Hello, my name is Susan, and I'm a Wi-fi-holic.

Hi, Susan.

It's been twenty-four hours since my last connection. I am staying with my parents in the northern regions of Michigan, and going through withdrawal. You see, despite their cable internet connection that is, at times, faster than my own (Comcastic my hinie), it will not allow me to connect my new Palm (did I mention my new Palm? I have a new Palm!) to the internet. Which means that I cannot have the internet at my fingertips anywhere but their computer.

Which is driving me crazy.

When did this happen? I knew I was addicted to e-mail, (tell me you aren't, and I'll buy you a beverage of choice at the next conference we attend together if you can prove it) but I had no idea I was addicted to wi-fi. I literally am finding myself daydreaming about using my Palm to search the internet for what I need (shut up - I told you I was a geek).

So here's my point; if I feel this way after twenty-four hours, what are we doing to our students? Many of them have phones that allow them instant access to information. Some have laptops, some have Palms themselves. When we take these away in the classroom, how many of our students feel the same way I do? And if that's true, then how can they possibly be expected to pay attention to a "normal" lesson? I can hardly take my mind off of my Wi-Fi-less-ness, and I've only been offline for twenty-four hours (and have access to a computer).

I am DEFINATELY changing the way I teach next year. What about you?

All I know is it is going to be a LONG week up North.

Technorati Tags:
Random, Education, Beyond Podcasting

Plans for Summer

My students have been talking about what they plan to do on their summer vacations, so I thought that I'd share mine.

Summer 2007

1. Sleep. I don't do enough of that during the school year.
2. Family. Enough said.
3. Tennis. I am helping with some camps this year, so I thought I'd throw that in here.
4. Laptops and Lattes (or possibly other beverages that start with "L"). I'm very excited about this one. A colleague of mine came up with the idea, and I love it. We are going to get together on Wednesdays and discuss ways of integrating techology into our classrooms. We are going to discuss Web 2.0 stuff, Moodle, podcasting, Gizmoz, and much, much more. I am SO excited about it!
5. MAHETC. That would be the Mid-Atlantic Handheld and Emerging Technologies Conference in Salisbury, Maryland. I will be one of the many presenters there, along with the likes of Tony Vincent. It is going to be so great!
6. (Real) Mobile Technology. As I am preparing my mobile classroom, I am trying to come up with ideas on how I can still integrate technology without having the classroom as my crutch. Right now, I have closets filled with stuff I've purchased - microphones, headphones, wires, etc, but I also haven't used it as much as I should. Now I need to reorganize myself and create more opportunities for technology while not having them in my closet for emergency I-have-five-minutes-left-let's-do-a-podcast integration. :)
7. Psychology. Now that I am switching gears, I would like to re-vamp the old curriculum and do more online-type stuff. Any suggestions for good online resources for psych? Let me know.
8. Presentations. I am drafting a new version of "Beyond Podcasting", which I am going to do at MAHETC. I am also creating a few new ones, such as "Classroom 2.0", "My Top-Ten Web 2.0: The Stuff I Can't Live Without", "Blogging 101" (unveiling at MAHETC), "Get a (Second) Life", and "Emerging Technologies: Why This Stuff Isn't Going To Go Away". Most of my presentations are about an hour long, but I can adapt them into workshops as well. Again, if you'd like to have me speak at your school/district/conference, please email me here.
9. Second Life. Yes, I dink around on there, but I really am doing a great amount of PD on there as well. I have met quite a few people that I consider to be good friends, and we have some great discussions on there. And yes, I want to come up with ways to use SL in my curriculum.
10. Reading. I read a lot of blogs, and I read a lot of magazines, but not a lot of books/e-books. While one of my projects for sure is to read the last Harry Potter (shut up - you know you want to read it, too), I want to read more about emerging technologies in the classroom. Please email me if you have any great suggestions.

Well, that's about it. I will blog throughout the whole summer, so please come, read, and comment. I find that I am much more passionate about PD (and teaching) in July than I am right now (again, I don't sleep), so you will probably see my postings increase around that time.

Have a great summer!

Technorati Tags:

Random, MAHETC 2007, Summer

Gizmoz - one of THE coolest things in a long time...

Thanks to Jane Nicholls for the heads-up on this cool new application.

First, watch this video clip:

Express Yourself with Gizmoz Video Clips

Okay, now let's talk about this for a minute!
1.) Yes, that really is my son (sort of). It was cropped from a picture I took of him when he was around 16 months old.
2.) Take a picture of each of your students. Make sure they aren't smiling (it's easier to animate when they aren't). Each day, your warm-up exercise (vocab activity, homework assignment, etc) is announced by a new student.
3.) You can VOIP and Skype with this too, thus putting a face (sort of) with a name.

I'm sure there are more, but I can't think right now.

So, what do you think? Do you like it? What uses can you see for it? Let me know!

I'm off to make another Gizmo head...I mean, grade. Yes, that's right. Grade final papers. ;)

Technorati Tags:
Beyond Podcasting, Education, Education of the Future, Random

Grant Idea

Hey podcasters!

