High Techpectations

Friday 5: More Web 2.0 Sites

If you've followed the Friday 5 for awhile, you probably already know that I am a fan of an internet phenomenon known as Web 2.0. According to Wikipedia, Web 2.0 is, "a phrase coined by O'Reilly Media in 2004, [that] refers to a perceived second generation of Web-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users." The second coming of the Internet includes web sites that you might have heard of, such as Flickr, Blogger, del.icio.us, You Tube, and MySpace. Each of these sites serves a different purpose; what they have in common is that they depend on user generated content. This content is easily shared with others using something called RSS feeds, and interaction with others is encouraged via comments, tags, ratings and linking to other sites. Web sites that fit this Web 2.0 genre bring people to together, allow others to collaborate, and help distribute content that can be used in new and different ways. I encourage you to try out one of these services to discover the power of Web 2.0. Flickr, a photo sharing site, is a great place to start.

This week's Friday 5 contains a few sites that are new to me. If you are really into these kind of web applications, make sure you check out this comprehensive list of other Web 2.0 sites.

Take care,

Lucy Gray
[email protected]

-----

1.    Swivel
http://www.swivel.com/

Swivel allows users to upload data, make charts and graphs, and share it with other in multiple ways. I first read about Swivel in Wired magazine, and it appears like it's not quite perfect and still in beta testing. Because it is so new, there's not a ton of data to look at, but I imagine this will change over time. Here's some data on Chicago Public Schools that can be viewed in different charts and graphs, for instance. It will be interesting to see how educators adapt Swivel for classroom use.

3.    Quimble
http://quimble.com/poll

Quimble lets you develop online polls that can be made public or private. I heard about this service recently on the EDTECH listserv.

4.     Scribd
http://www.scribd.com/

Kathy Shrock recently blogged about Scribd, which lets you upload PowerPoint presentations and other files. I like the nifty feature that reads this material to the viewer. Other similar sites worth checking out are SlideShare and ThinkFree.

5. ToonDoo
http://toondoo.com/Home.do

This site was mentioned on Steve Hargadon's new Classroom 2.0 Ning site, where educators are discussing how to incorporate Web 2.0 technologies into classrooms. ToonDo allows users to create and share cartoons using a bank of clip art. It's definitely nifty, but I'd hold off referring kids to this site as I ran into a cartoon that was not particularly kid friendly that was featured in the archive section of this site. As with any site where material is shared, it's wise to take a look around before deciding whether something is appropriate for kids. ToonDoo, however, is very handy for teachers looking to create a graphic for a newsletter, web site, presentation, etc.

Join the Classroom 2.0 Wiki

Link: classroom2dot0 - home . Steve Hargadon, a fellow Infinite Thinking Machine blogger, has started a collaborative document known as a wiki that focuses on using new technologies in the classroom. These web sites and applications are known collectively as Web 2.0 technologies, meaning that they represent the second coming of the Internet. This wave focuses on user generated, collaborative content.  Check out this wiki and think about how you can incorporate things like Google Docs and Spreadsheets, social bookmarking services, and video conferencing into your curricula. This site is definitely worth exploring. Steve has also started a social networking site for Classroom 2.0 stuff at Ning and the link is here. His goal seems to be to bring practical ideas for implementing these interactive and powerful technologies into classrooms, so please consider exploring,and possibly contributing to, his forums for making this happen!

The New Yorker Conference

Link: TNY: Conference.

Even though this event is sponsored by Microsoft, I'd attend if I lived in NYC. Well, maybe not for a $1200 registration fee, but that's way cheaper than TED and this seems to be fairly reminiscent of that event. Yet, somehow an announcement about this event ended up in MY mailbox... how exclusive can it be? :)

Friday 5: Online Teacher Networks

Friday 5: Online Teacher Networks

Dear Readers –

Last week, I spent a glorious day at Google’s New York office assisting with their new education initiative, the Google Teacher Academy. Participants in this day-long professional development event are now part of the Google Certified Teacher learning community, along with teachers from the first GTA held in Mountain View, California, late last year.

Google Certified Teachers are actively sharing ideas in a Google Group created just for them, and this has reminded me of the potential power of online communities. Virtual places can serve as support for teachers at any level, and it’s a huge convenience to participate in a professional development activity at anytime from any internet-connected computer. Judging from the enthusiasm of these Google Certified Teachers, educators are truly yearning for opportunities to connect and collaborate.

