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  October 2008

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As I said in my previous post, was a long semester for me. But I am adjusting and getting back into a groove of work and life. Last week I succeeded in convincing the powers that be at FHSU I needed to attend the Building Learning Communities Conference in Boston week of July 14. I am so excited. I have wanted to attend this conference for quite a while, so can’t wait. Wish Marco’s pre-conference session was not full, but such is life. I am going to one pre-conference event. An all day Hands-on workshop on Web. 2.0 tools sponsored by Atomic Learning. Not sure who the presenter is, but I am sure there will lots of learning going on that day. I am just giddy about going to this conference. Sounds strange, but have gone to NECC for the past I don’t know how many years in a row, and decided something different might be good for me. Here is the link to the conference in case you are interested. http://www.novemberlearning.com/blc/

While catching up on Twitter today, Chris Lehmann had a link to his blog, while there I discover this coool little tool. It is called Wordle. http://wordle.net/
” Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.”

Check out the one I made from words/topic I teach in my course to future teachers. It is fast and fun and easy. It is posted on my Ning site for my summer class. http://tecs390summer2008.ning.com/.

Well, I can’t believe it almost the end of April and it has been a tough semester and month for me.  My husband passed away April 8th after a 9 year battle with Kidney Cancer.  Needless to say, it has been a bit stressful and different.  I think I am doing ok and am starting to get back to a schedule that makes a little sense.  Kinda quite at home, but I am adjusting.  Bought new bedroom furniture, had to change the room, just couldn’t sleep in there.  Haven’t figured out how I am paying for it yet, but sure feels better.  Enough about me…

My daughter is graduating from University of Missouri Conservatory of Music & Dance on May 10 and my son gets married May 18.  So plenty to keep me busy.  Now the trick is to concentrate and get the semester finished up.  I must admit I am behind on grading from the past few weeks, but I will catch up and it will be fine I am sure.

Monday I am doing a staff development for the Goddard School District for about 90 teachers.  I am really looking forward to that, should be lots of fun.  Doing a little on Internet Safety and them online resources and Web. 2.0 tools.  I tell you what, Wesley Fryer is just a wealth of organized resources for my presentation.  He is just so darn organized, I am in awe!!!  Anyway, I guess this is an unofficial thank you to Wesley Fryer of Moving at the Speed of Creativity.   Wesley is driving a Farrari for sure.

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/

My students are wrapping things up with their websites and projects and I am looking forward to seeing their website portfolios and reading their blogs.  Our Classroom 2.0 site has been fun with lots of Teachers from the Trenches (real classroom teachers) participating in the discussions.  It has made it such a rich experience. Thank you Teachers from the Trenches.

http://spring2008tecs390.ning.com/ 

One of my students shared a pretty cool website with me this morning Friedbeef’s Tech.  There is an excellent article on the Top 15 ways to extend your batteries life. The site is dedicated to solving everyday problems with simple technology.  If you look in the left bar of the site, you will find lots of cool and useful stuff.  http://www.friedbeef.com/2007/07/01/top-15-ways-to-extend-your-laptop-battery-life/

It has been a very productive week, worked on online classes, updated my Vitae, made a Keynote presentation for Freshmen Enrollment days and have found a site to watch movies on my computer while I work.  http://quicksilverscreen.com.  I am not sure how these sites can get away with doing this, but there sure seem to be lot of them, so there must be something legal about it or the sites would be taken down.  Hmm…..Watching Step Up 2-The Streets.  Had missed it in the theater.  I love going to the movies, so this will not replace that for me, but it does help me keep my mind on my work in my office.  I put my headset on, open the movie in a second window off to the right side of my 20″ Apple display and work on the left side in another window.   Just glance at it when necessary to follow the story.   Although this happens to be a dance movie and so it kinda drags my attention over more than some movies.  Like yesterday, I watched Wild Hogs, what a funny movie, but had seen it before, so I basically just listened to it.  I did have to watch the slapping the bull scene. How funny!!  Slapping the bull is kinda like teaching some days!!

I sure wish I would keep the promise I made to myself and keep my Vitae updated as I do things.  Wading through my calendar adding stuff from 6 months is tedious and I know I miss things.

Got a brochure in th mail form Florida State University about applying to be a distinguished Alumni.  At first I just though “Yeah Right”.  but on closer look, there are numerous categories and shockingly I think I might actually qualify in a couple categories. Thinking about applying!!!!

A colleague loaned me a wonderful book this week– presentationzen; Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds, forward by Guy Kawasaki from Voices that Matter.  ISBN 13: 978-0-321-52565-9.  Worth the read!!

I also ordered FontLibrary: A collection of licensed fonts for Commercial Use from www.macXware.com.  For $39.00 it came with a 5 user licenser, Whoo Hoo!  Over 600 TrueType fonts and legal!!  Great buy.

