Jedd Austin

NING! Seems great! I’ve now officially signed up for NING account through Ellen McConnell. She created a site for Trinity School and it seems we already have a fair amount of people signed up. Should be a good way to stay in touch and keep up to date on goings-on in the school!

I see this tool being very effective in helping me stay organized, giving one place to store all kinds of informations such as upcoming events, things to do, meetings, website addresses, passwords, and more.  While I think Pageflakes looks great and seems to bemore sharable than netvibes and/or iGoogle, I’ve already spent hours setting up a Netvibes account (at the suggestion of our school webmaster) and then recently transferring all of that information into iGoogle (because I use google docs, google reader, and gmail so i decided to keep everything all in one place).  As a PE teacher I don’t see many uses for sharing this type of information with students on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.  There may be videos on youtube specifically addressing skills we’re working on in PE that students might find useful but we’re going to be maintaining a PE webpage on our new school site that can be use for that type of information.  I can certainly see how Pageflakes sharing capabilities would be quite useful to a classroom teacher however as students are constantly researching, inquiring, collaborating, etc.

I think this tool will soon be widely used in our school. This is such a great way to share information without getting lost in a barrage of emails (as CommonCraft points out). One problem I see with this tool is that .docx documents aren’t compatible and so that causes complications. Another issue is that the document editor built into Google docs does’t have nearly as many formatting/customizing (no clipart) features as the actual Word program. So if I’m trying to make a poster or sign I’d have to upload a Word document from my computer but because my word documents are a .docx format they’re not compatible. This is certainly a great tool but, for me, won’t (at least not yet) replace good ol’ Word, Powerpoint, and Excel.

3 ways this tool could be used:

1. Collaborating with colleagues on any sort of Word, PPT, or Excel document
2. Involving students in the collaboration process (student-teacher collaboration, student-student collaboration…)
3. Sharing final products with parents/administration

This topic is probably the most interesting to me as I’m becoming more familiar with video production/editing and will be doing more projects for our PE department to supplement our already strong PE program.  I’ve embedded a youtube video a couple of teachers and I made earlier in the year about football.  ENJOY!

I would love to be able to use this tool on a regular basis. Instead of sending long emails about an upcoming fieldtrip to a distribution list of parents who have kids signed up for my digital photography class, I could have send a quick email with a link to a page somewhere on the Trinity website (or elsewhere) that has a quick explanation of what’s going on. Without having to call every single parent, this would allow me to communicate in a somewhat more personable way than by using email. I think podcasting is going to be big. Hearing/seeing someone speak can potentially be so much more powerful than reading something they’ve written. I think podcasts will help the entire school community communicate more effectively.

Podcasting is a great way for teachers to stay in touch with the students/parents/school community. Our PE team will be doing more podcasting as the push for more and more technology and better communication with parents about what’s going on in the classroom is getting stronger!  I have an iPod and use iTunes.  I love it and have downloaded many albums/songs from the iTunes store.

One of my goals is to achieve all of my goals without the use of this tool.  :)  :)  JK.  LOL.  BFF.  A/S/L…..   No, but I’m sure that it will be utilized by many and will be a great motivator!

LibraryThing is a tool I don’t see being relevant to a PE teacher. I can certainly see how useful it would be to a classroom teacher however.

This is fantastic.  What a great tool!  I have dozens upon dozens of reference/tutorial sites I try and keep track of so this will be used often.

NIiiiiiice.

I checked out multiple tools and was disappointed with all but one of them.   The best one I found was 30 boxes which is a calendar tool.  Others I tried and was disappointed with for one reason or another were:

iOutliner : links didn’t work, couldn’t add another project, hard to edit.

Picnik : ok, this one is actually pretty cool and i’ll look into it a little more but if you’ve already got a basic photo editor on your computer this doesn’t seem necessary.

Writeboard : basically, a wiki, but doesn’t have a WYSIWYG editor and you have to type in code to make things bold, italicized, etc.

