It's Our Last Class :(

For our final meeting we have a few things to tie up, a brief tour of TPS, and then some time to play in the computer lab with the ActivBoard. Below is our agenda:

4:30 - 5:00 Paper Work and Blog Reflection Below
if time, Google Earth Math Tour?
5:00 - 5:20 Visit to a TPS Classroom
5:20 - 5:40 SKRBL and Dabbleboard The Free Online Whiteboards
5:40 - 5:55 Fun Time with a Promethean Board
5:55 - 6:00 Goodbyes!

Want to write some Graffiti, go ahead and do so below...

Selected Reflections

Reading everyone's reflections this week has been an eye opening experience. I'm very impressed at all the creative ways in which you have integrated technology into your instruction, and how effectively you've shared with teammates and students.

Below are a few selected reflections I want to share with everyone. After you're read them, please post any additional thoughts as a comment below.

Selected Reflections from Final Projects

Blogger = The students were eager to share their ideas on the blog. It was more real-life for them to type in their responses rather than writing them in a journal or on a piece of notebook paper.

CPS = I felt that this method held all of the students’ attention and kept them on task. They appeared to enjoy the activity. They also seemed interested in doing something new in speech class.

Pixie = My students absolutely love the program and are very excited to be able to use it. Some of the students have been showing their classroom teacher how to use the program. Other students are choosing to work on Pixie when they have time in the school’s main computer lab.

Tumlbr = We are planning to create a tumblr page for each of the different language arts units that accompany the second grade language arts curriculum. We will inter-link the sites so that they can all be accessed from simply going to the site for that teacher (or maybe a second grade team website!).

Del.icio.us = I do not know if (teammate) will use this resource to support instruction. I have made him one of my contacts to monitor whether or not he is using the site.

Urbana Elementary Student Made Movie

Embedded above is the video we watched briefly in class last week created by students at Urbana Elementary about playground safety. To visit the video directly at "School Tube" go to http://www.schooltube.com/video/16393/Playground-Safety

Final Project for the Course

The class is almost finished, and it's time to "Share What You Know". This final activity is an opportunity for you to pass along some information about using instructional technology to a fellow teacher, or a selection of students.

There are four steps to this process.

Step 1: Choose a website or piece of software that you feel comfortable using to support your instruction.

Step 2: Select a student, class staff member, or group that could benefit from using this same website or software.

Once you've decided who and what you would like to teach, please email that information to me at michael.hakkarinen@fcps.org.

Step 3: Train this audience on both HOW to use the selected material, and WHEN to use it.

Step 4: Complete the online Reflection Sheet.

The link to this online reflection sheet will be sent to you after you have submitted your idea to Mike H, and not until after Wednesday, February 25th, 2009.

Ideas & Example Activities:
1. Training your teammates how to use Delicious to bookmark and tag useful websites.
2. Sharing with another teacher a lesson you used with Pixie2 completing an activity mapping the solar system.
3. Teaching a class of students how to comment on your Blogger site as part of a writing activity.
4. Presenting "tumblr" at a staff meeting so other teachers can make tumblr pages.
5. Making a Quick Guide or "How To" document on using a website, then sharing with staff at your school either online or via printed resource.

There are a lot of things you can do to share what you've learned about using Instructional Technology within your own building, class, or team. The important thing is that you learn to share, and specifically how to make connections between the technology and curriculum.

If you have any questions, please email them to me at michael.hakkarinen@fcps.org

Face to Face Class #4

Sorry everyone, no videos of the Atlanta Grape Lady, or the Zombie Kid that likes Turtles. Instead we'll watch a movie about "Technology Literacy in the 21st Century". Although this film won't be as funny as the Grape Lady, it will still contribute to the overall message of this course - why it is so important to integrate technology into our daily instruction.

The rest of the class will include:
CPS Practice Assessment

Flip Video Camera & Digital Camera Discussion
Sample Movie: http://www.schooltube.com/video/16393/Playground-Safety

Online Video Resources
YouTube may be blocked, but you could always use...
SchoolTube, TeacherTube, and DiscoveryStreaming

A "Tour" of the Application Menu

Online Surveys & Datacollection Tools
Easy = SurveyMonkey
Medium = GoogleDocs Forms
Difficult = Zoho Forms

Assignment of our "Culminating Activity" for the course

Removing that Darn "Next Blog"

I know, I know - that's confusing!

It sure is confusing to use .html codes, cutting and pasting php or even worse, trying to figure out how to use Java Script.  New Tech Users have no business doing something this complicated!  But, it's a good way to find out how this stuff really works and also see how user friendly Blogger really makes creating content on the web.

So, to answer everyone's question - here's the source of the "code" that was sent to you via email last week.  If you're still having trouble removing the "Next Blog" from your blog, check out this website:  Removing the NavBar from Blogger

This page also has a video screenshot of the process if you scroll down.

MSDE Class Meeting #3 Agenda

Tonight we will continue to pursue our quest for learning new and exciting technology that can compliment our daily instruction. During the evening we will:

1. Warm-up with a YouTube video and discussion about the infamous "Atlanta Grape Lady"

Questions to think about as we watch these clips - Who watches these videos? Who makes them? Why? and most importantly... How! Editing video and sound requires a lot of skill sets. How do you think the kids who make these videos have acquired these skills?

2. Share student made PowerPoints and ideas
This is a time to both ask questions and look for ways to improve your projects.

3. Share Tumblr & Blogger sites, then visit and leave comments

4. Complete a quick "Technology Review" using CPS remotes

5. Preview a selection of programs available on the FCPS Application Menus that we can practice with before our next meeting.

The form to complete before our next meeting can be reached by clicking here.