

CD

Compact Disc. Optical storage device, capable of storing around 600-700MB of data. Great for storing data files, music, and photos.

DVD

(Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc). An optical disc format which provides sufficient storage space and access speeds to playback entire movies. Great for storing LOTS of data files, music and photos also!

HD DVD

A high-definition DVD format supported by a group of manufacturers led by the popular company... Toshiba. (Mainly for movies)

HD (not a type of storage medium, but a common abbreviation these days!)

High Definition. Usually used to describe any device capable of generating or displaying a signal with a resolution of at least 720 vertical lines. Another accepted definition is any signal containing at least one million pixels of video data in a single frame (vertical resolution x horizontal resolution).

Blu-Ray

A high-definition DVD format supported by a group of manufacturers led by Sony. Typically holds 25-50 GB of information.

Flash Drive

A device used to store data that can withstand more abuse than a hard drive, ranging in capacities from 32MB to 16GB. Also commonly referred to as a Thumb Drive, Key Drive, or Jump Drive.

Memory Stick

Digital data storage technology with up to 10 times the storage capacity of an (old school!) 3.5 diskette. Sony claims rights to this term and is promoting the Memory Stick as the new way to share and transfer pictures, sound, and other data between different compact electronic devices like digital cameras and camcorders.

All definitions courtesy of the following online resources:

www.optimumrecovery.com

http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/glossary.aspx

http://en.wiktionary.org

http://it-legends.com/glossary

Is there a Projector in your Pocket?

Yes there is a projector small enough to fit in your pocket. Optoma, a company that produces projectors, has manufactured and now sells one of the smallest projectors imaginable. This projector is so tiny that you may lug it around in your pocket. At least that is what the company claims. They call this miniature device the “Pico Pocket Projector”. Imagine that. Gone are the days of lugging around bags and bags of media equipment for presentations.

Where does this small projector fit into the classroom or learning community? I can imagine this device being useful for small group collaboration where students will be able to hook this little device to their iPod, camcorder, itouch, digital camera or DVD and view an image on almost any surface. Even teacher planning groups may find this tool useful for collaboration. Please note that when using this device with a notebook or personal computer a composite output is needed in order for this device to work. (See their website http://www.optomausa.com/pico.asp for more information about this device.)

Picture: Pico

Using Pic Browser To Turn Your Desktop Into A 3 Dimensional Viewing Area

Pic Browser http://www.adventuremaker.com/3dpicturebrowser/ is a free download that turns your desktop into a 3 dimensional picture viewer. It looks a bit similar to the large computer on CSI Miami (for those of you CSI followers). Once you have downloaded the program, just choose 3D Picture Browser v1.0 from the start/all programs menu. You will see a window where you click the link “click here to start”. At this point your folders will appear in a 45 degree 3 dimensional layout. Move your mouse along the 45 degree angle to move the folders forward or back. Click on the folder that you have your images stored in and move your mouse along the same 45 degree angle to find the image you want to view and click on it. When you move your mouse towards the bottom of the window, the picture rotates to a frontal view. When you move your mouse to the top of the window, the pictures move in the 3 dimensional space allowing you to see the pictures further back in the row. Click the front picture to see all the images in the folder line up in the 3 dimensional, 45 degree line-up again. Click the desktop image to go back to the normal (non-3D) desktop.

Change to Become Good

During the opening session of the 2009 NCTIES Conference, Vicki Davis encouraged her audience to follow the Kaizen philosophy of slow, steady improvement. I knew nothing about Kaizen but I liked the inference so I went to Google and began searching for an overview of the concept.

Background Information
Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy developed in the 1950's to help restore the nation after World War II. American systems of standardization and statistics based process improvement were the basis of the concept that focuses on continuous improvement. Toyota is well known for implementing the approach to improve productivity. Masaaki Imai, author of Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success, is credited for making the term famous.

Key Points

The Kaizen approach can be applied to all aspects of a business and involves every employee. External partners can also participate in the process.

This is a culture of small, continual improvements and standardizations that lead to large gains.

Kaizen is a daily activity that uses the scientific method to elimate waste and humanize the workplace.

