Engaging Digital Natives Diigo Site

This is an educator's diigo site with links to Web 2.0 applications. It is wonderful!! http://groups.diigo.com/groups/edn

Do you prefer Laptops or Desktops?

Found an online poll creator that you can use on your blog! Try it out below:

Get Free Opinion Polls

Here is the website: http://www.vizu.com/index.html

QuickTime VR of Mars

According to Apple, a QuickTime VR enables viewers to explore virtual worlds using nothing more than a computer and mouse. Essentially it is a picture that you can rotate 360 degrees. Enjoy Mars!
http://www.fotoausflug.de/en-mars.html

To host or be hosted???

I was just over at HitchHikr reading some of the recent blog posts about the NCAECT conference. It really was a treat to see David Warlick and Will Richardson in the same room talking about where we need to go with technology and education. I learned a lot about podcasting and I loved the fact there were a lot more collaborative sessions. I love hearing the conversations around what is working and what isn't working in different districts. It is amazing to me how far some districts are along this path. We are getting there. I feel the biggest struggle we face is figuring out how to deal with the protection issues of hosting vs. not hosting the web 2.0 content. It seems from the conversations I heard that this was true elsewhere also.

I am a proponent of opening it up - letting teachers use any and all tools that will help them teach students better. No matter how great your engineers are (and ours are wonderful) you are never going to be able to produce easy to use tools as quickly as companies like Google can, it just isn't possible.


Some would argue that you just can't allow that because we can't control the content that gets put out there. That is true. We won't be able to control it. But we CAN provide teachers with the training they need to use wikis, blogs, and other web 2.0 tools effectively. I believe teachers are professionals. Capable of using these tools - we just need to allow access and provide the training.

Technorati Tags: ncaect2007 ncaect ncaect07

SOUND IN!

I just finished helping a class of 4th graders do a 4 slide PowerPoint on a famous athlete. The students did a great job and (horror of horrors) I let them add sounds - it is amazing how much the students loved the silly and annoying sounds in PowerPoint STILL! I thought ya know, maybe PowerPoint has been out for long enough that the novelty of the canned sounds would have dissipated - turns out NO!

Kids love SOUND!

They love the audio - we have to work harder to get classes podcasting, vodcasting, using visual communicator and anything else we can think of - we SHOULD be tapping this!

I'm working with a group of 1st graders next week who will be recording their own ending to a story. The more I think about it the more I want to not only allow them to record their own voices but maybe use this time to also record their own special effects! How cool would that be!

Teacher Recruitment

I have always said that I could solve the teacher shortage. It is simple, start by doubling the salary. Then you will start to get some people interested. But, we all know the likely hood of that happening.

I was just at the NCAECT conference, which focuses on technology in education. While a collegue and I were discussing a session, she said "That's why you left education. You weren't having fun." I don't remember the reason or even what we were talking about, but it was at that moment I realized that was reason I left. It took me three years to figure that out.

Now, I really didn't leave education. I just left the classroom for the Technology Department. One of the first things I saw in my new job was a Smart Board or Activboard. I was impressed. In fact, I said "I would have taught another year if I had one of these in my classrooms." Since I am in the under 30 crowd we pretty much grew up with technology. This is even more true with the younger generations. Plus, in case you didn't get the memo, computers are cool now. So all this got me thinking...

If I am fresh from college...
fresh from facebook...
fresh from im converstaions...
fresh from skype calls
fresh from video chats
fresh from campus emerged with technology...
fresh from carrying a laptop...

Why in the hell would I want to step back in time into a classroom...
with no wifi
with no lcd projector, just a marker and an overhead projector
with no laptop, just a desktop with Windows 98. No you can't use yours.
with no IM
with people who refuse to or can't use email
with a strictly filtered internet.
with a campus whose big technology push was going from chalk to dry erase markers

Maybe younger generaations aren't going in to education and are leaving education because they are digital natives trying to teach other digital natives with analog tools. Doesn't sound like to much fun to me.

education, technology, instructional k12

Schools Need Vista Ultimate?

