Change Course Blog

Change Course Blog http://justintalmadge.com My thoughts on changing the course of education for the 21st century. posterous.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/http://www.justintalmadge.comhttp://sites.google.com/site/mrtfiles/ssfiles/BogProflePicBlue.jpgJustin Talmadgechangecoursehttp://feedburner.google.com Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:26:00 -0800 2012 SIGML Officer Positions Available! #edtech #sigml #ipadchat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/hpX-QKfMmto/2012-sigml-officer-positions-available-edtech http://justintalmadge.com/2012-sigml-officer-positions-available-edtech <p> <div><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-01-27/EDeEiybeEktjzwlEiwpwoIzBbDunEmihgaBGrgHitjjsHcBnfnqrncjrhCGy/212.12-SIG-email-ml-header.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="212" height="91" src="http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-01-27/EDeEiybeEktjzwlEiwpwoIzBbDunEmihgaBGrgHitjjsHcBnfnqrncjrhCGy/212.12-SIG-email-ml-header.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </div> <div>Are you a mobile device in education enthusiast?  Do you want to expand your circle of influence?  If so consider volunteering as a SIGML Officer. We have multiple 2-year "Member at Large" positions available.  For more information go to<span> <a href="http://www.iste.org/volunteer" target="_blank">http://www.iste.org/volunteer</a></span><span> </span><span> to nominate yourself for a SIGML Officer role today!  Below is a brief description of the position.  Thanks!</span></div> <p /> <div>Justin</div> <span class="HOEnZb"><span style="color: #888888;"> </span></span><div> <div><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/xAX3G6tk9h15vGkeuL7uFdC60zu52GzSgZSgvX39RYrrojweJXXwKqAZP6Gc/image.png"><img alt="Image" height="482" src="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/dkGPyHctIr40Fr8cKgmHm9xX04y4PDkWjNHGSqKaHajIyPlIPGCDgas6mG6m/image.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /></div> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/2012-sigml-officer-positions-available-edtech">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/2012-sigml-officer-positions-available-edtech#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=hpX-QKfMmto:OYiSPmFABOw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=hpX-QKfMmto:OYiSPmFABOw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/hpX-QKfMmto" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/2012-sigml-officer-positions-available-edtech Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:54:00 -0800 Should Schools Commit to Apple's iPad? #edtech #ipadchat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/ydbgAdRVEUA/should-schools-commit-to-apples-ipad-edtech-i http://justintalmadge.com/should-schools-commit-to-apples-ipad-edtech-i <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Image" height="475" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/aoUrU2OOeBkzQEZyFq599Rezfy49HATm4a7qngtvRkLE2aqa6SSvLxondVJf/image.jpeg" width="500" /> </div> <div>On the heels of today's exciting iBooks announcement from Apple, I would like to get your opinion about an important question  in educational technology today.  Namely, <span style="">should schools and districts commit to a single  technology manufacturer<span style=""> or should they attempt to be device agnostic?  </span></span></div><p /><div><span style=""><span style="">To understand why I am posing the question, let me share a personal experience.  I  recently had a conversation over email with Fraser Speirs (noted iPad in education evangelist and <span style="">school technology administrator blogging at <a href="http://speirs.org">speirs.org</a>).  </span></span></span><span style="">I periodically read his posts and find them to be invaluable as I work to implement iPads in my district.  I was scrolling through his blog and happened upon this post titled "Three Mantras from the First Year" (<a href="http://speirs.org/blog/2011/12/29/three-mantras-from-the-first-two-years.html">http://speirs.org/blog/2011/12/29/three-mantras-from-the-first-two-years.html</a> ).  In it he shares what he's learned from implementing iPads at his school.  I was intrigued by Mantra #2 which he called "A Computing Platform for Everyone".  To quote briefly, he says:</span></div><div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;">"One of the most pleasing aspects of our iPad deployment is that it works for everyone in the school. It works for five-year-olds in Primary 1, it works for 16-year-olds sitting exams and it works for teachers and school managers. One computing platform for everyone.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;">It's not just that the management costs are lower, although they are. It leads to educational benefits too: any teacher can cover any class and feel familiar with the computing infrastructure in that classroom. We have explored peer-tutoring both within classes and across various age ranges to substantial benefit. Not just benefit to the pupils' skills at whatever task they're working on but benefit to the social cohesion of the entire school: older and younger pupils who have worked and learned together are not strangers to one another.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;">We have one computing platform. We speak one technological language. Everyone understands it and everyone gets a voice."</p><div>I must say he makes an eloquent case for committing to a "mono-tech" environment.  I do not disagree at all with his points, however, I do as a matter of principal, disagree with his general mantra.  In fact, I believe just the opposite.  If we are to truly prepare students for a 21st century world of work, I think we do them a disservice by exposing them to a single computing platform alone.  I want my students to be comfortable working on a variety of devices, no matter what the hardware (PC or Mac), software (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) or input mechanism (Mouse, Touchscreen, Voice, etc.)</div><p /><div>I would love to hear other perspectives on the matter.  Please share your thoughts in the comments.</div><p />Justin</div><p /><div>P.S.  I wrote this post on an iPad, but sent my comments to Fraser from my Android phone.  </div> <form method="post" action="http://poll.pollcode.com/53xo"><table border="0" width="500"><tr><td width="500"><b>Should schools commit to one computing platform?