Of Mice and Middle Years... » Technology

On the Edge with Technology….Personality Revealed

loeps — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:07:21 +0000

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!

Two videos on blogging–Advocacy and Practice.

loeps — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:38:27 +0000

Why we should!

Download Video: Posted by rachelboyd at TeacherTube.com.


A great conversation on how a grade 6 science teacher sets up a blog and encourages participation with her students through the Global warming theme.

Download Video: Posted by shoemap at TeacherTube.com.

BigDog Quadraped Robot

loeps — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:22:13 +0000

Maybe it could carry my Imac around the school with me…

See the full article here with the links….

Boston Dynamics keeps working on their BigDog quadruped robot, which will probably grow to be the future AT-AT of the Pentagon. Its evolution since the last time we saw it is nothing sort of mindblowing, and a bit spooky….
It looks like an actual biological quadruped. Seeing it climb through rubble, snow, jumping over obstacles like a wild goat, and saving a near-fall on iced ground at the last second (fast forward to the middle of the video) defies belief….

BOOOOM and Ignorance in Technology.

loeps — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:50:01 +0000

I remember as a boy in the mid seventies watching the T.V series called Space 1999 . The premise of the series was that a horrible nuclear explosion caused the moon to drift away from the earth into deep space. At night I would stare in wonderment at the moon and imagined what it would be like to be looking up from earth and see that terrible event occur. One night I dreamt that this actually happened. I remember looking up and hearing someone yell “BOOOOOOM!”. There was no sound effect, just someone yelling “BOOOOOOM!”. At the time it frightened me because in my mind that was what it would have sounded like. I had no idea what that sound would be like, no concept that in actuality there would be no sound. I was young and that was that. Funniest thing I remember from my childhood.

As I sat Wednesday night in our session in EC&I 831 that focused on the order of closure on an educational blog by Al Upton in Australia, and my previous post on the recent events that surrounded the near expulsion of a student at Ryerson for his use of Facebook I recalled that dream.

I remembered the dream because in a very real sense it parallels the lack of understanding that these administrations of their respective institutions have in relation to these technologies. So instead of investigation and consultation to develop an understanding of these social networking tools and their applications, they come to their own rash and uninformed conclusions and act accordingly. They yell “BOOOOM!”.

It was very soon after (maybe a couple of weeks) I had that dream I recalled how silly it was to hear that yell. I wonder if these institutions are still yelling the same sound and how long it will take them to come to that same realization that I did those many years ago.

Ryerson Student will not be Expelled over Facebook Study Group, however….

loeps — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:21:37 +0000

Although he will not be expelled, the Ryerson student has still been found guilty of academic misconduct, will receive a zero on ten percent of his course, and have to take a course in relation to academic misconduct. View the CBC article here.

If anyone has more information as to why he was found guilty and yet not expelled, I would be interested to know why.

Your thoughts?

Clarence Fisher- Ratios and Teacher Training…Chicken or the Egg?

loeps — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:31:35 +0000

Clarence Fisher’s presentation raised some thoughts as I continue to explore the variables that affect the validity of technology for students in the classroom. One variable is ratio as demonstrated by Clarence has in his room…an ideal 1:1. Every class in our system has 4 sun terminals in the room and a school lab. I have managed a 1:1 ratio in my behavioural program..I have 8 terminals (hey, when they give you two hubs you use them….) How important is ratio (school access) for our students?
Smartboards are an example where collaboration and potential for effective use is demonstrated at a 1:20 (more or less), yet this technology, I admit, allows for multiple students to work on one board. Yet the ratio is not 1:1, and I would argue that proper use of this technology, as demonstrated by both students in this class and some of our presenters(Darren Kuropatwa), is really the key to engaging students.
So, those students that have the chance to go home and use their personal technology to access school resources benefiting at a greater degree than those who cannot afford these technologies? If so, how do we address this?

Collaboration, access, teacher knowledge of technology have been important topics in this room. Clarence has shown how excellence in these areas have developed positive, engaging experiences for his students. I think, as Alec has mentioned, more research is needed in regards to the topic of ratio. Chicken or the egg scenario— do we encourage boards to pour money into reaching that 1:1 ratio that would then “prod” teachers to incorporate these technologies in the classroom, or expose teachers to effective uses of educational technologies (and proper inservice) that would then result in boards allocating more money into increased access? Both?