XP is simple, Home or Professional. Most people could get the home edition and never know the difference. At school, we needed the additional features of Professional. No big deal, everything in the Home version was in the Professional version.

Vista ain't so simple. Teachers and students really like to do digital storytelling, make movies and claymation. Windows Movie Maker and the new (and overdue) Windows DVD Maker is perfect and both are available in Vista Home Premium. The IT department also needs some advanced profile and group policy support. Both are available in Vista Business. However, Vista Business lacks Window Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker. The solution, pay up for Windows Vista Ultimate or find third party solutions for movie making and dvd authoring.

Here are the Vista comparison charts I used.
www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx
reviews.cnet.com/4520-3672_7-6687907-1.html?tag=txt

Top 50 Careers for the Next 10 Years

http://www.careervoyages.gov/top50occupations-main.cfm?pagenumber=1&sortby=top50factor

I ran across this site this weekend. It outlines the top 50 occupations for the next ten years. You can sort the list by projected need, growth, salary, and amount of education.

After playing around with it for a couple of minutes, some things jumped out at me.

When I sorted the list by projected need, 4 out of the top 10 actually had the word “computer” in the job title.

5. Computer Software Engineers, Applications

6. Computer Software Engineers, System Software

7. Computer Systems Analysts

10. Computer and Information System Manager.

Projected growth really got my attention. Seven of the top 10 were computer related.

1. Network System and Data Communication Analysts

2. Computer Software Engineers, Applications

3. Computer Software Engineers, System Software

5. Network and Computer System Administrators

6. Database Administrators

8. Computer System Analysts

10. Computer and Information Systems Managers.

The other three were all in the medical field, Dental Hygienists, PTs, and RNs.

What does all this mean? Considering Professional Athlete did not make the top 50, maybe our schools technology budget should be greater than the athletics budget.

Just Sayin…

Video Games to Lose Weight

Ars Technica had a great article (link) the other day saying exactly what I have been saying; if you want kids to get in shape use video games.

There is no hiding the fact we are a fast food nation. North Carolina even went so far as to require kids to have physical activity 30 minutes a day in school. These kids are no different than me and you; if I am going to get up and exercise than it is going to be something that I enjoy doing. My moment of clarity occurred at the local mall. I passed an arcade with a kid sweating profusely while playing Dance Dance Revolution (DDR|wikipedia link). This kid was exercising!

Sure he could have gotten his physical activity in school. But if you are not good at sports, playing them at schools stinks. Basketball/football/soccer are all dominated by the same jocks. It is no fun. This video game let him be the dominate one, and maybe for the first time.

So NC lawmakers, how about your money where your mouth is. Give us some funding and let us get our game on.

Art Rage 2

Art Rage is a great free painting program.

"You can paint with oils, sketch with pencils, sprinkle glitter, and more. You can paint with gold leaf, silver foil, and other metallic colors. You can even load in your photos as Tracing Images to help you recreate them as paintings."

Check out Art Rage 2 here!

What's an ip address?

The website Of Zen and Computing is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites. Its simple design and layout help push its goal, to answer your computer questions. It is full of content and grows everyday. Categories include digital photos, hardware, iPod, Mac, multimedia, Windows, tips and tricks, and much more.

BTW...
An IP address is a number, much like a street address or phone number, that uniquely identifies the devices that are connected to a network. These devices use IP addresses to locate and communicate with each other. Copied from here.

New Computer Buying Guide

In case you are buying a computer, I want to give you a general idea of what to look for. The top producing computer companies are Dell, HP, Gateway; all are very good. It is like comparing a Benz to a BMW. I prefer both Dells and BMW’s. The following recommendations are based on Dell computers. I should note that Apple Computers is fourth on the list of computer market share and I feel comfortable recommending them, but that is another buying guide.

Should I wait for Vista?
A question that I get a lot now is, should I wait for Microsoft Vista. Right now is it a toss up. If you need a new computer today, buy one. If you can wait, then I would wait. Vista is due out in January 30th. At the very least, make sure you get a coupon to upgrade to Vista for free or at a discount. Another thing to remember, upgrading your operating system is no fun and in a lot of cases requires formatting the hard drive and starting over. It is better to buy a computer with the operating system preinstalled, much less headaches and calls to tech support.

