CEDO 535 - Facilitating Collaboration using Web Tools - Wk 2

     We still talked a lot about blogs this week but we also started a more in depth analysis of Wikipedia and Wikis in general.  So here is Wikipedia in a nutshell for me: Wikipedia is a good resource for information - no doubt.  The information is as accurate as you might find almost anywhere else.  I can get past the oddball additions that some people make to entries that don't seem to contribute any value to the post.  I can get past people adding things in sometimes inappropriate places in the entry ruining the organizational logic of the entry.  What I can't get past (and all of my teachers feel the same way) is exactly what I stated above: it's almost as accurate and credible as other sources.  Teachers will never get over the fact that wikipedia entries are formed by anyone and that you could write anything and as long enough people agree with it or it can't be refuted it will stay part of the definition.  Here is a video of Stephen Colbert as he explains his word of the day...WIKIALITY.  If you're familiar with Colbert you'll understand that he is being sarcastic but you still get that thought in the back of your mind that there is the possibility of an inaccuracy like that happening in Wikipedia because of the way it is setup.  I would ideally like to convince my teachers to at least allow students to use Wikipedia to gather info and potential sources by looking at citations from contributors but I can't, in good conscience, recommend Wikipedia as a cite-able source.
     Last week I started a blog concerning our potential implementation of iPads in the middle school next year.  I opened it up to our current 6th and 7th graders and I posed a specific topic starter question.  The idea is to get additional feedback from the students themselves so that we can add that to our justification of this 1:1 initiative.  Students are required to respond to my question(s) every 2 weeks.  I went over examples of thoughtful responses and tried to model a few more responses that showed a higher level of thinking than just saying "I think iPads would be cool".  While I am happy to have the students blogging, I haven't really tapped into the full potential of using blogging.  The best thing about blogging in education is the collaboration aspect and I haven't really fostered that in this situation.  I could've gotten these same responses by having them fill out a Google form every two weeks.  Two days ago, however, a student responded to another student's post.  THAT is what I'm looking for!!  I will wait and see what happens as the responses keep coming in but I'd like to do something with a topic that is maybe easier for students to start responding to each other.
     Twitter...ugh.  We had to sign up for a Twitter account.  I signed up for one and that is pretty much as far as I got.  I hate the whole concept of Twitter and I still have yet to see it's value in education.  It is way too overbearing for me.  I remember the feeling I had when we did the Posterous pic-a-day thing where it just hung over my head each day.  Well, Twitter is even worse which is why I never started using it in the first place.  I suppose the idea here is to follow someone who does useful Twitter posts.  I honestly have enough Google calendar reminders, apps running, etc in my life where I don't want to see my devices bombarded with Twitter updates or people posting - useful or not.  And if you're not willing to have immediate Twitter updates given to you, which I'm not, then it is not going to be of any use to you.  I picture the profile of the person who can use Twitter the most effectively as this: single, no kids, frequents coffee shops or bistros, is always looking for something to do, has lots of extra spare time.  That is the opposite of where I'm at right now.  Gotta suck it up to do this paper though so send me a Tweet!!

CEDO 535 - Facilitating Collaboration using Web Tools - Wk 1

     First week of a new class...Facilitating Collaboration using Web Tools.  This class looks to get more in depth about using Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts in an educational setting.  This first week we specifically explored Blogging.  We were asked to read the first 3 chapters of our book "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" by Will  Richardson.  The first chapter was an eye opener for several reasons...mostly from the perspective of how much blogs are used in society already and how powerful their impact has been.  It  provided lots of evidence of how blogs have infiltrated politics, journalism, and business.  I took notes to use when I talk to my staff about incorporating blogging into their classrooms.  The second chapter full of examples of the role that blogs can play in education.  Again, a good way for me to justify my teachers using them as part of their classroom assignments.  The third chapter brought to my attention the strategy of "starting small".  I have always perceived setting up blogging with the students as a daunting task because of trying to create individual accounts, giving students email addresses, and then trying to administer and censor the blogs.  The book suggested starting by explaining blogging and its advantages and then modeling appropriate responses.  When students seem to grasp that the book suggests starting with a classroom blog.  I thought that was a great idea because it is an excellent warm-up for students and it doesn't require very much micro-management on the teacher's part.
     The other assignment we had was to review several blogging creation sites and provide a write-up of our thoughts.  I reviewed Edmodo, WordPress, and Blogger.  Edmodo wasn't really a blogging site but I still enjoyed looking at it closer.  It is essentially a student management system but I liked that you could open some communication lines with their built in message board a la Facebook.  I already use a comment section on my Google Site that I use for my classroom website so I can accomplish that communication without making students log in to a SMS.  I liked how Edmodo allowed you to connect to other teachers and there were a few cool features like creating badges for assignments.  WordPress and Blogger are both great blogging creation sites that are easy to use for beginners and feature some advanced options to satisfy expert bloggers.  I think I'll probably try WordPress when we introduce blogging to our middle school students since I don't have to deal with students having Google accounts.  My middle school students have email addresses through Gaggle.net but not Google accounts...yet.

CEDO 530 - Digital Storytelling Week 5

Well this last week of class included creating a rubric, finishing our Pecha Kuchas, and a group assignment evaluating some gadgets.

I like rubrics a lot and have started using them more lately.  It just takes a bit of time to create the good ones.  That is part of the advantage, though.  Creating a good rubric for a project or assignment means sitting down and spending time internalizing what the project is meant to be doing.  You are essentially analyzing the worth of your assignment.  When creating rubrics I find myself either adding or subtracting components of a project after the deeper analysis.  Rubrics are great for eliminating any obscurity as far as what is required of students and it helps guide you in the grading process as well.

Pecha Kucha was still a painful assignment for me.  I thought it would get better once I was done with the storyboard but it was still a struggle.  Timing was still an issue.  My fluency and smooth talking was just not there.  You know how people say "you have a face for radio"?  Well, I "have a voice for blogging", haha.  I did like my picture selections and think they really added to the presentation but the rest of the Pecha Kucha was very hard to piece together.  I wouldn't choose this method for a presentation - it just doesn't cater to my strengths.  I'm glad I was exposed to it, though.

Overall, I liked the texts for this class and I have a strong feeling I will reference them again.  Especially the sections of Presentation Zen where they provide and display examples of good presentation techniques.  I'm happy that I got a chance to experiment with Animoto and I absolutely loved using VoiceThread.  I am currently planning a collaborative lesson with another teacher using VoiceThread - can't wait to use it with the students.  Posterous was neat but I'm taking a break from it right now...I have a few ideas for future use but the picture a day looming over my head forced me into some pretty lame pictures just so I could have something posted.  With the freedom to take pictures in the moment I think it will be much more effective.  I just looked back to see if I missed anything and I wanted mention the quotes research we did.  I actually used a quote in my Pecha Kucha and look forward to adding more to presentations.  Fun class.

Digital Storytelling CEDO 530 - Week 4

     I again enjoyed reading the next set of chapters from both of our texts.  Presentation Zen had some really good caveats.  I particularly enjoyed the idea of "making them want more" which naturally tied into the idea of finishing a little early (don't go over your allotted time).  It is probably easier said than done but I'd love to have the audience looking at the clock noticing that it's a little early and thinking "wait, that's it?  I want to know more about...".  The hard part would be conveying the important aspects of your message while building up to an exciting conclusion where the audience feels like there should be more.
     I also enjoyed looking through the examples of slide shows and images.  When I revamped my original PPT presentation I was reluctant to stray from my style of plain white background because I thought there should be a  repeated theme to the presentation concerning style.  After viewing some examples I saw that alternating dark backgrounds with lighter backgrounds did not adversely effect the presentation and even added a little variety.
     The Digitales chapters that we read this week made me realize that there is a lot of technical skill that goes into creating a powerful presentation.  You almost need to have graphic design skills, web design skills, or something similar to really be able to cover the whole gamut of creating an earth-shattering presentation.
     Now to the brutally honest part of this blog.  I am having a heck of a time with the story-boarding for the Pecha Kucha.  Perhaps it just doesn't fit with how I'm used to organizing a presentation but it just seems extremely redundant.  If I was doing this the old fashioned way by taking physical boards or post-its and planning this out by hand in an effort to "step away from the technology" I could maybe give it a little validity.  Sitting down at the computer and creating a storyboard electronically, only to repeat the process in another electronic format once we get done with it just doesn't make sense to me.  It is not allowing me to enjoy the Pecha Kucha itself.  Can't wait until I'm done with that...ugh.
     The Prezi assignment will be fun...once I get to it.