While the Google Certified Teacher program is open only to those who’ve participated in academies, there are many other places where teachers can find similar opportunities. For instance, my professional life has indelibly improved by my participation in the Apple Distinguished Educator program, which is currently taking applications for a new class of ADEs. The deadline is February 28, so consider applying as soon as possible! Please note that some of the communities cited in this week list do not require application for membership, however. There is something for everyone out there!

I suspect that Second Life probably also has some learning communities for teachers, too, but I have yet to dive into this virtual world. Maybe this summer I will take the plunge!

Have a great weekend,

Lucy Gray

1.    Tapped In
Create a virtual office in Tapped In and participate in various activities in this space.

2.    National Geographic Education Network

3.    EdWeek
EdWeek has several community tools within its extensive web site. Check out:

• Teachers with Cameras
• Ask the Mentor
• Teacher Blogs
• Teacher TalkBack

4.    Discovery Educator Network

5.    Golden Apple Foundation’s Teaching Excellence Network

Live From New York...

Link: Google For Educators.

I'm sleepless in the city that never sleeps as I'm visiting New York to help with the second Google Teachers Academy. I'm holed up in my cozy little hotel room at the Pod Hotel, which reminds me very much of the hotel in which I stayed in Berlin last summer. I suppose I am just too wound up after a stressful day of travel which included losing my luggage.

Pictures to come....

EPIC 2014

Link: EPIC 2014.

My co-presenter at the NAIS conference, Ann Hamel, sent me this movie today, and it's an interesting timeline of recent trends and speculation on what the future holds in terms of media... definitely food for thought in light of the video I posted yesterday and everything else that's been reeling through my brain as of late.

Friday 5: Video Games in Education

Hi All –

 

Today’s list is inspired by an event that took place last night sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation . The foundation recently announced a fifty million dollar initiative to investigate digital media and learning, and this panel discussion is the first of several regional events planned.  The following links are related to the panelists and the ensuing conversations that took place after their initial comments.

While many may be dismissive of the value of video games in education, I would recommend that educators keep an open mind to the possibilities. Engaging simulations, not the drill and kill types of games,  can potential immerse children in new experiences and problem solving situations. In his remarks to the assembled group, Jonathan Fanton, President of the MacArthur Foundation, cited statistics from the Pew Internet and American Life Project  that indicate that our kids already deeply engaged in digital media and communication. It is clear, to me at least, that education must roll with and adapt to these changes.

I found last night’s discussions to be inspiring, yet I still have a few questions.  For instance, David Williamson Shaffer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison noted that computers are very important because they have caused the transformation of information. I agree, but I wonder how many other educators would share this view. I think many people believe that face-to-face interactions with their students cannot be replaced with technology, and others simply have not stumbled upon the potential power of computers in a personally meaningful way.

Secondly, it was clear to me that the panel participants are forward thinking people who are not challenged by change. I wonder how they expect schools to adapt to new models of learning when traditionally, most schools change very slowly. Does technology change too rapidly for schools to keep up? And if so, why is innovation not embraced more in schools? And, how does school change affect students? Those are just a few of the questions that come to my mind.

Anyway, I hope you are as interested in this topic as I am, and that you’ll take some time to explore the following links. Hopefully, I will blog more about my thoughts on this topic...

Lucy Gray
[email protected]

David Williamson Shaffer, The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Epistemic Games

Sasha Barab, Indiana University
Quest Atlantis

Games mentioned by Sasha:

• Animal Crossing 
• Trauma Center
• Bully
• World of Warcraft

Nichole Pinkard, Center for Urban School Improvement, University of Chicago
iRemix

 Spotlight Blog on Digital Media and Learning | Ecology-of-Games

Games for Change

The Video Game Revolution: “Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked” by Henry Jenkins | PBS

This specific site wasn’t mentioned by the panel, but the author of this piece, Henry Jenkins,  and his work at MIT with media literacy was cited. He also has a blog: http://www.henryjenkins.org/.

Second Life
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

The directior of information technology at my school, Curt Lieneck, passed on this video today. I showed it to both of my sixth grade classes, although it might have been a bit over their heads. It explains web 2.0 pretty well and is cleverly produced. My classes definitely preferred this video to the one that inspired it in the first place.