If you are buying a computer today, its all about the stickers. If the computer says "Vista Capable", then you are guaranteed that it will run the stripped-down Vista Home Basic. A "Vista Premium Ready" sticker lets you run Vista Home Premium.

Processor
Dell offers three types of Intel processors: Pentium D (Dual Core), Core Duo, and Core 2 Duo. All of these processors are dual core, it essentially means you have two processors on one chip. I would go with the Core 2 Duo first, then the Core Duo, and finally the Pentium D. If it says Celeron, skip it all together. A good speed, as of today, would be 2.80 GHz for the Pentium D and 1.86/2.00 GHZ for the Core 2 Duo and Core Duo. I wouldn't spend extra on a faster processer, upgrade your RAM instead.

Recommendation: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83


Operating System
Today, you get XP, but you don't want a five year old operating system. Vista will be out January 30th, 2007, so the question is what version of Vista do you want. Like XP there are home and business version, but that is where the similarities end. Within the home edition there are four versions, Vista Starter, Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, and Vista Home Ultimate. I am not even going to talk about the business side. Go ahead and forget about Vista Starter, it is for users in emerging markets, ie not the US. You won't see it when purchasing from reputable deals, but I am willing to bet you'd see it on ebay. Vista Home Basic is pretty much Windows XP Home, with just a couple of software updates. Vista Home Premium is probably what you want and the safest answer for me. It focuses on the entertainment integration, movies, music, pictures and such. Vista Home Premium also has Aero Glass user interface; it will make Windows all shiny and pretty.

Recommendation: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium


Memory (RAM)
This is the cheapest and easiest way to speed up the computer. Microsoft recommends 512 MB of memory for Vista Home Basic and 1 GB for the full versions of Vista. Personally, I would double what microsoft says and get 2 GB. If you have to pinch pennies, get no less than 1 GB.

Recommendation: At least 1 GB, preferably 2 GB

Hard Drive
Most of the entry level computers on Dell’s site start with a 80 GB hard drive, which is good. However, if your computer is going to house music files and home video it will fill up fast. You can always add a second external hard drive later.

Recommendation: 80 GB for email and word processing.

Recommendation: 160+ GB for home movies and music.


Optical Drive (CD/DVD)
Lots of choices in this section. Bare minimum you need a CD-RW (a cd burner). A CD-RW with DVD is a nice upgrade. The next step up is a DVD-RW, which will burn DVD’s and CD’s. If you plan on editing home movies, go for this. Often times you can get a second drive for free, this can come in handy, especially to copy a cd. Pop the original in on drive, and the blank in the burner, five minutes later you have an exact copy. Just try not to feel bad when the artist, who makes your salary in one night, complains about stealing music. Copying a DVD movie is much tougher (I didn’t say impossible).

Recommendation: Get a DVD Burner


Floppy Drive
Guess what! Computers no longer come with a floppy drive, you have to add it. I would pass. I would however buy a flash drive/thumb dirve/usb drive. It is the size of a key chain that you can plug into any USB port and it acts like a floppy disk. Dell offers a 128 MB flash drive ($27), so it actually acts like 88 floppy disks. An option to consider is a Memory Card Reader. It will read memory cards from virtually every digital camera. If you are still using floppy disks, please stop. They fail all the time. They should only be used to transfer files from one place to another.

Recommendation: Get a flash drive


Monitor
I have a 15 inch flat screen and I loved it until I used a 19 inch monitor. I am now saving for the 20 or 24 inch widescreen monitor. Flat screens take up a lot less space too. Dell sells analog and digital flat panels. Either one is fine, you won't be able to tell the difference. CRT monitors (not flat screens)are perfectly good, just less sexy. I would go with a 17+ inch monitor. Look for a computer with a free flat panel upgrade.

Recommendation: 17+ Flat Panel. If you need to save money, CRT’s are still great monitors.



