EdTech Update

How the Internet Works

2010-08-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

2010-06-24T15:46:00.001-04:00

From tube testing to YouTube

2010-05-10T08:30:00.007-04:00

Growing up in the 60's, I was fascinated by the tube testers that seemed to be in every retail store (thank you to Flickr user KB35 for sharing the photo shown here). As I got a little older I finally understood their purpose. Amateur TV and radio repairmen could figure out what was wrong with their equipment by removing and testing the various tubes of all shapes and sizes, and replacing the bad ones. It was an economical way of fixing what was broken without having to fully understand the technology.

Flash forward 40 years or so. I had given my sister our 4 year old Samsung DLP television in January. Over the course of the past few weeks the TV would start making an awful sound after about 30 minutes of viewing. Turning the TV off for awhile would temporarily alleviate the problem, but after another 30 minutes the problem was back.

I Googled the symptoms, and learned that there are only 2 moving parts inside this TV, and most likely the noise was caused by failed bearings inside the color wheel. Next, I was able to find the part number (no thanks at all to Samsung's online chat support), and a vendor in Dayton, Ohio that could have the replacement color wheel in my hands in one day for a grand total of about $120.

On to the next issue: figuring out how to actually take the TV apart and replace the defective part. I was able to find some printable directions with pictures using Google (although I later figured out it was a slightly different procedure for this model DLP). But even better-- I found a series of 5 videos on YouTube created by Hexagontaginal.

Like me, Hexagontaginal was an amateur repairman who found written directions for replacing the color wheel, and at the urging of a friend, he decided to set up a video camera on a tripod and video tape the whole process. Coincidentally, his television was the exact model number as the one I was attempting to repair.

So last Saturday, with my netbook set up next to the DLP, and needing only a phillips head screwdriver, I proceeded to repair my sister's TV as I watched Hexagontaginal repair his. The whole thing took about 90 minutes, and probably saved my sister about $300-$400 from the estimates I read on the internet.

Now I don't claim to understand anything about how DLP TVs work, but just like the amateurs of my childhood years, once I was able to diagnose the problem and find the correct replacement part, I had the satisfaction of a job well done.

So what's the greater lesson learned? Wow! Where to start?!?

Obviously, this is just one more example of what it means to be a "lifelong learner." But more than that, the next thing that comes to mind is having access to, and the ability to find the information I needed. Many people, including our students, have neither through no fault of their own. My sister, although she does use the internet, would not have been able to diagnose the problem, find and order the correct part, and most importantly the installation instructions. And I seriously doubt that anyone without internet access would be able to find the information in a book, or have been able to find the vendor and order the part.

My story is also an example of how the definition of "teacher" has changed in the information age. My teacher certainly didn't have a teaching degree or certificate, nor was he even an expert on the subject matter (as he himself told me during his videos). Our students have found similar teachers outside the classroom walls, whether it's learning a guitar riff, getting to the next level of a video game, or something else they want to know. Classroom teachers and textbooks are no longer a student's best source of information. They already know that! Many teachers, however, do not, or won't admit it.

Most importantly, I think this is a good example of "just in time learning." Kathy Sierra wrote a blog post entitled "Motivated to learn" a few years ago that says what I'm trying to say. I urge you to read it, but here's the takeaway: Give a compelling, personally motivating reason/benefit for the thing you're teaching, before you teach it! and this: Figure out ways to make just-in-case learning feel almost as motivating as just-in-time learning.

Have you seen MakeUseOf?

2010-02-11T08:37:00.003-05:00

We all know how difficult it is to stay current with all of the great, informative websites that are out there on the Interwebs. I use Delicious and Twitter to help me "filter" the best sites from all the rest, and I subscribe to numerous blogs in my quest to find, try, and share the best sites with the teachers I serve.

MakeUseOf.com is one of my favorites.

At least once a day I find something useful, practical, amazing, or just plain FUN! For example, we are contemplating upgrading to Windows 7, and MakeUseOf just published an article on that very topic: What You Need to Know About Windows 7

They also have a growing collection of in-depth PDF Guides on such topics as Photoshop, Twitter, iTunes, online movies, Linux...

And if you could use a laugh, check out their Geeky Fun page of links.

I highly recommend you add MakeUseOf to your Bloglines or other RSS aggregator, and if you are on Twitter you can follow @makeuseof

It's funny cuz it's true!

2010-02-09T07:41:00.001-05:00

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Nate Beeler - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

SafeShare.TV

2010-01-13T08:28:00.005-05:00

I learned about SafeShare.TV from Kelly Tenkely's iLearn Technology blog. YouTube has some outstanding videos, but unfortunately, a lot of other "stuff" that is very inappropriate for school. There are comments that are rude, or obscene, related videos of questionable worth... you get the idea.

SafeShare.TV takes away all of the bad stuff, and creates a unique URL that allows you to safely show your video in class.

Click this link to see a great video of Havasu Falls, and notice that all of the other YouTube content is no longer there to distract your students.

[Video] Havasu Falls Grand Canyon Arizona USA

Now take a look at the same video on YouTube

100 Top Learning Tools

2010-01-11T09:26:00.002-05:00

This list was created by Jane Hart. She collected data from a number of people about the online tools they use most. Some of these will be familiar to you, others may be just another way of blogging, bookmarking, etc. I'm sure there will be at least a few new "things" for you to check out.

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2009

View more documents from Jane Hart.

Great ideas for using a pocket video camera

2009-11-12T10:25:00.002-05:00

The Flip video camera has been around for a couple of years now, and it has been imitated by other companies including Kodak and Creative. These pocket video cameras are perfect for classroom use: they are less expensive than a traditional video camera (I got mine for $40 on Dell), they are basically "point and shoot" without a lot of extra buttons and settings, and they transfer video to your computer via a USB port (most DV cameras still use fire wire).

Through my Twitter PLN I learned of a terrific web page by Jennifer Nicholson with lots of resources for using these cameras in the classroom including this PowerPoint with a nice overview of their capabilities:

Flip Video Short Web

View more presentations from Jennifer Nicholson.

