ESU 4 Technology Blog

2012 Internet Safety Contest

2012-01-18T07:13:00.000-08:00

Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship

Poster and PSA ContestGuidelines

Sponsoredby the

Nebraska Attorney General and Educational Service Units

The ESUs ofNebraska in partnership with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office aresponsoring an Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Poster and Public ServiceAnnouncement (PSA) Contest for students in K-12 Schools in Nebraska.

Eligibility

Any public or private school/district within an ESU mayparticipate.

Categories

Each school or district may submit one entry in each category from each grade grouping: K-4, 5-8, 9-12, i.e. three entries per schoolfor each of the five categories.

Entry Formats

Poster high quality computer generated (pdf, tiff, jpg, orpng);

Poster hand drawn

Audio PSA submiton labeled CD (mp3, aiff, or wav format).

Video PSA submiton labeled VHS, DVD, or CD (QT, WMV, or RM format).

Open asubmission which does not fit a poster or PSA category above—could be a brochure,video documentary, etc.

Rules

· No real names used on posters or inaudio or video PSAs.

· Copyright laws must be followed,i.e. images, sound, etc.

· 29 second target time on PSAs (audioand video).

· Label CDs and DVDs with ESU InternetSafety Entry Form info. (See next page.)

· Put ESU Contest Entry Form on backof posters

· Poster Size: minimum – 8.5” X 11”, maximum – 16” X 22”(recommended delivery in protected mailer, such as tube or flat box. Do notbend.)

Deadline

Entries must be submitted to ESU #4 byMarch 9, 2012.

Sendentries to:

Educational Service Unit #4

Attn: GreggRobke

919 16^thStreet

Auburn, NE68305

Award

Oneentry in each grade grouping from each ESU will be selected and given state ESUrecognition. Winning posters and PSAs, audio and video, will then be eligiblefor awards and/or use by the ESUs and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. Awinning entry in each category will be selected and sent on to the AttorneyGeneral’s office for special recognition.

Click here to download the entry form (on the 2nd page)

Using LiveScribe in Education

2011-09-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

When new technology comes out (which seems like everyday), I have to consider how it would be used in education. I go to conferences and ask questions, listen to suggestions, and try to find out how and where it could be used in education.

Recently, I was able to sit in on a LiveScribe training with Engaging Technologies. I was able to follow along and think of ways to use this pen that I've heard about. When LiveScribe first came out, I was cautious thinking that it would be great for special education. After seeing the new features, I now know that it can be used in any educational setting (including college).

So, what's new? As with any technology, if it doesn't get frequent updates, then it gets outdated. LiveScribe has built into it's technology, connectors. Connectors allow you to quickly take pen cast you've created and upload them to various sites such as Google Docs and Google Sites. You can also upload them to MyLiveScribe, which gives you free storage. How cool is that?

If you see below, you have the option of embedding pen cast into webpages created for your classroom. All I did was click one button once I registered my pen, then linked it to my computer, and was given some html code. Oh, and as updates come out, your pen gets automatically updated. You can also install apps on your pen found at the LiveScribe store.

ESU4
brought to you by Livescribe

Happy LiveScribing!

ISTE 2011

2011-08-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

First of all, welcome back to the 2011-2012 school year. It is always nice to be able to start fresh with a new class and a bunch of new faces each year. I certainly hope you found some time for rest and relaxation over the summer.

One of the things I enjoy each summer is a trip to the National Ed Tech Conference that ISTE hosts. This year it was in Philadelphia and the theme was "Unlocking Potential." I heard many great speakers and attended many great sessions.

As I sat through one of the sessions, I was caught by one of the statements made by the presenter. Basically, he mentioned that there are lots of web tools out there for teachers to use. All I ask is that you find one this year and try it. If it doesn't work, throw it out, and pick anther one. His site has tons of resources for educators. As I went from session to session, I heard the same statement over and over.

As part of what I do, I encourage teachers to try new things in the classroom. It gets overwhelming sometimes to read and figure how a web tool works. However, if we limit ourselves to trying one at a time, then it doesn't seem too intimidating.

Each year, after attending the conference, I try to share my notes. This year, however, instead of sharing my notes, I thought I would share resources to those notes. In other words, every presenter I went to had a link to his/her presentation. Plus, each of the presenters were searchable in the conference planner online. To get to my links, you can use my diigo page for ISTE 2011. Remember, as you look through the links, pick one thing that interests you and find a way to use it this year in your classroom.

Welcome back to 2011-2012! Have a great year!

Internet Safety Contest Winners Announced

2011-04-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a great turnout of entries for this year’s Internet Safety Contest! I am very pleased with the number of entries and also with the quality of work that went into the contest. I’d like to give a quick review the rules before describing the process of selecting ESU 4 entries to be judged at the State level. Each year, the ESU’s across the state host an Internet Safety Contest. There are several categories that students can enter in grades K-4, 5-8, or 9-12.

hand drawn poster
computer generated poster
audio public service announcement
video public service announcement
an open category

This year, we had an entry from each grade level, but not each category. Each school can have its own contest for everyone in each grade, and then decide which entry out of that category to send to ESU 4. My colleague and I enjoy looking over the entries and choosing who will represent ESU 4 at the State level.

The following entries were selected to represent ESU 4 at the State level. For their efforts, they will be receiving a certificate and a small prize for their hard work as well as recognition in the newsletter and on this blog.

K-4 hand drawn poster: Cody of Johnson-Brock

K-4 public service announcement video: Mrs. Smith’s class at Johnson County Central

5-8 hand drawn poster: Mrs. Reid’s 2nd hour enrichment class at Auburn Middle School

5-8 computer generated poster: Kolton of Johnson-Brock

5-8 public service announcement video: Mrs. Smith’s class at Johnson County Central

9-12 public service announcement video: Erin, Grahm, and Nathan at Johnson-Brock

Out of the entries above, the following were selected as the State winners. For their efforts, they will be receiving a certificate from the Attorney General’s office.

K-4 public service announcement video: Mrs. Smith’s class at Johnson County Central
9-12 public service announcement video: Erin, Grahm, and Nathan at Johnson-Brock

Again, many thanks to all those that participated. To view all the winning entries from across the state, please visit http://goo.gl/vM1JE.

What's with the tablets?

2011-03-25T06:01:00.001-07:00

Since last year, the market for tablet (iPad and others) has dramatically increased. In fact, according to a recent article, there are more tablets and handhelds being sold than personal computers and laptops (SmartPhones pass PCs in sales). Within the context of this article, I would like to talk about two that have been very popullar in the news lately - the Motorola Xoom (Zoom) and the new Apple iPad. The reason for comparing these two is simply the specs are about the same.

What do they both have or don’t?

Both the Motorola Xoom and Apple iPad 2 have front and rear facing cameras. How cool is that! Imagine students being able to video tape examples of things they are doing in class. Imagine where students could go and interview people for projects, all with a tablet. Both say that battery life can last a full school day - Apple states the iPad will run for 10 hours - Motorola states the Xoom will run for 9 hours.

They both are missing some things. Apple has had a chance to improve since it’s first revision and has made some big improvements - lighter, thinner, and faster than the previous version. It still is missing the ability to support flash for web pages. Apple designs all of the hardware and the operating system from the ground up. All the research is done on the Apple campus. They invented the iOS, the operating system that runs on it’s iPads and iPods. On the other hand, the Motorola Xoom is built on the Android Operating System for tablets, Honeycomb. The Android Operating System is built by Google, which is sells to third party vendors like Motorola. Since Motorola did not make the Operating System, they have added cost that consumers will have to pay for. The Android System is really gaining popularity and Google has even launched an app store much like Apple has the iTunes store. There really is an “app” for almost anything.

Back to Education

So, imagine the possibilities of these devices in the classroom. Imagine a student carrying one that houses all of his/her textbooks. Imagine that same student creating a movie or a documentary about a specific subject. Imagine then, that student projecting and presenting to the entire class or even the entire school. Just think of the possibilities! A recent article I read even suggested the possibility of students bringing their own devices to school. Just like you have a list of “materials” needed each year for particular classes, maybe you have a list of “apps” students need to provide for your class. Each app is between $1.00 and $2.00, unless a very specific app is needed, in which the cost of the app could vary. A lot of educational apps are even free.

How to pick?

I tell those who are seriously considering purchasing these devices to go check them out first. There is an Apple Store in Omaha and you can go and see how this device works. Apple also has put stores inside of Best Buy stores. So, you could go to Best Buy and check out the Xoom and the iPad and compare them to each other.

The Future

A lot of companies are devoting time and money into smart phones and tablets and there is a huge competition among developers. Then, there is competition on the app side to develop an app that everyone needs. No matter what you or your school decides to do though, make sure you have a plan and are willing to follow through with it. The better the plan, the more bang you’ll get out of your technology purchases.

Gearing up for NETA 2011!

