Week 15: Ending with the Beginning in Mind!

From Cartoonstock.com

Well, we have reached the end of another semester.  My favorite thing about the end of the semester is to look at the blogs/work of the students who seemed most afraid of this class or technology only to discover that their work is often of the highest quality.  My goal was to teach everyone the value of technology in education as a medium of instruction and to empower the student to have the confidence that she/he could facilitate this type of instruction in the classroom.  I can tell you that I believe that each of you can be that type of teacher if you so choose.  So, for that thank you!

This Week:  On to my least favorite part of the semester: TaskStream ;-)  I would like everyone to take a collective breath, hold it . . .now let it out.  When you are writing your narratives, think about how you would explain to a principal what you created, how you created it, and then discuss why your creation (artifact) meets the NETS-T.  Easy, right?  Anyway, in class this week you will be peer reviewing each others' blogs and completing the emerging technology checklists.  I will be consulting with each of you individually on your TaskStream narratives and give you feedback in the moment as to how complete the narratives are.  If you haven't finished writing your narratives, you will spend the majority of the class time writing. 

Please don't forget to complete the online professor evaluation.  I definitely use the feedback I receive to make the course better for students!

This Week's Question:  What is the best thing you will take away from this course?

Week 14: Are you a Tortoise or a Hare?

It appears that we are finally reaching the end of the semester.  If all things are right in your world, then you need only to finish your iMovie PSA project and write the final narratives for NETS-T 3-5.  If all things are not right in your world, then you are behind and have a lot of catching up to do.  I have graded and regraded everything except the Google Sites on cybersafety for Monday's class and will have everything graded for Thursday's class before class on Thursday.  For the Google Sites, please tell me who is in your group and what specific page(s) you worked on to make it easier for me to assess.  Also, please go back through your assignments to ensure you have received credit for your work.  If you have not, read my comments and resubmit any missing work ASAP (for Thursday class, give me a couple days to finish re-grading).

This Week:  We will be finishing the iMovie projects and ensuring you can embed them on your blog.  Bring your emerging tech checklist so I can help you with any work you need to get on your blog.  I will also go over the final NETS narratives and discuss which artifacts are going where (CLICK HERE to get access to some student samples).  Remember, my goal for next week is to have everyone finished with his/her TaskStream narratives completed and ready to discuss with me in class.  Ideally, when you leave class next week,  you will be finished with the course (he says with high hopes and fingers' crossed).

If you need extra help, please, please, talk to me and schedule a time to meet either this week or next.  I can make myself available, but I am not willing to work harder than my students are at their work ;-)

This Week's Question:  What has been your favorite assignment in this class and why?

Week 13: Bring on the Learning Revolution!

Aside from the final TaskStream narratives for NETS-T 3-5, we will begin our last assignment this week.  To go along with all of the mad tech skills you already have, we are going to add film editor to the mix!  Using some stock footage that I took on campus, you will all create PSAs (public service announcements) about CSUSM.  The tool we will use is iMovie, so this is the one assignment that you will have to use the Mac and, with the file size (about 1.5GB), you will have to complete the project on the same computer you start on.  This is also the only week where you will receive instruction so attendance is very important.  And please remember to bring headphones if you have them!

Note on GoogleSites:  I have heard from more than one person who has had some trouble inserting YouTube videos on the GoogleSite. . .well, luckily for us, you are all masters of finding an embed code (share>embed from the video on YouTube) so you can embed the video without having to use the "insert video" feature.  When you are in the section of the page you want to put your video, look for the html area on the edit bar (far right), click it and then you can paste in the html code of your movie. . .voila! Once done, you can move the actual placement by drag and drop.

New tool of the week:  Cartoonize will take an ordinary image and make it a cartoon. . .I'm posting a picture of my daughter Lily in her ballerina pig halloween costume (which was entirely her idea, combining her love for ballet with her adoration for pigs)!

I can't help myself, here is an awesome video from Sir Ken Robinson, which is where I derrived the title of this post:



This Week's Question: What feeds your spirit? (If you need help with this, look at the 13 minute mark of the above video!)

Week 12: Finding Inspiration

photo from wiggparty.org website

Holy Cow, we are 75% complete with the course!  We should have a normal schedule for the rest of the semester and, if you have been able to keep up, your last few weeks should be much easier than the beginning of the semester.  We only have a few new assignments and your last three TaskStream narratives!

