Learning Lots

Big day for new experiences in Web 2.0...uploaded a PowerPoint to Slideshare , used Audacity to make a voice recording and combined them into a slidecast. This took some time because uploading was interrupted several times, probably from my slow internet connection. Also made new pages and links to organize my Wiki and inserted a show from Slideshare. Took time to find all the features and figure out how to use them, but not it seems easy and a great way to share presentations with students and parents. The only glitch I see is that it is not private to my knowledge. This might work for student work, but probably not photos.

Some day 3 reflections...

Still thinking about day 3 from Friday and some of the neat opportunities. I have been fiddling around with Tweetdeck today and watching some of the info come across. Is there an easy way to recognize spam?

I also like learning how to use slideshare to narrate presentations and would like to pursue conversations about the flipped classroom idea.

I embedded a slideshare presentation onto my wiki page and was able to try a poll on twitter which took awhile to figure out.

Lots to consider for fall lesson planning.

To go paperless or not…

…that is the question. I have flirted with this idea in the past but never really made the commitment. The thought is brought up in Richardson in chapter 5 or maybe that’s where I had the thought again. My first real experience with the labor pains of switching over to a paperless system came outside of education actually. I was working at an accounting firm and made the switch from summer receptionist fill-in to assistant office manager in charge of billing no district in suburban Philadelphia wanted to hire. That is a tough job market. Anyway, part of my responsibilities was to scan in years of back paper trail in terms of accounts receivable and payable. They had just purchased two new copiers with scanning capabilities that sent document straight to the company’s shared folder. Neat. Snooze. It’s a necessary evil when converting. What to do with all the old paper? Have the kid we don’t pay much stand at the copier all day. It made sense to head in that direction. The younger partners there were already completing their billing on their own in the system while the more seasoned accountants still required reams of paper to be print out for all their clients, handwriting the bills, and providing me with a daily exercise in interpreting chicken scratch. Paperless then popped up again in the first CFF course I took and again last spring when I took a class with a Family and Consumer Science teacher who turned her classroom paperless. It is somewhere I want to go. With everything I’ve learned in the past three days it seems much more possible, but is it really? I have to get over myself. I find it so much easier and actually quicker to grade writing by hand. Well, maybe I should write less on their writing. It would cut down on the time I take printing student work from Moodle. It’s so wasteful, but grading writing and I are pretty much frenemies. I act like we get along to everyone else, but behind her back, I’m spreading some pretty bad rumors. Going paperless would cut down on the time I spend in line at the copier, the copier that is out of order every other day. That would be a nice change. But what about the one or two students that do not have computers or internet access at home. High school is a delicate balance. I would hate to be the reason they hate it even more. Although, I do honestly find this frustrating and I know this is almost an unfair feeling for me of all people to have. How must those kids feel? But, I really do find this limiting. I can’t assign things to be done paperless if not everyone has the technology to make it work. Well, I guess I could. Will the one kid turning it in on paper being doing so with resentment?  We’re moving into the newly built school after this coming school year. Maybe new school, new attitude?

About Today (or yesterday since it is 12:30)

I knew I was behind (having been out of tech teaching for 10 years), but am starting to see the light. I love the tools but find they take a different skill set or system to use... passwords, bookmarking, etc. The practice of using the skills all day while learning about new tools is helping me adjust. This is better than taking a half day class and not using the technology for some time.

So many great tools for student use. Hope to narrow down to those that will work best in my class.

Productive Practice This Evening

As a review of class today, I placed two YouTube videos on my web page. They are introductory training videos for Sketchup, which I use with Middle School. Also added a link to a Sketchup training site to Diigo.

You may want to check out these videos if you use Sketchup.

Part of Sullivan Ballou's Letter to His Wife Sarah

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me - perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar -- that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night -- amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours - always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

Interesting Stuff Today!

First, I appreciated the opportunity to see backchanneling in action and the discussion that ensued about different kinds of presentations and opportunities for backchanneling in the classroom. I really liked the website that didn't require students to create an account, but still listed them by name. I understand the benefits of it being anonymous, but it's easier for me to assess where the students are at if I can see who is asking what question.

I also enjoyed playing around with google forms today and some of the gadgest that go along with it. The script that grades the form was very easy to use and I can see a lot of application for that in the classroom. The only problem is the grading requires one correct answer and many times we use google forms to share data, all of which is different.

It was also helpful to see how diigo groups worked. I had a diigo account which is very convenient, but the toolbar is great (I won't uninstall it) and it was useful. I was on some other documents that had notes (is that what they're called?) from others which was helpful to see.

All in all, a highly productive day!