</b></td></tr><tr><td align="center" width="500"><input name="answer" value="1" type="radio" />Yes <input name="answer" value="2" type="radio" />No <input value="Vote" type="submit" />  <input name="view" value="View" type="submit" /></td></tr><tr><td align="right" colspan="2">pollcode.com <a href="http://pollcode.com/">free polls</a> </td></tr></table></form> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/should-schools-commit-to-apples-ipad-edtech-i">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/should-schools-commit-to-apples-ipad-edtech-i#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=ydbgAdRVEUA:wGaBZI8nuVU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=ydbgAdRVEUA:wGaBZI8nuVU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/ydbgAdRVEUA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/should-schools-commit-to-apples-ipad-edtech-i Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:55:00 -0800 Top Ten Lessons from an iPad Roll Out http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/Z2yrL9BBLGw/top-ten-lessons-from-an-ipad-roll-out http://justintalmadge.com/top-ten-lessons-from-an-ipad-roll-out <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_audio_embed'> <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/top-ten-lessons-from-an-ipad-roll-out"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/images/filetypes/mp3.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <span class='p_id3'>PSESD_Audio.mp3</span> <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/top-ten-lessons-from-an-ipad-roll-out">Listen on Posterous</a> </div> </div> Thanks to all who attended my presentation at the ESD on January 11th.  Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about managing an iPad roll out in your district.  You can find links to various resources below.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/embed?id=1NHl2oN5kIqYgu3_z9vT1yGpzwZL7fJG5a57QmlxZS0c&start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" frameborder="0" height="429" width="100%"></iframe></p> <p>Here is the transcript from our session backchannel <a href="http://todaysmeet.com/ipadchat/transcript">http://todaysmeet.com/ipadchat/transcript</a></p> <p>Here are some resources from the presentation:</p> <div style="background-color: transparent;"><strong> </strong> <ul> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.diigo.com/list/mrtalmadge/Ipad">Links to My Favorite iPad Resources (apps, blog posts, etc)</a></span></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: small;">Best District Wikis</span> <ul> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://wiki.canby.k12.or.us/groups/ipodusergroup/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">Canby</span></a></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://palmbeachschooltalk.com/groups/ipadpilot/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">Palm Beach</span></a></span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: small;"> iPad Bloggers to Follow</span> <ul> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://speirs.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">Frasier Speirs</span></a><a href="http://langwitches.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">Langwitches</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://langwitches.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">Langwitches</span></a><a href="http://langwitches.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></a></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://techlog.ca/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">Techlog</span></a></span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FNXlpSuKqhUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=switch&hl=en&src=bmrr&sa=X&ei=hSYNT-u8JKWdiQLzvdynBA&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=switch&f=false"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">Switch</span><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Chip and Dan Heath</span></a></span></li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: small;">Snoqualmie Valley School District iPad Resources</span> <ul> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://svsdipad.weebly.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">iPad Pilot Website</span></a></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B869N-6P9Q_2ZGE0MjkxZWUtNTM3Ny00NDEwLWE5YzMtNjMyOGQ1ZTVkYTAz&hl=en_US"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">Teacher Application</span></a></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B869N-6P9Q_2NWI1MTVmNzUtNzFjMS00MjA1LTg1ODYtM2Y5NTliMzAyMmI5&hl=en_US"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">iOS Handbook</span></a></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B869N-6P9Q_2YmViMTdjMmQtMTI1Zi00ZjJhLWJiMmYtNmU1M2U3MTdiNWNk&hl=en_US"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">App Purchase Process</span></a></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0As69N-6P9Q_2dEkta3FHNzBqalMxQUJTb2JPVVJzMlE&hl=en_US#gid=3"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">App Purchase Record</span></a></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B869N-6P9Q_2YTc3MzMyMTMtY2MyZi00YjAyLWI1MDEtODhjMzE1NWQ4OTk2&hl=en_US">List of Accessories</a></span></span></li> <li style="font-size: 29px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.edmodo.com">Edmodo</a></span></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/top-ten-lessons-from-an-ipad-roll-out">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/top-ten-lessons-from-an-ipad-roll-out#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=Z2yrL9BBLGw:s5q57Xg2ksE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=Z2yrL9BBLGw:s5q57Xg2ksE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/Z2yrL9BBLGw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge - http://justintalmadge.com/top-ten-lessons-from-an-ipad-roll-out Sat, 03 Sep 2011 08:36:50 -0700 First Attempt at a Stand-Up Desk http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/arCq0lkHGOI/first-attempt-at-a-stand-up-desk http://justintalmadge.com/first-attempt-at-a-stand-up-desk <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/lelreBphsbEpminiipGoDBklqCArcFedaAfBJgtDqFpCgoihnwqHCfjngoun/1781800203.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="1781800203" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/lelreBphsbEpminiipGoDBklqCArcFedaAfBJgtDqFpCgoihnwqHCfjngoun/1781800203.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/wcmpaniBgfAlehxwGdkfaIGBACdbCwubApivEbJzGxHGflCkekmDqummrgrr/1300661013.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="1300661013" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/wcmpaniBgfAlehxwGdkfaIGBACdbCwubApivEbJzGxHGflCkekmDqummrgrr/1300661013.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/first-attempt-at-a-stand-up-desk">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p>I have been thinking about it for the last year, as I made the switch from classroom teacher to technology coach. This past week was the straw that broke the camel's back with the bulk of my work time spent at my desk. I just couldn't take it anymore! So I stopped by a local big box store on the way in to work and bought a $30.00 laptop stand. I set it on my desk and transfered my laptop dock and second monitor to it. Then I set some crates on my desk and put my keyboard, mouse and iPad on them. Checkout the pictures. What do you think? It is certainly not the most elegant solution, but it works. Let me know if you have any suggestions. </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/first-attempt-at-a-stand-up-desk">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/first-attempt-at-a-stand-up-desk#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=arCq0lkHGOI:cenZ64foCFk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=arCq0lkHGOI:cenZ64foCFk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/arCq0lkHGOI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/first-attempt-at-a-stand-up-desk Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:04:00 -0700 The "MacGyver" iPad Sync/Charge Solution http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/j3LLEEtIH8k/the-macgyver-ipad-synccharge-solution http://justintalmadge.com/the-macgyver-ipad-synccharge-solution <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/rtekBzibFFeHAsJBGapdidBdbwEjCbavpAGddqHzcwHovpjIlAzCpnHtlnfm/1460970528.