Digital Storytelling CEDO 530 - Week 3

     I have to admit that the first thing I had to skip through to try was Animoto.  I had seen a few other people's finished products and they were really sharp looking so I was eager to try it.  The assignment actually allowed me to justify setting aside the time for me to try it.  As I expected, it was very easy to do and the results were very rewarding.  I was impressed by the ability to flip pictures around and the option to upload your own music files.  I ended up using one of their music selection but having the option to upload your own music was nice.  It was easy to adjust the layout, order, and timing of the pictures.  The only knock on it was that I thought there would be more video styles available for free.  I'd say about 50% of the styles needed the paid subscription in order to be used.  That is a very minor issue considering all of the other excellent features.
     I enjoyed doing some more reading in our 2 books for this class, Presentation Zen and DigiTales.  I'm getting a better grasp of the whole process of both giving more effective presentations and delivering good stories.  What I'm also learning is that there is quite a bit of planning, organizing, and time-consuming work that goes on behind the scenes for both.
     In DigiTales we were introduced to the 7 step process of planning out a good digital story.  I mentioned that I was a little intimidated by the scripting the written narrative step and then the subsequent recording of the voice for the story.  You're writing things down verbatim and trying to make it seem natural yet you are later reading from a script.  I think I mentioned in a forum that I would likely use the script as a guide and just practice it enough times where no two deliveries were the same yet it felt somewhat spontaneous.
     My last insight is regarding the old slideshow that we had to revamp.  I had a pretty good time transforming it using the Presentation Zen principles but man did it take a LONG TIME.  I think looking for pictures/photos took the longest time for me.  I would get a vision for a slide and then I was very picky when searching for a picture to complete the vision.  Some pictures were too low quality and got pixelated when trying to re-size them.  Some pictures didn't have the transparent background I was looking for.  Some pictures needed to be cropped or edited in a graphics program before I was satisfied to put them into my presentation.  I think I went back and changed my slide design like 3 or 4 times after not being satisfied that it had a steady flow.  All of it was very gratifying when you find that "perfect picture" or achieve the "perfect spacing" but all of it was very time-consuming.  I'm guessing with practice that the process would move along quicker but there are often time constraints involved that would make these dreamy presentations hard to accomplish.  I can't even begin to imagine how long it took to create that "Thirst" presentation that we saw as an example.

Digital Storytelling CEDO 530 - Week 2

Holy Cow - tons of work this week!!  I'm not sure how my neighbor took 12 graduate credits last semester - wow.  Anyways, moving on...
     We continued reading our two books, DigiTales and Presentation Zen.  I find Presentation Zen to be an easier read even if some of the ideas are hard for me to buy into.  I am staying open-minded though.  I think a person's presentation style should ultimately be a mixture of good presenting techniques and the strengths of the individual.  I will most likely never be the type of presenter that gives a ton of handouts, for example.  I think their distribution at a presentation is clumsy and they often end up being a distraction as people tend to look at them instead of listening to your message.  However, I will be more conscious of the strategy of using handouts to supplement the presentation instead of cluttering a slide and perhaps there will be a situation in which it makes sense for me to incorporate them into a presentation of mine.  It's all about keeping an open mind as you read these two books.  I've enjoyed the research-based findings and have been able to analyze my current presentation style.  I am more aware of the things that I do that are deemed effective and now I also have some ideas on how to change some of my bad presentation habits.
     VoiceThread was the web tool that we were able to try out this week and it made me think of several excellent classroom uses for it.  We almost have the email address thing figured out here at my school (K-8) so that shouldn't be a problem for us anymore.  Of course VoiceThread has the obvious application of having students use it for presentations.  It allows for voice files for narration, text comments on each slide, or even video narration form a web cam.  All great features that would add to the appeal of a presentation.  We haven't even touched on the best feature yet, however.  Collaboration.  I am guessing that our Civil Rights VoiceThreads will be used to collaborate with each other in much the same way that peers can make comments on a blog.  To get feedback and deeper questioning from peers is going to be the most powerful aspect of it's use, IMO.
     I'm still plugging away with the Posterous pictures.  I've found that the easiest way for me to do these is by taking the pictures with my phone and then just immediately emailing them to my Stritch email account.  I've played around with it enough now where I'm following 6 other classmates and I have it setup where the Posterous site sends me a daily email with everyone's picture updates.  Pretty slick.  There is a chance that I might use it once class is over but it most likely wouldn't be everyday.  It's one of things that just takes time and has to be in the back of your mind in order to update it enough for it to be useful to anyone.  It's less time consuming than doing a Facebook status update every 20min like some of these junkies which is why it's possible that I may still use it.  It'd be fun to get my brother to start doing it or cousins that I never talk to anymore or, even better, my family overseas.  I was able to hook up with some of them through Facebook but seeing pictures of them and seeing what they are up to would be really cool.

Digital Storytelling CEDO 530 - Week 1

The first week of this new class has at least clarified what exactly was meant by "Digital Storytelling".  I kind of had an idea because I had to do some research about 2 months ago on a program called Storytelling Alice but I wasn't sure if this would be along the same lines or not.  The one connection that I hadn't thought of was the presentation aspect.  Digital Storytelling certainly ties into presentations and their techniques but for some reason I had the two separated in my mind.  I was under the mindset that "Presentations were factual and serious" and "Storytelling was emotional and animated".  I quickly realized that my way of thinking was part of the problem.  Factual and serious usually equates to "boring".  The expectation, especially in the business world, is that when a PPT slideshow or similar presentation flashes up during the meeting that it's time for the head-nodding to begin.  I really  hope to learn of some resources, techniques, and methods to use in making these normally "boring" presentations more exciting and impactful.

CEDO 525 - Enhancing Learning Materials - Final Reflection

     Well this class has for some reason has been the most painful for me to get through.  I think the beginning of the school year had something to do with it but I think that analyzing "Teaching Strategies" was the bigger culprit.  I had been spoiled with the prior classes that talked about cool websites, web tools and even a class about hardware and operating systems where I was able to embrace my inner geek.  This class, on the contrary, made me take a deeper look at my teaching methods and techniques and really assess my integration of technology into my curriculum (and other teacher's curriculum).  I am doing fine for the most part but I certainly have room for improvement.  It was good to re-visit these 10-12 effective teaching strategies and get ideas from class, classmates, and other resources for new implementations into my lessons.  I also was able to take a look at the technology that I'm using and make connections between the lesson and the technology used.  The connections were always there but I never really internalized them by saying to myself "I'm using Inspiration so that students can have experience with advanced organizers, which are proven to have a 22% gain".
     Lastly, I had actually gone through several interviews prior to this school year looking for something more in the capacity of a technology integrator or coordinator (unsuccessfully) and I couldn't help but think to myself that I would have done better had I gone through this class first.  I would've been able to make stronger connections to these vaunted teaching strategies and perhaps would've increased my chances of impressing the interviewers.  I'll get em next time  :-)

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning Materials - Chapter 9, 10, 11 Responses