2011-02-25T13:27:00.001-08:00

Each year as the NETA (Nebraska Educational Technology Association) conference approaches, I get excited about all the possibilities this two-day conference offers. Each year, NETA brings in some very good keynoters and offers a wide variety of break out sessions. I am always amazed at how the conference unfolds each year.

Going to NETA?:

As in the past, you can use NETA’s website (http://netasite.org) to find and select sessions that you are interested in attending. When you go to the website, look for the session search link, click on it, and you can look at the “Schedule-at-a-Glance.” Rushton Hurley will be a keynote and featured speaker this year at the conference. We featured his website in a past newsletter (http://nextvista.org). On Friday, attendees will get to pick between Tony Vincent and Richard Byrne. We featured Richard’s website in the newsletter also (http://freetechforteachers.com). If there are several teachers going from one district, you might consider selecting sessions you each can attend and then collaborating on notes. Another idea would be to use a Google Document in your district to take notes on sessions you attend. After the conference, your district representatives can use the document as a source for technology improvement in your district.

There are also “strands” for folks who have particular needs. A strand is a series of sessions that highlight a particular technology topic. The NETA Conference includes strands both days for tech support specialists, laptop environments, assistive technology, and more.

I find the conversations going on in the hallways between sessions, at the dinner table, and even during sessions are very valuable. Teachers and administrators from different districts get together to discuss how their schools are using different technologies. Questions get asked and a healthy discussion ensues. Those are conversations that cannot be replicated in your district.

Not going to NETA?:

Even if you are not able to attend the NETA conference, you still can become a member or follow the conference online or both. To become a member without going to the conference, simple go to the NETA website and click the Membership button on the left. The cost of membership per year is $25. By attending the conference, your membership is included in your registration. If you do not wish to become a member, but still want to get some benefit out of the conference, you can follow the conference online. NETA uses multiple forms of social media during and after the conference. You can follow by joining the NETA facebook page, checking NETA out on Twitter, Ning, YouTube, and Flickr. The keynote presentations are recorded (if allowed by the speaker), which can be viewed via a podcast at a later date. Featured presenters are also recorded. And, if you happen to find a session you really wanted to attend, the presenters can be contacted and you can get their handouts. By doing a session search on the NETA page, you can find the session and download any materials associated with that session.

What else do I need to know about NETA?

NETA is also an ISTE affiliate. ISTE is the International Society of Technology in Education. The NETA organization joins with approximately 70 other affiliated technology associations around the world. The mission of ISTE is to advance excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology. For schools and districts, ISTE has released NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) for teachers, students, and administrators. Not familiar with these standards? You can check them out at the ISTE site (http://iste.org). ISTE also offers resources, such as books, from it’s online store for districts.

See you at NETA!

What My Son did over Christmas Break

2011-01-31T07:21:00.000-08:00

For some of us, Christmas break is a time of relaxing and spending time with family and friends. For others, it involves projects of varying kinds. As parents, we find ourselves asking what to do to keep our kids occupied during their time off from school. We don’t want our kids to necessarily sit around and do nothing, but we also don’t want to make them do things they are not interested in doing. I would like to share with you how one of my sons chose to spend his break.

Motivation: It all began with a contest on Youtube. My son is a big fan of Legos, and was browsing videos of some neat Lego creations. Another kid about his age had issued a challenge for others to build a Lego candy machine and post a video of it to his Youtube channel.

Process: My son opted to build a Starburst candy machine that would give you a Starburst for a nickel. It took him several days of trial and error to build the machine, but when he finished, he had accomplished his goal: a Lego Starburst machine that would take no other coin than a nickel. It even has a trash dispenser for the wrapper. He used his iPod Nano to record a video of the project, he used iMovie to edit the video, and published the video to Youtube.

Outcome: He won the contest! He was very pleased with the result of his hard work. The interesting part is, the prize was recognition - a recommendation from the contest host to “subscribe” to my son’s Youtube channel, and almost 300 views of his video to date. Of course, this success lead to several other Lego creations with videos on his own Youtube channel.

What’s the educational point? This is a great example of how kids learn in the 21st century. In this case, video (Youtube) was used as the delivery of instruction in coming up with Lego project ideas. It was also a tool in accomplishing his goal, and was an excellent method of evaluation from his peers.

How can teachers use video to motivate students? The great thing about using video is it can be used cross-curriculum. From creating video book reports to viewing science experiments, from creating history reenactments to viewing specific steps in a building process, using video to deliver instruction or to record student work is a powerful technology tool! Teachers can create a Youtube channel for their classroom’s videos with very little effort. Is Youtube blocked at your school? There are a host of very similar video sites available to educators for free, including schooltube.com, teachertube.com, and nextvista.org.

Website of the month: Next Vista for Learning An online library of free videos for learners everywhere. Their goal is to gather a set of resources to help you learn just about anything, meet people who make a difference in their communities, and even discover new parts of the world. Next Vista for Learning wants to post your educational videos online, too. Everyone has an insight to share and yours may be just what some student or teacher somewhere needs!

Lego Starburst Machine

2010-12-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

My son wanted to build a candy machine out of legos. He found a way using some videos from YouTube and using some of his own intuition. Here is his Lego Starburst Machine. Enjoy!

My Top Five Tech Tools

2010-12-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

After reading the recent NETA newsletter, my friend and colleague, Jason Everett (ESU 10), wrote an article about what he calls “The Top Five Tech Tools for Teachers.” As I read his article, I asked myself, “What are my top five tech tools?” What do I use almost daily or often enough to be considered the top five? So, here are my Top Five Tech Tools:

Number One: As I write this article, I am using Google Docs. I cannot begin to share how helpful this application has become in my work. I can put up a document as a draft and invite members to collaborate. I use Google Docs for meetings, for handouts at workshops, and for gathering my thoughts to share with others. For me, it is all about collaboration. The more I can get people to collaborate with me, the better my writing becomes.

Number Two: My blog. I use my blog (http://grobke.blogspot.com) to communicate the things I write and make them available to anyone in the world. It provides a public space for my thoughts. It allows me to get feedback on what people think of my ideas. There are all kinds of blogs out there for people to follow - educational blogs, personal blogs. Blogs for moms and dads, etc.

Number Three: iChat. iChat is a Mac product, but I can use the same type of app on my Windows machine using AIM instant messaging. It is a place where I can help people troubleshoot problems they may be having with their computer or simply to offer advice. The nice thing about this software is that it is instant communication vs. waiting for an email to arrive. With email, I have to respond, then wait for a response. With iChat, I can continuously converse with other people. I can even have more than one conversation at a time. Talk about multi-tasking! Try it out for yourself and iChat with me at robkeg@mac.com.

Number Four: My iPod Touch. I am finding that my iPod Touch can do everything I can do on my computer, only the screen is a little smaller. I use it when I go to meetings because it is a more mobile device than my laptop. I can use it to access my email, to iChat, to look up my Google Docs. It is all integrated and synced with the things on my computer. All my calendars and contacts are stored on my iPod Touch as well. I use it to download podcasts to listen to while I am traveling. With the new iPod Touch, I can even use it as a video camera as well as a digital camera.

Number Five: My cell phone. I don’t leave home without it! Few people disagree on the value of their cell phones today. If you have a smart phone, most can do all of the tasks mentioned above for the iPod Touch. Droids and the iPhone are easily the top two smart phones on the market today. Since I cannot use an iPhone because of service restrictions, I carry a simple cell phone with me and use my iPod Touch for the things an iPhone can do.

If you have not read the latest NETA newsletter, it is full of useful information and you can get it for free at the NETA site (http://netasite.org). Click on Resources on the left and it will take to the newsletter section. As you think about my top five tech tools, I’d like to ask what are your top five tech tools? Do you introduce them to your students? If so, then ask your students what their top five tools would be. And finally, I’d like to ask if you are using the tools in the classroom that students use outside of school? Do you have a plan to implement any of these tools into your curriculum? Is your school thinking about ways to allow these tools inside your school if they aren’t currently allowed? These are all questions that schools should be considering. As always, I’d enjoy having this conversation with you, your district, or your technology committee.

You've Got Text

2010-10-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Remember that movie, You’ve Got Mail!, with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan who get connected via email? E-mail has become a natural way of communication. We can easily send messages to many people and communicate to them our concerns, questions, or comments on whatever topic interests us. Have you ever thought of how adults use email vs. students? Is email losing its ability to be an avenue for communication? Is it more about using cell phones and text messaging? Or, what about smart phones and the ability to video chat with others through software? I know that my own children would rather text than send an email. They get immediate feedback from a text message vs. an email that may take days to get a response.

There are many positive ways to use cell phones in the classroom. But, as we think about using them for education, we must consider their relevance for the curriculum. In order to be effective, there has to be an outcome. Cell phones can be engaging and fun if used effectively. And, we can use that time to teach appropriate uses of the technology.