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="1460970528" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/rtekBzibFFeHAsJBGapdidBdbwEjCbavpAGddqHzcwHovpjIlAzCpnHtlnfm/1460970528.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/fvsbgamCBdsHFDgoeuetyrEqsyldlbgkwmlIwmwHJCfwihwAdqmhtBIdmAwn/513437982.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="513437982" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/fvsbgamCBdsHFDgoeuetyrEqsyldlbgkwmlIwmwHJCfwihwAdqmhtBIdmAwn/513437982.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/vqldocDkaeBkpaEhnvhDoaudazcchacaBhFiiFoenImdyHEApuwgdxpjtkwH/-2118596868.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="-2118596868" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/vqldocDkaeBkpaEhnvhDoaudazcchacaBhFiiFoenImdyHEApuwgdxpjtkwH/-2118596868.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-macgyver-ipad-synccharge-solution">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p>Over the last few months I have been helping to support the role out of iPads among the special education staff in my district. It's been quite the learning experience--from researching the volume app purchase program to creating a catalog of best apps to designing a web portal full of relevant information for staff to reference. I will write more about those at a later time, for now I want to share the cheap portable syncing and charging station we are trying out.<br /> You can see from the pictures that it is just a simple plastic Office Depot portable file box with a few accessories mounted to it. These include a 7 port Targus USB hub, a power strip and a cable lock wound through the corner where a hole has been drilled. In addition another hole has been drilled near the top so that the iPad cables can be put through. This allows for the iPads to be locked in the box over night while charging. <p>I would be very interested to hear what solutions other districts have been using. Have you spent the money on an expensive one from companies like Bretford or have you finagled your own solution simalar to ours? Also any feedback you can provide would be helpful!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-macgyver-ipad-synccharge-solution">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-macgyver-ipad-synccharge-solution#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=j3LLEEtIH8k:CQXSBdY1mhI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=j3LLEEtIH8k:CQXSBdY1mhI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/j3LLEEtIH8k" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/the-macgyver-ipad-synccharge-solution Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:56:50 -0800 The Value of a Teacher... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/hdMy13YPXnk/the-value-of-a-teacher http://justintalmadge.com/the-value-of-a-teacher <p> <div class="WordSection1"><p style="text-indent: .5in;">One of the simple pleasures I have in life is listening to my favorite podcasts on the way in to work.  I figure if I‘m going to spend an hour every day in the car and can’t exercise my body, I should at least exercise my mind.   I have this great app—<a href="http://versatilemonkey.com/d/purchase/podtrapper">Podtrapper</a>—on my android phone and I can send the audio to my FM radio through a Bluetooth speaker.  Anyway, one of my favorite podcasts is NPR’s <a href="http://npr.org/money">Planet Money</a>.   I started listening to it back when the recession was first befalling the US economy and I used it in my social studies classes to teach about  how the banks were failing due to bad loans.   This morning the show was about putting an economic value on good teaching.  They referenced the work of Eric Hanushek who did a <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w16606.pdf">study</a> that provides a metric for evaluating good teaching.  The gist of his work is that a good teacher can help students improve 1.5 years, while a bad teacher causes students to lose ground when measured by standardized subject area tests. Further, if we extrapolate this out to future earning potential, we know that students who score well earn more than those who don’t and so the value of a good teacher can be worth an extra amount of money added to GDP because their students will score well and thus are more likely to have a higher salary.  </p><p style="text-indent: .5in;">I am fascinated by this because I have always wondered whether I was a good teacher or not.  I felt like there were times when I taught well, but I didn’t really have an objective way of measuring that.  Plus, I am not sure if success on a standardized measure of reading or math skills is really what we should be using to measure the worth of a teacher. Isn’t there so much more to educating a child?  You can listen to the podcast yourself below.  </p></div><p><div class='p_embed p_audio_embed'> <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-value-of-a-teacher"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/images/filetypes/mp3.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <span class='p_id3'><strong>20110125 Blog Pmoney</strong> by Npr</span> <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-value-of-a-teacher">Listen on Posterous</a> </div> </div> </p><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/0XoSgWnq8o5sKwqtNvj60wr5j90zbUy6HVPY7wMIOW3Zu3e9KbaKDOeuPqPS/CEAP_quote.gif"><img alt="Ceap_quote" height="450" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/6V0E0Hz9KQuWmGDiIngB1mMGvFwJwvuq20pDxhgcR4Mi4Sew7SgyCDmL6IbA/CEAP_quote.gif.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-value-of-a-teacher">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-value-of-a-teacher#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=hdMy13YPXnk:MaIBPHCCrm4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=hdMy13YPXnk:MaIBPHCCrm4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/hdMy13YPXnk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge Npr - 20110125 Blog Pmoney http://justintalmadge.com/the-value-of-a-teacher Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:37:01 -0800 Technology for the New Year: Screencasting in the Classroom http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/yDXjFMdc-L0/technology-for-the-new-year-screencasting-in http://justintalmadge.com/technology-for-the-new-year-screencasting-in <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/GxHkbQg3sjzSEFLJKVQbSIzOWRTY9ZOF6AoqdKtkhZcu63m9RxksvqFN57LJ/Screencasting_025.