Can the End be the Beginning?

Wow, here we are. . .well, wherever we go, there we are (for all my Buckaroo Banzai fans). Anyway, today is the last day of class for your hectic summer technology immersion. . .I like to look at this as not the end, but the beginning of you as technology using educators who aren't afraid to take chances and always look for fun and interesting ways to integrate technology into your curriculum.

Tonight: I will answer any final assignment questions and I want to spend a good amount of time discussing/reviewing TaskStream narratives. I expect that you will leave class tonight with the narratives finished and the sweat permanently wiped off your brow ;-)

You can ensure your blog is completely dialed out. . .you have at least 10 artifacts added, each artifact has an appropriate title, the NETS that it meets, and contains a description of what the assignment was. . .Tonight would be a great time to get any last minute help on your blogs.

I have almost every assignment graded (the regrades will happen later this week), so everyone should pretty much know where she stands as far as what grade to expect from the course. My grades are due Aug 20, but I expect to get them in way before that, so you can check back on WebCt and you will see your grade. . .I will email everyone through webCT when I have completed all grading and revision. . .do NOT panic about your grade until you receive said email. . . .

Final Question: Did you have fun in this class. . .explain.

Has your Techno turned into a Techyes?

Phew, the penultimate classe de tecnología!! Everyone should be finishing their movies, put their blogs to embed, and finishing up any other loose ends that you have to do. I would like to see your movie uploaded and all of your assignments embedded in your blog before you leave class tonight. . .if that cannot be accomplished, ensure you talk to me!

Tonight: we will work on the movies. . .ensure I, or a student already finished and checked off, evaluates your movie before uploading to your blog. When your blog is on your movie, you can submit your checklist to me to use for grading purposes.
I would also like to briefly introduce GoogleEarth to you so you can see what an amazing piece of technology that it is. . .

For class on Monday: I would like everyone to have completed the NETS narratives in TaskStream. If you look at the Portfolio assignment in WebCT, you should notice the most current student sample document is attached (it's even more up-to-date than the one we used for NETS I). You should know how to write the narratives. . .just remember to let the artifact drive the narrative; explain what the artifact is, how you created it, and why it is a great artifact for your proficiency in the standard. . .and in one sentence, you can explain how you might use it in the classroom!!! Relax, you ALL can do this. . .
I will briefly meet with each of you to ensure you have everything complete for TaskStream and see if there are any further questions on any assignments. . . Then, and only then, will you be given the technology crown of achievement (see hat above ;-)

Also, please ensure you can access your campus email. . .the evaluations for this course will be emailed to you through this email address (actually, it should already be there).

Tonight's Questions: Discuss one assignment/tool that you see yourself using in your future classroom. How will you use it?

Blog in a Blog

If iMovie, Will it Come Before C?

Lights, camera, action. . .we will be learning how to edit in iMovie tonight! If you didn't receive my last minute email and Edmodo post, please bring headphones to class if you have them! We will be learning how to edit sound in iMovie and headphones will be most appreciated by your neighbors ;-)

Everything that is past due, with the exception of the Spreadsheet assignment, has been graded. I have not had the opportunity to do re-grades yet. . .but I will soon.

Journal 8 & 9: WooHoo, the new issue of L&L has hit the Internet! Let's use the current issue for the next two journals. Journal 8, "Choosing the Perfect Tools for One to One," by Bouterse, Corn, and Halstead discusses issues to consider if your school can adapt a laptop program. Journal 9, "Science + Technology = Creativity (and Fun)," by Jared Mader and Ben Smith talks about creative ways to integrate technology into science curriculum!
If you choose to do a journal 10, pick another article from the August 2009 issue of L&L and ensure you give the proper citation.

Today's Question: What is your current or all-time favorite quote? It could be about education or life in general.

What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger, right?

I thought you all might enjoy this little poster (click on it to get a larger version). . .it's a "demotivator" from despair.com. If you haven't visited the site, you might find it fairly amuzing ;-)

Tonight we are going to do three things: discuss your NETS narratives (I will meet with each group to go over their NETS I narrative), learn how to add artifacts to your blog (emerging technology assignment), and discover Inspiration. I also want to demonstrate how to modify your excel template to get a cool version that we can host on our blogs.

I hope that you are feeling better about getting all of the work completed. Please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions or concerns about anything in the course. . .breathe. . .you will all be okay–I promise.

Journal 7: "Beyond Social Networking: Building Toward Learning Communities," by Ruth Reynard. This article comes from The Journal.

Today's Question: Speaking of motivation. . . if you received a Pass/Fail grade instead of a letter grade in this course, would it affect the effort you put into class? Explain.

Do GoogleDocs Hire GoogleNurses?

Well okay, we are more than half way through your journey into techno-transformation. If you look back at all you have accomplished so far, you should be impressed with yourselves. . .or at least mildly pleased.

Tonight we will be grading PowerPoints using our collaborative rubric. . .please don't forget that you will need 3 copies of the rubric personalized with your name as the grader. We will also briefly discuss your NETS I collaborative narratives and you will share your group's work with another group for feedback. You should have finished Journal's 1-5 (don't forget that journal 5 is extra credit), PowerPoint, and requested feedback on TaskStream.

New asignments: Copyright, Wiki, and Journals 6-10.

What's left?
Inspiration
iMovie Software Proficiency
Google Earth
Emerging Technology
TaskStream/NETS narratives

Journal 6: Remember that journal 5 was extra credit, so even if you didn't do it, start with journal 6 (i.e., you won't have a journal 5). "Don't Feed the Trolls," by Karen Richardson. L&L, May 2008.

Today's Question: How many languages do you speak? If your answer is one, do you wish you were taught another language in school? Explain.

Will the Revolution Be Televised?

Are we seriously at the 1/2 way point of the course? It seems like only a week and a half ago when we started class. . .hey wait, it was only a week and a half ago ;-)

I know that you all have something you can be working on. . .finishing touches on the Newsletter, endless journal entries, powerpoint, understanding the NETS and TaskStream, familiarizing yourself with Google Docs, etc. . .so I will try and take it easy on you tonight. . .well, as easy as I can.

Tonight: we will collaboratively create our rubric to grade the PowerPoint assignments (next Monday), learn how to request feedback on TaskStream (you should all be enrolled by now), find out how to to the spreadsheet(excel) assignment, and discover Classroom 2.0, which will also be journal 4!

Journal 4: As I said, journal 4 will be both a journal entry and a separate assignment titled, "Classroom 2.0/web 2.0 Exploration. The Instructions are on webCT. . .please read them carefully.

This should be more than enough to keep you busy over the weekend. . .sorry ;-0

Tonight's Question: What has been the best book you have read in school and the best book your have read out of school?