On October 24, the email I had been waiting for appeared in my inbox: “Google Teacher Academy Invitation.” It’s true, I’m going to the GTA on November 18th (in NYC of course). Reportedly, they have teachers sign a confidentiality agreement, so I don’t know how much I’ll be able to report back on…but I’ll be sure to say *something* about the day. Wish me luck–I’m trying not to believe the hype…but I’m pretty excited.
October 27, 2008
Welcome MCA Teachers
Today’s Agenda:
October 27, 2008
3pm-3:55pm
Hello,
As this is my first visit, today we’ll be starting off with an introduction and general overview of the Web Tools Professional Development program that I will be conducting at Metropolitan Corporate Academy this year.
1] Introductions
2] Overview of Web Tools: what are “web tools” and why are they crucial to teaching and learning today?
What are the web tools we’ll be learning about this year?
3] Who is Teachers Network? Services and resources they offer to teachers (most of which are free of charge):
- home page: www.teachersnetwork.org
- How-Tos
- Lesson Plan Search
- Teachnet & Grants for Teachers
- Teachers Network Leadership Institute
- Streaming Videos
- P-credit courses (not free!)
4] Overview of the How to Use the Internet Book & CD-ROMs
5] CLSO online courses available – free!
6] Keeping in Touch: welcome to our blog: mcanyc.blogspot.com
7] Thinking about creating a technology project: feeding into applying for a grant
8] Future sessions: hands-on work
August 10, 2008
The Future of the Book?
I attended this talk in June and found it incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking. This talk was geared towards producers (film, TV, digital), but I think the implications of what Bob Stein discusses is enormous for teachers and educators…and our students.
A shout-out to our friend Chris Pfaff who is the moderator and did a great job. I went up and spoke to Bob Stein afterwards (which I NEVER do at these types of events…I’m not the groupie type…but I was just really fired up about what he was saying) and he invited me and a group of teachers to come to his non-profit foundation in Williamsburg–want to come? I plan on following up with him in the fall.
August 3, 2008
Another Great Video from Digital Ethnography Folks
For anyone still questioning the validity of YouTube, check out this video from Mike Wesch and his students at Kansas State University.
Warning: it’s nearly an hour long, but it’s endlessly fascinating and fun!
July 14, 2008
iPhone Madness: Believe the Hype
I’m one of those crazies who got an iPhone on Friday morning. Yes, I had massive iPhone envy for the past year or so (being the Apple freak that I am), but had a perfectly fine Treo, and wanted to wait it out till version 2. Glad that I did.
First of all, I was on vacation in western Massachusetts this past week and smartly chose to go to the AT&T store in Northampton, MA to get the iPhone on Friday morning. Let me tell you…I wish I lived closer to this store…they ran a tight ship–much better than the idiots at my local AT&T store (make that stores…we’ve been to a few that were horrible) in northern NJ. We were given little cards to hold our place in line, and the manager, Bob, kept us informed as to how many 8GB and 16GB phones were still available. The staff was nice, the people waiting on line with me were nice…even passers-by (some of whom were more than a little crunchy and confused) were nice. Even with the iTunes snafu, Bob kept us up-to-date and came to visit the line outside every 15 mins or so. I can’t say I’ve ever had a better customer service experience, especially under the circumstances. Really.
Now I heard that fights broke out at stores in NYC on Friday, and today, while visiting the Soho Apple store, the line stretched around the corner…must have been well over 100 people waiting for an iPhone. I made a good choice! Not only did I get a phone…and the exact one I wanted (a black 16GB), but it was a positive experience. I was even able to activate it back at my father-in-law’s house an hour or so later (I had to laugh at all the OUTRAGE about this on the blogs. Jeez!). And the phone is really amazing.
This is my 1st iPhone, so I can’t compare it to version 1, but I am truly impressed. How many times do you have that experience…? I sort of always am left cold by most of my purchases. I want something so bad, I get it and then discover all the kinks and flaws along the way. Usually it’s that things aren’t as good as they are hyped up to be. In this case, the iPhone is even more than I had been expecting.
I love that it’s all-in-one. Every day, I used to carry my Treo, my iPod, my digital point-and-shoot camera, and my laptop. I get to now condense those into just my iPhone and my laptop…but in some circumstances, the iPhone is so powerful that I don’t need to bring my laptop along to as many places as I once would have.
The Internet connection is amazing. On the ride home from MA to NJ, I was playing YouTube videos in the car for my son. (The 3G network, as I can attest to, is pretty strong along the northeastern seaboard).