I don't normally post grant ideas because - as an avid grant writer/searcher/hope-er/pray-er - I'm too busy trying to write them and get all the money for myself. But at the end of the day, it is about the kids. Not necessarily my kids (although I really could use a set of iPods). :)

I know I normally talk about BEYOND podcasting - meaning the screen on the iPod allows for interactive learning - not as much passive learning. However, this grant would give you a good place to start.

If you are just starting out, and don't have recorders/players to make your podcasts, this grand supplies the hardware, software, and a how-to book. A well-formed project would allow for other ways to create interactive learning. In other words, you could have the students do a radio broadcast, or you could have the students do a treasure hunt, using the other students' recordings as the clues.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to write your own grant and get started!

Technorati Tags:
Beyond Podcasting, Podcasting, Education

Does podcasting enhance oral literacies?

Jane Nicholls is currently researching the benefits of podcasting and would like some help conducting her research. She writes:

*** ICT U Can!: A request for help:
I am currently undertaking research looking at the question:
In what ways does podcasting enhance oral literacies?
I have been gathering data in my own context but I would love to hear what other teachers have found when using podcasting in their classroom programme and add voices from further a field into my final write up.
I hope that you can help her with this very important question.

I think that it most certainly does. Especially if you consider the learn/unlearn/relearn literacy that Toffler wrote about. My students are learning/unlearning/and relearning with every podcast that we do - whether they produce them or just consume them. What about you? Share your opinions with this New Zealand colleague. Thanks!

Technorati Tags:

Beyond Podcasting, iPods, podcasting

MoGoPLOP and other musings...

First, I would like to wish a warm welcome to all of the new readers out there. SL is an amazing networking tool, and my readership (is that a word? It is now...) has increased dramatically. Please check out the links that I have as well as the archived postings. I'm sure that I actually had something valid to say once...

Since it has been awhile since I wrote anything content related, I thought I would tell you all about how I created this marvelous review podcast for my kiddos with text, pictures, and sound.

But I can't.

Because MoGoPop hates me.

I have tried several billion times to create material, and each time it eats it. Yes, that's right, as in I spend an hour creating a podcast and it disappears.

I've contacted the tech-dudes at MGP, and they assure me that once they release the new system, all will be fixed. I just don't really believe them. It's been about three weeks now - how long are we talking?

Please don't get me wrong, I've spoken more than once about the wonders that are MoGoPop, but right now, I'm less than thrilled. It has worked for me in the past, and I am hopeful for the future, but I feel as wounded as a girl who believes her boyfriend is cheating on her. Why, MGP? Why?

I like MGP better than other programs I've tried because it will work with any iPod with a screen - NOT just the video (read: expensive) varieties. I know it will work in the future, but how does that help me now?

Oh MoGoPop, why do you hurt me so?

Technorati Tags:
Beyond Podcasting, Education, iPods, MoGoPop, Random

2nd Annual K12 Online Conference

Via Karl's Blog (among many others):

The deadline for proposal submissions is June 18th.
Announcing the second annual “K12 Online” conference for teachers, administrators and educators around the world interested in the use of Web 2.0 tools in classrooms and professional practice! This year’s conference is scheduled to be held over two weeks, October 15-19 and October 22-26 of 2007, and will include a preconference keynote during the week of October 8. This year’s conference theme is “Playing with Boundaries.” A call for proposals is below.

OVERVIEW:There will be four “conference strands”– two each week. Two presentations will be published in each strand each day, Monday - Friday, so four new presentations will be available each day over the course of the two-weeks. Each presentation will be given in any of a variety of downloadable, web based formats and released via the conference blog and archived for posterity.

FOUR STRANDS:
Week 1 Strand A: Classroom 2.0 Leveraging the power of free online tools in an open, collaborative and transparent atmosphere characterises teaching and learning in the 21st century. Teachers and students are contributing to the growing global knowledge commons by publishing their work online. By sharing all stages of their learning students are beginning to appreciate the value of life long learning that inheres in work that is in “perpetual beta.” This strand will explore how teachers and students are playing with the boundaries between instructors, learners and classrooms. Presentations will also explore the practical pedagogical uses of online social tools (Web 2.0) giving concrete examples of how teachers are using the tools in their classes.

Strand B: New Tools Focusing on free tools, what are the “nuts and bolts” of using specific new social media and collaborative tools for learning? This strand includes two parts. Basic training is “how to” information on tool use in an educational setting, especially for newcomers. Advanced training is for teachers interested in new tools for learning, looking for advanced technology training, seeking ideas for mashing tools together, and interested in web 2.0 assessment tools. As educators and students of all ages push the boundaries of learning, what are the specific steps for using new tools most effectively? Where “Classroom 2.0″ presentations will focus on instructional uses and examples of web 2.0 tool use, “New Tools” presentations should focus on “nuts and bolts” instructions for using tools. Five “basic” and five “advanced” presentations will be included in this strand.