I received an email each day called MacUpDate Promo http://www.mupromo.com/  Everyday I receive a short newsletter in my email about a one day sale an a piece of software.  Some days it interests me, some days not.  But some days there are amazing buys.  I encourage you to subscribe.  Today the deal was  ShowMacster 1.9: Play QuickTime movies/images during video iChats.  Regularly $19.00, today $9.95.  The only disadvantage is you have to decide quickly, the price is only available the day of the email.

OK, I better get back to working on my projects.

A guy actually linked to my blog post about wanting an iPhone.  http://www.gearfire.com/?p=23911  and while reading through other things on his blog, I found a great link to a post called  Disruptive Duos: 20 Technologies That Changed the World March 19, 2008 – 4:36 am  from a his blog called   Tynan on Technology (beta)  Because all the cool stuff is in beta.

“Often, even great new technology needs a partner to really change the world. Here are 10 marriages of technologies that have shaken the digital world over the last 25 years.”

(This story, or something like it originally appeared in PC World)  by Dan Tynan

 This is really an interesting list.  Check it out!

 

It is Sunday afternoon and I have been grading assignments for my online class and watching the movie The Replacements  with Keena Reeves on TNT. The cheerleader tryouts scene is a classic.  Anyway, saw another iPhone ad.  Man, I sure do wish AT&T would broaden their coverage or Apple would extend to other providers.  Just because I leave in a small town, does that mean I should not be allowed to have an iPhone.  It just sucks!!

Got a new MacBook Pro this week, whoo hoo!!  I transferred my stuff using Time Machine.  Well, let me say,  that is pretty slick.  So far, everything seems to be working pretty good.  I can tell it is much faster and the 250 gig hard drive is going to be nice.  Although, I suspect it will just let be save more junk.  I am pretty organized, but I do tend to save things.

Trying to put together a unit on webcasting/podcasting/screencasting for my class.  Aye ya ya, there are a bunch of ways to do that.  Want to give my students options on ways to accomplish the task.  But sometimes, options and choices make it more complicated.  For example, I had been using a software program called eZedia QTI (www.ezedia.com) for creating their portfolio websites.  I even wrote a book on the program.  But decided this semester to allow them some choices because the whole FTP to the FHSU webserver had become such a huge hassle.   Gave my students the choice of Google Page Creator, PB Wiki or Kompozer.  So now the deal is Kompozer is too complicated, PB Wiki is too plain and Google Page Creator does not have enough templates.  GRRRRR……

I am not sure what th best plan would be, seems I cannot find an easy solution to make them all happy.  These are folks that are going to become elementary teachers shortly.   I am still using eZedia QTI for my website and just linking to some other stuff.  I have a Ning site and del.ic.ious and porportal and of course this blog.  Also working on a wiki that will be a part of my website soon.  I guess we should all be using something like DreamWeaver, but the learning curve on that is just nuts, plus kinda pricey.  I was trying to give them FREE solutions.  We are only 1/2 way through the semester, so, I guess we will see how the semester shakes out.

Boy did I get a big dose of fun last night.  An old friend from college called outta the blue last evening and what a wonderful prize. We were both English Education majors and became good friends during our time at Florida State University.  Andy was amazing back then and I know I had dreamed it to be more than friendship, but just good friends we were!  Anyway, he has turned into that extremely successful business man I figured he would and I turned into a successful teacher.  I always knew he wouldn;t teach very long. So nice when stuff works out.  He found me in the FSU alumni directory, so, I guess those things are important and I should do the update next time it arrives and even purchase a copy.  I have to say I am not the alumni I dreamed I would be.  Finances are not what I dreamed either.  My husvands battely with cancer is taking care of that!

It was such fun talking to Andy and catching on our lives since we last saw each other.  I am looking forward to keeping in touch.  Good friends are hard to find and we should never let one get away.

Updating my new iPod Touch while I blog today and then I am off to the gym (Center for Health Improvement), I want to take the 8:00am spinning class today.  I am so excited, I finally found a REAL (used) spinning bike from a gym in a nearby town that is getting new ones, so I am gonna have my very own at home.  Yippy Skippy! Maybe I will lose that then pounds now.

Have lots of grading from m y two online classes to catch up on today, my daughter had her senior show last weekend and I did not do any grading.  Thank goodness it is spring break this week and I can catch up a bit.  Although, I know many of my students have catching up to do as well.

I got a new MacBook Pro at work this week.  Used Time Machine to put everything on it from my old MacBook Pro.  So far everything seems to be working.  Must admit I am shocked that it worked, although not sure why I was doubting that, EVERYTHING just works when it comes to Apple stuff.

Had a delightful conversation with Wesley Fryer yesterday, he is the Keynote speaker  at a technology conference on our campus.  I am in charge of it.  Not having much fun being in charge, it is so much work and I just know I am going to forget some key thing.  But doing my best.  This new director position I am in is quite the challenge and learning experience, I still am not sure I am management!!

