Forest Park's March Madness

MacWorld

2009-01-06T06:59:15-08:00

I am heading to MacWorld today and plan to publish via iPhone. Already off to a bad start with the rescheduling of David Pogue to Wednesday.

Lawrence Lessig and Read/Write

2008-12-23T11:13:55-08:00

Just finished watching a lecture by Lawrence Lessig from Stanford. His latest book, Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy deals with the need to update copyright/fair use laws to reflect the way it is being used as a communication platform by kids. Had to include this fabulous mash-up he gace as an example:

Podcasting Ideas

2008-01-27T07:10:20-08:00

I was reading Tim Wilson's blog looking for information about purchasing equipment when I came across a couple postings I will republish - one a list of ways podcasts can be used in the classroom and the other an interesting way of encouraging administrators to drink the podcast Kool-Aid.

The post I was looking for is below:

The Podcave (an update)

December 24th, 2005 | by Tim Wilson |

I posted a while ago about my new podcasting microphone, but I thought I’d post an updated photo of the podcave. If you click through to the photo on Flickr you’ll be able to see some additional information about the equipment. The new gear includes a Heil PL-2 boom, Electro-Voice RE20, and Model 309 shockmount.

Tricking administrators into using technology

May 5th, 2007 | by Tim Wilson |

I’m a pretty sneaky guy, and I believe in the power of leaders leading with technology. So when our Director of H.R. asked me if I had any ideas about how we could streamline the process of recording applicant interviews, I thought it was a great opportunity to get the rest of the administrators podcasting.

So we bought a bunch of 30GB iPods with Griffin iTalk microphones for the principals and district administrators. We use a very structured interview process which ensures that the administrators can trust one another’s evaluations. That means that one elementary principal can interview a candidate and put that person’s interview recording into a pool that all the other elementary schools can draw from. The whole process goes like this:

Record (it’s a one-click operation with the iTalk)

Connect the iPod to the computer and transfer the WAV file

Compress the interview to MP3 format

Upload the file to a special area of one of our servers

Subscribe to a podcast feed that delivers all of the interviews for a given licensure area

No more sending cassette tapes around the district. Everything is password protected to ensure that only authorized people can upload or subscribe to interview podcast feeds.

I told my colleagues that I was treating this like a gateway drug to get them hooked on podcasting and digital media in general. How cool would it be for principals to be the ones on the frontier leading the charge for innovative uses of technology in the classroom? With a totally new web site going live in the fall (more on that later), I’ve challenged each of them to blog and podcast regularly next year. And wouldn’t you know that the iPod and iTalk mic each of them has makes a perfect little podcast recording platform. Sneaky aren’t I?

iPod ideas

July 6th, 2006 | by Tim Wilson |

I gave a half-day workshop this morning on iPods, iTunes, and podcasting. We generated a pretty good list of ideas for uses of this technology in classrooms and schools:

Collect field notes during a science field trip

Living museum, researching characters

“Radio shows”

Creating audio guides for local museums

Teacher powerpoints

Early language learners, (rhyming, etc.)

Staff development

Screencasts

Language learners recording assessments

Discovery Education videos

Science reports

Art projects

Digital portfolios

Weekly classroom news

Serial storytelling

Reflective journals

Summaries of school events

Broadcast school sporting events

Roving reporters

Capturing oral histories (family history)

Podcast vocab words and spelling lists

Flashcard practice with iFlash

Musical compositions

Soundseeing tours

A lot of these ideas could be applied in different subject areas around the school.

MacWorld 2008 Educator Academy - The How

2008-01-17T08:29:26-08:00

The How session notes

Looking forward to hearing how to deploy new systems. However, I started my day with a Keynote from David Pogue of the NYTimes - an excellent choice.