There are also ways in which students use cell phones negatively. Students are using cell phones to bully other students. They do this by sending obscene texts or obscene photos to other students they may not like. They also use their social networks to take more “jabs” at each other. As parents, teachers, and administrators, we need to watch out for this kind of behavior. The bully is no longer the big kid on the playground. There have been several recent stories relating to this very issue. Ones that really disturb me are adolescents who end up taking their own lives. One example is the story of a 13-old girl in Florida who committed suicide after an explicit cell phone photo she had texted to a boy was forwarded to several other students. You can read the full version of this story at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34236377.

Each year, the Nebraska ESU’s sponsor a contest for “Internet Safety.” The contest is sponsored by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and concludes in April. Our goal is to get the word out and help students understand the “risk” of rude behavior online. There are numerous organizational web sites whose goal is to help students understand these risks. In fact, Anderson Cooper has interviewed students regarding the very issue of Cyberbullying. You can see the episodes on AC360˚. One of his episodes is titled, “In a Wired World, Children Unable to Escape Cyberbullying.”

I believe we (parents, teachers, administrators) have a responsibility to teach appropriate uses of these technologies - cell phones, online social networks, and Internet behavior. It can be effectively integrated into our curriculum if done appropriately. Many futurists predict that every student will have a digital device (a phone) to carry with them to school in five years. Are we prepared for this as educators? Instead of “You’ve got mail”, perhaps we should start saying, “You've Got Text!”

Oct 2010 tech news

2010-09-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Interactive Whiteboards
I recently ran across an article by Robert Marzano on the effective use of Interactive boards in the classroom. It was interesting to note that in that article, he states, “using interactive whiteboards was associated with a 16 percentile point gain in student achievement. Using voting devices was associated with a 26 percentile point gain in student achievement (along with interactive whiteboards). A third feature is the interactive whiteboard reinforcer - applications that teachers can use to signal that an answer is correct or to present information in an unusual context. These practices were associated with a 31 percentile point gain in student achievement.”

After reading that, I wondered how many schools in ESU 4 have whiteboards? And, how many of those are effectively used? Interactive whiteboards have been around for many years, but if we as teachers and learners do not take time to use them properly, then you may not see any gain in student achievement at all. In fact, Robert Marzano states, “As is the case with all powerful tools, teachers must use interactive whiteboards thoughtfully, in accordance with what we know about good classroom practice.”

There are lots of ways, fun and exciting, to use whiteboards in the classrooms. Many schools already have them. Some are using MOBI’s and other hand-held devices which are just as engaging as interactive whiteboards. Get the students moving, get them collaborating, get them discussing important concepts. Then, use the interactive board with voting devices to engage them fully. If used appropriately, you will see some dramatic results. It all takes time and training. If you need any help, feel free to call or email.

For the full article, check it out at http://bit.ly/9HlRMW

Upcoming Workshops
Sept. 27 - Tech Plan Update starting at 9 AM
Sept. 30 - tcadre meeting starting at 9 AM
Oct. 18 - NSSRS work day beginning at 9 AM
Oct. 22 - tcadre meeting starting at 9 AM
Oct. 26 - eInstruction workshop starting at 9 AM with Dustin Frank
Oct. 29 - ANGEL workshop starting at 9 AM
Dec. 10 - Using iPods/iPads in the classroom beginning at 9 AM

Website of the Month
This web site of the month is more for secondary teachers, but has lots of opportunities to enhance your classroom. The Khan Academy features over 1600 free video lessons on math, science, technology, and other subjects. Check it out at http://www.khanacademy.org/

ESU 4 Cadres

2010-09-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here are links to our wiki cadre sites:

http://esu4newteachers.wikispaces.com - For new teachers
http://esu4mathcadre.wikispaces.com - Math cadre
http://esu4artcadre.wikispaces.com - Art cadre
http://esu4literacycadre.wikispaces.com - Literacy cadre
http://esu4sciencecadre.wikispaces.com - Science cadre

August, 2010 News

2010-08-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

ISTE 2010 Notes

2010-07-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

Google Workshop

2010-06-04T07:51:00.001-07:00

Google Workshop

Day 1

Agenda

Add your google account to the wall (using wallwisher) I am planning to use this for student questions to be posted during instruction. Good idea! Thanks.
This is a great way to have students do bell work.

Google - web search

use advance search features - one way is to put search item: edu or search item:.country code (uk) and find other countries perspective
Check out the web history of your searches
Show more options on a google search

timeline
wonder wheel

Alan November's resources

Google Web History
igoogle custom home page
Google School

can set up a domain for district

teacher and student email

can set up email so people can only email within district, can set up so teachers can go out but students have to stay within domain

Google Docs in Plain English (Video)
Start a Google Doc

Google Docs for Educators
Go to revision history to see changes people make to a document
"Insert a comment" gives a highlighted comment (you can choose the color) and names who's making the comment
Docs are stored in docs.google.com or click on My Account and then click on Docs Thank you, Google, for now allowing everyone to edit! No excuses!

Google Spreadsheet

Survey via a Google Form
Use http://bit.ly to shorten a URL
You can customize your url if you have one of their FREE accounts. (gw)

Google Presentation
Blogger

Create a new blog
You may have to verify your google account information using your cell phone - this is for security reasons
Some Blogs worth noting

The Thinking Stick - Jeff Utecht
Larry Ferlazzo's websites of the day

Larry's Best of series

Free Tech 4 Teachers - RM Byrne
The Huffington Post
The tech fridge - Josh Allen - Nebraska
Avenue4Learning - Michelle Baldwin - Nebraska

Google Reader - An RSS aggregator
Google Sites

You can get your own domain to tie to Google sites

Google Calendar

Sync your local calendar to Google

Talk

windows only download
can run inside a browser or inside your igoogle page
has an IM interface

Translate
Google News
Google Mobile
Google SMS
Google Gears
Google Notebook

Works, but Google has stopped development of Notebook

Google Bookmarks
Google Toolbar - for Internet Explorer and Firefox
Sketchup
Picasa

Web site to post photos - can share photos via link (with people that you give access to)
can download picasa for mac and it will find photos and upload and make albums

Google Earth

Resources from Hall Davidson

http://www.halldavidson.net/downloads.html

Resources for using Google Earth in the classroom

Google Maps

by car
by public transit
by walking

Goog 411
Google Dashboard

lets you view data that is being stored on the google services you are using
aggregates services like gmail, docs, blogger, picasa, calendar, and web history.

Google Wave

you must be invited - closed for others right now

Google Groups

Google Teacher Academy

http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

Google wiki

http://googled.wikispaces.com/agenda

A google handout

http://cpultzlps.googlepages.com/googleappsforyourclassroom-neta2008

The Official Google Blog

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

Google Labs

http://labs.google.com/

More Google Products - the list continually grows

http://www.google.com/options/

Google Books

About

Google Scholar

About

Google Squared - AMAZING WEBSITE - I love this site!

Google Posters for Education
Information for setting a Google Domain (after much consideration/discussion)

Please take the evaluation at the end of the day

Click on Public Surveys under the login area
Click Google Tools Summer Workshop Survey
Thanks for coming!

May 2010 News

2010-04-21T11:43:00.001-07:00

And the winners are....

Every April, Nebraska educators are encouraged to teach Internet Safety. ESU's across the state have a contest in which students can participate. Even though the only award for winning this contest is having a name printed in a newsletter, we believe the process helps students learn the benefits and risks associated with online profiles. Each year we get a handful of entries at different grade levels. Entries range from elementary posters to high school videos warning others about the dangers of using the Internet inappropriately. While visiting a local school and discussing this with another teacher, I came upon a wall full of posters students created about online safety. The wall was lined with drawings and messages to be safe while online. This teacher told me they used this as an art project. So, not only was there a curriculum tie to this project, but also meaning in the content. What a great story! As I looked over these posters, I could not help asking, "How do you decide on which one to send to the ESU?" They were all so very well done.

And, the winners from ESU 4 are....in the K-4 poster contest: Elizabeth from Johnson Brock, sponsor Jane Wenzl; in the 5-8 category: for audio public service announcement - Tyler from Pawnee City with sponsor Lori Gyhra, and for the poster contest - Makayla from Johnson-Brock with sponsor Ryan Walker; in the 9-12 video public service announcement - Tyler and Cole from Johnson-Brock with Tera Stutheit as sponsor. Although I am allowed only to pick one winner from each category, I believe every one who participated is a winner.

I would personally like to thank all those that participated. Schools participating this year included Sterling, Johnson-Brock, and Pawnee City. The winning entries from ESU 4 were sent on to the state contest, and the winners from the state contest can be found at: http://blog.esu10.org/internetsafety/ne-attorney-general-esu-contest-winners/

If you did not choose to participate in the contest this year, I would urge you to do so in the future. The winning entries can be found on my podcast at http://www.esu4.org. Click on the "Technology" link, then click on the bottom to check out my podcast.