Week 2 Strand A: Professional Learning Networks Research says that professional development is most effective when it aims to create professional learning communities — places where teachers learn and work together. Using Web 2.0 tools educators can network with others around the globe extending traditional boundaries of ongoing, learner centered professional development and support. Presentations in this strand will include tips, ideas and resources on how to orchestrate your own professional development online; concrete examples of how the tools that support Professional Learning Environments (PLEs) are being used; how to create a supportive, reflective virtual learning community around school-based goals, and trends toward teacher directed personal learning environments.

Strand B: Obstacles to Opportunities Boundaries formalized by education in the “industrial age” shouldn’t hinder educators as they seek to reform and transform their classroom practice. Playing with boundaries in the areas of copyright, digital discipline and ethics (e.g. cyberbullying), collaborating globally (e.g. cultural differences, synchronous communication), resistance to change (e.g. administration, teachers, students), school culture (e.g. high stakes testing), time (e.g. in curriculum, teacher day), lack of access to tools/computers, filtering, parental/district concerns for online safety, control (e.g. teacher control of student behavior/learning), solutions for IT collaboration and more — unearthing opportunities from the obstacles rooted in those boundaries — is the focus of presentations in this strand.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS:This call encourages all, experienced and novice, to submit proposals to present at this conference via this link. Take this opportunity to share your successes, strategies, and tips in “playing with boundaries” in one of the four strands as described above.
Deadline for proposal submissions is June 18, 2007. You will be contacted no later than June 30, 2007 regarding your status.

Presentations may be delivered in any web-based medium that is downloadable (including but not limited to podcasts, screencasts, slide shows) and is due one week prior to the date it is published.

Please note that all presentations will be licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.

As you draft your proposal, you may wish to consider the presentation topics listed below which were suggested in the comments on the K-12 Online Conference Blog:
Special needs education
Creative Commons
Second Life
podcasting
iPods
video games in education
specific ideas, tips, mini lessons centered on pedagogical use of web 2.0 tools
overcoming institutional inertia and resistance
aligning Web 2.0 and other projects to national standards
getting your message across
how web 2.0 can assist those with disabilities
ePortfolios
classroom 2.0 activities at the elementary level
creating video for TeacherTube and YouTube
google docs
teacher/peer collaboration

KEYNOTES:The first presentation in each strand will kick off with a keynote by a well known educator who is distinguished and knowledgeable in the context of their strand. Keynoters will be announced shortly.

CONVENERS:This year’s conveners are:
Darren Kuropatwa is currently Department Head of Mathematics at Daniel Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is known internationally for his ability to weave the use of online social tools meaningfully and concretely into his pedagogical practice and for “child safe” blogging practices. He has more than 20 years experience in both formal and informal education and 13 years experience in team building and leadership training. Darren has been facilitating workshops for educators in groups of 4 to 300 for the last 10 years. Darren’s professional blog is called A Difference (http://adifference.blogspot.com/). He will convene Classroom 2.0.

Sheryl Nusbaum-Beach, a 20-year educator, has been a classroom teacher, charter school principal, district administrator, and digital learning consultant. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member teaching graduate and undergraduate preservice teachers at The College of William and Mary (Virginia, USA), where she is also completing her doctorate in educational planning, policy and leadership. In addition, Sheryl is co-leading a statewide 21st Century Skills initiative in the state of Alabama, funded by a major grant from the Microsoft Partners in Learning program. Sheryl blogs at (http://21stcenturylearning.typepad.com/blog). She will convene Preconference Discussions and Personal Learning Networks.

Wesley Fryer is an educator, author, digital storyteller and change agent. With respect to school change, he describes himself as a “catalyst for creative educational engagement.” His blog, “Moving at the Speed of Creativity” was selected as the 2006 “Best Learning Theory Blog” by eSchoolnews and Discovery Education. He is the Director of Education Advocacy (PK-20) for AT&T in the state of Oklahoma. Wes blogs at (http://www.speedofcreativity.org/). Wes will convene New Tools.

Lani Ritter Hall currently contracts as an instructional designer for online professional development for Ohio teachers and online student courses with eTech Ohio. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who served in many capacities during her 35 years as a classroom and resource teacher in Ohio and Canada. Lani blogs at (http://possibilitiesabound.blogspot.com/). She will convene Obstacles to Opportunities.

QUESTIONS? If you have any questions about any part of this, email one of us:
Darren Kuropatwa: dkuropatwa {at} gmail {dot} com
Sheryl Nusbaum-Beach: snbeach {at} cox {dot} net
Lani Ritter Hall: lanihall {at} alltel {dot} net
Wesley Fryer: wesfryer {at} pobox {dot} com

Please duplicate this post and distribute it far and wide across the blogosphere. Feel free to republish it on your own blog (actually, we’d really like people to do that ) or link back to this post (published simultaneously on all our blogs).

Technorati Tags:
Beyond Podcasting, Education of the Future, Education, Random, K12 Online