Macworld Live! with David Pogue

Feature Presentations 9:00am - 10:00am West Hall 3010

Speakers:

Donna Dubinsky–CEO,Numenta, Inc.
David Pogue–Author & "State of the Art" Columnist,The New York Times
Dag Spicer–Senior Curator,The Computer History Museum

Move over Letterman, Leno and Conan - New York Times technology columnist and Mac industry luminary David Pogue returns to Macworld to host our very own talk show. The news of the day, exciting guests, David’s famous song parodies and plenty of surprises await you as Macworld Live returns to San Francisco!

Welcome and Keynote -
iWoz
Steve Wozniak | Personal Computer Inventor, Apple Co-Founder

A true story behind the revolution of the personal computer. Wozniak discusses his childhood in the Silicon Valley, how he invented the personal computer and the early days of Apple.

He really does mean well.

Session 2 -
OSX Leopard "the new cat in school"
David Wallace and Ken Tuley | Apple Distinguished Educators

From OS tricks to classroom management tips this sessions shows why OSX leopard is purrrrrfect for every classroom or computer lab.

Very well-organized.

Session 3 -Download leopardserver.pdf
School Server: soup to nuts with OSX server
Dr. Bill Wiecking | Hawaii Preparatory Academy and Education Manager, Volcano Wireless

Your school without wires-is this for you? How can laptops be used in your classroom to augment your teaching and engage your students more effectively? We will cover the ups and downs of wireless schools, including implementation, security issues, wireless roaming, case studies, typical problems and their solutions, and a look to the future: will the iPhone become a teaching tool? If you are an educator, administrator or system administrator, this session is for you.

Fabulous source of information.

Session 4 -Download DFMacWorld.pdf
Protecting Workstations in an Education Environment: Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Chuck Taylor | K-12 Microcomputer Specialist, San Juan Unified School District

Computers in education environments are among the toughest IT environments to manage and secure. The large number of daily users, the limited resources of on-site staff, and the immense number of schools that district technology personnel must manage all come together to create an IT 'perfect storm'.

With the right tools and practices, IT administrators can create bulletproof computer labs that deliver trouble-free computing to the teachers and the students. Learn the concepts required to easily and effectively deploy workstation security software, and manage them at an enterprise level. This session is a must for any IT administrator managing Mac computers in a K-12 or Higher Ed environment.

Makes a good case for Deep-Freeze.

Session 5
What does it take to start an eLearning group for your K-12 organization?
Ryan Best | Deputy Director, ITD Training, Los Angeles Unified School District

Whether you're a small educational organization or a large one: eLearning for employees and staff developed inhouse can be engaging, effective and exciting. Think you need a lot of resources and funding to start your own eLearning group? Think again! This workshop touches on everything you need to know from concept, design, learning models, deployment, tracking, and return-on-invesment. A "nuts and bolts" workshop and Q&A session.

Professional Development materials?

Closing Capstone -Museum mode.pdf iPod DEUS.pdf iPod2.pdf
The Secret 'i' in iPod: Amazing Things You Didn't Know You Could Do
Hall Davidson | Director, Discovery Educator Network

Nothing is better than Macs for building projects from a wild variety of software and sources. Build curriculum projects integrating Google Earth, iTunes, iPhoto, Parallels (tap XP software!), media libraries, and QuickTime Pro that grab students via the iPod—or iPod peripherals (like VCRs/TVs/ projectors). A wild i-ticket ride through the technology thicket!

Always entertaining.

MacWorld 2008 Educator Academy - The Why

2008-01-17T08:28:54-08:00

The Why Session Notes

3 excellent sessions

Welcome and Keynote -
Emerging Learning Environments
John Couch | Vice President of Education, Apple, Inc.

As the world has become flat, niched by a long tail and connected by the Internet, what does today's 21st Century Learning Environment need to provide? Come hear John Couch talk about how Apple is looking at content, creation tools, distribution and building of collaborative learning environments.

John was a very inspiring speaker. Technology is technology only to those born before the technology. 50% of 21 year olds have created content on the web. Our job is to design learning environments for students who will design the technologies we do not yet know about. We should use apps that support the way students live and how they want to learn. An interesting tool TED 5110 students may be interested in is iTunes U Lit2Go is a source of audio files for K-12. KQED - QUEST adhers to CA content standards. American Public Media. Check out Tapscott Williams book Wikinomics.

