Of Mice and Middle Years…

Yes this blog has been neglected…. but check out the result of my concentration..

The wiki.

The Blog.

This is REALLY changed my practice! Communication permeates the course. Never again do I need to find documents, or remind students of assignments, or come to me to ask what is needed, or “I’m done, what do I do now?” (hey, what’s new on the blog?).. hehehe …. SO MUCH that we do everyday, the repetitive that (for me) sucks the life out of just plain teaching and learning… the red tape is now out of my hands and now virtual, accessible and manageable.
2 more weeks. That’s it. Now I am going to look for educator feedback. Really wondering how to do that!
Well, Google docs to mark… (did I mention NO PAPER– Haven’t lost an assignment YET!)

My new position has been to say the least, quite challenging. The high school has been quite a change for me since my many years with elementary students (move from a half hour lesson to a full hour, for example). My Information Processing 9 course has been a great part of that challenge.

Since my involvement in Alec Couros’ EC&I 831 course, I decided to move away from a more traditional lecture/ optional CMS course delivery system with the traditional view of “type, type” to one that includes issues and topics in today’s digital world. I do not have a blackboard/whiteboard. I have a projector in the lab with my laptop/ Sunray. I have set up a course wiki and I have just set up a school blog passcode with Blogmeister. I have learned not to trust streaming with video..download and play the video in flash…

As we move through topics, I ask the students to explain to me what they have just learned, then I type the content in the wiki..hopefully soon each one can come up and edit it themselves. Most of the time they phrase the lesson objectives better than I can! Sure the typing/document formatting/spreadsheet work will still be there, but it will certainly be a different experience in Google Docs (I hope). I am also looking forward to blogging on issues such as Digital Citizenship and Media Awareness and working with Web 2.0 tools (like Mind42)

It’s not perfect, but it’s my first run at it. Please check it out… Comments are certainly welcome.

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I was pondering a name change for this blog, but since I found out I will be teaching a class with grade 9 students, I figure it can stay for now. I am sure in the future the blog with have to reflect my new position, but right now I just love the name!
I am not sure if I blogged this already, but I have moved from the elementary school to my present position at J.P II Collegiate teaching Information Processing and for the remainder of the day as a “technology consultant” for the rest of the division. Technology consultant. The name makes me cringe.

I have been listening to quite a number of podcasts as of late in regards to working with teachers in schools/divisions and I have to admit I have been quite a fan of Dean Shareski’s work. His ideas have provided a positive direction, in my view, of what this new position should entail.

Dean considers himself a “digital learning consultant”. I e-mailed him recently and thanked him for moving from a nebulous title like “technology consultant”, to one which succinctly identifies teaching and student learning. Dean’s approach is to develop conversationsand then suggesting digital tools to “amplify” their practice. Ugly as that description was, I hope I got that right Dean.

Love the name, and love the fact I can get a running start on some innovative trail blazing.

More about my developing I.P course in the next postings…. exciting stuff!

Attribution license

I was listening to a tidbit of this article on today’s CBC newscast and I really need to take some time now and rant.

I have to date raised two teenagers. With my oldest (now 20) her high school years were accompanied by constant phone calls and slamming doors . Especially hated the phone calls when she was gone. Finally gave up. I never touched a phone until she left home.

My soon-to-leave-for-university-boy is the uber IM, Facebook and text networker. No phone ringing, but the same slamming doors. I have just recently realized when the phone rings, it might be for me…

I do not care what the technology is, kids will meet FTF. The social networking tool is the precursor, call to arms, or the executive summary of an event(s). If I recall, isn’t attraction to the opposite sex one of the strongest “instincts” of any species? Show me a researcher that has concrete data of the negative correlation of social networks and the plethora of FTF interactions, and I will type a recant. Until then, I think our kids are just…umm.. fine.

Another gem gleaned from Stephen Downes OLDaily.

It just makes sense.

This Sync article declares that people who jump into the latest tech trends “…scored well in personality traits such as leadership skills, self-esteem and assertiveness, but were low in modesty.”

I buy cool tech stuff to impress others….why be modest about it? it costs money…show it off!

Another quote:
“Mindset Media found those who owned Macintosh computers were more liberal and open-minded, but exhibited traits of superiority.”

Ahh, now they got it. Peer reviewed by me….thumbs up!

I am going to try this. But with butter.

Click here.

I have really enjoyed Dr. Schwier’s 873 course (Introduction to Instructional Design). In my quest to find an assigned reading, I came across an article entitled Web 2.0 how-to design guide

I would like your comments on the article. Is there a specific concept for designing web pages for the concept of Web 2.0 (considering it’s definition)? If so, what would it look like?
The article, in my opinion, does a very poor job in describing the rationale. Is there one?

Your thoughts.

Article here

A premise of the video game (AudiOdyssey) developed at MIT is for a (visually impaired included) player to mix sounds as a virtual DJ and to keep his virtual audience on the dance floor. This free download, P.C base game utilizes audio and arrow bars or an option Wii Remote. Developed by Gambit.
The instructional design of this game will prompt an immediate download on my P.C!

What is Edupunk? Wikipedia’s definition lacks the clarity I see in the article by Stephen Downes. I especially liked the passage, “Edupunk, it seems, takes old-school Progressive educational tactics–hands-on learning that starts with the learner’s interests–and makes them relevant to today’s digital age, sometimes by forgoing digital technologies entirely.” Please read the article! I love the concept. Going for an eye appointment on June 12th. I now have inspiration for the edupunk eyeglasses.
Turn it up!!!!!