        I watched a video, HERE, entitled “Design Matters.”  I thought it was excellent for 2 reasons.  1, like entire idea behind this course and Web 2.0, it was challenging the conventional way in which we view school and the classroom.  2, the experts who shared their unique perspectives based on their experiences with old school (literally (i think i’ve used this funny joke in a previous blog post)) schools, and how they think things could be done.
The creator of “Design Matters” refers to 3 experts who each have a unique perspective on education.  The first, Christian Long, worked for 10 years with architects and educators to design schools.  The catchphrase this part of the presentation focused on was “Focus on learning, not on the school.”  Christian talked about the fact that schools can look at every architectural constraint and figure out a way to turn it into an asset.  For example, he refers to a school who didn’t have room for all their students so they began what was called “The Walk” that was literally just that.  Students would walk around the city, taking pictures, writing in journals….doing all the things they would have done in the classroom, but adapting to this unconventional outdoor classroom.
In the second section, the presentation focuses on Clarence Fisher, a middle school teacher.  He talked specifically about the design/setup of the classroom.  At one point he became fixated on the idea that classrooms should not be desks organized into rows with a very distinct front and back, the teacher standing at the front.  He instead has tried to create what he calls a studio classroom in which students can feel relaxed and be more likely to become engaged in the learning process.  Desks facing each other, couches, computer stations, carpet spaces, warm colors….all things that may help to stimulate or inspire the learner.  This change in setup, he says, “changes the teacher from the ‘fountain of all knowledge’ to one of the people who’s involved in the learning process.”  He goes on saying that it also “changes the role of the student from someone who is there just to be a sponge and soak in the information to someone who is active and involved.”
He continues…”When you think a classroom should look like a bunch of desks in rows with a front and a back…When you walk into a classroom that looks like that it brings certain things to your head.  It brings a certain idea about what happens in that space.”

The creator of this presentation sums it but by pointing out that INNOVATION is key.  Being open minded and not becoming trapped in thinking that things have to be done a certain way is very important.
The 3rd expert, Richard Schwier, specializes in Instructional Design. He focuses on different way to make organizing information interesting.
I thought this presentation was excellent.  While most of the setup/design elements talked about in this presentation weren’t directly relevant to me as a PE teacher, I think it’s important to teach with the mentality that the way it’s always been done (or the way you’re doing it) isn’t necessarily the best way, and certainly isn’t the only way.  With that in mind, teachers are free to adapt, change, innovate, etc. to make their classroom the most engaging, stimulating, and rewarding for students.

HERE is my wiki!!  I used Animoto for the slideshows and am looking forward to testing out the other slideshow programs.  FUN FUN!

Check out more of GEISHABOY500’s photos here

In my digital photography class we’re currently learning about and experimenting with STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY. Our setup is extremely amateurish (two lamps, a tripod, and a fan that the kids were insistent on using to create a hair-blowing-in-the-wind effect) so I made a powerpoint using photos (from Flickr) of professional studio setups. The kids were fascinated by all the options studio photographers had and were extremely excited to try their hands at studio photography.

I’ve attempted to use creative commons to find music for a soundtrack to go along with videos I’m editing but have found that it is difficult to use.  “OWL,” the music portion of CC, has a strange way of searching, and I’ve found myself sifting through endless pages terrible quality songs that people have put up on CC.  I’ll keep looking though. 

CC will definitely change the way students create projects because it opens up a whole world of other creators out there who are willing to share their knowledge, insight, talent, etc. with anyone who needs it.  It’s just one more resource students have access to.

Right now I use a minimal amount of digital images, no audio, and limited video.  We’re hoping to drastically increase the amount of video and audio that we use in PE.

Wiki’s seem like a great way to collaborate w/ a group of people on something that could otherwise take a long series of phone calls/emails/conversations to figure out. I liked the video’s example of the group of 4 trying to figure out what they need for supplies on a camping trip.

I’ve checked out several Wikis (I think it’s rather ironic that EDUBLOGS’ spellcheck doesn’t recognize WIKI as a word) and have chosen a few that stand out to me and that have various features that I like/dislike.

Here’s one: CODEBLUE WIKI

I think this is a good one. Straight. To the point. The creator(s) brought together a wealth of helpful/relevant websites for that particular 6th grade class. It’s rather boring to look at however and needs some pictures or something.

Here’s another: HOLOCAUST WIKI

This one is an excellent example of how a Wiki can be used effectively to help students learn about a certain topic in the classroom. This teacher has assigned different groups in the class to study and post about the Holocaust from different countries’ perspectives. As you click around on this wiki you learn about people from countries such as Greece, Poland, Germany, and Hungary are affected by the Holocaust.

Yet another: SCHOOLS IN THE PAST WIKI

This is a great way to share information collected by 1st graders who interviewed grandparents about what school was like when they were children. Playground, Library, # of students in class, what was studied, and school rules are all topics that students questioned their grandparents about. Responses that each student got are all listed under the right category and I’m assuming there was some kind of presentation of this material in class. Very cool.

Wikis could definitely be used in PE. Like the last wiki above, we could have students interview their grandparents/parents/etc. and ask what they do to stay active or what they did when they were kids. We could have students create their own games using a wiki, giving other students the option to add/delete rules to/from it. There are many directions I’m guessing this could go. I’m pumped to begin shifting our thinking towards this type of stuff as a supplement to our already strong PE curriculum.