On another note, the NETA (Nebraska Educational Technology Association) conference should still be fresh in the minds of those who attended that outstanding event. At that conference, many ideas are shared about how different technologies can be applied in the classroom. I would encourage all of you, even if you were not able to attend NETA, to start thinking about how technology can impact your classroom next fall. There are workshops held at the ESU this summer that you may benefit from attending. If there is something specific you would like to implement, but don't know how, let us know. We would enjoy the opportunity to visit with you. Don't be afraid to do something different. That is the motto that the Apple Computer Corporation lives by - "Think Differently!"

Have a great summer. I hope to see many of you at our summer workshops.

Website of the month: Readability - Having trouble reading online articles due to ads and clip art? Readability is a simple tool that makes reading on the web more enjoyable by removing the clutter around what you're reading. Also works well for students who have trouble reading online articles due to visual impairments.

April 2010 News

2010-03-25T14:29:00.001-07:00

April 2010 News

The future of computing...it's all in your hands!

Remember the Palm OS devices? These were the coolest little devices in their time. I remember vividly using this device on a regular basis. It stored all my contacts, my calendar, held some of my office documents - all in a handheld device. I graduated from that device and have moved onto an iPod Touch. The Palm OS is still alive, and the company is still developing new devices. What we are seeing is a merger of a palm device with a phone, like the Palm Pre and the Palm Pixi.

I believe that the idea of utilizing handheld devices in the classroom is on the horizon. We see students bringing them into schools and libraries all the time. These devices are integrated quite naturally into their daily lives. You don't have to teach them how to use these devices, they figure it out on their own. Although a handheld device does not necessarily offer the computing power of a desktop or a laptop, they do offer some benefits to teaching and learning. Some advantages include cost, mobility, and size. Handheld devices, like an iPod touch, are very inexpensive compared to desktops and laptops. Because they are light and small enough to fit in a pocket or backpack, they can be easily carried with you most anywhere.

We've seen an increase in the promotion and production of slate technology, which I think could have an even bigger impact on education. The iPad, the first version from Apple, will be shipped and in the hands of some users by April 3rd. You can already read predictions on countless blogs and forums on how this will impact schools just by googling the name. You may also find some who do not agree it is fit for education - time will tell either way. No matter if you like or dislike the iPad, its technology has set the stage for other devices and applications. HP has now released some video documentation on its version of slate technology, the HP slate. There is also the Archos tablet that offers a variety of tablet sizes and functions. Gizmodo has done a comparison of these three types of technologies as well as others that are on the market.

Recently, I was asked if these technologies will drive the education market. My response is simply that kids need to be engaged, with or without technology. It is my opinion that technology alone does not necessarily increase student learning or achievement. It is the way the technology is used that can have a tremendous impact. It is a tool that helps students learn a concept or idea, to digest material, to collaborate, to be competitive in a global economy, and to be a 21st Century Learner.

Website of the month:

Lit2go from the University of South Florida - you can find them also on iTunes U, where you can download complete books for your classroom or you can visit their website - http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/

Feb 2010 news

2010-02-17T07:39:00.001-08:00

Technology - Out with the Old and In with the New!

Technology has changed the way we do business. It has even changed the way we organize our personal lives. We have avenues like Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites to stay connected to friends and families. We can go to conferences and learn new things without even having to leave our schools. That being said, trends in technology have also changed. E-mail is slowly becoming an "old" technology while texting and instant messaging are more popular. We see, as individuals and as school districts, outdated equipment being replaced with newer, faster equipment.

For the last several years, ESU 4 has offered schools the opportunity to responsibly recycle electronics. All old equipment is brought to the ESU 4 warehouse where it is stacked, wrapped, and placed on pallets. Once all the equipment is organized and stacked, it is trucked to Luminous Recycling in Denver, CO. There, it is dismantled and all recycled for re-use.

Also, for the last several years, even before I came to work at ESU 4, teachers were offered a free website through a service called Manila. Manila is a server-based web site editor. If a teacher requested an account, I activated that account, and a web-site was created for teacher use in a matter of minutes. For many years, a lot of training has been put into getting teachers to use that service. Every year, ESU 4 would pay to upgrade the license so we could have Manila available for our teachers. Unfortunately, that service will be discontinued on Oct. 1, 2010. The reasons are many, but the the primary reason is the company that sells the licenses for Manila no longer exists. So, our server is running a program that is no longer supported. Without the support of the company, we cannot continue to offer this service to our teachers. If you have a Manila site, I encourage you to be thinking of a way to move your Manila site over to another type of service. Many schools are already using site-building programs, so check with your technology coordinator to see what your school offers. Some schools are getting Google domains, where teachers can have a Google Site for free. Some schools have a district-wide site builder, like SOCS. And some schools are using servers that have web site designs built-in. If your school does not offer a service described above, we will have a solution for you. We will be providing training and ideas for moving your content from Manila to another location. Please look for that training in future newsletters.

Finally, I urge you to begin thinking about how technology can change the way you teach or help reinforce ideas learned in the classroom. I would like for you to consider, even now, changing one thing next year. Take some time the rest of this spring to think about what your curriculum would look like if you integrated technology throughout your lessons. It could be something small like using Hippocampus during the year, or something bigger, like setting up a course online using ANGEL or Moodle. Focus on changing one thing and then make that your goal. Take notes along the way. What worked? What didn't? What would I change? If you need any help with planning or implementing, please let me know. I'd enjoy having that conversation with you.

Stretch into a New Year

2010-01-11T11:51:00.001-08:00

I'd like for you to start thinking about how you can "stretch" yourself in 2010. So often, we get into a routine and sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable when our routine gets jostled. These routines may even vary between school and home. I recently read an article found on the U.S. Department of Education's website entitled, "Harnessing Innovation to Support Student Success - Using Technology to Personalize Education." This article states that "more than half of young adults send or receive text messages daily, three out of four teens between 15 and 17 own cell phones, and eight out of ten teens say they've helped an adult do something online that the adult could not do him or herself." This article was published in 2008. I wonder how those statistics would look in 2010. If you have never sent or received a text message, then I would suggest you need to "stretch yourself." If you've never had a teenager show you how to do something online to help you learn, then why not "stretch yourself" and ask one for help? I don't know how many times I've seen my own children do something with technology that prompts me to ask, "Will you show me how you did that?"

Just last week my 16 year old nephew stayed up all night using Google to help him build his own FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server. How awesome is that! He enjoys using technology and finds ways for him to learn these techniques on his own. He is "stretching himself" everyday by using Google, online forums, Facebook, and other media to help him figure things out.

Do you have a Facebook account? A twitter account? A blog? An online profile? Do you use ANGEL or some other Learning Management System in your classroom? If not, then I would recommend you continue to "stretch" and start by just using one. Once you start, you can start adding friends and build a place where you can learn, interact, and share information about your classroom. I use Twitter for professional use and I use Facebook for personal use on a daily basis. In fact, at ESU 4, we recently set up a Facebook page for those of you using Facebook. I can tell you I learn something from Twitter and Facebook everyday.

I recently read an article on JenuineTech's blog in which the author reflected on managing your online presence. Here are a few tips from that blog:

1. Stretch yourself by 10%. Invite more people to be your friend on twitter, join a ning and comment on a forum, participate in a project, try a new option in your classroom.

2. Don’t hesitate to share an idea which you think everyone always knows about. Not everyone is online 365/24/7 and ideas get missed, overlooked, or not seen for a variety of reasons. So go ahead and share….I can promise you that someone will say "wow, I had never seen that before and thank you for sharing.”

The author goes on to list eight other ways in which to control and mange your online content. I highly recommend reading this article in your attempt to "stretch" this year. You can find the blog at: http://jenuinetech.com/blog/?p=1298

So, will you make it a New Year's Resolution to "stretch yourself?" Try one new thing in your classroom, in your district, in your professional experience. Try it and see how it goes! If it doesn't work, figure out a way, ask for help, or try something else. Try expanding the classroom beyond the confines of your physical space by inviting a guest speaker via Skype or some other form of distance learning. I know I will be finding ways to "stretch" myself. Will you?

Reminder:

The 2010 Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship contest is underway in each ESU in Nebraska. Entries must be submitted to ESU 4 by March 12, 2010. You can email me for an entry form or you can download it here.