This Week: I will introduce Inspiration, a very cool "visual thinking tool" that you will use to brainstorm the final artifacts for your NETS narratives!  I also thought it would be a great time to ensure that your blogs are in order (get out that emerging technology checklist!  Click Here to see a good sample from last semester), and I can help you complete your cybersafety Google Sites.  Next week, we will learn how to use iMovie to create a PSA (public service announcement) for CSUSM.  I believe it will be the last new assignment.

Journals 6-10:  I have extended the deadline to April 23.  Don't forget that journal 10 is extra credit and it must be submitted on time to receive the extra points!  You may search the L&L archives to find an interesting article or search the web to find an article relating to technology and education.  Remember to use the Citation Machine to get the proper APA citation.

This Week's Question: What has been your most challenging assignment in this class so far, and why?

Week 11: Becoming One with Technology

The Tau of Twitter

I can't believe it is already week eleven.  We will finally be back to normal for the rest of the semester (he says with fingers' crossed).  I must say, this has been the craziest schedule in my seven years teaching @ CSUSM.  As I continue to grade your assignments, I can't help but be impressed with all of the awesome blogs you have.  If you take a minute to look at some of your peers' blogs, you will be amazed as to how much you have all grown in eleven short weeks.  With the stress level a bit high, it might also be a great time to go back and re-read journal 3 ;-)

This Week:  The beginning of class will be ensuring that your presentations and assessments are ready.  The assessments should be a Google form embedded on your blog.  If you go back and revisit the instructions for the assessment (found waaay back in week 6), you need at least 3 questions (could have more):  one about the content (NETS Performance Indicators for your grade range), one about the technical aspects (number of slides/frames, graphics, etc.), and one about the overall presentation.  Once you are ready, you will present your NETS-S presentation to grade-level groups.  I will also revisit the emerging technology checklist to see if you have any questions and show everyone how to put their narratives in TaskStream (Each group has had at least two edits from me!).  Lastly, if time permits, I will show you how to use Inspiration to plan out the final TaskStream narratives!

Journal 9: "Teaching Green," by John K. Waters is in the April 2011 issue of t|h|e Journal.  This journal is free if you register.  Remember, you can also search L&L for an article that is in an area you are interested in!  

This Week's Question: What would be your ideal teaching job?  If you are not an aspiring educator, what is your ideal job?

Week 10: Moving at the Speed of Technology

Some of the crew on the way to Mammoth

I am writing this blog from beautiful Mammoth Lakes, CA.  This is the week of my daughters' spring break and we, along with 5 other families, are snowboarding and skiing for the week.  There is nothing more fun for me than to see the whole family on the mountain having a great time.  Anyway, as I you should know by now, my very good friend and partner in technological crime, Mark Rounds, will be teaching class this week.  He has taught this course numerous times and is my sounding board when I create new assignments. 

When I logged in to Blogger, I noticed that there are some new dynamic views for public blogs.  I played around with them. . .Check them out here.

This Week:  There are a number of assignments that you are probably working on right now. . .Prezi, PLN, Excel, and those darn journal articles. . .Mark is more than capable to help you with any or all of these.  He will start class like I do, checking in with people and answering personal questions.  Then, he will introduce this week's assignment: a collaborative website on cybersafety(click link here).  The good news is that, because this is a collaborative assignment, you will have a great resource and only have to contribute one page.  If you do groups of less than six, you will have to divide the workload among your members.

In my open labs the last two Mondays, I noticed that students struggled with the PLN the most.  Trying to figure out who to follow in Twitter and how to network on Diigo. . .Mark will go over this with the class briefly.  Also, if you have yet to do a chat, TweetChat is a great resource to follow and participate in a chat.  For the presentation assignment, don't forget that you have to create a short assessment using Google Forms.  My expectation is that next week in class, you will present your Prezi/PowerPoint/Google Presentation in small groups in class.  If you have any questions for this do not hesitate to ask.  I will get feedback from Mark on how the entire class is doing regarding this assignment.

Journal 8: Keeping with the cybersafety theme, "Point/Counterpoint: Should Schools Be Held Responsible for Cyberbullying?" from the March/April 2011 issue of L&L.  It is a very short article, but relevant to today's topic!  If you would like to choose your own articles for Journal 8-10, you are welcome.  Ensure you choose an article relating to technology and education and use the correct APA citation.