Graphics Card
Typically, I would recommend the entry level card, but vista is making this a little tricky. One of Vista's new features, Aero Glass, requires a more powerful graphics card. So to insure you will be able to run Aero Glass, Microsoft is recommending a graphic card with at least 128 MB of memory on it. I am going to double it again and recommend a card with 256 MB of memory on it. If you get a integrated graphics card, so can still run Vista, you just don't get the eye candy. If you just want to write a letter and check your email, the entry level card will do just fine.

Recommendation: A graphics card with 256 MB of memory.


Sound Card
Go with the default. If you need a better sound card, than you don’t need this guide.

Recommendation: Entry level card


Speakers
Look at your options, odds are the cheapest speakers are your best bet. If you are getting a flat panel, they do have speakers that attach to it.

Recommendation: Entry level, or ones that attach to flat panel.


Mouse and Keyboard
A couple of choices: A mouse with a ball, an optical mouse, and a wireless mouse and keyboard. I like the optical mice, you don’t need a mouse pad and the ball won’t get stuck. This is a very easy upgrade if you later change your mind.

Recommendation: Optical Mouse

Office Suite
Microsoft makes at least 7 versions of office. Check here to compare each version. I am not going to recommend what version to buy, just offer some tips to save money. First, check with your workplace. They often have volume licenses and maybe able to give you a discount. Employees of BCPS are allowed to install a copy for free. Second, Microsoft offers a Student and Teacher version for $149, which includes Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. You can also check ebay or amazon used section. Third, consider MS Works. For $79 (sometime free) you get Word and a simpler version of Excel/Access. Fourth, dell pre-installs Word Perfect. If your word processing doesn't really go beyond letters, this will suit you just fine.

Lastly, consider OpenOffice. OpenOffice is an open source (click for definition) office suit. It includes a word processor, a presentation program, a math function creator, a vector drawing program, a spreadsheet, and a database. You can even run it off your flash drive! Did I mention the price? Free!

Recommendation: Shop Around


Antivirus/Antispyware
Dell offers Norton, McAfee, and PC-cillin for about $79. In my opinion, pass up on all of them. For antivirus, install Avast; it is free. You might want to check your workplace for this too. As for antispyware, I would recommend Windows Defender, Spybot S&D, and Spywareblaster; all free. Windows XP, with SP2, now has a firewall built in. Also, download and use Firefox, instead of Internet Explorer. Firefox will prevent a lot of spyware.

Recommendation: Lots of free options!


Optional Ports
If you have a digital camcorder, it connects to your computer via IEEE 1394 or FireWire. You need this port to edit home movies

Recommendation: IEEE 1394 if you have a digital camcorder.


Final Notes
Your best bet is to find a computer as close to your wants as you can get and then customize it from there. Some good deals can be found at Dell.com > Desktops > Home and Home Office > Smart Values. I was able to build a computer with my recommendations for $920 plus tax. If you have followed my guide in the past, this is a little more expensive. With the unknowns of Vista, I played it a little safe and there may be some overkill.

Typically I have also recommend the Small Business section. Go to Dell.com > Small Business > Smart Deals > Desktops. The only problem with the Small Business Section is that you don't get a coupon for Vista Home Premium, just Home Basic.

Dell also releases a ton of coupons, type “dell coupons” into google. Also be sure to check out my Computer Repair page.

Last thing… Never pay shipping! They say “Limited Time Offer,” but when it expires another always replaces it. In the Small Business section, they bump the shipping to Next Day, bump it down it to get it free again.

In Car Navigation

I, like my father before me, had to walk to school. Uphill both ways and in the snow. That all changed when I bought my first car, now I was driving uphill both ways in the snow. And when I get lost driving, I had to read the map. I got good at it too, and after years of practice I could even fold it back up. So, when my sister moved from Maryland to Orlando, do you think she bought a Florida map? Nope, she got her one of them there fancy GPS things.

GPS stands for Global Position System. It is a satellite navigation system that can tell you exactly (just about) where you are on the earth. In the beginning, it gave you your latitude and longitude. But now, they have built in maps, so it can tell you what road you are on. There are lots of different GPS units; I am going to focus on the in car plug and play navigation units for your car in this article. By plug and play, I mean there is no permanent installation. Just stick it to the dash or windshield and plug into the cigarette lighter.