Closing in on the last week of class. Kind of stressed trying to keep up and balance everything with this class and at school but kind of anxious because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter 9 addressed Identifying Similarities and Differences. Having students use compare/contrast as a strategy has been proven to be one of the most effective teaching methods. According to Marzano, it is #1 on his list of High Yield Strategies. Research has shown a 45% gain when using similarities and differences which is considerably higher than Marzano`s other researched strategies. I was so impressed with this statistic that I have been thinking of ways to incorporate more of this into my lessons. I just recently restructured one of my assignments to include some comparison/contrast. HERE It was a research assignment where students analyzed electronic gadgets and by incorporating comparison/contrast it gets rid of the random nature of their research. It provides a better sense of purpose and the students are asked to think deeper because they must conclude which gadget is best. I already use Inspiration multiple times a year with various lessons like Character maps(5th), Rock Cycle(3rd), animal habitats(4th), animal classifications(4th), and digestive system(6th).
Chapter 10 covers Homework and Practice. The resonating idea here is practice, practice, practice. Practice really does make perfect. I found that out the hard way in college. I was always good in math and when I had Calculus in college it was no different. The difference, however, was that I thought if I could understand the lectures I`d be fine for the tests. I was wrong. I wasn`t prepared for all of the possible scenarios that could arise with such a complex subject as Calculus. Once I started doing the homework and practicing problem after problem the tests became much easier. One of the recommendations of the book is to "vary approaches to providing feedback". That is where I feel I really take advantage of technology. In addition to regular paper grading, students receive many electronic forms of communication and feedback. I have a classroom website where students can find my syllabus, assignment sheets (attachments), instructions, and comment boxes for students that email me notifications. I also have used an online service for submitting assignments ((eBackpack) where students can store and submit assignments to me and I can grade them and provide immediate comments and feedback to students within the system. With these things in place I feel that homework is more effective because the turn around time on feedback is so quick.
     Chapter 11 went on to discuss Generating and Testing Hypotheses.  Now, in my opinion, this strategy is the one that I think will promote the deepest thinking processes.  Not only do you have to deeply analyze the information that you have but you have to do a lot of comparing and contrasting.  THEN, you follow it up by making a prediction of what will happen based on your analysis and comparisons.  Even if you stop the process right there and have students fully explain their hypothesis it can be a very fruitful experience.  If you have time to test the hypothesis then you can have students form conclusions by doing even more comparing and analysis.  I think the one drawback to this method is that it is very time-consuming which limits the frequency of classroom practice.  Technology can play a large role in the strategy of generating and testing hypothesis.  Things like spreadsheets, graphs, databases, electronic probes and other digital gadgets for data gathering, and comprehensive software for data analysis make generating and testing hypothesis easier, faster, and more powerful as a learning method.

CEDO 525 - Enhancing Learning Materials - Week 4 Chapter 7,8 Responses

Chapter 7 covered Cooperative Learning.  The book talked about things such as:
-Keep group sizes small
-Combine cooperative learning with other classroom structures
-Don't worry about grouping by skill levels
-Use different types of grouping (Formal, Informal, Base)
-Do not overuse
In our group work the week prior we talked about the above book recommendations and added that we felt roles needed to be defined and progress should be evaluated frequently.  Group work is good preparation for life outside of school.  It teaches many important life skills like communication, conflict resolution, organization, project management, meeting deadlines, exposure to other points of view and more.
One thing that I feel is really important is to make sure that the project you assign the group has a good variety of different types of activities.  You want to make sure that everyone in the group has a chance to use a skill that they feel is a strength.  If the project is an art project, for example, it may alienate the group members that are not strong in artistic disciplines.  By providing a variety of facets to the group project it will allow each student a chance to shine.

The Chapter 8 topic was Reinforcing Effort.  The book talked about the importance of having students believe that effort can make a difference.  It also recommended having students keep track of their effort and achievement and effort.  I think keeping track of those two things is where technology can really help the students and teachers.  The hard part will be defining effort and getting the students to see what true effort looks like.  In order to help the students see what "effort" looks like they suggest using a rubric that maps out behaviors that are indicative of someone giving effort and having different levels for each behavior displayed on the rubric.  I think this can be an effective model.  I have used rubrics like this before but never for something that is hard to see, like effort.  Once students see what behaviors they need to exhibit it becomes a matter of proving to students that putting the effort forth makes a difference.  This can be more challenging than you think, especially for students who can cruise through and get good grades without putting forth a lot of effort.  In order to convince those types of students I found it best to give them "post-assessments" a few weeks later to see how much they've retained.  In most cases they will not retain as much as the students that put forth high levels of effort because they most likely crammed right before the test, scored well, and then didn't retain the info.  With good study habits, note taking, and homework completion (all categories of effort) they will see that they can retain more info.  Spreadsheets are probably the best way to analyze data so that you can show progress, compare and contrast data, and show relationships between effort and results.  Spreadsheets can get kind of boring (not to me!!), though, so using something like Google forms or Survey Monkey might be a good way to more actively engage the students while still providing data to play with.

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning - Week 4 Response to TED talk

The video that I chose to respond to was the one addressing "Cognitive Surplus" by Clay Shirky.  The main idea that was trying to be conveyed was that people are finding more constructive ways to use their free time than in the past.  Shirky maintains that people have been enormously consumptive (consume or take-in things vs giving output) but feels like that trend is changing with the advent of online tools, especially ones that allow for collaboration.  Shirky thinks these online tools are helping transform people into "creators" rather than "consumers".  Instead of watching hours and hours of television Shirky says that people are creating things, going online, and sharing them.  He notes that even though some people might be creating silly, meaningless things (he uses LOLCats as an example) that it is still creating and that eventually good things will come of it.  I tend to agree with Shirky on several of his main points.  Shirky states that when the printing press was developed "it took 150 years to graduate from erotic novels to Scientific journals" and I think that is a really good example.  An example that I thought of is YouTube.  YouTube started out with goofy videos of people doing ridiculous things, sports highlights, Vlogs, etc. and slowly started being used for more productive things like "How-To videos".  Now there are so many educational uses for it (Khan Academy) that it has spun off into several other "Tubes" like Teacher Tube for example.  I'm not sure how many people are making the shift from consumer to creator but let's hope that Mr. Shirky is right about people making better use of their free time because it could produce some amazing results as these online and digital tools are discovered and used for bigger and better things than LOLCats.

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning - Comparing Online Mind Mapping Tools

I compared 3 of the online tools from week 3.  Here is the entire list of choices so I can come back and look at this later:
1. Bubbl.us (http://bubble.us)
2. Webspiration (http://www.mywebspiration.com)
3. MindMeister (http://www.mindmeister.com)
4. exploratree (http://www.exploratree.org.uk)
5. http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/graphic_organizers.htm
6. CMAP (http://cmap.ihmc.us/conceptmap.html)

     I had heard about MindMeister a few times during classes in this grad program so I was eager to check that one out first.  The first thing I needed to do was sign up for a free account, which required you to activate it through an email.  Having email addresses for students is a problem for us right now but it is something that I am working on.  The free account allows you to have a max of 3 mind maps at a time, which I thought was adequate.  I liked the familiar interface and I thought it was very simple and easy to create idea bubbles and modify their contents.  It was easy to insert pictures by using mindmeister's library, through a search(which tied into Google images) or by pasting the URL of a picture.  I didn't get to try any collaboration but that would be a powerful feature if it worked well.  I had a little trouble creating idea bubbles off of existing branches (child bubbles), however, so that was a little turn off.  Maybe I was doing something wrong but if I, the technology teacher, was having trouble that's not a good sign.
     The next one I tried was Bubbl.us.  This one is really simple, even concerning the effort to get started.  You actually could start using their mind mapper without creating any kind of login.  The drawback there is that you can only print, not save your mind map.  Even so, you can create a quick login by simply providing a username and password.  No real name and no email addresses are necessary.  The features of Bubbl.us are scaled back in comparison to MindMeister (no picture insert, less formatting options) but I thought the interface was a lot easier to use.  You can print and you can save into their online folders.  It looked like you could have up to 3 mind maps just like MindMeister.  I didn't see a collaboration feature so that would be a minor drawback.  Overall a nice, simple little Web 2.0 tool with less hoops to jump through in order to use it.
     Webspiration is the last one I evaluated.  I have used the regular software package for Inspiration for over 10 years now and I think it is excellent.  I had already tried Webspiration last year when it was in it's beta phase and it was working nicely but I ran into 2 problems: 1) It required email addresses for accounts and 2) It was going to be expensive once the 30 day trial had expired.  Looking at their website, it looks like they eliminated the need for students to have email accounts with their School Subscription structure in which they designate a Webspiration Classroom administrator who sets up and manages faculty and student accounts.  The problem that still exists is the cost...$9 per account.  That could really add up if you used it for a lot of students.  Webspiration itself is an excellent mind mapper.  It is easy to use while manipulating your various idea bubbles, inserting pictures (either from gallery, from file, or online), and it has an amazing amount of formatting options which help make your mind map look great.  It even has it's popular Outline view which creates an outline behind the scenes as you form your mind map.  The collaboration capability worked really well but you had to make sure that you limited the amount of users who were actually trying to add things to the mind map because sometimes it froze and other times it was chaotic trying to figure out what was being added to the mind map.  All that said, I know we wouldn't use it because of the cost (and we already have the offline version of Inspiration).