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Screencasting_025" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/qxoizfp61H8fwLBcKo8zZLmpj3Bkf9rHEWU58yrpzSaYGrvHY0DAGJnec1Dc/Screencasting_025.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p></p><div class="WordSection1"><p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; color: black;">I believe that there are three critical technologies that should be embraced by educators in the new year  The first one is to create a </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Learning_Networks">personal learning network</a><span style="color: black;"> (PLN) online by joining social networks such as Twitter and sharing resources.  The second is to create a social network for your classroom.  Back in September I wrote about the social networking site </span><a href="http://edmodo.com/">Edmodo</a><span style="color: black;">, which turned out be one of the most transformational technology activities I did with my students last year.  You can check out that post </span><a href="http://mrttips.posterous.com/edmodo-crowdsourcing-for-the-classroom">here</a><span style="color: black;">.  The third and final tool that I believe is foundational to any 21<sup>st</sup> century classroom is screencasting.  </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screencast"> Screencasting</a><span style="color: black;"> is a method of recording the actions of your computer along with an audio track of your voice explaining what you are showing on the screen.  I have been screencasting for a couple of years now, and found it to be a great way to show students how to do something on the computer.  I would often use a screencast before taking my students to the lab, so that they could see what we were going to do in the lab.  Here's an example: </span><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UFpndtuitNk?wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe><span style="color: black;">  I would upload my screencasts to a YouTube channel (</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/mrtalmadge">www.youtube.com/mrtalmadge</a><span style="color: black;">) which then automatically showed up in an embedded player on my class website (</span><a href="http://www.mrtalmadge.com/">www.mrtalmadge.com</a><span style="color: black;">).  It was really nice in the lab because the students could be working at their computers and they could refer to my screencast if they couldn’t remember how to accomplish the task.  Essentially, it allowed me to “replicate” myself so that I could give more personal attention to those students who needed it while the other more capable students could refer to the screencast if they needed assistance.  </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; color: black;">However, using screencasting to create tutorials is just the beginning.  The most powerful use of screencasting occurs when you allow your students to create<em><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"> their</span></em> <em><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">own </span></em>casts.  Isn’t that the case with most technology?  It’s about allowing the students to be creative and use technology to show what they know and can do.    I’ll never forget the buzz in the lab as my students began recording themselves (and rerecording themselves again and again).  One student must have redone his screencast 20 times because he wanted it to be just right.  That is the beauty of screencasting, you can have as many chances as you need until the quality of your presentation is what you want it to be.  Of course, there is some prep work involved.  As the teacher you still have to provide your students with some structure, such as a planning tool for them to script out what they want to say, as well as teaching them the “how to’s” of the specific web application that you choose to use.  </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; color: black;">For my project last year, I chose to use </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://screencastomatic.com/">http://screencastomatic.com</a><span style="color: black;">.  In fact, if you look at the bottom of their home page, you can see where the creator of the site has included one of my student’s projects as an example to illustrate the uses of screencasting.   Here's the one that is included: <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9rPXjv1ab3Q?wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe>  I was very excited when I noticed this a few weeks ago! One of the main reason I chose screencastomatic was that it allows you to create a “channel” on the site so that you can give the students the link to the channel and they can simply record their presentation right onto the channel page so that you've got a list organized chronologically.  You can check out all of my students work on the channel </span><a href="http://screencast-o-matic.com/channels/c6hrbU9S">here</a><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; color: black;">There are many screencasting tools available to use for fee online (</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.screentoaster.com/">screentoaster</a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://www.screenr.com/">screenr</a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing/">jing</a><span style="color: black;"> are three that come to mind right now) as well as other more costly traditional software programs (</span><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/">Camtasia</a><span style="color: black;"> comes to mind).  But it’s not so much about which program or app you choose to use, just that you try it out, both as a teaching/presentation tool and as a learning tool for students.  </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; color: black;"> How about you? Do you have other ideas about technology tools teachers should try in the new year? How have you used screencasting in the classroom?  Do you have a screencasting program that you prefer over another?  If so, why?</span></p><p></p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/technology-for-the-new-year-screencasting-in">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/technology-for-the-new-year-screencasting-in#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=yDXjFMdc-L0:taogKz9xRUs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=yDXjFMdc-L0:taogKz9xRUs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/yDXjFMdc-L0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/technology-for-the-new-year-screencasting-in Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:10:00 -0800 Are you preparing your students for the jobs of the future? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/zDHxQV4eWCU/are-you-preparing-your-students-for-the-jobs http://justintalmadge.com/are-you-preparing-your-students-for-the-jobs <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Astro_saluting_aatsm" height="359" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/QlsUchZXxqEgBM5nFwMYiLuPGqnAFavqvzhFCjKVWtFCnLpNQHoypTUGV9vU/Astro_Saluting_AATSM.jpg" width="483" /> </div> </p> <p></p> <div class="WordSection1"> <p>Last month I received an email from someone at the <a href="http://www.iftf.org/">Institute for the Future</a>, a think tank in Palo Alto, CA that contracts with companies to forecast future trends.  In their email to me they said they were working for a major handset manufacturer (i.e. cell phone maker) to, as they put it, “undercover leading edge behaviors and tech enablers that will help inform and shape their <span class="il">future</span> products and services.”  Apparently they had been following my classroom audio updates on <a href="http://www.mrtalmadge.com">www.mrtalmadge.com</a> after reading a <a href="http://blog.cinchcast.com/2010/02/15/cinch-in-the-classroom/">blog post</a> about my use of <a href="http://www.cinch.com/">Cinch</a>, a podcast by phone service that I used last year.   Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was listening to <a>Marketplace</a> on the radio when I heard an interview with Marina Gorbis, executive director of IFTF on a <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/10/26/pm-the-next-generations-job-market/">series</a> that Marketplace was doing about “Jobs of the Future”.  Isn’t it funny how something you’ve never heard of can pop into your life multiple times like that within a short period of time?  Anyhow, you can listen to the story <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/www_publicradio/tools/media_player/popup.php?name=marketplace/pm/2010/10/26/marketplace_cast2_20101026_64&starttime=00:09:33.0&endtime=00:16:49.0">here</a>, but I was struck by the fact that, according to Gorbis and other future job experts, the skills our workers will need are predicted to be more creative, higher order thinking  kinds of skills.  That got <em>me</em> thinking, how are teachers in classrooms providing students with the kinds of experiences that teach these skills?  In what way can teachers leverage technology to help teach these 21<sup>st</sup> century skills?  And too, when I was in the classroom, was I providing student with expereinces that would help them gain the necessary skills for the future job market?  The report went on to say:</p> <p>“That's why Gorbis says emphasize creative problem-solving. Schools can teach it; it's usually done in group exercises. They can take a lot of class time, but Gorbis says creative problem-solving is a key to innovation, and a necessary skill in a lot of the new jobs created by all those smart machines that are destroying some old jobs.”</p> <p>Ultimately, if and when I make it back to the classroom, I have no choice but to do a better job designing lessons and activities that force students to work together, utilize technology and  be more creative in the process.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/are-you-preparing-your-students-for-the-jobs">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/are-you-preparing-your-students-for-the-jobs#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=zDHxQV4eWCU:0fi6qkige30:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=zDHxQV4eWCU:0fi6qkige30:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/zDHxQV4eWCU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/are-you-preparing-your-students-for-the-jobs Wed, 03 Nov 2010 12:44:39 -0700 Written Notes from Art Costa Coaching Presentation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/R4cjjZgB1zk/written-notes-from-art-costa-coaching-present http://justintalmadge.com/written-notes-from-art-costa-coaching-present <p> <div class='p_embed p_file_embed'> <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/written-notes-from-art-costa-coaching-present"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/images/filetypes/pdf.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <strong>Written-Pages-2010-11-03-12-38-18.pdf</strong> <a href="http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/LuAS3wbtVfD8FXoh8ZL6m1l0VUleluUJHK6TPyACXMcz5eRRP9vp5YYYnmSJ/Written-Pages-2010-11-03-12-38.pdf">Download this file</a> </div> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/written-notes-from-art-costa-coaching-present">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/written-notes-from-art-costa-coaching-present#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=R4cjjZgB1zk:SgvpZuTAKEU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=R4cjjZgB1zk:SgvpZuTAKEU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/R4cjjZgB1zk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/written-notes-from-art-costa-coaching-present Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:39:00 -0700 What Can Adults Learn from Children http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/IksZJtyovN8/what-can-adults-learn-from-children http://justintalmadge.com/what-can-adults-learn-from-children <p> <p>As a follow up to my previous post, here's some video of the first child to present at a TED sponsored talk.  She makes some great points about what children have to offer society that we adults often can't...</p> <p> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V-bjOJzB7LY?wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/what-can-adults-learn-from-children">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/what-can-adults-learn-from-children#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=IksZJtyovN8:xmTMXN3uMoY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=IksZJtyovN8:xmTMXN3uMoY:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/IksZJtyovN8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/what-can-adults-learn-from-children Sat, 18 Sep 2010 07:20:00 -0700 Tedx in Redmond Today http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/b3Zs_oOuWNY/tedx-in-redmond-today http://justintalmadge.com/tedx-in-redmond-today <p> <p>I heard a story on the radio on my way to work yesterday about a Redmond, WA girl who was the brainchild behind a Ted Talks style event by kids, for kids and about kids.  Check out a promo:</p> <p> </p> <p><embed src="http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1281555063&f=uIagyJJeSdY3xUOI0AwI6g&d=70&m=a&r=w&i=m&options=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="415" width="480"></embed></p> <div style="font-size: 0.9em;"><a href="http://vodpod.com/watch/4348522-tedx-redmond">Tedx Redmond</a> - Watch more <a href="http://vodpod.com">Videos</a> at Vodpod.</div> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/tedx-in-redmond-today">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/tedx-in-redmond-today#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=b3Zs_oOuWNY:3_RqZ_Xs5qA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=b3Zs_oOuWNY:3_RqZ_Xs5qA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/b3Zs_oOuWNY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/tedx-in-redmond-today Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:35:00 -0700 Edmodo: Crowdsourcing for the Classroom http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/gTStMAn5XO8/edmodo-crowdsourcing-for-the-classroom http://justintalmadge.com/edmodo-crowdsourcing-for-the-classroom <p> <p style="text-indent: .25in;">Over the last few years as a middle school language arts and social studies teacher, I have experimented with many web 2.0 tools—from wiki’s to wordle; diigo to dabbleboard and everything in between.  