Some great advice on Podcasting...

2009-10-20T15:38:00.003-04:00

From 2nd graders in Silvia Tolisano's class...

Listen to their podcast, and learn more about their project on their teacher's blog: http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/10/19/we-podcasted-today-so-did-you-learn-anything/#comments

Automatic Flickr Creative Commons attribution

2009-10-01T11:31:00.001-04:00

cc licensed flickr photo shared by dullhunk

Thank you CogDog (aka Alan Levine) for creating the Greasemonkey script that automatically generates embeddable HTML code and/or attribution text that is appropriate for a PowerPoint slide for Creative Commons photos!

If you want to try it for yourself:
1. Install the Firefox browser (if you aren't already using it)
2. Install Greasemonkey
3. Install the Flickr CC Attribution Helper script for Greasemonkey
4. Go to the Flickr Creative Commons and select a photo.
5. Copy the embed code and paste it into your blog or wiki.

Wow! That was easy! Thanks Alan.

Wikiality-- the reality of Wikipedia

2009-09-25T08:43:00.003-04:00

Love it or hate it, block it or allow it, Wikipedia isn't going away. Many schools have blocked it because its reliability and validity are in question. Many students rely on it as their first (and perhaps only?) source of information.

I have used Wikipedia many times to find information and links that I have used in several presentations. But as an adult, I know the importance of questioning my sources of information. Many of our students are gullible and would accept any information as fact without bothering to check its accuracy.

Today I came across an excellent lesson plan about Wikipedia on the FactCheckEd website. There are student handouts, suggested activities, background information, and correlations to national standards-- AND this video from the Colbert Report entitled Wikiality:

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Word - Wikiality

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Protests

I think this is an important lesson and an important topic we need to address with our students.

A new way to create a digital story!

2009-09-22T13:15:00.001-04:00

Storybird is currently a free site for creating digital stories. Here's a short video from their website that shows you what's possible:

Storybird Quick Tour from Storybird on Vimeo.

Love this preso!

2009-09-14T15:26:00.002-04:00

I saw this on the Rainy Day Blog and had to have a copy of it for my own blog. Good stuff!

The e-learning skills gap

View more presentations from Clive Shepherd.

Did You Know? v4.0

2009-09-14T14:12:00.001-04:00

Also see the Shift Happens wiki: http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/versions for downloadable versions of the YouTube video.

Organize your Bloglines feeds

2009-08-21T14:59:00.002-04:00

As you accumulate more and more RSS feeds in your Bloglines account, you may wish to organize them by subject or topic. Since I am following over 100 teachers' blogs for an online Web 2.0 class that I facilitate, I created folders for each class. Here's a 1 minute video that shows you how:

Don't Reinvent the Wheel!

2009-08-05T14:47:00.001-04:00

Mathcast workshop at MCISD Monday, August 10

2009-08-05T13:42:00.003-04:00

08.05.2009 1:36p
brought to you by Livescribe

Love this Twitter visualizer!

2009-08-05T10:49:00.003-04:00

Thanks to @coolcatteacher for sharing the link to this picture. Also see the related site: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/

13 MORE Things: Thing 10- Google Maps

2009-08-05T07:47:00.003-04:00

Here's a map that is very helpful for anyone like me who drives around the county from school to school:

View Monroe County Schools in a larger map

Create, upload & embed a screencast with Jing

2009-08-04T15:13:00.001-04:00

Using images in PowerPoint-- the good, the bad, and the ugly!

2009-08-04T08:25:00.002-04:00

Garr Reynolds is one of the greatest presentation gurus in the entire world! I subscribe to his Presentation Zen blog, and today he came out with a great post that is both simple and brilliant.

I have seen (and even done) most of these 11 mistakes that people make when using photos or clip art in a PowerPoint presentation.

This is a great lesson for all of us: http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2009/08/10-ways-to-use-images-poorly.html

My helpful tip: when resizing an image in PowerPoint, grab a corner "handle." That way you are simultaneously changing both the horizontal and vertical size of the image, and you will keep it in the proper ratio and not distort the image as Garr demonstrates.

Our Important Poems

2009-07-30T14:01:00.001-04:00

Google Voice-- did you sign up yet?

2009-07-22T12:56:00.002-04:00

I'm doing my best to figure out Google Voice, but it looks amazing! You can have ONE phone number, provided by Google, that will ring as many different phones as you like. You can screen calls based on the caller's phone number, and set customized greetings, or send them directly to voicemail.

Even better-- you can get a text transcription of your voicemails, and forward them to SMS or your email. You can even download voicemails as mp3 files, or, as shown here, embed recordings on your blog!

There's so much to learn, but it looks very promising. Some folks I know on Twitter have had Google Voice since it was known as Grand Central, and they can't imagine being without it.

I'm trying to wrap my brain around the possible applications for the classroom. In addition to not having to give out your personal phone number to students and parents, you can record custom announcements, similar to a homework hotline, for students to listen to. Students could also record themselves and have Google Voice provide a text transcript for them automatically. Similar to many of the other services that are out there, Google Voice can be used to record a podcast that can be embedded on a classroom website.

Please share your ideas for using Google Voice in the comments section of my blog. Thanks for your input.

59 feet 6 inches: POTUS' first pitch at the all star game

2009-07-14T22:55:00.000-04:00

ToonDoo- Thing 6

2009-07-14T16:10:00.000-04:00

by jdornberg | Create your own Cartoon at www.toondoo.com

13 MORE Things: Thing 5- Voicethread

2009-07-14T15:32:00.001-04:00

Here's a great one by Alec Couros. You can follow him on Twitter: courosa

dumpr.net

2009-07-13T16:51:00.001-04:00

Created with dumpr.net - photo fun

We choose the moon

2009-07-13T14:28:00.002-04:00

This looks VERY interesting! A virtual re-creation of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, in real-time. http://www.wechoosethemoon.org/

Here's a link to a USA Today article with more background info: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2009-07-13-apollo-website_N.htm?csp=34

Amazing stop animation video

2009-06-30T16:35:00.002-04:00

Many students have created Claymation-type stop-animation videos. This one a colleague sent me is absolutely stunning! ENJOY!