I could spend the next couple of paragraphs outlining the features of these navigation systems, but Crutchfield already has a great guide to the plug and play navigation systems, which and be found here…

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-9pc4jNGM33O/learningcenter/car/navigation/gps_car.html

They also have a little demo of a unit, http://www.crutchfield.com/navdemo/index.html

I also highly recommend Crutchfield as a place to buy. Their prices maybe a little higher, but they provide great customer service.

Let’s say you are like me and have no problems reading a map, what good will a GPS do? The big selling point for me is the voice navigation. Pretend you’ve read the map and you know what road you are looking for, but you are unfamiliar with the area. It is nighttime and it just started raining and no matter how hard you squint, you just can see the road sign until you’re at the road. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a voice telling you your road is the next right turn? No map does that.

I personally use Garmin GPS units, and is the company I recommend. I have no affiliation with Garmin. My family has purchased two Garmin Units, specifically the Garmin StreetPilot c330. They are retailing for $299.99 on amazon.com (at the time of this writing, there are out of stock at Crutchfield). My family bought the c330 because of the easy of use. One unit went to my not-so-tech-savvy mom and not-so-tech-savvy sister. My dad’s care came with one built in and, remember, I can read maps. Arik Hesseldahl, of Forbes, also agrees in his article, “The Easiest Car Navigation System”. The c330 also has a 4.5 starts out of 5 on amazon.com, and this is out of 262 reviews.

I have also read good things about the Garmin StreetPilot i5. Specifically, from an educational blog I read, weblog-ed.com. This unit is retailing for $279.99 on amazon.com and also has 4.5 stars with 192 reviews. I have no personal experience with us unit, but would be one I personal would consider buying.

I have heard negative things about one unit; the Tom Tom. You may have seen the [annoying] commercials for these units; they are making a big holiday push. This was according to the person installing our two GPS units; my family prefers to have the power cords hidden behind the dash. He has observed, the Tom Tom being the most serviced and returned in car navigation unit. However, your mileage may vary.

If you decide to go a different route, do a little research. I would Google “in car navigation units” and check out Crutchfield and the reviews at Amazon. You can also see the links in this article and some that were not mentioned at my del.icio.us site with the tag “gpsreview”.

Free Audio Books?

LibriVox (librivox.org) provides free audiobooks from the public domain. The catalog includes books, short works, historical documents, poetry, children’s lit, and non-fiction. Worried about the copyright? All of the works are in the public domain and are not covered by copyright. In addition, Librivox has chosen not to copyright anything they do. “This means others can use our recordings however they wish, including for commercial purposes.”

How Much do you Weigh on Mars?

I saw a post here and thought it was worthing mentioning.

The NASA Website has a great tool to help kids explore the solar system. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm?Display=Flash

It is all flash based, so it should grab the attention of students. It start with the Sun, covers all the planets, and even includes asteroids and comets. Each stop on the Explorer just has a quick overview, so it won't overwhelm younger visitors. The real magic happens when you follow the about link. There you will find a slightly longer overview, information about the planets moons, an extensive gallery, facts and figures, and a Kids Eye View (which is where I learned I only weigh 77 lbs on Mars).

This is just begging for a webquest.


Don't stop there, the NASA website has a lot more to explore. More pictures, more videos, more interactives, and even some downloads.

science digital+literacy

Google Earth Rolls Back Time

Google has updated Google Earth, but it takes you back in time. If you are using the latest version of Google Earth, go to the layers section and select Featured Content. Now find Rumsey Historical Maps.

Now you can see the world like those who saw it in 1790, or how Lewis and Clark saw it in 1814. I counted a total of 16 old world maps.

Very cool and worth a look!

google social+studies

Better than Google Earth?

http://www.flashearth.com/

Just found this site from EduBlog - it has a much better image of my home than any others I have found... one-stop shopping.
You can also link directly to what you found.
My House
I especially like that you can see the terrain better than on Google Earth.