This is a cyclic approach similar to the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act).

Training and support are needed to set standards then constantly improve those standards.

So how does this apply to education? Proponents claim this approach works well in collective cultures where long-term change is needed. We talk about 21st Century tools and systems but delay implementing them. Slow and steady progress will help us break past molds and reach our goals. Let's have reflective meetings that embrace the concept of a Kaizen blitz or a Kaizen event to focus on particular issues holding us back.

We all face challenges at work, at home and in our communities. Let's look for ways to make small changes that will improve our quality of life. The Kaizen philosophy reminds us of the need to constantly move forward inch by inch. In Japanese, Kai means change or the action to correct and zen means good.

Let's make a commitment to change to become good.

References:
Wikipedia article on Kaizen
Value Based Management article on the Kaizen method
Graphic Products Kaizen tutorial
Strategos overview of Kaizen

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor believes developing free web-based games is the way to teach civics

O’Conner is working on a civics education web site that should be launched this summer and stated that, “she believes that using technology is the way to teach students about the Constitution and inspire a renewed commitment to civics education in U.S. schools” and offered to middle grades students as free web-based games. O’Conner realized that students knew more people from “American Idol” than the three branches of government and she wants these web-based games to help students learn how to analyze problems and develop arguments.

The project is called Our Courts and is being backed by Georgetown University and Arizona State University and private funds. Two of the games being developed – Do I Have a Right and Supreme Decision are being designed for middle grades students to be played in class.

In the game, Do I Have a Right, students pretend to be the director of a constitutional law firm who need to decide which amendment would resolve a problem for a client. In the game, Supreme Decision, the students pretend to be Supreme Court law clerks that need to help Justice Irene Waters write the majority opinion deciding if schools can ban students from wearing music band T-shirts.

To learn more about the project please check out Our Courts 21st Century Civics at: http://www.ourcourts.org/.

To read the entire article please go to eSchool News at: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=45766&CFID=2844512&CFTOKEN=46694510.

Pageflakes

Some time ago I moved from my utilitarian igoogle page to a new RSS startpage. When choosing a platform I'd wavered between pageflakes and netvibes sites - there seems to be little difference in the two. Both provide a sleek ajax-based page with options for adding a variety of embedded media and updated feeds.

After using each of the sites I'd hoped to offer a technology workshop on organizing webcontent with these start pages. I eventually chose pageflakes as the subject of the workshop, because I found pageflakes seemed to work a little better with our district's webfilter. There is also ateacher pageflakes site that makes it even easier to set up a page with education in mind.

I held the first workshop over spring break, and I really think pageflakes could play a role in helping teachers by providing content to help teach units. Teacher could use the site in the way I use the site - mostly to organize my RSS feeds from sites and blogs I check most frequently. But teachers might also create pages that contain content for their classes or even each separate unit they are teaching. Pages can be published, through pagecasting, which can allow the page to be accessible from any computer connected to the Internet. Teachers could use the pages during instruction, and students could access the sites and media the teacher chooses for a lesson.

Pretty great, and as is often the case with much of the new tech stuff I like, it's free and web-based so no installation is necessary.

picture from pageflakes.com

History in the Shape of a Quarter

During the last decade many of us have been collecting state quarters from the United States Mint (US Mint). These quarters are a part of a series of quarters that reflect each state and a tiny part of that state’s history. As well, the US Mint has included within their website resources for teachers that consist of lesson plans related to the 50 quarters and the states in which they represent, http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/50sq/. They also make available suggestions on how this information may be used within the classroom. As well they provide information about the process involved in circulating money. They include information about the facilities where the coins are produced.
What's more the website includes an animated cartoon which they have named the “Birth of a Coin” at; http://www.usmint.gov/kids/cartoons/birthOfACoin/.