Friday 5: Special Mystery Guest: Google SketchUp & Architecture

Hi All -

I am pleased to present our first Friday 5 Special Mystery Guest, Fred
Bartels, Director of Information Technology at Rye Country Day School
in Rye, New York. Fred is an innovator and is constantly exploring new
ideas involving the uses of technology. For more information about him, please visit this link. He has also been instrumental in the development of the
School Computing Wiki.

Various friends and acquaintances will be making similar special
appearances on the Friday 5 during 2007.  If you are interested in
contributing a list of sites devoted to your interests or areas of
expertise, drop me an email and I'll send you additional details.

Enjoy,
Lucy Gray
[email protected]

Fred's Friday 5:

Google SketchUp is a wonderfully accessible 3-D design program that is available for both Macs and Windows. Even better, there is a free version. With SketchUp, students can easily and quickly develop all kinds of designs. My particular interest is architecture and what follows are 5 of the best websites to support using SketchUp to learn about and create architecture.

1. Google SketchUp's home page and Google SketchUp Pro's home page. On the second URL, under the Education tab, you can find many examples of student work.

http://sketchup.google.com/
http://www.sketchup.com

2. The Google SketchUp Warehouse. A huge and rapidly growing collection of free-to-use SketchUp models submitted by SketchUp users from around the world.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse

3. The Designing with SketchUp Infowiki. A wiki resource for teachers and students interested in SketchUp and architecture.

http://dws.editme.com/

4. An excellent video podcast with clear explanations on how to design with SketchUp.

http://go-2-school.com/podcasts

5. Architecture Week, a great online "magazine" about architecture. They have very good pricing for educators.

http://www.architectureweek.com/

Welcome to Jim Collins.com

Link: Welcome to Jim Collins.com.

My friend and co-presenter at NAIS this year, Ann Hamel, recommended this book to me tonight. I'm entering this into my blog because I don't want to forget to read this. While checking out the bio page on this web site, one statement struck me:

Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies -- how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies

I want to be more of a student of great schools... and I think my next step in life is to start working on a doctorate with the goal of exploring change and innovation in schools. And, it seems that educators kind of bristle when people start comparing schools to corporations. I think there's a lot to be learned from businesses in terms of innovation, not in terms of the bottom line, and that we shouldn't be so quick to write off business as potential role models. Just a few random thoughts....

3 Favorite Companies

What follows is an unabashed endorsement of three companies....

While visiting a bookstore yesterday with my two kids, I was reminded that I am consistently impressed with the products of three publishing/gaming companies, DK Publishing, Inc., Cranium and Klutz. If you don't have children, you might not be familiar with them, but they generally publish some interesting and innovative material. Usually I find their products in independent toy stores, which I am always combing for unique playthings for my kids, but increasingly, you'll see their stuff in places like Target and Toys R Us.  Incidentally, I have to commend Target for developing a nicely balanced toy department... lots of toys that help children develop their imaginations balanced with the inevitable crap like Bratz dolls.

Anyway, I checked out their web sites and there's some interesting stuff out there that you might not know about.  At DK Publishing, which is known for publishing well designed tomes with amazing graphics, there is a section on one of their books I purchased yesterday called PIck Me Up. I found it in the reference section at Borders when I was browsing for nothing in particular. It's really different, divided in to general sections with articles on various topics which in turn are linked by page number references to other topics. It sort is a hyperlinked encyclopedia without being published on the internet.  There's an accompanying interactive web site if you're interested in checking this out. On the main DK site, check out their clip art section which features free images.

Cranium mainly produces games which are clever, fun, and innovative. When my daughter was little, we liked this treasure game and we've also been fans of Hullabaloo. We have a couple more games, too, that we haven't broken out yet and I noticed that they've expanded their line to include more learning activity oriented things such as this talking picture book which I purchased for this Christmas for my daughter. Cranium seems to be coming out with new games all the time, and there's one on pop culture called Pop5 .  On their web site, you can a round of the game, which includes video clues, and even submit your own video clips for consideration. Even if you're not into the game, I think this creative idea has implications for those of us into moviemaking with our students. Also, you can sign up for a newsletter on fun activities. I wonder if teachers are using Cranium games in classrooms; it would be nice if they had a Cranium for Educators section to their web site.