This Week's Question:  How do you feel about single-gender schools (all-boy or all-girl)?  Experience or thoughts?

Spring Break: Cribs, Teacher Edition

I saw this video at the Computer Using Educators Conference last week.  I thought all my future teachers would appreciate this. . . Hope you're all having a great break!

CLICK HERE if the video isn't playing.  . .you may have to watch a commercial, but it is worth the wait!!

Week 8: Catching up on your Work?

My Dog Frances

What a great week.  SDSU gets a #2 seed in the NCCA Tournament, I am going to the Computer Using Educator's Conference in Palm Springs, and . . .my students get to catch up on all of their work, right?  Based on the amount of stress that permeated University and Academic Halls last week, I'll take this as a sign that you all need some time to catch up.  What I can tell you all is that the longer you wait to complete your work, the further you distance yourself from the explanation of how to complete it.  Experience tells me that most people do not like to read the written instructions, so your stress level get to the point of frustration, then your fun meter for technology plummets and somewhere in the universe a person weeps uncontrollable for no apparent reason. . . .Okay, maybe it's not that drastic, but it could happen.  Keep the positive energy flowing by keeping up with your work.

I will be in UH 271 today from around 4pm until 8pm to help anyone with any assignment that they need help with.  If you are in the Thursday class and need to make up for an absence, come to either today's class or Monday, March 28 to make up for it.  If you are in Thursday's class and are behind, come to class.  If you are in Monday's class and need to make up for an absence, you can attend both today and the 28th. 

I have Re-edited the Monday class's TaskStream narratives. . .I will work individually with those who hadn't edited in class.  I will try to get to the Thursday class re-edits this week.

This Week's Question: What is one of your most memorable teacher movies?

Week 7: Making Learning Personal!

Wordle from this Blog!

We have almost reached the halfway point of the semester and my fingers' are crossed in hopes that you are all starting to become one with your technology.  I think it's important to have the ability to fail because it teaches you that it is not the end of the world.  If you aren't making mistakes, you aren't learning.  Sometimes, the best thing to do is to take a breath, separate yourself from whatever is frustrating you, then approach it later with a clearer mindset.  Call it the Zen approach to technology integration.  . . Or we could go with the Stuart Smalley approach, "You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people like you." 

Moday Class:  I gave feedback to all of you on GoogleDocs on Sunday.  I must say that I am a bit disappointed by a few groups who either had incomplete paragraphs or both partners wrote to the SAME artifact.  I thought it was clear in class that these were to be complete so they could be edited on the weekend.  
Thursday Class: I will have your narratives with comments by Wednesday evening.  Please ensure you have given peer comments and that you have two different artifacts.

Click Here to see some past student samples for NETS-1


This week I am going to introduce a number of assignments, many of which won't be due for awhile, but I want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to work on the assignments throughout the time off and through Spring Break.  I will show you how to create a GoogleForm that you will use for the assessment of your presentation, we will discuss how to embed files in your blog & get the checklist for Emerging Technology, and lastly, how to get started creating your PLN.  For Journal's 6-10, I am giving you the first article, Journal 6, that discusses PLNs and Journal 7 will actually be the PLN assignment.
Don't forget that we have a modified schedule for the next few weeks.
Week 8: Monday, March 14, I will be in UH 271 from 4pm until around 8 pm.  There is no class on Thursday as I will be at the Computer Using Educator's Conference.
Week of March 21: Spring Break
Week 9: Monday, March 28, I will be in UH 271 from 4pm until around 8 pm.  There is no class on Thursday as the campus will be closed due to Cesar Chavez Day.
My Monday class must attend either week 8 or 9.  The Thursday class is highly encouraged to attend either or both sessions to receive assistance on any of the multitude of projects.  Please use Twitter and the #ed422 hashtag to ask any question you might have or to share any cool resource you find.
I'll discuss this in class this week, but I thought you might like to see this in writing.


Remind me to discuss the use of Skype & Box.net with the class.


Journal 6: "Grow Your Personal Learning Network," by David Warlick.  This is from the March/April 2009 issue of L&L.

Journal 7: This will be your PLN assignment.  See Instructions on the Creating Your PLN page on the class blog.