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning - Responses to Chapters 4-6

     Chapter 4 covered Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers.  I think being good at providing cues and probing questions is the foundation that all good teachers have.  It is central to any good teacher's repertoire and is underrated in most circles.  Any random individual could probably present the material to students at most levels but the cues and questioning that a teacher employs distinguishes them from a good teacher and a mediocre teacher.  If a teacher can neutrally facilitate a discussion in such a way that students come to their own conclusions and form their own base knowledge then the teacher is truly performing their role masterfully.  I thought the book brought up a very effective strategy when it mentioned simply waiting briefly before accepting an answer.  This can cause students to internalize their answer and allow other students to analyze it as well.  I'd like to add that I've had success when not indicating whether I agree or disagree with answers and avoiding giving students indicators as to whether I think an answer is right or wrong.  By collecting answers and then posing questions about those answers back to the class I have found that the students really become involved in higher level reasoning while achieving answers by self-discovery more often than not.
     The Chapter 5 topic is Non-linguistic Representation.  Using Kinesthetic activities or physical models are extremely effective from my experiences.  I think we don't see as much of these types of lessons as we should.  They tend to take a a higher level of organization and planning than your conventional "read from the book or follow along" lessons.  Lessons using kinesthetic activities or physical models also tend to take longer.  I think sometimes that teachers are under a time crunch and elect to go the "quick" route to fit all of the content in and sometimes I feel that teachers choose the "easy" route because they are plain lazy.  Regardless, it is a shame that we don't see more lessons that make use of non-linguistic representation because it has been proven that it reinforces conventional methods and it is able to reach those students who are visual or hands-on learners.
     Chapter 6 dealt with Summarizing and Note-taking.  I think the generalization that the book made pretty much sums it up: "To effectively summarize, students must be able to delete information, substitute information, and keep information."  When that is taking place it means that the students are giving the content a deep analysis and that they have a firm grasp on the subject matter.  The book also mentions that verbatim note taking is the worst method.  That is something I intend to pass on to the staff at my school.  When I read about the Cornell note taking method a week or two ago I brought it to the attention of our resource teacher and also provided our middle school teachers with some samples and showed them how effective it could be. The Cornell method is in the process of being assimilated into the middle school classes and after teachers become more comfortable the idea is to introduce it at the 4th and 5th grade levels as well.  It'll be another tool to help students organize their learning and foster a higher level of comprehension.

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning - Quick responses to Chapters 1-3

     Chapter 1 talked about Setting Objectives.  I thought it was valuable when they talked about standards-based objectives and how rubrics can help achieve a structure for rating and assessing progress towards goals.  There has been a lot more emphasis on standards-based curriculums and lesson design so it is logical that objectives should stem from the standards as well.
     I agree that we should allow students flexibility to personalize their goals and I like the idea of having individual contracts with students.  I think it is unrealistic to be expected to keep track of these individualized contracts, however.  Especially when you factor in student modifications, which I also think is a great idea.  There needs to be some way of reviewing these contracts where the students are held accountable on their own terms so that the teacher isn't trying to go micro-manage in a situation where it is impossible to keep up with.
     I was kind of left confused and in a daze when trying to internalize where the book says "settings goals narrows the student focus" and then they say "but don't make goals too specific" and finally they go on to say "make goals specific but flexible".  I think I understand what they were trying to say, like to make it situational, but it sure was contradictory.
     Chapter 2 talked about Providing Feedback. Three things stood outt in the chapter. The timeliness of the feedback was very important. If feedback isn't provided quickly enough thhan it not as effective because the student can't make adjustments accordingly. Another important emphasis is to make the feedback specific. I mentioned this after reading the Feedback article, but if you just give canned comments like "good job" or "needs improvement" then you are not helping the student get better. I also liked the idea of peer feedback. When students are giving feedback to peers and expecting some in return they tend to be very helpful. A lot of times peer feedback can give students additional insight into their work because it is coming fromm a different perpective.
Chapter 3 covered Providing Recognition. The one thing that stood out to me with this chapter was where they said "symbolic recognition is more effective than tangible rewards". I have always agreed with that logic but now that I have 3 kids ages 2, 4, and 6 I think that tangible rewards definitely have a place. There are times when I mention a simple tangible reward like "a cookie at Pick N Save". I don't think there is any harm in working things like that into the regular routine, especially when it is so effective. I know and agree that symbolic recognition is more valuable in the long run but it takes more time and considerably more work to set up. Sometimes we just don't have the energy to structure everything that way and if it helps keep our sanity then I have no problem handing out a sucker or two from time to time.

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning - Week 2 Electronic Response Tools

     Ok, so here we're supposed to compare and contrast electronic response tools.  We all know about Google Forms and yes it's pretty slick.  Lots of options, some nice designs to choose from, and output into Google spreadsheets all the whilst being FREE.  The only problem with tools like Google forms is that it requires a bit of training and the setup of Google accounts and it's infrastructure.  Sooooo...I'm going to go in a different direction with my comparison/contrast.  I'll take a quick look at response tools that provide immediate feedback within the walls of the classroom.
     I'll start with one called iClicker.  These are simply little remotes with a few impressive capabilities.  The teacher has a more advanced unit that can set up true/false, multiple choice, and yes/no questions on the fly.  The students then have receivers that they enter their responses with.  It's a great way to get quick assessments of the classroom's level of understanding.  The teacher clicker then displays the results on a little LCD screen so the teacher can adjust their focus or reteach certain concepts.  The teacher clicker can also remotely control slideshows or other simple presentations.  The knock on something like this might be the need to buy lots of these little clickers, which might get costly.
     Some other examples, which are very similar to iClicker, are the handheld response systems from SMART Technologies.  SMART has a lot more to choose from and seem to have some software options which provide a nice structure for later analysis.  These gadgets can also be tied into the SMART whiteboards, which have become prevalent in schools as of late.  There is even an option for students using mobile devices.
     The next one is called QuestionPress.  This one is a strictly web-based audience and classroom response/assessment tool.  That means that it is essentially available on any Internet connected device.  I'm going to use a quote from the creator because it sums it up beautifully: "QuestionPress is one of the few response web sites that allows you to offer a fully live session where you can control which questions are asked, when they are asked, in what order they are asked, and when and how results are sent to the responders’ screens. Questions can also be served at the responder’s pace with options that allow for the scores and correct answers being displayed upon completion."
     The  last one is actually an app for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.  It's called eClicker Host.  The nice thing here is that you only have to buy the Host app ($9.99) and anyone else can install the free eClicker iOS app.  Obviously the "catch" here is that your school would have to have iPads or a similar device in order to make use of it.

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning Materials - Week 2 Feedback

     This week we read the article Feedback That Fits and were asked to provide a brief response.  In the past few years I have been bombarded with in-services on certain hot topics.  Bullying and Differentiated instruction are the top two but Assessment practices and strategies easily comes in third.  I think what made this article more interesting than the in-services and training I've had is that I was trying to figure out where technology fits into the equation.  While reading the article I jotted down a few things that I could take away from the article.
     Students deciphering feedback and possibly reading the feedback in an unintended way was one thing that I thought was interesting.  I think that writing comments on a writing or research project can be very useful but there is still room for error.  Teachers have to be very careful about what they write, just as with emails.  If it is not face to face communication where a student can hear voice inflection, facial expressions or body language then there is room for false interpretation.
     Finding something positive, no matter how small, for struggling students was another thing to note. This is certainly not a new concept to me, but it is still an important one to remember.  It is especially important to set the tone with something positive when interacting with a struggling student because they probably haven't had too many compliments.  Starting with a positive can possibly open up a line of communication that wouldn't normally have been there if the conversation started with a criticism or advice for improvement.  Parent teacher conferences are another place that I like to set the tone with a positive for the same reasons.
     Being specific about positive feedback is the last nugget that I will take away from this article.  I will admit that sometimes I get a little lazy with my positive feedback.  It is so much easier to walk around and say the same three phrases (good job, nice work, looks good) while looking over students' shoulders.  The article pointed out that while it might make a student feel good for a brief moment, the student doesn't benefit from the comment in the long run.  Being specific will help students identify exactly what they are doing well (their strengths) and perhaps improve my retention of what the students are proficient in.