Website of the Month:

Free Educational Resources from the Federal Government

http://www.free.ed.gov

Elf Yourself

2009-12-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

I just elf'd myself today

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Some of my favorite web sites

2009-12-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

I have had the opportunity to share some of my favorite web sites with pre-service teachers as well as with some of our special education staff. Below are some of my favorites. Feel free to comment and I will add yours to the list. This list does not include all of my favorites, just some of them.

http://animoto.com

http://animoto.com/education - free "all access" pass for educators

http://wolframalpha.com

http://doodle.com - free meeting scheduler

http://polleverywhere.com - free polling with your cell phone

http://zacbrowser.com - for autistic children - windows only

http://www.printfriendly.com

http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability

http://pppst.com - Pete's PowerPoint Station

http://diigo.com - social bookmarking site

http://diigo.com/user/Grobke - my diigo bookmarks

http://google.com - docs, forms, spreadsheets, advanced searches, so many possibilities

http://livescribe.com - Information about the Pulse Smartpen
http://www.theflip.com - Information about flip cameras

http://www.sndlc.org - For ESU 4 area schools to connect to "enrichment" centers

WII console for the special education classroom

Thank you!

ESU 4 December News

2009-11-30T14:19:00.001-08:00

NETA in the News:

This time of year as schedules get busier and busier with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I'd like to take a few moments to reflect on a conference that has been going on in Nebraska since the late 1980's. It is the NETA conference and every year it gets bigger and better. Currently, NETA is held each year the last Thursday and Friday of April. The 2010 conference is slated for April 29-30, 2010 at the LaVista Embassy Suites and Conference Center. This year's theme is "Creative Journeys to Learning." Each year I am amazed at the quality of presenters and the different "strands" that are available to your district. "Strands" include information for technology directors, schools that are going 1:1, an administrative strand, and much more. NETA is a way for you to connect with others that have the same passion for teaching and learning through using technology effectively in the classroom. Through my experience, NETA has allowed me to learn new techniques and even share some with others that join the conference. NETA has many contests that students can submit entries to and there is even a teacher-trek contest that will send a selected to the National Conference (ISTE) to Denver in June, 2010 and an "Excellence in Leading with Technology Award." If you feel like a teacher or a leader in your district is deserving of one of these awards, would you please consider him or her for a nomination? Mark your calendars today and start planning to attend the NETA conference. For more information, please log onto the neta site at http://netasite.org. Be sure to check out the keynote presenters while at the neta site - Peter Reynolds and Rem Jackson!

2010 Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Contest:

The ESUs of Nebraska in partnership with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office are sponsoring an Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Poster and Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest for students in K-12 Schools in Nebraska.

Eligibility

Any public or private school/district within an ESU may participate.

Categories

Each school or district may submit one entry in each category from each grade grouping: K-4, 5-8, 9-12, i.e. three entries per school for each of the five categories.

Entry Formats

Poster - high quality computer generated (pdf, tiff, jpg, or png);
Poster - hand drawn
Audio PSA - submit on labeled CD (mp3, aiff, or wav format).
Video PSA - submit on labeled VHS, DVD, or CD (QT, WMV, or RM format)
Open - a submission which does not fit a poster or PSA category above—could be a brochure, video documentary, etc.

Rules

No real names used on posters or in audio or video PSAs.
Copyright laws must be followed, i.e. images, sound, etc.
29 second target time on PSAs (audio and video).
Label CDs and DVDs with ESU Internet Safety Entry Form info (see next page.).
Put ESU Contest Entry Form on back of posters
Poster Size: minimum – 8.5” X 11”, maximum – 16” X 22” (recommended delivery in protected mailer, such as tube or flat box. Do not bend.)

Deadline

Entries must be submitted to ESU 4 by March 12, 2010.

Send entries to:

ESU 4

Attn: Gregg Robke

919 16^th Street

Auburn, NE 68305

Entries may be delivered via van mail or snail mail. Email Gregg for an entry form or you can download the entry form here.

Award

One entry in each grade grouping from each ESU will be selected and given state ESU recognition. Winning posters and PSAs, audio and video, will then be eligible for awards and/or use by the ESUs and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. A winning entry in each category will be selected and sent on to the Attorney General’s office for special recognition.

What learning would look like from a 16-year old persepective

2009-11-11T07:57:00.001-08:00

Our son is a sophomore in high school. We had asked him the other evening, "If you could have the optimal high school setting, what would that look like?" Below is his writing. It has not been edited, but his response really got me started thinking about questions teachers and administrators should be asking. Are schools preparing our students for the 21st Century? What does that look like? How can technology help? My mind started getting full of thoughts and questions that would take considerable amount of time to answer. As educators and/or parents, we may not know all the answers, but perhaps we can glean a little understanding from what our students/kids are telling us.

I think the best kind of high school situation for me would look like this:

"Me learning through the use of technology but still being able to hang out with my friends at school. For example, Using laptops in class. That way, the teacher could tell us where to go and show us some examples of what we are learning. The teacher could also limit where we went on the laptops and have control over them so the students wouldn't abuse them. I like learning through the use of technology and I think it's fun. It would make researching for a class a lot easier along with essay writing. We would be able to send our work to our teachers and ask for suggestions and help via e-mail or some other type of chatting thing. I would also like to have big desks with enough room for my books and my work along with the big comfy office chairs like the ones in accounting. This is what I think the best kind of high school experience I would like to experience."

Why should I have a web presence for my classroom?

2009-10-27T12:49:00.001-07:00

I believe teachers, principals, and administrators should have a "web presence" - a place on the web where you put information for your district patrons, fellow staff members, or students. Some of you may be asking, "Why?" or thinking, "If only I had time!" Ed Tech Specialist Denise Hogan explains the importance:

"In a world where people can bank, order groceries, shop for a home, instant messenger friends around the world, and see exhibits from the Louvre online - I can understand why parents are coming to expect more information about their child's progress online. Even more importantly, our students live in an ever growing 'cyber-based world.' The rich, interactive and authentic web sites that are out there, make us, as teachers, criminal if we don't get our students on them in meaningful ways."

When designing a web site, you must consider your audience. For a teacher, the audience will mostly likely be students and parents. For a principal, it will most likely be parents. For a counselor, it may be graduating seniors. The list goes on. Secondly, what will you put on your page? The idea is to publish information in a way that helps your day to day tasks. As a teacher, publishing your daily assingments on a web site eliminates the student excuse that they didn’t realize it was due (even though you had it written on the board for the last two weeks). Some parents have no idea an assignment was due, and that you assigned it two weeks ago.

A teacher web page can also carry valuable information about instruction for students. I personally know of teachers who use SMARTBoards, Mimios, and eInstruction software (Clickers) to save information to pdf's from their whiteboards and link that to their web sites, especially in the area of math. These teachers can post on their sites not only lesson plans and assignments that are due, but also problems that were worked out together in class. If a student goes home and struggles with the homework, he or she can go to that teacher's web site and find the class notes from the day.

From a parent perspective, it would be great to know what my kids are doing in school. Yes, I can get their grades from PowerSchool, and yes, I can - and do - talk to them about what they are doing in school, but from a day to day point of view, I have little knowledge about what they are studying. If a web page was created for the class or classes they are taking, I could not only track their progress, but I could be more involved in what they are learning and ask them more specific questions. Young parents especially are used to referencing web pages. Before families move into your district, one of the first things they will do is look at your school web site. If teachers have a link from the district’s web page, parents can easily find information about your classroom.

Ultimately, as the web editor of your site, you will need to decide what to post on your page. At the ESU, we have Manila that we use to host teacher-created web pages. Some schools subscribe to a web site service like SOCS and allow each teacher space for a personal web page. If you would rather create one on your own, there are services like Wordpress, Blogger, and Google sites that can easily get you up and running without much difficulty.

Here are some wonderful teacher-created web pages from teachers in our service area:

http://manila.esu4.org/angelaschmit
http://manila.esu4.org/marystewart
http://manila.esu4.org/debniss
http://sites.google.com/site/sragillrenken/Home

Where, oh where, has my desktop gone?

2009-10-16T11:46:00.001-07:00

Google Docs, flickr, de.licio.us, EduBlogs, Wikipedia: These are some of the most widely-used Web 2.0 tools on the Internet. Gone are the days when my files were created, edited, and saved in one permanent location: my desktop computer. Getting them from home to work (or vise-versa) relied on available peripheral hardware such as a flash drive. And collaborating with others required using email attachments of a limited size. The introduction of Web 2.0 tools has changed they way we create, organize, save and collaborate on our digital information. The Mac vs Windows ‘thing’ is not really that big of deal. If you rely on some of the tools mentioned above, then there is a good chance all of your documents for teaching and learning can be stored online. All that is needed is a browser that can get out to the Internet.

I recently read an article in which Microsoft has just released its web-based version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It is currently in testing, but look for it in the near future. Instead of running Word from your desktop, you'll be running it from the Internet, collaborating on documents with people from all over. In fact, that is how this article was originally published. I used Google docs to put it on the web, and then it was shared with my colleagues around the office for their editing. Another example of an education application that many people have used is Inspiration. Inspiration now has a web portal, called mywebspiration. You can get a free account and create the same things that Inspiration does without having it loaded onto your computer.