This Week's Question: What is your current favorite timesucker?  This is the thing/activity/game/website/whatever that prevents you from doing other things you know you should be doing (like, say, completing work for this class).
Currently, it is a tie between Words with Friends and Angry Birds on my iPad. . .either of which can steal an hour our two from me without my knowledge ;-)

Week 6: Don't Swim Without NETS!

memegenerator.net

Assuming you can swim, stepping into TaskStream wasn't so bad, was it?  Writing your narratives should be a smoother process with all of the support you are going to receive from your peers and me.  I expect that you have started writing your narrative for your artifact and in class this week, we can discuss how to focus your writing to meet the standard.  If you do not come to class with your paragraph in rough draft form, you will be behind, as we have a lot to cover this week.


Assignments: the Technology Self-Assessment was due Sunday, Diigo is due Wed, and the Journals 1-5 are due Friday. . .Do not forget that journal 5 is extra credit.  If you decide to complete it, it MUST be submitted on time or you will not receive credit.  If you need help with anything, come to class early for the Monday section; make arrangements to meet me in another lab for the Thursday section (there are open labs in the same ACD hallway).

This Week:  We will go over the TaskStream collaborative narratives and ensure you are comfortable using GoogleDocs.  Then, we will discuss the presentation assignment!  I expect that all my PowerPoint users will be excited to learn some new web 2.0 tools.  If time permits, I will also show you how to embed your newsletters in your blog!!

Journal 6-10:  You have a week off from journals. . .I will give you journal 6 next week. . .Yeah!

This Week's Question: What is something you have learned well without formal teaching?  How did you learn it?  This could be a sport, hobby, musical instrument, etc. .

Week 5: Entering the TaskStream of Consciousness

Nourished by Arie Stavchansky http://stavchansky.net

Wherever we go, here we are.  We have completed 1/3 = .333 = 33% of the course,  so everyone is officially 33% technology nerd, right?  I hope so.  I will be handing out tape for those of you with glasses, but only enough for one side. . .the rest will be distributed week 10.  Also, you can now officially wear white socks and hike up your pants one inch. . .of course, you are not ready for your pocket protectors. . .yet ;-)




This week:  We will look at TaskStream this evening and discuss how to request feedback and write your narratives.  We will also begin writing the NETS-T narratives for standard 1 using Google Docs.  If you have not already enrolled  in the CSUSM Local TPE in TaskStream (as was mentioned in week 1), here is the code:  

Local TPE: 6SG3BA

I will also revisit the assignments from last week to ensure you understand what to do and discuss Dropbox with the Monday class.  If you haven't joined dropbox, click here, and register.  You cannot download Dropbox at school, but you can use the web-based aspect.  You can download the program at home.



Journal 4: "It's Time to Trust Teachers with the Internet," by Dian Schaffhause from The Journal website.  It's actually an interview from an online newsletter, but it was an interesting topic that is important for today's schools.  Using Citation Machine site as a webpage, not an Internet publication.

Journal 5:  As this is extra credit, and a new L&L should come out early next week, you can choose any article from the March 2011 L&L.  I assume you should have access to the digital edition early next week.  All journals are due March 4.


This Week's Question:  What should every teacher know about you?

Week 4: Oh, That's Going to Leave a bookMark!

Okay, the Grammy's are over and now we can all go back to our regularly scheduled lives ;-)  If you missed the show, you can of course re-live all the poignant moments over and over again on the Internet. This week we are going to continue to work on ways to network our digital selves while getting our tech on.  By now, you should have a number of assignments that are in progress, and I will add a few more to your queue.

This Week: I'll answer any individual questions about the newsletter as class begins. Then we are going to look at School 2.0, a site where you will tech a technology self-assessment that relates your tech schools to the NETS-T.  Although most of you aren't in the classroom, you will get a feel for what skills you should possess when you get your own.  The fun part is when we take a look at Diigo, a social bookmarking site on steroids. . .I used to use another social bookmarking site called Delicious.com, but I am now a Diigo convert.  I will show you how easy it is to collect and save cool sites and information form the Internet.  Also, I want to discuss the power of Dropbox and how you can use it to save all of your files.

Please complete the following TaskStream Survey:  Click Here

Journal 3:  In honor of Valentine's Day (or week for my Thursday class), I want you to compose a list of 100 things that make you happy.  I want them numbered and of course there is no APA citation needed.  When you feel stressed out around Spring Break, you can refer back to your list to re-ground yourself ;-)

This Week's Question: What is the last good book your read. . .it could have been for please or something assigned to you for a class?   
Disrupting Class was the last good professional book I read and I'l say DropCity by T.C. Boyle was the last good book I read for pleasure.