CEDO 525 - Enhancing Learning Materials - week 1 blogs

First things first...I hope Kristine Deiner(our teacher for this class) recovers from her hospital visit as she was missing from our week 1 class.  Louie was our sub and did great but I just wanted to express well wishes for Kris.  On to this week...we were supposed to do two separate readings and then give a brief reflection on each one.

The first reading was from HERE.  The article is broken into two parts: Theory and Research Based Principles of Learning and Teaching Principles.  I'd like to reflect on the principle of learning that states: "Students' prior knowledge can help or hinder learning."  I agree that prior knowledge influences how students interpret the information that we present to them.  I also agree that prior knowledge can impede or enhance their learning experience but I'd like to expand on a few other thoughts pertaining to that.  When discussing topics that can be considered opinion-based (politics, etc) it is important to present both sides of things and let the students initiate the discussion.  The teacher must act simply as a moderator and remain as neutral as possible in order to get an honest discussion from the students.  It may be necessary to provide guidance during the discussion but the students should not know what your opinions are as that can influence students and often the tone of the discussion.  Another important role that prior knowledge plays relates to how much trust a teacher has garnered from students.  A student that has inaccurate or insufficient prior knowledge wouldn't necessarily be impeded by it.  If the teacher has shown themselves to be a trustworthy source of information the student will have no problem adjusting what they "thought" they knew to the newly presented information.

The second reading came from HERE. This was a 2003 study about the effectiveness of teaching and learning with technology on student outcomes.  The conclusion basically stated that technology had a moderate positive effect on the students tested.  It also emphasized that more research needed to be done to gain a better understanding on how technology is truly effecting student learning.
     Here is my take:  Research is fine and dandy and helps to illustrate trends but the nature of educational research is such that when it is finally published there is a good chance that things have already changed.  I also find a flaw in the way that this research was presented.  I think the role of technology is being underestimated.  I find it hard to believe that the control group didn't use technology.  I'd be interested to see what qualifies as using technology and what qualifies as their traditional methods.  Students learn better when using technology because technology is a part of society and their everyday lives.  It's that simple.  Technology helps students find information that they would never have available to them if it weren't for technology.  Technology also helps students find faster, more efficient ways to get things done.  To say that technology only has a minor or moderate positive effect on learning is like saying that books and libraries were only a minor improvement over leather parchment and quill pens.  It just doesn't make sense.  I think that technology simply being available is not necessarily going to make students smarter or better learners but the technology is there, and it keeps evolving.  It is the teacher's or integrator's job to guide the students on how to USE this technology to enhance their learning.

CEDO 520 Final Post

This week's main topics included copyright issues and keeping our students safe on the internet (in addition to ourselves.  As the state of things exists right now, there is a lot of unknowns when it comes to copyrights and their use.  This is especially true in education as it seems that some exceptions are made when things are used for educational purposes.  Not everyone's intentions are clear, however.  I'm referring to both the originator and the user when I say that.  That's why something like Creative Commons was created.  Creative Commons exists to help clear up any confusion when it pertains to what exactly the owner is willing to share.  Creative Commons provides an infrastructure of choices while allowing the creators to also customize the conditions of sharing their property.  Even with something like this trying to take hold around the world there is still a lot of gray area.  I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'll always err on the side of caution when using electronic content by giving credit to the original source and using other's work in an acceptable manner to the best of my knowledge.

Internet Safety has really come to the forefront lately and rightfully so.  As proven by even high profile individuals, not being careful of what you share online can have some disastrous results.  Last year was the first year that I put together a unit strictly dedicated to Internet safety and it will be a hot topic as long as the Internet maintains its status as a social networking venue.  The more that people use the Internet to communicate and do everyday activities, the more likely that people will exploit that whichever way they can. Staying up to date with social networking sites and demonstrating safe computing practices to students when it comes to using the Internet will help keep students safe but it will ultimately depend on parental assistance.  Parents cannot ignore what their kids are doing on the Internet anymore.  Just like my parents probably checked my dresser drawers or bedroom closets from time to time, parents of today need to be knowledgeable about what their kids are doing online.  Maybe that means they take a few classes to help them figure out how to check the browser history or they make their children show them their Facebook page from time to time.  Regardless, add that to the many parenting responsibilities that already exist.

As this class comes to a close I can't help but notice the similarities between this one and the previous class (can't remember the title off the top of my head).  This class seemed like a lighter, less in-depth version of it.  In fact they were so alike that I even found myself tempted to use some of the assignments that I had created in my prior class for this one.  I can't help but think that this class would've been more beneficial later on in the grad program considering that resources change so quickly.  The separation between the two classes might have helped...having these two classes back to back just felt redundant at times.  Just my humble opinion...

CEDO 520 - week 3

This week we got a chance to work with our groups.  The main assignment was to analyze some web tools on their potential use in the classroom as they pertain to promoting learning.  We looked at Adobe's online word processor(Buzzword), 280Slides online presentations, some cartooning applications(toondoo, pikikids, extranormal), Google Sites and Forms, along with some survey tools(Poll Anywhere, Survey Monkey).  I enjoyed working with 280Slides and I particularly liked its integration with MS PowerPoint.  The toolbar had huge graphics and was really easy to use so it made me think of its potential uses in grades 1-5.  I like the cartooning applications - they provide a fun alternative to doing assignments or presenting material for students who may become bored with traditional methods.  The survey tools are always useful.  We used survey monkey to get feedback from our staff a few times last year and it worked well but to be honest I really liked the idea of creating some surveys in Google Forms.  I can keep my forms stored in Google Docs and easily tweak them each year to fit my needs.  I especially like the responses being output to a spreadsheet...even the narrative answers.
The second thing we did was look at Tools for Online Classes and Virtual Schools.  ooVoo, AdobeConnect, and elluminate were the reviewed tools.  ooVoo was essentially Skype except with a few variations to their pricing plans and the capability for HD video calls.  I've used vRooms in elluminate before and they work well minus the video capabilities.  The advantage there is that it has classroom management tools that the others don't have.  AdobeConnect was a cross between those two but I didn't get a chance to test it out.  I actually have a new one that I'm going to test this weekend too...Google Hangout.

CEDO 520 - week 2

This week was mostly spent on Internet Search strategies and techniques and looking at ways to evaluate online resources.  I liked playing around with the Noodle Tools website which enables you to focus your search a little bit by providing search tools that match up with your informational needs.  It also provided a nice tool for citing sources in both APA and MLA styles.  It is hard to find a resource that offers both styles...for free.  Another interesting thing that we explored was Google Alerts.  I really liked the idea of getting one central email containing multiple links to the topic of my choice instead of having to check a few sources each day or subscribe to several feeds.  I could see using Alerts for current news on interesting topics or for something that changes often like Interest Rates on home loans.  Wikipedia became one of the topics when evaluating resources and the opinions on its validity as a source are as varied as you can get.  Some educators say it is never to be used, some say that its a good starting point, and some say that an entry can be reliable with proper editing and citing of sources.  In other words the verdict is still out.  Perhaps the most useful tool that we stumbled upon this week was Google Forms.  We created forms for evaluating internet resources and I found it to be extremely easy.  The options were great and the output generated simply migrated to a Google Doc spreadsheet.  They even allow branching of multiple forms, which was great.  I plan on using them for teachers and staff but I also would like to use them with the students.  Add that to my ever-growing list of "things to incorporate this coming school year".  haha

Internet Learning Resources CEDO520 - week 1

This is another class that I am excited to take because of its potential to immediately impact what I use in my teaching and more importantly how I teach.  The 4 week guide of topics include Internet Learning Resources, Search engines and Research, Tools to Support Learning, and Internet Safety, Ethics, Privacy, Fair Use.  I thought the week 1 assignments were a good way to ease into the class by making us evaluate how we perceive Internet Learning Resources and things such as Web 2.0.  I'm particularly interested in acquiring some more resources about Internet Safety, Ethics, Privacy, and Fair Use because that is something that I officially incorporated into the curriculum for the first time last year.  I had always talked about it in the past but now it is a concrete unit.  With all of the new ways that technology allows people to communicate and reveal personal aspects of their life it is important that students understand how to use these avenues responsibly.  Maybe the government and sports organizations should offer some training in regards to that, too, haha.