On many occasions I have been asked to present at some state conventions, like NETA. I lug my laptop, projector, and possibly extra electrical cords around so I can get everything ready to go before my presentation begins. With services mentioned above and my personal online dropbox, I can get my presentations from the Internet. I am even allowed to share files. Dropbox, with a free registration, gives you the ability to load files up to its servers. Upon registration, your dropbox is created, and you get 2 GB worth of storage for free. I refer to my dropbox as my free 2 GB virtual flash drive. I just upload my presentation files to my dropbox, and that allows me to have a backup in case my laptop decides to quit functioning. Dropbox even has a free application for your iPod touch that allows you to get your files on your iPod. It is a very nice tool to have in your web 2.0 tool box.

The future will tell for certain, but I would expect smaller, faster Internet-based machines, such as handhelds, to start gaining more popularity as applications become more and more web-based. Are you using some of the tools mentioned above? If not, climb on board the web 2.0 movement and start thinking about how you can incorporate some of these into your classroom. Comments are encouraged.

Geocaching

2009-09-21T11:41:00.001-07:00

Geocaching in the classroom

Maybe you've heard about geocaching and maybe you haven't. Our family started to geocache this summer after a workshop was held on what geocaching is and how it applies to the classroom. We hear about gps devices - TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan all come to mind. What makes this "digital treasure hunting" so unique are the many ways it can be used to to help students learn.

First of all, if you have not heard about geocaching, it is "a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment." You start by going to http://www.geocaching.com and registering for a free account. Then, you download the waypoints (where the geocaches are) to your gps device. Our family uses the Garmin etrex Vista HCx. Once you get the waypoints onto your GPS, you're on your way to finding this "digital treasure." The treasure may contain trinkets you can trade for something else you may have brought with you. Other geocaches just contain a log for you to sign your visit. When you find your treasure, you go back to the website (http://www.geocaching.com) and log your visit.

We have been doing this throughout the summer as a family activity and hope to continue throughout the school year. One of us drives, one looks at the notes (for which we use an iPod ) and one of us tells the driver where to go (using the gps). The interesting thing is that we let the kids determine the route. We give them the tool and they tell us where we need to go. It has been really interesting to discuss longitude and latitude with them as they can link that to what they've learned about longitude and latitude in the classroom. You can also overlay your "track" (where you traveled) into Google Earth as well as determine the distance you have traveled. The GPS even tells you how fast your are driving.

So, how does geocaching relate to education? Think about hiding a geocache that travels. Those are called travel bugs. Place a travel bug in a geocache and tell it where you would like it to end up in its description on the geocaching website. Folks who find the travel bug take it from geocache to geocache until it reaches its destination. You can use the website to track where the bug currently resides. Mr. Leon Stall, a secondary social studies teacher in Gibbon, has been doing this for one year. His 12th grade U.S. Government class project involves circulating "BUFFY", their school mascot, around to the elected officials that represent citizens of Gibbon, Nebraska. Their goal is to have "BUFFY'S" picture taken with all of their elected officials all the way to President of the United States. If you want to look at his site for more information, you can go to http://www.mrstall.com/. When you get to his site, scroll down to the very bottom and click on "Government" or "Geography" under "Traveling Buffys". There are many more educational examples, hopefully you get the idea.

At the service unit, we are working on a way to purchase a GPS set that we would use to train and let our schools borrow. We hope to have a session next semester during the spring. Please refer to our upcoming workshop list if geocaching interests you.

iPods + iPhones = Engaged

2009-08-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'd like to welcome you back to the 09-10 school year. I know the staff members at ESU 4 wish you a successful year as you strive to improve student learning. There are many changes the school year brings, especially in the area of technology. I am always grateful for the opportunities I get to learn new technology tools. I was fortunate to attend the NECC (National Educational Technology Association Conference) in Washington, D.C. this summer. I went to many sessions, but speciﬁcally, I wanted information on how iPods are used in the classroom. Here is an article I submitted to be printed in the next NETA newsletter. I hope you ﬁnd it helpful if you want to use iPods in your classroom.

Imagine a classroom where a student walks in, grabs an iPod touch, and takes a pre-class survey, then moves on to an interactive lesson, then ﬁnally does some practice questions and a post-survey, all from an iPod. While at NECC 2009 in Washington, D.C. I chose sessions that dealt with using smartphones and iPods in the classroom. One session in particular I went to was a model lesson using iPod Touches in the classroom and what was described above actually happened in that session. It was very interesting, and the presenters did a great job of answering questions. They were in a pilot year and had found many ways to incorporate iPods into their school. This particular school received a grant from AT&T to purchase 70 iPods. The iPods allow for universal design, and they were amazed at the increase in student motivation. The presenters stressed that they were focusing primarily on increasing math scores in their K-5 classrooms.

The participants were given an iPod and a log sheet when they walked into the classroom. Then they performed a short lesson on adding fractions and kept track of applications they used on the log sheets. The participants were able to learn at their own pace by pausing, stopping, and/or replaying the content on the iPod. They were to record their data on their log and then go on to the next application. If they ﬁnished the lesson early, they were able to play any applications they wanted until instructed to quit. For security reasons, some settings, such as Internet connectivity on the iPod can be disabled so students do not have access. This session piqued my interest as I believe there are many classrooms that can beneﬁt by using handhelds. But, what about charging and syncing? If you are familiar with iPods, then you understand that you can only sync on iPod to one account at a time. Take into consideration TriBeam. It allows you to charge and sync multiple iPods to one account at a time. In this session, they demonstrated that they can charge and sync up to 15 iPods at a time.

Other sessions I went to included the same idea - using handhelds (smartphones, iPods, etc) in the classroom. I believe that is where 1:1 learning can start to take place in more schools where budgets are tight. Handhelds have gained popularity in recent years and already have pre-built apps installed, such as calculators, calendar, and stopwatches. Some of them, including iPod Touches, have notes built-in that will sync back to your computer, provided you have the new 3.0 OS for your iPod Touch. Then, when youconsider all the free apps that Google has built, such as Goog411, Google SMS, and Google Maps (to name a few) there is a lot of teaching and learning that can be done with these small "computer-like" devices. For the iPod, many educational apps are free from the Apple store.

NECC 2009

2009-07-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to get to go the National Educational Computing Convention in Washington DC just a few weeks ago. This was my first trip to Washington DC but not to the convention. I am always amazed at how much can be learned during these conventions. My focus this year was to get as much information as I could about using iPods and cell phones in the classroom. Below are my notes from the convention. If you read this blog and have any questions about them, feel free to contact me or leave a reply.

Opening keynote - Malcolm Gladwell - Sunday, June 28, 2009
SpeakUp report
Twitter stream - #NECC2009MH
Behind learning there has to be effort
Compensation is more important than capitalization (trying harder is a more important learning skill than doing good)
We need to have respect for difficulty
There are different learning strategies that are not always linear
Conceptual genius - people who have a bold revolutionary video
Experimental genius - An innovator who finds their way through trial and error
Feedback lies at the core of effective learning

Tammy's tech tips - Monday, June 29, 2009
http://www.tammyworcester.com
Todays meet
Jamstudio.com - c am f c
Vozme - voice recorder on the web
Ge smartgrid augmented reality
Fur.ly - multiple urls in one
Image mosaic generator
Imagination cubed - online drawing program
Jing/ Skitch
http://kickyoutube.com
Random name picker - http://claastools.net
Tag galaxy
Showcase for firefox
Add a keyword in firefox - cmd click - anywhere there is a search window

The missing link - preparing teachers to use smartphones in the classroom - Monday, June 29. 2009
Curriculum and instruction
Put it in their hands - letter recognition - teaching shapes
Standards and assessments - digital video - multiple representation - use photos - surveys using survey monkey -teacher created tools (checklist, self-assessments)
Learning environments
Celebrating success
Behavior management
Parent communication
Professional development - parent conferences, communication, grants, awards

Cell phones in the classroom - Monday, June 29, 2009
Tammy Worcester
http://handouts.tammyworcester.com
Goog 411
Google SMS - text 466453
Google Maps - can send to your phone or gps
Email posting to your blog - think of a project specific blog that students can post to - be sure to have your students post their name
Cell phone photos to flickr
Pictobrowser - embed a slideshow into ppt from flickr or your blog
Gabcast and gcast - no longer free
Drop.io - sharing site for all types of files - can call and leave a voice message to a drop
Geograffiti.com
Polleverywhere.com
Built in tools - calc, calendar, stopwatch
Rocketron - can listen to news on your phone
Mosquito ring tones
Send txt messages from computer to phone
Podlinez - can listen to news on your phone
Text memos to your cell phones
Slydial - sends a message right to voicemail on a persons cell phone