Week 3: Would You Be My Tweet-Heart?

photo © 2009 Rosaura Ochoa | more info (via: Wylio)
As we embark on week three, you should begin to get a better feel for the flow of the course.  My expectation is that you will not only become a proficient tech user, but you will have fun in the process as well.  If you are not having fun, I am not doing my job--or you have a terminal case of the Mondays ;-)

This Week:  You should have either already scanned your self-portrait or you will do so before class.  We will begin the classroom newsletter assignment, which will include your digitally scanned self-portrait.   As you may or may not get from the title, I will also be introducing you to the amazing uses of Twitter as an educational tool. Don't laugh. . .hold your judgment until after class.  If time permits, I will have you enroll yourself into TaskStream and show you the interface  

Journal 2: Is from the June/July 2010 Issue of L&L.  There are actually 2 short articles relating to Twitter.  "Join the Flock!" by Hadley Ferguson and "Enhance Your Twitter Experience," by Shannon McClintock Miller.  Hopefully, after our Twitter discussion this week, these should serve as some background and depth on the topic of Twitter in education.

This Week's Question:  Who has been your favorite (or A favorite for those overly stressed out by the perceived commitment required to answer the question) teacher at any level of education and why?

Week 2: Getting Your Tech On!

photo © 2010 Jason Dean | more info (via: Wylio)
Another semester begins. . .I hope the first day wasn't too bad for the non-techies nor too slow for the technophiles.  We should settle in to a comfortable pace in another week or so.  As a fan of collaborative learning and knowledge sharing, I highly encourage you to help your peers when you can and to feel comfortable asking for help.  Technology is one of those things that can either frustrate you or empower you, depending on the day or the time. . .

You should have your ISTE and TaskStream accounts set up, and your intro letter text should be written and on a blog post.  This week, I will show you how to get an image inside of your post and how to submit the assignment in CougarCourses. If your blog isn't linked under class blogs, ensure that I get your address ASAP!  If you click on your name and your blog doesn't link, ensure you submitted the correct address. . .small, easy fixes ;-)

Class This Week:  You will also create an iGoogle page, learn how to change the design of your blog, and look at the settings.  Also, I will introduce the Journal Articles 1-5 assignment and discuss file naming conventions. If we have time, I'll discuss the self-portrait scanning assignment.

Journal 1: "Do Web 2.0 Right," by Daniel Light.  This article can be found in the February 2011 issue of Learning and Leading with Technology (L&L)

This Week's Question: Who is your current favorite band or musician?
I will always say "current favorite," so it takes the pressure off of having to name your "all-time favorite" anything.  Radiohead is probably my favorite, but I have been listening to a lot of Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon lately. . .

Blog Address

Click Here to give my your blog information. . .please ensure that your link works. . .it will help me greatly

Week 1: Welcome to ED422!

Welcome to another awesome semester of EDUC 422. . .Technology Tools for Education. I expect that you will learn a lot about how to integrate technology into the classroom, as well as learn how to ramp-up your so-called digital life ;-)

I will use this blog to keep everyone updated on the weekly requirements for the course, as well as model for you how to create a blog for your future classroom!  I need you to read each entry carefully, as I will be giving away $50 a week to the person who finds the hidden gnome k this very post. . .okay, not really, but I need everyone to read each entry ;-)

Technical Issues:  

First order of business:  If you do not have a Gmail Address/Account, you need to get one!  (and no, your CSUSM email does not count).  Don't worry, I have worked it out with Google to give you free email accounts!

You will be asked to join and/or participate in a number of web-based tools, software, etc. . .I recommend that you find a user name that identifies you, is appropriate for school/parents, and one that you can remember. . .

While this course has no required text, you will be required to subscribe to ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education (see link on this blog), as well as purchase a subscription to TaskStream, an online portfolio generator.  

     For TaskStream (also linked on this blog): You will need to self-enroll in the Local TPE.      

     Here are the code you will need:

                                               Local TPE: 6SG3BA
                                              

I will also ask you weekly questions on this blog that you will need to answer. Some are related to education and most are related you your lives. . .It allows me to build community while ensuring that you are reading the weekly posts!

This Week's Question: What is your current favorite piece of technology and why? (currently, I think I would have to say my iPad. . .although my quest to beat Angry Birds is almost becoming an obsession)