And finally, Klutz is a company started by two Stanford students and eventually was acquired by Scholastic. My kids love their activity books that come with everything you need. For instance, my son received a Super Hero Starter Kit for Christmas, which comes with a red satin cape and a slew of masks, badge stickers and paper bracelets for creating your own SuperHero persona. It's been a big hit with Henry. My daughter loves their velvet art book and a paper stained glass one, too. I'd much rather have her spend time immersed in these books than playing with the overpriced and poorly made Polly Pocket Cruise Ship that she wanted so desperately.

Kudos to these companies for making quality things that appeal to children as well as parents and that promote criticial thinking and creativity.

Friday 5: Online Collaboration

This week’s list was inspired by a workshop led by GlobalSchoolNet founders at NECC last summer. While I’ve been aware of this web site for some time, I previously hadn’t taken the time to explore its great resources. I am just now starting to, and in the wake of my recent  Google Earth extravaganzas, students in my afterschool program and I have come up with a project to share. Please feel free to join in any time between now and June.

Clearly, one of the benefits of today’s technologies is the ability to connect and learn from others around the world. Hopefully, you’ll find one project or idea from the following list that will inspire you to reach out!

Stayed tuned in the coming weeks as we will have some special mystery guest authors of the Friday 5... I've invited some friends and acquaintances to share a bit of their interests and expertise with us. If you'd like to participate, shoot me an email!

Lucy Gray
[email protected]

1)    Education World’s Internet Archives – Site Reviews – Collaborative Projects

2)    ED Teacher’s Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet

This list contains many links to established and well regarded programs that promote online educational collaboration.

3)    A Sampler of International Web Projects from Edutopia

4)    Technospud Projects

Check out the calendar page for upcoming projects that seems pretty manageable.

5)    The International Telementor Program

This sounds like a great way to connect students with a virtual mentor. There is a cost involved of $200 per student.

6)    The GLOBE Program

This looks like an amazing science program, and it appears that there needs to be some commitment on the part of participating schools to regarding training.

Supporting Families Who Travel

During my lunch duty stint yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with my colleague, Mark Wagner (no, not the ITM one...) about students missing school for travel. When I taught in the public school system, "perfect" attendance was such the mantra, and now I look back and see how unrealistic and undesirable that really is. I suppose some of that propaganda is important with families who don't send their kids to school for not so great reasons, but here at Lab, it's a different story.

Because of our connections to the University of Chicago, many students hail from various countries or their parents' work involves a great deal of travel abroad, so it's not surprising that we have students who accompany their parents on trips, especially at this time of year. Mark and I discussed how easy it would be for parents to keep in touch with school matters if they had access to a laptop while traveling. We then moved on to thinking about kids blogging about their experiences from wherever they were and then we topped that by musing about providing a generic set of open ended digitally oriented assignments for kids on the road. Mark really capped it off by thinking that we actually give families a laptop to borrow in these cases. We have loaners for teachers' computers that are taken in for repair, why not have some available to families to record their experiences while traveling?

While I don't know the feasibility of all of this, I like the "thinking outside of the box"  aspect to such an idea. What a concept.. we actually accommodate our students instead of throwing a slew of busy work at them. I think that this could definitely work if we ever adopt a 1 to 1 program. Just wanted to jot this idea down before here before it escapes my brain.

Friday 5: Google Earth

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I just looked through my group archives, and I can’t believe I have never compiled a Friday 5 devoted to Google Earth. It is such an amazing application, and once you’ve experienced it, I think you’ll agree that it has great implications for enhancing teaching and learning.

A couple of projects have occupied me during the last couple of weeks. I’ve been playing with Google Earth and I have even started collaborative projects using Google Earth files. Inspired by a fellow Apple Distinguished Educator who collected holiday greetings in audio format and podcasted them for the ADE group, Ken Tuley and I came up with the idea of posting New Year’s resolutions from around the world using Google Earth. Several ADEs created a file of a Google Earth place mark indicating where they currently live or work, and put New Year’s resolutions into the description field of the place mark. Files were emailed to me and I compiled them, simply by dragging and dropping .kmz files into a folder. I then emailed the main file back to all participants. It was great fun to “fly” around the world, seeing people’s homes and gathering inspiration from various New Year’s resolutions.