Technology Tools Summary 515

     Wow, the many different tools presented in this class will certainly give me a lot to chew on for the rest of this summer.  I'm not even sure where to begin.  I remember asking Louis Loeffler the question "How do you keep up with all of this and stay cutting edge?"  He basically told me that you have to schedule an hour a day to read and do research and make it part of your routine. (or whatever seems necessary) I didn't quite grasp it at the time but with all of the useful tools out there I think it is a must if I am to be a successful technology coordinator/integrator.  Here is a list of tools that we covered(mostly for my purposes when I look back at this post):

• Graphics programs
• Presentation programs
• Search engines and searching (Net trekker)
• Word processing
• Spreadsheets
• Google Calendar
• Technology integration
• Screen capture
• Google sites
• Software evaluation process

     I think I can take a little something from each of these areas but there were a few that really seemed to fit some of my current situations.

     Presentation programs have so many uses in so many content areas and teachers are always coming to me looking for different options than PowerPoint.  Up until now I've really only had experience with Prezi, which is a nice alternative option but the flow can be distracting if not used properly.  Now I have several other options to give to my staff.  I particularly liked Empresser, Slideboom, and 280 slides.

     We definitely explored some of the vast tools offered by simply having a Google account.  I have had exposure to Google Docs but it was nice to do a more detailed analysis of how they work and more importantly how they can be used.  I have had several talks with my administrator and tech committee about using Google docs more but I've never really had the in depth insight to convince them of any other uses besides our school email.  I'm hoping to bring my school some more valuable feedback regarding Google docs and their potential uses.

     The suggested screen capture resources look really cool and I know I can use them for creating tutorials of lessons.  The advantage of providing students with this alternative method of getting instructions and reinforcing the classroom content is evidenced by the success of a website like Khan academy (thanks Nate).

     Google sites is great - I had no idea all of it was free.  In my blog post prior to this one I addressed many potential uses for these...including getting rid of my school's paid web hosting service and saving my school approximately $800/year.

     Lastly, and perhaps the most useful topic for me was the software evaluations.  Our current system for choosing software was/is somewhat of a mystery to me which is one of the main reasons why I joined our technology committee this year.  I came back last summer to find we had made the jump from Microsoft Office 2000 to Microsoft Office 2010(much to my surprise).  I was extremely angry that I was not involved in this process and even more angered by the fact that I wasn't even told about it.  I made it known that I would like to have some say in any future software purchases.  After looking at many evaluation tools and achieving a better understanding of how the process would work I have a lot of suggestions and feel much more confident presenting these ideas to my administrator and the tech committee.

     Overall, great class.  In think Kristy said it best in her blog post when she said something to the effect of "I finally got a chance to explore the many tools that are out there - even it was by force", haha.  Dave, thanks for making the class enjoyable and your teaching style really enhanced the discussions with your politely probing line of questioning.  One thing I would have liked to have touched on is Student Management Systems (SMS) like Gaggle or Moodle.  Maybe that'll be in a different class.

Google Sites and Software Evaluation

As we enter the last week of the 3rd class, Using Productivity Tools Effectively, one of the tasks we were asked to do was create our own Google site and contemplate it's uses.  I currently use Teacherweb for my classroom website because it is what the school chose and they pay for it.  It is extremely easy and is loaded with features but it is $39/year.  That doesn't sound like much but when you multiply that by 20 (the amount of teachers we have) you're looking at $800.  That's nothing to sneeze at.  I have looked at a few other free options through some of our textbook companies (Scholastic) and various others but they have all been either too limited (my staff needs easy templates and automatic navigation bars/links), too cluttered with ads, etc.  Google sites might just be the resource that I've been looking for.  With a full set of features, somewhat easy design structure, and excellent price tag I think it is worth a try.  Our school uses a custom version of Gmail already (similar to Stritch with Wolfmail) so everyone already has access to Google sites.  I'm hoping that an in-service or two would provide the teachers with enough base knowledge to make use of Google sites.  Google sites could help our school, staff, and students in many ways:

• Teach simple website creation to students
• Create a cost effective school website
• Teachers can create a classroom website, a club website, or just use it as an easily accessible place to share a blog, calendar, videos, or pictures with students and parents
• Students could use it to create a site to keep track of their school work, calendar, etc
• Teachers could use it for keeping a portfolio for students on an annual basis or more

From a personal standpoint I could use Google sites to do anything from a family oriented site to a site dedicated to a hobby or interest of mine.


The software evaluation comparisons that we made this week working with our groups were very interesting. I have been at my school for 9 years now and I have never been involved in any of the decision making regarding software so getting some exposure to the evaluation process was a good experience.  I need to be aware of this process if I ever hope to become a Technology coordinator in the true sense.  I looked at three very different methods of evaluation.  One method used a very detailed rubric containing categories which were populated with more detailed line items.  Each line item gets a rating and then the end result is a mathematical representation of the value of the software.  The nice thing about it was the level of detail in the analysis and the amount of flexibility with the line items and rating system.  Another method was less of an evaluation tool and more of a deterrent for staff to request something as an impulse buy.  It was setup more like an application where the requester needed to provide lots of information of support for their proposal.  The last method I looked at was done as a large grid/rubric with generic headings and a simple yes or no answer went in each box depending on if it fit.  This style was excellent for getting a surface analysis of many different software titles quickly.  It would be great for creating a resource in which you could narrow down your search to a few titles and then do a more comprehensive analysis from there.  With my recent joining of our Technology Committee I am eager to provide some input and insight the next time software procurement makes it on our agenda.

InTime Review

As we come back from our 2 week "end of the school year" break we were asked to check out a lesson plan website called InTime.  This resource is different than most web resources offering lesson plan ideas.  The first thing that is evident is that the documented lesson plans are broken down into detailed components such as Content Area, Information Processing, Teacher knowledge, Technology, Software, Hardware.  This is very helpful not only because it makes it easier for a teacher to assess if the lesson is a good fit for their curriculum but it also provides a common framework regarding the way the lessons are presented.  Often times on websites where lesson plans are shared it is difficult sifting through them because of inconsistencies in how they are created and the methods used.  That leads us to the most impressive feature of this site...the VIDEOS.  I have been to many sites looking for lesson plans (and I mean a lot) and I have never seen a site that included such helpful videos.  Not only are you getting to see the lesson in action but you get a chance to listen to the creator explain the lesson.  The narrator talks about exactly what it covers and how to implement it in the most effective manner.  The videos that I watched were excellent and very representative of the documented lessons.
     The one flaw I found with this website is that it seemed somewhat out of date when looking at the software and hardware used to implement some of the lessons.  The copyright date of the site is 1999-2002 so that would make it close to 10 years old.  I imagine that it took many, many hours to compile these lessons and even longer to record and edit the corresponding videos so maybe it didn't get enough exposure and just fizzled.  Even so, I could still envision using a lot of the lessons either as they are written or just modifying them to fit current technology.  I will certainly pass this along to my colleagues as a possible resource.

Using Productivity Tools - Spreadsheets and Software Analysis

I'll start this week's reflection by stating that I love spreadsheets!! haha  I particularly love Microsoft Excel because of it's many advanced features.  I would consider myself an advanced user when compared to most spreadsheet users but I am logical enough to know that my knowledge is probably minute compared to all there is to know with this expansive software.  Over the years I have slowly shifted over to spreadsheets for more than half of what I do when I need to create a document with an Office-type program.  Besides the obvious mathematical uses of spreadsheets I find it much easier to organize things like class rosters, lists, and anything that you might want to align in a table or grid.  Spreadsheets also allow you to sort data, unlike word processors.  Some examples of concepts that I have used in various assignments include: graphing, sorting, macros, IF statements and nested IF statements, using built in Functions(RANK, SUM, AVERAGE), and conditional formatting.