This year, 2009, the US Mint has started circulating six additional quarters which include one for the District of Columbia and five others for United States territories. (See information about this at http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinNews/dcTerritories/)

In the classroom these quarters may serve as history learning tools in the shape of a coin. Kindergarten students may perhaps visit, http://www.usmint.gov/kids/, as a fun way to help build conversations about the history of individual states. For example, the quarter for North Carolina, boast of an image that is unique to North Carolina. Other coin related activities and games may be found at http://www.usmint.gov/kids/aboutUs/kidsGuide.cfm.
Reference:http://www.usmint.gov/

Did You Forget How To Work With Cells In Excel or Slides In PowerPoint? Would You Like To Have A Nice "How To" Guide? Then Read This Blog.

Perhaps you have had training in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel or some other program but you didn’t use those features for quite a while. You say to yourself, “now, how do I set a tab in Word”? How do I merge 4 cells in Excel? You can order a reference chart that consists of 4 color laminated pages (2 page front & back). The cost is $4.15 each. They decrease in price if you purchase them in greater numbers. The shipping is free! Go to their website http://www.softwarecharts.com/ or call 1-888-877-7319. You can have them customize a software chart as well, for an added cost. If they don’t have a chart for the software you use, give them a call and they will create one for you. Just tell them Emory sent you. The pages include step by step directions on the important program features that also include screen shots, tips, definitions and keyboard shortcuts. I especially like the charts for the Microsoft programs because the in program help menus tend to be less helpful.
The software charts they currently have include: Microsoft Word (2000, 2002, 2003 & 2007), Excel (2000, 2002, 2003 & 2007), PowerPoint (2000, 2002, 2003 & 2007), Access (2000, 2002, 2003 & 2007), Outlook (2000, 2002, 2003 & 2007), Digital Camera Basics, GroupWise (6, 6.5, & 7), Internet Basics, Lotus Notes (R5, R6, & 7), Lotus iNotes, Palm OS 3.4 to 4, Quattro Pro 12, Windows Vista, Windows XP Pro, Windows 2000 and Word Perfect 12.
I don’t know about you, but I am a visual learner. I like having a manual or a reference chart like this when I am learning how to use a program. If you go online you can also ask for a sample, which consist of 3 charts of your choice. The charts are cheap and well worth the money. I just wanted you to know that they were out there in case you have a need for them.

Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers

Building background knowledge is an important step in the instructional process. Prior learning determines how we perceive new information so students need common foundations to build on. Cues and questions can be used to highlight key points and identify misconceptions. Purposeful questions can lead to a deeper understanding of the content and increased interest in the topic.

Advanced organizers help students focus on what is important and provide structure for learning. Organizers can be narratives students review or diagrams teachers provide to outline information. Students might receive a completed organizer to reference or be given a blank design to fill in during the lesson.

Word processing software is an obvious choice for narratives but let's look beyond the usual tools and consider creating brochures, posters, flyers, flashcards, etc. to share information in an attractive new format. Spreadsheet software simplifies the task of tallying rubric scores. Brainstorming software such as Kidspiration and Inspiration help can be utilized to present and expand background knowledge.

Video resources also offer innovative options for activating thinking and differentiating instruction. The class can view a related clip or students can visit designated websites to explore new topics. Virtual tours allow us to take advantage of global learning experiences without leaving the building.

Students can even work collaboratively to build and/or comment on shared organizers in an online format such as a wiki or shared document. Presentations can be created to compile multimedia resources related to the topic. Class and teacher created tools can be posted for easy access and frequent review.

How can technology help you prepare students for a successful learning experience?

Let's rethink the possibilities.

Based on content found in:
Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement written by Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollock and Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works written by Howard Pilter, Elizabeth R. Hubbell, Matt Kuhn and Kim Malenoski

The Bionic Eye

Well not actually a Bionic Eye but as close to it as possible.

All of my life my mother has suffered with Dry Macular Degeneration. An eye disease that normally begins to effect most people in their early to late 50's happened to her right after she had me in her late 20's. The disease effects the part of the eye called the macula which is what helps you to see things clearly. When it begins to deteriorate the best way to describe what happens is that you start seeing spots in front of your eyes. Actually as the cells die dark spots form in your field of vision which gradually over time begin to come together until you go completely blind.