I’ve started another similar project, and this one is geared for all teachers and students. Participants again will create a place mark indicating their home, workplace, or other special location. In the description field, they are supposed to write a paragraph or two about their favorite teacher and/or learning experience. I’ll collect these files via email, and put them into one file that will be posted on my blog and in the Google Earth Community. Follow the link below if you’d like to participate… detailed directions are included.

Have a great weekend,

Lucy Gray
[email protected]

THE BASICS

1)    Google Earth
http://earth.google.com/

Download the free software here.

2)    Google Earth – Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Earth

A little background info on GE.

3)    Google Earth Community: Teacher Meme
http://tinyurl.com/yfnfux

This is the link to my current project. Join the fun!

4)    The Good Earth
http://www.edutopia.org/1661

Read about how teachers are using Google Earth in this Edutopia article.

NEXT STEPS

5)   Google Earth Education Community
http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/dherring/ge/googleearth.htm

6)   Juicy Geography’s Google Earth for Teachers
http://www.juicygeography.co.uk/googleearth.htm

5)    Tom Barrett’s Classroom Google Earth Wiki
http://classroomgoogleearth.wikispaces.com/

Lots of great resources can be found here and if you feel inspired, you can add your school’s location to a collection of files from other schools.

6)    Google Earth Users Guide
http://googlearthusersguide.blogspot.com/

7)    Google Earth Wikipedia Layer
http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2006-12-10-n72.html

This is a blog post about a relatively new feature in Google Earth.

8)    Virtual Globetrotting
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/

9)    Google Earth Blog
http://www.gearthblog.com/

Click on the links labeled GE to download the file and view in Google Earth.

10)     Google Sightseeing
http://googlesightseeing.com/

11)     Official Google Blog: The Illuminated Continent
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/illuminated-continent.html

National Geographic naturally has content viewable in Google Earth.

DEEP CUTS

12)     GeoGreeting
http://www.geogreeting.com/

Send a fun message to a friend using satellite images. Thanks to Charlene Chausis for this link!

13)     Geography 2.0: Virtual Globes: Google Earth Education Initiative
http://geography2.blogspot.com/2005/12/google-earth-education-initiative.html

Get a free copy of Google Earth Pro for your school. Follow the instructions posted in this blog.

14)     Google SketchUp
http://sketchup.google.com/

Create 3-D models in SketchUp and import them into Google Earth.  You thought Google Earth was mind blowing? Wait until you try this!

15)     Google 3D Warehouse
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/

Store and share SketchUp files here. Check out Fred Bartel’s collection of designs for 21st Century schools:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?q=21st+century+school&btnG=Search
and his Designing with SketchUp Infowiki : http://dws.editme.com/.

Iconoclasts

Link: Iconoclasts.

I love to know more about visionary people, and I finally sat down tonight and watched an episode of Iconclasts, a series on the Sundance Channel in which two societal standouts are paired together to discuss their work and vision. In this particular episode Dean Kamen, inventor of numerous things including the Segway, meets with Isabella Rossellini, the actress. I've caught a few minutes of episodes featuring Eddie Vedder and Laird Hamilton as well as Quetin Tarantino and Fiona Apple as well, but tonight marked the first time I've seen close to an entire episode. I found it to be quite inspiring and probably of interest to anyone who is curious about innovation.

A couple things I'd like to note about this as I don't have much time to write an indepth review:

-Iconclasts reminds me very much of the intent behind the TED conference, sort of meeting of the minds in television format.
-Dean Kamen notes that creating solutions to problems is not hard; it's changing attitudes and finding people with courage to enact solutions that is hard. He has created inventions that can bring fresh water and electricty to underdeveloped areas of the world, but to get the powers to be to take advantage of such technological advances is amazingly frustrating.
-At the end, Kamen says something along the lines of he feels the need to put more back into the world than he takes out. He clearly felt the need to make every minute count on this planet, and this came from his father who is an amazing artist.
-Isabella Rossellini is truly luminous. She raises dogs for the blind, which I thought as interesting and has invested time and money in wildlife organizations. She said that curiousity drives her. And she also mentioned something about acting and storytelling. Is storytelling just a big buzz word these days or a theme that runs through so much of humanity?

Just thought I'd post about this as reminder to myself to TiVo this program... the web site is okay (too many mentions of sponsor Grey Goose) but it could be so much more...

