A tale of homework help - Searching for images in Google Earth using Panoramio

My daughter is learning about continents and cultures in her Grade 2 French Immersion program.  Her homework this week is to gather images that represent these regions and the people who live there.  She could have started by cutting out images from old National Geographics, but we decided to explore the Panoramio layer in Google Earth first.

After showing her how to navigate the controls for zooming in and out and panning across the continents we toured the globe and identified each of the continents.  She chose to look at images from Asia first and started zooming in until Panaramio's blue square icons came into view.  Clicking on the icon opened a photograph of people or landmarks.  She then had to decide if the image met the criteria for the assignment.  Clicking on the image a second time opened the image in a web browser.  We created a notebook for her photos in Zoho Notebook and then dragged the image into the notebook using the Zoho Notebook browser extension.  (Side note: I prefer Google Notebook, but they have discontinued support for the browser extension). Update: a Google Notebook extension for FireFox v. 3.5 can be found here.

Soon she was exploring on her own, finding interesting photos and adding them to her notebook.  She noticed that many areas didn't have photos available which led to a discussion about the natural features like deserts and mountains and why people live closer to water and coastlines.  Afterwards, we looked at her notebook and picked out the photos that best fit the criteria before printing.

I was impressed by how quickly she adapted to the use of the mouse for navigating in Google Earth, her ability to work in multiple applications at once, and her critical thinking skills for selecting appropriate photographs.

A Dateline Schools interview with your's truly

I was recently interviewed for a local radio program hosted by my RESA (Regional Education Service Agency). I really enjoyed talking about my school and the work I do as the technology integration consultant.  We discussed the ways in which our school is using Google Docs and Moodle as well as the importance of integrating technology in schools.  Thankfully they've edited out my tongue tied moments, and the result is worth a listen.  I welcome any questions or comments.

http://windowsmedia.sccresa.org/datelineradio/DL091005weekHard.mp3

Using Ping.fm

Up early this morning looking for best way to update multiple status posts.

To blog or microblog?

image source: http://www.wittysparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Twitter_Blogger.gif

Last week I "lurked" in on an e-learning course led by Alec Couros featuring edublogger Sue Waters on the topic of Educational Blogging and Personal Learning Networks.  I have been working on developing my blog this year, but often find it languishing with long periods of neglect.  I wonder if I have anything valuable to say and wonder if anyone is listening?


Much of the conversation in last week's blogging discussion centered around the comments and discussions that exist after the blog is posted.  I have not had any comments so far, or so I thought, until I checked a few minutes ago and found that two comments posted weeks ago by my colleague were waiting in my comment moderation queue.  I've opened up my comment moderation settings and set my e-mail notification up so hopefully I won't miss any more.  


Which brings me to the point of my post.  I have also started using Twitter this year - twitter.com/kithard.  Sure, many of my posts fall silently into the twitter stream, but some have generated responses or been retweeted.  Because of Twitter I can say that I am being heard and that I am part of a Professional Learning Network.  So far I cannot say the same of blogging.  


So should I continue to blog?  The value of a long form writing platform has its place and I have turned to blogging as public repository for what I've learned and what I feel I can teach.  But the quick format of Twitter has made what I am doing visible to others in a very immediate way and helped connect me with other ed tech professionals.   


What do you think?

The Netbooks are coming! The Netbooks are coming!

I'm excited to announce that the Academic Transitional Academy will be purchasing a "bevy" of  Acer Aspire One netbooks to further support our students' learning needs.  Netbooks are smaller than a standard laptop and also less expensive.  This allowed us to purchase more netbooks and the small size should make storage and handling easier.  They aren't as powerful as a standard laptop, but students who have been testing various models have reported that everyday computing tasks like using Moodle and Google Docs work just fine.   Greater access to technology brings many benefits and likely, a few headaches, but hopefully this technology infusion will help make our learning environment more engaging, authentic, and rigorous.

Accessing Moodle on an ipod touch

Today I asked a student to complete his daily warm-up on Moodle using his ipod touch. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to negotiate the links, zoom in and out of the page and use the virtual keyboard to complete his entry faster than many of his classmates.

Create a grade level writing challenge with Google Docs

Google Docs includes a simple tool for checking  the readability score and grade level readability of anything you write.  Students can easily check their readability score and grade level readability and then use revision strategies to raise their readability scores.


This tool can also be used as a UDL strategy.  Paste an article or shorter reading assignment into Google Docs and check the readability score.  Edit difficult vocabulary, remove extraneous sentences or paragraphs, or rewrite sentences to lower the readability score.

Live - from the skatepark! Using technology and "homework" to engage the brain.

One of my goals this year is to support learning tools and technology that fire up our students' brains (and hearts) after school. For argument's sake I'll call this "homework" -(boo!).

I wonder what would happen if students were asked to use their cell phones to explain relationships in an ecosystem by taking pictures of examples from hockey practice, the skate park, or the mall. They could submit the photos to a shared photo site online, and the next day the teacher could project these images for a discussion. Finding examples of geometric shapes, literary devices, or genetic traits might also work. And while they are shooting photos that night we might also send a text message quiz question to reinforce a specific concept. The same assignment could be completed with a digital camera and a web posted quiz question (no cell phone), or with hand drawn examples and a sealed envelope quiz question for students with minimal technology (ok, I'm reaching here). But perhaps the incentive of using a cell phone or having your photos used the next day for discussion would entice our "homework loving" students to learn while they live.

I think learning what we teach while engaged in their personal activities might help to cement the connections and concepts we are trying to teach. And if that doesn't work, I'd try playing the didgeridoo while stiltwalking.