Toolbelt Theory

2009-06-30T15:20:00.002-04:00

Ira Socol is a very gifted blogger. Recently he presented at the MITS conference, and he shared his presentations on Slideshare. I've embedded one of his presentations, Toolbelt Theory, below.

I encourage you to read his blog, SpeEdChange. If you use Twitter follow @irasocol.

Toolbelt Theory

View more documents from Ira david Socol.

Follow the Tour de France in Google Earth

2009-06-29T15:09:00.003-04:00

You will probably need to download and install the Google Earth browser plug-in to view this.

To view a 3D simulation of the terrain-- press and hold your mouse wheel in while dragging your mouse.

Great cartoons drawn on the back of a business card

2009-06-29T13:58:00.000-04:00

Google Earth Placemarks

2009-06-29T13:26:00.003-04:00

I've been working on a few short tutorials related to embedding content in Google Earth (GE) placemarks. (I have these posted on my wiki at: http://jdornberghandouts.wikispaces.com /Google+Earth+Lit+Trips I hope you'll take a look)

I've been very impressed with the variety of content I've been able to embed in the GE placemark itself. In addition to photos and YouTube videos, I've also been able to embed:
Voicethreads
Slideshares
Screencasts
Drop.io audio
flickr photostream
Google forms and presentations

For those of you in the Summer 23 Things class, embedding content in Google Earth is just like a "widget." You copy some HTML code from one site, and paste it someplace else, like your blog or wiki, or, in this case, Google Earth.

I'm sure that as I remember other Web 2.0 sites, I'll be trying to embed that content as well.

How to Add Images from Other Web Sites to Your Blog - For Dummies

2009-06-25T11:08:00.001-04:00

How to Add Images from Other Web Sites to Your Blog - For Dummies

Shared via AddThis

Zemanta

2009-06-16T14:19:00.002-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

I'm experimenting with a new service called Zemanta that is supposed to automatically find links, articles, and photos as you type a blog post, or an email. Let's see if it works.

Chichen Itza is one of my favorite places to visit. The pyramid there, El Castillo, was recently selected as one of the 7 new wonders of the world.

Hey, whaddya know, it really worked! As I typed I clicked on an Update button on a Zemanta toolbar that is conveniently located on the right side of my Blogger window, and within a few seconds, several photos of Chichen Itza magically appeared! I dragged one of the photos, and Zemanta automatically placed it inside my blog post with an attribution link.

Here's another photo from Chichen Itza that I like:

Image via Wikipedia

Obviously I have a lot more to learn about Zemanta, but so far it was very easy to use.

In honor of the last day of school...

2009-06-12T10:17:00.001-04:00

Have a great summer!

The ABCs of Web 2.0

2009-06-03T12:31:00.001-04:00

2009-05-27T12:56:00.002-04:00

I'm proud to say I follow the creator of this ezine, ktenkely, on Twitter. This is incredible! Her website is http://ilearntechnology.com

Open publication - Free publishing - More technology

2009-05-27T09:42:00.001-04:00

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Google Labs presents Similar Images

2009-05-26T08:24:00.005-04:00

Through my Twitter network today I learned about a new Google feature called "Similar Images." I had to try it out and it works very well!

After searching for an image, you have the option to find other images that are similar to the one you have in mind. No more searching through page after page of images that aren't relevant to your needs.

For example, here is a search for "beetle."

Maybe I'm looking for pictures of beetles on leaves. I click on the "similar images" link and VOILA...

Or maybe I need something more like this...

VERY helpful! Check it out for yourself: http://similar-images.googlelabs.com/

2009-05-22T12:59:00.000-04:00

Brain Rules for Presenters

View more Microsoft Word documents from garr.

Transforming School Culture

2009-05-14T11:32:00.002-04:00

I learned of this book and accompanying Voicethread (embedded below) from my Twitter network. Also see Bill Ferriter's "The Tempered Radical" blog for more information and a link to a PDF of Anthony Muhammad's book. This has really got me thinking about a summer book study conducted through a Voicethread.

Never mind the digital divide...

2009-05-12T15:21:00.002-04:00

I came across this important information on the Reading Rockets blog by Joann Meier:
"In their book Summer Reading, Shin and Krashen summarize their research on summer access with these points:

The crucial activity that occurs during the summer, the activity that causes the difference in growth in literacy, is recreational reading. Children from higher-income families read more over the summer.
The reason middle-class children read more over the summer is that they have more access to books. They have more access to books at home, live closer to bookstores, and live closer to public libraries. Also, public libraries available to the children from high-income families are better. They have more books, more staff, and are open longer hours.
Other research confirms that children read more when they have more access to books.

So, here's the bottom line: Children of poverty need more access to reading material, especially during the summer."

Summer vacation is here in just a few weeks. What can we do? Read Joanne's blog next week to learn what her elementary school is doing.

Please add your suggestions to the comments section.

I need a laugh on Monday morning

2009-05-11T08:45:00.001-04:00

From the department of "I wish I had said that..."

2009-05-06T09:17:00.001-04:00

An open letter to the teacher who said "I hate technology" by Patrick Higgins:
http://ecologyofeducation.net/wsite/?p=603

Amazing. Truly amazing.

2009-05-06T09:02:00.003-04:00

This took the artist, Lucinda Schreiber, 6 months from start to finish. She worked on it full time for 4 months. There are 1900 frames, and the video frame rate varies from 6 to 12 frames per second. Isn't it remarkable that something as low tech as a chalkboard could be used to create something high tech?

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

2009-05-05T10:25:00.000-04:00

Custom color palette based on your photo

2009-05-04T15:11:00.004-04:00

A colleague asked about being able to scan in a wallpaper sample and finding out what colors are used. I seemed to remember reading about a website that would do just that, and after a search of my Bloglines feeds I came across this post at Cliotech (thanks Jennifer) that led me to pic2color.