Now there are two major forms of the disease one is Wet and the other Dry. Current Ophthalmology trends have been able to slow the progression of the disease in those with the Wet version through different medical procedures. Those with the Dry condition do not have much to look forward to in a treatment that could slow the progression.

Now that we have heard the bad let's have some good.

Towards the end of March the FDA advisory council approved an implant that could give many thousands of people with end stage Macular Degeneration, including my mother, the hope of getting some vision back. What is it that will help these people to get some sight back? An implantable telescope for the eye. What the implant would do is to give recipients back "...about three and a half lines on an eye chart." This could considerably improve the quality of life for many individuals that suffer from this disease. For myself and my mother this could be an opportunity for her to be independent again. Something that causes undo stress on family members that have always been able to do things for themselves who now have to rely on others for assistance with normal everyday activities.

VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies were the developers of the implant that is about the size of a pencil eraser. It works like a telescope to help the recipient to focus on objects. The telescope is implanted into one eye only so that the other is used for its peripheral vision. With the hopeful FDA full approval the telescope could be out on the market by the end of this year.





Image provided by: VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies

Tech Girls

Eileen Collins. Kathryn Clark. Charlotte Barnum. Ada Lovelace. Susan Kare.

Recognize any of these names? Lots of folks probably don’t! Who are they? Women who have made significant contributions to the fields of math, science and technology!

Increasingly, there has been some staggering statistics that show fewer and fewer girls wanting to pursue careers in technology. This statistic must change. And, in your classrooms – you have the power to make this change significant.

Check out a few eye-opening statistics –

· Many more boys than girls take Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science exams. According to the College Board in 2006, 2,594 girls and 12,068 boys took the AP Computer Science A exam, and 517 girls and 4,422 boys took the more advanced AP Computer Science AB exam.

· Although teenage girls are now using computers and the Internet at rates similar to their male peers, they are five times less likely to consider a technology-related career or plan on taking post-secondary technology classes” according to Kathleen Melymuka, author of an online article from ComputerWorld.

· Studies show that women view computers as a tool and with much more societal context than men do; they are much more concerned with effect of technology on other disciplines, and how it can be used to improve society. On the other hand, men have a much narrower focus of interest; and do not require a "larger goal" in connection to their interests

· According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women filled only 26.7 percent of computer and mathematical positions in 2006

· Women’s representation in computer and information sciences workforce hovers at about 30%.

(All statistics and supporting information courtesy of Wikipedia, ComputerWorld and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Without going into a lot of depth on the how’s and why’s the lack of interest in technology by girls has happened… we can just begin an initiative to close the gap, in general.

How do we close a specific gender gap? The solution, by default, will close ALL gaps, whether gender, race, economic or geographical. Provide equal access to technology in all schools.

How do we accomplish that? With an open mind, determination, creativity, grant-writing and a lot of hard work.

Do you feel there is, indeed, a gender gap between girls and boys using technology in our classrooms? It is truly something to think about. Check out this teachertube video that shows how girls feel about technology!

The next time you assign a classroom project involving technology – make sure that the boys and girls in your class equally find some part of the project that inspires them. The gap will begin to narrow immediately.

Need an idea? Check out www.alice.org for a glimpse at a programming application that hopes to encourage usage by under-represented populations. Contact our office to schedule a workshop.

--

The women mentioned at the start of the blog post…

Eileen Collins - The first woman pilot of a Space Shuttle

Kathryn Clark - NASA’s Chief Scientist for the International Space Station Program

Charlotte Barnum - Became the first of three women to receive Ph.D.'s in mathematics from Yale before 1900

Ada Lovelace - Seen/recognized by many as the "first programmer"

Susan Kare - Created many of the interface elements for the Macintosh (Apple) in the 1980s

Generating Electricity through Motion

Imagine this: you are on a dark road late at night and your car breaks down. You reach for your cell phone and the battery is dead and you don't have your charger. Or you are on that long drive, flight, biking or some activity and your iPod battery runs out. In most cases you are either sleeping in your car the rest of the night or you are doing your activity in silence, or maybe a-la "American Idol"

Now imagine this: you are in those same situations but because you are wearing a new jacket, shirt, pants with a new nano type of fabric your movements generate electricity that can recharge the cell phone or iPod battery.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have been working on a new type of technology that will convert the mechanical movements of the body into electrical energy. This new technology has been touted as having a potential impact on many arenas including.. "personal electronics."