Guess it is time to get dressed and off to the gym for a little exercise.  Sure do wish I had made exercise a habit before I was 50 years old.  But have now and really enjoy that time.  Nobody wants or needs anything from me, no cancer, just me, time to think and I feel better each day afterwards.  Just love it, you should give it a try too.

Have a good weekend
Cyndi

This semester is just buzzing by.  I am teaching two online classes this semester in addition to my new position as director of the Learning Commons (www.fhsu.edu/tlc).  Overwhelmed does not describe things……..

We, well, there is a committee with lots of opinions, but I am doing most of the work, Suzanne is doing the huge job of the conference website and Mike is doing the college credit stuff, but the actual conference arrangements, logistics, etc. are all in my lap.  I have to admit I am feeling a bit of panic.  We sent out nearly 300 invites to vendors to have booths, 3000+ invites to attend.  Actually, 3000 is low, the first two mailings were 3000, the third mailing will have the 3000, but each principal (elementary, middle, high school)  will receive another 25 invites to distribute to teachers.  We are hoping to get 20+ vendors and couple hundred participants.  WESLEY FRYER is our Keynote speaker and that is very exciting.  You can find more information about the conference at:

Mobile Teaching & Learning: Preparing for Learning; Connecting with Technology
April 8, 2008
Fort Hays State University
www.fhsu.edu/mtl  

As far as classes are going, they are moving along.  In my Instructional Technology for Elementary class we are just about to begin our VoiceThread unit.  VoiceThread is an amazing tool http://voicethread.com/#home  and now they have an account just for teachers, YEAH!  Wesley Fryer did an interview with the developers a couple of weeks ago, Podcast 211-Technology Shopping Cart-Wikis, VoiceThread, and MathCasts.  It is worth a listen for sure.

One of my students from last fall is student teaching in a small Catholic Elemetary School that has next to zero technology. She wants to do a VoiceThread project with her kids for a poetry unit (2nd grade, I think).  So, she is checking out a Mac from the Learning Commons, so she can do the project as easy as possible since the mentor teacher is apprehensive about using technology.  Of course she is, she has none!! The Mac has built in mic and camera, so she can even easily get photos of the kids and manipulate them in Photobooth.  No names, no safety issues to worry about.  But the kids will be overjoyed at the fact that their poems will be on the web and they can show their parents. I will be posting a link to their projects soon.  In the mean time, if you are using VoiceThread and have one to share with my students, please join in our discussion on our Classroom 2.0 site http://spring2008tecs390.ning.com.  Please join in any of our discussions if you have an opinion or something you can share.  It really helps these future teachers to hear what real Teachers in the Trenches have to say.  So, please come join in the conversations please.  http://spring2008tecs390.ning.com

I am have trying to to the Webcast Academy 2.4 class.  But sadly falling behind.  So glad I can repeat it the next go around and finish the projects.  I am not our yet and I amy finish, I amhoping this week will be a little less hectic at work.  I had completed my two way telephone call but the recording did not record. Grrr…….So need to try that again.  I was using Wiretap.  Need to try one of the other tools they suggest.  I understand how my student feel in my class, the one difference is that I explore and keep trying until I figure it out.  For these future teachers it seems they generally don’t think outside the box much yet.  They want a recipe that works perfectly every time.  Every tried making a souffle’? I hope that changes for them, if they don’t broaden their scope, teaching is going to be frustrating.  Maybe that explains why nearly ½ leave the profession by the 5th year.

And now our state of Kansas is changing the certification requirements.  Seems any joe smo with a degree might be able to get a teaching certificate.  I do agree that some of the requirements do need changing, like eliminate the PPST test for admittance to Teacher Ed.  We are eliminating lots of kids from teaching because they freak out over the PPST.  And we all know teacher salaries need tremendous improvement.  Come on Bush and all your cronies, what the heck are you thinking?  How many times has someone asked you to take a multiple choice test since you left college?  And lets get real, what do they even prove, except making schools and teachers stressed to the max.  Okay, enough soapbox for Sunday morning.

My Introduction to Instruction Technology is learning about United Streaming (http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm)  and Quia (http://www.quia.com/)  and is just finishing up making games in PowerPoint.   It is always nice to take them beyond using PowerPoint for just little slide presentations.  They don’t know it yet, but I am planning them taking their PowerPoint Games and putting them online using Google Presentation.  I hope it works so I can link them off my website.  If you have any advice on that, I would appreciate hearing from you.