Even better, pic2color has a way cool widget. Try it for yourself without ever leaving my blog. Browse for a picture on your computer, or paste the URL of one already on the web.

Here's one I did of an African Violet. Isn't that cool?

pic2colorgreat free widgetsWidgetbox

Universal Newsreels on YouTube

2009-04-29T10:15:00.002-04:00

Today I discovered that over 600 Universal Newsreels have been archived on a YouTube channel. In our age of 24/7 news and live coverage, we, and especially our students, don't understand how slowly news traveled 50 years ago.

Here's a nice description from the Universal Newsreel channel:

In the pre-TV era, people saw the news every week in their neighborhood movie theaters. Newsreels were shown before every feature film and in dedicated newsreel theaters located in large cities. Universal Newsreel, produced from 1929 to 1967, was released twice a week. Each issue contained six or seven short stories, usually one to two minutes in length, covering world events, politics, sports, fashion, and whatever else might entertain the movie audience. These newsreels offer a fascinating and unique view of an era when motion pictures defined our culture and were a primary source of visual news reporting.

Here's video from 1933, of FDR and one of his fireside chats, in which he outlines his economic recovery plan.

Mapping the swine flu outbreak with Google Maps

2009-04-29T08:39:00.005-04:00

I am a big fan of Google Maps. Not only can you create your own customized map, but you can invite others to collaborate. Recently we traveled to Washington, DC. I invited a few others who were more familiar with the area to add some of their favorite restaurants and attractions to a map I had created. You can add photos, videos, and links to your "bubble."

This map of the swine flu outbreak was created by Dr. Henry Niman. Click on one of the colored markers to learn more about each location.

I would love to see some students create maps related to local historical landmarks. They could include photos, audio, video, links to documents or articles.

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

Hummingbird nest cam

2009-04-28T14:08:00.002-04:00

I'm a bird lover, and today while watching Dean Shareski and Alec Couros' presentation on ustream I was distracted by a link to a hummingbird webcam.

Check it out for yourself. Go directly to the ustream site to learn more about the nest, mama hummingbird, the location, etc. I am absolutely fascinated by this! When mama leaves the nest you can see 2 tiny eggs.

Sick students go to school virtually

2009-04-27T15:10:00.001-04:00

From CNN

Great new blog to follow- MakeUseOf

2009-04-27T13:36:00.002-04:00

MakeUseOf features "cool websites, software and internet tips." There are several contributors to their website and they write on a variety of topics. A recent post was Top Educational Websites For Children That Are Fun. Check out 10 Essential Cheat Sheets To Download or a 50 page guide to iTunes: http://www.makeuseof.com/guides/itunes/.

Did you ever wonder how students are able to bypass your school's filter? You can learn how they did it and set up your own proxy server on your home computer! You can learn how to transfer executable apps to your USB thumb drive, or 10 YouTube embed code tricks.

Spend some time exploring their many links, articles, and reviews. I have so much to learn!

Today's must have software: LastPass

2009-04-23T13:16:00.002-04:00

The reality of Web 2.0 is that we all have way too many usernames and passwords to remember. Using the same ones for multiple sites is far too risky, but we can't remember the complicated, secure passwords we know we should be using.

That's why I'm writing about LastPass. You only need to remember ONE password. LastPass will remember the rest. This free site has been recommended by ZDNet, Kim Komando, and PCMag among others.

After downloading the LastPass software and setting up your account, you can resume your internet activity. Whenever you log in to a site, LastPass will ask if you'd like it to remember your information. On future visits to that site LastPass will fill in the fields for you automatically.

And if you decide to change a password, LastPass will detect that, and even suggest a strong password for you to use. You won't have to remember it though--- LastPass will do that for you! Now you can use a different password for every site and make it as long and complicated as you like.

It gets better! If you're not on your home or office computer you can generate and use a one time password (OTP) to log in to your LastPass "vault." You can generate as many of these OTPs as you like, print them out and keep them in your wallet or purse. This protects you from key-logging software that may have been installed on a public computer.

I have a fingerprint reader that I use on my home computer, but not for long. I'll be migrating to LastPass.

Here's a video from their website:

360 degree panoramic photos from around the world

2009-04-22T17:19:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I worked with a group of teachers on Google Earth, specifically, on how they can create their own placemarks that contain pictures, links, videos, or even games.

Today I came across a wonderful site, panoramas.dk, with panoramic photos from around the world. There are many from the USA including the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials in DC, the Grand Canyon, and the Golden Gate Bridge. But there are numerous locations that I'll probably never see in person that are truly fascinating to visit virtually. It's not as good as being there, but it's the next best thing.

When creating a Google Earth placemark you could provide a link to one of these interactive photos.

Check it out at: http://www.panoramas.dk/index.html

The Grammar Girl in real life!

2009-04-22T17:00:00.003-04:00

Her name is Mignon Fogarty and here's a behind-the-scenes video. Was that audacity software she was using to record her podcast?

Visit her website at http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/. You can also download her weekly podcasts in iTunes.

Twitter in plain English

2009-04-06T10:53:00.001-04:00

Another great video from the Common Craft gang. In case you don't use Twitter, or maybe you just don't understand what all the fuss is about, perhaps this video will help you appreciate it.

Twitter in the classroom?

2009-04-03T10:30:00.002-04:00

Twitter seems to be capturing everyone's attention lately. Here's a presentation I discovered on Jane Hart's e-Learning Pick of the Day blog that shows some interesting ways to use Twitter in the classroom.

Thank you (again) Jessica Hagy

2009-04-02T15:07:00.001-04:00

From her Indexed blog.

The power of collective intelligence

2009-03-25T13:53:00.005-04:00

Here's my story about connecting with people via Web 2.0 technologies and harnessing the power of collective intelligence. Once upon a time...

I was doing research on creating mathcasts, and came across Tim Fahlberg's Math247 wiki. I contacted Tim, and he became my mathcast mentor. He told me about the Livescribe Smartpen as a great way to creating a mathcast that is both low tech and high tech. The biggest drawback to the Smartpen, however, was that the videos it created (called "pencasts") could only be viewed on the Smartpen website, and not embedded on a teacher web page, blog, or wiki.