I love the apps. Get Evernote. Download it now. I’ve already used it a few times and love it. You can type a note, record a voice note, take a snapshot note…for free.
The web browser is real. For anyone who has a blackberry or a treo, the iPhone experience is far superior. You can do everything and see everything you can see on a regular web browser. A great deal of the work that I do now is online, so this no longer means having to download to do my work while being mobile (online courses were a bitch). I can now be fully productive on the train or even while running errands.
The one thing I don’t love is the on-screen keyboard. I’m making a lot of mistakes (they are easy to catch, but still). I was really cooking on that Treo keyboard, and now I feel like a beginning typist again. I’m assuming that I’ll speed up with time..?
Seriously…I feel like I’ve stepped into a whole new world. I’m already envisioning pitching my notebooks and pens for good (not an easy statement to make for a girl with a journal and pen fetish) and really moving digital 100%.
I’ll keep you updated if I do uncover any of those kinks and flaws…but so far, with heavily obsessive usage these past 3 days (my family has logged their complaints already), with the iPhone, it’s safe to believe the hype.
July 1, 2008
I take it all back…
Well maybe not all of it–that being my previous criticisms of NECC–since most of NECC has not been a satisfying experience for me.
But I did go to a workshop that was great. It was almost as if someone read my previous post. It was billed as a workshop on web 2.0 tools and open source software. It turned out to be a think-tank…a very abbreviated one, since it only lasted a little over an hour…but it was the most valuable experience of the conference so far.
Steve Hargadon facilitated…and I mean he really just facilitated. He opened up the floor (an extremely large room, about the size of a Broadway theater) to hear from us, the attendees. People stood up one by one and shared either a web 2.0 tool or an open source resource, explained it a bit, and then others who were also using it stood up. People were chatting with each other, surfing, but also totally engaged. The mood was light. People were laughing and clapping for each other. I learned a lot of new resources and a new awareness that I was not alone in my enthusiasm and usage for this type of material.
It was also refreshing to see ALL types of educators participating enthusiastically and holding their own. There are a lot of “tech guy types” here (you know who I mean…the usual bloviators who like to hear themselves talk…endlessly) and most of the workshops I attended were run (yes RUN, as in directed) by them. There were some in this workshop, but they didn’t rule the floor by any means. All types of folks from all over the country (and Canada, and the Ukraine) got involved. In short, I Loved It. A very large room became very intimate almost immediately. Community in action!
Now if only others could learn from this example…
June 30, 2008
Mac Addicts
The coolest thing about NECC for me, so far? Lots of Mac users (like me!) on their laptops everywhere. I’m not alone.
June 30, 2008
A Pain in the NECC?
I’m writing from the NECC Conference in San Antonio, TX and am over- and under-whelmed at the same time.
This is my first NECC (I was hugely pregnant one year and then had a little bebe for the next 2), so I was a little surprised at what a major event this is. Ed tech is big business…not that I didn’t realize this before, but this conference only confirms it. Walking on the floor, perusing all the booths (EVERYONE is here…from SMART to Microsoft to Teacher Tube to Voice Thread…it’s endless) is overwhelming. There’s so much to see, nice give-aways (lots of free, reusable bags), and friendly folks.
But, of course, this being a business, not too much web 2.0 stuff is represented…mainly because there’s not much of it that’s saleable. Voice Thread and Teacher Tube have “pay” areas of their sites, but most of what is here is hardware (Intel, Microsoft, SMART) and software. Lots and lots of software…and a lot of it is insulting to teachers. One company demonstrated a system that was almost like teacher-on-autopilot. No thinking, planning, grading involved…they did it all for you. (To me, this would be one of the circles of hell.) I’m guessing that they don’t think teachers can learn how to use technology themselves for their OWN needs…and manipulate and customize it themselves and help their students have an empowering experience rather than a receptive experience with technology. Hmmm…
The other reaction I had is…will a lot of these small educational software companies even be AROUND in the next 5-10 years? I kind of doubt it. Back to the pressing question of “how do we make money when everyone is giving their ideas away for free”…why would anyone purchase software when there are tools on the web that are: (1) free, (2) interactive and collaborative, and (3) often easier to learn than the software itself?
NECC is still very old school. Lots of print brochures. Workshops given are in the “sage on the stage” style. Why not try a collaborative workshop…sort of a bring your ideas, educational think-tank experience? If that’s being done here, I’m not aware of it!
June 24, 2008
R.I.P. George Carlin
As a New Yorker, an ex-Catholic and all around curmudgeon, I found a lot to love about George Carlin, but none more than this rant on the state of education in America:
(and it probably goes without saying…not safe for school or work!)