Things you didn't know you could do with video - Monday, june 29, 2009
Hall Davidson
Discoveryedspeakrsbureau.com - click on handouts
Play videos across slides
Kids are media natives
Create your own backdrops in Photobooth - video or still
Use Bluetooth camera to connect to computer wireless via bluetooth - $149
Enter their world - ex. Crayon world
You can email a photostory or moviemaker
Create a chroma key in photobooth
You can create video bullets in ppt
Create citations in QuickTime pro
Youngscientistchallenge.com
http://search.Creativecommons.org
http://Kitzu.org
Place videos inside goggle earth

Bricks and mortar schools are detrimental to the future of Ed - Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Michael Horn (against)
Does everyone learn in the same way? No
Bricks and mortar schools cannot meed the needs of students
They limit socialization to the local communities
Learning happens everywhere
Brad Jupp (for)
The teaching machine - schools are necessary and stand as a commitment to cause
Buildings can become great schools
Schools are the vessels of our wishes of democracy
Schools are where we gather our children to learn
We cannot leave the house of learning behind
Dr Gary Stager (against)
Problem lies with management
Depriving kids of rich educational experiences is the problem
What makes schools viable?
Schools vs online learning
Is technology used to teach the same old way?
Cheryl Lemke (for)
What bricks and mortar could really be
Let us get our kids reconnected with our local community as well as our online community
Where are our kids going to get access when they don't have that at home?
We need to re-define our schools
We do need online learning as well as face to face
We need socialization because of social capital
Marshall Thompson (rebuttal - against - student)
Why do I need to learn in a school?
Education cannot be limited
Students don't want to learn for 8 hours
Erik Bakke (for - rebuttal)
Schools create a strong connection
Students need to learn in a group environment and need to learn as a team

iPod touch/iPhone application support group - Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Leslie Fisher (http://lesliefisher.com)
Kensington charger for iPod
Solio - uses solar power to charge your iPod
Mophie juice pack - piggy back battery
Slider by Incase - iPod case
Showcase by contour - iPod case
Speck QuickDraw - iPod case
Take a screen shot - home button and power button (iPhone only)
Hold down .com for other domains
Jewelers loop - hold down and wait in notes or any other app that uses the keyboard
Check out presentation on Leslie's site
How to use the top 40 iPhone features and also 100+ hidden features
http://appshopper.com - for up to date apps for your iPod or iPhone
Saisuke - calendar app - links to google - shows calendar view like google
Note pad - group notes into categories and you can email notes
Evernote - an extension of the online version
Twitterfon - Twitter app
RTM - remember the milk
Duck you undo - keeps track of mis-spellings and lets you choose whether or not to accept you mis-spelled words
Spotlight search - is now on the front screen if you have the new 3.0 software
Loopt - uses gps location services - hooks into FB and twitter
Around me - stores near you - uses location services
iFinder - uses gps to find your location
TomTom - turn by turn navigation for iPhone - will be available soon
Shazam - identifies name/artist of song
Skipit - turns your screen into a forward button
Beehive - multiple-supported txt messaging service
Tripit - builds a travel itenarary
iTV - lists programming
USA Today headlines
Weather channel
Yelp - get user reviews for food, supermarkets, etc
Ocarina - flute app
Trombone app is out as well
Star walk
Iridium flares
Roller coaster physics
Motion gps
Crazy machines
Google - bells and whistles - keep scrolloind down on settings
Links on the site for more

iPod touch Go - Enhancing student learning using iPod touches - A model lesson - a model K-5 classroom - Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Allows for univeral design
Received a grant from AT&T to purchase 70 iPods for their school
MotivatIon level was amazing
Disabled Internet access on the iPods
Simulating a short lesson on adding fractions
Use logs to keep track of apps they used - a fun meeter
Watch a video on your iPod - use these as lessons - students can learn at their own pace - pause, stop, and replay
Use help cards - students can hold them up or raise their hands
Fraction math - work until you have completed 15 problems correctly, then record your data and go to the next game
Kids % Fun - work until you have completed 20 problems correctly, then record your data and go to the next game
Once you have finished, you can practice any game until instructed
Some of the applications don't allow data to be transferred so data is recorded on paper - the appa do keep track of high scores though
Kids math fun is a good app as well and is used with their students
Syncing iPods - you can purchase products that will sync multiple iPods at the same time - they have a product that will sync 15 iPods at a time - also charges the iPods using a/c power (Tribam) - also allows you to change settings on individual iPods
Currently, they do not allow students to take them home - they want to try it next year - want to get parents involved
Each student was given headphones at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year, they are disposed of and they start with fresh sets the next year
Only have to buy the app once, as long as it is for that account - use the same account for all the iPods and only buy one app from the app store - need to check into copyright issues for this - they seem to think it is OK to use this procedure
Might be reasonable to have an account per classroom
Turned on parental controls
Locked the Internet with a password
Reduced the volume to 50%
These settings can only be done one at a time on the iPod

Constructionism, duct tape, and preparing children for their future - Tuesday, June 30, 2009
David Thornburg
The changing landscape of education
Constructionism is taking what you know and making it external
Constructivism is keeping what you know inside (your head)
Let's create educational environments where kids do not forget what they learn
Theory of flow - if your skill exceeds your challenge you will be bored. If your challenge exceeds your skill you will feel anxiety. If they are in alignment then you are in the flow. You will be engaged in the task. Your comfort level is manageable and you will not forget your learning.
You must have clear goals, you must have a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention (focus), distorted sense of time, a sense of personal control, activity is intrinsically rewarding
Build things from scratch - hands on activities in teacher workshops
Recycled materials allows people to be creative
http://instructables.com - it's where you go to show people what you have built
Let's turn libraries into blogs
Let's turn lectures into web videos
Let's turn cafeterias into chat rooms
What keeps education from changing? It isn't the cost of tech
"Think of a laptop as a vaccine. You don't vaccinate some of the children, you vaccinate them all" - Nicholas Negroponte
Connections - a website that lets you create your own textbooks
In the future, you'll be able to print your own textbook using the "Exspresso book machine"
Internet archives
Free resources from the US dept of education
Freedom toaster - burns software to a DVD from a kiosk
www.tcse-k12.org

Literacy Isn't enough: 21st-century fluency for the digital age - Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Ian Jukes
Kids are nuerologically different
TTWADI - That's the way we've always done it
It is not about kids learning, it is about getting them to learn
There has to be a balance between traditional teaching and the future of schools
We need to move to an additional set of 21st century skills
5 skill sets - Obsolete skills (irrelevant), traditional skills (hand writing), traditional literacy skills, traditional skills (critical thinking), new skills (unique to the 21st century)
Technological fluency - being directly engaged - the primary focus is the task, not the tool
Media fluency - looking critically at content (web pages, wikis, blogs, etc)
Information fluency - must be able to ask good questions, acquire materials, analyze/authenticate raw material, apply that knowledge, and finally asess both the product and process. Not a linear process, bit cyclical
Teachers need to become facilitators of learning
http://www.committedsardine.com

polldaddy

2009-06-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

I am featuring polldaddy.com in our Teaching and Learning Workshop today. Here is an example of how you can embed a poll into your blog. Take the poll and you can see the real-time results.

Teaching and Learning NOW

2009-05-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Part of teaching includes learning, doesn't it? I think so. I believe as educators, we constantly need to be learning either through our own students, through a professional network, through RSS feeds, through blogs, through social interaction, the list goes on and on. As a teacher, have you developed a professional learning network? Have you subscribed to an RSS feed, a blog, or some other social network? Some of these questions will be addressed to our area teachers as we take them through the Art and Science of Teaching by Robert Marzano. We will take our local teachers, through a joint effort with ESU 6, through some of the essential questions found in his book. Technology will be shown that highlights how to develop life-long learning. Below is a short clip of what will be provided to those who are in attendance.

Internet Safety and Sexting

2009-04-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

April was Internet Safety Month. To kick that off, ESU representatives from across the state met at the Capitol building on March 11th, to witness the signing of the Internet Safety Proclamation by the Governor.

In an effort to teach children about the dangers of the Internet, local schools within each ESU participated in the Internet Safety Contest. The contest guidelines were published, and we had more schools participate this year than last. The projects were then sent to the state contest judges who picked winners from each category. Below are those entries submitted from our ESU and chosen at the state level:

Grades K-4 - Hand-drawn Poster

Title: Never Tell Your Password

Student: Sophie Clark (1st Grade)

School: Johnson-Brock Public School

Teacher: Sandra Behrends

Video PSA – Tie

Title: Credit Card Safety

Students: Hans Christensen &

Joy Beasterfield (12th Grade)

School: Johnson-Brock

Teacher: Tera Stutheit

Due to the fact that April was Internet Safety month, we have asked Syracuse/Dunbar/Avoca Technology Specialist Gary Stearley to share his article on “sexting” - a new and dangerous cell phone craze among teens:

In a world where the only constant in technology is change, parents should be as versed in technology as their children. This has been increasingly true of cell phones and the uses of them. For years a phone was just a device that could make a call from one individual to another, and while this is still true, there are many other features that parents need to be aware of. The first and most dangerous part is the camera that has been conveniently integrated into the phone. While this might seem like a good idea, it has started a new craze that has been coined “sexting.” Sexting could be defined as the transfer of explicit images and/or sexually-based messages to any other phone, or more importantly, individual. There are many reasons this could be potentially harmful to many people. With a simple file transfer from picture messages to online accounts the message or image sent could be cataloged, or worse uploaded to many different Internet sites without the knowledge of the sender. It is also illegal to possess or transfer child pornography even if the picture is of oneself and the image is on your personal phone for this could be considered manufacturing of child pornography with intent to distribute. To restate this point in a little different manner… you could be charged and added to a state’s sex offender registry for having sexually-based pictures of yourself or others that are not of legal age on your phone.