Meanwhile, I had finally joined Twitter and began following a number of people I had never met before. I became aware that Twitter was being used as a "back channel" of communication during conference presentations. I wanted to implement something similar for a presentation I would be doing on mathcasts at the MACUL conference, but I wasn't sure what the easiest way to set up a backchannel would be. So I asked that question on Twitter, and one of the people who responded was Ira Socol, a professor and author who writes an excellent blog, SpeEd Change.

Ira pointed me to a website called http://todaysmeet.com/. This was truly the simplest way to implement a backchannel. I thanked him for the advice and asked him how he happened across this website. His reply: his son, James Socol, created it!!!

Fast forward to last week. Mathcast guru Tim Fahlberg has managed to hack the HTML code so that a pencast can now be embedded on another web page. The problem is, 99% of teachers would never want to jump through all the proverbial hoops to make that happen. There still needs to be an easier solution, similar to the code that is automatically generated for embedding a YouTube video.

I shared the information Tim had on his wiki in a Twitter message to James Socol. Could he create a program that would take a pencast URL, and automatically strip the HTML code to create a block of embed code that could then be copied and pasted???

Here are his messages back to me (they are listed in reverse chronological order):

So in the matter of a few hours, a major pencast breakthrough was realized through the power of connecting and collaborating by people who had never met in person before. Tim said it best: I was able to "connect the dots," providing the link between his work and James'. A cool new technology, the Smartpen, just became a whole lot more powerful and easy to use!

I was able to share the Pencast Embed website that James created, http://jamessocol.com/pencast/, with the people who attended my MACUL mathcast session last Friday.

Another Twitter colleague knew of my interest in mathcasts and shared Julie McLeod's website. Julie's students have used the Smartpen to create and share pencasts. I in turn was able to share the Pencast Embed site with Julie to make updating her website just a little bit easier.

I am amazed at the willingness of total strangers to work together, not for profit or personal gain, but because they enjoy helping others and sharing their knowledge. So thank you Tim, Ira, and James for giving my story a happy ending. I plan to share my story of the power of Web 2.0 with all who will listen.

Pencast of TMNT

2009-03-18T22:04:00.000-04:00

Help your students become citizens of the world

2009-02-27T14:44:00.002-05:00

Ryan E. Smith wrote a great article for today's Toledo Blade: People help us become citizens of the world.

America is a weird place. If you don't notice, it's probably because you're too used to it. What you need for a new perspective is to speak with someone from another country.

And he ends the article with this: "becoming part of today's global society requires getting to know it personally."

Global and cultural awareness are important 21st century skills. How can our students possibly hope to develop these skills if they aren't foreign exchange students? Well, thanks to Skype and a lot of other Web 2.0 technologies, it's now a lot easier than it's ever been! In our county a fifth grade teacher organized a Global Explorers project with a school in Columbia. And there are countless other success stories.

An important first step for teachers is to become comfortable using Web 2.0 technologies. I'm happy to say that 39 teachers and administrators from around our county are currently involved in an online "23 things teachers should know about Web 2.0" class.

You can also download Skype for free, and experience real-time videoconferencing with your family and friends.

Here is the video Ryan shared on the Blade website. It features foreign exchange students sharing their impressions of the United States. I'm sure our students would experience culture shock of their own in other countries as well.

The last panel of this comic is profound!

2009-02-27T10:10:00.003-05:00

Does the student in this strip sound like anyone you know? Frazz's observation is quite profound. In their desire to use technology in the classroom, very often teachers focus their energy on creating fact-based internet scavenger hunts (incorrectly called Webquests by many) without really thinking about the LEARNING that should be taking place.

Do our students really have a voice?

2009-02-25T14:41:00.004-05:00

Just ask Ty'Sheoma Bethea who was sitting beside First Lady Michelle Obama during President Obama's speech last night. About two weeks ago this young lady walked to the public library, sat down at a computer and typed out a heartfelt letter to Congress shown below in its original format!

The next day she gave the letter to her principal. The principal scanned it and emailed to South Carolina's representatives and the White House. (Now as an aside, do you know any principals who would NOT be able to do that by themselves?)

And the rest, as they say, is history!

The power of Web 2.0 is in giving a voice to those who have never before had a voice... like our students! I don't expect every student to get such a reaction and the notoriety as Ty'Sheoma did, but it COULD happen! And even if it doesn't, how wonderful for our students to feel like they matter to the President of the United States of America!

Read more about this remarkable story on the Chicago Tribune website.

And a special thank you to Keisa Williams, another valuable member of my Twitter network, for the links used in this post.

Letter

Publish at Scribd or explore others: job career

This game is addicting!

2009-02-25T14:15:00.003-05:00

I follow a lot of great blogs in my Bloglines account. Today, on his Whiteboard Blog, Danny Nicholson shared a site called Physics Games that has a lot of fun games that can be played on a SMARTboard. I found this one, Bubble Quod, to be quite addicting! The object of the game is to escape by finding a sharp, pointy thing that will pop the bubble you are trapped in.

Playing a game may seem superfluous or silly, but they offer a great way to engage students in thinking about the laws of Physics and motion as they plan their strategy for beating each level.

Best of all, each game can be "embedded" in your own teacher web page!

Online Physics Games

My Twitter Network

2009-02-25T10:31:00.002-05:00

You know how Verizon wireless proudly proclaims their network is behind you? Well, I've got my own network behind me, providing me with answers, questions, links, laughs, and random thoughts 24/7/365. My Twitter network:

Get your twitter mosaic here.

Congressional tweeting

2009-02-25T09:33:00.006-05:00

Last night as President Obama was speaking, I was on Twitter, following the reactions of my PLN (personal learning network).

Chris Webb came up with these two observations:

I wondered how many members of Congress actually knew what a "backchannel" is, and I thought of Ted Stevens famous "the internet is a series of tubes" speech. The stereotype is that they are not on the cutting edge of technology.