What does his mean to all of us? That someday there will be a technology that allows us, through movement, to generate enough electricity to recharge our personal electronic devices. I don't know about you but I pay way to much for batteries that last no time at all. I am all for this technology. Think about it, right now for a number of years we have had watches that will self-wind themselves with the movement of the wearer. There are companies out there that have been working on thin light weight material to project images onto. This seems to be the next logical progression and oh the possibilities abound.

original article: PHYSORG

3 Challenges to Wiki Use in Instruction

The April edition of The Journal posted an article that dealt with the benefits and instructional uses of wikis to engage students. A wiki should promote evaluating, synthesizing, elaborating, analyzing, problem solving, decision making, knowledge, base construction, argumentation/justification and learning communities according to Wake Forest University.

So how can teachers use wikis to ensure higher levels of engagement with students? Three challenges were presented.

1. Creating meaningful assignments: a wiki assignment should be collaborative with all students participating to complete the assignment. The process and outcome should depend on the collaborative success of the students. Some examples would be –
a. The assignment is open and not closed
b. The assignment requires participation
c. The assignment uses the participation to move forward
Grade
2. Value for Constructed Input: a student’s grade should reflect their active participation within the wiki as well as the final product. Some examples would be –
   
   a. Working with and building on existing information
   b. Inputting new information
   c. Synthesis of ideas and relevant use
3. Collective knowledge use: learning takes place for the students when they are able to apply what they have learned in some meaningful way. Some examples would be –
a. Non-complex problems
b. Preset solutions
c. Inadaquate time allowed for the process

Wikis can provide an effective way for students to engage in higher-level thinking skills through collaborative learning. Teachers will need to plan carefully when and how to use wikis encouraging students to explore content, discover new information and work together towards a solution and/or final product. By using a problem-based approach students should acquire the skills needed for higher-level processing skills and complex problem solving skills.

To read the full article please go to: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/24206_1
Article written by Ruth Reynard: "3 Challenges to Wiki Use in Instruction," T.H.E. Journal, 4/1/2009, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/24206

Telling Stories with Timelines

Years ago I used paper, pencil and a ruler to document the events of a story. Yes, I'm older than dirt or feel that way sometimes. Tools advanced and I helped the students draw out their timeline events in a word processing program. Drawing the pictures to go along with each event spiced it up a bit. Finally, we got a computer program that let us type in the event dates and descriptions and it would create a timeline for us to scroll through history. We were on top of the world but still wanted more. The program was updated and now we could include some clipart. Creating timelines are like everything else; the more you have, the more you want.

Time flies by and new technologies are developed even faster. If you think about it, someone is usually already working on it. Now we don't have to install a program on one computer to create timelines and print them out to share with others in the class. I've been working with two web-based timeline programs: Timeglider (used to be Mnemograph) and Timeline Builder.

Although you need to sign up for an account, Timeglider is free and there is an educational account. They only ask for feedback as payment. Some of the timelines featured on the front page represent historical events such as "The Wright Brothers" and "World War I". Dates appear when you hover the mouse over an event title and annotations show in pop-up windows when you click on the title. It is very easy to create your own timeline by giving it a title and start entering your own events or importing them. This collection of events becomes your timeline. Images and links can be added to the events or imported through RSS feeds, Flickr, Wikipedia and Facebook. Timeglider is working on "how to" videos and has an easy to use set of instructions.

Timeline Builder is web based and provided by The Center for History and New Media. Their collection of historical timelines are called projects with three sections: Teaching & Learning, Research & Tools, and Collecting & Exhibiting. Some of the timelines use images, essays, and discussions to tell the story and others have video that walk you through the time period of events. The collections are made available from digital records, archived documents, and historical exhibits. Again you will need to create your free account to start building a timeline. The program is in Beta format - a work in progress. Although you will be able to share your timeline with others through a URL generated as you add events, Timeline Builder doesn't have as many features available through the free account. It comes with five categories for your events but you can't change the colors for the categories or change the default names. When you enter an event, it only accepts the month and year. This gets a little confusing as you add events for the same month. Adding pictures is not an option at this point in time. As they update the Builder, I look forward to being able to create a timeline as detailed as their collections.