Friday 5: Flickr Groups

Happy Friday!

I’ve been stewing all week, trying to decide on a theme for this week’s edition. While browsing the Edublogs Awards blog, I discovered a great entry in the Best Audio and/or Visual Blog category called Classroom Displays. The author, Linda Hartley, also runs an accompanying wiki  and Flickr group . 

This Flickr group inspired me to search for other education related ones, and these groups make up this week’s Friday 5. While I have used Flickr for a year or two to manage photos, I haven't explored it as much as I probably should. It dawned on me while viewing Linda’s group that this is a superb way for people, and teachers in particular, to share their experiences and ideas visually. Take a look and I think you will agree. I would have appreciated seeing examples of other teachers' work when I was new to the profession!

If you are unclear on the Flickr concept, check out these links for a little background info. Also, keep in mind that Flickr membership is free, although I recommend the Pro memberships for added benefits which is a reasonble $25 per year.

Flickr – Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr

MediaMazine: Flickr Tutorial Series http://www.indezine.com/mediamazine/2006/05/flickr-tutorials-series.html

5 Steps to Getting that Flickr Group off the Ground – PaulStamatiou.com
http://paulstamatiou.com/2006/02/24/5-steps-to-getting-that-flickr-group-off-the-ground/

Also, browse the aforementioned Edublogs Award site and you will notice that the Infinite Thinking Machine is nominated for the best group blog category. Consider voting for the ITM as it’s a new project with which I am involved!

Take care,

Lucy Gray
[email protected]

1)    Montessori Education Flickr Group
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr

This group is not particularly active nor large in terms of membership, but there are a fair amount of pictures to view.

2)    e-Artcasting Flickr Group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/e-artcasting

This project is not directly related to education, but the idea here is document museum visitor’s experiences. I think I am going to add some of my Louvre pictures from last summer to this collection.

3)    Educational Bloggers Flickr Group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/

This group is larger in size with about 160 members, and there seems to be a fair amount of discussion on the group Flickr site.

4)    Flickr For Education Group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/

5)    Elementary Art Flickr Group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/

6)    NECC 2006
http://www.flickr.com/groups/necc2006/

7)    Illinois Technology Conference for Educators Flickr Group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/il-tce/

I’m on the organizing committee for this conference, so please excuse another shameless plug. There should be many more photos in this pool in March!

1:1 Laptops Transforming Classrooms: Yeah, Sure

I found this article by Stanford professor Larry Cuban in the TCRrecord enewsletter today, and while I am a proponent of laptop programs, I do understand Cuban's point. He urges us to look to higher ed in order to learn some important lessons. The message here seems to be not to look at 1 to 1 programs as a panacea if one is looking to reinvigorate pedagogical practices. Cuban's main points based on his research and observations of higher ed technology integration practices are:

1. Professor and student use of new technologies is widespread in doing assignments, preparing lessons, Internet searches, and email, but lags far behind in daily classroom use.

2. Even with abundant access and slowly increasing use among professors, few marked changes in pedagogy have occurred.

We're very tentatively investigating 1 to 1 programs at my school and one thing I discovered from a recent site visit to the Avoca school district in Wilmette, Illinois, was that laptops do not need to be this glamorous symbol of educational transformation in a school. At Avoca, laptops seem to be a normal, integrated part of the school just as textbooks, microscopes, televisions, and gym equipment. It's important for a school to keep their expectations in check regarding such programs. Why start with the goal of transforming the teaching and learning experience? Is there still a place for laptops in a school if we "lower" our expectations? It doesn't seem to be a natural use of these machines in the context of expecting massive educational change, and maybe the magical transformation we are all looking for in education will happen in unexpected ways. I'm beginning to think that the approach should be to look at laptop programs as a methodology for giving our students tools in order to access the best educational content and 21st century communication tools. If pedagogy is something we want to change, then we need to dive deeper beneath the surface of laptop programs and focus on innovating basic teaching practices.

Also, as a counterpoint to Cuban's seemingly lack of enthusiasm for computers in schools, I found this study by Henry Jay Becker that seems to indicate that more constructivist oriented teachers are more successful at integrating technology into their classrooms in meaningful ways.

read more | digg story

1.4 million get a virtual life | Chicago Tribune

Link:
1.4 million get a virtual life | Chicago Tribune
.