Apple Learning Interchange

"only old people email"

What side of history do we want to be on?

Session 2 -
Is It Time to Upgrade? Making the Case for Change
Dr. Tim Tyson | drTimTyson.com, MaybryOnline.org

In a recent survey conducted with over 600 leading educators from around the world, Dr. Tyson asked two questions:

• To what extent do you truly believe in your heart that school age children have the capacity to make a significant and meaningful contribution to our world?
• About what percentage of children in your school (or school district) last year do you believe actually did something that you believe made a significant contribution to our world?

The disparity between what we believe is possible and what we believe is actually happening is inescapable. 76.4% of survey respondents stated that they truly believed that school age children have the capacity to make a significant and meaningful contribution to our world. Yet 68% of those same respondents stated that less than 25% of the children in their school actually did something that they believed made a significant contribution to our world with 42.4% stating the number to be less than 10% of their students.

This presentation explores some of the unprecedented changes that have taken place in the last 100 years, including the role of children and the nature of childhood, the transition from an agricultural society to an industrial society to the information age, and the impact of globalization on our lives. With the ever-increasing scope and pace of change, how do schools prepare students not just to be competitive in the job market they will face, but to lead and shape the future? Dr. Tyson makes the case for creating an educational framework that strives to make learning irresistible within a context that reveres a culture of personal best and requires meaningful contribution as the highest level of learning.

Can today's children make our world a better place?

Session 3 -
Learning to Game, and Gaming to Learn: An Introduction to Video Games in Education
Mark Wagner | President, Educational Technology & Life Corporation

Download GamingToLearn.pdf

Video games can provide a context for learning, opportunities for inquiry, and frameworks for cooperative learning. They are also deeply motivating and engaging. A good deal of incidental learning happens as students play, but can this powerful new media be harnessed for intentional learning in formal education?

Mark's session was great! His talk is forcing me to revisit my distaste for gaming. The outline for his presentation provides supporting matrerials

What is Hard Fun?

“It’s hard. It’s fun. It’s LOGO.” (1st Grader)
“This kid called the work fun because it was hard rather than in spite of being hard.” (Seymour Papert)
“How do we make writing become hard fun?” (Seymour Papert)

Why Videogames?

Digital Natives & Digital Immigrants [PDF] (Prensky, 2001)
Incidental vs. Intentional Learning (Jonassen, 2002)
enGauge 21st Century Skills (NCREL, 2003)
http://www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/skills.htm

Marc Prensky

Digital Game Based Learning (2001)
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (2001)
Don’t Bother Me Mom - I’m Learning! (2006)
http://www.marcprensky.com

James Paul Gee

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (2003)
Situated Language and Learning (2004)
Why Video Games are Good For Your Soul (2005)
http://website.education.wisc.edu/gls/people_gee.htm

Clark Aldrich

Simulations and the Future of Learning (2004)
Learning by Doing (2005)
Style Guide For Serious Games (Blog)
http://clarkaldrich.blogspot.com/

simSchool

http://www.simschool.org

David Williamson Shaffer

Epistemic Games
Simulation Prototypes
How Computer Games Help Children Learn (2006)
http://www.epistemicgames.org

Kurt Squire

Civilization III at Indiana University
Conceptual Prototypes at MIT
Games, Learning, and Society at University of Wisconsin - Madison
http://website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire/

Civilization III

Turn-Based Strategy
Systems Content
Social Studies Concepts
Complexity, flexibility, replayability
Failure and choice
Kurt Squire’s Dissertation (2004)
http://www.civ3.com

Web-Based Games

Play in your browser
Mostly FREE
Engaging and content related
Great for younger students
http://www.funbrain.com/
http://pbskids.org/games/
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/
http://www.furl.net/members/ewagner

Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Games

Teachers may not be able to develop a cutting edge game, but many games can be repurposed.
“Instead of embedding a game into learning, it is possible to embed learning into a game.” (Downes, 2005)
Civilization III & IV
The “Age Of...” Series
The Sim Games
The “Tycoon” Series
And More...
http://www.mackenty.org/index.php/games_work/

Neverwinter Nights

Role Playing Game (RPG)
Toolset for User-Made Content
Teachers as Gamemasters (GMs)
MIT’s Revolution Mod
http://educationarcade.org/revolution

Making History

Designed for education!
Assessment Features
Widely Implemented
http://www.making-history.com

Dimenxian

Game world mapped onto cartesian plane
Algebra concepts must be mastered to progress in the game
Homework just got harder!
Learn Math or Die Trying.
http://www.dimenxian.com/

Games for Change

Games meant to “effect positive social change”
The WFP’s Food Force - http://www.food-force.com
Peter Packet - http://www.peterpacket.org
Dean for Iowa - http://www.deanforamericagame.com
Global Kid’s playing for keeps - http://www.globalkids.org
http://www.gamesforchange.org

A Force More Powerful

http://www.aforcemorepowerful.org
http://www.afmpgame.com/

PeaceMaker

http://www.peacemaker.com

Games For Health

Games being built for health care applications
Researchers, medical professionals, and game developers
Using game technologies to create new ways of improving the management, quality, and provision of healthcare worldwide.
http://www.gamesforhealth.com

Creating Games

Global Kids’ playing for keeps. www.globalkids.org
Brea High School Global IT Academy (Visual Basic) - http://www.globalitacademy.org
http://www.garagegames.com
http://www.thinkingworlds.com
Spreadsheet Simulations
Maps, Storyboards, and Screenshots...

Game Design & Theory

What Players Want
Elements of Gameplay
Non-Linear Storytelling
http://www.paranoidproductions.com/gamedesign/

Creating Emotion

Emotioneering
Interesting & Deepening
Character Diamonds
Role Induction
http://www.freemangames.com

Gender Inclusive Design

Females and Machines
Female Characters
Conflict Resolution Styles
Reward and Gameplay
http://www.sirenia.com

Rock Our World!
Carol Anne McGuire | Teacher, Orange Unified School District

Global Collaboration: a buzzword or an educational reality? Be prepared to "rock your world" as you apply practical global projects in your classroom today! See how easy it is to expand the walls of your classroom to the furthest reaches of the planet. From easy to extreme, bring the world to your students!

I've seen Carole Anne at previous MacWorlds - she is very enthusiastic.

Session 5 -
MacOS Tools: Helping Education Shift From Telling to Discovery
Bret MacCabe with co-presenters: Gary Lacock, Jim Parkin, Bryce Porter, Suraj Syal, Rem Wiscombe, Provo City School District

Educators from Provo City School District will share the process of a systemic approach that: 1) Establishes a basic floor of opportunity that ensures that each child will be given an "X" amount of appropriate technology access and use in real life skills and traditional school skills, 2) Uses MacOS tools, such as Keynote, Pages, Garage Band, and iChat, to help teachers shift from telling to discovery in the classroom, and 3) Enhances productivity, which equates to more students doing better work, regardless of cultural difference and/or disability.

Problem/Issue: How do we empower teacher A, who involves the students and is enthusiastic about using technology during the learning process, and at the same time, encourage teacher B who says, "My students can't do that" or "I don't have the time", to equip students (including students with exceptional needs) with a set of skills that work inside and outside the school?

The Solution: A technology integration professional development model must provide teachers with MacOS tools that are seamless and user friendly in the implementation process of 1) teaching and learning to meet core standards, 2) shifting from telling to discovery through problem solving and creative thinking, and 3) preparing students to be competitive in the new global economy.

A well-meaning group.