For parents there are limited resources out there as of today, but I will list some sites below that might be able to help:

Helpful tips for parents in talking to their children
http://theteencoachblog.com/parenting-teenagers-what-is-sexting/

Is Your Teen “sexting”
http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/is-your-teen-sexting.aspx?googleid=253270

ABC News – “Sexting” Teens can go too far
http://theteencoachblog.com/parenting-teenagers-what-is-sexting/

Recycle....Recycle...Recycle

2009-03-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

We just held our electronic recycling event last month. Every year that we do this, we wonder if it is really worth it. Questions abound about whether or not we should offer a recycling event. We open it up to every school within the ESU 4 area. We even shared our successes with ESU 6, and they too joined the effort to keep these "old" devices out of our landfills.

As soon as the project starts, we realize it is worth it, and that it is a service our schools want and need. We keep thinking that we will have less e-waste each year, but then we realize that upgrades are needed and old equipment (and new) can fail unexpectedly. The amount in total freight that was brought to our warehouse was actually much larger than anticipated. We get the chore of stacking and shrink wrapping pallets in order for the waste to be shipped to the recycling company. The semi-truck will hold up to twenty-six pallets. We ended up with twenty-four.

So...why do we do this? For many reasons. We came up with some research that we found printed in the online version of USA today. Here are some statistics we should all be aware of when our old computers (school or personal) no longer function. This article was printed on July 6, 2008:

"E-waste, or electronics trash, is piling up faster than ever, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Americans discarded 47 million computers in 2005, up from 20 million in 1998. Factor in other forms of electronics, and the nation now dumps between 300 million and 400 million electronic items per year, according to estimates from the EPA and the TakeBack Coalition.

E-waste disposal rates are poised to accelerate in the run-up to a nationwide switch to digital television signals in February. Less than 20% of all electronic waste is recycled, according to the EPA. The rest ends up in landfills."

Furthermore, it is not good enough for us to choose just any electronic recycler. We spend a lot of time choosing a responsible recycler. According to the article in USA Today, "U.S. law (unlike Europe's) permits the export of electronic waste to developing nations." These nations include China, Pakistan, and India.

Some events are hosted for free, and some recyclers charge a fee to recycle electronic waste. Please take the time to do some research before recycling. And, please don't just throw those old electronics in the trash. After we read articles like the one mentioned above and see the pallets of electronic waste in our warehouse, we realize how important this is for our schools and our environment.

For more information about electronic recycling, please check out these links:

http://www.computertakeback.com/
http://www.isri.org
http://www.nrc-recycle.org/nocomputerwaste.aspx
http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/clean/nepsi/
http://luminousrecycling.com/wp/

Is your school ready?

2009-02-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

1:1 - What is it? Is your school prepared? Are your community members informed and supportive? The questions go on and on. The 1:1 initiative is all about giving laptops to students. 1:1 literally means one laptop per student. Most of us have heard of schools like Westside in Omaha who have started buying laptops for students as young as fifth grade. Those students carry the laptops with them all year long and check them in at the end of the year. They are then maintained throughout the summer and handed back out in the fall.

There are many items to take into consideration when considering 1:1. When the topic of 1:1 and school preparedness is discussed in our meetings here at the service unit, I ask participants to consider many factors. Are your classrooms equipped with whiteboards and projectors? Is there enough electrical capacity to charge the laptops when the batteries are low? Do you have a network that will support a large amount of wireless clients? Just because you have a wireless network does not mean it will support a surge in wireless activity. Your school may need to upgrade its current network to be able to handle this surge. Your school may also need to increase the number of wireless devices so it can handle more clients.

What about your staff? Does your staff have the adequate skills and knowledge to teach with technology? Getting the technology in the students' hands is only a matter of purchasing laptops. Your staff will need to know what to do with the laptops in the classroom. Teaching in a 1:1 environment looks and feels much different than teaching in a classroom with just one computer. Students will want to use the laptops for everything, so as teachers, we must be able to find ways to transform what we teach into digital content. Does your school currently subscribe to a Learning Management System such as ANGEL? ANGEL allows teachers to post online content that is available 24/7. Teachers can post assignments, assessments, and notes from the classroom on ANGEL. ANGEL has many other classroom uses besides these mentioned, but it is important that schools think about learning outside the classroom when adopting a 1:1 program.

Is your community in support of this project? You have to remember that tax payer dollars are largely funding this initiative. Therefore, it is necessary to have community support to keep this project ongoing. Do you have a plan for getting your community members involved?

What about future funding? Do you have a plan for sustainability? Once a school begins the 1:1 program, it is difficult to stop. A school may have the funding to buy laptops for students now, but what about the future? The life span of a laptop is about three years. What is your replacement plan?

Lastly, why are you considering buying laptops for students? Is it because other schools are doing it? Is there a plan to collect data showing an increase in student learning since the laptops were purchased?

As you can see, this list of considerations is long. I am not opposed to buying laptops for students. I am a big supporter of using technology with students. Students are wired for it. However, without proper planning and support, this program could fail at your school. I have visited schools and talked to professionals who have adopted this program, and they tell me the 1:1 implementation is a two to three year process: get your classrooms ready, get your staff trained, and then start handing laptops out to students.

The Nebraska Department of Education has a great site for schools looking into buying laptops for students. For more information, please check out their Laptop Initiative site at http://www.nde.state.ne.us/techcen/NebraskaLaptopInitiatives.htm.

As always, I'd be interested in hearing your comments. Please feel free to email them to me: grobke at esu4.org or you can post a comment on this blog.

ESU 4 Midyear Inservice Handouts

2009-02-06T07:20:00.001-08:00

If you came to my web 2.o presentation at the ESU 4 midyear Inservice, then you've found the right place. Below is a link to my presentation. Feel free to use it however you like. If you would like the actual keynote file, please send me an email. Thanks!

http://www.esu4.org/midyear09/web20preso.mov

January 2009

2008-11-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

Two things...well, Actually three!

There are two things I would like to share with you in the space I have available - a myeLearning of NE update and the ESU annual Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Contest.

myeLearning of NE, the organization that brings you ANGEL, has created a new community group called "The Nebraska Community of Shared Content (NCSC)." This statewide community group will host vendor-based course content that will range from complete, pre-designed courses to individual course objects. Districts will be able to utilize this group to enhance their current online course content to begin an online content program. Curriculum content from this community group may also be used to enhance a district's face-to-face curriculum. The first vendor to be housed inside this community group is the National Repository of Online Content (NROC). For now, the content areas that are inside this community group are Math, Science, and Social Studies. Altogether, there are thirty-four courses available for implementation. If your district is a subscriber to ANGEL, there is no cost to get this "value-added" service and you should have received some documentation outlining the steps to enroll in this community group. If you would like to see how this works, please let us know and we'd be happy to show you around the "Nebraska Community for Shared Content".

Secondly, the annual ESU Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship contest has officially kicked off. Every year, the ESU's, in partnership, with the Nebraska Attorney General's office, sponsor an Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Poster and Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest for students in K-12 schools across Nebraska. All entries (for ESU 4 schools) must be submitted to ESU 4 by March 16, 2009. A winning entry in each category will be selected and sent on to the Attorney General's office for special recognition.

Web Site of the Month

http://www.zamzar.com

Having trouble getting Quicktime movie files to play within Windows Movie-Maker or vice versa? Zamzar is a great online resource for converting many types of files including document, image, music, and video files. There is no application to download as this is an online tool, and best of all, it is free for converting up to 100 meg files! Simply go to zamzar.com in your web browser and follow the four simple steps. You can either browse out to your computer to choose the file you want to convert or type in the Internet address of a file online. Next, select the type of file you need your file converted to. Be sure to read the “Conversion types” page on the site to make sure you know what file type your file can be converted to successfully. And, as always when working with a digital camera, camcorder, mp3 player, etc., check your hardware manual for suggested troubleshooting tips.

Any comments, suggestions, or questions can be directed to me (grobke at esu4.org) or to Kim (krobke at esu4.org).