Am I late to the Second Life party? I searched my NetNewsWire feeds and pulled up 34 references to Second Life, an online virtual reality experience that sounds similar to a role-playing game. I guess I haven't been paying attention, but this website found in someone's del.icio.us bookmarks made me start trying to get my brain wrapped around this concept last week and then amazingly enough, this front page story appeared in the Sunday Chicago Tribune. It turns out several of my ADE colleagues are into Second Life, too, and I've been warned that Second Life is very addictive. I've made a character, Lucy Daffodil, but I've yet to get past the tutorial stage and I'm not doing very well navigating! Anyway, I am intrigued by how real life companies are doing things in Second Life and how excited people are about the potential of this environment. I must learn more! Oh... and one of my students tells me that there is a teen version for kids thirteen years old and up.

tags technorati : secondlife

Friday 5: From the Blogosphere

Friday 5: From the Blogosphere

Hi All –

I am an avid fan of keeping track of web site content via a newsreader. Examples of newsreaders include Bloglines, Google Reader, and my personal favorite, NetNewsWire. Web browsers such as Safari and Firefox have built in newsreaders, too. I subscribe to web sites, blogs and podcasts and headlines from these sources appear in my newsreader. After reading a headline, I  can choose to read  a full entry by clicking on the headline. It is a time saving, powerful process that makes it possible for me to monitor information without visiting a gazillion individual web sites.

Recently, I had a chance to catch up in my usual daily perusal of material stored in my newsreader and today’s list are highlights of interesting things I came across.

Enjoy,

Lucy Gray
[email protected]

1)    Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0: Part 1
http://www.solutionwatch.com/512/back-to-school-with-the-class-of-web-20-part-1/

Web 2.0 refers to the second wave of the internet in which there are many web based applications allowing users to interact and generate their own content. There are a ton of Web 2.0 tools listed here that could potentially be used in your classroom for free.

2)    Slideshare
http://slideshare.net/login

There are sites such at You Tube or Google Video that allow users to share short video clips. Now, there’s Slideshare where one can post and share PowerPoint presentations. I haven’t tried it yet as it’s still in beta testing, although I have requested in an invitation to join.

3)    bgblogging: Books, Books, Books
http://mt.middlebury.edu/middblogs/ganley/bgblogging/2006/08/books_books_books.html

Middlebury professor Barbara Ganley has a great post about books that have moved her. Other bloggers should answer the same questions posted here with their own selections to keep this meme going. I am going to have to think about what I’d post! I think this is a fun blogging activity; it's interesting to see the impact of books on people.

4)    Introduction to 90 Online File Storage Services – lifehack.org
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/introduction-to-90-online-file-storage-services.html

Here you can find a solution to storing and sending large files in this long list of mostly free services.

5)    TagLoops.com
http://tagloops.com/

Make online web movies using images, audio and text at this web site. Again, it’s still being tested, so you need to request an invitation.

Global Education .Mac Group

I'm interested in continuing the conversation about global awareness, and I've taken the liberty of starting a .Mac group on this topic. I've never really taken advantage of .Mac groups before, so this provides an opportunity to explore this tool as well.

My goal is to provide an inclusive forum for ADEs, informal external partners, and other interested educators to discuss and share anything related to global education. Many ADEs who attended this year's institute consulted outside resources in preparation for the trip; this forum may be a way to include these groups. I see this .Mac group as a vehicle for sharing resources, collaborating on projects, and for possibly garnering feedback on our various curriculum projects. I am sure there are other ideas that we can come up with regarding how to best utilize this resource.

If you'd like to join this group, please send me an email at [email protected] or [email protected], and I'll send you an invitation with instructions on how to join. Feel free to pass this on to other people that may be interested as well. Participants do not need an active .Mac account to join, only a .Mac ID.

tags technorati : adeinstitute2006 global education

TEDTalks in iTunes

TED is a technology, entertainment and design invite only conference for people on the forefront of innovation. I've always been inspired by the TED Blog and I'm glad to see the addition of TEDTalks. Now we little people can listen to and watch some of the same stuff our cultural celebrities and geniuses have been privvy to. This is another great resource for those of us interested in thinking outside of the box! Take time to explore the TED website because it will lead you off in all sorts of tangents.