Closing Capstone -
Teachers, Don't Just TEACH it -- INSPIRE with it!
Marco Torres | educator, director, photographer

IT'S NOT ABOUT CLICKING AND DRAGGING! IT'S NOT ABOUT BLOGGING, PODCASTING, or WEB 2.0-ING! It's about teaching and learning. In this "flattening" world, we are required to be more creative, more flexible, more community-based. However, teachers –the world still needs GOOD, empathetic, ingenuous educators – a Yoda! Yeah, you! The kids need us more than ever! Multimedia is our students' native language. If we're smart and ready– we can use it to be very academic and very rigorous (and have fun a long the way, too). If we use multimedia right– we can empower in ways that we never imagined. Turn your classroom(s) into a stage, a studio, and into a community and HURRY! The kids are waiting for you to catch up!

A spectacular presentation!

MacWorld 2008 Educator Academy

2008-01-15T21:28:00-08:00

Event Notice

Kicked off this year's macWorld by attending the John Lennon Bus event Tuesday night sponsored by the education group at Apple.

MacW

Scratch

2007-05-27T06:41:54-07:00

Just read an article by Warren Buckleitner in the NY TImes about an exciting new creativity tool from MIT's Media Lab called Scratch. It is a drag-and-drop programming tool (PC/Mac) that is being made available for free thanks to Intel and the National Science Foundation.

February Professional Development

2007-02-28T09:20:04-08:00

We will use the tech training period to complete the EdTechProfile. Your status is currently green but will be out of date by August '07. I sent your login and password this morning and I have a hard copy if necessary. Upon login, you will need to verify your site (make sure it is Forest Park then click Done) and confirm your email address. Click Retake then click Start Here. Some questions are in columns in which you determine whether you fit in a majority of the attributes described while others are multiple choice.

After completing the EdTechProfile, save the document as a PDF. A handy feature of OS X is the ability to “print” files as PDFs. Go to the File menu and select Print. Click Save As PDF (found in the lower left section of the print dialogue box). You will be prompted to name the file. Please save with first initial, last name and today’s date. Mine would be saved as dthornley 2/28/07. Save on the desktop. Once you have saved the document as a PDF, email the completion status to me attaching the file to the email. I will walk around and help you do so.

January Professional Development

2007-01-31T10:06:35-08:00

It's time for Early Release! I will meet first with K-2 then call 3-6 by 2:00.
Schedule: 1:20 - 2:00 K-2, 2:10 - 2:50 3-6
Please move a copy of your gradebook to the server.

Yearbook Pages

Thank all of you for your hard work on the Portrait and Activity Pages. Your students and their parents will appreciate everything you have done to make our yearbook a wonderful memory for the kids. I am here to help you troubleshoot any final touches.

Easy Grade Pro v. 4

Download egp_user_manual.pdf

I have upgraded our site license to unlimited Mac/PC. This means you will be able to install EGP on your home PC and share the files with your Mac at work. I have installed EGP v. 4 on the lab computers and will do so for your classroom computer as I receive requests. Go to the Applications Folder and select Easy Grade Pro 4.0. I have prepared an installation CD for everyone which includes the site license key. I have also attached a pdf of supporting documents. For those of you with completed yearbook pages, I suggest that your drag your gradebook file from to the server to the desktop and open it with the new version.

Math Websites

Sherra asked earlier for some suggestions on mathematics software - I would like everyone to consider what is available online. The list below is not necessarily wonderful or exhaustive, but it does provide some options for everyone to consider. Enjoy