We don't have the greatest system for analyzing and purchasing software at my school.  We have a Technology Committee and we have a School Committee and both of those committees have responsibilities when it comes to purchasing books or software but there is a disconnect between the two committees.  I am a member of the technology committee and it is hard to bring up items that might cause potential change because everyone on that committee is a volunteer.  Our head network guru is extremely knowledgeable about everything but if he deems that something might compromise his network or make his job a little more difficult then that item will make it past the suuggestion phase.  I fully understand his position but it is not the best structure for the welfare of the school.  If I had time to serve on both committees I could perhaps be the common link between the two, but I don't.  That's why I make due with the current situation the best I can and try to really take initiative if I have a strong opinion about a piece of software one way or another.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Using Productivity Tools - Searching and Online Word Processing

This week's class focused on searching/search engines and online word processors.  Throughout my 10 years of teaching I have always been a proponent of using multiple search engines when doing research.  After covering the topic of searching and experimenting with some various online search options I came to realize that I have been slowly falling into the habit of always using Google.  I remember giving my students many different options and explaining that not all websites are listed under every single search engine.  I've always understood that using multiple search engines is essential to getting a good variety of results but Google has carved such a solid niche in the searching category that it has made me (and many others) complacent in their searching efforts.  I feel a large part of Google's success originates from the fact that they have so much more to offer...and it's almost all free.  I think I even heard that the word Google has recently been officially added to the dictionary as a verb, like in the phrase "Google it".  The morale is that going through searching strategies and techniques has brought my reliance on Google to my attention.  I still love Google and all it has to offer like the online Calendar and the growing features of Google docs but I intend on going back to using multiple search engines when doing more extensive research.

Online word processing is becoming more prevalent in education for several reasons.  Cost, access, ease of use and collaboration are the driving forces behind online processors' growing popularity.  Most online options are free and accessible from any computer/tablet/device with an Internet connection.  Educational institutions like the convenience of not worrying about installing software, updating software, or storing files on their networks.  The capability to share and collaborate on projects is perhaps the most exciting feature because it is breaking down physical and geographical barriers in the classroom.  With Internet connections becoming more commonplace and the widespread use of WiFi it is making online word processors a more viable option for schools and student use.

I haven't used online processors in any of my classes yet because of the need for setting up accounts and email addresses but I have found a solution for next year.  I have set up a school account on a student management system called Gaggle that allows you to setup student accounts and give them restrictive email accounts.  This will allow me to setup accounts that the students can use to register for online word processors such as ZohoWriter.  I think it will end up being a gradual shift from traditional to online word processors for our school but I think it is an inevitable change that has to happen.  Next year when students get signed up and are comfortable with online word processors I'd like to try some group projects within our school and have the students collaborate in school on the project simultaneously, away from school at the same time, and away from school at different times.  Once we figure out any kinks the online processor might have I'd like to try doing a collaborative project with another school locally, nationally and then globally.

Using Productivity Tools Effectively - Week 1

We just started a new class this week - Using Productivity Tools Effectively.  I am really excited about this class because I'm hoping it will provide me with some extra resources for our teachers and staff.  It has been an ongoing struggle for me to find effective Web 2.0 type applications for my staff.  The main reason has been simply finding the time to sit down and go through the quickly mounting amount of options.  Being in a class such as this will be extremely helpful because it will give me a starting point from which to work from in my quest for useful Web 2.0 applications.  A perfect example is the content of the first week's assignments.  One assignment was to explore different programs that create graphics.  The other assignment was to explore presentation programs.  In both cases there were 5-10 different examples to choose from.  These examples had been tested out by the instructor and deemed effective enough to include in this class.  Like I stated earlier, the key is that a starting point was provided.  We weren't limited to these choices but it is much easier to have some viable options presented to you and then spin off and explore on your own than it is to just start from scratch.  The results can be overwhelming when putting a search term such as "graphic programs" into a search engine.  I was introduced to many new applications and Web 2.0 tools already in this first week.  I already have thoughts of how to incorporate the new graphics program by Deviant Art into some teacher lessons this year as well ideas for its use next year.  An added bonus is that it uses HTML5 so it can be used on the iPad 2.  The presentation software I chose was Empressr and while it was somewhat difficult to publish the finished product I still enjoyed exploring it's features.

Final Reflection - Computer Systems and How They Work

Well here we are at the end of the 2nd class of the MEIT cohort and we finished strong with an assignment about putting together the perfect computer.  I read quite a few blog reflections from others where they expressed relief that this class is over but I'm actually wishing that we could have had a couple more weeks to get a little more in depth.  My hardware knowledge and skills have always been decent but this class took me to those limits with assignments to the point where I wanted to edge a little further to expand my horizons.  I know I spent at least an hour longer on the perfect computer assignment because I kept getting sidetracked by wanting to take a deeper look at Hexa Core processors, different types of RAM, USB 3.0 external hard drives, etc.  The same is true of some of the other assignments as well.  The Operating System assignment was probably the most eye opening for me because I had little to no experience with Linux.  After the exposure to Linux I have big plans for it after reading numerous forum posts where people told stories of Linux rescuing their older laptops or desktops.  Apparently Linux still runs fast on machines with older hardware - now that is knowledge that I can put to good use.

I love that this Master's program is online, don't get me wrong, but this might have been a class that I would've enjoyed being in a lab with my fellow cohorts while playing around with the different hardware, devices, and operating systems.  Maybe that's just me.

Safety, Security and a Plan

This week's topics happened to coincide with a very similar unit that I just started teaching to my middle schoolers.  Our technology committee had decided that it was time to incorporate some mini-lessons about being safe and secure online.  While some of the content that we covered in my MEIT class were more in depth, there was also some overlap.  We talked about different kinds of viruses, malware, phishing, identity theft, and safe practices for using email to name a few.  After doing a security audit of my PC using the website auditmypc.com I discovered that my PC was pretty safe except for my Internal IP address.  The auditmypc.com website was able to run some little Javascript and get around my router to view my internal IP address.  I'm actually not too concerned about it but it was still somewhat eye opening since I thought my router from AT&T Uverse was masking my IP address.  Everything else looked ok, though, so thumbs up!!

Another topic we covered was the creation of a disaster recovery plan at the personal and organizational levels. I didn't have too much trouble with the individual plan because I already have a pretty comprehensive plan in place but creating the disaster recovery plan at the organizational level was quite the mind-numbing experience.  It is one thing to plan for a disaster at home where you might have 2-5 PCs or similar devices but it's a whole different ballgame when you start thinking about locking down and securing a network that may contain multiple servers, 100+ computers, 100+ users, and an overwhelming amount of data.  There are numerous factors to consider in the structure of a network before you can piece together the most efficient infrastructure. I didn't realize that there were so many choices of RAID and I didn't really understand what the advantages/disadvantages of each of them were until this assignment.  I also never really thought about using "cloud" storage in conjunction with the regular file/data backups.  We did the organizational DR plan as a group and we found that while we all worked at places that had existing plans, they were all very different because of the different hardware, devices, operating systems, etc that were unique to our schools.  As a result, my group's normal 1 hour weekly meeting turned into a 3 hour groan fest as we tried to piece together an adequate plan.  I can't imagine what it's like in settings where there are even more people involved in the decision making.

Operating Systems + Viruses

We've jumped from talking about operating systems to talking about viruses, malware, spyware and their solutions...antivirus software.  We weren't required to blog in week 2 so I didn't, ha, but I'd still like to reflect on some thoughts about operating systems first. 

When I was pursuing a degree in programming (2000-2003) I completed a few courses that dealt with hardware and operating systems.  Times have sure changed since then.  Both in the way operating systems function and the way that courses are able to be taught.  I remember dealing with DOS and Windows and making little .bat files to perform certain tasks.  We had 3.5" floppy disks that we brought back and forth to class.  The only thing I ended up remembering about Linux was that everything was treated as a shared file, even devices.  We didn't have access to any computers running Linux - we just learned about it from a book.  I remember talking about BASIC when we discussed the Mac OS.  Fast forward to today.  The obvious prediction back then was that there would be new versions of the current operating systems already out there and maybe a new OS or two.  However, DOS and BASIC have gone from being able to be accessed fairly easily, to running in the background, to being phased out completely.  Networking is part of operating systems and not a special OS (Windows NT?), there are completely new OS's from Apple and Microsoft, Linux has what seems like a thousand different flavors and Android is fast becoming the trendy new kid on the block.  Not to mention all of the different implementations of these OS's on various mobile devices, tablets, and other gadgets.  Just think - I can set up an OS to run inside of another OS (Linux inside of Windows), I can set up a machine to be capable of being "Dual-Boot" (Apple machine with both the Mac OS and Windows), or I can just make a bootable USB/Flash Drive with an OS on it that I can carry around in my pocket from PC to PC.  That's a lot to keep up with. Geesh.