A few resources to check out:

Something to think about: What does a week’s worth of food look like around the world?
http://www.technolote.com/?p=161

A superintendent enthused about digital storytelling
http://www.techlearning.com/blog/2008/02/a_superintendent_enthused_abou.php

Have you ever wanted to convert files without the need to download software?
Zamzar: http://www.zamzar.com/

Cover the Material - or Teach Students to Think
http://shoemap.edublogs.org/2008/02/21/cover-the-material-or-teach-students-to-think/

First day of classes!!!  Online classes are such a challenge.  My university uses Blackboard, but I use Moodle for my Educational Technology classes, yes, I am the rebel.  In reality, it is not that I dislike Blackboard, it is just that I am working with future teachers and many  K-12 schools use Moodle, and many, many in Kansas do.  I really feel obligated to expose them to something they may be asked to use when they begin their teaching careers.  But, heavens-to- betsy, what whiners.  Yes, Moddle is a bit different than Blackboard, but isn’t the point of taking a class, to learn something NEW.  What a waste of money if you knew it all already.  Ok, so enough whining from me.

Exciting, the new MacBook Air, I want one!!! Not sure about the elimination of the CD/DVD drive/writer.  I am think that is ok, especially since they have an external one you can use an external one and when I think about it, other than loading software, I have to admit I rarely use it.  I do love the the light weight and look of it.  I have a 15″ MacBook Pro and love it, had a 17″ before this one.  Love the landscape of the 17″ screen but absolutely hated hauling it around.  So, maybe this spring when I purchase more equipment for the Learning Commons, I will rotate my MacBook Pro into the checkout pool and get one!!

I sure do wish Steve had announced a tablet.  It is not that I disagree with his comment that tablets are a step backwards, it is just that my university big wigs think tablets are the greatest things since sliced bread and they want everybody to have one.  So, Apple would make my life easier if they would just take advantage of that patent they own and put out a tablet, PLEASE.

On the  WAC Skype Chat today, two wonderful links showed up.  I just have to share them and this teachers blog.  Oh my goodness, just super. The first is her post about social networking–(http://tinyurl.com/33f9la)

Making Connections: Social Networking in the Elementary Classroom

And the second part is (http://tinyurl.com/3b4ak3)

A Step-by-Step Guide to Global Collaborations Another resource I need to share and will make you think is Ten Ways to Kill Classroom Creativity  http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/creativitykillers.htm

If you have not watched Sir Ken Robinson on this topic from Ted Talks. make sure you do–Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

The first time I watched this TedTalks, I cried.  My daughter is a dancer and dyslexic and Sir Ken could very well have been talking about my daughter.  She is graduating from college in May with a degree in Ballet and Modern Dance.  She is amazing and I am so proud of her talent, dedication, work ethic and character, and…  I could go on for pages.

Oh my goodness, what an amazing experience the Webcast Academy 2.4 is turning out to be for me and it is only week 1. If you do not know about this and want to learn everything there is to know about webcasting, check it out.  And guess what you can still sign up and join the fun this week.  http://www.webcastacademy.net

I am passionate about/with learning technology and sharing with my students.  Actually, learning about/with technology seems to be the wrong thing to say, but my brain is full from the WCA Open House Session right now, it will have to do at the moment.  By the way, you can listen to the recording of that session, so you haven’t missed anything yet.
I love the Sandbox and chat and we also used Skype.  Had an account,  just never really used.   So, I think I am on board with Skype now and plan to participate in the live call feature next week instead of just the chat feature.  Stupidly, I left my headset with mic in my campus office.

It was so cool, there are folks involved in this WCA from all over the world.  Judy from Australia got up at 4:30am to participate at 5:ooam.  Now that is dedication!

I can’t wait to share what I am learning with my students.  If this goes well and I really finish it and learn what I need, I will emulate this process in my Instructional Technology classes.  It would be so cool if these future teachers already knowing how to webcast when the graduate, instead of playing catch up like myself and most other teachers.

This is powerful technology staff development and it is free!!  Yup Free. I love that there are assignments and it is like talking a class.  Kinda like doing personal training at the gym.  I do that with a collegue and it keeps us showing up and working hard.  Altough if we don’t show, we get charged for the session anyway, but… it helps so much to do it with a colleague.  Now I have a whole group of new colleagues to keep me coming back and working hard.

Found a whole slew of new folks to follow on Twitter and learn new things. Thinking about my first assignment and will try to get that done Monday or Tuesday before classes begin on Wednesday. Wish me luck! 

Wow, it sure seems like we have been out of school for along time this year.  I have been working on my online classes getting them ready.  My husband said my life would be much easier if I just left the course the same two semesters in a row.  Sound like a good idea, but technology is changing so quickly and there are always so many new tools and things to share, I just can’t bring myself to do that.

I have the first two eeks up of each course, so enough to get them started.  I think I am going to be a little hard and fast on due dates.  Last semester, some folks really got behind and then were in a panic at the end.  It just makes things harder on them and me.  So, I am thinking I will suggest they drop the class if they are two weeks behind.  Sounds fair, don’t you think.