But then I followed John Culberson, a Republican Congressman from Texas and I became fascinated by his live stream of consciousness from the House floor in Washington DC as President Obama was speaking:

Aren't those great, patriotic, positive, hopeful comments from someone who you would think might be just a little inclined to disagree with a Democratic president?

But then again, he also said this:

I LIKE this guy!

I "tweeted" a family friend who works for the Washington Post to ask if she followed any members of Congress in Twitter, and within minutes she sent me this link:

Tweet Congress: http://tweetcongress.org/

On their website Tweet Congress features a "tweetstream" from all the legislators with twitter accounts! Sure, I know, some of you skeptics will wonder (and I do too) how many of these people actually do their own tweeting, and how many of them have staffers (handlers) do it for them? But isn't it fascinating?

In its purest form, these legislators are giving our government more transparency than it's ever had before! Sure, we have C-SPAN, but now we can see for ourselves how our elected representatives think, and feel, and react to whoever has the floor. The smoke-filled room has been cleared! The spin doctors have been dismissed. The good, the bad, and the ugly for all to see, like this tweet from Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon:

(I'm now following him too!)

And you cynics will remind me of the old joke: "How can you tell when your congressman is lying? His lips are moving." And I'm not that naive to think their words won't be politically motivated or self-preserving.

I think the implications for our students who are studying US Government are HUGE! Can you imagine following the "backchannel" (there's that word again) conversations in class when Congress is in session? What about tweeting your elected representatives with questions? How cool would it be if they responded? Our students are so connected, and so into texting, why don't we harness this energy and this free technology and use it to teach them about a subject they may not be very interested in???

Presenting with a "backchannel"

2009-02-24T12:02:00.006-05:00

I can't remember where I first learned about the "backchannel." Here is a GREAT explanation from Wikipedia:

Backchannel is the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks. The term was coined in the field of Linguistics to describe listeners' behaviours during verbal communication, Victor Yngve 1970.

The term "backchannel" generally refers to online conversation about the topic or the speaker. Occasionally backchannel provides audience members a chance to fact-check the presentation.

First growing in popularity at technology conferences, backchannel is increasingly a factor in education where WiFi connections and laptop computers allow students to use ordinary chat like IRC or AIM to actively
communicate during class.

This morning on Twitter, Joyce Valenza provided a link to this article: "How to Present while People are Twittering" http://ow.ly/rxt It provides a nice overview as to why a presenter should embrace the backchannel rather than avoid it. For example, a presenter can use it to solicit questions from the group and often times members of the audience can answer questions for the presenter without having to interrupt the presenter.

Since I'll be presenting at the MACUL conference in March, I thought I might try implementing a backchannel during my presentation. But how???? Should the audience use Twitter and direct their questions @mytwitterusername?? What's the easiest way for both me and my audience?

I posed that question to my Twitter network and within minutes received this response from Ira Socol:

And Today'sMeet is the perfect solution! Participants don't need to create an account or even log in. They just go to my custom URL, type in their desired username and begin typing. It turns out that Ira's son, James Socol, created Today'sMeet.

I learn so much every day from my PLN. I hope every teacher will discover the power of social networking.

Do social websites harm children's brains??

2009-02-24T11:19:00.003-05:00

This is a great debate starter! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1153583/Social-websites-harm-childrens-brains-Chilling-warning-parents-neuroscientist.html

Be sure to read the numerous (and often humorous) comments that follow.

This article presents a view shared by many teachers who are concerned with students spending too much time online. Will we have to teach face-to-face social skills?

My initial reaction to reading the article (and the reactions of many commenters) is this argument was made in the 50's when rock and roll music became popular. Surely this music would cause the end of society as we know it!

There are some legitimate concerns that will only be addressed by scientific research. In the mean time, I believe it is a parent's responsibility to make sure their children spend time away from the computer (or television or video game or...) and are socially interacting with other children and adults.

Your thoughts?

A Voicethread Mathcast

2009-02-23T14:20:00.002-05:00

I'm preparing for a presentation on Mathcasts that I'll be giving at the MACUL conference in March. One of the easiest ways to create a mathcast is with Voicethread. It's even easier when you start with one of the MANY sample math problems that have been created by Tim Fahlberg on his Mathcasts 500 project website: http://math247.pbwiki.com/K-7+Mathcasts+500+Project

Tim has been my mentor throughout this process. We have spoken via Skype or telephone a few times, have emailed each other on numerous occasions, and even collaborated in Google Docs. I am so grateful for his willingness to help this "newbie" to the world of mathcasting.

If you're attending MACUL, I hope you'll attend my session and say hello (there will be door prizes too!). For now, here's a sample mathcast to whet your appetite.

Censorship in Google Earth???

2009-02-23T11:08:00.003-05:00

One of the many blogs I follow is Ogle Earth by Stefan Geens. Today there was a great post about censorship in Google Earth. Take a few minutes to have a look. I'll wait for you.

I got to thinking that censorship is one of those timeless topics for discussion and debate, and now we can talk about it on a whole new level with the advent of Google Earth. Back in December we learned that the Mumbai terrorists may have used Google Earth to plan their attacks.

Is censorship ever a good thing? "The World Is Flat" has been a mantra for the masses ever since Friedman's book debuted. But unfortunately the world has flattened for terrorists too. We value the freedom of the press and the free flow of information, but will it ultimately work against us?

What a great topic for discussion with your high school students!

UPDATE: Here is an update on the Ogle Earth blog: http://www.ogleearth.com/2009/02/about_those_mis.html Turns out there was NO censoring! But it's still a good discussion topic.

Going with the flow

2009-02-23T08:34:00.002-05:00

I half jokingly included a Frazz cartoon in an earlier post that I identified with. I have a very bad habit of being distracted during conversations by something in my field of vision that catches my attention. I can't help myself blurting out "look an eagle" or something else I see that I feel is important for my friend (or spouse) to see, even if it interrupts the flow of our conversation for a moment.