The antivirus topics we talked about this week were pretty familiar.  I just finished teaching a 3 part unit on Internet Safety (Privacy, Cyber Bullying, Viruses/Malware) so this info was fresh on my mind.  There are times when my middle school classes can get restless when I go into lecture mode, but this was not one of them.  This topic really hits home for a lot of them and I was thrilled when many of them were sharing their personal experiences with viruses, etc.  I have had just about every possible virus-related scenario happen to me or my computers through the last 10 years or so.  I've had spyware, adware, my credit card account has been hacked twice, my email has been hacked, my computer hard drive even got erased in one instance.  I am a lot more educated about these things now and I haven't had anything major to deal with lately but even if you are careful, you're still bound to have something slip through the cracks.  If you are a PC user, that is.  That's why reviewing antivirus software was informational for me.  I've just been using the Security Center software that comes with my Internet service (McAfee) since it is free and seems to work fine.  After doing some research, though, I discovered a few titles that I had never heard of and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they are extremely powerful and in most cases, affordable.  There are even packages for Mac users because contrary to what some Mac users think, they can also get viruses.  While it is in fact true that Macs get viruses a lot less than PCs it is not because they are more secure.  Rather it is because Macs are owned in approximately 12% of US homes that have a computer. (as of Oct, 2009)  Why would a troublemaker make a virus that will only effect 12% of the US when you can target 80% of computer users by targeting PCs with the Windows OS?  They wouldn't.

Computer History for Laurence Mala - Post #1

As I reminisce about my early experience with computers I am taken back to 4th grade (1984) where I was fortunate enough to be involved in a program called the G&T (Gifted & Talented) program through the School District of Greenfield.  The program was designed to challenge and provide accelerated opportunities for advanced students.  I don't quite remember the criteria for belonging to this program but this is where I remember having my first exposure to computers.  The computer model that I worked with was an Apple IIe and I remember that the whole Greenfield School District (4 grade schools) only had 2 of them.  From what I remember we worked primarily with various software titles but I know that I was given the opportunity to do some really simple programming with graphics using the BASIC programming language.  I remember using commands like Color=Green, Plot, Hlin, and Vlin.  The Apple IIe used a 5 1/4" floppy drive for a lot of the software but it also had a tape drive.  An interesting aside is that at my very first job as a computer teacher (1998) we still had 4 Apple IIe's that were used for a reading program (Accelerated Reader??) along with a few other popular software titles like Oregon Trail and Number Munchers.  I also had 7 stand-alone PCs running Windows 95 to work with.  No Internet connection - No network.  Ahh...the good old days.

Soon thereafter (about 1988) I convinced my parents to purchase a Commodore 64 for me and that was my very first home computer.   I dabbled a little bit in trying to program with it (again using a form of BASIC) but there was only so much a 12-13 year old could do with a computer at that time.  I had a few software titles that made use of it's computing power like Koala Painter and a word processor but I ultimately started using it more and more for games.  Awhile back I downloaded a C64 emulator through which you can run just about any software that they made for the C64 from HERE.  While it was amusing to turn back the clock at first, I quickly grew tired of it and realized that I didn't miss it as much as I thought, haha.

Middle school came and it was more Apple IIe exposure even though it was somewhat outdated.  High school came and that began my first experience with DOS and IBM-compatible computers.  I owned PCs for the rest of my time from high school all the way through college.  In college I learned Fortran as part of my Engineering courses and then I took some C, C++, and Visual Basic(.net wasn't available yet) courses.

My computers since 1995 have had Windows operating systems ranging from Windows 95 to my current PC with Windows 7 (I skipped over Vista, thanks goodness).

It'll be good to review a lot of this information about hardware, operating systems, etc as I rarely get a chance to play around with those types of things nowadays.

Session 2 thoughts

Well, week 2 is well under way and we've been responsible for immersing ourselves in some pretty impressive tools to finish off this 1 credit intro class.  Some with an organizational nature like the Social Bookmarking sites, some with some impact on personal work habits and structure like the online storage sites, and some related to communication and distance-learning like the video conferencing using Skype.  While this class has been designed primarily as a preparation for us, as students, to start the process of online learning it has opened up a window to so much more for me on a professional level.  The big surprise for me is the impact it is having on my personal practices as well.
1.  I haven't stopped using Google Chrome at home since the Browser reviews.
2.  I am now signed up and using Diigo as a bookmarking tool (along with a Delicious account tied into it).  I haven't used the sharing features yet, but I haven't stopped brainstorming about it's possible uses.
3.  I have signed up for a SugarSync account and am currently using it for some basic online storage.  I have files on my home PC synced and I also installed the Android app for it on my phone.  My mind is bouncing with thoughts of all of the possible uses of an online storage site and how it would impact my work and personal habits.  I am kind of testing it out first with the files I currently tote around on my 2 flash drives and if all goes well I intend on making the switch.
4.  I've setup Skype on my PC and had a pretty impressive group video conference call with the 2 fellow colleagues.  I had used Skype sparingly a year or two ago but I only used the voice portion of it and if I remember the quality wasn't all that great.  Well, the voice AND video quality were spectacular and like the other tools mentioned above it has set my wheels spinning for possible professional and personal uses.
5.  I've even stumbled across a few sites on my quest for useful research documents that have provided me with some extra bonus networking resources like Scribd and LinkedIn.

All in all I would say that the "Cloud" is becoming a more realistically attainable goal than I had ever imagined.

I just attended an in-service through the Archdiocese of Milwaukee (my school district) on what we call "curriculum day".  More often than not I am stuck sitting through sessions that have little to do with my content area and rarely help me with my curriculum.  The librarian at my school felt the same way and decided to do something about it by designing and hosting a curriculum day of her own for her fellow media center colleagues for the second year in a row.  Hmmm...will this class provide me with the kind of forward thinking and initiative to do something similar for my computer teacher and technology coordinator colleagues next year?  So far so good.  :-)

Initial Thoughts about MEIT program - Session 1

     I feel it's important to provide a little background before I get into my initial thoughts about this program.  I have been a computer teacher in K-8 Catholic grade schools for 12 years now and I've always known that I would need to stay on top of my subject area more than other classroom teachers.  The next few years, however, will be the most pivotal years that I've ever been through regarding the transformation of my role as an educator and facilitator of technology in my school.  In the very near future there will no longer be a "stand alone" Technology Class (or teacher) as there is now.  No longer will classroom teachers drop their students off in the Tech Lab to learn about Excel, Inspiration, or Kid Pix from another teacher.  No longer will a separate computer teacher give those students grades based upon their skills in technology.  I've already witnessed these changes in the New Berlin Public schools.  A quick glance at the school staff rosters of these schools will provide insight into the direction that schools are headed when integrating technology into their school curriculum.  There are Coordinators of Instructional Technology and Technology & Library Media Specialists but no "Computer Teachers."  Various other schools have followed suit and we will be hot on their tails in order to stay competitive and follow the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Information and Technology Literacy.  In my opinion, within 2-4 years I will need to have the necessary knowledge and skills to be an onsite trainer/facilitator to the other teachers as technology is fully integrated into their classroom curriculum.
  
     That's where I'm hoping this MEIT Masters program will help me.  I am already dabbling in a lot of Web 2.0 tools and applications trying to help teachers but I'm hoping this class helps me become the resident expert that is needed when our school makes the changeover.  Even after this very first session I felt excited to get down and dirty with Google Docs because I have been talking about possibly using them for awhile and just never found the time to learn enough to become more than a beginning user.  Looking ahead at the course titles scheduled for this MEIT program gets me excited when I see things like "Enhancing Learning Materials Through Technology", "Facilitating Collaboration using Web 2.0", and "Facilitating Online Learning" to name a few.  I'm hoping this program helps advance my knowledge and skills as an educator of technology in this pivotal time of change.