Crazy. Overwhelming. I had no idea all of this was out there. Web 2.0 is insane.

One website I chose to add to my google reader is the NPR-Talk of the Nation Blog. I listen to NPR on my way to and from school but miss a lot of the news that’s going on around the country. Since my wife and I don’t have TV right now, this may actually be something that I’ll go once in a while to get updates about what’s going on.

• What do you notice about the genre of blog writing in general?

I’ve found that blogs tend to be either extremely wordy or extremely brief. Whatever the topic, the writer is generally passionate about the subject, which makes sense.

• (How) is blog reading different from other types of reading? How is it similar?

Blog reading is different because you have more of a connection with the writer, having the ability to not only read what is written but to respond and tell the writer what you think. Blog reading is similar in the fact that you have to sort through a lot of blogs until you find one that is of interest to you or relevant to whatever you’re searching for.

• (How) is blog writing different from other types of writing? How is it similar?

Blog writing is different from other types of writing because you’re writing with the thought in mind that you will get almost immediate feedback from viewers of your blog.

• How does commenting contribute to the writing and meaning-making?

It gets a discussion going about the original topic posted by the owner of the blog. Commenting helps everyone to see all sides of the issue presented…sort of a point-counterpoint thing…

• Is there a “blogging literacy?” How does blogging affect the way we read and write?

I don’t understand the first question. Regarding the 2nd question…I think blogging changes the way we read because we’re reading with the possible intent of responding to the writer. It changes the way we write because we’re assuming people are going to read and respond.

• (How) can blogging facilitate learning?

I’m assuming the possibilities are endless and I’m looking forward to finding out.

Web 2.0 is clearly the direction that education is headed. Technology is the language that seems to get through most effectively to today’s young learners and in order to reach as many of those learners as possible it only makes sense to adapt the “old school” (literally) approach to a “new school” one that speaks to a larger group of kids. Blogging is cool. Writing in a notebook with a No. 2 lead pencil is not.

All of the things that go along w/ Web 2.0 are clearly revolutionary and have the potential to completely revamp the entire way we approach education and life in general. Instead of sending notes home with students telling their parents about the PE Fun Run coming up next weekend, parents will get automatic messages of that sort by subscribing to the PE blog. Instead of sending out a Christmas letter with pictures of my kids, spending countless dollars on postage, and wasting precious paper, relatives can check out the Austin Family blog on a regular basis and hear about/see things that are going on with us right now.

Professionally, Web 2.0 will help me become more connected to the learning community (students, parents, administration, experts, and other teachers) through tools such as blogs, podcasts, and video, making me a more effective teacher, in touch with the ever-changing world of education.

I’ve always been into technology. I remember the afternoon when my dad brought home our first computer. After it was all set up and booted up, I was amazed as I watched an image of Princess Diana slooooowly appear on the screen. Everything was in DOS format and to make things happen you had to type certain codes on the left side of the plain black screen. That alone was entertainment enough for me but as time went on things got even better, even more entertaining and engaging. My dad eventually started bringing home floppy plastic black disks with games on them like Hang-man and Sim Farm. My brother and I would invite friends over to challenge them to see who could build the more successful farm or to see who could take on the evil hang man and survive to tell the tale. Through middle school and high school as I became exposed to more and more possibilities I was fascinated by what was out there. Photography and videography were two things that I took a particular interest in.

In college I began to learn programs like iMovie, PowerPoint, and Excel. I took my love of photography/graphic design and put it to use building a website for a rock band I was in. Working with a friend who was going to school for graphic design, I learned the basics of HTML coding and started down the road of web design. I’ve since designed and built several websites aided by programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Flash, Fireworks, and Dreamweaver. I’m currently using a CMS program called Joomla! to build a photography website for my brother. Final Cut Pro is another program I’ve been messing around with lately.

Up until almost all of my interest in technology was only relevant to me personally. But now as a professional educator I’m learning many new ways that I can put my knowledge of technology to use in my job. As a PE teacher I’m learning about ways to incorporate video (youtube as well as home-made) as a motivational tool, use things such as podcasting to communicate better with parents, and using programs such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint to become a more organized and effective teacher.

Now, upon taking this class I’m learning that Web 2.0, blogging, wikis, and many other things are all options that can help be become better connected not only with my fellow PE teachers but also my students, their parents, classroom teachers, and even the administration. I have lots of friends who have had blogs but I’ve never really had much interest in starting my own. I see now, after watching several videos about how blogging can be useful to me as a teacher, that blogging is a powerful tool, one that can help me to be a more competent teacher and colleague. I’m excited to see where this class takes us.