Maybe that's why I like using the internet so much-- hyperlinks are everywhere (and now I have a pretty good idea about why they call them "hyper"links). I may start down one road and very quickly end up on another. The Star Trek transporter comes to mind. I can immediately go somewhere else with the click of a button. Eventually I may find my way back to where I started, but it really doesn't matter, unless I'm trying to complete a specific task by a certain date or time.

My twitter network provides me with numerous links each day. Likewise my bloglines feeds. There isn't enough time in the day to look at all of them, but when I do look at some I can't help feeling like a kid turning over rocks, just wondering what kind of bugs I might find. Or maybe a prospector panning for gold. There are so many wonderful internet resources still to discover and then to share with others either by blogging, tweeting, emailing, or through social bookmarking.

And for me at least, the best discoveries are those that occur seemingly at random-- starting one place, clicking to another, and so on. If only I allow myself time to go with the flow.

This comic describes me

2009-02-20T13:47:00.001-05:00

It's Science Fair time

2009-02-20T08:25:00.002-05:00

Parents and students may benefit from a visit to Discovery Education's Science Fair Central. There are over 100 project ideas, tips and tricks for creating a winning presentation, and even a project timeline that encourages students to plan backwards from the date of the Science fair. The URL is:

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/index.html

PBS Now Has Widgets!

2009-02-13T09:06:00.007-05:00

A "widget" is media that is easily embeddable on a blog, wiki, or web page. If you know how to copy and paste, you can add some really interesting content to your web site very easily. YouTube videos are, in a sense, a widget. One copies the embed code, pastes it into an HTML editor, and VOILA, the video magically appears on your website.

I just learned that PBS now has dozens of widgets, which they are calling "Activity Packs", on their website at: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/activitypacks/index.html

Here's one from the Social Studies area that is appropriate for Black History Month:

Notice that in addition to links to PBS content, there is an "Activities" tab at the top of the widget.

And if you want to add a widget to your website, you just need to click on the "Grab It" link on the bottom right. PBS provides the HTML code formatted for a variety of social networking sites-- simply click on the appropriate button and log in to your account. Or, if your site is not listed, the embed code is easily copied with the Copy button.

Embedding a VoiceThread

2009-02-02T15:26:00.002-05:00

I love this song/video

2009-01-14T15:15:00.002-05:00

I saw this on the Open Culture blog-- OC finds all the best stuff on YouTube-- and I liked it so much I wanted to share it with you and keep it for myself.

New layer in Google Earth-- view art masterpieces up close

2009-01-14T14:16:00.001-05:00

View these works of art in stunning high resolution-- see brush strokes and even cracks in the paint. I hope there's more galleries to come. Wouldn't it be incredible to see the most famous paintings in the world this way?

Inauguration Day links

2009-01-14T12:44:00.001-05:00

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Win a netbook lab for your school from Acer

2009-01-08T14:36:00.002-05:00

Acer K-12 Seed Unit Program for K-12 End Users via kwout

And you also have an opportunity to try an Acer computer for free for 30 days, and buy one for 1/2 price!

Google maps mashups

2009-01-08T14:12:00.002-05:00

I posted yesterday on how easy and fun it is to create your own Google Maps. Today in Twitter, Angela Maiers posted a link to a great resource: Google Maps: 100+ Best Tools and Mashups. There's lots to explore here but it looks like there are possible educational uses for some of these mashups, and many for personal use.

Is Web 2.0 over???

2009-01-08T13:37:00.003-05:00

A colleague sent me a link to this article from CNN: Web 2.0 is so over. Welcome to Web 3.0

I've been an evangelist for all things Web 2.0 in an online 23 things class. The prospect of web-based applications disappearing overnight because they aren't making any money would be enough to discourage a great number of teachers from ever dipping their toe in the Web 2.0 waters. Teachers hate it when their word processor is upgraded, or their electronic gradebook changes from one provider to another. They won't be thrilled with the prospect of their wiki or blog or any number of other applications they've invested a lot of time in suddenly going away, often without warning.

Here is my email response to my colleague. It isn't especially compelling or noteworthy, but it's my passionate, heartfelt, reflective response to the article:

There are websites that appear and disappear all the time. For example, I really liked sketchcast.com. Here today, gone tomorrow, and now it's back again. Sort of. The big money players like Google and Yahoo will be fine, but the little guys still have "I hope Google or Yahoo buys me" at the center of their business plan.

The only good news is that once the coding has been done, most applications rely on server space, and it has become ridiculously cheap compared to what it once was. I think many sites will be free for awhile to hook the users, then take their site out of beta and ask for a minimal subscription fee. The Jing Project just did that... they still have a free version, but their "Pro" version costs $15 a year. And another favorite of mine, Voicethread, has a $60 annual classroom subscription price. I don't think that's unreasonable. So while apps may not be forever free, they will still be affordable to most users. I can live with that.

The bigger picture of web 2.0, in my opinion, revolves around the idea that ANYONE can be a writer, publisher, photographer, videographer, etc. and be able to display their work for the whole world to see, regardless of the application or website they used. It's so much easier and doesn't require any special HTML skills, or a domain, or a server, or FTP, or any of that mumbo jumbo that required one to be a webmaster.

I can shoot a picture and have it up on Flickr in seconds. I can edit a video and have it seen by millions of people if it's good. I can write my own book of poetry or a novel and I don't need a publisher, or an agent or an editor... I can perform and share my music without a recording contract or a producer or a publicist... well you get the idea. That is especially powerful and meaningful for our STUDENTS! They now have an AUDIENCE!

The other unique aspect of web 2.0 is the ability to collaborate with people from around the world. If I'm into the bagpipes there may not be anyone for 100 miles around I can share my hobby with. But online, I can probably find 100's of people to communicate and share with. Obviously if someone is into bomb-making that's a whole other problem we need to be concerned about, but I choose to focus on the positive aspects. Again, a very powerful paradigm shift for our classroom-- my classmates are the citizens of the world!

So although websites and applications may come and go, the fundamental ways in which we communicate and collaborate have changed for the better with the advent of web 2.0.

More SMART board resources

2009-01-08T08:34:00.002-05:00

James Hollis has a wonderful blog about all things related to the SMART board. Today he included a link to a website by a kindergarten teacher that has dozens of downloadable SMART board Notebook files.