In fact, I was such a proliferous early adopter that my students actually yearned to go back to using paper and pencil!  “Can’t we just write in our notebooks and turn it in to you?” I’d hear them say after 10 days of researching with <a href="http://www.wikispaces.com">wikispaces</a> or creating a shared whiteboard on <a href="http://www.dabbleboard.com">dabbleboard</a>.   To be sure, though, after a few days of the “old” way back in their classroom desks working out of notebooks, they were ready to get back to using the laptops and/or computer lab.  </p> <p style="text-indent: .25in;">Now, if I were to suggest one of the many resources I tried with my students last year to a teacher wishing to truly transform their teaching, I know hands down which one I’d choose:  Edmodo (<a href="http://www.edmodo.com">www.edmodo.com</a>) .  Edmodo is a social networking tool (a’ la facebook) designed specifically for the classroom.  It has many features that can be used both in the classroom during lessons, but also out of the classroom as a communication piece.   However, the number one reason to use Edmodo is that it allows the teacher take advantage of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing">crowdsourcing</a> (a business term used to suggest web 2.0 collaboration) in the classroom.  Indeed, this is the real genius of Edmodo.  By providing a forum where students can easily be a source of information for each other, the teacher is leveraging the “wisdom of the crowd” to borrow the title of <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=hHUsHOHqVzEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false">James Surowiecki’s</a> recent book.  For example, imagine that a student is absent one day.  He could get onto the class social network and make a post asking what the assignment was that day.  Another student could respond with her interpretation of what the teacher wanted.  Still another student could reply (all of this occurs as a “threaded discussion”, see below) with additional thoughts so the absent student is able to know exactly what the assignment was.  The student could also send you, the teacher, a direct message via that Edmodo feature, but doesn’t it make sense in terms of efficiency to let the students help each other out?  Here’s an example threaded discussion on edmodo:</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/O8Yq4N0O2YJ7j2f0aDtoSW2f9vWiE7zkAzSG4SuOgDZisNwlGgZoTEBPeyTz/image001.jpg"><img alt="Image001" height="249" src="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/nxoGG6d2ts9CiF1UpuiwcyFqmVF3LkfvmdQiKSFPemz6fDhTHhC8fyl8nUm6/image001.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>                As with any technology tool, there are limitations.  If students are really taking advantage of edmodo to communicate, it can be hard to monitor every single post.  Here again, however, because all student postings are publicly viewable by every member of the class, the “crowd” becomes a powerful resource for the teacher (e.g.  “Mr. Talmadge, Johnny made fun of Suzie on edmodo last night…”  Ultimately, in my experience, I found that the drawback of having to spend time monitoring posts was far outweighed by the beauty of a tool that allowed me to have a controlled environment in which to help my students be responsible digital citizens in a social network environment. (for more on digital citizenship see <a href="http://www.digitalcitizenship.net">www.digitalcitizenship.net</a>).</p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/edmodo-crowdsourcing-for-the-classroom">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/edmodo-crowdsourcing-for-the-classroom#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=gTStMAn5XO8:6lhp0xiAmiw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=gTStMAn5XO8:6lhp0xiAmiw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/gTStMAn5XO8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/edmodo-crowdsourcing-for-the-classroom Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:55:00 -0700 The Importance of Language to Learning http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/F3z5kWlXlaY/the-importance-of-language-to-learning http://justintalmadge.com/the-importance-of-language-to-learning <p> <p>I hope that most teachers are aware of the importance of vocabulary on one's ability to learn new concepts (see <a href="http://www.marzanoresearch.com/products/catalog.aspx?group=6">Marzano</a> to learn more), but I just listened to an amazing <a href="http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/">Radiolab</a>  podcast that explores the interplay between language and thought.  Of particular interest to me was the description of how a teacher thought to teach the concept of names to a 27 year old Mayan man who had lived his entire life devoid of sound and the way that adults were reduced to rat like thinking when their brain was overhelmed.</p> <p>I encourage you to listen when you get the chance.... <div class='p_embed p_audio_embed'> <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-importance-of-language-to-learning"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/images/filetypes/mp3.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <span class='p_id3'>radiolab_podcast802word.mp3</span> <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-importance-of-language-to-learning">Listen on Posterous</a> </div> </div>  </p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-importance-of-language-to-learning">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/the-importance-of-language-to-learning#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=F3z5kWlXlaY:5jS4-G87U8w:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=F3z5kWlXlaY:5jS4-G87U8w:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/F3z5kWlXlaY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge - http://justintalmadge.com/the-importance-of-language-to-learning Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:17:00 -0700 Can You Teach Emotional Intelligence? Behind the Movement for Social and Emotional Learning http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/fAVUjXY8FWU/can-you-teach-emotional-intelligence-behind-t http://justintalmadge.com/can-you-teach-emotional-intelligence-behind-t <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Media_httpwwwyesmagaz_rabau" height="165" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/changecourse/yAosyespBBvHmtBbxbJjJxEBtgeEDpHbnsbixrozGaIGBHFxDaamCnspsGph/media_httpwwwyesmagaz_rABau.