AAA Math

BBC Math

Cynthia Lanius's Lessons

Kids Online Resources

Visual Fractions

Rainforest Math Online math games for grades kindergarten through six. Many games here.
Mulitiplication.com Many online games to learn and practice multiplication.
Math Playground Educational math activities for kids include online games that require math operations and reasoning, interactive and printable math worksheets, and timed math operations practice.
Baseball Multiplication Multiplication practice with an online shockwave game from Everyday Mathematics, elementary math curriculum.
Name That Number Early math learning in a shockwave game that guides kids to find combinations of numbers that can be added and subtracted to equal the target number. Good audio instructions.
A+ Math Online math games - Matho (Bingo and math), Hidden Pictures, Concentration.
The ArithmAttack See how many math problems you can solve in 60 seconds.
Arithm Simple math calculations using java. Fast
Basketball Interactive Very complete from Science Academy Software
BBC Education Maths File Choose a game from the wheel for fun maths learning. The games are fun and challenging. Excellent.
ChangeMaker Cash register game from Funbrain.com.
CoolMath4Kids A good selection of java math games and math learning activities.
Count On An entire web site devoted to math games and learning for kids. Good fun for elementary kids.
Cross"Number"Puzzles Interactive number puzzles plus some to print and work offline. They become difficult quickly so stick with the Kids puzzles or play some of the others yourself!
CyberChase @ PBS PBS' online games build thinking skills particularly related to mathematical comprehension. Plus they're fun!
Flashcards for Kids Choose the operation and the level to practice math facts online
FleetKids - Finance for Kids Fleet has done a great job with these online games that teach kids about money concepts.
Fraction Frenzy Shockwave game to match equivalent fractions. For grades 4-6, from Learning Planet.
Fun Mathematics Lessons Excellent! Many fun math games.
Gamequariam Play games on the site and find links to more. Good explanations of math concepts for elementary students.
Harcourt Math Advantage Harcourt has added lots of new shockwave math games, keyed to their textbooks but fun for everyone. Choose your child's grade to see what is offered at each level.
Hungry Frog Math Java math game from Treefrog.
IKnowThat.com Math Games Cute games
Impossible Patience Roll the dice and turn over the right cards. Cute shockwave game.
Interactive Math Lessons Mrs. Glosser's Math Goodies.
Jefferson Labs Math Games Speed Math is a fun challenge and definitely builds math computation skills. Kids will also enjoy Mystery Math and the Place Value Games.
LearningPlanet Interactive Math Games Find all of Learning Planet's online math games for kids from this page. Very smooth play on these shockwave games.

Mancala Web Another online Mancala from Imagiware.

Math Baseball Great math game from Funbrain.com

Math Brain Teasers New brain teasers each week from Houghton-Mifflin.

Mathematics with Alice A fun online algebra course, learn with Alice in Wonderland. For grades 6+ from a Thinkquest team.

Multifler Cool multiplication practice in a spaceship cockpit.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives Choose a math operation and a grade level to play and learn with online math manipulatives.

Pattern Block Game Looks like fun. Play online or offline. From Saxon Publishing.

PrimaryGames.com - Math Games Shockwave math games for primary grades. Cute.

PuzzleQuest Shockwave and java math learning games from Questacon.

Rags to Riches Rescue Learn about money and business on a concert tour. Great game from Headbone.

RiverDeep Pre-K through Grade 2 math activities from the Edmark software products now owned by Riverdeep.

Snapmath Java card game with simple math facts required from Teilhard.

Spaceymath Use Math skills to fight aliens. For grades 1-6, from Learning Planet.

Stanley Park Math Chase Practice multiplication facts while you play.

The Picking Game For Older Kids

The Set Game Very fun and educational. Play online by choosing the Set Puzzle Contest of the Day. Many more options, also.

Word Problems For Kids Includes hints and answers. Very nicely done at St. Francis Xavier University.

ADHD and Hall Davidson

2007-01-11T23:09:00-08:00

Hall Davidson was the 6th and final speaker at the K-12 Symposium and in his inimitable style gave a hyperactive presentation on myriad uses of iPods in the classroom titled The MegaVCR: Media and More in Your Pocket.

Download MegaVCRhandoutMW.pdf

Came away with some really neat ideas of how to use this portable technology in the classroom. Hall's central theme was the iPods ability to house a variety of media including:

Videos
Movies
PowerPoints (Advanced Google Search select .ppt file format)
Software Output
Flash
Music
Photos

that could be passed between classrooms. Videos can be added to the iPod after they have been imported into iTunes. If the file is already in mpv4 format, select Add to Librabry. Other assest will have to be converted by right-clicking the video then selecting Convert Selection for iPod. Purchased an iPod cradle with s-video inputs based on his recommendation. I would like to try this out in Jon Ford's room as a way to show powerpoint presentations.