"Back in the Saddle" and at it again

Okay, I have taken enough of a break and I am going to try to work on keeping this blog current.

I just spent the the first days of school talking to my students about what changes have happened and what are some things we can expect in terms of technology. Using the Shift Happens videos by Karl Fisch, I walked my students through the information putting it into context for them. I asked them to blog about their thoughts on the videos. They had mixed opinions, but I think overall came away with the idea that technology will become a bigger part of their lives.

Today, a friend emailed me a cool website, thewildernessdowntown. If you open that in Google Chrome and type in an address, it will play a music video based on the the address integrating Google Maps the the street view. Cool stuff and another example of how technology can be integrated more into our lives. Music video on demand based on info we supplied. Not exactly what is happening, but the effect is still there. Try it out.

Author: ‘iGeneration’ requires a different approach to instruction

Here is another good article that talks about the change in education that needs to happen for the "i-generation". I may not agree with all of it, but he does make a valid point about the need to "engage" our students. A statement that I would have said should be the responsibility of the student a few years back.

Author: ‘iGeneration’ requires a different approach to instruction

To read the whole article you will have to register with eschoolnews.com. There is no sales call and they have a lot of great articles all of which are archived for future reading.

Study: Too few schools are teaching cyber safety

One of the reasons I started this blog is to help teachers in our school by having a place to go when they have questions. Another reason is to have a place to voice opinions about what I believe we need to be doing/working on in schools with technology.

I have long voiced an opinion that we need to give our students access to the Internet at school so that we can teach them how to use it. By blocking content the only accomplishment we achieve is the avoidance of having to "DEAL" with it. As a result, our students graduate without any training on how to use the Internet with minimal consequences. The following article addresses the same issues. Please read and then talk to your administrator. Our students deserve to understand the benefits and consequences of the Internet.

 
Study: Too few schools are teaching cyber safety

To read the whole article you will have to register with eschoolnews.com. There is no sales call and they have a lot of great articles all of which are archived for future reading.

As an extra, read the following posted by David Truss.

Warning! We Filter Websites at School

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds

"If by some magic, autism had been eradicated from the face of the Earth, then men would still be socializing in front of a wood fire at the entrance to a cave." Temple Grandin

The following is her presentation at TED.

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds | Video on TED.com


 Here is the HBO Trailer to a film about her life.

The POD's are Coming

SlideShare Presentation created by David Truss on technology and our students. Thanks Rob for sharing this.

The POD's are Coming

5 ways to make linear navigation more interesting

Great info on creating linear learning. Sometimes learning involves clicking next.

5 ways to make linear navigation more interesting

Implementing tech tools, the ez way - Goomoodleikiog

When working with teachers, I try and steer clear of the term technology while helping them implement technology in their classroom. In most cases, I experience a kind of glaze over teacher's face when the word is mentioned. I think most believe as soon as technology is introduced to their classroom they will have to gear up spending a lot of time teaching the hows and whys while learning it themselves. I also don't like the idea of forcing new technology on the masses. I feel that in those kind of situations, only a few will listen and of those few, only a few of them will implement. The rest just have that "Oh Bother" look about them and then end up having negative thoughts not only on technology but on me. What ends up happening then, as I walk into any room, people scurry away fearful of the Sanchez tech retch. This is the way I felt and others reacted when I had a job as a facilitator and was instructed to do just what I described.

Instead, I would rather like to walk into a classroom and look for ways to implement technology in a seamless matter. As I observe, I take mental notes on possible ways to introduce a technology tool to their classroom in a manner that would only require a couple of hours of prep for them to be fully comfortable with the new "tool". I then will sit down with them and walk through the paces. When they are ready, I will come to class or will stop in time to time to make sure things are working okay.

Take a look at the following video. Here are some ideas that have been used by some of our staff here at CCMS. It seems that if you use the technology as a tool to help ease the work load, the classroom can become more manageable. This video is a example of 4 free tools that I have used and have found helpful in many ways. Take a look at their web site - Goomoodleikiog. There is much more information on the site about implement these and other techno tools in the classroom.