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="220" /> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/can-you-teach-emotional-intelligence">yesmagazine.org</a> </div> <p>Interesting that students with a foundation in SEL scored higher on standardized tests. I wonder if more students had this kind of foundation in the primary grades would we see a decrease bullying behaviors at the secondary level?</p> </div> <p><embed src="http://embedit.in/QqOdbQR3IU.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="400" width="466"></embed></p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/can-you-teach-emotional-intelligence-behind-t">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/can-you-teach-emotional-intelligence-behind-t#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=fAVUjXY8FWU:d1A8GP3ahM4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=fAVUjXY8FWU:d1A8GP3ahM4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/fAVUjXY8FWU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/can-you-teach-emotional-intelligence-behind-t Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:58:00 -0700 Research Dispels Common Ed-Tech Myths http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/t6GrW4yo0Nw/research-dispels-common-ed-tech-myths http://justintalmadge.com/research-dispels-common-ed-tech-myths <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object data="http://www.committedsardine.com/media/underwater_839_200.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="119" width="500"> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" /> <param name="swfversion" value="6.0.65.0" /> <param name="expressinstall" value="Scripts/expressInstall.swf" /> <param name="BGCOLOR" value="#015794" /> --> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.committedsardine.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=1265">committedsardine.com</a> </div> <p>This is an interesting piece of research that suggests new teachers are no more likely to use technology than are veteran teachers even though they may use it more in their personal lives. Is this because we teach as we were taught and school has traditionally been a place where one is required to "power down"?</p> </div> <p><iframe src="http://crocodoc.com/y3NQa6?embedded=true&sidebaropen=false" height="500" width="500"></iframe></p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/research-dispels-common-ed-tech-myths">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/research-dispels-common-ed-tech-myths#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=t6GrW4yo0Nw:Z11qAcAXbFk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=t6GrW4yo0Nw:Z11qAcAXbFk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/t6GrW4yo0Nw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/research-dispels-common-ed-tech-myths Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:29:00 -0700 Bring on the learning revolution!: Sir Ken Robinson on TED.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/6cMKghEecHc/bring-on-the-learning-revolution-sir-ken-robi-0 http://justintalmadge.com/bring-on-the-learning-revolution-sir-ken-robi-0 <p> <p>This video has been on the web for awhile (so I'm a little late to the party), but I just had the chance to listen to the talk in the car yesterday while taking my boys to the zoo. I really liked the speaker's explanation of how education needs to move from an industrialized model where we standardize content, to an agricultural model where the content and delivery is customized and organic to each learner.<p /> </p> <p> <object height="326" width="446"> <param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff" /> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/SirKenRobinson_2010-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/SirKenRobinson-2010.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=865&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution;year=2010;theme=whipsmart_comedy;theme=a_taste_of_ted2010;theme=the_rise_of_collaboration;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=how_we_learn;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=master_storytellers;theme=the_creative_spark;event=TED2010;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /> <embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="326" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/SirKenRobinson_2010-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/SirKenRobinson-2010.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=865&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution;year=2010;theme=whipsmart_comedy;theme=a_taste_of_ted2010;theme=the_rise_of_collaboration;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=how_we_learn;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=master_storytellers;theme=the_creative_spark;event=TED2010;" width="446"></embed> </object> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/bring-on-the-learning-revolution-sir-ken-robi-0">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/bring-on-the-learning-revolution-sir-ken-robi-0#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=6cMKghEecHc:zPDuaIlKBsc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=6cMKghEecHc:zPDuaIlKBsc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/6cMKghEecHc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/bring-on-the-learning-revolution-sir-ken-robi-0 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:01:00 -0700 Why "Change Course" Blog Title? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/FZBcI_JwrJI/why-change-course-blog-title http://justintalmadge.com/why-change-course-blog-title <p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I thought long and hard about what to call my new professional blog. I brainstormed a huge list of possible titles, everything from “Digital Dispatch” to “Techknowledgy” to “The Change Up”--a reference to my days as a baseball pitcher. I wanted something that would be catchy, but that would also represent the main ideas I would be writing about. Initially, I decided on “Learning Matters”. However, when I did a Google search for the term, I discovered that it was used by both bloggers and coporations alike. I also wanted something that I could easily create a Twitter account for and, potentially, a domain name as well. “Learning Matters” had to be scratched, having already been used in both respects. So I went back to the drawing board and continued brainstorming. </span></p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another factor that went into play was the way that RSS readers catalog/organize feeds. When I read blog posts using Google Reader on my blackberry, the feeds are organized alphabetically. Often, I only read the ones that are at the top of the list. So, I wanted my title to contain a first letter that was somewhere near the top of the alphabet. </span></p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another concern was how the title would represent my ideas. I am starting a new job this fall as a technology specialist, but I didn’t want my blog to be just about technology. So I scratched any titles that contained references to technology (I will definitely have a tech blog that the teachers I work with can subscribe to for “how to” explanations. In fact, I’ve set one up and have called it “Mr. T’s Tech Tips”-</span><a href="http://www.mrttips.posterous.com/"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000099; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.mrttips.posterous.