Also, and perhaps the best aspect of Flash Earth is that it'll run on Windows 98 machines!!!

Graphic Organizers

This post was delievered straight to my inbox this morning. It was a forward of a forward all about graphic organizers. Copy the links, paste the links, and bam, I am done. Hope they help.

http://graphic.org/links.html

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

http://specialed.about.com/cs/teacherstrategies/a/graphic.htm

http://www.region15.org/curriculum/graphicorg.html (English and Spanish)

PowerPoint: Just Say No Clip Art

PowerPoint is a wonderful tool. If I have presentation to make, I always use it. It can turn a boring speech into a dynamic one. PowerPoint is also the main culprit behind Death by PowerPoint. Everyone has seen one of these presentations. Just look below...

photo from Zach Graham

A ton of text on a slide is boring and has me reaching for a sodoku puzzle. Just remember less is more. Another thing that gets me in the sodoku mood is Microsofts Clip art. It served a great purpose back in the day. With photo sharing today, it should be banned.

On October 21, Boston broke the record for most lit jack lanterns. This record was formerly held by Keene, New Hampshire. Which one of these do you think would capture your audience.

orphoto from moojiturtle

Don't worry about the lack of text, remember less is more. Plus you want the people focusing and listening to you, not on your bad PowerPoint or a sodoku puzzle. If you really want them to have the details, give them a print out of your notes.

Now, where do you find this photos....

www.flickr.com
www.sxc.hu/

You can also google stock photos for a bunch more sites. Just remember to give credit to the owner.

iPod Buying Guide

Being in charge of technology for a school, I often get asked for recommendations. The last couple of Christmases it has been the iPod. So here is my 2006 updated version.

The iPod Shuffle

This is the most basic iPod. It has no screen, it just clips to your clothes. I think of this as a second iPod and is perfect if you love to listen to music while exercising. It only comes in one size, 1 GB which holds 240 songs. It is only available in aluminum.

The iPod Nano

This is the middle of the road iPod and a great place to start. They come in three sizes and six colors, specs are below. These will display your photo, but does not do any video. These are flash based, so they can handle any exercise.

The 2 GB version costs $149.00 and will hold 500 songs. It only comes in aluminum.
The 4 GB version costs $199.00 and will hold 1000 songs. It comes in aluminum, green, blue, pink, and red.
The 8 GB version costs $249.00 (same as 30 GB iPod) and will hold 2000 songs. It comes in black and red.

The iPod

This is the top of the line iPod. It comes in two sizes and colors, specs are below. These will play TV shows and Movies bought in the iTunes Store, and even your own home movies and photos. You can also purchase games. These are hard drive based, which means you wouldn’t want to use this while jogging.

The 30 GB version costs $249.00 and will hold 7500 songs. It comes in black and white.

The 80 GB version costs $349.00 and will hold 20,000 songs. It comes in black and white.

iTunes

When you buy an iPod you will need to download iTunes. iTunes is the management software for the iPod. Essentially, anything in iTunes will be put on your iPod when you hook it up. iTunes also has a built in store to purchase music (.99 a song/9.99 an album), audio books (price varies), TV shows (1.99 a show), and Movies (9.99-14.99). I love the software and it is very easy to use. I believe this is what has made the iPod so successful.

One important thing to remember, it is possible to have music on your iPod without spending a cent in the iTunes store. If you put a CD into your computer, iTunes can copy (rip) the CD to your hard drive. The next time you connect your iPod that CD will be transferred over. Every CD you own can be put on your iPod.

iTunes also has a wonderful selection of podcasts. A podcast is broadcast that you can subscribe to that is automatically updated. These are typically audio, but there are some video podcast now. Podcasts are typically free and you can find a podcast about anything.

Where to Buy

Apple sets the prices of these, and rarely do you find a discount. Amazon.com and Sam’s may have a slightly lower price. Every iPod I have purchased, or helped purchase, has been from apple.com. They offer free shipping and are almost always in stock. The coolest thing about ordering from apple is the engraving. Apple will engrave the back of any of the iPods for free.

Hope this guide helps!