Tech Happenings @ LvHS

I'm finding some challenges to launching simple projects in the classrooms.... Students lack consistent and easily accessible email, and the establishment of a Google account can be a hold up when creating it on the fly with a class of 30. I would like to investigate options for @louisvillehs.org email for our students that are secure, cost-effective and low-maintenance. Also, the setup of a Google account before classtime will greatly reduce the sign-in time for Google Docs, Blogger, etc. The two issues are intertwined, however, because the Google blogger accounts require an email address as a usename. Students need an email address they can remember and one they can get to easily. The less they have to remember the better as far as usernames and passwords, too. I'll hold off creating Google accounts with all the students until I decide the email solution.

Our new set of laptops made their way into a freshman class for the first time. The students were excited, chatty and anxious to use them. After giving them the initial "laptop lecture" they were underway. Starting their research papers on the laptops allowed the teacher to help them with their introductions while they gained some very important tech skills. She could easily help them edit their intros, rearrange text, etc. while I handled all the tech questions. First time in the classroom I tell the students: backpacks under desks so I don't trip while carrying a laptop nothing on the desktop under the laptop, or it will slip off the desk do not touch the webcam lens or push on the light. OK to try the light button, wow, neato. the fingerprint reader will bring up a security window if brushed with wrist, etc.... just cancel the window check the battery time to be sure there is enough left to get through the class period do not get up from your desk during class while la...

A fearless teacher at our school created a Spanish Poetry blog for her honors students. She found that word spread very quickly to her other classes about the project. They began to ask her "when are we going to do that in our class?" .... she responded by offerring it to them an incentive for good focus and behavior to finish their material so they could have time to do a blog too. Students LOVE a change of pace and a chance to "publish" their work. And if it works to keep them focused on a goal that they view as a treat, even better!

Digital storytelling is a broad term for an audio/visual “report” which can be a cultural story, historical biography, poetry, interview, news story, radio advertisement or book review, first person account or journal entry...any digital project can be seen or heard. I saw many examples at CUE, and they range in complexity from simple audio to audio with images to documentary “movies” with audio, video and still images. Some of the projects moved us to tears, others were humorous, and all were creative and intelligently constructed. Our laptops have the capability to do any of these things, and most students know how to organize images, sound and video already. If you have an upcoming assignment or project in your class and would like to update the format, please let me know. After a planning session with me, I will come in and facilitate the class while you provide the support for the subject matter. Links to explore: http://techteachers.com/digstory/examples.htm http://www....

Remember: John and I come with the cart so you will never have to move it or handle the class alone. I will help you design lessons/projects around whatever technology you like. And I will happily team-teach your classes with you when you are integrating technology that you are not comfortable with using yourself.

Congratulations on a job well done yesterday at our technology in-service! I really challenged you to an aggressive agenda, and I thank you for “going with the flow” as I dragged many of you out of your comfort zones. You made the afternoon go very smoothly by working so well with your partners. Thanks, too, for not getting frazzled when things don’t work out perfectly. They never do! From my perspective -- teachers explored new ways to learn about technology, tried out tools and services for the first time, and worked cooperatively to create a project with a tight deadline. We ended up with a useful collaborative presentation that brought all the information together. In a perfect world we would have had twice the time, but you did just fine. An introduction to these concepts is all we need at this point. With such a broad range of interest and abilities on our faculty, I will be able to use this introduction to “possibilities” as a baseline for more in-depth trainings on specific too...