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.) </span></p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I finally decided on “Change Course” for a couple of reasons. For one, it starts with “C” and will get my blog to the top of alphabetized lists. Second, it communicates the idea of change. I will be writing about how education can happen differently and I want to gain a readership of those around the world who also want to change the system. Then there’s that word “course”, which has a double meaning. It can be a synonym for “class”, as in a place where learning happens, but it can also stand for a direction or a path to follow. And when you put both words together you get the idea of a ship’s captain charting a course (notice I also use a compass rose logo as well) and realizing that it may be necessary to “Change Course.” I do believe that we can’t just keep doing things in the classroom the way we’ve been doing it. So, I hope that my blog can be a place where we ponder how teaching and learning can “change course” for the 21st century.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/why-change-course-blog-title">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/why-change-course-blog-title#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=FZBcI_JwrJI:KGjjJByfCIc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=FZBcI_JwrJI:KGjjJByfCIc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/FZBcI_JwrJI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/why-change-course-blog-title Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:01:00 -0700 Thoughts on "Spoiled Rotten", Alfie Kohn Washington Post Article http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/zSmfb0nHU6E/23382545 http://justintalmadge.com/23382545 <p> <p>Here's an interesting article by anti assessment and grades in school crusader <a href="http://www.alfiekohn.org">Alfie Kohn</a>. He refutes the claims by many (I know that I have thought it many times) who seem to think that today's kids are too coddled by their parents. I know that each generation decry's the way successive generations are raised, but I do wonder what kind of effect technology, specifically social networking sites like twitter, working in combination with cell phones will have on a whole generation growing up thinking that what they're doing at the moment is so important that everyone wants to know. And too, when I see kids who are with friends or parents but have their attention on text messaging their "network" rather than actually spending quality time with the people physically around them at the moment, I cringe (make no mistake, I am guilty of this as well). I can't help but wonder, are we in the process of creating the most narcissistic generation in history?<p /> <a href="http://www.alfiekohn.org/miscellaneous/spoiling.htm">http://www.alfiekohn.org/miscellaneous/spoiling.htm</a></p> <p> </p> <p><embed src="http://embedit.in/l8xFR5mFqE.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="400" width="490"></embed></p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/23382545">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/23382545#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=zSmfb0nHU6E:xxZF3aZBDcQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=zSmfb0nHU6E:xxZF3aZBDcQ:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/zSmfb0nHU6E" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/23382545 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:49:00 -0700 Web 3.0: The way forward? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/gHRS7DDjXvk/web-30-the-way-forward-1 http://justintalmadge.com/web-30-the-way-forward-1 <p> <p>There are some nice charts/diagrams that show the difference between web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and beyond in this presentation. I am not sure if teachers, or even if most technology specialists for that matter can explain the difference. I know that I might have a hard time trying to put it in to words. The question is, how will the change to web 3.0, particularly the use of small portable computing devices, affect the way teaching and learning happens.<p /> <iframe marginheight="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/4744923" marginwidth="0" frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe>" <object height="355" width="425"> <br /> </object> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/web-30-the-way-forward-1">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/web-30-the-way-forward-1#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=gHRS7DDjXvk:Wumv_AGQsmo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=gHRS7DDjXvk:Wumv_AGQsmo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/gHRS7DDjXvk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/web-30-the-way-forward-1 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:48:53 -0700 Cyberbullying 2010: What the Research Tells Us http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/changecourse/~3/kdKnPqInSbA/cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us http://justintalmadge.com/cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object height="417" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=ncmecnetsmartzcyberbullyingtalk050610release-100507142249-phpapp01&stripped_title=cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us-4009451" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <embed allowfullscreen="true" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=ncmecnetsmartzcyberbullyingtalk050610release-100507142249-phpapp01&stripped_title=cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us-4009451" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="417" width="500"></embed> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/PewInternet/cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us-4009451">slideshare.net</a></div> <p>Some interesting statistics in this recent Pew report. My question is, if we can't keep kids from bullying and harassing each other at school, how are we going to keep it from happening online?</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://justintalmadge.com/cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://justintalmadge.com/cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=kdKnPqInSbA:1OoDlh4jzps:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?a=kdKnPqInSbA:1OoDlh4jzps:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/changecourse?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/changecourse/~4/kdKnPqInSbA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1755509/Bog_Profle_Pic_Blue.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxavCO98FX Justin Talmadge Mr. T Justin Talmadge http://justintalmadge.com/cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us