Constituion Day at the ATA

Today our principal, Mr. Spencer, addressed all of our students simultaneously by broadcasting his Constitution Day message using ustream.tv. In the past, Mr. Spencer would spend the day moving from class to class delivering his message a total of 12 different times. By streaming his message live over the internet, he was able to address all of our students with one broadcast.


Several steps were involved in setting up this internet broadcast including the set up our free ustream account. Finding the right combination of Webcam and microphone was a challenge but worth the effort since sound and video were both quite nice for our students. It also required a coordinated effort from our teachers to prepare their rooms to project the broadcast and run audio through our phonic ear speaker system.


I was very impressed with the quality of the presentation and the student's attentiveness. My kudos to everyone involved.

I was really hoping the new ipod touch would have a camera and GPS

Watching ASCD "Teaching the Adolescent Brain"

Going to sit at Canatara beach before work. Why haven't I done this before?

(Updated)

Anyone else using ping.fm for posting? This is my first attempt. http://ping.fm/ETFhf


(updated) My blog has stagnated over the past months as I begin to utilize microblogging tools such as Twitter and FriendFeed. Will Richardson mentioned a similar phenomenon when he was keynoting @ the 21st Century Learning Symposium in Port Huron, MI. So is it fair to use a service like ping.fm to post status updates to my blog? The posts are short and lack the visual pizazz of a multimedia blog post. Is microblogging just noise or does it adequately break the silence?

How to use the Drawing Tool in Google Docs

Here's a quick 2 minute tutorial on using the drawing tool in Google Docs. This is a nice way to add some visual bling to your docs without using a separate drawing tool.

Going Global

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Going Global

View more presentations from elemenous.

TI3 – Inquiry, Innovation, and Individualization

Sorry again for the unedited notes from MACUL

Working with a disruptive unmotivated population

Blended classroom

Using moodle – computerized everything he has.

Choosing to teach in the most effective manor regardless of the failed state outcomes

Teaching inquiry based requires some level of intrinsic motivation. His experience is it only works with motivated students.

Today's teacher has to be incredible. Normal won't cut it. Teachers last less than five years

Using a split class environment – computers for half and inquiry for half.

Has 16 computers for his room using a 10,000 dollar grant.

Project goals:

• Every kid 100% engaged. They don't always finish, but they do work.
  
• Inquire, Innovation (split the classs – essentially teaching 2 courses at once), individualization
  
• Using 4 stations of 4 desktop computers
  
• Does a physics demo using a nail bed but it doesn't work to engage.
  
• Enrollement key moodle is course name small letters
  
• Online Moodle assessments
  
• Grade by assessment or portfolio – Demonstrate 70% satisfactory work
  
• Late work is overlooked if it is completed
  

 

Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship - Jason Ohler

So I'm throwing my notes out to the ether in raw form.  Apologies for the errors, but I'll never get this blogging thing down if I wait for perfection. 

   Copyright is not the primary issue

• redifining community


• study what we use - with any tech or technique we should look at the impact, the value the cost


• articulate our fears


• write a new story

Every technology connects and disconnects

• we fail to see the disconnect and understand the critical effects of any tech


• What would the warning label be on the tech we adopt, how does it affect us socially, personally, physically.  Shine a flashlight the tools and see the scope of their impact.

Why are we uncomfortable with tech.

• It's ubiquitous


• it's invasive


• it's rapidly changing


• it's resocializing


• sovereignty - who controls whom


• technology is determining human endeavor - if you have the internet you will surf, if you have a car you will drive whether we need to or not.

We can have what we want

• If you can have what we want we can have the school we want
  
  


• It's not about the gear the it's about the story, what is the story we want to tell about our schools.  We have to engage proactively.

What's new

• Disocciated action (place) many activities independent of where we are physcially


• leveraged action (power) we can use a tool without seeing the effect


• generalized action (anyone) ownership rights, copy right, asking the open ended questions about our digital actions

slideshare Jason Ohler

 http://www.slideshare.net/jasonohler

Iste Refresh Digital Citizenship

View more presentations from jasonohler.

What is our mantra?  not our mission statement

Be a de"tech"tive

Ask the questions

investigate, analyze, evaluate, and recommend.

Six hours into MACUL

There's a lot to process when you attend a conference, but a common theme seems to be playing catch up. Schools seem ill prepared to provide just in time learning using relevant technology. Just wondering why.

Alan November at MACUL

This will be an on the fly blogging of Alan's keynote at MACUL.

Most interesting question posed so far is when will your school transition from traditional closed book tests to open sourced tests using questions designed to apply information with no limitations on source of info (computers, cell phones, groups).

Now he's discussing how we can put students to work finding the assignments that will address our most difficult concepts. Shifting control to the students.

All children will become curriculum researchers. It's important to assign roles and tasks to students. The importance of researching other viewpoints. Google search "site: ac.uk "General Gage" to refine search results.

Custom Search in Google. Design a custom search engine for your class. This would be useful for our current renewable energy unit. Must have a Google account to customize. Student designed search engines are "more fun". Collaborative: the work of one students contributes to the benefit of all students.

Screencasting tools for student demonstration. The public context of web publishing makes student work important. A different voice explaining a concept may have a greater impact on learning amongst peer groups than the single voice of the teacher according to research.

Student Jobs: Research design team, search engine design team, tutorial design team.

Adding technology to schools is not enough. Real jobs are what make learning important.

Information and global communication planning versus technology planning. Assume we need equipment and move on to the bigger picture of what information and communication we going to generate.

Apologies for any typos.

RESA Think Tank Sign-in tutorial

We can use ning.com's social networking tools to help members of the RESA Think Tank stay informed about upcoming events, discussion topics, projects, and technology demonstrations. Please watch the tutorial below for help getting started with your RESA Think Tank invitation.