My MACUL 2010 Experience – Friday Kinder-Tech Session

Janie is a kindergarten teacher in our district as well as a friend of mine; this was her first time presenting at the conference and she did an outstanding job. The conference gurus scheduled her session in a large room with about 100 chairs, in the last time slot before the closing speaker…this could have resulted in a low turnout with everyone being so tired, but NO…the room was packed SRO (standing room only)! First time presenter+packed room=nervous wreck…right? NOT! Janie kept her cool and did a fabulous job! Her presentation featured the many creative ways that she integrates technology into her kindergarten classroom on a daily basis. Congratulations Janie!

NOTE: You can find speaker handout material at: http://macul.org/conferences/2010maculconference/attendees/speakerhandoutmaterial/

My MACUL 2010 Experience – Thursday Microsoft Office Live Workshop

A friend of mine prepared a comprehensive 2-hour hands-on workshop on Microsoft Office Live which is an online storage and collaboration tool that keeps ALL of your Microsoft formatting from your Office products (Word, Excel, PPT, etc.). I’ve been using Google docs for a couple of years now, and have experienced loss of formatting when uploading certain MS Office documents (especially PowerPoint). With MS Office Live, you can upload your documents without loss of formatting…and…share them with other so they can download them, revise, re-upload, all while keeping up to eight versions in the revision history (pretty cool). Office Live offers much more than this, but unfortunately the wireless access was not cooperating and we had to end the session early. I will say that Windee was doing a fabulous job presenting and answering questions adeptly despite pitiful Internet connectivity!

NOTE: You can find speaker handout material at: http://macul.org/conferences/2010maculconference/attendees/speakerhandoutmaterial/

My MACUL 2010 Experience – Thursday Google Earth Workshop

Google Earth (GE) is basically a geographic browser, much like Internet Explorer is an information browser (I like this analogy). Because computers have IP addresses and can be located, basically anything that is posted to the Internet has a geographic location…find the IP address, find the information source (a bit scary if you over think it). Aiden (the presenter from Google), showed us tips on using the navigational tool bar…the biggie is if you press the “r” key GE will reorient your view to directly above your map position, with north in the upward position. I learned that you can actually zoom below the ocean and see the terrain on the ocean floor. And you can “record” as you build your map/journey/tour, etc. and play it back in sequence. This would be a great feature to evaluate the logical nature (or lack thereof) of student work. The presenter was great, but the wireless connection was terrible; we ended the session watching as Aiden demonstrated…so much for “hands-on”!

NOTE: You can find speaker handout material at: http://macul.org/conferences/2010maculconference/attendees/speakerhandoutmaterial/

My MACUL 2010 Experience – Wednesday Discovery Education Workshop

I started my conference on Wednesday with a 3-1/2 hour hands-on preconference workshop on Discovery Education Network (DEN) (previously United Streaming). Well, I was on information overload by 4:00; I learned so much…DEN is much more than video streaming! Last spring I went through the process to become a DEN Star Educator in order to reap the benefits of full membership so I was eager to learn more about their offerings (check it out at http://www.discoveryeducation.com). DEN offers a wealth of free resources as well. Here are the keypoints that I noted:

· Multi URL - collections of websites that display one at a time. http://www.multiurl.com/g/1ul

· Audacity files for digital portfolios to exhibit fluency or language arts skills.

· Polleverywhere – on-the-spot audience polling

· Assessment w/in DEN

· Digital stories - include script writing and research that went into creation, not just the end product.

· VARK - Visual.... Aural/Auditory.... Read/Write.... Kinesthetic

· Visual - Google Earth (PRO free to educators)

· [Book: Stand and Deliver]

· Stephen Hawkin The Universe Series (check this out when it comes out soon)

· Life - 11-part series about multiple species on Earth comes out in 2 weeks

You can create a “course” within Discovery Education (DE): Adding to content is basically bookmarking; can use folders; can share content to school and district level (collaboration) can be open or controlled sharing; DEN is SOOOO much more than video streaming; it's total media integration and working with web tools; appears that you can do an import of student data (user name and password) from SMS.

You really should check it out!

NOTE: You can find speaker handout material at: http://macul.org/conferences/2010maculconference/attendees/speakerhandoutmaterial/

MACUL 2010 Blog post

MACUL 2010 Conference

The annual MACUL Conference is just a few short weeks away and excitement is building from all sides…hands-on workshops, break-out sessions, vendor exhibits and special events all add up to what promises to be another fabulous conference!

 

I’m not presenting this year, but am looking forward to soaking up all that is available. I’ve signed up for the following sessions: Google Earth for Educators, Office Live…What Can it Do For Me? (being presented by my good friend and co-worker Windee Wagner), and Integrating Web 2.0 Tools with Discovery Streaming.

 

It appears that I’ll have a full “social” schedule again as well. I’ll be meeting up with the Ed Tech Masters group from WMU, hoping to attend the DEN event as a new STAR educator, and have many key vendors to catch up with.

 

In the exhibits, I’ll be looking for information on eReaders, tablet PCs, and what’s new with document cameras and short-throw projectors, interactive board technology….my goodness, the list goes on and on.

 

To sum it up, I’ll be very busy for three days and return with a ton of valuable new knowledge and product information.

 

Maybe I’ll see you there…

Article Review: Adventures in Web 2.0: Introducing Social Networking in to My Teaching

I must start by saying…GREAT article!!! The authors very aptly relate the goals, challenges, and unexpected benefits of using this type of social networking tool for educational purposes. The first person delivery adds a flavor that only experience can…not that observation is not beneficial as well.

I appreciate considerable amount of references (many of my personal favorites) throughout the text in support of the concept; however, one can easily surmise that the creator of this program spent considerable time researching and finding applicable material. This time commitment, especially the first time around, must be considered when planning implementation of any new technology; and frankly, is a major hindrance to successful integration (IMHO).

The program coordinator was also diligent in monitoring participation and used relevant articles to launch and scaffold discussions as needed. I’m sure it’s not always possible, but I love the fact that they created the AUP (acceptable use policy) as a group.

Often we are hesitant to implement/introduce a new technology in the classroom because as educators, we are accustomed to being the “expert” in the room. However, technology changes so quickly that it is impossible to be an expert on everything. Like the author, we need to take the risk and learn WITH (and at times from) our students. We don’t always have to have all the answers, only to be willing to them seek out.

Realizing that the internet is a public place is imperative for students (of all ages) to understand;
a moment on the Net, forever on the Net” is not just a cliché, and what you post can be read and interpreted by many more individuals than you may intend. Since an online discussion lacks the visual aspect that allows us to see a person’s expressions and read their emotions, like we can during a F2F conversation, it is vital to carefully consider what you publish to the Internet. Perception and interpretation can distort even text posted with the best of intentions.

The authors quoted Will Richardson, a person of great insight in the Web 2.0 world. If you don’t already have it, I highly recommend you pick up his book: Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. I have as many notations and post-it notes on the pages of my copy as the book has pages…literally; it is a powerful reference tool that I keep close at hand.

---

Article Source: Horace Summer 2009, Vol. 25 No. 1