Creating and sharing stories and events on a timeline have definitely changed since my first years of teaching. Using all the different types of media available now allow the students to use their creativity to the fullest. As mentioned before, the more we have, the more we want. Just think how we will be able to share a timeline of events six months from now - touch a screen and drag the information from another source into the timeline calendar or speak to the computer and tell it where to look for the information and pull it into your timeline.

Wait - we are thinking about it. I wonder who is already developing the way to do it!

Get Rid of That Overhead Projector You Have Been Using for 20 Years!

Embrace the document camera or the visual presenter as it is sometimes called. It’s your new friend. It is a digital video camera that you can use to project documents, books, student work and 3 dimensional objects. You can even take a picture of an image you are projecting and save it. You can zoom in on an area to show it in greater detail or to help your visually impaired students. This is much, much more than the overhead projector your teacher use to use when you were in school! No More messy overhead markers. No more erasing the writing on overhead transparencies to reuse them again. It will decrease your preparation time because you won’t have to make the overheads.
Here are some of the many things you can do with this wonderful classroom tool:

• show a page from a book with pictures to the entire class.
• show off student work!
• enlarge text or pictures for students that are visually impaired.
• show students how to read and use a ruler, compass or calculator.
• have students use the document camera to show how they solve a math problem.
• display pictures in color.
• show 3 dimensional objects.
• display, analyze and edit student work.
• demonstrate how to do hands on projects in science or any other subject.
• go over tests with students to show them the correct answers.
• let students use the document camera to be the teacher.
• show the many different types of math manipulatives.
• model note-taking!
• walk your students through the steps of an assignment.
• use it as a microscope.
• use the document camera to project a countdown timer to keep your students on task.
• use it to display maps on a book for geography class. This will cut down on the costs of large maps.
• tilt the camera so your students can see the side of a measuring cup to show them how to measure accurately.
• have students draw the image of background scenery for a play and project it on the wall.
• project the pages of a book that you read in class so that the students can read with you. Leave out words or phrases so that the students can all say the missing word or phrase. This will help the students read fluently.
• randomly grade student work using the document camera and ask for student input. The quality of student work would increase significantly.
• model how to properly use a dictionary.
• model proper writing skills.

So forget that big old overhead projector and use the new document camera. It will enable your students to be much more involved in your lessons. It will help them to see much more clearly the things you want them to see, learn and be a part of.

Bookmarking Revisited

You may have heard of Delicious or StumbleUpon and maybe even Diigo. Each has their own strengths and ease of use as Social Bookmarking sites. Well I found another one that you may or may not have heard about.

It is called trailfire and what it does is to not only allow you to create bookmarks to resources, utilities and your own personal interests but also strings them together to make a trail. "Find what you want on the web in an entirely new way. Follow trails of web pages and discover new ideas, hot topics, reviews... "

Each resource becomes its own trail. You could have students create trails as part of their senior projects so that the resources they use are more manageable. The good thing is that they have the ability to share those resources with you and everyone else. All they have to do is share the created short web link made by trailfire.

The trailfire site is easy to understand and takes only a couple of minutes to set up from logging in to creating your first trail. Downside, folks you have to create another user name and password, I know but if you follow a standard login name and password then it will be easy to remember. One you have registered you download the plug ins for your Internet browser window. In its current version it looks as if it only supports IE browsers. Now all you have to do is three little steps to create your first trail.
Step 1. Click n the trailfire logo in your browser
Step 2. Give your trail a heading title (basically a tag)
Step 3. Save the trail

This can eliminate a lot of lost productivity for your students when they are searching for resources. As well if combined with other utilities, like netTrekker, they could also eliminate extraneous non-educational sites and only look at valid educational material.