Nicole Mobley teaches at Sandlapper Elementary school in Columbia, SC. She has had a SMART board for only a couple of years and has spent many hours creating a variety of lessons that you can download and use TODAY! For free!

Her lessons include songs, links to interactive websites and videos, and all of the other fun things your students will enjoy doing on the SMART board. If you are a primary teacher visit her website, the SMART way to teach today!

Mathcast Presentation at MACUL

2009-01-08T08:12:00.008-05:00

I'm pleased to say that I will be presenting a Mathcast session at the MACUL conference in Detroit, MI in March. If you attend I hope you'll say hi.

Create an interactive Google Map

2009-01-07T09:10:00.004-05:00

I highly recommend you allow your students to create an interactive Google Map like this one I've created of Washington DC. Not only can students use Google to find important landmarks to include in their map, but they can also customize the "bubbles" to include pictures and hyperlinks to other websites. It's even possible to embed YouTube videos (click on the pushpin for the National Air and Space Museum to see an example).

When your map is finished you can embed it on a class webpage, wiki, or blog. Your students can work collaboratively or individually, but a Google account will be necessary to save your maps.

It's possible to do the same thing in Google Earth, but using Google Maps will allow your students to update their map from any computer with internet access, and without the need to install the GE software.

Create a Google Lit trip, a History trip, examples of landforms or biomes... The possibilities are limited only by your creativity!

View Larger Map

2009-01-06T11:08:00.001-05:00

Mathematica

2008-12-15T19:01:00.000-05:00

My first Eye-Fi photo

2008-12-09T21:58:00.003-05:00

100_0947.JPG
Originally uploaded by jdornberg

I just got my Eye-Fi Share card today. This amazing SD card turns my digital camera into a wireless device, and it was VERY easy to use.

In about 2 or 3 minutes the card installed the software on my computer (connected to a USB port with the included card reader), I created my Eye-Fi account, connected the card to my home wireless network, and configured the software to send my photos directly to my Flickr account.

Then I popped the card into my Kodak digital camera, snapped this photo of yours truly, and within a minute the picture was sent via wi-fi to my computer, and from my computer to Flickr. That's right, no more USB cables, the pictures are automatically transferred.

I don't know if I can use the Eye-Fi on more than one wireless network or on more than one computer, but I am very pleased that it worked as advertised. Now I can share my photos with relatives and friends that live far away within minutes after I take them.

I got my Eye-Fi Share on Buy.com for $60 shipped (it retails for $99). They also make two other products. Check out the details on their website: http://www.eye.fi/ Their most expensive card automatically geotags your photos and will upload them from anywhere (if I remember correctly) that there is wireless access.

HP Netbook $360 shipped

2008-12-09T15:22:00.000-05:00

This price on the HP Mini 1000 is much more competitive with the Acer Aspire One that I love so much... $360 shipped!

It even comes with Windows XP!

Learn more about it on HP's website.

Voicethread for K-12 education

2008-12-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

You can purchase a 1-year teacher/classroom subscription for $60 that will allow your students to create their own Voicethreads.

Christmas 2004

2008-12-09T14:54:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already been 4 years since the Griswold Family Christmas tree. I can laugh about it now!

Now, four years laters, we've downsized to a 7-8' tree.

A Voicethread about Voicethread

2008-12-09T14:45:00.000-05:00

Since I'm a firm believer in not reinventing the wheel, permit me to embed this excellent introduction to Voicethread by Dianne Krause. Add Dianne's blog to your aggregator, and check out her wikispace.

Testing Voicethread

2008-12-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

Google Earth Image

2008-12-08T15:52:00.002-05:00

David Jakes has written about using Google Earth as a tool to teach students about the Kennedy Assassination (see http://newtools.pbwiki.com/JFK+Assassination and http://strengthofweakties.org/?cat=22). Today I noticed that many of the buildings in Dallas have been rendered in 3D, making the view of Dealey Plaza, the book depository, and the "grassy knoll" even more stunning. The picture shown here was captured in Google Earth.

Get Google Earth. Put the world in perspective.

( http://earth.google.com)

What a coincidence!!!

2008-12-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post I talked about the need to further explore the many excellent resources on the Teaching With Google Earth website.

Well, I did start to explore, and was VERY surprised to see this picture of a KML file and placemark bubble:

The reason for my surprise???

Lodge Grass, MT was my first teaching job! It is a very small, remote Montana town on the Crow Indian Reservation. What are the odds????

More Google Earth goodness!

2008-12-08T14:03:00.000-05:00

I am fortunate to learn of a number of great websites from the people I follow in Twitter. Today "cliotech" (be sure to check out her excellent blog) posted a link to this one, Teaching with Google Earth.

Topics include: What is Google Earth?
Becoming Familiar with Google Earth
Why Teach With Google Earth?
How to Teach With Google Earth
User Guide
Working with KML
Google Earth API
Google Maps
Examples of Google Earth Activities
Complete List of Google Earth Activities

I'll need lots more time to explore this site, but it looks very promising!

The Gift Hunters

2008-12-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

When our boys were little I came up with a brilliant idea... I hid clues all over the house about where to find one of their presents. We videotaped the whole thing. They were outside in the backyard, out to the mailbox, upstairs, downstairs, inside the dishwasher. I think even they would admit they enjoyed it.

Well, now Best Buy has taken my scavenger hunt for Christmas presents into the 21st century. Enjoy this video. It has me thinking...

Mathway

2008-12-03T15:15:00.001-05:00

Step by step solutions to math problems. Enter the problem in the space provided, or click one of the samples (like this one). They are embeddable!!!

Check it out! http://www.mathway.com

Edublog Award Nominees

2008-12-03T15:05:00.000-05:00

Some wonderful exemplar blogs for the rest of us! Vote for your favorites:

http://edublogawards.com/

Add some of these to your Bloglines or other aggregator of choice.

Google Custom Search Engine

2008-12-02T13:33:00.000-05:00